April 10, 2021 - The 10 winners of the innovative Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence (DNiR) competition have been announced. Meet them one by one, starting with Kelsey Kay Love from Texas, but currently in Los Angeles.

The DNiR programme, which has been designed by Saltwater Nomads, in partnership with Total Croatia News, the CIty of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (and financed by the latter two), is an innovative direction for the Pearl of the Adriatic, as it looks to diversify its tourism strategy away from overtourism and in the wake of the pandemic. 

My name is Kelsey Kay Love, and I am a Travel Writer and Brand Manager who believes in traveling randomly, moving frequently, spontaneous dance parties and daiquiris with a view.

1. You are a DN-i-R winner. Congratulations! How do you feel?

Have I fainted? Did I fall in a manhole and wake up in a fantasy land?! Have I grown 6 inches and finally learned how to make carbonara?! Okay well no, but it does feel a lot like a travel fantasy come to life. I mean, it's been about a decade since I won so much as a free hot dog, so this is definitely a step up in life.

I am still a little in shock, and also obviously beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to not only live in Croatia for an entire month, but meet and work with a variety of fascinating folks to make Dubrovnik the next digital nomad hotspot.

2. How did you hear about the competition, and why did you decide to apply? 

While on lockdown in my very loud, very unfortunate-sized studio apartment in LA last year, I came across an article about Bermuda, Barbados and Estonia creating new visa opportunities for digital nomads. Shortly after, I found an article on LinkedIn about Jan de Jong, a Dutch entrepreneur, who was trying to make the same thing happen in Croatia. Croatia has been on my list for a long time, so I set up a Google alert with the words 'digital nomad visa Croatia', which eventually paid off by leading me directly to this competition via Total Croatia News. And now here we are! Wild stuff.

3. Which particular skills and ideas will you be bringing to the party?

Since I've lived in a few different countries previously as a digital nomad, the most valuable skills I bring to the table are likely experience, perspective, and a way with words. Also cocktails. I make excellent cocktails. My years in digital marketing, branding, and travel writing should also come in handy. And southern hospitality and easy laughter go wherever I go, which are always welcome party guests at any party worth attending.

4. What are you most looking forward to about DN-i-R?

In every place I've lived, even after just a single month, I feel like I'm able to pick up on so much of what makes it a liveable destination, even if it's for someone that ultimately isn't me. I'm most looking forward to finding out what those things are in Dubrovnik, especially, as I normally show up in a country without the faintest clue as to which specific area I will end up. This time around, it will be a unique opportunity to put those skills to use in such a concentrated location of a country I've never been to. I'm also very excited to work with people from such different backgrounds and areas of expertise, as I'm sure we will all learn so much from each other.

And last but not least, I am ecstatic about the mere possibility of floating in the sunshine on the Adriatic Sea.

5. Let's get you involved in the Dubrovnik community. Who or what would you like to connect with?

If there is a local marketing community, digital or otherwise, I'd love to meet them. I'd also love to meet those involved in the wine and spirits industry, food and beverage industry, and anything to do with dance, performing arts, and live music! And if the local catamaran community is currently accepting new friends, please also point me in their direction. Thank you!

Here is Kelsey's application video.

You can learn more about the programme here. 

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

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

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

April 9, 2021 - 10 digital nomads from 7 countries have been announced as the winners of the inaugural Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence in a video presentation at a press conference in the city. 

They originate from California, Texas, Japan, Finland, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, and the UK, but are currently located in several other locations. But they all have one thing in common - on April 23, they will all descend on Dubrovnik, to take up their positions in the world's first Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme (DN-I-R), set to take place in Croatia. 

The DN-i-R programme, which has been designed by Saltwater Nomads, in partnership with Total Croatia News, the CIty of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (and financed by the latter two), is an innovative direction for the Pearl of the Adriatic, as it looks to diversify its tourism strategy away from overtourism and in the wake of the pandemic. 

