May 22, 2021 - Which rules will MSC Cruise Ship guests in Croatia need to follow once they first arrive in Dubrovnik in June?

Jutarnji List reports that while other shipowners are still calculating or choosing cruises within national borders with the line of least resistance, the Geneva-based company MSC Cruises was the first to clearly and loudly confirm the flow of floating hotels in the port of Gruž this season. The arrival of the first cruiser has been agreed to for June 2021, and approved by the Dubrovnik Port Authority.

In the management of MSC Cruises, Jutarnji inquired about the safety protocols that Dubrovnik passengers need to follow this summer.

"Passengers must be tested before the cruise, but also in the middle of the cruise, with an antigen test before departure to cross the Italian border. The crew will not leave the ship just yet, they are being tested once a week, and the company has started a comprehensive crew vaccination program," points out Darija Semiz from MSC's marketing department.

There are also new rules for guests on cruise ships:

"Food and drinks are served only at the table. In addition to the standard menus, guests can view them on their mobile phone by scanning the QR code," says Semiz and explains further details of the itinerary:

"Destinations during the cruise are visited only as part of organized excursions of MSC Cruises, which means reduced vehicle capacity, testing of guides and drivers before starting work, and face masks are required, and passengers must not be separated from the group during the trip," said the Dubrovnik MSC Cruises representative.

"Passengers are required to wear masks in common areas, MSC has also provided smart bracelets that serve as a means of payment onboard, a cabin key, and to identify close contacts if necessary," Semiz said.

The MSC center reports that the vaccination program against COVID-19 for all crew members is becoming a vital element of the company's health and safety protocol, which has been in place since last August when the first ship began sailing regularly.

In the initial phase, MSC Cruises prioritized prevention to crew members, with ten ships announced in the cruise program for the summer of 2021 in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Priority is also given to the crews of the white fleet, which should re-sail the Caribbean from American ports and others that are preparing to re-sail.

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

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

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

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

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

The Interviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners announcement video:

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

May 21, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as TAP Portugal flights to Zagreb return next month, and Wizz Air announces its second route to Dubrovnik Airport.

Croatian Aviation reports that TAP Portugal returns to Zagreb on June 2! After more than 5 years, the Portuguese national airline will resume traffic on the route between Lisbon and Zagreb Airport.

The airline announced it would reintroduce this line in March last year on March 28, but flights were delayed from month to month due to the global pandemic. The airline has now confirmed that it will start regular flights on this route from June 2.

The line will operate three times a week from the beginning of June, every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Although A320 aircraft were originally announced on this route, the airline announced E190 aircraft with a capacity of 106 seats in June.

A total of 2,756 seats will be offered on this line between the two cities in June.

From the beginning of July to the end of October, higher-capacity aircraft (A319, 144 seats) have been announced on this route, so in that period, TAP Portugal will offer 14,976 seats.

From the beginning of June to the end of October, the Portuguese national airline between Lisbon and Zagreb will have 17,732 seats on sale throughout the summer season.

TAP Portugal flight schedule between Lisbon and Zagreb:

Lisbon - Zagreb / 08:35 - 12:40 / 3h 05min

Zagreb - Lisbon / 13:25 - 15:50 / 3h 25min

After TAP Portugal resumes traffic on this route on June 2, Zagreb will become the only Croatian airport from which it is possible to fly directly to Lisbon. In the summer of 2020, there were no direct scheduled flights between Lisbon and Croatian airports.

Regarding travel restrictions due to the global pandemic, entry into Portugal is possible with a negative PCR test. The test result must not be older than 72 hours before the start of the trip.

Return tickets in July with departure from Zagreb can currently be purchased for approximately 130 euros, and the airline often offers discounts on its routes. A few weeks ago, the promo price was only 90 euros.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that the Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air, has announced its second route to Dubrovnik Airport. This airline has not operated to Dubrovnik for several years, and a few days ago, it announced its first line from Rome (Fiumicino Airport).

Now, tickets were released yesterday on the Warsaw and Dubrovnik line.

The Warsaw - Dubrovnik - Warsaw line will be in operation from July 3, twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The line will be in operation until mid-September (18.09.), and 23 aircraft operations have been announced.

Wizz Air will offer almost 8,300 seats on this new route between Dubrovnik and Warsaw. In addition to this Hungarian airline, the Polish LOT and the Czech Smartwings still operate between the two mentioned cities.

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 21, 2021 - The latest regarding COVID-19 testing at Croatian airports as Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar should introduce testing locations inside their passenger terminals this summer. 

Two Croatian airports, Split and Zagreb, currently have organized passenger testing for COVID-19. Now, Croatian Aviation reports that Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar airports are introducing the same. By the beginning of the summer season, the mentioned airports will also enable airport testing. 

Zagreb Airport in January this year allowed all passengers en route to Amsterdam to test at the airport, which is not surprising given that the regulations of the Netherlands at that time were such that passengers had to have a rapid test no older than 3 hours from entry into the aircraft, so airport testing was almost imperative.

