October 4, 2021 - As the Adriatic coast slowly prepares for its winter hibernation from tourism, some fascinating insights from a UK tour rep in the 1980s, an era when Croatian winter tourism was very much full of life. Could it be again? 

There was plenty of lively social media debate in response to the latest TCN editorial this weekend - Could Digital Nomad Concepts Solve Croatian Winter Tourism Problem?

While Croatia has excellent tourism numbers in summer, the Adriatic coast almost shuts down in the winter, with an impact not just on its tourism offer, but also the quality of life of local residents. Recent digital nomad concepts such as Nomad Table - inviting digital nomads to meet and interact over dinner - fills a Split restaurant once a week; a meet-up and pitch night in Zagreb provides entertainment for 50 locals, expats and nomads; and the new Digital Nomad Valley Zagreb co-living concept already has over 50 applications in just 5 days for the winter. 

None of these ideas are revolutionary, all are transferrable to mainstream tourism. So is it time to work on a strategic plan for a pilot project on a quality destination such as Split?

Of the many social media reactions, this comment in particular caught my eye. 

Both the Amfora and now Riva in Hvar Town were open all winter plus a few restaurants and cafes looking after mainly American tourists for walking, history and the arts. That was up to 1991.

The comment was made by Martin Gannon, a Brit with his heart in Jelsa on Hvar. Martin worked as Operations Manager for Pilgrim Holidays, which was owned by Yugoslav airline JAT from 1986 to 1991. He told me he was busy with tourists 12 months a year covering Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar, Pula, Zagreb, as well as other destinations in former Yugoslavia.  

And there were plenty of flights. This, in an era before the low-cost flight revolution. Martin kindly agreed to an email interview to tell us more about winter tourism as it once was.

1. Croatian tourism is very seasonal, with the bulk of tourism in the summer months and almost nothing in the winter months. But it was not always the case. You were Operations Manager for Pilgrim Holidays, owned by Yugoslav airline JAT from 1986-91. Tell us about winter tourism back then.

When I began working for Pilgrim Holidays owned at that time by JAT, we had a large fleet of aircraft. Being a self-management company (a type of workers cooperative similar to Waitrose, John Lewis in the UK) it was not an option to shut down services, or have staff on short-term contracts that they only worked in the summer, so ways were found to keep staff employed and aircraft to still operate. Yes services were reduced compared to the summer, but you could still get direct flights from the UK to Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split, with connecting services to Pula and Zadar.

My role was to see how to increase the traffic of visitors from the UK to former Yugoslavia.

At the time Yugotours America was successfully bringing tourists from New York on regular DC10 services via Belgrade and Zagreb, staying in Dubrovnik Split and Hvar.

Tourists also came via UK-based operator Saga Holidays on coach tours from Vienna to Dubrovnik. I worked for Saga Holidays from 1980-1983 guiding coach tours of Americans and British tourists who were senior citizens. 

With a good number of hotels open, I began developing short winter breaks, better known these days as city breaks, Events tourism in the form of conferences for big companies also took place. Surprisingly for a then Socialist country, religious events such as the St Blaise Festival in February in Dubrovnik, and the developing religious destination Medjugorje, were promoted and visited. At the time JAT had a lot of international flights to India, America, China and Australia, so I organised an option to add a few days. So instead of flying on from London via Zagreb or Belgrade straight on to Sydney, you could stay in Split or Dubrovnik for a few days at a cheap rate.

I also began developing health tourism, spas, dental and even a few skiing and adventure holidays, as well as wildlife spotting, especially in early Spring.

2. This was an era before the low-cost airline revolution. Tell us about the off-season flights to the Croatian coast. Who flew where, and how often?

Flight operations were firstly operated in the tourism off-season by Yugoslav Airlines and Inex- Adria (which became Adria). JAT operated mainly to Zagreb and Belgrade from London and Manchester and Glasgow. There were also flights direct to Ljubljana (for skiing) Dubrovnik and Split, as well as plenty of connecting flights to the coast from Belgrade and Zagreb. Inex- Adria operated from Manchester and Gatwick to Ljubljana and Maribor for skiing Holidays.

