May 22, 2021 - The relaxation of measures to combat the pandemic, given the decrease in infections and the current vaccination campaign, is one of the reasons why the American demand for Dubrovnik and Croatia as travel destinations for this summer season has increased considerably.

Dubrovnik undoubtedly stands out as one of the most popular destinations to visit in the summer. And although the city has a lot to offer twelve months of the year, and this is something that has recently been worked on through the digital nomads project as an ideal destination to work remotely, it cannot be denied that its beaches, islands, history, and nightlife place it at the top of the rankings made by hundreds of prestigious tourism and travel magazines and portals each year.

As hrturizam.hr writes, Croatian destinations are increasingly being searched on the US market, so the well-known American magazine Forbes published data that the search and American demand for Dubrovnik on online search engines are continuously growing, said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board in the USA, Ina Rodin.

Credit: Mario Romulić

A Forbes article states that on the popular KAYAK travel search page, the American demand for Dubrovnik as a travel destination for this summer season has recorded a search jump of as much as 205 percent, followed by Zurich with a growth of 167 percent, Prague with 144 percent and Reykjavik with a growth of 143 percent. The article states that the growth of search is directly related to the easing of passenger restrictions in Croatia and Iceland, and mentions that Croatia and Greece are currently the most sought-after destinations on the Click & Boat boat rental site.

The well-known American television network CNBC states that Croatia's Internet search is growing by 31 percent and Iceland's by 22 percent. Although Americans are expected to travel the most in their own country in 2021, airline searches rose 47 percent after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's optimistic statement hinted that vaccinated Americans could travel to Europe this summer. The renowned American newspaper The New York Times also writes about the conditions of arrival and stay in Croatia, as well as the measures that are currently in force.

The American The Wall Street Journal also makes recommendations for European travel, and the list includes, in addition to Greece, Croatia, and Dubrovnik, which were mentioned as perfect destinations for this year's American vacation.

According to the CNTB, 70,000 overnight stays from the US market have been made in Croatia so far this year, which is an increase of 38 percent compared to the same period last year.

You can learn more about what the ‘‘Pearl of the Adriatic’’ can offer you on your next trip, in Total Croatia’s Dubrovnik on a page, HERE. Total Croatia’s articles are now available in your language!

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers up and down the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

November 26, 2020 – Traveling the world during the pandemic may seem impossible for many, but not for one American family in Croatia. Despite the obstacles, they are now living their dream digital nomad lifestyle in Croatia.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, when the countries around the world are closing their borders and traveling is kept to a minimum, one young American couple decided to go the opposite way. On October 4th, they took a one-way flight to Europe to pursue their dream of becoming full-time digital nomads.

And they did it right at the time when the introduction of the digital nomad visa in Croatia is increasingly likely.

For a long time, Victor and Klaudia Gonzalez have had a great desire to travel and show their son Augie the splendor of the world. Like many people, they have always wondered how it is possible to turn travel into a way of life with almost no savings. Little by little, as their desire did not subside, they decided to try their luck and embark on the big life journey of moving abroad, to Croatia.

Croatia affordable and welcoming

However, their journey was not easy, since they almost had no budget at all. They met in college 8 years ago in Michigan, USA. Only three years ago, when Victor was finishing college and their son Augie was a toddler, they were even getting government help to buy food. But then things started to get better.

"When Victor finished college, he got his first full-time job. We moved from Michigan to Colorado, where we caught the travel bug camping and doing hiking trips. One year ago, we decided to make our dream a reality. We sold everything for only 1,000 dollars. We didn’t sell a big house or flat because we didn’t have one, and our car wasn’t worth anything to sell," says the couple, explaining that Klaudia was homeschooling and working from home, while Victor was working between 60 to 70 hours a week to save enough money for a plane ticket to Europe.

"We were ready to leave when my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. We stayed with her until she got better, and she was the one who inspired us to follow our big dream," says Klaudia.

Gonzalez family pictured on the day they left the USA at the Chicago O'hare Airport in October / Private archive

Although their first plan was to move to Poland, where Klaudia's heritage comes from (their son Augie is also bilingual, speaking both English and Polish), Croatia stuck out as their top choice because it was a welcoming destination for Americans during the pandemic. Besides, they note, Croatia is a safe country with ideal weather and a good connection to the rest of Europe.

