Croatian Cruise Industry Sees Signs of Optimism and Recovery
July 31, 2021 - After a year of economic losses caused by the pandemic and the suspension of navigation, the Croatian cruise industry seems to finally see a gradual recovery that will continue its course in the coming years.
The Croatian cruise industry sees signs of optimism after last year's traffic disruption due to the pandemic, reports HRT News. This year, cruisers are gradually returning, even to the Croatian Adriatic, while recovery and stronger traffic is expected in 2022 and 2023, says Maria Deligianni, director of the CLIA for the Eastern Mediterranean.
CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) is the world's umbrella association of the cruise industry, whose members are almost all the largest shipping and cruising companies in the world, numerous travel agencies, and others, and in recent years has developed stronger cooperation with Croatia, especially Dubrovnik, and other cities on the Adriatic with larger ports.
After a break of almost a year and a half, large cruisers began arriving in Croatia this year around mid-June in Dubrovnik, where they will continue to arrive, as well as in some other ports.
In the pandemic, the CLIA, with stronger communication and coordination with members, developed security protocols that have now, in a way, become the standard. On cruise ships, no matter how large, there are fewer passengers than before due to the limitation of their number and the implementation of strict measures during navigation and when touring the destination where they dock.
''The measures on cruisers are such that they almost go beyond those carried out in other environments and include various checks, from constant testing of passengers and crew to intensified cleaning'', says Deligianni.
She points out that the gradual lifting of travel restrictions and vaccinations have also brought increased demand, as a result of which about 80 percent of cruisers have announced that they intend to cruise in the next two years.
According to available data, more than a hundred ocean cruises around the world have renewed their service this year, while about 60 will be in Europe, the Canary Islands, and elsewhere in the Mediterranean by the end of July, rising to 72 in August and 81 in September.
"In addition, the CLIA predicts that there will be 270 ocean-going ships in the CLIA member fleet this year, and 20 new ships are expected to be released, while the global order book envisions an investment of $64 billion by 2027", Deligianni said, who also notes that the recovery of the industry with traffic at previous, pre-pandemic levels is expected in 2022 and 2023.
When asked how Croatia is currently positioned on the global map of the cruise industry, Deligianni answered that it is an important European market and destination for cruises, and Dubrovnik is one of the most popular in the world.
''Croatia is an important destination for cruises, through which, according to data for 2019, it was visited by about 1.3 million passengers, of which 818 million euros are 'generated' annually and create more than 14 thousand jobs, and therefore CLIA members highly appreciate the opportunity to return to Croatian ports safely'', says Deligianni.
She says that before the pandemic, Dubrovnik reached about 770,000 cruise passengers a year, which is 60 percent of all passengers from cruises in Croatia, and the CLIA does not expect the pandemic to affect the popularity of Dubrovnik, because it is still highly sought after and safe, for which, as Deligianni points out, the involvement of Mayor Franković and his team, as well as the Croatian Government with decisions on reopening both tourism and cruising, played a major role.
She also reminds that Dubrovnik and CLIA are long-term partners and that they are proud of the Memorandum of Understanding they signed in July 2019 for responsible management of tourism and cruising and preservation and protection of the cultural heritage of Dubrovnik.
Other seaports in Croatia in CLIA consider it important that they can benefit from their unique position 'in the heart' of the Adriatic and increase cruise traffic by further engagement on roundabouts and in the development of unique products for trips to the mainland.
Asked about the business and industry losses due to the pandemic, Deligianni noted that it is not easy, but that in cooperation with ministries and health authorities, port associations and administrations, destinations, and others, much has been achieved in several markets regarding the necessary conditions to continue their business.
However, the losses due to the pandemic are also large in the cruise industry, and the global losses are estimated at 77 billion US dollars for the six-month period of interruption of navigation, from March to September 2020.
Deligianni states that globally, this industry contributed 155 billion dollars a year to the world economy before 2020 and had about 1.2 million jobs, of which about 518 thousand have been lost in the pandemic so far.
