Economy Minister Believes 2022 Will Be Year of Further Growth
ZAGREB, 1 April (2022) - Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić said on Friday he believed the year 2022 would see a further growth of the national economy.
"I believe that the Croatian economy will show in 2022, just as it did in 2021, the kind of resilience that opened the door to convergence towards the EU average," Ćorić said at a meeting of exporters, organised by Lider business weekly.
Recalling Croatia's growth rate of more than 10% in 2021, the minister said that this year could be like that as well. "That is our goal and I believe that with good exporters, we can make it happen," he said.
Croatian exporters share the fate of all European exporters who are in any way connected with the Russian Federation, while the situation is somewhat easier for exporters with diversified portfolios, whose business is not predominantly oriented to Russia, he said.
Croatia does not have too many companies that are exposed to the Russian market, he said, adding that the current situation could be overcome by companies expanding their market to other European countries, while the government would help by facilitating competition, primarily by enabling greater energy efficiency and lower production costs.
Ćorić announced a HRK 1.9 billion tender to be published by the end of Q2 referring to energy efficiency, which should help the manufacturing industry increase its capacity.
Some of the exporters have liquidity problems due to a decline in business in the Russian Federation, he said, noting that the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) would step in.
DIV Group: Situation requires rapid response
Answering questions from the press, a member of the DIV Group Management Board, Darko Pappo, said that DIV was very much affected by the current situation because two major projects were financed by a Russian-owned bank, with EU sanctions against Russia having prevented the completion of the projects and their refinancing.
"We are talking about two loans amounting to €90 million, with our share totalling around €60 million. That is a huge amount of money and this has made us suspend production," he said, adding that he expected the government to make decisions fast to help the shipbuilding group overcome the situation.
He added that there were end-buyers for both projects, contracts on long-term lease and a repayment schedule, and that, even though state aid is not necessary, the situation requires a prompt government reaction.
The government should support DIV's proposal for the loans to be refinanced with HBOR funding under commercial terms, and one of the loans should be fully repaid by the end of the year while the other would be repaid over a longer period of time, he said.
"That would ensure the continuation of production and normal functioning," he said, adding that both the Brodosplit shipyard and DIV Group operate in the black and employ a large number of workers, which is why they believe the government and HBOR should step in.
Pappo recalled that the recent case of Sberbank showed that a prompt reaction by the government was possible.
AD Plastik focusing on new deals
Marinko Došen, Management Board chair of plastic car parts manufacturer AD Plastik, said the revenue from the Russian market accounted for 20-25% of total revenue and that the company's two factories in Russia were currently not operating and there was no information on when they could resume operation.
AD Plastik is an export-oriented company, focusing on new deals and expanding to markets where it will be able to operate, Došen said.
As for the rise in energy costs, he said that the cost of energy products had gone up significantly for all businesses and that state aid would be welcome as it would also help them cover the cost of labour for markets that were currently inaccessible.
For more, check out our business section.
Official Says HDZ Councillors to Resign if Other Deputy Split Mayor Resigns as Well
ZAGREB, 1 April (2022) - Vice Mihanović, leader of the HDZ party in Split, said on Thursday his party's nine deputies in the Split City Council would resign if Deputy Mayor Antonio Kuzmanić, who Mayor Ivica Puljak, confirming his own resignation earlier in the day, said would run the city as commissioner until a snap election, did so.
"The condition for HDZ councillors to resign is for the other deputy mayor, Antonio Kuzmanić, to resign as well," Mihanović, whose party is in the opposition in the Split City Council, told Hina.
Confirming his own resignation, as well as the resignation of his first deputy Bojan Ivošević earlier on Thursday, Mayor Puljak said his second deputy Kuzmanić would act as the commissioner for the city until the early elections.
Mihanović does not agree with this and believes Puljak wants to continue running the city through his deputy after resigning and that owing to Kuzmanić, he "will finance his campaign with public money."
He now insists that joint elections for the City Council and for the mayor, which is what Puljak advocates, are possible only if Puljak's entire team resigns.
