5-7 Olympic Medals Expected for Croatia in Tokyo, Says Siniša Krajač
July 20, 2021 - Croatian Olympic Committee Secretary-General Siniša Krajač revealed the main challenges that the COC and he personally will face in his current term as the first operative of the umbrella sports association and what we can expect from Croatia in Tokyo this summer.
In an interview with Sportske Novosti, Siniša Krajač revealed to editor-in-chief Robert Šola that demography is a burning national problem and a potentially big problem for the future of Croatian sport because "the base from which we draw sports talents is getting smaller." In this context, he also mentioned the importance of constant investment in sports, especially in sports at the local level, "where it all starts," that is - where future top athletes come to us to a large extent. He spoke with a lot of passion about team sports and pointed out that Croatia is a sports nation with great achievements in individual sports.
The Olympic Games (July 23 - August 8) are an indispensable topic when Croatian athletes are heading to Tokyo every day. With a strong desire for all our representatives to stay healthy during the Games, the Secretary-General estimated the number of Olympic medals in Tokyo, which ranges from five to seven medals. Siniša Krajač is very optimistic about Tokyo, although a slightly smaller number of athletes will represent Croatia.
"We are going for 5 to 7 medals: Alarms are set in sports, but the situation is not tragic, in a small base of the sports active population we have no right to drop a single talented child," writes Robert Šola, editor-in-chief of SN.
Most of the Croatian athletes are already in Tokyo, and the rest will follow them very soon.
"A positive case on a plane can mean goodbye to an athlete and everything they have worked and prepared for years to be at the peak of their career in Tokyo. But, unfortunately, that cannot be changed; Japan has their own approach to everything that has to do with COVID," says Siniša Krajač, who has acted as Secretary-General Secretary of the Croatian Olympic Committee for two months now.
Croatia will have the smallest number of athletes at the Games since Barcelona. Should we be worried?
"As I emphasized in my first interviews after I became Secretary-General, we need to worry about the fact that our sport is in decline and that there is a real danger that this decline will take a more vertical direction than we have today. Not because we are not doing well, or because we do not care about sports, but also because we have an obvious shortage of coaches and young people who play sports. We must all be aware that only about 400,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 19 live in the country at the moment. It is a minimal base, and we have to draw future Olympic winners, medalists, and participants. In such a small base, we have almost no right to drop a single talented child, which means that we must provide our children with optimal conditions for playing sports. Of course, as a state, we must work on the demographics of society because the trend is by no means good."
Unfortunately, Croatia has dealt with demography issues for years, but taking care of sports is not even close to good. Only 59 athletes at the Games also bring a lot of concern?
"The handball players were a second or two away from the Games; if they were in Tokyo, the numbers would already be similar to those in Rio. And we will agree that handball players have a place at the Games. I am also sorry for the basketball players; we constantly hope that basketball will rise and return to where it belongs. But I am aware of the problems we have in sports; I would say that the alarm is already burning and that there is no tragedy. And this number of athletes in Tokyo is respectable and has a high quality."
How can the COC help address such issues?
"We are specific in ourselves because we have an extensive range of activities. Top sport, local sport and recreation, are our three core activities. Athletes, however, are created at the local level, it is clear to everyone in the sport. And we, as the COC, have long been aware of this. I would say that the state is aware of that as well. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has increased allocations for local sports. Both the state and the COC encourage local communities to invest more in sports; we are working on that synergy without which there can be no results. We work to the maximum to bring back to local communities sports that were specific in their environment, in which they had top results. Times are changing, but this tradition in local communities is still strong, and I am convinced that a lot can be done and returned to the old, and even for the better."
Siniša Krajač talked about team sports with a lot of passion, but also turned to individual sports.
"I would by no means put individual sports in second; we have risen strongly in them, laid a healthy foundation, they bring us medals, but also children who enjoy doing these sports. Judo has a great run, karate, and taekwondo too, and there are plenty more good examples."
Unfortunately, some claim that investing in sports is a waste of money?
"Investing in sports cannot be a waste of money; it can only be a great investment. Sport certainly contributes far more to society and the common good than we invest in it. This can be proven through many parameters. We are evidently falling for several health issues. We have an excessive percentage of obese and inactive children, which is probably the most dangerous and saddest thing for any nation and its health. We don’t have enough physical activities in schools; some don’t even have gyms. And it’s something that can’t be resolved overnight, but it has to start to be addressed. And that systematically. Let's invest in sports because there is no greater investment in health. We as a state must understand that. Sport also brings numerous economic privileges. With the matches come athletes, spectators, foreign clubs come to the preparations ... Not to repeat that athletes are our greatest ambassadors in the world, and we know they are."
