January 27, 2021 - The Novalja Tourist Board, in cooperation with the company Feel IQM d.o.o, is launching an IQM Destination project, which aims to establish a measurable and effective integrated quality destination management system.

HRTurizam reports that the IQM Destination concept is based on sustainable development and responsible tourism, setting quality standards and monitoring results, coordinating and developing new tourism products, and creating new economic value. The project aims to economically strengthen the entire community in the tourism segment, strengthen cooperation, synergy, and communication, and encourage excellence.

"At the beginning of the cooperation, we invite all stakeholders in Novalja tourism to get involved in the project," said Marina Sciran Rizner, director of Novalja Tourist Board, and added that at the same time, begin measuring the satisfaction of Novalja residents with current tourism development and lifestyle in the tourist destination.

“Setting goals, implementation, revision, control and evaluation of the success of set tasks and activities, the IQM system will be implemented in the area of Novalja for at least three years. The goal of the Community is to connect and strengthen the mutual communication of tourism stakeholders of our destination, taking into account current and future economic opportunities and socio-cultural aspects and climate change in tourism development with the aim of long-term sustainability," said Marina Sciran Rizner, Novalja Tourist Board director. 

For all registered stakeholders, the initial measurement of quality and marketing activities of tourism partners, measurement of online reputation, and the destination book of the IQM Destination NOVALJA standard are proposed.

The basis of the book of standards is the quality of service and products, integrated functioning of synergy in the destination, connection with local producers and implementation of at least 25% of local products in the tourist offer, and implementation of all segments of tourist products in promoting each project stakeholder.

According to the Novalja Tourist Board, the activities to be carried out in the coming period are as follows: Analysis of measuring the satisfaction of residents with tourism in the destination - responsible tourism, Analysis of the initial measurement of quality management for each registered stakeholder in the project, Feel IQM prepares fully individualized marketing and business analysis for 50 stakeholders who want to apply individualized analysis in their business; Audits are organized with individual counseling lasting one hour, and the presentation of marketing analysis; Implementation of the IQM Destination standard - monitoring, guiding, consulting the IQM Destination team on the methods of implementation, and once a year measuring efficiency; The IQM Destination Manager agrees with the IQM Destination Coordinator and the entire coordination team on topics that are held once a month for ten months.

During the implementation of the IQM Destination project, measurements of project efficiency will be set, according to the proposal of the IQM Destination team and the Novalja Tourist Board and measurable indicators of project success each year. Each stakeholder will have the opportunity to participate in the Destination Loyalty Program project for faster networking, synergy, visibility, and implementation of the IQM Destination Program in practice https://iqmpass.com/.

Examples of suggested topics: Profitable branding, Local producers - coordination with the presentation of networking, Catering facilities - coordination with the presentation of networking, Attractions in the destination, cultural institutions - coordination, Hoteliers, camps, hostels - coordination, Financial planning, and price management, Digital marketing.

"With all the strategic advantages that this year played a key role in creating the tourist offer of Novalja, such as the traditional connection of neighboring markets, but also the quality offered to each guest following their wishes and expectations, requires from us even better synergy and preparation for the upcoming tourist season as well as the long-term balance of all these dimensions," added Šćiran Rizner,  and invites all tourism entities to get involved in the project and contribute to enriching the tourist offer.

Partners in the implementation of IQM Destination are the Novalja Tourist Board - project holder, City of Novalja, private and public sector: hoteliers, camps, private accommodation, restaurants, local producers, travel agencies, souvenir shops, stores, utilities in the destination, educational institutions, associations, sports clubs, cooperatives, etc.

The concept of IQM Destination in October 2020 was accepted as one of the best examples in practice by the UNWTO, whereby Feel IQM was accepted as an affiliate member of the UNWTO, and the project was presented at the 42nd AM Plenary Session of the UNWTO in Madrid.

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January 27, 2021 – Rising sharply up into the foothills, little space in the expansion of Rijeka was left for green and community recreation areas. New Rijeka urban parks address the issue and are just one lasting legacy of ECoC 2020

The preparations for Rijeka European Capital of Culture 2020 were years in the making. Community consultations and contributions for every aspect of the arts, each venue and city institution put their enthusiasm behind the project. And that's without even mentioning all the international contributors whose work was commissioned. It really did feel like the whole city had come together to show the best of themselves in Rijeka's special year. Except, 2020 turned out to be special for all the wrong reasons.

