15 August 2021 - Poco Loco Cocktail & Tapas Bar is no longer a new name in Dubrovnik's hospitality scene. This bar-turned-restaurant has occupied the central location of Buniceva Poljana Square for quite some time now. This square in the heart of the city's historical centre is a popular nightspot. It sits behind the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary and is a hit with locals and foreigners alike.

Dubrovnik is not a young destination. This city has been a travel hotspot for decades and an important port for international travellers for centuries. With this in mind, the offer of local restaurants and bars is quite substantial. However, the sheer number of hospitality businesses does not always automatically mean there is enough diversity on offer. When it comes to the wine and dine scene of the city, most of it is divided between more or less serious restaurants and generic bars featuring rather uniform drinks lists. Thankfully, the winds of change are blowing, and we see fresh ideas slowly but surely taking centre stage. Poco Loco Cocktail & Tapas Bar is a great example.

New Restaurant to Watch in Dubrovnik

Poco Loco has been a popular bar and a less than popular restaurant, but it entered 2021 thoroughly different with brand new management. As a result, it is now one of the city's most interesting wine and dine locations. Under the watchful eye of the manager, Marin Nanić, who amassed quite an impressive experience in the fields of hospitality and tourism, Poco Loco is sure to please even the most discerning customers. Fresh forces in the kitchen came out with an exciting menu featuring a mix of international and local favourites. The food offer is perfect for those looking to grab a quick bite on the fly, as well as those looking to enjoy a slow dinner in one of the city's most vibrant corners.

Food and Drinks at Poco Loco

Guests can enjoy a wide range of tapas-like starters. For example, Viska Pogaca, bread with sautéed anchovies and tomato, is a traditional dish of Vis Island. It is absolutely delicious but difficult to find in local restaurants in Dubrovnik. Octopus ragout is one of their specialities for main dishes and provides a great follow-up. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients and simple recipes produce dishes that are delicious, colourful and textured. Dishes are selected to offer as much freshness and diversity as the setting itself. With this in mind, it would be hard to decide if the show's real star at Poco Loco is the food or the drinks on offer.

You will not go wrong with a lovely selection of Croatian wines from various regions that make up the wine list. There are some wonderful examples offered per glass, so you don't have to worry about food pairing that can be quite limited if you order a bottle to share. However, Poco Loco's cocktails are something special. The cocktail list perfectly sums up the philosophy behind this restaurant and bar. It is imaginative and energetic. It offers plenty for those looking for some all-time favourites but rewards handsomely those willing to try new things (think: The Black Jack). Do not miss enjoying a refreshing cocktail at Poco Loco, either as an aperitif or an after-dinner drink.

Don’t Miss It

With its delicious and interesting food, creative drinks list and location known as one of the most entertaining spots in the city, Poco Loco Cocktail & Tapas Bar should be on your radar regardless of whether you are going out as a couple or a group of friends. Poco Loco is a perfect choice for those wishing to experience Dubrovnik's zest for life. It is a place that will give you plenty of energy and will want only your curiosity in return. So plan your visit at the start of your Dubrovnik holiday as you will surely want to come back.

For all information on Dubrovnik you might need, check out Dubrovnik in a Page on our Total Croatia website.

For more content like this, follow our lifestyle section.

August 10, 2021 - August looks much different in the Adriatic pearl than July, as there are currently no beds in Dubrovnik, apart from a few at the most expensive hotels. 

Dubrovnik, which before the pandemic in 2019 was the most visited city in Croatia with the highest number of tourist overnight stays, suffered huge losses last year due to the corona crisis. Since this is an air destination and there were almost no flights last year, Dubrovnik received the heaviest blow on the Adriatic, but the city is finally full of tourists again. The core of Dubrovnik now shows a much different picture, with full bars, long queues for restaurants, and thousands of people walking Stradun, reports Index.hr.

Official figures confirm this. According to eVisitor data from the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, from 1 January to 7 August 2021, 225,163 arrivals and 809,391 overnight stays in Dubrovnik were recorded. In the same period in 2020, 133,532 arrivals and 426,998 overnight stays were recorded, while in 2019, 870,819 arrivals and 2,615,588 overnight stays were recorded.

