Discover the hidden treasures of Europe – a slogan under which the European Commission launched the European Destinations of Excellence project – EDEN in 2006. From that moment on, the network of the most beautiful destinations of sustainable tourism is expanding from year to year. Every time new tourist attractions with new themes are discovered, a real tourist oasis of special forms of tourism on an already saturated tourist market in Europe.
Although at the moment of the launch of the project, Croatia was not a member of the European Union, anyway had granted the right to participate, and by joining the European Union and got the right for support. Each year, the Croatian National Tourist Board with the system of local tourist boards and in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, conducts the competition and chooses the winner and four finalists. The winning destination, head of the EDEN title, is promoted on the official pages of the European Commission and the Croatian Tourist Board, and is presented together with the finalists as an example of good practice at the European level. In line with EDEN’s goal, non-traditional and less developed destinations are selected, which offer is based on sustainable and year-round tourism.