April the 18th, 2022 - Zadar County is looking back at their tourism figures from record years and hoping that something similar can be repeated this year as coronavirus restrictions ease almost entirely across Europe.

As Morski writes, with the arrival of the Easter holidays, the tourist pre-season in the Republic of Croatia traditionally begins. Expectations from this season are high, despite the war that is still going on in Ukraine following Russian invasion, because after two dull, pandemic-dominated years, people desperately want to travel once again. In Zadar County, they're also hoping for figures similar to those enjoyed back during record years.

The whole of Dalmatia has always lived from the sea and tourism, and Zadar County was far from immune to the horrendous blow that the global coronavirus pandemic dealt the entire sector.

''I can only brag and boast! Our hotel has been full for Easter and will also be full for some time after Easter, so we're very satisfied,'' says the director of one Dalmatian hotel.

Across Zadar County, the final touches and beautification is coming to an end because the first guests from abroad have already arrived and the city's famous Kalelarga is also filling up rapidly.

''We heard that this is a beautiful country, so we wanted to explore and visit everything,''

''It's absolutely impressive, beautiful weather, kind people, clean and tidy...''

''The culture is what fascinates me, I also like the sea, the beaches and of course the local people...'' are just some of the comments left by foreign visitors about numerous gorgeous Dalmatian cities.

All this is accompanied by nice, warm weather, as enjoying the sun isn't just a privilege used by Dalmatians. Numerous guests are also enjoying themselves, most of whom are residents of Croatia from other parts of the country, writes HRT. However, they are quite closely followed by Austrians, Germans and Slovenes, and in the first two weeks of April alone, 50,000 overnight stays were realided.

''Foreign guests are mostly staying in hotels and in private accommodation, but this is also accompanied by nautical accommodation and camp sites,'' said Mihaela Kadija, the director of the Zadar County Tourist Board. Those guests who arrive by plane are very much counted on in Zadar,cand the city will be connected to more than 70 European and global destinations by air this summer.

''The figures we expect this year should be similar to those we saw back in 2019. That means about 800 thousand passengers,'' said Tomislav Zepina, the head of the commercial department of Zadar Airport. Coronavirus ruined people's plans in the past, and the prestigious title that Zadar's Gazenica won before a biological disaster struck the globe as the world's best cruise port wasn't capitalised, but that looks as if it will alter throughout 2022, according to Djoni Stambuk, the interim director of the Zadar Port Authority.

The record pre-pandemic numbers Zadar County enjoyed back in 2019, according to current announcements, could finally be reached.

For more, check out our travel section.

April the 9th, 2022 - Last minute bookings are likely to fuel the Croatian 2022 tourist season, with hopes being held high for the pre-season as we approach the Easter festive period.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the domestic tourism sector expects an increase in traffic compared to last Easter, and has good expectations from the height of the Croatian 2022 tourist season, it was said on Thursday at the coordination meeting of the Croatian Tourist Board (CNTB) with regional and county tourist boards.

“After a certain slowdown in reservations resulting from the events unfolding in Ukraine, we're noticing a reactivation of the market and a further increase in interest in travel. This is confirmed by numerous Croatian tourist entities and foreign partners, who are reporting that booking towards Croatia has been reactivated,'' said Stanicic, adding that if the general situation in Europe remains stable and secure, we can expect some very good results, first of all for Easter, and then during the main summer part of the season.

He believes that this year will also be marked by last minute booking, while in terms of tourist traffic, markets from the closest surroundings of Croatia will once again come to the fore.

During the meeting, representatives of county tourist boards confirmed the positive trends in tourism in the first three months of this year, and some counties even exceeded the results from the same recorded period from back in pre-pandemic 2019, while others had managed to come significantly closer to their pre-pandemic trends.

When it comes to the rapidly approaching Easter holidays, the tourism sector at the national level expects an increase in traffic compared to last Easter, during which 140 thousand overnight stays were realised, while at the county level during the Easter holidays, traffic is expected to grow by 10 to 20 percent, depending on the county.