Commenting on the situation on Wednesday, when it was announced that the mayor and his first deputy would step down, Mihanović said the announced resignations and new elections were the only solution.
"If Puljak and Ivošević resign, then the nine HDZ councillors in the City Council will also resign and contribute to its dissolution as the new elections for the City Council and for the mayor are the only solution for Split," Mihanović said on Wednesday.
Mayor: Kuzmanić to be in charge of technical tasks, won't participate in campaign
Mayor Puljak and his first deputy Bojan Ivošević confirmed on Thursday they were stepping down and intended to run in a snap election.
This happened after the parties in the City Council supporting Puljak earlier this week suspended their cooperation with him, insisting that Ivošević be removed from office after an indictment against him was issued for threatening a reporter of the Split-based regional Slobodna Dalmacija daily.
Refusing to replace his deputy, Puljak on Thursday said they would both resign and go to a snap election.
Puljak said his deputy did not threaten the reporter's life, as confirmed by the reporter herself, that his communication was indeed inappropriate and inadequate but that one did not go to jail for that.
The Split mayor said Ivošević was not a burden on the city government but rather carried and dealt with the burden of the chaos left behind by the former city administrations.
Puljak called on all local political stakeholders to help dissolve the City Council as soon as possible so that new elections could be held, recalling that they had already shown that they wanted it to be dissolved.
"We will propose holding a session of the City Council as early as next week at which a decision would be made on holding district elections by the end of June, and then the government has enough time to make a decision on holding all elections in Split - for the City Council, the mayor and for districts, at once, to minimise the cost," Puljak said.
He stressed that he, Ivošević and his second deputy Antonio Kuzmanić, to act as commissioner for the city until the elections, would run in the elections as a team.
Puljak dismissed objections that he could use Kuzmanić to continue implementing his policy, noting that Kuzmanić would mostly be in charge of the most necessary technical tasks and would not participate in the election campaign.
For more, check out our politics section.
Croatia Reports 1,442 New Coronavirus Cases, 9 Deaths
ZAGREB, 1 April (2022) - Croatia has recorded 1,442 new coronavirus cases and nine COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Friday.
The number of active cases in the country stands at 9,976. Currently, 657 infected people are being treated in hospital and 40 of them are on ventilators, while 6,599 are self-isolating.
Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 1,100,618 people have been registered as having been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, of whom 15,584 have died.
A total of 4,683,210 people have tested for the novel virus, including 5,016 in the last 24 hours.
By Thursday, 70.69 per cent of the adult population had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 68.58 per cent of adults had been fully vaccinated.
On Thursday, 852 vaccine doses were administered and 101 persons received their first dose.
For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.
Euro 2024 Handball Qualifiers: Croatia Draws Group 5 with Netherlands, Greece, Belgium
April 1, 2022 - The Euro 2024 handball qualifiers have been announced after a draw held last night in Berlin. Croatia was drawn into Group 5 and will play against the Netherlands, Greece, and Belgium from October 2022 to April 2023.
A draw of qualifying groups for the 2024 European Championship hosted by Germany was held in Berlin on Thursday night. The EURO is scheduled for January 10-28, 2024, and will be played in six German cities: Dusseldorf, Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, Manheim, and Munich.
An earlier placement at the European Championship was secured by Germany as the host and the medal winners at the last (this year's) European Championships: Sweden, Spain, and Denmark. Thus, for the second qualifying phase, there were a total of 32 teams that were drawn from four "pots" in eight strong groups. Croatia was placed in the first "pot". Russia and Belarus were not in the draw due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but their places were taken by Georgia and Luxembourg, while Kosovo and Serbia cannot be in the same group.
First, the teams from the fourth "pot" were drawn, each team in one group and so on until the last, first "pot". Croatia thus drew group 5, along with the Netherlands, Greece, and Belgium.
