July 5, 2020 - After the City of Novalja prohibited music festivals from Croatia's most well-known party beach, Zrce is vacant, with only 30 beachgoers counted on July 1. 

It was the first day of July. The temperature was above 30, the sun was scorching, and the sea crystal clear. An endless row of deckchairs were neatly arranged with a carefully measured distance, and club music could be heard in the background from one of the bars. It is a perfect backdrop for a good time.

Only there are no people.

Jutarnji List reports that Zrce beach in Novalja, a paradise for partygoers from all over the world, an entertainment industry and money factory, is empty. In letters and numbers, on the 25 thousand square meters of the most famous beach in Croatia, on the first day of July, a total of 30 people were counted.

Half of them were the staff that is there for the few guests who do not want to give up on Zrce even after the City of Novalja officially banned all festivals, after-parties and other mass gatherings on the beach. For club owners and those who live indirectly from Zrce, and there are quite a few of them in Novalja, this was the last nail in the coffin of an already lost season.

And Zrce really looks sad. In the huge parking lot, which was once inaccessible due to the crowds, there is currently an empty concrete field with only a few cars with Zagreb license plates. Boards were nailed to the openings of countless small bars selling food and drinks on the beach, and a "no money" notice was posted on a dozen ATMs and closed exchange offices.

Of the five big clubs, only Calypso, which works in part as a cafe, opened its doors on the Novalja side. On the Kolan side, because the beach is administratively divided between the two municipalities, Noa opened seven days ago, though it might as well be closed, as only twenty or so people fill the space that can accommodate a few thousand of them.

On the terrace of one of the only two open beach bars, Sime Ostaric, the beach concessionaire for the last four years, the director of the company "Naša ideja", which holds all the entertainment facilities on Zrce, sat alone.

"The Hideout festival started on this day last year. More than 15,000 foreigners from all over the world were partying in this desolation that you see now. How am I now watching this? It's painful. If I may be frank, it's f*cking painful," Ostaric says openly. 

Last year it employed 250 people, now it employs a total of 12. Not even five percent. His managers work as waiters; there is no choice or election; everyone is aware of the problem.

And at the beginning of the year, everything smelled like records. Bookings for festivals, which bring thousands of partygoers to Zrce every weekend, was 30 percent better than the year before, and three entirely new events were planned. And then at the beginning of March, the cancellations started, they slowly dropped out one by one until finally, by the decision of the City, they were not banned from all gatherings.

"This year, we were supposed to break records. Instead, we live on gasoline money, on loans that are terribly hard to get no matter how much is said otherwise. I first opened eight days ago and only because of the destination, although I know we won’t even be at zero. In fact, we will be far below zero. There are no people, that is the beginning and the end of the story. This is an entertainment industry that works on the principle of large numbers.

In Novalja, in fact, on the whole of Pag, you have countless apartments, villas, apartments that are filled only by Zrce. Not only did the corona attract partiers but also family people, other tourists, who came here because of what we have created here. Not the state, not local self-government, but private initiative. In the last three years, we have invested 21 million kuna in this beach. Zrce is the driver of all tourism on the island; I would dare say that there is no brand in Croatian tourism like this. But, it seems to me more and more that no one cares about that," says Ostaric.

His words would probably be signed by the owners of the other five big clubs who tried in all possible ways to save what was left of the season. And by day, not by night.

When a new wave of corona started, they tried to organize smaller programs that would allow the gathering of 20 to 30 people, with all possible epidemiological measures such as temperature checks, protective masks at the entrance, places for isolation ... they were already warming up, inquiries began, and then a rude awakening. The Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Novalja, after a session at which they analyzed the events that are planned to be organized in nightclubs on Zrce, prohibited the organization of all festivals.

"I am aware that this decision does not suit everyone. We are only guided by the interests of the city and the intention to preserve and not endanger this 50 percent of tourist traffic from last year. With irresponsible behavior, especially party tourism, which is certainly inappropriate for anti-epidemic measures, we will endanger what we have," the mayor of Novalja, Ivan Dabo, said in response to the objections from Zrce.

