August 11, 2021 - We met Sanja Srdic Jungic when she published her first novel, The Stars Among Us, in her home country. Now, two years since our interview Sanja has not only written a second novel, Ti si moje sve, but also translated and published her first novel, The Stars Among Us, on Amazon. We wanted to catch up with Sanja and see what prompted her to try her writing odds abroad and what else has changed since 2019.

In your first interview with Total Croatia News, you've mentioned the possibility of writing a fantasy novel in the future or at least a novel with a fantasy twist. So, were you true to your word?

Actually, I was! I think your news portal was the first official channel through which I mentioned the possibility of bringing some fantasy elements to my novel. I can't talk much about it since it would be a huge spoiler, but yes, there is a bit of magical realism in my second novel and reactions are super positive, even though it's completely different from my first novel.

Now that you've mentioned it, what are the main differences between your two novels?

My first novel, Zvijezde među nama, was a true chick lit novel and a perfect summer read, following the story of a young Croatian woman Nora who follows her passion of working in movie production and subsequently falls in love with a famous American actor. Ti si moje sve, my second novel, is a tad more serious, even though we are following a much younger protagonist this time, seventeen-year-old Elena. We meet Elena at the worst part of her life, right after a tragic accident in which her beloved father dies, and Elena is struggling with keeping up with school, family relations and friendships. The only positive thing in her life is Aleks, boy-next-door who sparks up her life a bit. This is a novel about coming of age and a mixture of romance and drama.

How much of you can be found in the main characters in your novels? How do you write a character to be more lifelike?

Both of my protagonists have some similarities with me, but I try to distance myself from my novels as much as possible. Nora inherited my sarcasm and stubbornness, while Elena is very empathetic and cares deeply for her family. And as for making my characters more lifelike, I use dialogues. They are really my strong suit, so the dialogues in my novels will often make you laugh, even in the most inappropriate situations my characters sometimes face.

How has your life changed with the publication of two books?

Well, definitely not as much that I can quit my day job, ha ha! I've become more aware of the audience of my novels, to whom I'm very grateful, and also the media following me and my social channels. I've once written a post about our president's website and it soon caught the attention of Večernji list, who published a whole article on the topic, it was mental! But I can still walk my dog in my PJs without it being reported by the paparazzi, so that's nice.

Is that what prompted you to seek international success?

Well, not exactly. The Croatian book market is really small; if you sell a thousand books this is considered a great success. And everything usually stops with those 1000 books, if you are lucky enough to sell them. I wanted something more.

You were publicly recognized by a bestselling British author, Robert Bryndza who is, in his own words, a fan of your work. The Croatian media picked up this story where you explained that Robert became a mentor of yours in the process. How did your collaboration start and what is the value of mentoring for the new writer?

Robert Bryndza is a wonderful man who I met in one of our bookstores (I work as a marketing manager for a Croatian bookstore chain) during his promotional tour and he is the first person who instigated me to start working on the translation of my novel with renowned Croatian translator Neven Divjakinja and who not only became my mentor, but a friend during the process. To me, having a mentor who understands all of my fears and frustrations is invaluable. Not only can Robert recognize when I'm slacking off and give me much needed kick in the butt, but he is a true example of what a writer can accomplish when he sets his mind to it. For Robert, it's millions of sold copies and translations in more than 30 languages. One can only dream of such success, so not only I have an excellent role-model, I can also discuss my every move with him. Being one of a few Croatian authors published outside of Croatia can be lonesome, so I'm really lucky to have Robert there with me every step of the way.

Is there any difference between Zvijezde među nama and The Stars Among Us and how the process of publication differed?

There are some differences between the Croatian and English edition, not so much plot-wise, but they had to be done. I was working with a wonderful editor, Stephanie Dagg, who is also the editor of Robert's chick lit novels, so we changed some of the characters names and situations they were in so it could be more relatable to international audience. I won't even start with the difference in the process – I will only say that it's much more professional than any of my experience in Croatia, and it was more tiresome than publishing both of my books in my home country. But all the hard work paid out when I saw my novel on Amazon.

And for our audience who might not know what The Stars Among Us are about what would you tell them?

