Huge Interest in Biokovo Skywalk, Online Tickets to be Introduced Next Year
August 12, 2020 - Since the Biokovo Skywalk opening, Biokovo has become one of the most sought after locations overnight, not only on the Makarska coast but far beyond.
Slobodna Dalmacija reports that this heavenly lookout has ushered Biokovo into the new age tourism industry, where there is no time for an in-depth exploration of the destination; most tourists want to put a "check" on their "must visit" list and capture the experience with a camera.
But is Biokovo ready for this rush of hungry tourists? And, quite frankly, what comes next?
Slavo Jaksa, director of the Public Institution Biokovo Nature Park, comments on the future of Dalmatia's hit attraction.
"The Skywalk is in itself an attraction and an additional product of the nature park that has raised the level of attractiveness of the whole of Biokovo. How much interest has increased, it is difficult to say for now because the year is as it is, and it is not a year to make comparisons," he points out.
"We expected an increase in the number of visitors and increased interest, but I must admit that we were still surprised by the extent of it," adds Jaksa.
The current problem is the crowds on Biokovo, which are created due to the enormous interest, and in the current year, this issue is being solved by limiting the number of vehicles. Namely, only 25 vehicles can enter in an hour, but it happens that tourists return because the queues are too big, or because the closing time of the park is approaching. Thus, long lines are standard.
"It is not so much of a burden because we control it. Namely, we also regulate the issue of road congestion and possible pollution," claims Jaksa, adding that next year they plan to sell tickets online.
"This will reduce congestion and the influx of cars. It would function like at Plitvice Lakes or Krka, and tourists would come at a certain time when they take a ticket and thus significantly reduce the crowds," the director adds.
Is Biokovo endangered in the sense that it is now suddenly visited by a mass of tourists?
"Not yet. We as an institution are here to protect the mountain, and we ensure the protection of nature and monitor, and when this season is over, we will evaluate and see what can be concluded and applied next year. But I always say that Biokovo protects itself only for the simple reason that it is an inaccessible mountain. We do not yet know whether this is just an opening effect or will be a continuous public interest. We will see where improvements are needed and prepare for the next year in which, we hope, tourism will return as it was, which we all want," explains Jaksa.
For the next year, other facilities are planned, along with the already completed lookout point and a new bicycle and hiking trail, visitor center, and children's playground. The project is worth 34 million kuna.
"All this will be completed in 2021 and it is clear that the structure of guests is now changing. We get a wider base, and with Biokovo Skywalk, we see what effect has been achieved, not only for tourism on the Makarska coast, but for the county and Croatia. We have tourists who come from other counties, while so far Biokovo has been visited mainly by guests from the Makarska Riviera," says Jaksa.
The more extensive base also means the need to educate visitors, which the director says they are already doing at the reception itself.
So, what can we expect next year? How will the road handle increasing traffic?
Jaksa emphasizes that they will be significantly relieved by selling tickets online, and as far as the road itself is concerned, he agrees that it is too narrow. Thus, Jaksa warns to drive at your own risk.
In principle, there are plans to rebuild the road, but for now, it is a long shot. There was also talk of shuttle buses, which are actually the best, safest and most environmentally friendly solution, though this was also left for the second budget period. Recall, a public transport system was discussed within the existing project "New Adrion - Promoting the sustainable use of the natural heritage of PP Biokovo".
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Istria Strives to be Top Destination for IT Professionals, Not Just Tourists
August 12, 2020 - Istria has long been known as a top tourist destination. However, companies from the ICT sector operating through the ICT Istria Expert Group and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in Pula decided to further brand the quality of life of their region to attract top professionals and companies.
HRTurizam writes that that is why a Branding Strategy has been developed that promotes Istria as an ideal place to live, work and study. The goal is to create a stimulating business environment in which the competencies of the sector will create significant benefits not only for ICT companies but also for the economy of the entire county.
"The strategy will enable us better visibility and recognizability of our activities aimed at local self-government units, the academic community and the general public, all to popularize ICT in Istria. This sector can be a generator of strategic economic growth in the region, but it needs the support of the local community, not in business because they are top experts in their field, but in removing bureaucratic obstacles and the order of society itself," Dean Verbanac, President of the IT Group of Istria, points out, adding that through the development of the strategy, they have established the key advantages that Istria can offer as an ICT destination, but also identified the problems.
