July 6, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split, Dubrovnik and Pula.

Croatian Aviation reports that the British leisure airline, Jet2, is introducing numerous routes from the UK to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula.

Following the decision to lift the mandatory 14-day self-isolation upon arrival in the UK from Croatia, the company has confirmed the launch of its seasonal lines by which many British tourists come on holiday to Croatia.

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From mid-July, Jet2 will launch as many as 12 direct lines from Great Britain to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula. Certain routes have been canceled, while the number of weekly flights has been reduced for all routes.

Lines to Dubrovnik

the Birmingham - Dubrovnik line is introduced, once a week, on Saturdays, from July 18,

the London - Dubrovnik line is introduced, once a week, on Saturdays, from July 18,

the Manchester - Dubrovnik line is introduced, 3 times a week (Thu, Sat, Sun), from July 16,

the Newcastle - Dubrovnik line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from 19 July.

Lines to Split

the Birmingham - Split line is introduced, twice a week (Wed, Sun), from July 15,

the East Midlands - Split line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Leeds - Split line is introduced, once a week, on Saturdays, from July 18,

the London - Split line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Manchester - Split line is introduced, twice a week (Tue, Sat), from July 18.

Lines to Pula

the Birmingham - Pula line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Leeds - Pula line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Manchester - Pula line is introduced, twice a week (Thu, Sun), from July 19.

B737-800 aircraft with a capacity of 189 seats in the fleet of this carrier has been announced on the routes.

July 6, 2020 - From the first of July, low-cost airlines finally took off for Zadar Airport.

HRTurizam reports that 5,270 tourists visited Zadar on July 2 (14.6 thousand on the same day last year) or 36 percent of last year's figures.

This tells us that. tourist traffic is recovering somewhat and that the Adria Tour has not left long-term negative consequences for Zadar. At least according to current data.

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Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, has been flying 10 flights to/from Zadar since the beginning of July. Also, the Polish national airline LOT landed in Zadar on July 3, and the flight from Warsaw to Zadar will operate once a week, like many others.

According to the eVisitor system, Zadar ranks sixth in terms of tourist arrivals in the Republic of Croatia from the beginning of the year to the end of June (43,000 arrivals). Most of the work was done in household facilities (42 percent) and hotels (32 percent), while camps, non-commercial accommodation and other catering accommodation with an additional 26 percent of turnover statistically filled the overall figures.

Clearly, all these data are far from last year's record numbers of tourist traffic in Zadar, but given the pandemic circumstances in March, April and May and the fact that tourism is just beginning to happen, they are not catastrophic, especially after the Adria Tour.

When it comes to overnight stays of domestic and foreign guests for the same six-month period, with 150 thousand overnight stays, Zadar holds the ninth position in Croatia ahead of Split, Opatija, Crikvenica and other destinations.

"The decline in tourist traffic is significant, but in the case of Zadar, it is not so catastrophic. Of course, we all expect a speedy recovery of tourist traffic due to the importance of tourism in the economy of Zadar and the whole country, so the fact that most European countries see Croatia as a safe destination is now really encouraging. It seems that better numbers can be expected during July and August, when many will head to tourist destinations outside their countries, but we can also expect a significant arrival of domestic guests. The re-establishment of air traffic is especially important for Zadar," emphasized the Zadar Tourist Board.

Thus, when compared to last year's figures for tourist traffic in Zadar, June's 30 percent share in overnight stays and 25 percent in arrivals, in circumstances when most European countries have not yet opened their borders, it really does not seem so bad. And that is within the framework at the national level, as well as forecasts before the start of the season. Surely everyone would sign 30% of the turnover immediately before the start of the tourist season, and anything beyond that will be a great result in this uncertain year.

During June, most tourist overnight stays in Zadar were realized by Croats with a share in total overnight stays of 30 percent, and after domestic guests, the best were Germans with 22 percent, followed by Austrians with 13 percent, Slovenes with 11 percent, Czechs with 5 percent, Hungarians with 3 percent, while guests from Poland, Slovakia, Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina each had a 2 percent share in total overnight stays.

Domestic tourists realized a little more than 22 thousand overnight stays, while foreign guests had about 51 thousand overnight stays. When it comes to organizing tourist arrivals, 79 percent of guests came individually, while 21 percent of tourists arrived in Zadar through travel agencies.

July 5, 2020 - Taking a closer look at Croatia's coronavirus numbers and comparing to the rest of Europe. 

Let me start by saying that everyone has their own corona perspective. Mine was spent on the idyllic island of Hvar, where I spent 63 days of bliss watching the world collapse around me. There were a total of two cases of corona on Hvar, both imported from locals returning from jobs in Austria. 

