July 17, 2021 - The Goran Ivanišević Tennis Hall of Fame induction takes place tonight in Newport, Rhode Island! 

To mark the 20th anniversary of winning Wimbledon, Goran Ivanišević will be inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, tonight, 18 months after learning the happy news that marked the end of his magnificent career. Goran was supposed to enter the Hall of Fame last summer, but the coronavirus disrupted those plans and postponed them to today, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

The solemn ceremony begins at 6 pm local time, or at midnight in Croatia. Goran has about five minutes to speak, and as he announced, he will dedicate his speech primarily to his family - Dad Srdjan, mom Gorana and sister Srdjana who passed away two years ago. It will not be easy to summarize all these emotions in such a short time, but we have no doubt that in addition to the written notes on paper, there will be room for some spontaneous comments, in Goran fashion. 

"I played the final for the first time on Monday, I played the semifinals for the first time in three days, there were so many events. And then the match points, I had four of them, and I played my fourth final. That had to be it. When I won, all my dreams came true. All my life I wanted to win Wimbledon," said Goran in a video on the official website of the Hall of Fame.

In addition to Ivanišević, other proud Hall of Fame inductees will be Conchita Martinez, the posthumously famous coach Dennis Van der Meer, and the "Original 9", more precisely the tennis players who changed women's tennis in the early 1970s and were the predecessors of the WTA Tour.

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

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

July 17, 2021 - The Civil Protection Directorate of the Republic of Croatia said it was closely monitoring the situation in case of need after heavy rains caused floods in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands in which hundreds of people were killed and more than a thousand missing and wanted.

To date, there are 150 victims and dozens missing from the storms and floods that have hit Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, not to mention the material damage to the destroyed houses and highways. In Croatia, as well as in other European countries, the situation is being closely monitored to respond in the best way in case it is necessary to evacuate the population. For the moment, the Croatian Civil Protection ask not to generate panic and at the same time, avoid exposing themselves to risks such as going out for outdoor activities, reports Večernji List, reminding that Belgium has activated the EU civil protection mechanism and requested the help of rescue teams.

Given the situation with floods throughout the European Union, the Directorate of Civil Protection of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia is closely monitoring the situation in order to react in a timely manner in case of need.

"At the same time, we advise everyone who does not have a strong need not to go on the road. Drivers, if they are on the road, are advised to be patient and careful during bad weather''.

We also urge citizens not to go on trips to the surrounding mountains, forests, open areas, then to rivers such as camping, and those staying at sea to be especially careful if they intend to spend the night outdoors.

Boat owners are advised to follow the forecasts of the competent services (DHMZ and the Maritime Meteorological Center).

If unfavorable weather conditions occur, we urge citizens not to panic, and for all significant events, especially those in which the resulting health and safety of citizens may be endangered, we urge you to call 112 in order to be able to get help from the competent services", it is stated in the announcement.

For more information on who to call in case of emergency in Croatia, check out Total Croatia's overview of the important numbers, agencies, and advice in case of an unplanned disaster HERE.

For more news about Croatia, click here.

ZAGREB, 17 July (Hina) - Migrants' pressure on Croatia's border has lessened recently, and in the first half of 2021 the police registered 7,434 illegal crossings, which was 11.2% less than in the corresponding period of 2020 when there were 8,374 such cases, the Jutarnji List (JL) daily reported on Saturday.

Similar developments were registered in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the daily newspaper that in the recent period more and more migrants opted for the routes across Serbia and Hungary and further towards other EU member-states.

In the first half of 2021, attempts to illegally cross into Croatia were mainly made by migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, and Kosovo.

Slovenia has also reported that in H1 2021, there were 3,343 illegal arrivals of migrants, 34.8% less than in H1 2020.

Currently, an estimated 7,500 irregular migrants are staying in Bosnia and Herzegovina, considerably fewer than in recent years.

In Serbia, the official numbers show that about 4,000 irregular migrants are now staying in that country, however, the real numbers are believed to be higher. There are several illegal migrant camps along the Serbian-Hungarian border.

The Jutarnji List daily quoted a source in the Croatian Interior Ministry as saying that the efficient protection of Croatia's external border has prompted a portion of migrants to seek other weak spots along the EU external border and to reroute themselves from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Serbia and try travel through Romania and Hungary.

