September the 23rd, 2022 - The Biograd company Angelina Yacht Charter has now acquired an 85% share in the Split-based charter company Ultra Sailing, a move which is continuing and furthering the ongoing process of consolidation in this field.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, with this particular acquisition, the largest charter company in all of the Republic of Croatia, which is otherwise the largest charter market in the world, is continuing to blossom.

The joint fleet of a total of more than 260 vessels that will be available to sailors next season will continue to be rented under the existing brands that have established themselves on the market, and will be distributed to cover all parts of the Croatian Adriatic, from Istria all the way down to Dubrovnik.

This will be just one of the advantages of this significant transaction, which was carried out in accordance with the strategic goal of continuous growth of the Biograd company Angelina Yacht Charter, Luka Sangulin, the company's director, explained.

"We've been aware for a long time now that only bigger and stronger players can survive in the unstable market of services that depend on a series of circumstances out there on the global market. At the same time, this sector proved to be very tough and resilient even in the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, when people were thinking of all possible ways to get on board a boat and have time at sea.

The charter season is also a longer one and attracts guests with higher paying power. By taking over the majority stake in Ultra Sailing, we'll be even stronger when it comes to resisting the grouping of large global players that are also present here on the Croatian market, such as Sunsail, Dream Yacht and Navigare," explained Sangulin.

Ultra Sailing is also an authorised dealer for Benetau and Fountaine Pajot boats for the Croatian market, which provides additional strength in a situation that is in shambles as it increases the availability of new boats.

Due to the global situation, there are no new vessels, the crews are under-capacitated, there are no parts, and for many, preparations for the new season is uncertain. Partnership with the world's leading manufacturers therefore also brings a much more secure supply, and the size of the fleet can facilitate competition in the market.

In addition, as noted by Sangulin, consolidation like this strengthens the negotiating position towards the marinas, which have already announced significant price increases for the next season.

The Biograd company Angelina Yacht  Charter currently has seven bases, which are joined by four bases where Ultra Sailing's vessels are also located. It's worth noting that much like the Biograd company, Ultra Sailing has been in the nautical business for almost three decades now, and they currently manage a fleet of more than 50 vessels located in the marinas of ACI Split, Pomer, Dubrovnik and Marina Baotic. Angelina now has 185 vessels in 6 marinas, and Sangulin has since announced the acquisition of 20 more vessels for the next season.

"This merger introduces central procurement and reduces the costs and interventions for many other parts of this business. By increasing the number of bases and their arrangement along the Adriatic, we also get greater coverage, and different types of vessels guarantee us a longer season, and we plan to continue such a policy. The goal is to have boats for the holiday segment, which mostly comes during the main summer season, but also for sport events, regattas, the corporate part, segments that do very well in spring and autumn. The plan is additional fleet growth because if we don't have growth we'll end up with stagnation and then we'll just decline.

In the charter sector, this is the rule because the fleet is aging, which increases maintenance costs and lowers the price of the services. Some guests ask you for boats which are three years old at most, not all of them, but there are some people who do seek that," Sangulin added.

This segment of tourism was the least affected by the global coronavirus pandemic even back in 2020. Last year, the season was also excellent, but it started a little later, so Angelina Yacht will have a 25 to 30 percent increase in income this year. About 70 percent of this increase comes in the form of traffic growth, while the rest will be realised through price increases, mostly on new vessels.

The prices of charter services for the next year are already being formed, and they will go up by 7 to 8 percent on average, which also depends on a number of external factors that enter into pricing. For example, the lack of auxiliary workers led to a drastic increase in cleaning prices this year. As has since been learned from the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ/CNTB) community, in the current part of the year, the nautical sector enjoyed an impressive 465,500 arrivals and 3.1 million overnight stays.

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

August the 13th, 2022 - Croatian maritime traffic is 50% stronger than it was last year, and the charter sector is blowing the record, pre-pandemic year of 2019 out of the water, no pun intended.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, almost 8.5 million passengers were boarded and disembarked in various Croatian seaports throughout the second quarter of this year, which is 55.7 percent of the number last year, according to official statistics. At the same time, 8.2 million passengers were transported on ferries and passenger ships, which is a 50.8 percent increase compared to the same period back in 2021.

The number of vessels in Croatian maritime traffic also grew...

The increase in passengers was achieved in all major Croatian ports, as well as in international traffic. 32.5 percent more passenger vehicles and 127.7 percent more buses were loaded and unloaded on ships compared to the same quarter last year.

Out of the total number of passengers in Croatian sea ports, 255 thousand of them disembarked from cruise ships and visited, among others, the Dalmatian ports of Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar. Considering the fact that back during the second quarter of 2021, there were only 12 thousand passengers aboard cruise ships, after that period there was a noticeable return of cruise ships to Croatian seaports, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) notes.

