June 11, 2021 - Good news after it was established yesterday that Slovenian tourists would not need to go into self-isolation when returning from the Adriatic counties, according to the decision of the Slovenian Government to remove the Croatian coast from its red list, which will take effect from tomorrow.

At yesterday's session, the Slovenian Government decided that the Adriatic Croatia administrative unit is no longer on their red list. The counties of Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Lika-Senj, Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia, and Dubrovnik-Neretva were thus removed from the list of countries and areas with a high risk of coronavirus infection, reports hrturizam.hr.

Namely, in areas not on the dark red or red list, there is no high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, so a person coming from such an area can enter Slovenia without being sent into mandatory self-isolation if they submit proof that they've been in the area.

Apart from Croatia, Switzerland, the Vatican, the Austrian administrative unit of Tyrol, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and the Portuguese Azores were removed from the red list of European Union countries at yesterday's session. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro are no longer on the same list comprised of third countries. The administrative units of Pannonian Croatia, the City of Zagreb, and Northern Croatia are still on the red list. This means that a person coming from these areas in Croatia is quarantined for ten days due to possible infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus upon returning to Slovenia

The decision to remove the Adriatic counties from their red list, made by the Slovenian Government yesterday, will take effect on Saturday, June 12th.

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

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

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

11 June, 2021 - The very first large Dubrovnik cruise ship with passengers on board since the start of the pandemic arrrived today. This is a pieces of news many people in Dubrovnik have been waiting for for quite some time.

MSC Orchestra arrived to Dubrovnik this morning. It is the first big Dubrovnik cruise ship to bring passengers into the city after a long and costly silent period caused by the pandemic. This 294m long behemoth can house 2550 passengers in its 1275 cabins. It is not new to Dubrovnik as MSC ships are some of the most commonly seen cruise ships in the city's port. With the city’s tourism sector feeding so many local Dubrovnik families, the long awaited arrival of a thousand or so guests at one time is seen as nothing short of a blessing. This is exactly why Dubrovnik’s mayor Mato Frankovic was quick to point out the arrival of the ship and its significance on his social media.

Source: Mato Frankovic / Facebook

Dubrovnik’s love/hate relationship with modern day cruise ships has been an ongoing state of being for the last couple of decades or so. The cruise ship industry brought to the city a quick way of recuperating large numbers of guests after the Croatian Homeland war of the 1990’s, which left the city’s economy in a total shambles. Soon after the first ships started arriving back to Dubrovnik, it became clear that Croatia's southernmost city is a perfect short stop port for many. Cruise ships brought with them large number of guests and did wonders in prolonging the tourist season.

Of course, it’s not all good news. A large amount of people coming to the city for a short time means crowded streets and traffic jams once again, an old Dubrovnik problem. For many, the experience of Dubrovnik became lessened by the fact the movement along the main areas was at times very difficult. Overcrowding and the strain placed on the infrastructure became a real issue. Dubrovnik’s image of a pleasant destination perfect for longer stays is now under threat.

What’s Next?

With all this being said, it will be very interesting to see how cruise ships are going to fit into Dubrovnik’s tourism picture this year. There will be a few of them, most probably with reduced capacity and sales. This might be a unique opportunity to see whether cruise ships and Dubrovnik can finally settle their differences.

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

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?

June 7, 2021 - Expectations from the tourist season are more optimistic than last year, says the Rixos Dubrovnik director, Ayhan Basci.

Expectations from the tourist season are more optimistic than last year. Still, the epidemiological picture and the readiness of destinations to provide the highest level of service and convince tourists that they are safe on holiday is crucial, says the director of Rixos Premium Dubrovnik Ayhan Basci on Novac.hr.

"More tourist arrivals and hotel reservations in Dubrovnik can be expected from the end of June and July, when we could see the first results of the opening of new airlines from the USA, Moscow, Poland, Ukraine, Israel, Paris, Lyon, Luxembourg, and others. Vaccination is certainly a key tool that will enable a return to a kind of 'normality.' However, tourists will certainly be measured by the general situation in a particular destination and the level of measures implemented to ensure a favorable epidemiological picture. This certainly includes Ccovid passports as well as the availability of tests. I believe that the combination of all these tools will make the season more successful than last year," Basci said in an interview with Hina.

Basci notes that countries such as Spain, Greece, Portugal, and others have undertaken numerous promotional and other activities for the summer to attract tourists. At the same time, when asked about the offer and prices, he says that in Dubrovnik, as elsewhere, prices are higher than last year.

"This is not uncommon given the circumstances. Higher prices are an indicator and expected higher demand this summer. Other Rixos hotels in the United Arab Emirates or Turkey have similar prices. However, this season will be more specific in terms of what security and unique destination experience it can provide guests, not at the cost of accommodation," Basci says.