European authorities granted the European Capital of Culture status to Rijeka for extra months in order to allow them to complete some programs halted by the pandemic. Not that it much helped increase the footfall the vast project was meant to attract to the Kvarner capital's streets. Instead, the streets lay bereft of guests, visited only by Rijeka residents. But, that's not such a bad thing.

The Capital of Culture has never been awarded solely to help a city attract visitors. Nor is it ever intended to make its mark over just one year. A lasting legacy for the city's current and future residents is perhaps the most essential element of the event. And, though crippled by Corona, Rijeka European Capital of Culture 2020 is staying true to its promise to do so. New Rijeka urban parks and public recreation areas are just some of the benefits ECoC 2020 will leave behind.

Rijeka is a great city. But, it's a weird place. An anomaly on the Croatian coast, it boasts none of the quaint olde worlde architecture you usually find around the Mediterranean, Croatia included. It's grand Austro-Hungarian facades and palaces are much more like the Croatian capital. Behind them the city rises sharply up into the foothills, modern residential blocks shooting skywards and peering over the centre below. As Rijeka has grown like moss up this hillside, little room has been left for greenery and areas of recreation. Goodness knows, the best spot you might find for a picnic in Rijeka is the cemetery! (Kozala – actually, as far as places full of dead people go, it's actually very nice)

The new Rijeka urban parks try to address the imbalance of work to recreation space city residents have. While it may not be possible to create a vast landscape of lawns and a forest of trees in the city centre, the new Rijeka urban parks and public areas look to use modern solutions and the places they have, to create spaces where everyone can socialise, play, relax or meet up.

Under several different programs within European Capital of Culture 2020, members of the Association for the Promotion of the Quality of Urban Life 'Urbani separe' worked on the new Rijeka urban parks in July 2020 and again between December 2020 and January 2021. In a relatively short space of time, we think they've done a great job.

All images © Urbani separe / Rijeka 2020

January 27, 2021 – The veteran vehicle of HGSS - the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, was between shifts assisting those in the area affected by the Sisak-Moslavina earthquake when it was attacked by Nova Gradiska vandals and left inoperable

If we've learned anything from the last 12 months, it's that you never know what's just around the corner. Unpredictable pandemics and earthquakes have sent shock waves through our society and psyches. Another thing we've learned is that, in such unsettled times, it's sometimes essential to lean on the shoulders of others, to ask for help.

That's what HGSS – the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service do. They help others in times of need, at times when they may never have suspected they would need help. Within the last 48 hours, harsh weather conditions have visited some areas of Croatia leaving terrain difficult and dangerous to pass. Yesterday saw the identification of bodies belonging to two Croatian men tragically killed in the mountains by such harsh conditions. When people get lost or trapped in such terrain and conditions, HGSS are usually among the first to be dispatched. Each of its members are volunteers. They leave their homes, their families, their workplaces to venture out into unknown situations to help complete strangers. It's a shame such actions are not always reciprocated.

HGSS Nova Gradisak pictured at work recently in the earthquake-affected area of Petrinja © HGSS

Nova Gradiska vandals thought little of any consequences when, sometime over the last 36 hours, they attacked a veteran HGSS vehicle parked up in their town. The relatively minor damage caused by the Nova Gradiska vandals nevertheless rendered the vehicle inoperable. It was later towed away and ineligible for emergency calls. With their mindless, petty actions, the Nova Gradiska vandals have placed lives – perhaps some within their own community, even their family – at risk.

The vehicle attacked by Nova Gradiska vandals belonged to the HGSS team of Slavonski Brod. It was between shifts of service in the earthquake-affected area of Sisak-Moslavina. Nova Gradiska vandals ripped off the vehicle's rearview mirror, its windscreen wipers and both of its number plates, front and back.

Both license plates - front and back - plus the rearview mirror and the windscreen wipers were torn off in the senseless and dangerous attack © HGSS

Luckily, Slavonski Brod's HGSS team has four vehicles in their fleet and they were able to continue their efforts in Sisak-Moslavina. However, the senseless actions of the Nova Gradiska vandals mean there is now one less vehicle at hand to cover the very area in which they themselves live. Here's hoping they, their families, friends and neighbours don't unexpectedly need to lean on the shoulders of HGSS over forthcoming days.