Given the global situation, it was perhaps fitting that the location of the press conference was just outside the UNESCO World Heritage Site and its famous old walls at Lazareti. Completely renovated in 2018, Lazareti is now a spectacular multi-purpose event location. Its origins are as the original quarantine station in Dubrovnik. The Dubrovnik Republic was the first state to introduce quarantine back in 1377. 

The press conference was given by Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik, Jelka Tepsic, Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director, Ana Hrnic, Saltwater Nomads CEO, Tanja Polegubic, and TCN CEO, Paul Bradbury. 

The lucky 10 digital nomads were chosen from a very international field of 115 applicants, from 27 countries. You can see who they are with this compilation video above, which was put together from the application video submissions. Over the coming days, TCN will be introducing them individually. They are:

Kelsey Kay Love from Texas (currently in Los Angeles)

Charlie Brown from UK (currently in Zagreb)

Ron Tardiff from USA (currently in Budapest)

Marlee McCormick from Texas

Albert Cañigueral from Spain

Zoltan Nagy from Hungary (currently in Tenerife)

Alyssa Isogawa from USA/Japan (currently in California)

Rob Schubert from the Netherlands (currently in Estonia)

Carolyn Zelikow from USA (currently on Hvar)

Kaisu Koskela from Finland (currently in Gran Canaria)

It was a high-quality field of applications, and there are several ways that other applicants can still be involved. TCN will shortly be announcing giveaways, virtual networking opportunities, and the chance to attend the final event in May. 

The press conference over, it was down to the hard work. The excellent relationship between city, tourist board and Saltwater Nomads has already delivered the first digital nomad conference in Croatia, Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads in October, 2020. Jelka and Tanja have built up an excellent working relationship, and there is still plenty of organisation ahead, now that the selection process is over.  

One of the gorgeous Lazareti rooms has been made available to the DN-i-R project as a coworking space, right on the water.  

You can learn more about the programme here. 

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

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

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

April 9, 2021 - The latest flight news for Croatia as Air France flights to Dubrovnik increase this summer, while the Paris-Zagreb route will not see the addition of a second daily flight. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Air France has revised its summer flight schedule for this year, with changes on the routes to Croatian airports. The French national carrier maintains a year-round line between Paris and Zagreb, and in the summer, it also operates to Split and Dubrovnik.

No second daily flight to Zagreb

Back in January 2020, the company announced that it would introduce a second daily flight between Zagreb and Paris. Of course, this did not happen after the pandemic outbreak, but the company resumed traffic on this line in June last year.

Since March this year, Dutch KLM operates twice a day on the line between Amsterdam and Zagreb, and since KLM and Air France are in the same group, it was to be expected that Air France will withdraw its second daily flight, which has now happened.

Namely, until just a few days ago, Air France offered a second daily flight on the route to Zagreb Airport from June this year, but they are no longer available for booking. Instead of two, Air France will have one daily flight on the Paris - Zagreb - Paris (Charles de Gaulle Airport) route, while two daily flights will be operated by the aforementioned partner company KLM on the route to Amsterdam.

The Croatian national airline - Croatia Airlines - also operates on the routes from Amsterdam and Paris from Zagreb. There are currently no carriers other than those mentioned on these lines.

Return to Split and increase in traffic to Dubrovnik

On the last day of May, Air France will resume traffic on the Paris - Split - Paris route. The company will operate daily on this route only from July 1, although initially, daily flights were available from May 31. Air France will offer on average between 2 and 4 flights a week to Split Airport until July. 

From the same date (May 31), the company plans to renew the Paris - Dubrovnik - Paris line as well. It will initially operate with two flights a week, gradually increasing the number of weekly operations. From the beginning of July, daily flights have been announced on this route, while Air France will operate as many as 11 times a week between Paris and Dubrovnik Airport from the middle of the same month.

Of course, these flights will primarily depend on the epidemiological situation in both countries. Still, the positive news is that Air France will resume traffic to Split and Dubrovnik, with the intention of increasing the number of operations to Dubrovnik Airport.

Air France currently plans to use E190 aircraft and aircraft from the A320 family, with A318 aircraft announced for Dubrovnik, a rarity in the European sky, considering that only 80 of them have been sold in total.

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.

