November 29, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Korean Air cancels Seoul-Zagreb in 2021.

Ex Yu Aviation reports that there will be nothing of Korean Air’s Seoul-Zagreb service next year, as the sale of tickets on the seasonal line have been discontinued. The Korean national airline had announced prior that they would resume flights on this line on March 30, 2021, which would run three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This service was scheduled to be in operation until October 30, 2021, and was to use Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

The service was to offer 50.034 seats and 93 (one-way) flights next year.

The Seoul-Zagreb service did not work this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has particularly affected Korean Air since the virus ripped through Asia in January. 

Due to its hardships, at the beginning of November, Korean Air revealed it is planning to merge with competitor Asiana Airlines in a deal worth $1.6 billion. 

“The new integrated Korean flag carrier will rise to one of the top ten most competitive players in the global aviation industry, laying the groundwork to cope with the coronavirus crisis with efficiency and to leap forward in the post-pandemic era”, the airline said of the merger which should take two years. 

Korean Air initially launched the year-round service between the two capitals back in September 2018, worked as a  triangle routing from Seoul - Zagreb - Zurich - Seoul in the 2018/19 winter season, and became seasonal in 2019. Because Korean Air handled 43, 123 passengers between the two cities in 2019, the airline had plans to increase its summer capacity this year from the Airbus A330 to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

But not all hope is lost. Korean Air is offering alternatives from Seoul to Zagreb from other European cities, like Frankfurt, Paris, and Zurich. 

Low-cost carrier T’Way Air also announced plans to operate flights to Croatia when conditions are met. They have so far received the necessary permits from the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to operate up to four flights a week to Croatia. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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November 29, 2020 - Because who doesn't want to say I do in Dubrovnik? A look at why the Adriatic Pearl is an ideal wedding destination.

HRTurizam reports that within the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the Dubrovnik County Chamber, a professional group of wedding organizers has been established, which will bring together agencies that organize weddings from the wider Dubrovnik area. The idea is to gather the organizers themselves, but also related activities, into one marketing story to brand Dubrovnik as an ideal destination for weddings.

"This is an industry that entails a lot of other activities, such as suppliers of various equipment, catering, musicians, florists. From a marketing perspective, this is a unique opportunity to position Dubrovnik among different groups of people as a destination for weddings, but also in general. Weddings by their nature bring together a heterogeneous group of people, of different ages and interests in one place, and the arrival of such a group creates a unique opportunity to present the city and its offer if they decide to return in a private arrangement," said the president of the Professional Group Ines Nanić from the company Dubrovnik events.

The newly established Expert Group emphasizes that weddings in destinations have a multiplier effect on the entire economy. An average of 70 to 150 participants travel to a destination for a couple of newlyweds.

"Their promotion of the destination through pictures and posts on social networks is something that can hardly be achieved through commercial campaigns. Therefore, this story has an extremely large impact on all segments in the provision of tourist services within a destination and is an excellent platform for building the image of the destination," said the Expert Group.

Nanić also reminds us that in these challenging times, the competition is certainly not asleep, preparing its marketing plans and strategies for appearing on the markets, so we must be ready.

“Let’s not forget how big the wedding industry is and how many micro-entrepreneurs have been affected by its drastic decline this year. Hundreds of service providers in our country have lost their jobs. Our mission is to work together with marketing activities to revive our industry in the form of promotion that can only bring us positive results. At a time when everyone is quiet, it is up to us to do our best to make a good word heard about the services and beauties and values ​​that our city offers," concludes Nanić.

To speed up the recovery, joint marketing activities will promote the destination, but also those segments of the offer, i.e., the business sector that is involved in the wedding as a final product. They hope to present to the newlyweds what their story might look like if they say "DA u DU" (“YES in DU”). Since the English version of this slogan is hardly applicable, it may be that the Professional Group is targeting domestic guests and newlyweds from Croatia. The Expert Group invites all interested parties to get involved in the work of the group and present their ideas on how to improve this story and help in the campaign of positioning Dubrovnik as an ideal place for the most important day for the future newlyweds.

