PHOTOS: Lily Allen And Lepa Brena Arrive In Croatia
August 20, 2020 – Croatian coast a hit in August 2020 with international pop stars including Lepa Brena and Lily Allen
Croatia's coast has once again proved an irresistible draw to holidaying celebrities. The latest famous arrivals include regional pop megastar Lepa Brena and hit British singer Lily Allen.
Both Lepa Brena and Lily Allen have taken to their social media accounts over recent hours to announce their arrival in the country. Each has posted pictures of their vacations on the beautiful, sun-soaked coast of Dalmatia.
Lepa Brena, the revered originator of the massively popular regional pop-folk sound posted pictures from Mljet island, but Lily Allen has already travelled between Lastovo and Vis island. And while photos taken by Brena have been all about the beautiful Croatian scenery, Lily's have been smiling selfies as she thoroughly enjoys a break with her family. Here's how they saw Croatia through their social media on the first days of their visits.
Lepa Brena
Lily Allen
All images sourced from Instagram
Aladrovic: Pensions Will Not Be Cut, Work From Home Should Be Regulated Better
ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - Labour, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy Minister Josip Aladrovic said on Thursday that amendments to the Labour Act need to better regulate work from home, that 18,000 more people are working now than prior to the epidemic, and that pension allowances would certainly not be cut in the autumn.
"We had previously said that we would amend the Labour Act and that we would alter labour legislation. One of the things we need to discuss with our social partners - the unions and employers - is work from home. That needs to be better regulated and better defined. What the autumn may bring in terms of working conditions and whether the scenario from March and April may be repeated is very uncertain," said Aladrovic.
He added that regarding the latest situation all options were open and that talks with social partners were necessary in that regard.
"The unions have announced that they wish to go more towards a national collective agreement while we consider that the Labour Act needs to be amended because there are several topics that need to be discussed, not just work from home," he added.
"If goodwill exists for an agreement and if our starting and ending positions are close, I think we can quickly resolve this issue. This doesn't only relate to work from home but to closed and open-ended contracts and additional and supplementary work," said Aladrovic.
So far 199 beneficiaries and 72 carers infected in aged care facilities
Asked about the announcement of "heavy" autumn and whether citizens need to be concerned about their jobs, wages, and pensions, Aladrovic said that pensions are "secure and stable."
"We've said before that that is the last line of defence... I'm certain that pensions will not be reduced or altered. As far as wages are concerned, trends indicate that over the past two, three months, they have been growing. At first, they fell but now they are growing. There are 18,000 people more employed now than before the start of the coronavirus crisis and I think that we will manage to hold out in the autumn," he said and added that the government had managed to save jobs but also that there was a recovery plan foreseen, and European and national funds.
He also commented on some countries putting Croatia on their lists of high coronavirus risk countries.
"I would say that it is partially due to political reasons but unfortunately also because the number of infections has been growing for several days. We have shown so far that we can handle the crisis economy-wise and I am certain that we can do that again in the months to come," he added.
Aladrovic presented the results of measures implemented in cooperation with the Croatian Institute of Public Health and the health ministry to protect the elderly population from the coronavirus, above all in aged care facilities, saying that 12 recommendations and decisions had been prepared.
"About 26,000 beneficiaries are residing in more than 868 facilities and so far 199 cases of the infection among beneficiaries have been identified and 72 among carers. Unfortunately, 46 beneficiaries have died. Since the start of the second wave in June, eight beneficiaries have died. These are acceptable data. The thing that we will do in the coming period is to raise awareness among the elderly and strengthen the ministry's crisis management team," he said.
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FM Expects Favourable Response From Countries Considering New Measures
ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Thursday that he today expected a positive response from certain countries that had been considering introducing new measures for Croatia and that Germany could keep the existing regulations for Croatia, with some modifications.
