Sunday, 27 September 2020

Mali Losinj Tourist Board Takes Corona-Era Tourism Challenges in Stride

September. 27, 2020 - This year, the Mali Losinj Tourist Board made the most of the COVID crisis, from communication, campaigns, ideas, and, most of all, proactivity. The Ferry Free campaign is just one example.

Namely, Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam writes that the Mali Losinj Tourist Board launched the FERRY FREE campaign to attract visitors in September. Thus, for visitors staying in September for more than seven nights, the Tourist Board co-finances return ferry tickets in the facilities that responded to the invitation.

"In our main markets, we have conducted, and still carry out in some, the marketing campaign 'Losinj - Your island oasis' with the action 'Ferry Free' where guests who come in September and stay at least seven nights, we reduce the price of accommodation by taking care of the return ferry ticket for both vehicles and passengers," points out Dalibor Cvitkovic, director of the Mali Losinj Tourist Board.

Because the tourist season ended abruptly as the borders closed,  the course and efficiency of the action were disrupted, but the action has borne concrete results in the current framework.

"During September, following the 'Ferry Free' campaign, we expect to achieve more than 5,000 overnight stays, which is a direct consequence of the campaign. Of course, we expected a greater economic effect, but our main markets are closed, and most of the guests who took advantage of the action were guests from Germany. According to everything, we can be satisfied, and in cooperation with partners, we plan to continue the action next year. On the contrary, we plan to expand it even more, through more terms; in the pre- and post-season, as well as to focus especially on domestic guests," said Cvitkovic.

Yet even in these current frameworks, the action has proven to be successful. If we consider that the average consumption of tourists on Losinj is around 100 euro, then it is slightly lower in the COVID crisis (approximately 80 euro). Thus, we come to a simple calculation that, thanks to this action, 400,000 euro was generated in September - which is more than great success. Of course, this is a rough estimate. And September is still here.

When asked how he would comment on the summer season, Cvitkovic said they were satisfied, following the initial announcements. The bitter taste of unrealized tourist traffic in the second part of the season remained. "We are to blame for the increase in the number of infections, which, of course, reflected on the whole situation. The question is whether we have learned anything this year," adds Cvitkovic.

It is possible to have tourism during the coronavirus pandemic, but we all have to adhere to epidemiological measures, emphasizes Cvitkovic, and this season has shown that, among other things.

"For the first eight months, we achieved an index of 58 in overnight stays, but we hoped that the post-season would have higher numbers. What makes us happy, both in the whole of Croatia and also on Losinj, was that there were no COVID cases in accommodation capacities. Also, despite many people and common rooms, hotel accommodation did not have a single case of new patients, nor were they hotspots. And we know how hotels are generators of consumption and employment and how important they are for every tourist destination," Cvitkovic points out and says that on the other hand, the Headquarters must work on putting out some possible hotspots faster and more efficiently.

"Synergy within the tourism sector is important, and the Institute of Public Health is currently one of our main partners. We have to form teams to be ready to do the testing quickly, so in less than 72 hours, we have test results. This is a key issue for guests. Also, we all need to network much better, to have a health care system behind us, and to make tests and reservations on time - everything was ad hoc this year, but now we have the opportunity to plan the whole system and story in 2021. Now we are much smarter and more prepared for the whole situation and the challenges that tourism brings during the COVID-19 crisis," adds Cvitkovic.

In case one of the guests has coronavirus symptoms, the Mali Losinj Tourist Board, in cooperation with everyone in the destination, has prepared clear protocols this year and an "insurance policy" for guests.

Namely, in case of suspicion of COVID-19, the guest does not go to the doctor alone but must contact the hotel's reception or the owner of the accommodation. Then the questionnaire made by the Losinj Tourist Board is filled in, and the hotel or the landlord calls the doctor and the epidemiological service. Also, Losinj is the first destination in Croatia that covers the cost of accommodation and meals for guests or their families in case of self-isolation.