A large increase compared to last year was recorded in June when there were 40,038 arrivals and 135,895 overnight stays in Dubrovnik, or 201 percent more arrivals and 210 percent more overnight stays than in the same period last year, said the Dubrovnik Tourist Board. In July 2021, there were 115,323 arrivals and 422,679 overnight stays, i.e., 152 percent more arrivals and 131 percent more overnight stays than in the same period last year.

As for August, from August 1 to 7, 36,750 arrivals were recorded in Dubrovnik, and 149,607 overnight stays, which is 90 percent more tourist traffic than last year.

There are currently 21,038 tourists in the city of Dubrovnik, which is 74 percent of the total tourist traffic on the same day in 2019, and compared to 2020, 68 percent more.

"A significant increase and intensification of tourist traffic was recorded at the end of June and continued in July, and according to the announcements, we expect an increase in the number of arrivals and overnight stays in August. In addition, air traffic continued to increase in August. All carriers increased their operations traffic in August compared to the traffic in July, provided that the positive epidemiological picture continues. Given the absence of the pre-season, we hope that more intensive tourist traffic will continue during September and October to speed up the economic recovery," said the Dubrovnik Tourist Board to Index.

Ante Vlašić, a representative of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Restaurant Association, told Index that since the second half of July, tourism in Dubrovnik picked up and that they are at about 70 percent of traffic compared to 2019. However, he also mentioned the problems they are facing now.

"As for the work of restaurants, those who can organize their team are doing well, but now a lack of workforce is an issue. Moreover, we are constantly afraid in the media about a possible break in the season, so many colleagues were afraid to hire more workers. Here, the local headquarters demanded the closure for another 15 days longer than the rest of the country. Hence, many seasonal workers decided to work in the north, i.e., in Istria and Kvarner. Also, flights were not running yet, and as the Headquarters defended our work, nothing sounded optimistic and good," Vlašić told Index.

He states that due to these reasons, Dubrovnik now does not have enough workers in the catering industry, so queues are being created to enter restaurants.

"Now, we can't even receive as many guests as we would like because we also have restrictions due to COVID-19. So at the moment, we are missing at least a third of the capacity that we should have, so I hope that these restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible. And we hope that the import of foreign labor will accelerate and we stop talking about closures. We are really scared in the south, last year we didn't have anything to do all winter, we were closed longer than the rest of Croatia," concluded Vlašić.

Index also spoke to representatives of family accommodation associations who said that Dubrovnik is fully booked and that only some of the most expensive rooms in the most exclusive hotels are still available. In contrast, some of the hotels did not even open this year.

"Split-Dalmatia County is the first, and Dubrovnik-Neretva County is the second county where more rooms are needed. There are currently no free nights; the latest information for Dubrovnik is that only a few superior hotel rooms remain free, where prices are high. That is now all that is free. Now we hope that this good season will last as long as possible so we can fill September as well, because only then can we talk about earnings. Last year we worked at a loss, and Dubrovnik was completely cut off as an air destination. I want them to work as long as possible. Last year there was no post-season, last year only expenses were covered, there was no income," said Barbara Marković, vice president of the Croatian Association of Family Accommodation.

She also states that it is unbelievable that some people are surprised every summer by the prices in Dubrovnik.

"Dubrovnik is a top destination, I worked a lot in France and Spain, and in some restaurants, the minimum consumption per person is 200 to 300 euros. So Croatia must also have a top destination like Dubrovnik, and what was written for minimum consumption in one place it is not unusual in the world," Marković said.

Nino Dubretić, from the Dubrovnik Accommodation Association, also told Index that the situation in Dubrovnik had changed drastically for the better since July 20.

"Dubrovnik is now sold out. There is a very high demand for accommodation in Dubrovnik, and at the same time, there are not many hotels on the market; you can find a maximum of one or two nights in a hostel or the most expensive rooms in luxury hotels. In addition, some hotels, such as Valamar's three hotels in Babin Kuk, have remained closed this season. On the other hand, some private renters have skipped the season out of caution, fearing corona, and some have turned to long-term rentals. At the same time, some new quality renters appeared, but when everything is added up, it turns out that we are in a small deficit in terms of accommodation capacity compared to 2019. On the islands near Dubrovnik, hotels remained mostly closed because there is no labor force," Dubretić told Index.

He states that the prices from 2019 have returned due to such high demand.