April 7, 2021 - The latest flight news as travelers can choose from 14 Norwegian Air flights to Croatia this summer! 

Croatian Aviation reports that Norwegian low-cost airline Norwegian Air plans to operate 14 routes to three Croatian airports this summer.

Norwegian plans to resume traffic to three Croatian airports from June this year; Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik. Before the outbreak of the global pandemic, the airline operated to Zadar, Rijeka, and Zagreb.

The airline had a minimal number of international lines to Croatia in the summer season of 2020. It is common knowledge that this low-cost carrier was in financial trouble even before the outbreak of the global pandemic. In January, there was news that this carrier would cancel all long-haul lines and focus on those within Europe.

In addition to being a pioneer in low-cost, long-haul lines, Norwegian had an extremely high-quality product, and passengers were delighted with the ratio of paid and received. One of the great marketing moves was the introduction of free internet on all Norwegian lines, but the rapid expansion led almost to its very collapse.

However, Norwegian is trying to consolidate and plans to operate to three Croatian airports, Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik, in this year's summer flight schedule. There has been no line to Rijeka or Zagreb for a long time.

Although in 2019 the number of routes to Croatian airports was significantly higher, given the current global situation, reduced passenger demand, and the state of this airline, 14 planned routes to Croatia for the summer of this year sounds more than good. Of course, given the movement of the global pandemic, there is a possibility that Norwegian will further reduce its flight schedule.

However, they have confirmed that they plan to operate on the routes below:

Oslo - Pula from June 2, 2 times a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Bergen - Split from June 19, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Copenhagen - Split from June 1, 2 times a week, daily from June 28,

Helsinki - Split on June 2, 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,

Oslo - Split from June 1, 3 times a week, daily from June 25,

Stavanger - Split from June 22, 2 times a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Stockholm - Split from June 2, 2 times a week, 5 times a week from June 21,

Trondheim - Split from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays,

Bergen - Dubrovnik from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays,

Copenhagen - Dubrovnik from June 26, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Helsinki - Dubrovnik from June 1, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Oslo - Dubrovnik from June 1, 2 times a week, daily from June 25,

Stavanger - Dubrovnik from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays,

Stockholm - Dubrovnik from June 12, 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

Given the problems that Norwegian has found itself in the past few years, it is quite difficult to expect that they will really operate on all of these lines. In the summer of 2020, Norwegian had only three routes to Croatia, two to Split, and one to Dubrovnik. With the current epidemiological situation in Europe, we can hardly expect a sharp increase in passenger demand in June. There are less than two months left until its first flight to Croatia.

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.

April 7, 2021 - Applications have now closed for the inaugural Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence competition. TCN caught up with Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director, Ana Hrnic, to talk nomads and the future of tourism in the Pearl of the Adriatic.

With just over 2 weeks to go to the start of the Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme, TCN sat down with Dubrovnik Tourism Board Director, Ana Hrnic, to cover a wide range of issues related to tourism in Croatia's most iconic city, including its future direction. 

The Dubrovnik  Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme is a joint initiative from the City of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads and TCN, funded by Dubrovnik. Saltwater Nomads CEO Tanja Polegubic recently gave an interview to TCN where she went into considerable detail about the programme. 

The judging panel of six has reached agreement, and the ten (VERY international) winners will be announced at a press conference at Lazareti in Dubrovnik on Friday, April 9 at 10:00. 

I caught up with Ana Hrnic, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board director, to talk nomads, but also various other issues regarding tourism in the city and its future direction. 

Being a tourist board director during a pandemic must be extremely stressful. Tell us how 2020 was for tourism in Dubrovnik from your perspective.

I came on the position of Dubrovnik Tourist Board director in February 2020. This would be a professional challenge for me in normal times, not to mention how challenging it was in months that followed. I just managed to meet the team and get familiar with the processes, when the pandemic started. This was a big shock for everyone, and of course for me personally as well. 2020 was I think the most specific year ever. We have had war and many other crises that affected tourism in the past, but this kind of a global impact was something we have never faced before. The year 2020 was very difficult, especially for Dubrovnik as a destination very dependent on international flights.

