28 March 2022 - The Jutarnji List daily on Monday commented on recent estimates presented by Interior Minister Davor Božinović that in the scenario that Croatia should care for 20,000 refugees, this would cost HRK 1.3 billion annually provided that the refugees exercise all the rights they are entitled to.

There are now roughly 10,000 Ukrainians who have found refuge in Croatia since fleeing the war in their country.

Croatia has undertaken to care for 20,000 refugees from that eastern European country.

According to rough estimates prepared by the Interior Ministry, the daily costs per refugee are 143 kuna (€19). This average is calculated from the average costs for the adult and for the underage refugee.

Of the 10,409 registered refugees, 50% are women and 40% are children. The daily outlay from the state budget for all of them stands now at HRK1.44 million (€199,000).

The structure of covered costs includes accommodation costs, healthcare, kindergarten and school attendance, one-off grants, as well as transport costs.

Two thirds of the costs go for accommodation.

March 28, 2022 - The Oscars were celebrated on Sunday night with Croatian wine in Hollywood!

Celebrating the art of filmmaking is supposed to be the key topic of Hollywood's biggest night – the Oscars. While there are a few controversies about this one, no such thing was an issue at Jonathan Baker’s “Oscar is Women” themed viewing party, taking place at the former residence of Warren Beaty.  And guess what? Croatia played a key role.

Hollywood’s Entertainment Industry Is Into Croatian Wines

Can you imagine an entertainment party without libations? Of course, not. Croatian wines Pošip and Babić were served to the attendees as they got settled to watch the Oscar night.  

“The word got around about the quality wines and the line was long to get to them,” said Ms. Iva Bahunek Modrič, CEO of the Croatian Tourism Board office in Los Angeles, who attended the party with Mr. Larry Namer, the owner of the Entertainment Channel.  Mr. Namer has traveled to Croatia and loves the country and its gourmet and wine scene, and this evening he got the bragging rights about the Croatian wines which he has already experienced in Croatia.

Indigenous Croatian wines – a Pošip from the Terra Madre Winery, Komarna Appellation, and a The Dalmatian Dog Babić from the Testament Winery, Šibenik was served to the attendees together with a California Napa Merlot.  

“Pošip and Babić are easy to sip and everyone appreciates their structured, yet soft Mediterranean flavors,” added Ms. Modric of Croatian Tourism Board.  “Sipping Croatian wine in a foreign country, envokes the scents of Adriatic which transfer people to Croatia. We are excited that Americans are starting to value the indigenous Croatian wines even in the middle of California, which clearly has many wines to be proud of.”

The Jonathan Baker party at his Baker Manor was dubbed the “Oscar is a Woman” party where Jonathan shot a video with Variety Magazine about the concept behind Oscar being a woman. We are sure this brought up a great conversation at the viewing party.  But, most importantly for the Croatian community in the US – it was clear to the attendees, which were on Hollywood's whos who list, that Croatian winemaking can stand up to the best of California.

These two wines, Pošip and Babić, represent more than 70 indigenous Croatian wines currently available in the US and shipped to most US states. 

For more information about Croatia and the Croatian wines in the US, visit www.Visit-Croatia.org and www.CroatianPremiumWine.com. 

For more information on this Hollywood event and other happenings with the Croatian wines, visit @CroatianPremiumWine on Facebook and IG. 

Živjeli!

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

28 March 2022 - The whole of Europe, including Croatia, shows solidarity with the Ukrainian people and its fight for freedom and the values we share, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in his message issued on the occasion of a concert marathon for Ukraine that was held on Sunday evening.

Dozens of internationally renowned musicians were included in that concert marathon that started  5:30 p.m. CET. Also other artists, athletes and politicians from around the world sent messages of support during the concert "Save Ukraine - Stop the War".

The venue of the charity campaign was in Warsaw. Under the auspices of the Polish TV broadcaster TVP, the two-hour concert marathon was broadcast by other TV broadcasters from 20 European countries as well as streaming platforms.

PM Plenković recalls on Twitter that Ukraine is a victim of the Russian military aggression and that the entire Europe, including Croatia expressed strong solidarity with the Ukrainian people and its fight for freedom. 

