May 8, 2020 - Korean Air has stopped ticket sales to Zagreb, while Air Transat has pushed back its Zagreb service to July. 

Ex Yu Aviation announced that Korean Air will not resume its seasonal service between Seoul and Zagreb from September 1, and has officially stopped ticket sales. 

This isn’t entirely surprising given the COVID-19 pandemic, as Korean Air will only operate at 20% of its usual international capacity, or only 32 of its 110 international routes (just 146 flights per week). In May, Korean Air is running only 13 routes, or 55 per week. 

Recall, the Seoul-Zagreb service should have resumed in March but was delayed first until June, and then September as the coronavirus spread globally. 

In 2019, Korean Air handled 43,123 passengers on the Seoul-Zagreb service. 

Furthermore, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Canadian carrier Air Transat has delayed its seasonal service between Toronto and Zagreb by a month, until July 2. The airline has plans to fly to Zagreb three times per week until mid-September, and then two times per week until late October. However, nothing is guaranteed. 

Because of COVID-19, the Canadian airline has suspended all services until June 30. 

"These are extraordinary circumstances, when all airlines and travel companies have been forced to temporarily halt or drastically reduce their operations while governments have decided to close their borders. This unprecedented situation is well beyond our control,” Air Transat said in a statement. 

Recall, Air Canada Rouge already suspended its service between Toronto and Zagreb this year.

If you're wondering about how the future of flights to Croatia will look in the post-corona world, TCN caught up with Max Oldorf, COO of the aviation data company, ch-aviation. You can read our interview here.

Need to find the latest Croatia COVID-19 travel advice? When will borders open, flights take off, and tourism finally begin? Check out our overview of what we know at the moment here.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

As Novac/Dora Koretic writes on the 8th of May, 2020, private Croatian bus companies operating on intercity and inter-county lines are among those who aren't placing too much hope in the announced normalisation of traffic connections, given that, as they confirmed to Jutarnji list, there is no one to compensate for their losses.

The president of the Association of Croatian Public Bus Operators, Hrvoje Mestrovic, estimated that private Croatian bus companies will put a maximum of ten percent of their capacity into operation from Monday, and it is questionable whether it will prove economically viable.

The problem, Mestrovic continues, dates back to November 2019, which, he claims, was the deadline for the state to sign public service contracts with private Croatian bus companies/carriers. That particular document would have assumed that the state would compensate them for losses on unprofitable lines.

''We've been warning [them] since last year that the legally prescribed deadline for signing these contracts has expired, but the state has decided to ignore it and thus actually discriminate against private Croatian bus companies. State transport companies, such as Croatian Railways, Croatia Airlines, as well as local ones, have all signed contracts with the state and a state guarantee that they will subsidise lines that aren't profitable has been given to them, only private bus carriers, which also perform a public function, haven't been granted such a right,'' Mestrovic stated angrily.

This was confirmed by the President of the Management Board of the Ariva Group, Drazen Divjak, whose company will put about ten percent of its capacity, and only the most frequent lines, into function as of Monday.

''We'll drive from Zagreb to Rijeka, Osijek, Zadar and Split, as well as on other frequent routes, but we'll have to see during the week just how the situation will develop and how much sense it will actually make. We don’t expect crowds, people don’t have the need to travel right now and I’m afraid I don’t see any solution to this. We're a company with 1300 employees, and if the situation doesn't improve, it will be difficult to endure it all, saod Divjak.

Apart from the fact that not too many people are expected on the roads, those who are will be subjected to strict epidemiological measures which mean that only every other seat in the bus will be able to be filled, and passengers will have to be provided with access to disinfectants and the vehicles themselves will need to be regularly cleaned and disinfected.

Given that no influx of passengers is expected, Croatian bus companies believe that the epidemiological measures will succeed, but they doubt that any real economic logic is being realised at all.

''We're going to be driving in a very reduced form. We're currently negotiating with cities and counties to get some estimates of which lines passengers are expected to use, but at the moment no one can know for sure. The big problem for us is the fact that we haven't signed [the aforementioned] contracts with the state,'' said the President of the Management Board of the popular Cazmatrans, Dragan Marinovic.

According to Mestrovic, the biggest shortage will be experienced by private Croatian bus companies due to the lack of students who normally make up 30 to 40 percent of passengers using them, then by workers who usually make up 15 percent of the capacities, and it is difficult to count on retired passengers currently.

