July the 29th, 2022 - The Republic of Croatia is the seventeenth most searched (Googled) destination on the Internet, according to a recent Arbona analysis into the matter.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, during these more modern times when trips to the travel agent and watching teletext like a hawk are things of the past, almost every single holiday starts with the use of good old Google, so there is probably no more relevant current source for monitoring trends in global tourism than the data of the search engine that is used today by more than 4.3 billion people in the world for just about, well, everything.

A recently conducted Arbona analysis looked into global and local travel search trends on Google. The data was collected from the Destination Insights with Google platform, and the analysed period of trends was from the 1st of January, 2022, until July the 19th, 2022, in order to discover the trend of tourist interest for Croatia, to look into the most attractive Croatian destinations being researched for holidays, and how Croatia has positioned itself on the list of the most searched destinations across the world.

Some of the key insights the Arbona analysis discovered:

- Global searches for terms related to travel to the Republic of Croatia increased by 48% when compared to last year alone.

- Croats' interest in travel increased by 46%, while interest in travel within the country was 26% higher than it was just one year earlier.

- The most interesting Croatian destinations for foreigners in 2022 are Porec, Rovinj and of course, Dubrovnik.

- The largest number of searches for terms related to accommodation in Croatia came from the European countries of Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom.

- The Republic of Croatia has been positioned as the seventeenth most searched global destination for accommodation searches into international trips in the analysed period. It has as such overtaken major destinations such as Australia, Brazil and Indonesia, while Spain took first place.

- Users living in the Republic of Croatia mostly searched for accommodation elsewhere in Croatia, as well as in neighbouring Italy and Slovenia, while the most interesting cities to that group of users were the cities of Zagreb, Split and Rovinj.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

December the 10th, 2021 - Google Croatia gets God only knows how many searches put into it on a daily basis, from the ordinary to the very weird and wonderful. We can now get a proper insight into just what Croats were busy Googling throughout 2021.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, rather unsurprisingly, a very high place is once again occupied by football on Google Croatia, more precisely the terms related to the European Football Championships held in 2021, which were held from the 11th of June to the 11th of July in 11 host cities. In second place are the local elections, while the third place was taken by the popular The Ambassador's Daughter series. The issue od Covid certificates also took a very high place, which isn't a shock.

Google Croatia reveals its most searched terms from across this country throughout 2021:

1. Euro 2020

2. Elections

3. The Ambassador's Daughter

4. COVID certificates

5. Dinamo - Tottenham

6. Census

7. Djordje Balasevic

8. Eurosong (Eurovision)

9. Squid Game

10. Croatia - Russia

Google Croatia's most searched TV series:

1. The Ambassador's Daughter

2. Squid Game

3. Bridgerton

4. Ginny and Georgia

5. Diary of the great Perica (Dnevnik velikog Perice)

6. Outer Banks

7. Bogu iza nogu

8. Gülperi

9. Dar Mar.

10. Melek

Google Croatia's most searched films:

1. South Wind: Acceleration (Juzni vjetar: Ubrzanje)

2. Dune

3. Toma

4. Army of Thieves

5. Red Notice

6. A star is born (Zvijezda je rodjena)

7. Eternals

8. James Bond

9. Venom

10. Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Google Croatia's most searched events:

1. EURO

2. Elections

3. Dinamo - Tottenham

4. Eurosong (Eurovision)

5. Croatia - Russia

6. Croatia - Spain

7. Croatia - Scotland

8. Dinamo - Villarreal

9. Croatia - Czech Republic

10. Olympic Games

Google Croatia's most searched reality TV shows:

1. Marriage at first sight (Brak na prvu)

2. Love is in the countryside (Ljubav je na selu)

3. The cooperative (Zadruga)

4. MasterChef

5. Supertalent

Google Croatia's most searched diets:

1. Liposuction diet

2. Medical diet

3. The 10 percent diet

4. Dukan diet

5. Carbohydrate-free diet

For much more on what's been going on in Croatia throughout this year, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

August the 25th, 2021 - Google Croatia has been picking up a lot of information on precisely what the Croatian population has been searching for so far in 2021, and in the last month alone, some interesting searches have been coming up.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, although the last month or so has been dominated by people on holiday, away from their normal residences and workplaces enjoying the sea and sun somewhere on the coast, the Googling hasn't subsited. Google Croatia has logged some interesting searches from the local population, and over the past 30 days, ending on August the 24th, users from Croatia mostly searched for terms related to sport, specifically the Olympic Games, which were held during that period.

