Peljesac Bridge Brought a Demographic Boom in the Nearby Municipalities of Ston and Slivno
October 20, 2020 – In addition to changing the landscape of the Neretva coast, the Peljesac Bridge brought a demographic boom in this area, namely in the nearby municipalities of Ston and Slivno.
As Slobodna Dalmacija reports, statistic data says so, and in this case, the situation is favorable for two municipalities – Ston on Pelješac and Slivno on the Neretva River, which are connected by the Pelješac Bridge.
Unlike other Croatian regions that record a pronounced depopulation trend, especially in the Dalmatian hinterland, Ston and Slivno have an increase in the population of as many as 407 people. This is shown by the report of the Central Bureau of Statistics on estimates and natural population trends in the past year.
However, it cannot be said with certainty that the construction of the bridge directly affects the population growth, but it is certainly interesting that the positive demographic trends coincide with the intensification of work on the Pelješac Bridge. True, hundreds of workers temporarily staying in this area work on the bridge and the surrounding access roads, but it is assumed that they are not covered by these statistics because they do not have a permanent place of residence in the municipalities of Ston and Slivno.
Desirable places
The Mayor of Ston Municipality, Vedran Antunica, is delighted about the news that the number of inhabitants in the municipality of Ston increased by 281 people or 12.5 percent. Namely, in 2018 in the municipality of Ston there were 2246 inhabitants, and now there are 2521, interesting numbers in this part of Pelješac where tourism and shellfish farming, especially oyster farming, are the main economic activities.
"Our municipality provides certain benefits for young families and I am sure that this has also contributed to positive demographic trends," says Mayor Antunica.
For the first child born in a family permanently residing in the municipality, 5,000 kunas is paid from the municipal treasury, 10,000 for the second child, and 20,000 kunas for the third and each subsequent. Mayor Antunica notes that the money is paid at once, not in delays or installments.
"The municipality strives to make life as easy as possible for its residents. That is our main task. We have a kindergarten for children, a nursery, all the facilities as in a big city, and we are a small community. True, Dubrovnik is not far away, so we are a desirable place for living," says Antunica, adding that it is very difficult to buy a house or an apartment in big cities, so young people stay with their grandparents.
Ston and Pelješac will be an even more suitable place for a living once the Pelješac Bridge is built. This will be an additional stimulus to the economic and demographic renewal of this area, the people of Pelješac hope.
The municipality of Ston / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić
Technical increase
Somewhere people emigrate, and somewhere they immigrate. According to statistical indicators, they also move to the municipality of Slivno, the only coastal municipality on the Neretva River. Statistics say that during 2018 and 2019, the population of Slivno increased from 1868 to 2024, 156 people, or 8.35 percent.
The former mayor of Slivno Mate Dragobratović says that the area of Slivno is the most beautiful part of the Neretva valley, so he sees that as the reason for the number of increasing residents who have decided to live on the Neretva coast. Everything is close – Metković, Ploče, Dubrovnik – and such a geographical position attracts many, especially young people.
"People are engaged in agriculture, growing mandarins, and tourism, which is a good combination," says Dragobratović, emphasizing that with the construction of the Pelješac Bridge and the connection of the Neretva and Pelješac, the municipality of Slivno will be even more desirable for young families.
However, Denis Šešelj, a former municipal councilor, and local politician points out that there is no real increase in population but a technical increase in the population of Slivno municipality.
"We have people who are registered in their weekend cottages in the municipality of Slivno, but live in Metković or elsewhere. So they avoid paying taxes. This is best seen when voting in elections. In the municipality of Slivno, the number of inhabitants has been increasing in this way for years. Some companies and crafts are also being opened because taxes and duties are lower," says Šešelj.
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Croatia, USA Make Yet Another Step Towards Cancellation of Visa Requirements
ZAGREB, Oct 20, 2020 - Croatia on Tuesday made another step towards accession to the US Visa Waiver Programme by signing an agreement on cooperation with the USA in passenger data disclosure, Croatia's Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic and US Ambassador Robert Kohorst said.
The signing of the document is a major step towards having visa requirements lifted, said the US ambassador.
