August 18, 2020 - Italian newspaper Il Giornale published an article stating that Croatia has found itself under the magnifying glass of Europe after the increase in the number of new coronavirus infections, although Croatian figures are significantly below the number of new cases in Italy.

T.portal reports that the Italian newspaper claims the most probable cause of the deteriorating health situation in Italy is the return of those who decided to spend a few relaxing days on the Adriatic.

"But what are the real numbers in Croatia? First of all, we must emphasize that the number of new daily infections is significantly below the values recorded in Italy. On Sunday, Croatia had 151 new infections, while in Italy, there were 479, or more than double. This gives rise to debate: Are Croats really a time bomb, or has someone exaggerated? The real answer could be the latter. And for a straightforward reason. Infections in Europe have risen almost everywhere. Croatia did not have to fight with significantly higher numbers, as is the case with Spain or France. But it still ended in the middle of a storm," writes Il Giornale.

On August 15, as reported by the Adnkronos agency, Croatia recorded 162 new cases of infection and two deaths. Admittedly, the current numbers are worse than in February, during the first wave. But on the other hand, it is a reduction in numbers given that there were 208 infections on August 14 and 180 on Thursday. The peak of the first wave, discovered on April 1, stopped at a maximum of 96 newly infected in one day.

Minister of Health Vili Beros was very clear in explaining the situation to RTL: "We consciously accepted the risk and decided to continue our life with tourism. Without tourism, one of the key sectors for Croatia, things would be worse for us."

President Zoran Milanovic is of the same opinion. In order not to lose control of the situation, a decision was made that bars, restaurants and nightclubs must close at midnight.

The number of confirmed cases since the beginning of the epidemic has exceeded the threshold of 6,500 people, while the number of deaths is a total of 166. There are 1,062 active cases, while for comparison, in Italy, there are 14,404. This shows that it makes no sense to consider Croatia a dangerous destination. 820,000 foreign guests are indeed in Croatia, and the movement of these tourists may spread the infection from one country to another. But figures show that the risk is not higher than in other locations.

Infections of returnees from holidays or from abroad can be a cause for concern. Several young people who returned home from Croatia transmitted the coronavirus to relatives and friends, creating real hotspots. This was also the reason for the alarm and the decision of the Italian government to introduce measures for the return of tourists from Spain, Greece and Croatia.

"But what is indisputable is that we need to emphasize the attitude of some of the tourists, both in Croatia and in other countries. Several young Italian men said that only a few wear masks in clubs in Croatia. Some of them, as in the case of young people with whom Tg1 spoke on Pag, show that they significantly reduce the real danger of coronavirus. In any case, it would be good to silence the alarm towards Croatia," they concluded.

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August 18, 2020 - A look at how Austria, one of the tourist champions of Europe, has tried saving their season by hurting Croatian tourism. 

Saving the tourist season threatened by the coronavirus pandemic is not only a priority for Croatia this year, but also for other European countries whose tourism revenues have a significant share in GDP.  

Index.hr reports that one of them is undoubtedly Austria, a country without a sea, which is one of the tourist champions of Europe in terms of earnings and in which tourism revenues make up about 15 percent of the GDP. Furthermore, 13 percent of employed Austrians work in the tourism sector, so saving the tourist season is also a matter of saving jobs.

Back in May, Kurz declared Austria the safest country for tourists

Authorities in Vienna have not hidden at all since the first corona lockdown lifted and said they would do everything they could to save the Austrian tourist season.

Thus, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz promised at a press conference in Vienna in late May that a holiday in Austria, despite the coronavirus, would be as safe as in any other country in the world. He explained that he would invest in testing and test as many people as possible who are in contact with travelers.

"I am glad that we will provide both domestic and foreign guests with a safe and beautiful holiday," Kurz said in May.

Austrian campaign: "Like Croatia, only without sea urchins"

Austria not only wanted to attract foreign tourists this summer but also keep Austrians in the country, as tourism minister Elisabeth Köstinger has repeatedly stressed. She invited Austrians to spend their summers in their homeland, and the Austrian delay in opening the borders when the time came was significant. There was even an advertising campaign inviting Austrians to spend their holidays in Austria, with posters that read, for example, "Like Croatia, only without sea urchins. Spend your summer vacation at home."

