2 July 2021 - Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic appeared on the N1 network’s central news show Dnevnik. In his interview, he was mostly focused on the current situation in Dubrovnik's tourism.

Dubrovnik is a world-famous destination and has been for quite some time. But, the city also lacks other notable industries contributing to the local economy. With the current situation on the city’s most important travel market, that of the UK, it is clear things are not looking great for Dubrovnik.

Frankovic reflected on the difficulties of getting guests from the UK at the moment. He did emphasize concerns over the Delta strain of the COVID19 virus that seems to be dominant in Britain. In his words, opening towards the British market this year needs to be slow and careful. In a couple of days the first British Airways flight of the season is coming to Dubrovnik from the UK. British Airways has been one of the most important airlines for Dubrovnik’s post-Homeland War tourism boom. This year, many in Dubrovnik are eager to see the company back at the local airport.

Fight for Tourism Numbers

The main goal for this season, according to Frankovic, is getting the number of fully vaccinated people up as soon as possible. In his words, we might be facing another abrupt end to the tourism season if the vaccination numbers don’t improve. The mayor also said over 47% of the general population has had vaccinations and around 30% of people have antibodies already. This will not suffice, according to him.

As reported on N1’s official website, Frankovic ultimately stated: “By vaccinating we are keeping the economy alive and putting bread on the table of each Croatian family. I am calling upon the moral responsibility of all those involved in the business.”

Quite dramatic from Dubrovnik's mayor as the city enters July and sees the beginning of direct flights from USA. Still, considering the city streets, beaches and restaurants are still half-empty, it comes as no surprise he is getting anxious about Dubrovnik’s tourism and hospitality numbers.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, 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.

July 2, 2021 - With the launch of United and Delta in Dubrovnik, the Adriatic pearl now has flights from New York through October. 

More good news arrives from the Croatian coast as two major US airlines have launched to Dubrovnik! Namely Untied Airlines officially began operations on Thursday, July 1,  from New York’s Newark Airport, connecting New York and Dubrovnik for the first time in 30 years, reports Ex Yu Aviation. The inaugural flight on the 214-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft had just two seats available in economy class as of Thursday morning, the aviation portal added. 

United will depart from New York on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and arrive in Dubrovnik the following day through until October 2. United has also timed its flights to ensure they connect to 65 cities in North America. 

Delta, on the other hand, will launch operations from JFK Airport today (July 2), running four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 3. Delta will operate this service using the 26-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have made great efforts to promote the city and to maintain the destination’s visibility with special emphasis on the US market. Our efforts have paid off. Seven weekly nonstop flights from the US are a huge success for Dubrovnik’s tourism. The American market is the second biggest in Dubrovnik, right after the UK. This year we expect excellent results from this extremely important market for us, and we hope to see continuous growth in the years ahead," said Dubrovnik Tourism Board director, Ana Hrnić.

“This service will significantly contribute to the return of our American guests to Dubrovnik and Croatia as a whole in these difficult times," the Dubrovnik Airport General Manager, Frano Luetić, added. 

Delta will offer 24,406 seats between New York and Dubrovnik this summer and United 22,684 seats. 

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.

30 June 2021 - The EU-funded project entitled Queen of Oysters was presented today in Dubrovnik’s Hotel Lero. The project is focused on traditional Mali Ston shellfish farming on Peljesac Peninsula.

Project coordinators Andjela and Ksenija Matic of EventLab alongside the head of the project Vedran Kunica, presented the efforts to local tour guides today. Vedran Kunica is one of Pelješac oyster farmers and a secretary of Stonski Skoljkari – Association of Ston Shellfish Farmers.

Mali Ston Oysters recently received the European Union’s protected designation of origin and protected geographical indication. This is the only instance of such a designation for this specific type of oyster. The European flat oyster (Ostrea Edulis) has been cultivated in the Bay of Mali Ston for centuries. It is one of the most delicious oysters in the world. This is one of its very last natural habitats in Europe. Locals call it the Queen of Oysters. The intent now is to turn this delicacy into a local food brand. While Mali Ston oysters might be popular on a national level, globally they are still to receive the recognition they deserve. Most guests coming to the Dubrovnik area don’t realise they are going to be staying so close to the source of such wonderful seafood.

Project Goals

The Queen of Oysters project is complex and mainly focused on marketing and promotional efforts. It started in February this year and will last for a year. Through it a new visual identity of Mali Ston oysters is envisioned. It is simple and to the point.

