November 29, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Korean Air cancels Seoul-Zagreb in 2021.

Ex Yu Aviation reports that there will be nothing of Korean Air’s Seoul-Zagreb service next year, as the sale of tickets on the seasonal line have been discontinued. The Korean national airline had announced prior that they would resume flights on this line on March 30, 2021, which would run three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This service was scheduled to be in operation until October 30, 2021, and was to use Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

The service was to offer 50.034 seats and 93 (one-way) flights next year.

The Seoul-Zagreb service did not work this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has particularly affected Korean Air since the virus ripped through Asia in January. 

Due to its hardships, at the beginning of November, Korean Air revealed it is planning to merge with competitor Asiana Airlines in a deal worth $1.6 billion. 

“The new integrated Korean flag carrier will rise to one of the top ten most competitive players in the global aviation industry, laying the groundwork to cope with the coronavirus crisis with efficiency and to leap forward in the post-pandemic era”, the airline said of the merger which should take two years. 

Korean Air initially launched the year-round service between the two capitals back in September 2018, worked as a  triangle routing from Seoul - Zagreb - Zurich - Seoul in the 2018/19 winter season, and became seasonal in 2019. Because Korean Air handled 43, 123 passengers between the two cities in 2019, the airline had plans to increase its summer capacity this year from the Airbus A330 to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

But not all hope is lost. Korean Air is offering alternatives from Seoul to Zagreb from other European cities, like Frankfurt, Paris, and Zurich. 

Low-cost carrier T’Way Air also announced plans to operate flights to Croatia when conditions are met. They have so far received the necessary permits from the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to operate up to four flights a week to Croatia. 

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November 28, 2020 - As new COVID-19 restrictions come into effect all over Croatia, Krunoslav Capak puts a figure on fines for not wearing masks in public transport. 

The Director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak, has revealed at the Future Z health congress that the fines for not wearing masks will be between 100 and 200 euros, reports Index.hr.

"When we introduced those measures a little over 10 days ago, our curve started to level out, we had one slight rise in the curve and we thought it was the peak. However, last week our number started to rise sharply again. We do not have projections of the figures, but we expect that the trend will be reversed," Capak replied, commenting on the question of how long he thinks stricter epidemiological measures will be in place.

"The text is ready for changes to the law, except for how much the fines will be. I don't know how accurate the fines are, but we think it should be 100 to 200 euros for not wearing masks in public transport, for example," Capak revealed.

"We think that the measures must be as they are, they can only be stricter in the counties. By no means more lenient," he commented on the disagreement of some counties with the measures.

All bars and restaurants in Croatia are closed from today until December 21. Many other facilities are also closed or have severe restrictions on numbers. Others, such as places of worship, remain open. 

For a full list of the closures and new restrictions, check out this TCN article after they were announced. 

For the latest updates on coronavirus developments in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

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November 27, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as British Airways returns to Zagreb for the holidays, and Croatia Airlines boosts traffic on the same route.

Croatian Aviation reports that British Airways will briefly re-establish the London Heathrow-Zagreb route at Christmas and New Year. Croatia Airlines is also increasing the number of flights on this route.

This year, British Airways very often changed its schedule on the London-Zagreb route. Recall, the route was suspended in September until the end of October, then it operated for a very short time, only two weeks, and stopped traffic to Zagreb again.

By mid-November, the company had offered a significant number of direct flights between Zagreb and London from mid-December. However, the closer we get to the announced flights, the more significantly the airline reduced the number of departures on this line, just in time for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

British Airways has confirmed that this line will operate from December 20 to January 5 and will perform only 5 return flights on this route, far less than originally planned. The London Heathrow - Zagreb - London Heathrow line will operate on December 20, 22, and 29. Only two flights are available in January - on Sunday, January 3, and Tuesday, January 5.

Departures in both directions on all announced British Airways flights are very well filled.

