March 12, 2020 - Croatian cultural institutions and other organizations have decided to cancel or postpone a series of events, given the recommendation to limit gatherings of more than a hundred people, announced by Health Minister Vili Beros as a new measure to curb the spread of coronaviruses.

Rijeka's HNK and GKL suspend programs

Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc has decided to suspend all its programs due to the coronavirus outbreak.

According to a statement from the CNT, "given the current situation with the coronavirus and the decision of the Civil Protection Headquarters to introduce new measures, the entire program will be postponed.”

The audience can follow the announcements on the official website of the theater for possible changes. The theater is working on revising the repertoire and will soon announce alternate dates and/or refunds.

Projects of great interest to the audience such as "Exercise Life - Second Time / Esercitazione alla vita - seconda volta", which is due to premiere next Tuesday, the “Evita” musical, long-awaited concerts, as well as projects in preparation and performances of the repertoire, will be on the program as soon as the conditions are created.

The Rijeka City Puppet Theater also canceled regular performances of "Zamrznute pjesme" on March 12, 13, 14, in all terms, and performances of "Gdje su nestale čarapice?" wil not run on March 17, 18, 19 and 20.

Audiences who have already purchased their tickets can ask for a refund by reporting to the box office during the box office hours, daily from 9 am to noon.

The presentation of the Electronic Music Ambassador Awards, scheduled to take place on March 19 at Rijeka's Culture Facility as part of the European Capital of Culture program, is delayed.

The ReTox panel "Accessibility and the City”, which was due to take place on March 13, is also being postponed with a new date for May 15 and a concert "Evening of the Sound" in memory of Linda Zezelic - Zeronik.

The Croatian National Theater in Split and the Museum of the City of Split have also been closed until further notice.

The Croatian National Theater (HNK) has not yet decided on the eventual delays or cancellations. They point out that they are in contact with the county civil protection headquarters, are listening to their recommendations, and the performances will eventually be held.

"We put up posters in the theater, we will put up disinfectants. However, we have not been instructed to limit the gatherings to accommodate more than one hundred people. If filled to the last place, our theater can accommodate 660 people," said a spokesman for the Split theater, Davor Vuković.

The director of the City Museum of Split, Branka Brekalo, said that the museum is closed from today for all events until further notice, but the museum, gallery and basements of Diocletian's Palace will be open to visitors. As of last night, the museum has disinfectants and protocol notices for all visitors.

Other city museums, galleries and institutions have also taken, or are about to do the same, to provide maximum protection to visitors who come to their premises, and as far as larger gatherings are concerned, they are largely forbidden until further notice.

The cultural institutions of Dubrovnik are wary of adhering to the recommendation to cancel international performances, postponing the performance of the Slovenian Mini Theater and the premiere of "Rita Klaus" from Berlin, scheduled for March 15 and 21.

The Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra will host a concert of young musicians scheduled for Friday at Fort Revelin in a tight circle of parents and professors, while the concert at the University of Dubrovnik is postponed.

The opening of one exhibition has been postponed in the Dubrovnik museums and no other public events are held.

Currently, Dubrovnik cinemas have not canceled screenings, and activities in Dubrovnik libraries are being held as normal, but these are institutions with a smaller number of visitors.

Source: Glas Istre

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March 11, 2020 - The City of Dubrovnik is monitoring the development of the situation and is looking at the effects that the spread of the virus has on the local economy, which relies mainly on tourism.

Dalmacija Danas reports that Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic and his associates held a meeting with Dubrovnik Tourist Board Director Ana Hrnic, members of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board Tourism Council and representatives of tourism-related professional associations on Tuesday, followed by a press conference to draw conclusions about the impact of the coronavirus in tourism as the most important economic branch in the Dubrovnik area.

Mayor Mato Frankovic expressed satisfaction with the way in which the national epidemic was approached nationally. He said the City of Dubrovnik is monitoring the situation and looking at the effects that the spread of the virus has on the local economy, which relies mostly on tourism.

“Our expert services have made rough estimates of the financial structure of revenues in the first six months, and they tell us that as a unit of local self-government, we will earn less than 30 million kuna in that period, but we are ready to adapt to any new situation,” the mayor said. He adds that this roughly estimated loss will be offset by surplus revenue generated in 2019, which will be spread over the May budget revision.

