This year's Days of Association of Croatian Travel Agencies (UHPA) are being held from 21 to 23 March, for the first time in Slavonia, more precisely in Vinkovci, which is an excellent opportunity to introduce the representatives of travel agencies to the tourist offer of eastern Croatia.

The UHPA is a voluntary national professional association of travel agencies from Croatia and is also registered as an employers' association. It brings together 228 travel agencies, as well as some 100 affiliated members, including leading hotel companies, restaurants, camps, Croatia Airlines, tourism organisations, educational institutions, rent-a-car companies, etc. The UHPA members realise more than four-fifths of organised travels in Croatia. It is a professional organisation established 27 years ago.

The UHPA Days is an event bringing together more than 200 participants, primarily representatives of travel agencies, representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, tourist boards, professional associations, media and others.

The association president Tomislav Fain opened the event. Speaking about the significance of UHPA, he emphasised that 228 regular members of the association employ 3,400 people and last year reported 3.3 billion kuna in turnover. He issued a call to travel agency representatives: “Personally, I think Slavonia can offer a lot, and I hope in the future, once you get to know this part of Slavonia, you will include this region in your offer to help the development of tourism in this part of Croatia.”

Fain stressed that last year was unofficially called “the year of challenges” as it was marked by the implementation of the new Tourism Services Act, the adoption of which was in line with the EU guidelines on travel package arrangements and related travel arrangements. Also, the new law stipulates a reduction in administrative barriers to doing business, specifies which services are considered as health tourism services, further regulates services in conference tourism, regulates who can provide rent-a-car services, additionally regulates the provision of tourist services for active and adventure tourism, etc.

The director of the Croatian National Tourist Board's (HTZ) head office, Kristijan Staničić, also gave a speech. He stressed that the current state of booking for this year is satisfactory, but added that this year would be intense, challenging and unpredictable. Talking about the relationship between organised and individual tourist travel, he pointed out that organised travel represents one-third of the total tourist turnover and two-thirds of hotel turnover. Organised travel is most prevalent in the pre-season and post-season, while the main season is dominated by individual travel.

Speaking about regions, Staničić stressed that Istria, Dubrovnik and Zagreb have above-average shares of organised tourist travel, which is partly due to the structure of accommodation capacities. Most organised trips come from the markets of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, Sweden and the United States. He also commented on HTZ activities such as joined advertising, support to destination management companies, fair participation, the Discover Croatia portal development, etc.

He said that the next year would be the key. Given the global trends, efforts will have to be made to change the fundamental model of Croatian tourism. The new strategy and the new strategic marketing plan will also provide new guidelines for the future development of tourism in Croatia.

The director of the Vinkovci Town Tourist Board, Martina Matković, then held an interesting presentation that focused on the historical continuity of 8,000 years of organised human living in the Vinkovci area and all that Vinkovci can offer to tourists of today.

More news on Vinkovci can be found in the Lifestyle section.

The Business Destinations magazine from Britain has selected Croatia as the best destination for business tourism in 2018. The Croatian National Tourist Board has won this award in the Europe category, which also awarded prizes for the best hotels, airports, airline companies, facilities and services that are part of the top-level offer of the business travel industry, reports Jutarnji List on March 21, 2019.

“This award is even more important for us because the nomination and selection of winners are carried out by the editorial board of the magazine together with their numerous readers and business service users from around the world. Namely, business tourism is an important tourist product since individual and group business guests represent a stable source of demand, which is, depending on trends, the most significant in the pre-season and post-season periods of the year. Also, surveys among hotel management show that business guests make up between 10 and 15 per cent of all hotel guests," said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić, adding that the congress department was created last year within the Croatian National Tourist Board in order to further strengthen and develop the MICE tourism segment

The Croatian National Tourist Board is carrying out a series of activities aimed at promoting business tourism, such as marketing campaigns and participation at the most important specialised congress exchanges, such as IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America, IBTM Barcelona and CONVENTA Ljubljana.

