Dubrovnik-Neretva Islands Included in Year-round Tourism Strategy
March the 2nd, 2022 - Dubrovnik-Neretva islands, which are heavily frequented during the height of the summer tourist season, have been included in a new year-round tourism strategy for Mediterranean islands.
As Morski writes, as part of the ''WINTER MED'' project, the DUNEA regional agency organised an online workshop for decision-makers at the local, regional and national levels, presenting the "Transnational year-round tourism strategy for destinations on the Mediterranean islands".
The Winter Islands Network project for year-round tourism experience in the Mediterranean - WINTER MED aims to develop sustainable and responsible year-round tourism for the Mediterranean's many islands while preserving and valorising both cultural and natural heritage.
The strategy presented recently was based on best practices and lessons learned from the regional action plans of six pilot project areas - Tuscany, Cyprus, the South Aegean, Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Corsica and the Balearic islands. This document is aimed at all Mediterranean island areas that are ready to move from so-called "3 S tourism" (sun, sea and sand) to a sustainable model of year-round tourism. The move which has included Dubrovnik-Neretva islands will be excellent for Croatian tourism as a whole, which is still very much trapped in its summertime constraints.
Among other things, the Expert Study of Integral Protection and the Revitalisation of Historical Settlements in the Landscapes of the Islands of Korcula and Mljet was presented. Representatives of the Institute for Physical Planning of Dubrovnik-Neretva County also participated in the workshops, presenting the purpose and importance of preserving the cultural landscape as part of general regional planning.
The WINTER MED project was contracted from the Interreg Mediteran 2014-2020 cross-border cooperation programme and the project holder is the Association of Tuscan Regions, while the DUNEA regional agency is one of the nine project partners. The total value of the WINTER MED project stands at two million and 650 thousand euros, and 85 percent of the grant was provided through the European Regional Development Fund.
More detailed information can be found on the official website of the DUNEA regional agency and on the website of the WINTER MED project itself.
For more, check out our travel section.
Financial Times Lists IT Company Syntio as Fastest Growing in Croatia
March the 2nd, 2022 - The well respected and heavily read Financial Times (FT) has listed the IT company Syntio as the fastest growing company of its kind in the Republic of Croatia.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the IT company Syntio, a Croatian cloud-based IT engineering company, ranked 225th on the prestigious list of The Financial Times (FT 1000) of Europe’s fastest growing companies.
If we look exclusively at the position in the IT sector, then the IT company Syntio took 55th place in all of Europe, meaning it took first place at the national level of Croatia, with a growth of 673.74 percent in the period from 2017 to 2020. Six more companies from Croatia are also on the list of one of the most reputable business papers in the entire world.
“We founded the company in Zagreb five years ago, in 2017 to be precise. Since then, we've opened branches in the United States of America and Denmark and grown to almost 90 employees. The fact that the Financial Times has included us on this prestigious list is a confirmation that we're developing the company in the right direction, that we are doing quality things and is an additional incentive to continue investing in the development of our services and products,'' pointed out Davorin Cetto, who founded the company alongside Tomislav Domanovac.
Their impressive client portfolio includes leading multinationals in retail, telecommunications, finance and pharmaceuticals, and they see their role in the market through linking data engineering, cloud technology and innovation. In particular, Syntio is one of the leading Google Cloud data engineering partners at the highest level, for the Nordic region primarily, but also globally. In the Nordic region, they work with several large companies to design and create data platforms that enable customers to use data, with the goal of achieving the best business results. In addition to Google, they're partners with Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure.
The well known FT 1000 is the annual list of the fastest growing European companies published by The Financial Times in cooperation with the German statistical company and the Statista portal, and it's been going on for six year now. It shows the companies that have achieved the highest growth rate between 2017 and 2020, and in order to get on the list, they had to achieve a minimum growth of 36.5 percent.
For more, make sure to check out our business section.
New Season of The Witcher to Film in Croatia?