Weddings are a well-known tourist product that has been intensively developed by Istria since 2014, with the desire to get guests from the Western European market for weddings, as well as newlyweds from overseas countries. The Istria - wedding destination project has encouraged numerous initiatives aimed at positioning Istria in this domain and has resulted in the creation of a specialized website to further improve and develop this tourist product. Two months ago, Istria also announced that some new cooperation and product development measures had been agreed upon. In Istria, one of the first realized projects was the production of photographs and videos advertising the destination on various platforms. In addition to aerial shots, two stylized shots were organized - in the Brijuni National Park and the Village & Hotel San Canzian. According to the American lifestyle online magazine Brides.com, San Canzian is listed among the TOP 8 world locations where guests can travel virtually in search of their honeymoon.

The Istrian Tourist Board also believes that the development of wedding products can significantly mitigate the seasonality of tourism, strengthen pre-and post-season and consequently increase local community revenues in the off-season while promoting less developed tourist areas and small businesses.

Given the popularity of Dubrovnik in the world, it should not be difficult to sell the idea and story of a romantic wedding in the city where Game of Thrones was filmed. 

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

ZAGREB, November 28, 2020 - Vukovar-Srijem County Public Health Institute head Kata Kresic said on Saturday that based on epidemiological data, the recent increase in the number of new coronavirus infections in the county was not related to the Vukovar Remembrance Procession of November 18.

"The number of new infections has been growing since early November and we think it is primarily connected with family gatherings, including church fetes as well as pig butchering, which is common at this time of year and is usually attended by several families which help one another," Kresic told a news conference in Vinkovci, calling on everyone planning pig butchering to do so within their own family.

The increase in new cases is also due to the introduction of fast antigen testing, and the number of new infections is expected to continue to grow in the coming days, Kresic said.

"What is worrying is the fact that there is a larger number of patients who do not know how they got infected, which indicates horizontal transmission of the virus and a high risk of infection," Kresic said, calling on the residents of Vukovar-Srijem County to comply with epidemiological restrictions and behave responsibly.

Currently, 62 people are hospitalised due to COVID-19 and the number of hospitalisations and releases has been even recently.

An additional facility has been prepared for the admission of patients with milder clinical symptoms as the number of new infections is expected to grow.

A record 226 new infections were confirmed in this eastern county on Saturday, and 1,406 people are self-isolating.

ZAGREB, November 28, 2020 - The Toljanic family from the northern Croatian Adriatic island of Krk has been named the European Large Family of the Year 2020 by the European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC).

The Toljanics were nominated for the title by the Croatian association 3plus Families, which brings together families with three or more children.

The Toljanics, a family with 12 children, are one of the best known large families in Croatia and they are running a successful private wine business with more than 50 employees, the 3plus Families association said.

Katarina Toljanic said they were surprised at being nominated for the title and even more so when they won it, as well as that being recognised meant a lot to the family in the current challenging period of their lives, following her husband Franjo's death in an accident in spring this year.

3plus Families brings together close to 1,000 families with around 6,000 members, parents and their children. Its activities are geared towards contributing to the creation of better living conditions for Croatian families, notably those with three or more children.

ELFAC brings together large families' associations across Europe and it currently represents more than 60 million European citizens or nine million large families.

3plus Families has been a member of ELFAC since its establishment in 2018.

November 28, 2020 - With more than 20 billion shoes produced a year, the footwear industry is having a considerable negative impact on the environment. Two Croatian brothers offer a much more natural and sustainable solution - meet the 97% natural MIRET Forest Dark range of eco sneakers.  

Earlier this year, I was invited to give a TEDX talk in Koprivnica. Among the other speakers were two brothers who I had been planning to catch up with for some time, ever since I had heard them pitch their revolutionary eco-shoe business at a Croatian startup pitch at a diaspora conference last year.  

Croatian speakers can listen to the TEDX presentation of MIRET sneakers by Hrvoje and Domagoj Boljar, a fascinating look - and enterprising solution - at an environmental problem that has been largely overlooked. Shoes. 

