May 31, 2020 — While most fret if a summer season will even happen, clothing-optional tourism saw its first influx of guests at the FKK Sovinje camp in Tkon, on the island of Pašman. It's also one of the few branches of tourism still drawing investments and improvements.

"Our first guests are naturists from Austria and Germany and from Slovenia," Marija Ugrinić, head of FKK Sovinje, told Zadarski List.

Despite the coronavirus epidemic and adherence to hygiene measures, the atmosphere is calm, she said, and people are behaving like all previous, "normal" years.

"The guests in the FKK Sovinje auto camp are mostly highly-educated people who are strongly connected with nature," Ugrinić added. "These are all family people who come on vacation together with their children."

Nude, or "naturalist" beaches remain a staple of summers on the Dalmatian coast. One in ten tourists skinny dip in the Adriatic. Decades ago, Croatia's coast was considered the epicenter of Europe's naturalist movement. Those heady days are gone now.

FKK Sovinje will reach about 50 percent of its capacity, when Slovenia's school year ends, according to Ugrinić. FKK Sovinje can hold up to 400 guests.

The past two years' record arrivals and overnight stays made 2020 more than promising. The camp has improved its offer, and hopes Pašman's "corona free" status will draw guests. Expectations at Sovinje remain high despite the pandemic.

"So far, no one has canceled reservations for July and August in the FKK Sovinje camp," Ugrinić said. "Moreover, guests who have delayed arrival in May and June are now booking September. We hope that everything will pass without the coronavirus and that, given the extraordinary circumstances, we will achieve a solid tourist season."

The camp is managed by the utility company Orlić d.o.o. and is 100 percent owned by Pašman's Municipality.

"Tkon is not only an attractive destination for family, adventure and Robinson tourism, but it is becoming a 'naturist paradise' for all those who want to tan without a trace of a bathing suit and enjoy the sandy beach which is a true natural phenomenon, peace and quiet, preserved nature and crystal clear sea," said Dino Smoljan, director of the Orlić d.o.o.

While others along the Adriatic coast are closing naturist camps, FKK Sovinje, Zadar's only nudist camp, has been breaking records. Tkon had 11,000 arrivals and about 110,000 overnight stays last year. Out of that, about 3,500 guests stayed in FKK Sovinje, spending about 30,000 nights. It was a 50 percent jump in arrivals and 35 percent increase in overnight stays.

Smoljan's company has invested HRK 3.5 million in Naturist camping FKK Sovinje over the last three years, mostly in infrastructure and marketing. The park will continue growing. Two adjacent private properties were bought, with plans to expand put on hold because of the coronavirus.

Smoljan also takes issue with the use of "nudist" [Editor's note: Do you want people to read this article or not?].

"While nudism is only bathing and sunbathing without clothes, naturism is a philosophy of life, a way of life in harmony with nature, caring for the environment while developing respect and appreciation of others regardless of appearance," he said. But Smoljan credits Pašman itself as the camp's biggest draw.

"The island with its beauty leaves no one indifferent and once you come, you always come back to the island and Tkon," he said.

Sovinje's southern expansion, dubbed Studenac Beach, will cost about HRK 3.2 million. The first phase will cost HRK 1.2 million, while the second and third phases will cost HRK 1.5 million, according to Tkon's Mayor Goran Mušćet.

A retaining wall will be built by the heart of the summer season, even if the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the work. In the autumn, the beach will be made over to increase its functionality.

"We continuously invest in all segments of the tourist offer," Mušćet said. "At the same time, we want make our destination more attractive, while respecting the principles of responsible and sustainable development."

ZAGREB, May 31, 2020 - Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling said last Thursday that as of July 1 they would be flying again from Madrid and Barcelona to some foreign destinations, including Split and Dubrovnik, after the flights had been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since a state of emergency was declared in Spain on March 14, Iberia has been operating foreign flights to London and Paris only, so that passengers could reach their destinations in cases of emergency. Traveling for tourism purposes is prohibited, and documents and certificates of the rare foreign passengers at airports are checked by border police.