He reiterated Croatia's readiness to continue expressing solidarity and offering support and assistance in the political, humanitarian, technical and and other sense for the Ukrainian cause, and ended his message with "#StandWithUkraine!".

March 28, 2022 - The latest news on flights to Croatia as the return of Seoul-Zagreb flights this summer seems increasingly unlikely. 

After Zagreb Airport published its summer flight schedule, there was a discussion about the available flights between Zagreb and Seoul, a line that was canceled in November 2019, reports Croatian Aviation.

The airline's summer flight schedule is available on the official website of Zagreb International Airport. Among others, the announcements of two Korean airlines, T'way and Korean Air to Zagreb, stand out. But will those flights really happen?

Namely, the Korean MOLIT issued a license to T'way Air to operate up to four flights a week to Zagreb, so Korean Air temporarily lost that right. If they wish, there is no doubt that this airline will also receive the necessary permits from the competent authorities.

Because part of the Croatian Aviation editorial board previously worked for this airline, they are continuously receiving information about the possible return of Korean Air to Zagreb. The original plan was to launch the line with the start of the summer flight schedule. However, it was decided to postpone the start to May 3, and due to the impact of the pandemic in that Asian country, bookings are far weaker than expected, and the new delay resulted in moving the first flight to July 2.

In addition, due to the war in Ukraine, the airline does not expect that the demand for European travel will grow significantly. Hence, the announced return of Korean Air to Zagreb may be canceled. Tickets have been on sale for ten days for flights from July 2, but in case of cancellation, the airline will redirect passengers to Air France flights to Paris and then to the Korean Air flight to Seoul.

The low-cost T'way has already announced its arrival in Zagreb several times, and they have finally taken over their first wide-body aircraft, type A330-300. This line has been planned for June 1 this year, the tickets are not yet on sale, and it seems that there will be several operational changes here as well.

Croatian Aviation also received an official response from Korean Air: "At this point, we do not have a confirmed plan to resume our regular flight between ICN and ZAG. To consider resuming our suspended routes, we closely monitor changes in regional demand, quarantine and entry policies, and other external factors, and Zagreb is just one of them."

T'way plans flights between Zagreb and Seoul on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, while Korean Air plans operations like before the pandemic - Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Will both carriers operate in this year's summer flight schedule? Croatian Aviation believes they could be overly optimistic. 

If yes, there would be 165 return flights from two airlines (with T'way running nine more flights than Korean Air), and this low-cost airline would also offer more seats. Namely, the B787-9 Korean Air has a capacity of 269 seats, while the A330-300 T'way Airlines has a capacity of 347 seats. In total, according to the announcements of Zagreb Airport, these two airlines should offer 102,342 seats between Seoul and Zagreb, which seems too much for current demand.

For more, check out our travel section.

March 28, 2022 - 2022 Croatian tourist season bookings are currently around 20% less than the record 2019. 

Just when we thought that the pandemic was coming to an end and that we could finally return to everyday life and hope for a record tourist season, inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered the race. Reservations have slowed down and are currently about 20 percent less than they were at this time in 2019. This season, one of the biggest problems could again be a workforce shortage, reports HRT.

In the spring, tourism job fairs begin, where seasonal workers are sought. The search took hoteliers and caterers from Split and Dubrovnik to Mostar.

"A student is studying in college for where they may or may not work later, but if you go to work for a season like this you can earn money that helps you to study, and you can gain experience in other jobs and see if you like something else," says Josip Pehar, a computer science student from Mostar.

"In these uncertain times, we need young and talented people who have the enthusiasm and want to learn and progress," says Zorica Dujić, Hilton Imperial's Human Resources Department in Dubrovnik.

Hoteliers estimate that between 30,000 and 35,000 seasonal workers will be missing this season as well.

"Of course, if there is no escalation. It is a priority to animate the domestic labor market, i.e., enable all who want to work. First of all, I mean students," said Veljko Ostojić, the Croatian Tourism Association director.

