Austria celebrates cultural icons while Zadar overlooks Georg von Trapp and Franz von Suppè—untapped tourism potential awaits.
ZADAR, ZADAR, CROATIA, January 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — This article was written by Nikola Šimić Tonin and originally published on Zadar TV. While Austria successfully turns its cultural heritage into a global tourism magnet, Zadar continues to overlook its own world-class figures—Georg von Trapp and Franz von Suppè—whose legacies could transform the city’s cultural and economic landscape.
Recently, Austrian television aired a documentary about Georg von Trapp, highlighting his military career, his famous musical family, and his courageous decision in 1938 to refuse singing at Hitler’s birthday, choosing instead to flee to America. Yet, not a single word was mentioned about the fact that Georg von Trapp was born in Zadar and educated at the naval academy in Pula.
Read the full Croatian article.
The Untapped Tourism Potential
Every year, around 350,000 tourists from the USA, Australia, and Japan visit Austria to see locations where The Sound of Music was filmed. This movie, inspired by the Trapp family, became the most-watched film in American cinema history and won five Oscars. Its songs are sung by nearly a billion people worldwide. This represents an enormous tourism potential that Zadar has yet to embrace.
Buried Treasure in Zadar
Fans of the Trapp family would gladly visit Georg von Trapp’s birthplace. If city officials showed even minimal strategic vision and named a street after him, tourists would seek it out. Instead, we are talking about buried treasure that no one wants to uncover. Shockingly, some Zadar tourism officials don’t even know who Georg von Trapp is—let alone Franz von Suppè.
Franz von Suppè – A Musical Genius from Zadar
Franz von Suppè still lives on the world’s stages. One of his operettas, The Beautiful Galatea, was performed again this year at the New Year’s Concert watched by over 50 million viewers worldwide. Suppè spent nearly 15 years in Zadar, composing his first major work, Missa Dalmatica, at just 15 years old. Yet, Zadar only honored him with a commemorative plaque in 2019.
Time for a Strategic Decision
Both Georg von Trapp and Franz von Suppè deserve far more than plaques. They deserve streets named after them, permanent exhibits in the City Museum, displayed scores, letters, books, documentaries, and screenings of The Sound of Music and New Year’s Concert performances. This would allow Zadar to finally embrace its world-class figures and attract tourists seeking culture, identity, and stories—not just sun and sea.
Austria continues to reap the benefits of cultural heritage, ranking among the most successful tourist destinations despite having no sea—because it values its environment and history. Zadar has this story too—it just hasn’t told it yet.
Senad Tokic
Zadar TV
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