KLM Croatia Capacity Boosted in July, Norwegian Zagreb Route Resumes, Trade Air Delayed
July 29, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as KLM Croatia capacity has been boosted to Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, Norwegian resumes its Zagreb route, and Trade Air pushes back operations until July 18.
Dutch national airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has significantly increased its capacity to three Croatian airports in July - Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, reports Croatian Aviation.
KLM will continue to operate twice a day between Zagreb and Amsterdam in July, but there will be a significant increase in capacity. Namely, until now, E190 aircraft operated between the two cities, but now B737-700 and B737-800 aircraft will operate on two daily flights. Namely, E190 aircraft has a capacity of 100 seats, while Boeing family aircraft have 132 and 186 seats, respectively.
While the number of weekly operations between Zagreb and Amsterdam will remain the same, the number of weekly flights will increase to Dubrovnik Airport.
Namely, until now, KLM has operated on this route only on Saturdays and Sundays since the beginning of the summer flight schedule, but from the beginning of July, this line will be in daily traffic, also with B737-800 aircraft.
KLM already operates to Split on a daily basis, but on weekdays mainly with the Embraer fleet. From the beginning of July, B737-800 and B737-700 aircraft will operate between the two cities, and the number of daily flights will increase from one to two or even three daily flights.
The Dutch carrier will have six daily flights to three Croatian airports in July, offering a wide network of connections through its hub in Amsterdam.
Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that well-known low-cost airline Norwegian resumed traffic on the regular seasonal route between Copenhagen and Zagreb on June 25, which had been suspended since the 2019 summer flight schedule.
On this seasonal line, the only one on which Norwegian currently operates to Zagreb, two flights a week are available, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, until mid-August.
Namely, the last flight is planned for Saturday, August 13, so this airline will offer a total of 18 return flights between the two cities this summer, ie 6,048 seats in both directions on its B737-800 aircraft.
Interestingly, one A320 aircraft of the Croatian private airline, Trade Air, is currently leased for this well-known low-cost carrier, but it is based in Stockholm, so it is unlikely that it will fly to Zagreb Airport this summer under the Norwegian flight number.
On the regular route between Copenhagen and Zagreb, the Croatian national airline, Croatia Airlines, operates throughout the year, and in the summer flight schedule, Croatia also operates on the regular route between Copenhagen and Split, three times a week, every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Although the competent Ministry announced that Croatia Airlines and Trade Air will operate on domestic PSO routes in the next four years, with operations on domestic routes at the beginning of July, this will not happen, reports Croatian Aviation.
Trade Air announced on its official website that domestic PSO flights will not be established until July 18 this year. Namely, earlier on the carrier's website, there was information that flights are expected from this Friday, July 1, but that will not happen.
The new information states that Trade Air will re-establish PSO routes from July 18 this year, with sales open only from July 8, and that further information will be published on the official website and social networks of the airline.
As a reminder, this summer Trade Air should operate on the following routes:
Osijek - Zagreb - Osijek,
Osijek - Pula - Split - Pula - Osijek,
Osijek - Rijeka - Osijek,
Rijeka - Split - Dubrovnik - Split - Rijeka,
Osijek - Zadar - Osijek, and
Rijeka - Zadar - Rijeka.
The number of weekly frequencies remains the same as in the previous four-year period, except for the lines between Osijek and Zadar and Rijeka and Zadar, which will be in traffic once a week.
Although the number of weekly flights will remain the same, the capacity will increase significantly as the Saab340 aircraft with a capacity of 34 seats will operate on the routes instead of the Turbolet L410 (19-seat capacity).
For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.
Architect Igor Ekstajn Proposes Idea for Zagreb Waste Based on US City
June the 29th, 2022 - Respected architect Igor Ekstajn has come up with an innovative idea with which we might solve the City of Zagreb's continuing issues with waste removal and disposal - all based on an American city.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, architect Igor Ekstajn recently spoke about the continuing waste problems being faced by the the City of Zagreb during an episode of N1 Newsnight. He commented on how the problem of waste disposal in Zagreb could be solved based on the American city of Boston's model.
