Today, the 109th General Meeting of the European Travel Commission (ETC) was held in Zadar. ETC is the most important and oldest international tourism organization in Europe. While yesterday was reserved for the 116th meeting of the ETC Board of Directors. The meetings were attended by leaders of European national tourism organizations, including Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board and Vice President of ETC. Among others, all attendees were greeted by Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Miguel Sanz, President of ETC, and Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of ETC, whom Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sports, met with. In the introductory part of the ETC General Meeting, Monika Udovičić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, also addressed everyone.
The key themes at the ETC General Meeting and the Board of Directors meeting focused on the European tourism results across Europe in 2024 and the start of 2025, ETC’s activities and future plans, the impact of geopolitical and economic conditions on the continued promotion of Europe as a unique tourism destination, and current and future tourism trends that will shape the European tourism sector.
"It is a great honour to host the leaders of European tourism in Croatia, a country that, thanks to its rich tourism offering, can enjoy year-round tourism. I am extremely pleased with the outcomes of the meetings held here in Zadar County, particularly with the fact that our country is among the EU members continuously investing in quality tourism and achieving some of the best tourism results. Croatian—and European—tourism has always shown strength and adaptability in challenging times, and I firmly believe that we will continue to see positive tourism trends both domestically and internationally," said Director Staničić.
The importance of continuous cooperation and coordination among key stakeholders in European tourism, as well as the readiness of all countries to adapt to change in order to effectively respond to modern challenges, was emphasized by Miguel Sanz, President of ETC, and Eduardo Santander, CEO/Executive Director of ETC.
"This General Meeting has brought together tourism leaders from across Europe to Zadar at a crucial time, just ahead of the summer season. It’s been an important opportunity to reflect on the resilience of our sector, align on key priorities, and advance our shift toward measuring the true impact of tourism—not only in arrivals, but in its environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The strong collaboration on display here reaffirms our shared commitment to building a more sustainable and forward-looking tourism industry”, said Miguel Sanz, President of ETC.
“We sincerely thank the Croatian National Tourist Board for hosting this ETC General Meeting in Zadar. Croatia is a highly engaged member of ETC, actively supporting our initiatives across Europe and in key global markets. This setting has also offered a valuable opportunity to explore the country’s coastal and nautical tourism offer, which remains an important part of Europe’s diverse tourism landscape”, concluded Eduardo Santander, CEO/Executive Director of ETC.
Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Brussels, ETC brings together European national tourism organizations along with affiliate members from the private sector, including agencies, transport providers, and other service providers in tourism. The ETC’s primary goal is to strengthen the sustainable development of Europe as a tourist destination, to advocate for better tourism policies and cooperation at the EU level, and to continue promoting Europe as a leading global tourist destination.
