July 5, 2020 - After the City of Novalja prohibited music festivals from Croatia's most well-known party beach, Zrce is vacant, with only 30 beachgoers counted on July 1. 

It was the first day of July. The temperature was above 30, the sun was scorching, and the sea crystal clear. An endless row of deckchairs were neatly arranged with a carefully measured distance, and club music could be heard in the background from one of the bars. It is a perfect backdrop for a good time.

Only there are no people.

Jutarnji List reports that Zrce beach in Novalja, a paradise for partygoers from all over the world, an entertainment industry and money factory, is empty. In letters and numbers, on the 25 thousand square meters of the most famous beach in Croatia, on the first day of July, a total of 30 people were counted.

Half of them were the staff that is there for the few guests who do not want to give up on Zrce even after the City of Novalja officially banned all festivals, after-parties and other mass gatherings on the beach. For club owners and those who live indirectly from Zrce, and there are quite a few of them in Novalja, this was the last nail in the coffin of an already lost season.

And Zrce really looks sad. In the huge parking lot, which was once inaccessible due to the crowds, there is currently an empty concrete field with only a few cars with Zagreb license plates. Boards were nailed to the openings of countless small bars selling food and drinks on the beach, and a "no money" notice was posted on a dozen ATMs and closed exchange offices.

Of the five big clubs, only Calypso, which works in part as a cafe, opened its doors on the Novalja side. On the Kolan side, because the beach is administratively divided between the two municipalities, Noa opened seven days ago, though it might as well be closed, as only twenty or so people fill the space that can accommodate a few thousand of them.

On the terrace of one of the only two open beach bars, Sime Ostaric, the beach concessionaire for the last four years, the director of the company "Naša ideja", which holds all the entertainment facilities on Zrce, sat alone.

"The Hideout festival started on this day last year. More than 15,000 foreigners from all over the world were partying in this desolation that you see now. How am I now watching this? It's painful. If I may be frank, it's f*cking painful," Ostaric says openly. 

Last year it employed 250 people, now it employs a total of 12. Not even five percent. His managers work as waiters; there is no choice or election; everyone is aware of the problem.

And at the beginning of the year, everything smelled like records. Bookings for festivals, which bring thousands of partygoers to Zrce every weekend, was 30 percent better than the year before, and three entirely new events were planned. And then at the beginning of March, the cancellations started, they slowly dropped out one by one until finally, by the decision of the City, they were not banned from all gatherings.

"This year, we were supposed to break records. Instead, we live on gasoline money, on loans that are terribly hard to get no matter how much is said otherwise. I first opened eight days ago and only because of the destination, although I know we won’t even be at zero. In fact, we will be far below zero. There are no people, that is the beginning and the end of the story. This is an entertainment industry that works on the principle of large numbers.

In Novalja, in fact, on the whole of Pag, you have countless apartments, villas, apartments that are filled only by Zrce. Not only did the corona attract partiers but also family people, other tourists, who came here because of what we have created here. Not the state, not local self-government, but private initiative. In the last three years, we have invested 21 million kuna in this beach. Zrce is the driver of all tourism on the island; I would dare say that there is no brand in Croatian tourism like this. But, it seems to me more and more that no one cares about that," says Ostaric.

His words would probably be signed by the owners of the other five big clubs who tried in all possible ways to save what was left of the season. And by day, not by night.

When a new wave of corona started, they tried to organize smaller programs that would allow the gathering of 20 to 30 people, with all possible epidemiological measures such as temperature checks, protective masks at the entrance, places for isolation ... they were already warming up, inquiries began, and then a rude awakening. The Civil Protection Headquarters of the City of Novalja, after a session at which they analyzed the events that are planned to be organized in nightclubs on Zrce, prohibited the organization of all festivals.

"I am aware that this decision does not suit everyone. We are only guided by the interests of the city and the intention to preserve and not endanger this 50 percent of tourist traffic from last year. With irresponsible behavior, especially party tourism, which is certainly inappropriate for anti-epidemic measures, we will endanger what we have," the mayor of Novalja, Ivan Dabo, said in response to the objections from Zrce.

