August 17, 2021 - German tourists in Croatia, especially those coming from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, are expected to holiday in the country for at least another 3 weeks. 

Traditionally loyal German tourists came back in large numbers this season. Since the beginning of the year, almost 1.6 million German tourists have recorded more than 11 million overnight stays in Croatia, a third more than last year. They have exceeded 80 percent of the results from the best tourist year ever in Croatia. In Istria, for example, they surpassed even that record 2019 in the number of overnight stays, and about 266,000 of them are still holidaying along the coast. And that's not the end, reports Vecernji List.

The travel season has just begun in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the two federal states from which most German tourists come. The school holidays, which trigger the most massive wave of travel, began in these parts of Germany only in August, and for the next two or three weeks, the Adriatic can still count on a large number of Croatia's loyal and beloved guests.

There are still about a million tourists on the Adriatic, and the number has decreased by only a few tens of thousands after the Assumption weekend. There are 840,000 foreigners, and the largest number of Germans is in Istria, where 122,000 were hosted yesterday.

"The total number of our guests dropped by about 20,000 after last weekend, and currently there are about 275,000 in Istria. In 2019, there were about thirty thousand more of them, but that is why there are 30 percent more German tourists than that year. Thus, we also have a slight increase in tourists from Poland and the Czech Republic in August, and we have been recording similar results practically since the beginning of the year. Reservations are still coming; from today’s perspective, it looks like we will have a great August and an excellent September. Of course, provided that we remain responsible and that the COVID-19 situation does not worsen in our country and Germany. These are guests who are difficult to replace with any other market," says the director of the Istrian Tourist Board, Denis Ivošević.

For now, there is no fear about German tourists. ID Riva Tours, a German tour operator specializing in travel to Croatia, says that interest in Croatia is not waning. On the contrary, places on ships cruising the Croatian Adriatic are in demand not only now for August but also for the whole of September, and the last guests could be seen off only in mid-October.

"This is a real surprise; no one dared or hoped that the season would be so successful, quite similar to 2019. With good preparation from the Croatian side, we got everything else, including the situation with competitors and major markets. Now the only thing that matters is that the hosts remain as responsible as possible. Clearly, they cannot be held accountable for guests' behavior, but they must be an example of their behavior, and irresponsible guests must be warned. Only with such an attitude do we justify what we promised at the beginning of the season, i.e., that we are a responsible and safe country," says the owner of ID Riva Tours Selimir Ognjenovic and adds that complaints and dissatisfied guests are less than expected due to the crowds that have flooded our coast in recent weeks.

Last weekend, for example, 86 percent of overnight stays were realized compared to 2019. There are now about two hundred thousand more guests than last season, which was rapidly coming to an end after the Assumption due to the spread of the infection.

Guests on the Adriatic stay longer than in previous years, and tourism is recovering faster measured by overnight stays than by the number of guests. But this is not the only positive trend that corona has spawned.

"Perhaps even more important is the change in the structure of guests. Namely, tourists come who have incomparably stronger purchasing power than those we hosted before the pandemic. For example, a holiday home for three people in the central part of Istria is now easily filled for 2,500 euros for seven days. Before the pandemic, it was certainly 300 euros cheaper. This is, along with the Germans and the growth of hotel occupancy, the biggest gain this season," says Ivošević.

In addition to the most numerous Germans, local guests did not disappoint, of whom there are still about 160,000 at sea. They are followed by Slovenes, Poles, Italians, Austrians, and Czechs. Rovinj, Vir, Poreč, Umag, Medulin, and Mali Lošinj, and Crikvenica still dominate the list of top destinations.

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

June 17th, 2021 - 2020 has been a difficult year for Croatia as the country mostly depends on tourism. With the borders opening and travel returning to normal, it's important to remain respectful to the people and the environment you're in, no matter the place. Here is a guide to a positive tourist experience in Croatia just in time for the summer season. 

