October the 28th, 2021 - Croatian ACI marinas have been extremely popular ever since their arrival in the country, and with the coronavirus pandemic haven shaken the economy, it's more than encouraging to see that they have finally reached their pre-pandemic revenue levels.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, thanks to the accelerated vaccination rollout and the highest standards of protection across all Croatian ACI marinas, as well as mitigation of epidemiological measures and the opening of borders in Croatia to tourists, the operating revenue of this chain of marinas increased by 20.1 million kuna in the third quarter of 2021, or 29 percent in the third quarter of last year, the company recently reported.

These results are at the level of the results achieved in the third quarter of the pre-pandemic record year of 2019. More specifically, ACI d.d. earned 88.7 million kuna in the third quarter of 2019, 69.4 million kuna last year, and 89.5 kuna million in the third quarter of this year.

"Looking at these results, with special emphasis placed on the results achieved in the third quarter of this year, we can say that we're extremely satisfied. All the activities we undertook to prepare for the tourist season, with the priority having been the health and safety of both our employees and our guests, ensured an increase in operating revenues and the season in the wake of 2019, which is something we'd wished for.

With the end of the nautical tourism season for this year and the beginning of its preparation of the next season, it should be emphasised that we're going ahead with the complete reconstruction of the breakwater on Korcula, and that we had investments that began after the end of the season - primarily in the Croatian ACI marinas of Dubrovnik, Trogir, Zut and Piskera, Rab, Milna and Vodice, which all represent significant investments.  All of the above, as well as new projects launched during the year, indicate the dynamic period the company is currently in,'' said the director, Kristijan Pavic.

ACI also noted that this year, they established a joint company with GITONE Kvarner, which operates within the Lurssen Group. ACI-GITONE has applied for a concession for the construction and economic use of the nautical tourism port Porto Baros in Rijeka, the future ACI marina Rijeka, which is also the largest and most important nautical project in the history of the Republic of Croatia.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

October the 4th, 2021 - Recently in the beautiful town of Skradin, ACI Marina Skradin took home an award for its exceptional contribution to nautical tourism, a branch of tourism which has been blossoming very well along the Croatian coast for some time now.

As Novac/Jutarnji writes, on the occasion of the Skradin's city day, which was recently marked, a session of the City Council was held. At that session, ACI Marina Skradin took home the award for its exceptional contribution to the development of nautical tourism, ACI announced. The member of the Management Board - the director of the company ACI d.d., Kristijan Pavic, was presented with the award by the Mayor Antonijo Brajkovic and the President of the City Council Nadija Zorica.

Thanks to the quality of the offer and service, but also the social engagement of the local ACI Marina Skradin, this picturesque little town has become a recognisable tourist destination to many. On this occasion, the director of ACI, Kristijan Pavic, congratulated the residents of Skradin on their day, thanked them for recognizsng the efforts that ACI invests in the nautical development of Skradin and expressed hope for the continuation of successful cooperation with the local community.

Thanks to boasting accommodation near some of the most popular Croatian natural attractions, such as the Krka National Park and river, Skradinski buk and Roski slap, ACI Marina Skradin is a very rare pearl in the Mediterranean which successfully attracts more and more boaters looking for the perfect blend of nature, culture and gastronomy.

Recognising this, ACI continuously monitors the needs and interests of boaters and other guests and expands their offer to make the entire Croatian tourist product even more attractive to precisely this sector of tourism. One of the examples for this is of course the ACI star of the day, ACI Marina Skradin, which, in addition to the secured and controlled parking space for guests' cars, has a brand new anchor system, which has increased the length of the marina. Moreover, an annual berth has so far only been available for vessels up to 30 metres in length, and recently the possibility of the safe reception of vessels up to 40 metres in length has been presented, ACI's statement said.

In addition to all of the above, in cooperation with the Zdjelarevic family and some of the very best Croatian winemakers, ACI Marina Skradin provided a rich offer for all of its guests in the newly opened Vinoretum Croatian Fine Wine Shop Boutique wine shop and delicatessen, with emphasis on Croatian products and indigenous varieties of wine, which number over 130 in Croatia, of which only about 10 are available on the market.