"Yesterday I spoke with a colleague from Germany, and I think we can be sure that in line with the recommendation by their Robert Koch Institute (of public health) that country will keep the existing regulations for Croatia, with some modifications and probably recommendations for some regions in Croatia that they should not be visited because of (coronavirus) hotspots, but Germany remains loyal as a traditional market from which tourists come here," Grlic Radman said.
He underscored that he hoped that countries that were now considering new measures for Croatia, without saying which ones, would make a positive response and that "our great effort will bear fruit and that we will still have tourists in the country by the end of August, and even in September and October."
Underscoring that they have been aware since the start and the reopening of borders that some foreign markets will introduce measures for Croatia, Minister Grlic Radman noted that timely and interministerial action and measures in Croatia were what made tourist results possible.
"In diplomatic contacts, we have been pointing out the fact that cases of the infection were not spread out evenly across the entire country, and we were making sure that in case new measures were introduced for Croatia, the regional aspect of the spread of the infection would be taken into account and measures for the entire country would be avoided," Minister Grlic Radman said, adding they are advocating exchange of information and experience regarding measures that apply to the return of citizens to their homeland from other countries at the EU level.
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Croatia Reports Daily New Coronavirus Case High For Two Days In A Row
ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - There have been 255 new cases of the coronavirus infection in Croatia in the last 24 hours, and there are now 1,689 active cases, the national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Thursday.
Of those active cases, 127 are receiving hospital treatment, including 13 placed on ventilators.
In the last 24 hours, 2,397 people have been tested and since the outbreak of the infection on 25 February, 144,521 tests have been performed.
To date, 7329 people have caught the virus, and of them, 5,472 have fully recovered, while 168 have died.
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Rab Film Festival Audience Will Watch From The Sea
August 20, 2020 – After some audience members last year successfully saw films from boats, more attendees will be invited to watch from the waves at this weekend's Rab Film Festival
Visitors to this weekend's Rab Film Festival will have an experience as close to seafaring as it is to cinema-going. In response to epidemiological guidelines, the festival has had to think creatively about seating arrangements. And, they've decided to place over half the audience on boats.
“We rented two boats with a usual capacity of 150 people from which people can watch the films,” Rab Film Festival organiser Robert Tomić Zuber tells TCN. “Under epidemiological guidelines, we should be able to seat between 80 – 100 people across those.”
“A lot of people from Rab already have their own boat, so we invited all of them - and visitors who are here with boats - to come and watch the films for free from their own. We figured it was the safest way to approach the screenings this year.”
Some of the 2019 audience watched from boats. This year there will be even more. © Rab Film Festival
At 2019's Rab Film Festival, audience members were seated on a long pier, stretching out into the sea, flanked by a number of small boats. The screen faced out towards the open waters (main picture). “Last year we had about 200 people seated there,” says Robert. “This year it will be about 70.”
The 2020 Rab Film Festival begins at 8pm on Saturday 22 August and will this year showcase two movies. 'Current Sea' is a tense ecological documentary looking at the overfishing of Cambodian waters by intruding Vietnamese fishermen. “It's a documentary thriller, filmed by American director Christopher Smith,” Robert tells us. “The film was not premiered internationally until now. This is the first screening outside the US.”
The second film, 'Mater' by Croatian director Jure Pavlović, is described by Robert as something of a “little blockbuster here in Croatia.” A Dalmatian drama with lots of humour, the film had its world premiere at the prestigious Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival at the end of last year and was named best film from the region at the Belgrade FEST.
Zagreb the Outdoor Stage: Adapting Tourism in the Corona Era
August 21, 2020 - No destination in Croatia has adapted its tourism in the corona era as well as the Croatian capital. Meet Zagreb the Outdoor Stage.
All the world's a stage, wrote Shakespeare. And that is certainly true of Zagreb.
This has without question been the most challenging year for tourism globally. Record drops in tourism traffic with the accompanying loss of income, social distancing, the cancelling of most events, the silent but omnipresent threat of COVID-19.
Such uncertainty is hard to cope with, and many destinations had little more of a strategy of hoping that things would be alright, and that the bright blue skies and warm sunshine would keep the virus at bay.