"There has been an overbooking of the destination. By August 20, our occupancy is very high, and we also receive reservations for September and October, and next year, so the situation is slowly normalizing. They are now in trend given the situation and last-minute bookings. Previously, the guest would have booked at least a month in advance and now book a week in advance. Guests decide to travel late because they are waiting to see what will happen. But anyway, now the situation is great, and we hope that it will remain the same in the off-season," concludes Dubretić.

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

August 6, 2021 - An uncommon rule was introduced by the owner of Cele Dubrovnik Gourmet & Lounge, where guests are warned they must spend 300 kuna minimum to reserve a table. While this is commonplace in many destinations worldwide, it's not something Croatians are accustomed to... yet. 

The fact is that the owners have the right to set rules, just as guests have the right to agree with something or not, and look for a place where they can sit without restrictions. However, it was precisely restrictions such as booking a table with a minimum spend in the evening that revolted one Dubrovnik local, reports Jutarnji List.

"There were four of us; we wanted to sit in front of Cele for a drink. I looked at the terrace, all reserved. At that moment, guests got up from one table, so I asked the waitress if it is free now. She said no, the table is reserved, but the minimum consumption is 300 kuna," the Dubrovnik local said.

She was particularly annoyed that four foreigners sat down at the table immediately afterward, and the waitress just removed the reservation sign. "Maybe it was a foreign company that made a reservation," the source added with sarcasm. 

"It's not a pleasant feeling when the waitress weighs you and says in such a tone that 'it's not for you, the minimum consumption here is 300 kuna'. Worst of all, if the four of us could sit down, we would have had at least four drinks, which would surely have been more than 300. This way, with a sarcastic smile, I just turned around and left. In principle, I would never sit there again.

People are really full of it. I rarely go to the City during the year, and even when I do, I can’t have a drink anywhere. Very rude," the local added, who noticed the same practice of reserved tables in the surrounding restaurants.

Last year, when there were no foreigners, these restaurants relied on locals, and now that the season has started, they are no longer worthy.

"Will they now wonder if you are from Germany, America, or Austria, so if you are, you can sit down, and the others can't? God forbid you are Romanian or Czech. Then the local is better. Really funny," concluded the source. 

Jutarnji asked the owner of Cele, Tomislav Ivušić, for a comment, who said that the principle of booking a table is still a matter of business in a private facility.

"It's the same everywhere in the world; only Croatians haven't learned about it. When there is a high demand at night, tables are reserved. You can’t sit at a table with two juices for three hours. We introduced reservations solely because of that, and not to assess whether someone can spend or not," explains Ivušić and adds that the owner has the right to say that the tables in his facility are reserved. 

"This rule is on weekends after nine in the evening. Depending on where you sit, you can book a table if your minimum spend is 300 to 500 kuna. I don't know what's in dispute here? That’s the rule; if it doesn’t suit someone, they don’t have to sit there. You can't occupy the whole table for 30 kuna for hours because you have learned to sit and watch who passes by on Stradun. That happens nowhere in the world," Ivušić said.

He was asked if this rule applies exclusively on the weekend.

"Every day is a weekend for us now. After 9 pm, all tables are reserved, and with the reservation, there is a minimum spend," says Ivušić.

"Why doesn't anyone comment on how every morning for the last ten years Croatians can enjoy hot drinks for 10 kuna at Cele? And someone is offended because imagine, they can't sit on Stradun and watch passers-by for three hours drinking tea or coffee?

This is not to belittle someone as a guest. We have such a rule in the evening, and it is normal everywhere in the world. May all of us come to this type of business because only then will we be able to talk about real tourism," the Dubrovnik caterer concluded. 

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

August 3, 2021 - Airline destination Dubrovnik isn't recording the record tourism numbers as the rest of Croatia. And there is one big reason why. 

While many Croatian destinations are recording tourist figures significantly closer to those from 2019, southern Croatia is still lagging behind. Thus, Dubrovnik realized only 50 percent of tourist arrivals in July compared to the record 2019, reports Index.hr. 

"According to the eVisitor tourist check-in and check-out system, there were 115,323 arrivals, and 422,679 overnight stays in Dubrovnik in July 2021, i.e., 152 percent more arrivals and 131 percent more overnight stays than in the same period last year. At the same time, foreign tourists realized 107,729 arrivals and 396,215 overnight stays, while domestic tourists realized 7,594 arrivals and 26,464 overnight stays. Compared to the record 2019, 50 percent of tourist traffic in arrivals and 53 percent of tourist traffic in overnight stays were realized in July," the Dubrovnik Tourist Board announced.