Out of 1.7 million overnight stays last year in Novalja, as many as 900 thousand were realized in private accommodation. By far, the largest number, over 800 thousand, falls on young party members who come here primarily because of Zrce. Contrary to the typical Croatian prejudices that this is the youth who sleeps among the pine trees with a backpack on their back and no kuna in their pocket, lives on sandwiches from the store and drinks water from the tap, the truth is somewhat different. They are excellent consumers, and statistics show that their personal consumption is much higher than that of the average tourist in Croatia and far exceeds, for example, the amount spent on holidays by family members who come as tourists.

In Novalja, they calculated that each of their party members spends a minimum of 120 euro a day on accommodation, food, going out and all other services. When this amount is multiplied by the number of at least eight hundred thousand overnight stays, as many as the guests from Zrce, we come to the figure of an incredible one hundred million euro that turn in just one season. Perhaps it is now clearer why an empty beach hurts so badly, and how much the law of large numbers in mass tourism can be fickle.

The private renters who are most connected to the guests from Zrce know this best. As many as 20,000 beds in private accommodation were difficult to fill even in normal seasons, let alone in this tourist apocalypse.

"I'm afraid this is not the worst thing that could happen to us. Because the next season, which will be entered at the end of August, when contracts are being made and sales for the summer of 2021, will start to become questionable. If it continues like this, it will not be good at all. And then we will all kneel together," Ostaric concludes.

The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has earmarked funds for the promotion of the now somewhat (in)famous Cro card, and as soon as it receives the green light from the ministry, it will start promoting it, Stanicic said, adding that he hopes that will take place in the coming weeks.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 3rd of July, 2020, according to eVisitor, about 330,000 tourists were on holiday in Croatia on the 3rd of this month, which is about 60 percent of the amount which was recorded the same day last year, and most of them are staying in Istria and Kvarner, said Kristjan Stanicic on Friday after a coordination meeting with representatives of tourist boards from Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

According to him, in June, there were about 800,000 tourist arrivals and about 5 million overnight stays realised, which is 32 to 33 percent of last year's traffic, so, he says, the CNTB's forecast was quite accurate. He added that he expects that percentage to grow in July and August.

At the meeting, Stanicic presented the promotional activities of the CNTB for 2020, and they also discussed joint promotional activities that will be carried out in cooperation with tourist boards from the county and the procedures related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He pointed out that during the pandemic, the CNTB created three campaigns and maintained the visibility of Croatia through the media and social networks, which enabled Croatia to be one of the few tourist destinations in the Mediterranean where tourist traffic is now taking place. The greater visibility of Rijeka and Kvarner, for example on the extremely important British market, will be contributed by the new two-month issue for July and August of Wanderlust travel magazine, which suggests to readers what to see and visit in 72 hours in Rijeka and Kvarner.

When asked about Slovenian guests, Stanicic said that there are now about 70,000 of them in Croatia, and so far they have realised about 1.1 million overnight stays.

"We're monitoring the development of the situation regarding Slovenia's recommendations to its citizens and I believe that in the coming days, with the number of infected, Croatia will return to the green list and that Slovenians will continue to come and stay in Croatia," he said.

According to Stanicic, most tourists come from Croatia's neighbouring and surrounding countries - Germany, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, along with domestic guests.

"So far, we've had about 1.7 million guests, who have realised over 8 million overnight stays," he said, emphasising that so far, there have been no tourists infected with coronavirus in Croatia, and that the entire health system in Croatia is functioning well.

Asked if they could be infected with coronavirus, he said they were aware of a certain risk, but that everyone is well prepared, that there were protocols and procedures in place and that all providers of services were aware of them, he added that he believed the risk would be reduced to a minimum measure.

When asked about the frequently discussed Cro card, onto which employers will be able to pay workers up to 2,500 kuna to spend at Croatian tourism facilities, Stanicic said that there are technical details that need to be resolved with the banks and that he believes the Cro card will come to life as soon as those matters are ironed out and eventually resolved.

The CNTB has earmarked funds for the promotion of the Cro card, and as soon as it receives the green light from the ministry, it will start promoting it, Stanicic concluded.

For more on the Cro card and travel to, from and around Croatia in the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated section.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 3rd of July, 2020, Croatian tourism might take a blow as its old rival returned to the tourism game this week, with the official opening of Greece after the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Greece has an extremely strong tourism brand in which it has invested a lot over the last few years, a strong product with a large selection of travel opportunities and attractions, a significantly more developed hotel sector than that of Croatia, and a strong offer of all inclusive arrangements that Croatia cannot boast of because it has never bothered to properly develop its tourism in the same way Greece has.

