VisitCroatia.com – Meet the Team

A passionate Italian of Croatia, Wanda has led her life with a quest for adventure and enlightenment through travel, dedicating the most recent decades to unveiling the hidden treasures of her ancestral and spiritual home of Croatia and its surrounding regions. 

Born in the Italian city of Fiume, that today is the Croatian city of Rijeka, as political boundaries of the region shifted, Wanda’s family moved to Northern Italy. After some time, she and her family left Italy to immigrate to the United States. They boarded a Pan American flight from Rome to New York, crossing the Atlantic Ocean to arrive on a new continent. For an inquisitive and brave young girl, this was the start of a love affair, invigorated by her curiosity, that would fuel her interests and many travel adventures around the World.

An independent and imaginative young woman, Wanda dreamt of far away, exotic adventures not yet on the radar of most travelers. Unencumbered by popular, and practical trends, Wanda traveled to Machu Pichu in Peru, Tambo de Oro in Bogota, and Chichen Itza in the Yucatan. She witnessed the migration of the wildebeests of Ngorongoro, watched a stunning pink cloud of flamingoes rising in flight from Lake Manyara, and danced with new friends in Nairobi. From the golden beaches of Mombasa, she dove in the Indian Ocean. She spent many enchanting hours wandering in El Prado. She tasted the exotic fruits of the orient in the markets of Bali and Bangkok. And finally, in 1994, as Croatia’s war for independence was drawing to a close, Wanda returned to her ancestral home, embarking on her greatest adventure yet.

Intending to explore her birthplace and learn about her Italian-Croatian heritage, she found herself overwhelmed with love. She was enthralled by the complexity of the history and culture, and awed by the sheer beauty of Croatia.

Upon her return to New York, inspired by her experience, Wanda began organizing trips for the Histra Association for Women, so that they may also discover their heritage. With a vision of sharing Croatia with a greater audience, a prophetic instinct for spotting what is next before anyone else, and a natural aptitude toward travel planning, Wanda establish VisitCroatia.com – Tasteful Croatian Journeys in 1994.

Wanda crafts customized itineraries like a composer arranging a musical masterpiece, collecting notes about each individual traveler’s desires and needs, forming them into a harmonious journey of a lifetime. Her lyricism and expertise of Croatia is second to none.

Having organized trips to Croatia since the formation of the Independent Democracy, Wanda has overcome political and economic barriers. Her philosophy of borders as opportunities to build bridges of friendship and cultural exchange has served as a guiding principle in her international work. Wanda aims not only to create unforgettable experiences for her travelers but to form a treasured network of personal relationships along the way. For the sophisticated, educated traveler, she opens a little-known country to reveal her deep insights into its untainted natural beauties and ancient local traditions.
 
Today, Wanda continues to be the heart and soul of VisitCroatia.com – Tasteful Croatian Journeys. For more than 30 years she has led her team, serving travelers as, “Caretakers of Wonder” creating trips of a lifetime to Croatia and the surrounding regions. She has had the distinct pleasure of serving travelers from around the world, sharing with them her exquisite vision.
 
In her more than three decades as a pioneer in luxury travel, Wanda has served as an educator and mentor to new and aspiring travel professionals. One of her most cherished roles is sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of travel professionals and to give back to the community of tourism, which supports much of the Croatian economy.
 
Wanda has had the honor of being recognized as the World’s Top Destination Specialist for Croatia by Conde’ Nast Traveler since 2006. In 2019 she was also awarded a position on Travel + Leisure’s annual A-List, which showcases the top travel professionals and tour operators in the business.

As the “go to” expert for Croatia by the media, she has been featured in several publications in the US and Croatia. Wanda is regularly called on to participate on panels of travel experts.

Featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Travel Weekly, Travel Channel, ASTA: American Society of Travel Advisors, Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent Central, Worldwide Destination Guide, TravelMarket Report, Hotel News Resource, Napa Valley Register, Recommend.com, European-American Chamber of Commerce, Expatfinder.com, Croatia Airlines, Travel Talk Media, Crain’s Chicago Business, CroatiaTimes.com, Disabled Travelers Guide, WYSK Collection, Wines of Croatia, The Three Tomatoes, Wanderlust and Lipstick, BlogTalk Radio, MySanAntonio.com, The Dubrovnik Times, Travel Honestly, Total Croatia News, Hotelijer.hr, Zadarski.hr, Regional Express, Poslovni Turizam, Večernji List, Hrvatska Radiotelevizija, Dubrovnik Luxury Travel, Novi List, Dubrovački Vjesnik, 057.info, Svet Turistick, La Voce del Popolo, amongst numerous others.

 

 

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A New York native, Tia began working in the travel industry after nearly a decade spent living abroad in Munich, Germany. Having traveled to more than 40 countries across 4 continents, she brings with her a wealth of first-hand travel experience and a deep love of European peoples and cultures.
 
Among her adventures she counts visits to Oktoberfest, the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, King’s Day in Amsterdam, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, and Europe’s top Christmas Markets. She has hunted for truffles in the forests of Istria and tasted velvety Malbec in the vineyards of Mendoza. She’s sailed the Cyclades. She’s whale watched in Iceland. She’s road tripped across Oman. She’s picked coffee beans in Colombia’s Eje Cafetero.

She even met her Portuguese husband while traveling through Lisbon.
 
In college, Tia majored in Photography, a skill and passion she now brings with her around the world. In fact, you’ll find many of her photos displayed on the VisitCroatia.com website.
 
A self-proclaimed foodie, she is a regular on the New York restaurant scene, and has been known to travel for food. She and her husband once drove several hours to a small town in central Spain to dine at  Bodega El Capricho, famed for having the best steak in the world. The Michelin guide reads as her personal checklist. In Croatia, she loves the air dried pršut of Istria and salty cheese of Pag. A well-made octopus salad is one of her greatest pleasures. Cookbooks are her favorite travel souvenir.
 
For Tia, travel has always been about connecting with locals and having authentic experiences through conversation and cuisine. She is a firm believer that life’s most special moments are those shared with good company over a great meal.

Featured in Dubrovački Vjesnik, Total Croatia News

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Born and raised in Gorski Kotar, the “Green Heart of Croatia”, Mirela has always had a deep love of her country and a passion for travel.
 
For Mirela, it was all about tourism from an early age. At 13, she moved to Opatija, where she finished high school and attended the University of Tourism and Hospitality Management. After graduating, she began her career in the hospitality industry, working in hotels and travel agencies.
 
Mirela traveled and lived abroad for many years, learning of new cultures and lifestyles while connecting with locals. In Russia, with temperatures below -20 C, she explored the streets and museums of Moscow.

In Hungary, she embraced the country’s spectacular cuisine and excellent wines, and has fond memories of strolls along the Balaton lakeside and exploring the vibrant city of Budapest.

She especially loved her time living in Naples, where she climbed Mount Vesuvius, sailed through the Faraglioni off the coast of Capri, toured the ruins of Pompeii, and learned to make “pasta vera” with a local chef. Having a natural gift for languages, she learned Italian in only 3 months.
 
While visiting Asia, Mirela explored Vietnam by motorbike, traversing the streets of Ho Chi Minh, beaches of Danang, and night market in Hoi An. In 2019 she road tripped around Morocco, exploring street markets of the imperial cities, a horse carriage ride in Marrakesh, a buggy safari and camel rides in Essaouira, and learning to make bread with locals. Falling in love with Moroccan cuisine, Tagine quickly became one of her favorite dishes.
 
Now living in Rijeka with her two young daughters, she continues her adventures with new perspective. She enjoys road trips with her kids along Croatia’s rocky coast, sailing, sea kayaking in Korcula, river rafting, parasailing, and hiking in the mountains near her hometown.
 
As the Tasteful Croatian Journeys Concierge, Mirela puts to use her extensive knowledge of Croatia, valuable background in hospitality, and personal travels to develop unique experiences for our travelers. She is constantly seeking out the new and trendy, staying alert and up to date with the very best of Croatia through attending travel shows, reading, and networking.

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