One of the goals of the project is communicating the information on local oysters to various stakeholders and raising awareness and consumption of oysters locally. Special workshops with restaurant owners and local chefs are a part of the efforts as well. Restaurants play a key role in the sales of Mali Ston oysters. 

Various events were in the organisers' plans as well, but due to COVID-related restrictions, not all are going to happen.

When it comes to promotional efforts, the project is going very strong. There are oyster posters on Dubrovnik Airport and on city buses. Mali Ston oysters are also a part of Croatia Airlines' in-flight magazine. You will be able to see some project posters on Jadrolinija ferries during the summer as well. Local restaurants received hemp fabric promotional aprons featuring the project logo. The response from them is overwhelmingly positive.

Brochures and booklets

Printed material is especially impressive. Three different booklets and flyers created through the project contain interesting information about the oysters as well and wonderful visuals. They represent a great way of raising awareness of Mali Ston oysters and the area in which they traditionally thrive. The small flyer is going to be in restaurants to inform the guests about Mali Ston Oysters. It will be at the airport as well. The design of the brochure is such as to give a bit more info on history, tradition, and oysters themselves. It also folds out into a lovely photograph. The booklet is serious informational material that contains thorough information on the oyster and the area.

It is clear this project is the long-awaited push to brand Mali Ston oyster a bit better. Sadly, this treasure of local cuisine has spent too much time in the shadows of some other local attractions.

The presentation went off successfully with plenty of questions and suggestions from the auditorium. Also, there were some interesting ideas about how to increase sales and there was much talk about the guests and their experiences.

For more content like this follow Made in Croatia. 

June 27th, 2021 - TCN's highlights of the week. A look at the events in Croatia from June 20 through the selection of TCN's intern Marina Kaleb. 

Highlights of the week: Zagreb Digital Nomad Week 2021 Opens at Canopy by Hilton

Zagreb Digital Nomad Week 2021 & Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Project kicked off the beginning of this week at Canopy by Hilton, one of 7 locations over 7 days, exploring 7 Digital Nomads related themes. The project is a collaboration between Saltwater Nomads, TCN, Doma Zagreb, the Digital Nomad Association Croatia, and the Zagreb Tourist Board (funded by the latter), and there was a high-profile turnout from the city and national officials to open the conference. 

Croatia has been one of the more high-profile countries globally over the last year with its efforts to introduce the digital nomad permit, which came into effect on January 1, 2021. The 7 days each focused on the individual themes - cybersecurity, online presence, remote careers, tax & finance, the future of work, wellbeing, and explore Zagreb. The keynote speakers are a mixture of in-person and remote speakers.

Highlights of the week: Basketball Legend Magic Johnson Returns to Dubrovnik! 

Magic Johnson's visit to Dubrovnik means he kept his promise of returning to the city. Johnson visited Croatia in the summer of last year. While strolling down Dubrovnik's main street Stradun he told a member of the media he finds the place beautiful and will be returning. Not even a year has passed, and he is once again seen smiling with his wife, Cookie, on one of Croatia's most beautiful streets.  

Grgo Jelavic/PIXSELL

It is unclear if Johnson will continue the trip to other parts of the country as he did last year. Low numbers of guests on the streets of Dubrovnik seem to be attracting plenty of wealthy tourists who do their best to avoid crowded beautiful destinations. 

Highlights of the week: EURO 2020: Croatia Tops Scotland for 2nd Place in Group D and Round of 16 Spot! 

Croatia tops Scotland 3:1 in the final Group D match for 2nd place and a spot in the Round of 16! The two nations played at Hampden Park in Glasgow on Tuesday night. 

Goran Stanzl/PIXSELL

In the EURO 2020 round of 16, the Croatia national team will play against Spain on Monday night, the second-placed team from Group E in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, the Croatian national team will play without Ivan Perišić, who tested positive for Covid-19 just before the game. Ivan Perišić could not play before the EURO final on July 11th at Wembley Stadium. We wish him an uneventful recovery and returning to football at Wembley on that day, with Croatia in the finals!

Highlights of the week: EURO 2020: Croatian Female Team Wins 3 Medals at EGOI: Amazing Results at First Female-Only European Informatics Olympics

Ema Borevković, Lina Krištić and Lara Semeš (from Zagreb's XV Gymnasium), and Martina Licul (Pulau Gymnasium) represented Croatia and the aftermath of the contest that gathered 157 contestants saw Ema winning a gold medal, while Lara and Martina grabbed silver medals for their results. 