How many medals are expected at the Games?
"Five to seven. I wouldn’t want to name what those medals are; I don’t want to pressure anyone. In Tokyo, the conditions for athletes will be truly extraordinary, far different from those they are used to. Such conditions will require quick adaptation, and our athletes are such that they do their best in the most difficult moments, to surprise when it is least expected. We have a talent for adaptation, I would say perhaps the best in the world because we are such a nation. After all, we are masters of improvisation. Our athletes know what awaits them. The Americans waited at the airport for six hours upon arrival to be released. On the other hand, ours did not sleep for 40 hours, except for a little on the plane. And when you land, there are problems, waiting, testing, uncertainty, completed or unfilled applications."
And at the end of it all, no fans?
"Sport is also played for the sake of spectators, but health should be a priority at this moment. The games always have a special atmosphere in the village, in the host city, in the indescribable atmosphere that reigns in the halls and stadiums. Unfortunately, now that is not the case ... But the Games will be held; sports will not be surrendered."
You can read the full interview HERE.
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Croatia to be Among 9 Countries with Extra Fast Grocery Delivery Services
July the 20th, 2021 - Croatia's grocery delivery services have experienced a huge increase ever since the pandemic struck and people were in self-isolation with restaurants and the like closed. In fact, grocery delivery services in Croatia are about to become even better, with the country among nine EU nations in which extra fast delivery will soon be made readily available.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, the Republic of Croatia will be one of the nine EU markets (along with Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden) where groceries can be ordered through the Bolt Market service. This is a new feature of the Bolt Food application, the Estonian mobility platform Bolt, one of the European leaders in the urban transport segment (includes on-demand driving and delivery).
The Bolt Market service was successfully presented as a pilot project in its home country of Estonia, and will be available in these countries by the end of the year. The feature of the service is the connectivity of grocery delivery with ''dark stores'', places for the fast pick-up of goods, and customers, in order to have the order delivered to them as quickly as possible, within just fifteen minutes, according to Bolt.
"The synergy of food and grocery delivery services will enable Bolt to manage its business more efficiently and provide better customer service," explains Bolt, which will create new teams of employees from five different positions due to the new service.
The appearance of Bolt Market in Croatia is good news for local users, because Bolt Food has only existed in Zagreb and Split since May 2020. However, it has since established itself as one of the favourite food and grocery delivery services.
"Given that the service was presented in Croatia a little over a year ago, we can be satisfied with the results so far. In the first six months of this year, we achieved growth of 97%, and in June this year we closed with 34 times more orders compared to June 2020,'' says Tomislav Lukacevic, the director of Bolt in Croatia. Due to the growing number of deliveries, they're in constant search of new suppliers.
As for Bolt's share in the on-demand driving segment in Croatia, several thousand active drivers are hired per month, but they will also need more owing to increased demand for such food and grocery delivery services.
Dmitri Liberman, vice president of the business delivery vertical at Bolt, is also satisfied with his business conducted here in Croatia. He referred to Eurostat data for 2020, according to which 55% of Croatian citizens made purchases online, mostly clothes, food from restaurants and groceries, revealing the benefits of grocery delivery services to your doorstep during a pandemic.
"Even when the pandemic ends, grocery delivery services will continue to be used, so Croatia certainly has the potential to introduce the Bolt Market,'' stated Liberman.
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Croatian Bus Companies Caught Off Guard by Market Deregulation
July the 20th, 2021 - Croatian bus companies have been among the hardest hit when it comes to the pandemic, as certain agreements for them haven't come to fruition and money is being haemorrhaged left, right and centre.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, although this situation has been going on for some time now, last week, Croatia adopted, somewhat suddenly, a measure to liberalise the bus services market in the country by lifting the cabotage ban.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Maritine Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure issued a Notice on the relevant EU Regulation regulating the transport of passengers in international road transport under these new rules.
So far here in Croatia, bus carriers operating within the scope of international transport have been banned from buying and leaving passengers at intermediate destinations in Croatia.
Specifically, if the carrier had a line like Osijek-Vienna, although the bus passed through, for example, Virovitica, Koprivnica and Varazdin, in those cities, only passengers for Vienna were allowed to purchase tickets, but not for, for example, the Virovitica-Varazdin line.