''The state has obviously decided to discriminate against some passengers. Namely, those who live near the railway were provided with subsidised transport, and those who depend on buses were left to just try to manage on their own, to fend for themselves,'' Mestrovic continued.

What will domestic lines be doing as of Monday?

The Croatian national airline Croatia Airlines, which has already been enfeebled by numerous problems in the pre-coronavirus era and really didn't need further issues, announced its flight plans from May the 11th a week ago.

As of Monday, domestic lines will be partially established again, on the route Zagreb - Split - Zagreb and Zagreb - Dubrovnik - Zagreb twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, and of the international lines - only the one that operated even in the most restrictive conditions will remain in operation. The one which travels from Zagreb - Frankfurt - Zagreb, and only once a day.

On all flights for passengers, there will be an obligation to use masks or face covers, and they will have to be used during the entire stay in the cabin.

According to the information published by the company HZ Putnicki prijevoz late yesterday afternoon, almost all lines in domestic railway traffic will be re-established from Monday, except for a small part of the trains that will temporarily not run. International trains are still not in operation.

When it comes to domestic lines and connections, HZ Putnicki prijevoz will put 642 trains into operation on weekdays, 379 on Saturdays, and 288 trains on Sundays and other non-working days.

What will be running as of next Monday?

Rail:

- Almost all lines

- 642 trains on weekdays

- 379 trains on Saturdays

- 288 trains on Sundays and public holidays

Air traffic:

- Route Zagreb - Split - Zagreb

- Route Zagreb - Dubrovnik - Zagreb

Buses:

- A smaller number of lines

For more, follow our travel page.

May 7, 2020 - How will the future of flights to Croatia look like in the post-corona world? TCN catches up with Max Oldorf, COO of the aviation data company, ch-aviation. 

One of the great uncertainties in a world of great uncertainty at the moment is how the future of travel will look, especially regarding air travel. Will airlines survive, will budget travel still be a big thing, and what about inter-continental travel? And how will flights to Croatia look like from key markets later this year, and next?

One man with better insight than most, both in terms of the aviation industry, as well as flights to Croatia, is Max Oldolf, one of the Swiss founders of ch-aviation, which provides industry data to airports, airlines and other clients all over the world. Oldorf is a regular visitor to Zagreb, as the company's largest subsidiary office is in the Croatian capital - you can learn more about it this TCN feature story. 

The aviation industry has gone through massive change in the last few months, and the effects will be felt for years. Let's look at how this will affect some of the major players in the Croatian market. Firstly, let's look at the inter-continental market, which Croatia has been developing in recent years.  American, Qatar (to Dubrovnik), Emirates, Air Canada - they have all postponed plans for 2020 until next year. Will they be back?

In general we need to accept that the world will look different from now on so I think we just have to live with a new normal. Some of these flights might come back in the next 2 years, some of them we will never see again. I think it is safe to say that we will see close to zero Intercontinental flights this year. If there will be no further waves, we might see some of them back next year already. But my suggestion is that there really needs to be a focus now on first getting domestic flights back, then Europe, and if that works fine the Intercontinental flights will follow at some point.

The UK and Scandinavian markets are important for Croatia. With Norwegian in trouble, Gatwick emptying, easyJet CEO saying they will come back 'like a startup' and Ryanair CEO saying if the government don't pay for the middle seat, Ryanair will not fly, things look pretty bleak. How will budget travel to Croatia form the UK and Scandinavia change? And what about price and frequency?

The only thing we really need to look at right now is if there will be a summer season in Croatia or not. I would say with the current developments the season should not be written off yet. A lot of people have had enough of the lockdown and are eager to travel the moment they are allowed to again. Volumes might be lower due to precautionary measurements or fear by some citizens, but in general all airlines will lift off again the moment they are allowed to and have passengers to transport.

On the prices, short-term we will see very good deals for travellers. Airlines will face significant overcapacity and Ryanair and Wizzair already announced that they will fight for each customer with low prices, so the next 1-2 years we will see a new price war on European skies until market shares are settled.

Give us a sentence on each of the following airlines, and what their post-corona relationship will be with Croatia in terms of flights and traffic.

