Valamar Celebrates 70 Years of Successful Business

Leading Croatian tourism company, Valamar Riviera, marked a significant milestone on Thursday, celebrating 70 years of successful operations.

Over the past seven decades, Valamar Riviera has played a pivotal role in shaping the development of tourism, emerging as a trailblazer in the economic and social progress of Croatia’s most successful tourist destinations. In its humble beginnings in 1953, the then Riviera Poreč managed only a few hundred beds with around twenty employees. Today, Valamar employs over 8,000 staff across 37 hotels and resorts, along with 15 campsites along the Adriatic coast. In the last five years, the business has expanded into winter tourism in Austria.

Valamar is the largest investor in Croatian tourism, injecting over a billion euros in the past two decades, significantly repositioning its portfolio towards high-quality and value-added tourism. Over the last seven years, Valamar has been recognized as the best employer in Croatian tourism, investing an additional 25 million euros this year alone in employee income and rewards. Socially responsible business investments constitute 3-5% of the annual revenue, emphasizing employee development, student scholarships, and investments in tourism infrastructure such as walkways, bike paths, playgrounds, and beaches, as well as support for cultural and sports events and various initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in local communities. Valamar has received numerous awards for environmental protection and energy transition, being acknowledged in Europe as one of the climate leaders in the tourism industry.

Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, congratulated Valamar Riviera on this significant anniversary, stating, “Congratulations to Valamar Riviera on this great milestone, and I appreciate their partnership in all our activities, aligning with the strategic goals of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. This primarily relates to the quality of the offer and a focus on sustainable tourism, for which Valamar Riviera has received numerous global recognitions.”

For years, Valamar has placed a special emphasis on localizing its operations. This year alone, 78% of food and beverages were sourced in Croatia, and 83% of employees are locals. Key activities this year include the construction of a kindergarten in Poreč, increasing local childcare capacity by 100 seats, and the donation of healthy, local Valfresco meals to Matija Vlačić Elementary School and the Liče Faraguna Labin Center during the school year.

Željko Kukurin, President of the Management Board of Valamar, expressed, “This has been a year of business stabilization for Valamar. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making Valamar Riviera the leading tourism company in Croatia. In the coming period, with the support of local communities, our partners, and stakeholders, we will continue sustainable tourism development and proudly take responsibility for 70 years of creation.”

Poreč Advent Celebrations

To show appreciation to employees and residents of Poreč and Istria, Valamar organized a rich and entertaining birthday program as part of the Poreč Advent. The youngest visitors enjoyed the popular “Princess Ball” and numerous creative workshops. The real sensation was Santa Claus, who spent the entire afternoon with children for photos. In the evening, the Poreč square hosted performances by the Cambi group, Marko Tolja, Nina Badrić, and Techno Vikings. In celebration of the company’s 70 years and St. Nicholas’ Day, Valamar also delighted 611 children from Poreč’s local kindergartens and the Radost Kindergarten with gifts.

Boris Miletić, the Prefect of Istria County, emphasized, “Over seven decades of existence, Valamar has developed, expanded, and strived to achieve more in the segment of tourist infrastructure and offerings. The attained standard and quality, continuous investments, innovations, and human resource development are what make Valamar a successful company and a desirable employer.”

Annual Gathering

As part of the 70th-anniversary celebration, the company organized its traditional annual gathering, where the best employees, hotels, resorts, and camping resorts were awarded. Istra Premium Camping Resort 5* by Valamar was named the best camping resort, winning the title of the camp of the year at the Croatian Tourism Days. Valamar Meteor Hotel 4* in Makarska received the award for the best Valamar hotel this year, while the best results in the Valamar Collection brand were achieved by Marea Valamar Collection Suites 5*. The newly opened Obertauern [PLACESHOTEL] in Austria was named the best product development of 2023, and the Valamar Innovation of the Year was Maro World in Dubrovnik, the largest family entertainment center on the Adriatic. Valamar also awards special recognitions each year to long-serving employees celebrating their jubilee year. This year, over 200 employees marked their jubilee anniversaries, with 25 of them celebrating 40 years of service at Valamar.