October 6, 2021 - After having been given its first award back in 2020, seeing the gorgeous green region of Lika awarded Green Destination 2021 this year provides some hope for this lovely, but poor and deserted region.

Lika, the largest Croatian region, remained among the hundred top green and sustainable destinations in the entire world in 2021. This valuable recognition (which Lika was first recognised for in 2020), was assigned by the Global Green Destination trust fund. The organisation started rating global destinations worldwide seven years ago, and as their website says, they benefit the destinations, representatives, and stakeholders in "green" communities. The end game: making places better and more sustainable.

''Adopting these GREEN values will help destinations to enhance their quality, attractiveness, and competitiveness; it will help attract ''green travellers'', respectful visitors who will spend more in these destinations. These GREEN values are the basis of our programmes for policy improvement, Destination Awards and certification. Green Destinations works together with the tourism business and media partners in order to make the green offer of destinations more visible on the marketplace,'' explains Global Green Destination.

The Lika Destination tourist cluster is very much aware of all the benefits which go hand in hand with this recognition for which they worked really hard. As N1 reports, Lika Destination does its work under the motto ''Smart sustainable destination''.

''Lika is special for many reasons. Almost 60% of its surface is protected. There are eight protected areas here, including three national parks, and the pure nature allows for the growth of quality products,'' the Lika Destination cluster told N1.

They added that they are proud that international experts recognised their efforts in promoting Lika and building up the region in an eco-friendly matter.

''For this year's admission, we had to fulfill 30 criteria, which is as twice as much than was necessary last year. In addition, we had to submit a story of good practice which this year, just as before, focused on local products with the mark ''Lika Quality''. Connecting local manufacturers with other tourist actors is something we've worked on in this cluster since day one. That's the main factor of Lika's development,'' concluded Lika Destination for N1.

That progress is definitely needed. As Večernji List recalled, Lika used to be an agricultural Mecca capable of feeding half of Croatia. Sadly, much like Slavonia, the region was devastated during the Homeland War and all of the former industry is now gone. One hundred years ago, Lika boasted over 200,000 residents, and now there are only around 40,000 left.

Naturally, it is expected that the number will be even lower when the 2021 population census is completed.

Speaking of Lika's many green areas, the oldest Croatian National Park, Plitvice Lakes, is also located there. Learn more in our TC guide.

For more about Lika, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 28 Sept, 2021 - A total of 1.637 million Croatian citizens have self-enumerated during the first phase of the 2021 census of the population, households and dwellings, which is more than 40% of the total population, the national statistical office (DZS) said on Tuesday.

Most of the citizens who have self-enumerated are from the City of Zagreb, 489,138 or 60% of the city's total population, and from Split-Dalmatia County, where 165,678 citizens or 37% of the county's total population have self-enumerated.

Split-Dalmatia County is followed by Zagreb County, with 137,313 self-enumerated citizens (44%), and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, with 135,878 self-enumerated citizens (48%).

Citizens used the option of online self-enumeration the least in Lika-Senj County (10,400 or 23% of the county population), Virovitica-Podravina County (17,627 or 24% of the county population), and Požega-Slavonia County (17,724 or 27%).

In the second phase of the census, which starts on Tuesday, census-takers will be taking census data on the ground by visiting households and registering citizens, households and dwellings and taking from citizens who have self-enumerated control codes proving that they have successfully self-enumerated, the DZS said.

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ZAGREB, 27 Sept 2021 - Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) director Lidija Brković said on Monday that self-enumeration, which was supposed to end at midnight on Sunday, was extended until midnight today because yesterday the system was slow "due to extremely high interest."

She told the press that over 100,000 citizens had self-enumerated since 3 pm on Sunday and dismissed journalists' claims that the system crashed yesterday.

Due to the prolongation, the second stage of the population census will begin on Tuesday, instead of today, with 8,000 census-takers visiting households across the country. Despite the prolongation, the census is expected to end on 17 October as planned.

Since 13 September, over 1.42 million citizens have completed census questionnaires online on their own, which Brković said surpassed expectations. The City of Zagreb accounts for over 50% of them.

She said 4,000 census-takers did not have a COVID certificate and that free testing would be ensured for them three times a week.

Brković added that citizens were free to ask census-takers to show them their certificates as well as DZS accreditation.

