More Recognition for Zagreb County Wine Roads at Zagreb Tourfilm Festival
October 17 2022 - The steady and effective promotion continues to attract attention, as the Zagreb County Wine Roads promo video, Tastes above Everything, wins best wine video at this year's Zagreb Tourfilm Festival.
A nice thing is happening around the Croatian capital - more and more people are discovering the Zagreb County Wine Roads, which offer a very diverse tasting experience just a short drive from the city centre. The three wine roads of Samobor, Zelina and Plesivica offer an array of grapes, styles and presentations, including Croatia's premier sparkling wine production.
But rather than wait for visitors to show up, there has been excellent promotion of the region's wine potential in recent years, with some truly innovative initiatives such as the recent Via Vino month of open cellars, combined with art, music, cinema and culture. Where else in the world, for example, could you watch the premiere of the new James Bond movie last year, while sitting in a picturesque vineyard on straw bales, covered in blankets, which sampling roasted chestnuts and sipping young Portugiesac wine?
That effective promotion has continued on YouTube, with a truly excellent promotion of the Zagreb Country Wine Roads in the shape of the official promo video, Okusi prije svega (Tastes above Everything). Released earlier this year, the video beautifully captures the region's nature and rich gastronomy. It was nominated for last week's Zagreb Tourfilm Festival, and with an excellent conclusion, winning Best Wine Film. The dynamic regional tourist board director, Ivana Alilovic, was on hand to collect the award.
The official press release below.
The Tourist Board of Zagreb County won the award for the best wine movie
The Zagreb County Tourist Board's destination film, Tastes above Everything, which introduces the audience to the rich, eno-gastronomic offer of the wine roads on the festive occasion at the Zagreb Tour Film Festival awards, and on Friday, October 14, it was declared the best wine film. In the competition, 106 films and works of audiovisual production that promote tourism aspects of the tourist destination, an expert jury made up of relevant domestic and international experts, first of all, he awarded the film Okusi the award for the best promotional tourist film in the category of eno-gastro tourism.
"First of all, we prepared the destination film Tastes with the aim of giving our guests and visitors the chance to bring Zagreb County closer to the inextricable link of wine roads and gastronomy that is cherished here for centuries. Zagreb County is a well-known destination for enjoying local gastronomy and fresh, indigenous foods that naturally complement the wine offer. We are extremely proud that our work is followed in the tourist community of Zagreb County, and the great results of our winemakers, winners of numerous international awards for their recognition excellence of the wine," said the director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board, Ivana Alilović.
With this award from the Zagreb wine route countries, the winemakers themselves, but also the restaurants and producers of domestic products that accompany them, have achieved recognition in the international competition of the best tourist films in the world. Preparation of vinjak, care of the vines of the first ecologically certified winery in Zagreb County or the flavors of tradition - all this awaits you at its best wine film. The production of the film was entrusted to Martina Miličević, a multiple award-winning producer of tourist films. "The main actors in the Zagreb County destination film are themselves winemakers. Without preparation, they proudly stood in front of the cameras and showed what they truly have to offer visitors. I believe that it is the most sincere form of promotion, an experience that is truly expected of each visitor. Conceptually, we wanted to show how destination wine roads also include the unforgettable nature that surrounds them, the wealth of fresh food available in the narrow circle of the county, and that to explore the world of wine, you just need to start."
The film takes us through the preparation of vinjak by the Šoškić family, the production of sincere wines by the Tomac family, by the way, the first ecologically certified winery in the area of Zagreb County, which recently completed the construction of an impressive new winery. In the film, you will also see the fairy-tale mansion Nespesh, on the Zelina wine road where the Litterarii winery is located today. Bearers of the traditional wine roads of Zagreb County are families that have been producing wine for generations, such as the Kos winery. In the Braje winegrower's house, we follow the preparation of the local Plešivica copanjek and free-range domestic animals on the slopes of Žumberac are a reminder of the genuine wines of Zagreb the county also monitors the authenticity of the ingredients found on the menus of recognized restaurants.
Learn more about the Zagreb County Wine Roads on the official regional tourism board website.
Ilan Geva Interview, Medical Tourism Branding Expert at CIHT 2022
October 17, 2022 - As Croatia's premier health tourism conference, the Crikvenica International Health Tourism conference, prepares to open, TCN catches up with keynote speaker and branding expert, Ilan Geva.
As previously announced on TCN, CIHT 2022 will be holding its tenth Jubilee edition later this week, the premier health tourism conference in Croatia. As with all previous years, there will be a very international field of quality expert speakers, including one of the conference's most-loved keynote speakers, global branding expert, Ilan Geva. TCN caught up with Geva ahead of his latest visit to the Kvarner Riviera, to learn more about the industry in the wake of the pandemic, Croatia's position, and the conference itself, a conference which has strong local support (CIHT is organised by the Crikvenica Tourist Board and Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster, with the Kvarner Region Tourist Board a key sponsor).
