July 11, 2020 - Friday was the worst day in Croatia since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. 116 new cases were recorded, and new measures were announced.

Index.hr reported on Friday evening that a record 116 new coronavirus cases were reported over 24 hours. This is also the first time that the number of newly infected people reached triple digits in Croatia. Two people died.

There are currently 1,038 active cases in Croatia, according to a statement from the Headquarters. Among them, 104 patients are in hospital, of which four are on a ventilator.

Since February 25, when the first case of infection was recorded in Croatia, a total of 3,532 people have been reported to be infected with the coronavirus, of whom 117 have died and 2,377 have recovered.

There are currently 4,608 people in self-isolation. To date, a total of 91,486 people have been tested, of which 1,722 in the last 24 hours.

Headquarters announces a new decision

In accordance with the current epidemiological situation, the National Headquarters passed a Decision on the necessary measures for the organization of gatherings attended by more than 100 participants during the pandemic.

Organizers who expect more than 100 people at the gathering are obliged to submit a notification to the County Center 112 about the gathering no later than 48 hours before the planned start. Organizers who have registered a gathering following the Public Gathering Act are not required to submit this notice.

Also, all organizers of gatherings with more than 100 participants are obliged to keep written records of participants, so that in the event that someone is infected with the virus, the spread of the disease can be prevented as effectively as possible.

Control over the implementation of the decision, as well as compliance with the recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, will be carried out by teams composed of civil protection inspectors and police officers.

HZJZ has published the details of the instructions and rules for large gatherings, and you can read them HERE.

Update: On July 13th, the National Civil Protection Headquarters issued a clarification of their measure of mandatory mask use in Croatia, in which they listed the groups of people who are not obligated to wear masks. Those groups include:
- children under the age of two,
- children between the ages of two and before school-age, if they exhibit strong resistance towards wearing a mask,
- children should wear masks for a limited period of time, up to an hour or two,
- people with mental health issues, where their mental health problems cause strong resistance towards wearing a mask or inability to remove it on their own,
- people communicating with hearing-impaired persons, who need to lip-read to communicate, as well as hearing-impaired persons themselves
- people with breathing problems caused by existing chronic diseases or conditions,
- people in an altered state of consciousness, or while unconscious,
- everyone else who is unable to remove the mask from their face without someone else's help.

Bozinovic: We will certainly introduce stricter measures at the border

Chief of the National Headquarters Davor Bozinovic explained to Dnevnik Nova TV the latest measures anti-pandemic measures and commented on Friday's record high cases.

“I can’t rule out that there won’t be some approximate number tomorrow, maybe even higher,” he said.

"As for border crossings, we will certainly tighten measures, some will have to go into a two-week self-isolation or come with a test that shows they are not infected. This applies to third countries, BiH, Serbia ... Students studying will have to go through self-isolation," he said.

If you go to a wedding in Belgrade, you don't have to go into self-isolation because we are EU citizens, and Bozinovic says that these are the recommendations of the European Commission.

"The introduction of self-isolation for passengers from Serbia and BiH is the only rational measure," Bozinovic replied.

From the beginning of the week, mandatory masks in stores

Masks in stores will be mandatory from the beginning of next week, and Bozinovic says it will be an obligation. “It doesn’t have to be medical masks, but I repeat, autumn could be a more serious challenge, and then the measures could be a little tighter,” he said.

Guests in catering facilities will not have to wear masks, i.e., they will not be mandatory. They will be mandatory for staff.

“If a gap is maintained, the virus is powerless here, but where close contacts occur, it is a situation where the virus is spreading fast and in that sense, we have made recommendations today because they are our main hotspots,” he said.

Asked if the measures should have been tightened before, he replied: "This is a long struggle, someone says up to two years. Any measure that means closing an activity, the question is whether you will open in the winter, when the conditions are even more difficult. This is not at all easy," he noted, adding that they plan to return to daily National Press conferences.

