On April 2, 2025, in Zagreb’s Esplanade hotel, we took part in the International Institute for Climate Action (IICA) Impact & Connect After-Work Event! The topic of this event was tourism sector resilience to climate change.
Our CEO, Mario Špadina, on behalf of SeaCras, gave his expert knowledge overview on this extremely important topic for Croatia. And this discussion opened up space for common solutions and the exchange of ideas and connections with all those who shape the sustainable future of tourism.
“The sun and the sea are Croatia’s main resources, but this also brings challenges such as an increase in wildfires, the pressure on the infrastructure network and pollution incidents. That’s why SeaCras presented the optimisation of ecological anchorages as a successful model of sea protection, the calculation of carrying capacity based on real data, as well as the first global pollution monitoring system using AI and satellite images. And then, there’s also the importance of the concept of ‘regenerative tourism’”, Mario Špadina, PhD
In addition to SeaCras’ representative which focused on technology and environment, the policy and governance for sustainable destination management aspect was explained by Slavko Štefičar, Director of the Sustainable Development and Competitiveness of Tourist Destinations Directorate from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. He gave a detailed overview of the development strategy and explained which bottlenecks are currently present in Croatia. Marija Pujo Tadić, President of IICA and Special Advisor/Envoy for Climate Action of the Republic of Croatia, where she focused on global climate strategies.
The tourism sector is facing growing challenges from climate change, which requires sustainable investments, regulatory adaptations and strategic approaches to resilience.
Some of the main questions addressed by the experts were:
- How can the industry prepare for the future?
- What are the key financing mechanisms available for adaptation?
- How can strategic development be based on data and AI for faster adaptation, adequate adjustment and increased competitiveness of destinations?
At this event, attended by the invited IICA members and special guests, speakers shared their experiences and their views on possible ways to strengthen the tourism sector resilience and strategic initiatives at the national and international levels.
Thank you to IICA for the invitation and for opening up such important topics, especially for Croatia, which has been feeling the strain and consequences of overtourism for quite some time now.
We truly appreciate every opportunity to engage and share.