The Public Institute of Krka National Park has won three prestigious awards at the 30th Interstas International Show of Tourism, Tourism Film, and Landscapes

This prestigious event was held this year in Solin from 15–17 November.

It brought together experts, representatives of the tourism industry and nature lovers from around the world and it included three programmes: 30th Interstas International Show of Tourism, the 26th ITF’CRO International Festival of Tourism Film and 21st CEA-CRO, special international award “Dr. Lucija Čikeš”.

The Public Institute of Krka National Park received the special international award “Dr. Lucija Čikeš 2023” for its exceptionally valuable project to build the Krka Eco Campus in Puljane. This recognition is awarded for excellence in promoting creativity in specialised areas such as flora, landscaping, urban, rural, and eco-systems, and the development of the tourism sector at the global level. The director of the Public Institute of Krka National Park, Nella Slavica, personally received the special recognition INTERSTAS 2023 for her systematic and creative work and care invested in protecting Krka National Park. The selection committee highlighted her contributions to controlling the growing number of visitors, supporting the sustainable development of tourism, and improving the quality of tourism overall.

„Receiving this special recognition INTERSTAS 2023 is not only a personal honour for me, but also recognition of the dedicated efforts of the entire team at the Public Institute of Krka National Park. I am thrilled that we have been recognised as promoters of sustainable tourism development and protectors of the balance between ecology and economics, and I am especially delighted with the award that we have received for the Krka Eco Campus in Puljane, a project that so many people have worked so hard at to enrich what we offer our visitors, making Krka National Park a special place where humans, plants and animals come together in harmony,said Nella Slavica in her speech. She added,"This award also brings with it an obligation to continue with our hard work and innovations, that will further advance the quality of the tourism experience, while simultaneously protecting both nature’s beauty and integrity. We will continue to promote nature conservation and build bridges between people, nations and cultures, in order to contribute to a better understanding among us, making Krka National Park the pride of Croatia and a recognisable gem of international tourism.“

The international panel of judges at the 26th ITF’CRO 2023 granted an award for the film entitled “When I Think of the Krka – Bread” (2’08″/2022), directed by Tomislav Krnić and produced by Digital Media Studia 24/7. The film presents an ode to the people and the landscape through which the Krka flows. Shots of grains of wheat, bread, water and fire, or ethnographic elements of traditional embroidery, an old family photograph on the wall, the stone used to build the house, tell the story of people here and the traditions they nurture. The text accompanying the film, written as a love song to the people who lived here over history, celebrates the simplicity of life and absolute connection with nature.

All three international festivals – Interstas, ITF’CRO, and CEA-CRO – play a key role in promoting the development of tourism, culture, ecology and sustainable development. INTERSTAS contributes to stimulating the development of travel, ensuring the supply of contemporary high-demand tourism, while ITF’CRO contributes to the development and valorisation of tourism film production. CEA-CRO contributes to raising awareness of environmental protection, sustainable development, ecology and the quality of life. This award not only recognises the excellence of the Public Institute of Krka National Park, but also confirms Croatia’s position as a destination that nurtures the heritage of its natural and cultural heritage.