Ryanair: Not worried about them at all. They will be back in full force shortly after stable flight operations are possible again. To my knowledge, Ryanair is keeping its fleet in full operational mode right now so they can start any time again.

easyJet: Even before the crisis, easyJet had a dispute within their shareholders if they might have grown too much in the last couple of years. Especially its founder Stelios is not happy with the growth and said a smaller easyJet might be more profitable. So the crisis now might put them back a bit but in general I am also not really worried about them, they will be back.

Norwegian: Norwegian is like the walking dead, only still alive because of their shareholders, leasing companies etc. gave them time for restructuring. Don’t count on them coming back to Croatia soon or at all.

Eurowings: I think they will be back similar to Ryanair and easyJet. Flying to Croatia is a part of their bread and butter leisure business so the moment demand picks up again they will fly.

Jet2: Same as with Eurowings.

Lufthansa: A different situation because they are focused on Hub connectivity to Frankfurt and Munich so they have more business passengers than holidaymakers. They might send smaller planes but they will send them for sure.

BA: Probably similar to Lufthansa, they might send smaller planes.

SAS: The airline used Corona now to do some much-needed restructuring, laying off staff etc. I think they will be back as well. But in which form remains to be seen.

Croatia Airlines post-corona. Discuss.

Croatia Airlines really showed during this crisis why it is important for a country to have a flag carrier. They provided the lifeline route to Frankfurt, flew to China to pick up PPE material, performed repatriation flights etc. Croatians can be really proud of its well-functioning airline in this crisis because it is something Croatia would have really struggled with if there would not have been a flag carrier.

They will also play a very crucial role now for the recovery of the Croatian economy given the fact that Croatia will have much better connectivity than other countries in the Region once border limits are lifted. But this is something the Adria Airways collapse already showed quite drastically. Adria collapsed and the pick up of their deserted routes from Ljubljana did not really happen. There were volume increases to the larger hubs but many direct connections were lost.

That’s why Croatia Airlines is so important for the development of Croatia, they provide direct connections no one else otherwise would provide. And also important they pay their taxes in Croatia, so while the government might need to support them from time to time, this money always comes back in form of taxes, added value within the country etc. The only thing Croatia Airlines really should do is to find a bigger partner so they can use synergies, drive costs down  etc. A good partner who challenges them to become better every day.

Similar to Swiss in Switzerland who is now owned by Lufthansa and who was too small to be profitable on its own but with a larger buying force in the back became unstoppable. I was actually super excited when it was announced that Aegean is interested in them. Aegean is a fantastic airline as well with a smart, lean business model that is capable of dealing with seasonality and even the fleets of these two airlines would be a 100% fit. So I really hope once all is over these talks resume. It would be a very good marriage.

Do you expect any airlines to enter or increase their presence in the Croatian market? Wizzair, for example, seems to be pretty active in the region. 

As with any crisis there are companies that will go out of business because they were sick before, and there are others that see huge opportunities now. Wizzair definitely is in the second group and they are now really pushing to win market shares. A Wizzair entry into Croatia would make absolute sense and they will probably do that if the airport fees come down to a competitive level.

A severe reduction in traffic has affected airports around the world. How much are Croatia's airports hurting? The concession for Zagreb has already been controversial. How do you think the situation will affect things?

Well, the situation for all airports is really bad, that’s why they will all fight like crazy to win traffic back. That’s what the Croatian airports need to prepare for now. They need to create competitive incentives and support programs for the airlines to continue serving Croatia making sure the traffic does not flow to other countries in the region.

How much traffic (%) less do you expect in 2021 compared to 2019 at Croatian airports?

I would say anything between -50% and similar is possible. Right now I would probably be happy if we see 20% less traffic in 2021 compared to 2019.

Looking forward and planning for the future, Split would be more effective if it connected directly with a major European hub such as Munich or Frankfurt, rather than most traffic via Zagreb. What do you think about the possibility of a deal to connect Munich or Frankfurt as a proper hub for Split? 

I think this will be very challenging as Split still deals with a lot of seasonality. Last year they had 720.000 passengers in July and 35.000 in February. So any airline looking into this will have to deal with the seasonality. It goes a bit into your question on Croatia airlines and underlines why Croatia Airlines is so important for the connectivity of the Country. In summer when the flights are full everyone can and will fly, but once you get to October everyone will stop operations because it becomes unprofitable and you are cut off for another half year until it picks up again. If Split wants to have this connectivity to Munich and Frankfurt it will come at a cost and they will have to create a program that will cover the airlines losses from October till March. If they are able to do that than we will see something happen. If not then the status quo will prevail.

