April the 12th, 2021 - The 2021 summer season is being called into question more and more as spring is now firmly upon us and preparations need to begin. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic still throwing spanners in the works, it's going to be a difficult season to call. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board director, Ana Hrnic, has spoken openly about her concerns and the situation in Croatia's southernmost city, which relies heavily on air transport.

As Novac writes, once upon a (pre-pandemic) time, th Easter period used to mark the beginning of the tourist pre-season across Croatia. This year, only twelve hotels have been opened down in Dubrovnik, Croatia's tourism Mecca. The Easter holidays attracted about 1,000 tourists, and they were mostly those of us who live in Croatia.

''This year, the announcement of the beginning of the tourist season, despite the situation we're currently in, brings with it certain types of restrictions because neither the catering and hospitality facilities nor their terraces are able to work, Ana Hrnic, the director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, told HRT.

It isn't just Ana Hrnic with worries on her mind. Until April the 12th, the City of Dubrovnik and the Tourist Board were offering their tourists numerous benefits.

''The Cultural and Historical Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, our two archeological exhibitions in Revelin... we invited all Croatian citizens to come down to Dubrovnik and come and visit those museums for free,'' said Julijana Antic Brautovic, the director of Dubrovnik Museums.

Among the few foreign guests on Stradun were three Turkish sailors.

''I came to buy a yacht. We're in the ACI marina. It's nice, we like Dubrovnik, I've been visiting the historic centre with some friends,'' said a tourist from Istanbul.

Indoor restaurants are the biggest problem

''It's difficult, we can't eat anything anywhere. We have to buy food and then go back and eat on board, it’s very inconvenient,'' noted the Turkish tourist.

''We sail to the islands, they're wonderful, they have excellent conditions for nautical tourism, but in a pandemic it is difficult to imagine anything. It's similar in Turkey, so we must all be responsible,'' said the same tourist from Istanbul.

Dubrovnik's catering and hospitality industry workers are also waiting for the outcome of the situation with a sense of uncertainty.

"Twenty-six of my colleagues couldn't take this anymore. They've permanently closed their premises, one part of them has moved out of the city, some others among them are also planning to leave,'' said Ante Vlasic, the  president of the Dubrovnik Restaurant Association.

International air traffic to Dubrovnik has now thankfully been re-established - for now twice a week from Madrid and Munich, which is an enormous downgrade in comparison to what this wildly popular Dalmatian city is used to. Easyjet flights from Geneva also began running from April the 10th this year.

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March the 5th, 2021 - Dubrovnik is very well known (both in a positive and a negative sense) for its cruise ships, and with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic still holding a firm grasp on tourism, just where do things stand? It seems that the Dubrovnik cruiser trends are improving, be that good or bad.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, after the government lifted a previously introduced ban on large cruisers entering Croatian ports a few days ago, which was entered into force last year to fight the coronavirus pandemic, conditions were created for preparing for a tourist season that could be significantly better than last year for Dubrovnik, Croatia's main cruise destination.

According to the announcements of global cruise companies, Dubrovnik could generate 80 percent more cruise traffic throughout the year 2021 than it managed last year, or 60 percent of the pre-pandemic traffic seen back in 2019, but only if the epidemiological situation stabilises and the conditions for crossing European Union (EU) borders are properly defined as soon as possible.

In addition to the above, protocols for dealing with various possible scenarios should be introduced as soon as possible, from how to act in the case of an infected passenger onwards. Dubrovnik cruiser trends for this summer are hanging on many factors being properly accounted for, both at the national and at the European Union level.

The City of Dubrovnik has therefore prepared a draft protocol that Mayor Mato Frankovic sent to the Croatian Government on Wednesday, modelled on what both Greece and Cyprus boast, as these are currently the European countries most active in their work and efforts to see tourism make a comeback along their shores in summer 2021.

"We´re monitoring what our competitors are doing across the rest of the Mediterranean and we have used their solutions to compile our own protocols for action, and we expect to have the quick support of the Government, which responded to our request to define the situation with cruisers. We met several times with representatives of the World Association of Cruising Companies (CLIA) and agreed and defined everything, which was very important to do on time. That´s why we insisted, along with the Government, on the conclusion of a proper decision as soon as possible allowing large ships to enter. It is very important that shipping companies know their destinations on time, so that they can start selling tickets,¨ explained Frankovic when discussing 2021´s potential Dubrovnik cruiser trends.