1. The medical tourism industry has been shaken up by the pandemic just like every other aspect of life. As things begin to get back to a semblance of normal, what has changed in the industry since pre-pandemic 2019?
A lot has changed. Number one: the consumers. Many of them want to make sure that healthcare providers understand them before they even arrive. That creates a completely different customer profile, and their expectations go together with anxieties and lower trust. Two years of having conflicting messages, different safety rules in different locations etc. contributed to hesitance and wanting to know everything in advance. The second big factor: Transportation is not the same. Airlines are not back in full force. Yes, they may have gotten the airplanes back, but they suffer from a lack of personnel, which means less flights all over the world, which means less comfortable scheduling for patients. The workforce has shrunk in hospitals, clinics, hotels etc., and with it, the level of service deteriorated.
2. You have been a strong supporter of the Croatian medical tourism industry for many years now. What are its strengths and opportunities?
The opportunities are obvious, Croatia has great medical professionals in many specialties. I know personally a few that are really excellent in what they do. So, people are the strength. Opportunities were created because of a lack of activity during the pandemic, many patients need treatment, and they need it NOW! I’m not sure about the rest since the last time I’ve been there, so things may have changed. That is why I am back, and that is why Vmarsh Healthcare, of which I’m the Director of Strategy, is present at this conference to meet with the members of the Kvarner Cluster and see how we can help them. One thing I sense from afar, Croatians are extremely patriotic and proud (as they should be), but that alone doesn’t sell anything.
3. And its threats and weaknesses?
The threats are not just in Croatia. Europe is in trouble, as well as other destinations around the world. We live in a very precarious time, very unstable. The economy is in bad shape; prices are going up all over, obviously, the geopolitical scene is changing rapidly etc. A specific weakness is in the fact that health providers are still not willing to invest in their business, and I mean building brands and doing brilliant marketing. Croatia, like many other destinations, has medical professionals who think that if they are good doctors for the domestic population, they can be successful in attracting global clientele. Not so. Learn from the biggest and the most successful, Mayo Clinic invests in marketing and never stops building its’ brand. Does a small clinic owner in Split have a chance without doing the same? (of course they need to do it with a smaller budget, and smarter…)
4. You are back again in sunny Crikvenica for the 10th edition of the Crikvenica International Healthcare Travel conference, a conference you know well. Tell us about the importance and impact of CIHT, and what are you hoping to get out of it this year?
I don’t know if you noticed, but many European medical tourism conferences have vanished…there must be a reason. CIHT has been here for 10 years because they provide a great platform to the local medical travel, hospitality and wellness industries. And they do it year round, not just in an annual conference. The location is wonderful, and the program is always good, with great speakers. The conference is an important part of the medical travel industry in Kvarner because it is part of building the brand of the destination.
All other conferences are moving around from one location to another, for them its all about the conference, not the local community. CIHT is all about the local community and the Kvarner members of the cluster, very different! this year, I want to meet the providers, get a sense of how their business plans are moving forward, and see where I can help the cluster as a whole.
5. You are a global branding expert. Tell us about the branding of Croatia as a medical tourism destination. It almost seems that the organizers of CIHT, the Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster, has a bigger brand in the industry than Croatia itself.
Shall I be politically correct, or truthful? Yes, the Kvarner cluster is doing a better job than the rest of the country. Enough said.
6. Three things the Croatian medical tourism industry should be focusing on to develop.
1. Build a brand. 2. Build a brand, 3. Build a brand. Not a new slogan, not a new logo, not a new ad campaign with a wonderful new headline. No one cares about that! Do not fracture the Croatian medical tourism brand into hundreds of little clinic brands. Last time I heard, Croatia had 250 different local tourism brands, of regions, towns, resorts, villages etc. Don’t do it in Medical tourism, build a few major regional brands and support them, while they are collaborating and not competing with each other…sounds easy, right? Most important, don’t let the doctors drive the marketing, and build the brands from the inside. Want to know more? Come to my presentation :-)
7. Your presentation is entitled "Thoughts of market penetration strategies for healthcare and wellness operators." Can you give us a teaser?
See above…it is much more involved around internal brand building than the expensive external stuff.
8. And finally, as a regular visitor to Croatia, tell us what makes it special for you. Your favorite place and activity while you are here.
Since I am not looking for a wife or a girlfriend, it must be the air, the sea, the trees, the food, the clean environment, the people, the wonderful history and colors of the place. It is a fantastic combination that makes all my senses sing.
You can connect with Ilan Geva via LinkedIn.
To learn more about CIHT 2022, and to get your ticket, visit the official website.
IMF Predictions Not Fantastic, What Awaits Croatian Economy?
October the 17th, 2022 - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its predictions amid ongoing inflation, the Ukraine-Russia war and spiralling energy prices during the post-pandemic period. What precisely awaits the Croatian economy according to their predictions?
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the main problem that is currently being experienced on a huge scale is that this current economic slowdown is very widespread. A third of the global economy could end up having to record a "technical recession", which is equal to two consecutive quarters of contraction of economic activity,'' Croatian economist Matej Bule from the Croatian National Bank told the Croatian Radio network.