You can follow the latest global aviation news on the ch-aviation website.

For the latest news on flights to Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

May 8, 2020 — Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli claimed yesterday requests from countries wanting Croatia to reopen its border this summer flooded his office. Their wish may come true.

A source consulting with the Civil Protection Directorate on reopening hospitality businesses said Croatia may start loosening border restrictions starting next month, adding the announcement may come as early as this afternoon.

Croatia could first reopen its border with Slovenia on June 1, followed by Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria on June 15, the source said.

The reopenings would be subject to continued success in controlling the coronavirus, both within Croatia and the other countries. 

Opening the borders would signal an unofficial end to the intense anti-pandemic measures Croatia put in place after its first confirmed affection arrived in late February. The country has already pulled back stay-at-home orders, and hospitality businesses will reopen next Monday. 

It would also be one of the first countries to allow movement from other member states within the bloc. The European Union will apparently let members dictate border policy via bilateral agreements, rather than unified protocols.

The epidemiological measures and constraints weren’t clear, the source said, but would be presented in the announcement.

Border reopenings remain the last stage in Croatia’s transition to something resembling normalcy in the coronavirus era. The move signals the government’s hopes to salvage what’s left of the economically vital tourism season, which usually drives up to one-fifth of the nation’s GDP.

Cappelli said there were very few cancelations for July and August, suggesting the tourism season may bounce back better than expected

“Italians are still hoping to come to Croatia,” he said ahead of a government meeting in Zagreb yesterday. “Not to mention Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic.”

Croatia’s not alone in its desire to move past strict measures. Neighboring Slovenia is reportedly also seeking a way out of the current restrictions, hoping to rescue what’s been a complete loss on a summer tourist season.

The nation has also lobbied Croatia to cut back on travel restrictions for its citizens, many of whom own weekend homes along in Dalmatian. Opening the border for Slovenians would refill many empty houses on islands and along the coast, some of whom also offer accommodations during the summer.

Slovenia is also Croatia’s second-largest source of guests, accounting for 10 percent of overnight stays.

Italians remain off the radar in all discussions. The country’s coronavirus ordeal has statistically crested, and the government recently loosened some restrictions on daily life. But Croatia could be able to push back on opening the borders with Italy until August, when their tourists flood the coast.

May 8, 2020 - Continuing Zoran Pejovic’s stimulating series looking at travel in the post-corona era, Melany Martinez of Paradox Hospitality turns her attention to the subjects of health and safety - how will spas look after the corona crisis?

Are high-tech therapy-providing machines and massage beds the future in our Spas, rather than human spa therapists? Are we losing our “healing-hands-touch-for-health” approach? Can machines really substitute the healing power of touch? 

These kinds of questions come to mind after participating in various international forums where the wellness industry discusses how the spa world will look after the corona crisis.

Allow me to start from the beginning. My introduction to the world of wellness dates back to 1994 when I was 14 years old. I had just lost one of the most important people in my life to cancer, my grandfather. One day, a while after he passed, while I was looking through his library trying to choose a book to keep with me, I came across the famous book of Barbara Ann Brehnan, the Hands of Light. 

When I saw the well-known image of the open hands holding a ball of light between them, I knew I was up to something. It was there and then that my life took a turn and from that moment on, I dedicated my life to learning various massage techniques and traditions. I was amazed by the emotional and physical effects after a massage, reiki, and other forms of complementary therapies.  But this was already 25 years ago. 

Fast forward to this century, and neuroscience has confirmed not only the vital importance of loving touch, but also its healing powers. Science has shown us the important role the sense of touch has in the psychological and cognitive development of the human brain. After all, our sense of touch is developed in our mother’s womb very early on, around the 7-8th week of pregnancy; by the 11th week, we are already feeling and exploring our environment and body. 

In his book Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart and Mind, bestseller, author, and researcher Dr. David Linden painfully remarks how a study conducted on a group of children wholly deprived of loving touch in the 80s and 90s in orphanages in Romania, developed not only psychological and intellectual difficulties but it was also found that their immune system was deeply underdeveloped. 

