Travel

April 30, 2020 - Should we be promoting tourism at this time of crisis? An alternative view from Katherine Kurelja, who joins the TCN writing team. Welcome, Number 150!  Are you dreaming of a holiday right now? Who isn’t! But, with all the uncertainty are you actually planning anything? Didn’t think so. And this applies even to those with the means and the travel itch. A friend of mine in the US getting married in the fall cannot even be bothered to think about a honeymoon right now. Listen up, tourist industry! Travel is the last thing most people are…

April 30, 2020 - On Wednesday morning, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli announced that the border with neighboring Slovenia would be the first opened, which is Croatia's second most important market, generating 10% of overnight stays in the country last year. HRTurizam reports that Slovenes have a great desire to come to the Adriatic, at least according to the current interest of the media. Still, of course, two crucial preconditions must be fulfilled: a satisfactory epidemiological situation and opening the borders. Otherwise, the epidemiological situation in Slovenia is better than in Croatia, and with 10 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, there are…

April 29, 2020 - Is reform of Croatia's bloated and inefficient bureaucracy possible? Why those interested in tourist board reform should be taking some lessons from Ivan Slavic, Mayor of Sucuraj on the island of Hvar.  Mayor Ivan Slavic wanted to cut costs and bureaucratic overhead within his tiny Municipality of Sucuraj, on the island of Hvar. His gaze gravitated towards the Tourist Board, a bloated body with limited resources and built-in expenses, as well as a mandatory 16-person assembly.    “There’s no reason the assembly should be the same size for every municipality across the country,” he said in…

ZAGREB, April 29, 2020 - Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli and his Slovenian counterpart Zdravko Počivalšek on Wednesday met in Zagreb for the talks on the tourism industry in the circumstances marked by the COVID-19 epidemic. In light of the fact that Croatia and Slovenia have been cooperating for years in the joint promotion of their tourist industries, the two ministers underscored the importance of the further cooperation in that sector expressing hope that the epidemiological situation would soon allow for the opening of the borders. They discussed the idea of enabling travels for tourist purposes provided that protocols for…

As Croatia begins to gradually loosen its anti-epidemic measures, more specifically in three phases, many have begun to hope that normality and the chance to go to the coast this summer are a possibility. However, any move that comes too soon could result in another wave of coronavirus infections... As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of April, 2020, if we move too quickly with the loosening of the anti-coronavirus measures, we will ruin everything we've achieved so far, and then we will need to return to lockdown very quickly, Zvonimir Frka-Petesic said this morning on HRT, talking about the…

ZAGREB, April 29, 2020 - The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has posted new promotional content under the title "#CroFact" on social media, including lesser known facts and curiosities about Croatia, additionally presenting Croatia to past and future visitors. #CroFacts is the HTZ's new online presence aimed at their many fans on Instagram and Facebook. The HTZ plans to include the less known facts in quizzes, considering the popularity of such virtual challenges in the times of the coronavirus pandemic. "Proactive relationships with our audience and the media in key markets are an important part of our activities, the goal…

As Gordana Grgas/Novac writes on the 28th of April, 2020, Croatian tourism has been dealt a severe blow owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and various experts currently estimate that tourism turnover in Croatia will fall by 60 to 70 percent when compared to last year, with revenues dropping by a massive 70-80 percent. Employment losses of 30-50 percent will occur in Croatian tourism-related sectors (although this will be greatly affected and influenced by state measures and grants). The business operations of collective types of accommodation facilities, primarily hotels, will be jeopardised until a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus is…

April 28, 2020 - Continuing his stimulating series look at travel in the post-corona era, Zoran Pejovic of Paradox Hospitality turns his attention to the burning question for many tourism businesses - to open or not to open?  I started writing about the post-coronavirus future of the travel industry back in mid-March, as countries throughout Europe went into lockdown, one by one. I have written on the importance of staying visible, maintaining the communication, protecting the team, building scenarios, protecting your cashflow, thinking long-term, rethinking your product, process as well as business model, and a number of other things. And…

European Union ministers have met to discuss the state of European tourism, and a document, known as the COVID-19 passport, that would be valid for all EU countries, was discussed. Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli discussed the issue after a video conference of EU tourism ministers on the state of European tourism, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the measures and conditions for tourist arrivals. As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of April, 2020, such a document, which some have dubbed the COVID-19 passport, refers to the health and safety part of the travel protocol, HRT reported. Cappelli…

April 28, 2020 - At its first session on Monday, which was held through a conference call, the Istria County Tourism Committee stated that the priority is to prepare Istria for opening the borders and the arrival of guests. Index.hr reports that members of the Committee unanimously stated that an agreement was needed between the public health system, i.e., the epidemiological and tourism experts, which should enable the protection of health and realizing part of the tourist year. As stressed at the session, tourism stakeholders are in the final stages of preparing their business in new circumstances, but expect the epidemiologists'…