Croatia has been granted the Most Desirable Destination in Europe award, as decided by the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards.

The dedicated readership of the esteemed magazine voted for the country in the poll taken in the early days of November.

Consequently, Croatia has managed to solidify its status as an exceptional and beautiful European travel gem.

The ceremony

The Wanderlust Awards ceremony was recently held at the British Museum, which coincided with the World Travel Market (WTM).

The WTM is well-known for being the largest and most popular global event in the industry for tourism and travel.

On the occasion, the Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Kristjan Stancic, expressed pride in the country being granted the prestigious award.

He added that this was a big seal of approval from local and international tourists alike and a brilliant achievement of the travel and tourism sector in the country.

At the event, Croatia was established as the tourism champion alongside some of the most renowned destinations across the globe.

These include Spain, Greece, Italy, and France, which makes the success more remarkable in the eyes of the industry.

The country managed to secure this prestigious award, emerging victorious amid intense and furious competition with nine other nations that were nominated for the same category.

The competition

In this closely watched race to be the most desirable destination on the continent, Spain managed to come in second.

Consequently, the destination was awarded the silver for being the Most Desirable Destination In Europe for the year 2023.

Italy came in third and took the bronze distinction awarded by the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards.

A number of other strong nations were also competing for the award, which included countries such as Germany, Iceland, France, Greece, Slovenia, Austria, and Scotland.

The presence of these nations is an ode to the intense competition that was faced by Croatia in the category.

About Croatia

Situated between the southeast and central Europe, Croatia is a jewel of the Adriatic. It is held in high regard by the people of Wanderlust and tourists alike.

In addition, the country has been blessed with a wide range of stunning island landscapes, vibrant culture, coastal attractions, intriguing history, delicious cuisine, and beautiful nature.

One of the primary highlights of Croatia is the historic city of Dubrovnik, which boosts the popularity of the country.

The city is well-known for its ancient walls that stretch all around the church of Old Town, terracotta rooftops, and palaces.

At the awards in 2022, Dubrovnik was also granted the honor of being deemed to be the Most Desirable City in Europe. This year, the location managed to secure the fourth place in the same category.

According to Stancic, Wanderlust Awards are a tribute to some of the most desirable locations across the world.

Consequently, he added that Croatia and its cities being consistently listed in the awards further confirms the reputation and status of tourism in the country on a global scale.

He further stated that recognition from the prestigious magazine also plays an important role in boosting the travel and tourism sector in Croatia.