Lately, Lithuania has been faced with a new migrant crisis, which has seen thousands of people crossing from Belarus, foreign media outlets have reported.

The Croatian government decided on Friday to send tents, bunk beds, blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags to Lithuania since the Baltic country has taken in more than 2,000 migrants in recent weeks.

The number of crossings of irregular migrants, mainly Syrians and Iraqis, from Belarus to Lithuania has increased 25 times compared to the whole of 2020, Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinovć said at a cabinet meeting.

Croatia's aid is equivalent to HRK 1.05 million (€140,000).

ZAGREB, 17 July 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday praised the role of the Italian Union in strengthening the identity of ethnic Italians in Croatia and Slovenia and congratulated the association on its 30th anniversary.

The Italian Union ("Unione Italiana"), headquartered in Rijeka, is an umbrella association of members of the Italian minority, that implements cultural programs with the aim of preserving and promoting the ethnic and cultural identity of local Italians. It is the union of more than 45 societies of local Italians and it has a branch office in Koper, Slovenia.

Addressing the ceremony, held in Rijeka on Friday evening to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its establishment, Prime Minister Plenković said that the participation of all ethnic minorities in the parliamentary majority made his cabinet happy.

He underscored the importance of the fact that representatives of ethnic minorities also participated in the executive branch of the government.

"I think that this is the best way to make headway and to make sure that all people living in Croatia feel well," Plenković said.

He promised that the Croatian authorities would continue providing strong support to the efforts of ethnic Italians to preserve their identity, culture, language, tradition, and customs.

This is particularly important in the relations between our two peoples, and in the past, there were periods in those relations that we feel happy to recollect and also some periods which we could remember with less pleasure, Plenković said, admitting that some parts of the history of those relations were not fortunate.

 It is important to put an emphasis on the things that connect us, on the future, on our cooperation rather than on the periods from the past that divided us, he added.

The prime minister again underscored an important role played by ethnic minorities in the political and social life of Croatia.

"We are a country with high representativeness of ethnic minorities in the parliament. As many as eight seats are designated for lawmakers representing ethnic minorities and we are proud of that,"  he said.

He promised further support of his cabinet in the implementation of operational programs for ethnic minorities, and Croatia's commitment to delivering on the goals of the 1996 bilateral agreement regulating the status of Italians in Croatia and Croats in Italy.

The Croatian parliament's Deputy Speaker Furio Radin said that Italian Union had always been committed to protecting the Italian community in this region even in the times which had been more difficult for local Italians.

Radin, who represents the Croatian Italians in the Sabor, said the Italian Union represented Italians living in Croatia and Slovenia in line with the international agreements and made a significant contribution to the relations between Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia and thus contributed to the cause of the European Union as a union connecting nations and people.

For more on politics, CLICK HERE.

July 17, 2021 - Will there be additional precautions for vaccinated Russian and British tourists in Croatia? Discussions have already taken place. 

After Croatia was upgraded to the UK green list of countries late Wednesday night and announced that the first British tourists would arrive in the Adriatic on July 19, the tourism sector was flooded with concerns.

The United Kingdom is one of the countries with the highest growth in the number of newly reported cases of the Delta Variant, and tourism workers justifiably feared that it could close the season. Thus, the National Headquarters is considering introducing some additional restrictions for the arrival of British tourists.

As Jutarnji List unofficially learned, the possibility of introducing mandatory antigen testing for all vaccinated British tourists is being discussed, while those who have not been vaccinated before crossing the border must be tested anyway, but it is not yet known whether and when this decision will be made.

Arguments for introducing a rapid antigen test are to preserve the season and open borders despite the spread of the Delta Variant that has already ruined the season in some Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and Greece.

Namely, the Headquarters believes that 100 kuna for a rapid antigen test would not be a more significant financial burden for our guests, but on the other hand, it would still increase security and reduce the number of imported cases.

"It is to be expected that at a time when the virus is spreading in many countries, someone who will develop the virus will cross the border, but by introducing additional measures, we want to reduce this to a minimum," said a source close to the Headquarters.

Apart from the Brits, the same is being considered for visitors from Russia.

This year, Croatia has recorded extremely high interest of Russian tourists for holidays on the Adriatic, mainly as a result of the fact that in April this year, we restarted tourist visas for Russian citizens, and the CNTB confirms that the Russian Federation has received a large number of first applications since April.