Regarding tourist demand and supply this year in the still present pandemic, he believes that countries that have approached the vaccination process seriously and where it is taking place without delay should not have problems with the number of reservations and tourist arrivals.

"It is essential for each of us today that travel is a safe zone, and free time and money earned are valued more than before, and in that sense, it is not enough to offer only 'sun and sea.' Tourism and hospitality workers should provide their guests with the added value of a destination based on service and offering the highest quality, from top gastronomy to entertainment, nature tours, and more, and destinations that offer selective forms of tourism will be more successful and competitive even after a pandemic," he adds.

He points out that the biggest advantage of Croatia is its beauty with untouched Mediterranean nature, recognizable history, heritage, and culture, which is why it is regularly placed on the lists of the world's most desirable destinations and is a member of the EU, and is easily accessible to the European market and can respond to almost all the requirements of the new generation of passengers.

"I see certain shortcomings of Croatian tourism in the limited number of high-quality tourist and catering staff, which is the result of a large number of young people leaving the country for economic reasons. Therefore, Croatia should be more open to foreign workers," Basci said.

He adds that in the offer of luxury tourism, high-paying guests must be provided with added value through services and continuous review and improvement of their own capacities to provide the best to guests.

Therefore, according to him, a stronger synergy of the private and public sectors is needed, which should cooperate more in managing the destination and agreeing on minimum standards for all levels of services, which everyone then follows and implements.

This would lead to year-round tourism that Croatia can have, so Dubrovnik and other most famous destinations should be open all year round and provide services continuously, says Basci.

"For example, Dubrovnik currently differs from the Cote d'Azur in that it is possible to fly to southeastern France at any time of the year, and hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping, and more are available in winter. If this level of service availability were ensured in Dubrovnik, we would certainly have guests in the winter as well, which would result in several benefits for the local population and the economy as a whole," says the hotelier.

Noting that the Rixos group has been present in Dubrovnik with one hotel for more than 16 years and that 150 million kuna was invested in its renovation last year, which was the highest for Dubrovnik tourism last year. Basci added that they are ready to receive guests looking for luxury a five-star lifestyle hotel, which is also a certain turnaround in the business.

"The challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to the tourism sector have adversely affected the business of the Rixos Group, as well as other businesses operating in the field of tourism. However, I am proud that none of the 180 full-time employees at the Rixos Premium Dubrovnik hotel was fired, even though the hotel was empty, and we did all the professional practices," Basci points out.

Rixos, like other hotel chains, has seen a drop in revenue in the pandemic but hopes for better results this season.

He says that Rixos Premium Hotel is one of the most luxurious in Croatia and one of eight in the world. When asked why he thinks there are not more luxury hotels in Croatia, he says that the answer can be found in destination management.

"The public and private sectors should join forces and, through destination management, strengthen the turn towards the development of a luxury segment of the market, in which there is no place for mass. Luxury tourism for a destination has several advantages, especially in the context of sustainability and minimizing environmental and community impacts. Although Dubrovnik can also benefit from cruises, I think that the development of elite tourism and ensuring the presence of high-paying guests is a better direction for the destination, with not only a luxury hotel offer but the entire offer of places, including quality shopping, excellent restaurants, rent luxury boats, renowned clubs, beaches and the like. In that sense, I see more room for progress in the offer and facilities of Dubrovnik," says Basci.

Asked whether Rixos is considering or planning a new acquisition or investment in Croatia, Basci said he always analyzes market opportunities, but also that it would make it easier for entrepreneurs who want to do business in Croatia, including the hotel industry, to simplify the entire investment system and related administrative steps.

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

ZAGREB, 3 June 2021 - A plane of Russia's national carrier Aeroflot carrying 86 passengers landed at Dubrovnik Airport on Tuesday evening, marking the reintroduction of a daily direct flight between the south of Croatia and Moscow after seven years.

Dubrovnik Airport director Frano Luetić said he expected that the interest of Russians would bring even better flight occupancy.

"If the situation with the pandemic continues to improve, I expect July and August will be excellent," Luetić said, adding that the British market, which accounted for 30% of Dubrovnik Airport's traffic, is yet to reopen.

A COVID antigen and PCR testing facility has opened at Dubrovnik Airport, available to all citizens. A business aviation terminal is another novelty, and it is the most modern in Croatia.

"Last year, we had a very good connection in that segment, and this year we expect an even better one. Those are high-paying guests that spend their holidays on yachts on the Adriatic coast. The terminal is very modern, with passport control, customs control, catering, and VIP lounges," Luetić said.

Dubrovnik Tourist Board director Ana Hrnić said that Dubrovnik and Croatia were very interesting to Russian tourists.

"Last week, a popular tourist show was filmed here, so we expect further growth in interest," said Hrnić, who expects tourism turnover will be significantly better after 15 June.