In addition, Greece is already more price competitive than Croatia, and prices have fallen further this summer due to the coronavirus crisis.

Due to all this, as Poslovni dnevnik has learned from travel organisers, reservations have already started to be transferred from Croatia to Greece en masse since Greece announced that it would be opening up to tourists. This is especially important when it comes to the German market. In addition, other markets are opening up, the Spanish pilot project with German tourists in Mallorca proved to be a complete success, and reservations have since started there as well.

Europe's largest tour operator TUI is announcing programmes for the whole of Europe, with an emphasis on summer resort destinations, and good experiences in the Balearics could encourage the opening up of Madrid, travel organisers hope.

This week, the summer season was opened by the largest European tour operator TUI, with the launch of flights and the opening of its hotels in the Mediterranean. The first flights started from Germany, Belgium and Switzerland took off, and the TUI Group announced that the focus of the first holidays was the Balearic islands, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, and only then on Croatia.

Most flights are announced for Greece and Spain, while here in Croatia, packages are mostly sold that include car transport, and the balance of reservations stands at approximately 40 percent of last year's sales. Additionally, TUI is particularly pleased with the opening of EU borders to third countries that are assessed to have a favourable epidemiological situation, and they hope to open soon to Turkey and Morocco, for which they are ready to activate their programmes in the short term.

TUI is currently analysing the results of launching holidays in Mallorca in mid-June with German guests. As it is known, the goal was to realise holiday packages in the conditions of a high level of protection against infection, and the first data showed that the concept they worked with in the hotels was highly accepted among guests, and more details on that are planned to be published next week.

In July, the German TUI plans to execute 1,500 flights, mainly to the Balearic islands, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal, and on July the 1st, flights to the Canary Islands also started. TUI Austria has arranged for 60 weekly departures with a focus on the Greek islands, all of which are scheduled for July.

TUI Poland has launched operations in Mallorca and Crete since July the 1st, it then plans to add Bulgaria and the Greek islands to that list. TUI’s second largest market, the United Kingdom and Ireland, is restarting its business from July the 11th, with the first flights departing from London to Ibiza and from Birmingham to Palma.

Greece is especially popular on the German market, as has been evidenced by the signing of a special memorandum of understanding between the Greek Ministry of Tourism and TUI on Tuesday. The strategic agreement stipulates that TUI in Greece will realise least half of its last year's turnover this year, which is a sign of TUI's strong support for Greek tourism. As of Wednesday, a total of more than 230 flights have left for Greece.

Cooperation with Croatia...

While Croatia welcomed the first 500 passengers by train from the Czech Republic on Wednesday, the Greeks welcomed the first flight from Hanover at Heraklion Airport, with live traditional Cretan music to greet the visitors. The island has welcomed about 4,000 passengers on flights from Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland.

When it comes to TUI, they have not yet achieved the desired potential on the Croatian market, partly due to the relatively low share of all-inclusive supply. For comparison, TUI brought 6 million tourists to Greece last year, and about 600 thousand to Croatia, and they have cooperation with hotel companies such as Valamar, Bluesun, and Karisma. These days, the tour operator has activated a special summer package with Karisma hotels in Croatia, which, in addition to a holiday at the TUI BLUE Kalamota hotel, includes transport by plane to Dubrovnik and then continued transport to the island.

40 percent of last year's results are currently recorded by TUI on package reservations for Croatia.

The programme will run from July the 4th to September the 26th, and includes a seven-day half-board holiday, a return flight from Zagreb and a transfer, at a cost of 5,000 kuna per person.

The program lasts until October the 1st, and the packages include a return flight from Zagreb every Thursday, all airfare + luggage, seven nights in a selected 3 to 5 star hotel, breakfast services to all inclusive, and a complete service in the destination, and arrangements start from 3070 kuna per person.

The Palma Agency experience

''We did the first flight on June the 25th from Ljubljana with 76 passengers to Dubrovnik, the group is very satisfied, they took a few trips and enjoyed the nice weather. Interest is still present given the excellent package prices, the speed of arrival to the destination, and it's worth mentioning that today, the first domestic guests are leaving from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, which shows that the domestic market is also showing interest. Bookings are mostly coming in at the last minute, ten days before, and it depends very much on the epidemiological situation - if the situation is good, the market reacts, reservations are made, travel takes place,'' explained Dalibor Canaglic from the Palma agency.