Pixabay

The contest was held online due to Covid-19 measures. The organization of the event for Croatian was arranged by the Croatian Computer Science Association (CCSA), and Zagreb's XV Gymnasium was the host of the event, where the studnets took the tests.

Highlights of the week: Lorde Returns to Her Roots for 2022 St. Michael's Fortress Spectacle in Šibenik

At an extremely exclusive concert with only 1,050 tickets on sale, the New Zealander with Croatian roots will recall some of her mega-hits from the first two albums and present "Solar Power," which will be released later this summer. Born in New Zealand, her mother has Dalmatian roots, and Lorde herself has dual citizenship.

Lorde Instagram

On tour, Lorde plays in locations she personally chooses and wants to visit, mostly the best concert stages in the world. Thus, the special Šibenik fortress found itself on the list in the company of legendary concert destinations such as Radio City Music Hall in New York, Shrine Auditorium in LA, Roundhouse in London, or Castello di Villafranca in Verona.

 For more on events in Croatia, follow our dedicated lifestyle section.

For more about education in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To follow the rest of the TCN coverage of the Euro 2020, click here.

For the latest news and features od digital nomads in Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

25 June 2021 – Dubrovnik Marin Med Polyclinic released an app that allows people to order COVID-19 testing.

Travelling in the time of the pandemic has been interesting and sometimes quite frustrating. The situation in 2021 is much better than the previous year, but there are still some hoops that need jumping through in order to get to your dream vacation. One of the most important things to consider when travelling is the need for COVID19 testing. In Dubrovnik, Marin Med Polyclinic is one of the most efficient and hassle-free places where you can do this. Now, they’ve made the entire process even easier by developing a mobile app that enables people to sign up for testing remotely. The name of the app is fit4traveldubrovnik and it is the first of its kind in Croatia.

How Does it Work?

The majority of guests coming to Dubrovnik will need to take an official COVID test before flying back home. By using fit4traveldubrovnik you streamline the process of acquiring proof of being COVID-free before your trip. The app enables users to schedule the testing and choose from the available testing locations. You also pay for the testing through the app. Within a maximum of 24 hours, you will receive the test results via email.

Marin Med has set up a new testing spot in front of Dubrovnik’s Grawe Building in the business district of Gruz. This way, the testing is done in an easy and fast manner without the need for entering the building. Dr. Rikard Lenz, the director of Marin Med emphasised the entire process of scheduling testing, paying, and receiving results can be done via the app, making in-person visits needed only for the actual testing. In fact, with the outdoor testing spot now available, persons in need of a COVID test need to generally spend just a few seconds, up to a minute at the testing site. This makes the entire process not just very fast, but also extremely safe. For more information on getting tested for COVID19 in Dubrovnik, check out the official website of Marin Med.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia check out our COVID-19 section and select your language.

24 June 2021 - Magic Johnson returns to Dubrovnik with his wife on holiday. This is his second time in the city he fell in love with last year.

If there ever was a globally recongisable name in the world of sports, it is that of Magic Johnson. This legendary American reached the pinnacle of basketball success while playing for LA Lakers. He was also one of the key players in the original „Dream Team“.

He played 13 seasons for LA Lakers and won three NBA Most Valuable Player awards. The basketball Hall of Fame honoured him two times, once for his games under LA Lakers and once for his contribution to the success of the USA national squad. His average assists record still stands to this day. There are many other sporting achievements in his career, but aside from those, he made headlines in 1991 by announcing he has contracted HIV. Magic Johnson did much to raise awareness of the deadly disease and dispel myths surrounding it.

Fan of Dubrovnik

As Dubrovacki Vjesnik reports, Magic Johnson's visit to Dubrovnik means he kept his promise of returning to the city. Johnson visited Croatia last year. While enjoying Dubrovnik's Stradun he told a member of the media he finds the place beautiful and will be returning. Not even a year has passed and he is once again seen smiling with his wife Cookie on one of Croatia's most beautiful streets. It is unclear if Johnson will continue the trip to other parts of the country as he did last year.

Regardless of his travel plans, low numbers of guests on the streets of Dubrovnik seem to be attracting plenty of wealthy travellers who aim to avoid crowded destinations. While many in the city complain about lack of travellers and revenue, half-empty city streets are a perfect draw for guests looking to enjoy the medieval city without the hassle of overcrowding.