Step by step, Croatia has done everything necessary to qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme, he said, adding that there were more things to be done to conclude that process.
The document was signed in two locations, in Zagreb and in Washington, by Minister Bozinovic and a senior US Customs and Border Protection official, Pete Flores.
The document provides a legal basis to exchange passenger data for the purpose of detection, investigation and other activities related to the prevention of terrorism and other serious transnational crimes, Bozinovic said.
Kohorst said that Croatia and the USA were cooperating fully as partners and that the Croatian government and its ministries had invested a lot of effort to have visas cancelled.
"We have been finalising technical matters on a daily basis to have visa requirements for Croatian nationals cancelled," said Bozinovic.
He recalled that on Monday he and the US ambassador visited the Ministry of the Interior's "Ivan Vucetic" Forensic Science Centre, when Kohorst reassured the press that visa requirements would be abolished soon but that it would not happen before 31 December.
He noted that some technical conditions were yet to be met, and that US services had to see for themselves all procedures in Croatia.
Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus are the only European Union member states whose citizens cannot enter the United States without a visa.
Entering the US Visa Waiver Programme is conditional on meeting numerous requirements, and the last one Croatia had to meet was the percentage of rejected visa applications for travel to the USA of below 3%.
Commenting on the announcement by the Slovenian government that it would send a larger number of soldiers with policing powers to the border with Croatia due to migrants, Bozinovic said that he did not consider it to be any kind of message to Croatia.
"Slovenia used military resources on the border before and I am not sure it has ever stopped," he said, stressing that considering that it was not a member of the Schengen area, Croatia did not reduce its border police force but rather enhanced it and that it was capable of keeping its borders safe with its police force.
Sveta Nedelja Best Town for Economy for 3rd Time, Top 5 for Quality of Life
October 20, 2020 - Good things are happening just outside Zagreb - Sveta Nedelja best town for the economy for the third year in a row AND 5th best for quality of life. Have you visited?
I only visited for the first time last month, but am already planning my return.
A town I thought for a long time was the home of Rimac Automobili and little else.
How wrong I was, as I discovered on that first visit. Learn more in Sveta Nedelja Beyond Rimac: Jobs, Innovation, Nature, Population Growth.
In an era of emigration and economic crisis, here is a small town of 20,000 people (up 10% on the 2011 census of 18,000), where the number of jobs has increased by 20% (from 7,200 to 9,000) in just three years, and unemployment is way below the national average at 3.9%. It has been run since 2017 by a young team of independent and progressive people, who have made Sveta Nedelja the most transparent administration in Croatia, with taxes slashed and where free buses will soon be introduced.
Those impressive numbers have been recognised once again, as Sveta Nedelja Mayor Dario Zurovec proudly announced on Facebook that his town has not only been named the best medium-sized town in Croatia for the economy for the third year in a row, but also in the top five for quality of life:
Sveta Nedelja - the best city for the economy for the third year in a row!
For the third year in a row, the town of Sveta Nedelja has received the award for the best town for the economy in the Republic of Croatia in the category of medium-sized town. I would like to emphasize that this year we are among the 5 BEST TOWNS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE in Croatia.
This award shows that nothing is accidental. Being the best for three years in a row is the best indicator of our mutual success and desire for excellence. I am very proud of the results we have achieved and I would like to thank our hardworking entrepreneurs and craftsmen, our residents, the city administration, the City Council and others who have contributed to this success, regardless of the difficult year. Sveta Nedelja is the best choice for smart business and a comfortable life.
Among those endorsing Sveta Nedelja was its most famous resident entrepreneur, Mate Rimac (Sveta Nedelja translates as 'Holy Sunday').
You can learn more about the town and its economic successes in the video below. As for quality of life, I must confess that I have never seen so many kindergartens in a town of that size during my visit. The close proximity of Zagreb, the border to Slovenia, and the national motorway network, make it a great location, but its lakes and natural beauty offer a true escape to nature just 30 minutes from the city centre (and with that free transport imminent to connect you to the Zagreb network).
If you are looking for a place to live or work with a mindset firmly focused on Croatia 2.0, look no further. Congratulations to all involved in this success, one that we intend to monitor and report on as it continues.