''An additional problem is that that same economic slowdown is simultaneously being accompanied by very strong inflationary pressures,'' he pointed out, adding that the Republic of Croatia is currently handling it better than some other comparable countries, which might come as a surprise to those who feel that their pockets and bank accounts are taking hit after expensive hit.
"Everything is currently heading in the direction of normalising these inflationary pressures"
"We had double-digit growth back in 2021, in 2022, growth of 5.6 percent is expected for the Croatian economy, but for 2023, all relevant institutions expect a strong slowdown for the economy," he said, adding that growth of a mere 1 percent is expected next year.
He also stated that the movement of inflation will depend on a number of factors, and one of the most important things is that we'll have to keep a close eye on the movement of the prices of raw materials on the global market.
For more on the Croatian economy and ongoing inflation, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.
Could Offshore Wind Facilities See Croatia Become Electricity Exporter?
October the 17th, 2022 - Might Croatia become an established and successful electricity exporter with the proper development of offshore wind facilities?
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, engulfed in the ongoing fear of rising electricity and gas prices, people are increasingly turning to greener, sustainable alternatives. Interest in solar energy is increasing across the country, which has been well and truly confirmed by HEP's data on the matter, as they are being overwhelmed by requests for solar power and household connections to said power source.
In the first six months of last year, there were only 295 requests of that nature, while in the same period this year, that number was a staggering six times higher. By the end of August 2022, almost 2,900 power plants had been installed, of which 1,540 were installed this year alone, reports HRT. Thirteen solar panels on the a roof with three households drawing power from them will be enough, homeowners hope, to slash their bills in half.
''We expect that the power plant will produce approximately 5,000 KWh per year, and in that case we'd actually manage to achieve significant savings on the level of electricity consumption. The system itself should pay for itself in five to six years," says Zoran Kordic, the manager and co-founder of the Green Energy Cooperative.
The number of Croatian households opting for solar power plants is constantly growing, and there are currently a little over 2,800 of them. "We have one solar factory in Croatia, which currently cannot cover all the needs we expect in the coming years. This is a great opportunity for Croatia to invest in this direction as well,'' said Vjeka Ercegovac from the economic interest association Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia.
"The problem is that we don't have enough staff. The number of companies installing solar panels on roofs just isn't enough for the Croatian market, and whoever gets involved in that market will do a good job," says Neven Duic, a professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Shipbuilding in Zagreb.
In addition, the "eternal" problem is this country's ridiculous and painfully slow administration. The connection to HEP's network is what people are typically waiting for the longest. "We have situations where people wait for six months. So, when the installation is already up, and you have to wait six months for the connection, these are situations that absolutely must not be permitted to happen,'' stated Kordic.
HEP also stated that there is a delay in resolving people's requests due to the great interest in this people suddenly have. "The increased interest people are having in solar panels, and thus the enormous increase in the number of requests for connections, is the result of the current energy crisis and the rise in the prices of energy and energy products, as well as tax incentives for the purchase and installation of photovoltaic panels," reads a HEP press release on the topic.
Everything is going in the direction of the Republic of Croatia being 100 percent renewable and self-sufficient when it comes to energy. It is precisely for this reason that the possibility of exploiting offshore wind in northern Adriatic waters is being very seriously considered. It would be, if it ever comes to fruition, a floating wind farm.
"It would theoretically produce 10 kWh of wind, which would be enough not only for Croatian needs, but also for exporting it elsewhere. So, with the development of offshore wind facilities, Croatia could become an exporter of electricity," said Duic. Due to the climatic conditions here in Croatia, Professor Duic believes that, in addition to electricity, we could also export green hydrogen, which could replace fossil fuels.
"Green" and independent
There is no shortage of positive experiences when it comes to savings made thanks to solar panels on your own roof. Igor Balazinec's house has been lit up for two years thanks to his own solar power panels, and the investment should pay for itself in a mere four years. They decided on this move, he says, in order to be "green", independent and to have zero electricity bills.
For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.
Zadar Airport Ranked Among Best in "Up to Five Million Passengers" Category
October the 17th, 2022 - Zadar Airport has been ranked among the best on an impressive list, which will work to further place Croatia, which relies very heavily on tourism, on the airport quality map.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Zadar Airport has successfully entered the short list of the best in the category of up to five million passengers, and the winner will be revealed later today across the pond in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This nomination is truly excellent recognition for Zadar Airport because it comes from the aviation profession. In addition to Zadar Airport, Nuremberg, Edinburgh and Larnaca in Cyprus were also all nominated in the ''up to five million passengers'' category, according to a report from HRT.
Mihaela Kadija, the director of the Tourist Board of Zadar County, said that this weekend 15,000 passengers passed through Zadar Airport and she expects to end 2022's tourist season with 1.1 million passengers, which is the most so far.
"This speaks of the importance of Zadar Airport for all kinds of tourism, especially for the off-season and for more distant markets," she said.