Scientists agree that the immune system is stimulated and nurtured by touch.  This does not change with age. In fact, according to lead Neurologist Dr. Hakan Olausson, author of Affective Touch and the Neurophysiology of CT afferents, the pleasantness of touch can be enhanced with age. 

In other words, as we age, we appreciate the human (or animal) touch much more. Unfortunately, we tend to give and receive a less loving touch from our fellow humans as we get older. Let’s remember that our sense of touch is designed to recollect information around us, allowing us to bond and connect with each other. Social conventions are filled with gentle, confiding touch. Whether it is with your family, colleagues or friends, social conventions include touching as part of the interactions for a good reason: touch and trust are linked. Whether it is a professional shake of hands, a brief hug, or a deep embrace, when we touch (with the correct intention), we trust, and more often than not, we heal. 

Technology and science have allowed us to study the sense of touch but not substitute it. In fact, technology and AI industries are working hard to incorporate the ability to sense textures and objects in their virtual reality platforms. However, even if we achieve this, there is an agreement in the neuroscience community, human contact is vital for our health, wellness and happiness. 

So, as I mentioned earlier, science and technology have helped us understand why a hug feels so amazing, why after a good massage we feel so great, so light and relaxed.

However, can science and technology replace the actual human touch?

For me, the answer is no. 

Before COVID-19, there was already a trend, even a push on the luxury hospitality sector, to introduce this type of equipment into Spa centers. Initially, the idea was to save costs. Spa operating costs are very high, many times, heated pools and wet areas take a good chunk of the costs, and as opposed to F&B outlets, human resources are limited to one-on-one service per hour! One therapist, one massage, one hour.  

It seems hard to argue with the ability to cut costs when you compare a Spa that operates with 1 receptionist that takes care of 3 guests per hour, undergoing automated treatments, against a Spa that operates with 1 receptionist and 3 therapists providing 3 treatments per hour. How could you compete against that? 

Well, first of all, looking at the spa services only from this perspective is missing out on all the other dimensions that compose a wellness experience: the intuitive touch of the therapists, the proficiency of their therapeutic technique, the empathic intention of the touch, and the healing environment. 

So, if you are a small or medium day spa or hotel and you are worried about having to re-do your whole business plan, including buying fancy and expensive machines…take a deep breath and relax.

A machine cannot replace the intuitive knowledge, the fine-tuning of the therapist’s hands, the connection between the body and the therapist, where they seem to know exactly where to press, what stroke to give, when to combine this and that technique. 

A machine cannot decide mid-way that the massage “protocol” needs to be adapted to me. 

Knowing that massage reduces anxiety and enhances the immune system we, the therapists, managers, trainers and developers in the wellness and Spa industry, have a unique opportunity to contribute to the overall wellbeing of our communities by doing what we do best: caring, and caressing through our professional healing touch, providing and creating spaces of healing and transformation, helping our communities mentally and emotionally rebalance and reconnect. 

Let’s continue nurturing our Spas and teams; let’s create and maintain spaces of transformation where our guests and clients can come and be embraced by the power of therapeutic touch. 

We are all going to need a lot of tender-loving-care after these times. I strongly believe spas and wellness centers will thrive as we, humans,  will always come back to the basics of our nature when in need of rebalancing and connecting: the loving touch. 

When ready, open your doors, follow the recommendations of the experts, and spread your healing touch. 

Enough with the fear, let’s start healing. 

You can read more on this subject of post-coronavirus travel from Zoran here:

Tourism in the Corona Era: To Open or Not to Open, the Question is Now!

Travel Industry: Keep Communicating and Visibility

Build Scenarios! Be Present! Take Time to Think!

Post-Coronavirus Travel and Tourism: Some Predictions

Croatian Tourism 2020 and Coronavirus: Let’s Postpone the Season

Post-Corona Tourism Planning: Hope is Not a Good Business Strategy

May 8, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic may have temporarily stopped football, but it has not prevented footballers from exercising. The Croatian Football Federation offered video training to young football players daily, and after 35 published videos, the great success of the #vježbajdoma project is visible and easily measurable.

Through the #vježbajdoma (#exerciseathome) project, HNS wanted to encourage young football players to use their free time for physical activity and improve their abilities during this extraordinary situation.