January 27, 2021 – They promised its arrival this spring and, true to their word, these first-look photos show the construction of the beautiful new Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa is complete

With an investment of €80 million and the keen co-operation of the city authorities, the arrival date of the new Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa was never in doubt. They said it would be ready for spring and due to open its doors in April. As these first look pictures show, they've been true to their word. Construction of the new Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa is complete.

Its been at times difficult to fully visualise the completed project from the glossy, computer-generated builders' images of how they predict the finished product will look. Rijeka residents too have had their worries – would the new promenade in front of the complex (paid for with city money) place a section of their beloved coastline off-limits to those not staying at the Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa?

They needn't have worried. As these new images show, the major construction work at the Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa is complete. It looks as though they could throw open the doors tomorrow. The worried-over promenade snakes between the main complex and the hotel residents' beach area. It allows pedestrians full access to the seafront – they can pass along the entire front facade of the Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa and enjoy the view from the shore just as much as hotel residents. When the Rijeka Hilton finally opens its doors, they'll also be able to take advantage of all of its spa facilities too, which will be opened up to local residents via a membership scheme.

The Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa complex has been built across a considerable 18,000 square metres. The main building complex has 10 floors which hold 132 rooms. The site also has 66 villas separate to the main building, six restaurant/bar/food outlets, a private beach, and one of the largest wellness facilities in the region - the two-floored spa area covers more than 3,000 square metres.

The new photos of the complete Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa, which are signed as Mr. Fly, were posted publicly to the Facebook group Riječka enciklopedija - Fluminensia by renowned Rijeka photographer Dario Matijević, whose breathtaking images of the nature, landscapes and cityscapes of the Kvarner region are often signed as Baredice Photo and can be enjoyed here. They were subsequently used by RiPortal in their coverage of this story.

January the 27th, 2021 - When it comes to Croatia and digitalisation, things move extremely slowly. A snail's pace is quite fast in comparison, but the pandemic has actually forced the country to move more quickly, and as a result, many more things can now be carried out online. The new Zagreb bus station app is one such development.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, if you want to travel by bus from Zagreb down to the Dalmatian city of Split, you can make a ''pilgrimage'' to the box office at the station itself or "scroll" through the station's web application, manually enter your credit or debit card details and wait for the purchased ticket to arrive in your e-mail inbox. That outdated model should now finally change with the advent of the much needed Zagreb bus station app.

Zagreb bus station has finally decided to enter the 21st century, thus developing an advanced mobile application for the selling of bus tickets from any Apple or Android device. They have announced a tender worth one and a half million kuna, which is looking for a company that will turn their idea into reality, and after signing a contract with the cheapest bidder, the brand new Zagreb bus station app should be live and up and running in about four to six months, Vecernji list reported.

''There's been a drop in the number of tickets sold, so the development of new modern channels is needed,'' they explained from Zagreb bus station when asked why they are now focusing on the Internet and smartphones. They also pointed out the basic functionalities of the future application which currently has several working names, Busticket, Findmybus or BusScanner.

In addition to Croatian language, it will be available in English, German and Italian, and will offer tickets for as many as 7,000 stations across 34 countries and on two continents, Europe and North America.

To buy a ticket, the traveller may doesn't need to be pre-registered, although for those who do create an account there will be additional benefits, such as saving purchased tickets, loading physical tickets by barcode or entering a number, an advanced search and more.

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January the 27th, 2021 - The Croatian company Infobip has had some incredible achievements to boast of over time. From humble beginnings to being recognised and respected across the world, this Croatian enterprise has worked with some huge names. It seems that trend is set to continue.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the largest Pakistani bank, Allied Bank, has included WhatsApp communication with users in its business, and the Croatian company Infobip will help in its implementation and making sure it performs to the best level possible.

Through this new cooperation, the Croatian company Infobip will additionally position itself as one of the global leaders, and Allied Bank will get an excellent solution in terms of cloud communication, availability and satisfaction of many users, the companies claim, as was reported by ICT Business.

More specifically, the Bank of Pakistan wants to strengthen its overall digital presence and offer for its universal banking users in a way that would meet their expectations. Of course, in order to achieve something like this, it is necessary that these services and digital presence be in line with what is required and expected today in terms of the connection between the organisation and its end users.