For more on Croatian tourism in the coronavirus era, follow our travel page.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has seen many a business venture and investment grind to an unexpected halt, especially in the tourism sector which has been the hardest hit economic activity in Croatia. However, the virus and its spread hasn't stopped everything, and Brac will get something new this summer regardless of the current climate.

As Jozo Vrdoljak/Novac/Privredni writes on the 2nd of July, 2020, Boutique Camping Bunja was recently opened in Babin Laz Bay near Supetar on the beautiful island of Brac in Central Dalmatia. Supetar will thus, adapting to the current trends of solitary holidays, have a small four-star boutique camp in its arsenal this season.

The camp has fourteen modern mobile homes and 32 spacious pitches for campers and tents, of which the largest, most luxurious ones, cover from 70 to 130 square metres. In addition to the beach bar, massages on the beach, and a heated freshwater pool, Brac's new facility offers a children's playground, bike and kayak rental and more.

Along with its lush Mediterranean greenery, the camp's walls are built in the traditional Dalmatian drywall style to remain in keeping with the rest of the island.

The investment in the camp on Brac is worth a massive two million euros in total

"Camping is the perfect answer to the growing need of people to return to nature, which is currently the best and safest way to relax, so we have no doubt that Boutique Camping Bunja will get its guests, lovers of our island, even during these challenging times. There is a large selection of high quality private and hotel accommodation, which can be enjoyed by families with children, but also couples who will choose adult only hotels, and there are also attractive rural villas around the place,'' said Ivan Cvitanic, the director of the Tourist Board of Supetar.

Supetar currently has two camps - Bunja and the Waterman Beach Village with a total of 124 campsites and 57 mobile homes, which can accommodate 462 guests. Camping has been experiencing a real tourist boom in recent years, both globally and locally, and is an ideal form of holiday for all those who seek solitude and true coexistence with nature.

For more, follow our travel page.

July 2, 2020 - The Slovenian government has put Croatia on the "yellow" list of epidemiologically less secure countries due to the increase in the daily number of coronavirus infections, said government spokesman Jelko Kacin in Ljubljana.

UPDATE JULY 4: 

Croatian citizens who want to go to Slovenia from today (July 4) must show a negative test for coronavirus not older than 36 hours, made in the European Union, to a Slovenian border police officer. If they do not have it, they will be handed a decision on 14-day self-isolation at the border.

If they have nowhere to self-isolate in Slovenia, they will not be allowed to enter that country, Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs explained yesterday.

If they pass through Slovenia in transit without stopping, they must pass it within 12 hours. These new measures are valid for our citizens after Slovenia put Croatia on the yellow list, which means that it is not an epidemiologically safe country. Apart from Croatia, the Czech Republic and France have been on the Slovenian yellow list since midnight.

This means that both Czech and French tourists who go to Croatia on holiday in Slovenia will have to pass without stopping, and at the Slovenian border attach proof that they are going to Croatia. Hojs said that all border crossings to Croatia remain open, but all those who are aware that after entering Slovenia will have to self-isolate, will be able to enter the country only through four border crossings with Croatia - Gruškovje, Obrežje, Metlika and the airport in Ljubljana.

This new restrictive measure, Slovenian government spokesman Jelko Kacin admitted at a press conference yesterday, was introduced by Slovenia because of its citizens who lied to border police officers when they entered Slovenia that they were in Croatia, but were actually returning from Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina. They did this to avoid the 14-day quarantine they are required to go to on their return from those countries. Kacin admitted that the number of people infected with coronavirus in Slovenia has increased precisely because of such people. In an attempt to prevent this, the Slovenian authorities are introducing restrictive measures that will make Croatia one of the biggest victims.

As of July 4, all foreign citizens entering Slovenia, who were on vacation in Croatia, will have to give Slovenian border police officers proof that they have been in Croatia. Invoices for paid sojourn tax, hotel invoice or registration via the Enter Croatia application will be recognized. In order to avoid quarantine in their own country, all Slovenes returning from vacation at the Croatian Border Police will have to prove that they were in our country.

