August the 8th, 2021 - The Austrian Heute publication has claimed that Austrian residents returning from spending their holidays in Croatia are importing coronavirus into the country. It certainly isn't good publicity for Croatia as it fights to keep its coast orange on the ECDC's coronavirus map and green on the UK's travel traffic light system.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Austrian Heute wrote that two weeks ago, the biggest concern regarding covid positive returnees to the country from holidays abroad were returnees from Spain, of which there were 322 at the time, and in second place were returnees from holidays in Croatia, 187 of them.

''The number of imported infections from the Republic of Croatia has been on the rise. And now, a mere two weeks after that, the number of newly infected returnees from Croatia to Austria has exploded and is 4.5 times higher than it was fourteen days ago,'' the Austrian Heute pointed out, as reported by Vecernji list.

The same source noted that in just one week, an increase of 501 new cases of coronavirus infection was recorded. This was then supported by figures and indicators that in the calendar week of 29/30 alone, 834 coronavirus positive Austrian returnees from holidays in Croatia were recorded, which is an increase of 501 cases in just one single week.

The Austrian Heute writes that Austrian epidemiologists, along with those from Croatia, are still worried about the situation with the wildly popular holiday destination of Spain, although the number of newly infected Austrians who returned home from that country had dropped by 37 cases.

In third place in terms of ''imported coronavirus infection'' among lab positive Austrians returning from being abroad are those coming home from Italy, of which there were 68 last week alone. The fourth is Greece, from which 110 lab positive people returned home to Austria, which is 31 infected people more than a week ago.

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June the 25th, 2021 - The Austrian DocLX company is going all out to make sure a group of Austrian graduates can celebrate the end of their studies in Istria without potentially endangering the local community's health and epidemiological picture.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Austrian DocLX company, which is the organiser of travel and other similar events, will apply an innovative security concept to prevent the spread of the coronavirus so that Austrian graduates can celebrate the end of their school year right here in Croatia safely, the company said in a statement.

The concept of the ''safety bubble'' which is successfully used in competitive sports, will provide the group of Austrian graduates with a safe environment while also protecting the local community from the spread of the novel virus which has dominated the world since the very beginning of 2020.

Strict safety protocols were developed by the Austrian DocLK company together with numerous renowned experts and advisers of the Austrian Federal Government, including Meduni-Wien, Professor Hans-Peter Hutter, as well as respected epidemiologist Professor Michael Kandy.

The complete concept of safety and prevention during the ongoing pandemic is being implemented on the Lanterna peninsula in Istria on 630,000 square metres thanks to the Austrian DocLX company's safety concept. Their concept is otherwise based on extensive testing and the creation of the aforementioned ''safety bubble''. Each participant will be tested using a PCR test two days before their departure, then immediately before their departure or before boarding the bus itself.

Every other day during the event, all of the high school graduates and employees will continue to be tested using the mandatory PCR test, considered to be the gold standard in detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the nose and throat. Approximately 630,000 square metres of leased land on the peninsula has only one access road leading to it that is completely closed off to unauthorised persons.

Preventive measures have been developed and implemented in close coordination with the Austrian and Croatian health authorities and have been formally approved for the group of graduates from Austria.

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ZAGREB, 23 June, 2021 - Documents that were confiscated from the Dubrovnik State Archives and were found in the Salzburg Diocese Archives were handed over on Wednesday in the presence of Croatia's Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek and Croatia's Ambassador to Austria Danijel Glunčić.

The operation ended successfully with the return of Croatia's cultural heritage, Minister Obuljen Koržinek said, noting this isn't the first or last time this has been done.

Ambassador Glunčić underscored that the Salzburg Diocese had full understanding that the medieval documents could not be considered to be part of Austria's or Salzburg's history.

The documents involved are two pontifical documents which the diocese was immediately prepared to return to Croatia, and this was also approved by Austria's state authorities, he said, adding that the documents will be placed in Dubrovnik's Archives.

Police working on issues related to cultural heritage

Police Director Nikola Milina said that the police were working on cultural heritage issues, adding that they have had good results so far.

A soon as the information was released, the Croatian police contacted the police in Austria and the documents were quickly identified which led to them being returned, he said.

Digitalisation to facilitate return of other missing documents

Director of Dubrovnik State Archives Nikolina Pozniak is convinced that digitisation will contribute to other documents that have gone missing from the archives and other institutions to be returned.