In Europe alone, the cruise industry generates 53 billion euros a year in the European economy and supports 435 jobs, which is almost 40 percent of all in the world.
''The cruise industry employs a truly global workforce, and crew members are its 'foundation' as highly trained and dedicated professionals who help ensure health and safety", says Deligianni, concluding that prior to the pandemic, large CLIA cruise ships employed more than 200,000 seafarers from more than a hundred countries, and faced with border closures and travel restrictions in 2020, have also greatly helped in the repatriation of various passengers and even crew members to their homes.
The Pearl of the Adriatic for some, King’s Landing for others, walled city Dubrovnik is UNESCO World Heritage Site perfection for all. Tips for travel, food, accommodation, sights & things to do can be found in Total Croatia's Dubrovnik in a page. Read it here, now in your language!
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Heatwave Temperatures Will Decrease Significantly From Today
July 31, 2021 - It is reported that the high heatwave temperatures recorded in recent days will decrease from today in various parts of Croatia.
The heatwave due to which we have been cooking at more than 30 degrees in recent days is at the very end, so the weather will change in parts of the country today, reports tportal.hr. On Saturday it was mostly sunny and hot, but not completely stable. There were variable clouds in the interior, and mild thundershowers, especially in the western and northwestern parts.
Weak and moderate southwest and west winds on the mainland gradually turned to the northeast and north, while in the Adriatic the south wind blew. The highest daily air temperature was mostly between 33 and 37 ° C, and in mountainous areas a little lower.
On Sunday, however, in the interior and in the northern Adriatic changeable and unstable. There will be occasional showers followed by thunder, already at night in the west of the country, and in the second part of the day possibly in the east.
A thunderstorm is also possible locally, primarily in the first part of the day in the northern Adriatic and in Gorski Kotar. In Dalmatia, it will stay mostly sunny and dry, but heatwave temperatures will certainly decrease in the following days.
A moderate southwesterly wind, occasionally with strong gusts in the afternoon, will turn to the north and northwest wind and weaken. In the Adriatic, moderate to strong south and south winds will blow.
The lowest morning air temperature is mostly between 17 and 22, in the Adriatic from 25 to 28. The highest daily is mostly from 31 to 36 ° C, in some places in the mountains and in the northwest a little lower.
If you want to learn more about the weather in Croatia, be sure to check out Total Croatia's guide here.
Central Istria Tourist Board Appoints New President
July 31, 2021 - Goran Hrvatin, who has been the mayor of Tinjan for four years, has been appointed as the new mayor of the Central Istria Tourist Board.
HrTurizam reports that the Mayor of Tinjan, Goran Hrvatin, was unanimously appointed the new President at yesterday's meeting of the founders of the Tourist Board of Central Istria (TZSI) and will hold this position until the end of his current term. Until now, the duty of the president of the Central Istria Tourist Board was performed by Renato Krulčić, the mayor of the City of Pazin, and with the termination of the duty of the mayor, his duty as the president of the Tourist Board ceased.
The biography of the new president shows that from 2005 to 2008 he actively participated in the work of the Municipality of Tinjan as a councilor in the municipal council. Since May 2015, he has been volunteering as the Mayor of Tinjan. In his biography, he states that "during his tenure, he found a model for overcoming the crisis of the Municipality of Tinjan and laid the Municipality of Tinjan on a solid foundation." He has actively participated in IPARD projects for unclassified roads, tourist facilities, and in projects related to public lighting. Through four years of work on projects of the Municipality of Tinjan, he states that he has the necessary experience to manage projects co-financed by state and county aid and aid from EU funds.
The Central Istria Tourist Board was established, as one of the first in Croatia, for the area of several local self-government units. It includes the City of Pazin and the municipalities of Cerovlje, Gračišće, Karojba, Lupoglav, Pićan, Sveti Lovreč, Sveti Petar u Šumii Tinjan.
It is important to mention that the Municipality of Tinjan has for many years recorded the largest number of overnight stays in the Central Istria Tourist Board, and has the largest accommodation capacity with more than a thousand beds.