The ruling party's campaign spilled over to the Austrian media, so the Austrian tabloid Heute published the news of the fecal spill into the Croatian sea at the beginning of June, calling it "Disgusting". The goal was obviously to disgust Austrians with the idea of vacationing in Croatia, but there was only one problem - the news was a year old, and Heute presented it as current.

Already in early June, Slovenia publicly protested against Austrian behavior, and its Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, stated that he had the impression that Austria wanted to keep its citizens vacationing inside the country.

Quick decision to put Croatia on the list of high-risk countries

After everything that has happened in the meantime, it can be said that this impression is not deceiving at all.

After an increase in coronavirus infections was recorded in Croatia, Austria hastily decided to prevent its citizens from traveling on holidays in the Adriatic.

How that decision was made is also significant. In the morning, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober from the Greens refused to say at a press conference whether stricter measures would be taken against Croatia, proposing that the decision be made in agreement with neighboring countries. Schallenberg, close to Kurz, sent a press release about putting Croatia on the list of unsafe destinations. The decision within the Austrian government has done nothing to establish health security, but it has created traffic jams as panicked Austrian tourists have started returning en masse from the Adriatic to Austria.

There is no doubt that the epidemiological situation in Croatia worsened last week, but did it really worsen enough to require drastic Austrian measures?

The goal is to deter Austrians from coming to Croatia

From today, returnees from Croatia will also have to present a negative coronavirus test, which forced many Austrians to return home on Sunday and avoid the testing they have to pay out of pocket. In contrast, others were deterred from the very idea of vacationing in Croatia.

"There is a huge influx of viruses from Croatia," Kurz said on Saturday, adding that the increase is not surprising given that the holidays are underway.

"The current numbers are worrying," says Kurz. "We must do everything we can to stop the virus without introducing new comprehensive bans."

While Austria puts Croatia on the red list, Israel has lifted the obligatory quarantine for travelers from Croatia

Nearly 230 new infections were recorded in Austria on Saturday, compared to a record 282 the day before. If other EU members were guided by Austrian logic, it could easily end up on the list of countries to which travel is not recommended.

At about the same time as Kurz speculated about a "huge influx of viruses from Croatia," Israel lifted mandatory quarantine upon arrival at Tel Aviv airport for its citizens returning from 20 "green" countries, including Croatia, as well as for citizens of those countries, which was published on the website of the Israeli government.

The list of those countries, which Israeli authorities consider low-risk countries in terms of coronavirus spread, includes 15 European countries - Croatia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia, as well as five other countries, including Canada and New Zealand. The list excludes, for example, France and the United States.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Israel imposed mandatory 14-day self-isolation for every person entering Israeli territory and pursued a very strict epidemiological policy, but now considers both Croatia and Austria safe countries, while Austria treats Croatia as the corona's worst.

The lukewarm reaction of Foreign Minister Grlic Radman

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman predictably took a conciliatory tone towards Austria. On Friday, he stated that Austria would consider changing the decision by which it warned its citizens not to travel to Croatia due to the possibility of coronavirus infection, and that he had already heard about it twice with his Austrian counterpart Schallenberg.

"We report daily on the situation in Croatia, so on a daily basis, it is submitted to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. When it comes to the number of infected, it is generally more prominent in the east than in the Adriatic regions, so we reported the Austrian side," the minister told reporters in Baska Voda.

"The Austrians will now consider reversing their decision," Grlic Radman announced on Friday, but the announced decision came into force on Sunday at midnight, and so far, there are no signals from Vienna about a possible change of attitude.

Die Presse: The end of summer holidays in Croatia

Austrian newspaper Die Presse clearly stated on Friday evening what the Austrian authorities' decision meant when they declared Croatia a country where one should not travel and introduced mandatory tests for those returning from Croatia. "End of summer vacation in Croatia", reads the title of the article, which summarizes the consequences of the Austrian authorities' decision.

Austrian selfishness within the European Union is actually nothing new, but one of the frequent features of Austrian European politics, especially since the key figure in it is the popular and young Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Austria was also recently among the fiercest opponents of European Union aid to the member states most affected by the pandemic, resulting in a marathon summit in Brussels at which the proposed grant amounts were significantly reduced or converted into loans.