Workout videos that can be performed at home, without additional devices and aids, were published daily, and among the videos were doctors' instructions on healthy eating as well as advice on a psychological approach to these unusual circumstances.

The video was created by Croatian senior and young national team members in football, fitness experts, coaches, coaches, and experts from other fields such as medicine and psychology, as well as several other football players from many clubs.

"From the bottom of my heart, I thank all those who participated in creating this training because we showed really great unity in wanting to bring the knowledge, skills and experience of top coaches and footballers to our large base. Many thanks to everyone who practiced with us. Finally, I would like to thank our video analyst Nikola Buzadžić, who put a lot of effort into editing these works that have lasting value for the HNS and young footballers. I am glad that in this way, we help athletes stay in shape, but I know that everyone can't wait to return to the football fields. I hope that the epidemiological situation in the country will allow us to do that relatively soon, and until then - we will continue to practice at home," said HNS chief instructor Petar Krpan.

The final figures are truly impressive. Thirty-five trainings were published on four HNS channels: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with videos viewed more than a million times. On YouTube and Facebook alone, the total viewing time is more than 5,500 hours, and on Facebook and Instagram, the videos have garnered nearly 200,000 “likes”.

"We were aware that more than 100,000 young football players were left without daily training and we wanted to encourage them to exercise as much as possible at home, in a quality way. That is why we have included great fitness trainers from all parts of Croatia and I thank everyone for agreeing to share their knowledge via video. We have also included a number of our famous footballers, as well as indoor soccer players, to inspire further those who practice with us. All recorded training will remain available on HNS channels for everyone who wants to continue training according to such high standards," said Ivan Krakan, HNS fitness instructor for junior national teams, who initiated the project with chief instructor Krpan.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes on the 7th of May, 2020, the third phase of easing the anti-coronavirus measures, which begins on May the 11th, will enable the operation of catering and hospitality facilities and only in outdoor areas and on terraces, while respecting the special epidemiological measures which continue to be firmly in place.

This is one of the reasons why the representatives of the catering and hospitality industry in the Professional Group of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), more precisely the Split County Chamber, decided to hold an online session. The session discussed tax burdens and levies, the lease of public areas and business premises owned by the state and by local self-government units, unfair competition, a moratorium on credit indebtedness and other issues of importance for the functioning of this type of business in the coronavirus era.

For each of the aforementioned topics, concrete proposals and ways of dealing with things were provided at the session, and it was agreed that, depending on the issue, the group would send letters with their proposals to various institutions. These included the City of Split, the Croatian Employment Service (CES), the State Inspectorate, and via the national association to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce itself, and then even further - to the appropriate ministries and to the Croatian Government.

"Until the current requirements for the operation of catering facilities are relaxed, I'm of the opinion that the vast majority of those working in this sector will have neither the conditions nor the motives to start working again," said Ivan Malada.

Stipe Jelicic, Vice President of the Association of Catering/Hospitality Activities of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, informed his colleagues about the proposal for the measures for the catering and hospitality industry from the aforementioned national association and the course of the negotiations with the National Civil Protection Headquarters regarding those same proposals in the hope of reaching a fair and favourable solution that suits everyone.

The group pointed out the various issues and problems created by the situation with the coronavirus pandemic in the catering and hospitality industry and proposed some solutions to those issues. At the very beginning of the crisis, the group sent their proposals for what the measures should look like to the City of Split and to Split-Dalmatia County.

"Regarding the beginning of operations for those in the catering and hospitality industry under these specific conditions, we've suggested to the State Inspectorate that their actions be primarily educational and preventive, with the aim of pointing out omissions, and if there are minor mistakes, the allowance for them to be corrected. That's why I'd like to invite those in this field to contact HGK ŽK Split directly if they have difficulties in organising their work in accordance with the decisions and instructions, in order to cooperate with the competent institutions in a constructive way to resolve misunderstandings and find solutions,'' stated Joze Tomaš, president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce - Split County Chamber.

Make sure to follow our dedicated section for all you need to know about coronavirus in relation to Croatia.

e May 8, 2020 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health published detailed recommendations for catering facilities in Croatia on Thursday morning as cafes and restaurants can re-open from Monday, May 11.

Index.hr reports that to prevent the spread of infection while visiting catering facilities with and without terraces, and catering facilities in accommodation facilities, it is necessary to ensure a physical distance between visitors and between visitors and employees.

