April the 13th, 2021 - The Croatian Reconstruction Fund has begun work, and the vast majority of decisions on renovations following the earthquakes which rocked the country in 2020 relate to the City of Zagreb.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, the plan for the implementation of the organised reconstruction following the earthquakes, including contracting designers, the preparation of documentation and reconstruction works has all been made available from this week. Given the amount of damage from the earthquakes which struck back in March and December 2020 totalling 127.6 billion kuna and the number of requests that are now open, things will take a very long time to complete.

The total costs of the Croatian Reconstruction Fund in the first three months of 2021 amounted to a staggering 182 million kuna, of which 95 percent was paid out in the form of compensation for damages caused by the devastating 2020 earthquakes. On the other hand, 6433 requests came from the most recently hit Sisak-Moslavina County, 1054 from Zagreb, 351 from Zagreb County, 74 from Krapina-Zagorje County and 5 from Karlovac County.

In the first quarter, the Croatian Reconstruction Fund received temporary solutions for three Zagreb buildings (six more have since been received over recent days), but they require technical and financial control.

It will be implemented by the Croatian Reconstruction Fund and the cases will be returned to the competent Ministry in order to reach their final solutions, but in order to finally act on them, the Croatian Government must adopt another programme of measures that will work to clearly define all of the procedures from building demolition to reconstruction.

What seems to be going quite quickly, according to the director of the Fund Damir Vandjelic, are the payments for emergency interventions, with the staffing of Vandjelic's closest team of associates and the organisation of key services.

The director of the Public Procurement Documentation Service is Sasa Miroslavic, who was the head of the public procurement sector at the Ministry of Health, while the director of the Independent Fraud Prevention Service, Davor Iljkcć, was in the Ministry of the Interior for sixteen years, also as a group leader in the Economic Crime Service.

Miroslavic is in charge of a transparent way of procurement management within the Croatian Reconstruction Fund. The first criminal report on the suspicion of a possible criminal offense of abuse during the emergency intervention, in the amount (unofficially) of 1.5 million kuna, however, has already been forwarded to the State Attorney's Office and will be looked into.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

April the 13th, 2021 - Croatian Post (Hrvatska posta) has made several changes to how it functions and what it offers over the last year or so, and with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to rage on, they have introduced yet another option for their customers, this time relating to deliveries.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian Post introduced a novelty in its service when it comes to the delivery of packages and shipments. Namely, they will begin delivering packages on Saturdays, once a month and as needed. The company's postmen will therefore work on Saturdays in the cities and places where and when the influx of shipments and parcels has increased.

They say that the working Saturdays will see the postmen properly paid and that their goal is to raise the level of the services they provide because their customers are paramount, RTL news reports.

''Our goal is to raise the level of our service to an even higher level than prescribed because our customers are our primary focus,'' said Jo Kempen, the director of Croatian Post’s Corporate Communications Office.

Working on Saturdays is not the only novel service introduction from Croatian Post when it comes to delivering packages. The country's postal service has also started testing the "package machine" which will greatly facilitate the lives of all customers, users and suppliers by making things easier.

Otherwise, this sort of new Croatian Post service is far from now, and it has proven to be a hit in several countries, especially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic when everything has slowed down and become somewhat problematic for both customers and those dealing with post.

For more on Croatian companies, make sure to follow our dedicated business section.

April 13, 2021 - Not only did he score 33 points for Utah on Monday, but Bojan Bogdanović became the first Croatian NBA player to hit 1000 career 3-pointers!

Although Croatia national team player Bojan Bogdanović achieved his best performance this season with 33 points, his Utah Jazz, which boasts the best ratio of victories and defeats in the NBA league, surprisingly lost at home to the Washington Wizards (121-125), thus breaking a series of 24 consecutive home wins. 

The Jazz was 13 points behind in the middle of the last quarter, only to get closer to -2 (119-121) at the last minute, but they failed to complete the comeback.