Here are the 25 most searched terms as revealed by Google Croatia from the 24th of July to the 24th of August, 2021:

Dinamo legia (referring to the Dinamo Zagreb vs the Polish Legia Warsaw football match)
Matea Jelic
Tokyo 2020
Medals at the 2020 Olympic Games
Olympic Games
Afghanistan
2021 Olympic Games
Oliver Dragojevic
Outer banks
HNL
Messi
Google übersetzer (translate)
Bild
Dinamo
Wetter morgen
HAK road conditions
RTV SLO
Krone
Earthquake(s) today
Restaurant
Translate
MMC
HAK
HAK cameras
Road conditions

In the top 10 of the most searched 25 terms on Google Croatia based on the analysis conducted by the IT company Arbona from Zagreb, there are five terms related to the largest sporting event in the entire world. Two searches involve other sport, ie football, and one of them holds the primacy - the term 'Dinamo legia', from when Dinamo played in Zagreb against the Polish team in a match of the qualifying round for the Champions League, the overture to the event were clashes between fans, which, surely, also aroused considerable public interest.

The Top 10 also includes Afghanistan, the current global political topic number 1, as well as the late Croatian singer Oliver Dragojevic, and the American youth TV series Outer banks, which is broadcast by Netflix. In the Top 25 terms on Google Croatia, there are several German terms, which indicates that the users are tourists from that language area (eg Google übersetzer - ie translate, Bild, Wetter morgen), which are the most common German searches during the summer months in Croatia. The terms like HAK road conditions and restaurants also point to the same - tourism.

Arbona says that each month, their Google Ads Research and Insights team researches datasets on billions of recent search queries and consumer behaviour to uncover key trends.

''Recent research shows that companies are preparing to see a return of their employees to their offices, and more and more people are looking for new jobs. Despite the optimism of these searches, people are still worried about consumption,'' they said from Arbona, noting that worldwide, according to research over the past month, the most sought after information is about employment and things that cover this topic.

"There has been an increase in searches for job applications, work-life balance, follow-up mail after interviews and how to write a resignation," they added.

However, across the world, the summer months also brought about (or brought back) the desire to travel, driven by a somewhat better epidemiological situation and the vaccine rollout, meaning that users were busy Googling items along those lines.

"They've been looking for more clarity on the requirements for international travel after the coronavirus pandemic, with an increasing number of searches for the terms: passport application, visa application, international travel," they pointed out from Arbona.

There was also an increase in searches for terms related to student loans, second-hand shops and buy now - pay later applications, and in the measured period, terms related to ecology and environmental protection also reigned strong, including sustainability, the possibility of volunteering nearby and the environment.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

July the 15th, 2021 - The Croatian Green Energy Cooperative (Zelena energetska zadruga/ZEZ) is the first and only organisation in all of the Republic of Croatia to be financed by no less than Google itself.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, the Croatian Green Energy Cooperative is the only organisation from Croatia that has been provided funding under Google's Google.org Impact Challenge to promote inclusive economic growth and create an equal chance for success in the digital world. A total fund of two million euros will be distributed to selected organisations for their respective projects from Google.

Google launched the aforementioned competition back in January for Central and Eastern European countries - to help organisations, thirteen of them, work to reduce the digital divide and promote inclusive economic growth. Each organisation was provided funding of between 50,000 and 250,000 euros, with the support and mentorship of Google.

The Croatian Green Energy Cooperative was provided funding with the SOL4ALL - Community-Led Solarisation project, which puts people at the centre of the energy transition to clean energy. As explained by the cooperative, this empowers people to invest and produce solar energy in their own homes.

The vision of the Croatian Green Energy Cooperative is to encourage the installation of 10 MW in solar capacity in the countries of the Western Balkans and thus strengthen the resilience of cities, encourage a fair economic recovery and influence the development of doing "green" businesses.

