Public Health Institute Releases Croatian Vaccination Coverage Map
August the 9th, 2021 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health has released an interactive Croatian vaccination coverage map which highlights precisely where the vaccination rollout is going well, and where it isn't. The map shows which counties and cities are progressing more than others.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, when looking at the situation with Croatian vaccination coverage by counties, most residents were vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine against the novel coronavirus in the City of Zagreb, where the current vaccination rate stands at 38.87 percent. Receiving two doses is counted as being fully vaccinated.
Dalmatia has a lower vaccination rate, with Split-Dalmatia County and Sibenik-Knin County having lower vaccination coverage.
These calculations were made on the basis of the latest available data from the eVac database (taken from the 2nd of August, 2021), which is set up according to the place of residence of a person from the OIB system (submitted by HZZO on the 21st of June, 2021), and the CBS estimate of the total population from back at the end of 2019.
The interactive map which showcases the level of Croatian vaccination coverage will be updated regularly with a note of the update date included on it.
Vaccination was visualised at three so-called NUTS levels (the whole of the Republic of Croatia, four regions and at then at the county level), as well as at the municipal level. The preview opens via the Firefox or Chrome browsers.
In the upper right corner there is a menu for selecting the level of Croatian vaccination coverage you want to view, in the left there is search bar for particular municipalities, and by hovering your mouse over a particular region/county/municipality, additional information can be obtained.
Click HERE to access and view the interactive map.
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Istrian Gin Takes Home Gold Medal at 2021 World Spirits Award
August the 9th, 2021 - Istrian products continue to wow the international community, and despite olive oil definitely being the most well known item from this beautiful region of Croatia, Istrian gin is gaining on it.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, the Aura distillery and the products of the Sirotic family have been winning first places and prizes in almost all of the competitions in which they participate, and the last big recognition in a row came for Karbun gin at the world competition "World Spirits Award 2021", where this gorgeous Istrian gin took home gold.
In addition to this gold medal, the Istrian gin from this same family called ''Navy Strength'' won the Master Medal at ''The Spirits Business Gin Masters 2021'', the recognition that only one single product receives, which is rated by all of the judges in the competition for points to win the gold medal. Karbun Navy Strength also won a gold medal at the "World Spirits Trophy 2021" competition.
“It's a great success to be able to win such valuable prizes among international gins. I worked on our gin for a long time, learning and trying out different variants of production and combinations of spices, until I was completely satisfied with the results. This recognition is a confirmation that I've gone down the right path,'' pointed out Misel Sirotic, the owner and director of Aura.
The Aura distillery is not only excellent at producing Istrian gins, their Teranino also took home a gold medal at the World Spirits Trophy 2021.
According to Sirotic, the secret of his family distillery lies in the effort and skill they have worked on and nurtured for years, the whole family participates in the work, and all of their successes so far are the result of constant work, investment, training and creating original production methods that their appreciative audience recognises. Today, they offer 25 types of liqueurs and brandies and four types of Istrian gin, and they also produce jams.
You can find their products in specialised wine shops and in Aura's stores in Buzet, Novigrad, Porec, Motovun, Hum, Groznjan, Vrbnik, Rovinj, and outside of Istria in Split and Rijeka.
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Croatian Spending Increases, 113 Billion Kuna More Spent Than in 2019
August the 9th, 2021 - Croatian spending increases signal the long awaited recovery process for the domestic economy, with as much as 113 billion kuna more spent so far in 2021 than back during pre-pandemic, record 2019!
As Morski writes, the Croatian spending increase is seeing much more spent than was spent back in 2019, with consumption records being set. For the first time, Croats spent the most in July, and not during August as was typically the case before. As of today, Croats have spent 113 billion kuna more than they did back in 2019.
The fact that the sale of luxury cars is progressing like never before speaks for itself and it's almost as if there had never been an unprecedented global public health crisis. That isn't all, brand new apartments are being reserved and snapped up before the builders even arrive at the construction sites.
It didn’t take long for Croats to forget about the pandemic-induced economic crisis that rocked the world last year and current Croatian spending habits are well and truly reflecting that stance.
On July the 30th, 2021, the Croatian spending/consumption record was broken. Receipts and bills worth a massive 926 million kuna in total were issued, which is the highest in terms of Croatian spending in one day since the introduction of fiscalisation in the country.
During the pandemic which dominated 2020, Croatian residents sat at home and saved more than 15 billion kuna, which they're now out spending, economists point out.
''In a way, they were waiting for the uncertainty surrounding the public health crisis to pass so that they could start spending their cash. The recovery of consumption and its significant growth has a positive effect on the situation in the state budget, given the VAT revenues, which are its most important item,'' explained economist Iva Tomic.
In the first half of this year, almost 6,000 more cars were purchased than at the same time last year, and the most luxurious ones are doing especially well - for example, twice as many Porsches were sold.
Apartments were also sought, and a brand new residential complex will be built on the site of some dilapidated barracks in the very centre of Zagreb. Although the construction has not even started, the apartments are already being purchased, despite the high price of up to 4,000 euros per square metre. It has been said that this real case of consumer fever after a pandemic-dominated year hasn't come as much of a surprise to psychologists.