Also, one of the positive things that are happening in Istria, and thanks to more and more luxury holiday homes is the opening of a new market for family farms. Thus, local Istrian family farms are organized and offer guests in holiday homes the delivery of their products to the doorstep. A new market has opened up, which we also wrote about in an article last year.
“Central Istria strives to position itself as an ideal combination of uniqueness, but also of untouched nature, ideal for outdoor activities. Thus, the beauty of the natural landscape and the richness of cultural heritage are key elements of the tourist offer", said then director of the Central Istria Tourist Board, Sanja Kantaruti, adding that the principles of slow, green, and healthy tourism have been adopted.
The main problem of central Istria is still the fact that it is not united as one tourist product, the North-Western cluster is missing, which creates additional problems in positioning, branding, and development. It is the north-western part of Istria that is developing and positioning the fastest and it is absurd that Motovun belongs to Central Istria and Grožnjan to North-Western Istria. Tourists really do not know or are interested in various municipal, city, county, and other imaginary borders, but they see first Croatia as a destination, and only then Istria.
And this is proof of how it is necessary to brand the regions, and then descend to logical and natural wholes, as well as niche rounded tourist products. And that is why central Istria must be one brand because it is one story and practically one destination. I emphasize that this is the interior of Istria, that is, only one area where visitors do not see the borders, here is the idea for a new President of the Central Istria Tourist Board.
For more information and travel tips on the Istrian region, be sure to visit our newly launched Total Croatia portal.
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Discus Queen Sandra Perković Qualifies for Olympic Final on Monday!
July 31, 2021 - Croatian athlete and Discus Queen Sandra Perković set the best result of the A group of discus qualifications at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the third overall to place in the final, which is scheduled for Monday. The second Croatian representative, Marija Tolj, missed the final by four centimeters.
Discus Queen Sandra Perković is looking for her third consecutive Olympic title in Tokyo after London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. With a throw of 63.75 meters, Sandra was third overall in the qualifiers. The best was the American Valarie Allman with 66.42 meters, while Indian Kamalpreet Kaur was second with 63.97, reports HRT.
Sandra already threw. 63.75 meters in the opening, which was only 25 centimeters shorter than the qualifying norm. The Croatian champion was in an excellent mood at the Olympic Stadium; she even danced after her successful throw. However, she had faulty shots in the second series and the third.
"I am happy that I threw almost to the norm in the first shot. I thought it was probably 64 meters, and that's why I danced, but it's still enough. The circle is slippery and not exactly what suits me; I hate them the most because I'm not a savage but a technician. But, I'm so ready I could throw on the ice. The other two shots were underhand," said Sandra, who also complained about the organization.
"It's awful. 130 people train on just one lap in just an hour and a half. So I threw only seven shots in training, and in normal conditions, I throw about a hundred shots. And they didn't even let me into the stadium for the first few days due to quarantine. We complained, of course, that they did not satisfy us. And Americans go to training every day, the four of them go to a special area and have all the time in the world. But it doesn’t matter. I will wait until Monday night," said Sandra, who is awaiting her third Olympic final and hunt for her third consecutive Olympic gold on Monday.
German Kristin Pudenz threw only two centimeters less than Sandra in Group A, while Dutch Jorinde van Klinken threw 61.15, taking 14th place, leaving her without the final in which the 12 best were placed. A big surprise is the terrible performance of Cuban Deina Caballero, who was only 23rd with 57.96.
"Van Klinken threw 70 meters without any problems, and there is barely 61. I am sorry for Caballero; I love her, even though she took my title in 2015. These are the qualifications; I do not want to fail anyone. It is easier to throw at a rally in Pusca Gora than to throw at this huge and empty stadium at the Olympic Games," said Sandra.
Unfortunately, no other Croatian representative in the final after Marija Tolj took the unfortunate 13th place. With 61.48 cm, she was only four centimeters behind the 12th Brazilian Isabel da Silva. In her first Olympic appearance, Orebić threw 54.76, in the second 61.48, while the third shot went to 60.63 meters.