As for the expectations for the main part of the Croatian 2022 tourist season, the system of tourist boards has confirmed that the level of interest in Croatian destinations is very pronounced, reservations have started coming in again and positive results of tourist traffic are expected in principle. However, it was emphasised that future trends will mostly depend on the further development of the horrendous situation in Ukraine, as well as protocols for crossing borders that countries, ie the most important markets for Croatian tourism, will introduce in accordance with the epidemiological situation as that too unfolds.

For more, check out our travel section.

April the 7th, 2022 - This August, the Medjimurje tourist attraction ''Fairytale forest'' (Bajkovita suma) is set to open its doors to visitors from far and wide.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, last week, the Tourex project was presented at Medjimurski dvori - the implementation of which is being carried out in cooperation with the company Malo selo (Croatia) and Pannonia Inferior (Hungary). This project is being co-financed by the Interreg V - cross-border cooperation programme involving Hungary and Croatia (2014-2020), and its total value reaches 349,210.00 euros with a support intensity of 75 percent.

Both companies run family restaurants that work to nurture the regional gastronomic offer and tradition and thus represent a tourist attraction in their market.

Partners and investors in the cross-border project Tourex - Marijan Martinjas and Gabor Kovacs emphasised the values ​​of joint development of a new Medjimurje tourist attraction that will contribute to the overall tourism development of the rural areas of both destinations. Rudi Grula, the director of the Tourist Board of Medjimurje County, stressed the importance of mutual support with the aim of sustainable development of tourism in that continental Croatian county.

“The goal of this project is to diversify the tourist offer by developing new products. The ''Zrinski - Guardians of the Past'' project is a jointly designed tourist product, based on local legends and myths. The project will develop common historical and fairy-tale content that will be presented by innovative IT solutions (software and hardware, including augmented reality) that will be available at the locations of project partners. This kind of tourist product will complement the existing catering and hospitality offer and provide facilities for the arrival and longer stay of guests at these destinations,'' say the organisers.

The gastronomic brand ''Zrinski'' will present a new, joint cross-border gastronomic tourism product that will be used in restaurants on both sides of the Croatian-Hungarian border. As part of this activity, the ''Zrinski'' cookbook will be published, which will include several recipes of specialties prepared in the restaurants of the project partners.

The main goal of the new Medjimurje tourist attraction Fairytale Forest is to offer an active, fun and educational holiday to children, families and travellers of all ages, establishing a connection with nature that many of us have lost as a result of living in the fast-paced modern world.

Veronika Aurora Zrinski and Juraj Zrinski will lead you through the Fairytale Forest and introduce you to its mysterious inhabitants. The Fairytale Forest Theme Park is intended for families, as well as children of preschool and school age, with the aim of preserving and promoting the sustainable development of natural and cultural heritage.

"We're looking forward to the realisation of the project and we're looking forward to the day when we'll be able to open the doors to our first visitors in August this year," conclude the organisers, Tatjana and Marijan Martinjas.

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

April the 6th, 2022 - The New York Times (NYT) has written about the decreased Croatian reservations we're currently experiencing after high post-pandemic hopes were dashed as Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine. To some foreigners, Croatia is too close on the map of Europe to the battlefield, despite the lack of truth in that.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, so far, the hardest hit destinations when it comes to reservations are countries near to Ukraine, including Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia and Hungary, where bookings have dropped by between 30 and 50 percent, according to the New York Times, citing data from analyst firm ForwardKey.

Negative consequences are also being felt in more distant destinations such as in Spain. Diego Sanz, a tour guide on Spain’s gorgeous Mediterranean coast, received his very first international group in more than a year in mid-February. It was, he thought, a sign of better things to come.

''We live in paradise here and we were sure that when the coronavirus restrictions were lifted, we'd have no more problems and tourists would come flocking back to us like bees come to nectar,'' said Mr Sanz, sitting in the silence of a cafe in the very popular Spanish port city of Alicante.

International reservations have been slowing down ever since Russia invaded Ukraine. In the first week of the war alone, airline bookings within Europe fell by 23 percent, and overseas bookings to European countries fell by 13 percent, according to ForwardKeys.

