October the 13th, 2022 - Zadar has broken records left, right and centre when it comes to nautical tourism, with more vessels having entered the waters of this Dalmatian city in a single day this year than ever before. 150 cruise ships announcements for next year are also encouraging for many.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, yesterday in the City of Zadar, the record for the number of vessels that entered the city's waters in the same day was officially broken. After the July record of four cruisers, there were as many as five present in Zadar yesterday, and it represented a new test for the Gazenica Passenger Port, reports HRT.

The General Director of the Gazenica Passenger Port, Rebeka V. Pevec, said that everything went smoothly, and that the plan for next year is already being prepared, with the announcement of new cruises and their arrival in the city currently more than great.

"The most important thing to emphasise is that there will most likely be no further restrictions regarding the capacity of ships, and that's the most important thing for us,'' said Pevec, adding that diversity is also very important for the destination itself, because different profiles of guests are arriving. Zadar has that advantage, however, it needs to be raised to a higher level and offer new events.

The recovery of the cruise industry has also been well and truly confirmed by the 130,000 passengers who will pass through Zadar's international terminal this year. For the local economy, it is important to add that about sixty thousand crew members are also involved.

"The entire economy in Zadar County benefits enormously from these cruise ships. Year after year, we're witnessing that the level of service in the hospitality industry and tourism as a whole is rising,'' emphasised the President of the Zadar County Chamber of Crafts, Ante Lukacic.

''For next year, we already have an announcement of 150 cruise ship arrivals. What I can say is that sixty percent of them go to visit the national parks, go to the cities of Nin, Pag... and some forty percent stay in the area of ​​the City of Zadar itself,'' said the director of the Zadar Tourist Board, Mario Paleka.

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May 7, 2021 - As part of NATO, Croatia participates in a large military exercise called DEFENDER-Europe-21, and UK and US navy ships arrived in Zadar with valuable equipment to be distributed among training areas in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Large-scale, multinational, and army-lead, DEFENDER-Europe is a joint exercise designed to build readiness and interoperability between the U.S., NATO, and partner militaries. This year's edition DEFENDER-Europe-21, as reported by U.S. Army Europe and Africa website, focuses on „Building operational readiness and interoperability with a greater number of NATO allies and partners over a wider area of operations is defensive in nature and focused on responding to the crisis if necessary“, and also shows that „the U.S. commitment to NATO is ironclad.“

The exercise also includes strict COVID prevention and mitigation measures, such as pre-deployment COVID testing and quarantining and the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy show significant involvement and will utilize key ground and maritime routes bridging Europe, Asia, and Africa – continues the website.

„Exercises new high-end capabilities such the new U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Brigades, air, and missile defense assets and the recently reactivated V Corps and demonstrates our ability to serve as a strategic security partner in the western Balkans and the Black Sea regions while sustaining our abilities in northern Europe, the Caucasus, Ukraine, and Africa“, adds the exercise goals the official U.S. Army website.

Apart from the U.S., Approximately 28,000 multinational forces from 26 nations conduct nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in 12 countries, and as a NATO member, Croatia has not been left out of the drill.

U.S. Naval Ship Yuma arrives in Zadar, Croatia © Sgt. Alexandra Shea

As part of the exercise, U.S. Naval Ship Yuma and U.K. Vessel Hurst Point off-loaded more than 300 pieces of military equipment in Zadar, Croatia’s Gazenica port, after ferrying it from Durres in Albania. The delivery started on Tuesday, May 4, and it was concluded on Friday. The journey of the equipment started back on March 24 at the Port of Jacksonville in Florida. The local U.S. National Guard units were shipping the equipment for three days onto USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR 300) after which, the ship stopped by Portsmouth in Virginia for the final pieces of equipment before heading towards Durres in Albania. In Durres, the smaller vessels took the equipment and finally loaded it to Yuma, and Hurst Point, which brought it to the gem of Northern Dalmatia, Zadar.

„This process is called Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, a method used to ensure swift delivery of supplies and equipment in a variety of port situations“, explained the press release.