Working hours from 6 am to 11 pm, and work will be allowed inside, as well

Organization of work: Working hours of catering facilities are possible from 6 hours to 23 hours. In the facilities, tables are kept empty until guests arrive, and utensils are served when guests sit down. Menus should be displayed at the entrance or another visible place, and in plastic, that is, classic forms of the menu should be removed. Visitors can be given a verbal recommendation, or something similar, to express the food and drinks offer.

Limit the total number of visitors: The limit on the number of visitors can be achieved by setting the tables 1.5 m apart. The entry of guests is regulated in such a way that the next visitor or group of visitors can enter only when the previous group of visitors leaves. The physical distance between individual groups of visitors must be at least 1.5 m. Tables should be arranged to maintain a physical distance of 1.5 m between the tables, or between different groups of guests. Organized groups of guests can sit at tables, and the distance between individual groups of guests in the facility must be at least 1.5 m. For example, members of one family sit 1.5 m away from another group of guests, even if it is a long table that is intended for seating multiple people.

Serving food and drink: Visitors can also order a meal or drink in the restaurant, which they will take with them and consume on the terrace or outdoors. When ordering, a physical distance of at least 1.5 m between customers waiting in line must be observed. It is possible to order and pick up food or drink at the bar without delay, i.e., you cannot stay at the bar. Also, it is possible to serve standing guests if they keep a physical distance, without high tables, with consumption by hand.

Employee that serves guests on the outside of the facility: One employee is appointed who serves a pre-determined number of tables to minimize the mixing of employees and guests. Between charging for the service and serving individual visitors, the employee must disinfect their hands.

Hotel policies

Special rules for catering facilities in accommodation facilities and others that serve buffet-style: In these facilities, it is recommended that visitors maintain a physical distance of 1.5 m during their stay, and especially when serving meals in a buffet manner, unless they are members of the same family when members of the same family don't need to maintain a distance during their stay in the restaurant. It is recommended that the buffet mode of serving be carried out so that there is a partition between the guests and the food and that one employee serves the guest's food according to their choice. Other measures of physical distance related to family or other groups of visitors who use the services in the group are the same as for all other catering facilities.

Health protection of visitors and staff; Refers to sales and staff service: Everyone should always have a disinfectant available to disinfect their hands periodically. If possible, it is recommended to provide a space of at least 1.5 m between the server or cashier and the customer when issuing goods and paying for goods, or if possible, install a protective barrier at the place of service and at the cash register, which will physically separate the cashier from the customer. Contactless payment by bank cards should be encouraged.

No handing out newspapers or serving snacks at the tables

Caterers should adhere to the highest hygiene standards and wash their hands with warm water and soap as often as possible with the use of hand sanitizer, certainly before serving guests to each new table. Adapted to the epidemiological situation, it is currently recommended that air conditioners be out of use and that the space be ventilated.

After the departure of each group of guests, the table, chairs, and other surfaces that the guests touched must be wiped with disinfectant, i.e., the tablecloths must be removed even if they are not visibly soiled.

It is forbidden to serve snacks in bowls, and salt/pepper, oil/vinegar, and other spices cannot be left on the tables, but new, previously washed or disinfected dishes are brought for each group of new guests.

The use of shared newspapers, magazines and other printed matter in catering establishments is prohibited.

Cleaning and disinfection of the space: At the entrance to the facility, visitors should be provided with a hand sanitizer dispenser and a clearly displayed notice that it is mandatory to disinfect hands when entering. Also, the entrance should clearly display a notice that it is mandatory to maintain a distance of at least 1.5 m between visitors and between visitors and staff. Door handles and handrails, handrail surfaces, and door edges on refrigerators, as well as other surfaces that are noticed to be frequently touched by customers, should be continuously wiped with alcohol-based disinfectant or other means according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Indoor areas where guests are staying should be regularly ventilated.

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May 8, 2020 - The highly popular PuzzlePunks Dubrovnik Escape Room has adapted to the coronavirus crisis by turning their Game of Thrones-inspired escape room into an online virtual game. Now you can engage in fun and challenging games with your friends & family from the comfort of your couch, wherever you are in the world.