"Specifically, our shortcoming is the lack of professional staff. Joint action is needed to influence the creation of staff that will remain there. And not only that - we want to bring young ICT professionals to Istria," says Verbanac.
The corona crisis has shown the strength of the ICT sector, and now is the right time for the region to impose itself as an attractive destination for digital nomads. This requires the help of the state, i.e., the regulation of such a form of work that will enable experts to work for any world company and enjoy all the benefits of living in the local area.
The fact that innovative ICT companies such as Infobip, Inter Soft Technologies, Infosit are already operating successfully in Istria, achieving global success and representing a great development perspective certainly helps to attract experts. They are focused on new technologies, and often their clients are the world's leading companies in their segments. Thus, good foundations are already there.
The branding strategy defines five values of Istria - courage, excellence, local value, openness and ease of living. The problematic points are, in addition to the already mentioned lack of human resources, finding accommodation for professionals and bureaucracy.
Work is already being done on the visual identity of the ICT Istra Association, which will communicate the balance between business and private life, and on the other hand, show the diversity of advanced solutions that emerge in a. positive environment. This is precisely the comparative advantage that is important to emphasize nowadays in order to attract domestic and foreign IT talents.
A great new direction, added value and upgrade to tourism. Istria is an ideal destination for digital nomads.
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Civil Society Group Calls for Clear, Reasonable Criteria for Hospital Visits
ZAGREB, Aug 11, 2020 - The civic initiative "Dad Roberto and dad Ivan" on Tuesday asked the Health Ministry, the national COVID-19 response team and experts to adopt clear and reasonable, country-wide criteria to enable citizens to spend more time with their hospitalised family members.
The measure that is currently in force, allowing a parent to spend 15 minutes with their hospitalised child or a family member to visit a relative accommodated in a nursing home or a home for persons with disabilities for the same period of time, is not acceptable, says the initiative, referring to what it describes as scientifically established facts and international documents on the importance of physical contact for children's physical well-being and mental health.
The initiative says that Health Ministry officials had informed it that a meeting of its expert group on the topic could be held in two weeks' time at the earliest due to current holidays.
The initiative considers the answer unacceptable and wants the expert group to hold a conference call within the next 24 or 48 hours as the government used to do during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus epidemic, in order to revise the existing measure.
"We believe and hope that the benefit of children, elderly people and persons with disabilities is our common interest," the group says, calling on the health minister and experts to adopt clear and reasonable, country-wide criteria for visits by family members to their dearest ones.
The Health Ministry on Monday expressed understanding for the feelings of parents whose children are hospitalised, noting that the measure limiting the duration of visits to hospitals and nursing homes is currently necessary to protect everyone's health.
The initiative was formed by two fathers, Ivan Pokupec and Roberto Mates, who started camping outside Zagreb's Clinic for Children's Diseases where their children are hospitalised in protest at the decision to allow parents to visit their children for only 15 minutes.
The two men, who have said that they plan to stay outside the hospital until the health minister gives a new, clear instruction to hospitals, were joined on Monday by a dozen other parents.
COVID-19 in Croatia: Cinemas to Reopen Five Months After Closure
August 11, 2020 - COVID-19 in Croatia: Instructions for the operation of multiplex cinemas in shopping malls have been published on the Croatian National Institute of Public Health website.
Index.hr reports that multiplexes in shopping malls can finally open their doors, five months after closing.
Cinestar announced that it would start operating on August 20.
There should be hand sanitizers at the entrance to the cinema and inside and a notice that hand sanitization is mandatory.
When it comes to cinema staff, they must measure their temperature every day before coming to work, and if it is higher than 37.2 degrees, they must not come to work. It is also recommended that visitors measure their temperature before arriving at the cinema.
The Croatian Institute of Public Health points out that the screening of films is possible only in halls that can meet conditions, such as maintaining a physical distance. Also, the number of people who can be in the room at the same time must be limited, and the organizer determines this number according to the size of the space and the type of event.
"In case of need for additional clarifications, the participants will request approval from the ministry in charge of culture, which will, if necessary, consult the Croatian Institute of Public Health. All events, as well as the planned number of participants, will depend on the current epidemiological situation," reads the recommendations of the CNIPH.
