HAMAG BICRO has received a large amount of applications from Croatian business owners across the spectrum for loans. These enterprises have made their applications due to the fact that they have been financially hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis that has emerged from that.

As Novac writes on the 5th of May, 2020, the Croatian Employers' Association and the Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment organised a webinar with the aim of clarifying the measures in place to preserve the liquidity of small and medium Croatian companies.

Croatia's business owners have now been being offered various working capital loans for over a month, these include the ESIF Mirko working capital loan, the COVID 19 working capital loan and the micro working capital loan for rural development.

Representatives of HAMAG BICRO, Iva Debanic and Josipa Kutle Stepancic, explained the dynamics of receiving and processing these applications:

''To date, a total of 2237 applications have been received by HAMG BICRO for these three loans and 445 have been processed with an average approval rate of 70 percent. Looking at the figures, it's important to understand that the higher pass rate of applications for the COVID loan is associated with a larger number of eligible activities, ie, applications from ineligible activities created more negative ratings for other loans. When we talk about these loans, it's important to know that the aid currently being granted is de minimis aid. Aware that the prescribed limit of a maximum of 200,000 euros per business owner over a three-year period is a restriction for some, HAMAG BICRO is in the process of drafting a new set of rules on state aid that is better adapted to the current market situation and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy.

In several loan applications, there were requests for the financing of fixed assets (investments in equipment or adaptations), but this is not allowed via these financial instruments. It's also not possible to refinance existing liabilities, such as closing leases, existing loans and such things. For COVID loans, VAT is an eligible cost, while for the remaining two micro loans, it isn't (for PRR loans, the cost is eligible if the applicant is not in the VAT system).

In the case of the ESIF microloan and the microloan for rural development, a significant difference in relation to the COVID loan is the ineligibility of medium-sized entities. Furthermore, the grace period, which was previously up to 6 months for the ESIF microloan, has been extended to 12 months. Upon approval, the funds are paid into a special purpose account and used for a period of 3 months for micro loans or up to 6 months for COVID loans. For all of these loans, it should be noted that when they're approved, the average quarterly or six-month amount of regular (working) expenses is analysed, and the loan amount is then approved accordingly.

With the funds for micro loans, it's possible to settle obligations that are up to 3 months old from the date of the receipt of the loan application, while with COVID loans, all costs incurred throughout 2020 are eligible. However, it may not be used to pay bills already paid or for investments used for private purposes.

In recent days, a large number of inquiries from Croatian business owners have arrived at both HUP and HAMAG BICRO's doors regarding the new obligation to register on the FINA portal, so, the most common doubts and questions were clarified:

- All applications for HAMAG BICRO loans must come directly to them together with all of the prescribed and required documentation

- Registration on the FINA portal is mandatory but represents an additional step and cannot replace direct application

- Registration on the FINA portal replaces the need to submit a HROK credit report because FINA submits this information on the business owner, which includes the Croatian National Bank's assessment on any existing debts

- When assessing the acceptability of a loan application, the business plan and the accompanying financial indicators of the business in question are fuly taken into account, and not only the ''COVID score'' created on the FINA portal

- The FINA portal does not allow for the reporting/registering and proving of the loss of future income (in the second quarter of 2020) but this does not affect the passability of the request because the same is proven directly in the report to HAMAG BICRO

After approving the funds, the user/business owner must then open a special purpose account. All payments must be made directly from that account to the supplier’s account and must never be paid in cash. In the case of the need to pay salaries, on the day of the payment of salaries, part of the money may be transferred to a basic account and later on through statements, the business owner can prove to HAMAG BICRO that the funds were indeed spent for the intended purpose (on the payment of employee salaries).

This business plan defines the regular monthly expenses and is therefore classed as an eligible expense. What is important to note is that if the monthly agreed payment is for rent, you cannot pay it outside the agreed terms of use (for example, the annual rent cannot be paid). However, if the business owner has a previously agreed annual payment of rent that is due at the time of using the loan, then the same is acceptable.