The most efficient at home was Donovan Mitchell with 42 points, while the Wizards were led by Bradley Beal with 34 points and Russell Westbrook with 25 goals and 14 rebounds and assists.

????? getting his ??????? #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/ZcjdLu1gwB

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 13, 2021

With this defeat, Utah's ratio dropped to 40-14, while Washington is in 12th place in the East (20-33).

Bogdanović spent 35:36 minutes on the court with 4-9 field goals, 6-9 three-pointers, and 7-8 from the free-throw line with five rebounds and one assist. However, by scoring six three-pointers, he exceeded 1000 in his NBA career and has recorded 1002 in total!

Bogdanović became the first Croat and only the 127th player with that jubilee in NBA history since the introduction of threes 42 years ago. Babo has been a Croatian record holder for a long time since he skipped Toni Kukoč, who ended his NBA career with 731 three-pointers.

@44Bojan last night:
33 PTS
6-10 3PT
??He became first Croatian player in @NBA history to hit 1000 career three pointers (1002 total). Only 126 players before him reached that number. Just a kid from Mostar, standing shoulder to shoulder with one of the best NBA shooters! ? pic.twitter.com/ChVrlRaNSL

— Andrija Cmrečnjak (@ZiziPecina) April 13, 2021

Bogdanović reached this jubilee in the 516th NBA game. By comparison, Sacramento defender Buddy Hield recently scored his 1000th three-pointer in his 350th appearance, breaking Stephen Curry's record of 369 appearances.

Bojan currently needs 80 points to enter the top 100 three-pointers of all time. Tracy McGrady is currently in the 100th position. There are ten more active players between McGrady and Bogdanović, meaning he will probably need to exceed 1100 three-pointers to break into the Top 100.

At the pace of 2.4 three-pointers per game, which is how many he is averaging this season, he would need about forty more appearances to reach that venture before the end of the year, depending on the start date of next season.

At the very top is still Ray Allen with 2973 threes, but he is dangerously close to Stephen Curry, who scored ten in last night's historic game and is now at 2719 in his career.

The Utah defeat was used by the Phoenix Suns, who, with a sure 126-120 victory against the weak Houston Rockets this season, are only one and a half games behind. Croatia national team player Dario Šarić added nine points to his team's new victory (1-5 field goals, 2-3 three-pointers,1-2 free throws) with five rebounds and one steal 17:51 minutes spent on the court. 

The best in Phoenix's ranks was Jae Crowder with 26 and Devin Booker with 24 points, while Christian Wood was the best for Houston with 25 points and 15 rebounds.

Luka Šamanić also got a chance in the San Antonio Spurs away victory to Orlando Magic (120-97), scoring seven points in 7:45 minutes spent in the game (2-3 field goals, 1-1 three-pointers, 0- 1free throws). DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 19 points, while R.J. Hampton with 16 points was the most efficient for the Magic.

With this victory, San Antonio reached a 50/50 performance with a 26-26 ratio and is ninth in the West, while Orlando, with 17-37, is the penultimate 14th in the East.

The New York Knicks as hosts defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (111-96), who are still without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Former Lakers player Julius Randle scored 34 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, while Dennis Schroeder was the most efficient for the Lakers with 21 points. 

The Knicks are now eighth in the East with a 28-27 ratio, while the Lakers are fifth in the West with a 33-21 ratio.

The Philadelphia 76ers returned to the top of the East with an away win against the Dallas Mavericks (113-95). Joel Embiid was excellent for the Sixers with 36 points, while Luka Dončić's 32 points were not enough for the Mavs.

Philadelphia is now 37-17, one win less and one game less than the Brooklyn Nets in second, who have postponed their Minnesota match against the Timberwolves due to the riots in Minneapolis, while Dallas is seventh in the West with 29-24.

Stephen Curry had a great evening, scoring 53 points in the 116-107 Golden State Warriors victory against the Denver Nuggets and became the best Warriors scorer in history, overtaking Wilt Chamberlain. Nikola Jokić's 27 points did not help the Nuggets. 