(Zagreb Tourist Board - J. Duval)
But there has been one destination which has consistently taken the lead with an innovative approach to deal with the unfolding new realities - the capital Zagreb.
Until recently, Zagreb was not really even considered to be a major tourist destination - Croatian tourism was all about the coast after all.
And then something changed, and suddenly Zagreb became a very cool destination. So cool, in fact, that Lonely Planet named it its Best Destination in Europe in 2017.
But it was the spectacular rise of Advent in Zagreb - voted Best Christmas Market in Europe for three successive years - that really took the Zagreb tourism story around the globe. A spectacular affair, lighting up its central parks and main square, until Advent expanded slowly year on year to cover more and more nooks and crannies of the centre and upper old town.
It was a first-class display of Zagreb, the Outdoor Stage. The temperatures may not have been for the ardent t-shirt weather, but tens of thousands of tourists poured into the city to enjoy the concerts, exhibitions, ice skating, mulled wine and seasonal cheer. It was a perfect advertisement of one of the lesser - until recently - advertised aspects of tourism in the capital - the Great Outdoors.
During the lockdown, as many destinations settled for a simple message of Stay Home, Travel Later, Zagreb went a lot further with great mini-campaigns such as Zagreb Loves You and From Zagreb Balconies. It seemed that there was hardly a piece of the capital which was not showcased in these two brilliant campaigns.
The best was yet to come, however, with a new initiative in cooperation with the Zagreb County Tourist Board to truly show Zagreb, the Outdoor Stage. A new website, Around Zagreb, instantly gave Zagreb a completely new dimension as a tourist destination - and one which could not have been more timely or relevant.
With a focus on the Great Outdoors, both within the city limits with its endless parks, open spaces, outdoor concerts, and cafe culture, to the equally impressive tourism offer in the close vicinity of the city - nature, hiking, cycling, culture, authentic gourmet experiences, glimpses of the traditional way of life. Here was a healthy and appropriately socially-distance tourism focus away from the crowds which brought Zagreb into the tourist framework from a completely different perspective.
From truffle hunting - long assumed to be the preserve of Istria - to exploring the incredible street art of the city itself, Around Zagreb takes tourists away from the crowds and out into the fresh air, suggesting itineraries for families, culture buffs, romantics and nature lovers.
Zagreb's street art deserves a special mention, for it is a sub-culture genre which has really blossomed in recent years, attracting more and more creative designs all over the city. These include the famous Blue Whale mural, voted one of the top 10 in the world at the Festival d'Art Public in Montreal in 2016. Isn't it beautiful? An expert guided walking tour of the street art of Zagreb is just one outstanding and innovative tour that did not exist a decade ago.
And there are events...
Art project Okolo/Around invites you to a unique artistic stroll ‘around’ Zagreb. From August 20 to 30, "Okolo" will bring life to a number of hidden streets, forgotten aisles and treetops of Zagreb parks using them as canvases for urban art.
This year's event, in cooperation with the Zagreb Tourist Board, focuses on the wounded city, as the Croatian capital rebuilds after the devastating March 22 earthquake, with the goal of creating a more optimistic image of the city. Working with local artists, Okolo conducts a series of urban interventions with the aim of revitalising selected public spaces which congregate the community around positive and inspiring ideas.
September calls you to Zagreb's longest and most famous street to take part in a fantastic 5-year project to involve artists in developing some of the city's derelict spaces in Project Ilica Q'Art:
The Ilica 2018 project (projekt Ilica 2018) is something of a continuation of the process that began nearly two decades ago, which is now making its return, more vital than ever, as a five-year project aimed at actively encouraging the cultural and artistic development of the city of Zagreb by developing a collective vision and corresponding models of participatory management of derelict spaces, involving artists, civil society organizations, educational institutions, trades and residents. The five-year framework is designed to boost the neglected cultural infrastructure through research and practice, based on which we will develop strategic guidelines for further action and establish appropriate models of the sustainable use of today’s empty urban spaces.