I would ask them if they ever had a crush on a celebrity and what would they do if they had a chance to meet said celebrity. That's basically what happens with Nora, who quits a perfectly good job to become an extra in a Hollywood movie being filmed in Dubrovnik. She hopes it will help her move on from a painful break-up and give her breathing space to find out what she wants to do with her life. To Nora’s delight she discovers that she loves every minute in her new “temporary” career. It doesn’t hurt either that the handsome assistant director, Ivor, takes more than a passing interest in her. But then events take a dramatic and unforeseen turn when Lucas Winter, a world-famous actor and Nora’s teenage heart-throb, unexpectedly arrives on set…

Finally, your novel was somewhat inspired by some real-life experience...?

I had the privilege of being an extra in not one, but two seasons of Game of Thrones and it was one of the most exciting experiences in my life! I really wanted to pass down my impressions through my novel, but the whole romantic plot between an ordinary girl and not-so-ordinary American actor is obviously pure work of fiction... or is it?

You can find Sanja's novel on Amazon in both paperback version and Kindle. We look forward to reading it and wish Sanja the very best of luck!

August 11, 2021 - Through a statement, the Makarska firefighters have warned all landlords and their guests that the use of open fire, such as fireworks or barbecues, is strictly prohibited.

HrTurizam reports today that the Voluntary Fire Brigade of the City of Makarska sent an appeal to all landlords, tourist workers, the tourist community, and all citizens of Makarska, to warn tourists that lighting fires in the open are strictly prohibited.

In addition to the dystopian images coming from Turkey and Greece from the fires that have already caused irreparable ecological damage and evacuated thousands of tourists and locals, the fires also continue to be a threat on the Croatian coast due to the high temperatures in the summer, the wind, and in many cases by the irresponsibility of the people.

Just a week ago, a fire in Trogir set off alarms and took a few days to fully extinguish. Even in Makarska, which has seen record numbers of tourists and guests this summer, it has also had to call on fire brigades and canadairs to put out fires in the area. For this reason, the Makarska firefighters have decided to pronounce on the matter through a statement.

According to their statement, last night they had 5 interventions related to barbecues, lighting candles, torches, and other fire uses close to the forests.

They emphasize that during the summer months it is strictly forbidden to use open flames in the open, as any form of barbecue in the woods, lighting wax candles, torches, smoking, and more. The Voluntary Fire Brigade of the City of Makarska, therefore, has asked renters and all other accommodation owners to warn their guests that the use of open fires is strictly prohibited.

"Let's all be the guardians of our city together and prevent a catastrophe in time. Even the slightest zeal is needed for just that to happen. Let's be responsible", emphasizes DVD Makarska.

Also, DVD Makarska is in the process of raising money for a set of firefighting suits for forest fires, and they are asking for help with donations. Find out more details HERE.

August 11, 2021 - Digital nomads give back to communities in various ways. The third in a new series on TCN, following the lens of Steve Tsentserensky, one of the early recipients of the Croatian digital nomad permit. Where better to continue than gorgeous Zadar?

One of the discussion in Croatia these days surrounds digital nomads. What EXACTLY does Croatia get from digital nomads, especially if they do not have to pay income tax locally with the 12-month permit?

It is a classic Croatian tourism short-term mindset, which has become sadly familiar over the decade I have been writing about the subject. 

For me, there are three key wins for Croatia - and they all cost nothing.

1. Permit holders may not pay tax, but they are spending on rent, food, drink, entertainment once they leave their virtual office. Think of them as long-stay tourists if you will. I never heard of anyone here complaining about tourists spending here.

2. The mindset. This, to me, is one of the most exciting aspects of the digital nomad era. People with fresh ideas, different experiences, stimulating lifestyles. If they are moving to Croatia because it is so great, perhaps Croatia has something to offer, rather than the sad path of emigration. 

3. The fabulous free promo from digital nomads, clearly in love with this beautiful country. They decided to come, love what they find, and want to tell the world how amazing Croatia is - through blogs, Instagram posts and various other forms of social media. Kind of like the national tourist board's job if you like. Only better. 

This series will focus on the last point, the fantastic free promotion of Croatia by these longer term visitors. TCN is thoroughly enjoying our working partnership with one of the early recipients of the digital nomad permit. Steve Tsentserensky from Ohio. Steve first came to my attention with this fabulous video of Zagreb.