Although there are a lot of inquiries when it comes to Dubrovnik cruiser trends for 2021, there is still work to be done to reach the maximum potential of the summer tourist season, according to the mayor, who mentioned the current bad epidemiological situation in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, which has already jeopardised some previously planned programmes.

“We should always keep in mind that Dubrovnik is just one of the destinations on any given cruise route and that everything will depend on the epidemiological situation. Thus, for example, the idea of ​​cooperation with American Viking failed, due to the bad epidemiological situation in the county. In addition, some companies have launched programmes under some bilateral agreements between countries. For example, Royal Carribean has launched programmes for Greece, but only for guests from Israel, and only vaccinated ones,¨ Mato Frankovic pointed out.

Sales are beginning despite all uncertainties...

Royal Caribbean International has announced that it will launch a voyage from Israel in May, with a combination of a three- to seven-night cruise programme on the Greek islands and then on to Cyprus. Ticket sales start on March the 9th, and the cruises themselves will begin departing as of the month of May.

The programme is the result of a bilateral agreement to introduce the controversial ¨Covid passports¨ between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, and a mitigating circumstance is the high vaccination coverage of Israeli residents. On their new ship "Odyssey of the Sea", for which this is the premiere voyage, everyone over the age of sixteen will have to have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

In fact, as discriminatory as the request for vaccination of tourists may seem and most do not officially advocate it, it seems that most cruise companies will ask their guests to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus at the time of boarding, to avoid "hostage crises" and additional related health complications.

Last week, the same move was announced by luxury travel company Crystal, which found when undertaking market research that this would be one of the criteria for their customers to choose a cruise. Prior to them, back in January, the British cruise company announced that it would ask all guests to be vaccinated two weeks before boarding.

The same criteria are being introduced by U.S. river cruisers, after their potential guests also said they would feel safer with fellow travellers who have been vaccinated against the virus. Frankovic pointed out that this actually suits the destinations that the ships are heading to.

"It will actually be convenient for us as destinations, and it will facilitate all of the needed protocols. For guests who have not had the vaccination, we will introduce a protocol for them to visit the city in small groups, as well as all institutions, museums, walls, for which there will be no need for vaccinated guests. There will certainly not be opportunities for cruise guests to tour the city individually like they did before,¨ he explained.

Frankovic is more than aware that the level of vaccination against the novel coronavirus in the destinations these enormous vessels head to is also of paramount importance. That is why the people of Dubrovnik are very active in getting everyone vaccinated as soon as possible, in order to welcome the summer tourist season as safely as possible.

So far, about 4,000 people have been vaccinated in Croatia´s southernmost city and tourist Mecca, a mass vaccination of about 1,000 citizens is planned for Monday, and by June, the majority of Dubrovnik´s residents plan to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, according to Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic, who still hopes Dubrovnik cruiser trends will manage to rescue some of this year´s tourist season down in southern Dalmatia.

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February 25, 2021 - Bookings for Dubrovnik explode after Boris Johnson's plan to end restrictions by June 21. 

Jutarnji List reports that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that England is finally moving towards easing measures had a tremendous effect on tourism. According to British and world media, the world's largest travel company TUI recorded an increase in bookings from the British market by as much as 600 percent compared to previous days. Good numbers are coming from other companies.

EasyJet, for example, says that demands from the British market have tripled, and Thomas Cook is recording a 75 percent increase in traffic from the British market.

British interest in travel has also found Croatia, especially Dubrovnik, which is very much looking forward to welcoming Brits on holiday this year.

As Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković confirmed for Jutarnji List, booking from the British market increased immediately after Johnson's announcement that England plans to implement the measures in four phases, with the ultimate goal of abolishing all measures by June 21.

"Of course, immediately after that announcement, we felt the effect. Dubrovnik hoteliers have confirmed an increase in bookings from the British market in the amount of 30 to 40 percent compared to previous days, which makes us especially happy. These bookings mostly refer to the summer season, but hoteliers are hoping for a good September and October, especially with regard to vaccinations," Franković said.