"I am not disappointed; I am satisfied because I threw over 60 meters at my first Olympic Games. A little trepidation took my toll on the first shot, but I’m happy with 61.48 in the second. I didn’t miss the audience because I love when there’s no one; I’m that type. So everything is fine for me; the only thing is that I managed to break the cardboard bed in the Olympic Village, it tilted to one side, so I had to collect it. Yes, I am alone in the room," 21-year-old Tolj said with calm and, apparently, not at all disappointed.
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Olympic Games: Masterful Croatia Beats Serbia in Game 4 (14:12)
July 31, 2021 - A masterful Croatia beats Serbia in the crucial game 4 of Group B at the Olympic Games in Tokyo! Croatia has confirmed their spot in the quarterfinals.
After opening with a win against Kazakhstan (23:7), unexpected defeat to Australia (8:11), and victory against Montenegro (13:8), Croatia and Serbia met in game 4 of Group B. It was a replay of the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games final. The Barracudas then won silver, losing the final 7:11. Croatia and Serbia also met at the 2008 Beijing Games, and the 2nd round match went to the Barracudas at 11:8.
The last time these two national teams met was in June 2019 in the final of the World League in Belgrade, in which Serbia celebrated 12:11.
After Serbia, Croatia closes out Group B with the toughest opponent yet - top-of-the-table Spain.
1st Quarter
Croatia won the sprint for the first attack, in which Joković scored for 1:0. Joković scored for 2:0 Croatia with 6:16 on the clock. An absolutely brilliant start for Croatia saw Bušlje score 45 seconds later for 3:0!
Slobodan Kadic
Serbia scored its first goal with 5 minutes to go in the 1st quarter.
Lončar scored on a quick counterattack for 4:1 Croatia with 4:06 to go. Bijač was brilliant in the goal to save Serbia's next attack. Obradović made it 5:1 with 2:30 left on the clock.
Slobodan Kadic
The 1st quarter ended 5:3 for Croatia.
2nd Quarter
Serbia's Filipović opened the 2nd with a goal for -1 (5:4.) Bijač saved the following three Serbia attacks to keep Croatia in the lead at 5:4.
Obradović scored his second goal of the match to increase Croatia's lead to 6:4 with 1:26 left on the clock. The 2nd quarter ended at 6:4 for Croatia.
3rd Quarter
Vukičević opened the 3rd quarter with an excellent goal for Croatia and a +3 lead (7:4). Serbia came behind by just one goal with 4:32 to go in the 3rd (7:6), but Joković scored 15 seconds later to give Croatia a better advantage (8:6).
Slobodan Kadic
Serbia equalized at 8:8 with 2:48 on the clock. Obradović was on fire, scoring his 3rd goal of the game to put Croatia back in the lead with just over 2 minutes to go (9:8).
Luka Bukić made it 10:8 for Croatia with 1:23 on the clock, which was the final score of the 3rd quarter.
4th Quarter
Luka Bukić scored his second goal of the game and second consecutive in the game for 11:8 Croatia with 7:44 left in the game. Bijač and Croatia's defense denied Serbia's next attack. The unstoppable Obradović scored for 12:8 Croatia with 6:17 on the clock!
Bukić brought calm to Croatia with a goal for 13:9 with 5 minutes to go, and Joković scored for 14:9 with 4:16 left! Serbia came back slightly at -3 for 14:11 with 2:13 to go.
Bijač saved a rocket from Mandić with a minute and a half left, but Serbia scored for -2 (14:12) with 1:11 left in the match. Croatia denied Serbia's final attack to win the game 14:12!
Slobodan Kadic
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ZeGeVege Festival to be Held in Zagreb in Early September
July 30, 2021 - Just a month before it takes place, the ZeGeVege festival was presented today in Zagreb.