March 1st, 2022 - The exact locations remain unknown for now, but it's rumoured that Netflix is filming the next season of its hit fantasy series in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia
The third season of the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher might film in Croatia, reports Index.hr. ‘Might’ being the key word, as the streaming giant hasn’t yet made any official statements regarding the film locations for the upcoming season of its hit series.
The announcement comes from Redanian Intelligence, a fansite specialising in news concerning The Witcher on Netflix.
‘We have learned that Season 3 of The Witcher will film in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. Filming is to start at the beginning of March in the Italian province of South Tyrol (Province of Bolzano), then move further east to Slovenia. Finally, filming will move to Croatia for about 10 days at the very end of March until early April’, the article reads.
The exact locations remain unknown for now. In support of the theory, it’s been pointed out that the lead actress Freya Allan had already arrived in Italy, where she recently attended a Versace fashion show in Milan. Who knows? She might be heading to a film set next.
Speculations aside, the Croatian Audio-Visual Centre (HAVC) didn’t have any information to share in regards to The Witcher joining the ranks of TV hits filmed in Croatia.
They have, however, confirmed that there’s great interest in Croatia as a film location.
‘We’re expecting many productions this year, but I can’t speak of titles. What I can say is that we’ve had over 200 million kuna brought in by foreign productions last year, and this year we’re already expecting 300 million. The outlook is great, we’re rated high as a film location’, said Tanja Ladović Blažević of the HAVC.
As things stand, Netflix filming its hit series in Croatia is a rumour at best. But let us indulge in a bit of wishful thinking: if it were to happen, it could bring on a new wave of film tourism in Croatia now that the Game of Thrones craze has died down.
Destinations That Benefited Most from Film Tourism: How Does Croatia Rank?
March 1st, 2022 - Croatia continues to rank high on lists of notable filming locations, mostly owing to its Game of Thrones fame
Interest in Croatia as a filming location has only been increasing as of late: the country hosted over 20 international productions in the first half of 2021 alone. Several hits filmed in Croatia such as The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and Bliss were released last year, and the Netflix thriller The Weekend Away, largely filmed in Split, is set to premiere this week.
It’s no secret that Croatia has benefited considerably from film-induced tourism, mostly owing to its Game of Thrones fame. As reported by Morski.hr, Croatia ranks third on the list of eight destinations that generated substantial income from tourism, compiled by Unforgettable Croatia.
London tops the list, as the eight Harry Potter films drove so much tourist traffic, it generated a mind-boggling income of $5,3 billion in total. New Zealand follows with $1,3 billion generated by film tourism, brought in by the cult classics The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Croatia ranks third thanks to Dubrovnik and its Game of Thrones fame - no surprises there. Fans of the massively popular TV series were flocking to Dubrovnik in droves soon after the walled city made its debut on screen as King’s Landing, resulting in a total of $203 million generated from Game of Thrones-induced tourism between 2013 and 2018.
Here’s how Croatia ranks compared to other destinations that benefited the most from film tourism (in USD):
1. London, England / Harry Potter – 5,3 billion
2. Waikato, New Zealand / The Hobbit & LOTR – 1,6 billion
3. Dubrovnik, Croatia / Game of Thrones – 203 million
4. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA / Breaking Bad – 70 million
5. Stirling, Scotland / Braveheart – 47 million
6. Forks, Washington, USA / Twilight – 46,2 million
7. Kho Phi Phi Leh, Thailand / The Beach – 13 million
8. Skellig Michael, Ireland / Star Wars – 4,5 million
Check out our list of filming locations in Croatia beyond Game of Thrones.
Norwegian and Croatian FMs Meet in Oslo to Discuss Current Affairs
ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman held talks with his Norwegian counterpart Anniken Huitfeldt in Oslo on Tuesday on bilateral relations, the situation in the Western Balkans and the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The ministers agreed the bilateral cooperation is developed in many areas, but that there is potential to intensify it, notably in energy, green energy, sustainable development, island development, and ship building, the Croatian ministry said in a press release.