The other Airline Aviogenex owned by Yugotours operated from Gatwick to a number of Serbian Airports for skiing Holidays as well as charter services for conferences, mainly to Dubrovnik, where 200-300 delegates would be transported, in support of JAT where we could only supply one aircraft.

3. What was the profile of the winter tourist in Croatia? Which nationalities were the biggest visitors? 

The main visitors off-season were Americans, as well as pilgrims for Medjugorje, mostly Irish and Spanish. We also flew in a very large number of Filipinos mainly going to Medjugorje, so we were involved with accommodation and transfers. The Americans were mostly retirees and were interested in history and the arts and food. These would be arranged in groups, and on Hvar Town, the old theatre was used to put performances on in English, from actors from around the then Yugoslavia.

4. Which were the most popular destinations? It is hard to imagine Pula, Split, Dubrovnik and Hvar as 12-month destinations. 

The main destinations were Dubrovnik and Split, with add-ons to Pula and Opatija, as well as Plitvice (though this was mainly in Spring). Unfortunately Croatia is not well known for skiing though it has it, so sales were for Slovenia, and the Serbian resort of Kopaonik for skiing holidays, But these could be offered in two-centre holidays which we did a lot of in those days, a week in the mountains skiing then a few days or longer on the coast.

5. Swimming in winter is only for the diehard in Croatia. What did these tourists do on their winter visits?

The hotels used during the winter had indoor pools, and even some had limited spa facilities, so people would enjoy walking, history, and limited sports activities. The majority of these visitors were more senior and would be enjoying the milder coastal conditions. They would not be staying for a week, but up to 6 weeks or longer, as then it was cheaper to stay in a hotel than paying food and heating bills at home, in the UK or US.

You have to remember this was a socialist time so no one could be unemployed. It was better to operate the hotel at a small loss than have staff off, with the hope that the tourists would buy extra drinks, massages etc to cover the extra costs.

(Martin Gannon, left, taking a coffee break with his father in Jelsa in the 1980s)

6. Let's take Hvar Town as an example. What was open in terms of hotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities?

Hvar Town had the Amfora Hotel open, which had an excellent indoor pool, a medical centre and a specialist health centre for lungs, breathing, and asthma conditions. It also had a sports fitness team, that helped visiting sports teams, such as water polo, football teams in training. And basically anyone who needed advice on sports fitness.

The Slavija Hotel (now Riva) was also open, though mainly for domestic tourism. A few restaurants and cafe bars were open, again most of these were not private, a few were. All museums and theatres were open and fully functioning. Boat excursions of course did not operate in the winter.

7. The Homeland War obviously changed everything. But with such a global boom in tourism 30 years later, why do you think Croatia no longer has the winter tourism it had back in the 1980s? What has changed?

The main reason why Croatia has poor tourism is because of the poor connectivity with flights, but this now has an opportunity to change with Ryanair turning up at Zagreb. But there are still a poor number of domestic flights during the winter. There is also a serious lack of showing the opportunities to visit Croatia off-season, and getting hotels to stay open. And sensible pricing and marketing. It does not need to be a vast number coming, but people who are willing to pay well, and enjoy themselves.

8. We will appoint you as the Croatian Minister of Tourism for this question. Given your experience of tourism back then and the world today, what steps would you take to reintroduce 12-month tourism to Croatia?

Look at marketing Croatia far better, showing its stunning scenery. People now are not looking just for sun and sea; they want something especially in the winter to challenge them, entertain them, enjoy wholesome food and wine and craft beers. These are better to see and visit in the winter than summer when it's almost 40 degrees!!

Many hotels have good sports facilities so get football teams from around Europe over training, as they used to, Water polo teams as well.  A popular sport now is cold water swimming, loads of exciting rivers in Croatia to try this challenge. Yoga holidays healthy food, spas, medical tourism especially dental work, and yes, skiing outside of Zagreb.