Golden State is now 26-28 and holds 10th place in the West, while Denver is 4th in the West with 34-20.

Source: HRT

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

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

 from April 13, 2021 - The 10 winners of the innovative Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence (DNiR) competition have been announced. Meet them one by one. Next up, Marlee McCormick.

The DNiR programme, which has been designed by Saltwater Nomads, in partnership with Total Croatia News, the CIty of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (and financed by the latter two), is an innovative direction for the Pearl of the Adriatic, as it looks to diversify its tourism strategy away from overtourism and in the wake of the pandemic. 

So how do we get older, higher-spending American (and other) digital nomads to explore Dubrovnik? The first thing we need to do is find out their needs, what Dubrovnik has to offer, and what Dubrovnik needs to work on. And who better than a lively Texan with her own award-winning radio show, working from a home studio?

Marlee McCormick - 20+ years award-winning Radio Chick, 4 generation Texan of Scottish ancestry, member of the Daughters of the American Revolution ( the Scottish ancestor that first arrived in America in 1768, served in the Continental Army in North Carolina), proud University of Texas Longhorn, and true Virgo by nature.  My personal motto "Life's too short not to be happy".

1. You are a DN-i-R winner. Congratulations! How do you feel?

First of all, let me say Hvala lijepa for sponsoring this opportunity to live and work in Dubrovnik.  Is it a cliche to say it's a dream come true?  It might be, but it's the truth!  Since becoming empty-nesters a few years ago, my husband Jeff and I have taken advantage of a freer lifestyle.  With all the kids grown and out of college, we found we had more time and money, so we took up traveling.  We decided that it was better to see the world while we were still physically able to walk several flights of stairs or hike/walk several miles a day.  

On one of our trips, we started to imagine what it would be like if we could actually live in another country and truly experience a different culture as a local.  A desire we've had for "some day" and now thanks to DN-i-R that day is here!  We are so thrilled to get this sneak peak at an amazing opportunity to actually live in Dubrovnik.  During the pandemic, we learned that with good WIFI, we could honestly work from anywhere in the world.  I'm really excited about the fact that due to the time difference, I'll broadcast my morning radio show from 1p - 5p in Dubrovnik, instead of having to get up at 4am in Dallas.  Talk about improving your quality of life!

2. How did you hear about the competition, and why did you decide to apply?

When restrictions started to ease last year, Jeff and I decided if we stayed smart about it, we could travel safely during the pandemic.  But where to go, who will take Americans?  One location kept coming up as our best opportunity - Croatia.  We knew nothing about the country or what to expect.  After a little research, we put together a trip to Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, ending in Zagreb.  We fell in love the minute we landed in Dubrovnik!  Dinner our first night was at Restaurant 360 on the wall of the old city, between the view and the food, I was hooked!  The next day - yes I admit we took a Game of Thrones tour because we're fans - we had a lovely guide, Marina who told us about Croatia's plan to work toward a digital nomad visa.  She sent me a link to Total Croatia News as a resource for the future and I became an email subscriber.  TCN is really a wonderful source for information about Croatia, so that's how I already knew about the publication when I saw you were a sponsor of the contest.  

I also have to give a big thanks to a travel website - Travel Off Path.  I joined their Facebook group and also subscribe to their weekly emails.  Through Travel Off Path, I found out about Saltwater Nomads and the Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads Conference last October.  I signed on to the virtual conference and watched several of the speakers.  There was a lot of great information on how I could make it work to be a digital nomad.  When the announcement came about the Digital Nomad in Residence competition we jumped at the chance!