Markotic: With large gatherings, people can endanger those around them

"This is something that is dangerous. Trends say that we must be as responsible as possible and start tightening measures," said the director of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" Alemka Markotic for Dnevnik, answering the question about how she received Friday's news that we, for the first time, exceeded the number of one hundred new patients in one day.

When asked which of the measures on the table will be introduced first, Markotic said that the gatherings of over 100 people would be accompanied by a series of stricter measures and instructions and there will be controls.

"The most important thing is for people to understand that we had an ideal situation that we can restore if they adhere to simple measures. Gathering large numbers of people can endanger those around them," she said.

She also spoke about extinguishing new hotspots that have mostly spread in recent days from large private gatherings.

"Our health service has worked well, it has brought many hotspots under control, but not only the civil protection system and the police can operate alone. Everyone else needs to work together. The virus is there, the disease is there, it can be very dangerous and cause large numbers. If it increases, it is to be expected that there will be serious illnesses among the younger ones as well, and stricter measures will have to be taken - reducing the number of people who can gather, stricter controls will be introduced, and wearing masks will be introduced in shopping malls. It is for Croatia and for the tourists who come; and there are practically no sick people among the tourists, who are obviously behaving extremely responsibly," said Markotic.

The director of the Civil Protection of the Republic of Croatia, Damir Trut, spoke for RTL about the new measures and their implementation.

When asked when the measures on mass gatherings will take effect and how the police and inspectors will check who is adhering to them, he said:

"The decision has been approved and will take effect on Monday, so everyone has time to prepare and report all gatherings they are obliged to. So from 100 people onwards. And that inspectors can make a plan to monitor the gatherings. What is prescribed will be monitored for such gatherings. That list is important if there is an infection so that it is easier to find contacts. Basically, everything that has always been prescribed and if we have adhered to it, this would not have happened."

He adds that masks could be mandatory indoors.

"That's right, we are talking about introducing masks in all enclosed spaces. As we have introduced in public transport and it has proved to be good. We must all be aware that we must control ourselves and be the ones who adhere to the measures. There is no control that can control 4.5 million people in Croatia. We need to be aware that this is a way to protect ourselves from infection, how to stay healthy and how to protect others. "

He says that Croats from BiH will not have to isolate themselves.

The coronavirus has been spreading rapidly across the country in recent days. Weddings proved to be significant hotspots. About 15 people became infected at one graduation celebration in Kutina. Today, it was reported that four members of the band who played there were also infected.

In Zadar, the hospital is practically closed.

In the area of ​​Zadar County, there are 14 newly infected people with coronavirus, and out of that number 12, a wedding was held in Zadar last weekend, while two people became infected somewhere else, the County Civil Protection Headquarters reported.

Among the new patients, the statement said, is a health worker from the Zadar General Hospital who became infected outside the hospital, and ten doctors and three nurses are in self-isolation.

As 057info reported, the anesthesiologist of the Zadar General Hospital, indirectly connected to the wedding, was infected.

"I can confirm that due to special epidemiological circumstances, only emergency operations and scheduled operations for malignant patients will be performed until further notice. All patients will be taken care of and there is no reason for concern," hospital director Zeljko Culina told 057info.

The Zadar Civil Protection Headquarters was informed about the situation in the Zadar hospital, and the director informed Minister Vili Beros about the situation. If necessary, doctors from other cities will be temporarily hired to perform surgical procedures in the Zadar hospital, reports 057info.

The total number of infected people in the Zadar area is now 36, and as many as 22 are related to last week's wedding.

In Zagreb, the source of the infection is unknown in 13 people

There are 35 new cases in the City of Zagreb, 22 are contacts of already infected people, and the source of the infection is still unknown for 13.

There are a lot of new cases in Osijek-Baranja

Out of a total of 153 samples that were tested for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours in the Osijek-Baranja County, as many as 20 were positive. Most (12) newly positive people are from Đakovo, seven from Višnjevac and one from Feričani. All contacts are already registered patients with coronavirus.

At the Clinical Hospital Center Osijek, two people are on a ventilator, and a total of 22 patients are being monitored.