The question remains as to why British Airways did not sell more departures on this route in time for the holidays when all flights were well booked almost a month in advance. The airline has time to open additional sales on certain departures, but so far it has done just the opposite, and instead reduced the number of flights to Zagreb for the upcoming holidays.

Croatia Airlines, which operates once a week (Monday) between Zagreb and London, is offering a second flight a week on this route from mid-December. This is a good move by the national airline, which is obviously following what the competition is doing on this route and opening sales on time.

From December 14 to January 10, there are 4302 seats for sale between London and Zagreb.

In addition to flights on Mondays, Croatia Airlines has direct flights on sale on December 19, 23, and 30. In January, flights are available on Saturdays, on January 2 and 9.

Croatian Aviation adds that anyone who wants to spend the holidays in Croatia will have a rather difficult time organizing this trip, given that flights between London and Zagreb will be quite rare for this time of year. Apart from British Airways and Croatia Airlines, there is no doubt that a large number of passengers will travel with other airlines, with stops, for example, in Amsterdam and Warsaw.

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November 26, 2020 - Advent in Zagreb 2020 is scheduled to kick off on Saturday. A comprehensive look at a largely online event with a festive Croatian background. 

As the craziest year in the history of tourism enters its final weeks, there is one major event in the Croatian calendar to go - Advent. 

Advent tourism in Croatia is a relatively new thing. Until relatively recently, apart from a few stalls in some cities, it was not really celebrated as a tourism spectacle. That all changed several years ago, when Zagreb decided to expand its Advent offer from a small event on the main square to a more comprehensive offer all over the city. 

The results were spectacular. Rather than hibernating for the winter months, Zagreb locals delighted in the lively spirit of Advent in Zagreb, welcoming hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over Europe and beyond. So successful was the initiative that Zagreb was voted best Christmas market in Europe three years in a row. The Advent promotion has helped the Croatian capital emerge from the shadows of more famous capital city neighbours such as Vienna, Prague and Budapest, to become a desirable destination in its own right. Lonely Planet even named Zagreb the best destination in Europe in 2017. 

So what of Advent in Zagreb 2020? Would it go ahead?

With such an unpredictable situation regarding the pandemic, any decision to proceed would have to include flexibility, and it is clear that Advent in Zagreb 2020 would look a LOT different to previous years.

And so it will. Advent in Zagreb 2020 will go ahead from Saturday until New Year's Day, but if you are expecting to huddle around mulled wine watching the ice skating or sampling local sausages from the wooden stalls usually dotted around the centre, you will be disappointed. 

Instead, the authorities have decided on a strategy which brings out the beauty of festive Zagreb, while using technology to promote the art and cultural treasures of the festive season, while providing enticing content to allow visitors to enjoy the city. With a close eye on the epidemiological situation, this year's event has several novelties and is expected to attract a considerable participation all over the globe through its online streaming. By preserving the magic of the city at this special time of year, the memories of Advent in Zagreb will be fresh, with the sincere hope that it will be close to business as usual for Advent in Zagreb 2021. 

The airlines seem to expect Advent visitors. As TCN has reported in recent days, several airlines have announced a resumption or increase in flights to Zagreb during the festive period, with Turkish Airlines alone selling 5,700 seats. Qatar and Austrian have also announced plans, making the Croatian capital quite accessible for those who want to visit. 

So how will Advent in Zagreb 2020 look like, and what is there to look forward to?

"Every year we try to enrich our Advent with novelties and we have decided that this year, which is extraordinary by all parameters, will not be an exception," explained Zagreb Tourist Board Director, Martina Bienenfeld. "So we prepared the Light of Advent project where we, with 10 institutions in the Upper Town, will decorate their windows in the holiday spirit, and we invite tenants and everyone else to become part of this initiative. Namely, with this project we want to begin a warm story, bring positive emotions, create a sense of community and, ultimately, encourage our fellow citizens to get involved and thus give their contribution to Advent.