In the case of an ESFI loan, when paying a VAT invoice, the company pays the VAT cost from the regular invoice and then pays the full amount of the invoice to the supplier.

Financing the salaries of the beneficiaries of the Croatian Employment Service's measure for the preservation of jobs doesn't pose an obstacle for the beneficiaries of HAMAG BICRO loans to finance everything above the amount of received support (if the employee's salary is higher than 4000 kuna) or to finance the salaries of employees not covered by the aforementioned institution's measures in order to avoid double financing.

Regarding the dynamics of the processing of these requests, it's worth understanding that more requests were received in just one single month than were received during the whole of 2019.

At the beginning, a large number of requests were received without any supporting documentation, which was tolerated at the time owing to panic and a general lack of understanding, but this additionally burdens the already stretched evaluation resources which are working to resolve backlogs.

In order to work as efficiently as possible, the appeal is for the complete submission of all required documentation because then the processing procedure is faster and more smooth.

The materials from today's webinar will be published on the HUP website, and in a few days, a consolidated document with the received questions and answers will be published so that as many business owners as possible receive the necessary clarifications to their questions and confusion.

Follow our business page for more. Stay up to date with our dedicated section for all you need to know about coronavirus in Croatia.

May 5, 2020 - Croatia's hair salons are open once more, albeit with strict social distancing. So how busy are they? The view from Durdevac.

Week 2 of the gradual easing of some measures saw the opening of hair salons once more in Croatia. But in the corona era, things were hardly as they once were, and social distancing and hygiene regulations means that the hair salon experience - for now at least - is a lot less social than it used to be. 

So how is the new reality, and how busy are hair salons? There must surely be a lot of people waiting to have their hair done after weeks of self-isolation. Am very grateful to Joubert Loots, a South African photography married to a Croatian wife up in Durdevac for sending me these photos and a little explanation of how the situation is in Durdevac. 

Joubert documented local hairdresser Anita Raknitican on her first day back serving customers. Due to the new rules, only one hairdresser is allowed to operate in the salon, and only one customer at any given moment.  

While Anita cannot employ staff to help her due to the new rules, she can take bookings. And there are a LOT. 

Joubert's mother-in-law called to make an appointment yesterday, and the first available date is in 3 weeks, on May 25.  

Anita is apparently fully booked for every slot until then, with an appointment every hour during her working day.  

Not an ideal situation, but a small sign at least that small businesses are slowly starting again, and there is some business there. 

Many thanks to Joubert for the submission. You can check out his portfolio of photography here.  

Are you a small business in Croatia which has just reopened after the recent lockdown? TCN is happy to support local businesses promoting their stories. If you are interested, please send photos, your experience and your website to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Small Business.

For the latest news on COVID-19 in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 5th of May, 2020, judging by the announcement of the Fitness Community Initiative, a group established during the coronavirus crisis to protect the rights of those in the profession and promote the importance of regular exercise, a meeting is currently being held to define the conditions for the reopening of Croatian gyms, based on proposals made by the profession.

The Initiative claims that the operations of Croatian gyms can start again as early as mid-May.

This news was published by Orlando Lopac, owner of OrlandoFit Croatia, on his Facebook profile. Lopic is otherwise one of the participants in the Initiative, which addressed the National Civil Protection Headquarters with the aim of reopening Croatian gyms and other such facilities as soon as possible. Croatian gyms employ about 20,000 people across Croatia.

As Lopac announced yesterday, a meeting will be held to develop the necessary measures and recommendations for the safe and acceptable operation of Croatian gyms and other types of sport and recreation centres, as well as defining date frameworks within which the ban on their functioning would work.

"I received a firm promise that as the Fitness Community Initiative, we'll be transparently involved in the development of these measures and recommendations, and that the basis will be the list we submitted to them. I expect that in the period between the 15th and the 18th of May, we'll be able to start working again,'' state Lopac, recommending that his colleagues in the field seriously begin developing their financial and business plans in the coming days in order to ensure maximum security in the gyms and other sport and recreation centres.