Such figures in the south are not really surprising. During the COVID-19 crisis, many guests decide to travel with their vehicles for safety. Dubrovnik is the southernmost destination that is not connected well by car, and it is necessary to pass the corridor through Neum. The Adriatic pearl thus remains an air destination. 

According to the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, most guests who stayed in Dubrovnik during July were from the USA, France, Germany, Croatia, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Austria. It is also worth mentioning that direct lines from the USA to Dubrovnik were introduced at the beginning of July, which probably influenced the guests from the USA to take first place on the list of those who visit Dubrovnik the most.

According to the Dubrovnik Tourist Board data, the current tourist turnover is at 72 percent concerning the same period of the record 2019, which best describes the tourist situation in Dubrovnik. Namely, the beginning of July did not look particularly promising. Still, the situation improved sharply after the planes started flying from the USA and the opening of the British market, which is extremely important for southern Croatia. Namely, the British are Dubrovnik's most loyal guests.

But when looking at the situation in the first seven months of this year, it doesn’t look particularly satisfying. In the first seven months of 2021, Dubrovnik-Neretva County realized only 31 percent of arrivals and 43 percent of overnight stays compared to the same period in 2019. Such results are conditioned by the poor tourist performance of Dubrovnik, which achieved 23 percent of arrivals and 27 percent of overnight stays compared to 2019, but also the surrounding area, which predominantly affects the tourist results of the county. The President of the Dubrovnik County Chamber, Nikolina Trojić, believes that the reason for these figures lies in guests' structure and the destination's character.

"Dubrovnik and its surroundings are a dominant airline destination, and we know that this market segment is more difficult to recover. The main market for the Dubrovnik area for years was the United Kingdom, which participated with 30 percent in overnight stays. It will be significant in improving tourist numbers, but it is not easy to make up for the absence of the British with any other market overnight. Also in the top ten destinations are three overseas, which were also more or less absent due to the pandemic," Trojic explains.

However, this year's results indicate a slightly better season than last year, where the number of arrivals in Dubrovnik in the first seven months of 2021 was higher by 65 percent and the number of overnight stays by 78 percent.

"The basic question is how long it will last. It has been known that September has been the month with the best occupancy and financial results in Dubrovnik for years. However, there is still concern whether the fourth wave of the pandemic will stop such good bookings and announcements. If that happens, Dubrovnik will have to seek state support again to preserve employment, to preserve the core of the economy," Trojic says.

The owner of a travel agency and an occasional transport company, Vesna Lukić, believes that the decline also occurred due to the absence of cruiser arrivals, at least in the number in which it was common.

"Whether we consider cruisers desirable or not, it is obvious how much they had an impact on the percentage of visitors to Dubrovnik. Even ships coming to Dubrovnik do not sail at full capacity again, so with the decline in arrivals and reduced passenger capacity, bubble groups have played a role," says Lukic, who notes that the number of flights to Dubrovnik is also negligible compared to other airports in Croatia.

"The fact that a direct flight connects Dubrovnik with the USA is great for the promotion of the city, but unfortunately, one swallow does not make spring, so even those few flights do not make a season," Lukić believes.

He also notes that Minister Brnjac stated that we could not compete with Malta because they are primarily an air destination, and we are a car destination with which she disagrees. He says the issue is not well resolved either.

"In the last few days, we have witnessed abnormal crowds at the border crossings that surround us, so this statement is even more incredible. Guests who wait for hours in traffic at extremely high temperatures will certainly not take with them from vacation what we would like but will return indignant and with recommendations not to go to Dubrovnik," Lukić notes.

As he says, the number of entities that depend on tourism in Dubrovnik-Neretva County is huge; the number of visitors is not enough for everyone to find 'their place under the sun,' and without the expected (and desired) income another difficult winter is coming. Therefore, her predictions are not at all optimistic.

"We are a destination that is still guided by the policy that we are beautiful, and that is why our guests come, and that still works on the principle of tourism as we had in the early '80s, so this scenario is expected," Lukić said and believes that southern Croatia needs strong changes in terms of tourism and radical changes. Otherwise, it could easily happen that the 2022 season will not be much better.