Croatia strongly supports the European prospects of Western Balkan countries and believes that an individual approach to each country is the only proper way in the enlargement process, Grlić Radman said.
The prolonged political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina can directly impact stability and security in this part of Europe, he said, adding that changing the electoral law is a key reform that can protect BiH's stability and functioning.
The two ministers condemned the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, saying it is unprecedented and unjustified as well as an aggression against peace and the international order.
"At this serious moment in our history, our unity is of crucial importance. Only together and in coordination with our transatlantic partners can we find a way to overcome these challenges. We stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and strongly support its territorial integrity and sovereignty," said Grlić Radman, who was on an official visit to Norway.
He said Croatia was ready, as a country which passed through the horrors of war in the early 1990s, to extend humanitarian and technical assistance to Ukraine.
Grlić Radman also met with Ine Eriksen Søreide, chair of the Norwegian parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee. They discussed the possibilities of strengthening parliamentary cooperation and current security challenges.
Last month Croatia and Norway marked 30 years of diplomatic relations and Grlić Radman thanked Norway for the support to Croatia on its NATO and EU journeys.
He also attended a panel at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs on the 30 years of diplomatic relations.
Croatian Civil Protection Sending Five Trucks With Relief For Ukraine
ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - The Civil Protection Logistics Centre is sending five semi-trailer trucks with humanitarian aid and equipment declared by Ukraine as necessary, Tomislav Marević of the Croatian Civil Protection Directorate said in Jastrebarsko on Tuesday.
The trucks will carry medical equipment for the wounded and the sick, blankets, beds and other necessities.
Marević said there would be more trucks with humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
The five trucks will bring the relief to logistics centres on the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, where "corridors will open for delivery into the interior of the country," he added.
The convoy will be escorted by the Civil Protection Directorate so that it's clear that it's a relief convoy, and the drive is expected to last 24 hours, Marević said.
HNB: Credit Institutions Generate €750m In Profit Last Year
ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Credit institutions in Croatia operated at a profit of HRK 5.6 billion (€750 million) in 2021, which is an increase of 108.8% on the previous year, the Croatian National Bank (HNB) said on Tuesday citing unaudited preliminary data.
In addition to the increase in profit, banking sector recovery resulted in the increase in profitability indicators so the return on assets grew from 0.6% to 1.2%, while the return on equity went up from 4.4% to 8.7%.
The effects of retained profit and targeted regulatory adjustments related to the pandemic in 2021 continue to be mirrored in the very high values of key indicators of banking system capitalisation. At the end of 2021, all credit institutions boasted total capital ratios exceeding the minimum 8%, while the total capital ratio of the banking system reached 25.6%.
Credit institutions’ liquidity measured by the liquidity coverage ratio remained high, totalling 202.5% at the end of December 2021. All credit institutions met the prescribed minimum liquidity requirements.
According to unaudited preliminary data, total assets of credit institutions increased by HRK 38.4 billion from 2020 (8.3%) and reached HRK 500.8 billion. Assets increased in most credit institutions.
At the end of last year, 20 banks operated in Croatia, employing 18,200 people.
(€1 = HRK 7.5)
Osijek Offers Accommodation For Animals From Kyiv Zoo
ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Osijek City authorities have proposed to the Kyiv Zoo that its animals could be transferred to and accepted in the Osijek Zoo, the mayor of the eastern Croatian city, Ivan Radić, said on Tuesday.
Radić held a meeting with the "Lesja Ukrajinka" association of ethnic Ukrainians in eastern Croatia and they visited the reception centre the city has prepared for Ukrainian refugees.
There are three families with 16 members in the centre already and they have been registered to be assigned refugee status. They are currently being accommodated with their friends in Osijek's suburb of Tenja and in Vukovar-Srijem County.
Earlier in the day, another family with three children also arrived in Osijek, and once they are registered they will travel to Požega to be accommodated with their friends.