The complete qualification draw, on the other hand, looks like this:
Group 1: PORTUGAL, NORTHERN MACEDONIA, TURKEY, LUXEMBOURG
Group 2: NORWAY, SERBIA, SLOVAKIA, FINLAND
Group 3: ICELAND, CZECH REPUBLIC, ISRAEL, ESTONIA
Group 4: AUSTRIA, UKRAINE, ROMANIA, FAROE ISLANDS
Group 5: CROATIA, NETHERLANDS, GREECE, BELGIUM
Group 6: HUNGARY, SWITZERLAND, LITHUANIA, GEORGIA
Group 7: SLOVENIA, MONTENEGRO, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, KOSOVO
Group 8: FRANCE, POLAND, LATVIA, ITALY
Qualifying matches will be played from October 2022 to April 2023, after which there will be a total of 20 national teams: two first-placed teams from each group and four best third-placed teams to be decided after all qualifying matches, taking into account only matches against the two best-placed national teams. With four previously placed national teams, we come to the number 24, which is the final number of teams that will ensure their appearance at the European Championships in 2024.
Source: HRS
To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Hideout Festival 2022 Unveils Full Line-up of Boat Parties with Huge Artist Takeovers
April 1, 2022 - Hideout festival 2022 celebrates its 10th edition on Pag with boat parties, pool parties, and exclusive headlines hows in 5 open-air venues.
Boat parties are always an essential part of the Hideout experience, and this year will be no different, as Hideout reveals the 11 boat parties setting sail across the festival with huge artists at the helm, and tickets went live on the 31st of March at 10 am.
Each sun-filled sail will be powered by VOID Acoustics, having announced a new partnership with Hideout that will see the audio giants kitting out each boat with their world-famous sound system. VOID will provide the ultimate audio experience alongside all-star line-ups to curate an unforgettable Hideout boat party experience
Artists involved across the parties include Camelphat, Solardo, Paul Woolford, Sonny Fodera, Crucast, Mike Skinner, Skream, Mella Dee, Prospa, Ewan McVicar, Eli Brown, Kettama and more all playing between 3rd - 7th July 2022.
Tickets are on general sale from March 31, 2022, at 10am and can be booked here: https://hideoutfestival.com/boat-parties/.
HIDEOUT BOAT PARTIES POWERED BY VOID
Saturday 2nd July 2022
WELCOME BOAT 1 | 1PM: Hideout Friends & Family | £25 (SOLD OUT)
WELCOME BOAT 2 | 6PM: Hideout Friends & Family | £25 (SOLD OUT)
Sunday 3rd July 2022
6PM: Camelphat | £30 + BF
Monday 4th July 2022
1PM: Prospa & Kettama | £30 + BF
6PM: Solardo & Eli Brown | £30 + BF
Tuesday 5th July 2022
1PM: Crucast | £30 + BF
6PM: BAD BOY CHILLER CRUISE w/ Bad Boy Chill Crew & Mike Skinner | £30 + BF
Wednesday 6th July 2022
1PM: Paul Woolford & Ewan McVicar | £30 + BF
6PM: Sonny Fodera & Arielle Free | £30 + BF
Thursday 7th July 2022
1PM: SKREAM OPEN TO CLOSE | £30 + BF
6PM: WAREHOUSE MUSIC w/ Mella Dee & BKLAVA | £30 + BF
Musically, this year's event will be the biggest and best ever. All bases are covered from techno to house, tech to bass, drum & bass to disco, and garage. There are plenty of returning favourites as well as break out new names in this latest wave of acts which includes a set from garage innovator Mike Skinner, the always electric Paul Woolford, techno kingpin Alan Fitzpatrick and house mainstays Mall Grab and Darius Syrossian. DJ Seinfeld will bring his heartfelt and lofi sounds, Gorgon City offer a fresh take on house and Maya Jane Coles joins the dots between house, bass and tech in her own unique way. Add in NTS favourite and eclectic funk, disco, Latin and soul selector Mafalda, playful party dynamo Denis Sulta, plus more from Doorly, Emily Nash, Denney, Adelphi Music Factory, John Summit, Tarzsa, Metrik, Bou, Amyelle, and more and you have another essential lineup.