In October this year, she added, guests from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland "jumped" into the top five markets with an increase of 77 percent. Several more events still await this Dalmatian city, such as the Biograd Boat Show, the Zadar regatta, a bicycle race, and they also have hopes for Advent in Zadar this year.
For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.
All Croatian Medical Tourism Roads Lead to Crikvenica at CIHT 2022
October 17, 2022 - After disruption due to the pandemic, Croatia's leading medical tourism conference is back for its Jubilee 10th edition - the Crikvnenica International Health Tourism conference (CIHT 2022).
it is 5 years since Croatian entrepreneur and medical tourism trailblazer, Ognjen Bagatin, invited me to his office at Poliklinika Bagatin in Zagreb to introduce me to a world of Croatian excellence that I knew nothing about - its medical tourism industry. After a tour of Bagatin, Svjetlost Eye Clinic, and St Catherine's Speciality Hospital, I was left stunned. Here was a Croatian industry of global excellence that few people knew anything about. The first of many articles I have written about the Croatian medical tourism industry came out a few days later - Health Tourism is Coming Home: Why Zagreb is the Next Big Medical Tourism Destination.
But while Bagatin was performing miracles in Zagreb (it was an honour to be in Berlin to see him lift the Best International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic in the world at the International Medical Travel Journal awards in December 2019), it did not take me long to realise that the real capital of the Croatian medical tourism industry was on the coast in the Kvarner region, powered by an active and very organised Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster.
The flagship event of the cluster's calendar is the annual Crikvenica International Health Tourism conference, which will take place for its Jubiliee 10th edition, when CIHT 2022 kicks off later this week (full progamme below). I first attended back in 2018, when I was blown away by the quality of the very international field of speakers and participants. TCN interviews from that first event included keynote speakers Keith Pollard, Editor of International Medical Travel Journal, and Sherene Azli, the charismatic CEO of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, which was voted soonafter the best medical tourism destination in the world.
The lineup for CIHT 2022 is s fantastic as ever, and with a little more celebratory spice to mark the tenth anniversary. We will be following this year's conference here at TCN - next up an indepth interview with one of the keynote speakers and long-time friend of CIHT, global branding expert, Ilan Geva. You can find the schedule below, and there are still tickets available via the official CIHT 2022 website here.
Wednesday, 19th of October 2022
Workshop I
17:00 – 18:00
Thursday, 20th of October 2022
Opening ceremony and welcome speeches
09:30 – 10:00
Part I – New, Newer and the Newest in Health Tourism
10:00 – 11:30
- Irving Stackpole, President, Stackpole & Associates, Inc., USA „The Hybrid Future of Medical Tourism“
- Mario Škugor, M.D. FACE, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine CCLCM of CWRU and Director of Education, Cleveland Clinic, USA „Patient experience in Cleveland Clinic“
- Elizabeth Ziemba, JD, MPH, President & Founder, Medical Tourism Training, USA „“Accessible” Tourism: The Markets Hidden in Plain Sight. Why investing in accessible travel offers a ROI that also expands tourism, wellness, dental & medical tourism markets.“
- Maria Jukić, JD, Senior Director, Arts & Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, USA „The Arts as Treatment and Differentiator in Healthcare“
11:30-12:00 – Break
12:00 – 13:00 Panel HEALTH TOURISM AND SPORTS REHABILITATION
- Prim. Vlasta Brozičević, M.D. specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, rheumatology, Department Head and member of the Board, Polyclinic Terme, Croatia
- Danijel Premuš, MD, Cardiology specialist, Thalassotherapia Opatija, Croatia
- Pero Kuterovac, Conditional and strength coach, Croatia
- Martina Linarić, PHD, Owner, Center for Nutrition and Holistic Approach to Health, NutriMarLIn, Croatia
13:00-13:15 – Break
Part II – Health and Health Industry: Investment and Development
13:15 – 15:00
- Joško Brkić, Global Brand Manager, JGL d.d., Croatia „Investing, Adapting, Thriving“
- Stjepan Orešković, PHD, Scientist and entrepreneur, M+ Group, Croatia „Entrepreneurship in healthcare“
- Igor Čičak, CEO & Managing Partner, Provectus Capital Partners, Croatia „PROVECTUS CAPITAL PARTNERS (PCP): Leading growth capital investment firm in South East Europe“
- Slavko Štefičar, Director, General for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness of Tourist Destinations at Ministry of Tourism and Sport, Croatia „Possibilities of financing the development of health tourism in the Republic of Croatia“
- Mario Ravić, Head of IoT & Digital Health, Ericsson NikolaTesla d.d., Croatia „Internet of things in health tourism journey – quantify it all“