"Another novelty is the Zagreb Nativity Scene, more precisely the online exhibition of photographs of Christmas nativity scenes taken from 2007 to 2020, and there is also an interactive augmented reality exhibition Virtual Christmas Windows. This exhibition will bring a touch of Christmas atmosphere using animated motifs of this year's Advent in Zagreb, and will be set in 20 locations in the city in parks, squares, and large open spaces."

Music will be a core theme of Advent in Zagreb 2020, with no less than 9 separate music programmes and 95 concerts in all. These will take place in concert halls and outdoors, with the appropriate measures adhered to, as well as streamed online. The 9 programmes offer a diverse cultural choice - Evenings with Brahms; The Festival of Advent and Christmas Songs; Advent Classic Fest; Advent concerts of Zagreb Soloists; Advent concerts of the Zagreb Chamber Orchestra; Zagreb Harp Festival; Advent under the Lantern; Concert from the Christmas Balconies; and Advent Postcards from Zagreb. You can check out the full musical programme here. 

There will also be plenty of cultural attractions, with something for all the family. These include the Ilica Project: Q'ART Community Festival, bringing the best from local craftsmen, exhibitors, music and other programmes.  The 10th exhibition of the Association of Friends of Croatian Nativity Scene at the Ethnographic Museum presents 42 nativity scenes from Zagreb and all over Croatia. 

Zagreb is a city of museums, and Advent at the Museum will see some special prices and offers from some of its best-known museums. Santa Claus will be putting in appearances at the Museum of Broken Relationships, the Museum of Illusions and the Zagreb Chocolate Museum. Perhaps the most intriguing museum travel experience is to be had at the recently-opened Museum of Hangovers, where one can take an alcoholic tour of Advent drinks around the world, while those yearning for memories of a pre-pandemic world should check out the Zagreb 80s Museum, which will be offering both a holiday atmosphere akin to that bygone era, including mulled wine prepared to a recipe of the time.  If you manage to visit all five museums (all of which are at a discounted price), you will go into a prize draw. 

The Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall will be holding a number of concerts, while the Theatre Mala Scena will be providing entertainment from the stage, pending the epidemiological situation. 

There is also lots to enjoy for the little ones, One of the most intriguing is called Fairytale to Go: Little Red Riding Hood, Wolf and Grandma, which will take place weekly in the forest close to Ribnjak Park. The classic fairytale is told through headphones as participants walk through the woods, hearing the perspectives of each character in the story.  But this is a very active enactment of the famous fairytale, and it comes with karate practice with the wolf, flower painting with Little Red Riding Hood, and helping Grandma tell the story of the long-nosed princess and the dragon. And when the kids are finished with that, head to the Mini Train Museum and the Backo Mini Express, the fifth-largest model railway in Europe. More details on all these programmes here.  

Advent in the Croatian capital has had a very active element to it for a number of years now - the Zagreb Advent Run. This year's race will necessarily be different due to the situation, but that does not mean any less fun. Indeed, this year's race will be run over three days, with participants able to choose the route they want, finishing at the Westin Hotel, dressed as usual in the seasonal costumes of Santa,  fairies, elves and other Xmas superstars. Run as much as you feel - more details here. 

Due to the current situation, the usual crowds will be absent, which will make Advent in Zagreb 2020 all the more special. The city will be festively decorated, adding a little more romance to a quiet stroll through its parks and squares. A great new addition to this year's event is the introduction of AR, with some 20 squares and parks brought to life with engaging content using augmented reality via a specialist app. Learn more about the Virtual Christmas Windows app from Equinox XR.

A responsible approach to the current situation means that the traditional little wooden stalls serving mulled wine and culinary specialities will not be on show this year, and the gastronomic choices in general are very dependent on the latest COVID-19 situation. Currently, it has been announced that bars and restaurants will be closed until December 21 - TCN will bring you the latest changes.   

Zagreb's hotels are open and waiting for your visit. Several have prepared seasonally-themed offers, details of which you can find here.