Maybe not so much now post-Covid but stlll companies will have conferences, so give them good deals, the delegates will come back themselves with their families when they see how stunning Croatia is. I know this as a fact as I used to rebook delegates onto our summer holidays when at Pilgrim.

Nature tours, environmental trips travelling around by train. Working holidays, helping plant trees in burnt areas. Projects to help rebuild areas damaged by earthquakes, some of these ideas will be for small groups but they are high-value tourists and most importantly will visit again and also tweet, and snapshot what they are up to, getting free publicity.

Interesting stuff, thanks Martin. If anyone else has memories or a contribution of Croatian winter tourism as it once was, then please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Winter Tourism. 

Martin has contributed to TCN before with a really interesting account of tourism restarting after the Homeland War, a different era. Read more in Restarting Croatian Tourism from the UK After the Homeland War: a Travel Agent's Tale.

October 4, 2021 - Croatia's October World Cup qualifiers begin on Friday against Cyprus and continue in Osijek against Slovakia next Monday. Coach Zlatko Dalić addressed the press in Zagreb today before the national team gathered to discuss the upcoming cycle.

The Croatia national team is gathering in Zagreb ahead of the October World Cup qualifiers. Zlatko Dalić's team will play against Cyprus on Friday and host Slovakia on Monday in Osijek. Dalić has a lot of problems in the Croatia defense due to injuries, reports HRT.

"We must continue to be disciplined. We must continue even more seriously, even more responsibly, if we want to ease the cycle in November," said Dalić to begin.

On Sunday, he activated a callup to Borussia Dortmund defender Marin Pongračić. A few days ago, he also called up Duje Ćaleta-Car, due to the uncertain injuries of Domagoj Vida and Josip Juranović.

Dalić commented on Josip Brekalo's return to the national team:

"Josip Brekalo was not a problem for me; he was looking for a club, he was not in rhythm, and that is why he was not invited. He went to Turin, he played, and as soon as he got back in shape, we called him. We need him like other players who were not on the national team. No one will be deprived of the national team; whoever deserves their games, with their behavior, statements, and attitude towards the national team, will not be deprived because I see my interest first. Mine is that Croatia plays well to qualify for Qatar and the interest of the Croatia national team. I did not communicate with Rebić; there was no contact."

Croatia leads Group H with 13 points, the same as Russia. Slovakia is third with nine points, and Slovenia has seven. Malta and Cyprus follow with four points each.

"I think that 21 points will be enough, but we must decide for ourselves."

What does he think of the World Cup every two years?

"I don't think it's good, especially for the players, and the charm of playing the World Cup would be lost. We have to take care of the health of the footballers, and they play too many games this way."

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

October the 4th, 2021 - Recently in the beautiful town of Skradin, ACI Marina Skradin took home an award for its exceptional contribution to nautical tourism, a branch of tourism which has been blossoming very well along the Croatian coast for some time now.

As Novac/Jutarnji writes, on the occasion of the Skradin's city day, which was recently marked, a session of the City Council was held. At that session, ACI Marina Skradin took home the award for its exceptional contribution to the development of nautical tourism, ACI announced. The member of the Management Board - the director of the company ACI d.d., Kristijan Pavic, was presented with the award by the Mayor Antonijo Brajkovic and the President of the City Council Nadija Zorica.

Thanks to the quality of the offer and service, but also the social engagement of the local ACI Marina Skradin, this picturesque little town has become a recognisable tourist destination to many. On this occasion, the director of ACI, Kristijan Pavic, congratulated the residents of Skradin on their day, thanked them for recognizsng the efforts that ACI invests in the nautical development of Skradin and expressed hope for the continuation of successful cooperation with the local community.

Thanks to boasting accommodation near some of the most popular Croatian natural attractions, such as the Krka National Park and river, Skradinski buk and Roski slap, ACI Marina Skradin is a very rare pearl in the Mediterranean which successfully attracts more and more boaters looking for the perfect blend of nature, culture and gastronomy.