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

ZAGREB, July 10, 2020 - Croatia will remain on Slovenia's yellow list for the time being, it was concluded after a meeting on Friday of the two countries' prime ministers, Janez Jansa and Andrej Plenkovic respectively, at which they agreed to step up the exchange of information in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The two officials said they had a successful meeting focusing solely on the epidemiological situation in the two countries and measures adopted by their governments in the fight against the virus.

The meeting was held in Otocec ob Krki, Slovenia.

Jansa said that he was glad about the measures which Croatia was introducing to contain the epidemic and which it was applying on the EU's external borders, as well as about the fact that it was preparing a mobile application to track the disease which Plenkovic said would be ready in about ten days.

The two countries' epidemiologists and institutions have been exchanging information and experience and now we have agreed to cooperate even more closely on a daily basis, Jansa said.

"Only coordinated action can yield results," the Slovenian PM said, stressing the importance of cooperation at the expert and political level.

The Croatian prime minister said that Croatia's seven coastal counties were in a green zone, "which is a message of confidence and safety to all Slovenian tourists."

According to Croatia's eVisitor system, 92,000 Slovenians were staying in Croatia on Friday.

Jansa said that the two countries had similar experience and information on environments that are the most dangerous in terms of the spreading of the disease but that according to their experience, the tourism sector was not among them.

He said that he was glad to learn that in Croatia a mobile application was being prepared that would enable the tracking of potential contacts of already infected persons, which, he said, was the crucial instrument in enabling all activities to resume, including in the summer time, when people go on holidays.

"It is good that our measures to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus are converging because that will make the epidemiological situations in both countries converge," said Plenkovic.

As for the possibility that Slovenia could put Croatia on a so-called red list of risky countries with a large number of new infections and a poor epidemiological situation and the related media speculation, Plenkovic said, answering a reporter's question, that Slovenia had its own criteria and mathematical calculations.

"It is up to us to slow down the rate of spreading and the number of infections," he said.

Plenkovic would not talk about stricter controls on the border with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying he would inform the national COVID-19 response team of the matter when he returns to Croatia.

The two prime ministers agreed to be in touch on a daily basis with regard to COVID-19.

"It is only by joining forces that we can achieve success," Jansa said, adding that preventing infection was the most important in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The three magical words are hygiene, disinfection and distance, said Plenkovic.

The current epidemiological situation was the sole topic of today's meeting and other topics, including border arbitration, were not discussed.

"There are topics that can wait and there are those that cannot," said the Slovenian PM.

July 10, 2020 - Norway has published a list of red and green countries, or countries that are safe or unsafe for travel during the coronavirus pandemic. Croatia is on the list of 'red' countries.

Index.hr reports that from July 15, for the next 14 days, Norwegians will be able to travel without restrictions to several European countries, such as Greece, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, which are listed among the 'green' countries. They will be able to travel to those countries on vacation and return without having to self-isolate, according to Norwegian Standard.

Croatia among the red countries

There are only six countries from the EU / EEA / Schengen area for which the quarantine rule applies, i.e., countries that require self-isolation for Norwegians on their return.

This applies to Bulgaria, Croatia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Hungary.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health will issue new assessments approximately every 14 days on which countries meet the epidemiological criteria.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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July 10, 2020 - The travel information provided by this website and the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community is helping Americans travel to Croatia. And not everyone is happy. 

I had a phone call from CBS News a couple of days ago. They were researching a follow-up to the New York Times story on where Americans could travel freely to this summer. Croatia was the only country in the EU which was on the list, and one of the few in all Europe where Americans could visit at all and also without  any testing/quarantine requirements.

I smiled to myself when I took the call, just as I smiled when I saw the New York Times story. For while many saw this as breaking news, Americans have actually been free to enter Croatia as tourists since May 11, as has anyone else on the planet who could get to a Croatian border and have proof of paid accommodation (official statistics show that 1,853 Americans entered Croatia in June). Without any requirement for testing or self-isolation in Croatia (the quarantine rules on returning to the home country after Croatia are obviously varied - and subject to change).