Some of these wines are available in the wine shop at ACI Marina Skradin, and thanks to that, boaters can get much better acquainted with Croatian winemakers and their top quality products directly. Skradin is undoubtedly one of the most special and unique Croatian destinations in every aspect and it is important to continue with the systematic improvement of the entire tourist offer of the town. Therefore, the cooperation of the local tourist board and Skradin with ACI and the stronger nautical positioning of Skradin are an excellent example of improving the entire Croatian tourist offer and a significant basis for strengthening domestic tourism, the statement concludes.

For more, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

June the 6th, 2021 - ACI Marina Cres is enjoying the ability to fly the prestigious blue flag for the 22nd year in a row, showcasing its dedication to the environment.

As Morski writes, ACI Marina Cres, one of the most beautiful island marinas along the entire Croatian Adriatic, raised the blue flag for the 22nd time on the eve of World Environment Day. The blue flag for beaches and marinas is a highly valued tourist brand which is recognised and appreciated across the world, and is an important landmark to seek out for tourists when choosing a holiday destination.

The blue flag is also the most recognised model of environmental education and public information awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

The ceremony of raising the blue flag at ACI Marina Cres was attended by the marina's receptionist Marijan Sablic and the German guests Ulla and Peter Fernitz, as well as the port captain of the Port of Cres, Djordan Veskovic. The director of ACI Marina Cres, Alan Sepuka, said on the occasion:

''The blue flag is a top tourist promotion in our opinion. It symbolises a well-preserved and safe environment, sustainable development in tourism based on high quality service, a clean sea and coastline and it speaks of the quality of the equipment and overall arrangement of ACI Marina Cres.

The blue flag for both beaches and marinas is part of an international environmental programme to protect the environment of the sea and coastline, which aims at sustainable management and governance of the sea and the general coastal zone. The blue flag is an award given only for one season at a time and the application for it to be flown must be renewed every year, meaning that ACI Marina Cres has done an amazing job in managing that for 22 years in a row.

The criteria for awarding the blue flag are very demanding and cover a number of areas: environmental education, public information, water quality, environmental management, as well as the safety and quality of services.

It is interesting to note that the blue flag is currently boasted by all ACI marinas open for business throughout the year, which confirms that ACI, as the largest chain of marinas in all of the Mediterranean, takes the proper care of the sea and the coastal zones in which they operate, and especially coastal areas such as beaches and marinas that suffer the most pressure.

For more, follow our dedicated lifestyle section.

April the 20th, 2021 - Could a large Croatian ACI marina project see them step up their game, create a significant number of employment opportunities, and attract even more tourists with a new investment? Some individuals in the know believe so.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, if everything ended up actually being arranged properly, a Croatian ACI marina project would manage to see 30 airports in operation on the water up and down the Croatian coast, it would be able to create new jobs and employ 56 people, and the investment with a turnover of 65 thousand passengers a year would return in a mere 11 years, at least according to a report from Slobodna Dalmacija.

They calculated that everything in this regard would cost a little more than 11 million euros, of which the largest part, about 10 million of that sum, would be spent on the purchase of the necessary aircraft, while the rest would be spent on developing and maintaining the proper infrastructure. To this, they'd need to add a little more than a million euros for working capital, launching an investment and of course for the first installment of the lease.

''We're of the opinion that in addition to the existing structure of Croatian ACI marina users, this type of transport should also be offered to the general market. Therefore, it would not only operate within a closed system, ie exclusively within the scope of/for the users of Croatian ACI marinas, but with an open market approach,'' suggest engineers Delic and Cvek, who also listed fourteen different airports across the Republic of Croatia and abroad with which there could be connections (Ancona, Pescara, Mostar, Vienna, Venice, Graz…).

According to what Slobodna Dalmacija learned from the President of the Management Board, Kristijan Pavic, the idea is still very much alive and remains current, and that there is more life in it than the mere putting together of a business plan.

''It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has done its thing, so we're still in the preparatory stags. The document you've mentioned is just a database that has been updated. After that, a whole series of analyses and studies were made, taking into account the pandemic, and the realistic hopes that the situation would improve. KPMG also did its own study, in which the idea of ​​using Croatian ACI marinas as a kind of hub, airports on the water, from all possible aspects, was considered,'' revealed Pavic.

He also added that in a month or two he will be able to say something more on this topic, but for now the majority of lips are sealed.

For more on maritime and coastal transport in Croatia updated for 2021, bookmark our dedicated section.