U.S. equipment leaves for training area © Sgt. Joshua Oh 

While many would probably stop at Zadar and chill for a lovely holiday, the equipment, however, will continue its journey. Part of the equipment will remain in Croatia, but it will be transferred to Slunj, home of the Main Training Area, and the rest goes to training areas scattered in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In BiH, the drills and maneuvers for which the equipment will be used are under the umbrella of the linked exercise named "Immediate Response 21” which will culminate in a joint, multinational live-fire demonstration called “Croatian Rampart 1991-2021” at the end of May. Not just as a test of possibility in the „God-forbid-we-are-attacked“ scenario, Croatian Rampart 1991-2021“ also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Croatia Armed Forces.

The Main Training Area in Slunj, Croatia and training areas throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina to be used in drills and maneuvers alongside members of the Croatian Armed Forces, under the umbrella of the linked exercise named "Immediate Response 21.” The exercise culminates in a joint, multinational live-fire demonstration called “Croatian Rampart 1991-2021” - which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Croatian Armed Forces at the end of May.

British Major Dan Cornwell talking to Croatian press, screenshot / Defense Flash News

British Major Dan Cornwell told the Croatian press that the idea of being in Zadar is that Croatian, U.K., and U.S. forces operate together in loading U.S. equipment and personnel.

„We've done this before, on exercise last year in Germany, and I can say, it's a lot better down here in the south, it's absolutely amazing to be here in Croatia to do this alongside Croatian Armed Forces where we can better understand how we operate differently, how we operate similarly and equally building up our interoperability and our ability to operate better in the future“, said Maj. Cornwell, indicating that perhaps he can find Zadar, like many others, as a great holiday destination and not just the line of duty.

Learn more about Zadar on our TC page.

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April the 6th, 2021 - The Croatian Cromaris is set to continue investing in its plant located at Gazenica (Zadar) until the year 2023, regardless of the unfavourable economic circumstances caused by the ongoing pandemic.

As Morski writes, one whole year has passed since the decision of the Zadar City Council to make other changes to the Urban Development Plan, which, way back in 2000, was aptly called the "UPU Ferry Terminal".

Apart from the remarks which could be heard back during the public debate from the Local Arbanasi Board, the changes to the Urban Development Plan, which were allegedly made to be more harmonised with the latest changes to the Spatial Plan of the City of Zadar, were adopted by the City Council last week, also without discussion, according to a report from 057.info.

Other changes to the plan, made by D&Z, were requested by the Croatian Cromaris, whose plant lies within the scope of the same plan. Cromaris was purchased from the Adris group by the former Tankerkomerc Seafood Centre way back in 2012, designed by Ante Uglescic, an architect from Zadar. About thirty or so years ago, it was a production facility that was supposed to house a fish market, valued as an example of exemplary architecture within that area.

Cromaris is still a Zadar-based company that requested and paid for changes to the UPU, due to changes in construction conditions in a predominantly industrial zone - a height of up to sixteen metres and a minimum building plot area covering ​​1000 square metres in total. The answer to a journalist's question of ''why'' came through the spokesperson from the Adris headquarters.

''The project of expanding production facilities in Gazenica is crucial for the further growth and development of Cromaris because it will enable the improvement of technological processes and the expansion of our portfolio of value-added products, which are the basis of diversity in relation to the competition. After many years of preparations, the recent amendment of the Urban Development Plan of the Gazenica zone enabled the harmonisation of the project and the obtaining a building permit, as well as the beginning of preparatory works for the first phase. The design of the other two phases is underway, and the completion of the entire project is expected in 2023,'' reads the information that 057.info received in regard to the Croatian Cromaris.

The plan to expand their plant in Gazenica was announced back in pre-pandemic 2019, when it was said that "the development centre was preparing new products that will meet the growing demands of the fish delicatessen market and increase the profitability of Cromaris' processing."

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February 13, 2020 - Cruise ship guests spend an average of 55 euro a day, and spend most of their money in Solana Nin - or 248 euro, according to a survey by the Tourism and Communication Sciences Department of the University of Zadar. The Department surveyed cruise ship tourists that sailed to Gaženica port in Zadar from July to October 2019.

HRTurizam reports that an interesting fact is that cruise ship guests on the Zadar peninsula spend, on average, 43.27 euro, and in the survey, also mentioned shortcomings whose solution would result in significantly higher consumption. The tourists complained about the insufficient number of exchange offices, the inability to pay by card and euros, and the insufficient number of sellers in stores that can serve a larger group of guests in a short time. Zadar now has an unmistakable indication of what to do to increase cruise ship spending, and can learn a lot from this data.