(Photo credit - Međunarodni festival umjetničkih zastavica)
There are many more such events taking place all over the city, all through the year. As previously reported on TCN, the centre of Zagreb received an additional dash of colour this month with Flag Art Zagreb.
Tourism is changing around the world, but not all destinations are prepared or able to make that change. Zagreb is one such destination which is not only moving with the times, but actively looking to take the lead in new directions. If you haven't visited the Croatian capital in a while, another visit may well surprise.
For the latest news from Zagreb, check out the dedicated TCN section.
This article was sponsored by the Zagreb Tourist Board
Germany Places 2 Croatian Counties on Its Red List
August 20, 2020 - More quarantine requirements for tourists returning home from Croatia, as Germany becomes the first country to specify individual Croatian counties, rather than the whole country.
Germany has put two Dalmatian counties on its red list. These are the Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin counties, reports Index.hr.
The information was published by the German Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the institution that manages the German response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has put Šibenik-Knin and Split-Dalmatia counties on its list of risk areas due to the increase in the number of people infected with coronavirus. This means that all returnees to Germany who have been to these Croatian counties will have to go for mandatory testing, and until they receive the test results they will have to be in house quarantine. Germany's Health Ministry details the process of returning to Germany from the high-risk areas (which now include the two Croatian counties), explaining that it's possible to avoid the quarantine if you provide proof of having tested negative within 48 hours prior to entry to Germany.
It is likely that now, based on the RKI decision, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a warning to travel to these areas of Croatia. On the other hand, parts of Romania and Luxembourg have been removed from the list of risk areas of the Robert Koch Institute.
If there is one small crumb of comfort for Croatian tourism, this is the first instance where a country has placed quarantine restrictions on parts of Croatia, rather than the whole country. Dubrovnik, whose economy is 80% tourism and which is physically separated from the rest of Croatia by the Neum Corridor in Bosnia and Hercegovina, has a very low infection rate, with the majority of its guests arriving by air. Unlike other countries which have taken Croatia off their safe lifts, Germans can continue to visit the Pearl of the Adriatic, for now at least.
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Average Net Pay In Enterprise Sector Up 4.2% To HRK 5,815
ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - In 2019 the average pay for 969,776 people working for 136,260 businesses in the enterprise sector amounted to HRK 5,815, which is an increase of 4.2% compared to 2018.
An analysis by the Financial Agency (FINA) shows that in three activities with the largest number of employees - construction, wholesale and retail trade, employees received an average pay that was below the national average.
There was nevertheless progress in relation to 2018 because in the commercial sector, where 28,800 businesses employ 195,900 workers, wages grew by 4% from 2018 to HRK 5,596, while in the construction sector, 16,200 businesses employed 96,900 workers and the average wage saw an increase of 2.8% to HRK 5,167.
In the processing industry, 14,900 businesses employed 240,100 workers and their average pay were HRK 5,923, an annual rise of 4.6%.
There were also 12,700 businesses with 78,900 workers in services related to the provision of accommodation and food preparation and serving, and the average pay in that activity was HRK 5,064, 3.3% up from 2018.
Highest pay in mining and quarrying
The average pay was the highest in mining and quarrying, HRK 8,485, 1.8% up from 2018, and 45.9% higher than the national average. A total of 219 businesses with 3,600 workers were active in mining and quarrying.
The lowest net average pay was reported in other service activities and it amounted to HRK 4,394.
(€1 = HRK 7.52)
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PM Says Current Situation Regarding COVID-19 Requires Caution
ZAGREB, Aug 20, 2020 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that the current situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic required a cautious approach to protect the national economy and jobs, and he also called for caution in personal contact, notably among young people.
Addressing a government session, Plenkovic said that in the current situation, marked by a global increase in the number of new infections, including in Croatia, "we must continue to be very alert and cautious in order to protect public health, our economy, and jobs."