Osijek residents have expressed their willingness to accept refugees, and hotels and hostels have also made their capacities available for the reception of refugees, the mayor said.
Representatives of the Osijek Public Transport company (GPP) are in contact with the Red Cross to send the company's vehicles to the border to transport Ukrainian refugees to Osijek, if necessary.
Ukrainians will be able to use Osijek public transport services free of charge.
We want the war to end and we wish Ukrainians outside their homeland to be able to return to their homes as soon as possible, said Radić.
The head of the association, Oksana Martinjuk, thanked the local authorities for their great support and aid.
Croatian President Backs Ukraine's EU Membership Bid
ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović has supported Ukraine's EU membership application and recommended granting membership candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and opening accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, the President's Office said on Tuesday.
"President Milanović believes that Ukraine should be granted EU membership candidate status as soon as possible," a statement said.
Milanović thus supported the initiative by eight European Union member states that had called for Ukraine to be granted candidate status.
"Ukraine is being subjected to aggression by the Russian Federation and we all need to provide it with the necessary assistance, just as we would have expected assistance in a similar situation," the Croatian president said.
"Croatia is not forgetting that Ukraine was among the first internationally recognised countries to recognise Croatia and was among the first to come to our aid," he added.
Milanović said that the fast-track integration of Ukraine into the European Union was one of the ways to stop the war and prevent it from spreading in Europe.
On Monday, the presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia said in an open letter that Ukraine "deserves receiving an immediate EU accession perspective."
"We call on the member states to consolidate the strongest political support for Ukraine and to allow the EU institutions to take steps to immediately grant Ukraine candidate status and open the negotiation process," the letter said.
Support for Western Balkan countries, Serbia should decide
Milanović said that everything should be done to prevent the Ukraine crisis from spilling over to the Western Balkans and affecting Croatia and its neighbours.
He said it was in Croatia's strategic and national interests for the Western Balkan countries which had demonstrated their readiness and intent to join the Union.
Milanović proposed to the signatories of the open letter to also demand membership candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and recommended immediately opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, which already have candidate status.
The Croatian president also said that talks with Montenegro should be stepped up, while Serbia, "at this critical moment for peace in Europe, should decide whether it really wants membership or not and conduct its policy accordingly. The EU must let it know that this is a moment of decision."
FinMin: Euro Introduction Must Not Be Detrimental to Consumers
ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - After the euro is introduced in Croatia, consumers must not be in a less favourable position than before the common European currency was introduced, Finance Minister Zdravo Marić said at the conference "Croatia as part of the euro area" in Varaždin on Tuesday.
The conference was organised by the Večerjni List daily and the Vindija food processor. Marić said that regardless of the current situation and challenges Croatia is faced with, it has to see the priorities that have been worked on for many years, and one of those is introducing the euro currency.
Introducing the euro is considered to be positive for the economy and society.
"I consider that Croatia has more benefit from introducing the euro than any possible lack or fault. The changes and adaptations that are required to be implemented need to emphasise and realise all those benefits while fear and faults have to be brought to the least possible measure," said Marić.
Marić recalled that loans and deposits would be converted to the euro automatically on 1 January 2023 while cash would be exchanged without any fee in the first year in commercial banks, the FINA agency and post offices. After that, it will be possible to exchange coins at the Croatian National Bank (HNB) for a period of three years and banknotes for an unlimited time.
Vindija food company CEO Nenad Klepač said that he mostly expected Croatia to benefit from joining the euro area.
"It will contribute to the long-term improvement of living standards for the Croatian population. We see a lot of new opportunities, primarily on the markets of the euro area, in 19 countries with a population of 340 million," said Klepač.
Erste Bank CEO Christoph Schoefboeck said that the introduction of the euro would be exceptionally demanding and expensive for Croatia's banking system and that the one-off cost was estimated at 80-100 million euros. Schoefboeck nevertheless believes that euro introduction will have a positive effect on the Croatian economy and society.
