Croatia as a Halal Friendly destination was presented as part of the Malaysian international programme for the development of Halal Friendly tourism. Croatia as a Halal Friendly destination is also a brand of the Centre for Halal Quality Certification and plays a key role in the development of halal tourism, which has recently been included in the tourism development strategy of the Republic of Croatia.

The head of the Halal Quality Certification Centre, Assistant Professor Dr. Aldin Dugonjić, visited the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Mr. Yavuz Selim Kiran.

They discussed the Halal Business Forum 2023 and the possibilities for potential future cooperation between the halal industries and tourism sectors of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Turkey.

The highly successful organisation of the World Halal Summit, held in Istanbul and in which Centre head Mr. Dugonjić will again participate this year, was also mentioned.

Organized by the Halal Quality Certification Centre, the second Halal Business Forum was successfully held in Zagreb, at the Westin Hotel, on 4 and 5 October 2022.

The aim of the event is to create a platform and specialized service for numerous halal stakeholders—from industry, non-profit organizations, representatives of state bodies, managers of business and hotel management, travel agencies, local self-government units, university professors, scientific researchers, financial institutions, buyers, and trade visitors.

On Friday, 10 June, the halal certificate was formally awarded to the travel agency Balkans Luxury Concierge j.d.o.o. – Prolingua Travel.

The agency’s owner, Ms. Ivana Karanikić, is already actively working to present Croatia as an attractive tourist destination to guests from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the certificate will certainly contribute to greater interest among travellers seeking halal options.

Tourism sector experts gathered on 31 May for a panel on tourism with a focus on cruises.

It was a great honour that one of the panellists was Ms. Ivana Karanikić, owner of the Croatian halal-certified travel agency Prolingua Travel.

Ivana presented Croatia’s potential as a halal-friendly destination, and her concrete contribution to branding “Lijepa Naša” in this way is a luxury tourist tour for Muslim women along the Adriatic coast.

In Ulcinj, Montenegro—the southernmost town on the Montenegrin coast—a conference on halal tourism titled “Ulcinj: A Destination Where Cultures Meet” was held on 6 May 2022, organized by the Association for the Promotion and Development of Islamic Economy in Montenegro, with the support of the Municipality of Ulcinj.

One of the speakers at the conference was Assistant Professor Dr. Aldin Dugonjić, head of the Halal Quality Certification Centre, who spoke on the topic: “Halal Tourism—An Opportunity for Growth and Development in Southeastern Europe.”