After the Netherlands removed this measure, Zagreb still allowed testing at the airport (PCR or rapid test), and the same is available on the second floor, at two check-in counters on the right side of the passenger terminal.

We remind you that from April 26, COVID-19 testing is also possible near Split Airport; you can check the working hours HERE.

Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Pula airports (the only ones with Split and Zagreb that currently have international traffic) do not offer the possibility of testing at the airport. Still, all three mentioned airports informed Croatian Aviation that the management is preparing testing locations. By the beginning of the summer season, i.e., when several international lines are launched, everything will be ensured that testing (PCR or rapid test) is available in passenger terminals at Pula, Zadar, and Dubrovnik airports.

Testing at airports is part of the "new normal". Logically, the same will be possible in all Croatian airports, with regular international routes announced this summer. Without this possibility, tourist holidays in Croatia this summer are significantly complicated, so this service should be provided at the starting and ending points when visiting the country. 

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 19, 2021 - The Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program comes to an end this weekend, with a press conference and panel sections highlighting the engagement from the public and private sector. 

Another 05:00 start tomorrow, then a 7-hour drive. Destination Dubrovnik. 

Every visit to the Pearl of the Adriatic in this pandemic era has been one of joy, as the city has been relieved of the burdern of overtourism and been given a chance to breathe and reassess its tourism strategy. But tomorrow's trip is all the more exciting, as it is linked to the finale of the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence (DNIR) program, probably the most interesting and innovative project I have been part of in my 10 years of writing about tourism in Croatia. Funded by our partners, the City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and conceived and delivered by Saltwater Nomads,DNIR is the first program of its kind in the world, and it has been an enriching and rewarding experience for all involved. 

It is less than 4 weeks since these ten amazing humans (meet them in the video above) descended on Dubrovnik from all over the globe to take up their residence. Four weeks later, the strong bonds of friendship that they have developed with each other, as well as the wider Dubrovnik community, has been a joy to observe. As has their collaboration on the task at hand - to work with the city, the tourist board, the local community, and each other to come up with effective recommendations and strategies to enable Dubrovnik to better take advantage of the digital nomad opportunity. 

The resident nomads will be working on their presentations of their findings, which will be presented initially to a limited audience on Friday evening aboard the Karaka, before the finale program on Saturday.

The panel line ups give me real hope that the seeds of this great opportunity have already found fertile ground. 

Dubrovnik is extremely well represented by Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Frankovic, Deputy Mayor, Jelka Tepsic, and Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director, Ana Hrnic. It is also particularly pleasing to see Petra Marsic from the Zagreb Tourist Board also taking part in the panel discussions. In partnership with Saltwater Nomads and TCN, Zagreb Tourist Board will host Zagreb Digital Nomad Week & Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Project begins on June 21. 

All three co-founders of the Digital Nomad Association - Jan de Jong, Tanja Polegubic and Karmela Tancabel - will also be present. 

Croatian business has given enthusiastic support to the initiative, and Raiffeisen Bank, Hrvatski Telekom, and KPMG will be among the companies taking part. There has also been some great input throughout the month from various organisations working in the field of sustainable tourism, and Ranko Milic from EUPOLIS will no doubt have a lively contribution to make. 

And not least, the nomads themselves, with several taking part in the sessions as moderators. A great mix of ideas, viewpoints and experiences. The whole event will be filmed and made available soon after it takes place. 

A little more information from the official press release:

The Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence (DN-I-R) have been in Dubrovnik for 4 weeks. On Saturday 22nd May, leading public, private and non profit sector experts will join the DN-I-Rs for a series of panel discussions. These panels will define the way forward for Croatia’s digital nomad movement.

The panel session topics include regenerative tourism, business, women and remote workers with Croatian family connections. 

Panel 1 features city leaders, including Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director, Ana Hrnić , Petra Maršić (Zagreb Tourist Board), DN-I-R program director Tanja Polegubić (Saltwater), Ranko Milić (EUPOLIS/CEDRA). This panel is moderated by leading blue economy expert and Digital Nomad-in-Residence, Ron Tardiff.

The Digital Nomad Association (DNA) Croatia are sponsoring a session on how business can support digital nomads in Croatia. This panel features Jan de Jong (DNA Croatia), Liana Keserić (Raiffeisen Bank Croatia), Kristina Grbavac (KPMG), Marijana Bašić (Hrvatski Telekom), Nino Dubretić (Direct Booker) and Nikolina Trojić (HGK).

A large number of applicants to the Dubrovnik DN-I-R program were women, particularly from North America. Croatia has a strong reputation as a safe destination for women. In panel 3, experienced (and newbie) women who are embarking on a digital nomad journey, share tips and trends for this audience.

The final panel is moderated by our DN-I-R who holds a PhD in skilled migration, Kaisu Koskela. Panel 4 looks at Croatians with heritage and spouses, who are coming to Croatia to work remotely in growing numbers since the onset of the pandemic. This panel features digital nomads in Croatia with dual citizenship, Deputy Mayor Jelka Tepšić and Paul Bradbury from Total Croatia News.

If you are interested in more information about the Zagreb event, check out the Saltwater Nomads presentation.  