International air traffic began in mid-June, and intensified in July, when flights began from the UK market, our traditional number one market. Unfortunately, very soon Croatia was included in the red lists of many countries due to the epidemiological situation, so the season was very short for us. The announcements for September were good, but the epidemiological situation prevented us from realizing it.

Until recently, Dubrovnik tourism was known increasingly for cruise ships and over-tourism. 2020 changed all that. How was the feeling last year a) as a resident, and b) as a tourism professional?

Due to the over-tourism effects, a few years ago, Dubrovnik was on the list of destinations to avoid, and our UNESCO status was endangered. And lately, thanks to the measures taken by the city administration through the Respect the City project, Dubrovnik is on the list of destinations that are successfully coping with the trend of over-tourism, which has not bypassed many other famous tourist cities.

Mass tourism is inevitable, even for nominally more exclusive destinations than Dubrovnik. This was certainly due to the fact that flights became quite affordable, so thousands of people were given the opportunity to travel around the world for relatively little money. And there is cruising tourism which is also financially acceptable and accessible to a larger number of people. It should not be seen as something negative, but it should be properly managed. That is why destination management is important, in order to make tourism sustainable in all aspects.

Tourists who came to Dubrovnik last summer had the opportunity to fully enjoy the city without crowds, and experience the destination in a unique way.

Many see 2020 as an enforced opportunity for a complete reset. Is this the case for Dubrovnik tourism? More of the same of a complete reset? What is the vision?

We should focus primarily on quality and sustainability. I see Dubrovnik in the future as a destination of sustainable tourism, and as a destination of top-quality offer and excellence in all segments. I think it is very important to achieve a quality balance between satisfied visitors and satisfied citizens. There is no point in accumulating millions of overnights and arrivals, if our citizens are dissatisfied and if this affects negatively on the quality of our lives. 2020 definitely gave us the opportunity for a certain reset, and I believe we are on a good way.

In the years ahead, I think that nothing will look exactly the same as before and that we will be able to completely change the direction of tourism development towards sustainability. I believe that we will draw some lessons from all this that has happened and create clear visions for the future. We are convinced that the highest quality segments of the offer are the most resilient in crises and we need to work on raising quality in all segments.

Dubrovnik tourism should be tourism that respects above all the citizens of this city, which is sustainable and whose success is not measured solely by the number of overnights. The emphasis in the future must be placed on raising quality in all segments, in order to ultimately use this crisis to reposition Dubrovnik as a destination of excellence and sustainable tourism.

Dubrovnik has been a very early adaptor of the digital nomad opportunity in Croatia. Tell us why you believe it is such a good thing. And why should nomads choose Dubrovnik?

Speaking of digital nomads, in October last year the City of Dubrovnik hosted the event "Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads", and was the leader of this initiative in Croatia. Digital nomads are important for the destination where they live, because of the fact that they are good consumers, but also because of their activities which intensively promote the destination. It should also be emphasized that these are long stays, often in periods outside the main seasonal months. They become ambassadors of their new city, and in this way attract their friends, families and more and more digital nomads. In every aspect, Dubrovnik has the potential to become a prestigious and desirable destination for digital nomads. In order to attract them, it is necessary, in addition to an attractive destination and excellent internet connection, to provide them hospitality, show how safe in all aspects Dubrovnik is, to offer better long-term rental opportunities, greater engagement of the local community, and global promotion.

Dubrovnik has a reputation in some quarters as being expensive with not much to do after exploring the old town, which does not sound attractive to digital nomads, especially those on a budget. How would you answer those claims of being expensive and there being little to do?

The propaganda of Dubrovnik as a too expensive destination is, in my opinion, excessive, and such a sensationalist approach harms the destination. Lower quality destinations have the same prices as Dubrovnik. Coffee on Stradun and a kilo of top-quality fish in a luxury restaurant have their price, which is absolutely justified, and this should come as no surprise. From the prices in always the same restaurants, which are located in the most attractive locations within the city walls, the perception is created that the prices are the same everywhere. In the City, and even within the city walls, there are places with much more moderate prices and quality offer. I do not see Dubrovnik as a destination for sun and beach tourism, but as a destination for experiences. It is special at all times of the year, so it is not necessary to visit it in the months when prices are high. Dubrovnik and its surroundings have so much to offer during the whole year – from different events, festivals, gastronomy, active tourism… This can and will be improved in the future and Dubrovnik will be even more than now recognized as a whole year destination.