Also, as of 10 June, Russia will include Croatia on the list of epidemiologically safe countries.

This year, over 500 flights will be connecting Russia and Croatia from June to September, and Croatia joining the epidemiological "green zone" opens the possibility of charter flights.

In addition to Dubrovnik, Aeroflot will connect Moscow with Pula, Split, and Zagreb during the season.

Croatia has renewed the issuance of tourist visas for Russian citizens, and there is currently great interest in holidays in Croatia on the Russian market.

According to data from the eVisitor system, this year visitors from Russia have generated about 30,000 overnight stays, or 48% more than in the same period last year.

 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.

June 3, 2021 – Croatian automotive sensation Rimac Nevera has made its way down to Dubrovnik where it awaits potential buyers. 

Rimac Automobili is a Croatian wonder. This boutique car manufacturer makes some of the fastest and most advanced electric hypercars in the world. After the great success of its Concept One, the new production car is Nevera. Nevera is a term on the Croatian coast describing a storm over the sea which can come out of nowhere and end up being deadly. What an apt name for the strongest production car in the world, measuring 1914 BHP.

We reported on the details of Rimac Nevera. The mastermind behind the company Mate Rimac is very happy with the end result. He stated the car's components are completely custom designed just for this model. With an impressive 0-100km/h achieved in 1,85 seconds, it is clear Rimac has created another head-turning masterpiece.

What's Next?

The latest news coming out of Dubrovacki Dnevnik is that Rimac Nevera is already in Dubrovnik. More precisely, it is at Sun Gardens Resort, just outside of Dubrovnik. Here, the potential buyers will enjoy the first look at the finished product. The resort, which already has a few car-related events of the highest order under its belt, will be a wonderful setting for the official sales event. With the price tag of 2 million, Rimac Nevera is not a car that many will buy. In fact, only around 150 units of these cars are going into production, as it stands now.

With Nevera's being officially revealed only days ago, we are expecting a surge of news, articles, and media hype over this unique car of unparalleled characteristics. Perhaps it is time to follow up the success of Rimac Automobili with other Croatian companies focusing on alternative power sources. It just might be the niche this country's economy is so desperately searching for.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

June 1, 2021 - A recent study shows that guest delight in Dubrovnik hotels should be strengthened and an extra effort should be made with luxury hotel guests. 

A recent study conducted by RIT Croatia’s hospitality instructor Domagoj Nikolić and graduating student Andrea Mitrović checked to what extent upscale Dubrovnik hotels delight their guests and whether guest delight affects their rates. In a theoretical nutshell, guest delight is about exceeding expectations and equals the personalization of standard services. It thus depends on the empowerment of staff and their soft skills.

Fifteen hotels in Dubrovnik were checked through data mining of TripAdvisor reviews which were subsequently analyzed with sophisticated statistical tools. The findings show that overall guest delight, on a scale from 1 (“neutral”) and 2 (“absolutely delighted”), is around 1.20 implying that upscale hotels in Dubrovnik are good in providing guest satisfaction, but they rarely make an extra effort to delight their guests. The factors corresponding with staff professionalism and empathy are rated the highest (1.50 – moderately delighted), but problem-solving and surprise attributes are the lowest and literally non-existing (1.00 – no delight), which shows that Dubrovnik hotel staff have the necessary soft skills, but are not empowered. In other words, this is a management, not a staffing problem.

Since there isn’t much going on in terms of guest delight in upscale Dubrovnik hotels, it is not surprising that the statistical analysis showed that guest delight did not affect Dubrovnik hotel rates before COVID-19, nor it does now. This all leads to a conclusion that Dubrovnik upmarket hotels cannot qualify as luxury, because in the luxury segment, service without delight is literally nothing from the point of view of extractable value. On the other hand, guest delight ensures repeat business and higher rates, which in Dubrovnik, as high as they may seem for Croatia, are not luxury, with a few notable exceptions.

At the least, the findings imply that reasons why guests come to Dubrovnik are not related to hotel experiences, but should be sought in other attractors, such as natural beauty, cultural heritage, fair infrastructure, etc. It would seem that the lacking guest delight negatively affects the hotels’ ability to charge, costs, guest loyalty, and year-round occupancy, because the outside attractors fade outside of the season. This seems particularly important in the present COVID-19 crisis because many hotels try to compensate for the failing occupancy with lower rates which can put them into a tailspin. 

The said research was rated the best at the recent MakeLearn international conference and will be published in a prestigious scientific journal, which serves as another encouragement to the management to pay closer attention to guest delight. A delightful destination, such as Dubrovnik, deserves delighted guests who deserve to be delighted, too. 

To follow the latest on travel news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 1, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as two new Wizz Air flights to Croatia from Vienna will land in Dubrovnik and Split! 