According to foreign media reports, most Britons eagerly awaiting travel this year will, logically, opt for their traditional markets - Greece, Spain, Turkey, but Portugal and Italy will also benefit, according to Skyscanner, which on the day of Johnson's announcement saw growth in bookings of more than 100 percent compared to the day before.

Good announcements from the British market come just ten days after TUI UK announced that it would re-launch 15 lines to Croatia from May to three airports, Pula, Dubrovnik, and Split. There will be five direct daily lines from five UK cities to Pula from May to October, eight daily lines from eight UK cities to Dubrovnik, and two daily lines to Split. 

The return of TUI UK is good news for domestic tourism after traffic between these two markets was suspended last year, so in the 2021 season, if the epidemiological situation does not worsen, higher numbers of British tourists are expected than last year.

In the 2020 season, namely, only 127,129 Britons were recorded in Croatia, of which they achieved 685,000 overnight stays, only 14.8 percent of the year before.

In 2019, 898,000 Britons stayed in Croatia, recording 4.6 million overnight stays.

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September 15, 2020 - Good news for Croatian travelers looking to visit the Adriatic pearl this September, as Dubrovnik targets domestic guests in its new late-season tourist offer. 

HRTurizam reports that the promotional activities of the City of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board titled "Late Summer in Dubrovnik" - "Dubrovnik, where the heart is", from September 15 to 30, includes discounts and benefits for visitors to Dubrovnik on numerous tourist services from several different categories: sights, museums, galleries, accommodation providers and caterers.

In this way, they want to attract primarily tourists from Croatia, who top the tourist list in Dubrovnik this year. Namely, from January 1 to September 9, tourists from Croatia were first on the list of the most numerous tourists in Dubrovnik. Since the beginning of the year, there were 33,864 tourists from Croatia (83% of last year's tourist traffic in arrivals for the same period), and 113,453 overnight stays were realized (5% more than in the same period last year).

In addition to Dubrovnik's cultural institutions, such as the museums, Lokrum and the Dubrovnik Walls are also included in the offer, which also includes reduced ticket prices in September.

The great news is that the seventh Good Food Festival is being organized this year as well, as a gastronomic event for all lovers of good food, which will be held from September 24 to 27, 2020, following the prescribed measures due to the epidemiological situation.

This year's program will include the traditional Restaurant Week (September 21-27) with festival menus, a special breakfast offer, wine tastings, a sweet festival offer, gastro tours, culinary workshops, a festival house in Pile, a summer gastro cinema program, beer evenings with good street food at Dubrovačka pivovara, and a concert by Ines Tričković Sextet: Runjić in blue and other interesting events.

The chefs of about thirty Dubrovnik restaurants have created festival menus, especially for the Good Food Festival, at promotional prices of up to HRK 150. They will be able to taste them throughout the Festival Week.

The City of Dubrovnik and its institutions will join the action of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian National Tourist Board, entitled ‘A Vacation-Worthy Week’, from October 16 to 25, 2020.

Offering half the price of all tourist products, from accommodation, transport, and sights to catering services and various experiences, this action aims to enable all Croatian citizens to visit and get to know other parts of the country, concludes the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.

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Friday 11 September 2020 - As part of the national campaign Tjedan Odmora Vrijedan (Holiday-worthy week) there will be Luxury Hotel Rooms in Dubrovnik for 50 Euros in October. We're signed up! But will others follow?

Luxury Hotel Rooms in Dubrovnik for 50 Euros in October? Idemo (let's go)! In an interview given to dnevnik.hr, assistant mayor of Dubrovnik Jelka Tepšić has confirmed that many businesses in and around Dubrovnik are prepared to sign up to the national Tjedan Odmora Vrijedan (Holiday-worthy week) initiative.

The campaign, conceived by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism, has set aside a week – well, actually just over – in which they are encouraging all within the tourism sector to offer a 50% discount. Covering two weekends, from Friday 16 October to Sunday 25th October, the offer should see some luxury hotel rooms, fabulous meals, and transport carriers offering premium products at half the price. If they sign up.