This is the first Digital Nomad-in-Residence partnership with a destination in the world as I understand. Tell us what you are expecting from this month, and how exactly will the tourist board and city participate?

We see this project as an excellent opportunity to promote Dubrovnik as a digital nomad-friendly destination. Through the project together with our partners and candidates, we will create a future strategy for positioning Dubrovnik as an attractive digital nomad destination, we will define areas for improvement and hopefully reach global promotion. Our candidates’ feedback on their one-month stay in Dubrovnik will be extremely useful for our future steps.

Tell us a little about the profile of the digital nomads you are hoping will apply. 

We are hoping to have a diverse range of candidates - different nationalities, occupations, skills, age groups, professional experiences… those who will help us promote the destination within the global digital nomad community, and whose experiences will help us develop future strategy.

How will you measure the success of the programme?

We will measure the success of the program by the number of digital nomads staying in Dubrovnik in future period, as well as global promotion and PR we are hoping to achieve. And of course, as I have already mentioned, our candidate’s feedback will be very valuable for us in the development of a future digital nomad-friendly destination strategy.

Applications for the Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence programme have now closed, but you can learn more about it here.

For more information about digital nomads in Croatia, visit the TC Digital Nomads in Croatia in a Page. Or follow the latest in the dedicated TCN section. 

ZAGREB, 6 April, 2021 (Hina) - An earthquake measuring 4.6 degrees on the Richter scale rocked the areas of Sisak and Petrinja just before 11am Tuesday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 10.54am, was 24 kilometres south of Sisak.

The newest quake coincide with the 354th anniversary of the most devastating earthquake ever recorded in Croatia which hit Dubrovnik in 1667. The intensitiy of that quake was IX on EMS98 scale.

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

April 2, 2021 - The latest flight news in Croatia with the announcement of Condor flights to Split and Aeroflot flights to Pula and Dubrovnik this summer!

Croatian Aviation reports that German leisure airline, Condor Airlines, will operate only to Split Airport this summer.

Before the pandemic, Condor Airlines operated to four Croatian airports: Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. In the summer of 2020, Condor operated only to Split, and although there were flights to Zadar in the announcements for only a month, this will no longer happen.

Condor previously announced the Zurich - Split line for this summer season, but tickets have been withdrawn from sale.

This year, the company will not fly to Rijeka, Zadar, and Dubrovnik

In the summer season, from mid-May, Condor will launch three routes to Split Airport:

Munich - Split will be in traffic once a week, on Saturdays,

Dusseldorf - Split will be in traffic three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,

Frankfurt - Split line will be open three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Previously, Condor offered tickets on the line from Frankfurt to Zadar, and in 2019 it operated on the line from Frankfurt to Rijeka. However, low demand has forced this carrier to reduce the flight schedule to Croatia, and Condor Airlines will only fly to Split.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that the Russian national airline Aeroflot will introduce a line to Pula in June this year and renew the line between Moscow and Dubrovnik!

The Moscow - Pula - Moscow line will run from June 1 to September 30, every day! The airline will perform 122 return flights between Pula and Moscow this summer with B737-800 aircraft with a capacity of 158 seats in the Aeroflot fleet. Almost 40,000 seats will be available in both directions!

The Moscow - Dubrovnik - Moscow line will operate in the same period as the line to Pula, with the same type of aircraft, so almost 40 thousand additional seats will be available here.

The company has withdrawn the Moscow-Split-Moscow line from sale, and it is not yet clear whether it will operate on this line in the upcoming summer season. In the summer of 2020, this Russian airline did not operate in Croatia. 