The letter sent by the Initiative to the Croatian Institute of Public Health and the Central State Office for Sport states that professional sports and recreation centres are usually and regularly characterised by a high level of hygiene, such as the changing of clothes and shoes on arrival, the use of towels, the regular disinfection of gym equipment, as well as good ventilation.

They suggest that the following measures be introduced for Croatian gyms and other such facilities:

1. The recommended (not mandatory) use of protective masks and gloves for all employees

2. The installation of dispensers with antiseptic/hand sanitisers at the entrance to each gym/facility

3. The placement of a minimum of three portable disinfectants for the gym equipment covering every 50 square metres of space

4. The recommendation of installed medical covers or specialised disinfection pads for footwear in locker rooms

5. The mandatory use of clean towels during training in order to protect the surface on which you sit, lie down or exercise or in some other way make physical contact

6. The recommendation to adhere to the rules on the number of users per unit of time indoors: 15 people per 100 square metres of space, which provides a distance of more than 2 metres, and also a maximum group of 15 participants in an open space with a minimum distance of 2 metres kept between them

7. The possibility of the unobstructed use of the locker room and shower cabins with an increased scope of disinfection of those same premises

8. The ensuring a sufficient amount of time for ventilation of the space when changing user groups

9. The prohibition of access to the premises or the training of persons who have been prescribed a self-isolation order, as well as persons with visible symptoms of illness and fever, or persons for whom there is recorded information that they are passive carriers of the coronavirus infection

10. When exercising outdoors, the disinfection of equipment and props is mandatory immediately after their use

11. The serving of hot and cold drinks should be done exclusively in disposable glasses and cups

For more on coronavirus in Croatia, follow our dedicated section.

Croatia has advantages as a destination that is easy to reach by car, but what about places like Dubrovnik? Croatian tourism is seeking answers to possibly save some of the summer season this year, but they aren't coming quickly or very easily...

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of May, 2020, Dubrovnik is looking for a special status for flights from Great Britain and the rest of the EU, because the former city state a destination to which tourists mostly arrive by plane, and because of the geography of its location, very few of them arrive in Dubrovnik by road. With Peljesac bridge far from finished, it's impossible to just lump Dubrovnik in with the rest of the nation when it comes to ease of access by car.

This issue alone makes Croatia's southernmost city and touristic Mecca of Dubrovnik different from the rest of Croatia, most of which is easily accessible by car from surrounding countries. The Croatian tourism industry needs to find an answer that incorporates the rather awkwardly-placed Medieval walled city and the rest of the extreme south of Dalmatia.

While solutions are being sought at the European Union level to form a corridor for tourists to the Croatian Adriatic this summer, great uncertainty remains over guests from European countries which aren't in the EU. In this context, the United Kingdom, which is a former EU member and is currently in a transition period in which nothing changes, and neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has never been an EU member, are particularly important for Croatia.

These are popular European markets from which there were a total of about 1.4 million arrivals in Croatia last year, slightly less than 900,000 from the United Kingdom, and about half a million arrivals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, realising total of about 7.5 million overnight stays, of which 4.6 million overnight stays made by the British. Guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina simply cross the Bosnian-Croatian border by car, which is extremely easy in Dubrovnik owing once again to its geography. What will happen with the United Kingdom, however, largely depends on air traffic throughout Europe.

The Ministry of Tourism doesn't have any concrete solutions yet, everything is still very much pending. They stated that all of the measures to re-activate the Croatian tourism industry and as such tourist activity are being adopted in accordance with the unfolding epidemiological situation. They say they are discussing common protocols at the EU level regarding the re-opening of borders, and that an agreement is expected during May.

"Croatia is also considering the possibilities and procedures for tourists from non-EU countries coming to Croatia," they say, but so far there are no details on that available. Both at the destination and company level, solutions are being sought, which will ultimately depend on the decisions of the epidemiologists.