This is already reflected in tourist traffic: in the first 14 days of July, Russians in Croatia recorded an increase in the number of arrivals of 348 percent and overnight stays of 404 percent. The data are similar at the annual level.

"That the demand for Croatia as a tourist destination is expressed on the Russian market is confirmed by Aeroflot Airlines, the Russian national airline which connects Moscow with Pula, Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split with daily flights from the beginning of June to the end of September this year. Among the flights are S7 from Moscow to Pula, Split, and Zadar and Nordwind to Zagreb, Pula, and Dubrovnik," confirmed CNTB.

Given that it is the arrival of tourists from outside the EU, i.e., from third countries, Russian citizens who are not vaccinated will have to be tested before arrival. Still, the introduction of mandatory antigen tests for vaccinated Russians would also establish additional security measures, especially given that the number of newly reported cases is continuously growing in Russia. The country also has a minimal share of vaccinated adult citizens. Only 13.1 percent of the total population is vaccinated with both doses.

Jutarnji also learned from the Headquarters that the introduction of testing for vaccinated visitors would be adapted to the epidemiological situation in our key markets, which means that the list of countries that will require such a condition may be further expanded.

Such an attitude is welcomed in the tourism sector as well.

"Given the situation and what is happening in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and Greece, additional precautions are needed, and it is up to epidemiologists to decide what those measures will be. But, instructed by last year's experience when we closed the season on August 15, I can only say - better to prevent than to treat," says the director of the Croatian Tourism Association, Veljko Ostojić.

Recall, the tourism sector yesterday appealed to lobby for a change in the criteria by which countries are declared epidemiologically unsafe, that is, instead of the number of newly infected, deaths and hospitalizations are preferred, given the fact that almost half of the European adult population has been vaccinated with both doses. However, this will likely not happen for the time being.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including vaccination points and testing sites, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

July 17, 2021 - Klapa Luše from Split became the brand new winners of the women's competition at the 55th Klapa Festival in Omiš. The jury awarded the second prize to Kaprić from Zadar, and the third to Oželanda from Zagreb.

On Friday, July 16, at the Square of St. Mihovil in Omiš, with a live television broadcast on national television, the Final Evening of Women's Klapas of the jubilee 55th Festival of Dalmatian Klapas was held, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. The ten most successful women's ensembles from the election evenings performed: Mir (Medjugorje), Stivanja (Trogir), Sorelo (Zagreb), Stentoria (Daruvar), Ventula (Split), Euterpa (Zagreb), Figurin (Zagreb), Oželanda (Zagreb), Luše (Split), and Kapric from Zadar.

The first prize of the expert jury and the brightest medal, a golden shield with the historical coat of arms of the City of Omiš, was won by the women's Klapa Luše from Split. The audience agreed with the jury, and also entrusted most of their sympathies to Luše, to whom the Golden Omis Leut was awarded.

Dalmatian Klapa festival in Omiš Final Scores (Official Facebook page)

Due to epidemiological measures on the central Omis Square, the audience was much smaller than usual. An expert jury composed of prof. Rajmir Kraljević, Ph.D. Ivana Tomić Ferić, maestro Mojimir Čačija, klapa tenor Mirko Barišić, Ph.D. Mirjana Siriščević, Ph.D. Velebit Veršić and associate professor Blaženko Juračić awarded the second prize, the silver shield, to the klapa Kapric from Zadar, while according to the votes of the audience, the second prize, the silver Omiš leut, was won by the klapa Figurin from Zagreb. The expert court and the audience also agreed on the award for third place.

Thus, the bronze shield according to the jury, and the bronze leut according to the votes of the audience was won by the klapa Oželanda from Zagreb. Festival director prof. Mijo Stanić presented the same klapa with a plaque for the best debut klapa of this year's 55th Festival. The program was hosted by Edita Lucic Jelic and Mirko Fodor.

On Saturday, July 17, on the same Square of St. Mihovila at 9 pm with a live television broadcast, the final evening of men's klapas awaits us, in which they will perform: Concordia (Medjugorje), Sebenico (Šibenik), Kolapjani (Sisak), Sagena (Zagreb), Krunik (Kučine), Bošket (Zagreb), Stine (Zagreb), Mriža (Split), Kaše (Dubrovnik), and klapa Vinčace from Novi Vinodolski.