Those who own real estate in Croatia will be able to avoid going into self-isolation by providing proof of ownership, and all others by paying bills in Croatian restaurants and bars in Croatia or by confirming the paid sojourn tax. For example, those who transported someone to the Zagreb Airport will have to enclose an invoice for paid parking at the airport or an invoice from the bar where they had a drink.

Checks on proof of residence in Croatia will enormously increase congestion on the Croatian-Slovenian border, admits the Slovenian Minister of the Interior. But he succinctly explained that it is not a problem for all those waiting for quarantine to wait an hour longer at the border.

The new Slovenian regime at the border will also create great pressure on Croatian border police officers and create large crowds at the entrance to Croatia from the direction of Slovenia. Especially since the decision is starting to apply for the weekend. Regardless of the new Slovenian measures on the Croatian side, new measures were introduced at four border crossings - Bregana, Macelj, Rupe and Plovanija in order to reduce the time of crossing the border and enable better flow.

Special lanes have been established for foreign tourists who have applied to come to Croatia via the Enter Croatia application. In front of the border crossings, there are special traffic signs and lines have been drawn that direct these tourists to the part of the border crossing intended for them.

--------------------

Index.hr reports that as he explained at the press conference, the decision was made by the government on Thursday, and the measures will take effect on Saturday at midnight.

So far, Croatia has been on Slovenia's "green" list of epidemiologically safe countries.

Apart from Croatia, the Czech Republic and France have now been relegated to a lower category of safe, while Belgium and the Netherlands have been included in the higher "green" list of safe countries.

The decision for Slovenes staying in Croatia means that when they return home, they will be able to expect the border police to ask them exactly where they stayed, which they will be able to prove, for example, with a hotel bill, but they will not be quarantined.

Those returning from Croatia will have to substantiate their route at the border with evidence or give confirmation that they have a vessel or real estate in Croatia "because there have been too many attempts to deceive in that sense," Kacin said.

Apart from the increase in the number of infections in Croatia, as Kacin suggested, the measure was also adopted because there have been many cases recently when Slovenian citizens and those with permanent residence in Slovenia coming through Croatia or Hungary stated that they were in those countries, even though they were in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are on the "red" list of epidemiologically safe countries.

Kacin again called on Slovenes living abroad to avoid crowds and respect epidemiologically prescribed measures, and especially to avoid nightclubs and mass parties because they are a potential source of infection.

When asked what putting Croatia on the "yellow" list means for Croatian citizens, Kacin said that they would be able to come to Slovenia freely if they have real estate or booked tourist accommodation.

A few days ago, Kacin explained what it means to be on the "yellow list". "If the country is placed on the yellow list, then a Slovenian citizen or foreigner with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia, if they come from the EU or the Schengen area, enters Slovenia without quarantine. For other persons, a 14-day quarantine is mandatory," he said, but also stated that there are 15 exceptions to that decision.

Details of the decision to move Croatia from the "green" list of safe countries to the "yellow" will be announced on Friday after the session of the Slovenian government, Health Minister Tomaz Gantar told Slovenian television on Thursday evening.

According to Gantar, a new government decision and the tightening of epidemiological measures are needed as part of the deteriorating situation in the region, but also in Slovenia, where more and more new local infections are being transmitted after the virus was imported, especially from "red list" countries such as Serbia, North Macedonia, BiH and Kosovo.

From those countries, everyone who enters Slovenia must be in a 14-day quarantine. Quarantine decisions will be issued at the border with Croatia.

For those Slovenes who continue to go to Croatia as tourists, "it is not planned for now" that they would need a binding 14-day quarantine, and for now, this only applies to those who were in the countries on the "red" list where the epidemiological situation is critical, or very bad, Gantar explained.

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July 1, 2020 - There are currently 644 hotels and 344 camps open in Croatia, other tourist facilities are opening daily along the coast, and the number of tourists is increasing by about 30,000 a day, says the Croatian Tourism Association (HUT).

Slobodnna Dalmacija reports that introducing the news with the headline "Security Before Everything", this and other information and news for tourists, tourism and other sectors were published by HUT in the fifth issue of the bulletin "Croatia Tourism & Travel Weekly" (in Croatian and English). HUT emphasized that by July 1 (the issue date of the bulletin), none of the total 1.6 million tourists who were in Croatia this year by the end of June "were infected with the coronavirus during their stay in all types of commercial accommodation in Croatia".