It is recommended that the distance between visitors is at least 1.5 meters between each seat, but also when entering, moving, and exiting. The exit of visitors should be organized so that they go out one by one, and those who are closest to the door come out first.
Organizers must keep records of visitors, and ticket sales are encouraged online to avoid physical contact.
Detailed recommendations of the CNIPH can be read in the document below.
To read more about news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Homeland Movement: Croatia has to Support Innovations in Agriculture
ZAGREB, Aug 11, 2020 - Homeland Movement MPs Vesna Vucemilovic and Ruzica Vukovac said on Tuesday that the state has to support investments to enable the introduction of modern technologies and innovations in agriculture, warning that farms are fighting for survival and have been left to struggle on their own.
"Even though for the past ten years we have recorded a constant, rapid, worrying fall in the number of family-run OPG dairy farms, Croatia is not doing anything to prevent the total collapse of milk and meat production," MP Vukovac told a press conference.
She added that 50,000 dairy farms had been lost and that milk production during the term of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic had contracted by 11 percent, the biggest fall in the EU. Not one EU member state has left their agriculture directly to the market, warned Vukovac, adding that civilised countries take care of their food independence.
Policies implemented in Croatia over the past decade have led to the destruction of that sector and emigration from rural areas, she said.
Vucemilovic, a member of the parliamentary committees on economy and on regional development and EU funds, spoke about the decision by the Meggle dairy company to leave Croatia and stop production in Osijek.
"It is absolutely logical to ask how is it that a company that successfully does business in several counties, has in the past decade generated a loss here in Croatia. Numerous parafiscal charges, more than 400, along with taxes are a burden on our enterprises which has also been noted by the European Commission in its reports and recommendations," said Vucemilovic, adding that the price of an expensive state was eventually paid by workers and farmers.
She added that she believes that Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Natasa Tramisak is more concerned with water supply, sewerage and roads than with problems faced by the agricultural and food industries.
"Until such time that we turn to ourselves and strengthen our strategic economic branches - and agriculture and the food industry are certainly strategic branches - we will depend on aid and funds coming from the EU," Vucemilovic concluded.
Croatia Records 91 New Coronavirus Cases
ZAGREB, Aug 11, 2020 - There have been 91 new coronavirus cases in Croatia in the last 24 hours, the number of active cases stands at 619 and two more patients have died, the national COVID-19 response team said on Tuesday.
Among the active cases, 115 are hospitalised, including five who are on ventilators.
Since the start of the epidemic in Croatia in late February, 5,740 people have contracted the disease, and of that number 160 have died and 4,962 have recovered.
A total of 2,111 people are in self-isolation. To date, 130,688 people have been tested, including 1,309 in the last 24 hours.
Former SDP Police Minister Ostojic Says Announced Police Reform Brings Nothing New
ZAGREB, Aug 11, 2020 - The leader of the Social Democratic Party's (SDP) Split-Dalmatia County branch, Ranko Ostojic, said on Tuesday the announced police reform does not have "anything new", and welcomed that Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic had "finally taken out of the storage something that was completed six year's ago."
"The colossal reform , as described by him, has been brought down to cameras that will record police behaviour and changes to Personal ID cards," said Ostojic, the SDP's former interior minister in Zoran Milanovic's cabinet.
He added that the problem was in Minister Bozinovic who is "either poorly briefed or imisnformed or is lying."
"I welcome that Bozinovic has finally pulled something that was done six years ago out of the storage, the entire infrastructure was made, all the software that can monitor police conduct. Then citizens will be safer and the police will not have problems related to the legality of their actions," said Ostojic.
"Chips on ID cards can be inserted whenever... the pre-condition for that however was secured long ago when the projects were completed. I don't see any reform in that, particularly of the police," Ostojic added.
He added that the issuance of ID cards is not in the remit of the police in any case but is an administrative task and the question of who will issued or distribute them is by no means a reform.
As far as cameras are concerned, Ostojic said that not only were they procured six years ago for about 200 officers but other infrastructure had been prepared for their use then too.
He added that other reforms that Bozinovic was referring to had also been set up during Milanovic's government.
He added that the only helicopter procured by Croatia was also during Milanovic's government. "When someone says that all that was left behind is a pair of binoculars, that is a shameless lie," said Ostojic.
Ostojic recalled that one of the preconditions for accession to the EU had existed even prior to July 1, 2013 an that was 6,200 border police while the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) later boasted that it had 6,500 border police officers.