"The idea is to enable a higher tax threshold for students. We are talking about that, and I think we will reach an agreement before the start of the season," said Josip Aladrović, Minister of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy.

Cleaners, maids, waiters, kitchen helpers, and cooks are most in-demand, and one of the reasons the market fails to find enough workers for these occupations is low wages.

"The price of labor has not changed drastically. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we reduced wages in the last two seasons," says Dolores Lujic, commissioner of the Croatian Trade Union of Tourism and Hospitality, Dubrovnik Regional Office.

Despite the uncertainty over the war in Ukraine, preparations for the pre-season are proceeding normally.

"I think that Easter, no matter how much it was an indicator of the season in those stable years, this year will really show how much Germans, i.e., our most important market, wants to travel," says Ostojić.

And that Croatia has a good chance of a successful pre-season is also shown by the recently published data from the German Research Institute for last year. Namely, Croatia comes in fourth place for the first time as the most desirable destination for German guests.

For more, check out our travel section.

March 28, 2022 - Coach Zlatko Dalić has revealed a much different Croatia lineup against Bulgaria on Tuesday. It will be the second friendly match in Doha after Croatia and Slovenia drew 1:1 on Saturday.

Croatia national football team coach Zlatko Dalić once again commented on Croatia's performance in the first friendly match in Doha on Saturday, reports HNS.

Croatia dominated Slovenia for most of the match, which ended in a draw after conceding a goal in the last moments.

"I am sorry for the goal we conceded in the last minute. We knew there would be two minutes of stoppage time before that corner kick when we didn’t react well, and then we conceded a goal anyway. We did not stand well in the initial formation; a hole was created, but, well… It is better that it happened now than later. We will analyze the situation well, see where we went wrong, and correct it.

All in all, it saddened me because we didn't deserve the game to end 1:1. We played well, especially after the first twenty minutes when we weren’t ourselves. We had narrowed a bit; our legs were stiff and heavy, there was no depth. I have to admit that it was much better in training. It was good," said Dalić, who once again commented on the defense.

"The players had to attack the ball after the cross, but they didn't set up well. If they had stood properly in the space, the Slovenian player would not have come to the ideal situation to score. It's a matter of concentration. However, the problem was that we replaced six players, so the formation and schedule of players changed at that break, and we could not follow everything. Even though we knew we had two minutes. I'm sorry for the goal we received in the last seconds, but we will try to fix it in the games that follow."

The coach announced a completely new team against Bulgaria.

"Croatia solved all its problems four months ago. We are calm and peaceful, what we have to do now is check some things, that is my job as a coach. We need to get answers to some questions, and we only have a chance now. Competitive matches come later when there are no more sub-questions so that we will give a chance to all players. I told the guys that it’s all up to them, that no one will be deprived; what they show and play will be the only thing relevant to whether or not they will be part of the national team. That is why I want to give a chance to all the players. Ivušić will get a chance in goal; we have small problems in the defense because Sosa is in pain, and I don't think we will use him. He surprised me because he came to the gathering with an injury he didn’t talk about. He wanted to be with us, he tried, he struggled, but we will not force him. It doesn't make sense; I want him to rest and be ready to return to the club."

Dalić announced the rest of the lineup:

"The stoppers will be Škorić, Vida, and Ćaleta-Car, on the left side Barišić, on the right maybe Juranović, although it will be his second game then. Moro, Pašalić, and Majer will be in the midfield, and Vlašić and Livaja will be in the attack. When it comes to the right flank, we are only in a little doubt; I will not tell you who we are thinking about because you will make drama around it. The goal is to try this team and, of course, win the game." 

The coach again praised the players for their engagement and the game against Slovenia.

"We played a fair game; it's good to have a wide frame; sweet worries await me. The Nations League is already waiting for us in three months. We face difficult exams during which we will have to use more players because we will play four games in ten days. After the Doha games, the players will, in any case, know what they did or did not do."

Croatia also awaits the upcoming World Cup draw. 