The festival will be held in Zagreb on September 3rd and 4th, at Ban Jelačić Square. The event will be focused on a sustainable lifestyle, which is why the visitors will get edible spoons and straws, as well as biodegradable packaging. The Animal Friends Croatia association, one of the organisers of the festival also announced a wide selection of healthy and ecological plant-based food, cosmetics that were not tested on the animals, educational materials, and clothes made out of natural materials. The visitors will be able to test such products, which don't affect nature and our environment negatively.
We make choices every day, and those choices greatly impact the lives of many other beings around us. The sustainable lifestyle celebrated at the ZeGeVege festival is based on living in accord with nature and compassion shown towards others, as well as our planet. The vegan diet can help stop global warming, improve our health, save water and the forests around us and save numerous lives.
The ZeGeVege festival was first held in Zagreb in 2008, and back then the visitors signed the petition to ban single-use plastic bags. This year, those bags were finally banned by the Croatian legislature. This year's visitors will also have a chance to try out some of the multiple-use items, as well as some cosmetics sold without packaging.
The bio&bio chain of stores, selling eco-friendly products, has been the festival's partner for many years. This year, they decided to present their sustainable packaging at the festival. Sustainable packaging contributes to the reduction of plastic waste, so the organizers are hoping other companies might follow suit and reduce plastics in their packaging. Jadranka Boban Pejić, who manages the bio&bio brand, explained that their packaging of cereal, legumes, nuts, dried fruit, and seeds will be 100% biodegradable, made out of plant-based materials.
To read more about vegetarian and vegan food options in Croatia, read Total Croatia's guide to vegan and vegetarian Croatia.
COVID-19 Response Team: Share of Infections with Delta Coronavirus Variant Rising
ZAGREB, 30 July 2021- The results of the latest sequencing of samples sent on 20 July show that 13% of the samples were infected with the Alpha coronavirus variant while 84% were infected with the Delta variant, meaning that the share of the new variant in Croatia has continued to grow, the COVID-19 response team has said.
Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Friday that according to the latest map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Croatia remained in the orange zone, recording the smallest daily increase in infections in relation to its competition.
"That fact strengthens our status as the safest tourist destination. That gives us reason for satisfaction, but we must remain cautious," he said.
There are over one million tourists in Croatia, which carries an increased risk of disease transmission, the minister said, calling for compliance with restrictions and for vaccination.
He again called on elderly citizens to get vaccinated, noting that mobile teams had been formed to visit elderly people at home and remind them of the importance of getting vaccinated.
Asked if vaccination would be made obligatory for some sectors, Beroš said that that was not likely at the moment and that what prevailed was the proposal for the smart use of COVID-19 certificates to enable work also for people who had not been vaccinated.
Claim for damages over infection, death during hospital treatment
The minister said that for the time being there were no lawsuits against medical institutions over infection with COVID-19 during hospital treatment but he confirmed that a claim for damages had been filed against the KBC Zagreb hospital by a family who believed that their member had died in hospital infected with COVID-19.
KBC Zagreb officials have said that COVID-19 restrictions and professional rules are complied with at the hospital.
"As for whether lawsuits can be expected, probably yes. I can only repeat that since the start of the pandemic we have acted in line with recommendations by the public health institute for safe work in hospitals," the minister said.
Official: Vaccinated people can transmit infection, should wear masks until vaccination rate is high
Reporters asked the head of Zagreb's "Dr. Fran Mihaljević" hospital for infectious diseases, Alemka Markotić, to explain research showing that people who have been vaccinated can spread infection with the Delta coronavirus variant equally fast as people who have not been immunised.
She said that this was not unusual as a person who had been vaccinated was protecting themselves but could carry the virus, which was why experts remained cautious and were not saying that those who had been vaccinated should no longer wear masks.
Public Health Institute (HZJZ) head Krunoslav Capak said that epidemiological rules for the 5 August commemoration of Operation Storm had still not been defined and that they would be known on Monday, and as for the Alka tournament in Sinj, he said that a proposal had been made for participants to have COVID-19 certificates and for the number of attendees to be half the envisaged seating capacity.