"Originally we planned to stay for one month, but the quality of life and the welcoming energy has convinced us to wait until after the holidays. We look forward to seeing the Christmas lights in Zagreb. We’ll be in Croatia for almost 3 full months," the couple says, adding that Croatia and the whole Balkan region is a hidden gem, and is both affordable and welcoming.

From the sea to the mountains

"Croatians are such warm and inviting people. Our Croatian host has become a life-long friend, and when exploring inland Dalmatia, Croatian strangers invited us into their home for cherry liquor and baked goods. We won’t ever forget the hospitality of Croatians!" they say.

For now, they have visited Dubrovnik, Split, and Krka and Plitvice Lakes National Parks, and on their Instagram page The Family Journalists where they share their experiences from Croatia, they did not hide their pleasure.

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A post shared by FAMILY WORLD TRAVELERS (@thefamilyjournalists)

"For such a small country, Croatia has a diverse landscape. We stayed in a flat next to the sea, and within an hour, we were in inland Dalmatia riding an ATV on the top of Croatia’s second-highest mountain," says this couple whose priority was to have remote careers. Klaudia is a teacher and writer, while Victor is a self-taught software engineer.

Full-time traveling on a budget

Their son Augie enjoys his time in Croatia and is always ready for the next adventure. If you ever meet this family on the street, you will probably hear Augie saying his favorite Croatian word: "Bok!"

The only thing that they miss is their families, who won't be there for their son's fifth birthday this year, which they will be celebrating in Croatia. Their initial plan was to stay in Croatia for one month, but now they decided to stay until spring when Klaudia's parents visit them from the USA.

Exploring Split and Čiovo island / Private archive

Nevertheless, their return to Croatia is not ruled out.

"With the introduction of the digital nomad visa, it will become even easier for Americans to visit Croatia or come back," Klaudia says.

"We want people to understand that it's possible to travel the world as digital nomads with hard work. It’s possible for those that don’t have a lot of savings to travel full-time by making a budget and visiting more affordable European countries like Croatia. Now we travel with four suitcases and two backpacks as The Family Journalists interviewing locals and sharing stories from around the world," says the happy family.

To read more about digital nomads in Croatia, follow our dedicated page.

September 25, 2020 - Croatia is the 14th most searched holiday destination in the world for next year. With over 810, 000 searches on Google, the country should expect a big return of English speaking visitors to Croatia in 2021

Aside from the drop in numbers, the country's accessibility and the implementation of epidemiological guidelines, the biggest effect the Coronavirus pandemic had on Croatia's tourist season of 2020 was the change in visitor demographic. The British, Americans, Canadians and Australians largely stayed away. All that looks set to change next year as Google indicates a big return of English speaking visitors to Croatia in 2021.

Over 810, 000 searches have already been made of Croatia as a holiday destination for 2021 on Google, informing that many thousands are already researching or actively planning a trip. Croatia ranked 14th among the most searched for 2021 destinations, trailing slightly behind the likes of Italy, the Maldives, Mexico, Thailand, Spain and Greece.

Their language mostly absent from beautiful Adriatic beaches in 2020, English speaking visitors to Croatia in 2021 look set to return © Croatian National Tourist Board

The good news for the return of English speaking visitors to Croatia in 2021 was published by the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The data has been taken from a period starting not before March 2020. This means that all searches took place in full knowledge of the ongoing Coronavirus and epidemiological situation. English speaking visitors are undeterred.

Iva Bahunek, the head of the Croatian Tourist Board in Los Angeles has not had the easiest of tasks since the pandemic began. Her appointment is a relatively recent one. Nevertheless, she has clearly done an excellent job of promoting Croatia as a destination for American tourists in 2021. She confirmed the trends are correct - that US citizens are ready for international travel again - by analysing data from the large American travel insurance company Squaremouth. 65% of all reservations for next year refer to international destinations.

Iva Bahunek accepting her Mediterranean Stars Award for outstanding achievement in promoting Mediterranean tourism, awarded at the 6th Mediterranean Tourism Forum in Malta, 2019. She now heads the Croatian Tourist Board in Los Angeles and analysed data which backs up Google's prediction for a return of English speaking visitors to Croatia in 2021

Indications from the British market are the same. Total Croatia News recently published an interview with Vedran Meniga, organiser of a music festival site in Sibenik that successfully hosted over 10, 000 festival-goers in summer 2020. Sadly, they were the only ones who braved it. All of the international music festivals that usually take place on the Croatian coast cancelled their 2020 events.