These names are on top of the already announced delights of Camelphat, Sonny Fodera, Andy C, Jamie Jones, Jayda G, Eats Everything, Skream, Sam Divine, HAAi, Horse Meat Disco, Sherelle, Shy FX, TSHA, Bad Boy Chiller Crew and loads more.
For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Beyond the Dubrovnik Walls: 1. Island of Kolocep (Kalamota)
April 1, 2022 - Dubrovnik is perceived to be a 2-day destination with everything concentrated inside the UNESCO old town, but it is so much more than that. Find out what, in the first of a new TCN series - Beyond the Dubrovnik Walls. Meet the island of Kolocep, also known as Kalamota.
Seeing things with a fresh pair of eyes is always instructive. Almost a year ago, at the conclusion of the Dubrovnik Nomads-in-Residence programme, A Dutch digital nomad gave an initial presentation to the mayor, tourist board, media and public on his group's findings after 4 weeks as guests of the city. Their brief was to look at Dubrovnik through the eyes of digital nomads and to work with Dubrovnik to create an effective strategy for future development. His presentation was simple, concise, in many ways obvious, and made the whole room pause to think.
His first slide showed the first 30 images on Google Images of Dubrovnik, and they all showed the same thing - the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the old town of Dubrovnik. One nomad commented that prior to coming to the city, he was not even sure if Dubrovnik had anything of interest or substance beyond the walls. The perception that Dubrovnik was a 2-3 day destination is one that changed during his stay of four weeks, and he announced that after almost a month, he was still not ready to go home.
The magic of Dubrovnik for all these nomads was not the gorgeous old town, stunning as it undoubtedly was, but what lay beyond the walls - the rest of living, breathing Dubrovnik and its surrounding area. In some ways it was an obvious point, but taking the focus away from the old town seems somehow innovative. And having thought about it, the perception of the reality of Dubrovnik as a destination can only change if we show Dubrovnik, the reality, rather than Dubrovnik, the Instagram poster child.
Welcome to Dubrovnik Beyond the Walls, a new TCN series showcasing the magic of this incredible city, but away from its photogenic famous old town. There you can take in centuries of history, culture and tradition, but if you take a bus, boat, or short walk, there are many other Dubrovnik experiences to be enjoyed which complement the famous main attraction.
Places like Kalamota, as locals call the island of Kolocep, the closest of the three Elaphite islands. I discovered the three jewels of Kalamota, Lopud and Sipan quite late in life, having heard so many wax lyrical about them over the years. My first introduction was to Kalamota 3 years ago, and it was that stay which introduced me to the diversity on offer in and around Dubrovnik.
Kalamota is perfection for those wanting to escape the crowds and commune with nature. A car-free island (as is Lopud), time has stood still on the island, and the 120 locals still living there like it that way. A relaxed island lifestyle, but just 30 minutes by regular ferry to the Dubrovnik port of Gruz. It means that you can easily base your holiday in the chilled island atmosphere, while enjoying the charms of the old town as you wish. Two holidays in one.
And if you like sandy beaches...
There may be no cars, but the narrow island roads are not completely devoid of traffic, as golf carts and similar motors are used to move across Kalamota. One of the highlights of the trip was taking a hotel tour of the island in the back of a golf cart - it really was the best place to see the island. And there was certainly a lot to see.
As I have come to realise after 20 years, each Croatian island has its own unique qualities, and Kalamota was full of surprises and rewards for taking a look further than the beach. The churches, for example, were incredible.
There are no less than 15 churches on the small island - that is one per 8 inhabitants these days - and they are some of the most interesting in all Croatia. I particularly liked the Church of St. Nikola dating back to the 10th century - just how are people expected to squeeze through a main door like that?
Tourism is about people, and there were plenty of personalities to behold, including these two lovely ladies who gave us an impressive tour of the fields where they are growing ingredients to produce this magnificent array of natural (and very healthy) Kalamota products for tourists.