Recognising this, ACI continuously monitors the needs and interests of boaters and other guests and expands their offer to make the entire Croatian tourist product even more attractive to precisely this sector of tourism. One of the examples for this is of course the ACI star of the day, ACI Marina Skradin, which, in addition to the secured and controlled parking space for guests' cars, has a brand new anchor system, which has increased the length of the marina. Moreover, an annual berth has so far only been available for vessels up to 30 metres in length, and recently the possibility of the safe reception of vessels up to 40 metres in length has been presented, ACI's statement said.

In addition to all of the above, in cooperation with the Zdjelarevic family and some of the very best Croatian winemakers, ACI Marina Skradin provided a rich offer for all of its guests in the newly opened Vinoretum Croatian Fine Wine Shop Boutique wine shop and delicatessen, with emphasis on Croatian products and indigenous varieties of wine, which number over 130 in Croatia, of which only about 10 are available on the market.

Some of these wines are available in the wine shop at ACI Marina Skradin, and thanks to that, boaters can get much better acquainted with Croatian winemakers and their top quality products directly. Skradin is undoubtedly one of the most special and unique Croatian destinations in every aspect and it is important to continue with the systematic improvement of the entire tourist offer of the town. Therefore, the cooperation of the local tourist board and Skradin with ACI and the stronger nautical positioning of Skradin are an excellent example of improving the entire Croatian tourist offer and a significant basis for strengthening domestic tourism, the statement concludes.

For more, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

October 4, 2021 - The 11th round of the Croatian First League was held from October 1-3, 2021. This round featured a blowout win for Dinamo, the della Učka derby, and Osijek and Hajduk at City Garden Stadium. Here's our HNL round 11 recap.

Šibenik v. Gorica (1:2)

Šibenik and Gorica opened the 11th round on Friday, October 1, 2021, at Subicevac Stadium in front of 466 spectators. 

Fruk put Gorica in the lead in the 15th minute and scored again in the 41st for 0:2 at the half. Curic came back for Sibenik in the 66th minute for 1:2, which was the match's final score. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 10 points, while Goria is in 5th with 16. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)

Lokomotiva and Belupo met on Saturday, October 2, 2021, in Zagreb in front of 412 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, Gorican scored the first goal of the match in the 54th minute for 1:0 Lokomotiva, follow by Kaacavenda in the 70th and Kulenpvic in the 74th for 3:0. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 14 points, while Belupo is in 9th with 6. 

Istra 1961 v. Rijeka (3:6)

Istra and Rijeka met in the della Ucka derby on Saturday, October 2, 2021, in front of 1,274 spectators. 

Silva scored the first goal of the match in the 18th minute for 1:0 Istra, though Kresic equalized 6 minutes later for 1:1. Then, Pavicic put Rijeka in the lead at 1:2 and scored again 5 minutes later for 1:3. Finally, Vuckic scored for 1:4 at the half. 

Ampem opened the second half with a goal for Rijeka in the 52nd minute (1:5), and Mahmoud slightly redeemed Istra with a goal in the 60th for 2:5. Lisica made it 3:5 in the 77th though Busnja sealed Rijeka's victory with a goal in the 85th for the final 3:6.

Istra is in 8th place with 10 points, while Rijeka leads the table with 23. 

Dinamo v. Hr. Dragovoljac (8:0)

Dinamo and Dragovoljac met at Maksimir on Sunday, October 3, 2021. 

Dinamo's blowout began with a Misic goal in the 22nd minute for 1:0 and Menalo in the 2nd minute of injury time for 2:0 at the half. Ivanusec increased Dinamo's lead to 3:0 in the 50th minute and Spikic to 4:0 9 minutes later. Menalo scored his second goal in the 65th minute for 5:0 and Andric for 6:0 in the 69th. Bulat made it 7:0 in the 82nd and Tolic 8:0 in the 3rd minute of injury time for the final score. 

Dinamo is currently in 2nd place with 22 points (and two games behind), while Dragovoljac is in last place with 5 points. 

Osijek v. Hajduk (1:1)

Osijek and Hajduk closed out the 11th round on Sunday, October 3, 2021, at City Garden Stadium.

