8 June, 2021 – CNN's Richard Quest is in Dubrovnik preparing his story on the city and Croatia's travel industry. He seems to still find time to have some fun in the process.

Big time celebrities are nothing new in Dubrovnik. Still, when one of them is travelling to actually do a report about the city, it inevitably raises plenty of interest. Richard Quest is a CNN International news anchor and editor. His show Quest Means Business is vastly popular.

Dubrovnik is hosting Mr. Quest for a few days as he is currently doing a piece on the state of city's tourism. Today, the local Tourism Board released some interesting photos from the filming in the city's historical centre. Lazareti, ancient quarantine complex just outside of the Old Town centre, is the home for Folklore Ensemble Lindo. This organisation preserves traditional folk songs and dances as well as historical costumes of the area. It is synonymous with Dubrovnik local culture. In the photographs Quest is seen visiting Lazareti and interviewing one of the members of Lindo. He also apparently joined in during the rehearsal as we've also seen him in full traditional costume.

 Photos Courtesy of Dubrovnik Tourist Board:

(With Dubrovnik Tourist Board director, Ana Hrnic)

Important Promotion at the Crucial Moment

It seems like the filming is going well and everybody is in high spirits, which only makes us more impatient to see the end story. We have reported earlier on the main topics of CNN's Dubrovnik story. The discussion will mainly revolve around the most important questions of the day for many citizens of Dubrovnik. These include lifting of COVID related restrictions in Croatia and the state of the travel industry.

With important topics like this, amazing backdrop of medieval Dubrovnik glistening in the sun, and Richard Quest in his full local costume, this promises to be a very interested promotion for Dubrovnik and Croatia. With the rise in the interest of travellers from American market, this is certainly the type of news Dubrovnik Tourist Board was hoping for at the beginning of the summer. Don't miss CNN's report from Dubrovnik on Thursday 10th of June.

For more news like this, make sure to follow our lifestyle section.

Are you looking to get to and from Dubrovnik this summer?

May 24, 2021 - Dubrovnik Historical Trails, a project implemented as part of the HRK 33.8 million "Rural Educational, Cultural and Ethnographic Tourist Attractions" project, as part of which five tourist attractions on the islands Mljet and Korčula, on Pelješac peninsula and in Slano were renovated, was presented on Monday.

As part of the project, the Ismaeli-Gabrielis Palace, housing the Korčula Town Museum, was renovated, the parish office housing the Native House of Dubrovačko Primorje was renovated, a Gold and Silver Museum was built in Smokvica, on the island of Korčula, the Austrian Road on Mljet was renovated and the theme trail Babino Polje was set up.

The project, launched in 2017, was part of the Operational Programme "Competitiveness and Cohesion" 2014-2020. Its value was slightly less than HRK 34 million, of which EU grants totaled HRK 27.7 million.

Dubrovnik-Neretva County head Nikola Dobroslavić said that the new and renovated facilities would enhance the county's tourism products.

He noted that his county was the most successful in Croatia regarding the total absorption of EU funds.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 22, 2021 - The relaxation of measures to combat the pandemic, given the decrease in infections and the current vaccination campaign, is one of the reasons why the American demand for Dubrovnik and Croatia as travel destinations for this summer season has increased considerably.

Dubrovnik undoubtedly stands out as one of the most popular destinations to visit in the summer. And although the city has a lot to offer twelve months of the year, and this is something that has recently been worked on through the digital nomads project as an ideal destination to work remotely, it cannot be denied that its beaches, islands, history, and nightlife place it at the top of the rankings made by hundreds of prestigious tourism and travel magazines and portals each year.

As hrturizam.hr writes, Croatian destinations are increasingly being searched on the US market, so the well-known American magazine Forbes published data that the search and American demand for Dubrovnik on online search engines are continuously growing, said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board in the USA, Ina Rodin.

