The Buy Croatia concept implies arrangement of business meetings between Croatian tourist participants (tour operators, travel agencies, hotels...) and foreign tourist participants.

The business workshops and business meetings will be held between Croatian tourist participants and foreign tourist participants for the purpose of increasing Croatia’s coverage in foreign tourist participants’ brochures and enhancing the diversification of the tourist offer presently available on the market. These meetings will be held in (Buy) Croatia and the foreign tourist participants will visit Croatia as our guests. A limited number of foreign tourist participants were invited to the working meeting in Croatia to:

• learn about the destination and experience the tourist products and quality of the offer,
• meet with service suppliers (accommodation operators, incoming agencies, product specialists, etc.),
• negotiate purchases of services and/or packages.

The meetings will be arranged several times a year and will include trips to learn about the destination.

As a result of the Strategic marketing plan for specific aims (sailing, culture and touring, continental tourism), specialist business workshops will be organised.

In 2010 a number of meetings will be organised, and will be followed by a tour where visitors can get to know the destination.

1. An inspection trip of Zagreb and continental Croatia from 14 to 18 April 2010 for “general” tour operators and agencies, which will include a business workshop in Zagreb during CROTOUR (17 April 2010).
   
2. An inspection trip of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County from 26 to 30 May 2010 for general tour operators and agencies, which will include a business workshop in Dubrovnik at the end of May
   
3. An inspection trip of Istria and Kvarner from 21 to 25 May 2010 that specialises in bus companies.
   
4. An inspection trip of the northern part of the Croatian coast (Istria, Kvarner, Zadar and possibly Šibenik) that specialises in camp sites (date to be confirmed)
   
5. An inspection trip of central and southern Dalmatia (County Tourist Boards Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik) specialised for sailors (date to be confirmed).
   

In 2009, the following meetings were held:

• 4 April in Zagreb, where participants-representatives of tour operators stayed in Croatia and visited Zagreb and Slavonia from 1 to 5 April. Croatian partners, who offer the area of Zagreb and continental Croatia (the areas of Central Croatia, Slavonia and Lika-Karlovac) in their programs, were invited to the business workshop.
• 16 May in Split, where participants-representatives of tour operators visited the Split-Dalmatia County from 13 to 17 May. Croatian partners from Dalmatia and partners who offer the area of Dalmatia in their programs were invited to the business workshop.
• In Dubrovnik, where participants-representatives meeting industries visited the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

Excursions will be arranged for the foreign participants to acquaint them with the destination they are visiting.

Through its county tourist board system and trade associations (UHPA, HUH, KUH), the Croatian National Tourist Board will invite all interested tourist participants from the respective areas (hotels, agencies, associations…). Each representative office of CNTB will invite decision-makers, opinion-makers and agency owners from their respective countries. The purpose is to contact specialists (special interest agencies) in addition to the existing tour operators and agents. The focus will be on tourism of special significance and season extension.

The foreign partners are invited at the expense of the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Tourist Board System.

Domestic tourist participantswill cover their own cost of accommodation and pay a registration fee in amount of 500 HRK per person prior to the holding of the workshop. Croatian participants will be provided with 1 table, 4 chairs, coffee and drinks in the working part and a business lunch. Paid registration fees are nonrefundable. Other services for the foreign partners (organization of the workshop, lunches, dinners) are covered by the organizer. Prior to the workshop, a brochure listing all registered domestic and foreign partners will be issued and delivered to all participants. Depending on the interest, presentations of interested Croatian participants will be held in a separate room during the working part of the workshop, as agreed beforehand. Registration forms for domestic partners should be completed in English.