Talking of people, it was great to meet the teacher at the school on the island a couple of years ago. For an island with such a small population so close to the city, I was beyond impressed at the infrastructure and community. The full-time community of around 120 people has a school (with just two pupils), a resident doctor with his own surgery, and a fire station.
And weddings. Although a little off the beaten track perhaps, Kalamota is a great secret venue for weddings, with Villa Ruza the preferred destination. And with sunset views like that, are you surprised? In 2019, Villa Ruza hosted no less than 57 foreign weddings.
It is also a very popular restaurant for day-trippers, as well as Dubrovnik locals looking for a quality lunch away from the crowds. Dubrovnik, a 2-day destination which just has the old town?!? A perfect change of pace.
Timeless. The only sound coming from the sea and the trees, the main activity watching the Jadrolinija ferry glide gracefully back and forth between the Elaphite islands and Dubrovnik. Always on time, the ferry has become a timekeeping point of reference for locals.
The food was excellent, and don't miss this culinary piece of art if you like your fish with a little salt (order in advance). A sea-bream of 2 kilos, wrapped and baked in no less than THREE kilos of salt and egg white, then baked before being set on fire for show.
Some dining options from the Total Croatia Elaphite Islands in a Page guide:
Even though Kolocep Island is quite small, there are a few nice restaurants in both Gornje Celo and Donje Celo villages. In fact, Vila Ruza (Rose) in Donje Celo is hailed as one of the nicest restaurants in the Dubrovnik area. Its setting and beautiful terrace are reasons enough to visit. When you add to that great food and service you quickly understand why Villa Ruza is one place attracting guests from Dubrovnik year after year. In Gronje Celo, restaurant G Chelo belonging to Kalamota Beach House Hotel is a recent addition to the island’s dining scene. It features a lovely seating area and an imaginative menu. On the other side of the bay, Konoba Skerac is the local’s favourite.
There is even a cat hotel...
Most visitors to Kalamota come for one thing only, stay for less than an hour, and then move on. For Kalamota's most famous for its Blue Cave, perhaps not as well known as its namesake on Bisevo, close to the island of Vis, but very much a must-do on the various island tours sold in Dubrovnik.
The Kolocep version is a small cave on the southwestern part of the island accessible by boat. Its name comes from the blue shade of the waters inside. You enter the cave by swimming or diving. It is wide enough to enter without difficulty, but the opening of it is only barely showing from the outside. It is an extremely popular stop for chartered boats and worth visiting for the ride to it as well.
Dubrovnik beyond the walls, a new way to look at the Pearl of the Adriatic. And with so many different options available, tailor your Dubrovnik experience to your specific needs.
To learn more about the Beyond the Dubrovnik Walls series, follow the dedicated section.
2022 Zagreb Summer Flight Schedule Offers 3 million Seats on 20 Airlines
April 1, 2022 - The 2022 Zagreb summer flight schedule offers 3 million seats on 20 well-known European and international airlines.
After Croatian Aviation published the detailed figures of available seats on the two largest airlines at Zagreb International Airport, Croatia Airlines and Ryanair, they've released the figures of other airlines flying to Zagreb Airport in this year's summer flight schedule.
Namely, in this year's summer flight schedule, 20 well-known European and international airlines will operate on regular routes to Zagreb Airport.
The Lufthansa Group's airlines have the largest number of available seats: Lufthansa, Eurowings, and Austrian Airlines. These three airlines offer a total of 330,760 seats to and from Zagreb on several international routes.
The second group, KLM - Air France, offers a slightly smaller number of seats, a total of 204,140, currently 126,620 seats less than the Lufthansa group.
The share of seats available on low-cost airline flights has increased significantly, over one million, or 1,062,272. Ryanair offers the largest number of seats (over 850 thousand), followed by Eurowings (more than 125 thousand seats), FlyDubai (38 thousand), Vueling (32 thousand), and in last place is Norwegian (5.5 thousand).
