New UN Tourism Partnerships in Croatia to Advance Research, Policy and Awards for Sustainability

(IN SHORT) UN Tourism has signed memoranda with Croatia’s Ministry of Tourism and Sport and the University of Zagreb to establish a Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism and to inaugurate a Sustainable Tourism Awards. The Centre will generate applied research and policy guidance in governance, sustainability, knowledge exchange, multi-stakeholder collaboration, climate action, and tourism law, using the UN Statistical Framework to measure impacts. The Awards will celebrate destinations that lead in community-centred and environmentally responsible tourism, reinforcing Croatia’s legislative and strategic efforts toward a more resilient, inclusive, and heritage-conscious tourism model.

(PRESS RELEASE) MADRID, 2025-Jun-16 — /Travel PR News/ — During the official visit of the UN Tourism Secretary-General to Croatia, UN Tourism formalized two landmark collaborations with the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Croatia and the University of Zagreb. Central to these agreements is the newly inaugurated Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism at the University of Zagreb, envisioned as a dynamic knowledge hub for actionable research and policy development, and the launch of a Sustainable Tourism Awards scheme later this year.

The Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism will produce high-impact studies and guidance across six strategic domains: enhancing tourism governance through data-informed frameworks; advancing the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability with rigorous monitoring; facilitating policy-relevant knowledge exchange; promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration among government, industry, and academia; championing climate action via low-carbon solutions and circular business models; and scrutinizing tourism law to assess its long-term efficacy. Aligned with the UN Statistical Framework on Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism, the Centre will track tourism’s full spectrum of impacts, informing both public and private decision-makers.

Complementing this research initiative, the Sustainable Tourism Awards will recognize Croatian destinations that excel in innovation, community well-being, and environmental stewardship. This awards programme supports Croatia’s broader vision of transforming its tourism sector by embedding smart, inclusive, and forward-looking policies—built on recent legislative reforms—to safeguard cultural heritage, bolster economic resilience, and prioritize local quality of life.

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SOURCE: UN Tourism