Croatia relies on tourism for 20% of its GDP, and for the world to realise after two months via one of the biggest global media that Croatia was open to Americans says a lot about the way Croatia has communicated its message. 

To say nothing of the many Americans who were refused boarding at American airports during that time because airlines said that they could not go to Croatia. 

I have had a LOT of criticism for publishing clear, transparent and accurate travel advice about how Americans can come to Croatia currently, as well as (but far less) positive communications from people who have found the advice in TCN articles and the community feedback in the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community invaluable. Several have stated that they would have cancelled the trip without the guidance and feedback from the community, while others have said that they felt bold enough to try after reading the advice and testimonials.

But why is TCN helping Americans to come to Croatia during a pandemic, given the epidemiological situation in the United States?

One thing I have learned over the years is that there are certain things that it is better not to take public sides on as a portal. Brexit, Tito, was Tesla a Croat or a Serb,that kind of thing. 

And so too with corona, and the delicate subject of health v tourism and the economy. I have my private view, just as other TCN writers do (and I have no idea what those are), but as a portal, I decided very early on that we would report the news as factually and accurately as possible, keeping comment and opinion to a minimum. 

Regarding providing information to help Americans come to Croatia and perhaps bring more cases of corona, my position is this. 

I don't make the decisions on who can, and who cannot enter Croatia, or whether tourism is more important than fighting the pandemic, in the same way that I don't decide if we should wear masks on public transport or limit gatherings to a certain number of people. 

But I do report on those things, putting them out there as simply and transparently as possible, so that people can be informed. 

If people are informed, they can make better decisions and perhaps not invest in a plane ticket and holiday, only to be denied boarding. 

If people are informed and they don't like or agree with the policies, they can address that concern to the authorities. 

Here is the situation today (and it has been this way since May 11, effectively).

Anyone who can make it to a Croatian border with proof of paid accommodation will be allowed to enter Croatia, with no test or self-isolation requirement - EU/EEA countries can just come. 

Although Croatia is in the EU, it is not in the Schengen zone. This means that you CAN TRANSIT through a Schengen airport if you are flying straight through from the USA and anywhere else. (Please note that this applies to ONE transit only, we have had several reports of two transits through Schengen airports not being allowed). This is how you do it. 

The message is clear - Croatia wants tourists as a priority. They have just done an incredibly bad job at communicating this simple message. The fact that CBS News is contacting me after joining the Viber community and concluded our chat with a hearty thanks that everything is finally very clear, is one proof of that. 

Croatia's strategy is very different from other neighbouring countries, who also want tourism, but not at any cost, it seems. 

Americans and many others cannot currently visit Montenegro, for example. Montenegro has made a decision that it wants tourism, but it wants to put restrictions on tourists, depending on their country of origin and its epidemiological situation. Tourists from most countries can come, some require proof of a recent negative test, others are refused entry or must undergo 14 days of self-isolation. The list is constantly updated according to the situation in other countries. 

Montenegro is not in the EU, of course, but Slovenia is. Slovenia also wants tourism, but not at any cost, and the Slovenians too have introduced a traffic light system of entry, with Croatia currently on amber (see the Total Slovenia News report - What Do the Green, Yellow & Red Lists Mean for Entering Slovenia During the Corona Crisis?).

So Croatia clearly has a different policy than its neighbours and tourism competitors. Whether that is right or wrong is not for me to say or have an opinion on. This has been an INCREDIBLY confusing time for tourists who want to have a summer holiday. Should they be even travelling at all during a pandemic? Again, that is not for me to say or have an opinion on. 

Transparency is what I think is required so that people can completely understand the situation, and transparency is what TCN is trying to deliver, albeit in very challenging circumstances. For those who don't agree with the decisions being taken, take it up with the decision-makers. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

July 10, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb and Brac. 

Croatian Aviation reports that German national airline Lufthansa launched traffic on the Munich-Zagreb route in early July, only three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but will soon increase the number of weekly flights on this route.

