310,000 Tourists in Croatia, Great Results in August
August 31, 2020 - There are currently about 310,000 tourists in Croatia, of which 240,000 are foreigners, and 106,000 came during the last weekend of August, the Croatian National Tourist Board revealed on Monday, whose director Kristjan Stanicic assessed the results in August as extremely good given the circumstances.
"August is behind us, in which we have achieved extremely good results given the circumstances. Our further strategic and marketing activities will primarily depend on the epidemiological picture of Croatia and the surrounding countries, and uncertainty in this regard requires flexibility and readiness for rapid and continuous adaptation. We are witnessing that some countries in the region have started to close, which we also consider when defining activities in the off-season," Stanicic said for HTZ at the end of August.
Stanicic presented eVistor data according to which slightly more than a million overnight stays were realized on the weekend of August 28 to 30, of which 319,000 were realized by German tourists, followed by Poles (109,000), and Slovenes (83,000).
Over the weekend, the highest number of overnight stays was again in Vir (52,000), followed by Rovinj and Crikvenica. Vir and Rovinj, according to eVisitor data, are the top two destinations in the total number of overnight stays for the whole of August - Vir with 756,000, and Rovinj with 651,000.
Medulin, Porec, and Crikvenica are among the top five destinations per night in August.
A total of 2.6 million tourists came to Croatia in August, more precisely until August 30, with 20.7 million overnight stays, which is 64 percent of last year's result in the same period.
The German market maintained its leading position with 5.2 million overnight stays, followed by domestic tourists with almost four million overnight stays. Slovenia is third with 2.7 million overnight stays in August, while Poland and the Czech Republic are fourth and fifth with 2.2 and 1.3 million overnight stays, respectively.
By counties, most overnight stays in August were realized in Istria County - slightly more than five million, while in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, there were 4.1 million overnight stays, in Split-Dalmatia County 3.9 million, in Zadar County 3.7 million, and Sibenik-Knin County 1.6 million overnight stays.
Noting that complete statistics of arrivals and overnight stays for August and the first eight months of this year can be expected in the first part of September, the Croatian National Tourist Board adds that given the pandemic, they have prepared several different communication concepts to apply depending on the market and circumstances.
"If the situation allows, in the autumn we plan to launch a campaign 'A week's vacation is worth it' for domestic tourists and encourage their consumption in the off-season by using tourist services in the country at lower prices," announced Stanicic.
In conclusion, he emphasized that "domestic tourists have a share of 20 percent in the total result of the current part of the tourist year, which is an important share, and that their contribution is expected in the off-season with shorter and weekend trips."
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FINA To Start Enforcing Debt Payments Again, Possibly In Installments
ZAGREB, Aug 31, 2020- A measure that was introduced to stop the enforcement of money debts, thus unblocking debtors' accounts, expires on October 18 and the Financial Agency will again start enforcing debt payments from citizens' accounts who have not settled their debts, the Jutarnji List daily reported on Monday.
The government will definitely not extend the suspension of enforcement procedures which means that a real tsunami of enforcement procedures can be expected in October and November, the daily writes.
According to information from public notary circles, about 400,000 citizens could have their accounts blocked overnight. With the record fall in GDP in the second quarter of 15.1%, an expected loss of jobs, which in the tourism sector alone could be more than 60,000, Croatia is just one step away from a very black autumn scenario.
Some sources in the government have said that the measures to help the commercial sector and citizens that were introduced cannot be extended, but that the government is not neglecting the social component. Scenarios are being prepared for an as painless transition as possible from the complete suspension of enforcement procedures to their reintroduction.
The only option that could help citizens and that would not stint creditors too much would be to allow debt repayments in installments.
The civic rights department in the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration has already prepared a draft document to present to the chamber of public notaries, the daily writes.