Kleinheisler opened the game with an early goal in the 9th minute for the Osijek lead. Lovrenciscs equalized in the 19th minute for 1:1, which was the final score of the match. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 21 points, while Hajduk is in 4th with 20 (and one game behind). 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

October the 4th, 2021 - Ferragosto is typically ''celebrated'' by Italians in Croatia during the blisteringly hot month of August, and whether or not the coronavirus pandemic has changed this habit, or something else has altered, there were more Italians in Croatia in September this year.

As Novac/Jutarnji/Barbara Ban writes, the Croatian travel company Croatia Luxury Rent recorded an increase the arrivals of Italians in Croatia during the month of September. This is an increase of three percent when compared to August, which they say was one of the most successful months for Croatian tourism in the last few seasons. A turn of events few expected back in spring.

''The causes of such sales results should be sought in more economic and sociological details. First of all, it should be noted that due to economic circumstances, Croatia as a destination has become too expensive for Italians to visit to some extent. That's why they're looking for arrangements outside the prime part of the tourist season, when they are more favourable. Furthermore, Italy is extremely sensitive to the effects of coronavirus due to high mortality in their country at the very beginning of the global pandemic, so the reason for their later arrival in slightly larger numbers on the Adriatic is probably the fact that due to fewer tourists in destinations, there is no greater threat of infection,'' they explained from CLR.

There are very few retirees...

They also presented information on the types of Italians in Croatia this summer, and there were very few retirees to speak of.

''Demographically speaking, the largest percentage of Italians in Croatia since the beginning of the summer season were families with children and travellers of younger age groups, who were looking for isolated accommodation in destinations not far from the most popular tourist centres. There's been a slightly lower percentage of Italian guests of the older age group,'' CLR claims.

Istria and Kvarner

They are also satisfied with this, a small shift, because in the last few years, Italians have been choosing Croatia less and less for their summer holidays.

''As the number of arrivals of guests from this market has been systematically decreasing over more recent seasons, such sales results are in a way, quite the surprise. The Italians who visited Croatia in September chose Istria and Kvarner once again, of which the most sought after destinations were Porec, Rovinj, Umag, Crikvenica and Opatija,'' they concluded.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

October the 4th, 2021 - The Croatian startup scene is still blossoming despite the dire economic situation caused by the pandemic, and the Croatian startup Meddox has something to boast about, having attracting a massive 4000 users in just a couple of months.

As Novac/Jutarnji/Bernard Ivezic writes, the Croatian startup Meddox has attracted more than 4,000 users in a mere two months. The first mobile application (app) for storing medical records and one of the first Croatian healthcare startups quietly released its product on the Google Play Store at the end of the summer this year.

Off to a fantastic start, this startup is still growing, although something similar already exists in Croatia. The health portal, as part of the state IT system CEZIH, brings together medical documentation from examinations and tests performed in hospitals and other state healthcare institutions in one place.

Vesna Babic, the co-founder of the Croatian startup Meddox, says that they decided on a different approach and, instead of the healthcare system, they put the patients themselves at the centre of the story.

''Even in CEZIH, part of the documentation isn't available to all doctors that people visit, and documentation from private healthcare institutions can't be included in that system at all. The meaning of Meddox is that each of us has our medical documentation in one place and always with us, easily accessible on our mobile phones,'' says Babic.

She went on to explain that this important documentation is entered into the application in two ways. The first is by taking a photo, and the second is done by opening the document in the Meddox application, after which it processes it and makes it searchable.

''In this way, it becomes possible to store covid certificates, so many use our applications for that as well, and all the documentation is available at any time because it's stored in the cloud,'' Babic pointed out, adding that behind all this there is a broader meaning. According to a July McKinsey study, greater healthcare and more careful medication, or the more accurate monitoring of therapy, could reduce global health spending by up to 40 percent over a 20-year period. But this can only be done by people who are ''health literate''.

''With the Croatian startup Meddox, we want to enable people to take control of their health data and to improve their understanding of health information, and thus take better care of their own health,'' noted Babic.