Business Destinations is a travel magazine and an online portal for business travellers, as well as for all employees working in the business travel industry. Combining interesting content, attractive photos and powerful networking among business entities, the magazine has positioned itself as a critical source of information and inspiration for business travel by covering a wide range of topics, from exclusive hotels, resorts and conference destinations to luxurious products and services.

Translated from Jutarnji List.

More news about the Croatian National Tourist Board can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, March 19, 2019 - The Ministry of Tourism will once again co-finance additional medical teams in tourist destinations in the peak season and has earmarked 1.5 million kuna for that purpose, it was said on Tuesday at a ceremony when agreements on co-financing were signed with county representatives of the most prominent tourism destinations.

Of the total of 1.5 million kuna, nearly 456,000 kuna will go to Istria County and 316,000 kuna will help finance additional medical teams in Split-Dalmatia County. Primorje-Gorski Kotar County will receive 270,000 kuna, followed by Zadar County (180,000 kuna), Dubrovnik-Neretva County (125,500 kuna), Šibenik-Knin County (103,000 kuna) and Lika-Senj county (50,300).

"The security aspect is a very important part of tourism as are medical teams...all this is to help make Croatia a safe destination," Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said, adding that he has insisted for some time now for a solution for a helicopter medical service, particularly for the islands and hopes that a solution will be found by the summer.

He explained that since 2008 to date the ministry had set aside almost 19 million kuna to co-finance medical teams.

"This year we will have 20 teams on the road that will be dispatched at more than 20 locations in the seven counties," the director of Croatia's Institute for Emergency Medicine, Maja Grba-Bujević said.

She said that last year between 1 June and 30 September, medical teams in these counties attended to 168,000 cases which was 58% more than in the first four months of that year.

The most frequent interventions during the summer are related to heart attacks, migraines and dizziness. She added that 564 people were attended to by medical air assistance during the tourism season, 70% of those patients suffered heart attacks.

More news about tourism in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.

Croatian tourism has everything that Chinese tourists are looking for, ranging from cultural, historical and natural heritage to autochthonous, rich gastronomy, folklore and festivals. More of them are expected to come this year, although problems with the visa regime and the lack of direct flights and guides in the Chinese language do exist, reports Večernji List on March 15, 2019.

This was highlighted at the first regional conference on the Chinese tourism market, sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and organised by the Zagreb-based consulting company ProConcept and the Singapore-based marketing agency IPPWorld. It brought together local and regional tourist agencies and other professionals working or willing to work with the Chinese market.

"In Croatia, not enough people understand that the Chinese are now the number one nation in the world according to tourist spending. They are not tourists who just like to take a walk or who are looking for low prices and have little to spend. Just the opposite; they spent globally around 300 billion euro last year, and this figure is growing every year, as the standard of living increases, just like the number of Chinese people who have a passport and want to travel also increases,” said ProConcept director Andreja Gazdek.

By 2018, only about six per cent of Chinese citizens had a passport, which means approximately 80 million, and it is expected that by 2020 around 200 million people will have a passport. There are 36 countries in the world which the Chinese can enter without a visa, including Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while in 44 countries a visa can be issued at the border crossings.

"Croatia is not one of these countries. Visas are required which is quite a hindrance,” said Gazdek, who said it was unbelievable that, according to unofficial information, there is only one person at the Croatian embassy in China dealing with visas. "It all takes a long time. Why can’t we hire more people there, so that visas are issued faster?” Gazdek asked.

She added that in the region of Southeast Europe, the Chinese are coming to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and other countries more than to Croatia, mainly because these countries have introduced direct flights. For example, Graz in Austria has such a link, Gazdek said and asked why Zagreb does not have it.

In 2011, there were 11 million travels from China, while in 2018 the number reached more than 160 million. Half of these trips were to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and the rest to other countries, mostly to Europe. One of the problems why so few Chinese tourists are coming to Croatia is the lack of Chinese-language brochures, guides, and menus.

