Boaters have named ACI Marina Korčula the best Croatian marina in 2025, and the long-standing director of ACI Marina Opatija, Ivica Škec, has been honoured with a special lifetime achievement award
The selection of the best Croatian marinas in 2025, in which ACI Marina Korčula has received the top award – the Boating Patrol Golden Anchor – has also included the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring, as this year’s recipient, Ivica Škec, a long-standing employee in the tourism and boating industry and a former director of ACI Marina Opatija.
For the past nine years, the Boating Patrol has organised voting to select the best Croatian marinas, with boaters rating the quality of service, boating comfort, staff friendliness and professionalism, marina appearance, culinary offering and sports and recreational facilities. Since 2023, the voting has been done via an online platform, making it possible for marinas to be included in the selection process throughout the year.
ACI Marina Korčula receives the Golden Anchor
As part of the 2025 Boating Patrol, ACI Marina Korčula has received the Golden Anchor, the highest award based on votes by boaters themselves.
ACI Marina Korčula has been singled out because of its improved infrastructure and investment into service quality. Following the thorough renovation and reconstruction of the breakwater, the marina was provided with new electrical and water supply infrastructure and a hydrant network, while the reconstruction of the breakwater further improved its operational efficiency and visual identity.
“ACI marina Korčula is one of the gems in our marina network and we are proud that its quality has been recognised by those to whom our service is primarily intended for – our guests”, said Marko Skokandić, director of ACI Marina Korčula.
High ratings given by boaters also confirm the quality of the service provided by the employees of ACI Marina Korčula, especially their skills, friendliness and willingness to assist boaters with berthing.
Ivica Škec receives the lifetime achievement award
This award is a recognition of over five decades of work in the tourism and boating industry, as well as of Mr Škec’s contribution to the development of Croatian nautical tourism. In the course of his career, Mr Škec held a number of positions in the tourism, hospitality and boating industry and has left a lasting mark on ACI Marina Opatija in Ičići, which he managed successfully for a long period.
Ivica Škec started his career as a young boy in Lovran, helping guests find private accommodation. Following his work in hospitality, he continued his career in the boating industry, as a reception manager and director of several marinas in the Istria and Kvarner region.
ACI Marina Opatija in Ičići, which he managed until his retirement, has a special place in his career. His work has been recognised well beyond the role of business management of marinas, and, among his many important contributions, the one that stands out is his participation in creating a monograph about the founding of ACI – one of the key documents recording the early history and original organisational structure of the ACI marina chain.
The Boating Patrol emphasised that the award is given as a sign of gratitude and respect for Škec’s many years of service, his efforts and the influence he had on the development of Croatian tourism and boating industry.
To mark his retirement, Ivica Škec gave an in-depth interview to the PodUčkon.net portal, in which he looks back on over four decades of work in the tourism and boating sector, the development of ACI, changes in tourism and the experience he gained over the course of his long career.
The entire interview (in Croatian) is available on the PodUčkon.net website: „Turizam su ljudi, a najveća nagrada je zadovoljan gost“.