The COVID-19 response team will hold its next news conference in three weeks' time, on the condition there are no extraordinary situations.
Geographic Information System for Maritime Domain in Split County Presented
ZAGREB, 30 July 2021 - A geographic information system for the maritime domain in Split-Dalmatia County was presented on Friday by county head Blaženko Boban, who called on citizens to report cases of devastation of the maritime domain so that it could be protected as much as possible.
Split-Dalmatia County accounts for one third of the Croatian Adriatic coast, it has the largest number of concessions for the use of the maritime domain and it has invested significant effort to protect it, Boban said, calling for the involvement of all, the state, inspectors and members of the public, in its protection.
The geographic information system enables citizens to report via mobile phone cases of devastation of the maritime domain.
County deputy head Stipe Čogelja said that once all toponyms were entered in the system, it would be possible to check if a concession was being used in line with the law.
"Revenue from concessions in 2020 rose by 120%, and I am almost certain that one of the reasons is full transparency. Until now, information had to be collected personally from different registers but once everything is digitalised, we will have a great tool for the integral planning of processes on the coast," he said.
The head of the county office for tourism and maritime affairs, Matea Dorčić, said that the project covered 52 ports, noting that this was not the first geographic information system but was the first to offer all data and information on the maritime domain and the related concessions in force in the county, as well as applications for concessions that were being processed.
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Croatia Airlines Generates Net Loss of HRK 147.4 mn in H1 2021
ZAGREB, 30 July 2021- The Croatia Airlines national flag carrier's net loss in the first half of 2021 amounts to HRK 147.4 million, HRK 25.8 million or 15% less than in the comparable period of 2020, the airline reported on Friday.
In the period from January to June, the airline conducted a total of 5,421 flights and transported 208,657 passengers, 37% down from the first six months of 2020.
The number of passengers on regular domestic flights decreased by 15% (71,367 passengers) and on international flights by 46% (131,181) while charter flights transported 8% more passengers (6,109) year-on-year.
Flight occupancy was 45.3%, which is 13.4 percentage points less than in the first half of 2020.
This year the company operates 13 planes flying directly from Zagreb to 14 European and 5 Croatian destinations.
During the summer season Croatia Airlines plans to offer more than 80,000 seats a month on flights from European destinations to Croatia, as well as more than 200 tourist charter flights from Austria, Italy, Ireland, Israel and Scandinavian countries, the company said in a press release.
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Croatian Singer Dino Jelusić Becomes a Member of the British Rock Band Whitesnake!
July 30, 2021 - Some of the largest names in the music industry personally congratulated Dino Jelusić on his latest success. Members of bands such as Deep Purple, Guns'n'Roses, Slipknot, as well as the Croatian singers Radojka Šverko, Massimo, and Jacques Houdek all expressed delight at Dino becoming the newest member of the legendary hard rock band Whitesnake.
Jelusić has been a long-time member of the multi-platinum-selling American band Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He plays keyboards, bass, guitar, and drums and has been performing since the age of five. He attended the Academy of Music at the University of Zagreb, the largest and oldest musical institution in Croatia.
As Jutarnji List writes, after the coronavirus pandemic stopped a large part of the music industry, world names are slowly returning to the scene, and a new European tour scheduled for May 2022 has been announced by the cult band Whitesnake.
Dates were published on their official Facebook page, as well as information on how the famous Croatian singer Dino Jelusić will join them at the concerts.
''I am absolutely delighted to be able to welcome the extremely talented Dino Jelusić to Whitesnake. We have been keeping an eye on him since we played together in Zagreb two years ago. You will adore him!'', the band's frontman David Coverdale told fans on Facebook.
Dino himself posted on his profile, writing: "I am beyond honoured to be part of one of my favourite bands of all time. To get the phone call from David Coverdale is something every singer and musician of my generation can only dream of, it still feels completely surreal. I cannot wait to start hitting the road with Whitesnake and as the great DC said to me himself, to give a piece of my identity to the sound of this iconic band.''
screenshot//David Coverdale via Twitter
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