Croatia handled the initial corona crisis as well as any country in Europe. Today's official stats for a country of 4 million people are as follows:

Total cases - 3,151

Total Deaths - 113

Active Cases - 842

Active Cases on the coast - 104

Number of patients on ventilators - 4

Total Deaths in the last 30 days - 10

There is talk of a second wave in Croatia. The official statistics show that there has not been more than 100 cases a day, if the numbers are to believed. The current number of daily cases is the same as the peak in Croatia several weeks ago. 

This not being my area of expertise, I asked for some guidance in understanding from experts. 

Watch the number of patients on ventilators, I was told. That will give you an accurate picture. 

There are currently four patients on a ventilator. 

Some think corona is a hoax, some think it is the real deal. I am not going to enter that argument. All I want to do is present the data, and let the people decide for themselves. 

Croatia has a total of 113 deaths, 10 of which have come in the last 30 days, reports Worldometer. 

Of the 842 active cases reported by Koronavirus, 104 are on the coast and islands. 

Is it safe to visit? I am not going to enter the discussion on health v tourism and the economy, as the discussions are complex and my opinion is irrelevant. All I can do is point out the real situation away from the headlines, and then let people decide. 

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

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July 5, 2020 - The Croatian media has started to take an interest in the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community. An interview with one of its founders by Netokracija.

The TCN Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community is attracting the interest of the Croatian media. I am very grateful to Mia Biberovic, Editor-in-Chief of Netokracija for the interview opportunity. English version below - original version in Croatian here. 

What kind of information is the most interesting for foreigners?

July 5, 2020 - TCN interview with Dubrovacki Vjesnik about tourism in Dubrovnik, an incredible destination with incredibly bad tourism. Time to refocus?

I had an email from Lorita Vierda recently, a journalist from Dubrovacki Vjesnik, which resulted in an interview which was published yesterday - you can see the Croatian version here. Below, the English version. 

First of all, your name has been popping up almost every day, especially when it comes to the crisis, tourism and possible solutions for survival. Why is that? Doesn't Croatia have like a million experts in those matters, that we citizens pay to give us direction, to solve the problems, to offer some kind of path to recovery?

 

What's your personal opinion about Dubrovnik, its tourism, people, food, locations, way of life....?

 

 

July 5, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split and Dubrovnik.

Croatian Aviation reports that Spanish low-cost airline Vueling has announced the start of traffic to two destinations in Croatia - Split and Dubrovnik.

This well-known low-budget company operates from four Croatian airports: Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Zagreb, and will launch lines to the Croatian coast next week.

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

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The Rome - Split line is being reintroduced, from July 7, twice a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays). Already in the second week, the line should operate as many as four times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays). A320 aircraft have been announced on the route.

The Rome - Dubrovnik line is reintroduced, from July 15, three times a week (Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). An increase in traffic on this line is expected from the beginning of August.

The Barcelona - Dubrovnik line is being reintroduced, from July 13, three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), and on this route, an increase in the number of weekly flights is expected from August.

The Rome-Zadar route is currently not on sale, while all flights on the Barcelona - Zagreb route have been canceled until the beginning of August.

July 5, 2020 - There are currently 354,000 tourists in Croatia - and almost 40,000 tourists enter the country daily.  The Tourist Board Directors of Istria and Split-Dalmatia County comment on the current situation.

Dalmacija Danas reports that most tourists in Croatia are in Istria, then Kvarner, while tourists in the south are still hard to come by, as they mostly arrive by air. But even that should change soon, given the larger number of airlines announced in July. 

Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, and Denis Ivošević, director of the Istria Tourist Board, spoke about the situation in tourism.

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Ivošević said that Istria currently has about 100,000 guests, mostly Germans, Slovenes, Slovaks and Czechs. Forty percent of tourists are in private accommodation, 40 percent in camps and 20 percent in hotels.

Stella said that at the beginning of June in Split-Dalmatia County, the situation regarding tourism was horrible and that the number of tourists was 10 percent compared to last year.

"When we look at the first six months, we have a turnover of 19 percent compared to last year. That is 770 overnight stays compared to last year when we had 4 million," he said, adding that already now, at the end of June, and at the beginning of July, exponential growth can be seen.

He emphasized that the introduction of new airlines is beginning and that the introduction of routes from Great Britain is especially important.

"According to current estimates, about 200,000 passengers are expected. That is not much compared to last year, which had 700,000 passengers, but it is a lot compared to June," he pointed out.

Slovenia placed Croatia on the 'yellow list' of less safe countries. When asked whether this will affect the arrival of tourists and whether smaller bookings are already being recorded, Ivošević stated that bookings did not fall, but that it was the wrong message for Croatian tourism.