We are big fans of Steve's work, and we met recently over a beer or three in Zagreb. Steve will be travelling around the country over the next 12 months (actually, we think a little longer) documenting Croatia through his lens. We thought it would make a nice feature on the site, as well as showing how just one nomad with the permit is spreading the word about this beautiful country, so that others may see and come. 

And so continues our new series - Croatia through the lens of a Croatian digital nomad permit holder, this time in Zadar. Steve visited Zadar and Total Croatia partner Falkensteiner Punta Skala recently. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And so too a great video. So I will shut up now. 

You can follow Steve on Instagram.

To learn more about the city, check the TC Zadar in a Page guide. 

August 11, 2021 - Looking at the broad offer of swimming options on Adriatic, you may find yourself in the middle of a Croatian beach vs pool dilemma. TCN reporter Ivor Kruljac found pros for both sides.

With exciting history, heritage, and interesting experiences to be had, coastal Croatia and the Croatian islands known how to sell what they've got. The clear, refreshing, and clean sea has been the most valuable arsenal in Croatia's tourist offer from the very start.

In that spirit, it may seem unusual to see many hotels with glorious sea views and short walks to beaches that have pools, both indoors and outdoors. Sure, the indoor pools are great if you have the misfortunate of some bad weather when you're dying for a swim, but do outdoor pools really make sense next to the lovely Adriatic?

Well, both sides of this argument have valid points. Here is a shortlist of the cases when one dominates over the other in this epic Croatian beach vs pool debate.

Looking for safe fun? Then the pool wins

With Croats enjoying the reputation of being ready to help and watching over others, and even with some of the beaches having lifeguards, pools are definitely the safer option if swimming isn't your strong side. The majority of pools have a shallow and deeper end, and while the sea can suddenly become deeper than you what you've bargained for, the transition is much easier in the pool.

If you do get cramp or get in some sort of trouble, even if other swimmers don't respond, you can be sure that hotel staff will pull you out just in time. The rules of conduct (which you have to oblige to) ensure your safety and that of the other guests. The limits of a pool can make it easier for you to watch over your kids while they have safe aquatic fun. In addition, sea urchins or painful rocks on which you can hit yourself while entering the Adriatic, as well as small pebbles that can be annoying on the soles of your feet, aren't an issue in a controlled pool environment. 

Looking for space? Then a Croatian beach will win

If you feel claustrophobic in the small and typically confined limits of the pool, then a Croatian beach is the best place to go for a longer swim. With experienced swimmers being able to swim from one side of the pool over the other, the sea provides a better challenge in terms of routes and directions you can take. Additionally, pools can be quite crowded, and if you want to take a refreshing dip as some ''zen'' time for yourself, then chilling in the Adriatic can be done at a more considerable distance from others that came to enjoy the day.

Do you fancy a space reserved just for you? Head to the pool

We all know that moment of frustration when a beach is crowded like hell, and you just can't find a place to leave your towel for the life of you. As pools are limited to the guests of the hotel, you can rest assured that when you arrive poolside, you'll manage to be able to find a place to soak up the sun and get a nice tan after you're done with swimming as the hotel calculates the maximum number of people that they can accommodate at any one time (at least the good hotels do).

 Broadening your circle of friendship? Then a Croatian beach wins

With the Croatian hotel scene being more and more frequently branded to attract certain clientele, those who are interested in meeting new people on holiday, can expect that other guests in the hotel are similar to them in terms of interest and lifestyle. That's great, but keep in mind that other guests may just be interested in chilling, eating, and sleeping in the hotel, and not really socialising. On the other hand, the world of the Croatian beach is much more dynamic and with long history of interesting real and fictional stories (in books and movies) about awesome friendships and passionate relationships which started with an exchanged glance at the beach; the beach is the place to meet new people.