Remember how Austria spread the coronavirus all over Europe?

After all, even at the very beginning of the pandemic, it turned out that in Austria, many think first of their own benefit and then of the common good. Recall, the popular Austrian ski resort Ischgl became one of the largest foci of the coronavirus, which spread from Ischgl throughout Europe, from Scandinavia to Croatia.

"Tourists from all over Europe became infected with the virus in bars in an Austrian ski resort in the Paznaun valley in Tyrol, but despite growing evidence of what was happening, everything remained open until recently," the German newspaper Der Spiegel wrote in mid-March.

The Vienna-based Der Standard described the behavior of the Tyrolean authorities and the tourism industry at the beginning of the pandemic as "Greed and ruin in Tyrol", stating that the cable cars and ski lifts in the Paznaun Valley remained working even in quarantined parts. The goal was to extract the last euros from the tourists present, although it was known that the infection was spreading.

Meanwhile, the whole affair was being investigated by the police, and Ischgl reopened to tourists at the end of April, this time, as Chancellor Kurz said, as a place where tourists can be as safe as anywhere else in the world.

The increase in the number of infected in Croatia is an occasion for Austria to realize its plans

In any case, since the end of May, it has been clear that Austria has not looked favorably on their tourists spending holidays in Croatia, as it is the closest and most desirable destination. Months later, they have shown that some dubious moves are being made to achieve this goal.

The increase in the number of infected people in Croatia last week was a good reason for Austria to put Croatia on the red list, but when you look at the whole story, it is hard to believe that this is the only reason.

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As Morski writes on the 16th of August, 2020, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is pleased with how tourism is going given the less than favourable situation we've found ourselves in as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

''We can be very pleased with how the entire tourist season has been going,'' said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who was in Trsat recently for a celebration.

He pointed out that most of the tourism workers who worked on analysing the predictions and projections for the season had no idea that it would be this good. The results have been above all expectations and that was our key interest, reports HRT.

"That means we did a good job of dancing the dance of closure, as well as opening up in time and taking action," Andrej Plenkovic said.

He said that the increased number of people who have become infected with the new coronavirus in the past few weeks was expected given the large number of people staying in Croatia currently. He emphasised that the message to young people all the time was to adhere to all of the epidemiological measures, but that "all this usually happens when the brakes loosen up a little".

Commenting on the announcement of the introduction of measures for Croatia from Slovenia and Austria, he said that on Friday he was in contact with the prime ministers of those countries who are also monitoring their statistics, the number of people who came home from being on holiday and that they are most afraid of the infection beginning to spread through schools as kids return to the classroom.

He assessed that Croatia opened up in time.

''We've done a good job in regard to tourism and I believe that there will be many more arrivals,'' he said.

''Don't forget what the predictions were, I said that we played a great game in the first half, as far as coronavirus is concerned. Back then, the disease was much more deadly. It wasn’t that long ago, we can remember the pictures from Italy. Most of the infected people who brought the virus to us came from Italy and Austria. It was a much more serious situation then than it is now. Croatia defeated coronavirus in the first half, and as far as preparations for the autumn are concerned, everyone should be very vigilant,'' he said.

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The coronavirus pandemic has dragged Croatian tourism to its knees. Despite some surprisingly good tourists figures so far, especially in comparison to the dire predictions from before, there are still some being left behind. Komiza on the beautiful island of Vis hopes for a decent tourist season despite all of the many obstacles.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of August, 2020, the SDP mayor of Komiza, Tonka Ivcevic, explained that the argument for spending a holiday on this remote Croatian island is the isolation and the fact that no one, all these months, has been infected with the new coronavirus on it.

"We have very big announcements for both August and September. We're sure that we might have a tourist season at the level of last year's if there are no cancellations,'' explained Komiza's mayor.

She is conditional in her expression, however, as she is more than aware of what has been happening with the epidemic throughout Croatia over recent days, especially in Dalmatia, and it is no coincidence that at that same time, Austria changed its stance, asking Austrian citizens not to travel to Croatia.