But, some organisers of these festivals have been seen in Croatia over recent weeks, inspecting improvements to the famous The Garden Tisno festival site, which lies at the approach to Murter island. The festival's hugely popular beach stage has had walls removed, its space widened and now looks very well equipped to take on social distancing advice. Music festivals bring tens of thousands of people to Adriatic beaches each summer and the return of the international events will entice English speaking visitors to Croatia in 2021. On the below video you can see Alex Lowes of the Suncebeat Festival and Nick Colgan of The Garden Tisno recently checking out the new layout of the site in preparation for the return of festivals in 2021.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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Could Uniline create the right conditions to attract American tourists with a high purchasing power to Istria? Maybe.

''I believe such offerings and facilities could be of interest to American tourists and that over time we could make greater use of the potential that this market has. In any case, contacts have been established, we're currently in the process of defining the program and I believe that next year, we'll be able to boast of our first guests as well, and we'll start to conquer this new market more strongly,'' claims Lia Fioranti.

As Glas Istre/Milan Pavlovic writes on the 27th of October, 2019, what is the best way to try and attract rich tourists from the US market to the tourist experience of Istria and Croatia? The question, but also the task, has been raised for some time within Uniline, a leading destination management company in Croatia and the region of Southeast Europe.

In order to strengthen its presence in the US and better present Istria, Croatia and the region on this major tourism market, Uniline's manager for major partners in the area, Lia Fioranti, visited some of American cities such as New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Los Angeles this year, and established significant contacts and initiated collaboration.

The aim of the collaboration Uniline seeks is to bring wealthier Americans to Istria and Croatia, to offer them carefully tailored lifestyle-oriented, cultural and historical itineraries that will allow them to enjoy their vacation and discover the magic of this destination.

Truffle hunting in the Motovun forest, a luxury honeymoon in Rovinj, cycling trips, specially tailored tours of the national parks of Plitvice and Brijuni, luxury gastronomic excursions to the islands like Hvar, special cooking classes with an emphasis placed primarily on local gastronomy is the real trump card of this lifestyle program designed for American tourists.

The cultural part of the program will include a visit to the most important and famous sites and cultural and historical sites from Dubrovnik to Istria.

"I believe that such offerings and facilities could be of interest to American guests and that over time we could make greater use of the potential that this market has. In any case, contacts have been established," says Lia Fioranti.

The USA is a market where Croatia has positioned itself as an attractive and safe tourist destination in recent years. In the context of the authenticity of the offer and the experience and the hospitality of the locals, Americans can be heard comparing it to Greece or Italy from fifteen years ago. This is the main reason why Croatia was among the top five new destinations on the US market earlier this year. This is also confirmed by the strong growth in US tourist traffic in recent years.

This is definitely a very potent market for Croatia, as evidenced by the turnover, which has been achieving double-digit growth rates for several years. Thus, in 2019, the number of arrivals and overnight stays increased by over 11 percent. The most popular European destinations for American tourists are France, Spain and Italy, and thanks to a quality blend of natural and cultural attractions, rich historical heritage and sumptuous eco-gastronomy, it can position itself and find its place as an interesting alternative to these traditional destinations.

An additional trump card in this story is certainly the airline, which for the first time in 28 years directly connected Croatia with the US, and for American Airlines, whose planes operated three times a week between Dubrovnik and Philadelphia during the season, according to Dubrovnik Airport, there was great interest.

Recognising the positive trends and signals coming from across the Atlantic, Uniline set out to open that market with the goal of accessing and connecting with smaller luxury agencies in the US that organise luxury, personalised travel."

Make sure to follow ou dedicated travel page for much more.

As Dalmatinski Portal writes on the 16th of May, 2019, an American citizen has fallen from Dubrovnik's famed city walls and has been transported to hospital. The level of his sustained injuries are as yet unknown.

The incident occurred at around 16:00 today in Croatia's southernmost city of Dubrovnik, according to a report from liberoportal. Paramedics, the police and the fire brigade attended the scene. 

The individual in question survived the fall and as mentioned has since been taken to hospital to receive prompt medical attention.

Plešivica is an oasis for lovers of traditional gastronomy and wine-making, a longtime favourite destination for many of Zagreb's residents, Plešivica is famous for its many vineyards, wineries, sparkling wines and traditional food. Several Croatian family wine stories are attracting attention even from across the Atlantic.

