HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić said the new Berlin office strengthened Croatia’s presence in that area of Germany, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the entire German market together with existing Munich office. He noted that the Berlin office continued their long-standing presence in Germany, previously maintained through its Frankfurt office for the past 30 years.
German travellers recognise Croatia for its safety, accessibility, authenticity and value for money, Staničić said, adding that German visitors accounted for more than 20% of all tourist overnight stays in Croatia and were increasingly travelling outside the peak summer season.
Although Croatia has traditionally been recognised as an auto destination, strong air connectivity remains crucial for tourism development, with the country currently linked to as many as 15 German cities through direct flights, Staničić said.
Last year, German visitors recorded 22.3 million overnight stays in Croatia, with the largest share in Istria, more than 10 million. Kvarner followed with over four million overnight stays, while Zadar and Split-Dalmatia counties each recorded more than 2.2 million.
Romeo Draghicchio, Director of the HTZ’s Berlin office, said the opening formed part of a broader strategy to strengthen the promotion of Croatian tourism in Germany, particularly in Germany's northern regions.
“Our focus will be on closer cooperation with key partners, travel agencies and airlines to further improve transport links between Croatia and German travellers. We will also place special emphasis on digital media, influencers and modern communication platforms, which play an increasingly important role in destination promotion and travel decision-making,” he said.
The event was attended by representatives of media outlets including Travelbook, BILD.de, T-Online.de, Deutsche Welle, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Berliner Zeitung, Elle, Funke Mediengruppe, Fenix Magazin, public broadcaster RBB and industry outlet Counter vor9. Also present were representatives of ADAC and PiNCAMP, tour operator Select Travel, Croatia Airlines, the Association of Independent Travel Agencies (ASR), as well as two major German tourism associations at federal level, the German Travel Association (DRV) and the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW). Representatives of other national tourism boards based in Berlin were also in attendance, including those from Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic
Also in attendance at the opening were Hanna Kleber, President of the association of foreign tourism boards in Germany Corps Touristique e.V., Andreas Kolbe, adviser in the Department for International Tourism Policy at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Gordan Bakota, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Germany, the HTZ said.