Pag island – New projects to new offers in tourism

Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Pag, Vesna Karavanić, discusses for Otoci.eu numerous commendable projects that further improve the rich and diverse gastronomic offer and talks about upgrading the content that enables active and adventurous tourism of Pag island.

Pag on the menu

Karavanić highlights that the project “Pag on the menu” is missing in the tourist offer of the town and the island of Pag since the town and the island is widely known for their gastronomic offer. The special goal of the project is to improve the presentation of the gastronomic quality of the island in the tourism sector and to promote the island of Pag as an ideal gastro-tourist destination.

Thanks to the Bartul Kašić Secondary School and the principal Marija Pećirko, a few years ago they started the realization of this project based on a multi-year project/event “Ca, ča, što se nekad kuhalo na mom otoku” (What was cooked on my island).

Students initially collected recipes and tips “in the field,” among their older family members and acquaintances. Afterwards, the dishes were prepared in the school catering practicum and presented to the public once a year at a tasting event. Since 2014, most of the collected dishes can also be found in the recipe book of the same name.

Karavanić adds, the “Pag on the menu” project intends to establish a special standard for restaurants, family farms, small and family hotels, various tasting rooms in the area of the island of Pag, which offer local and indigenous dishes and drinks and especially promote those for whom determine that standard. 

Zrće, Pag island

The authenticity of the destination experience

The first certificates of the Special Standard “Pag on the menu” based on the traditional cuisine of the island of Pag were awarded to seven restaurants from the entire island of Pag. Thus, these facilities will have a label that says that they prepare and offer indigenous dishes of the island of Pag.

Therefore, by developing and implementing a special standard of autochthonous island gastronomy, the tourist offer of the island of Pag is improved through the expansion of the gastronomic offer of the island and kept from oblivion. At the same time, knowledge about the indigenous local cuisine is expanded, thus encouraging its use in local restaurants. Also, tourists spread the authenticity of the destination experience after returning home and they have the opportunity to buy already printed recipe books as a kind of souvenir.

Oasis for an active tourism

Pag is becoming an oasis for active and adventurous tourism thanks, among other things, to the Pag Outdoor project, which connects four standard activities, namely bike, trail, climbing, kayaking. However, since it positions them in an absolutely unique environment of Pag nature, they become one of the development moments where the tourism of this island of interesting shape will develop in several directions. In time, it will extend the calendar season to at least eight months, and at the same time enrich the tourist offer with the attractive things to do.