The head of the archive's collection, Zoran Perović, explained that the documents returned today are two pontifical bulls dated 1189 and 1252. The first notes that the Pope is deploying Archbishop Bernard to Dubrovnik while the other bull refers to the appointment of an archbishop to be a judge in a dispute between the Bar and Dubrovnik Archdioceses.

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ZAGREB, 26 May, 2021 - The JANAF oil pipeline and storage system said on Wednesday it had signed its first contract with Austria's OMV Supply & Trading Ltd for storing up to 99,000 cubic metres of crude oil at the Omišalj Terminal for a period of two years.

Management said the contract confirmed JANAF's strong export orientation, adding that the company generated over 60% of its revenue from foreign clients.

The new contract ensures the further use of our storage capacity and stable business in the longer term, Management Board chairman Stjepan Adanić and Board member Vladislav Veslica said.

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March the 24th, 2021 - Another boost for Croatian tourism for 2021 despite the continued uncertain situation dominated by the pandemic as the Austrians and the Slovaks introduce the EuroNight train line to the Dalmatian city of Split.

Air traffic continues to have the biggest question mark hanging over its head as Croatian tourism for the summer season this year hangs in the balance with the epidemiological situation in Croatia and abroad being the deciding factor. As a result, trains are looking ever more favourable for those needing some vitamin D and an Adriatic swim this summer.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) in cooperation with Slovak Railways (ZSSK) will introduce a new night train line in the summer season of 2021 on the route Bratislava - Vienna - Graz - Split, according to the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) in Austria, Branimir Toncinic.

The first overnight train, more specifically the EuroNight train, should start running on June the 18th this year, and the current plan is for it to run twice a week on the same route until mid-September 2021. The price of EuroNight train tickets from the Austrian capital of Vienna to Split, which can already be purchased, is 29.90 euros for seats, and 69.90 for beds.

"We're pleased that Austrian Railways have connected Vienna with Split, which allows our Austrian guests to travel while respecting the principles of sustainable development and climate change, which are extremely important topics in the Austrian market. For us in Croatia, as the second most sought-after tourist destination for Austrian tourists, this new line is of great importance for achieving even better tourist results from the Austrian market.

It's worth mentioning that the most visited Croatian destinations by Austrian guests back in 2019 and even in 2020 were the regions of Istria, Kvarner and Zadar, and with the establishment of this summer railway line on the route Vienna-Graz-Split, we can see the additional growth potential of tourist traffic from Austria to Split-Dalmatia,'' said Toncinic, noting that on the aforementioned EuroNight train line, there is a possibility of transporting your own car or motorcycle.

Travel organiser ÖBB Rail Tours also offers packages that include a return ticket for the train between Vienna and Split and a one-week stay in an apartment in the centre of Split at a very reasonable starting price of 331 euros.

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February 9, 2021 – In a survey conducted by HomeToGo, the largest Austrian search platform for holiday homes, Croatia has once again proved to be a desirable destination. The results showed Croatia the most sought-after summer destination for Austrians in 2021.

After a well-known Austrian travel organizer Gruber Reisen recently published their research results, declaring Croatia the most sought-after destination for the Austrian market, the survey from another Austrian travel platform HomeToGo showed the same estimates.

Namely, HomeToGo, the largest search platform for holiday homes on the Austrian market, conducted a survey on Austrians' habits, travel preferences, and favorite holiday destinations in 2021. The research results were published on the Austrian portal Oe24.at, and Croatia was in the first place of the most sought-after summer destinations, reported Branimir Tončinić, Croatian National Tourist Board director in Austria.

The survey is based on a total of 200,000 searches. As in the previous year, the survey shows that Croatia is the leading and most sought-after destination with 41 percent of searches. Austria follows Croatia with 19.5 percent and Italy with 19 percent of searches, and then France, Greece, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Of the Croatian destinations, the most sought after are the Istrian peninsula and the island of Krk.

The obtained data clearly show the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on travel behavior. Looking at the top three most popular destinations – Croatia, Austria, and Italy – it can be concluded that this year, Austrians prefer sunny sea destinations in the immediate vicinity. Their choices are primarily motivated by the precarious situation with the coronavirus pandemic that prevents long-term planning and long trips.