Dubrovnik, as stated, is seeking a special status for flights from the UK and the rest of the EU, as they are a destination that is primarily reached by air, very few come to Dubrovnik by road.

Mayor Mato Frankovic believes that a solution will be found by the time the tourist season rolls around, and pointed out that the interest of guests for Dubrovnik still exists, especially since there were very few people suffering from COVID-19 in the city.

Jako Andabak, the owner of Sunce Hotels, which works closely with TUI to bring British guests to their hotels, hopes things could possibly be resolved by mid-July.

"Our plan is to start the season somehow at that time, which is another two months away, time during which the epidemiological situation could change for the better, and open opportunities for opening our borders. As things stand now with reservations, we could have a decent August,'' said Andabak.

Please note that this text regards the arrival of British and Bosnian tourists only. If you are a Bosnian or a British citizen and you live in Croatia with legal residence and a permit attesting to that fact, you are entitled to come to Croatia at any point. You must self-isolate for fourteen days upon arrival and you must have an address here (which is shown on your ID card), but you will be granted entry without issues.

Follow our travel page for more on Croatian tourism in the coronavirus era.

May 5, 2020 - The City of Split and the Split Tourist Board, in cooperation with Dalmatia Concert and sponsored by OTP Bank Split, are bringing Split citizens a special treat for Sv. Duje on Thursday. Petar Graso performing in an empty Peristyle.

"Unfortunately, traditional festivities in Split will be absent this year. We will celebrate Sv. Duje without the buzz, the crowds, the procession and the mass on the waterfront, the raffle and the Sudamja Fair; without a great concert and fireworks, without everything we have done with all our fellow citizens for years. This year will be different than ever, but I still believe that the feast of our patron saint will be celebrated in our hearts and with our families. To all the citizens of Split, but also all the viewers of Croatian Radio and Television, on the day of Sv. Duje, we bring you a Peter Graso concert from Peristyle. Although we are forced to be physically separated, let us be together on Thursday evening in front of small screens in this unusual, different and I believe beautiful celebration," says Split Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara.

Petar Graso also shared his impressions:

"I am a child of Split, Split is my home, despite the fact that I have been in it for the last twenty years. If it had not been for these specific circumstances, I, unfortunately, would have been out of Split on this Sv. Duje. But as it usually is, different circumstances dictate a different life plan, and so one of the strangest, and in some ways, the most beautiful concert of my career happened, a concert without a single person in the audience."

Graso also says that if someone had told him last year that he would play in front of an empty Peristyle and be most honored, he would have thought it impossible, but given the events of the past months, he is delighted and honored on this occasion: "I am happy to have the privilege of having a concert in one of the most beautiful squares in the world in my city, and giving it to both my Split and all the people who will be at home on Thursday evening in front of small screens. This is a concert of optimism, a concert of light and celebration. We were looking forward to it; somehow we seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel we've all been in for the past two months," Graso concludes, wishing this would be the last concert before an empty Peristyle.

The concert will be broadcast on Split's City Day on Thursday, May 7, on the second program of Croatian Radio and Television.

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

May 5, 2020 - At the 2nd session of the Istria County Tourism Committee, held Monday through a full conference call, members discussed the epidemiological situation in Istria and future activities after the borders open, as well as expectations for the 2020 tourist year.

HRTurizam reports that at the very beginning, the Acting Prefect and the President of the Committee, Fabrizio Radin, emphasized that they had asked the National Civil Protection Headquarters when the borders would open, that is, the date and conditions of the eventual border opening of the Republic of Croatia to other European countries.

"We have received a reply that the topic of the eventual opening of internal borders within the EU will be on the table of tomorrow's summit, which will be held in Brussels. At that meeting, guidelines and indicative dates for the opening of borders should be defined," said the prefect of Radin.

Following the protection measures for hotels and camps, those for nautical, private accommodation and travel agencies are being developed. 