Did you know that an astonishing 20 BILLION shoes were produced in 2019? Most are meant to last for a long time. Given that most of the products - oil derivatives, plastic, leather - are hardly biodegradable or good for the environment, the problem is significant. Estimate how many pairs of shoes you have used so far in your life, and there is your 'shoe footprint.'

It is an issue that particularly bothered the younger brother, Hrvoje Boljar, his older brother explained to me. Hrvoje (left, in the photo above) had been working with his brother in the shoe industry for a number of years after inheriting a shoe factory in financial trouble from their father. The family firm was making luxury shoes for some of the world's best names in shoes, and the Boljars were making ends meet with the business. 

"But we are making garbage," said Hrvoje one day to his brother. "Look at the materials that go into shoes. We need to change this, to come up with something less harmful to the environment." And so began a mission - to create a sneaker that was still fashionable, comfortable and long-lasting, but also one which had minimum impact on the environment. 

And so began a journey - a journey which is very much ongoing - to produce a shoe from 100% natural products. As this had never been done before (the Boljars believe they are the first in the world to come out with eco sneakers (the first product dates back to 2016). With no precedent to fall back on, their research to refer to, the brothers took to the road to find natural solutions to some of the core ingredients of sneakers, in order to produce a revolutionary eco version. 

I caught up with Domagoj in Cakovec yesterday, keen to learn more not only about the new MIRET Forest Dark range of eco sneakers, which are made from 97% natural products, but also about the process, plans and company philosophy. 

I made sure I was wearing my burgundy MIRET sneakers to show solidarity. VERY comfortable. 

And so began an education in shoes, which are far more complex things than they appear at first sight. Did I know, for example, that a typical shoe has between 14 and 20 different components, all of which are harmful for the environment? The MIRET plan was to find natural alternatives for as many of these components (ideally all) as possible, and to experiment with them in producing more environmentally-friendly sneakers.

It was a journey completely into the unknown, as this had never been done before. Some experiments worked, others didn't, and there were many other considerations to think about on the road to responsible and sustainable footwear. A fully biodegradable shoe might sound ideal, but it if was to last only a short time and take a lot of resources in production, then that was not the solution. By contrast, shoes currently do last a long time and are as such sustainable on one level. The sweet spot would be somewhere in between - finding natural products with longevity.  

And what stunning success the Boljar brothers have managed so far, replacing most of the 14 essential materials with natural alternatives. Their first big discovery was hemp, and this is now used in all shoes along with cotton, rubber, eucalyptus, cork, corn, wood cellulose, kenaf, flax, corn, New Zealand wool, and jute. 

In all, this amounts to 97% of the shoes in the new Dark Forest collection. This has been achieved with no compromise on comfort, style or long-lasting life.  

For a breakdown in how these materials fit into a standard MIRET sneaker, check out the photo above.  

The journey has been challenging, and while everything is pointing in the right direction, things are not going as quickly as Domagoj would like.  

"Our dream was largely sidelined for some time, as the realities of needing to make a living meant that we could only devote 2-5% of our time to what we loved. Added to that the fact that Croatia is a much harder place to get noticed by investors. I read an article recently about how Croatian companies have found a different model to Silicon Valley. Businesses such as Rimac and Infobip have built up strong businesses and revenue streams and then attracted attention. Actually, they have succeeded in spite of everything, not because of it. With more support and investment, how many more Croatian success stories could we be talking about?"

Rimac came up in one of my questions during the interview, but for a very different reason. The brothers are diversifying from being a sustainable shoe company into a green tech company. Their green tech plans are to share their expertise with other companies, both within and outside the textile industry. They plan to be better known for their know-how, with multiple applications in other industries, while keeping the MIRET shoe brand as a case study and showcase of excellence. 

"A little like Rimac, who has the amazing cars as the showcase, but all the tech and battery stuff as the engine," I concluded aloud to myself. 

"Yes, exactly. And the time for this is now. The landscape is definitely in our favour, with more people looking for greener products. If we were in the States, we could attract major investments, expand and bring down the production prices of the materials, thereby making the products more affordable for all." 