Consultant and tourist agent Ivan Pukšar also believes that Croatia needs to increase its visibility and promotion in the market, while Joanne Chan of IPPWorld said it is imperative to promote Croatia on Chinese social networks, such as WeChat, Weibo and Baidu, which are Chinese equivalents of Facebook and Instagram, which are rarely used in China. Chan believes that all tourist service providers in Croatia should take a more proactive attitude towards Chinese tourists, and Chinese-language mobile apps would also come in handy.

Siniša Malus from the China and South-East Europe Business Association believes that Croatia can expect a significant increase in the number of Chinese tourist arrivals this year, as well as in the coming years, with the new momentum of friendly diplomatic ties between the two countries. "Tourism and overall economic co-operation with the Chinese market are also growing, and the opening of the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce offices in Shanghai is also beneficial. All this is gaining momentum with the arrival of Chinese investors not just for the construction of Pelješac Bridge, but also for other projects such as the construction of hotels in Krapina and Zadar,” said Malus, adding that the 16 + 1 Summit in April in Dubrovnik will also be beneficial, since it will include representatives of many large Chinese businesses.

Translated from Večernji List.

More news about relations between Croatia and China can be found in the Politics section.

Last week’s ITB Berlin tourism fair did not give the Croatian tourist industry what it wanted after a months-long pause in sales to the German tourists. Instead, in the first week of March, they received a worrying number: in four months, from early November 2018 to late February, nine per cent fewer travel packages were sold in Germany for all destinations than in the same period a year ago, reports Večernji List on March 11, 2019.

We can only try to guess what is happening with the significant travelling nation, which each year registers some fifty million travels. Turkey is popular this year, but surely not everyone is going there. Did the slowdown of the German economy make them think twice? Are they planning to stay in Germany, after the perfect summer weather last year?

There are many questions, and there was no optimism after the results of the annual major study Reiseanalyse were published. Researchers have corrected their earlier, more optimistic forecasts about 55 million travels by German citizens in 2019. They have concluded that the number of German tourists this year will be similar to last year's 54.1 million.

They will also spend less on travel than in 2018 when the amount reached 72.7 billion euro. This year, they forecast 71.2 billion euro in tourist spending. On average, Germans will spend 1,017 euro on travels longer than five days, as opposed to last year's 1,045 euro. All this is equally relevant to Mediterranean countries, which are all facing drops, with the exception to Turkey. The state currently has 25 to 30 per cent more bookings than last year.

“Yes, the slowdown in bookings is not just our problem. It is unusual that at this time so many German citizens, who are usually among the first to decide on their holidays, have not yet made that decision. The tension is growing. Spain has already reacted by lowering prices, and I would say that a price war could be expected in the Mediterranean this season. It is a battle which we cannot win, and for us, the key is the ratio between quality and price. Those who have not offered the right value for money will have to consider making price corrections. Although it should not be done overnight, we have another month to see how the situation will develop,” said Boris Žgomba, president of the Association of Travel Agencies at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, saying that the booking for Croatia is currently weaker by three to ten per cent.

Most Mediterranean tourist countries have also increased their promotion budgets. This was recently done by Croatia as well, which allocated an additional 2.5 million kuna for the German market. Is it enough or should the amount be increased will be monitored during the next ten days.

Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli is convinced that Croatian tourism will welcome 2.9 million guests from Germany in 2019, the same number as last year. He also advised the tourist industry not to lower the prices.

“Croatia has become a competitive destination in the world's tourist market primarily because of the quality it offers to its visitors. This is supported by the fact that so far this year there are 14 per cent more tourist overnights from Germany. That is why we need to work on improving the quality of the tourist offer, whose value will surely be recognised by our guests. Based on the news coming from the largest tourist fairs, I believe that in the current year we will continue to achieve positive results while retaining the image of a quality tourist destination” said Cappelli.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Radmila Kovačević).

March 11, 2019 - Total Croatia News is delighted to announce the launch of the latest addition to its rapidly expanding news, tourism and information portfolio, www.total-croatia.com. All your Croatian info, in just 100 pages.