Read more: Camp Zagreb, Natural Lakeside Heaven a Short Connection to the City.
For the latest from Sveta Nedelja, follow the dedicated TCN section.
Sveta Nedelja Beyond Rimac: Montelektro, Automating Breweries Across the Globe
October 27, 2020 - Continuing our look at the economic boom town of Sveta Nedelja just outside Zagreb, meet Montelektro, keeping beer production on schedule all over the globe.
I really had no idea what to expect.
A recent invitation to spend a long weekend in Sveta Nedelja, home to Rimac Automobili, as guests of the town was a welcome break for the daily grind, and it included a very full programme on the Friday, visiting some of the successful businesses in the town.
And if I thought that Rimac was the only show in town, I could not have been more wrong - this town is ROCKING.
Some simple stats will suffice to explain how Sveta Nedelja is bucking the national trend of emigration and economic doom and gloom. The population has increased by more than 10% since the last census in 2011 (18,000 to over 20,000); jobs have increased by 20% since the current administration took over in 2017 (from 7,200 to 9,000), and unemployment is down to just 3.9%. Not bad in a time of global economic turndown and much higher unemployment all over the country.
My hosts were keen to show me as much as they could, including the mandatory visit to Rimac. It was a fascinating day, full of surprises. Not least, perhaps to find that Rimac was actually not the biggest show in town - that honour went to a Syrian entrepreneur, whose main company turned over a stunning 250 million euro last year, and who currently employs 829 people. Learn more about this incredible story in Meet Sveta Nedelja's Biggest Company, a Success Story Born in Syria.
The tour of successful businesses continued, with yet one more success story showing strong growth in both turnover and employees over the last decade, and a business which has gone truly global from its bases in Sveta Nedelja and Kastav.
Celebrating 30 years since its founding in May, 1990, Montelektro is a major engineering and Process Control System integrator company offering engineering solutions to a wide range of sectors worldwide, including brewing, food and beverage, cement, steel, pharmaceutical, and tobacco industries.
Especially the brewing industry.
With an A-list client list of breweries that includes Heineken, Carlsberg, ABInBev, Molson Coors, Diageo and Castel, Montelekro's systems are in more than 250 breweries around the world, making sure that the systems powering the production of this most essential liquid operate without problems.
Montelekro's turnkey solutions range from the small and simple – to the most demanding and complex projects. These include:
- Design and installation of Medium Voltage and Low Voltage systems
- Electrical engineering/Control panel design and manufacturing
- Process Control System design and delivery
- Installation material specification and delivery
- Automation software engineering
- Installation
- Commissioning
- Packing and worldwide delivery
- Project management
- Training
- Maintenance
- After sales support
At the more complex end of the spectrum - and an insight into the complexity of some of the projects it delivers - a 5-year project at the giant Heineken Den Bosch brewery in the Netherlands gives some idea of the complexity of the tasks at hand.
Montelektro was tasked with replacing the existing automation system for the production and utility areas, using a different platform, ProLeiT brewmaxx. As one can see from the numbers above, the scope of the task was immense. In terms of human engagement, the project required 20 man-years of office engagement (up to 10 engineers simultaneously) and 4 man-years of onsite presence (up to 8 engineers simultaneously). With production stops no longer than the planned 24-48 hours, all systems have now been overhauled, and the project completed on time and handed over.
Yet one more example of how Sveta Nedelja excellence is performing on the global stage. So the next time you are driving along Zagreb's southern motorway between the Slovenian border at Bregana and the airport, raise a glass as you pass Sveta Nedelja to the team at Montelektro for its global contribution to keeping the beer flowing around the world.
You can learn more about Montelektro and their services for the brewing, food and beverage, cement, steel, pharmaceutical and tobacco industries on their official website.
I am not surprised by either, and we shall continue our mini-series looking at the business success of Sveta Nedelja Beyond Rimac on TCN shortly.
For the latest news from Sveta Nedelja, visit the dedicated TCN section.
CIHT 2020: 8th Crikvenica International Health Tourism Conference in a Completely New Setting!
October 20, 2020 - One of Croatia's most important medical tourism conferences, CIHT 2020, will go ahead next month, albeit in a very different format.