“The most elegant solution is for us not to simply let this rubbish pile up in public spaces: many of the City of Zagreb's buildings have been designed to have waste disposal rooms on the ground floor (in the basement). Family houses have gardens attached to them where rubbish containers can be stored. The principle is that this rubbish is then sorted and separated on the plot of a residential building or house, and then is collected at a certain time when Cistoca (the communal service company responsible for waste removal) will come and pick up the rubbish to take it away, I think that is the most elegant way to deal with this. That way, there's no presence of these containers and as such, rubbish, in the city's public spaces,'' architect Igor Ekstajn explained.
The local Zagreb Government has postponed the implementation of a new waste separation model, and Ekstajn commented that waste collection is regulated in Boston.
“In Boston, buildings have rooms on the ground floor/basement where the rubbish is separated. The manager of the building is obliged to take the containers out onto the street once a week and then the binmen come and pick up the containers,'' said the architect.
He also commented on the possible construction of social housing in the City of Zagreb, stating that these residential buildings should not simply be built in the cheapest locations possible.
"This should be thought of as point construction in several different locations and thus the stigmatisation of people living in such apartments will be gradually eliminated. Secondly, the city will have a more even and better population structure,'' the architect explained, adding that Gredelj should be considered as a space with great potential.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Low Croatian Youth Unemployment Rate Only Because of Demographic Issues
June the 29th, 2022 - Croatian youth unemployment is very low at this moment in time, not because of record economic growth or even because of the summer in which many people gain seasonal employment throughout the tourist season, but because of Croatia's ongoing demographic issues.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josipa Ban writes, it has never been easy for young people on the labour market, and the global coronavirus pandemic has only worsened their position. This is highlighted by recent Eurostat statistics, because the Croatian youth unemployment rate (of those aged 15 to 29) increased from 15.8 percent during the pre-pandemic year of 2019 to 2.4 percent, and then to 18.2 percent in 2021.
Croatia, however, isn't at all following these negative trends - but not for a good reason. Croatian youth unemployment rates are lower than the EU average and are continually falling. Back in 2019 it stood at 10.5 percent, and last year it dropped even further, down to 9.9 percent.
Predrag Bejakovic, a scientist at the Institute of Public Finance, explains that there are several reasons for the Croatian unemployment rate being as it is, as well as other such trends.
"The first is emigration. We don’t know the exact numbers of how many people emigrated, but the fact is that a significant number of people have left Croatia. If someone leaves, then they're usually younger people,'' says Bejakovic, adding that, in addition to emigration, the decline in the Croatian youth unemployment rate is also influenced by demographic trends, ie the fact that the share of young people in the total population in this country is always falling.
"We shouldn't forget the generous government support, the measure of the Youth Guarantee and the situation on the labour market, which is characterised by a shortage of labour," said Bejakovic.
This was a challenge for Croatia even before the unprecedented coronavirus crisis emerged
''Such trends don't mean that it's become easy for young people to find work,'' says Marta Sveb, a research assistant at the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) who addressed the problem of youth and the labour market in an analysis entitled "The Pandemic: Unemployment and the Lost COVID-19 Generation".
"Getting a job was challenging even before the coronavirus crisis, and then came the so-called an ice age when there were almost no employment opportunities due to the lockdowns,'' says Sveb. The current position of young people is again, due to the war in Ukraine and the consequent energy crisis, very uncertain.
"It's to be expected, on the one hand, that employers will employ less and less due to this crisis. On the other hand, the situation on the labour market has changed significantly and employers are facing a shortage of workers. What it will be like and what the perspective of the young people is, it's really difficult to say,'' says Bejakovic, adding that everything will depend on the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
The perspective of young people, adds Marta Sveb, due to the fourth industrial revolution, will also depend on their skills.