Tončinić stated earlier that consumers pay special attention to the destination's safety and that the possibility to change their booking for free or other cancellation options at minimal cost is very important for them when booking a trip.

The survey results also show that 70 percent of Austrians plan to travel in the next 12 months. When it comes to accommodation, 63 percent of them prefer booking accommodation in holiday homes. Regarding the mode of travel, 71 percent of Austrians will travel by their own car.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes on the 10th of September, 2020, the Vienna-based company SeneCura, with more than 20 years of experience in the field of care for the elderly in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland, entered the Croatian market with the acquisition of the Severovic Home for the Elderly and the Infirm.

This is the first foreign takeover in this particular market niche - realised with the purchase of Severovic d.o.o., the previous owners of which were Zoran and Gordana Severovic. On top of that, this is also the first arrival of a large inter-governmental group in Croatia. Since back 2015, this Austrian company has been operating as part of the French group of care institutions called ORPEA, which, with 1,014 care institutions and health care institutions in 22 countries belongs to a group of leading companies in this activity internationally.

Within the group, SeneCura as a competence centre is responsible for the area of ​​Central and Eastern Europe. The key guideline for expanding the business and increasing the number of homes is to ensure the best quality of care. The decision to integrate Dom Severovic was made deliberately at the Group level as part of a strategy for further business development and expansion into new markets.

''The very good quality of business at Dom Severovic convinced us that this purchase was an excellent opportunity for SeneCura to enter the Croatian market. We also believe that our many years of experience in establishing and managing health care facilities is a good basis for introducing a successful concept to new markets, including that of Croatia,'' explained Kellner.

The business will be developed under a new name: "SeneCura home for the elderly and infirm, Novaki Bistranski", which lies a mere 15 minutes north of Zagreb, and has a capacity of 148 beds. Director Tatjana Vlacic Vujicic will be in charge of taking care of the quality of the operation of the home for the elderly, and all current employees will keep their jobs. The director of SeneCura homes for the elderly in Carinthia, Austria, Jasna Krijan, who herself comes from Croatia, will also make sure that all of the standards and quality rules are in line with the standards of the wider SeneCura and the ORPEA group.

“The integration of Dom Severovic into the SeneCura Group takes place first in the direction of getting acquainted with internal work processes, and then in the direction of adjusting to the standards of the SeneCura Group, which will also be harmonised with the prescribed national norms. According to our experience so far, the story of each home we integrate into our Group is different and an individual approach to integration is needed,'' said Krijan.

Entering the Croatian market is a logical continuation of the development of the SeneCura Group's business in the region, given that Croatia is recording the same trends of continuous growth in the share of the elderly population as other countries in Europe and the world. According to the European Statistical Office, the Republic of Croatia has 262 thousand citizens aged 65 to 69, 190 thousand aged 70 to 74 and 385 thousand older than 75. Such data clearly indicates the increased need for quality care for the elderly, in which SeneCura is one of the market leaders in the private sector, not only in the field of care and nursing, but also in the field of innovation.

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September 3, 2020 – A bold and open gesture from the winemaking industry on the Pelješac peninsula to appreciated neighbours – cost-free accommodation will allow free holidays for Austrians and Slovenes in September and October 2020

Of all the incentives to assist Croatian tourism in the troublesome year of 2020, this one may be the boldest. In order to show appreciation for visitors from two of Croatia's nearest neighbours, winemakers from the Pelješac peninsula are arranging to offer free holidays for Austrians and Slovenes in September and October 2020.

In an interview published in Slobodna Dalmacija just yesterday, famous Pelješac winemaker Mato Violić Matuško revealed the plan. Matuško is also president of the Pelješac Wine Routes, a forward-thinking initiative in and of itself. It has massively increased wine tourism on Pelješac with its joined-up approach and has managed to bring together many individuals operating with the winemaking and tourism sectors of the region. Who better to organise free holidays for Austrians and Slovenes at harvest time?


Just one of the breathtaking views available on Pelješac. The peninsula is most famous for its incredible wines © Romulić & Stojčić

Winemakers who are members of the Pelješac Wine Routes Association are those who will be involved in offering the free holidays for Austrians and Slovenes. The plan is to offer free accommodation to Austrian and Slovene tourists in order to thank them in particular for their returning custom. Visitors from these nations are among the most frequent to come. The incentive also aims to bolster tourism numbers well past the point of late summer.