What about Croatian reservations? The Republic of Croatia is often ranked among the European economies most highly dependent on tourism, as tourism accounts for about a fifth of this small nation's gross domestic product, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

Destinations along Croatia's sparkling Adriatic coast attracted the majority of 13.8 million visitors and 84.1 million overnight stays back in 2021, which led to GDP growth of 10.4 percent.

Although the cancellation of Croatian reservations have been somewhat minimal so far, there has definitely been a marked slowdown in some areas. Dubrovnik Boats, a private excursion and charter company with the majority of its clients coming from across the pond in the USA, was expecting a record year, but after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, their reservation rate suddenly fell by 70 percent. "We're an inch away from Ukraine to foreigners when looking at a map," said Niksa Smojver, the company's owner.

Significant concerns this year for shipping charter companies are also being caused by rising gas prices and the possibility of fuel shortages. For Dubrovnik Boats, for example, the cost of a return tour between Dubrovnik and Hvar is now 750 US dollars higher than it was last year.So far, the company hasn't increased its passenger ticket prices, but may need to if the situation fails to calm down. Still, Smojver remains hopeful.

''After the pandemic people have become fed up with everything and everyone wants to travel. This season could be one of the best we've ever had,'' he said.

In other parts of Europe, especially in tourism-dependent countries, the forecasts are gloomier. Cancellations in nearby Italy have brought pessimism among tour guides and operators, although some have expressed hope that the war will end soon and that the season will be saved.

''In general, the mood is a depressed one because it seemed like this was all over, and instead there was yet another new downturn,'' concluded Margherita Capponi, an Italian tour guide from Rome.

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

April the 6th, 2022 - The Republic of Croatia is still the leading, most sought after holiday destination this summer for the Austrian market, with Austrian tourists ready to bask in the Adriatic sun and swim in the sparkling sea.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, ahead of the main summer part of this year's tourist season, Austrian travel organisers conducted market analyses according to which Croatia is at the very top of the most sought-after foreign destinations for the Austrian market, reports local portal Glas Istre/The Voice of Istria.

Namely, travel organiser Gruber Reisen conducted a survey among its clients and customers, which totalled 1,200 respondents, entitled ''Travel Barometer in 2022'', according to which Croatia is the leading and most sought-after destination for the Austrian market, which shouldn't come as much of a shock to anyone.

"Austria is one of the most important emitting markets for Croatian tourism, and this country is supported by data from a survey according to which as many as 95 percent of Austrians said they want to spend their summer holidays somewhere else in Europe," said Branimir Toncinic, the director of the CNTB Office in Austria, adding that security and safety when in the destination remains an important aspect for the majority of people when booking a trip. Two thirds of Austrians plan to spend 1,500 euros per person.

The results of the survey also show that the will and desire of Austrians to travel is great given that 53 percent of respondents have already booked a trip this year. At the same time, about 65 percent of the respondents said that they'd prefer a beach holiday, ie the sun and the sea are a main a motive for coming, while visits to cities are becoming more interesting to many on the Austrian market and are in second place.

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

April the 2nd, 2022 - The Indian market is enormous and offers a chance that has perhaps yet not been totally exploited by the Croatian tourism sector. In the post-pandemic period, Indian tourists are hungry for travel, and the Place2Go promotion might just put Croatia on their map.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, after a two-year break due to the global coronavirus pandemic, this spring the International Tourism Fair, Place2Go, is returning to the Zagreb Arena, where thirteen countries will present their local exhibitors, mostly from Croatia's more immediate region, but also from distant areas such as Indonesia, Maldives and India.

Moreover, India is a partner country of the Place2Go fair, which is accompanied by the fortunate circumstance that India opened up to international travel just five days ago, two years since the closure of its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. A Place2Go promotion could be just what is needed to attract a huge market of people to this country.

Opening a new niche

Croatia may well be able to count on this distant and very important market, with which a new niche of "startup tourism" is opening, the organisers and partners of the fair announced on Thursday. "We're happy that after a two-year break, and several failed attempts to organise this fair, we can finally announce Place2Go, which we managed to organise over the last month, and do the job that used to last ten months before the pandemic struck.