“The World Economic Forum points to trends of declining demand for workers in the segments that have traditionally employed the most workers in previous generations. These were, for example, data entry workers, administrative and factory workers. On the other hand, there's a growing demand for highly specialised STEM profiles,'' warns Sveb.
This generation, states the young scientist, faces challenges at every single step. But that doesn’t have to all be so bad, she adds.
"We can look at challenges as an obstacle or as an opportunity," she said, adding that those who will work to further develop their skills in those sectors, such as the green economy, will certainly find employment. The education system should, of course, be adapted to this, but for those who want success, it's much better not to wait.
There is work for everyone
The differences in the youth unemployment rates among the member states of the European Union are also interesting. They vary from 28 percent in Spain and Sweden to three and eight percent in the Czech Republic and Luxembourg.
"Unemployment in the Czech Republic is low, so youth unemployment also is. On the other hand, the general unemployment rate across the Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, Greece and Italy, is high, so it's harder for young people in those countries to find work as well,'' he concluded.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated politics section.
TIER and Nextbike: Pula Scooters and Bikes Become Hit Among Locals
June the 29th, 2022 - Pula scooters and bikes are becoming more and more popular as this beautiful Istrian city tries to lean more towards green and sustainable ways of getting about.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Pula is the first city in all of the Republic of Croatia to receive a complete system for local micromobility. It's managed by the Public Bike System, and includes an impressive offer of 150 electric scooters, 15 classic bikes and 15 electric bikes, and is an upgrade to the city's public transport offer that will relieve the city of passenger car traffic and protect the environment.
To use these Pula scooters, you'll need to download the TIER application (app) on your smartphone, and to use the bicycles, be they classic or electric, you'll need to download the Nextbike application.
Until July the 30th, 2022, people can try out these new Pula scooters for free using the code "GOPULA". After creating an account on the TIER application, this code allows them two free unlocks and 20 minutes of free use of one of the scooters.
The director of the Public Bike System, Ante Gustin, expressed hope that similar solutions would soon be sought by as many cities across the Republic of Croatia as possible, all of which aspire to achieve the status of smart cities.
"People are already used to using public bicycles, but we believe that these new Pula electric scooters will delight them. TIER is otherwise Europe's leading provider of micromobility services, and is a company dedicated to creating simple and easily accessible solutions for urban mobility.
With the mobile application, the scooters and bicycles are located and unlocked, and the price depends on the duration of use. We take care of the charging of the batteries and maintaining the scooters and bikes,'' Gustin concluded.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Million Overnight Stays Realised in Dubrovnik as Tourists Pour into City
June the 29th, 2022 - The City of Dubrovnik, Croatia's southernmost city and tourist Mecca, has realised one million overnight stays through the eVisitor system. Here's a look at which nationalities are making up the majority of this impressive figure.
As Morski writes, according to Croatia's highly praised eVisitor tourist check-in and check-out system, 1,029,182 overnight stays have been realised in the City of Dubrovnik from the beginning of the year to June the 25th, 2022, which is a very encouraging increase of 411 percent when compared to 2021, according to the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.
In the same period, 324,117 arrivals were realised in the city, which is an increase of 415 percent when compared to the same period back in 2021. At the same time, foreign tourists made up 289,745 of these arrivals (595 percent more than in 2021) and 944,783 overnight stays (526 percent more than in 2021), while Croatian tourists made up 34,372 arrivals (62 percent more than in 2021), and 84,399 overnight stays (67 percent more than in 2021).
From January the 1st to June the 25th, 2022, the most numerous tourists staying in Dubrovnik were from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany, the rest of Croatia, France, Ireland, neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland. Compared to the record, pre-pandemic year of 2019, from the beginning of 2022 to the end of June, Dubrovnik has now succeeded in realising about 63 percent of 2019's tourist traffic, as reported by local portal Dubrovnik dnevnik.