Out of 1.7 million overnight stays last year in Novalja, as many as 900 thousand were realized in private accommodation. By far, the largest number, over 800 thousand, falls on young party members who come here primarily because of Zrce. Contrary to the typical Croatian prejudices that this is the youth who sleeps among the pine trees with a backpack on their back and no kuna in their pocket, lives on sandwiches from the store and drinks water from the tap, the truth is somewhat different. They are excellent consumers, and statistics show that their personal consumption is much higher than that of the average tourist in Croatia and far exceeds, for example, the amount spent on holidays by family members who come as tourists.

In Novalja, they calculated that each of their party members spends a minimum of 120 euro a day on accommodation, food, going out and all other services. When this amount is multiplied by the number of at least eight hundred thousand overnight stays, as many as the guests from Zrce, we come to the figure of an incredible one hundred million euro that turn in just one season. Perhaps it is now clearer why an empty beach hurts so badly, and how much the law of large numbers in mass tourism can be fickle.

The private renters who are most connected to the guests from Zrce know this best. As many as 20,000 beds in private accommodation were difficult to fill even in normal seasons, let alone in this tourist apocalypse.

"I'm afraid this is not the worst thing that could happen to us. Because the next season, which will be entered at the end of August, when contracts are being made and sales for the summer of 2021, will start to become questionable. If it continues like this, it will not be good at all. And then we will all kneel together," Ostaric concludes.

The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has earmarked funds for the promotion of the now somewhat (in)famous Cro card, and as soon as it receives the green light from the ministry, it will start promoting it, Stanicic said, adding that he hopes that will take place in the coming weeks.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 3rd of July, 2020, according to eVisitor, about 330,000 tourists were on holiday in Croatia on the 3rd of this month, which is about 60 percent of the amount which was recorded the same day last year, and most of them are staying in Istria and Kvarner, said Kristjan Stanicic on Friday after a coordination meeting with representatives of tourist boards from Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

According to him, in June, there were about 800,000 tourist arrivals and about 5 million overnight stays realised, which is 32 to 33 percent of last year's traffic, so, he says, the CNTB's forecast was quite accurate. He added that he expects that percentage to grow in July and August.

At the meeting, Stanicic presented the promotional activities of the CNTB for 2020, and they also discussed joint promotional activities that will be carried out in cooperation with tourist boards from the county and the procedures related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He pointed out that during the pandemic, the CNTB created three campaigns and maintained the visibility of Croatia through the media and social networks, which enabled Croatia to be one of the few tourist destinations in the Mediterranean where tourist traffic is now taking place. The greater visibility of Rijeka and Kvarner, for example on the extremely important British market, will be contributed by the new two-month issue for July and August of Wanderlust travel magazine, which suggests to readers what to see and visit in 72 hours in Rijeka and Kvarner.

When asked about Slovenian guests, Stanicic said that there are now about 70,000 of them in Croatia, and so far they have realised about 1.1 million overnight stays.

"We're monitoring the development of the situation regarding Slovenia's recommendations to its citizens and I believe that in the coming days, with the number of infected, Croatia will return to the green list and that Slovenians will continue to come and stay in Croatia," he said.

According to Stanicic, most tourists come from Croatia's neighbouring and surrounding countries - Germany, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, along with domestic guests.

"So far, we've had about 1.7 million guests, who have realised over 8 million overnight stays," he said, emphasising that so far, there have been no tourists infected with coronavirus in Croatia, and that the entire health system in Croatia is functioning well.

Asked if they could be infected with coronavirus, he said they were aware of a certain risk, but that everyone is well prepared, that there were protocols and procedures in place and that all providers of services were aware of them, he added that he believed the risk would be reduced to a minimum measure.

When asked about the frequently discussed Cro card, onto which employers will be able to pay workers up to 2,500 kuna to spend at Croatian tourism facilities, Stanicic said that there are technical details that need to be resolved with the banks and that he believes the Cro card will come to life as soon as those matters are ironed out and eventually resolved.

The CNTB has earmarked funds for the promotion of the Cro card, and as soon as it receives the green light from the ministry, it will start promoting it, Stanicic concluded.

For more on the Cro card and travel to, from and around Croatia in the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated section.

As Novac writes on the 3rd of July, 2020, the Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO) has provided as much as 300 million kuna in loans for Croatian businesses in the cultural and creative industries, and 600 million kuna in the maritime sector as part of the second package of economic measures for entities affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This second sum also refers to transport, transport infrastructure and related activities.