As for legacy carriers, the largest number of seats is offered by Croatia Airlines (over 1.2 million seats), followed by Turkish Airlines (over 165 thousand), KLM (over 130 thousand), Lufthansa (over 115 thousand), British Airways (over 105 thousand), Austrian Airlines (86 thousand), Air France (almost 74 thousand), LOT Polish Airlines (more than 45 thousand), Qatar Airways (more than 40 thousand), Air Transat (30 thousand), Air Serbia (29 thousand), Finnair (19 thousand), TAP Portugal (18 thousand), Iberia Airlines (over 13 thousand) and Aegean Airlines (more than 12 thousand).
Legacy carriers offer more than 2 million seats, or exactly 2,104,800. In total, together with low-cost carriers, from March 27 to October 29 this year, airlines offer 3,167,072 seats.
If taking into account the number of passengers in the first three months of this year (January - March), and flights that will take place in November and December this year (winter flight schedule), Zagreb in 2022 will have over 3.6 million seats.
For more, check out our travel section.
CROMADS in April: Visit Croatia's $6bn Airbase, 18th Century Grain Ship Cruise
April 1, 2022 - Looking to explore the real Croatia on the road less travelled? The Zagreb CROMADS Travel Club takes you back to the 18th century on the Kupa River and inside an incredible US$6 BILLION secret airbase.
After almost 20 years in Croatia, and just when I thought I knew most of its many impressive secrets, I realised that I knew very little at all.
Our new CROMADS platform, showcasing authentic Croatia, 365 days a year all over the country, has been a huge voyage of discovery into the road less travelled in this beautiful land.
Ever since the first event for the CROMADS Travel Club (you can sign up here), the quite incredible GINcredible gin education and tasting, the concept of a travel club offering unique and authentic experiences that are hard to find elsewhere has got me very excited. And if you are in Zagreb, that fun is set to continue next week, with two great tours showcasing parts of Croatian history that few know about.
Did you know, for example, that Croatia has a secret airbase with 5 runways built into a mountain, whose construction costs were estimated at US$6 BILLION? One of the most far-out things I have seen on Planet Earth.
But we start on Tuesday, April 5, with something a little more tranquil and historic - a wonderful day in nature aboard a replica grain ship on the River Kupa. A journey back in time, surrounded by idyllic nature, experiencing aspects of Croatia as it really once was. You can learn more here or check out the tour highlights below.
⚓ AURORA BOAT EXPERIENCE
5th of April (Tuesday)
⏰ 15.30h -19.00h
Meet in front of Ethnographic Museum Zagreb
*Welcome On Board Žitna lađa - Karlovac *
Let us take you out of the city and on a unique European tour down the Kupa river onboard “Zora” – a replica of the 18th-century grain boat.
PRICE: 40,00€/per person
✅Private 2- way transfer
✅Private tour guide
✅Private 90min boat ride on Kupa river
✅Finger food, homemade cakes, liquor tasting and two glasses of local wine
Limited spots so book yours at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
And for something really far out, the following day has us heading to the Croatian border with Bosnia to visit surely Tito's most unbelievable project - a huge military airbase built inside a mountain, located mostly in Croatia but also in BiH, capable of housing up to 80 MiG fighters. An airbase that was fully operational until 30 years ago. Learn more about the spectacular Zeljava Airbase. While Zeljava is the highlight, there is plenty more included in this fascinating day, including Tito's view of Plitvice Lakes from his former villa. Check out the itinerary below, and contact CROMADS partners, Swanky Travel, to book.
A UNIQUE day tour to places you did not know exist.
Turbulent Croatian history has left a huge heritage behind including some amazing places that are abandoned.
1. The biggest and best kept secret project of ex-Yugoslavia stands today as a reminder of some different times - Zeljava underground airbase.
2. Another amazing location is Villa Izvor - one of the residences of former Yugo president Tito situated just above the source of Plitvice lakes.