Credit: Mario Romulić

A Forbes article states that on the popular KAYAK travel search page, the American demand for Dubrovnik as a travel destination for this summer season has recorded a search jump of as much as 205 percent, followed by Zurich with a growth of 167 percent, Prague with 144 percent and Reykjavik with a growth of 143 percent. The article states that the growth of search is directly related to the easing of passenger restrictions in Croatia and Iceland, and mentions that Croatia and Greece are currently the most sought-after destinations on the Click & Boat boat rental site.

The well-known American television network CNBC states that Croatia's Internet search is growing by 31 percent and Iceland's by 22 percent. Although Americans are expected to travel the most in their own country in 2021, airline searches rose 47 percent after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's optimistic statement hinted that vaccinated Americans could travel to Europe this summer. The renowned American newspaper The New York Times also writes about the conditions of arrival and stay in Croatia, as well as the measures that are currently in force.

The American The Wall Street Journal also makes recommendations for European travel, and the list includes, in addition to Greece, Croatia, and Dubrovnik, which were mentioned as perfect destinations for this year's American vacation.

According to the CNTB, 70,000 overnight stays from the US market have been made in Croatia so far this year, which is an increase of 38 percent compared to the same period last year.

You can learn more about what the ‘‘Pearl of the Adriatic’’ can offer you on your next trip, in Total Croatia’s Dubrovnik on a page, HERE. Total Croatia’s articles are now available in your language!

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers up and down the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 21, 2021 – We have been covering the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program for some time now, focusing on the digital nomads themselves. We’ve decided to catch up with the nomad partners as well and find out about their Dubrovnik experience.

The Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program gathered ten digital nomads from various corners of the world. They have been working hard to give their input in an effort to create a strategic direction for Dubrovnik. This program was created by Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News, with crucial help from the City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board. During the four-week-long program, design thinking workshops are used to define the perfect image of a digital nomad-friendly Dubrovnik.

With all the emphasis on what digital nomads need in a destination, it is easy to forget many of them do not travel alone. Six of the nomads in the DNiR program have their partners with them. Whether or not a destination is attractive to their partners will undoubtedly play an important role in the decision to move there. We’ve gathered our digital nomad partners and did short interviews with all of them. It was very interesting to hear their stories. Much like the digital nomads themselves, their partners are a very diverse group. Some of them are digital nomads themselves, while some are using the time in Croatia to rest and re-charge. All of them love being in Dubrovnik, but all of them also have their comments on how to improve the offer.

The Interviews

Nicki is a digital nomad as well as his partner Kaisu who is one of the digital nomads in residence. He is often seen at the Lazareti co-working space making sure he stays on top of his work while staying in Dubrovnik

"...in determining whether to go somewhere or not, for us it's always about: Is there something to do? Is there a community? Is there something we can learn from? Is it an inspiring place?"

Jeff is here with his wife Marlee and they are both digital nomads in the broadcasting industry. Their needs are similar, but they also want to spend quality time in a nice location when working remotely.

"...meeting the people has been the highlight. Getting to know someone other just - 'Hi, How are you? Here are the keys to your home.- We've actually gotten to know people and spend time and talk...

Mira is a student from Hungary, so she doesn’t get to work much while in Dubrovnik. She needs plenty of activities and enjoys exploring the destination she finds herself in. Emi is also from Hungary. She is a digital nomad with a job that requires specific conditions in her place of remote work.

"For me, the challenge has been getting around in the public transportation. That's an everyday challenge."

"I have different requirements than some other digital nomads. Because I teach online, so I need a quiet room. That is actually something not everybody needs."

Pete comes all the way from sunny California and is enjoying his stay in Dubrovnik. The nature of his work doesn’t allow him to work remotely. So, his main focus is on exploring the area and enjoying his stay in Croatia.

"...some of the challenges, especially when your partner is working, you are kind of just left on your own. But, luckily, Dubrovnik has great things to do. So, I've been kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, eating a whole bunch..."

