Northern Velebit National Park receives European Destination of Excellence 2009 award

The Northern Velebit National Park has received the European Destination of Excellence 2009 award, a national park official told a news conference on Thursday.
 

Representatives of 22 European tourist towns and regions from as many countries have received the 2009 European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) awards.
 

For this year's awards, 20 EU Member States and Turkey and Croatia put several hundred candidates forward to compete for the best destination under the theme of "tourism and protected areas".
 

The awards were handed out in Brussels on 8 October by European Commissioner Pawel Samecki, responsible for regional policy.
 

For the third consecutive year, the EDEN awards promote European high quality tourist destinations which care for their culture, their history and their environment.
 

The winning destinations, chosen by national juries, are located in protected areas and areas bordering them, where an economically viable tourism product has been developed using the protected area as an asset, while respecting its protected environment and at the same time meeting the needs of local residents and visitors.
 

EDEN helps to promote Europe as a world-class tourist destination and allows destinations to enhance their attractiveness.
 

The Northern Velebit National Park is situated in the north-western part of Croatia just a few kilometers from the Adriatic Sea.
 

The park unites two different locales - the coastal region and the mountain zone.
 

Predatory animals such as wildcats, bears and wolves roam the mountain-sides, while deep sinkholes and caves give the park an unparalleled sense of multiplicity. (Hina)