The lesson for next year is that it is difficult to plan anything. Still, we must be ready to react quickly, as this year, says Cvitkovic and adds: "The situation will change from day to day and therefore we will have more plans because we cannot know in advance what will happen, but we must be ready for all situations," says Cvitkovic and announces that the Losinj Tourist Board is preparing more action protocols for next year.

"We have to be ready to react very quickly and make decisions quickly. That is why synergy is important and that we have prepared several scenarios. From campaigns, communications to protocols. The 2021 season will not be significantly different than this one. Losinj will continue to be primarily a resting place for holidayers and car tourists."

Now we have time to prepare well for next year, and as Cvitkovic says, we are much smarter than at the beginning of the crisis.

"Sun and sea, outdoor, wellness, gastronomy - this form of tourism is good for us, our biggest markets recognize it, but I would like to dedicate more time to the domestic guest. Here, the State could turn Cro cards into Cro vouchers, not to put everything at the employer's expense, but to co-finance partly or 100% as in Slovenia. I think it would be a great opportunity for 2021 to raise the number of domestic guests, because they have no limits with borders, and the domestic guest is more than a good guest. Also, the presentation of new cases from the national level should certainly be viewed in all regions, even destinations. For example, this year, we had zero patients on the island, while in Rijeka, for example, the picture was different. And there were many more such examples," Cvitkovic concludes.

Quick reaction, communication, synergy, proactivity, courage, and readiness for action are the qualities that adorned the Mali Losinj Tourist Board this year. 

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Sunday, 27 September 2020

The Islander Sequel Returns to Croatia's Famous Filming Destination Dubrovnik

September 27, 2020 - Croatia's famous filming destination Dubrovnik is back in the movie spotlight as filming for The Islander sequel returned to the Adriatic pearl. 

Although Croatia recorded a much weaker tourist season this year, it has opened up new old opportunities in the country's southern coast as Dubrovnik is again the backdrop for a film!

Namely, science fiction is being filmed on its walls, on Porporela, below Pile, and on the old city streets. It gathered hundreds of extras and kept Dubrovnik hotels open. But the filming is nowhere near over, and Dubrovnik is expecting Hollywood stars this autumn as well.

The American-Croatian production - The Islander 2, will turn Dubrovnik into the fictional city of Argos, reports RTL.

"It’s a sequel to a film we shot in 2018. It's a science fiction film set in apocalyptic times," said Matthew Zamias, the producer.

"We have a nice family story that is put between a grandfather and a grandson where a grandson saves the world," said Neb Chupin, the lead producer.

About 80 members of the film crew and almost two hundred extras filmed the last scene at one of Dubrovnik's most beautiful locations. They managed to get the best out of the pandemic.

"Because there are no tourists, and it is easier to access some locations and shoot them as we see them. That is the most favorable thing about that, and the rest, of course, for the staff and people who work on the film," said producer Tomislav Tepsic.

"Everything is going according to plan. The city is fantastic. I mean, out of all the fantastic locations in Europe, this is one of the best," said director Domagoj Mazuran.

Dubrovnik actors also combined business with pleasure.

"It’s like half-holiday, half business environment. I love working here, the weather is really nice, and I love it. The film is progressing well," said Marco Ilso, the leading actor.

It is also good for Dubrovnik's late summer season because this team is keeping the doors of one hotel open.

"We've had about a thousand overnight stays. There were about 55 of them who came, went, and stayed here," said Tom Zovko, general manager of the hotel in Dubrovnik.

There is no rest this autumn, either, as the old ramparts will again become a filming backdrop. 

"The new film production starts in ten days, with two extremely big Hollywood stars. We are also expecting the filming of another HBO series," said Mato Frankovic, mayor of Dubrovnik.

The return of film crews this year could also bring new tourists to Dubrovnik next season.

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Sunday, 27 September 2020

VIDEO: Croatian Boxer Filip Hrgovic Knocks Out Kartozia for 11th Career Victory!

September 27, 2020 - Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic returned to the ring in the best way possible after a 10-month break, knocking out Greek opponent Alexandre Kortozia. His next opponent will be Rydell Booker, Hrgovic's former sparring partner who once fought for the title of world champion.

