Croatia Family Holidays last year celebrated its 20th anniversary, so what better way to get a glimpse into the past, understand the present and look into the future than an informal chat with the company’s head tour ‘Jana Penic’.
Why is adventure tourism gaining popularity in Europe?
Jana: Parents want to see their children engaged with life not the internet. Sports, nature, being social only lead to positive outcomes. Croatia has gorgeous coastline, charming islands, organic food, prising beaches. What better place to try a family activity holiday in Europe.
Now there are a lot of flight choices to Croatia from all over the UK & Ireland. This has helped grow tourism numbers. The Adriatic Sea is the cleanest in all of Europe. So many families that want to try adventure tourism, and want the greenest of credentials, know they’ll find the best conditions here. Croatia more than other destinations in Europe that offer family active holidays, raises the bar to protect the nature that surrounds us.
Is Croatia the best destination for an family active holiday with teenagers?
Jana: Croatia is particularly popular for families with teenagers as it offers a diverse range of activities from; white water rafting to Zip Lining and from canyoning to sea kayaking. It is also a destination which is well known as many teenagers have heard about it due to the various musical festivals it hosts. From a parent’s perspective Croatia is also attractive because of the natural and historical beauty; so as well as the splash action it’s a charming country to explore. We have two family adventure bases in Dalmatia. Both are close to Split which is a UNESCO heritage city. One based in PODSTRANA. The second is based in OMIS. From our bases you can also easily access Krka National Park which is certainly worth a visit. Our other family adventure base in Croatia is on Brac island. The Croatian islands are extremely pretty and when families are not doing activities, they appreciate the relaxing island life & vibes”.
How has tourism in Croatia changed over the years?
Jana: Families are becoming more independent. Nearly 95% of our guest’s book pre and post stays independently. Our team always helps with recommendations and advice, but parents will book direct. With review sites like Tripadvisor and Facebook you can check if companies are verified and reputable; so, it means families can book pre and post stays with confidence. We are proud to hold a Certified Excellent Certificate awarded by TripAdvisor!
What about sustainability in active tourism?
From our side we always do our best to reduce transfers wherever possible. On Brac island for example we do 4 activities through the week and 3 of these all start from spots walking distance from our family apartments. All Activities we offer are ow impacting on the environment. I believe moving forward, we’ll see the trend growing for family adventures in Europe. Pushing towards greener and more sustainable tourism.
One initiative we started approximately 10 years ago was our EKO bags. We provide our families with recycled EKO bags so they can use these for grocery shopping throughout their time in Croatia. This scheme has saved thousands of plastic bags being used over the years. We are also against mass tourism. All our departures are small groups so typically we have 6 or 7 families each week. We also work with local businesses, communities and charities which is very important to us. It has to be a win : win for the tourists and the local communities.
Croatia Family Holidays is particularly popular for families with teenagers, why is that?
Jana: Families with kids 11-18 years realise their teenagers want or need to do more. A posh hotel or villa doesn’t give teenagers what they really need. The activities we do are always great fun and show case the natural beauty of Croatia. Children below 11 years are generally too small to do the activities we organise and therefore we are particularly popular with families with teenagers as they are physically capable of doing the activities but also at that stage of life where they want to try new things.
What makes Croatia Family Holidays unique?
Jana: There are several things we do which our families really appreciate. Firstly, our sales managers are always transparent with parents regarding who is already booked on; so, it helps the age matching process for us & our guests.
The next thing which is important for the social side of things is our families are always accommodated together. Either in a Villa or Hotel. 80% of our accommodation options also have swimming pools and are a short walk to the beach.
The third area and this can’t be underestimated is our tour leaders. As well as having local activity guides for all the relevant family activities we also have dedicated tour leaders organised the flow of the week with us. Our tour leaders help with animation and use their experience to ensure our families get the most out of their week with us. Our tour leaders are honestly such special people, and you will see all the lovely heart felt comments on our social media and the various review platforms.
Do you need to be fit to do a family active holiday?
Jana: A moderate level of fitness is required to do our activities. Of course, some are easier than others and we will always discuss specific activities with parents if they have any concerns. For example, canyoning is our most challenging activity so often our sales managers will explain to parents what is involved & send video links to give guests a sense of what to expect. Of course, our tour leaders on the ground will always assess things on the spot and will have the final say on participation.
Do you offer single parent active holidays?
Jana: We don’t offer exclusively single parent activity holidays in Croatia, but we do have some weeks we mark as Single Parent friendly. As always, our travel managers are happy to let prospective guests know who is already booked on.
What does the future hold for Family adventures vacations in Europe?
Jana: Each year we try to refine our programs to suit the needs of European and international guests. Judging from our reviews I am satisfied we are doing something right, but we don’t like to rest on our laurels. We are currently looking at developing more Croatia family active holiday options in Spring & Autumn. Our tailor-made team are also developing new products for adventurous families who can travel in June and early July. This helps families travelling from America, Canada and Ireland.
Have you seen an increase in Slow travel?
Jana: Maybe a little. Some families come to Croatia by trains and cars. Although flights are still the primary choice mainly due to limited time parents can take off work. We are members of Responsible Travel who are actively lobbying for more efficient aviation for the future. We find when we chat to our families and via their feedback forms people are trying to take ownership of their own movements and travel as responsibly as they can, which is always pleasing to see responsible travel is seeping into the public consciousness.
What charity work are you doing?
Jana: Our general manager in Croatia has also been working for a local charity which we support which in turn is rewarding. Support the charity and read more here. On Brac island we plant one olive tree per family booked. It’s a great carbon off set scheme devised by a lovely Croatian family based on Brac island.