New support funds were provided in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance for the creative and cultural industry, as well as the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure (MMPI) and HBOR for the field of maritime and land transport. The programmes were all adopted in accordance with the legal basis of the provision of state aid of the Republic of Croatia and according to the programme approved by the European Commission (EC).

The goal of the loan guarantee programme in the field of culture and creative industries is to provide additional liquidity while reducing the interest rate and the level of required collateral. The guarantees are intended for independent artists, micro, small and medium-sized businesses in the industry who duly settled their obligations by the 31st of December 2019. The terms include a maximum guarantee amount of up to 800,000 euros with a maximum duration of up to five years including a grace period of up to twelve months for a repayment period of at least two years and an interest rate of a mere 0.1 percent of the guarantee.

The state aid programme for the maritime, transport, transport infrastructure and related sectors will provide financial support to businesses in this sector in mitigating the effects of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. This will create a stronger foundation for the smooth flow of traffic in the Republic of Croatia and abroad. The grantor is MMPI, the financial implementation will be managed by HBOR and HAMAG-BICRO, while the records and supervision of grants will be carried out by the competent ministry.

The funds are intended for all Croatian businesses in the sector which experienced a significant decline in their respective operating revenues and turnover during 2020 of at least 20 percent. The conditions are similar to those in the area of ​​creative industries and culture with a maximum amount of 800,000 euros and a premium of 0.2 percent, with a guarantee of 90 percent of the principal of an individual loan for a period of five years. HAMAG-BICRO will issue guarantees to small and medium-sized enterprises, while HBOR will be the entity to provide funds to large businesses/companies.

"HAMAG-BICRO was among the first to activate a package of measures for the liquidity of micro, small and medium-sized companies, which proved to be a timely response given the situation with the pandemic and the economic crisis. With these additional measures, we're creating conditions for our entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industry who are suffering great losses, as well as those in the field of transport and maritime infrastructure, so that they can continue their business. These measures will certainly affect the tourism sector, enabling our cultural industry to continue developing Croatia's tourist offer until the end of the pandemic is declared,'' said Vjeran Vrbanec, President of the Management Board of HAMAG-BICRO.

In the past four years alone, HAMAG-BICRO has stimulated investments of as much as 12.5 billion kuna for more than 7,500 Croatian companies, which has created a precondition for the creation of 20,000 new jobs. Since the beginning of the economic crisis caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, HAMAG-BICRO has provided funds for more than 3,200 businesses worth a massive 570 million kuna in total.

For more, follow our business section.

As Novac writes on the 3rd of July, 2020, Croatia Osiguranje, a digital leader on the Croatian insurance market, recently launched a new mobile application called My/Moja Croatia. The new application has been developed with a focus on simplicity, efficiency and speed of use. With its functionalities and interactive interface, Moja Croatia raises the experience of clients in the use of this company's insurance to a new level.

The Moja Croatia application (app) enables a simple overview of all insurance and digital health cards in one place. Bill payment and policy renewal is possible in just a few clicks. It is quick and easy to report damage and also to monitor its resolution status.

The application is available for free installation on Android and iOS devices, and only an ID card and email address are needed to log in to Moja Croatia application. Full registration, the simplification of which was given special attention during its development, is now possible in just one minute, without additional data, shelf numbers or other documents that the client usually doesn't simply have on hand.

In addition to digital health insurance cards, the new Moja Croatia application also includes the Good Opportunity loyalty programme, the numerous benefits and discounts of which can be readily used at over 500 points of sale of Croatia Osiguranje's partners throughout the Republic of Croatia.

"Today's top apps are being developed on a thorough understanding of the behaviour and psychology of advanced users and on the speed and intuitiveness of the user interface. We've applied all this in the design of our mobile application, which we're proud to launch on the market. Our idea is to show the market that insurance can be extremely simple and that almost all information on pieces of paper and plastic can be replaced by digital solutions. We're sure that our clients will also recognise the advantages of the new Moja Croatia app. In the future, we see insurance as highly digitised, simple and understandable for customers, so we're continuing to develop our digital services to provide customers with the best customer experience,'' said Davor Tomaskovic, President of the Management Board of Croatia Osiguranje.