According to the types of accommodation being stayed in by tourists, from the beginning of this year to June the 25th, 169,049 arrivals were realised in Dubrovnik's many hotels (marking a 441 percent increase when compared to the same period back in 2021), and 92,592 arrivals in private accommodation (375 percent more). There were 579,848 overnight stays registered in the Pearl of the Adriatic's hotels (equal to an increase of 493 percent) and 334,769 overnight stays were registered in private accommodation (an increase of 349 percent compared to the same period back in 2021).
Currently, 18,237 tourists are staying in Dubrovnik, which is 154 percent more than in 2021 making up 83 percent of the realised tourist traffic compared to the same day back in pre-pandemic 2019. The most numerous guests are from: the United Kingdom, the United States of America, other parts of Croatia, Germany, Ireland, France, Norway, Finland, Spain and Poland.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.
A Million Tonnes of Wheat Expected This Summer Harvest
ZAGREB, 28 June 2022 - Although a dry spell this spring will have an adverse impact on the yield of wheat and barley in Croatia, the amount of the harvested wheat supplies this summer is likely to be similar to last year's because more areas are under this cereal now than in 2021.
Representatives of the Osijek-Baranja County Chamber of Commerce met with Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Tugomir Majdak on Tuesday. Majdak told a news conference after the meeting that the harvesting season was over at about 60% of the land sown with barley, and that the average yield was up to 7.5 tonnes per hectare.
Wheat harvest is underway in eastern Croatia, and the dry spell led to a 10-20% drop in the yield. However, the area sown with wheat increased to 160,000 hectares and therefore, Croatia can expect a million tonnes of wheat this season.
Croatia needs 400,000-450,000 tonnes, enough for export
In terms of the production of cereals and oil seed plants, Croatia is self-sufficient, but certain disruptions to the market are being caused by the war in Ukraine and increased energy prices, said Majdak.
He believes that the EU grain market is still stable, despite the bans that some countries imposed on their cereals exports.
An executive of the Žito Grupa company, Relja Kovačić said that the yield of the wheat sown by this company ranged between five to eight tonnes per hectare.
For more, check out our business section.
Pula Music Week to Take Place on 30 June to 6 July
ZAGREB, 28 June 2022 - Everything is ready for the seven-day Pula Music Week, when some of the world's best DJs will perform in the Pula Arena from 30 June to 6 July, the organisers and city authorities confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday.
Speaking on behalf of Pula Music Week, which is organised by some of the biggest music promoters - ALDA and Insomniac - Baggi Begović said that the details of Pula Music Week are more or less known and that fans can expect top-notch entertainment with some of the most popular electronic music performers.
Image: Pula Music Week/Facebook
"We will have a chance to see a techno line-up that has not yet been seen in Croatia," said Begović, adding that Pula is becoming an unavoidable location for electronic music fans from around the world.
Mayor Filip Zoričić said that Pula needs events like this that bring benefits in economic, tourist and cultural terms.
The festival opens with a performance by South Korean attraction Peggy Gou, followed by performances by Bosnian-German DJ Solomun, British production duo Disclosure, Tale Of Us, Boris Brejcha and Charlotte de Witte.
On the last day of the event fans will be able to enjoy a performance by Black Coffee, this year’s Grammy winner in the category of best dance and electronic music album.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
Justice Minister Unveils Project to Modernise Judicial System
ZAGREB, 28 June 2022 - Justice and Administration Minister Ivan Malenica on Tuesday unveiled a project aimed at improving the quality of the judicial system through its further modernisation.
The project will include an upgrade of the criminal records system, an upgrade of the court register, and the modernisation and digitisation of judicial bodies by launching e-courtrooms, getting new equipment and further developing the probation system, Malenica said.
The value of the project is HRK 48.7 million (€6.5m) and it is co-financed by the European Social Fund.