3. Which particular skills and ideas will you be bringing to the party?

As a member of the media, I hope to help the program develop effective ways to reach the public about the future and opportunities of being a digital nomad.  I think the pandemic taught us all that life is precious and we shouldn't waste it stuck in a conventional work situation.  I feel I can bring that first-hand experience to the group. I started broadcasting from my home last July.  Took my show on the road during the pandemic, broadcasting a week from Dublin, Ireland and also in Cancun, Mexico.  I found out it can work and I can share that insight.  Since I speak for a living, so communication is also a skill I can bring to the progam.  I've acted as an emcee for various charity events both inside and outside of work.  I have a lot of experience in social service organizations as a member or leader of committees, meaning I know how to facilitate a meeting.       

Many companies have found that their employees are happier working from home - or even a beach if the infrastructure is there.  My husband Jeff is a prime example.  He's a digital content, web and social media manager for a Dallas news format radio station.  When his office first closed in March 2020, he was not happy about working from home, but here we are a year later and now he absolutely prefers it.  He's more relaxed, his blood pressure has gone down and if there's breaking news, he can quickly jump online and take care of it instead of having to go to the station's newsroom. 

4. What are you most looking forward to about DNIR?

So many things, even little things like learning how to shop for groceries and how to cook in a foreign country, how to get around without a car.  Mainly living as a local and becoming immersed in another culture's way of doing things.  This will be our first real experience living as digital nomads, so I think I'm most looking forward to getting to stay in one city for more than just a few days.  The group you put together for the DN-i-R program is so diverse with great individual stories and experiences.  I'm really looking forward to sharing those experiences and getting their different perspectives on the digital nomad lifestyle and of course their advice on what works and what doesn't.  I would be lying if I didn't add that I'm selfishly looking forward to 3 things - living by the water, which is my ultimate goal in life, going back to Gianni's in the old city for some of their lavender honey ice cream, and having a sunset cocktail at the famous Buza Bar - something we never got the chance to do on our trip last September.  It's time to go through that hole in the wall. 

5. Let's get you involved in the Dubrovnik community. Who or what would you like to connect with?

For me, I would love to meet other members of the media.  I think in Europe the on-air personalities are called Presenters, it would be fun to meet some broadcast colleagues or even tour a local radio station.  Outside of work, I think I would like to help out with the street cats of Dubrovnik.  I loved seeing them happily roam all over the city and I understand the residents take care of them.  I'm a cat lover and would be interested in volunteering if there's an organization that helps out.

Here is Marlee's application video:

You can learn more about the programme here. 

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

The winner announcement video:

Other winners featured so far:

Albert Cañigueral in Barcelona

Ron Tardiff from USA in Budapest

Kelsey Kay Love from Texas in L.A.

April 13, 2021 - The new Rimac Automobili campus was presented on Monday, set to open in 2023. 

Index.hr reports that the manufacturer of electric hypercars and propulsion systems for electric cars, Rimac Automobili, presented the project of its new technologically advanced headquarters, which includes a test track, accommodation facilities, and a museum.

According to the statement, Rimac Automobili was created with a vision of creating exciting electric cars and propulsion systems for electric vehicles. In just ten years, they have grown from a garage project to a company that already employs 1,000 people. Today, the company develops and manufactures its own cars and technology and electric drive systems for many global car manufacturers. Today, it is one of the prominent companies on the rise in the automotive industry, transitioning to the electric future.

In line with its status as a strategic partner to large companies such as Hyundai, Kia, and Porsche, Rimac wants to gather all its employees and functions in one unique location. The striking complex, designed by the famous Croatian architectural office 3LHD, will embody all Rimac values. The new complex will be a base for research, development, and production. It will enable the company to grow from the production of prototypes and projects in small series to large-scale production of high-performance electric powertrains and battery systems for many global automotive companies.

The new location, based on the idea of creating the best possible working environment for employees from all over the world, is located just a few kilometers from the current headquarters of Rimac Automobili and is located on a plot of 200,000 m2. In comparison, the built area will reach about 100,000 m2. It is expected to be completed by 2023. The look and impression left by the new complex are the results of long deliberation. Mate Rimac wanted the new headquarters of his company to embody the character of the brand and the character of the employees. The spaces are designed to be friendly, open, and warm, with added elements of entertainment. Simultaneously, in line with the company’s status as a technology leader, they will be modern, illuminated, and inspired by the natural environment.