During their stay on land, respondents spent the most at cafes, on souvenirs and in restaurants, and given during their short stay in the destination, their average personal consumption was relatively high.

It is also interesting that cruisers guests made the most purchases in Solana in Nin, where they spent as much as 248 euro per person on average, which is a result of the fact that they had enough time to make purchases. However, they were also drawn to the attractive offer of Solana, which is adapted to the wishes of tourists.

This interesting research, which was presented in Zadar on Wednesday, was conducted with a semi-structured questionnaire and had the characteristics of a scouting survey. As the authors say, the results outline the profile, behavior and attitudes of cruise tourists included in the sample. A random sample of respondents included 1,315 respondents over the age of 18 who, when disembarking from the Zadar port, visited the old town of Zadar or made some of the excursions offered in Zadar County and other neighboring counties. Just over half of the surveyed visitors visited the Zadar Peninsula, and the most attractive destinations were the Plitvice Lakes and Krka National Parks, the town of Nin and the Zrmanja River.

"The respondents are from Germany, Great Britain and Spain, which is partly conditioned by the established cruise lines that land in the city of Zadar. The respondents are mostly older, which is in line with typical tourists traveling with this kind of transportation. Also, these are mostly experienced cruise passengers who are first-time visitors to Croatia and Zadar, so it can be concluded that they prefer this form of tourist travel and choose routes on which they have not sailed during their cruises so far, said Prof. dr. sc. Bozena Krce Miocic.

Visiting the old town or other tourist locations around Zadar was most often motivated by new experiences and experiences, attractions primarily the Sea Organ and Greetings to the Sun, but also cultural and natural heritage and the desire to feel and experience the atmosphere of the destination.

The overall satisfaction and impression of the surveyed tourists are at a very high level, from which it follows that they would recommend a visited destination to their friends and relatives. Most guests would love to revisit Zadar and other destinations, primarily for enjoying the peace and the preserved environment, gastronomy and cultural heritage. However, despite the positive impression of the cruise tourists surveyed, it should be emphasized that there are still supply elements that need to be continuously improved in order to meet this specific segment of tourist demand, concluded the research authors at the University of Zadar's Department of Tourism and Communication Sciences.

This research is important to consider when 124 cruisers with as many as 182,682 passengers sailed to Gaženica, Zadar's passenger port, which was named the world's best cruise ship last year.

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As Morski writes on the 12th of September, 2019, Zadar Cruise Port (Gaženica) has been officially proclaimed the Port of the Year in 2019 at the most prestigious award ceremony for cruise ports, the Seatrade Cruise Awards 2019, held in Hamburg, Germany.

This is an acknowledgment to the profession that in the category "Port of the Year" between Gaženica, the Norway's OldenLeon and the Japan's Yokohama, Gaženica has made the greatest progress in managing a cruise port in the past year.

''Since Gaženica joined GPH's global network of cruise ports, we've been fully committed to introducing the best port management practices and standards that we have gained through many years of experience. We're very pleased with this award given by the profession because it's a confirmation that all the effort put into this port by Zadar County, the Port Authority of Zadar and GPH has paid off. This award motivates us to continue operating in Zadar and in all of the other ports we managem'' said Emre Sayın, Chairman of the Board of Global Ports Holding.

Rebeka V. Pevec, who worked on the nomination process and was briefed on the procedures required to enter among the three aforementioned finalists, said on this occasion:

''This is a really great success, we're extremely happy and proud that our port was proclaimed the Port of the Year in 2019. Our entire team has received this award with recognition for all their efforts and additional impetus, but also sees it as an obligation to continue their development in the coming period.

Considering the fact that we're the first Croatian passenger port to win this award, this is also an exceptional promotion of the City of Zadar, the Zadar region, and of Croatia. Zadar is a beautiful city and the county has so much to offer. By providing the best possible service to guests and visitors, crews and cruise companies, I'm sure that in addition to the profession, they will all also recognise the progress that Zadar Cruise Port (Gaženica) has made over the past year.

All of our activities are aimed at providing the best possible experience and impression to the guests who visit Zadar and the region. Our goal is also to be recognised as a port and destination for our courtesy, professionalism and security,'' said Pevec.