Advent in Zagreb 2020 will be unlike any other before or after. Not everything will go according to plan for sure, but one thing is certain - the city will once again look magical with its unique atmosphere. Come and enjoy it, either online on in person, before normal Advent service is restored next year. 

For the full Advent in Zagreb 2020 programme and further information, visit the official website.

For the latest news on the coronavirus situation, follow the dedicated section. 

November 26, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Austrian Airlines returns to Zagreb for the holiday season.

Croatian Aviation reports that Austrian Airlines will briefly resume operations on the Vienna-Zagreb route. During the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Austrian company will operate 14 flights between the capitals of Austria and Croatia.

Austrian Airlines has been a long-time user of Zagreb Airport and one of the biggest unpleasant surprises in this crisis year was the news that the Vienna-Zagreb route was interrupted.

Although the reason for the temporary departure from Zagreb is clear (drop in demand), the question remains how Austrian regularly operates to smaller destinations in the region, such as Pristina, Skopje and Sarajevo, and is also present in Belgrade.

The line will be in operation from December 18 to January 3, during which time Austrian Airlines will make 14 rotations between Vienna and Zagreb.

Direct flights will be available on the following days: Friday, December 18, Saturday, December 19, Sunday, December 20, Monday, December 28, Wednesday, December 30, Saturday, January 2, and Sunday, January 3. 

DashQ400 aircraft with a capacity of 76 seats in the Austrian Airlines fleet has been announced for all flights. A larger E195 aircraft with a capacity of 120 seats was announced for the flight on Sunday, December 20.

Austrian Airlines will offer 1,152 seats between Vienna and Zagreb in three weeks of operation.

After January 3, this line will be interrupted again, according to the airline's current plan, until March 1 next year, when Austrian should resume daily traffic between Zagreb and Vienna. Whether this will really happen will depend on the demand itself and the epidemiological situation.

Unlike other airlines (KLM, Eurowings and Edelweiss), Austrian will not introduce direct scheduled flights to coastal airports this winter.

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November 25, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Qatar Airways increases traffic to Zagreb in December.

Croatian AviationCroatian Aviation reports that Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar, will increase the number of weekly flights on the Doha - Zagreb route in December.

Qatar Airways currently operates on the Doha - Zagreb - Doha route only once a week, every Friday, on A320 aircraft. These are drastically fewer weekly flights as a direct result of weak demand caused by the global pandemic.

Last summer, Qatar Airways operated on this route as many as 14 times a week, and this summer the route to Dubrovnik was supposed to begin.

Qatar Airways stopped traffic to Zagreb during the pandemic, and the airline brought back the route on July 1 with three flights per week. Due to low demand, flights were suspended even during the summer season for two weeks, in August and September. Qatar has since stayed on one flight a week to Zagreb.

An extra flight on Wednesdays in December

The airline will briefly increase the number of weekly flights on this route. In addition to the flight on Friday, a flight is reintroduced on Wednesdays in December. Both flights will be operated weekly by A320 aircraft with a capacity of 132 seats in the carrier's fleet; 12 in business and 120 in economy class. The extra flight will operate according to the same schedule, with an afternoon departure from Zagreb Airport.

Doha 07:45 - 11:45 Zagreb 15:35 - 23:00 Doha

The temporary increase of Qatar Airways during the Christmas and New Year holidays is certainly a logical move by the company, considering that Croatian citizens will want to travel to Croatia at this time, and it is generally known that a large number of Slovenian citizens use this line.

From 1,188 to 2,376 available seats on this line in December

The question remains what Qatar Airways will do with the Zagreb route in January and February, or the traditionally bad months when demand is relatively low even under normal circumstances. The airline planned to connect the Zagreb line with Vienna, but that did not happen.

One thing is for sure - if Croatia's biggest markets, primarily from Asia, are reactivated in the summer flight schedule next year, Qatar Airways will certainly react by increasing the weekly frequencies on this route. A minimum of four flights a week should not be in question, especially when we take into account that Emirates will not fly to Zagreb next summer, and probably not Korean Air either.