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

July 31, 2021 - Dubrovnik's impressive wooing of the important US market continues with a big feature on CNN's World of Wonder with Richard Quest. 

Of all the tourism promotional campaigns undertaken by Croatia over the last 12 months, few have been as targetted, or as successful as Dubrovnik's attempts to woo tourists in the United States. 

Traditionally among the best guests to the Pearl of the Adriatic, the pandemic interrupted their regular visits, but the city has been working hard to promote its beauty, heritage and culture over a period of time. 

Dubrovnik was aided by the fact that Croatia was the only EU country which was open to American tourists last summer, a message brought home to American audiences through a series of feature stories on ABC News last summer, including one on Good Morning America, which was watched by 12.5 million people. While many Americans may not have been ready or able to travel last summer, the message of a stunning Adriatic historic town openly welcoming Americans stuck home.  

A targeted 3-month campaign in Spring promoting Dubrovnik in 73 US airports reinforced the message, and it was not long before not one, but two major US airlines - Delta Air and Uniited - announced direct routes to Dubrovnik from New York for the summer season, with Delta increasing weekly rotations due to strong demand before the inaugural flight.

Popular CNN braodcaster Richard Quest arrived in June to spend some time in the city, including an interview with Dubrovnik  Mayor, Mato Frankovic, on the city's welcome to American tourists during the pandemic. 

That story went out in early June, but this week saw the release of an excellent extended feature on Quest's time in the city on the popular Quest's World of Wonder, getting to know it up close through the company of local tour guide Ivan Vukovic. The 24-minute show is available on the CNN website by clicking on the image above.

To learn more about the destination, check out the Total Croatia Dubrovnik in a Page guide. 

July 11, 2021 - Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković has invited all Brits to Dubrovnik from July 19, when self-isolation measures are lifted for amber list countries.  

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković gave a statement to Times Radio in which he invited the British market to vacation in Dubrovnik this summer, reports HRTurizam.

Namely, the UK authorities have made a new decision for the travel of their citizens, according to which from July 19, those returning from countries from the "amber list" and are vaccinated with two doses or are under 18, will no longer have to self isolate for 10 days after returning to the country, which includes returning from Croatia.

For Dubrovnik, the decision is critical given that it is the British market that holds the leading position in the number of tourist arrivals in the city.

"This is great news, and we see that a lot of European countries are going in that direction. Of course, we still need to be careful about the presence of the Delta Variant, but with both doses of the vaccine, people can be free to travel and enjoy. I must also say that we started direct flights with London even before this decision of the UK government and that the plane was full," said Mayor Franković in an interview with journalist Carole Walker.

She was also interested in what measures are in force and what the situation is in Dubrovnik today.

"Everything is open, masks should be worn indoors, and for clubs that gather more visitors, there is a rule of entry with a negative test or both doses of vaccine received," the mayor explained.

He also invited the British to come to Dubrovnik because they are having a warm summer and no crowds at the moment, so this time is an opportunity for a nice and pleasant vacation.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

ZAGREB, 11 July, 2021 - The 72nd of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival began on Saturday evening at the traditional ceremony which included the hoisting of the festival's Libertas.

The ceremony was addressed by Mayor Mato Franković who, among other things, spoke about the importance of freedom.

In attendance at the ceremony were Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell, as well as some of the guests who had participated in the Dubrovnik Forum earlier in the day.

This year's festival will run through 25 August, and its programme includes over 60 plays, concerts, dance and folklore performances that will take place at a dozen venues,

The budget of the 72nd Dubrovnik Summer Festival is nearly HRK 8 million, which is HRK 1.5 million more than in 2020. The festival's own funds, including revenues from sponsors, donors and tickets, account for 30% of the budget.

The Dubrovnik Summer Festival was founded in 1950. Unique ambiance of indoor and open air venues of the historical City of Dubrovnik makes a perfect stage for many theatre, music, opera and dance performances during the festival.

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

For more about Croatia, CLICK HERE.

July 10, 2021 - Everything is ready for the start of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival in the walled city, which opens tonight. Take a look at what the latest rehearsal looked like and more details about the event.

By raising the Libertas flag on the city bell tower and with the verses of the Hymn of Freedom in front of the church of St. Vlaho, the 72nd Dubrovnik Summer Festival will be officially opened on Saturday night, reports tportal.hr.