As an example of that, Meddox's application offers a comparison of laboratory results of its users. As such, through easily understandable graphs, it shows an overview of the results in order to notice reduced or increased values ​​in time. Babic, who has worked in the world of pharmacies for almost two decades, says the application recognises more than 1,000 laboratory parametres. She emphasised that the idea for the app was initially conceived by business partner Maja Bogovic, who is the founder and director of the job search portal Danasradim.hr (TodayIWork) and a former manager with extensive experience in managing procurement at both Ipercoop and Konzum.

''Healthcare differs from country to country, but the needs of the patient are the same everywhere,'' Bogovic rightly noted.

Development took place during lockdown

She explained that she got the idea to develop the Croatian startup Meddox two years ago. After the Global Innovation Summit, at which the health and aging of the population was set as one of the most important segments of development in the next period, she began to think about which product everyone would need. It started to be realised last year when the lockdowns started due to the pandemic.

Vesna Babic explained that they developed the idea and then included experts, and even during in the summer, they had their first functional specification of the application and the framework design. Then they looked for investors.

''We presented the idea to family and friends and two of them invested in our startup. Then we founded companies and ordered the development of the application from the software company Blue Factory from Virovitica. In general, about a year passed from the idea to the placement of the application on the Google Play Store,'' concluded Babic.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

October the 4th, 2021 - Waldpass, which is based in Zagreb, has come up with what can be applied as a global solution to a very common road traffic issue - vehicles getting into accidents because of animals present on the roads.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, vehicle collisions with game and other wild animals are among the burning problems for all roads around the world, including right here in Croatia. On the roads, along with small animals, larger animals, such as roe deer, wild boar, foxes, and in rare cases even wolves and bears suffer on the roads. The victims are not only animals, but also drivers and other road users.

Various solutions have been being worked on across the world for years to stop or at least reduce such awful situations, and Croatia has thought up its own solution, unique in the world, which has already been approved by hunters - Waldpass, the first device to deter wild animals from the roads using an infrared spectrum.

“We want to make the population aware of this problem, to bring the Waldpass community together and promote the protection of animals and human lives on the roads. The cumulative effect is important, we want to encourage change. The larger the community we create, the safer the roads will be and the animals will stay where they should be, in the forest. We first developed and tested the product, and then founded the company,'' explained Ana Trepsic, the business manager of Zagreb's Waldpass.

A Croatian solution to a global problem

The number of people injured or even killed in these accidents is alarming. At the same time, damage to vehicles reaches tens of thousands of kuna. According to statistics, 30,000 people have been injured in the last 15 years and 300 deaths are caused each year across Europe when vehicles collide with animals on the road. Last year, 684 traffic accidents were officially recorded in Croatia due to vehicle collisions with animals. In these accidents, 39 people were injured, 10 of them seriously. In previous years, there were even more vehicle accidents caused by wildlife, and people were killed in some of them.

As Trepsic and Marko Borosak, the director of Waldpass, explained, this device is placed on the vehicle's registration plate, and the infrared light on it drives animals away from the oncoming car, which prevents the vehicle from crashing into the animal. Infrared light has a wavelength outside the human visible spectrum so it cannot be observed and as such is not dangerous to other people on the road. As the visible spectrum of deer is very different, these animals perceive infrared light as a threat and associate the light with a real danger in the movement of the vehicle, and therefore avoid it at all costs.

The transmitter of the Waldpass device is mounted on the license plate holder, and then fixed in a suitable place on the front or rear of the vehicle. There is also a double installation for better performance on both license plates. The integrated GPS speedometer ensures for the optimal switching on and operation of the device, and the waterproof and robust design can withstand all weather and road conditions.

They're presenting their device to the public for the first time today, on October the 4th, when the International Day for the Protection of Animals is also being celebrated. In addition, autumn is the optimal period for the installation of Waldpass' creation because animals such as deer are the most active due to the mating season, most often at dawn and dusk when their behaviour, especially that of stags and bucks, can be truly unpredictable.

Waldpass has, so to speak, arrived at the right time when there is more and more talk about the problem of wildlife on the roads, especially wild boar, animals which people are increasingly seeing in the lower mountains and even in their own backyards where they can become aggressive and dangerous to domestic animals and pets. During the coronavirus pandemic, their numbers increased even more.