Lufthansa will increase the number of weekly flights between Zagreb and Munich from July 27. Namely, from the mentioned date, Lufthansa will operate 5 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays) on this line.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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Croatia Airlines operates on the same route every day, departing from Zagreb in the afternoon, and from July 21, they have a second daily flight on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

From July 27, Croatia Airlines should have two departures per day on this route every day of the week (a total of 14 flights per week), which, together with Lufthansa, provides 19 flights per week on this route.

This is still a smaller number of flights and seats offered compared to the period before the coronavirus crisis, given that Lufthansa also operated twice a day in the summer flight schedule on this route. Still, the company is likely to increase frequencies in August on this line further.

Lufthansa does not currently plan to launch the Frankfurt-Zagreb route, but in cooperation with Croatia Airlines, it offers connections to its network through a code-share agreement, as well as direct flights to this German city.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that German charter company Sundair announced the introduction of regular charter lines between Frankfurt and Brac from mid-July this year.

The Frankfurt-Brac line will run twice a week, every Monday and Friday, starting on July 17. Charter flights should be maintained on this route until the end of the summer flight schedule, on October 23 this year.

A319 aircraft have been announced on the route, which has between 150 and 156 seats in the fleet of this carrier.

We previously announced that Croatia Airlines would also introduce the A319 aircraft on this route, and thus perform charter flights to Linz and Graz.

July 9, 2020 - In the first six months of 2020, 1.6 million tourists came to Croatia and achieved 7.6 million overnight stays - about 30% of last year's result for the same period. Most guests are in the northern Adriatic, and the least in Croatia's southern parts, or Dalmatia. However, things are starting to change. 

"In Split-Dalmatia County, the beginning of June was not promising, but now June is at around 20%, meaning 485,000 overnight stays. And if we look at the first six months - then we are at 19%, which would mean 785,000 overnight stays. In this situation, we are relatively satisfied with this data," said Josko Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, for Studio 4 HTV. 

Dalmacija Danas reports that a reason for the unpopularity of Dalmatia for tourists this year, compared to, for example, Istria, is distance.

"Going to Dalmatia is a little different than going to Istria on a weekend or similar. The shorter the distance, the easier it is to get there," Stella said, adding that the situation has improved with the opening of more airlines at the Split Airport.

"Specifically, last weekend, we had 10,000 passengers, and the whole of June at the Split airport, there were 28,000 passengers. That tells you how big the jump is now," Stella said.

He added that more than 40 new direct airlines had been announced.

"Most importantly, we will have England, or Luton from London, a daily line, so we expect 200,000 passengers through July, which is not at the level of last year's 700,000 passengers, but it is a really big shift, because we expect even more passengers to come by land or car," Stella said.

That makes a big difference between this year’s first six months and the first five days of July.

"The first five days of July, we had 400,000 overnight stays. Compared to 785,000 overnight stays in the first six months. See what the difference is. That makes the figure for July 40%, so it can be seen that these few days are a significant jump in Dalmatia," said Stella.

There are problems with reservations and cancellations, because, as he says, European countries are urged not to travel, that is, to travel only within the borders of their countries.

"Until this situation is completely resolved, until Europe is united on this issue - there will always be problems with cancellations. But they are arriving and occupancy is rising," Stella said.

From July 17 to 19, he said, a group of 40 journalists and agents from Germany are coming to the Makarska Riviera.

"Also, we as the County Tourist Board, in cooperation with the Tourist Board of Sibenik-Knin, Zadar and the Croatian Tourist Board - are organizing the arrival of journalists by car from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic - precisely so they can see how safe we are, how easy it is to get here, the condition of our tourism and how safe we actually are. That is why we are organizing this study trip for journalists and agents," Stella said, adding:

"All these actions are aimed at as many tourists as possible, but let's not forget: everything I say, this big plus, it can all change in one day. We must all be responsible: both tourists and hosts and citizens - and do everything to minimize the risk, to follow all instructions, to be careful, to keep our distance, masks and everything else that is needed."

Many believe that lower prices would attract more guests, but of course, some do not agree and are keeping higher prices.

"We as a tourist board do not go with these recommendations, because we believe that the market makes its own and it can be seen that the entire Mediterranean is moving in the direction of putting pressure on lower prices - of course, not in every type of accommodation and not in every destination," Stella said.