Over the next 47 days, until August 25, nearly seventy drama, music, dance, folklore, and other programs will be performed at fifteen stage and ambient locations.

The opening ceremony is directed by Hrvoje Korbar and features the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Stjepan Vuger, percussion ensemble Percussion Club and Folklore Ensemble Linđo with the participation of the Festival Drama Ensemble, which will be joined by acting and dance students from the Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Attendance at the ceremony will require an EU digital covid certificate or other valid evidence of vaccination, a negative test result, or recovery from infection.

The drama program of the festival will also include two premieres. The first is 'Out of Yourself', the work of Nataša Rajković, Ivan Penović, and the acting ensemble, as part of the EU project 'Port of Dreamers'. As part of it, the Games will also feature the play 'Celebration' of the Slovenian National Theater from Maribor by Ivor Martinić and directed by Jan Krmelj, and the play 'Under the Same Roof' directed by Ivana Janošev and co-produced by the civil society organization Kulturanova and Újvidéki Színház, a minority Hungarian theater. from Novi Sad.

Photo: Grgo Jelavic/PIXSELL

The second premiere will be 'The Lion's Head', based on the novel of the same name for the first time by Ivan Salečić, adapted by playwright Marijana Fumić and directed by Aida Bukvić. The plays "Hamlet", "Mara and Kata" and "Grižula" will be shown again, and the Student Theater Lero will perform the play "Jugo" by the author and director Davor Mojaš.

The music program of the festival will include, among others, the Percussion Club, the HRT Choir and Jazz Orchestra, Lovre Marušić, Julija Ležnjeva with the ensemble La Voce Strumentale, Eva Šulić with the chamber ensemble of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra and quartet, Martina Filjak, Felix Klieser, Andrej Bielow, Lawrence Brownlee with Vesna Podrug Kossjanenko, Petrit Çeku, Goran Filipec, Richard Bona, Alfred Rodríguez.

Photo: Grgo Jelavic/PIXSELL

The unique music program "Dubrovnik on the music cliff" brings performances by Lovro Mercep, Marija Grazio, and Dubravka Separovic Musovic.

The festival will close with an opera gala concert by the HRT Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ivan Repušić with Diana Damrau, Nicolas Testé, and Roko Radovan.

According to the financial plan, the budget of the 72nd Dubrovnik Summer Festival is almost 8 million kunas, which is 1.5 million more than last year.

The audience will follow the performances by maintaining a physical distance from one seat with the obligatory wearing of face masks.

The Pearl of the Adriatic for some, King’s Landing for others, walled city Dubrovnik is UNESCO World Heritage Site perfection for all. Tips for travel, food, accommodation, sights & things to do can be found in Total Croatia's Dubrovnik in a page. Read it here, now in your language!

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

July 6, 2021 - Things are finally picking up in the Adriatic pearl, with over 8,000 tourists in Dubrovnik recorded during the first weekend of July!

According to the eVisitor tourist check-in and check-out system, 40,038 tourist arrivals were recorded in Dubrovnik in June 2021, while 13,297 arrivals were recorded in June last year, with 135,895 overnight stays in June 2021, while there were only 43,795 in June 2020, reports Dalmatinski Portal. 

Most guests who stayed in Dubrovnik during June were from the USA, Croatia, Russia, Germany, France, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Slovenia, and Austria. According to the Croatian National Tourist Board's report for nautical activities, 2,223 arrivals and 16,337 overnight stays were recorded in June, which confirms the growth of the nautical season compared to June last year, when 859 arrivals were recorded, with 5,704 overnight stays, Dubrovnik.net reports.

Excellent tourist results, as well as intensified tourist traffic, were recorded during the first weekend in July, when 8,199 guests stayed in the city, compared to the first weekend of July 2020, when 2,778 guests stayed in the city. Most guests currently staying in Dubrovnik come from the USA, France, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Russia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine.

Currently, 32 hotels have been opened in Dubrovnik, and the opening of more hotel capacities has been announced by mid-July. Dubrovnik Airport is directly connected to about 40 destinations until mid-July, and direct flights with the United States began last weekend, a big step in recovering Dubrovnik's tourism.