“After June, we will re-examine the situation and make further decisions regarding maintaining financial stability in the public sector,” the mayor announced, noting that we must be prepared for each scenario. He also expressed the readiness of the City to support the business people through various measures. If the situation with the coronavirus extended to the main season, it would also help businesses.

Director of the Tourist Board Ana Hrnic and a member of the Tourist Council Stanko Ljubic also spoke at the press conference.

“This situation is affecting tourism globally and we need to prepare ourselves as best we can. There will definitely be an impact on Dubrovnik tourism, but we must work to make the impact as mild as possible,” said Hrnic.

The Mayor concluded that the City of Dubrovnik fully respects the hierarchy of competences in the public health sense and will continue to act in accordance with the recommendations of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia, according to the City pages.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Dubrovnik, Croatia, March 5, 2020 - EPIC 2020. Europe's first patient experience and innovation congress has been postponed as a precaution due to the coronavirus. 

It was - and will be - one of the best health tourism conferences on the calendar, with an A-list set of speakers due to appear in Dubrovnik from the very top of the healthcare industry. Collaborative international presenter Cleveland Clinic, one of the biggest names in healthcare, had no less than 5 speakers heading to Croatia, Mayo Clinic had three, with other speakers including senior representatives from the Disney Institute, Cisco and the editor of International Medical Travel Journal. 

It is a conference which will take place, but now at a later date than the planned March 19-21 gathering, after organisers Bagatin Clinic and Cleveland Clinic made the difficult but sensible decision not to attend due to the current coronavirus situation. The organisers have sensibly decided that the health and well-being of their delegates, sponsors, speakers and attendees is their first priority, and they would prefer to wait for a later date when everyone can travel safely and confidently, without any challenges or risks.

Ognjen Bagatin, CEO of Bagatin Clinic, announced the decision on his social media:

Given the current world situation regarding the coronavirus epidemic, the 1st EPIC - European Patient experience & Innovation Congress, scheduled to take place in Dubrovnik March 19-21, coorganized by the GCR - Global Clinic Rating, Irving Stackpole, Poliklinika Bagatin and our collaborative international presenters from Cleveland Clinic is being postponed to a later date.

I'm very sad to announce this, but the health and well-being of our partners, sponsors and speakers are our priority and we would rather wait for a later date, when we can all travel peacefully, safely and without any fears or worries ?

I would like to thank the whole EPIC team, all the health professionals, our speakers and collaborators for their hard work and effort over the last few months – I am sure it will all pay off, just with a little delay!
 
This is just a small obstacle in our way, from which I am sure we will emerge stronger and that in the very near future, the first EPIC - European Patient Experience & Innovation Congress, will be a great success.

The coronavirus has appeared in Croatia, eleven cases in all (all of which are mild), but they are away from the main tourist hot spots such as Dubrovnik, Split, Rovinj and the islands. 

The decision to stage EPIC 2020 in Dubrovnik was the latest statement from the Croatian medical tourism industry of its rising visibility on the international market. Many industry experts agree that Croatia has the potential to be among the top ten medical tourism providers in the world within ten years, and EPIC 2020 is one of the first major medical tourism conferences to bring the industry's finest minds to learn more about Croatia's potential. 

EPIC 2020 is organised by Bagatin Clinic, with collaborative international partner, Cleveland Clinic. The unlikely partnership of such a global name and a small Croatian clinic which only started operations in one room 12 years ago is testament to the determination and quality of Bagatin's team - the clinic was voted Best International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic 2019 at the annual International Medical Travel Journal awards in Berlin last December. 

For more information about EPIC 2020, including updates on the rescheduled date, visit the official website.

For the latest in the Croatian medical tourism story, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

March 5, 2020 - Jadran Split, Jug Dubrovnik, and Mladost Zagreb featured in the LEN Champions League 10th round this week. 

Mladost opened the LEN Champions League 10th round for Croatian clubs in Group B with a win against Waspo Hannover (18-12) on Tuesday and is one step closer to reaching the Final Eight.

Luka Bukic and Lovre Milos were the best for Mladost with four goals each, while Hanover was led by Aleksandar Radovic, also with four goals.

OSC Budapest leads Group B with 22 points, Ferencvaros and Pro Recco have 20 points each and a match less, while Mladost is fourth with 19 points.