15:00-17:00 – Lunch
17:00 – 18:00 Workshop II – Careers in Health Travel
by Elizabeth Ziemba and Irving Stackpole
20:00 Gala dinner with a presentation of awards in recognition of personal/institutional contribution to the development of health tourism in Croatia
Friday, 21st of October 2022
Part III – Medical Tourism and Patient Expectations
10:00 – 11:30
- Sandeep Sharma, Executive Director & Global Lead, Vmarsh Healthcare, UAE „The changed patient experience post pandemic – The global yet local insight“
- Ilan Geva, President, Ilan Geva & Friends Inc. and Director of Strategy and U.S. office head, Vmarsh Healthcare, USA „Thoughts of market penetration strategies for healthcare and wellness operators“
- Ognjen Bagatin, Owner and CEO, Polyclinic Sinteza, Croatia „The patient will see you now – what UX and UI can teach us about anticipating patients expectations“
- Marek Holowko, CEO & Co-Founder, Clinic Hunter, Poland, „How to increase conversion rate – best practices and tips“
- Miroslav Varga, Google certified trainer, Escape Ltd., Croatia „Patients are people. Do we know people?“
11:30 – 12:00 – Break
Part IV – Natural Healing Factors and Health Tourism
12:00 – 13:30
- Marijana Biondić, Director, Crikvenica Tourist Board, Croatia „From natural healing factors to one of the best health tourism destinations in Croatia“
- Assist. prof. Vladimir Mozetič, MD, PHD, MHA, President, Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster, Croatia „From clustering to the region of health and wellbeing“
- Ministry of AYUSH, India
- Simone Zagrodnik, Executive Director, European Historic Thermal Towns Association, Germany, „“Thermal Travels” – Spa Towns as Places of Health, Wellbeing and Culture“
13:30 – 15:00 – Lunch
15:00 – 19:00 Additional activities
SuperSport HNL Round 13: 8 Points Separate Dinamo and Hajduk Before Friday's Derby
October 17, 2022 - The SuperSport HNL 13th round was played from October 14 to October 16, 2022. Another last-minute win for Hajduk keeps them 8 points behind Dinamo before the big derby this Friday at Poljud Stadium in Split. Rijeka also recorded their second consecutive win. Here's our SuperSport HNL round 13 recap.
Sibenik v. Slaven Belupo (0:2)
Sibenik and Slaven Belupo opened the 13th round on Friday, October 14, in Sibenik.
Sibenik was the first to score in the 21st minute, but VAR ultimately ruled the goal offside. Hoxha put Belupo ahead in the 71st minute for 0:1 before scoring again in the 89th minute for the final 0:2.
Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 12 points, while Belupo is in 4th with 20.
Osijek v. Istra 1961 (2:0)
Osijek and Istra met at City Garden Stadium on Saturday, October 15.
The first half went without goals. Mierez scored for the Osijek lead in the 62nd minute. A red card for Istra's Antovski put the team a man down from the 3rd minute of stoppage time. Caktas scored for the final 2:0 in the 5th minute of stoppage time.
Osijek is in 3rd place with 24 points, while Istra is in 6th with 13 points and a game in hand.
Gorica v. Hajduk (0:1)
Gorica and Hajduk met on Saturday, October 15, in Velika Gorica.
The first half went without goals, but the second half certainly made up for it. Wague was shown a red card in the 49th minute, forcing Gorica to play with a man down for the rest of the match. Hajduk was awarded a penalty after the ref consulted VAR, which Marko Livaja hit at the Gorica keeper to keep the game 0:0. The match's only goal came in the 8th minute of stoppage time as Livaja redeemed himself to give Hajduk the win.
Gorica is currently in the last place with 6 points and a game in hand, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 26 points and a game in hand.
Dinamo v. Varazdin (3:1)
Dinamo and Varazdin met on Sunday, October 16, at Maksimir Stadium.
Brodic put Varazdin ahead for 0:1 in the 9th minute. Herrera was shown his second yellow of the match in the 33rd minute forcing Varazdin to play with a man down for the rest of the game. Dinamo woke up in the second half, with Petkovic first scoring in the 64th minute, though it was called offside after consulting VAR. Petkovic got his goal 6 minutes later, equalizing at 1:1 in the 70th minute. Baturina made it 2:1 eight minutes later, and Petkovic scored a penalty in the 3rd minute of stoppage time for the final 3:1.
Dinamo is in first place with 34 points and a game in hand, while Varazdin is in 5th with 16.
Rijeka v. Lokomotiva (3:0)
Rijeka and Lokomotiva closed the 13th round on Sunday, October 16, at Rujevica.
Frigan put Rijeka ahead in the 26th minute for 1:0 before Vukcic scored a penalty for 2:0 in the 39th minute. De Haas was shown his second yellow in the 73rd minute, forcing Lokomotiva to play with a man down for the rest of the match. Frigan scored for 3:0 five minutes later, and Pavlovic was shown his second yellow for Rijeka to even out the playing field with ten men on each side.
Rijeka is currently in 8th place with 12 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 10.
You can see the full HNL table HERE.