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Bled Strategic Forum: Europe Needs More Solidarity Now
ZAGREB, Aug 31, 2020 - Central European leaders gathered at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia on Monday, saying that during the time of the coronavirus Europe needed more solidarity and should abandon double standards for its member states.
The Bled Strategic Forum, the most important foreign policy event in Slovenia, hosted a panel discussion on the topic "Europe after Brexit and Covid-19", with the prime ministers of Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, the president of Serbia and the director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in attendance.
At the start of the discussion, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic spoke about Croatia's presidency of the European Union in the first half of the year, underscoring that the maximum had been done in the circumstances of the pandemic, a crisis which "started as a health problem and grew into a crisis of all aspects of society."
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who participated via video link from Rome, said that the pandemic highlighted the value of solidarity and that the EU proved that it could respond as a community of interests inspired by common values.
He added that the present crisis was a great chance for a stronger and more cohesive Union.
IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva, who too participated via video link from Sofia, said that there was the reason for optimism. Together we created ground under the feet of the global economy by creating liquidity, she said.
She underlined that the second round of financial aid to the world economy has to be tied to investments in digitization, education, and the capacity to deal with climate change that will affect us even more strongly than the coronavirus.
She added that it was natural that at the start of the pandemic each country shut itself within its own borders. However, with its Next Generation package of financial support, the EU proved that that was history and that observers from outside Europe were pleased because Europe showed its solidarity.
Plenkovic said that in the months to come it was necessary to reach a balance between national measures, which once again showed the importance of the role of states, and a European and global response, adding that there was a consensus n European policy that it was necessary to fight the coronavirus together.
Democratic standards topic at Bled Strategic Forum
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban denied the accusations against his country, saying that democracy in Hungary was at the same level as that in Germany and Italy, but based on a Christian and not a liberal model. He added that Europe needed a joint army that would be the driver of technological innovations.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that inequality still existed in the EU as far as freedom was concerned because companies from the Union's east did not have the same opportunities as those in its west.
We have to retain solidarity and unity in Central Europe but also be a part of the European Union. The Central European dimension is different but it is not contrary to the EU, he said.
Janez Jansa, the prime minister of the host country, accused European policy of being hypocritical in 2014 because it did not condemn "election thievery" in Slovenia when he was a "political prisoner", while today it is condemning countries where there are no political prisoners.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic spoke about double standards in western Europe, citing as an example attempts to storm the parliaments of Serbia and Germany.
When that occurred in Belgrade 27 people were arrested and that was presented as a dictatorship, and when such an attempt was made in Berlin and more than 300 people were arrested, that was then proof of democracy, said Vucic.
Serbia wishes to join the European Union, but Brussels should show more respect, Vucic said, adding that in his country the EU is perceived as an institution that is creating pressure for Kosovo's independence which is why 40 percent of Serbia's population is opposed to that integration.
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From October You Can Bring Only 2 Packs Of Cigarettes Into Croatia
August 31, 2020 – From October, you'll only be able to bring 2 packs of cigarettes or 50 grams of tobacco into Croatia from countries outside the EU, say new proposals. Day trips across the Bosnian or Serbian border for cheap smokes will be a lot less cost-effective.
Croatians who smoke and who live within easy driving distance of the Bosnian or Serbian border have had it good for quite a while. They've been able to skip across to the other side, pick up their smokes for the week, and save a lot of money by doing so.
This wasn't really illegal, but these golden days will be over from October 2020. Under new proposals, you'll only be able to bring 2 packs of cigarettes into Croatia from any non-EU country. The new proposals reduce the amount previously considered personal luggage by five times. You can currently carry 10 packs (200 cigarettes) across the border. 2 packs (40 cigarettes) is considerably less and will make the journey much less cost-effective.
The new proposals also extend to rolling tobacco in the same percentages. Instead of the current 250 grams of tobacco you're currently permitted to bring into the country from outside the EU, the amount will be reduced to just 50 grams.