As an example, he mentioned the Makarska Riviera, where the prices of private accommodation are reduced by 20 to 30%, and everyone is more or less satisfied and capacity is filled with these prices. In contrast, some luxury accommodation is reduced minimally or not at all.

"But in general, yes, there is a reduction in prices throughout the Mediterranean," Stella told HTV.

He also said that all the big hotels that have been closed so far are slowly starting to open.

"Because they see that an increasing number of guests are coming and they see that they could still have more than we expected from this season. Of course, it’s far from those numbers, from the records that were in 2019 and the like," Stella concluded.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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July 8, 2020 - The New York Times published a list of countries US citizens can travel to, with or without COVID-19 restrictions. Croatia is on it.

In a piece titled 'I'm a U.S. Citizen. Where in the World Can I Go?', NY Times writer Karen Schwartz has listed the countries that were open to citizens as of early July, or are expected to open soon.

"Even as many countries remain off-limits to American visitors because of the high rate of coronavirus within the United States, about two dozen others have started to welcome, and in some cases woo, U.S. citizens to come spend their tourist dollars. Still, would-be vacationers generally face a host of conditions and a lot of travelers beware.

The U.S. State Department continues its Global Level 4 Health Advisory, which cautions against international travel because of the pandemic. However, it is also posting country-specific information as restrictions loosen.

Getting there is only part of the equation. Countries have their own Covid-19 mitigation measures that might include curfews or curtailed activities and services; most standard travel insurance policies won’t cover medical or travel expenses related to the coronavirus; and borders can close and flights be canceled with little warning, stranding people in foreign countries," Schwartz writes before listing the counties in alphabetical order. 

Croatia is among the countries currently allowing US citizens to enter.

July 8, 2020 -  The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb.

Croatian Aviation reports that Croatia Airlines and KLM currently operate on the Zagreb - Amsterdam route, and both companies offer an adequate number of flights between the two capital cities. 

Croatia Airlines operates on this route every day, departing from Zagreb to the capital of the Netherlands in the morning, which allows passengers numerous connections via the airport in Amsterdam.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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Earlier this month, the Dutch airline KLM also re-established traffic on the line from Amsterdam to Zagreb, which flies only three times a week in July, in the afternoon, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

As of Tuesday, July 14, Croatia Airlines will offer another additional flight per week in the reservation calendar, every Tuesday, departing from Zagreb in the afternoon. A total of 11 flights are available between Zagreb and Amsterdam daily, in the morning, and the second flight on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

It is to be expected that KLM will increase the number of flights on this route from the beginning of August. As of the beginning of next month, as many as 15 daily flights should be available on this route.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation previously reported that due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and reduced demand, SAS does not plan to launch numerous seasonal routes to Croatia from Scandinavia in this year's summer flight schedule.

SAS already operates on several lines to Croatia, from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm to Split, and from Copenhagen to Pula.

The company has no plans to launch flights to Dubrovnik in July, and it is almost certain that many other routes will also not be in this year's summer flight schedule.

Numerous lines to Split have been canceled

In the summer flight schedule, SAS operated from as many as 9 destinations to Split, while this year only 3 previously mentioned lines will be in traffic.

The company does not plan to launch lines from Tromso, Harstad, Alesund, Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Aarhus and Gothenburg to Split this year. However, from most of the mentioned destinations, it is possible to travel with one transfer via Copenhagen, Oslo or Stockholm, also with SAS.

Lines from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm to Dubrovnik are also not on sale and will most likely not be available this year.

Pula Airport and SAS

Pula has been connected to Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger, Gothenburg and Copenhagen in previous summer seasons, but SAS operates only on the line from Copenhagen to Pula and does not plan to launch other lines this summer.

Zadar - a newly planned destination

This summer, the company planned to introduce the Copenhagen - Zadar route and thus add another Croatian airport to its destination network. The flights were originally planned twice a week, but have been completely withdrawn from sale for this year.