Luxury hotel rooms in Dubrovnik for 50 Euros in October sounds like a good deal. And it is. During a typical October, visitors are still enjoying the sunny streets of the Old City in Dubrovnik. A luxury hotel at that time would usually cost €200 per night. Because of this year's extraordinary circumstances, those rates are currently €113 per night. Dnevnik.hr, therefore, estimates luxury hotel rooms in Dubrovnik for 50 Euros in October.


View of the islet Lokrum from Dubrovnik © visitdubrovnik.hr

Dubrovnik is a special case within Croatian tourism. In recent years it has benefitted from its ability to extend its season beyond that which other Croatian destinations can. This is due to its world-famous attributes and excellent marketing. However, being a city linked mostly by charter flights and large cruise ships, it has suffered greater this year than destinations traditionally visited by road users. It's understandable that they would want to optimistically join the initiative.

Some in the tourism sector seem less keen on the initiative. They regard October as too late in the season for such a scheme. Their pessimism may be justified. It has been a much more difficult month to promote for places other than the special case of Dubrovnik – the sea is beginning to see a drop in temperature and in continental regions, the early mornings and evenings in October may necessitate a hoodie and long pants.

But, that's not to say that such destinations couldn't benefit from attracting, in particular, domestic visitors during the initiative week. That is if such homegrown tourists have any holidays remaining. Only time will tell just how widespread the industry will embrace the initiative, and just how beneficial it will be.

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As Novac/Gabrijela Bijelic writes on the 27th of August, 2020, the ongoing coronavirus crisis which hit Dubrovnik the hardest of all of Croatia's coastal destinations, has permanently disrupted the sailing schedule of two popular sailing ships, the Tirena and the Karaka. These beautiful replicas of the merchant ships of the old Dubrovnik Republic have been an indispensable part of the the city's waters for countless years until now, and this August they are waiting for the return of tourists, which looks a dire prospect.

''We haven't done any rides this season. There are no passengers. The boat is moored along Rijeka Dubrovacka, the other day we introduced sunset sailing at 18:30 and we did so vain, just so that the boat sails. We did a promo ride for one of the cafe owners and did a party for one of our commercial employees on Saturday and that's it. It's an absolute horror,'' said the captain of the Tirena, Bogomir Vukovic.

In the past generous tourists seasons, Bogo, as he is affectionately known, had 140 to 150 working days a year, and in this unfortunate 2020, there's been little to none of that. He hoped to do some work in September and October, but even that is unlikely, given the fact that the coronavirus pandemic is putting off many guests.

''At the beginning of the month I was at the bank, they extended my moratorium on my loan repayment for another six months. We're now waiting for survival support from the state, any kind of loan with a two to three year wait would be good if salaries for 4 to 5 crew members and the service for the ship could be settled. I'm sad to see the Tirena just standing idle like this. And I only invested 100 thousand euros in the preparation for this season, so you can work it out,'' Captain Vukovic says in a resigned tone. He also made an original proposal for the local authorities:

''I'd call on Mayor Frankovic or County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavic, who is already deciding on this, to declare a disaster for the City and the County, which are both 99.9 percent dependent on tourism. This is the only way we will save ourselves from this little beast that has done more damage to the world than the atomic bomb,'' says Captain Bogomir Vukovic.

The situation with another Dubrovnik Republic replica vessel isn't much different either. The ship, which is under the command of Captain Fran Radosevic, spends most of its time docked berth at Gruska placa.

''We've had three small groups so far, and we've not been doing excursions this summer at all because so far, we haven't been able to gather even the minimum number of passengers needed, 30 to 50 people per voyage, to be at all profitable. We had to do one wedding of 80 people, and in the end, due to the epidemiological measures, it all came down to 8 of them, the newlyweds, their parents and their godparents. Fortunately, so far, we haven't fired anyone, and we haven't reduced the salaries of our employees. We have an agency and that has helped us so far, I just don't know how we're going to proceed. I don't rely much on bankers or politicians,'' Radosevic explains.

''We returned on March the 18th, and a day later we already had 70 people arranged for dinner. Instead of dinner, we were greeted by quarantine,'' recalls Radosevic, who is sick ans tired of the state's attitude towards entrepreneurs in tourism.