We have equipped ourselves, taken reinforcements, we 'e happy to have our loyal sponsors with us, and things are going well. Additionally, over this period we were at fairs in Belgrade and Ljubljana and we noticed a great interest in Place2Go,'' said the organiser of the fair, Damjana Domanovac, at a recently held press conference.

As usual, the first day of the fair is reserved for B2B meetings and networking with the topics of smart tourism, the green transition and digitalisation, and the weekend will be intended for visitors, for whom admission is free.

The audience will enjoy lectures by bloggers and travel writers, a game with a prize being a trip to the Maldives, as well as a rich entertainment programme. Currently, entry is planned only for those who possess a valid COVID certificate or a negative test, but an interpretation by the Croatian Institute of Public Health is still pending as to whether this will remain mandatory, according to Domanovac.

The Place2Go fair is an opportunity that India wanted to use to further promote a country that has worked hard in the last two years to strengthen its tourism infrastructure, said Indian Ambassador to Croatia Raj Kumar Srivastav.

"I believe that travel restrictions, as well as the coronavirus pandemic, are now behind us, and that provides us with many opportunities for economic cooperation and tourism. Indian tourism over the last two years has been limited to domestic traffic, so Indians are eager for both cross-border guests and to travel abroad themselves. 85 percent of India’s population has been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. Back in 2019, 70,000 Indians travelled to Croatia, up from 50,000 one year earlier, a significant increase that I expect to continue now. I believe that Croatia will reach its pre-pandemic figures from the Indian market this year, and we'll exceed that next year, if there are no major surprises,'' said Ambassador Srivastav.

Startup tourism

The Indian Ambassador also expects that additional tourist exchange with India will be stimulated by economic cooperation, for example through the India-Croatia Startup Bridge project, which is entering a new phase in early April.

As is already fairly well known, this is a digital platform launched at the end of last year with the aim of strengthening trade and economic cooperation between Croatia and India. In a few days, more precisely on April the 4th, the first startup challenge will start, sponsored by Koncar and Infobip from the Croatian side, and the winners of the challenge will have the opportunity to exchange, Croatian startups will travel to India and vice versa.

"We can call it startup tourism because it's a two-week trip and different destinations will be visited, and families will also be able to be taken on these trips. For example, I would like to see our startups from the gaming industry in Novska, which is one of the best ecosystems for this industry in Europe,'' said Ambassador Raj Kumar Srivastav, who clearly believes that a Place2Go promotion will offer many benefits to both India and Croatia.

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

March the 30th, 2022 - Zagreb overnight stays have been very impressive over the Festival of Lights period, with 23,000 of them having been realised in the capital.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ), during the Zagreb Light Festival, arrivals increased by 179 percent, while the number of Zagreb overnight stays increased by 117 percent when compared to the same period last year.

As such, during the fourth edition of the Festival of Lights, in the period from the 16th to the 20th of March, 10,876 arrivals and 23,072 Zagreb overnight stays were registered. Most arrivals were from people coming from other parts of Croatia, followed by those from neighbouring Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, and as far as Zagreb overnight stays were concerned, most guests were also from other parts of Croatia, followed by visitors from Italy, Germany, the USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia.

"We're very pleased with the results achieved, the interest and especially the comments on the organisation of this year's edition of the Zagreb Light Festival.

We also received the preliminary results from our online promotional campaigns which took place on the markets of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia and Serbia, according to which the festival's ads racked up more than 43 million views. Our advertorials have been read more than 76,000 times, and the leading markets are Slovenia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During these continued uncertain and difficult times, it was a real challenge to organise the Zagreb Festival of Lights, so I'd once again like to thank all of the partners and institutions that helped us in its realisation. Thank you to those of you who live here and thank you to our visitors for all the words of support and praise, and I'd like to especially thank the residents of Lower and Upper Town (Donji and Gornji grad) for their understanding for the occasional crowds that were created,'' said Martina Bienefeld, the director of TZGZ.

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

March the 27th, 2022 - The most numerous Croatian Easter guests so far are coming from nearby and neighbouring countries, and this figure also includes Croatian residents visiting other parts of the country themselves.