After a significant investment back at the end of 2019 in a new core system that fundamentally modernises business and customer service, and the launch of a brand new website this spring, the new mobile application is seeing the company make new steps forward in digitising its services and modernising the overall insurance offer here on the domestic market.

For more, follow our lifestyle page.

July 4, 2020 - The Enter Croatia border crossing form is Croatian bureaucracy's 2020 hit. And it just got better. 

When was the last time you read an article which said that Croatian bureaucracy rocks?

Because THIS Croatian bureaucracy rocks. 

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

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The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

On May 17, I visited the main border crossing between Croatia and Slovenia at Bregana. With so little information available, we decided to go to the border personally to see the situation. It was beyond confusing - Who Can Cross the Croatia Slovenia Border? Who Cannot? A May 17, 2020 Border Visit.

Three weeks later I was back again, to see how the new Enter Croatia form was working, a stunning bit of technology which show how Croatian bureaucracy COULD be. One of the most amazing visits in my 18 years in Croatia - Behind the Scenes at the Croatian Border Control System: AMAZING!

More than a million people have used the form so far. What I love about it on the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community after they enter Croatia is they wonder what all the fuss is about. There was no bureaucracy at the border whatsoever. 

Exactly. 

Because if you fill in the form beforehand - now available in 11 languages - the Croatian border police have all your details in the system. Your border crossing experience is one passport scan per person. 30 seconds and you are on your way. 

And now, one more incentive to fill in the form for those driving. MUP has introduced a priority Enter Croatia lane at four key border crossings for those who have filled in the form. 

Imagine being in a queue behind 10 cars who have filled in the form (30 seconds) and 10 that haven't (5-8 minutes) - the choice is yours. 

Bravo MUP, without a shadow of doubt the most effective ministry in Croatia right now. I never thought I would advocate a police state, but if you can spread the seed of Croatian Bureaucracy 2.0 to your colleagues, what a country we could have. 

ZAGREB, July 4, 2020 - Electoral silence, which is in force in Croatia on Saturday and Sunday, has been violated fewer times than at previous elections, Hina has learned from the State Electoral Commission (DIP).

Citizens have been complaining mostly about text messages and posts on social networks, seeking protection of personal data, and wondering how some election participants got their addresses to send them election-related mail, DIP deputy chair Vesna Fabijancic-Krizanic said.

Depending on the character of those complaints, DIP forwards them to the HAKOM regulatory authority for network industries or the Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP).

We cannot say that the number of complaints is large, there have been much fewer complaints compared to previous elections, Fabijancic-Krizanic said.

Violations of the electioneering ban do not carry any penalties, but DIP has called for ethical behavior on the part of election participants and the media.

ZAGREB, July 4, 2020 - In the last 24 hours 86 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus have been identified in Croatia, and the number of active cases in the country stands at 798, the national COVID-19 response team said in a statement on Saturday.

Among those 798 people, 85 are receiving treatment in hospitals, including three who are on ventilators.

One person has died of the infection.

Since February 24, when the first case of infection with COVID-19 was reported in Croatia, 3,094 people have contracted the disease, of whom 113 have died while 2,183 have recovered.

A total of 5,272 people are in self-isolation.

So far, 84,166 people have been tested, including 1,264 in the last 24 hours.

All information related to the coronavirus is available at the websites of the Civil Protection Directorate and the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) and the website www.koronavirus.hr.

July 4, 2020 -  Tourists are coming back to Split, as the Airport anticipates around 10,000 passengers this weekend. 

Split Airport is recording its first major traffic since the corona crisis. This weekend, 100 planes and more than 10 thousand passengers are expected in Resnik, Dalmatinski Portal has learned from Mate Melvan, the head of the Reception and Dispatch Service.

"The figures show that the heart of the season has begun. It will, of course, be different than we are used to. We expect 20-25 percent less traffic in July compared to the same month last year," says Melvan.

Currently, 26 airlines with 38 direct destinations fly to Split. Just for comparison, on the first weekend in July last year, 50,000 passengers passed through Resnik.

The entire previous month, Split Airport had 26 thousand passengers, and in the first half of the year, there were 108 thousand passengers. This is as much as 90 percent less traffic than in the first half of 2019, which is not surprising because in April, there were only six passengers, and in May - 2,770.

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

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