At the Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster Assembly, which took place on February 27 at the Continental Hotel in Rijeka, the report on the work of the Cluster in 2022 was adopted, and the work plan for 2023 was confirmed. The cluster will thus continue to develop projects with the aim of connecting all stakeholders of health tourism and the health industry, for the sake of quality preparation, promotion, development and improvement of services and products. The health industry, of which health tourism is an integral part, is an economic branch of the so-called “smart specialization” of our county, so the Cluster and its members will emphasize the development of innovations, new competences and skills through 2023.

Such project ideas can be financed from different sources, so Mr. Slavko Štefičar from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Mr. Vedran Kružić from the Regional Development Agency of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County were invited to the Assembly, too. Mr. Štefičar, director of the Directorate for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness of Tourist Destinations at the Ministry, presented the possibilities of financing public and private tourism infrastructure through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and forms of cooperation with the Ministry. In order to develop new business opportunities, Mr. Kružić presented the possibilities of financing through the Industrial Transition Plan of Adriatic Croatia and other sources of financing from the EU, as well as forms of cooperation between the existing scientific research and entrepreneurial HUBs in the region. As guests, the Cluster Assembly was attended by the head of the Administrative Department for Health of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Mrs. Silvia Hunjadi Korošec, and vice-rector for strategic projects of the University of Rijeka, Prof. Ph.D. Saša Zelenika.

At the Assembly, decisions were unanimously made on the continuation of the mandate of the President of the Association, Assoc. Prof. Vladimir Mozetič, MD, PhD., MHA, as well as the President of the Assembly, Prof. Viktor Peršić, MD, PhD. The President of the Association and the President of the Assembly are appointed for a period of two years.

The Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster is an association that brings together 38 institutions from the medical, tourist and scientific sectors and the health industry. It was founded in 2014, and the continuous growth of the Cluster through the consolidation of membership and the results it achieves in positioning the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County as a destination for health and quality of life on a regional and global level confirms its mission and vision of development. (www.kvarnerhealth.hr).