 July 7, 2020 - So who is visiting Croatia this summer? A look at the top 20 countries by number of visitors for the month of June, according to the official statistics. 

There is no point in comparing statistics with previous years with the extraordinary year that 2020 has become .But where are the tourists from who made it to Croatia in the month of June?

Official statistics released by the tourism chiefs show that there were 722,565 foreign tourists in June 2020, compared to 2,851,865 at the corresponding time last year. Here are the top 10. 

1. Slovenia - 206,652 - Border fully open since May 28

2. Germany - 203,537 - Border fully open since May 28

3. Austria - 71,762 - Border fully open since May 28

4. Czechia - 65,889 - Border fully open since May 28

5. Italy - 31,968

6.. Poland - 31,297 - Border fully open since May 28

7. Hungary - 23,963 - Border fully open since May 28

8. BiH - 17,396

9. Slovakia - 14,277 - Border fully open since May 28

10. Switzerland - 9,826

11. Serbia - 5,874

12. Belgium - 3,066

13. Romania - 2,713

14. UK - 2,379

15. France - 2,265

16. Ukraine - 2,080

17. USA - 1,853

18. Russia - 1,785

19. Lithuania - 1,401 - - Border fully open since May 28

20. Latvia - 1,195 - - Border fully open since May 28

With a reported 110,000 Slovenians owning holiday homes in Croatia, coupled with their proximity to Croatia, it is no surprise that Slovenians arrived in the greatest numbers, followed by Germans, who were keen to get to the beach after the lockdown. 

Unsurprisingly, the list is dominated by the 10 countries whose borders were fully open since May 28, with only Estonia not making the list. 

Switzerland's position in 10th is worthy of mention. Despite being high-spending tourists in a destination which is accessible by car and direct flights, it was not included in the 'The Vacation You Deserve is Closer than You Think; campaign. That campaign was launched to just 7 countires - Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Czechia and Slovakia. 

Serbia and BiH have long been large markets for Croatian tourism, although Serbia is no longer considered a strategic market. So much so, in fact, that despite Croatia being the main sponsor of the Belgrade Tourism Fair as recently as 2011, the Croatian National Tourist Board no longer has a stand at the region's biggest tourism fair. Serbian and Bosnian numbers would have been higher for June, had temporary quarantine restrictions not been introduced. 

It is also interesting to note that despite the fact that EU external borders were officially closed, three of the top 20 countries were from outside the EU, among them the United States. 

Expect July's numbers to increase significantly and to also be introduced much more by something which was largely absent in June from many countries - flights. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

July 7, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Pula.

Croatian Aviation reports that as confirmed by SAS, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and reduced demand, the company does not plan to launch numerous seasonal routes to Croatia from Scandinavia in this year's summer flight schedule.

In the summer flight schedule, Scandinavian Airlines operates from numerous airports in Scandinavia to Pula, Split and Dubrovnik, though the company decided against launching numerous lines to Croatia this time around.

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SAS already operates on several lines to Croatia, from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm to Split, and from Copenhagen to Pula.

The company has no plans to launch flights to Dubrovnik in July, and it is almost certain that many other routes will also not be in this year's summer flight schedule.

Numerous lines to Split have been canceled

In the summer flight schedule, SAS operated from as many as 9 destinations to Split, while this year only 3 previously mentioned lines will be in traffic.

The company does not plan to launch lines from Tromso, Harstad, Alesund, Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Aarhus and Gothenburg to Split this year. However, from most of the mentioned destinations, it is possible to travel with one transfer via Copenhagen, Oslo or Stockholm, also with SAS.

Lines from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm to Dubrovnik are also not on sale and will most likely not be available this year.

Pula Airport and SAS

Pula has been connected to Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger, Gothenburg and Copenhagen in previous summer seasons, but SAS operates only on the line from Copenhagen to Pula and does not plan to launch other lines this summer.

Zadar - a newly planned destination

This summer, the company planned to introduce the Copenhagen - Zadar route and thus add another Croatian airport to its destination network. The flights were originally planned twice a week, but have been completely withdrawn from sale for this year.