We recently wrote about the Croatian 2022 pre-season not turning out (at least so far) quite how predictions and expectations seemed not so long ago. With private accommodation owners worrying about the state of affairs on the run up to summer, luxury travel agencies have a slightly different picture.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, the number of reservations made by Croatian guests is systematically growing from year to year, meaning that for the upcoming Easter break, Croats and residents of Croatia, along with Germans and Slovenes, will make up the largest number of guests, as was reported by one travel agency for luxury accommodation - Croatia Luxury Rent.

According to their current sales statistics, Germans lead the percentage of total bookings with a share of 23%, followed by the neighbouring Slovenes with 19%, Czechs with 13%, then Austrians with 12%, and Croats with 11% of the share. However, the Czech market is experiencing the biggest growth compared to the otherwise key emitting markets, meaning that the Czechs will be at the very top in terms of Croatian Easter tourism numbers for 2022.

The largest number of guests who have booked their accommodation on the Adriatic and partly in the interior/continental part of the country during the Easter holidays are coming from the emitting markets of Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Austria.

In addition to these markets, the total share is completed by the Italians, Hungarians, Slovaks and Serbs, while a significantly smaller percentage will be made up by visitors from France, Switzerland and neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the top of the list of the most numerous guests during last year's Easter holidays were Croatian guests, which was to be expected due to the events caused by the coronavirus pandemic at the time. This year's sale of Easter holiday arrangements has produced, as they say, an interesting situation according to which Central Dalmatia is systematically growing, much like it did last year, in terms of the number of reservations made, meaning that it is closer to Istria and Kvarner, which were otherwise very well known for Croatian Easter tourism.

This form of growth trend began to gain momentum during last year's post-season, but continued with a surprising jump during the Christmas and New Year holidays: Central Dalmatia at one point was on par with the number of reservations made up in Istria. Further development confirmed the unquestionability of Istria's popularity, which took the expected lead during the last ten days before the holidays, in other words, things returned to their earlier standards.

Looking at the current regional division of the number of reservations, Istria is rather unsurprisingly at the top with 41% share, followed by Dalmatia and the islands with 30%, Kvarner with 19%, and the mainland and the far south, which accounts for the remaining 10%. It's worth noting that the type of technology that encourages and improves tourism has significantly raised the level of service quality, meaning that renters are more or less forced to continuously invest in their accommodation, follow current trends and expand aspects of their offer that will allow them to stand out more and be recognised.

For more on Croatian Easter tourism, check out our travel section.

March the 26th, 2022 - Renters have become concerned and are biting their nails at the fact that the Croatian 2022 pre-season isn't quite what was expected as yet. Could hopes for Easter tourism be dashed?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to local Zadar portal Zadarski.hr, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Croatia will likely have much fewer guests over the Easter period than we had hoped.

''It’s hard to say how much fewer people there will be than expected, but I'm hearing that these days, the cancellations of some larger groups who had Easter reservations are slowly trickling in. Personally, I had a lot of reservations in April and May, but everything in April ended up being cancelled. Everything is changing from day to day,'' said Martina Nimac Kalcina, president of the Family Tourism Association at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), when asked about the potential number of tourists we could expect in Dalmatia over Easter.

Since February the 24th and the beginning of the Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, everything has changed. Until then, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport confirmed, the dynamics of reservations and announcements for the main part of the tourist year were at a record level, such as what was experienced back in pre-pandemic 2019, and in some segments even ten percent better. The current geopolitical situation related to Ukraine, rising energy prices and inflation have somewhat affected tourism news, but it is good, the ministry said, that reservations haven't stopped entirely. The same has been being said by the president of the Family Tourism Association at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce.

"The situation isn't as catastrophic as the pandemic caused it to be, but the war in Ukraine has slowed down reservations a lot. The Croatian 2022 pre-season is incomparably worse than it should have been. Everything started out well after the New Year, and then, literally from the first bombing of Ukraine, it slowed down sharply. On the same day, inquiries stopped arriving and after a few days they started reappearing, but very slowly. There have been no cancellations for large numbers of people, but there are for the Croatian 2022 pre-season.

Those cancellations have been coming from everywhere - from America, most of them from Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia… Some Americans are still planning to come here, but there are very few of them, incomparably fewer than they should be, because Croatia's position on the map of Europe looks close to Ukraine and Russia,'' said Nimac Kalcina, noting that unlike private accommodation, which is already feeling the effects of the war in Ukraine, there have been cancellations in the case of cruises so far.

