“The biggest misconception is that it's small,” Glavina told TTG at WTM London. “Technically speaking, from a land-size perspective, it is small. But Croatia has such a unique shape and history that you can visit five different regions and feel as though you're in a different country.

"Those regions can be within a couple of hours' drive of each other. The way people talk, the way people dress, the gastronomy, the music, the architecture [changes].

"Because of its shape and history, Croatia has been influenced by a lot of different cultures and civilisations. That is represented throughout the different regions. Once you get there, you cannot believe how much there is to see.” 

Glavina argues dispelling this myth is crucial to dispersing visitors more evenly around the country and protecting Croatia’s beauty.

“We do not want to have scenarios like some of our European competitors in which people took to the streets and protested against overtourism, where people in those destinations perceive that tourism is bringing down the quality of their life,” he said. “For us, it's quite the opposite.”

Glavina also highlighted Croatia’s efforts to track its tourism, noting hospitality providers are required to monitor the impact of tourism on the country’s resources.

“They record everything from water and electricity to sewage, parking and infrastructure,” he explained. “Managing it has to do with recognising what the carrying capacity of the destination is.” 

As for its luxury product, Glavina said Croatia has made “significant strides” in expanding its high-end offering. Currently, 56% of the country’s hotels are either four- or five-star, with efforts ongoing to increase the share of the latter.

There are also plans to open two Four Seasons hotels, both of which will be located along its Dalmatia coast.  “It’s a big, unique project, so it will probably take two to three years depending on how fast they move with the steps,” said Glavina. 

Increasing duration of stay is another priority for Glavina. The average European spends about six days in Croatia, and most of these visits are centred around its beaches. 

“We’d always like the length of stay to increase, but we have to be realistic about trends,” said Glavina. “Research shows the primary motive for travel in the UK is now no longer the beach, it’s city breaks, so that will also inform how we promote our country.”