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November 25, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Aegean returns to three Croatian airports next spring. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Greek national airline Aegean Airlines has announced its return to Croatian airports next year.

Aegean Airlines did not operate to Croatian airports this year. In the original plan, before the outbreak of the global pandemic, they planned to operate to Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, but all flights were canceled in April for this year. 

The airline then completely withdrew from selling all routes to Croatia for the summer flight schedule in 2021, so at one point, the Aegean Airlines return to Croatian airports was questionable. The worst-case scenario, however, will not materialize - the Greek airline has returned three routes for sale; from Athens to Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb.

In the peak of the 2021 summer season, Aegean Airlines announces 22 weeks of flights to and from Croatia!

On all routes to Croatia, Aegean Airlines is announcing aircraft from the A320 family, which will lead to an increase in capacity, given that in the summer flight schedule in 2019, a certain number of flights were operated by DashQ400 aircraft.

Athens - Zagreb

Aegean Airlines introduced the Athens-Zagreb-Athens route in May 2018, operating on it with the mentioned DashQ400 aircraft 3 times a week. Although the line was supposed to operate only in the summer flight schedule, the company left it in traffic in the winter as well, with two flights a week, except in January and February when it was briefly interrupted due to low demand. In the summer of 2019, this line operated four times a week, which was the plan for the summer of this year, but with larger aircraft from the A320 family.

Aegean Airlines has released tickets on this route for the summer of next year. It will be in operation from the very beginning of the summer flight schedule, on March 31, and the flights are on sale until the end of October, more precisely, on October 30, 2021.

On the route between Zagreb and Athens, two flights a week will be available, every Wednesday and Saturday, on A319 aircraft, which have a significantly higher capacity compared to the DashQ400 (144 versus 78 seats).

Thus, in the summer of 2021, Aegean Airlines will offer as many as 17,856 seats between Athens and Zagreb!

Although the capacity is significantly higher due to the change in aircraft type compared to 2019, while the number of weekly flights has been reduced, the total number of seats offered between the two capitals will be only slightly reduced. The planes will operate on this line in the morning. Arrival in Zagreb is planned at 09 hours and 5 minutes, and departure to Athens at 9 hours and 50 minutes.

Athens - Split

Aegean launched the line to Split in the summer of 2016 and has been systematically increasing its capacity ever since, mostly increasing the number of weekly flights. For example, in the summer of 2018, this line had four flights a week, while in the summer of 2019, a fifth flight was added. DashQ400 aircraft operated on the route.

In the summer of 2021, Aegean Airlines announces four flights a week on the Athens-Split-Athens route. The line will operate from May 18 to October 7, 2021, with A319 aircraft that have the already mentioned capacity of 144 passengers in the fleet of this carrier. 

Split and Athens will be connected by direct flights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; on Mondays and Fridays in the afternoon, and Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning.

Given that there is a change in the type of aircraft on this route, and consequently a significantly higher capacity on each flight to and from Split Airport, Aegean Airlines will have almost 24 thousand seats on sale in the summer of 2021!

Athens - Dubrovnik

Aegean introduced the line to Dubrovnik in the summer of 2015, continuously increasing the number of weekly flights from season to season, just as is the case with the line to Split. In the peak summer season in 2019, the line operated 5 times a week, with A320 and DashQ400 aircraft.

The Greek airline plans to restart this route as early as March 29, 2021, starting with two flights a week, Mondays and Saturdays. From May 20, the third flight is added weekly, every Thursday, and from June 4, flights on Fridays and Sundays.

Aegean will thus increase its capacity to Dubrovnik, considering that A319 and A320 aircraft were announced on the flights, while in the summer of 2019, smaller capacity aircraft - DashQ400 - also operated on the route.

The line to Dubrovnik will be reduced in the postseason. Namely, from September 30 to October 30, it should operate three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Aegean will monitor the status of bookings on all routes and, if necessary, react by increasing weekly flights in the next summer season, with Zagreb having the best chances for another flight per week.