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Plenković Says Tourism Results Good
ZAGREB, 8 Aug, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was attending the 306th Sinjska Alka tournament in Sinj on Sunday, saying it was "a beautiful event" for the area and Croatia because it was "our tradition, our heritage and everything that embodies Croatia's identity."
Speaking ahead of the lancing competition, he congratulated the people of Sinj and the Alka Knights Society on the 306th Sinjska Alka.
The tournament commemorates a victory over 60,000 Ottoman soldiers on 14 August 1715 by 700 Croatian defenders of Sinj, about 30 kilometres inland from the southern coastal city of Split.
The event features period-clad horsemen riding at full gallop and aiming their lances at an iron ring, called the alka, which is suspended from a rope above the race track.
It was inscribed on UNESCO's world intangible cultural heritage list in 2010.
Members of the press asked Plenković to comment on the COVID situation in Sinj, whose Mayor Miro Bulj asked that hospitality establishments be allowed to stay open longer for the tournament, a request rejected by the national COVID crisis management team due to COVID rules.
The prime minister said the rules were the same for all and that they were adopted for, not against, citizens and tourists.
He said he saw no problem, as more spectators would be allowed than last year, and that after 18 months it should be clear to everyone why bars were not allowed to stay open after midnight, not just in Sinj.
Plenković went on to say that the tourist season was above all expectations, and that the state and all other segments of society had done everything for it to be better both in terms of the COVID situation and efforts to promote Croatia.
He announced a tourism sector meeting in Opatija on Tuesday to be attended by six ministers aimed at reviewing what has been done in this year's tourism season which, according to current estimates, will be at 65-70% of the results achieved in the record year 2019.
"Considering our neighbours and the situation we were in, that is brilliant," Plenković said
He added that people should be more disciplined, wiser and more responsible to each other in order for the season to last as long as possible, so that Croatia's coastline was an orange COVID zone for at least two to three more weeks which, he added, would indicate strong economic recovery.
He said the growth announcements for the second quarter were "brilliant" and that if the season continued like this, they would be "very good" for Q3 as well. "That's what is most important at the moment to me as prime minister."
Asked to comment on the Hague war crimes tribunal's confirmation that Slobodan Milošević took part in a criminal enterprise against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Plenković said Croatians knew that very well and did not need proof.
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Croatia Sends Two Fire-Fighting Planes to Bosnia
ZAGREB, 8 Aug, 2021 - Two Croatian fire-fighting planes were sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday to put out a wildfire near Tomislavgrad near the Croatian border, the Croatian Defence Ministry said.
The planes were sent to Tomislavgrad where homes are under threat on orders from Minister Mario Banožić on the use of Croatian Armed Forces to help BiH put out wildfires following talks with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, the ministry said.
"We sent two Canadairs to BiH to help our friends and neighbours who have been fighting fires for several days now. I'm confident that our firefighting planes will help protect the houses and property of the people in that area. Croatia is happy to have top pilots who help when help is most needed," Banožić said.
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Milanović Calls Bosnian Prosecution’s Letter of Request Sabotage
ZAGREB, 8 Aug, 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Sunday that a conclusion on non-cooperation in proceedings against Croatian military commanders adopted six years ago was still in force and that a letter of request from the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office was sabotage and a poisoning of relations.
The Croatian Justice Ministry has confirmed receiving the letter from the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office to take over the prosecution of 14 Croatian Army generals suspected by Bosnia and Herzegovina of war crimes allegedly committed during the 1995 Operation Flash.
Speaking to the press in Sinj ahead of the 306th Sinjska Alka lancing tournament, Milanović said the technical problem of "will we cooperate or not" was much smaller than the fact that such indictments were arriving and that such investigations were being conducted.
He said he had known about the indictments for some time and that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković did too, but would not say why he had communicated that in public instead of the government.
Milanović said the no-cooperation conclusion he adopted as prime minister at a cabinet meeting in 2015 was valid until the incumbent government revoked or changed it. "Perhaps the prime minister, keeping that in mind, didn't think it necessary to comment on it, but I find it necessary, because it's a sort of sabotage."
"It's a poisoning of relations between two states," he added.
Milanović also commented on the national COVID crisis management team's rejection of Sinj Mayor Miro Bulj's request for a relaxation of COVID rules on the day of the Alka tournament.
"The fact is that there are 500 of us here without any supervision. On the other hand, it's not bad for the measures to last a few more weeks for the sake of the impression Croatia leaves because of the tourist season. There are many illogical and silly things about this in all of Europe and we have to fit in a little. I'd be patient a while longer."
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Bosnia Wants Croatia To Prosecute Operation Flash Commanders
ZAGREB, 8 Aug, 2021 - The Croatian Justice Ministry has confirmed receiving a letter of request from the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office to take over the prosecution of 14 Croatian Army generals suspected by Bosnia and Herzegovina of war crimes allegedly committed during the 1995 Operation Flash.