Annual cigarette consumption in Croatia is a lot bigger than 2 packs of cigarettes. It is estimated at more than 300 million packs. The latest estimates say that around 7% of consumption uses non-taxable cigarettes. Such non-taxable tobacco products usually carry the tax stamp of Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes Serbia, and sometimes no stamp at all. This non-taxable section of the total is estimated to be worth between 500 and 600 million kuna.
Last year, the Croatian state budget collected 5.11 billion kuna from tobacco excise duties. In more than 16.2 billion of total excise revenues, only those from petroleum products are higher.
Although it is calculated that smoking in Croatia is decreasing in popularity, thanks, in part to anti-smoking health campaigns and rising prices, state revenues from tobacco excise duties have actually grown over the past five years.
Between excise duties and VAT, the Croatian state budget collects close to six and a half billion kuna from the sale of cigarettes and tobacco. This is almost 8% of the total tax revenues of the state budget.
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TASKFORCOME: Weekly One-Stop Shops Supporting Migrant Entrepreneurs in Croatia
August 31, 2020 - Despite the current Covid-19 situation, entrepreneurs continue to battle and innovate to push through 2020, and for any non-Croatian entrepreneur in Dalmatia, you’ll even get support to do so. Meet TASKFORCOME!
Grad Split, in partnership with Udruga CEDRA Split, has announced the launch of weekly one-stop shops to support any migrant (non-Croatian citizen) entrepreneurs start or develop their business this September.
The one-stop shops will provide free business-related mentoring and consultancy such as business and marketing strategy, financial planning, product development, and market research. The one-stop-shop will also connect budding and current foreign entrepreneurs to other business support providers such as lawyers, marketers, designers, and so on, to form a package of support in those risky early stages of the business.
They will be run by Michael Freer, originally from the United Kingdom, but now lives in Trolokve, Dalmatia where he runs his own social enterprise, ensoco, which offers similar services to social entrepreneurs or impact-driven entrepreneurs in Croatia and the UK.
If you’d like to get involved, then you can either join their Facebook Group or contact Michael Freer directly This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The overall project is called TASKFORCOME which is funded within the 3rd Call of INTERREG CE program within the priority 1 -Cooperating on innovation to make CENTRAL EUROPE more competitive.
It addresses two of the major challenges of the EU and its member states: the socio-economic integration of immigrants and the potential of social innovation for social and economic development. It aims to increase the engagement and commitment of key actors in social innovation.
The partners involved are to improve the skills and develop targeted support for migrants and social entrepreneurs, and elaborate policy frameworks and related funding instruments. More information can be found here.
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Campsites In Croatia Post 50% Of Last Year's Nights
ZAGREB, Aug 31, 2020 - This year so far campsites have recorded 7.7 million nights or 51% of last year's results and although there are still tourists and many planned to stay open until October, most could close earlier due to tighter coronavirus restrictions in the main markets, according to the Croatian Camping Union (KUH).
KUH director Adriano Palman has told Hina's initial forecasts indicated that 2020 would see about 30% of last year's results. He recalls that most of them opened between May 15 and June 15 as borders were reopened.
At the moment, most of the tourists are from Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
Palman says "it's impossible to forecast" what the situation in September will be and that it will primarily depend on the number of coronavirus infections in all relevant countries and Croatia.
Campsites in Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, and Zadar countries have recorded 82% of this year's nights, he adds.
So far, campsites in Istria have recorded 3.6 million nights or 46% of last year's figure. Campsites in Lika-Senj County have recorded 62% of last year's nights, followed by Zadar County (60%) and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (56%).
Palman says campsites in the southernmost Dubrovnik-Neretva County, although the furthest from the main markets have recorded 53% of last year's nights.
This year has seen a higher demand for mini camps, which have recorded 90% of last year's nights, although they account for only 4% of total campsite nights, he says, adding that four and five-star campsites, the most expensive ones, account for 52% of this year's nights.