For more, follow our dedicated lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 23 June, 2021 - Documents that were confiscated from the Dubrovnik State Archives and were found in the Salzburg Diocese Archives were handed over on Wednesday in the presence of Croatia's Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek and Croatia's Ambassador to Austria Danijel Glunčić.

The operation ended successfully with the return of Croatia's cultural heritage, Minister Obuljen Koržinek said, noting this isn't the first or last time this has been done.

Ambassador Glunčić underscored that the Salzburg Diocese had full understanding that the medieval documents could not be considered to be part of Austria's or Salzburg's history.

The documents involved are two pontifical documents which the diocese was immediately prepared to return to Croatia, and this was also approved by Austria's state authorities, he said, adding that the documents will be placed in Dubrovnik's Archives.

Police working on issues related to cultural heritage

Police Director Nikola Milina said that the police were working on cultural heritage issues, adding that they have had good results so far.

A soon as the information was released, the Croatian police contacted the police in Austria and the documents were quickly identified which led to them being returned, he said.

Digitalisation to facilitate return of other missing documents

Director of Dubrovnik State Archives Nikolina Pozniak is convinced that digitisation will contribute to other documents that have gone missing from the archives and other institutions to be returned.

The head of the archive's collection, Zoran Perović, explained that the documents returned today are two pontifical bulls dated 1189 and 1252. The first notes that the Pope is deploying Archbishop Bernard to Dubrovnik while the other bull refers to the appointment of an archbishop to be a judge in a dispute between the Bar and Dubrovnik Archdioceses.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

20 June, 2021 - Dubrovnik has its share of interesting accommodation. One digital nomad couple discovered a true gem in a restored historical house within the city walls.

May in Dubrovnik saw the first ever Digital Nomads in Residence program. It was designed by Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News, the City of Dubrovnik, and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and aimed to create a strategic direction for Dubrovnik to attract more digital nomads. 

One of the more pressing issues the participants of the program identified was the appropriate accommodation. Most apartments and houses for rent in Dubrovnik are furnished for shorter stays. So, proper kitchens with enough utensils or work areas are usually not a part of the design. Still, that doesn't mean there are no amazing options for a longer stay in the city. House Anica is one of them. Our nomad in residence Marlee and her husband Jeff stayed in the house during their Dubrovnik adventure. They fell in love with it and the city itself. Also, they've formed a special friendship with the owners.

Marlee said to us recently: “Staying at House Anica in the old city was exactly the experience Jeff and I were looking for as digital nomads in Dubrovnik. The history of the home added to the charm of an authentic old city living experience. We could not have asked for better landlords with Ivona and Hrvoje, such interesting people with such a connection to Dubrovnik. They made us feel so welcome and we feel like we have made lifelong friends.”

For more from Marlee on living as a digital nomad in Dubrovnik, check out her interview here.

House Anica

At the very top of Kuniceva Street in the Old Town district stands an unusual, over 300 years old house. Its facade features a stone carved will and testament dated back to 1728. The will mentions lady named Anica, who lived, loved and most probably grew old in that house. House Anica belongs to a local couple Ivona and Hrvoje. Ivona's family owns the house for over 70 years. Eventually, she decided to renovate it and share it with travellers coming to Dubrovnik. With plenty of fond childhood memories tied to it, Ivona insisted on preserving the soul of the house by keeping as many original elements that make it unique. Tradition and history of the house became as much a part of its charm as did all the modern amenities and superb interior design.

The house itself is a Dubrovnik-style townhouse. It is essentially a multi-storey apartment with two spacious bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, full kitchen and dining / living area. The top floor bedroom occupies a loft and features a small living area of its own. The design is spacious and airy with sleek modern amenities and expertly incorporated historical ornamental elements. A special selling point for the house is one of only few balconies in Dubrovnik's historical centre overlooking the iconic terracotta rooftops and the Adriatic Sea.

Needless to say, the location of the house is perfect for enjoying the best Dubrovnik has to offer. With all local attractions and traffic hubs within easy walking distance, you will always have options when staying in House Anica. Negotiating a few notorious Dubrovnik stairs to get to it will be well worth it.

The Owners

The owners are attentive and helpful. They take pride in the cleanliness and quality standards they adhere to from day one. Ivona and Hrvoje will personally meet and greet all of their guests and give them a quick rundown of the city's restaurants, points of interest and other valuable information. They are also available to them 24/7 in case of any emergencies or simply to organise airport transfers, day trips or similar.

