UN Tourism and Croatia sign agreements to advance sustainable tourism development, research and innovation

New agreements signed during an official visit of the UN Tourism Secretary-General to the country include the cooperation with the newly established Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism at the University of Zagreb, which will serve as a knowledge hub for research andpolicy development, and the organization of a Sustainable Tourism Awards.

The new Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism at the University of Zagreb will address a growing demand from UN Tourism’s Member States for applied, action-oriented research. The Centre is expected to deliver high-impact outputs across six key areas:

• Tourism Governance: supporting multi-level governance systems with robust, data-driven policy frameworks;
• Sustainability and Inclusivity: advancing the social, environmental and economic pillars of sustainability through rigorous research and impact monitoring;
• Knowledge Exchange: acting as a platform for policy-relevant knowledge creation and dissemination;
• Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration : bridging policy makers, industry and academia for evidence-based decision-making;
• Climate Action in Tourism: promoting low-carbon solutions, renewable energy and circular business models;
• Tourism Law: analyzing and monitoring the application of tourism law in Croatia and beyond, offering guidance and assessments of long-term effectiveness.

In line with the UN Statistical Framework on Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism, the Centre will track the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism to guide public and private sector action.

The Sustainable Tourism Awards, to be launched in Croatia later this year, represent an additional recognition for destinations across the country. The initiative complements Croatia’s broader ambition to transform destinations and the national tourism model, responding proactively to external pressures while staying focused on long-term community benefits. Croatia has undertaken enormous efforts in recent years, including through new legislation, to invest in smart, inclusive and long-term tourism policies that prioritize local well-being, economic resilience and cultural heritage protection.