"I believe that after the elections, our Government will be in negotiations with Slovenia. I think it is important to emphasize that no tourist in our country was infected through local transmission, but all these were imported cases," he said, adding that protocols against coronavirus in Istria work very well, so tourists can feel safe.

Stella pointed out that last year in the first six months in Split-Dalmatia County, there were one million overnight stays of guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"They are as important to us as the guests from Slovenia. The markets of Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina accounted for over 50 percent of our turnover last year, so we took action to bring journalists and bloggers from those countries in cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board to show them that Croatia is a safe destination," he said.

Ivošević said that our priority is to maintain a positive epidemiological situation because it is the largest promotional tool with which we can communicate that we are a safe destination.

"We hope that in July and August, we will reach a figure between 30 and 40 percent compared to the same period last year," he stressed.

July 4, 2020 - The Enter Croatia border crossing form is Croatian bureaucracy's 2020 hit. And it just got better. 

When was the last time you read an article which said that Croatian bureaucracy rocks?

Because THIS Croatian bureaucracy rocks. 

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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.

On May 17, I visited the main border crossing between Croatia and Slovenia at Bregana. With so little information available, we decided to go to the border personally to see the situation. It was beyond confusing - Who Can Cross the Croatia Slovenia Border? Who Cannot? A May 17, 2020 Border Visit.

Three weeks later I was back again, to see how the new Enter Croatia form was working, a stunning bit of technology which show how Croatian bureaucracy COULD be. One of the most amazing visits in my 18 years in Croatia - Behind the Scenes at the Croatian Border Control System: AMAZING!

More than a million people have used the form so far. What I love about it on the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community after they enter Croatia is they wonder what all the fuss is about. There was no bureaucracy at the border whatsoever. 

Exactly. 

Because if you fill in the form beforehand - now available in 11 languages - the Croatian border police have all your details in the system. Your border crossing experience is one passport scan per person. 30 seconds and you are on your way. 

And now, one more incentive to fill in the form for those driving. MUP has introduced a priority Enter Croatia lane at four key border crossings for those who have filled in the form. 

Imagine being in a queue behind 10 cars who have filled in the form (30 seconds) and 10 that haven't (5-8 minutes) - the choice is yours. 

Bravo MUP, without a shadow of doubt the most effective ministry in Croatia right now. I never thought I would advocate a police state, but if you can spread the seed of Croatian Bureaucracy 2.0 to your colleagues, what a country we could have. 

July 4, 2020 -  Tourists are coming back to Split, as the Airport anticipates around 10,000 passengers this weekend. 

Split Airport is recording its first major traffic since the corona crisis. This weekend, 100 planes and more than 10 thousand passengers are expected in Resnik, Dalmatinski Portal has learned from Mate Melvan, the head of the Reception and Dispatch Service.

"The figures show that the heart of the season has begun. It will, of course, be different than we are used to. We expect 20-25 percent less traffic in July compared to the same month last year," says Melvan.

Currently, 26 airlines with 38 direct destinations fly to Split. Just for comparison, on the first weekend in July last year, 50,000 passengers passed through Resnik.

The entire previous month, Split Airport had 26 thousand passengers, and in the first half of the year, there were 108 thousand passengers. This is as much as 90 percent less traffic than in the first half of 2019, which is not surprising because in April, there were only six passengers, and in May - 2,770.

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July 4, 2020 - Popular one-day bus excursions from Mostar to the Adriatic in Croatia have been suspended until further notice for citizens of Bosnia & Herzegovina. 

One-day excursions that would fill buses with Bosnian citizens from Mostar to the shores of the Adriatic Sea on the first weekend in July have unfortunately been suspended this year, writes Klix.ba.

The Autoprevoz-Bus Mostar agency says that they have many inquiries regarding the organization of one-day trips to Croatia.

"We addressed the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia and received a written answer stating that BiH citizens cannot cross the Croatian border for one-day trips until further notice," said the Mostar-based Autoprevoz-Bus Mostar agency.

The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia clarified that they are allowed to stay only if they spend at least one overnight in Croatia, with proof of payment of a tourist arrangement in a travel agency or hotel, or voucher.

"We hope that in the next seven days, if the measures are relaxed, the Republic of Croatia will reconsider the decision to open the borders for Bosnian citizens, so that we can immediately start with one-day trips that we have been doing for many years," the agency said. 

Until then, they are organizing one-day trips within BiH, including visits to interesting places such as Buško and Boračko lakes and Neum, the only BiH town on the Adriatic coast.

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

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