"I'd agree that some decisions taken by the National Civil Protection Headquarters were delayed, because this doesn't create a good image for our county, and it could lead to cancellations." However, at least as far as she knows, there have been no major cancellations for Komiza so far.

"Komiza has become a hit destination this season. Vis is seen by people as a more isolated place, as an island where you have a place to get lost… You can stay all over the island, in many family farms, in many taverns,'' she added when in conversation with N1.

The advantage of not only Komiza but Vis as a whole is the fact that the island doesn't have a large capacity, there are only about 4000 beds, which, together with the guests, means a relatively low number of inhabitants in a relatively large area.

"If we add up the boaters, there are currently about 4,000 guests on the island. We don't have any bigger clubs, we don't have any bigger indoor spaces for guests. People have a place to get lost, we hope to remain a coronavirus-free destination,'' Komiza's mayor concluded.

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August 15, 2020 - Austrian authorities expect large crowds at the borders this weekend as travelers may shorten their holidays after Croatia was included on the list of high-risk countries.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that local revealed Austrian citizens have decided to ignore the government's warning and are still going on holiday to Croatia. Namely, at the entrance to Slovenia from Austria near the Karavanke tunnel, there was a wait of up to three hours on Saturday morning. In the early afternoon, traffic stretched 17 kilometers.

Kronen Zeitung wrote that they had yet to see anything from the big wave of returnees from Croatia because it seems that Austrians still want to enjoy the beach today. At the entrance to Austria near Sentilj, they waited for about an hour on Saturday morning.

The Austrian Automobile Club (ÖAMTC) expects that traffic from the south could intensify in the evening on Saturday and during Sunday.

They report that traffic at border crossings at the entrance to Austria is moderate with shorter delays. At Karavanke, the entrance to Carinthia takes 35 minutes, and at Sentilj, about an hour. They also wrote that Slovenian authorities have tightened controls and that this is causing a stalemate.

The Austrian government decided to include Croatia on the list of high-risk countries on Friday after news of a record number of cases in Croatia. Travelers returning from Croatia must show a current negative test for coronavirus from Monday or undergo testing within 48 hours.

According to current information from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about 3,000 Austrian citizens are officially on holiday in Croatia. But at the same time, the authorities believe that this figure is many times higher.

"We start from the fact that there are a much larger number of Austrian citizens in Croatia," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said that over 100 new cases of coronavirus infection had been reported in the last week alone, which were proven to have been brought from Croatian holidays.

Therefore, a larger number of inquiries related to travel to Croatia is expected from Monday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be assisted by 20 Bundeswehr soldiers on a special information telephone line.

"The military has soldiers at all times who are ready to help health facilities," said Defense Minister Claudia Tanner.

Soldiers are already helping to control entry into the country from the direction of Italy.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said that after Croatia, further warnings regarding travel abroad are possible. This is especially true of the Spanish Balearics.

"We know that with these warnings and restrictions on freedom of travel, we are creating problems for many Austrians. But the summer of 2020 is not like other summers," Schallenberg told the public service ORF.

Journalists from the Kronen Zeitung also talked to Austrian tourists in Veli Losinj, who said that they were shocked by the decision of the Austrian government.

"We only came yesterday. I went to the beach without a cell phone to get as much rest as possible. When I came back, I had something to read. It just hit me," said Peter P. of Graz.

"We knew that there was a possibility that this would happen, but I did not think that the whole country would close immediately," he said, adding that he was returning home on Sunday and that he expected large traffic jams.

"There will be chaos on the roads, but it is great that the hotel was understanding and they will only charge us for as many nights as we spent here," he said.

They also spoke to a German couple who was hanging out with many Austrians on Losinj. They said that many would not interrupt their vacation in Croatia. One tourist had a special message for the Austrian Chancellor.

"Kurz would have to call me in person if he wanted me to come home," he said.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has called for stricter coronavirus controls for returnees at the borders.

"Health offices are not doing their job properly. The controls should be more thorough and faster," Kurz told the daily "Oesterreich" on Saturday.

The opposition Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) criticized Kurz and accused him of putting pressure on local health offices. Secretary-General Michael Schnedlitz said that instead of putting pressure on these institutions, the Vienna government should take action against the growing number of falsified negative coronavirus tests on returnees from the Western Balkans.