In addition to a direct line to Athens, Aegean has a wide network of destinations throughout Greece in its fleet. Given that an increasing number of Croatian citizens spend their summer holidays in Greece, destinations such as Heraklion, Chania, Santorini, Karpathos, Rhodes, Kos, and others should be easily accessible again next summer!

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November 23, 2020 - Croatia hopes for pre-pandemic tourism revenues by 2023, and to reach the EU average of gross value added generated from tourism by 2026.

Turizam 24 reports that while we face the worst crisis since World War II, Europe and the world are already looking heavily at the 2021 tourist year. As the pandemic rages and more and more countries are re-entering lockdowns, few can even predict what the new tourist season will bring, but announcements of the vaccine’s arrival generally restore optimism and hope that the sector’s recovery will begin as soon as possible.

We should not forget the lesson of this summer - the fact is that people still have the need to travel, and it is only a matter of time before they decide to do it again. This year, many travel companies have survived on domestic tourists, and most analysts predict that will not change so soon.

First of all, there is the issue of security, which is the basis for any return of tourism, and secondly, it is clear to everyone that it will take a long time for air traffic to return to its old positions, and thus prices. Until then, airline tickets will certainly not be available as they were before the pandemic, and air destinations will be increasingly difficult to find.

Many changes have happened faster than could have been imagined, from digitalization to choosing an isolated holiday. Many recent analyzes suggest that tourism will not return to pre-corona levels until 2024.

Thus, the European Travel Commission ETC (European Travel Commission) in a new report entitled "European Tourism 2020 - Trends and Prospects" overlooked that the volume of travel to the level of 2019 will return only in 2024. ETC predicts that domestic travel will recover sooner, by 2022 or 2023. It is also Croatia's goal to restore pre-pandemic revenues by 2023.

"Our priority is to ensure that the tourism sector in Croatia returns to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, when it comes to revenues, and to reach the EU average in terms of gross value added from tourism by 2026," says Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac.

The minister once again pointed out that the pandemic had a strong impact on the travel industry and changed the paradigm of tourism this year, but also for next year.

"Following the trends, we focused on online promotion and services adapted to current circumstances that have enabled greater health safety of tourists. Croatia has shown that it can be a leader in innovation and the development of offers that represent the future of tourism.

Thus, for example, through the Enter Croatia website, we enabled tourists to enter the country faster and safer, and through digital platforms and social networks, we changed the way we communicate with tourists and presented the destination to the world in a different way. We can already say that next year one of the main motives or even travel conditions will be safety, so we will focus on quality and targeted information campaigns, which will ensure our visibility in the most important markets.

Until now, safety has been our brand, which we will continue to build and adapt to new conditions," said Brnjac.

She also reminded that Croatia will have twice as many funds available in the next seven years compared to the 2014-2020 budget - a total of at least 22 billion euros, of which the European Union (MFF) budget accounts for 12.7 billion euro. From the next generation EU Fund, Croatia can count on 9.4 billion euro, with most of that amount related to grants, while part of the funds will be through favorable credit lines.

"This is a great opportunity for us to recover and develop Croatian tourism, and the goal is to negotiate with the European Commission the best possible position for the tourism sector, whose current sensitivity may adversely affect the recovery of the entire economy,"  concluded the Minister of Tourism and Sports.

Veljko Ostojić, the director of the Croatian Tourism Association (HUT), revealed what can be expected in 2021.

"For next year it is still unfair to give any estimates in these unpredictable times. It is to be expected that it has the characteristics of last-minute reservations, an increase in online reservations, increased interest in higher category facilities that guarantee greater isolation of guests, and that the key criterion for choosing a destination will be security in the broadest sense. It is a theme that will mark the next, but also the upcoming season. The advantage of Croatia is that it is an auto-destination and in comparison with other countries it has a significantly smaller population. That will definitely be a significant attribute in the next year," Ostojić said.