"Croatia has competed in five world championships and won two medals. Who has that? And we underestimate that. A country of four million people has achieved such great results… This is something fascinating. The draw... it would be good if we pulled Qatar, no matter how much we underestimate anyone. Our goal is to go through the group to take that first step. It will be difficult, Qatar will be with the best national teams, but I believe in our team and us. I do not want to talk about some higher goals. In Russia, we went step by step. All opponents are tough from the first strong group, except the host, who is objectively the easiest opponent. The third and fourth strong group… I didn't think much about it; when the draw is over, I will be able to comment a bit more," concluded the coach.

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

March 28, 2022 - The Croatia camp in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup has been chosen by the Croatian Football Federation. 

The Croatian Football Federation delegation visited the Dusit Hotel and the Al Gharafa Training Center, which are the first option for the Croatia national team base camp during the FIFA World Cup, held in Qatar at the end of the year, reports HNS.

Last July, the Federation's technical delegation visited a dozen potential base camps offered by FIFA in its catalog, each consisting of a hotel and a connected training center. After a detailed report to President Marijan Kustić, the leadership of the Federation and the expert staff headed by coach Zlatko Dalić chose the Dusit Hotel and Al Gharafa Training Center as its first option in Fifa's camp reservation system.

The friendly tournament in Doha was used for another visit to the hotel and training center, and the Federation was once again convinced of the excellent conditions provided by the hotel and training center. Even though several other national teams are waiting in line for the mentioned base camp, HNS has the right to "buy first" or sign a contract until June this year.

"We have moved away from our activities so far, and we looked at the camps before placing in the big competition because we are not superstitious and believe in our team. This allowed us to choose one of the better hotels and camps and now we are convinced that we made the best choice. We must provide the national team with the best conditions, and that is why I am proud of the quality logistics and administration we have in the Federation. Ultimately, it is only appropriate that the World Cup finalists have one of the best camps in Doha," said the president of the Federation, Marijan Kustić.

“I have complete confidence in our logistics, from team manager Iva Olivari onwards, and as we have always had great hotels and grounds, I am sure it will be the same in Doha. Staying here was great for us to acclimatize and get acquainted with the conditions that await us at the World Cup, and it is good that we resolved the issue of the base camp in time not to think about it at the last minute. Thanks to President Kustić and the Federation's leadership for giving maximum support to the national team in all matters, including the choice of base camp," said the selector Zlatko Dalić.

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

March the 28th, 2022 - Remember that old saying about the only two certain things in life being death and taxes? Croatian residents and property owners providing free accommodation to Ukraine refugees escaping war following the Russian invasion of their country must still pay tax despite their good (and free) deed.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian residents who own property and who are receiving Ukraine refugees in their apartments and houses will still have to pay taxes despite making their offer free. The fact is that private landlords in Croatia must sign a lease agreement with Ukrainian refugees who they want to provide a home for in their house or apartment, and tax must be paid on that, even if the rent agreement is signed at zero kuna, the Tax Administration said, Slobodna Dalmacija reports.

According to the Income Tax Act, if the rental amount is reported below the market price - which includes free rent - then the Tax Administration determines the rental price according to the standard rental prices for the place where the property is located. It is a legal mechanism used to avoid an agreed reduction in the rental price between the private landlord and the tenant.

If it weren't set out as such, the two parties could agree to write 10 kuna below the value of the rent on the lease agreement, even though it is actually 200 euros per month, and as such, the landlord would pay less tax (and Lord knows, we can't possibly have that, can we?!).

"These are the rules for now and we can't change that, but it will probably be regulated differently once the announced aid package from the European Union (EU) is approved,'' they explained from the Tax Administration when commenting on this situation which some believe is punishing them for a good deed.

According to the latest data, 9,660 displaced Ukraine refugees have entered the Republic of Croatia so far, most of them being women and children, as Ukrainian men below a certain age typically stay and fight.

Most of these Ukraine refugees are accommodated in private accommodation, ie in apartments provided by Croatian residents. This figure totals 8322 people, ie approximately more than 2000 families. There are 23 of them in reception accommodation, and 1255 in collective accommodation.

For more on the Ukraine crisis and what Croatia is doing to help displaced persons, check out our politics section.