As Marta Duic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of January, 2019, the Šember Winery, located in the village of Donji Pavlovčani, is famous for its sparkling wines that have been produced in their vinery for years. Ivanka Šember, the wife of a winery owner who helps him run the family business, says their sparkling wines are produced from old varieties which grow only on Plešivica. They have an old vineyard with fifteen different old and almost forgotten varieties, to which winemaker Zdenko Šember gives his special attention. He inherited this vineyard from his late grandmother and has since turned it into a flourishing business.

This year, this Croatian family winery business also produced a variety of new wine sparkling wines, a white sparkling wine from a black pinot, a sparkling wine of the old varieties which were kept in clay pots originating from Georgia. The production of amphora wines deeply buried in the ground is an extremely old tradition over in Georgia, and today many Croatian winemakers use this method. This method of wine production makes each wine, including sparkling wine from the assortment of this winery, completely different in flavour when compared to others.

"My husband loves experiments, and some of them also get to see the market!" said Ivanka Šember. The Šember Winery is one of the few in the Republic of Croatia which manually produces its sparkling wines, each step done with their own hands and without any machines. As the Croatian family say themselves, everything has been made even easier since they obtained a new 320m cellar. In the construction of the cellar, which was co-funded through the National Wine Sector Support Program, this wine oriented Croatian family invested more than two million kuna, and their plans for this year are to further expand their vineyards by another three hectares.

"When it comes to our sparkling wines, our best sellers are rose, this year we have doubled our production, and we're currently producing 40,000 bottles. We're the first winery to have been producing sparkling wines from old Plešivica varieties, explained Ivanka Šember.

Located in the village of Lokošin Dol, the Braje Winery is known for its homemade food served with homemade wine. Robert Braje is the winemaker in this Croatian family, and his wife, Sandra, is an expert in local gastronomy and has been the chef in their restaurant for the last eight years. In this Croatian family business, their son shows interest in wine production, and Robert says that if this continues, he will soon expand his vineyards, which today already stretch to 3.5 hectares.

They purchase only a very small amount of their grapes, and from varieties that have a special emphasis on Red Waltz, an Austrian variety which is only offered by very, very few here in Croatia. As is the case with many Croatian wineries, the Braje Winery also serves numerous homemade dishes which pair well with the selection of wines that they produce and offer to their guests.

"From the very beginning, we've been doing everything business-wise as a real family. We produce 15,000 to 18,000,000 litres of wine, and a third of all that is sold right here at our very door. We also prepare meals from either our own or other locally grown vegetables, we make our own apple and pear juices. We have ducks, chickens, pigs, and a cow,'' explained Braje.

Their goal is to locally produce food and wine for their guests, in order to get them to notice and appreciate the distinct differences. "I cook and prepare everything, which is almost all made from local ingredients, we have a cow so that we can have our fresh cheese, cream and milk, eggs from our chickens, sausage and bacon from our pigs, and if we don't have enough of our own vegetables, we buy it from other producers in the neighbourhood. I make homemade bread, pasta, noodles... Our guests come either individually or in small groups, and we have many guests from the USA,'' noted Sandra Braje.

Režek Winery is yet another traditional Croatian family business that Damir Režek inherited from his father, Drago. "Our story began with my great-grandfather Roko, who had 40,000 vines, and the most famous type he had was a Portuguese variety. That Portuguese variety is the very story of my family and I'm glad that this slightly forgotten variety has now been revived, and my grandfather later brought new varieties, such as sauvignon, and was one of the largest producers in this region,'' stated Damir Režek.

The last vineyard was planted back in 2005, so now they have four hectares and about 20,000 vineyards.

Vinarija Kolarić in Hrastje Plešivičko is known for its rich homemade food, wines, and sparkling wines. Franjo Kolarić has a restaurant and since 2009 a mini hotel with sixteen rooms in which he has invested more than three million kuna. As he says, he's typically full from May to October. A warehouse for sparkling wine was built back in 1997 and Franjo is currently working on a new line of sparkling wines, in which he planning to invest 1.5 million kuna.

Thanks to the extension of the restaurant there is now seating for more than 170 people, and in addition to the sixteen rooms currently available, he plans to build an apartment this spring. In addition to all of the above, one of his plans is to build a small brewery and produce small quantities of craft beer.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated lifestyle page. If it's just wine you're interested in, give Total Croatia Wine a follow.

Click here for the original article by Marta Duic for Poslovni Dnevnik

Croatia's Vatreni did much more for the country than just bring a silver home.

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