These clubs are followed by Terrassa with 13 points, Marseille with 10, Waspo Hannover with six, and in the last place is Dinamo Tbilisi with three points.

In Group A, Jadran Split defeated Hungarian club Szolnoki 13-9 (3-1, 5-2, 2-4, 3-2) at Poljud on Tuesday

Jadran Split was led by Nathan Power with three goals, while Duje Pejkovic and Ivan Krapic scored two each. Radomir Drasovic was the best for Szolnoki with four goals.

The second representative in Group A, Jug Dubrovnik, beat Sintez Kazan 14-10 and at least temporarily takes the top spot in the standings. 

Jug led from the first minute and never lost an advantage against the weakest team in the group.

Vjekoslav Kobescak’s team was up by four goals on several occasions, with the visitors having the greatest lead at the beginning of the last quarter when it was 10-5.

Jug was led by Loren Fatovic with five goals, while Javier Garcia and Hrvoje Benic scored two goals each. The most efficient for Sintez was Adel Latipov, Sergei Lisunov and Nikolai Lazarev with three goals each.

Jug leads Group A with 24 points, followed by Barceloneta with 22 points, who also has a game less, while Olympiacos is in third with 19 points and the match is less.

The 11th round of the LEN Champions League will be played from April 10-11.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

March 4,  2020 - NASA has released a world map of cities that could be endangered by rising sea levels. One point was located near Dubrovnik.

It is summer in Antarctica, and temperatures should be around zero degrees Celsius. However, in February, you could walk around in a spring jacket as the measured temperature was higher than Florida, writes Vijesti.rtl.hr.

Such climate change raises the world's sea level, as the glaciers are continuously melting. In Antarctica, a record temperature of 20 degrees Celsius was recorded at the beginning of February. 

“This summer part of the year is record high. What is dangerous is the fact that it then melts snow and ice, and that snow and ice that is on land raises the sea level once it reaches the sea,” said climatologist and oceanographer Mirko Orlic.

In Antarctica, lakes have formed between glaciers that were not there before, NASA reported. But this is just part of it. Thus, NASA has released a world map of cities that could be endangered by rising sea levels. One point was located near Dubrovnik. Croatia could be hit with a harsh reality in the future.

"Everything is likely, but I am not afraid. It comes down to who is alive and who is dead in the hundred years. I am probably dead, and my descendants should think about what will be then," one citizen said.

The respected climatologist and oceanographer says Dubrovnik was taken as an example, but it is not the only endangered city in Croatia.

"We know that Rijeka is flooded already, as well as Split, Dubrovnik, and some lowland areas. The Neretva Delta is endangered, the hinterland of Zadar. Let's say that all Antarctic is dissolved, which will raise the sea level 57 meters. Of course, this can't happen in 100 years, but it can be because of episodes like this, and will be faster than we thought,” Orlic said.

Some cities on our coast have therefore already taken action. Šibenik-Knin County is the only one in Croatia that has already built coastal sea-level risk plans. Thus, they can advise people where to buy real estate and where their money might end up underwater.

If greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, the sea will rise by about half a meter and the consequences can be seen in 50 years. Stradun may not be underwater, but everyone’s favorite seaside spots may cease to exist.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 25, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb and Dubrovnik.

Avio Radar reports that Croatian national carrier and Star Alliance member Croatia Airlines will strengthen the Zagreb-Amsterdam route in 2020. Namely, in addition to morning flights, a second flight on Tuesdays will be introduced in the afternoon. A total of eight flights per week will be offered. The additional flight on Tuesdays will run from April 28 to September 29, 2020. An Airbus A320 and Airbus A319 aircraft will serve this line. 

The additional flight on Tuesdays is being introduced instead of the Dubrovnik-Pula-Amsterdam seasonal route, which will no longer be available. 

Furthermore, Avio Radar reports that German airline Condor has begun selling tickets for a new seasonal route from Germany to Croatia. Namely, the Hanover-Dubrovnik route will be in service once a week, from Saturday, May 30 to October 24, 2020. An Airbus aircraft has been announced for this line. 

This is the second Condor line from Germany to Dubrovnik in addition to the existing line from Frankfurt. Condor announced earlier that it would cancel the Hanover-Zadar route for this year. 

Last year, Eurowings flew from Hanover to Dubrovnik twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, though that line is no longer on offer. 