The session was also attended by the Director of the Institute of Public Health of Istria County, Dr. Aleksandar Stojanovic, who commented on the epidemiological situation in Istria, as well as the proposals for protection measures for camps and hotels.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have had 87 COVID-19 positive people, and as you can hear, a few days ago, the last patient in Istria County was cured, or he was discharged from the Pula General Hospital. As of Thursday, we have no more positive patients in Istria County. At the moment, we have about 1300 people in self-isolation, 200 of whom are contacts of positive people, while others have received an epidemiological measure of self-isolation because they crossed the border," said Dr. Stojanovic.

Regarding the proposals for protection measures and operational procedures drawn up by the Croatian Camping Union and the Croatian Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, Dr Stojanovic said that they are professionally based and mostly cover potential risks. The measures will be presented after an agreement with the National Headquarters and the Ministry of Tourism.

It was agreed at the session that a proposal for measures for nautical tourism, private accommodation and travel agencies would be drafted by next week, in cooperation with the above sectors and ZZJZIŽ.

Regarding the expectations of the tourist year, it was emphasized that everything depends on the date the borders open for both Croatia and the main markets, i.e., Slovenia, Austria, Germany Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Furthermore, from Monday, May 11, hotels and campsites would operate, with all their facilities, which will open gradually, depending on the opening of state borders, or market demand.

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

Croatia has gradually begun to loosen up its formerly stringent anti-epidemic measures, and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) is seeking more freedoms for driving schools and international drivers.

As Novac writes on the 4th of May, 2020, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce has asked the National Civil Protection Headquarters to relax some of the measures applicable to drivers in international road freight transport, as well as others which will provide better grounding for the start of driving school operations on May the 11th, 2020.

At the request of the members of the Road Freight Association, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce has proposed that quarantine and home/self-isolation measures for international drivers be carried out under the same conditions as drivers in domestic transport.

''According to the current regulations, a driver must not leave their house or their assigned accommodation where they're self-isolating, except in the case of a call from their employer for transport. On their return from a foreign country, they then begin a new cycle of self-isolation, and changing the driving and staying-at-home cycles in this regime can take up to a month, in some cases it takes even longer.

As the drivers operating under this regime don't have symptoms of illness, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce believes that they should be allowed to go to the store and pharmacy as needed and have a limited stay outside of their homes just like other people do,'' said the Croatian Chamber of Commerce's Vice President for Construction, Transport and Communications, Mirjana Cagalj.

The Association of Driving Schools of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce has also proposed that the measures for them be relaxed in order to enable the continued running of driving lessons from May the 11th onwards, with the application of horizontal and specific protection measures. They believe that with the education of staff and strict adherence to health regulations, both theory and practical teaching can be held smoothly, and they have been given specific suggestions on how to implement it by the National Cvil Protection Headquarters.

Make sure to follow our dedicated section for more on coronavirus in Croatia.

May 4, 2020 - The opening of several hotels in Split was announced for the upcoming tourist season, including the Ambasador on the West Coast Riva.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that Tonci Medic, CEO of Retoi, whose portfolio also includes Ambasador, and a close friend of German businessman Klaus Alex Birkenstock, owner of this hotel, assures us that, given the coronavirus crisis, they won’t be able to open their doors to guests until Christmas. 

“The corona crisis has definitely surprised us all. In March, we started collecting CVs and organizing interviews with potential employees, but of course, we had to stop. The plan, in fact, was to ‘permanently’ hire 55 staff and hire another thirty seasonal workers. Since we were planning to open the hotel doors this summer, we hired six people key to its operation earlier this year; among them the director and the chef.

This has completely hindered us - outside construction work has been suspended at the request of the contractor, that is, workers' fear of contracting the virus. As for the works inside the building, we thought it was pointless to rush to finish them when we had to keep the hotel closed.

We simply estimated that we did not want to risk anything and that it is better to skip this season, if there is one at all, than to begin during a pandemic and fear whether any of the staff or guests will transmit the virus to our hotel,” says Medic, a well-known caterer from Brela.