For more, make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated lifestyle section.

July 17, 2021 - Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Split proudly announced that after opening a new spa and wellness center, extensively renovating the hotel lobby, and expanding to a private Beach Club, the Croatian Ministry of Tourism classified it as a five-star hotel.

The reclassification from four to five stars followed in early June this year, after a significant investment in the hotel, which began with the construction of an annex opened in 2018, which housed 69 luxury rooms with unobstructed views of the Adriatic Sea, decorated in a style that reflects Dalmatian influence. The improvement of the resort continued with the opening of the new spa and wellness center Spalato Spa, which stretches over more than 2,600 m2 of luxurious indoor and outdoor space overlooking the Adriatic Sea, reports HRTurizam.

"We have invested a lot of work in our redesign and renovation over the past months, and we are very excited to be awarded the five-star category and present the new beautiful decoration of our hotel, just in time for this season. With the addition of a brand new Spalato Spa and wellness area, a freshly redesigned lobby, and works to expand our Mistral Beach Club, we offer our guests the opportunity to see and enjoy even more," said Jesper Visoe, CEO of Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa.

The Spalato Spa offers visitors a sauna, a steam bath, cold and hot pools, a spacious space for relaxation, hot tubs, treatment rooms, and fitness and yoga rooms. The private spa area with a separate entrance is designed for guests looking for a personalized wellness experience. The philosophy of this Spa is focused on the elements of water, air, and stone.

The hotel’s private Mistral Beach Club, located on a pebble beach below the hotel, will provide guests with a ‘fjaka’ experience - the art of doing nothing. More than 200 deck chairs and 18 top cabanas are located on the beach and wooden platforms facing the sea. The recently refreshed Beach Club dining and entertainment concept includes a restaurant and bar serving international cuisine with Croatian influence. Dishes range from meat and fish to vegan options, and the bar offers a wide selection of cocktails, wines, and champagnes.

The total investment in the spa, lobby, and Beach Club exceeds 3 million euros. The hotel management announces that work is planned for the coming period on the renovation and improvement of catering facilities and rooms in the old part of the hotel.

With 252 rooms and suites, outdoor and indoor pools, a fitness center, restaurant and bar, and eight modern meeting rooms, Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Split is an ideal destination on the Adriatic coast, only 25 minutes from Split Airport.

 For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 17, 2021 - The 2021 Sinjska Alka and Velika Gospa events have been announced in Sinj for next month! 

Thanks to the traditionally rich and diverse program of the umbrella event, Alka Days and the Assumption, this summer in Sinj will be lively and full of hats. Despite the difficult and uncertain times we are in, the Alka city is ready and hospitable to welcome its guests, offering interesting events among which everyone will find something for themselves.

The summer of events will be opened on July 16 by the great jazz band Black Coffee in the unique space of Alkarski dvori (Alka courtyard). The former Venetian quarters are an exceptional ambient stage - they will host a summer music school, numerous performances, and concerts, and it is worth mentioning the play 'The Battle of Sinj in 1715' (August 12), which faithfully and effectively revives the circumstances of the glorious battle that determined the history of Sinj.

A favorite setting with the starry sky and Old Town in the background, musical notes will also take off on summer nights at Kamičak. On August 21, as part of the Musical Evenings at Kamičak, four fantastic saxophonists, Papandopulo Quartet and Split jazz duo Željko Brodarić Jappa and Sara Brodarić, known as Sara & Jappa, will take the stage. A week later, on August 28 and 29, guests will enjoy the Kamičak Ethno Festival. The artistic eco-installation Kašetarnica, organized by the UPSUS association, will take place in Kamičak and the City Park from August 27 to 29.

Željko Zrnčić

Apart from the central events - the Alka festivities on August 6, 7, and 8 and the Feast of the Assumption - it is important not to miss the oldest children's Vučković Alka and many exhibitions and literary presentations.

Ivan Alebic

You should definitely mark your calendar for August 6 and 7 for the traditional and popular Sinj Village Fair. In addition to the permanent exhibition and excellent gastronomic offer, you can experience the spirit of the past through workshops of precious old crafts that should not be forgotten - skilled blacksmiths, wool processing skills, pottery, and more. Visitors will surely be delighted by the performances of bands Kopito, Ljuta kuća, Guiliana, and Diktatori and colorful local cultural and artistic societies.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.