However, after the Spanish government last Monday announced that foreign tourists would be allowed to enter the country as of July 1, Iberia and Vueling stated that they would gradually restart their flights.

In July, Iberia will start operating flights from Madrid to Dubrovnik, which will be one of its 15 foreign destinations. In August, the airline will introduce flights to 28 additional destinations in Europe and North Africa.

Iberia also used to fly from Madrid to Zagreb and Zadar, but it is still unknown whether they will be resumed.

Flights between Madrid and Split are available for reservations at the Iberia website as of July 1 and passengers will be transported by the Vueling airline.

Iberia and Vueling share the same owner, the International Airlines Group.

Flights from Spain to other continents are suspended until further notice.

ZAGREB, May 31, 2020 - The Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) has called on the Agriculture Ministry to amend the so-called wine envelope in order to help the viticulture and winemaking sector by allocating most of the HRK 43 million grants to be used to distill surplus wine and thus reduce unsold stock.

The HGK said last Thursday that the crisis caused by the coronavirus had strongly impacted the sector of viticulture and winemaking, too.

A survey conducted by the Chamber's Association of Wine Producers has shown that there are problems with the sale of about 50% to 60% of wine stock, and it is expected that sales will go down by up to 80% in the first six months.

"The Chamber has proposed that the biggest part of the HRK 43 million grants be allocated to reduce the unsold stock by distilling surplus wine," said the vice-president of the HGK Agriculture and Tourism Sector, Dragan Kovacevic.

He also noted that the proposal entailed favourable loans for winemakers through the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) and the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations, and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO), with good insurance instruments and interest rates, a five-year maturity and one-year grace period.

The HGK says that the reduced consumption, the unsold stock which has reached its highest level since 2009, additional import duties on European wines in the USA, which is the EU's main market, and the pandemic have all significantly destabilised the wine market in the EU, including Croatia's market.

Currently, wine stocks are accumulating, notably, with bigger wine producers, which also leads to a lack of storage capacity, the HGK said.

As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of May, 2020, measures to help businesses and entrepreneurs in Croatia should be extended, AmCham warns as it discusses the Croatian economy.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia (AmCham) welcomes the recent Action Plan to reduce non-tax and parafiscal levies to help the Croatian economy recover and get back on its feet during the coronavirus crisis.

In a set of recommendations to help the Croatian economy, AmCham has, among other things, announced measures to further reduce and eliminate parafiscal levies and indirect taxes. As Andrea Doko Jelusic, Executive Director of AmCham Croatia, points out, entrepreneurs in the Republic of Croatia pay around 440 parafiscal fees, which makes doing business significantly more difficult and trying for them.

"Certain levies have a general purpose, so their abolition would create a budget deficit that should be financed from other sources, and there are also a number of levies that aren't financially burdensome, but the purpose of their actual payment is non-transparent.

A large number of indirect taxes and levies also represent an administrative burden in terms of monitoring the obligations of the payments themselves and procedures which are too complex. Entrepreneurs point out certain things as the biggest problems: an excessive number of parafiscal charges, non-transparency, financial burdens, the complexity of these procedures and the administratively demanding monitoring of payment obligations.

We believe that it is necessary to focus on further reducing the total number of parafiscal levies and the financial burden they cause,'' explained Doko Jelusic.

Part of the recommendations also refers to the introduction of the possibility of transferring tax losses backwards, then deferral, ie, the exemption from paying income tax advances in 2020, offsetting mutual tax debts and the exemption from VAT payments on donations for earthquakes. They also point to the need to extend the deadline for the implementation of government measures to help the recovery of the already enfeebled Croatian economy.

''Following the end of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it's to be expected that it will take some time to restart all of the activities that have been suspended, order raw materials, contact clients and establish a regular work cycle. Therefore, it's necessary to think about extending the measures to help the Croatian economy by three months, and in tourism by twelve months,'' concluded the executive director of AmCham Croatia, which brings together about 250 American, Croatian and other international companies that employ more than 88,000 people in Croatia.

For more, follow our business section.