This was confirmed by the ministry's state-secretary, Josip Salapić, to Nova TV on Saturday evening.
He said the ministry would forward the cases to the State Attorney's Office, which would decide in an independent investigation what to do about them.
"We are confident that in the next few days, the State Attorney's Office, in line with the law, will inform the public as to what exactly this is about," he added.
"The historical facts about the Homeland War, all our liberation operations, all our soldiers, the army, are under special protection and a special national interest. As a responsible state and government, we can't allow the Homeland War to be criminalised nor bringing into question any legal, constitutional and internationally legal Croatian Armed Forces military operation in the liberation of Croatian territory," said Salapić.
According to Nova TV, the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office list names 14 senior Croatian officers, including wartime commander generals Pavao Miljavac, Mladen Markač, Marijan Mareković, Davor Domazet Lošo and Luka Džanko, as well as deceased generals Petar Stipetić, Imra Agotić and Ivan Basarac.
"I heard it's about Flash, but I have no idea what the war crime would be. In Flash, we didn't cross the Croatian border," said retired general Vinko Vrbanac.
Miljavac said Flash "was a legitimate Croatian Army operation and there were no special intentions to endanger BiH."
"They are getting into what they shouldn't be. We helped them a lot and when they needed it most, and they should be grateful for everything the Croatian Army did to help the neighbouring BiH," said Džanko, adding that this "is all orchestrated."
"This is all hear-say. In my opinion, it's even politically motivated given Croatia's initiative to help Croats in BiH a little. Even the Pelješac Bridge," Miljavac said, adding, "I know about these indictments, they are 15 years old. Why now?"
President Zoran Milanović said on Thursday those were unproven acts and that Croatia would protect its wartime commanders.
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1.05m Tourists Vacationing in Croatia
ZAGREB, 8 Aug, 2021 - There are 1,055,000 tourists vacationing in Croatia - 886,000 foreigners and 169,000 Croatians, the Tourism Ministry said on Sunday.
Among the foreign tourists, the most numerous are Germans (257,000), followed by Slovenians (125,000), Poles (81,000) and Austrians (68,000).
The largest number of tourists are staying in Istra County (271,000), followed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (180,000) and Split-Dalmatia County (170,000).
Croatia has registered 7.4 million arrivals and 44.5 million overnights this year to date, respectively 58% and 68% of the results logged during the same time in 2019.
In the first seven days of August, there were 981,000 arrivals and 7.4 million overnights, respectively 78% and 91% of the figures recorded in the first week of August 2019.
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Ryanair Promo Flights to Croatia from £4.99, Ends August 11, 2021!
August 8, 2021 - Ryanair promo flights to Croatia are on sale from London Stansted to Zagreb and Edinburgh to Zadar. The promo runs until August 11, 2021, and is valid for use until October 31, 2021!
As Mirror.co.uk reported, Croatia is currently on the green watchlist and is open to both unvaccinated and vaccinated travelers from the UK. The flight deals are valid until October 31, so there is still a lot of time for you to choose the perfect dates to spend an amazing holiday in Croatia's top tourist destinations at a bargain price! On top of that, Ryanair also offers Zero Change Fee T&C, which will allow you to amend booked flights (in case of last-minute changes) without incurring extra charges!
For £4.99, visit and explore Croatia's capital city - Zagreb. From there, it is also easy to reach nearby cities, even coastal cities if you want to enjoy the Adriatic Sea, by car in just a few hours. For the best travel guide to Zagreb, visit Total Croatia's Zagreb in a Page 2021: Guide, Tours, Food, Drink, Festivals.
For the same price, Ryanair also offers flights from Edinburgh to the coastal city of Zadar. Watch the most beautiful sunset in the world (as per Alfred Hitchcock) and visit the famous Zadar Sea Organ where music meets the Adriatic sea. Learn the best travel tips on one page through Total Croatia's Zadar in page 2021: Sunsets, Sea Organ, Parks, Tours.
Visit Ryanair now to book your trip to Croatia at a great price. Ryanair also offers flight deals to other hotspot European destinations such as Spain, France, Portugal, and Germany. Do not forget to book them by August 11 when the sale ends!
COVID-19 measures when traveling to Croatia
Croatia requires travelers arriving from the UK to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel or a negative antigen test no less than 48 hours old prior to entering Croatia. This rule applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. Refusal of entry to Croatia will be given to those who do not adhere to this rule.
GOV.UK also advises UK travelers to complete an online entry form before travelling to Croatia, as well as proof of accommodation booking or ownership. For business-related trips, please bring with you proof of business invitations or meetings.
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Croatia Registers 213 New Coronavirus Cases, One Death
ZAGREB, 8 Aug, 2021 - In the past 24 hours, 213 coronavirus cases and one COVID death have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Sunday.
There are 1,231 active cases and 175 hospitalised patients, including 18 on ventilators, while 4,100 persons are self-isolating.
To date, 2,352,357 persons have been tested for the virus, including 6,991 in the past 24 hours.
Also, 41% of the population has been vaccinated, including 49.2% of adults, 44.99% of whom have completed vaccination.
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