The new regulations abolish this practice, and the only thing that remains is the ban on performing regular county transport on this basis of international transport.
The new regulations for Croatian bus companies will mean even more for frequencies between larger cities because the same practice mentioned above also applied to lines such as Split-Vienna that pass through Zagreb, but passengers from Split and Zagreb didn't have the opportunity to use these lines for travel within Croatia.
The Coordination of Public Line Passenger Transport of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) states that they're surprised by this measure and that they oppose it and consider it high treason.
Hrvoje Mestrovic, President of the Coordination, says that they're surprised and confused by this change because back in April, they had it confirmed by the relevant ministry that cabotage will continue to be banned. They also warn that it remains unclear exactly who made this decision and based on what act it was done.
''I really don't know the logic of the decision-maker and that's why we asked for an urgent meeting with Minister Oleg Butkovic on Tuesday. This will bring additional chaos to the bus market.
The new benefit is exclusively for foreign carriers, which will now be able to, in addition to their main focus on international transport, generate additional revenue on the Croatian market and thus issue lower ticket prices. The problem is that they'll drive according to their own profitability plans, mainly during the tourist season, and the existing carriers in Croatia drive constantly.
Due to the arrival of such unfair competition, many Croatian bus companies will find themselves in troubled waters, which will lead to layoffs, the cancellations of lines and eventual collapse, so in the end nobody will be operating along that line during the winter, and if they do, the state will have to subsidise them very generously,'' explained Mestrovic.
An additional problem, he continues, is that the ban on cabotage is still valid in potentially interesting markets for Croatian carriers, such as Slovenia and Hungary. He also sees the EU Regulation which regards the ban on cabotage in agglomerations as a potential issue.
From FlixBus, which is one of the carriers that should benefit the most from these new regulations, they say that their development so far in Croatia, where they cooperate with many Croatian bus companies, is in line with high demand in international passenger transport, but when it comes to the transport of passengers on Croatian territory and its potential, so far it has been largely unused due to unfavourable legislation, which directly affects every single Croatian bus company.
"The inconsistency of the Road Transport Act with the settings of the liberalised European market, which has already been discussed on several occasions - stopping the harmonisation of timetables, the impossibility of opening new lines, stopping investments, investing in fleet quality and higher travel standards, has been further expressed at the beginning of the pandemic, revealing precisely the inflexibility and closedness of the Croatian market.
Instead of heading in the direction of growth and development which are crucial to the survival of the bus industry, many Croatian bus companies have found themselves at the target of illiquidity and a questionable profitable return to the market.
At the same time, carriers that have the knowledge and ability to respond to the challenges of the pandemic, due to numerous restrictions, couldn't get involved in free market competition,'' they stated from FlixBus.
They added that FlixBus, as a carrier that operates in differently regulated markets across Europe and the world and has a direct insight into all the advantages of the open or partially open market, strongly supports the decision of the Ministry on the new regulation of passenger transport.
Traffic analyst Zeljko Marusic pointed out that this is a positive thing that will further strengthen the Croatian transport system, bring benefits to passengers, but also have positive effects on tourism.
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One Important Zagreb Road to Remain Closed for Four Weeks
July the 20th, 2021 - As the very height of summer approaches and most of Zagreb's residents head either down to the coast or abroad for their annual breaks, one important Zagreb road is set to close for four entire weeks, and warnings have been issued to residents remaining in the capital to prepare for queues as a result.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, for almost a month (four weeks), ie from July the 19th to Monday, August the 9th, a special traffic regulation will be valid on on important Zagreb road - Miramarska cesta.
Every day from 09:00 to 14:00, the western and eastern traffic lanes of this central Zagreb road will be closed off, and traffic will be allowed to continue along the remaining free part, meaning that queues and traffic jams are more than likely.
The reason for the half-closure of this important Zagreb road in the heart of the city is the execution of works on the modernisation of public lighting along the railway underpass, the Zagreb City Office for Local Self-Government announced.
''We'd like to warn our fellow citizens about possible difficulties in traffic and as such, we're asking for your patience during this time,'' they stated from the aforementioned office.
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If you're visiting Zagreb, why not see what the city has to offer even in the coronavirus age? From restaurants to museums and everything in between, check out our 2021 guide to the Croatian capital, Zagreb in a Page.