1. Learn basic words

Many Croatians speak English, especially those in the tourism industry, but it's always a nice gesture to learn a few basic words. Simple words such as "hvala" (thank you," "kako si?" (how are you?) can go a long way and make Croatians feel really special. Also, it's pretty cool to be able to say you know some basic Croatian! It can't be that hard to leave a few unique words which can completely change your experience while on your holiday! 

2. Clean up after yourself

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Croatia prides itself on keeping its beaches pristinely clear, but it's not always possible as a tourist destination. Remember that you're a visitor to our beautiful country, and be mindful of that. While not everyone does their job cleaning up trash, every town, city, and island is packed with trash cans for your convenience. Those beaches, unfortunately, don't clean up themselves and if you'd like to return to crystal clear water and a pristine beach, do your part! 

3. Avoid political discussions

Croatia's history is long, complicated, and recent. The last occurred only 26 years ago, which many tourists aren't aware of. If you aren't aware of the history, avoid getting into the discussion because Croatians are very passionate. Remember that your knowledge of history is completely different from those who lived through it. Do your best to avoid the topic or listen to gather knowledge of the situation if it comes up. 

4. Double check the currency before paying

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Very often, tourists assume you can pay with Euros anywhere in the country, and while this is mainly true, many businesses in Croatia are family-owned. They may accept Euros but not coins because even though we are a part of the European Union, our currency remains the Croatian Kuna. At times it might be much easier to pay in the local currency, and there are many ATMs and exchange offices all around the country. 

5. Be open to new experiences

Much like any other destination, there is more to Croatia beyond the mainstream tourism locations. If you're in Dubrovnik, explore beyond the walls. If you're in Split and Zagreb, there is so much more out there outside the city center. Croatians are more than sharing the beauty of their country with tourists, and a lot of it remains unnoticed by foreigners. Be open to new experiences, such as exploring and trying out things outside of your comfort bubble! 

6. Be respectful

We get it; you're on holiday in a beautiful country, but try to be mindful of the local people. Respect the historical monuments, the environment you're in, and the locals. Don't overcrowd historic places everyone wants to enjoy or block narrow streets in Split, Dubrovnik, or islands. The city does not belong to you at the end of the day, but it is thrilled to have you. 

For more information about currency in Croatia, click HERE.

Follow the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 12 June, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in an interview with CNN on Friday that during the coronavirus crisis Croatia had combined public health protection measures and measures designed to help the business sector and financial system well, and that in that sense it had been successful. 

We have struck a balance between health and economic, that is, financial security, Plenković said in a programme called Quest Means Business.

Asked if in preparing for the tourist season Croatia had possibly relaxed epidemiological measures too much, given that tourism accounts for a significant portion of its economy and its experience from 2020, when tourism results were significantly lower than in 2019, Plenković said that Croatia had a stable economic growth before the coronavirus crisis, with a drop in the share of public debt in GDP and budget deficit.

We have supported workers and employers during the pandemic, spending more than HRK 10 billion for aid schemes intended for some 700,000 workers and that has been crucial, he said.

In the current stable political situation, the economy is crucial, he said, adding that Croatia's prospects of recovery were good because in the next seven years it could count on a total of €25 billion from European funds.

As for tourism, he said that it accounted for around one-fifth of GDP and that this year Croatia wanted to achieve results that were better than last year's.

"If we achieve 60-70% of the 2019 results, it will be very good," he said, adding that that was why extensive preparations, epidemiological and those related to security, had been undertaken in cooperation with airports, airlines, restaurants and others.

"Safe stay in Croatia is our main motto this summer," he said.

In response to the interviewer's remark that there have been a lot of objections in Europe about vaccination against COVID-19 being poorly coordinated and asked if he was satisfied with how the opening-up after lockdown and recovery were being coordinated, he said that he was absolutely satisfied with the coordination of recovery efforts, mentioning in that context the €750 billion secured by the EU for its member-states for that purpose.