The number of weekly flights to Zagreb has been reduced. Aeroflot currently operates once a week between Moscow and Zagreb. And from May 1, a second weekly flight is available (Thursdays and Saturdays).

From June 7, the line between Moscow and Zagreb will operate three times a week (Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays), which will continue throughout the summer (July, August, and September). This is a significantly smaller number of weekly operations, given that Aeroflot announced daily flights in the peak of the summer season until a few days ago. Still, the reduction is logical given that the company will operate directly to Dubrovnik and Pula. On the route to Zagreb, Aeroflot will use A320 aircraft.

The company was in Zagreb only once in 2020, on a charter flight from Moscow with a B777-300ER aircraft, transporting medical equipment from Shanghai.

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.

March 30, 2021 - After a unique local tourist experience, it's time for fine wine, but what if you only have cryptocurrencies? Say no more. With Ivan Vuković and Sasha Lušić, you can pay for a wine and tourist tour in Dubrovnik with cryptocurrencies.

"Many tourists do not carry cash with them, and people from developed countries do not handle cash at all. Although they have been in circulation for 60 years, cards are still a high-tech thing for us, and we are afraid to embrace the novelties," says Ivan Vuković, a tourist guide of Dubrovnik.

Paying with cryptocurrencies is very simple - you can have a card or a mobile option, which converts all payments into currency. "Simple, contactless - which is important for covid regulations and one more way of paying," says Sasha Lusic, the owner of D'vino wine bar Dubrovnik.

Book a trip and pay with crypto or order your favorite wine and pay for it in the same way - life has become simpler. These two entrepreneurs are also targeting the younger gadget clientele because, as they say, it is sometimes difficult to change the habits of the older clientele.

Ivan and Sasha say the pandemic has given them a chance to reset and turn to slower and more sustainable tourism. "Why not offer something sustainable while letting people know that we follow trends," say these entrepreneurs, adding that cryptocurrencies are gold today.

"Unfortunately, it is easy to be successful in Croatia because people are passive. Sad but true," says Ivan. "Sasha and I are constantly exchanging ideas, thinking, putting things on paper. We are not passive; we follow trends very closely."

After considering the idea, they made a few calls about whether it is possible to charge in that way. When the software engineers confirmed that is possible to do that, they just went for it. Some hotels and gas stations already have this option, but in the circles of wineries and tourist guides, payment in cryptocurrencies does not exist.

Ultimately, they are hoping for a more significant inflow of money, precisely because many people keep their money in various cryptocurrencies. They have to spend the money they earn by trading cryptocurrencies.

"Of course, everything depends on the season, but with this, we are doing a long-term story. Also, we are the first to remember," concludes Ivan.

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

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

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community. 

March 29, 2021 - From Metković to Dubrovnik, 47 kilometers of full-profile motorways and another 14.7 km of connecting roads will be built. The works' estimated value is 9.1 billion kunas or 1.2 billion euros, Večernji List writes on Monday. 

This makes this section the most expensive highway in Croatia - a kilometer will cost about 26 million euros, or about 193 million kunas, according to Večernji List. The construction should be completed by 2029.

HAC explains that after obtaining the location permit, contracting the development of the main and detailed projects and obtaining the construction permits will follow. The planned start of construction is 2024, and the works should be completed by 2029.

The highway project from Metković to Dubrovnik is divided into two sections. The first section is the Metković - Pelješac - Duboka junction, about 22 km long, which includes the construction of 17.5 kilometers of motorways from Metković to the Pelješac junction and 4.45 km of highway from the Pelješac to the Duboka junction.

The second section goes from the Rudine junction to the Osojnik junction, and it includes the expressway from the Ston junction to the Doli junction (5.5 km) and the connecting road Slano junction to DC8 (4.7 km). The motorway section from the Rudine junction to the Osojnik junction is 29.5 kilometers long, and it includes the construction of the connection of the Rudine junction to the existing road network.

These two sections of the motorway will continue on the access expressways on Pelješac and the Pelješac Bridge.