Borosak explained that the story with Waldpass started by accident, during the research of the influence of air and lasers on the behaviour of animals.

“We studied the work of foreign experts, and we based our device more on visual detection, examining the frequencies and the exact effect of our technology on wildlife. Our device throws light left and right, and the designed angle is 30 degrees - as the vehicle moves, it emits light on both sides of the section. This protects the community.

When we saw significant results, we decided to move forward with it. More specifically, we've been engaged in this for the past 2.5 years, and we used the coronavirus pandemic to investigate and develop the entire project even more intensively, devising a proper strategy. This innovation has been submitted for patent protection, we're waiting for an opinion and we'll continue in the direction of adopting it as a patent. We'd be glad if this product had a global impact. We even have test devices ready. It will be necessary to monitor local game for a period of 3-6 months, set up some night cameras, cover the entire area, equip a fleet of vehicles, look at the seasonal impact… We're intensively looking for where we can place these test devices. We hope to start cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture, within which there is a department for hunting, and we also plan to turn to hunting societies, HGSS and similar organisations,'' explained Waldpass' Borosak.

Fifteen patents in fifteen years...

Waldpass is otherwise a company whose founder and director is Marko Borosak, who is also an innovator and the founder of A-Elektronik. Borosak has been dealing with automotive electronics for fifteen years, in which he has as many as fifteen patents in the field of laser and radar technology.

For more, make sure to check out Made in Croatia.

October 4, 2021 - With many young people emigrating from Croatia, what keeps those who decided to stay here (at least for now)? In the new TCN series called Croatian Graduate Perspective, we investigate recent graduates' attitudes about jobs and life opportunities in Croatia. Matija from Zagreb is our latest interviewee. This is his story.

1) First of all, please introduce yourself. What are you studying/what did you study? Do you have a job currently?

My name is Matija Šalat. I have a fresh Master's degree in political science from the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Zagreb. I'm currently employed by a multinational company in their business operations department.

2) What is it like being a student/recent graduate in Croatia during the pandemic?

I can say that the pandemic "hit" me much less than it did the rest of the student population. In 2020, I only had a couple of courses left in my second semester, which we did online, and this academic year I was writing my Master's thesis. The online form of teaching has its advantages, such as saving the time I would spend going to the Faculty. Still, the quality of teaching and the monitoring of the teaching, especially after all the efforts of the professors, isn't at the same level as ''live'' education is. Also, I think all young people share this opinion, that it was hardest for us to be separated from the people closest to us and dear friends in moments when human contact was more necessary than ever, but also dangerous as you could contract the virus.

Matija Šalat © Matija Šalat / private archive

3) What are your experiences searching for a job in your profession in Croatia?

The labour market in the City of Zagreb is becoming more and more active every year, and the job offer is huge. Since we're a country where the last decade has been marked by economic hardships and the significant departures of young people abroad, the demand for a quality workforce is one of the major problems facing employers. There are actually three main areas of employment within my profession, namely; public administration, private consulting companies and the civil sector, as well as academic careers. As I recently got my Master’s degree, looking for a job in my own profession is my current priority. The Faculty of Political Science provides an extremely broad social education, and my interest is to find a place where I can further develop all of that, both in professional and personal terms.

Matija on one of his jobs during studying © Matija Šalat / private archive

4) What do you think of the Croatian Government's efforts to provide opportunities for graduates?

I don't believe that the Croatian Government should be obliged to directly provide every young person with a job opportunity, but it is important to provide the private sector with a quality basis for creating business opportunities. And I don't mean fulfilling the wishes of the liberal part of the political spectrum on the abolition of taxes and regulations, but on setting the clear and consistent rules of the game. For example, I think a much bigger problem than the tax burden is that someone just won’t pay you for the work you’ve done, and the judiciary won’t protect you, or maybe the inspection will punish you drastically for a petty offense. We like to point out that the judiciary is the cancer-wound of our society, manifested precisely in legal uncertainty and inequality. So, there's not only one thing that needs to be done to make things better, but a drastic change in behaviour and governance is needed.