Ex Yu Aviation reports that Croatia Airlines has presented a plan for the near future. The national carrier will run three flights per week from Zagreb to Sofia and Podgorica this summer, as TCN already announced. 

“We are expanding our network of destinations to a total of forty cities in 26 counties. That is a respectable number for a small nation such as Croatia,” said CEO Jasmin Bajić. 

The new routes will not only help ‘point to point’ travelers but will improve loads on services to Western Europe by generating transfer traffic, Ex Yu Aviation said.

Furthermore, Croatia Airlines’ passenger numbers are up 1% thus far in 2020, though that could change with the spread of Coronavirus.

“It [virus] has had less of an impact on Croatia Airlines than other European carriers which are dealing with this major issue. Based on our advanced bookings for March, we do see a slump In demand compared to previous years. However, we are still not considerably affected”. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 17, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Rijeka, Dubrovnik, and Zadar. 

Avio Radar reports that Latvian national carrier AirBaltic has announced that is will reinforce the new route from Lithuania to Rijeka - Vilnius-Rijeka, which has already been scheduled for one flight per week, on Thursdays, with traffic starting in May this year. 

However, the airline has strengthened the new route before it has even launched, with an additional second flight per week, on Saturdays, from June 6 to September 26, 2020.  The Airbus A220-300 will service this line. 

Furthermore, Avio Radar adds that Irish national carrier Are Lingus will strengthen the Cork-Dubrovnik route in the 2020 summer fight schedule. The line first began operating last year with two flights a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 

In the peak season, the third flight per week has been introduced, on Thursdays, from July 2 to August 27. An Airbus A320 aircraft will fly on this line. 

Finally, Avio Radar reports that German low-cost carrier Eurowings will fly four flights from Germany to Zadar instead of Split over the next two weeks. This is because of the reconstruction of the runway in Split. 

Thus, Eurowings has decided to divert all its lines to Zadar from February 17 to March 1, 2020. Tickets for all diverted routes from Dusseldorf, Cologne, Munich and Stuttgart to Zadar are on sale in booking systems. 

Recall, Avio Radar reported last week that regular international flights from Zagreb to Sofia are scheduled from May 1 to the end of October this year. This service will run three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and will operate using the 76-seater Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. 

Two days later, on May 3,  2020,regular international flights on the Zagreb-Podgorica route will be introduced on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Flights will also be operated by the Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. As of today, return airline tickets are sold on both routes. 

Compared to the last tourist season, where Croatia Airlines had a fleet of 14 aircraft (12 of their own and 2 chartered CRJ 1000 aircraft), they will enter this season with one additional aircraft. Based on a long-term dry lease, the fleet will include a 150-seat Airbus 319 in late March and an additional 76-seat Dash 8-Q400 in late April to support unplanned traffic disruptions. In addition, from April to October, a short lease (wet-lease) of one CRJ 1000 aircraft by the Spanish air carrier Air Nostrum is also planned. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

During surveillance of the European Union's maritime border with Turkey, as part of the Frontex Poseidon mission, four naval officers from Dubrovnik, Croatia rescued 36 migrants from an unmanned dinghy in the Aegean Sea on February 10, according to Dubrovnik police who were monitoring the area.

A migrant dinghy was observed in the area from the Evros (Marica) river delta heading toward Makri, Greece. Cries were heard from the small inflatable vessel, and officers immediately came to the rescue.

Croatia Police: Migrants on Dinghy Chilled, Dehydrated, Unconscious

"They found 36 foreign nationals on the dinghy, including five children, 11 women and 20 men. All were in poor health: chilled, dehydrated and some were unconscious. The inflatable had run out of fuel and the sea temperature where they were found was only 2 degrees Celsius. It is difficult to say what might have happened to them had they not been rescued,” the Dubrovnik-Neretva Police Department pointed out.

The migrants were transported to a police vessel where officers provided them with water, hot drinks and thermal foil to warm them, after which they were transported to the port of Alexandropolis. They were met there and put under the care of the Emergency Medical Service according to Index on February 14, 2020.

"Out of the 36 migrants, five were hospitalized, while the rest, after receiving medical assistance, were transported to a reception center following further treatment in accordance with national and European legislation," the Dubrovnik police added.