Want to be content with the water? The pool wins

When it comes to the Croatian beach offer, there are many types to choose from. Some beaches don't only offer unhindered access to the beautiful Adriatic as their lure but also much more, such as flotation devices to waterslides, sunbeds, and more. That said, certain pools also have more content than another. But, as a guest of the hotel, you can use everything that has been included in the price of your stay, while beaches (in the majority of cases at least) charge extra for these additional features. 

pixabay

Do you want to experience nature at its finest? Then the beach wins

With pools being man-made, they lack the joy of coming across unexpected discoveries which is what the sea offers. From pebbles to seaweed or sand underneath you to fish and other marine life sharing the swim with you, your experience in the Adriatic isn't just an opportunity to relax and freshen up but also to connect closely with nature. When a wave comes, those who are more in the market for excitement will surely have their blood pumping that bit harders as they are carried by the waves. You can also lie on the beach and enjoy the zen the sound of calm waves brings free of charge.

If proximity is what you're after, then the pool wins

When you're searching for a hotel, you probably want the one which is as close as possible to a beautiful Croatian beach. However, if you're a bit of out shape (with no desire to really improve that), and you learn that the promised three-minute walk to the beach lasts up to seven minutes or more at your pace and you just don't feel like walking that much as the heat is draining the life out of you, then the pools are right there inside the hotel complex. The only way to dive in for some aquatic refreshment faster is to take a shower in the hotel room, but really, where is the fun in that?

Viva la anarchia! – The beach wins

As mentioned above, pools are safer, not just because of their size and safe terrain, but also because of the rules they have. That said, if you've arrived at your destination listening to the greatest Sex Pistols hits and that little anarchist in you ready to get wild, head over to the beach to learn a whole new meaning of freedom. Swim where you want, jump from wherever you want (at your own risk, of course), and as long as you don't pollute the sea, pose a threat to other people or endanger the native marine life, where your sense of creativity ends is your only limit. Swim any time you want. You don't have to take a shower before diving in, and as many Croats will whisper to you in a clandestine manner when nobody is listening: you're free to pee in the sea if you need to.

The Croatian coast has you covered - the choice is yours

These are some of the arguments to help you decide would you prefer to be by the pool or next to a Croatian beach. Since the Croatian coast can offer both salty and freshwater options for your enjoyable holiday, it's best to try out both.

Learn more about beaches in Croatia on our TC page.

For more about the Croatian Adriatic Sea, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August the 11th, 2021 - An increasing number of Italy-headquartered companies want to start moving the production part of their business to the Republic of Croatia. Could this bring even closer economic ties between Italian companies and those from here in Croatia? It's likely.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, for the third month in a row now, Italy has been very firmly in the position of the leading Croatian export market. Last year, during the country's lockdown in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic which was declared by Italy significantly earlier than other European countries, exports to that country dropped drastically, and the traditional status of the main destination for Croatian products was taken over by Germany.

In the first five months of 2021, Croatian exports have been growing well on both markets, but they're still stronger in Italy, and, as data from the Central Bureau of Statistics shows, the recovery so far brings with it a far better export result than back during the same period in 2019.

In the first five months of this year, a total of 899 million euros worth of goods were placed in neighbouring Italy, which is seven million euros more than in pre-pandemic 2019, and compared to the first five months of 2020, it is a jump of as much as 235 million euros.

In addition to exports, imports from Italy are also growing significantly, although they're still behind the values ​​achieved in the first five months of 2019. It amounts to 1.32 billion euros and is lower by about 300 million euros.

"Our predictions were that we'd have the beginning of a recovery in bilateral relations, but the figures recorded and the dynamics in the first part of the year exceeded all of our expectations," said Andrea Perkov, Secretary General of the Italian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce. The real expansion in the already close economic relations of these two neighbouring countries, she claims, is very much expected.

"Last year's crisis gave rise to a change in business orientation among Italian companies, which has been present for a long time to some degree or another, and that is the transfer of business and production to other markets, even distant ones. With the coronavirus pandemic taking precedent, this tendency was interrupted, and in the first part of the year we recorded a huge increase in interest from Italian companies in relocating their production and expanding their business right here in Croatia,'' said Perkov.

Those more distant destinations in which Italian companies operated were mainly China and North African countries, when it comes to countries outside the EU, Serbia, and within the EU, Bulgaria and Romania were in the lead. Now, between 60 and 70 Italian companies have already expressed interest in investing in Croatia, with most inquiries coming for infrastructure and food production.

