The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) today awarded the Croatian Tourism Award for Lifetime Achievement to Ivan Gianni Šegon from Poreč and the annual tourism awards “Anton Štifanić” for 2009 to the tourist resort Zaton Holiday Resort and individuals Mario Jantol, Zlatko Salaj, and Janja Čeliković for their exceptional contributions to Croatian tourism.
Presenting the awards, the Minister of Tourism and President of HTZ, Damir Bajs, emphasized that the competitiveness of Croatian tourism in the overall Croatian economy, as well as in European tourism, is primarily due to the dedication, investment, and knowledge of the people working in tourism. The lifetime achievement award recipient Ivan Gianni Šegon (85 years old) from Poreč was a long-time šemployee of Plava Laguna and is among those most deserving for initiating the model of sports and recreational tourism in Poreč over half a century ago, which was later adopted throughout Croatia. Upon receiving the award, Šegon stated that there could be even more such tourism in Croatia and that despite his age, he continues to actively participate in promoting this model.
The director of the Zadar tourism company Turisthotel, which includes the awarded tourist resort with the leading camping site in Croatia, Zaton Holiday Resort, Frane Skoblar, highlighted upon receiving the award that it is a significant achievement to receive recognition from the industry that understands the meaning of effort and investment in tourism. In the Zaton resort, significant investments and work have been made every year for the past 15 years (since the departure of refugees in 1996), which, along with market monitoring and teamwork of local people, the vast majority of whom are shareholders in the company, he considers a recipe for success. Mario Jantol, director of Hotel Baška from the island of Krk, shares similar thoughts, stating that his award also belongs to all employees of that company. Zlatko Salaj and his wife, owners of a rural tourism estate near Čazma, received the award for the project "Christmas Story" when more than a million candles are lit on the estate during the holiday season, attracting both domestic and foreign guests. Janja Čeliković, long-time director of the Tourist Board of the town of Beli Manastir, received the award for her contribution to the tourism development of Baranja. (H)