Net.hr reports that the best Croatian boxer Filip Hrgovic recorded his 11th victory in the same number of fights in his professional career. He knocked out Greek Alexandre Kartozia in the second round, who did not offer too much resistance.

In the second round, less than a minute was enough for Hrgovic to finish this fight. And there was no salvation for Kartozia - a brutal right-hander put the Greek to sleep, knocking him out instantly as he fell on the ropes in the ring.

After the fight, Hrgovic's coach Yousef Hassan spoke about the win.

"I ran into the ring after the match and saw a man, he almost died. He couldn't get air. Filip really has a bomb in his hands, that right one is really strong," said Hassan and added:

"Filip and I bet before the match about which round the fight would end and we said it would be over in the second. We are returning home happy with the victory, we are more experienced now, and didn't work for 10 months for nothing,", said Hassan and announced the standard ritual that goes after every one of Hrgovic's victory.

“We go to McDonalds, eat some unhealthy burgers, and then we go home. In a couple of days, we're going on the hunt for Booker. Something ugly is waiting for him as well,"  concluded Hassan.

Hrgovic returned to the ring in the right way after a break of ten months. His next opponent will be Rydell Booker, Hrgovic's former sparring partner who once fought for the title of world champion.

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Sunday, 27 September 2020

As Coronavirus Numbers Fall, Krunoslav Capak Looks at Months Ahead

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 26th of September, 2020, the director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), Krunoslav Capak, explained what awaits us in the coming months. He also commented on the case of an individual in a care home in Split who contracted the new coronavirus twice.

"We've put it so that whoever has proof that they got over coronavirus and was tested for it, if they come into contact with a sick person in the next three months, they won't have to self-isolate because we have evidence that they will not become sick with the disease in those three months." Capak told RTL.

When asked if it is possible that 400,000 people in Croatia have been in contact with the virus, Krunoslav Capak answered:

"No one knows the number of people who came in contact with the virus. Not even countries which have conducted much broader serological research than we have know that. We conducted this serological test on 1150 people and got the result of 2.5 percent of those carrying antibodies. If we were to copy the situation that existed when we conducted the examination then today, when we have a little more than 15,000 patients, then that number would be around 400,000.''

Krunoslav Capak said that the number of new cases is declining and that this can be seen through a larger number of tests. Although epidemiologists fear colder weather because people will spend much more time indoors, the winter holidays should look significantly different than the Easter ones.

“During Easter we had a quarantine, a lockdown. The motto was to stay at home, practically all economic and social activities were closed except for the most necessary ones. Such a situation will certainly not happen again, we now know more about the virus and we're focusing on the most effective measures to bring in. So I think Christmas will be much more relaxed than Easter was, but we'll have to stick to the measures,'' Krunoslav Capak said.

Epidemiological measures are still the only defence against the new coronavirus, and that could all finally end in the spring with the arrival of the much anticipated vaccine.

"We can't expect a large amount of vaccinations before spring. For me, that's most likely the end of the coronavirus story, and it means the vaccination of the general population. I hope that we'll be able to achieve that in the spring. In my opinion, we can't acquire collective immunity before the end of spring next year, and the good news is that the vaccine could be here by then,'' Krunoslav Capak believes.

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Sunday, 27 September 2020

Eventful: Croatian Agency Creates Platform for Online Events

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes on the 26th of September, 2020, Maja Bosanac, the owner of Eventful and the first EEE (Ecology, Ethics and Efficiency) Event Manager in Croatia, will launch Croatia's first complete online event platform later this year.

The goal of Eventful's brand new online platform is to provide an adequate replacement for the organisers of events who, in this situation, have no alternative for their planned events, but also for those events that they didn't even start working on due to the arrival of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Eventful platform will have space for keynote speakers or panels to be held at conferences, and in parallel with them, smaller lectures lasting 30 to 45 minutes can be shown. Participants will be able to visit a virtual sponsorship corner where sponsors will advertise their services and also be able to communicate with participants.