Not a lot of people, including many TCN writers, are aware that the first website of the Total Croatia Project was not actually Total Hvar, which I started way back in October, 2011. A year before that, I had come across the concept of niche websites, and I decided to try and make a living online. After a little research, I decided on my niche. It was big enough but without too much competition, and there was money in the niche for sure. Croatian tourism information. 

And so Total Croatia 1.0 was born.

It was a total failure.

Apart from the fact that my knowledge of Croatia did not extend much beyond the shores of the island of Hvar and the bars of Diocletian's Palace back then, Croatia also far too big a niche for one person to do alone. 

So I became a little more humble with my second vision, deciding on a portal for Hvar instead. Total Hvar was born, and with almost 10,000 articles over the years, it has been a big success and bound me emotionally to that gorgeous island forever. 

Total Hvar became Total Split, then Total Inland Dalmatia, Total Croatia Cycling, Total Croatia News, Total Zagreb, Total Dubrovnik, Total Croatia Wine, Total Croatia Sailing, Total Slovenia News, Total Montenegro News, Total Korcula, Total Croatia Dental and Total Medjugorje. 

As the team expanded all over the country, so too did my knowledge of Croatia, its people, regions and way of life. 

And the thought of that original niche came back.

(Big thanks to Romulic and Stojcic for this paprika photo, one of my favourite in Croatia)

The Total Croatia project is now the biggest English-language media project in the country, with more than 120 contributors for Total Croatia News alone. We have won international awards for our tourism promotion, managed to bring both the New York Times and The Sunday Times to Hvar, and Jutarnji List were even kind enough to call us "the world's most reliable information for Croatian destinations."

The thought of that original Total Croatia niche returned. With so much TCN content, it was becoming harder to find information on our main website. What if we could take the best of that information, the information people were searching for on Google, and place it on a new website, small and easily navigable, consisting of just four sections and 100 pages? 

Total Croatia 2.0 was born.

Rather than having dozens of articles about a destination, how about just one comprehensive overview, with links to all the relevant information. Croatia in a Page is our destination guide section, and one which we will be adding to and updating on a regular basis. 

Lots of practical information for the traveller, from the most detailed Croatian airport guides online to useful tips on border crossings and travel between key destinations. 

A look at the things to see and do, with the most comprehensive lists of things such as Croatian museums online. 

Insights into the joys of living and working in this beautiful country. Rather than just giving the boring information, I have also tried to add some personal humour, experience and anecdotes to give a little more flavour to the essential information. 

A key aspect of our new Total Croatia site is that it will be fully updated as changes occur. As we are also running the biggest English-language news service, it is a little easier to keep up to date with things. 

Our Croatia in 100 Pages site will also be in other languages, as resources allow, with French next on the list. 

And while our target audience is tourists and foreigners with an interest in Croatia, Total Croatia is also an excellent resource for the Croatian hospitality industry. Rather than having to write (and worse, update) content about how to reach your apartment or things to do, a simple link to Total Croatia will remove that headache forever.

Learn more about the new 100-page Total Croatia information website.

If you would like to work with us in promoting your business, we would, of course, be delighted to hear from you on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

I hope you like Total Croatia 2.0 and find it useful - constructive criticism is always welcome. 

Prefer to keep you with the latest TCN news?

Eastern Croatia is presented among 10,000 exhibitors from all over the globe at the leading European tourism fair ITB in Berlin. In addition to ITB, which will be visited by almost 200,000 visitors this weekend, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has organised, in cooperation with the Croatian Embassy in Berlin, the presentation of the tourism potential of the Osijek-Baranja County at the Baden-Wurttemberg Representative Office. The county presented the tourist potential of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem with a film, songs and its ethno- and gastronomic offer, reports Lokalni.hr on March 9, 2019.

“Eastern Croatia is becoming a more desirable destination on the German market. Tourism is no longer just the sea and the sun. The Danube is an excellent base on which we can build an exceptionally high-quality ethno- and gastronomic offer. Vineyards, cycling routes, river cruises are just some of the opportunities offered by the Danube,” said County Prefect Ivan Anušić at the presentation.