To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Zagreb Tourfilm Festival Returns, Spain Triumphs in Strong International Field
Zagreb, October 17, 2022 - After two years of being held virtually due to the coronavirus, the favorite autumn festival returned to the big screen this week. The 11th Zagreb Tour Film Festival, which promotes audiovisual production and tourism, began on Wednesday, October 12, with a ceremonial opening at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema. Numerous visitors had the opportunity to watch top films from the world of tourist films, participate in tastings and city tours, and last night awards were given to the best tourist films!
The international tourist film festival - the 11th Zagreb Tour Film Festival - began on Wednesday, October 12, with the opening ceremony at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema. Organized by Balduči Film and the Zagreb Tourist Board and under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian Tourist Board, the festival returned to the big screen after two years of virtual holding due to the coronavirus, and the selected program met with positive reactions from the audience. among which were many famous Croats, tourism workers, media representatives and other numerous guests.
11th ZAGREB TOURFILM FESTIVAL from 12th -15th October, 2022 from ZAGREB TOURFILM FESTIVAL on Vimeo.
"This year's edition of the Zagreb TourFilm Festival meant a lot to us, especially after two pandemic years that significantly changed the trends in tourism. As many as 106 films were submitted to the Festival, of which 32 were tourist films from Croatia, which is the largest number ever. We are also pleased that we have films submitted from 29 countries around the world, from exotic destinations such as Fiji, Madagascar, Uganda, Australia, Japan and Iceland" - said Spomenka Saraga, director of the Zagreb TourFilm Festival, announcing the winners. Tourist reportages, documentaries and vlogs competing for prizes in the mentioned categories and the Grand Prix for the best film of the Festival will be specially evaluated.
The second day of the festival was marked by free film screenings for all interested citizens, who had the opportunity to watch the best domestic, European and world tourist films at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema from 15:00 to 18:00. Foreign visitors were introduced to the magical Zagreb with a tourist guide, Josip Siklić, better known as Purgerica, who revealed to them several seductive faces of the Croatian capital - the one mysteriously filled with legends and stories, medieval, wacky and humorous.
In addition to the rich film and tourist program, accompanying activities were also prepared for festival guests, such as a tasting workshop that showed how wine and extra virgin olive oil are the perfect accompaniment to film art and tourism. In partnership with the Zagreb Tourfilm Festival and the ART&TUR Tourism Film Festival and the support of the Tourist Board of the Istrian County and Vinistra - the association for viticulture and winemaking of Istria, a workshop with wine and olive oil tastings from Portugal and Croatia was held.
Portuguese sommelier Bebiana Monteiro, professor at the Polytechnic of Porto, presented three wines from Bairrada: Aliança (sparkling), São Domingos (white) and Messias (red). Regarding olive oils, three olive oils stood out: Azeite Fátima and Cabeço das Nogueiras (Premium Cobrançosa and Premium Cornicabra) from Sociedade Agrícola Ouro Vegetal, from Abrantes.
Istrians, sommelier Emil Perdec and Ivan Marić director of Vinistra, presented sparkling wine Festigia Blanc de Moi Vintage Brut, Vina Laguna from Poreč, dry Malvasia Santa Lucia from 2017, Kozlović wine from Momjan and Teran Il Primo from 2018, Fakin wine from Motovun and olive oil - Ipša Istarska Bjelica 2022 from Livada, Meneghetti's selection Buža 2021 from Bala and Salvela Aurum blend from 2021 from Vodnjan.
Given that this tasting workshop was a success and has great cultural significance for both countries, sommeliers Bebiana Monteiro and Emil Perdec will repeat this event, with the same wines and olive oil, on October 25 and 26 in Ourém, during the 15 ART&TUR Festival. This cultural bridge between Croatia and Portugal has the technical and scientific mentoring of the Portuguese team as part of the European Olive4All project, which aims to preserve and promote the olive heritage.
The guests of the festival also visited the most famous medieval fortress in Zagreb, which shone in its full splendor last year after a major renovation and became even more attractive to visit. For years, the Medvedgrad fortress was a favorite meeting place and location for summer film and music festivals, and now it is possible to discover its interior through the Medvedgrad Visitor Center. The restored walls delighted visitors, as well as the impressive center and one of the most beautiful views of the Croatian metropolis.
The well-coordinated team of Balduči Film and the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb ensure that the gathering of the world's best filmmakers, top experts on tourism and the audience goes perfectly. "This year, we have prepared for the guests of the Festival a superb tourist experience and a tour of the city, with great tastings, but above all phenomenal films. The audience thus had the opportunity to enjoy the best tourist films in the world that talked about various types of attractiveness. The best ones tonight were chosen by relevant domestic and international experts, led by the president of the jury, Boško Grubić (Bobby), an Emmy award winner," said Saraga, director of Balduči Film and the Zagreb Tour Film Festival.
The Zagreb TourFilm Festival has been supported by numerous media sponsors for years, and this year we were joined by our academic partner Edward Bernays University College and the gold sponsors of the festival Podrumi Kolar and Chic IB bags leather goods.
The Grand Prix was won by Spain!