However, she believes that the main tourist season will be very good if the situation with the war in Ukraine doesn't escalate.

"I hope that our season will be full, there are reservations, new ones are still coming in. Renters who have more attractive facilities shouldn't be worried, but it's a question of people's length of stay, the Croatian 2022 pre-season, the post-season… All cards are now on the table… Because as people's travel dates approach and the situation in Ukraine fails to calm down, tourists simply cancel their reservations. It's understandable that people postpone making decisions about holiday dates because they can see that the situation isn't changing. An additional problem is that the war brings even higher inflation,'' said Nimac Kalcina in an interview with Zadarski.hr.

"Nothing drastic is happening here," said Bojan Milicevic, a spokesman for the Le Meridien Lav hotel in Podstrana near Split, adding that there had been "some very minor cancellations, several small groups directly linked to the Ukrainian and Russian markets." The only noticeable drop has been the booking of individual guests from distant destinations such as America. However, they aren't expecting any major problems from the European markets at the Le Meridien Lav hotel, provided, of course, that the war situation doesn't escalate.

"We don't have any cancellations from any European guests. Things look pretty good to us when it comes to the state of reservations being made. Of course, the Americans are our pretty strong guest segment that we need to keep an eye on. But, in general, our picture looks good thanks to regular guests from Scandinavia and Western Europe, who, along with the Americans, are our most numerous guests. We'll see. It should be borne in mind that a lot has changed, as have booking trends, once Americans planned trips a year in advance. The coronavirus pandemic has changed all that, now it is no longer the case,'' Milicevic concluded.

For more, check out our travel section.

March the 4th, 2022 - Zagreb February tourism is continuing the positive trend seen so far this year which makes a very pleasant change when compared to what we've been seeing over the last two years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ), the Croatian capital recorded 137 percent more arrivals and 105 percent more overnight stays in February than it did back in pandemic-dominated February 2021, during which many countries were still in lockdown and severe restrictions on travel were in force.

Luckily for Zagreb February tourism for 2022, an impressive total of 45,082 arrivals and 104,104 overnight stays were registered, and, in addition to Croatian guests, most overnight stays were made by guests from: Russia, Italy, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. In February, there were 31,337 overnight stays realised by Croatian tourists, which is an increase of 35 percent when compared to February last year, and foreign guests realised 72,767 overnight stays, an increase of 164 percent. Out of the total number of arrivals, 16,231 (representing growth of 43 percent) and foreign tourists 28,851 (representing growth of 277 percent).

On that occasion, Martina Bienenfeld, director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, said: "We're pleased that February has continued the upward trend and that we are, in total, during the first two months of 2022 at 90 percent of the amount of overnight stays realised during the same period back in 2019. In real terms, in January and February, we recorded 87,915 arrivals and 211,307 overnight stays, which is an increase of 155 percent in arrivals and 119 percent in overnight stays when compared to the first two months of 2021.

We're also seeing a gradual recovery in business, the so-called MICE segment. Namely, based on the data collected during 2021, the Zagreb Tourist Board recorded a total of 664 business meetings, which is an increase of 28 percent more meetings than in 2020. In addition, we're pleased with two recent independent studies where our city has achieved great results compared to other European and global cities. One is the Ovo Network survey, according to which Zagreb ranks fourth as a destination for families with children (https://bit.ly/3Mdj3TH), and the other is the Holidu.co.uk survey (https://bit.ly/3pubpLc ) according to which Zagreb is in tenth place as the safest city to travel to for women.''

While Zagreb February tourism numbers are of course worth celebrating, we can't forget to mention the horrendous situation taking place in Ukraine as a result of the unjustified Russian invasion of that country around a week ago. The Zagreb Tourist Board has compiled all the information on the reception of Ukrainian refugees in the area of ​​the City of Zagreb on its website. The information is available in Ukrainian, English and Croatian, and it summarises instructions on accepting and assisting Ukrainians who have been forced to leave their homes.

For more, check out our travel section.