"It has long been known that many of these allegedly negative tests of returnees from the Western Balkans are false," Schnedlitz said on Saturday.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called for stricter control of holiday returnees due to the increase in the number of cases in Austria.

After staying in one of about 30 risk areas, people must have a negative test that is not older than 72 hours or must be in a 10-day quarantine.

“There have to be tighter controls,” Kurz said in Saturday’s edition of Oesterreich.

Kurz did not rule out the possibility of conducting coronavirus tests at the border, which would be the task of the health authorities.

Risk areas include mainland Spain and the Western Balkans, as well as Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

As of Monday, returnees from Croatia will also have to present a negative test, Kurz said, adding: "There is a huge influx of cases from Croatia."

He added that the increase is not surprising given that holidays are underway.

"The current numbers are worrying," says Kurz. "We must do everything we can to stop the virus without introducing new comprehensive bans."

Nearly 230 new infections were recorded in Austria on Saturday, compared to a record 282 the day before.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, just over 23,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus.

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August 13, 2020 - In a primetime slot on French TV channel TF1, the popular show 'Cuisine Impossible' aired, in which the gastronomic charms of Slavonia were presented. But that's only part of the French promotion of Croatia.

The TV series shows destinations through the discovery of local products and producers, and a special feature about Croatia was organized by the Croatian National Tourist Board, the CNTB Representation in France and the Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist Board.

"The exceptionally viewed show, which is watched by over a million viewers, presented the Croatian region that French travel enthusiasts are just discovering. This show contributed not only to the promotion of the tourist offer of Slavonia but also to the diversity of the entire Croatian tourist offer. In addition, I believe that the broadcast will encourage a larger number of reservations for next year, when many French tourists will take their trips planned for this year," said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Stanicic, emphasizing that there is currently an average of around 14,000 French guests in Croatia daily.

In the show dedicated to Slavonia, French culinary chef Julien Duboue accepted the challenge according to which, after tasting fish stew hosted by local family farm Zoltan Jovic, he had to prepare an identical dish in less than 48 hours, i.e., identify the ingredients of this authentic Slavonian dish, catch fish in the Danube and procure the remaining groceries. After successfully fulfilling the challenge, he emphasized the exceptional hospitality of Slavonians. The show features Ilok landscapes and cellars, vineyards, quality wine, and Slavonia is presented as a region with a rich tourist offer.

"We are satisfied with the successful realization of this project, through which Croatia once again placed itself on the list of favorite European destinations of the French, who from year to year discover new Croatian regions. We are sure that in the coming period, the richness of Slavonia's tourist offer will attract more and more French people," said the director of the CNTB France, Daniela Mihalic Djurica, adding that many other French media have been reporting on Croatia as a hit destination.

For example, in the most-watched term of the French national television M6, the show 'Zone interdite' was broadcast, entirely dedicated to Croatian tourism and Croatia, which was presented as an Adriatic gem and a hit destination for French guests in recent years. The show called "The French have found their place under the Croatian sun" has been watched by several million people so far, and shows destinations such as Split, Pakostane, Pag, Krka National Park, Brac, Hvar and Pag, with a number of useful tips for creating the ideal vacation in Croatia. Days after the broadcast, numerous French media broadcast a summary of the show that reveals why tourists from all over the world adore Croatia.

Also, the prestigious French weekly Le Figaro ranked the Croatian island of Lopud in first among three Mediterranean paradise islands, along with the Greek Santorini and Corsican Brando, while the French edition of lifestyle magazine Grazia, in its article entitled, "The most beautiful European island: A selection of the most beautiful which we dream of visiting", published a list that also includes Croatia, more precisely the island of Hvar, which is in the high fifth place of the most beautiful European islands.

Moteaur Boat, both the leader among the French motor-nautical media and its monthly with a 25-year tradition, has presented Croatia as a nautical paradise in its issue since August, with special emphasis on Vis, which delighted the journalist and camera crew with its beauty and indigenous experience.