The highway construction from Metković to Dubrovnik will be the most expensive so far due to the numerous facilities on it and access roads and junctions. According to the project task, which is part of the tender documentation, on the route of the first section, which is 17.5 kilometers long on the left side of the highway, there are as many as 12,850 meters of facilities, which is 73 percent of the total length of the route. On the right side of that section is 67 percent of the total route length.

On the second section, 27.5 km long, there are 13,575 meters of facilities on the left side, which is 49 percent of the route's total length. On the right side, the total length of facilities is 14,345 meters, 52 percent of the total route length, reports Večernji list.

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

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

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

March 29, 2021 - It'll be a busy week with Valamar hotels opening in Porec, Krk, Rabac, Rab, Makarska, and Dubrovnik before Easter!

Index.hr reports that just before Easter, the Valamar Riviera Hotel Group plans to open three hotels in Porec, two on Krk and one each in Rabac, Rab, Makarska, and Dubrovnik, and will also operate two camps, on Krk and Rab. For the spring holiday, Valamar expects domestic guests, just as they had during winter. 

Valamar Riviera is the largest hotel group in Croatia, which manages 36 hotels and 15 camps in Istria (Porec, Rabac), Krk, Rab, and Hvar, and in Makarska and Dubrovnik, most of which open in May. Valamar also manages a hotel in Obertauern, Austria.

"In our northern destinations in the upcoming tourist season, we expect the most guests from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Poland, and in the southern locations, guests from Great Britain, France, Germany, and Croatia. During this winter, there were mostly domestic guests in the open facilities of Valamar, and we expect them during the Easter holidays, mostly in the arrangement of weekend stays," said Valamar. 

Regarding tourist demand, they note that this year, similar to last year, higher demand is recorded by car destinations and camping resorts, with the expectation of intensified last-minute booking. Simultaneously, prices are said to be "dynamically determined through a 'revenue management' system according to Valamar's usual business practice."

"In all facilities and in 2021, the V Health & Safety program is applied following safety standards in Croatia and the recommendations of international health organizations, which in addition to high health, safety, and environmental standards, guarantees the improvement of cleaning protocols. Guests are provided with 24-hour support in case they need health care," said Valamar.

Valamar has also developed a package of measures through which it organizes all necessary health services for guests during their holidays, which includes the organization of antigen and PCR testing within the accommodation facility, as well as covering the costs of extended stay for people with COVID-19 and everyone included in their reservation.

Without giving exact figures, they point out that for this season, they are opening a "significant number of seasonal jobs," for which they offer a minimum net income of HRK 5,000 for the monthly fund of hours, accommodation, hot meals, and other benefits.

By the way, Valamar reached 7,000 employees in the record 2019 in the peak summer season, while according to the data from the business report for 2020, there were about 4,000 in the summer of 2020.

At the beginning of April 2020, Valamar launched the "Pause, Restart" program to preserve all jobs, which was extended until 31 March 2022 with the support of social partners. Under this program, all Valamar employees sent on standby without the obligation to work were provided with a salary compensation in the amount of 60 percent, but not less than 4,250 net kuna, with the support of the government's to preserve jobs in the affected industries.

Among the news for this tourist season is the launch of the lifestyle brand [Places] following the trend in the international hotel industry for lifestyle hotels that are aimed at creating a unique experience with authentic service, which emphasizes the most valuable in the destination and contributes to nature conservation and environmental sustainability.

Such hotels attract modern travelers, primarily "millennials" and young professionals. The first hotel under this brand is Hvar PlacesHotel in Stari Grad on the island (former hotel Lavanda from Helios Faros, which is in partnership with a pension fund PBZ Croatia osiguranje taken over in 2019).

They are investing around 53 million kuna in the hotel's renovation, and according to current plans, it will open in mid-May.

This is where guests from the markets of Great Britain, the USA, Germany, and Austria, but also Croatia, are most expected.

Hvar as a destination is "positioned in the market segments of younger, relaxed, and at the same time, experientially and environmentally aware people," said Valamar Riviera Vice President for Sales and Marketing Davor Brenko.

"We have high expectations from the new brand in the future, and in the next period, we plan to open several more such hotels," Brenko announced.

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