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They also say that due to the implementation and observance of protective measures and better comfort of tourists, a large number of hotels and camps and other accommodation facilities are currently operating with smaller capacities, including the largest tourist company in Croatia, Valamar Riviera, at 20 percent less.

"Although there are no restrictions in Croatia (wearing masks is mandatory only in public transport, and certain additional safety measures have been adopted in some regions, while face masks are recommended indoors across the country), safety standards in all tourist facilities are high, and Croatian epidemiologists have made very detailed guidelines for all types of facilities and tourist services that have been implemented throughout the country," HUT points out.

HUT's analyzes show that the demand for Croatia as a summer holiday destination is growing day by day and that the number of tourists is constantly increasing, about 30 thousand a day.

Currently, most foreign tourists in Croatia are from Germany, followed by Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria. Through the official application Entercroatia, and according to the data of the Ministry of the Interior, more than a million tourists have applied to enter Croatia so far, the HUT bulletin states.

They also state that Croatia has elaborated guidelines in case of infection in tourist destinations, which provide for adequate isolation and treatment, as well as that all major destinations have specialized tourist clinics that are ready to act quickly and safely and that all tourism workers know the precise procedure and manner to respond if needed.

In the bulletin from July 1, HUT states, among other things, that "Croatia, in coordination with other members of the European Union, has opened its borders as of today and enabled free entry into the country for all EU citizens, citizens of countries that are in the Schengen area, nationals of countries associated with the Schengen area and nationals of third countries residing in those countries."

In addition, the HUT bulletin from July 1 provides a list of facilities (hotels and others) that open in early July, as well as upcoming airlines in July at Croatian airports and other information and attractions.

July 1, 2020 - The Croatian National Tourist Board announced the latest tourist numbers for the first six months of 2020, which show that Croatia has achieved 30% of last year's tourist traffic.

In June this year, 892,000 tourists who came to Croatia realized 4.8 million overnight stays, which is 32 percent of the overnight stays realized in June 2019. This shows that in June and across the first six months this year, overnight stays have dropped about 70 percent, announces the Croatian National Tourist Board.

"Given the circumstances around the world and in Croatia, we can be satisfied with the realized tourist traffic, which is in line with our estimates. It is important that out of 1.6 million tourists who have stayed in Croatia since the beginning of this year, we have not had any cases of infection in tourists," says Croatian National Tourist Board Director Kristijan Stanicic.

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In the first six months of this year, domestic tourists achieved the most overnight stays, which once again confirms how they've been rejected, especially this year. Of course, about 2 million domestic guests cannot replace the 20 million arrivals of foreign tourists, but they certainly can and should be a great base for the pre- and post-season.

On the contrary, domestic tourists are the bearers of tourism in the interior of Istria, and thus saved the season for various facilities in commercial accommodation, holiday homes, restaurants and wineries in inland Istria.

Thus, domestic tourists in the first half of this year accounted for 31 percent of total overnight stays, which is the highest among all markets and a rarity in the last more than ten years.

Foreign tourists accounted for 69 percent of total overnight stays, with most achieved by Slovenes (26 percent), followed by Germans (25 percent), and Austrians (9 percent), and tourists from BiH and the Czech Republic (7 percent each).

By type of accommodation, most overnight stays or 73 percent was realized in commercial accommodation, of which 30 percent in household facilities, 20 percent in hotels and 16 percent in camps. Twenty-four percent of the total six-month overnight stays were realized in non-commercial accommodation, and 3 percent in the nautical charter.

In the continental part of the country, 12 percent of total overnight stays were realized, most of them in Zagreb, which is the leader among all destinations in Croatia, ahead of Rovinj, Vir, Medulin and Porec.

Adriatic counties are still leading with a total of 88 percent of overnight stays in the first six months, and among them, most overnight stays or 25 percent were realized in Istria, followed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar with a share of 21 percent and Zadar and Split-Dalmatia County making up 15 and 13 percent in total overnight stays.

Announcing that tourist demand and traffic are expected to increase in July and August, especially from Central Europe, Stanicic adds that these are the markets of Germany, Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, and that stronger demand for hotels is expected.