The popular 90-minute travel show 'Echappées Belles' is currently being filmed in Istria and on the islands of Cres and Pag. The show is watched by almost two million viewers, and the episode about Croatia will be shown in May 2021 in primetime on the national TV channel France 5.

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August 13, 2020 - Komiza, the small fishing town on the island of Vis, is a Dalmatian hit this summer. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that it's not only Komiza seeing swarms of tourists, but the interior of the island is also full, as is the town of Vis, which in August recorded 80 percent of its figures compared to last year.

Large queues can be seen on the way to the ferry in Vis town, and if you wait to get your ticket until an hour before departure, thinking, "there won't be crowds?" Think again. 

The coronavirus has forced people into nature and agriculture, which is a bonus for visitors to Vis, who can enjoy more than 50 swimming pools on the island for guests thanks to luxury villas.

There are so many tourists that, at times, towns look as if they'll burst at the seams, but everyone is happy to be the hit of Dalmatia, expressed a local. 

"In Komiza, you can't pass all the people, some renters are full until mid-September. A miracle in a small town. How, why? We have no corona. We are a corona-free destination. That one case? It wasn't ours. People here are safe, calm, free, that's why they come to us," one Vis renter said.

Komiza Mayor Tonka Ivcevic confirms this year's boom, saying that luxury holiday villas sold out first.

The past two weeks in Komiza have been at the level of last year. There are a huge number of yachtspeople, and the novelty is the family guests arriving by car - and there have never been so many.

Another novelty is certainly a significant number of Croatian guests who have recognized Vis as the safest holiday destination.

"To our surprise, no one expected there to be this much tourism. We met them, and we lowered the price of the Blue Cave from 100 kuna to 70 kuna. We also introduced free parking in the city parking lot. We are very satisfied," says the mayor.

The Komiza Tourist Board and its director Bogoljub Mitrakovic are also under attack, stating that some landlords have relaxed too much and are not registering guests. However, Mitrakovic warns such landlords to stop illegal work as soon as possible, also because the Tourist Board regularly asks the State Inspectorate to visit them.

"We send inquiries to the inspectorate every week, even for situations from last year. But they don't answer; the inspector is nowhere to be found. We have 1900 beds, but also a lot of unregistered guests. And that's the problem. Hotel "Biševo" has excellent results, all 300 beds are full from August 1 until today, and official data give us an 80 percent result in August compared to last year. Apart from the domestic guests who took the lead in July, there are a lot of Slovenes, Italians have returned, there are a lot of Britons, Austrians, Germans, French, Serbs… There are a lot of Poles who love diving; they like to explore shipwrecks. The only ones missing from Komiza are those from San Pedro, and the corona blocked them from coming. We are telling everyone to come, Komiza is safe, we are very careful about the measures at all our events, and there are a lot of them. Summer in Komiza is a hit, and I think we succeeded in that because of excellent marketing," says Mitrakovic, who gives thanks to the City and the Nautical Center for their help in organizing the events.

One renter Petra Muric says that you have to walk along the entire waterfront several times to find somewhere to sit for coffee; that the city has become like a ripe pomegranate that will burst at any moment.

"There are so many boaters that the rocks where you tie ropes are also filled. And on the mainland, some groups come naively without inquiring first, so they have to sleep in their cars. Families come with children, godparents. And how will you help them? Everything is full. It got to the point that the couches also filled up. Five of our apartments started filling up about 15 days ago, and we are occupied until mid-September. We had 30 calls a day. This summer, there is a change, there have never been so many locals, but it is evident that they have much less spending power than our standard guests, Scandinavians, Swedes, Dutch, Spaniards, Italians," says Petra.

It is not difficult for foreign guests to pay extra costs, and Komiza is not cheap. However, it is not as easy for the locals. Thus, long columns are formed in front of fast-food restaurants, and the shops are so crowded, they even run out of groceries.

Petra Muric adds that many people openly asked to lower the price of their accommodation. Some Zagreb agencies even called and tried to convince them that their 70 euro accommodation must be reduced by 50 percent.

"I had up to 30 phone inquiries a day for accommodation. In the end, I had to put on the ad that the 70 euro price, which is ten euro less than last year, is final. We are all full, the worst accommodation on the island is full, the situation is to give whatever you have. We have not experienced this yet," says Petra.

