The European Council revealed Zadar secured third place in its Best Practice Award Programme for European Coastal Towns.

The awards recognise "innovative" projects in towns which exist a stone's throw from the waves, with judges acknowledging the efforts of local councils and organisations to boost towns' appeal through regeneration. Efforts to ensure towns are well-kept are a key part of attracting tourists.

Last year official tourism ministry figures showed that the number of visitors heading to Croatia on holiday grew 8% between January and August, reaching 6.2 million overall.

At the time officials called it "the most successful year in Croatia's tourism" and being recognised by the European Council is likely to see that number rise even further.

But Zadar wasn't the only Croatian town recognised by the awards. Bibinje and the Adriatic island of Murter were also lauded for their innovative approaches to regeneration.

Many people looking to head to the country this summer may be interested in booking a yacht charter in Croatia through Sunsail.

Another option is flotilla sailing in Croatia, and with such a voyage people are advised to prepare themselves to see some stunning beaches as they pass by the Dalmatian islands.

The awards aimed to reward coastal communities that were implementing forward-thinking measures to offset the effects of the challenges they faced.

Nearly 50 towns from across Europe entered the competition, with Yevpatoria in the Ukraine claiming the number one spot.

The list contained many exotic, far-flung destinations - however, there was also room for the UK, which claimed second place for the efforts of Bournemouth and Canterbury.

Zadar was unable to bask in the glory of third place alone - for it had to share the bronze medal with Heroy in Norway.

The awards were handed out at a ceremony in Blackpool.