“We believe that people can make a significant contribution to tackling climate challenges and be the main drivers of the transition to clean energy. Strengthening their knowledge and understanding of renewable energy sources should play a major role, and we see digital education tools as a means to achieve that vision. We're thrilled that Google.org is supporting us in developing the project that unites us. This is a great opportunity for us and for people to contribute to carbon neutrality,'' said Erica Svetec, Project Manager at the Croatian Grene Energy Cooperative.

The funding of these various projects was dealt with by members of the International Committee of Experts, Google and the INCO Group. Among the members of the board was Hrvoje Josip Balen, co-founder and member of the Management Board of Algebra, who pointed out that he was pleased that there are initiatives from here in Croatia that effectively connect the digital path forward, going green and people.

“Actively encouraging and instructing individuals on how to generate electricity with optimal investment will certainly help accelerate and understand the necessary energy transformation,” Balen said.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

January the 23rd, 2021 - Google has launched the first Google.org Impact Challenge for the Republic of Croatia and the wider region, as well as for other Eastern European countries. The Google Impact Challenge is an open public call to support organisations working to reduce the digital divide and promote inclusive economic growth.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, Google will award a total of two million euros to selected bidders from here in Croatia and ten other countries in the wider region to support their various charity projects. Technology has helped and saved many European companies and communities during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic - from helping people find the right healthcare information to shopping online to finding new ways to learn and keep in touch with loved ones. This highlighted the need to create an affordable digital future for all, especially at a time when economies are on only just embarking on the expectedly long road to recovery.

Last year, Google committed to helping 10 million people and companies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa digitise, grow and find new careers. In the region of Central and Eastern Europe, Google helped 250,000 people in 2020 alone, and more than 20,000 people in Croatia, to improve and develop digital skills or move to a digitally oriented career.

Now Google is looking for initiatives aimed at rebuilding the economy with social inclusion at its core. All non-profit as well as for-profit organisations and academic institutions from Croatia are free to apply for the Impact Challenge until March the 1st, 2021 via g.co/ceechallenge. The projects must be charitable in their nature, they can be large or small and at any stage of development - whether it is a new idea or a well-established project that is ready for further development and growth. Applicants must be established in one of the following countries: Croatia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

''I welcome this initiative because I believe it can help reduce the gap in online skills that widened during the pandemic. Equal opportunities in the labour market for the entire population are key to a healthy society. That's why, here Croatia since back in 2016, we've been participating in the support of digital education and the development of digital skills. The Google.org Impact Challenge is another important step in supporting the development of these important skills among disadvantaged groups,'' said Josko Mrndze, Google's Director for the Adriatics region.

The Impact Challenge once again proves Google's commitment to Croatia and the region of Central and Eastern Europe and to supporting charitable projects that seek to improve digitally supported education and economic opportunities. Last year alone, Google.org provided more than 1.5 million euros through individual grants to several charities in the region to support these goals. Over the past two years, Google.org has awarded more than 450,000 euros in grants in Croatia.

Google, in collaboration with the INCO group and a committee of distinguished experts that includes academics, leaders and civil society activists from across the region, will select projects to support.

''I'd like to emphasise that the Google.org Impact Challenge isn't just about attractive funding. Instead, it's about exchanging great ideas and unleashing the potential of as yet undiscovered organisations that can greatly impact society with their innovative ideas. Analysing exciting ideas and proposals, as well as meeting extremely interesting people from NGOs and experts was enough to accept the invitation to be a member of the jury,'' said Hrvoje Josip Balen, co-founder and member of the Board of Algebra.

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

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January 16, 2021 – Just as the white stone of Croatia was once exported globally to help build some of our most iconic buildings, Varazdin solar panels will be used atop the domes of one of the contemporary world's biggest businesses - the Google Data Centre in California

From the statues of Ivan Meštrović to the white stone of Dalmatian mines (like the famous one that still works on the island of Brac), Croatia has a long history of exports within the fields of aesthetics and architecture. A whole new eco-friendly tag is now being added to that reputation as one Croatian company prepares to send 120,000 Varazdin solar panels to cover Google's Data Centre in California. The purchase is part of the company's drive towards relying on carbon-free energy solutions.