ZAGREB, May 31, 2020 - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) vice-president Ivan Anusic said on Sunday that the mission of Miroslav Skoro and his Homeland Movement in the coming parliamentary election was to "undermine the Christian Democrat and people's camp, the kind of which Social Democrats are unable to form on their own."

Anusic said in a statement for the press that during his visit to Vukovar on Saturday, Skoro, whose platform is based on the 1991-95 Homeland War, had to answer a question from which he had been hiding ever since he returned to the political arena, namely where he had been in 1990.

Anusic said that Skoro had to confirm that he had been in the United States at the time, visiting Croatia several times, also to attend a rally of the Coalition of People's Accord, which, Anusic said, "was a fierce opponent of Christian Democracy as advocated by then HDZ leader Franjo Tudjman."

"The same way he sided with those who did not want Croatia's independence with Tudjman at its helm back then, so in 2019 with his political engagement he helped Zoran Milanovic become President," said Anusic, noting that the Homeland Movement's mission in the coming election was to topple the Christian Democrat and people's camp the kind of which, he said, Social Democrats were unable to form on their own.

May 31, 2020 - Great news for British tourists wanting to visit Croatia this summer - work is ongoing to establish an air bridge from the UK to Croatia, with no self-isolation requirement on return. 

TCN recently launched a Viber community called Total Croatia Travel INFO in an attempt to bring more clarity to the current chaotic travel information. The response has been outstanding, with community members contributing their own experiences, which has enabled us  to build a clearer picture for all. You can join the community here and get your questions answered in real time (you will need to download the Viber app).

Some of the contributions are public in the group, and some come by private message from the UK.

Like this one.

Just now live on BBC Breakfast Siman Calder of Independent Newspaper said he Has spoken to Croatian minister of tourism and he has said British Tourists are welcome as long as they have booked accommodation, and are negotiating with UK government to launch an airbridge between Croatia and UK which would mean on return to UK there would be no need to isolate for 14 days.

We will see what more we can find out about this breaking news and update this article as soon as we do. If you have any useful and verifiable travel information for Croatia, then please join the community and share. 

Croatian Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli called me a couple of days ago and invited me to a meeting with him in his office on Wednesday. So I will use the opportunity to try and get as much information. 

Sky News report on plans for air bridges (June 2)

For the latest travel info, this is the TCN Croatian travel update. 

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community for the latest news from Croatia. 

For the latest and most relevant travel info articles, click here. 

As Morski writes on the 30th of May, 2020, in Opuzen, contracts were signed for the development of water utility infrastructure in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The contracts refer to projects in areas in the Neretva area, including Kula Norinska, Opuzen and Slivno, as well as Ston, the islands of Lopud and Mljet, and Gruda and Orebic, and the total value stands at a massive 158 million kuna without VAT.

The contracts were signed by the General Manager of Hrvatske vode (Croatian waters) Zoran Djurokovic with the directors of the utility companies of Dubrovnik and Opuzen and the municipalities of Kula Norinska, Ston, Slivno, Mljet, Konavle and Orebic.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy Tomislav Coric expressed his satisfaction with the fact that local self-government units from Dubrovnik-Neretva County were agile enough to prepare everything and thus enable the continuation of these important projects which will cover the Neretva area and beyond, extending even to the aforementioned southern Dalmatian islands.

Now, at a time when Croatia is far from in an enviable economic position as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and when the continuation of many previously planned investments has been called into question, these projects and those similar to them are very important, both due to the fact that in this way, construction operations will be launched, and also due to the fact that they're going in the direction of improving the living standards of our citizens. This is a difficult job and a job that takes time and will not end until all of our fellow citizens have a connection to the public supply system and the public drainage system, and I'm sure that we'll complete it successfully,'' said Coric.

Branko Bacic MP agreed with the fact that this is a long and extensive process, recalling the fact that fourteen years ago, Opuzen Mayor Ivo Mihaljevic spoke about the need to complete the wastewater treatment system. He thanked Minister Coric and the General Manager of Hrvatske vode, Zoran Djurokovic for the fact that these projects rely on the national component, ie the funds from Hrvatske vode, which should be especially valued in a situation where the Croatian economy is suffering the consequences caused by the coronavirus crisis.