''Our VAT rate of 25 percent is the highest in the entire Mediterranean. If this isn’t an opportunity for it to be taken down, then I don’t know when it is. It isn't normal that from one trip that costs 350 kuna, we have to give 250 kuna to the state,'' Frano Radosevic complains. He says he is angry at the statistics that politicians are still claiming that we're at 50 percent of last year's turnover.

''Let them come to Dubrovnik themselves and they'll see what the real situation is on the ground,'' says the disgruntled captain of the Karaka, which remains an eternal piece of the Dubrovnik Republic in the modern day.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of August, 2020, more flights have started taking off for Dubrovnik, the streets and restaurants are livelier, and something is finally happening in Croatia's tourist Mecca. Of course, each of the tourism workers has their own personal story to tell, some dealt with the coronavirus more easily, some took it harder, and some will be buried by it.

Local portal Dubrovacki dnevnik investigated the situation with the city's private accommodation.

Last year, which was a record one, it was impossible to find an apartment in a good location and with good reviews for less than 100 euros per night in the peak season. This year the prices are much lower. A quick look at Booking.com and Airbnb will reveal numerous apartments at fair prices in Dubrovnik. In fact, in the last week of August, Dubrovnik's private accommodation has never been more affordable for foreign tourists.

Thus, in a beautifully decorated apartment within the city's historic walls, the price per night at the end of August is a mere 79 euros. This apartment on Airbnb has a high rating of 4.9 based on 60 reviews. It even has a roof terrace with a beautiful view of the famous UNESCO city. In the first part of August it was well filled, but in the second half, things weren't quite so. As for September, seven days have been booked so far.

Prices within Dubrovnik's city walls for dates in the last week of August start at 45 euros for a studio apartment, and most renters provide accommodation between 50 and 60 euros per night. Last year, it cost that much to spend the night outside the narrow heart of Dubrovnik, and well-kept apartments in even Mokosica were managing to be booked for higher prices last year than the apartments in the old town are in 2020.

Thus, one with a rating of 4.86, located near Siroka ulica (street), comes with a mere 58 euro price tag. It also has an extra bed, meaning it can sleep three guests. It is decorated with a multitude of antiques. Accommodation for over one hundred euros can also be found. Such a luxuriously decorated house for four guests with a garden costs 130 euros. In the first half of August it was well filled, while in the second half and for September there are no reservations for now. It has a rating of 4.92.

As for accommodation in the popular Lapad area, it is possible to find very good accommodation there for 39 euros per night for three people. There is also a barbecue in the garden. Prices in Lapad mostly range around fifty euros for the second half of August. In Gruz, private rooms can be found for as little as 30 euros, and nicely decorated apartments cost around 50 euros. Mokosica doesn't offer much accommodation for tourists, which means that many property owners have turned to renting to families throughout the year. Despite that, a villa with a swimming pool in Mokosica comes at a cost of 117 euros per night, and it can accommodate four guests, which is a fantastic price per person.

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August 9, 2020 - Meet Marc Hough, a former international DJ who became a wine importer after visiting Dubrovnik and trying Croatia wine. In 2020, he returns for his 20th summer.

Situated in the north of England, about halfway up the island called Great Britain, the city of Manchester is famous for its football and music. Mancunians are proud of this. Two members of TCN are from the city, and when someone local asks “Odakle si?”, usually we say “Ja sam iz Manchestera” (I am from Manchester). We don't say "I'm from England" or "Great Britain". Everyone knows where Manchester is.


Marc Hough, a former international DJ. His passion for the Plavac he discovered in Dubrovnik turned him into a wine merchant.

20 years ago, Marc Hough was a high profile member of Manchester's famous music scene. He counts members of bands like The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays as close personal friends. As longstanding DJ to New Order (the band that was once Joy Division), he toured the world playing the music of Manchester to many. But, no more.

“I reached the age of 40 in 2010 and thought, what am I doing with my life?” Hough told TCN over the phone, as he was preparing for a trip Dubrovnik. “DJing and the music business is a young man's game.”

And so, inspired by an enthusiasm for Croatia wine, he turned his back on a high profile DJ career and became a wine bar owner and wine merchant.