This year so far, German, Slovenian and Austrian campers have generated 71% of all campsite nights. Polish and Czech tourists rank fourth and fifth, having generated 65% of last year's nights.
Palman says revenue is likely to be well below 50% of last year's figures and that campsites expect the adoption of new aid measures to avoid restructuring and retain jobs.
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21 Croatian Sailors Trapped on Ship for 5 Months
August 31, 2020 – 21 Croatian sailors trapped on the ship Zagreb since March are currently anchored in the Philippines. They cannot disembark and have so far failed to be replaced, because of Coronavirus. For some, it is their 10th month on the ship. Their contracts have expired and they have stopped being paid.
Being homesick is an accepted part of the job for long-distance seafarers. But 21 Croatian sailors trapped on the cargo ship Zagreb for 5 months are being pushed to the limit of their nerves by their current confinement.
Through no fault of their own, the 21 Croatian sailors have been held on board and unable to leave since March. Strict pandemic measures in the Philippines, where they are currently anchored in the port of Mauban, mean they cannot get off. Shipowners, Atlantska plovidba, have so far replaced 11 of their other crews, allowing them to go home. But, no replacement crew has so far been sent to relieve these men. The entire crew is Croatian. This is the final crew working for Atlantska plovidba awaiting replacement.
Although the seamen have been trapped on board for only 5 months, for some of the 21 Croatian sailors this is actually their 10th consecutive month on the ship. Nerves are fraught and the tension onboard has been reported to be almost unbearable. The men are exhausted. Conflicts between crew members are becoming more common because of the intense psychological pressure they are under. The temperature on deck in the port can often reach 50 degrees, and 52 degrees in the engine room.
The port of Mauban in the Philippines © Lawrence Ruiz
Prior to be anchored in the Philippines, the boat was in port in Singapore. Atlantska plovidba tried to replace the crew there and asked the Croatian Ministry of Transport for assistance. The Ministry wrote to Singaporean authorities in late July, pleading with them to allow their sailors to disembark and be replaced, citing the mental stress of those onboard and the fact that many of the crew were out of contract (indeed, for many, payment for their services has long since stopped). Singaporean authorities rejected the request without comment. They instead prioritised ships which were carrying sailors onboard for more than eleven months.
The ship owners have maintained regular communication with the Ministry of Transport, the Croatian Seafarers Union and the boat's command regarding the situation and is actively seeking a resolution. Atlantska plovidba d.d. is a Croatian shipping company and was founded in 1955 in Dubrovnik.
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Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round Draw: Hajduk v Renova, Osijek v Basel
August 31, 2020 - Hajduk and Osijek, the two Croatian representatives that will compete in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, have found out their rivals. Hajduk v Renova and Osijek v Basel.
Only one game is played at this stage of the competition. Hajduk will play against the Macedonian club Renova away, while Osijek plays against Basel at their stadium. The matches will be played on September 17, 2020.
Renova finished last season in fourth place behind Vardar, Sileks, and Shkendija. The Macedonian club beat the Armenian club Alashkert 1-0 in the first round. This is their return to Europe after five years. They have played six times in Europe, and their biggest success was the elimination of Rijeka in the Intertoto Cup in 2008. They were the champions of Macedonia in 2010.
Next to Tottenham, Basel is the club with the highest odds in the Europa League qualifiers. They were stopped by Shakhtar in the quarterfinals last season. Basel was the Swiss champion last in 2017. They passed the group stage of the Champions League three times in the last ten years, and in 2013, played in the semifinals of the Europa League. The most valuable player of the club is the Brazilian striker Arthur. His value is estimated at six million euro. He scored 18 goals and, along with Fabian Frei, was the club's top scorer. Arthur tested positive for the coronavirus, so his performance against Osijek is still in question.
Tomorrow, the draw of the third qualifying round will be held, and Rijeka and Lokomotiva will join Hajduk (not-seeded) and Osijek (seeded due to the Basel coefficient). Rijeka will be a top-seed, and Lokomotiva will not. The third qualifying round matches are scheduled for September 24, 2020.
