Archive 2010

The fifth international MTB race entitled "Istria Valamar Terra Magica" was held as planned, but this time it lasted for three days not just one. The race was organized by the Istrian County Administrative Department for Tourism, Istria Tourist Board and IRTA d.o.o., along with the main sponsors Agrolaguna d.d., Favorit, Keindl sport and Milsing d.o.o. Zagreb. The applications received had been announcing a well-attended race, however, extremely bad weather conditions in the last couple of weeks have made a significant number of participants cancel their arrival. In spite of this, some 130 cyclists from Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Austria rode the race.

On 10 May 2010 starting at 13.00 in the restaurant of the San Rocco Hotel in Brtonigla a promotion ceremony is going to be held on the occasion of including four Istrian chefs and restaurants into this prestigious international association gathering the best young chefs from all over Europe. The honour of representing Istria in this association belongs to Teo Frenetich from the San Rocco restaurant from Brtonigla, Matteo Beletic from the Damir&Ornella restaurant and  Marin Rendić from the Pepenero restaurant (both from Novigrad) and Danijel Ðekić from the Monte restaurant (Rovinj). The JRE representatives will award them with special personalized aprons with their names as well as official labels for their restaurants.

As it has already been announced, during March and April final negotiations took place about the inclusion of 15 best Istrian winemakers into the prestigious guide of the Italian Touring Club - TCI, ''Vinibuoni d'Italia 2011'', published in 35 thousand copies. All the included Istrian winemakers will be reviewed and evaluated by the eminent Italian experts in the field of enology. The said publication deals with the Italian enologic tradition, especially the autochthonous wines of certain regions.

In the period between 14 - 17 May 2010 in the Italian town of Arezzo, Tuscany, the second edition of the international fair of extra virgin olive oils will be held. Along with more than 200 selected oils from 19 countries of the Mediterranean area, this year the fair will present 23 best olive oil producers from Istria selected by Marco Oreggia, one of the most renowned olive oil experts, publisher and editor of the most significant world extra virgin olive oil guide - Flos Olei (the former L'extravergine - www.marco-oreggia.com).

As it has already been announced, during March and April final negotiations took place on the inclusion of 10 best Istrian restaurants into the prestigious Italian gourmet guide - L'espresso (2011 edition) published in 110 copies. All the included Istrian restaurants will be reviewed and evaluated by the eminent Italian enogastronomic experts in order for them to be able to stand side by side with 3.000 exquisite restaurants from all the 20 region from the Apennine peninsula that will be included into the new edition of this guide.

On its fifth anniversary, the renowned international biking race will take place from 7th to 9th May. Differently form last years, when it was a daily race, this edition will last over three days, passing through the areas of the tourism offices of Poreča and Tar-Vabriga, as well as through Lanterna and Tinjan. Such growth of the event, as in quantitative as in qualitative terms was possible thanks to the support of our long lasting partner – Valamar co, but also of the inclusion of a new strategic partner – the Agrolaguna co.

After a long and demanding work on its realization, we are finally able to present you the brand new videos dedicated to the Istrian eno-gastronomy, precisely to two international events dedicated to the istrian white truffle, which can be seen in the multimedia chapter of our specialized gourmet website.

Valamar Riviera Hotel & Residence**** is a new yacht hotel with romantic apartments which will welcome its first guests in May 2010 on the very waterfront in the old heart of the town of Poreč.

This specialized magazine, from many considered as ''the bible'' of eno-gastronomy, is dealing with Istria and its gastronomic offer for the first time, and does it in the greatest way!

After two last year's very successful Press blogging trips, the Istrian County Administrative Department for Tourism once more invited some of the most successful multiply awarded world bloggers in the field of travel and tourism to come to Istria to get familiar with the tourist offer of our region, which would inspire them to write about Istria and recommend it to their wide and outspread network of users, the so-called community

During March Istria Tourist Board published the second edition of the diving catalogue Istra Diving – Adventure in Blue Istria.

Continues the already good collaboration of the Istrian County Department of tourism with the Slovenian daily newspaper Primorske novice, widely read by our northern neighbours, which are very close to Istria and most of them regular visitors of our region.

During January 2010 an up-to-date brochure Vacation Planner was printed in Croatian, English German and Italian language, and due to the great demand it has additionally been translated to Slovenian and Russian. This edition was published in 68.000 copies.  

At the beginning of 2010, promotional publication Istrien Magazin was printed in German language. It had been realized through the collaboration of the Istrian County Tourist Board and the Austrian PR agency.

The 4th edition of Olio Capitale (www.oliocapitale.it , the Exhibition of typical and quality extra-virgin olive oils, with a rich program of side events, shall take place from 5th to 8th March 2010 in Trieste (Italy).

Again this year the International Extravirgin Oliveoil Agency in collaboration with ALMA – International School of Italian Cooking headed by famous Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi and CRA - Olive Research Institute, organized the International Olive Oil Competition ''ARMONIA'' , ''ALMA'' Trophy

At the beginning of February Istria Tourist Board published a new, second edition of the catalogue on private accommodation labeled Domus Bonus - Istria Quality Apartments, the guarantee for quality accommodation.

From March 7th until 9th 2010 Istria will host a group of 35 Danish experts in strategic regional touristic planning and management in tourism. The participants of this trip shall stay at the newly opened Kempinski Hotel Adriatic 5* in Crveni vrh, Savudrija, where they'll attend to thematic presentations and round tables about Croatian and Istrian tourism development strategies, and the activities related to branding, marketing and promotion of Istria as touristic destination.