The locations that are being looked into are mostly in Istria, which doesn't come as a surprise as many prefer bilingualism as well as good infrastructure and traffic connections, but Perkov points out that he is also interested in the Split-Dalmatia and Medjimurje counties.

With the representatives of Italian companies at the level of the Italian system that connects the chambers, (the Italian Trade Institute and the Embassy in Croatia), numerous meetings and communication about possible investments have been being organised, and Perkov sees special merit in establishing stronger bilateral relations in the commitment of Italian Ambassador to Croatia Pierfrancesco Sacco who took office last year.

The Croatian NPOO, the text of which has already been translated into Italian, is expected to give additional impetus to a stronger connection between Italian companies and Croatia. As far as investment is concerned, the cost is not a problem for Italian companies, but, according to the Italian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, concerns about Croatia's infamous slow administration and legal uncertainty prevail.

As the pandemic-induced shock has "reset" everything on a global scale, Italians are now much more inclined to do business in their closer neighbourhood, with one sector recording intensive cooperation and networking, as well as mutual investment. IT, a blossoming sector in Croatia, will dictate more or less the entire pace.

As far as exports are concerned, it isn't yet possible to determine from official statistics whether any of the products particularly bounced off the market during the first part of this year and pushed the overall result, but in recent years the structure of Croatian exports has been dominated by wood, metal and textile and the food industry.

With the implementation of the projects currently being prepared, Andrea Perkov is convinced that further strong growth in exports and total trade between Croatia and Italy can be expected with a decent dose of healthy optimism.

In addition to Italy and Italian companies, an increase in exports is being steadily recorded in most major markets, and the only significant drop in statistics is shown in relations with Luxembourg, where last year, the value of exports exceeded 122 million euros in five months, and this year it stands at a mere 5 million euros.

That being said, exports to Luxembourg tend to fluctuate strongly and vary due to dependence on shipbuilding exports anyway, which are lacking this year.

It can also be said that the case of Italy reflects the overall result of Croatian exports, which achieved a record result of a total of 7.11 billion euros on a five-month level, which greatly exceeds the previous highest level from pre-crisis 2019, by as much as 895 million euros in total.

The result will be even higher at the level of six months, as preliminary CBS data shows that exports in the first half reached 8.72 billion euros, which is almost 1.34 billion euros more than in the first half of the record, pre-pandemic 2019.

For more, follow our business section.

August the 11th, 2021 - The Croatian economy is recovering slowly but surely from the heavy blow it was struck by as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. When looking at the monetary value on Croatian receipts and bills issued in the last week, we can see some more than encouraging numbers and percentages.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Jadranka Dozan writes, the value of Croatian receipts issued last week by all those enterprises in the fiscal system exceeded their amount in the comparable week last year by as much as a third, marking a significant step forward for the domestic economy in light of the unprecedented situation we continue to find ourselves in.

When it comes to trade, which was less affected last year than, for example, tourism, catering and hospitality and related activities, fiscalised turnover increased by 18 percent compared to the same week of 2020, while in the provision of accommodation, food preparation and serving, the value of issued Croatian receipts issued increased by as much as 67 percent.

Compared to the comparable week of pre-pandemic, record 2019, the total fiscalised turnover last week was 13 percent higher, with 10 percent more traffic being fiscalised in trade and 13 percent more in the hard-hit tourism and hospitality sector.

The Tax Administration also offered an overview for the period from the last week of February 2021, with which we can realistically compare the start of the pandemic last year. In the past five and a half months of this year, the total fiscalised turnover increased by 24 percent, which is, among other things, the result of 17 percent higher reported turnover in trade and an increase of 61 percent in tourism, hospitality and catering.

A comparison of this period of this and pre-pandemic 2019 shows that the amount of Croatian receipts issued is practically at the same level as before the pandemic, which is encouraging indeed.

However, while trade exceeds pre-crisis turnover by 4 percent, when it comes to accommodation, food preparation and serving, the recorded turnover still lags behind by approximately one fifth (-21 percent).

For more, follow our business section.

August the 11th, 2021 - One horrific event involving a Hungarian tourist and an innocent Skradin swan has caught the attention of many, and the police have been involved in the sad matter.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, on the afternoon of the 8th of August at around 17:00, right in front of the waterfront in beautiful Skradin, a foreign national jumped straight from the top of the yacht and directly down onto a passing swan.