"There cannot be any security or trust in someone who shamelessly utters untruths, undermines all the efforts conducted by police officers and those who ordered those matters to be conducted," said Ostojic.
The Times and The Sun Nominate Croatia for Best Destination in World
August 11, 2020 - Croatia has been included in the selection for the prestigious Best Country award 2020, which is awarded by popular British newspapers The Times & The Sunday Times and The Sun to decide the best country in the world.
Awarded for the eighth time, the shortlist of nominees this year includes some of the world's best destinations, namely France, Turkey, the USA, Dubai, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Thailand, reports HTZ.
"We are extremely proud of this nomination by which we have strengthened the position our country enjoys in the UK market, while also confirming that our intensified marketing activities in the UK are yielding excellent results. I call on all Croatian fans to take the opportunity and give a voice to Croatia, which absolutely deserves to be on such an important list," said the director of the Croatian Tourist Board Kristjan Stanicic.
Voting will last until the end of October, and the final winner will be decided by readers who can vote via the following link (VOTE HERE) and thus also participate in a prize game in which they can win exclusive prizes such as a holiday in Barbados and the Dominican Republic. In addition to the best country category, you can vote in 12 other categories such as the best city, airline and tour operator.
The award ceremony will take place in November, most likely virtually, given the current epidemiological situation. Recall, The Times & The Sunday Times are currently the best-selling print newspaper in the UK, read by almost three million people a day, while The Sun is one of the most popular newspapers with a monthly reach of over 37 million readers.
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Croatian Red Cross Launches Appeal for Beirut
ZAGREB, Aug 11, 2020 - Croatia's Red Cross has launched an appeal to raise funds to help Beirut citizens faced with disastrous consequences of a massive explosion that occurred on August 4, saying that all the proceeds collected will be paid to Lebanon's Red Cross organisation to procure food, water, accommodation and health services.
Red Cross Croatia recalled that 137 people were killed in the explosion and that more than 5,000 were injured while dozens of people are still unaccounted for.
About 250,000 people have been left without a roof over their heads as the explosion destroyed buildings up to several kilometres away from the explosion itself.
Red Cross appeals to all citizens to help the people of Beirut and to donate to a special account opened in the Privredna Banka Zagreb. Donations can be paid to: (IBAN) HR38 2340 0091 5110 8494 5, while deposits from abroad need to quote: SWIFT - PBZGHR2X, or online donations at: www.hck.hr, the Red Cross said in a press release on Tuesday.
The appeal will remain active until September 9, 2020.
Finland DOESN'T Introduce Mandatory Quarantine upon Return from Croatia (Update: Aug 17)
Latest update, August 17, 2020: Today, we've received confirmation from the Embassy of Finland that the changes announced last week will, in fact, not be happening:
Old rules still valid, i.e. a recommendation to self-isolate if you return to Finland e.g. from Croatia. @THLresearch is preparing a so-called traffic light model that will communicate to travelers what measures are likely to be taken when arriving to ??. https://t.co/H24czqcefC
— Finland in Croatia (@FinEmbCroatia) August 17, 2020
August 11, 2020 - In a totally unexpected and somewhat weird twist, the Embassy of Finland to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Holy See announced today that Finland will introduce a mandatory 14-day quarantine and obligatory COVID-19 testing for travelers coming to Finland from Croatia.
In a tweet post an hour or so ago, the Embassy explains the decision just a little bit further (see below):
Huom! Obs! Pažnja! Please note!✈️?? #COVID19FI pic.twitter.com/dbhOdzlfnB
— Finland in Croatia (@FinEmbCroatia) August 11, 2020
It is unclear how or why the decision has been made now, as Croatia is decidedly not on high-risk lists created by most European countries (and we've extensively written about the epidemiological situation in Croatia being quite good and improving in the last weeks). No further detail on the decision are currently available, so we don't know much more. One thing we can tell you is that, if you're planning on going to Finland soon, and you're currently in Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina (we can't confirm at this moment which additional countries will be placed on the Finnish high-risk list), you should consider that move as soon as possible. The Embassy said in their vague tweet that more information should be known before the end of this week.
Before this decision, Croatia was listed as one of the non-Schengen countries, for which "Self-quarantine is recommended for those arriving in Finland."
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