Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag is unquestionably one of the most relevant tennis tournaments in the region, one that both players and guests like to revisit. One of the most significant sports events in Croatia has once again received support from its key partners – Ministry of Tourism, Croatian National Tourist Board, City of Umag and Umag Tourist Board.
Monika Udovičić, assistant minister of tourism; Kristjan Staničić, head of the main office at the Croatian National Tourist Board; Vili Bassanese, mayor of Umag; and Ronald Korotaj, chairman of the tournament’s Organizing Committee, agreed at the introductory press conference that Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag was one of the best examples of promotion for Croatian tourism.
The tournament has even received the support of Croatia’s tourism minister Gari Cappelli: “We realized long ago that the sun and the sea were not enough, and that we needed to develop and commercialize many new competitive tourist experiences, one of them being Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. Guests come to Umag for top-notch tennis and a lot of additional offers and events. That is in fact the tournament's true value, because it attracts a really wide audience.” The minister has also announced that the Ministry of Tourism, just like the Croatian National Tourist Board, will certainly keep supporting the tournament.
“This year, Croatia is once again hosting a sports spectacle that has become a symbol of Umag and is contributing to the growth of Istria's tourism offer, with great promotional importance for the whole country. The gathered international tennis elite and the many guests will enjoy superb performances and varied additional offers and events, so this tournament is an excellent example of how to give tourists an attractive reason to visit a destination. We are proud to be partners to the tournament that will offer the many guests an opportunity to experience authentic Croatia and make them wish to return again,” said Kristjan Staničić.
Ronald Korotaj pointed out that the tournament excellence bar was constantly going up, but that Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag was once again to leap over it. “Organization is in full swing, we are sure that all 100,000-odd visitors are going to enjoy the diverse party program, and there are news awaiting them in the gourmet zone. This year the gourmet zone will be dedicated to Michelin, so apart from the longstanding partner Restaurant Zigante, which bears the Michelin recommendation, the Michelin point will present other recommendation-bearing restaurants – Pergola, Badi and San Rocco. Most of the Michelin-recommended Istrian winemakers' wines, 11 of the 16 recommended ones to be precise, can be sampled in the Taste Istria Zone. Thanks to the investments and the effort put in, Umag is surely going to shine. I believe that, with the current support, Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag will continue being an event that everyone in Croatia looks up to. It is an honor to be at such a high level and represent what Croatia, Istria and Umag have to offer,” said Ronald Korotaj.
Some of the more interesting tennis celebrities set to play at the 29th Plava Laguna Croatia Open were announced by tournament director Lawrence Frankopan, who phoned in to the Zagreb press conference via an interactive video postcard from Roland Garros. He revealed that, between July 13 and July 22, Umag would welcome athletes and fans from almost the entire Europe. Andrey Rublev invited his fellow Russians to come cheer him on in his defense of the title of King of Umag, and the Brit Kyle Edmund announced a fierce fight, while Damir Džumhur from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Filip Krajinović from Serbia, Aljaž Bedene from Slovenia, Italy's Andreas Seppi, the sensational Hungarian Marton Fucsovics and other players all invited their compatriots to come support them in Umag.
“Thanks to my line of work I'm able to visit most of the famous tennis tournaments around the world. But every time I come to the same conclusion. Umag is cultivating a unique concept on the ATP World Tour. It's the only tournament that lives 24 hours a day, and that's what both guests and players enjoy. Although the focus is on tennis, it's wonderful to see the whole ATP swarming with events both before and after the matches. Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag is a true phenomenon in the tennis world,” said Lawrence Frankopan, director of Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
For 29 years Umag has been a home to our most eminent tennis tournament, and its unofficial title of the “city of sport” recently became official when the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation proclaimed Umag a European City of Sport for 2018.
“Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag has a recognizable tourist brand and brings added value to Croatian tourism. The City of Umag has lived with the tournament for 29 years already; it supports and treasures the event, and recognizes its value. It's not just tennis anymore, it's a mega-spectacle worthy of attention," said Vili Bassanese, mayor of Umag, thanking all volunteers, Plava Laguna, the Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian National Tourist Board, who have all recognized the tournament’s potential and helped Croatia gain prominence in the world of sports.
