New air connectivity between Croatia and China provides access to one of the world’s most important outbound tourism markets, with Zagreb County among the first destinations Chinese media guests explored through its gastronomy, wine, heritage, nature, and authentic experiences hosted by local people.
Just days after the launch of the new scheduled air service connecting Croatia and China, the first Chinese media guests arrived in Zagreb County. From the vineyards of Plešivica and the traditions of Samobor to the truffles of Turopolje, their two-day study trip introduced them to Zagreb’s Green Ring – a destination surrounding the Croatian capital that offers an entirely different perspective on Croatia through its natural landscapes, gastronomy, heritage and local way of life.
The launch of Air China’s scheduled Beijing–Bucharest–Zagreb service, operating three times a week since 4 September 2026, creates new opportunities to strengthen tourism links between Croatia and the Chinese market. It also marks an important step toward making Croatia’s continental destinations more accessible to travellers from one of the world’s largest outbound tourism markets.
The Croatian National Tourist Board, through its Representative Office in China, organised the visit of the first group of Chinese media guests, while the Zagreb County Tourist Board designed and hosted their two-day stay in the destination on 7 and 8 September. The programme was carefully tailored to showcase the qualities that make Zagreb County competitive on the international tourism market: its immediate proximity to Zagreb and the airport, its unspoilt natural landscapes, outstanding food and wine offer, cultural heritage, and authentic experiences centred around local people, their knowledge and their work.
During the two-day programme, the Chinese media guests explored Jastrebarsko, Plešivica, Samobor, Velika Gorica and Turopolje. Within a relatively compact area, they experienced a diverse range of reasons to visit – from wine and gastronomy to nature, traditional crafts and authentic experiences rooted in the everyday life of local communities.
“Opening up the Chinese market is not simply about a new air route; it is an opportunity to position Zagreb County for the long term in a market with exceptional potential. One of our greatest advantages is our location immediately next to Zagreb and the airport, while also offering visitors an entirely different experience of Croatia: vineyards, forests, local gastronomy, outstanding wines, tradition, and, above all, encounters with authentic local people whose work shapes this destination. Chinese visitors show a strong interest in precisely these kinds of authentic experiences, local products and gastronomy, as well as opportunities for direct contact with the people and places they visit. It is therefore particularly significant that, among their first experiences following the establishment of this new connection between Croatia and China, they had the opportunity to discover Zagreb County and our Green Ring. This is not a one-off promotional activity, but an important step towards a more systematic approach to establishing our destination on the Chinese market,” said Ivana Alilović, Director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board.
The first day began in Jastrebarsko, with an encounter with a tradition that illustrates just how closely people, the land and heritage are connected in this region. At the Golub family’s cooperage collection, the Chinese guests discovered an age-old craft in which knowledge of wood, patience and skill have been passed down through generations. Encounters like these let visitors discover a destination not only through its places and attractions, but also through the people who preserve its heritage and carry it forward.
The journey into Zagreb County’s winemaking tradition continued on the slopes of Plešivica. At Jagunić Winery, the Chinese guests discovered the distinctive characteristics of the Plešivica wine region. They learned how a new generation of winemakers is combining a long-established viticultural tradition with contemporary winemaking and premium wines. Alongside a tasting of wines and sparkling wines, they also sampled Plešivica copanjek, a local culinary speciality that shows how a region's identity is preserved through its flavours.
The journey continued to Samobor, a town shaped by the meeting of history, traditional crafts, and gastronomy. A walk through the historic town centre and past the Church of St Anastasia, a visit to Srčeko Souvenir Shop to discover traditional local souvenirs, a presentation and tasting of the famous Samobor kremšnita at Livadić Café, and an introduction to Bermet and Muštarda at Philipecz Cellar showed the Chinese guests how local products can become a distinctive part of a destination’s identity and visitor experience.
The day concluded with dinner at Cantilly Restaurant, an example of a contemporary, sustainable approach to gastronomy in which local ingredients and responsible resource use are integral to the overall destination experience.
At King Tomislav Square in Samobor, the guests also stopped at the town’s historic drinking-water well, first officially recorded in 1764 and associated with a well-known local legend: whoever drinks from the well once will always return to Samobor.
One of the most valuable aspects of the trip was the opportunity to meet the people behind local products, traditional crafts and gastronomy. Throughout their stay, the Chinese guests showed particular interest in authentic experiences and direct interaction with their hosts, further highlighting Zagreb County’s potential in a market where travellers increasingly seek experiences closely connected with local culture, gastronomy and ways of life.
The second day was dedicated to Turopolje, where nature and gastronomy came together in one of the experiences that attracted particular interest among the Chinese guests – truffle hunting in Turopoljski Lug. Combining time in nature with truffle hunting and an introduction to local gastronomy, the experience was recognised by the guests as having considerable potential for the Chinese market.
In Velika Gorica, they visited Brigljević Distillery. At this small craft distillery, expertise, creativity and meticulous attention to detail are transformed into distinctive products ranging from gin and liqueurs to fruit brandies and whisky. The guests were particularly impressed by meeting two generations of the Brigljević family – father and daughter – who are developing the family distillery together. Encounters with local people and producers like these offered visitors an even deeper insight into the destination's authentic character.
The journey concluded with gastronomy as a universal language connecting different cultures. At Mon Ami, a MICHELIN-recommended restaurant, the Chinese guests were introduced to the From Soil to Signature concept, which brings together local ingredients, tradition and contemporary culinary interpretation to create a complete destination experience, with a particular emphasis on the Turopolje truffle.
The two-day programme showcased the key strengths on which Zagreb County is building its international positioning: a remarkable diversity of experiences within a compact area, outstanding gastronomy and wines, well-preserved nature and heritage, and, above all, authentic local people and hosts who enable visitors to experience the destination first-hand. The new air connection creates opportunities for a more systematic approach to the Chinese market, and Zagreb County enters this new phase with a clear advantage: it lies immediately next to Zagreb and Croatia’s main international airport, yet just a few kilometres away, offering visitors an entirely different experience of Croatia.
Zagreb County is Zagreb’s Green Ring – a destination on the doorstep of the capital where vineyards, forests, local flavours, heritage and encounters with local people reveal the authentic face of continental Croatia.
And with a little help from an old Samobor legend, we believe our first Chinese guests will return.
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