CROYA Charter Show 2025: Split confirmed its status as the center of the luxury nautical industry

• 02.10.2025.
• News

Split’s West Coast once again shone with an atmosphere reminiscent of Monte Carlo. This year’s edition of the CROYA Charter Show, held from September 29 to October 1, brought together vessels, exhibitors and yacht charter brokers from around the world.

CROYA Charter Show once again brought together professionals from the nautical sector, this time in even greater numbers and with a better program.
Over three days, Split’s West Coast transformed into an open exhibition space with 48 luxury vessels, 17 exhibitors and more than 250 yacht charter brokers from around the world.

With this, CROYA surpassed last year’s edition and confirmed its status as the most important business event in the luxury yacht charter industry in Croatia.

Alongside business meetings and networking, CROYA also provided a substantial platform for education, learning and promoting excellence in services at sea.

From the early morning of the first day, the West Coast was full of guests, company representatives, crews and visitors. The crews of the boats welcomed guests in perfectly arranged spaces, ready to show the very best.

Opening with institutional support and praise for the organisers

The official opening program was held at 7 p.m., attended by numerous guests from the public and private sectors. Among them were representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Split-Dalmatia County, the City of Split and the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

They pointed out that CROYA is growing into an event of international significance and highlighted the importance of such gatherings for connecting key players in the industry. They also praised the organisers and emphasised that Croatia generally lacks berths for larger vessels.

Good wishes for successful networking, new business opportunities, and pleasant socialising were in no short supply:
“This show highlights the importance of international networking and strengthening professional relations through this kind of format. We proudly continue to build a platform that connects the industry on a global level,” said Stipe Petričević, president of the CRO.Y.A. association, personally congratulating all members of the organising committee.

A blend of gastronomy and competitive spirit

As part of the show, a Chef’s Competition was held with 13 participating yacht chefs, including Luka Veić, the youngest winner of Croatian MasterChef. The theme of the competition was “Croatian Nonnas”, and the judges evaluated both the presentation of the dishes and the table decoration.

In addition to gastronomy, the focus was also on the Designer Water and Cocktail Competitions, as well as educational programmes.

The second day of the show, organised by the CRO.Y.A. association, was marked by seminars on the legal framework for doing business in nautical tourism, with a special emphasis on Croatian regulations.

Graduating students of the Maritime School in Split also took part in the educational activities, where, as part of their field trip, they got acquainted with work on luxury yachts and spoke with former students of the school who are now working in the industry.

Ana Rončević, a member of the organising committee, stated on that occasion:
"As important as it is for all of us who are part of this industry to invest in our knowledge continuously—not just seasonally, but every day—from crew members, chefs and captains to maritime agents and yacht charter brokers, it is even more important to show young people the opportunities that the luxury segment of the nautical industry offers them. That includes both professions that might interest them and the potential for growth within those roles. I’m truly happy we had the chance to host and guide the students through the show today, especially knowing they are only months away from deciding which direction to pursue in their future education and careers."

Third day marked by awards and boat horns

The final day of the show was marked by the announcement of the winners of the three-day competition programme: we found out who were the best among the chefs, cocktail masters, as well as those who stood out in the preparation of infused water and table decoration.

The most creative cocktail was prepared by Marija Juretić from MY Amber One, using breakfast leftovers to create a signature drink.

The title of best chef was won by Luka Vulić from the motor sailer Corsario, while second and third place went to Mateo Rac (MY Carmen) and Igor Karađole (MY Dawo). Luka stated:
“We are all one big family and this is our shared victory.”

The president of the CRO.Y.A. association, Stipe Petričević, concluded:
“All our competitions bring much more than just a title. They are places of meeting, idea exchange and inspiration.”

Despite the colder and rainy weather, the atmosphere did not fade. Boat horns from nearly 50 vessels symbolically greeted Split in the afternoon hours.

CROYA as a bridge between the industry and the future

CROYA Charter Show demonstrated how the connection between gastronomy, education, business opportunities and the promotion of luxury tourism can have a tangible impact on the future of the entire region.

On this occasion, Split has once more confirmed its status as a serious host for events of this profile, not only because of the beauty of the location, but also due to the clear support of institutions and people who recognise the long-term value of such a show.

This year’s edition, with almost 50 vessels and over 250 yacht charter brokers, once again confirmed that Croatia is taking on the role of a centre for luxury nautical tourism.

CROYA is not just a boat show, it is a space for meetings, exchange, cooperation and future plans.
In addition to thanking everyone who supported the organization of the project, the CRO.YA association said: 
"CROYA Charter Show is not just an exhibition of boats, it is a meeting of people, ideas and the future of the charter industry. Here, over the past three days, new partnerships have been created, new ideas have been born and the best of what this industry has to offer has been shown. Thank you to everyone who contributed to raising the value of this event and making it special. We believe that this is just the beginning of an even bigger story and we will see you next year!"

Photo: CROYA Charter Show

 

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