June the 23rd, 2020 - In as much as the world is fed up with coronavirus, in a case like this one here, we cannot but feel grateful: we met this man quite a few years back and it took a global pandemic for us to find out his real name!

Zagreb is a well reputed stage of arts, all sorts, music included. To the connoisseurs, it is an attractive destination also for its clubs with jazz, blues, jam sessions - in case you're the type who is into that kind of thing.

Back then, the legendary BP Club in the heart of Zagreb was an inevitable destination to go to ''after hours''. Led by the world acclaimed jazz xylophonist Bosko Petrovic, it saw many, many big names jamming out on its small stage in an old Zagreb cellar. Underground, but world famous, to say the least.

Among the uncountable musicians that took the stage, the BP had its permanent band. Among its members was that guy we knew as Tony Lee King, a Croat of a most interesting biography and a blues guitarist and singer
par excellence. And then, quite recently and owing to coronavirus, we met by chance again. We found out that Tony Lee King and Antonio Culina are one and the same person.

When the coronavirus began ruling over the world this March, with lockdowns and isolation and social distancing, it was not easy to find a disinfectant in the few places which had remained operational but were running short of supplies. A good friend offered help and provided a big bottle of a disinfectant called Genox.

Unlearned and ignorant, and equally curious, we carefully read its composition, origin and all the things declared on the bottle, as one would. When thanking our friend for the supply, it turned out that behind what probably is the best sanitiser around, there are unusual links to music, jamming, jazz and blues, the BP club and the good times gone by! Actually, to Tony Lee King a.k.a. Antonio Culina (or viceversa).

In brief, after quite a picturesque childhood and adolescence mainly spent in France, after uncountable street and club gigs all over Europe and in the USA, Antonio (Tony) settled back in Zagreb, continued his music career, made his own band and a brand, and he met Marijana (Cisko), an engineer of molecular biology. They started dating and moved in together.

The small pharmaceutical manufacturer Marijana worked for went bankrupt, and she wanted a business of her own.

Through many hardships, mainly related to money, and not without some luck there, however, they joined hands and started a small production of sanitisers.

Tony needed his gigs to survive and to support the family and in reality turned into a blues guitarist with a band in the evening and a businessman in the daytime.

''I don't know what I needed more in those days, sleep or money’, says Tony candidly.

Marjana, however, proved to be an expert in her field and decided on making a sanitiser not based on alcohol, contrary to the general public belief that only alcohol can kill all of those invisible little enemies. She named it Genox, as it is based on oxygen, actually on a thirteen-step process based on activated ionised water, a process she developed herself over several years. It took many presentations, telephone calls and all other sorts of communication in order to gain some satisfactory market interest for it.

The prejudice about its lack of alcohol was a major obstacle and cast a shadow of doubt over its exceptional composition and effects. If you want to know, Genox is a clean ecological product, not inflammable, not poisonous, not harmful to kids and pets. It kills all kinds of micro-organisms, germs, viruses and bacteria, to fungus, algae, spores and mildew. It even works to make sure your skin doesn't feel dry or dehydrated following its use.

When, at the outbreak of the pandemic, the supply of industrial alcohol fell short, Genox got its ''five minutes of glory''. The demand sky-rocketed over night, more hands and a larger production equipment were needed. Genox got orders from the National Civil Protection Headquarters, from many hospitals and medical facilities, from fire brigades to institutions.

Marijana and Tony, based in Velika Gorica near Zagreb, are planning to boost both their facilities and the output by founding a factory of considerable proportions in Pleternica in Slavonia, an Eastern region of Croatia that desperately needs new initiatives, employment and new jobs.

Tony will of course continue his night life as Tony Lee King offering a good time and relaxation with his exceptional music and talent, while Genox is breaking the Croatian borders as yet another pride of Croatian know-how and
entrepreneurship.

For more on Croatian innovation during the coronavirus era, follow Made in Croatia.

ZAGREB, June 23, 2020 - Tourists generated 842,659 nights over the June 19-22 extended weekend in Croatia and an average of 210,000 stayed in the country per day, the National Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Tuesday.

Domestic tourists accounted for 23% of the nights and foreigners for 77%. The most numerous foreigners were Germans, Slovenians, Austrians, and the Czech.

The highest number of nights was generated in Istria County, followed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Zadar counties.

