Authenticity pays off – both reputationally and financially – as shown by research in which as many as 57 percent of respondents stated they are willing to pay more for an authentic gastronomic experience. When asked to name three Mediterranean countries they associate with high-quality gastronomy, respondents ranked Croatia second, behind Italy and ahead of Spain and Greece.
These results come from a study conducted by the agency Improve for Mastercard in October 2025, presented at the Croatian Tourism Days in Dubrovnik during the Croatian Chamber of Economy’s panel titled What Today’s Tourist Wants, and Croatia (Still) Doesn’t Serve?
Defining Croatia’s Culinary Identity Through Authenticity
„Croatia is still developing its gastronomic brand, as demonstrated by the research presented today. We are catching up with major tourism powerhouses, yet we possess many strengths – with guests themselves highlighting the quality of ingredients and the richness of authentic dishes. A major step forward on this path – as confirmed by guests – would be the publication of a national culinary map of authentic traditional dishes, regional specialties, and the stories behind the food, the wine and the people. Authenticity is also one of the key features of premium tourism, to whose development the Uplift – Friend of Croatian Cuisine project will contribute by defining the dishes that best represent the culinary identity of our regions“, said Andreja Vukojević, Director of the Tourism Sector of the Croatian Chamber of Economy.
Uplift: Defining and Standardising Croatia’s Regional Culinary Identity
The project Uplift – Friend of Croatian Cuisine will define, standardise and present the gastronomic identities of Croatian regions and publish the Manifesto of Croatian Cuisine. Each year of the project is dedicated to one region, and in the first season a working group of experienced chefs is standardising recipes for six Dalmatian dishes: black risotto, fish soup, marinated fish, brudet, grilled fish, and pašticada. The project is supported by the Croatian Chamber of Economy as well as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
„Our Uplift project has been supporting small tourism entrepreneurs for five years now, and through this culinary branch – via partnerships and research – we want to strengthen the very element guests remember us by the most: gastronomy. We are creating the first Manifesto of Croatian Cuisine, a national standard that brings clarity, credibility and continuity to the presentation of Croatian gastronomy. This provides domestic hospitality professionals, educators and institutions with a tool for developing their offer, while giving Croatia a strong foundation for branding itself as an authentic, year-round gastronomic destination“, highlighted Gea Kariž, Country Manager of Mastercard in Croatia.
Rising Interest in Croatian Gastronomy Among International Travellers
Gastronomy is increasingly becoming a reason for visitors to choose Croatia as their travel destination. Almost one in five guests cites food as one of the key motives for travel. In addition, for the majority of respondents in Mastercard’s research, Croatia’s gastronomic offer met their expectations (59 percent), while nearly one third of them (29 percent) were pleasantly surprised.
„Croatia’s greatest gastronomic strength lies in its small boutique production – authentic, locally made products that guests often encounter right at the doorstep of their hosts, mostly small family farms. In line with this, another advantage is our authentic restaurants with short supply chains and traditional cooking techniques, such as grilling over an open fire or preparing dishes under the peka“, said Marin Medak, chef at the RougeMarin restaurant.
Gastronomy is the most prominent interest for one in four respondents when travelling. Two thirds of respondents cite price as the main factor when choosing a destination, while they allocate 20 to 40 percent of their planned travel budget to food and beverages. Only one fifth of respondents stated that they are fairly or very familiar with Croatian gastronomy.
Strengthening Croatia’s Culinary Identity Through Professional Standards
„The comparative advantage of our cuisine lies primarily in presenting tradition, as it is the foundation of every cuisine and something we should take pride in – just as everyone around us does. Another advantage should be the high-quality ingredients, more authentic and better in flavour than those imported on a mass scale, but we must know how to present them. Presentation – what we cook, what it is made from, and how it is prepared – is one of the major shortcomings of our domestic culinary scene. This is why the Uplift – Friend of Croatian Cuisine project strives to address existing challenges and improve professional gastronomy“, emphasised Radovan Marčić, gastronomic critic.
The research conducted by the agency Improve for Mastercard was carried out on a sample of more than 3,000 respondents from Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Poland and Hungary who had travelled abroad in the past five years. During the HGK panel at the Croatian Tourism Days (DHT), Gea Kariž, Country Manager of Mastercard in Croatia, chef Marin Medak, and gastronomic expert Radovan Marčić discussed the research results and the importance of systematically positioning Croatian gastronomy as one of the key pillars of the country’s tourism offer.
Detailed research results and more information about the Uplift – Friend of Croatian Cuisine project are available here.