''It was all happening right in front of my eyes. And it wasn't just me who saw it, there were about 20 other people who found themselves on the waterfront and saw it all happen. I immediately called the police, who arrived very quickly and it was clear that they took this act extremely seriously,'' said a witness to this disgusting event in conversation with local portal SibenikIN, who wished to remain anonymous.

According to him, in order to entertain those present on the vessel, the man jumped from a height of six to seven metres from the yacht, straight onto the innocent Skradin swan who was passing by at the time and killed him.

''The man from the yacht, a foreigner, as if it were all just a joke, jumped from the top of the boat straight down onto the swan. The children on the ship were laughing, and his present friend was filming it all on his phone, it was hilarious to them. After that jump, the swan struggled for a few more minutes, couldn't lift its neck up again and eventually died,'' says a reader who is still distraught by the whole horrendous event.

''Another foreigner shouted at him from the waterfront that he was crazy and asked him what on Earth he thought he was doing, and I said the same thing and I still haven't recovered from the shock of seeing this. I heard people from the yacht say the swan came to his senses and carried on. This morning I received information that the police are in possession of footage in which they are taking the Skradin swan's away corpse by dinghy. This must not go unpunished and they can't get away with their lies that the swan was okay and went away, because all of us who were present saw exactly what happened,'' said the horrified reader.

Sibenik police spokesman Sime Pavic told SibenikIN that the criminal investigation into the incident had been completed.

''The Sibenik-Knin Police Department received a report at around 18:00 on August the 8th, and when we went out into field, we found out that a Hungarian citizen had jumped from an anchored boat down onto a Skradin swan. Subsequently, a dead swan was found in the evening, and all the measures and actions carried out (interviews, inspections, etc.) didn't reveal that the unfortunate animal had been jumped on on purpose. In coordination with the competent state attorney's office, it was determined that there are no elements of a criminal offense, it was an accident, and a special report on the matter will be forwarded to the state attorney's office,'' said Pavic.

The police spokesman also confirmed that it was a swan involved and that is a protected species, but after a criminal investigation, it was determined that there were no elements of a criminal offense.

Otherwise, such an act woud result in a fine of over 9000 kuna.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

August the 11th, 2021 - Baska Voda has always been a popular place for swimmers and other beachgoers, but it seems that this destination has well and truly taken advantage of what is being hailed as the most lucrative business on the Adriatic coast. Baska Voda deck chairs are seeing concessionaires rake in the cash from reservations.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Baska Voda is known as the place with the most deck chairs in all of Croatia. It's quite bizarre (yes, that's sarcasm) that every fifth voter who went to the last local elections is also the owner of a concession permit for renting Baska Voda deck chairs on the beaches, writes Dnevnik.hr.

When the numbers are scrutinised, it looks like this: 98 companies have a concession approval for renting Baska Voda deck chairs, each of which has a permit to place a maximum of 20 such chairs on the beach. It's interesting to note that the annual fee paid to the municipality is a mere 1600 kuna, or 80 kuna per deck chair, which is repaid in less than two days of the height of the tourist season because then, each chair is rented for a price of 50 kuna each.

Then we come to the fact that the Municipality of Baska Voda earns just over 156,000 kuna from its almost 2,000 deck chairs located on its beaches, and the concessionaire's earnings are into the millions, Kastelan reported.

The mayor of Baska Voda said that they couldn't increase that amount due to the Government's decision from way back in 2004, but that they had imposed an annual fee of 2,500 kuna on each of the concessionaires for cleaning those same beaches.

An opposition councillor in Baska Voda called Matejas Jozipovic says that renting Baska Voda deck chairs out is the most elaborate and profitable business on the coast.

"It doesn't matter how much is earned, nor does it matter how much ends up needing to be paid. This practice is the most developed and most profitable business in all of the Republic of Croatia. For 1,600 invested kuna, these people earn 400,000 kuna at the level of four election years. Because, of course, this is an election-related project,'' he said.

Jozipovic also said that you can't even find a place on the beach in the first place because everything is already reserved and booked in advance.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.