Penultimate Peljesac Bridge Segment Now in Place as Works Continue
July the 20th, 2021 - The Peljesac bridge construction is moving along nicely, with this strategic Croatian project which will connect Croatian and European Union territory once and for all nearing its end. The second to last Peljesac bridge segment has now been put into place.
As Morski writes, just a few days ago, the penultimate Peljesac bridge segment was installed. Just another 18.5 metres separate us from the physical connection of the Croatian south with the rest of the country, and that truly historic job should finally be completed in just ten days.
The crossing through Neum, the only piece of coastline neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina has, in order to enter or exit the extreme south of Croatia has posed a problem for many years. Thanks to EU membership and access to European Union funds which funded the project heavily, Croatian territory can finally be connected.
Two synchronised cranes first raised the second to last Peljesac bridge segment to the lower level of the already installed bridge structure, as was reported by HRT. An extremely precise operation then followed.
When a few millimeters were trimmed at the bottom, the cranes restarted, and the 18.5-metre-long and 100-tonne section of the future bridge’s pavement began to rise slightly. It stopped at places where additional cutting was needed, before being mounted into its final position.
Mounting the connecting segment in the middle between the two pillars is a demanding job and is therefore done at night when the steel is most stable.
The hard working Chinese contractors who have been hands on around the clock and the investor, Croatian roads (Hrvatske ceste) both hope that the weather will be fair on the night of July the 28th into the very early hours of the 29th. At that time, the installation of the final Peljesac bridge segment is currently planned.
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Fountain of Youth May Come from Split-based Biotech Company: Meet Cell Culture Lab
July 19, 2021 - French scientist Dr. François-Xavier Pellay and Belgian businessman Ronny Haesen are behind Split-based Cell Culture Lab, providing science's top anti-aging therapies to local clinics!
Split is very well known for its historical palace and its beautiful Riva, and its economy is mostly centered around tourism. But tourism itself is evolving as more and more people are coming to Croatia to benefit from its very competitive pricing and high-quality medicine, particularly dentistry and aesthetic medicine.
Dr. François-Xavier Pellay
Ronny Haesen
Last year, in the middle of the Covid crisis, a new biotech startup was created to broaden even more this new wave of medical tourism. Cell Culture Lab d.o.o. (CCL), a company co-founded by a French scientist, Dr. François-Xavier Pellay, and Belgian businessman, Ronny Haesen, is now working with local clinics to provide anti-aging therapies at the top of what science has to offer today.
The company is based on the original research of Dr. Pellay, who is an expert in aging biology and particularly in anti-aging and rejuvenation medicine. His research, mostly done in Croatia, has led to the discovery of ways to rejuvenate human cells. Such research is to be applied in aesthetic medicine for skin rejuvenation and long-term anti-wrinkle treatment.
As we are all well aware, skin quality decreases with age, with the most obvious sign being the apparition of wrinkles and the loss of skin elasticity. These signs of skin aging are mostly due to the loss of fibroblasts, the main cells of the dermis, which are like skin factories for the production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
Shutterstock / Cell Culture Lab
Dr. Pellay’s skin rejuvenation treatment is based on the possibility to reinject your own rejuvenated fibroblasts to replace the ones lost with age. This kind of anti-aging therapy for the skin is quite different from the usual fillers and mesotherapy available today. Botox and Hyaluronic acid treatment, which are the most popular and most efficient ways to reduce wrinkles almost instantly, have the main disadvantage that they only last for a few months, in the case of botox, and are not free of possible side-effects. Most importantly, they don’t make the skin younger; they make it look younger.
Shutterstock / Cell Culture Lab
On the other hand, this biotechnological approach for skin rejuvenation is completely natural since it uses people's own cells and is based on bringing the skin back to where it was 10 to 15 years ago.
A year after its creation, this Split based company is now on the verge of becoming a multi-national company with developments in the USA, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan.
CCL is also actively working on the next step of what could be brought by their cellular rejuvenation technology. The possibilities are enormous, but their next product will probably be stem cells, in particular mesenchymal stem cells, for which a lot of applications are already on the market for regenerative medicine. Rejuvenating these cells before using them could have tremendous potential and bring us one step closer to the fountain of youth.
More info can be found on their website www.cellculturelab.eu
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Terme Sveti Martin First Hotel in Croatia Awarded EU Ecolabel
ZAGREB, 19 July 2021 - The Terme Sveti Martin hotel in Međimurje is the first hotel in Croatia to receive the EU Ecolabel after it met the relevant 22 criteria about general management, energy efficiency, the use of renewable resources, rational water consumption, reduced waste, and proper waste management.
Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac presented the EU Ecolabel to the hotel's director Igor Nekić at a ceremony held on Monday in the hotel located in the town of Sveti Martin na Muri, the ministry said on Monday.
The EU Ecolabel is approved by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development for products and services that motivate innovations and contribute to the aim of the EU's climate neutrality by 2050 and the circular economy.
Congratulating the hotel on that important step towards sustainable business and a sustainable destination, Minister Brnjac recalled that market surveys around the world have shown that guests no longer look for massive tourism but that they prefer sustainable and ecologically aware destinations that provide an authentic experience and an active vacation and services providing health tourism which comprehends spas and wellness treatments.
She said that the government encourages and invests in developing green and sustainable tourism through its National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Multiannual Financial Framework.
The Terme Sveti Martin comprises the hotel, apartments, a wellness center, and other amenities. There are more than 200 people employed in this establishment.
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HTZ Director: Croatia's Tourism Trends Positive on most markets
ZAGREB, 19 July 2021 - Croatia's tourism trends are still positive on most foreign markets, with good forecasts for July, August, and September, but tourist turnover will depend on the epidemiological situation and adherence to the measures, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) director said on Monday.
Answering Hina's questions whether bookings are being canceled or demand is falling on any market due to the fact that the entire Croatian coast was put in the orange zone on the COVID map released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the HTZ director Kristjan Staničić said that trends were still positive and that Croatia was positioned on many markets as a safe, well-prepared, quality and organized tourist destination.
There are currently about 740,000 tourists vacationing in Croatia, or 90,000 more than on 19 July 2020, and most of them, 640,000, are foreign tourists, including visitors from Germany, Slovenia, Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, he said
Since the beginning of the year, Croatia has seen a 50% increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period in 2020, while July has so far seen an increase of 43% this year.
British travelers generate more overnight stays, difficult to give forecasts
Asked whether it is expected there will be more visitors from Great Britain after all measures all lifted in that country on 19 July, Staničić said that the British had not been able to travel at all until 17 May and the situation had remained uncertain even after that, but when Croatia had become a green zone on the ECDC map (in late June), the number of bookings had started to grow.
"A total of 17,000 tourists arrived from the British market to Croatia from the beginning of this year to 18 July, which is 73% of last year's result for that period, while their 87,000 overnight stays indicate an increase of 8%," said Staničić, adding it is difficult to make forecasts on tourism figures for that market, which will depend on the epidemiological situation both in Croatia and the UK, as on all markets.
Given the better air connection between Croatia and the UK this summer and given the fact that they are lifting nearly all COVID-related restrictions, there is some hope this year for that market.
In order for guests to continue arriving, Staničić called on everyone to refrain from organizing large-scale events and to ensure safety for all, both the local population and tourists who are planning to visit Croatia in the weeks to come.
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Umag ATP Tournament Starts
ZAGREB, 19 July 2021 - The ATP tournament started in Umag on Monday and at the beginning of the event, Goran Ivanišević, a Croatian tennis legend, arrived in this Istrian town from the USA where he was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Goran Ivanišević, is the ambassador of one of Croatia's best-known tournaments at the Stella Maris Resort in Umag. The Plava Laguna Croatia Open tournament runs through 25 July.
Ivanišević will attend matches played on the court named after him.
"I'm really happy to be in Umag. Summer isn't summer without this week in the Stella Maris Resort. Croatia's players interest me the most including Serdarušić, Ajduković, Sabanov, but also young upcoming stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune. In addition to Gasquet, Krajinović, Lajović, and Bedene, we will see some great tennis," said Ivanišević.
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Russian Music Television Crew Visiting Two Croatian Adriatic Counties
ZAGREB, 19 July 2021 - A Russian MUZ TV music channel crew is visiting Split-Dalmatia and Šibenik-Knin counties until 23 July to film a special program on tourist experience and attractions in the two Adriatic regions, the Croatian Tourism Board (HTZ) said on Monday.
The visit was organized by the HTZ with the support of the tourism boards of the two counties. The Russian crew will visit Split, Šibenik, Omiš, Mount Biokovo, Brač island, Kornati National Park, Krka National Park and Skradin.
The footage will be shown in the Independent Traveller (Otpusk bez putevki) show, which is watched by more than two million people per episode. The program will also be available on MUZ TV's YouTube channel, the HTZ said.
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