Recall, Klaus Alex Birkenstock bought the hotel on the West Coast in 2016 from Regina Ivic, the widow of Tomislav Ivic, the legendary Hajduk coach. It was announced that the Ambasador would be open in the spring of 2018, but the investor could not meet the deadline due to the inability to obtain a building permit.

For this reason, the demolition was delayed of the building built in 1937, which was later the JNA House, as was the execution of the works. The investor was forced to ask the County to extend the construction period from two to four years.

In the meantime, there was a change in investment from the previously announced EUR 14 million to EUR 23 million. This should give the Ambassador at least four and a half stars, and they hope, Medic says, to get a fifth.

According to the project of architects Nena Kezic, Emil Sverk and Nora Roje, the hotel will have 101 rooms and suites, a restaurant capacity of 240, spa, gym, nightclub and underground garage with 59 spaces. Otherwise, the hotel's catering facilities will be able to accommodate 640 guests, in addition to the 240 in the restaurant.

The fitness and wellness center will be sunlit thanks to a large atrium on the terrace facing the sea. It is also interesting that in the superstructure of the movie theater, which was erected next to the “Ambasador” in 1953, there will be a 120 square meter large swimming pool, which will be partially enclosed by glass, so that passers-by will be able to look in. Swimmers, on the other hand, have a view of the coast.

In any case, Birkenstock has announced that it plans to turn this Split hotel into a new favorite resort for tourists from the UK, Germany, Austria and France. Unfortunately, the plan is currently on hold, but hopefully not for long.

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

May 4, 2020 - Ivana Herceg of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) Office in Hungary talks about the potential of Hungarian tourists this summer.

More than half of the Hungarian population are preparing to travel, according to a survey commissioned by the Hungarian Travel Agency, which was sent to HRTurizam by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) Representative Office in Budapest.

The survey was conducted between April 8 and 15 on a sample of more than two thousand people and asked if they planned to travel after the coronavirus pandemic, and if so, where.

Survey data revealed that after the virus disappears, 51 percent of Hungarians plan to travel within Hungary, and 12 percent of those surveyed plan to travel abroad.

When it comes to traveling abroad, the most popular destinations are Croatia and Greece, while in Hungary, Hungarians would travel an average of 227 kilometers and would like an active vacation.

Two-thirds of those surveyed currently plan to avoid organized travel after the pandemic. Also, another factor that can help Croatia, is that according to the poll, 61% of respondents will consider which countries were most affected by the virus for their future trip.

On this topic, as well as expectations for this summer season with the Hungarian market, Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam spoke with Ivana Herceg, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Representative Office in Hungary, who points out that Croatia, in the eyes of the Hungarians, is justifiably one of the safest destinations. In these special circumstances, our advantages are even more pronounced over the competition.

The fact that Hungarians know our country well and that many of them are "permanent guests" of certain accommodation providers will surely play an important role in choosing this year's destination for their vacation, Herceg points out, adding that the Hungarian media monitors the situation in neighboring countries. "Croatia is always mentioned as a positive example and in case travel is possible we believe that a part of the Hungarian population will traditionally choose Croatia.”

According to currently available data, the situation in Hungary (2942 cases and 335 fatalities) is slightly worse than in Croatia. Asked what the current epidemiological situation in Hungary is "from the inside" and what are the announcements regarding loosening measures in Hungary, Herceg points out that Hungary is lower than the European average for the number of patients.

"Given a population more than double than in Croatia, it is expected that there will be more infected people. Hungary has tested more than 70,000 people and at the moment, the death toll is 31 per million inhabitants. This number is higher than in Croatia, and compared to the rest of the world, it is the average number of deaths. According to the Hungarian map of the number of infections, the majority are in Budapest. Still, the western and southern parts of Hungary, along the border with Croatia, are below average in terms of the number of patients. Contrary to the situation in other European countries, the measures are still in force in Hungary, even being tightened, making it mandatory to wear a mask on public transport and shops, in markets and on visits to institutions from Monday, April 27. The Prime Minister announced a new security situation on May 3, and until that date, you could only leave homes for shopping and personal needs and going to work. However, you were not allowed to leave your place of residence."