At the gala dinner at the Esplanade Hotel Zagreb, where the participants of the three-day gathering of filmmakers and tourism experts, professionals dealing with this, one of the most lucrative branches of the economy, and lovers of attractive destinations gathered, awards were presented to the best films as judged by an expert jury, namely:
GRAND PRIX – for the best film of the festival
NO JOY IN LIFE IS SMALL, Spain
No Joy In Life Is Small.mp4 from Filmservice International on Vimeo.
The best tourist film in the category TOURIST DESTINATION - city
1st place TIME SWITCH AVEIRO, Portugal
2nd place 10 PLANS TO LIVE MADRID, Spain
3rd place CANNES IS STILL STANDING, France
The best tourist film in the category TOURIST DESTINATION - region
1st place NO JOY IN LIFE IS SMALL, Spain
2nd place LOVE RIAS BAIXAS. A LOVE STORY WITH THE PROVINCE OF PONTEVEDRA, Portugal
3rd place JUST BETWEEN US, Portugal
The best tourist in the category TOURIST DESTINATION, country
1st place EXPERIENCE A WORLD BEYOND, Qatar
2nd place THE NAMELESS CALL – INSIDE COSTA RICA, Italy
3rd place (shared) EXPLORE UGANDA – THE PEARL OF AFRICA, Uganda
3rd place (shared) INTRODUCING THE ICELANDVERSE, Iceland
In the TOURIST PRODUCT category
The best Wellness & Spa travel film
LITHUANIA. FIND YOUR SAUNA SELF, Lithuania
The best Gastro film
WORLD PAELLA DAY, Spain
The best heritage presentation film
CROATIA: THE INTANGIBLE HERITAGE, Croatia
The best event Film
WHY CHOOSE PORTO & NORTH OF PORTUGAL FOR YOUR EVENT? The Majestic Adventures of Ofelia de Souza, Portugal
The best film about wine tourism, Croatia
A TASTE ABOVE, Croatia
Best film - Hotel and Resort
HOTEL BOHINJ – MEET YOUR SPIRIT, Slovenia
Special award - Cultural tourism
BOL & CULTURE, Croatia
In the category BEST TOURIST FILM and TV REPORT
Best documentary film
1st place THE HOUSES OF LIGHT, Croatia
2nd place NATURE WITHOUT BORDERS, Slovenia
3rd place MAMODY, THE LAST BAOBAB DIGGER
Special jury award - Ethnography and society
LILANJE IN LOZNICA, Serbia
The best environmental film
FOREST RIVERS, Poland
The best TV reportage
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE I'M FROM, Serbia
In the category the best CROATIAN TOURIST FILM
Tourist destination - city
MEET. FEEL. EXPLORE. ZADAR, Croatia
Tourist destination - region
AUTHENTIC ISTRIA – GOOD MOOD/GOOD FOOD, Croatia
In the category TOURIST COMMUNICATION, advertising
UTOPIA, Greece
The best video blog - vlog
1st place JORDAN, Croatia
2nd place THE REAL EGYPT, Croatia
This year, the STUDENT'S CHOICE AWARD awarded by a student jury composed of students from Edward Bernays University College - an academic partner of the festival, went to BUDAPEST MICE image film, Hungary.
You can watch some of the selected films here.
Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Visits Vukovar, Prayer for War Victims
October 16, 2022 - The patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfiri, called on the Orthodox believers from Vukovar to remember their sacrifices in prayer, but also the sacrifices of their Catholic neighbours because, he said, the one who respects the sacrifice of another is equal to the one who sacrifices himself for another.
As Index writes, he called on the believers to pray for the sacrifices of others. "They are our role models, and those who commit violence against helpless people, whether in war or peace, are worthy of all condemnation and contempt. That is why I invite you today to light a candle for all our suffering Orthodox brothers and sisters, but also to light a candle for all the innocent Roman Catholic Croats who have suffered; let us pray for our brothers and sisters who have suffered, but also for the Roman Catholic Croats who have suffered," urged Porfirije, who served the holy liturgy in the presence of numerous Serbian Orthodox bishops in the Vukovar Cathedral of the Holy Father Nikola, where he consecrated the renovated temple and Parish Hall.
He called on the believers to pray for every sacrifice, for every innocent victim in Vukovar and the city of Vukovar itself because, he said, prayer and Christian forgiveness are the only way to heal all wounds. He asserted that people live in Vukovar whose differences are small and insignificant, there are incomparably more similarities than differences, and the Christian faith brings them together but also binds them.
"When in prayer for our sacrifices, we also remember our martyred neighbours, Catholic Croats, God will rejoice over us," noted the Serbian patriarch.
He said he constantly lights a wax candle in his heart for the victims in Glina, Varivode, Grubori, and other places where Serbs suffered. "In the same way, I pray and light a candle for those who perished at Ovčara, Škabrnja, Lovas, Sotin, and many other places of execution."
"We also pray for all those who disappeared from 1991 to 1995, in the terrible and unfortunate war in these areas, regardless of which nation they belonged to," he said in his address to the believers, inviting them to join him in prayers.