One of Marc's 'Cork Of The North' wine bars / stores near Manchester © Cork Of The North

“When I started, I was literally just selling wine out of the back of my car. I only had five customers and three of those were my dad, my brother and me!” remembers Marc, who has built his independent business considerably since then. He is now a wholesaler, recommending and selling wines to top bars and restaurants in the north of England. He has also opened two of his own wine bars 'Cork Of The North' (which are also wine shops), in Sale and Heaton Moor, near Manchester.

“Croatia plays such a big part in the story,” stresses Marc. “I've been visiting Dubrovnik for over 20 years. I had a friend from there who I met in Manchester. She came to live here for a while to escape the war. After it finished, she went home, invited me to Dubrovnik and I just fell in love with the place.”

“There was a wine bar in the Old Town called D'Vino, run by a half Croatian half Australian guy called Saša. After I saw what he was doing there with Croatia wine, I thought that's exactly the kind of place I'd like to have in Manchester.”

Already passionate about wine thanks to his grandad, that first trip to Dubrovnik made Marc curious to return. On his next visit to Croatia, he travelled further than just the Pearl of the Adriatic and went to the source of some Croatia wine itself.


Part of the Pelješac peninsula, which features heavily in Marc's 20-year affair with Croatia wine © Anto

“I came back on a sailing holiday with Bernard Sumner (guitarist of Joy Divison and singer of New Order),” Marc recalls. “He loves sailing and he has his own boat. We went all round Pelješac, Korčula, Brač. I fell in love with Dingač. Since then, I've travelled all of Dalmatia and through Istria learning about the wines. I've been to Bosnia to try their varieties like Vranac. But, for me, the most recent, amazing discovery has been Slavonia. They make some incredible white wines there; Graševina, Cabernet Franc, Traminac.”


New Order, the band that was once Joy Division. Marc Hough toured the world as their DJ © RL GNZLZ

“For me, it's always half holiday, half work,” Marc tells us, as he packs for his 20th annual trip to Dubrovnik, which begins on Sunday 11 August. “Amazing views, amazing people, amazing food and amazing wine. But, the wine always inspires thoughts of work. I can't help myself. I love visiting the vineyards, meeting the winemakers. It's not the same as when you do it in other countries. In Croatia, you'll often be invited into the kitchen or onto the terrace of the winemaker's home. You'll leave with arms full of different bottles - some gifted - and you can even be sold fine wine unceremoniously in a plastic bottle. I love that informal, homemade feel of the experience. It's charming and honest. When I go on buying trips in France, Spain and Italy, it's rarely like that.”

Dubrovnik's tourist season has this year stalled in response to COVID-19. Its visitors' reliance on charter air and cruise ships has proved inflexible. Yet, a little further up the coast, in Makarska and Omiš, the city centres are now full of families who drive to these places every year. Dubrovnik's offer is more once-in-a-lifetime, less loyalty. Unless, of course, it's the wines and not the walls that call you to Dubrovnik.

“It's inevitable that I'll find something new that I want to bring back with me,” Marc says of his impending trip. “Every visit is a voyage of discovery. This time, although I'll again be based around Dubrovnik, I'm determined to go to Slavonia to look at some Graševina and Cabernet Franc, which thrives in the terroir there.”


Marc Hough with just one of his famous friends from the Manchester music scene. Bez, of the band Happy Mondays, is now a customer at Cork Of The North © Cork Of The North

“I wanted to start importing Croatia wines years ago but, for someone at my level, it was so difficult before Croatia became a full member of the EU. Tariffs were payable on the borders and if you wanted to move wines from south Dalmatia - Dubrovnik and the islands - you'd have to go through the border with Bosnia. I lost several whole shipments to the Bosnian police, who said my paperwork was incorrect (it wasn't). It's much better these days. But, there's still very little Croatian wine in the UK, even though the interest in Croatia wine is massive. There's a big demand from people who are really passionate about wine, but also people who come back from holiday, have enjoyed Croatian wine, go searching for it, and just can't find it.”

Cork Of The North varies its selection of fine wines throughout the year. At the moment, Marc stocks Kozlović Teran and Kozlović Malvasia from Istria and Septem Pontes Plavac Mali from Pelješac.

“For an independent like me, I buy an export pallet for each wine I want to bring back. That's 600 bottles of each wine.,” he says, “and as my own personal passion right now is for Graševina, I expect at least one of those to be filled with Slavonian wine on this trip.”