Malenica said that the e-Courtroom pilot programme would make it possible for court hearings to be held remotely, while electronic surveillance of persons remanded in pre-trial custody would considerably ease the burden on the prison system.
New medical equipment will be purchased for the prison hospital, training courses will be held on the administration of first aid and the prevention of infectious diseases inside the prison system, and a survey on the recidivism rate would be carried out inside the prison and on probation system. To improve the use of IT technology in the judicial system, 140 sets of speech recognition software, 500 desktop computers and as many laptops will be purchased.
Malenica said that court presidents would undergo further training in court management.
For more, check out our politics section.
Minister Brnjac Decides on Co-Financing for 77 Sports Infrastructure Projects
ZAGREB, 28 June 2022 - Following a tender for co-financing the construction and equipping of sports facilities in 2022, Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac adopted a decision on Tuesday to co-finance 77 sports facility projects with a total amount of HRK 30.6 million, the ministry said in a press release.
"Accessibility of sports infrastructure for children, recreationists, and professional athletes in all parts of Croatia is one of our most important strategic goals, and this year we have allocated the largest amount of funds to build and renovate a record number of sports projects," said Minister Brnjac.
We also recognized the biggest challenge of local government units with up to 10,000 inhabitants, which according to an analysis conducted within the National Sports Programme, have the lowest rate of investment in sports, hence we have introduced a new programme intended for the construction of outdoor exercise facilities in these communities, added Brnjac.
"Of the 77 projects, 22 will be financed with more than HRK 3 million and this is our way of encouraging citizens throughout Croatia to play sports, and we are positively impacting the poor indicators regarding the general population's physical activities," Minister Brnjac said.
Since 2018, the government has co-financed projects for the renovation or construction of 93 sports facilities with a total amount of almost HRK 46 million.
A total of 261 projects were submitted in this tender with a total value of requested funds of around HRK 320 million while the funds will be awarded to the 77 best-rated projects.
The call for applications was aimed at encouraging the promotion of the value of sports and popularising sports activities for citizens, the improvement of the sports system, and Croatia's international promotion through sports.
To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Oil, Flour and Hygienic Products See Biggest Price Hikes, Says Analysis
ZAGREB, 28 June 2022 - The prices of oil and flour increased the most among food products in Croatia in 2022, alongside those of various hygiene items, according to an analysis by the Ja Trgovac magazine.
According to the analysis of price trends for the 150 most important categories of food and other daily necessities, the price of edible oil has risen the most among food products (+33%) compared to the first four months of 2021.
It was followed by flour (+27%), frozen meat products (+25%), milk (+21%) and sports isotonic drinks (+20%).
There are some products that have not gone up in prices, such as alcohol, beer, chocolate bars, sausages, iced teas, dehydrated baby food, cocoa and ready-made sauces.
The analysis also shows that some prices decreased, such as baby drinks (-8%), baby teas (-12%), vinegar (-5%), refrigerated desserts and frozen bakery products (-3%).
Are stocks being created?
The quantity of oil sold has increased (+10%), which could indicate consumers are stocking up. In addition to oil, the quantity of packaged bread and toast, pasta, and fresh meat sold has also increased.
Sales, however, have decreased for most products that have increased in price, such as milk, cheese and coffee (-7%), ice cream (-10%) and frozen meat products (-17%).
Beer and cider have registered a decrease in sales (-17%), as has wine (-8%) and energy drinks (-13%).
For non-food products, the price of razors went up the most (+30%), followed by napkins (+23%), aftershave (+16%), laundry detergents (+15%), and so on.
The price of sanitary pads and tampons, baby wipes, air fresheners, face cleansers did not increase in price.
Price decreases were registered for toilet fresheners, stain removers, hair spray, this being attributed to discount sales by trademark brands.
Despite significant price hikes, the sale of deodorants, toilet paper, shower gels, facial wipes, hair conditioners and some other facial cleansers and care products increased.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