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August 10, 2020 - Reports of tourist arrivals in Croatia this August are anything but grim. Just last weekend, Croatia reported more than 323,000 arrivals and 2.3 million overnight stays!

According to the preliminary eVisitor data, which contains tourist traffic realized in the commercial and non-commercial segment and nautical charter, more than one million arrivals and 7.2 million overnight stays were realized in Croatia so far in August (from August 1 to 9), which is about 70 percent of last year's result achieved in the same period, the Croatia National Tourist Board reported.

They add that most overnight stays in the same period were achieved in Istria (1.7 million overnight stays), Kvarner (1.4 million overnight stays), Split-Dalmatia (1.3 million overnight stays), Zadar (1.3 million overnight stays), Sibenik-Knin County (578,000 overnight stays), Dubrovnik-Neretva County (392,000 overnight stays) and Lika-Senj County (271,000 overnight stays).

"After an excellent July, in which we achieved about 60 percent of last year's result, we recorded even better tourist trends in August and are currently at about 70 percent of last year's result. The markets that reacted best are territorially closer markets for which Croatian destinations are easily accessible by road routes, such as, for example, Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary.

We directed our promotional and information campaigns towards these markets all the time, communicating that Croatia is a safe and well-prepared tourist destination. Also, with the increase in the number of airlines, tourist traffic in the southern parts of Dalmatia has intensified," said the director of the Croatian Tourist Board Kristjan Stanicic, adding that, for example, Dubrovnik and London are currently connected with 44 flights a week.

"It is extremely important that we all continue to act responsibly and that we adhere to the prescribed epidemiological measures, because this is currently a prerequisite for the realization of tourist traffic in the country," concluded director Stanicic.

In the previous part of August, most tourist arrivals came from the German market, about 225,000, which is an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year. The domestic market follows with 178,000 arrivals, an increase of 18 percent, the Slovenian market with 133,000 arrivals, an increase of 10 percent, and the Polish market with 109,000 arrivals, an increase of 16 percent, compared to the same period last year.

Looking at the destinations, so far, in August, most arrivals were made in Rovinj, Porec, Medulin, Crikvenica, Umag, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula and Novalja.

The Croatia National Tourist Board adds that during the last weekend (from August 7 to 9), there were more than 323,000 arrivals and 2.3 million overnight stays in Croatia.

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Some very encouraging data indeed for the Croatian tourism sector, as almost 70 percent of the traffic achieved in the first nine days of August 2019 is achieved in the first nine days of this month. In August so far, there has been growth in arrivals from the markets of Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and Poland, reports the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ).

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 10th of August, 2020, according to the eVisitor system, in the first nine days of August 2020, a total of more than one million arrivals and 7.2 million overnight stays were realised in Croatia, which is about 70 percent of last year's result achieved in the same period. The highest number of overnight stays in the same period was also realised in Istria (1.7 million overnight stays), Kvarner (1.4 million overnight stays), Split-Dalmatia County (1.3 million overnight stays), Zadar (1.3 million overnight stays), Sibenik-Knin County (578,000 overnight stays), Dubrovnik-Neretva County (392,000 overnight stays) and Lika-Senj County (271,000 overnight stays).

"After an excellent July in which we achieved about 60 percent of last year's result, in August we're recording even better tourist trends and we're currently at about 70 percent of last year's result. The markets that reacted best are territorially closer markets for which Croatian destinations are easily accessible by road, such as Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. We've directed our promotional and information campaigns towards these markets throughout this time, communicating that Croatia is a safe and well-prepared tourist destination. In addition, with the increase in the number of airlines, tourist traffic in the southern parts of Dalmatia has intensified,'' said the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Stanicic, adding that, for example, Dubrovnik and London are currently connected with 44 flights per week.

In the previous part of August, the highest number of tourist arrivals came from the German market, around 225,000 of them in total, which is an increase of 6 percent when compared to the same period last year. This is followed by the domestic market with 178,000 arrivals, marking an increase of 18 percent, the Slovenian market with 133,000 arrivals, an increase of 10 percent, and the Polish market, with 109,000 arrivals, an increase of 16 percent when compared to the same period last year.