According to the Visitor, from 1 January to 3 July 2021, 79,433 tourists stayed in Dubrovnik, and 256,821 overnight stays were realized. Most guests were from Croatia, the USA, Germany, France, Poland, Russia, BiH, Ukraine, Serbia, and Slovenia. From the total number of tourists from 1 to 3 July 2021, 43,767 guests stayed in Dubrovnik hotels, where 122,161 overnight stays were recorded, while 26,409 guests stayed in private accommodation in the stated period of time, achieving 98,010 overnights.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

July 3, 2021 - The first Delta Air Lines flight to Dubrovnik from New York (JFK Airport) landed this morning in the Adriatic pearl at 10:51 am.

225 passengers arrived on the flight, which is the full capacity of the airplane.

"We are very excited to be in Dubrovnik and to bring American tourists to Croatia. We know how important tourism is to your country and how it accounts for 25 percent of your gross domestic product. We are happy to help bring American tourists to the world, especially Dubrovnik, such a wonderful destination. I spent three days here, and I really enjoyed it," said Delta Air Lines regional sales manager Thomas Brandt, as reported by Dubrovački Dnevnik.

He added that the flight was full in both directions and that it was extremely sought after and popular from day one, and that it was similar to other flights that would fly on the New York-Dubrovnik route.

Brandt said that all passengers on the plane can order food and that they adhere to all hygiene regulations and high standards to protect against coronavirus.

"These flights are significant, not only for the City of Dubrovnik, which is the most desirable destination for American tourists, but also for the whole of Croatia. They announced that they would meet the rest of Croatia. When tourists come to such a destination, they know no borders and will certainly visit other parts of the country. This was already evident from the recent conference in Dubrovnik when numerous American agents arrived. They also looked at the rest of Croatia and offered it to American tourists. This is just more proof that Croatia has decided to prepare well for the upcoming tourist season and remove all barriers that exist when entering the country, and at the same time create a positive epidemiological situation," said State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Sandra Herman.

The director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić, answered the question of what is expected from the U.K. market.

"Like everyone in Croatia, we look forward to the further decisions by the British government on the travel of their citizens outside the British border. The British market is essential for Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik area. Therefore, I am optimistic and convinced that many Britons will start coming to Croatia, primarily to Dubrovnik. Still, we have to wait for their government's decision," he replied.

Director of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board, Vladimir Bakić, also touched on the issue.

"This is a great encouragement when it comes to the US market. The fact is that the decision on how they can travel to other EU countries will enable transit passengers to come to Dubrovnik. As for the British market, it’s all up to the British government. According to the latest announcements, we expect that it will be possible for those Britons who have been vaccinated with two doses to traveling, and there are over 30 million of them. It would be a great opportunity, and without it, it will be difficult to expect some progress given all the circumstances with the epidemiological situation around the new strain of the virus that has spread there and is spreading to the rest of Europe," he replied.

He pointed out that, apart from Dubrovnik, visitors from the USA were the second-largest group of guests in Korcula's hotels.

"Dubrovnik is the most visited when it comes to guests from the United States, but they are also happy to visit the surrounding area," Bakić said.

The director of ZL Dubrovnik, Frano Luetić, said that landing the Delta Air Lines flight means a lot, especially because the British market has not yet opened. As he says, flights from the USA could in some way 'pull us out of the situation' and improve tourist figures in southern Croatia. He added that the Airport has been renovated and can accommodate aircraft of this capacity because it has the longest runway in the country, and stressed that ZL employees have been preparing for the past month to accept all US procedures and systems that are demanding. However, they received praise from their American colleagues.

Mayor Mato Franković is satisfied with the flights, but appeals for vaccinations.

"The fact is that we have established an air bridge, that the health security in Dubrovnik is at a very high level, today there are two newly infected ... Things are going in the right direction. But we need to raise the level of awareness of all those fellow citizens who have not yet been vaccinated. According to our estimates, the vaccination rate is 47 percent in Dubrovnik, which is not enough. If we want our season to last in September and October, we have to get vaccinated," said Franković.

"I don't understand people who are anti-vaccine and who 47 percent of us who got vaccinated obviously consider us fools. And we did not get vaccinated to protect our health, but on the one hand to reduce the possibility of the spread of the infection in the city, and on the other hand to ensure the recovery of the Dubrovnik economy," added Franković, who believes that the Government has the right to introduce restrictions for those who do not want to be vaccinated, but can.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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