He also noted that the coordination of the vaccination process in Europe was "very good, with a lot of solidarity" and that there was a sufficient quantity of vaccines.

As for the interviewer's remark that that was not so and that coordination was terrible and a fiasco, Plenković said that that was not true and that at first there had been delays in the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine but that nobody could have known that the company would be late with it.

Vaccination in Croatia now is running smoothly and anyone who wants to get vaccinated can do so, he said.

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

For more about Croatia, CLICK HERE.

April 2, 2021 - New Lika tourist attractions in untouched nature are sure to delight all types of travelers! 

The residents of Lika are hoping for full accommodation capacities for Easter and the upcoming tourist season. This year, there are new attractions for tourists to discover in Lika; a real hobbit house has sprung up in untouched nature, and for a complete atmosphere, there is a forest organ, the first in Croatia.

The play of branches and wind creates a symphony on the forest organ; that's how the Lika forest sounds. "It produces the sound of air flowing through pipes and holes in pipes. They have an aid during weak winds so that people are not disappointed when the organ is not heard when there is no wind", said Tomislav Špehar, from Grabovača Cave Park.

Dnevnik.hr reports, the small houses with green doors lead us to a real-life fairy tale. The Hobbit houses also have furniture, a small bed, books about the Hobbits in more than ten world languages ​, and a herbarium of real Lika plants that grow in the garden in front of the houses. Last year, volunteers from all over the world worked on the creation of this project. 

"Our goal is to have editions of the book The Hobbit in foreign languages. Volunteers from Spain, France, Pakistan, and Vietnam took part in the last project", says Mario Paral, Grabovača Cave Park.

The children of Lika will also find a piece of paradise for themselves and have the opportunity to learn new languages. "When books in different languages ​​come, then I will be able to learn a little more languages," says Niko, 9 years old.

Foreign languages ​​are already being heard. The season in the cave park Grabovača started earlier than usual. "We've been open for three weekends. In those six days, we were visited by about 300 visitors. Of which 99% are Croats and only one percent are foreigners from the Netherlands and the Czech Republic", said Jelena Milkovic, director of the Grabovac Cave Park.

That is why they rightly expect more guests than last year's five thousand because enjoying the smells and sounds of the forest with a little escape in the imagination - is the cure for all problems. 

For the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia, CLICK HERE.

December 14, 2020 - State Secretary Tonči Glavina participated in the "Business panel on Tourism" as part of the online conference "Finance for Sustainable Growth" where, among other things, he stressed that the goal is to reduce seasonality in Croatian tourism by increasing the quality of tourist products and services.

As the Ministry of Tourism and Sport writes, the panel discussed financial instruments to recover tourism, Croatia's entry into the euro area, and expectations for the upcoming tourist year.

State Secretary Tonči Glavina pointed out that Croatia will first have access to funds from the Recovery and Resilience Fund from the new multi-year financial perspective.

"Measures for the placement of these funds will be defined by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan coordinated by the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The Plan refers to the challenges facing the Republic of Croatia, i.e., strengthening economic and social resilience, mitigating social and economic effects of the crisis, and a contribution to the green and digital transition," Glavina stressed.

The State Secretary also said at the panel that in the tourism sector, the goal of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan's measures and reforms is to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of Croatian tourism. The goal is to reduce seasonality in tourism by increasing the quality of tourist products and services and developing particular forms of tourism, i.e., the development of sustainable, innovative, and resilient tourism.

Glavina added that it is necessary to increase Croatian tourism's sustainability and resilience by implementing reforms and activate investments that will have a positive impact on the development of new tourism products, the attraction of new market segments, and more even regional distribution of tourist traffic.

"By implementing the reforms and initiatives identified in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the tourism sector will contribute to GDP growth during 2021 and beyond, which is extremely important for Croatia," Glavina concluded.

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