As for the announcement of vaccines, he added that they certainly inspire optimism that tourism could begin to recover, in the second quarter, and begin to approach the figures before the pandemic in the second half of next year.

"But we still have to be careful and continuously monitor the situation so that we can make appropriate decisions regarding the market, but also the organization of work in accommodation facilities and destinations," said the HUT director.

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November 23, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Turkish Airlines is selling over 5,700 seats on the Istanbul-Zagreb route this December.

Croatian Aviation reports that in December, Turkish Airlines will operate four times a week on the Istanbul-Zagreb route.

The Turkish national airline has stabilized the number of operations to the Croatian capital, with four flights a week available since mid-September this year. 

In the last month of this year, Turkish Airlines will keep the same number of weekly flights as before, operating between Zagreb and Istanbul on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The B737-800 and A321 aircraft, which have a capacity of 151 and 188 seats, respectively, will operate on the route between Zagreb and Istanbul. Given the announced 17 flights between the two mentioned cities, Turkish will offer as many as 5,726 seats in both directions in December, which, given the current situation, is more than satisfactory.

Turkish Airlines currently offers daily flights to Zagreb from January 2021, but it is actually an old schedule that the airline has not yet revised. It is expected that the number of flights in the coming winter months will be reduced between three to four flights a week.

The Turkish airline operates regularly to Zagreb and there have been no ad-hoc flight cancellations on this route, given that there are no restrictions on travel to Turkey, and a number of people travel to Istanbul for a short vacation. 

Turkish Airlines continues to monitor the situation with the coronavirus pandemic. It is expected that in the spring of next year, the growth of demand will result in more weekly flights on this international route, with the possible return of this airline to Dubrovnik Airport.

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November 22, 2020 - Pula and Medulin have launched an offseason campaign to tempt travelers in the winter months. 

Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam writes that the Adriatic's inviting weather nearly 10 months out of the year should be enough incentive to extend the tourist season. Arena Hospitality Group made the first move and opened its campsites, the Arena Stoja camp and the Arena Grand Kažela camp, which are now open all year round, next to the already open Park Plaza Histria hotel in Pula.

But is decent weather enough? The real answer, says Rihelj, is quality content and a complete tourist product.

We must first be aware of two facts: That the motive for arrivals is the destination, not accommodation, and the second is that out of season, the motive for arrivals is not the sun and the sea, or swimming. So, the logical sequence is to ask is: Why should someone come to our destination out of season, if there is no swimming? What will they do? Are all facilities open after October 1?

According to the tourist lifestyle portal Turističke priče (Tourist Stories), the destinations Pula and Medulin have joined forces through the campaign "Warm Winter in Pula and Medulin".

The campaign presents the destination of the city of Pula and Medulin Riviera with all its accommodation facilities, but also natural and cultural riches, as ideal and safe places to spend a winter vacation.

Sports and recreation are ideal in this area due to the climate, but also sports infrastructure: 6 FIFA football fields in Medulin, 5,900-square-meter Pula city pool, two Pula stadiums with athletic tracks, tennis courts, trim tracks, and other sports facilities, announces the campaign, as well as various natural and cultural riches, bicycle and hiking trails and the unavoidable gastronomic offer.

However, it is necessary to complete the entire tourist, because the motive for coming is not accommodation. Thus, through a digital platform, a range of experiences and answers to the question "what can we do here?", segmented by interests, will be listed. It is also great to combine various events, congresses, and other events, but this is currently not possible due to the coronavirus epidemic. 

Rihelj adds that the support of the city through various subsidies is needed and that as many entrepreneurs as possible should get involved in the action, to have as many different activities in the destination as possible. Since everyone makes up the destination, and the synergy of all partners is crucial.

We should certainly praise the beginning of the campaign because the narrative and positioning that the destination is "alive" and still attractive for tourists in the winter months is extremely important.

Did you know that southern Istria has more than 2,300 hours of sunshine a year? 

Bravo to Pula and Medulin!

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