URBEX TOUR
6th of April (Tuesday)
⏰ 8.00h - 20.00h
Meet at Swanky Mint
PRICE: 75,00€/per person
*private small group tour
✅Private 2- way transfer
✅Private tour guide (urbex expert)
✅Željava underground airbase visit
✅ Abandoned Villa Izvor visit
✅ Flashlights for underground exploration
✅ Tickets for Museum of Homeland war
After the Ston Oyster Festival and a 3-tour day in Imotski, the CROMADS Split Travel Club will be back shortly with more authentic experiences in a couple of weeks. Stay tunes, or better still, join the CROMADS Travel Club and be the first to hear about the news. Or follow CROMADS on Facebook.
Croatian Terrace Rental Cost to Soar - So Long, 10 Kuna Coffee?
April the 1st, 2022 - Could Croatia soon be bidding farewell to 10 kuna coffee, at least in the City of Split? It seems so, as Croatian terrace rental costs are set to soar with just about everything else as the inflation wave continues to engulf us.
Sitting and drinking a 10 kuna coffee in the sun on the famous Split Riva for hours on end while gossiping about politicians but never voting them out is an Olympic passtime for most Croats. One small cup of coffee can last a good two hours when people get together to put the world to rights, but the price of 10 kuna for that cultural experience may soon be no more.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, one of the latest decisions made by the Split local authorities is the increase in the price of Croatian terraces. This will take effect today (April the 1st, 2022) plunging the already suffering catering and hospitality sector and the people of Split are into more issues.
Coffee will no longer cost 10 kuna. Whether the price will be bumped up to 12, 15 or 20 kuna hasn't yet been firmly decided, but those in this business are very worried about whether people will be able to afford it, or simply change their habits out of principle.
Come rain or shine, be it a normal working day or a weekend, for many people, sitting on a nice Croatian terrace and mulling over a cheap coffee is an indispensable ritual. The favourite location for locals and foreigners alike in Croatia's second largest city is always the Split Riva (waterfront).
"It's better than going to psychotherapy. We don't really have that. So for us Dalmatians, this is all we have. We'll have to reduce our ''psychotherapy'' to once a day and we will somehow manage,'' stated Zora Gala.
"Everything can be left, I can even leave having a if I'm forced to do that. I can do that, but life is fleeting so why not indulge in some habits that are harmless?'' said Matija Mrdjen.
An espresso on the Split Riva already costs between 9 and 12 kuna, according to RTL.
"People look at the bill, they didn't ask how much it was upon making the order, but as soon as the coffee comes to the table, people immediately look at the bill and see what the price is," said waiter Augustin Silic. In addition to other costs, Croatian terrace rental in the very heart of Split has been growing since April last year, in some cases by almost 100 percent.
For more, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.
Croatian Infobip Teams Up With Giant German Operator Vodafone
April the 1st, 2022 - The quite remarkable Vodnjan-based company Infobip has come on leaps and bounds since its creation, making a name for itself on a global scale. The Croatian Infobip company now has a new impressive move under its belt, in the form of a partnership with the German giant, Vodafone.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the impressive Croatian Infobip company has announced a partnership with one of the largest mobile network operators in Germany, Vodafone, to provide mobile security for potentially 62 million smartphone users across the country. Vodafone has been well known for a great many years now by mobile phone users from not only Germany but from across Europe, and this latest move is sure to put Infobip even more firmly on the tech map than it already is.
Vodafone is joining Deutsche Telekom in enabling Infobip's Mobile Identity mobile authentication solution, which will be available to business customers in the banking, retail and public sectors.
According to ICT Business, the rise in fraud over the past two years has shown a critical need for companies to invest in better security. While two-factor authentication (2FA) via email, SMS or push notifications ensures that a company can verify who a person actually is, it comes at the cost of users having to change authentication channels, disrupting the overall user experience and making things sometimes more complicated than they need to be from an end user perspective.
Using the Croatian Infobip company's Mobile Identity solution, companies will be able to easily verify precisely who their customers are by their mobile phone number at every stage of their journey, from account activation and set up to payment and application download. All of this happens safely and quietly in the background, without the need for the user to enter a verification code.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.