Unlike most automotive industry locations, where high fences and levels of secrecy are set up, the Rimac Campus will be open to the public, and the interaction of visitors, guests, the curious, and employees are desirable and welcome.

Speaking about the exciting plans, the CEO and founder of the company, Mate Rimac, said: "Only 10 years ago Rimac Automobili was one man in a garage. Since then, we have grown to about 1000 employees, entered into strategic partnerships with Porsche, Hyundai Motor Group, and other important partners. We work with the biggest names in the automotive industry. But what we have remained committed to is the development of our business in Croatia. We are proud to have stayed here and that this new location will become our long-term home."

"With the rapid growth came problems with space, which we 'patched' with many improvisations, so we ended up in more than 10 buildings in 6 cities in Croatia. The working environment and cooperation of teams are essential to us, so we decided to make a big step and build our long-term home - Rimac Campus. We want to create a space that best reflects our brand and our ambitions. We work with leading world architects to build a campus that fits into Croatia's natural beauty while uniting every aspect of Rimac Automobili. The project will create the best possible working environment for our employees and enable visitors and the general public to enjoy the space and socialize with Rimac Automobili employees. The campus will also contain some unexpected elements, such as an animal shelter, a hairdresser, a veterinary clinic, and growing our own food. Still, we have never been conventional, so the campus reflects our approach, which is different from most. The campus is our springboard for planned growth for the next decade and beyond, as it strengthens us as hypercar manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers of electric drive components and vehicle systems to major automakers.”

3LHD has already designed several significant Croatian and international projects, including the Grand Park Hotel and Hotel Lone in Rovinj and the Hotel LN Garden in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. Using their rich experience in creating spectacular buildings and complexes, often integrating spaces with nature, the architects drew inspiration for the campus's design from several sources, including the shape and movement of Rimac's hypercar - C_Two, as well as speed, described from Rimac Automobili.

Thus, the main building's design focuses on how the four key groups will enter and move around the site. For example, employees will naturally strive to get to their jobs as quickly as possible. At the same time, at the other end, visitors are likely to want to soak up the experience as long as possible and stay in impressive common indoor and outdoor spaces.

Of course, in line with the brand’s focus on striking design, innovation, and sustainability, the new complex will feature many smart and unique features. Among them are the "urban swamp" and meadows and the garden on the roof of the restaurant. An additional element of the complex will be accommodation facilities. Instead of a classic hotel to accommodate visitors and new employees, a series of individual “capsules” are envisaged that will blend in with the forest environment.

Given the brand’s commitment and passion for automotive projects, the site will also have many facilities that will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the full experience of exciting cars and Rimac Automobiles. Among other things, customers will be able to view and choose their Rimac car's specifications in a special configuration room, and there will also be a museum and bar. As part of the tour of the site, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the production. Given the scope of Rimac's work for other automotive companies, several rooms are also planned for customer projects, which will be available only to employees working on a particular project.

One of the key values ​​of Rimac is the well-being and education of employees. That is why a playroom, a gym and a sports center, a restaurant, and even a kindergarten with a meadow with domestic animals are planned. In line with the sustainability orientation, on-site organic food production is also envisaged, and an abundance of greenery to enjoy for both employees and visitors. Satisfying the company's desire for multi-purpose and adaptable spaces, the site will also have an auditorium, conference hall, and training rooms. Given the company's rapid growth, the location is designed so that it can expand over time while still merging with its natural environment.

In the long run, the new location will accommodate more than 2,500 employees, which exceeds the current number of employees by more than 100%. Therefore, the site is divided into two different areas. The first is the company's headquarters building, where the main functions, management, research, and development will be located. The offices of Greyp, an electric bicycle company, were also founded by Mate Rimac.