Whether it wants to or not, the shoe industry is following the trend. Everyone is now talking about sustainability, and while not everyone is sincere about this, the customer is king and is driving it. 

And if the customer is looking for a fashionable, natural and sustainable option, the new MIRET Forest Dark eco sneakers, 97% natural goodness, are enticing indeed. And Domagoj was clearly excited to talk about the new range. 

Domagoj explained that this is the first collection that they have actually designed - previous ones have been the result of technical demands. The challenge was to preserve their authenticity while trying to convey their key messages of preserving nature, highlighting biodiversity, and minimising the negative impact on the environment. In order to bring that message home, as well as adding a dash of colour, the new collection celebrates five animals at risk of extinction - the green peafowl, the Nicobar pigeon, the Sumatran orangutan, Parson's chameleon, and the snow leopard. 

A really interesting way to spend an afternoon in Cakovec, and we could certainly have talked for hours had busy schedules not intervened. This is one of the things I love most about my 'job' in Croatia. There are so many fascinating stories to be told, so many enterprising people and ideas, several of which (like this story) should reach a more global market.  

The Boljar brothers have made an impressive start but are yet to crack the global market. After an hour in Domagoj's inspiring company, I predict that this is only a matter of time, especially given the global trend for more sustainable solutions.  

In the meantime, I am sure that they will be scouring the globe for solutions to that elusive 3% to make a show from 100% natural products. It is only a matter of time. 

Learn more about the amazing MIRET project, and if you are an investor with a vision, I am sure the brothers would love to hear from you. You can visit the official website here. 

November 28, 2020 – With her second solo album, ONA, Croatian American musician Thana Alexa Pavelic explores her Croatian heritage. It's just been nominated for a Grammy! Here's an introduction to a singular talent and the sound of her Croatian roots

The songs of Croatian American jazz musician and singer Thana Alexa Pavelic have never sounded more like her life experience. On her second album, 'ONA', we finally hear her Croatian roots colliding with the cool, considered and contemporary world of the New York jazz scene. Legendary for its jazz for over 70 years, the city of New York is full of ambitious musicians chasing the vibe and reputation of its heritage. It can be tough to stand out, to sound original. With 'ONA', Thana Alexa Pavelic has done just that, and earned a Grammy nomination for her efforts.

Published in 2015, Thana Alexa Pavelic's debut album 'Ode To Heroes' was similarly well accomplished. But, it seemed to more reflect her American experience rather than embracing the whole. Born in New York to a father from Zagreb and a mother of Dubrovnik heritage, Thana Alexa Pavelic spent every summer in Croatia and so was hardly uprooted when the family moved back to Croatia when Thana was 13. She returned to America to complete her university studies – music and psychology.

In comparison to 'Ode To Heroes', new album 'ONA' sees Thana Alexa Pavelic replacing her femininity with feminism – the album is inspired by the experiences of Croatian women, most of all her mother and her grandmother. Not just evident in the language of the album title, for the first time in her solo output, on 'ONA' you can hear Croatian language, traditional Croatian music and the Croatian female experience in the songs of Thana Alexa Pavelic.

It is doubtless these Croatian influences that separate Thana Alexa Pavelic from the rest of 2020's jazz hopefuls. They are partially responsible - alongside the superb execution and production of the songs - for the Grammy nomination. It is the first-ever Grammy nomination received by a Croatian musician.

And, rather than simply take from the Croatian experience, 'ONA' also gives back. Thana Alexa Pavelic has dedicated a donation from each sale of the album to Zagreb-based human rights organisation Solidarna and their #spasime campaign (which supports victims of violence). Whether Thana Alexa Pavelic wins the Grammy for Best Vocal Jazz album or not, with 'ONA', she has placed a Croatian voice on the world's music stage in more ways than one. If she is successful, then the award will surely make its way to Croatia at some point, held in the hands of a Transatlantic artist now exploring in music her Croatian heritage. Good luck at the Grammys Thana Alexa!

November 28, 2020 - Learning Croatian is very easy if you have the right teacher. And it doesn't come any easier than Lesson 1 - the Dalmatian Grunt. 