HTZ director Kristjan Stanicic said Croatia was among the few Mediterranean countries generating a tourism turnover at the moment.

"The system of defence against coronavirus across the country is at a high level... We have ensured the conditions for a safe tourist summer... and it's up to all of us, citizens and tourists, to behave responsibly and adhere to all the epidemiological measures," he added.

ZAGREB, June 23, 2020 - Croatia will continue to insist on solving the issue of persons gone missing in the Homeland War and the equal treatment of minorities in the two states, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Monday, a day after a parliamentary election in Serbia.

"There must always be cooperation, talks must always exist, especially because we are neighbours. We have certain outstanding issues, we have 1,892 missing persons we are tracing," the Croatian minister told reporters.

Asked what kind of cooperation he expected after the landslide election victory of President Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party, he said the two countries had "many topics" they could discuss that "the Croatian public must be informed about."

Croatia will continue to work so "the families of the missing and those killed have their satisfaction," said Grlic Radman. "If Serbia has committed, if Serbian politics is credible in terms of commitment to the European journey, then it must prove it."

He reiterated that Croatia would insist that the Croatian minority in Serbia had the same status that the Serb minority had in Croatia.

"We supported absolutely all Croatian representatives in the People's Assembly. Unfortunately, the Serbian side still hasn't honoured the international agreement on the protection of minorities, on fixed representation, so in the period ahead we will work very hard on achieving reciprocity," he said.

"Just as Croatia meets all standards for the protection of minorities, and the Serb minority has seats in the Croatian parliament, we will insist that the same be done in Serbia," he added.

ZAGREB, June 23, 2020 - Public Health Institute (HZJZ) director Krunoslav Capak said on Tuesday Croatia was not applying the so-called Swedish model to fight against the coronavirus pandemic and that the Swedish model did not mean that they did not have restrictions.

Speaking on N1 television, Capak said the Swedish model was aimed at keeping the economy going and allowing the virus to circulate among the non-vulnerable population. The result is that they have a high number of infections and fatalities and their economy has been affected nonetheless, he added.

"Our model is nothing like that," he said, adding that Croatia imposed a lockdown on March 19 to stop the virus from circulating, but aware that it could not last endlessly.

What is happening in Croatia now is a result of the relaxation of restrictions and failure to adhere to epidemiological recommendations, said Capak. "We can't close the borders, stop normal life activities, but we must learn to adhere to the measures and keep the level of infection low because, unfortunately, we can't eradicate the virus."

It won't be good if Djokovic is positive

Speaking of an outbreak at a tennis tournament in Zadar, where 81 persons are self-isolating and five have tested positive, Capak said the epidemiological situation would become more complicated if Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic tested positive as he was in close contact with many people who, in that case, would have to self-isolate. 

Asked if Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic would have to self-isolate given his contact with Djokovic, Capak said they greeted each other with a fist bump, which was not considered physical contact, and that their meeting indoors lasted less than three minutes.

If Djokovic is positive, Plenkovic does not have to self-isolate, but he still got tested and the result was negative, he added.

Asked if the tournament organisers had contacted the HZJZ or the national civil protection authority prior to the event, Capak said they did not directly but that the HZJZ issued instructions concerning competitions and that organisers had the duty to adhere to them.

He said the spectators in the stands did not keep the necessary distance and that this was a lesson to future organisers to mark seats and insist on social distancing.

June 23, 2020 - A press conference was held at noon in Osijek, where the Headquarters revealed the new details about the coronavirus outbreak at a Djakovo monastery. 

Index.hr reports that the Osijek-Baranja County Headquarters has been reporting new cases for several days now, and today it became known that as many as 10 nuns were infected at a Dakovo monastery.

There are 23 new patients, and 12 new cases since last night, with potentially two hotspots.

"Six patients have been hospitalized. They are not life-threatening. We are ready and available," the doctor said.

"So far, we have registered a total of 156 positive patients since the beginning of the epidemic. You don't have to worry, everything that happened is under the strict supervision of the Public Health Institute. All contacts are under our measures. It is important that we adhere to all measures," said the Osijek epidemiologist Kozul.