This production facility will be connected to the production facility by a large glazed restaurant subtly embedded in the landscape overlooking both sides of the campus. At one end, there will be retail space and a nursery. On the other side, there will be a reception and a museum. Opposite them will be production and test facilities, which include design and prototyping. At the back, there will be an entrance to the heart of the site, a production plant with machining, composite production, paint shop, production of batteries and electric drive parts, vehicle assembly, and a quality control laboratory.

The new campus's size and ambitions are huge, which makes it one of the largest buildings of its kind in Europe, not only in the automotive industry. The planned financial investments in the project exceed 200 million euros. Construction on the new location is expected to begin by the end of the year, and completion is planned for 2023.

You can read more about the new Rimac Automobili campus HERE.

To read more about business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 13, 2021 - As the largest long-term user of MZLZ services with more than a 50 percent share of its annual passenger traffic, Croatia Airlines is looking for the same terms as the new competitor, Ryanair. A look at the Ryanair agreement at Zagreb Airport and why Croatia Airlines wants in.

Following the announcement of the Ryanair base opening at Zagreb Airport (MZLZ), Croatia Airlines, as the largest user of MZLZ services, has asked its partner to harmonize the agreed terms of service with the terms offered to Ryanair, reports HRTurizam.

After Zagreb International Airport and Ryanair announced the opening of the Irish airline base in Zagreb on March 30, Croatia Airlines, as the largest long-term user of MZLZ services with more than a 50 percent share of its annual passenger traffic, asks its partners to align the agreed terms of airport services with better commercial terms than those obtained by a new competitor in Zagreb, Ryanair.

"Passengers and the Croatian public have the right to competitive prices and complete and objective information. It is inadmissible for the national airline to finance the entry of new competitors on the Croatian market," emphasize Croatia Airlines and point out that they expect that better conditions for Croatia Airlines will be agreed upon in upcoming meetings.

A large number of strong competitors is a market reality that Croatia Airlines (CA) has been facing in its operations since its establishment, and there is really nothing controversial in that, CA said in a statement but pointed out that it is unacceptable for a national airline to finance new entrants.

“Specifically, under the terms offered to Ryanair, the national airline Croatia Airlines would pay HRK 135,384,105 less than the amounts actually paid in 2019, which would mean that the company, instead of the reported net loss of around HRK 80 million, would report a net profit of more than HRK 55 million that year," CA said, adding that the terms offered to Ryanair are in line with information from the MZL Zagreb website, which includes the recently published Growth Incentive Model, which was a prerequisite for the arrival of Ryanair.

Namely, the mentioned Traffic Growth Incentive Model explicitly states that the existing routes are defined (according to the IATA code) in Appendix A of this document. All other routes that are not listed in that appendix are considered non-existent.

“It is interesting to note that the IATA codes mentioned refer to airports and not to locations, i.e., regions and cities in which they are located, thus camouflaging the intention of MZLZ to install new carriers on the same markets without hindrance, which directly benefits from more favorable conditions. Therefore, the incentive model camouflages Ryanair's announced traffic to destinations to which Croatia Airlines (and other carriers) also fly," CA said.

As the MZLZ offer has not yet been received despite the urgent reaction of Croatia Airlines and the meeting, Croatia Airlines is aware of the existing legislation and warns the Croatian public of distorting equal market competition and potentially harmful effects due to obvious interests.

For effective market competition among entrepreneurs in certain markets, it is necessary to ensure equal access to and survival in the market, which is achieved through domestic and international legislation, especially at the European Union level. The relevant market, in this case, is the cities and regions, routes, and destinations to be flown, which are part of Ryanair's announcement: Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Paris and Rome, Milan, Munich, and Oslo). Croatia Airlines has independently developed and invested in all of the above markets for years and in some for decades.