Sam is a writer and a digital nomad, just like his wife Charlie. They are flexible and determined to enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle. But being a digital nomad couple often means having different requirements than when you are an individual traveller.

"...because we are a couple we like doing things independently as well. So, for the people that are here in the co-living space, you've instantly got that community together. Whereas being a couple, we obviously like a bit of our own time as well."

With all these different views and opinions, it seems catering to all of them is not an easy task. However, if you already have beautiful areas and friendly people in your community, most other items on the wish list are quite manageable. It is safe to say all of them have one thing in common. They are happy in Dubrovnik and want to be a part of the community.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

Winners announcement video:

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

May 17, 2021 – Among Dubrovnik digital nomads is also Zoltan Nagy, a Hungarian photographer, videographer, and a really cool person. He told us about his impressions of the city and the life of a digital nomad.

Zoltan Nagy is a landscape photographer, videographer, and web designer. He is not too far away from home in Dubrovnik as his homeland of Hungary is one of the neighbouring countries to Croatia. In fact, he considers Croatia one of his favourite foreign countries. He is a young digital nomad looking to explore the world and immortalize it in his photographs. One of the things that excited him the most about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program is meeting like-minded individuals and working with them on the common goal.

DNiR Program

The Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program is the work of Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the City of Dubrovnik support the project and make it possible. The program is a co-creation effort looking to utilise the experiences of ten digital nomads combined with local community members. The goal is to create a strategic direction for the city through the use of design-thinking workshops. It represents a step towards re-thinking Dubrovnik's tourism sector.

The Interview

Zoltan is always upbeat and ready to help. We’ve taken advantage of this and asked him a few questions about his experiences in Dubrovnik. He is very happy with the life in the city and the people he met along the way.

“I love it so far! We’ve met quite a lot of local people here and they were just so nice. They showed us around, gave us some tips and tricks on where to eat, where to find nice photo spots. And of course, the Old Town is just amazing.”

So, what does a person with such a positive outlook on Croatia and Dubrovnik find to be the most challenging thing for digital nomads here?

“The only challenge I found here is the accommodation. So, as a digital nomad, I of course have a monthly budget I can spend on food and just living in a place, and I couldn’t find really good deals in terms of accommodation here…”

Check out the full video below.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

Winners announcement video:

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

May 17, 2021 – Our interviews with digital nomads in Dubrovnik continue with Charlie Brown, a freelance writer and wine expert from the UK. 

Charlie Brown comes from the UK and she is a freelance writer covering themes of wine, food, finance, and entrepreneurship. Her skills are many and interests diverse. Together with her husband Sam she used to own a wine shop and bar outside of London until the couple decided to sell the business and their house to dive into the life of digital nomads. They are no strangers to Croatia nor Dubrovnik, but it was the Digital Nomads-in Residence program that enabled them to come and live in the “Pearl of the Adriatic”. Charlie is always keen on exploring new places and local culture. She is especially interested in the traditional food and wine scene. This is why Croatia was always high on her travel list.

It was through Facebook groups that Charlie and Sam found out about the possibility of joining the program in Dubrovnik. She applied and it didn’t take long for the people in charge to decide a person with an intimate knowledge of wine and food is always a welcomed group member.

DNiR Program

Saltwater Nomads created the Digital Nomads-in-Residence program in partnership with Total Croatia News. They found amazing partners in the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the City of Dubrovnik which support the project wholeheartedly. The program gathers ten digital nomads of different profiles whose experiences of living and working in Dubrovnik will be used to craft a strategic direction for the city. Dubrovnik is moving towards a more sustainable future and digital nomads might be a contributing factor in those efforts.

The Interview

Charlie is always hard at work and it is not easy to get her time. So we’ve made sure to keep the interview short and sweet. Through our chat she revealed her insights into the city and being a digital nomad in Dubrovnik:

“It’s been great weather which really helps. There’s plenty to do here as well and it’s really nice to meet the digital nomads here as well. So, so far it’s been a really great experience.“

"It’s a new thing here, digital nomads in Dubrovnik. So, aside from us ten and our partners, it would be great to be able to meet more people – if there are people – doing this here as well. So, anything like meetups and that sort of thing would be good as well."