"We have a certain breakthrough, but it is crucial that we have people who will do everything; there is no panic, and we detected everything in time. We closed our institutions for the elderly, KBC and hospital in Našice. The situation is epidemiologically much better than a few months ago. The old and infirm must be cared for more thoroughly than the younger population. But the message is that there is no panic and that the matter is under control. There is no reason for large restrictive measures, but it is very important that we must act responsibly. Keep a social distance, and those who have crossed the border need to report it and go into self-isolation. Certain infected people were across the border in BiH, Kosovo and Serbia," Anusic revealed. 

"We assume that the source of the infection is the nuns from Kosovo. The sisters returned from Kosovo 2-3 days ago," Kozul said, adding that it was good that everything was controlled in one facility. "All the nuns will be processed. Today we are waiting for new results. We will also process their contacts," he announced.

More soon...

To read more news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

Update (July 11, 2020): While all of these were true when this article was written, a major change took place on July 10, when the new rules for entering Croatia were introduced. Please follow the article about those changes to get the latest information, as it becomes available. 

June 23, 2020 - Can Americans visit Croatia now? Yes and no - a journey through the minefield. 

A new article with updated information and experiences published on July 2, 2020. 

One of the most common questions on the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community, which has been visited 100,000 times in its first month, is about Americans visiting Croatia for a holiday during the corona crisis. Is it possible, and if yes, what is the procedure?

This will be a hard article to write and get 100% accurate, as official information is hard to find. There are also, it appears, cases of Americans who have managed to come when the rules would seemingly prevent their entrance. This update has been compiled from official information, feedback from the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community, and the media. It is meant for informational purposes and comes with a disclaimer that you should not rely 100% on the information and get confirmation from official sources.

Let's begin.

If you are an American and currently inside the EU/EEA (27 EU countries, UK, Iceland, Switzerland and Norway), you are free to enter Croatia with a business invitation, proof of paid accommodation or the other reasons stated on the infographic below.

If you are an American with Croatian papers, you are free to fly from the USA to Croatia with no problem.

What does 'Croatian papers' mean? For 100% guarantee, a Croatian passport. Much less certain, but at least one case has worked, is to enter with your Domovnica. Once you get to the Croatian border, you will have no problem. Getting on the flight is the hardest part. If the airline is convinced that the Domovnica is good enough ID to establish your Croatian credentials, then you may enter. In order to give yourself the best chance of success with this route, ask your  local embassy to confirm your Croatianness in an official letter in English.  Please note, this is NOT a guarantee it will work, but it has on at least one occasion. 

For all other Americans wanting to come from the USA (or Canadians from Canada), the external EU borders are closed until further notice. In a TCN interview with Croatian Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli, the last official information was that the EU was targeting July 1 as the date to open external borders, BUT only for countries with a good epidemiological record.

Having said that, I have heard of anecdotal cases of Americans who have managed to come for business. I don't have details, but such cases do exist but are relatively rare in my opinion.

Please note that proof of paid accommodation and/or a flight ticket do NOT guarantee you entrance to the EU or Croatia, and there have been many cases of tourists being refused boarding at US airports. To give one really clear example, an American boyfriend of a UK national with a paid villa in Croatia for 2 months and a 45-day yacht rental fully paid was not allowed to board a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt and Zagreb from Los Angeles. If he had been immediate family (with a cohabitation document), he would have been allowed on board.

It seems that certain airlines are stricter than others with the rules (feedback from our Viber community), with Lufthansa the strictest. Some are reporting easier procedures with Swiss Air to Zurich, which is outside the EU but inside Schengen.

If you contact the Croatian border police, it is likely that they will say Americans can enter with paid accommodation, which is true. Their job is to deal with people crossing the borders, and if Americans can get to the border, they can enter. It is NOT their job to determine if Americans can cross external EU borders.

When flying either to the EU or within the EU to Croatia, I would advise that you bring with you the following things:

1. Proof of paid accommodation
2. A print out of the confirmation from entercroatia.mup.hr 
3. A copy of the latest IATA rules for flying to Croatia 

This last one is important as there is such confusion at the moment that the Viber community has reported that some people have been denied boarding because airline check-in staff do not fully understand the rules for entering Croatia. If you have the IATA regulations to show them, it can only help.