“We appreciate the efforts of MZLZ to ensure new turnover, but only based on impartiality, the same regulated conditions for all companies and without benefits. At the same time, we expect that MZLZ will meet Croatia Airlines' needs in the same way and that the conditions will be harmonized with those achieved by Ryanair, taking into account the number of routes and transported passengers. Failure to approve the same, or even greater discounts to Croatia Airlines about the amount of traffic and the number of destinations, endangers equal competition and knowingly inflicts direct damage on the national airline that is majority-owned by the Republic of Croatia," point out Croatia Airlines, adding that according to available information, and given that Croatia Airlines in 2020 achieved a market share in the total turnover of MZLZ of 62 percent of transported passengers, Croatia Airlines does not consider it necessary to finance its competition and expects to reach an agreement as soon as possible with MZLZ on better commercial conditions, to provide the Croatian public and its passengers with what they rightly expect.

CA also points out that during the entire pandemic, it did not interrupt traffic at any time, unlike all other airlines that disappeared from the Croatian market in extraordinary circumstances (March 2020). After operating only one flight per day from the beginning of April to the beginning of May 2020 (Zagreb - Frankfurt - Zagreb), the national airline invested in the gradual renewal of traffic by increasing the number of destinations and frequencies following market demand.

In the end, Croatia Airlines reminds that from 2016-2019; they opened ten completely new destinations from Zagreb (St. Petersburg, Lisbon, Bucharest, Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, Dublin, Prague, Milan, Mostar), for which they received a total of HRK 1,459,521 in incentives from MZL Zagreb. For twelve routes, of which most are not new, Ryanair annually received 30 times the incentives.

Also, Ryanair announced the opening of its base in Zagreb with only two aircraft. Simultaneously, the national airline owns 6 to 7 times more, or 12 to 14 based aircraft that have been flying successfully for decades, adhering to the highest safety and professional standards, concluded CA. 

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

ZAGREB, 12 April, 2021 - Nautical tourism ports generated a total revenue of HRK 812 million in 2020, which was 11.6% less than in the record year 2019, and most of that revenue or 73.3% refers to berth rental, the State Bureau of Statistics (DZS) reported on Monday.

Revenue from berth rental in 2020 amounted to HRK 598 million, which is a decrease of 8.2% on the year.

Statistics indicate that revenue decreased in all Adriatic counties, with the biggest decrease of 23.3% on the year recorded in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. This was followed by Split-Dalmatia County (-17.4%), Istria County (-15%), Šibenik-Knin County (-11%), Zadar County (-6.4%) and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (-2.6%).

The statistics relate to 185 nautical tourism ports with 18,625 berths. There was a slight increase in permanent berths of 0.4% y-o-y with 14,312 vessels being permanently berthed in Croatia as at 31 December 2020.

The majority of vessels permanently berthed sail under the Croatian flag (44.1%) followed by Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Italy, with an increase of vessels under the German and Slovenian flags of 3% and 1.7% respectively compared to 2019.

DZS underscored that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a fall in the number of vessels in transit y-o-y. Last year there were 121,536 vessels in transit or 40.7% less than in 2019.

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

ZAGREB, 12 April, 2021 - Croatia and 12 other EU countries have agreed on criteria for a so-called green passport which is expected to facilitate the movement of tourists during the current time of pandemic, it was said in Vienna on Monday.

It is our goal to soon enable the use of a possibly single green passport at the EU level, Austrian Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger told the Austrian news agency APA.

The minister noted that this was a matter of survival for European tourism.

Croatia, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain in late March agreed on seven criteria for issuing a green passport, which is expected to become a reality by early June at the latest.

The green passport contains a QR code with information on whether its holder has been vaccinated, tested or has recovered from coronavirus. It enables simple and practical application in the EU, from check-ins at airports to visits to village pubs, Köstinger said.

She stressed that one definitely wants to prevent this type of document from being treated as a way to make someone get vaccinated.

Sensitive medical information on the holder of the green passport would stay in the country of origin and would not be stored centrally at EU level.

Another goal is harmonising the application of the green passport with third countries.

The list of criteria for green passports has been submitted for control to the European Commission, which is expected to decide on their application in the coming days.

For more on coronavirus in Croatia, including travel, border and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of testing centres across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section.