''There will be a database of all participants who've given their consent for their data to be used for registration in the networking area. Other participants will be able to search that database according to their interests and personal information such as the job or the company in which the person works, and get in touch with them via the chat option. There's also information about the event, the schedule of lectures, and also all the information that the organisers would otherwise print on the materials,'' explained Eventful's owner, Maja Bosanac, who, due to the pandemic, focused on education online and in business, with sustainable events as a constant thing for her business.

The platform, developed by Agilos IT, should be launched in early December after passing several more tests. Maja and her team have been working on it since April this year, and the initiator came up with the idea in March just before the "lockdown" that shook the event industry.

"We expect increased interest, both from organisational agencies and from organisers from companies,'' stated Maja, adding that normalisation for this industry can't be discussed for at least another three years, and in this situation and in the near future, the focus of clients will, according to Bosanac, be removed from the holding of events because the priority will be the stability and recovery of their companies.

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Sunday, 27 September 2020

City of Dubrovnik to Finance Kolocep Clinic Until Further Notice

The healthcare point on the Elaphite islands and the Kolocep clinic is set to be financed by the City of Dubrovnik going forward until the new Croatian Emergency Medicine Network is adopted.

As Morski writes on the 26th of September, 2020, the Mayor of the City of Dubrovnik, Mato Frankovic and his associates held a working meeting with the director of the Dubrovnik Health Centre, Branko Bazdan, and the director of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Institute of Emergency Medicine, Luka Lulic.

It was pointed out at the meeting that the City of Dubrovnik has been fully financing the work of the health point on the nearby Elaphite (Elafiti) islands just north of Dubrovnik over the last three years, after it ceased to be part of the Emergency Medicine Network and thus the Croatian Institute of Public Health no longer financed it.

Since the development of a new Emergency Medicine Network is underway, Mayor Mato Frankovic will hold a meeting with the Minister of Health Vili Beros on this topic, all in order to re-finance the emergency medical service point by the Croatian Institute of Public Health, it was announced at the meeting.

Until the new Emergency Medicine Network is adopted, the City of Dubrovnik will continue to fund the emergency medical centre on the Elaphite islands, which includes the work of the Kolocep clinic.

Furthermore, given the excellent cooperation that the City of Dubrovnik has developed in recent years with the Health Centre, which is reflected in the provision of space use and funding for the pediatric clinic in Mokosica, funding for doctors and nurses in the pediatric clinic and much more, the City of Dubrovnik has provided for the purchase of two ambulances for the needs of the Health Centre, ie, the County Institute of Emergency Medicine. On top of that, a decision was made to continue financing the work of the doctor at the Kolocep clinic.

Although primary health care is not the responsibility of the City of Dubrovnik, but of the wider Dubrovnik-Neretva County, the City of Dubrovnik continues to develop many high standards in health care and aids the work of health care institutions in its area with continuous donations.

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Saturday, 26 September 2020

President Milanovic Says will Discuss JANAF Case with PM

ZAGREB, Sept 26, 2020  - President Zoran Milanovic said on Saturday in Pregrada that the solution to the JANAF case should be control, responsibility and cooperation in line with the Constitution and that he would meet with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to discuss the case.

The Prime Minister and his associates have spoken about the new scandal merely at the level of slogans from communist political schools, he said.

"That is not enough. He and I can consider the issue together, we can convene the National Security Council. I have also thought about that, but I am not sure that would bear fruit given the legal composition of the council and the role of some of its members," he added.

Milanovic said that a topic he and PM Andrej Plenkovic could discuss was how investigative bodies were acting. He also said that the leaking of information related to the investigation in the JANAF case constituted not only a violation of the rules under which an investigation was not a public matter but also a violation of basic moral principles.

One must be able to trust the government, Plenkovic cannot run away from responsibility

"One has to be able to trust someone at the top of the chain of command, first of all in the Croatian government. That is the prime minister and he cannot run away from responsibility," Milanovic said.

Asked whether he considered it strange that a man who had been a director for about 15 years, but whose salary had not been that large, owned a private club, Milanovic said that he did not because it was a small space of 30 square meters, and Dragan Kovacevic was not the only owner.