5) Many young people your age decide to emigrate from Croatia to find a better job opportunity and/or living standard. What do you think about that?

I absolutely understand every person who decides to build their life somewhere else, but at the same time, a large number of those who leave could help change our society for the better. The problem of the outflow of social capital should also be looked at because the vast majority of highly educated emigrants have had their education paid for by us as a community in order to contribute to its development. That said, I certainly support anyone who decides to take this difficult step, and I hope that rest of us will build a society that will be attractive to them again.

With friends at the Faculty © Matija Šalat / private archive

6) In your opinion, what would encourage young people to stay in Croatia?

The main problem of our society is the criminally bad governance of our country. A significant number of young people who left did it not only for economic reasons but also because it turned out that this country values ​​political connections and acquaintances more than it cares about expertise and abilities. As all parts of the state apparatus are marked by inefficiency and corruption, the "little man" can only experience injustice. It's this sense of inferiority that the state produces, precisely this difference between a privileged part of the population who solves their problems with one call, versus people who have to solve the same problem over a prolonged period of time (and the question is whether they will be even able to solve it at all), that makes people go on a mission to find a more normal society. I have to admit that I was shocked when I heard from a friend that in Denmark, in order to receiving a student scholarship having part-time employment is a must and it isn't taxable. In our country, for example, until a few years ago, scholarship income was included in the non-taxable yearly limit of 15,000 HRK, which demotivated recipients in finding a job for fear of exceeding that limit.

7) Have you ever considered the option of leaving Croatia?

So far, I haven't even thought about leaving Croatia. Many of my acquaintances and friends went on to build their lives in other European Union member states, and I'm sure that they didn't regret that decision. Croatia is my home, and I'm bound by a great love for our country and optimism that things will change for the better.

8) As a recent graduate, what's your impression of the education system in Croatia? What do you think is good about it and what could be better?

The education system, in general, is extremely sluggish and resists any change that tries to improve it. It's a great thing that it's widely available and provides a very wide range of knowledge, but its inefficiency is manifested in poor management. An example of this is the University of Zagreb, which, under the current chancellor, ceases to be the pride of our higher education system and declines from year to year. The question arises, of course, about the responsibility of the entire academic community that tolerates such things, as well as a large number of scandals and bad decisions which made the largest and best university much worse than it was only a few years ago.

Matija during a student protest with a sign which reads: "Croatia is rescued by knowledge, not politics" © Matija Šalat / private archive

9) Based on your own experience, would you say that everything is possible in Croatia if you work hard, work on yourself, and are educated and ambitious?

To a much lesser extent than in the rest of Europe, but opportunities do exist, yes. The development of the IT industry over the past few years has provided a large number of well-paid jobs for which political connections aren't important. In addition to that, the lack of skilled labour for some areas clearly shows that within the private sector, this can go a long way. I think that we're starting to respect individual ability and effort a lot more than was the case in the last few decades.

10) If you could change only one thing in Croatia, what would it be, and why do you think it's important?

Although our society is marked by a lot of problems, if I had a magic wand, I would turn the judiciary into the total opposite of what it is today: reliable, efficient, and fair. An efficient judiciary would significantly improve our society, but more importantly, it would create a feeling among people that there are consequences for criminal behaviour, especially when it comes to corruption. 

11) As a young Croat, what are you most proud of in Croatia? (if anything...)

I'm extremely proud of the beauty of our country, on every corner there is beautiful nature and historic heritage which is evident in a number of beautiful towns. I'm also proud of our sporting successes. 

Matija enjoying life © Matija Šalat / private archive

12) Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of Croatia, will it be a better or worse place for your children?

I'm extremely optimistic about the future of Croatia. An important factor of my view is the emergence of new political options that may change the way this country is governed in the next few years. I hope that together, we will contribute to creating a healthier and happier environment for all of us.

To read more from the  Croatian Graduate Perspective series, follow TCN's dedicated page.

For more about education in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.