She also had plenty of chosen words about her colleagues in the program and the beautiful co-working space in Dubrovnik’s Lazareti complex. Make sure to watch the full interview below.

 Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

The winner announcement video:

May 17, 2021 – Our digital nomads are paving the way for their future colleagues in Dubrovnik as a part of the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program. We caught up with Kaisu Koskela to get her thoughts.

When it comes to being a digital nomad, Kaisu Koskela is the „real deal“. She has been embracing the life of a digital nomad since before the term existed. Originally from Finland, Kaisue feels at home anywhere she finds interesting. She holds a Ph.D. in social sciences from the University of Helsinki and an MSc in social anthropology from the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her Ph.D. research dealt with skilled migrants, their communities, and social identities. All this makes her outstandingly qualified to take part in a project dealing with digital nomads in Dubrovnik.

DNiR Program

The Digital Nomads-in-Residence program was created by Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News. With both the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the City of Dubrovnik supporting it and collaborating on it, the aim of the program is to create a strategic direction for the city. Through design thinking workshops the potential future of digital nomads in Dubrovnik will be described.

Kaisu found out about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program through a friend. She applied intrigued by the prospect of contributing to such an interesting project. Today, she is one of the ten nomads in residence in Dubrovnik.

The Interview

She shared some of her thoughts with us during a short interview. It was interesting to hear her opinions on living and working in Dubrovnik as a digital nomad. Also, Kaisu was clear about her personal likes and dislikes about the experience.

„I think the challenges are to do with the tourist season being so intense and the prices hiking up in that period. Because, as a nomad, you have the whole world to choose from. You have so many locations you can go to at any one time. Personally, for me, what is most important is to have nice sunny weather, which we have here currently and through much of the year. You get to experience really nice weather here, so that's great.“

She is also happy with the colleagues in the Dubrovnik DNiR program as well as the participation of the city and the local tourist board.

„...the fact that the Dubrovnik city and tourism authorities are a part of this I think is a really encouraging sign for digital nomadism in general. So, I am very happy to be a part of the whole program.„

Check out the full interview with Kaisu Kaskela below.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Programme

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

Here is Kaisu's application video:

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

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.

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

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

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.

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

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

July 28, 2020 - The Pearl of the Adriatic is back open for business. Dubrovnik Tourist Board reflect on the recent quarantine by looking into a fascinating world first from the walled city.

Dubrovnik – the Peal of the Adriatic – is back open for business. Its charming alleyways and historic architecture are once again experiencing the footfall of visitors from all over the world. Sun shines down on the beach bars and marina, reflected in every direction by the gentle waves of its turquoise seas. And there's never been a better time to visit.

Like the rest of Croatia, the city was on lockdown for several months in response to COVID-19. Now, Dubrovnik has woken from its sleep. But, visitor numbers are smaller than ever. It's doubtful you'll ever get such a unique opportunity to calmly take in the air from the city walls or soak up the relaxed atmosphere on the limestone walkway of Stradun than in summer 2020.

Dubrovnik's reawakening has provided Dubrovnik Tourist Board the perfect opportunity to reflect on the recent lockdown and shed light on a small segment of the walled city's fascinating history. For this was not the first time Dubrovnik has closed its gates to visitors. This is the city where quarantine was invented.

This new video, filmed in the heart of the former independent city-state, offers an insight into the history of quarantine from the place that invented it. Quarantine was first implemented in 1377 as a drastic response to recurring rounds of the Black Death which devastated Dubrovnik's population numbers over the preceding three decades. As a major port of the Mediterranean, the city struggled more than most to keep the disease away. But, the radical plan worked and became the template for every subsequent action of quarantine.

Learn more by checking out the video, or better still, get yourself down to Dubrovnik this summer and find out all about the city for yourself.