Just over nine years ago, a few weeks after I started the Total Hvar blog which was the founding digital stone of TCN, I was having a coffee with my good friend, Frank John Dubokovich, at the Total Hvar HQ at Cafe Splendid on the main square of Jelsa on the island of Hvar.  

It was November, the square was quiet, and a long Dalmatian winter was ahead of us, somewhat devoid of entertainment. Frankie had his video camera with him for some reason, and I suggested that we record a Croatian language series over the winter, with him as the Croatian language professor, to alleviate some of the boredom. 

An impromptu idea, which we decided to start that very moment, with no planning whatsoever, and with only one rule - there would only be one recording for each lesson. The pressure was on to get it right first time. What happened next was hilarious. 

The first lesson in the series was called The Dalmatian Grunt. Like every other lesson in the series, it was almost totally unplanned but it became an instant YouTube hit, amassing more than 50,000 views all over the world before YouTube removed my channel a few years ago for reasons I am still trying to ascertain. As the camera started rolling, I had no idea even what I was going to ask, but within seconds, a new Internet star was born - Professor Frank John Dubokovich, Guardian of the Hvar Dialects. 

His perfect rendition of the Dalmatian Grunt brought an army of adoring new followers (mostly female for some reason), and many more were attracted by his fantastic teaching methods which made Croatian look incredibly easy to learn. Check out the iconic first lesson above. 

The Professor's fame spread, and it was not long before famous people were flying halfway across the world for the chance to have a 'kava' with The Professor, including then assistant coach of the Australian football national team, Ante Milicic, who even had The Professor's dulcet tones on his morning wake up call, as Ante explained in the video above. 

Ante's adoring fan dash across the globe even made the national media, in an age where I was better known as Tom Bradbury... 

As The Professor's fame spread, especially that iconic Dalmatian Grunt, I was fielding media requests for appearances on national television. And then international television came calling, and The Professor agreed to share his colossal linguistic ability with a British TV reality show visiting Croatia, schooling them in the art of the Dalmatian Grunt. As you can see above, they were excellent students. 

 As luck would have it, the original video recording of The Professor's first lesson was not lost once YouTube deleted the channel, and I found it on the original camera earlier this year. It has just been reuploaded to YouTube once more (see above), so that a new generation can appreciate The Professor's linguisitc genius. 

I am looking forward to the comments again. Last time, there were so many from all over the world in the Croatian diaspora. "This is hilarious and just how my Uncle Branko speaks here in Melbourne, even though he left Hvar 60 years ago."

We will be uploading more of the once-deleted videos to our TCN Talks YouTube channel if you want to subscribe for the latest. 

November 28, 2020 – Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the new epidemiological measures announced yesterday, this year, Rijeka Advent will not host any traditional events that used to follow December and the holiday season.

Whereas new epidemiological measures, among other things, also require a ban on all fairs in the country, all Advent events across the country have been canceled.

Considering that, it is reported from the City of Rijeka that the traditional New Year's Eve on Korzo will not be held this year. Of holiday joy, only fireworks will still light the sky above Rijeka at midnight on December 31. Citizens are invited to watch it from their homes and do not gather in the city in a larger number.

The same about avoiding gatherings applies to Saturday, November 28, 2020, when in the late afternoon, the first Advent candle will be lit on Kobler Square. There will also be holiday lighting in the city, but without any occasional program as in previous years.

Advent on Gradina will also include only the main attraction - 17 km of holiday lights on, and there will be no other common facilities on Gradina. Vedran Babić, the organizer of Advent on Gradina, previously confirmed for Riportal that kilometers of lights will remain on Gradina in order to evoke the holiday atmosphere in this unfortunate time for going out and tourism, but there will be no catering offers at that location.

For the third year in a row, in cooperation with the Cathedral of St. Vida, a life-size wooden crib will be set up on Grivica Square.

This year, the traditional Gastro Fest, a joint gastro event of citizens, the distribution of fish and cod on Korzo will not be held either. Also, there will be no catering or sales/fair New Year's houses on Korzo and the surrounding squares.

To read more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.