Avio Radar reports that Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced new routes from Vienna to Dubrovnik and Split! 

Namely, the Vienna-Dubrovnik line will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, from July 4 to September 26, while the Vienna-Split line will also operate twice a week, but on Mondays and Fridays, from July 2 to September 24.

This is only the latest from Wizz Air, which has announced a series of flights to Croatia this summer. 

Last month, the airline announced its return to Dubrovnik after several years with a connection from Rome (Fiumicino Airport) three times a week, from July 1 to October 30, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Tickets were also released on the Warsaw and Dubrovnik line just over a week ago, which will operate from July 3 on Wednesdays and Saturdays, until September 19. 

Wizz Air has significantly increased its operations to Split this year.

The low-cost airline will run between Rome and Split from July 2 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, until October 29. 

From June 13, WizzAir will operate between Lublin and Split, on Thursdays and Sundays, until mid-September. From June 11, it will run between Poznan and Split every Monday and Friday, also until the end of September.

Wizz Air also has lineds from Gdansk, Wroclaw, and Krakow this summer. While the airline had announced a line between Split and Oslo this year as well, the airline has decided to completely withdraw from the Norweigan airport. 

To put things into perspective, Wizz Air connected Split with only four international destinations in the summer of 2020! 

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.

May 31, 2021 – Boxing world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in Dubrovnik on social media enjoying his honeymoon.

Dubrovnik is definitely no stranger to famous visitors. Throughout its long history, this city welcomed well-known guests from all fields of human endeavour. For locals, it is interesting simply to wait and see which familiar face will appear in the city next.

Many rich and famous people arrive in Dubrovnik trying to pass „under the radar“ with varying degrees of success. Others are open about their experiences and promote the city on their social media outlets. One such visitor to Dubrovnik is Saul „Canelo“ Alvarez. This Mexican-born boxing world champion is currently spending his honeymoon in Dubrovnik, enjoying the city vistas. His bride Fernanda Gomez is a business owner with quite a following on Instagram herself, although her 900,000 followers pale in comparison with her husband’s 9.5 million. The couple is enjoying themselves in Dubrovnik and is happy to share that with the world. It is the kind of PR all destinations are hoping for.

Impressive Career

Alvarez has won a number of world champion titles in several weight categories. He currently holds a world champion title in the super middleweight category under WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine titles. Dubrovacki vjesnik reports he earned around €150 million during his career so far, making him one of the best-paid fighters in the world. There was a controversy surrounding his last contract with DAZN which was worth an astounding 365 million. The money was guaranteed to Alvarez for the agreed 11 matches. He backed out of the deal claiming breach of contract by DAZN.

Regardless of the financial side of the story, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez currently remains one of the most interesting and successful boxers. He has 59 official fights under his belt out of which he won 56 and only lost once. He managed to record 38 wins by knockout.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

May 31, 2021 - The inaugural Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence (DNIR) program ended with a commitment from Dubrovnik's mayor to implement some of the recommendations. TCN caught up with some of the resident nomads prior to their departure for exit interviews (with thanks to 45 Degrees Sailing for the video) 

It was the first of its kind in the world. Bring in ten digital nomads with different skills, backgrounds and lifestyles from all over the world. Give them free accommodation for 4 weeks, as well as a social and tour program and attendance at some design thinking workshops. And then work with the local community, city, tourist board and program coordinators to co-create a strategy for Dubrovnik to meet the needs of digital nomads who are taking an ever-increasing interest in spending time in the safe, authentic lifestyle destination that is Croatia. 

As a co-organiser of  DNIR, along with Saltwater Nomads, the City of Dubrovnik, and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (the latter funded the project), I can honestly say that I have never been involved in such a thought-provoking project, or hung out with a group of strangers initially, who gelled to form lifelong friendships, as well as a superb vision for the future of Dubrovnik. 

Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring the DNIR findings in more detail, having made a start with Beyond the Walls: 4 Weeks in Dubrovnik Not Enough, Say DNIR Digital Nomads.

I caught up with several of them on their last evening to get their overall impressions of the program.

As you can see, it was a fairly relaxed setting for the interviews, with Dutchman Rob very proud to take part in the first paid interview of his life (he got a free beer).

Some great insights, and there are several quick wins that Dubrovnik can implement to move the story along. Mayor Frankovic's commitment to providing a co-working space at the final press conference was vey encouraging. 

Also included here are two interviews with original DNIR, Carolyn Zelikow, who had to withdraw halfway, but spoke to us before she left, and Vanessa Anderson, who replaced her. 

For more news and features on digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

Attention now turns to the Croatian capital, with Zagreb Digital Nomad Week & Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador project starting on June 21. More information on the Saltwater Nomads website.