The US Embassy in Zagreb is also a resource https://hr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-2/

We are working hard to make the situation as clear as possible. If you have any useful information to add to this, or a recent live experience, please post in our Viber community – you can join here (you will need to download the app) or contacts us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject US Entry. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

June 23, 2020 - As we say hello to summer, we must say goodbye to the favorite Chopsylicious menu at Chops Grill in Split. 

Summer is officially here after it felt that spring had no end - and with the coronavirus measures mostly lifted in Split, we can get out to enjoy the summer sunshine. 

Because any excuse to eat out, and eat outdoors this season is a good one, we're here to tell you about one promotion you'll need to run to, to make sure you don't miss out until next season.

We've told you a thing or two about the cherished Chopsylicious menu at Chops Grill, which offers mix-and-match three-course menus at Split's favorite steakhouse for stellar promotional prices. However, with summer in full swing, Chops is gearing up for something new, and this springtime-favorite menu is around for just one more week. 

So, why is this menu THAT good, you might ask? Let us enlighten you. 

For starters, guests can choose from a selection of Vichyssoise soup of leek and potato, tuna belly carpaccio with shallots and a rocket salad with pomegranate and citrus, the crispy Panzanella salad with skuta cheese and whole grain mustard dressing, or steak tartar. 

For instance, the supreme chicken is served with seasonal vegetables and potato puree, while the beef, vegetable and plum skewers are accompanied by potato wedges. The grilled rump steak is filled with bacon and cheese, while you can never go wrong with the classic T-bone steak. However, we think the real star of the show is the beef wellington, wrapped in mushroom, onion, foie gras sauce and fresh black truffle. For only 210 kuna, you'll be hard-pressed to find a dish this good for this cheap anywhere else in Split (locals, we're looking at you). 

And because no meal is complete without dessert, Chops has pulled out all of the stops, offering guests the fruits of forest crème brûlée, semifreddo, chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream or the traditional rožata (egg flan) with lavender, rose, and Chantilly cream.

Are you convinced, yet?

This is your chance to try some of the best Chops has to offer before the menu morphs into summer mode, though we promise you'll want to be a part of that, too. 

Chops Grill is now open every day from 12 pm to 11 pm. 

For reservations and more info, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit their Facebook page, or call +385 91 365 0000. You can also visit their website here.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has raised its ugly head here in Croatia once again after a couple of weeks of relative peace, is seeing even some of Croatian tourism's most faithful guests cancel their reservations as the lie about Croatia being a ''coronavirus free'' country is exposed for what it is.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of June, 2020, athough holiday homes are currently one of the most sought-after types of accommodation, private renters are facing a very difficult peak season that will be affected by the latest developments with the coronavirus epidemic. But even without that, reservations are sinking.

''We have loyal guests and people who really wanted to come and kept their reservations until the very last minute, however, as the situation isn't improving, as we approach July and August and the dates of their arrival, they have started to cancel them. We all hoped that with these reservations and last minute bookings, we'd reach those 40 percent of last year's figures, but now it's slowly starting to be questionable,'' Martina Nimac Kalcina, president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce's Family Accommodation Association, told Novi list.

Thus, for example, as she states, there is an example that the Slovenes, who are the closest to Croatia geographically and who booked their holidays even during the height of the coronavirus epidemic, are now cancelling their reservations. The southern counties, such as Dubrovnik-Neretva County, are especially dependent on airlines, unlike Kvarner and Istria, which can easily be reached by car.

''Everyone hoped that it would be better, but since it isn't, it's important to do someething with what we have left for July and August. But it should also be noted that guests who still do have reservations really want to come. It's just that their arrival will depend on the situation at the border, quarantines and the airlines,'' concluded the president of the Family Tourism Association of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce.

Family accommodation expert Nedo Pinezic sought to make the reminder clear that it is difficult for the Croatian tourism sector as a whole to try to be smart in this situation, given that the booking situation changes from day to day, and it is mostly influenced by the epidemiological situation in Croatia and the increase in the number of patients infected with the new coronavirus.

This coincides with the announcement of the German Robert Koch Institute where they said that all travelers from Germany who travel to regions that have more than 50 patients per 100 thousand inhabitants, will be required to be tested or quarantined upon their return home to Germany. The number of patients is being monitored, primarily by individual regions. It is also clear that more vulnerable groups of guests, such as seniors, are being very cautious indeed.

For more on Croatian tourism in the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated section.