Although some revenue in accommodation rentals may be lost due to the offer, the idea is startlingly inventive. It is hoped money put into the local economy by visitors taking advantage of the free holidays for Austrians and Slovenes will benefit the wider population in what has been a difficult season for many. Austrians and Slovenes taking advantage of the incentive will also surely be offered some excellent Pelješac wine on their visit.

You can read here a TCN interview from August 2020 which also shows how the wines of Dubrovnik Neretva County have assisted in keeping visitor routes open during a difficult year for tourism in south Croatia  - Croatia Wine: ”Every Visit Is A Voyage Of Discovery”

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 31st of August, 2020, what was announced just a few months ago is now coming true. The first hearing on tourist-launched lawsuits against the state of Austria for the coronavirus infection will be held at the Federal Court in Vienna, Austria, on September the 23rd, 2020. A group of Croatian skiers are involved in the matter.

The case regards infection with the new coronavirus at the famous Ischgl ski resort in Tyrol, from where the infection began to spread in late February and during the first weeks of March. The Vienna Consumer Protection Association (VSV) also sided with those who became infected there after receiving about 6,000 complaints.

In the end, a thousand of them from 45 countries declared that they were ready to file a lawsuit according to well known Austrian journalist Peter Kolba, told Slobodna Dalmacija. Nine of them are Croatian skiers.

"At the end of September, we'll have six to eight test cases. These involve victims from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In two cases, a compensation claim of 100 thousand euros was issued, because in one situation there was a fatal outcome, and in the other the party was connected to a respirator for a long time when in intensive care in hospital, and had to be rehabilitated later on.

We plan to seek justice for other people, including Croats, through a collective lawsuit. As things stand now, however, it will take from half a year to a year for that to enter the court proceedings,'' Kolba explained.

"They should have warned us or closed a week before''

He also said the administration should have warned everyone a week in advance or closed the ski resorts rather than waiting until March the 13th to begin doing so.

"We're suing Austria as a state, because it is the federal minister who is responsible for the health of all people in its territory. This, of course, doesn't diminish the responsibility of the regional authorities in Tyrol, nor that of the municipality in which Ischgl is administratively located, but there were no instructions and strict measures from Vienna. The administration should have warned people a week before or actually closed the ski resorts a week before, rather than wait until March the 13th. That's when the chaos started,'' Kolba said.

He added that not only tourists were damaged by that situation...

"In addition to tourists, we have damaged people who served in hotels there and also fell ill. We plan to represent them as well,'' Kolba said.

Ischgl also announced the start of next season for November the 26th, 2020 last week. How this group of nine Croatian skiers and others fare against the Austrian state is yet to be seen.

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The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works of the global tourism industry and it is continuing to cause rifts between countries who are leaning more and more into the belief that certain decisions are being made with a political nature to them as opposed to an epidemiological one. One such case is that of Austria. Austrian tourists are being pushed from pillar to post as the decisions of their government cause enormous issues.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of August, 2020, the Austrian Government's decision to start placing measures on those wanting to travel to and indeed returning from Croatia has cause an enormous chaos among Austrian tourists. There was a wait yesterday in a queue in at the border crossing in the summer heat in which more than ten hours passed with almost no movement.

''We've been here for 10 hours with three small children. We're slowly running out of food and my children have fallen asleep hungry. Nobody cares, no one has even addressed us so far,'' one of the passengers who got stuck at the Slovenian-Austrian border crossing told 24sata.

Desperate passengers who got stuck at the Jesenice-Karavanke border crossing said that the situation had escalated and that people has started urinating along the highway because there was nowhere else for them to go, they were left without food and water, and children were crying.

''Our biggest problem is that we aren't allowed to stop anywhere in Austria, we've been on the road for more than twelve hours now, and who knows when we will cross the border… Even when we do manage to cross it, we have at least seven hours to drive home. Well, it's impossible to endure this and not be able to stop somewhere and get some sleep,'' said Marko R, who travelled yesterday with his wife and their three small children.

''We also asked the Slovenian police what was going on and why they were not letting us go, and they told us that the Austrians were simply carrying on with their stubbornness because of the whole situation with the coronavirus. We're outraged. This is no longer normal, we just want to get home,'' added Marko.

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