There is no other way but prayer and forgiveness, he asserted. "As children of God, we must not leave it to those who have levers of power from this world to solve the issues of our lives, arrange our mutual relations, past, present and future because," as he said, "at the very least it can be said that the goals of these leverage different from the goals of the Gospel."
At the end of the liturgy, Patriarch Porfirij was presented with the award of the Holy Despot Stefan Štiljanović, patron of the Diocese of Osijekopolska and Baranja. Decorations were also given to other deserving people, including SDSS president Milorad Pupovac and one of the party's founders and longtime president Vojislav Stanimirović.
The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was built in 1737. On the night between September 18 and 19, 1991, the temple was severely damaged in an explosion. The renovation lasted from 2009 to 2014 and was financed entirely by the Croatian government.
The comments of Vukovar mayor Ivan Penava
As Index further reports, after commemorating the 31st anniversary of the death of Major General Blago Zadro, the mayor of Vukovar Ivan Penava was asked to comment on Patriarch Porfiri's message that it is necessary to pray for all victims from both sides, without distinction. He stated that the call to pay homage to innocently killed victims is a step in the right direction and that he welcomes it, but that the situation in which the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to promote the war criminal Vojislav Šešelj remains unacceptable.
"As a believer, I respect all religious institutions, including the Serbian Orthodox Church, but everyone must be aware that the moment you promote the war criminal Vojislav Šešelj, you close the door and that this is a story that is not welcome in Vukovar, said Penava.
He points out that "he would like Zagreb to become more aware that the story of Vukovar is also the story of Croatia" because he believes that it is not good for Vukovar to always be "on some sort of buffer or advanced position, while everyone else suffers from political correctness."
"If there must be a line below which we do not go, I think that everyone in Croatia will agree that Vojislav Šešelj and the Chetniks are the line that we will never agree to. I hope this attitude is a generally accepted value in Croatia because otherwise today's commemoration of Blago Zadro loses its meaning, said Penava.
He wished the citizens of the Republic of Croatia of Serbian and any other nationality to feel good in the Croatian state, and to respect their religious customs and culture, but that all of this "has nothing to do with Greater Serbian hegemony, aggression against Croatia, pretensions towards other people's territory and all other things which we witnessed 30 years ago".
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.
CNB Governor Boris Vujcic: Croatia Still to Have a Very Good Year
October 16, 2022 - After two and a half years of exceptional challenges due to the pandemic, the world is facing new crises. The road ahead will probably be just as difficult, if not more, Fund Director Kristalina Georgieva said at the end of the annual meeting of the IMF and the World Bank. The IMF's strategic committee called on Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine. The Governor of the Croatian National Bank, Boris Vujcic, commented on the forecast for the Croatian economy.
As HRT reports, the war worsened the economic crisis, slowed growth, and created inflation and energy and food insecurity. The fight against inflation and protecting the most vulnerable categories of citizens remains the main priority. This was the conclusion of financial experts.
CNB Governor Boris Vujcic commented on the forecasts for the global and Croatian economy for HTV in Washington.
"It is obvious that the economy, both globally and European, and now according to the latest high-frequency data, the Croatian economy has started to slow down. At the global level, this slowdown has been visible for some time in Europe as well; in Croatia, it is very recent, and we have practically started seeing it from September onwards. Croatia will still have a very good year. We expect growth from 5.5 percent to 5.8 percent, which is very good after 10.2 percent last year. However, next year we expect that this slowdown that we are seeing now will be fully reflected in a much lower growth rate where the economy could grow by only one percent", he said.
IMF estimates
IMF estimates are that the economy of the Eurozone could only grow by half a percent and that some countries, primarily our main foreign trade partners such as Germany and Italy, would be in recession, which would mean having negative growth rates. As for Croatia, the primary projection is that we will have a low growth rate and not a recession. However, when the practical prospects are continuously deteriorating in this situation, he said it would not be surprising if we also entered at least a technical recession, meaning two consecutive quarters of negative growth.
"Of course, inflation is the biggest problem everywhere; central banks have to tighten their monetary policies, which means raising interest rates, but also to reduce their balance sheets, which have grown a lot since the great financial crisis and represent another, I usually call it fertile ground for the growth of the inflation. Central banks will continue to do so. As of next year, we will be a member of the eurozone, so this is primarily a concern of the European Central Bank, where I will co-create that policy. And as for the governments, this winter, they are mainly limiting the prices of electricity, thermal energy, and natural gas. Next year, we will see how things will develop, he said.
Entry into the eurozone
"Everyone congratulates us; they think it is very good for Croatia and will help Croatia significantly in this crisis. And we can already see that. We see that Croatia is doing better in this crisis than other EU countries that are not on the way to become members of the eurozone or existing members. Our rating is growing; we don't have to spend reserves on intervention in the foreign exchange market, which we had to do in the spring of 2020." He concluded that our interest rates are significantly lower.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Politics section.