The coronavirus pandemic has shaken the entire world, canceling many plans and causing caution and social distancing. Life as we know it has been put on hold, but Diana Marlais and Bogdan Dascalescu, a local Dubrovnik couple and owners of PuzzlePunks, chose to transform this business crisis into an opportunity to create something new:

“We are the first company that offers live video escape games in Croatia & one of the early adopters around the world.”, proudly explains Marlais. 

“Our bookings kept getting canceled and the season was looking quite gloomy. The entire world just stopped and honestly, we felt quite scared of our future. To make things more complicated, we found out we have a baby on the way. Necessity is the mother of invention, so in our case as well, we felt we had no other choice but to adapt & innovate."

The virtual escape room game takes you into the world of Game of Thrones, where you and your team have 60 minutes to “Save King’s Landing”. You have a live avatar at your command through live video and you have to direct him to look around the room for clues. He is your eyes and hands inside the room, walking, looking & picking up items based on your instructions. Pay attention to the game, and with some observational skills & teamwork, spend a thrilling 60 minutes solving puzzles with your friends. 

"It’s been our dream to reach more players worldwide. We are happy that we are able to offer those who cannot visit Croatia while traveling is not possible, as well as to escape room fans all over the world, an authentic Dubrovnik experience," says Dascalescu. 

“You can make a booking for yourself and your family/friends or buy a gift voucher if you want to surprise someone with an epic birthday present or just help them get through these challenging self-isolating times”.

PuzzlePunks have adapted their working hours (12 pm - 6 am CET daily) to accommodate different time zones and especially the American market, that is rapidly filling their booking slots. Reservations and more information can be found here.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 7th of May, 2020, the Republic of Croatia currently has 25,000 fewer employees than it did at the beginning of May 2019, and the total number of insured persons stands at 1,520,000. Croatian companies have been given some breathing room by the state via economic measures, but the rules are not there to be toyed with...

As part of measures to help the domestic economy, the state has so far provided 1.6 billion kuna to Croatian companies for the payment of the minimum wage to their staff for March for half a million (500,070) employees in the private sector. The monthly fund for regular gross salaries of employees is around 15 billion kuna, meaning that the state aid being paid out covers one tenth of regular salary expenditures.

The payment of this state aid is planned for another two months, and today is the last day for applications submitted by new Croatian companies and employers to be looked at, which in April alone recorded a worrying drop in revenue of more than 20 percent.

Croatian companies already on the list for March don't have to renew their applications, but are required to attach a supplement to it. By April, about 13,000 new applications had arrived for an additional 95,000 workers. If the number doesn't change significantly, it means that at least 595,000 workers will be paid 4,000 kuna in state aid this month. Keeping jobs during April could cost the state about 2.5 billion kuna, with 1.6 billion kuna having already been paid out for March, according to a report from Vecernji list.

All of the Croatian companies who received money for March had to submit proof that they had paid their staff their salaries by Tuesday, May the 5th, and the competent Ministry of Labour states that 477,000 JOPPD forms were submitted to the Croatian Employment Service (CES). The first checks carried out by the Tax Administration indicated that every fourth company reduced their salaries when compared to the previous month.

The unions, on the other hand, have repeated that everything that one might imagine is happening, is happening, from those Croatian companies who duly forwarded the money they received to their workers, to employers who have been demanding that the money paid back into their workers' accounts be returned to their hands and the like. Employers who, for various reasons, failed to submit proof of having paid salaries with the money provided by the state will be additionally controlled, according to Josip Aladrovic.

Wherever irregularities are detected, a refund will be requested. At yesterday's session, the Governing Board of the Employment Service decided to extend the right to state aid to Croatian companies/employers who operate seasonally only, or have a secondary occupation, and to certain artistic organisations and independent professions. So far, 3,500 applications that didn't meet the criteria have been rejected. In addition to 4,000 kuna in support, the state will pay 250 kuna in contributions for second-pillar insured persons.

According to the number of employees, the majority of state aid from March (more than one billion kuna) ended up in the accounts of micro and small Croatian companies, but state aid for the payment of salaries was also requested by many larger enterprises, starting with hoteliers who were not allowed to work to stores who could work, as well as bookmakers, oilmen, and even large bakery chains.

The number of unemployed persons in Croatia is also growing and is now edging close to 160,000, but if the situation with the coronavirus pandemic normalises quickly, there is a good chance that it will not exceed that number.

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