Looking at the destinations, so far in August, most arrivals were realised in Rovinj, Porec, Medulin, Crikvenica, Umag, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula and Novalja. They also say that during the last weekend (from August the 7th to the 9th), there were more than 323,000 arrivals and 2.3 million overnight stays recorded in Croatia, providing a much needed spring in the step of the Croatian tourism sector during these trying times.

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The Croatian tourism structure is changing as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the country is seeing a considerable shift in numbers and arrivals from certain countries.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 8th of August, 2020, a survey conducted among members of the Group of Unique Luxury Hotels of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) showed that the structure of guests in this segment of Croatian tourism has changed significantly. Before the appearance of the new coronavirus, the US was the priority market for most respondents, and now it has become Germany. It is interesting to note that Croatia is increasingly visited by guests who spent their annual leave before the pandemic came to be in exotic destinations far from Europe such as the Bahamas and the Seychelles, and that a large number of them are now coming to Croatia.

"Currently, most of our guests come from the German-speaking areas and from Croatia, and there's been a noticeable increase in arrivals from Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, etc. Most of them are guests who come in their own car, and a number also come by plane, often by private flight. Our experiences with them are extremely positive and in most cases these are guests who are visiting Croatia for the first time, looking for an alternative to the long haul destinations they normally visited. It's interesting that many noticed how much easier it is to choose a closer destination, and many of them said they'll come again, given the fact that we met their expectations in terms of a high level of privacy, and the quality of accommodation and services,'' said Sandra Juric, the director of sales and marketing at the Meneghetti Hotel, which is a member of the Stories group, Croatian Unique Hotels.

Tomislav Milinovic, the director of the Calvados Club travel agency, has also noticed quite the change in terms of Croatian tourism and its emitting markets.

"Otherwise, our main markets are the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Australia. Other markets are below 5 percent of total turnover, and the EU market is negligible for us. However, agencies and clients from the European market, mostly from Germany and Scandinavia, are now contacting us, but they're really only looking for luxury accommodation such as villas, apartments in a luxury hotel or a yacht,'' Milinovic explained.

Among the respondents, online advertising dominates in attracting guests, whether it is done on social networks, via Google advertising or on classic sites such as Booking.com, and to a lesser extent at tourism fairs.

When it comes to advertising on social networks, the markets of greatest interest to all are those of the United Kingdom, Austria and Germany, followed by Slovenia and other European countries.

“We've undertaken a number of additional marketing campaigns in collaboration with our long-standing partners, agencies, DMCs, the media and on social media, and the results are tangible. Booking has become exclusively short-term and therefore very unpredictable, but it's much more intense than we once expected. There are obvious oscillations that show a strong and immediate reaction of guests to any change in the situation in Croatia or surrounding countries. The influence of the media or changes in the policy of individual governments change the picture from day to day,'' said Juric of Croatian tourism in the coronavirus age.

Half of the participants in the Croatian Chamber of Commerce survey recorded a shortening of the number of overnight stays since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, while a smaller number recorded an increase or an equal duration of guests' stay. Most of the respondents introduced benefits and additional facilities in the form of discounts, and to a lesser extent, the offer of gastronomic packages, boat tours and the use of sports facilities. Everyone involved in Croatian tourism emphasises the need to intensify marketing activities in traditionally strong markets that are currently in decline, as well as across all markets from which it is possible to visit Croatia by car.

“We're continuing with strong marketing activities in the US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil because once lost, some markets are harder to regain than to gain new ones. Therefore, I appeal to the system of tourist boards not to redirect marketing funds intended for promotion in overseas markets. On the contrary, we need to think about the future, because all this will pass one day, and we must be ready for that,'' concluded Milinovic.

Through the brand Stories, HGK promotes small luxury hotels that are associated in the Group of unique luxury hotels HGK.

“Our goal is to position ourselves on the international market through top service, a unique offer and a special gourmet experience. The crisis we're all going through shows new trends, but reaffirms the fact that the product is the most important thing and after this crisis our guests will be looking for small hotels with the most authentic and personal experience even more, which is what Stories hotels base and develop their offer on,'' noted Nenad Nizic, President of the Group of Unique Luxury Hotels of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce.

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