The total turnover of goods increased by 14.5 percent when compared to the same period back in 2021, and the port of Ploce had the highest growth of 55.5 percent, followed by Split with a growth of 42 percent. Furthermore, in the first half of 2022, the total number of ships arriving at Croatian seaports increased by 13.4 percent, the total traffic of passengers by 46 percent, and the total traffic of goods by 9.7 percent.

Although Croatian maritime traffic in tourist ports was significant even during the global coronavirus pandemic, and therefore the nautical sector represented the strongest segment of tourism, this summer season is bringing with it a new increase. In July 2022, there were 120,000 arrivals and 770,000 overnight stays in the nautical charter, which is a 23 percent increase in arrivals and 5 percent in overnight stays compared to July 2019.

Over the first six months of 2022 with revenues of 98 million kuna, the national chain of marinas (ACI) exceeded the revenue earned back in 2019 by 4.6 million kuna, meaning that results achieved are 16.4 million kuna or 20 percent higher than they were back during 2021.

In addition to all of the above, after last year's 44 million kuna worth of investments in infrastructure and services, in the first six months of 2022 alone, ACI exceeded that amount by an impressive 3.9 million kuna, realising new investments totalling 47.9 million kuna.

ACI claims that the income is the result of investments, thorough and adequate preparation for the season in all of Croatia's ACI marinas, and the easing of measures introduced during the coronavirus pandemic. ACI achieved a positive financial result in the first half of the year in the amount of 3.2 million kuna, while the realised EBITDA for the first half of the year amounted to 36.2 million kuna in total.

For more on Croatian maritime traffic and nautical tourism, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

24 October 2021 - This year the Biograd Boat Show celebrated it's 23rd show with 21 years of continuous record breaking shows, a unique accomplishment with so many boat shows around the world. Held at Marina Kornati in Biograd na moru, this is Central Europe’s largest in-water boat show and has gained international popularity amongst both exhibitors and visitors alike. Industry events held within the Biograd Boat Show  include the 5th HGK (Croatian Chamber of Commerce) Nautical Days (20th-22nd), the Croatia Charter Expo (21st-22nd) and the Biograd B2B business networking event.

The first day was opened by the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Nataša Tramišak.

Stretched out across four marquee halls and three piers spanning the northern and western wings of Marina Kornati, the Boat Show offered visitors the chance to peruse over 300 registered exhibitors across all aspect srelated to the marine industry, including apparel, solar energy, boat charter agents, food products , chandlery and textiles. A highlight for many visiting the boat show, there were also up to 300 boats on display, with many of them open to the public to look through and inspect. 

Of course, in these COVID times, safety measures were in place such as RAPID testing available at the entrance for 50 kuna per person for anyone who did not have a COVID passport (required to enter the event.) There were also many sanitizer stations laid out all over providing many opportunities for both exhibitors and attendees to ensure that they were abiding by the COVID guidelines.

Some of the new vessels that were introduced to the Croatian market included:

• Seamaster 45 Fortuna - Presented by Angelina Yachting, this is the largest motorboat from the Seamaster range, with a 13.5m flybridge. contemporary design and luxe interior. Available for charter with Angelina Yachting.

• Flammifer FFB 640 F-RPA compact firefighting boat - Made domestically in Croatia, this powerful machine is designed to emit jets of up to 45 meters, useful for its’ purpose of fighting fires in marina’s, on ships and in coastal areas where access is only by sea.

• Bali Catamaran in sizes 4.2 and4.6 - Bali is known for its’ unique catamaran designs maximising on lounging space and open living areas. Their 4.2 and 4.6 models are already popular in the charter industry here in Croatia. 

• Agena Marin solar ferry boat - With it’s clean lines and retro design, this lightweight 8.5m long vessel has a maximum of 12 passengers. Equipped with a solar panel with a capacity of 1800 W that constantly charges the batteries, the boat can sail constantly from 5 to 8 hours, depending on the load.

• See below for a quick walk-through of the Bali 4.6 with 45D in their Biograd Boat Show vlog. Charter a Bali catamaran with Croatia Yachting Charter HERE  

A few other noteworthy exhibitors were: 

• EcoFlow - A compact and highly attractive portable solar power system, boasting the worlds fastest portable power stations.

• Big Green Egg - A bbq with a distinctive name and appearance, it comes in three different sizes and is made in Croatia!

• Lampuga - Premium, electric, emission-free surfboards.

A Biograd Boat Show favourite returned this year as well. Christian Buchair, also known as “Rocket Man” took to the air with his Flyboard Water Jet Pack. Christian is also associated with Efun Waterways, who were also at the Boat Show showcasing their luxury water toys! Efun maximized on being at the Biograd Boat Show and premiered the Messestand, their new German-made carbon electric surfboard from WaterRebels. 

Every evening of the event was closed with live entertainment from local artists, such as Three Little Birds, Mate Skračić band, The Dreamers and a special performance on Saturday night from Freeway “Unplugged”, a band consisting of local nautical workers! 

For more detailed information and some great articles relevant to both the Biograd Boat Show and nautical tourism within Croatia, check out the Biograd Boat Show Croatia Yachting magazine here.

