Marijana Kalčić

Marijana Kalčić is a tourism and destination management professional with more than 20 years of experience in destination development, event management, gastronomy, cultural heritage and international cooperation. Throughout her career, she has placed particular emphasis on developing gastronomy as an integral part of destination identity and the visitor experience, connecting local cuisine, producers, chefs, restaurants, traditions and cultural heritage with contemporary tourism products. She is the creator of Matuljicious, a destination programme built around gastronomy, education and outdoor experiences, with gastronomy at the heart of its concept. Through projects such as Matuljicious International, she has developed international culinary collaborations bringing together local and international chefs, sommeliers, producers and destinations. The programme has included gastronomic exchanges with Portugal, Italy and Slovenia and the creation of culinary experiences combining international influences with local ingredients and the gastronomic identity of Kvarner. Her work also includes the development of gastronomic and experiential concepts such as Bike & Taste, Party lokalnih okusa, Festival pusne hrani and numerous programmes connecting traditional cuisine, local producers and intangible cultural heritage.

 She has extensive experience in international and EU-funded tourism projects, including Interreg and Horizon Europe, with a focus on sustainable destination development, cultural and creative tourism, gastronomy and authentic local experiences. Marijana holds a Master’s degree in Business Economics in Tourism and Hospitality, specialising in Event and Leisure Management, and is currently pursuing postgraduate doctoral studies in Management of Sustainable Development at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija.

Her professional focus is on developing tourism experiences in which gastronomy goes beyond food itself and becomes a way of understanding a destination — its people, landscape, traditions, heritage and way of life.