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

For the latest news and features, follow the TCN dedicated digital nomads section. 

May 19, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as United Airlines flights to Dubrovnik will begin a week earlier than initially planned!

Croatian Aviation reports that just a few days after announcing an additional flight (from 3 to 4 flights a week) on the new route between New York and Dubrovnik, United Airlines made another operational change.

On April 18, United Airlines announced that it would introduce the New York-Dubrovnik-New York route in this year's summer flight schedule. The line was originally announced from July 8, three times a week, with departures from New York on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, and return from Dubrovnik a day later, until October 3 this year.

In the meantime, Delta Air Lines also announced the introduction of a direct route to Dubrovnik (also from New York, John F. Kennedy Airport). However, the airline planned to launch the route a week before United and operate on it four times a week, with one flight a week more than United.

United subsequently announced that it would still increase the number of operations to Dubrovnik and thus equalize Delta's number of flights, which happened, and both companies now offer four flights a week to Dubrovnik from July.

"As we start to see a strong desire from our customers to travel internationally to re-opened countries, we are excited to move up service and add a fourth weekly flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia," said Patrick Quayle, vice president of international network and alliances at United.  

As of Tuesday, United Airlines is offering a direct flight to Dubrovnik earlier than originally planned. Namely, the inaugural flight was pushed up to a week earlier, and the first plane from New York will take off for Dubrovnik on Thursday, July 1. The earlier launch of this line will provide an additional 1,712 seats between the two cities.

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

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

DNiR Program

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

The Interview

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

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

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

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

Check out the full video below.

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

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

Winners announcement video:

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

May 17, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as United Airlines flights to Dubrovnik have been increased to 4 per week! 

The American airline, United Airlines, is increasing the number of weekly operations on the new route between New York and Dubrovnik Airport!

Less than a month after the announcement they would be introducing a regular flight between New York (Newark Airport) and Dubrovnik, United Airlines will add another weekly flight on this new line in this year's summer flight schedule.

The airline originally announced three flights per week, with departures from New York every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Now, flights will also be on sale every Friday! The return from Dubrovnik is the next day, i.e. Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, reports Croatian Aviation.

In this way, United will equal the number of operations between New York and Dubrovnik with the number of operations of Delta Air Lines on the same line, and Dubrovnik thus gets the eighth flight a week to New York!

The airline is pleased with the demand on this new route to Dubrovnik and it is almost certain that the aircraft will be sold out this summer. For this reason, an additional flight was launched, departing from New York every Friday.

"As we start to see a strong desire from our customers to travel internationally to re-opened countries, we are excited to move up service and add a fourth weekly flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia," said Patrick Quayle, vice president of international network and alliances at United.  

B767-300ER aircraft with a capacity of 214 passengers have been announced for all flights. With new operations on Friday, United will offer an additional 5,564 seats to Dubrovnik.

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 17, 2021 – Sunday welcomed the Croatian local elections. The elected officials will hold the political power on city and county levels which in many ways affects the everyday lives of Croatian people more than the national parliament or the president. A look at the elections in Dubrovnik. 

Croatian election results are the main topic this Monday. It has been a slow and quiet campaign compared to most previous ones. This is mainly due to the pandemic and the current financial situation. Without all the bells and whistles, there were some results that surprised the general public. Still, the majority of the winners were as expected. For the vast majority of the towns and counties, the election process is not over. Many of them will have to go into second round of voting to find new mayors and county prefects. The top two candidates with the most votes in the first round will go over to the runoffs for a head-to-head election showdown.

Race for Mayor

As reported by Dubrovacki Vjesnik, both Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik-Neretva County will have to go into runoffs in order to elect the mayor of Dubrovnik and the county prefect. On the city and county level in the Dubrovnik area, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is starting round two from the winning position. Mato Frankovic, reigning mayor of Dubrovnik, won the popular vote in the city with 36,7% of votes. Political veteran, Pero Vican finished behind him with 13,54% of votes. He won second place after a neck and neck battle with the former mayor of Dubrovnik, Andro Vlahusic. Considering the gap in results between Frankovic and Vican, the second round of Dubrovnik's race for mayor should confirm the results of the first one. However, everybody in Dubrovnik knows Pero Vican is not a politician to be underestimated.

Results on the County Level

Current county prefect, HDZ's Nikola Dobroslavic, took the win in the first round of voting with an impressive 40,12% of votes. The runner-up was Most party's Bozo Petrov with 21,11%. Petrov is a young, but already established politician. He is a current member of the Croatian Parliament and the leader of the Most party. He is a considerably younger and less experienced competitor than Dobroslavic. With this in mind, it will be an exciting second round of voting in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The main dilemma before the voters is whether they want more of the same or are looking for a change.

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

ZAGREB, 16 May, 2021 - The 72nd edition of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival will be held from 10 July to 25 August, with over 60 plays, concerts, dance and folklore performances taking place at about 10 venues, the organisers announced earlier this week.

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.

It is expected that online ticket sales will start after new epidemiological guidelines for events are released.

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