Croatia has been on a bit of an awards run lately, and the latest trophy is a big one. The country's promotional film "CROATIA – I hear it's beautiful", narrated by Hollywood actor John Malkovich, won first place in the Best Communication Strategy: Tourism category at the City Nation Place Awards in London. The CNP awards are run by a global organisation dedicated to place branding, so this is recognition from the people who judge destination marketing for a living.
The Malkovich film has now racked up a string of international honours. Croatia's Minister of Tourism and Sport, Tonči Glavina, called the campaign an important step in how the country presents itself abroad, arguing that a crowded global travel market demands new stories rather than the same postcard shots. Croatian National Tourist Board director Kristjan Staničić made a similar point, saying the goal is to promote Croatia as a varied, high-quality destination all year round — not just its headline beaches, but local food, culture and everyday life.
Travellers themselves weighed in too. In the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, where more than 250,000 readers cast a record 8.2 million votes, Croatia's islands took gold as the Most Desirable Region in Europe. Dubrovnik wasn't far behind, claiming silver as the second Most Desirable City in Europe. Staničić flagged the reader-voted results as especially meaningful precisely because they come from actual travellers, not industry judges. The London ceremony drew some star power of its own, with Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, among the guests.
Why does this matter if you're planning a trip? Partly as validation: Croatia's islands — Hvar, Korčula, Vis, Brač, Mljet and dozens more — are being ranked by fellow travellers above pretty much everywhere else on the continent. And partly as a hint about timing. The tourist board is actively pushing the shoulder seasons, gastronomy and inland experiences, which means spring and autumn trips are likely to get more attention, better events and thinner crowds than the July crush. Dubrovnik's silver-medal status is well earned, but its old town gets rammed in high summer; visiting outside peak months shows you the city the awards were actually celebrating.
For anyone who has been sleeping on Croatia, the combination of a celebrity-fronted campaign and reader-voted gold medals makes it a fair bet that prices and crowds will keep climbing. Going sooner, or going off-season, is the savvy move.