He noted that it was good that the new infections in Croatia were cases with mild symptoms.
"Only about 120 people are hospitalised and slightly more than ten are on ventilators. That fact is very important. We must bear in mind the difference between those who have been infected and those who have developed the symptoms," Plenkovic said.
"The new cases lately have been young people and people returning from holidays. That is why I call on all fellow citizens, notably young people, to act responsibly and avoid close contact that can lead to infection," he said.
Plenkovic also said that intensive work would continue on a law on the post-earthquake reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs and that a meeting would be held on the topic this afternoon. At the next government session, before the start of a new, extraordinary parliament sitting, the law will be submitted for a second reading, he said.
Plenkovic recalled that Croatia had received a decision from the European Commission on advance payment in the amount of €88.9 million from the EU Solidarity Fund for the reconstruction of Zagreb, and noted that the competent departments were working to provide accommodation for people whose homes were damaged in the March 22 quake and who are currently staying in Zagreb's Cvjetno Naselje student dormitory.
The PM also announced events commemorating the European day of remembrance for victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on August 23, when he and Transport Minister Oleg Butkovic will visit Goli Otok.
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Musical Evenings Return to Kamicak Fortress in Sinj
August 20, 2020 - Thanks to the rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as a number of diverse cultural events, Sinj and the Cetina region have long been engraved in golden letters on the tourist map of Croatia.
Thanks to the pursuit of sustainable tourism, the coexistence of carefully designed activities that are equally enjoyed by both hosts and guests, events in the Alka city always attract attention and a growing audience. This year, however, in a somewhat reduced form due to the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of such events is the Musical Evenings at the Kamicak Fortress.
Concerts of classical, but also traditional and jazz music are organized at the authentic and unique Kamicak fortress with a beautiful stage under the open sky. Such an approach popularizes these, perhaps somewhat neglected, musical expressions, and where better than in Sinj, a city of rich musical tradition.
The Sinj Tourist Board, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Sinj, has been organizing successful and extremely well-attended concerts for several years. So far, the Academic Accordion Orchestra "Ivan Goran Kovačić", Sara Renar, Jazz swing quintet "Repassage", Wind Quintet "Kalamos", the unique Samobor percussion ensemble "Sudar Percussion", ethno musician Dunja Knebl with the band Kololira and ethno, Nocturnal4 and Ratko Zjača and ZZ Quartet.
This year, there will be an extraordinary program, on August 22, 2020, starting at 20:30 and ending at 23:00, the best of classical music will be presented to Sinj and guests by young Sinj artists gathered in the trio Ventus, and traditional music will be presented by renowned performers gathered in the trio Ex Ponto.
About the musicians:
Trio EX PONTO
A newer chamber ensemble on the Croatian music scene was formed in 2019 with the collaboration of three renowned musicians: Bruno Phillip - clarinet, Mario Igrec - guitar, Ambrozije Puškarić - guitar. They came together with a long-standing desire to perform eastern-influenced music together.
Through travels in different musical modes, the trio nurtures and expands its repertoire with arrangements of authentic melodies. Klezmer music, Croatian traditional music, Romanian music, Turkish traditional music, Macedonian and Greek music, are some of the most represented styles in the performances of the trio Ex Ponto.
TRIO VENTUS
Created in 2018 and operates as an independent project of former students of the Elementary Music School Jakov Gotovac in Sinj. The band consists of Mirna Alfirević piano, Martina Bilić - flute and Mislav Norac - clarinet.
Young academic musicians have won a number of awards at national and international competitions throughout Croatia and abroad. Their love for music and making music together has made them a serious band that includes in their repertoire works of various stylistic periods - from classical and romanticism to contemporary music. In addition to the repertoire of foreign composers, the trio pays special attention to performing works by Croatian composers.
The concert will take place with the implementation of the recommended measures of the Civil Protection Headquarters and the NZJZ.
Admission is free, but due to the situation with COVID -19 disease is limited to preserve the health of all visitors.