“Although our focus is still on the Croatian tourists, Germany is also a market we need. Also, this is an excellent opportunity for us to learn from colleagues from other countries and share experiences,” said Tatjana Roth, head of the Department of Continental Tourism of Osijek-Baranja County.

According to HTZ director Kristijan Staničić, the HTZ and the government consider Slavonia as an undiscovered tourist gem. That is why they have announced additional investments in infrastructure that will enable eastern Croatia to have better transport connections. “We are in constant contact with the Osijek Airport, where we now cooperate with Wizzair, and I believe that we will intensify our cooperation with other airlines and tour operators with respect to Slavonia and the continental part of Croatia,” said Staničić.

The largest Bavarian tour operator, Selimir Ognjenović, the owner of the I. D. Riva Tours company, also spoke about the recognisability of Slavonia. He was among the first to offer Slavonia as a tourist destination to his clients.

“People from Dubrovnik asked me why Slavonia is so visible, can we talk about the coast a little bit? Now that the global tourism sector is sometimes accusing us that we have overdone certain tourism segments, especially on the coast, Slavonia demonstrates innovation and its tourist power, and I think that is great for the whole of Croatia. Last year, we had 890 people who travelled from Munich through our agency exclusively to Slavonia. Perhaps this is not too many in comparison with the millions of tourists who come, but I always say that we should treat each guest like they are the only one, because until the first and the second come, there will not be the third one and the millionth one. They are all ambassadors of continental tourism because, when they returned to Germany, they all said they wanted to visit Slavonia again. They often tell me that Slavonia is as beautiful as Bavaria was twenty years ago. That is what makes Slavonia unique,” said Ognjenović.

Translated from Lokalni.hr (reported by Suzana Lepan Štefančić).

More news about Slavonia can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, March 7, 2019 - A slow-down in bookings in early March registered abroad for Croatian destinations does not necessarily mean a weaker tourist season overall but it is a great challenge for the tourism sector that expects some partners to offer discounts for certain periods in the year in order to fill capacities particularly in May and September, according to first assessments coming from the ITB travel trade show in Berlin.

The 53rd ITB opened on Wednesday attracting more than 10,000 exhibitors from over 180 countries including Croatia, which is being promoted by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) and 20 more exhibitors - tourism companies and tourism boards at one stand.

There are also an additional ten Croatian exhibitors with their own stands including the Atlas and Adriatica.net Group, the City of Zadar and Zadar County, City of Split and Split-Dalmatia County and others. This year the City of Rijeka has its own stand promoting the European Capital of Culture 2020 project.

Southern Europe, where Croatia is located, has been experiencing changing trends in demand due to Turkey's return (on the market), which has recorded a current increase in bookings from Germany by more than 50% compared to the same period last year. However, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia are on a good route and due to group tours by Chinese and other tourists from distant markets. It is unclear still what Italy intends to do this year with bookings also decelerating. Due to a dropin bookings for Spain, that country has already announced actions and I believe that because of its uniqueness in the Mediterranean, Croatia will be able to fare well even without any discounts, the head of the European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations-ECTAA Michel de Blust said, after talks with Croatian exhibitors.

Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli and HTZ director Kristjan Staničić met with Sven Gorrissen, TUI Germany's manager for Croatia and Austria who told reporters that TUI was not concerned for this season in Croatia adding that he had noticed that this year guests were paying more attention to price.

In the situation when Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Greece are strongly approaching the German and other markets with strong marketing and popular prices, it is difficult not to expect Croatia to lower its prices or to offer discounts for certain periods in the year when interest is a little weaker.

We see that for May and September Croatian hotels and other providers need to consider discounts of 10% to 15% if they want to be competitive and be fully occupied, Gorrissen said.

HTZ's director for Germany, Romeo Dragicchio said that bookings for Croatia were better than for other countries and that partners in Germany had not complained about prices and in fact the most expensive accommodations were recording the highest bookings.