In this case, something like this is set to be achieved through the wildly popular WhatsApp channel, which means that it is necessary to enable a chatbot that will be at the service of users in every sense.

For example, if an end user is interested in their account balance, the specific details of a particular transaction, the benefits that the bank offers and information about the branch or ATM in its vicinity, the chatbot will have to be up to standard and completely accurate, but also fast, which the Croatian compan Infobip will have no issue in providing.

In addition, the interaction itself must be simple, so that users immediately understand all the benefits of WhatsApp communication with Allied Bank.

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January the 27th, 2021 - Good news has arrived from Pfizer following a recent disappointing announcement that Croatian vaccination process, as well as the vaccination processes of other EU countries, couldn't continue at the previously planned rate.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, due to the unplanned slower delivery of Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, the HQ announced a few days ago that they could not continue vaccination at the same rate in the next few weeks as planned, which attracted the general frustration and displeasure of the EU.

Owing to joint pressure from EU member states as well as from Brussels itself following the previously announced reduction in deliveries and thus non-compliance with the signed contract, Pfizer changed its story yesterday.

“Because of the urgent need to vaccinate more people, we've explored innovative ways in which we can increase the number of doses we can deliver this year and now believe we can potentially deliver approximately 2 billion doses by the end of 2021,” Pfizer said, which is very encouraging indeed for the Croatian vaccination process.

In order to achieve that goal, certain modifications of production processes are now urgently needed. As a result, the Puurs plant in Belgium will experience a temporary reduction in the number of doses delivered to the rest of the EU. According to their information, from the original 1.3 billion doses, they will now produce at least two billion this year.

"This week we will return to the original schedule of deliveries to the European Union, including Croatia, while the increased deliveries will start on February the 15th. Thus, we will fully fulfill the agreement and deliver the agreed quantities of vaccines in the first quarter of 2021, while they will be significantly higher in the second quarter,'' Pfizer told Vecernji list.

The Croatian Institute of Public Health's comments on Pfizer's announced increased vaccine supply

The Croatian Institute of Public Health explained what exactly this means for the Croatian vaccination process.

“Pfizer has so far delivered 17,550 doses per week which would be equal to 18 boxes. So, 18 boxes would be arriving on a weekly basis, from January the 25th to February the 15th, a reduction of 14 boxes in total in those three weeks is planned.

On February the 15th, Croatia should receive 19 boxes, and on February the 22nd, it will receive 20, so only three more boxes.

After the 15th and the 22nd of February, Croatia should return to its regular delivery schedule and receive an extra 3 boxes, and we will know in time what the delivery will look like for the month of March and whether there will be certain compensations,'' said the Croatian Institute of Public Health for N1.

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January the 27th, 2021 - The World Bank has published a housing security document which looks at various potential threats to structures designed for residential purposes. Unfortunately, and following a series of terrible earthquakes, it's not the best news in the world for Zagreb and Rijeka housing.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, less than two months before the horrendous earthquake which hit the the Petrinja, Glina and Sisak areas struck at the end of December 2020, the World Bank published the results of a study on the risk of housing in multifamily residential buildings across Central Europe, the Balkans and Central Asia. From Croatia, the research included two cities and it looked into Zagreb and Rijeka housing, according to N1.

The cities of Rijeka and Zagreb, for which quite a significant amount of data from the March 2020 earthquake has been mentioned. The complete document published on its website by the World Bank, for two cities from Croatia, as well as for a number of other cities from the analysed areas, has a table entitled "a summary of the results of the earthquake risk assessment".

When it comes to the Croatian capital of Zagreb, 418,080 people live in family buildings built before 2000, or 52 percent of the total population. That in itself is not problematic.

The unfortunate news is that the survey found that the buildings described as the “top 2 high-risk types of buildings” have a population of 280,000, representing, it is also stated, 35 percent of the city’s total population.

When it comes to Rijeka housing, 64,260 people live in family buildings built before the year 2000, representing 54 percent of the total population, which is approximately the same ratio as has been recorded in Zagreb. A similar relationship applies to the percentage of citizens living in buildings that are described as “the top 2 high-risk types of buildings”. Rijeka is said to have 38,000 inhabitants or 32 percent of citizens living in such buildings.

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