Furthermore, Dinamo is the only Croatian representative in the Champions League qualifiers. The Croatian champion has drawn Hungarian Ferencvaros in the third qualifying round.
Only one match is played in Budapest on September 15 or 16. In the second qualifying round, Dinamo played away and eliminated Romanian club Cluj on penalities.
Source: Index.hr
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Plenkovic Wants Coronavirus Red List To Take Counties Into Account
ZAGREB, Aug 31, 2020 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday that he would talk with Slovenian PM Janez Jansa about putting counties and not countries on the coronavirus red list.
Plenkovic and six other European prime ministers are attending the Bled Strategic Forum, and on the fringes, he will meet with Jansa and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.
Speaking to the press, Andrej Plenkovic said the meetings would discuss "joint efforts to reduce infection and its cross-border effects."
In mid-August, Slovenia put Croatia on the coronavirus red list, which means mandatory quarantine for anyone arriving from Croatia. In order to avoid quarantine, many Slovenian tourists left Croatia.
"Our position is to attempt, notably in Slovenia, not just because of Croatia but also for the sake of numerous Slovenians who are our frequent and dear quests, to see the county level of infection as a criterion, something like Germany has done. I think there is room for that and that that is the best option."
He said the Bled Strategic Forum, the most important foreign policy event in Slovenia, was a good opportunity for European states to analyze their management of the coronavirus pandemic so far.
We can slowly sum up what has been good since January, he said, "what we have done well together, and how to respond together in the future when it comes to a vaccine, the procurement of medical and protective equipment."
Slovenian reporters asked him if he and Jansa would discuss the territorial dispute between the two neighboring states.
"Our position has been clear the entire time. We had Slovenia's initiative before the European Court in Luxembourg and you saw the decision, that it's not competent. We are still willing to talk about the border with Slovenia and our stance has not changed during my whole term," Plenkovic said, adding that it was necessary to find a "good, sustainable solution acceptable to both countries."
The 15th Bled Strategic Forum is focusing on Europe after Brexit and COVID-19. Also attending are Czech PM Andrej Babis, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borissov, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Italian PM Giuseppe Conte is participating via video link.
The foreign ministers of Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Romania also arrived in Bled for a panel in which the EU High Representative for foreign and security policy, Josep Borrell, will also take part.
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One Minute Ludbreg: Meet the Winemakers - Strucic Winery
August 31, 2020 - Continuing our journey through the town of Ludbreg by video, meet the winemakers of the Ludbreg Wine Road, starting with the Strucic Winery.
Wine tasting in Croatia is an eclectic experience. There are tastings underwater, in caves, in huge ancient cellars, and in modern industrialised complexes.
For me, however, the thing that brings out the true personality of Croatia's incredible and diverse wine offer is the tasting experience offered by the small family grower.
There are so many of them all over the country, producing anything from 10 - 50,000 bottles a year, each with their own style, passion and approach. Visiting these small growers is never dull, and each tasting produces its own memories.
Some are getting more organised than others, offering proper tasting facilities, refreshments to compliment the wines, even accommodation.
One such producer which is a very popular stop on the Ludbreg Wine Road is the Strucic Winery, where second-generation growers, Sanja and Tomislav Strucic, have carved out a nice little business through their combined hard work over the years, as well as a very pleasant tasting experience on their terrace overlooking the golden vineyards around them.
Producers of the first sparkling wine in Ludbreg, their annual production is about 25,000 bottles a year, with main products coming from Chardonnay, Grasevina, Sauvignon and Portugiesac.
Take a tour of the Strucic Winery in our latest One Minute Ludbreg video below - and then check out some of the other wonders of Croatia's only certified miracle town in the videos which follow.
You can follow Vinarija Strucic on Facebook.
The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.
To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled.
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