"Although the epidemiological situation at the global level is constantly changing, tourist flows have started and people have started to travel following new circumstances and are adhering to epidemiological measures. Croatia is partly favored over the competition, because it is accessible by car from major European markets, offers a diverse structure of accommodation, and still has a favorable epidemiological situation," said Stanicic.

All things considered, Stanicic estimates that at least a third of last year's record result can be achieved in Croatian tourism this year, but he also expects further recovery of tourist flows and gradual strengthening of traffic within Europe, while accustoming citizens to changed circumstances in which they travel and spend their holidays, as well as the adaptation of the tourism industry to the circumstances of the pandemic and the establishment of better air connectivity of major markets and destinations.

"We hope for good results in the off-season, in September and October, when we could achieve results better than a third of the turnover of the same period last year, and if circumstances allow, the first wave of tourist travel from distant markets could begin at the end of the year," said Stanicic.

He also expects that in July and August, when numerous airlines operate, positive tourist trends will show throughout Croatia, with an emphasis on destinations in central and southern Dalmatia, because most flights are announced by airlines for the summer to Split and Dubrovnik airports, and to Zadar, Pula, Zagreb and Rijeka.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has thrown the spanner of all spanners in the works for global tourism and Croatia, for which tourism is the strongest economic branch, has been anything but immune to these pandemic-induced, extremely negative trends. Istria, however, is recovering at a remarkably enviable rate.

As Novac writes on the 30th of June, 2020, Istria has recorded some truly encouraging and excellent tourist results for last weekend. Namely, from June the 26th to the 28th, only 6 percent fewer tourists were recorded in Istria than during the same days last year, long before coronavirus was ever an issue one could have imagined.

Last year, on June the 26th, 27th and 28th, 54,000 arrivals and 522,000 overnight stays were realised in Istria, while this year, 51,000 arrivals (index 94) and 300,000 overnight stays (index 57) were realised, which is incredibly impressive. This means that over these three days, Istria has only experienced 6 percent fewer tourists, and overnight stays reached 57 percent, which is much more than the expectations suggested, which went up to a maximum of around 40 percent of last year's, pre-pandemic traffic.

Looking at the whole of the month of June, the numbers are indeed devastating, regardless of this brilliant result for beautiful Istria. Last year, that month held the record with an index of 116 when compared to June 2018, and this year, June is at the level of only 29 percent when compared to last year, local portal Glas Istre writes.

"Overall, June will end at 30 percent of tourist realisation when compared to last year, but the trend that is rising week by week and the announced bookings that continue to arrive give us the hope that July and August could be good. This is all with the clear indication that the situation can change extremely quickly, both in a positive and in a negative sense,'' said the director of the Tourist Board of Istria, Denis Ivosevic.

For more on travel in the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated section.

The Prague-Rijeka train line has been wildly popular with Czech tourists itching to get away and get a taste of the Croatian Adriatic, with an amazing 30,000 tickets sold in just the first two weeks of them being available for purchase.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 30th of June, 2020, the new line will operate on the route Prague-Brno-Bratislava-Ljubljana-Rijeka every day until the end of August.

The first train belonging to the private Czech company RegioJet which runs the new Prague-Rijeka line departs this afternoon from Prague and will arrive in the Croatian city of Rijeka tomorrow at around 08:45. The ceremonial celebration of the beginning of this new railway programme will take place in the almost completed new Hilton Costabella hotel in Rijeka, which was invested in by Czech investor JTH Holding.

As stated, the new Prague-Rijeka line will operate on the route Prague-Brno-Bratislava-Ljubljana-Rijeka every day until the end of August, and the fact that as many as 30,000 tickets were sold in the first two weeks speaks volumes about the interest in this offer, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has rightly pointed out.

RegioJet a.s. is a private Czech provider of rail and bus passenger transport and a leading long-distance railway company in Central Europe. They record 20 million passengers a year, 11 million on the railways and 9 million in bus transport. In intensive cooperation with the Croatian Embassy in the Czech Republic and the CNTB Office in Prague, the RegioJet Management recognised this opportunity and offered a new option to connect Central European countries with the Adriatic sea through a night service with modern and quality trains.

The starting ticket price of 22 euros for the Prague-Rijeka line refers to securing a place in the train's compartment. Additionally, you can buy a ticket for a coupe with a bed at a price of just 30 euros. For tourists from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, transportation from Rijeka to their final destinations on the Croatian Adriatic will be organised following their arrival.