For her digital nomad guests, Ivona has only words of praise: „We were lucky this year our house caught the eye of a digital nomad couple from USA that stayed in Dubrovnik for four weeks. House Anica proved to be an ideal spot for such a long stay. Aside from being well equipped and furnished, I've been told repeatedly, it is a true home away from home. Marlee and Jeff enjoyed the house every free moment they've had. I truly hope and am looking forward to seeing – who I consider to be our dear friends – again. We still keep in touch.“

With plenty of amenities and space, attentive owners, amazing location, as well as free WiFi throughout the house, House Anica is a perfect choice for those wanting to visit Dubrovnik for short or longer period of time. If you want to find out more or book your stay here, check out its Air BnB page.

For all you need to know about Dubrovnik, go to Total Croatia's Dubrovnik in a Page

For more information about digital nomads in Croatia, click here.

19 June 2021 – The Dubrovnik Tourist Board released a new promotional video made for the Israeli market in Dubrovnik. The motivation behind it is the announcement of direct flights between Dubrovnik and Tel Aviv

Dubrovnik is a famous travel destination in many corners of the world. There are many things attracting travellers to it, none more so than its rich history. Dubrovnik’s history contains a very interesting story about the local Jewish community, and this is exactly the thing Dubrovnik Tourist Board capitalises on in this newest promotional campaign.

At the heart of the campaign is a short promotional video showing some highlights of Dubrovnik’s Jewish heritage. It is hosted by a local tour guide and member of the city’s Jewish community, Matija Singer. In a beautifully filmed, 5-minute video, viewers are taken around Dubrovnik’s historical centre. Mr. Singer expertly presents some of the most important places and artifacts in Hebrew. The video does have English subtitles, so make sure to watch it below.

Direct Flights from Israel

The main driving force behind the campaign is the establishing of a direct flight from Tel Aviv to Dubrovnik. Dubrovacki Vjesnik reports the line will be operated by Croatia Airlines and Arkia Airlines. It will run from the beginning of July to the end of October. We are to see four flights per week with Arkia Airlines connecting the two cities on Mondays and Fridays and Croatia Airlines also running flights twice per week starting on July 15^th.

This is exciting news for many in the tourism sector. Interest for Dubrovnik has been rising cautiously over the last decade on the Israeli market. Still, there is still plenty of room for progress. In 2019 local tourist board recorded only 6322 arrivals by Israeli guests. With these announced flights, Dubrovnik has a real chance of breaking those numbers and starting on the path of becoming an important destination for citizens of Israel. Considering this news comes now, while the city is still struggling with the lack of guests and international travel restrictions, it is even more exciting.

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

Jun3 15, 2021 - Many tourism businesses rode out the pandemic hoping for better times. Dubrovnik has been quietly working away, successfully wooing the important US market, and now stands ready to reap the dividends of a quietly effective strategy. 

I don't think I have been more wrong about a destination in Croatia than I have been about Dubrovnik. Pre-pandemic, with the VERY notable exception fo the Feast of St Blaise (simply the best time to visit the city in normal years in my opinion - read why here), it was a city I avoided due to the stereotyypes of overtourism, overcruising, and expensive Dubrovnik. All three labels were not without foundation, but I took little time to explore them to find out the reality. 

Then came the pandemic, and a Dubrovnik transformed. Overtourism became undertourism, the cruise ships and day trip buses vanished, and one was left with a magnificent city to enjoy without the crowds. As painful as it was for the local economy and its tourism businesses which account for up to 90% of the local economy, could the devastation of COVID-19 be a longer term blessing in disguise?

July, 2020 in Dubrovnik was a joy. Having the entire city almost to myself at the height of summer, it made me wonder if it was possible to reset a destination's tourism strategy entirely. The Pearl of the Adriatic had certainly gone a little too far with its cruise ship love, and it was accepted before coronavirus that something had to be done. The empty old town might have been devastating to the local economy in the short term, but could it allow the city to breathe and think about a fresh approach?