He added that tourists from northern Germany were showing an increased interest in Croatia with the introduction of new air routes and that at least ten new routes from Germany would be introduced this year.

More news about Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.

The beauty of nature in absolute peace – that is the Robinson-style accommodation and tourism. The Prigorje region around Sveti Ivan Zelina abounds in untouched nature, which is why there is an excellent potential for developing this latest trend in the tourist offer, reports Lokalni.hr on March 6, 2019.

The Hiža Dragec in Donje Orešje is the first registered facility for providing Robinson-Crusoe-style accommodation in the Sveti Ivan Zelina area. The town’s tourist offer is based on its heritage and tradition, with an emphasis on cultural landmarks, the rich gastronomic offer of local specialties and a varied wine selection, as well as the potential provided by rural, sports, hunting and fishing tourism.

The revitalization of Zelingrad, an important site of architectural heritage, is underway. It is a vital part of the plans to turn the Zelina Hills into a tourist excursion destination which already offers hikers numerous hiking, cycling and horseback riding trails.

There are also more and more private owners who are slowly turning their second homes and farmhouses into holiday homes and other forms of accommodation surrounded by beautiful landscapes. In 2015, the Tourist Board of Sveti Ivan Zelina had just two registered bed and breakfasts (with 39 beds in 18 separate accommodation units), and currently, it has 15 bed and breakfasts with 89 beds in 36 accommodation units.

In order to continue the trend of an increase in the number of private rentals, the Town of Sveti Ivan Zelina has made a decision to set the rental tax at the lowest allowed level, which is 150 kuna per bed. Exciting events such as the International knights' tournament, the Wine exhibition of continental Croatia which has a 50-year tradition, the Moto meetings and the Short film festival are continually bringing in a large number of participants and visitors.

The town of Sveti Ivan Zelina is located in the northeastern part of the Zagreb County and borders on the west with the City of Zagreb and the Krapina-Zagorje County, in the north with the Municipality of Bedenica and Varaždin County, in the east with the municipalities of Preseka, Rakovec and Brckovljani and the town of Vrbovec.

Today, the town of Sveti Ivan Zelina has 62 settlements and has 15,990 inhabitants (according to the 2011 census), of which 2,749 or 17% live in the main settlement itself, while others live in the surrounding areas.

The town was first mentioned in 1185.

More news about Sveti Ivan Zelina can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Translated from Lokalni.hr (reported by Hana Ivković).

ZAGREB, March 4, 2019 - Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli and the director of the Croatian Tourism Board (HTZ) Kristjan Staničić have said before departing to Berlin for the ITB travel trade show that they expect a similar number of German tourists this year, that is about three million, as in 2018.

The ITB Berlin, which takes place in the German capital from 6 to 10 March, brings together over 10,000 exhibitors from 190 countries, including Croatia.

The HTZ stand comprises 23 exhibitors – companies and local HTZ offices – and Staničić has said that the tourist statistical data in the first two months give rise to optimism.

Thus, in January and February, the e-visitor system registered 485,000 tourist arrivals in Croatia, which was 9% more compared to the corresponding period in 2018. The overnight stays rose 4% to 1.3 million.

Although at the global level a rise in the tourist industry is expected, some of the regions have more cautious forecasts ahead of the ITB Berlin show than in the past few years.

Such caution has been prompted by deceleration in bookings for the summer season, notably in Mediterranean destinations.

For instance, Spain and Portugal have experienced a decline in bookings, whereas in Croatia a slowed down rate of bookings has been noticed.

In this context, Minister Cappelli has called for patience. "I know that there is some nervousness due to deceleration in bookings on foreign markets. However, we should be patient and be recognisable on markets by quality without lowering prices," he said.

Deceleration in bookings is also due to the fact that there are now more capacities on the market than two or three years ago when migrants and political crises were in Turkey, Greece, Egypt and other north African countries, which are now more stable and tourists have now more options to choose, the minister says. He also believes that last-minute booking will be more pronounced this year.

More news on the Croatian tourism can be found in the Travel section.