Marc Hough on one of his Croatia wine buying excursions

August 6, 2020 - Just a few days ago, headlines revealed that Dubrovnik is among the most affected tourist destinations in Croatia. Still, despite poor numbers, the Adriatic Pearl has reason to be optimistic.

HRTurizam reports that in August, we can finally see crowds of tourists on Stradun, which is best illustrated by the data that in Dubrovnik in the last two days, the number of visitors has risen to 6,000.

"It started…. The number on the counter reached 6,000 visitors. There were lines to enter the walls. We are recovering step by step," wrote Mayor Mate Frankovic on his Facebook profile.

Thus, 10,316 overnight stays were recorded yesterday, with a little more than 6,000 guests currently staying in the historic city.

While Dubrovnik is finally looking forward to receiving guests, the current numbers are still far from ideal. Currently, in August, the city is at 37% of overnight stays compared to last year. From January 1 to July 31, 113,912 arrivals were recorded in Dubrovnik, or only 14% of last year's tourist traffic and 347,848 overnight stays, also 14% of last year's tourist traffic in the same period, which best shows the difficult situation until early August.

As constructive criticism is often written about the tourist development of Dubrovnik, positive examples should be praised, as is the case now. Namely, Mayor Mate Frankovic is very active in promoting Dubrovnik as a safe destination that is open to tourists.

Recently, Frankovic wrote to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after announcing the potential of a two-week quarantine for Croatia, in which he stressed that Dubrovnik is one of the safest European travel destinations with detailed protocols in all situations, including the number of infected, which was reported by many British media outlets, such as The Telegraph.

It is certainly worth mentioning the proposal and lobbying of Mayor Frankovic that daily data on the pages of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control be divided by counties.

Also, many international media were in Dubrovnik for two weeks, from Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Associated Press to ABC News, which had three live reports from Dubrovnik.

In any case, this year, Dubrovnik is fighting for every guest. 

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August 1, 2020 - 154 planes landed in Dubrovnik on July 31, 2019 - and on Thursday, there were only 55, said the Dubrovnik mayor of the catastrophic tourist results in the Adriatic pearl. 

With the heat, Croatia and Europe are preparing for another summer weekend and a new shift of tourists. They come and go, but not to southern Croatia, reports Jutarnji List.

Mato Frankovic, the mayor of Dubrovnik, the city most affected by the corona crisis, told Dnevnik Nova TV on Friday evening that 8,800 guests were in the city at the end of July.

"That is 32 percent compared to last year. In order to show the drama of the situation - 154 planes landed in Dubrovnik last year, and today, only 55. Last year, 16,500 guests came on this day, and this year, only 2,400. Dubrovnik is recording catastrophic tourist results," Frankovic revealed.

When asked what it would mean if August is as bad as July, the mayor said that August could be good.

"We need airlines to stay and if it stays that way, if we are not introduced into the quarantine system by our priority markets, Dubrovnik will survive this year," he said.

He added that the Adriatic pearl is preparing for the worst-case scenario.

"We are in the process of obtaining a loan in the amount of 100 million kuna to help all those who are greatly suffering, and that is the Dubrovnik economy," he told Dnevnik Nova TV.

Frankovic concluded that Dubrovnik "must never again be a monocultural city that depends exclusively on tourism".

Recall, after British media announced that a two-week quarantine could be introduced for tourists returning from Croatia, Frankovic wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, asking him to look at Croatia by region, and not as a whole, when making a decision.

"I know that you are well acquainted with this part of Croatia, and that is one of the reasons why I am addressing you personally.

The total number of positive COVID-19 cases from the area of the city of Dubrovnik is three, and currently, over eight thousand tourists are in our city.

We are making every effort at all levels to maintain a favorable epidemiological picture and provide all our guests with a pleasant and safe stay," reads Frankovic's letter to Johnson.

Frankovic pointed out that Dubrovnik is one of the safest European destinations for travel with detailed protocols in all situations, including procedures if the number of infected people starts to grow.

"Taking all the above into account and respecting the fact that Dubrovnik tourism depends on the United Kingdom market, I ask you to look at Croatia and its regions when making decisions, and not just as a whole," concluded Frankovic.

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