When I met Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic for the first time last July to pitch the idea of digital nomad tourism and Dubrovnik as the remote work lifestyle capital of Europe, I was impressed not only at his readiness to embrace new ideas, but also to repivot his city on a path of sustatinable and higher-quality tourism than had been in evidence in the last few years. We got to work on the digital nomad project the next day, and my involvement and interest in the city has been a lot more involved over the last 12 months as a result. It gave me an opportunity to observe the city and its strategies to prepare for tourism in the post-overtourism age. And there was one market where Dubrovnik has been putting some serious effort.

The United States. 

It is no secret that American tourists are the highest spenders, the highest tippers, and generally very appreciative of all they experience. Dubrovnik has been a magnet for them for many years, althouth the crowds have been an issue in recent times. What if, rather than chasing every tourist to boast numbers, numbers, numbers, a strategy of attracting high quality guests might yield a much better result for the city and its tourism providers?

The pandemic was kind to Dubrovnik's desire to engage with the US market, but there was also plenty going on behind the scenes. When ABC News contacted our Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community about featuring a Mediterranean destination welcoming American tourists, Dubrovnik opened every door it could, and more to the ABC crew. The result? Six prime time reports on how Dubrovnik was welcoming American tourists as the rest of the EU closed its borders, including one on Good Morning America which was watched by 12.5 million people. 

(Photo credit Dubrovnik Tourist Board)

ABC was certainly not the only positive media in the important US market. Only last week, Richard Quest embraced Dubrovnik culture ahead of a big feature on Dubrovnik Tourism for CNN's Quest Means Business show. The relationship with CNN and Mayor Frankovic dates back a few years, and it has been carefully cultivated, leading to the latest broadcast. 

Mayor Frankovic managed to get his messages of Americans welcome, sustainable tourism, and no return to the days of overtourism across well. 

In March, 2021, a 3-month campaign across 73 US airports showcased a 30-second promotional video of Dubrovnik, reaching an estimated 35 million people. And, at a time when many airlines were downsizing their schedules, Dubrovnik managed to do post-pandemic which it struggled to do since the Homeland War - direct flights from the United States. 

The good news just kept on coming. Firstly, United announced that it would be flying directly from Newark to Dubrovnik, starting in July. So strong were early bookings that more rotations have been added, even before the first plane has landed. Soon after, Delta Air Lines announced that they too would put on four flights a week from New York JFK directly into Dubrovnik, from next month. 

There is also the possibility of a third carrier to bring addtional American passengers, with Pragusa.One announcing direct Dubrovnik from both JFK and Los Angeles. My latest infromation is that slots in all three airports have been secured, and final approval from the American Department of Transport is pending. 

Ana Hrnic, who took up the position of Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director in February 2020, just as the pandemic was about to hit, is clearly pleased with the results of the Dubrovnik strategy:

"Throughout the pandemic, we have made great efforts to promote the city, to maintain the visibility of the destination, with special emphasis on the U.S. market. Our efforts have paid off, 8 direct flights a week with the US are a huge success for Dubrovnik tourism. The American market is the second most represented market in Dubrovnik, right after the UK. This year we expect excellent results from this extremely important market for us, and we hope to see continuous growth in the years ahead."

There were similarly impressive steps taken locally as well as efforts to bring flights. Last week Dubrovnik hosted ASTA Destination Expo 2021, a conference of U.S. tourism experts over 4 days. This was an excellent opportunity for the Pearl of the Adriatic to showcase its considerable offer to those whose job it is to sell to American tourists. 

And spare a thought for that digital nomad concept last July, which is where my reevaluation of Dubrovnik began after my meeting with the mayor. Mayor Frankovic quickly grasped the opportunity, Interest in the Croatian digital nomad permit has been global, with the story being featured on CNN, Forbes, the Washington Post and many others. the strongest interest so far has been from the United States. Dubrovnik was the quickest to react to the opportunity, hosting the first digital nomad conference in Croatia back in October, followed by the world's first-ever Digtial Nomads-in-Residence program from April 23 to May 23 this year. 

The program, which included four American nomads-in-residence, co-created a new strategy for the city's approach to the digital nomad opportunity, which TCN (a co-organiser of the event) will be exploring in more detail over the summer. If implemented correctly, will bring a new wave of American tourists. Ones who will find that four weeks in the city is just not enough, as our resident nomads concluded when they discovered Dubrovnik Beyond the Walls. 

Croatian tourism is often described as tourism which just happens, or accidental tourism. When those planes with the first tourists from New York touch down at Dubrovnik Airport, the process that brought them here was anything but accidental. 

For the latest news from Dubrovnik, follow the dedicated TCN section.