''These projects are important for our municipalities and cities, they're important for water protection, for serious agriculture and for environmental protection, and that's why I'd like thank the Minister once again,'' said Bacic.

Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavic stated that this was another step forward in solving the problems in the Neretva and wider southern Dalmatian area and added that a lot was being done, pointing out as an example the important Donja Neretva project.

''The County, Hrvatske vode and the competent ministry have started the SU project of the irrigation of the lower Neretva; now we're going forward with the first phase and I'm convinced that this project, the total value of which is about 500 million kuna, will be realised in full and thus solve the problem of salinisation, and also conduct irrigation of the entire area. The projects for which contracts are being signed are extremely important for the entire county.

Zoran Djurokovic confirmed that extremely important and valuable projects are being implemented in Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the Neretva area, saying, among other things, that in the Neretva Valley, projects are currently being implemented in Opuzen, the mouth of the Neretva river, Komin… around 120 million kuna is being invested, and if we take into account the Metkovic and Ploce agglomeration and other projects within the county, we're talking about almost a billion kuna.

For more, follow our business page.

As Novac writes on the 28th of May, 2020, recently, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) held another in a series of meetings by which the chamber brings together relevant institutions and professions that will participate in the Zagreb earthquake reconstruction process.

After the topics of urgent rehabilitation works were discussed, along with the development of guidelines for the renovation and the use of Croatian products were presented to engineers, contractors, chimney sweeps and building managers, designers then became part of the dialogue.

"This crisis could have hit the construction industry much worse than it ended up hitting it. The Croatian Chamber of Commerce sought preconditions for its survival during the strictest epidemiological measures through the continuation of work on construction sites and in construction material stores, as well as the movement of workers in that field. The incorporation of Croatian products in the Zagreb earthquake reconstruction is the next and key step on the road to recovery. The call to be responsible in such a crisis has a much broader meaning, and it includes responsibility through economic activity,'' said the Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce for Construction, Transport and Communications, Mirjana Cagalj, at the meeting where the Association of Technical Design and the Association of Architects were presented with some guidelines.

Cagalj commented on the activities of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers, emphasising the role of building managers as the key to connecting people with the profession and establishing the Zagreb Group of Managers inside the Croatian Chamber of Commerce as the the platform through which such a move can be done.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning, Zeljko Uhlir, spoke about the urgent work on the protection of buildings and the application that is being prepared which will enable the monitoring of bills and costs involved in it all. Regarding the question of the profession for the design and restoration of the original condition of the buildings, Uhlir said that the current regulations define urgent and necessary repairs.

"Amendments to the Technical Regulation for Building Structures are also being drafted," Uhlir noted, as this regulation will enable part of the work to be carried out on buildings harmed by the Zagreb earthquake until the law is passed.

"We now need manuals and guidelines for emergency repairs, budget methodologies and remediation technologies. From that side, we can help in this scientific segment. We'll present a proposal for an emergency programme. The protocols must be clearly defined in order to know who is responsible for which segment,'' said the dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Stjepan Lakusic.

The manual was presented by the leader of the team of experts for checking the statics of the buildings and the professor of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Josip Atalic, who stressed that there is a big problem in fact that there is no awareness of earthquake risk, as such, he asked all professions to work together.

The manual defines different levels of renovation: the repair of non-structural elements, the repair of the structure, the reinforcement of the structure and then complete renovation. Several technical solutions for the profession and for people have been offered.

"These are the bare bones of the programme, which will be supplemented and changed in order to best help the profession," Atalic emphasised. The manual was prepared by the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers, whose president, Nina Drazin Lovrec, also attended the meeting.

The manual also includes the Catalog of Croatian Products, which was prepared by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce with the intention of presenting domestic production to customers of goods and services with detailed information on those products, especially during the preparation of all of the tender documentation. As part of the Ugradimo hrvatsko campaign, a special category of products and companies for reconstruction following the Zagreb earthquake has been created.

For more on reconstruction following the Zagreb earthquake, follow our lifestyle page.