Make a difference on your holiday

It is no secret, Croatia is consistently ranked as having some of the cleanest waters in Europe. The waters here are the kind of turquoise you can normally only find in an Instagram filter, except in Croatia #nofilter, is actually legit.

After five years sailing the Adriatic, I am still in awe over the history, culture and cuisine of the islands, the gorgeous stretches of coastline and the pristine waters. Unfortunately, there is one thing that has come to light over the last few years and is making its presence felt – plastic. My husband has been at sea for 15 years and he confessed that there is more plastic being washed-up in small bays and spotted at sea than ever before.

In 2016 the World Economic Forum released a report stating:

“Plastics production has surged over the past 50 years, from 15 million tonnes in 1964 to 311 million tonnes in 2014 and is expected to double again over the next 20 years.”

It has been predicted that by the year 2050, plastic will outweigh fish in the oceans. Jeff Bridges was part of a video produced by the Plastic Pollution Coalition, which went viral – if you haven’t already seen it, watch this before reading on.

While I would like to think that Croatia is immune to this, the fact is, oceans and waterways are all connected. Plastic is a very real problem worldwide.

Last year, I started an initiative called Take 10 – the simple concept that if everyone takes 10 pieces of rubbish when they go for a walk, or takes 10 mins to clean an area, it can make a huge difference. Of course, this isn’t a completely new concept and cleaning isn’t the answer, but it is a good step towards raising awareness and taking a greater responsibility of our surroundings.

Photo Credit: Tash Peričić; visiting tourist David Power from NZ, taking part in Take 10

Many people around Croatia participated in the initiative, including plenty of locals, boats, crews, expats and visiting tourists to Croatia.

A group of Expats from Split doing their part to clean up a local area – organised by Kamala Dorsner

Local Yacht Alba with the O’Meara and Grigg families from Australia, sailing in Croatia & cleaning a beach

Credit: Gulet Linda, Croatian crew from Gulet Linda cleaning a bay while on anchor

Needless to say, I was more than a little shocked when one woman from a local agency exploded at me saying I am harming the image of Croatia and the boating industry by sharing such photos and encouraging others to participate in the initiative (actually, it required very little encouraging). This agency tried to forbid me from sharing photos on the yacht’s Facebook page… thankfully the owner of the yacht did not share their views.

There will always be resistance or ignorance from a minority (unfortunately these can sometimes be the loudest voices). Regardless, there are many locals, local organisations, companies and NGOs who are always finding ways to make a difference. I am thrilled to see that the concept of social responsibility and awareness continues to grow, particularly in the tourism industry – green initiatives, accommodations and sustainable tourism ideas increase every year.

This past week one of our writers was lucky enough to participate in the Green Sail tour by Sail Croatia. Unlike the previously mentioned agent, Sail Croatia ‘is dedicated to sustainable tourism in Croatia and are passionate about raising awareness of environmental, economic and sustainable tourism policies in Croatia. They believe the promotion of environmental awareness in the region will have a prolonged and positive impact on the livelihoods of the local people and maintain Croatia as a sustainable tourism destination for future generations.’

Throughout the week the group participated in beach clean-ups, visited eco-farms and opted for green-tourism activities like rafting up the Cetina river. You can look forward to a more in-depth look at sailing and chartering with Sail Croatia soon.

Photo Credit: Dragana Nikšić; Green Sail participants cleaning a beach on their sailing holiday

In the meantime, if you are planning on Sailing in Croatia, why not join the movement and do your part to make a difference?

• Reduce your use of plastic on-board
• Opt for ‘green tourism’ activities, like rafting, SUP, biking, hiking…
• Shop in the local markets
• Purchase Croatia-Made products and souvenirs
• Clean a beach or area on your journey

Do you have any better ideas on sustainable tourism, did you make a difference on your holiday, or do you know of businesses who are doing their part to #keepcroatiabeautiful? We’d love to hear about, email [email protected] or LIKE and post to our Facebook Page