For more about the 2021 self-enumeration, be sure to check the official website HERE.

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ZAGREB, 14 Sept, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Tuesday called on all citizens to register online for the population census which began yesterday and will be conducted in two phases.

In the first phase, lasting until 26 September, citizens can take part in the census online, which the prime minister did, registering his family "simply and quickly," he wrote on Twitter.

"Let's use the possibility to register online. Let's do our civic duty and let's all take part in the 2021 Census," he tweeted.

By 3 pm today, over 177,000 citizens have taken part in the census online, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics said, the largest number in the City of Zagreb (58,214) and the lowest in Lika-Senj County (1,118).

The second phase begins on 27 September and lasts until 17 October, when census-takers will be visiting all households that have not registered online.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 13 Sept 2021 - The census of population, households, and dwellings in Croatia, conducted under the slogan "Together We Create a Picture of Croatia", will last from today, 13 September, until 17 October, and for the first time, it will be implemented in two stages, the first of which will be digital.

The census is the most comprehensive statistical survey and covers three elements -- population, households, and dwellings. In the first stage, until 26 September, citizens will be able to self-enumerate via the e-citizens system.

In the second phase, from 27 September to 17 October, census takers, that is the field staff,  will conduct face-to-face interviews with citizens and register, with the help of electronic devices, all census units that have not self-enumerated.

In the first phase, citizens will be able to fill in a questionnaire of about 60 questions to register themselves and the members of their household.

The self-enumeration rule is that if more than one member of a household uses the e-citizens system, only one member enters data on other members of the household, the household itself, and the dwelling.

The reference time of the census will be midnight 31 August 2021.

A total of about 9,500 persons will be engaged in the implementation of the census, including about 8,000 census-takers, 1,100 controllers, 170 instructors, and 45 coordinators, as well as members of county census committees, branches, and census centers.

The census refers to Croatian nationals, foreign nationals, and persons without citizenship who have permanent residence in Croatia and persons who at the reference time of the census reside in Croatia.

The first results will be published no later than 60 days after the end of the census, and the final results will be published according to the publishing program and calendar of statistical data issues of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

The DZS will conduct the census in compliance with the recommendations of the national COVID-19 crisis management team, given the coronavirus epidemic.

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

September the 11th, 2021 - The Croatian 2021 census is about to get underway, and as of Monday, you can fill in your details for yourself and other members of your household online via the e-Citizens (e-Gradjani) system.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a press conference entitled “CENSUS 21” from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Central State Office for the Development of the Digital Society was held yesterday on the occasion of the beginning of the first digital Census of the Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Croatia 2021.

Namely, from September the 13th to October the 17th, 2021, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) will conduct the very first digital Census of the Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Croatia in two phases and in two ways, and residents of the country will be able to choose the census method they prefer. Namely, in the first phase, people will be able to fill in the Croatian 2021 census through the popular e-Citizens system.

The first phase of the Croatian 2021 census

The first phase of self-enumeration through the e-Citizens system will continue from September the 13th to the 26th, and the second phase of enumeration, when enumerators will go out onto the field, will last from September the 27th to October the 17th, according to the CBS.

Those running the process have called on all of Croatia's residents to please find a few minutes to enumerate themselves in the first phase of self-enumeration through the e-Citizens system.

During this period, they will have the opportunity to independently list themselves and all of the members of their household when it suits them best. One household member with a credential to use the e-Citizens platform is enough to list their household and all its members. After completing the Croatian 2021 census questionnaire and successfully completing and sending off the e-census, the respondent will receive a unique control code generated at the time of submission of the e-census, which is evidence of having already gone through the process online, independently.

The control code should then be written down on paper, photographed or printed and saved until the second phase of the Croatian 2011 census (field census) takes place, so that the respondent can give the control code to the enumerator to control the scope of the census.

One e-Citizens credential is enough for the whole household

You can also list your elderly relatives (parents, grandparents or someone else) who live in another household with their credentials, the CBS points out. The rule in e-enumeration is that one household is enumerated with one credential.

The census is based on a statement

According to the Law on Official Statistics, all data collected during the Croatian 2021 census is secret and will be used exclusively for statistical purposes, in other words, the census is not the basis for exercising any rights or obligations, the Central Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.

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