As far as travel is concerned, the entire tourism sector is eagerly awaiting new information, especially after the first signings on the so-called "Tourist corridors". It is not yet known when the borders will open and which protocol will be in place when entering another country. However, it is a European Union level travel protocol, and each country will negotiate independently with its neighbors through bilateral relations. So too is Croatia, and talks have already begun with Slovenia, the Czech Republic and other countries.

There is interest in Croatia in Hungary, both according to the above survey and according to Herceg. "In contact with partners in the tourism sector, but also in the interest of the media, we can conclude that there is an interest in Croatia, as indicated by a survey commissioned by the Hungarian Tourism Organization (MTÜ). According to the survey, 51 percent of Hungarians will travel after the pandemic within Hungary, and 12 percent of respondents will travel abroad. Among foreign destinations, Croatia was the most frequent answer, along with Greece. The results of some other studies show even greater interest in Croatian destinations, which is expected because Hungarians are incredibly fond of Croatia, which is easily accessible by car, and because a large number of Hungarians own real estate and ships in Croatia."

At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, the interest of Hungarians in Croatia increased, which is certainly a good indicator of Croatia's position in Hungary.

“At the beginning of the year, it seemed that this would be another record year for Croatian tourism. In January and February, we achieved growth from the Hungarian market, after many years Croatia and Hungary had to be connected by airline and new itineraries of the largest Hungarian tour operators were in preparation. During April and May, we planned to implement several prepared activities, which we had to cancel, which were to promote different products and different parts of Croatia. Travel agencies still mainly deal with cancellations and refunds, but according to some partners, bookings for Croatia are canceled less than in other countries."

Although it is difficult to predict, in the event this slows down and borders open in the next two months, Herceg believes that Croatia could still be the first choice of most Hungarians.

"This is supported by its proximity, possibility to travel by car, and a quick return in case of any problems, but also the fact that the Hungarians know our country well, consider it safe and feel welcome. The fact that a large number of Hungarians stay in private accommodation during their stay is also positive in this situation, compared to competing countries, which mainly offer accommodation in hotels. We also support information from individual partners who have informed us that guests are looking to change destinations and that instead of Greece, for which they have already paid, they want to swap for Croatia," Herceg concludes.

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

May 4, 2020 - Hvala Hrvatska, a small video gesture of thanks from expats from all over the world but living in Croatia to the Croatian authorities for their handling of the health threat of coronavirus. 

A few weeks ago, a Brit in Zagreb (and occasional TCN contributor), Rowan Carstairs, sent me a  very nice email thanking TCN for its corona coverage and also a suggestion on extending this thanks and that of other expats to the Croatian authorities for their excellent handling of the health threat from COVID-19.

It was an excellent idea, and I put it on my list of things to do. That expats were very grateful and felt very safe was clear from the 40+ submissions from all over the world who contributed their Croatian lockdown stories, comparing things to back home. And almost all focused on one thing that Croatia was doing much better than their home country. 

Keeping people safe. 

Although Rowan's idea made it on my To Do list, my list is sadly very long these days, as the many people who are waiting for things from me will tell you. Rowan obviously saw this and took the initiative to send an article to Lauren, who is, always has been and forever more shall be much more efficient than me. Rowan's article Hvala Hrvatska: Should Expats Show Thanks for Great Coronavirus Handling was published the same day was very well received.

And it spawned an initiative led by our favourite Romanian in Split, Mirela Rus, who invited expats to record themselves offering their thanks. Again, this made it onto my To Do list, but... 

We, members of the expat community in Croatia, are extremely grateful for how the coronavirus crisis is being handled by our adoptive country.

We are very appreciative of everyone fighting in the front lines of this unprecedented battle, as well as of the Croatian people in general, that are always coming together in times of crisis.

We find ourselves very lucky to be living through these tough times here, where we feel safe and where we feel so much at home.

Hvala od srca, Hrvatska! ❤️