The award ceremony, organised as part of the largest cruise fair, Seatrade Europe 2019, Zadar and Zadar County were presented by ZIPO and GPH, the Port Authority of Zadar, the tourist boards of both the city and the county, and the airport. It was this cooperation that led Gaženica to the title of Port of the Year, with the aim of attracting even more visitors to Zadar and Zadar County.

''This is a globally relevant recognition of the new Port of Gaženica project. I'd like to thank all those who, throughout the years, have incorporated their ideas, efforts and passion into it, and especially to those who had a vision of the development of Zadar County as an attractive and desirable tourist destination. This is an additional impetus to continue to develop all the potential of the port with excellent infrastructure, with the ultimate goal of restoring the historical significance of the key point of traffic on the eastern side of the Adriatic, and also to make Gaženica an example in terms of the successful intertwining of tourism, transport and environmental protection. In short, it's a port with a vision,'' emphasised Zadar County Prefect Božidar Longin.

''One year after signing the concession agreement, we're harvesting the first major fruits of our cooperation with ZIPO and the global parent company GPH. It turns out that what we announced, that a combination of excellent infrastructure and one of the world's largest port operators is the best possible way to build the recognition of Zadar and Zadar County as a world-class cruise tourism destination.

We now have an even greater obligation to carry out activities that will show that the port in Gaženica is a port with a vision. Our visitors are intertwined in this vision with a pleasant and functional port, with a strong focus on introducing alternative fuels, protecting the climate and building an attractive destination that preserves natural beauty and reveals Croatia's cultural heritage in the most beautiful light,'' said Zadar Port Authority Director Robert Škifić.

The Seatrade Cruise Awards have been awarded to the best in the cruise industry for more than ten years now, with several hundred ports competing each and every year for the title of best port in the world, meaning that Gaženica port's win an enormous gift for Zadar's tourism and local economy, as well as the development of tourism throughout Croatia.

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ZAGREB, April 24, 2019 - A new passenger terminal at Zadar's Gaženica Port was opened on Wednesday on Zadar County Day.

After President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović officially opened the new terminal, Zadar County Prefect Božidar Longin said that the port project was something that generations of Zadar citizens had dreamt of.

Longin recalled that tourism was the strongest economic branch in the county and that several other local sectors would profit from the port, such as agriculture, crafts, enterprise and retail outlets.

"That will be particularly visible after Zadar becomes a home port for cruise ships that will sail around the world. Considering that the situation in the county regarding road and maritime infrastructure is excellent, we now need to encourage investments to modernise the railway and expand Zadar Airport, which is a project that we are working on seriously and thoroughly. We are currently implementing infrastructure and economic projects in the county valued at almost 1.5 billion kuna," he underscored, adding that last year the number of employed people grew by close to 5% to reach 60,000, for the first time since the county was established.

He said that quality fishing infrastructure was being built on the island of Ugljan and that work on a fishing port in Gaženica was expected to start soon. The total value of those two projects amounts to HRK 60 million.

Stephen Xuereb, Executive Director of Global Ports Holding, the concessionaire of the Gaženica Port, said that Zadar was an important addition to the company's network of cruise ports in the Mediterranean, following Venice and Montenegro, and that it would complete its services on the cruise port market.

The new Gaženica passenger terminal is one of the most modern cruise port terminals in the Mediterranean. It is a two-storey building that spreads across 20,000 square metres and provides all the relevant services for domestic and international transport. The construction of the terminal, which began in 2016, cost 27 million euro.

Global Ports Holding Plc signed a 20-year concession agreement between its wholly owned operating subsidiary Zadar International Port Operations d.o.o. and the Port Authority of Zadar for the operating rights of the Gaženica cruise port.

The concession includes cruise ship passenger port and terminal services, an international ferry terminal, Ro-Ro services, and vehicles and passenger services, Global Ports Holding says on its website.

More Zadar news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, April 12, 2018 - The port of Zadar this year officially became part of the Maritime Silk Road, as confirmed by a final declaration signed at a conference on cooperation in cruise tourism on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, held at the ASEAN business forum in Bo'ao, China, Zadar County said on Thursday.

Decisions regarding concession over Gaženica Port in Zadar continue to provoke backlash from the local community

Cruise ship traffic is on the steady rise thanks to the new port in Gaženica, which is becoming a successful port of call.