I was there several times, accompanied by a small number of people, he added.

As for his visits to the club during the lockdown, Milanovic said he had met there with the head of the national COVID-19 response team for practical reasons.

"Because that was during the lockdown and because a friend from Dalmatia called me who had a lot of food he would have otherwise thrown away because he had no one to give it to, we met there because it was more practical," he said, adding that this was "such a silly topic."

Asked whether he should have been informed that he was socialising with a man who was under investigation, the President responded with a counterquestion -- who would have informed him about it.

"SOA (Security and Intelligence Agency) does not have that kind of information because it does not take part in stealing money from public companies and it cannot have such information. It is one thing to be cordial to someone and that is a question of my responsibility and my judgement, but if I am in a situation to evaluate someone, to appoint them, then I have a different kind of information, but SOA is not connected to that," he added.

Asked how the case should end, Milanovic said that the solution to it was in control, responsibility, and cooperation in line with the Constitution, as well as in the separation of powers because, he added, everything was prescribed in a clear way.

Office: President to meet with PM

President Milanovic's office said in a statement later in the day that Milanovic would discuss the JANAF case and the functioning of state institutions with PM Plenkovic.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to Pregrada, Milanovic said that the topic of ambassadors which Plenkovic wanted to discuss with him would be "a topic of secondary importance (at the meeting), while the real topic will be the way this country functions."

"... It is important to discuss how this state functions, to finally see what the prime minister knows," Milanovic said.

"For months his ministers had put themselves in a situation to compromise themselves, quite unnecessarily. Someone should have known about and prevented that. Not to mention damage to JANAF. That is a topic for discussion between the prime minister and myself because we represent the state authorities, he has greater powers than I do and that is why I will adapt to his schedule. Speaking of the principle of separation of powers, there is also the principle of cooperation between state institutions. One has to be able to trust someone... at the top of the chain of command, primarily in the government. That person is the prime minister and he cannot run away from responsibility," said Milanovic.

He noted that the prime minister had told him that they had to meet.

"I do not have the last say here, he does, but I will not stop talking. This is simply a test which has shown that Croatia has a problem," Milanovic said as cited by his office.

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Saturday, 26 September 2020

Journalists' Union: Employers Using the Pandemic as an Excuse to Reduce the Rights

ZAGREB, Sept 26, 2020 - Employers in the media sector are using the pandemic as an excuse to reduce the rights of journalists and media workers, it was said on Saturday at a meeting of the Journalists' Union of Croatia (SNH).

Such conditions emphasize the need for union action, said SNH head, Maja Sever.

According to her, employers have lately been shifting coronavirus-related business difficulties to employees, whose salaries have not improved despite savings made by working from home.

She said that the situation in the local media was "catastrophic", which was especially felt by freelance journalists and contract workers.

Sever said that the main task of the trade union was to ensure the signing of collective agreements that protected the interests of workers in addition to the Labour Act and to make a branch collective agreement at the national level, which the union had been trying to do for years without success.

She said that the SNH would advocate changes to the "outdated media legislation" which "does not recognize modern models of work at all."

Some of the problems mentioned at the meeting include wage cuts disproportionate to the drop in revenue, reporters not receiving compensation for commuting expenses despite going on assignments, and no financial compensation for job expenses incurred by working at home.

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Saturday, 26 September 2020

Croatian Tennis Stars at Roland Garros: Who Will Cilic, Coric, Martic and Vekic Face in First Round?

September 26, 2020 - The draw for this year's Roland Garros grand-slam tournament took place in Paris on Thursday, and the most difficult job so far will be for Marin Cilic, who will play the winner of the US Open and the third-best player in the world, Austrian Dominic Thiem. A look at the competition of Croatian tennis stars at Roland Garros. 

T.portal reports that Marin Cilic drew the strongest possible opponent at the beginning considering Thiem's quality and current form, but also the fact that Marin has lost all three previous matches against the Austrian tennis player.