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/BiogradBoatShow

If you have questions on anything sailing in Croatia, feel free to ask below in the comments or check out Total Croatia, Sailing in Croatia: Your One-Stop-Shop for Everything Sailing.

For more about Travel in Croatia follow TCN's dedicated pages - Digital Nomads | Travel.

July 6, 2020 — Tourists in the Zadar region are exploring the city’s archipelago — at least those who own their own vessels. Meanwhile, the area’s once-bustling excursion business languishes.

The coronavirus pandemic seems a perfect fit for the nautical tourism business: social distancing, isolation and rare contact with other humans are often the biggest draw.

But Zadar’s experience tells a different story: a mixed bag, where the mass-appeal of freely sailing along the coast has remains the domain of the privileged few, while big group tricks are virtually ignored.

Those lucky enough to own their own boats or charter one have taken to exploring the neighboring islands — but never traveling too far south, according to local agencies. Reservations are higher than expected, they add, helped along by discounts of up to 45 percent.

Those who’d otherwise hop aboard a packed excursion boat for a day trip, however, are sticking to land.

Zadar’s five large marinas show a peculiar pattern, according to Selma Čmelik, of Zona Plus: tourists are sticking to Zadar’s island-dense archipelago, rather than take their usual adventure further down south so hotspots like Hvar, Vis and Brač.

Zadar’s five large marinas house 880 vessels owned by about 50 charter firms. The further south you go, the weaker the bookings, Čmelik told Zadarski List.

“Guests arrive by car, and not as usual by plane, and this region of ours is closer to them,” she said.

Most of the charter reservations stayed on companies’ books, rescheduled to either early autumn or next summer, Čmelik added. New inquiries are also coming from Croatian, Slovenian and Austrian guests.

“Although charter companies are not even close to last year's figures, my prediction is that, if the epidemiological situation does not worsen, August will be at a high percentage of last year's occupancy,” the charter marketing veteran said. “But the real challenge for these companies will be in the fall, when the next season is traditionally being prepared, plans and price lists are being made, and it will really not be easy to make business decisions.”

The same goes for the excursion business, familiar to nearly all Dalmatian citizens. Booths lining the busy ports in cities like Split and Zadar have gone quiet, with lonely representatives trying to trap the few guests strolling by. It’s not going well.

The sheer drop in foot traffic alone makes the odds of filling a boat — some of which can hold up to 200 passengers — almost impossible.

“The situation is very bad,” Ivan Babić told Zadarski List while cutting a lonely figure at his booth near the town’s bridge. “There are no tourists and I don't remember it ever being like this. We have sold two tickets in three days.”

“I can’t even make 30 kunas in a day,” he added.

The eight-year excursion tourism veteran is considering quitting.

“We work every day as always from morning to evening and earn nothing. And because of the pandemic, we started working much later than usual, only on June 16. There are days when we don't earn a single kuna,” said Marija Špralja, adding that when the situation is "normal", they can earn a decent and even above-average salary.

She has been at the stand by the bridge for years and reveals that she doesn't know what will happen. She too is thinking of quitting her job.

Foreign owners of vessels docked in Croatia year round have, for the most part, made the trip from their home countries to Croatia, accepting the logistical cost and potential risk of traveling, according to Meri Matešić Sičić from D-Marin, one of the Zadar region’s largest marinas.

“An important change, in terms of falling traffic, applies to charter guests,” she said, noting that the marina itself only offers year-round berths, putting it in a position to monitor how many are actually raising anchor and headed out to sea. “It is also certain that there will be fewer vessels in transit this year.”

The same goes for the excursion boats. Sandro Pristovšek usually gets by distributing flyers and sweet talking passersby into excursions to Kornati or Dugi Otok’s Saharun Beach. 

This year, she’s not doing much talking — and the flyers aren’t disappearing as quickly as they used to.

“I haven't distributed a single flyer in days, let alone sold a ticket,” she said, as the excursion boats remained tucked into a corner of the port instead of gallivanting across the archipelago. “After the tennis tournament and that negative commercial, everything stopped. I don't know how we will get through the season.”

Continuing with our alphabet series, we look to the letter I on March 13, 2018

In this week's feature of our alphabet series, a tribute to exotic animals and early mornings on January 16, 2018

We launched Total Croatia Sailing six months ago, aiming to provide practical information, destination guides and live updates from the Adriatic. As we're inching towards the end of the year, a recap of the past sailing season with a couple of highlights from the archives on December 27, 2017

Substantially increased sojourn tax for boat owners in Croatia in 2018 caused an international backlash.

Every week, new holidaymakers fly, drive or ferry into Croatia, excited to start their charter – a week sailing in Croatia! And, guaranteed every week, guests ask to board early. We have two words for you – please don’t.

In this instalment of the alphabet series – horribly overdue – we're looking at the best the Adriatic has to offer, starting with the letter C