The Crikvenica International Health Tourism Conference will be held for the eighth time in a row, on the 12th and 13th of November 2020, in a virtual form. Due to the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, this conference, which was traditionally organized on the Crikvenica Riviera, will change its concept and move to a completely online environment, it will be completely free of charge and the participants will be able to attend via new CIHT mobile app.
In order to present world trends and European experiences in health tourism, its marketing opportunities, as well as to present the achievements of Croatia and the best examples from practice, this two-day conference will host national and foreign experts in health, tourism, and marketing. The speakers who confirmed their participation are Keith Pollard, Csilla Mezösi, Irving Stackpole, Laszlo Puczko, Elizabeth Ziemba, Jeana Havidich, Michaela Kehrer, Ilan Geva, as well as Velimir Srića and Miroslav Varga. On this prestigious list of speakers is also Ph.D. Ivan Đikić, MD, who, from the position of his profession and his own experience, will cover the complex topic of the impact of the virus on health tourism. These experts are of great importance, not only for the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County but also for the entire Republic of Croatia. Moreover, these are experts who participate as speakers in numerous eminent world health and tourism conferences and cooperate with the largest companies in this field.
In addition to the presentations by top experts, the CIHT Conference offers the opportunity to create business contacts and partnerships, exchange experiences, and arrange concrete collaborations. The priority in the organization of the CIHT conference is, first of all, the quality of the content through which the participants can gain new knowledge that they will later apply in their daily work. This year's CIHT conference continues to contribute to the application of current theoretical knowledge and trends in practice, emphasizing the strategic importance of the development of health tourism. Given that we are in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 8th CIHT Conference is especially needed.
You can follow everything about the 8th CIHT Conference on its official website ciht.com.hr, as well as on the Facebook profile CIHT Conference Crikvenica Croatia. Highlights of last year's event are in the video below.
For more on the Croatian medical tourism story, follow the dedicated TCN section.
See Together Challenge: Diocletian's Palace to be Live-Streamed to Viewers Around the World
October 20, 2020 - UNESCO World Heritage Site Diocletian's Palace will be live-streamed to viewers around the world on Thursday, October 22, as part of the 'See Together Challenge' by Seoul company Magenta.
Magenta, a documentary production company based in Seoul, South Korea, is launching a new project titled ‘See Together Challenge’.
The project is co-hosted by SK Telecom, the National Korean Committee for UNESCO, and Magenta, and is funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and supported by the Korea Radio Promotion Association.
‘See Together Challenge’ was envisioned to lift spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic and to raise awareness of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the importance of their preservation.
Namely, project participants will film and live stream UNESCO World Heritage Site(s) to global viewers for 1 hour and then pass on the live stream to the next participant, who will film for an hour at their location, and so forth. The videos will be live-streamed on Youtube and will run 24 hours a day, for one week, beginning on October 21, 2020.
The videos will also be edited into a two-part documentary on social distancing, which will be aired on KBS, a national broadcaster in South Korea.
Since Croatia boasts some of the world’s most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it comes as no surprise that the country will be featured in this admirable project.
Thus, among the various Croatian UNESCO heritage sites is the breathtaking Diocletian's Palace. Famous Split tour guide Ivica Profaca will lead viewers through its ancient stone walls and unveil its history to future travelers around the world on October 22 at 10 am.
To find out more about our project, you can visit the official website and watch the official promo video HERE.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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Property of the Week: Stone Terrace Sea View in Kut, Vis
October 20, 2020 - A romantic ferry ride to the island of Mamma Mia II for the latest property of the week, a stone sea view stunner in Kut, Vis Town.
Back in the days when I had a real estate agency in 2004, it was the most popular thing being searched for - a cute stone house with outside space and a killer view of the sea on an Adriatic island. Living on Hvar as I did, where every view is a killer view, life was good.
Finding that perfect combination is not so easy, however, and opportunities that do come up are rarely on the market long. Examples like this week's Property of the Week from our friends at Trgostan, who have just taken on an adorable stone house with terrace and garden, and that all-important killer view.
In the words of Trgostan...