For more on Croatian tourism in the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated section.

As Jozo Vrdoljak/Novac writes on the 29th of June, 2020, after the Bluesun hotels in Bol, Brela and Tučepi, Elaphus, Berulia and Alga were opened on June the 10th, as were the Amor hotel in Supetar and the camp in Starigrad Paklenica, the largest Dalmatian hotel group Bluesun Hotels & Resorts opened the Holiday Village Sagitt on the 27th of the month.

At the beginning of July, the Bluesun Hotel Neptun in Tucepi and the Bluesun Hotel Soline in Brela will also open. After that, as Leo Urlic, the director of sales and marketing revealed, the company intends to open the Bluesun Hotel Alan in Starigrad Paklenica.

Date adjustments and discounts

"The adjustment of the date and a discount of 20 percent attracted Croatian guests who used the extended weekend to spend their holiday on the Adriatic. The second extended weekend in June gave more concrete results. Considering the fact that the number of guests in hotels is increasing and the demand is growing, we've come to the situation that we're starting to open other hotels in our destinations,'' revealed Urlic.

He explained that in this situation, there is a trend of a large increase in individual guests and online reservations, while, on the other hand, tour operators are activating somewhat more slowly because they are mainly related to the situation in air traffic.

"The agencies announced the beginning of their air programme for mid-July, the largest tour operators from the Scandinavian market. That's certainly good news. The encouraging news is that the number of German guests is also growing. One of the largest German tour operators commented that they're catching up fast, and that their bookings are getting better. They calculate that Croatia will realise 50 to 60 percent of last year's turnover. All these trends, as well as the activation of air traffic, give us some optimism that we'll open our other hotels in our destinations by the end of July,'' assured Urlic.

Trends and reservations for Bluesun hotels

Leo Urlic emphasised that the strong trend of last minute reservations is still very much present, and the real momentum of the season is expected when the school year ends. So, they expect an increased inflow of reservations for families with children soon.

"Our reservation centre has been achieving great growth for the third year in a row now, and that is one of the biggest investments and strides we've had in business. A lot has been invested in people, in state-of-the-art tools, in the system and of course in marketing. Last year, we had an enviable increase and as such we increased the share of individual provisions. We realised that trends are changing. The new client is dynamic, flexible, they've often booked from a mobile phone and we've adapted to that. This situation with the pandemic only further accelerated the continuation of that trend that we started. We've changed the communication towards our clients through activities on websites and advertising. We notice that the number of visits to our website has tripled compared to the same period last year,'' added Urlic.

At the same time, bookings through online travel agencies continue to grow...

"It's an interesting fact that fourteen days ago, the data on reservations showed that we were two months behind where we were last year. In just two weeks, the backlog has narrowed to a month and ten days, so hopefully by mid-July we will reach the figures from that period last year, because for now, everything is going in that direction. Air traffic is slowly returning to its regular frames, so the market is much more dependent on domestic guests and those who traditionally come to Croatia by car,'' he said.

According to Stjepko Sosic, the director of revenue management at Bluesun Hotels & Resorts, after a complete standstill since mid-March, bookings for this particular popular hotel group have been slowly growing since the end of April.

"June showed a concrete recovery in booking. Last week’s inflow of bookings was identical to that in the same week last year. However, of course, the base is smaller because the reservations that should have been booked in the period from March to May were lost,'' said Stjepko Sosic.

Holiday Village Sagitta near Omis, managed by Salva Regina, opened on June the 27th

"The isolation that is possible at this location and accommodation in apartments and bungalows, in this year's new circumstances, has made Holiday Village Sagitta even more desirable for guests to whom such accommodation instills additional security and trust," says Martina Kovacic, director of Salva Regina.

The Bluesun camp Paklenica, which opened on May the 27th, is already well filled

"The beaches are full, we're opening additional outdoor facilities with food and drinks, the a la carte restaurant in the camp is full, and guests from private accommodation are coming to us. The influx of Slovenian guests is noticeable. The type of accommodation also has a significant impact on occupancy, mobile homes and camping give guests a sense of security,'' said Goran Babin, the director of the Starigrad Paklenica destination owned by Bluesun Hotels & Resorts.

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