Greece Reports 60,000 Migrant Arrivals in 2019, 4,100 Arrivals in 2020

Following more than 60,000 arrivals last year, more than 4,100 refugees and migrants have reached Greek shores so far in 2020.

Recently, the Croatian parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs and National Security unanimously decided to conduct direct oversight of Croatian police work following complaints about the police treatment of migrants, Committee Chairman Ranko Ostojić (SDP) told the press after the committee meeting on February 6, 2020.

An archive of Total Croatia News coverage on the migrant crisis in Croatia can be accessed here.

February 13, 2020 - The Kazbek Hotel in Dubrovnik is the first Croatian hotel to join the global cage-free initiative, eliminating chickens that produce cage eggs from its supply chain.

HRTurizam reports that Kazbek Hotel stands alongside the world's leading hotel names such as Hilton, Best Western, Marriott International, and thus places the ethical dimension of the company's business in parallel with its economic policy.

“We are inviting hotels and all the companies that use eggs in their supply chain to contact us for more information on how to offer their guests even more valuable services - an awareness that sustainable and socially responsible business is the only acceptable business in the 21st century,” said Zrinka Kosta of the Pobjeda Association.

In social, ethical and environmental terms, raising animal welfare standards is becoming an increasingly visible component of CSR in the 21st century. Intending to make this part of the socially responsible practices of Croatian companies, the Pobjeda Association, a Croatian association for the protection and promotion of animal rights, has joined the global coalition of cage-free eggs - or the Open Wing Alliance - and is actively working to inform companies and the public.

This kind of public commitment is part of corporate social responsibility and many of the world's leading companies such as Nestle, Danone, Unilever, McDonald's, Burger King, Tesco, Aldi, Metro C&C, Lidl, Barilla, Mars have incorporated a cage-free statement into their responsible business policies.

“We believe that choosing a more socially acceptable business practice for both animals and the expectations of the clients who support them is a very desirable determinant of ethical business operations in the 21st century. In cooperation with companies, we also work steadily on the largest political campaign for animals used in the food industry - the European Citizens' Initiative 'End The Cage Age', whose ultimate goal is to ban cage breeding. By combining the takeover of the cage-free business model and political lobbying in the EU Parliament, we will surely reach that goal,” concludes Kosta.

It is clear that any such initiative is an opportunity for OPGs from the continent and small breeders who can reach customers through clusters as the need for free-range eggs will increase thanks to such initiatives. A good example is the Agro-cluster of Vukovar-Srijem County, which brands free-range eggs and offers cooperation with the tourism sector.

To read more about everything Croatian made, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

February 7, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Zagreb.

Avio Radar reports that Spanish national airline Iberia, a member of the global airline association OneWorld, has announced larger aircraft on its route to Dubrovnik. On select flights on the Madrid-Dubrovnik route, from April 18-25 and September 7-26 this year, the larger, Airbus A330 will be used. The smaller, Airbus A321 aircraft usually runs on this route.

Furthermore, Avio Radar reports that Polish national carrier and Star Alliance member LOT Polish Airlines have announced a new route from Poland to Zadar. Namely, the new route will connect Rzeszow and Zadar once a week, from Saturday, May 30 to September 19, 2020. The Bombardier Q400 aircraft will run on this route. Rzeszow is located in southeastern Poland, and this will be the first scheduled line from Rzeszow to any Croatian destination. 

Previously, the Polish regional carrier EuroLOT flew the Bombardier Q400 from smaller towns in Poland to Zadar, but these lines were discontinued when LOT took over EuroLOT.

LOT will also increase capacity on the Warsaw(Okecie-Fryderyk Chopin)-Zadar route. Specifically, in the heart of the season, the larger Boeing 737-800 aircraft was announced on this line instead of the smaller ERJ-195 Embraer. 

Finally, Ex Yu Aviation reports that we have good news from Zagreb Airport, which welcomed 203,035 passengers in January, which is up 6.2%. Aircraft movements also grew from 2.9% to 3.133%.

Zagreb Airport General Manager, Huseying Bahadir Bedir, expects this trend to continue 

“We expect this trend to continue in 2020. Since the opening of the new passenger terminal, we have achieved significant results in overall traffic, such as an increase in passenger numbers, the number of destinations, new carrier, cargo traffic, an increase in the number of employees, as well as new shops and sales outlets that have been opened. With our strategies and strong focus on future development, we expect even better results in the years to come”.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.