Thiem also knocked out Cilic at this year's US Open 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, and Marin also lost to him at the Canadian Masters 2019 and Brisbane in 2016. The duel between Cilic and Thiem is convincingly the strongest pair in the first round, and in the 2nd round, the winner will play the winner of American Reilly Opelka and the qualifier.

In the first round, Borna Coric will play with the 106th-best player in the world, Slovak Norbert Gombos, who he has not played so far. If he passes, Coric will likely play against Frenchman Chardy.

In the women's competition, Petra Martic opens Roland Garros against Japanese Misaki Doi, the 80th-best tennis player in the world. Petra has played against the left-handed Japanese player only once so far and lost 6-3, 6-3 back in 2013 at the Australian Open. In the event she passes, Martic awaits the winner of the match between Russian Kudermet and French Parmentier.

Croatia's second representative Donna Vekic awaits Irina Bara in the 1st round, and if she wins, her next opponent will be the winner of Belgian van Utvyanck and Swedish Peterson.

Roland Garros is on the program from September 27 to October 11. Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep will try to defend their titles this year.

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Saturday, 26 September 2020

Culture Minister: We'll try to Get Out of the Corona Crisis With as Few Scars as Possible

ZAGREB, Sept 26, 2020 - Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Korinek has said in an interview for Hina that her department will see to it that the culture and creative industries and the media sector get out of the corona crisis with as few scars as possible.

Commenting on the fact that the world media was added to the official name of her department after she was reappointed the minister in late July, Obuljen Korzinek recalls that since 2002 the ministerial department of culture has been authorized to cover the sector of media. Adding the word media to the official name of the ministry was made with the purpose of highlighting that sector, the minister explained.

Bill on electronic media on government's agenda soon

Considering concrete steps that the ministry is taking to enhance the status of the media sector, Obuljen Korzinek says in the interview published on Saturday that the draft law on electronic media is being fine-tuned by the relevant ministries and is expected to be on the government's agenda in October.

The ministry is preparing activities to release the media legislation for public consultation, she said.

Following the government aid schemes made available in April and May, and enabling the media sector to have access to credit lines for which the government provides collateral, we are considering some other measures to support the media sector within the European Union's funds for recovery, she says.

"We are conducting dialogue with professional associations to finds modalities for assistance aimed at enhancing the status of journalists," the minister said.

"All those assistance measures should be carefully prepared so that they remain neutral and do not affect the independence of media."

 Asked about a growing number of defamation suits against reporters, the minister reiterated that politicians and office-holders should refrain from taking libel suits against journalists and media.

"I am strongly for the preservation of media freedoms as an important pillar for the development of democracy."

In parallel, every citizen who feels to have been defamed is entitled to the court protection, she said recalling that in the first term of the Andrej Plenkovic cabinet abolished the criminal libel act.

Web portal with criteria for the assessment of epidemiological risks for music events

Considering the music industry in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister says that the authorities in cooperation with the Croatian Musicians Union are hammering out the project of the support to this industry.

One of the steps in the preparation of a web portal for the assessment of epidemiological risks for music events which will standardize the criteria for all kinds of events, she says.

Restoring quake-damaged listed buildings to take a lot of times

Commenting on the damage caused by the 22 March quake to monuments and listed buildings in the capital city and its environs, the minister said that immediately after the earthquake, the ministry experts and representatives of the department of Zagreb's city planning system toured the damaged sites and held consultations so as to immediately respond to the situation.

Conservators and restorers have been engaged in making a list of the damaged buildings and we were also actively involved in the preparation of the law on the removal of the consequences of the earthquake and on preparing the documentation for the European Solidarity Fund, she says underlining that the restoration of the registered sites of heritage significance would take a lot of time.

It will require a complex multi-disciplinary approach with the aim of improving the urban standards in Zagreb, alongside preserving the historical center, she explained.

Damage done by the quake to listed buildings is estimated at 7 billion euros.

Commenting on the achievements of her first term in office, the culture minister says that that the outlays earmarked for the ministry rose both in the absolute figures and their proportion in the total budget, reaching now a 1% share.

This has been achieved through a rise in the original sources of funding from the budget as well as through the better absorption of the EU funds, she added.

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