If I had one word to describe the locals to a tourist, I would choose the adjective hospitable (or a synonym such as welcoming, warm, sociable).

We are raised to be hospitable, learning that guests are sacred from an early age. If we’re expecting guests, the house must be all tidied up, the finest linens and towels are laid out, the most delicious meals and desserts prepared and the best wines poured. The guest gets the most comfortable room and the best seat at the table. In fact, your parents will give you a reproachful look if you don’t share your favourite toy with your visiting friend (yes, the one that helps you sleep) because, in their view, a couple of sleepless nights are not too big a sacrifice for a good cause. And the reason, you guessed it — good hospitality.

It came as no surprise when Booking.com recently revealed the winners of the Traveller Review Awards 2025. They listed Osijek-Baranja County among the ten most welcoming, warmest regions in the world for 2025, placing it shoulder to shoulder with tourism champions like Brittany in France and Madeira in Portugal.

Ivana Jurić, director of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board, sees this as a direct compliment to all tourism workers and service providers who diligently build the experience of visiting Slavonia and Baranja. “It’s proof that contact with the hosts and the community carries the most important emotion on any trip, because people are the heart and foundation of tourism. This is reflected in the destination’s growth year after year,” she emphasized.

Jurić points out that the tourist offer of the inland regions, including Osijek-Baranja County, differs from the experience provided at the Croatian coast. Tourist stays here are shorter, while the area covered is much greater, as guests like to actively explore and may travel 80 to 100 kilometers in a single day.

“For centuries, the people of Slavonia and Baranja have lived well off the land, and to this day they retain a mindset that seeks to offer the very best to each visitor. Tourism in inland areas is inherently sustainable, and besides environmental sustainability, the social aspect is equally important as the local community participates in the development of the destination. People leave the strongest impressions because hospitality is a natural part of who they are. They offer their smiles, creativity, knowledge, energy, and warmth — all of which the guest deeply appreciates,” Jurić affirms.

You, too, will experience this hospitality firsthand when you visit the destinations presented in this issue of our magazine.

Written by: Ivana Rab Guljaš