Vis town, Kut - a renovated stone house with a garden, terrace and a fantastic sea view.
EXCLUSIVELY OFFERED BY TRGOSTAN:
A renovated 60 m2 stone house in a row, on three floors, in a beautiful location in Kut, overlooking the whole bay, with a fantastic sea view, consisted of a kitchen with living area and courtyard/garden of 18 sqm + access path way of 12 sqm on the ground floor, bedroom and bathroom on the 1st floor and a bedroom with a nice sized terrace on the top floor, rarely on the market, facing west - east.
For more information, photos, and to book a viewing, visit the original listing.
PM: Meeting with Police, State Prosecutor because of Video Recording of Attack
ZAGREB, Oct 20, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has sent a message to President Zoran Milanovic saying he did meet with police and prosecutorial representatives on Saturday because he personally wanted to see for himsef if a recording of the attack that occurred in St. Mark's Square last week could be released.
Plenkovic confirmed that the meeting was held at his request and that the Interior Minister, the head of the Security-Intelligence Agency (SOA), the chief-of-police and the county prosecutor attended the meeting because he wanted to see if releasing the video recording would interfere and exclude it from any criminal proceedings.
He explained that the meeting was held because of numerous queries of what to do with the recording and that that decision could not be made without consulting stakeholders conducting the proceedings.
Considering that the police had conducted an inspection and submitted the case to the state prosecutor, a decision could be made from the legal aspect to release the recording to the media, said Plenkovic.
Commenting on a statement by President Milanovic on Monday that noone would find out about his travels by helicopter around the country because he was a protected person, Plenkovic said that when "someone does not wish to give an answer," they declare it a secret. He added that he too is a protected person of equal ranking and that in the four years of his term in office he travelled by helicopter three times - to attend a military exercise on Dugi Otok, to inspect the situation with illegal migrants on Mt. Pljesivica and to Hrvatska Kostajnica following the disastrous floods.
"I do not see that the measures should be any different. I do not have any problems in saying that," said Plenkovic presenting the government's latest economic measures.
He added that he decides on the mode of travel together with his associates. "We are not dolls to be placed in some means of transport and then driven around," he added.
He rejected allegations that the right wing of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) plans to initiate the president's impeachment.
"Media have speculated that some right wing of the HDZ is planning to change the Constitution and launch the president's impeachment. That's not true. There is no such initiative... Tell anyone who is telling you that, that it is not true," he concluded.
HGK: Employers to Have Peace Until Year's End Thanks to Government's Latest Measures
ZAGREB, Oct 20, 2020 - The Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) is satisfied with the government's latest measures designed to help the business sector deal with the impact of the coronavirus crisis more easily and it believes they will bring them peace at least until the end of the year.
"We are satisfied because the HGK's proposal to introduce gradation in aid depending on the decrease in turnover and define a model for measuring the decrease has been accepted. It takes into account the specificity of every sector as much as possible and the increase in aid for shorter working hours will help as well," HGK head Luka Burilovic said in a comment on the government's latest measures.
He noted that priorities remained the same - maintaining liquidity and keeping jobs.
100 Wheelchairs Placed in Zagreb's Main Square as Reminder of Road Safety
ZAGREB, Oct 20, 2020 - A hundred wheelchairs were placed in Zagreb's main square on Monday displaying messages by people who have become disabled as a result of traffic accidents.
The wheelchairs were placed as part of a police campaign marking National Road Safety Day, symbolising the annual average of one hundred people becoming confined to a wheelchair after a road accident, the head of the Road Safety Service, Josip Mataija, said.
Statistics show that around 15,650 people are injured in traffic accidents in Croatia annually. Of them, 79.4 percent suffer light injuries, 18.4 percent serious injuries, while 2.2 percent of people involved in traffic accidents are killed, which is an annual average of 351 people.
Mataija said that, compared to last year, all statistical indicators of road casualties had declined this year, with the number of road fatalities decreasing by 28 persons.
"Last year was basically the best year in terms of road safety in the last 60 years since we have been systematically tracking road safety," he said.
On Wednesday, police will be handing out leaflets at ten locations to raise public awareness of the four main road killers in Croatia - drunk driving, using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt, and speeding.