The 120,000 Varazdin solar panels will be provided by Croatian company Solvis, who have held a contract with the California-based global search engine for quite some time. The 120,000 Varazdin solar panels will cover newly constructed domes at their Data Collection Centre in California, just a short distance from the company's global headquarters in Silicon Valley.

The contract for the 120,000 Varazdin solar panels and continuing co-operation with Solvis is, according to a recent article in Croatia's Jutarnji List, worth in excess of 10 million Euros.

Search engine Google is currently the most popular of its kind. Although it is based in California in the United States of America, where the 120,000 solar panels from Varazdin will be situated, it has properties all over the world. The purchase of the 120,000 solar panels from Varazdin is part of a drive for Google to equip all its buildings in the world with solar panels. Therefore, if the business between Google and the Varazdin company is successful, it could lead to more orders and an extended collaboration with the northern Croatia company.

January the 5th, 2021 - Google has a desire to help Croatia out of its current state of crisis, meet the Grow Croatia Initiative.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, over recent days, the internet giant has presented one interesting and certainly useful initiative - the Grow Croatia initiative with Google, as reported by PC Chip. The Grow Croatia initiative is Google's very own project designed to help the recovery and development of the Croatian economy. Recent data has shown how the country has experienced a major economic shock and how we experienced among the highest GDP declines in all of Europe - it should also be taken into account that most Croatian companies did continue to and weren't in lockdown. With this move, Google wants to help the Croatian economy to return to a more successful path with the help of digital channels and knowledge.

The Grow Croatia initiative will be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, as well as in the presence of the Croatian Employment Service (CES). The entire project should take place under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia. The idea of ​​the whole project is to help as many as 10,000 local companies, communities and people by the end of 2021.

All of those targetted should gain proper insight and knowledge into the use of technologies and tools that will ensure competitiveness in the market. Google wants to provide Croatian companies and individuals with everything they need to overcome the crisis caused by the epidemic in a better and faster way. The Grow Croatia initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the Algebra University, and will cover a wide range of needs brought about by the digital economy.

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

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December 9, 2020 – It's been a funny old year. Funny as in unusual. Not so much funny haha. The extraordinary nature of the year is reflected in the most-popular Croatia Google search list for 2020, which has just been published. This year's searches hold a stark contrast to last year's.

In 2019, the end-of-year list for Croatia Google search was dominated by results for sporting fixtures, celebrities and entertainment. Although the EU election results and the long-running teacher's strike in Croatia also scored highly in 2019, this year has been dominated by searches of an even more serious and pressing nature.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that the number one Croatia Google search for 2020 was Coronavirus. The global pandemic is likely to top lists all over the world. In this country, its ramifications also created several other high-ranking inclusions on the Croatia Google search list 2020.

Software Google Classroom and Office 365 za škole also feature in the top 10 Croatia Google search list 2020, as parents and students coped with the closure of teaching institutions and prepared to learn and receive lectures online. Another piece of online tech that features in the top 10 was ePropusnica, the travel pass required for inter-regional travel and international travel by car during the various stages of lockdown. If these results are anything to go by, Coronavirus has dominated the lives of Croatians in 2020.

Another big Croatia Google search term in 2020 was Zagreb earthquake. For anyone in Zagreb at the time of the first large tremor, this will also come as little surprise – it was the biggest earthquake experienced for 100 years in Croatia, and it came without warning. Though lasting just a few seconds, there was no reaction more immediate than that of city residents, who ran out into the streets partially clothed. Thousands must have searched the term to find out what was happening, and also after many of the hundreds of aftershocks that have followed.

Here's the list of biggest Croatia Google search terms in 2020

The most-popular Croatia Google search terms in 2020

1. Koronavirus
2. Google Classroom
3. Office 365 za škole
4. Potres Zagreb (Earthquake Zagreb)
5. Kobe Bryant
6. ePropusnica
7. Izbori SAD (US elections)
8. DIP
9. Joe Biden
10. Masoni (Masons)

The most-popular Croatia Google search apps in 2020

1. ePropusnice
2. Zoom
3. Andrija

The most-popular Croatia Google search events in 2020

1. Potres (Earthquake)
2. Izbori SAD (US elections)
3. Izbori (elections) 

Aside from the inclusion of the Masons (freemasons), the list is understandable on an international level. It perhaps tells us something about how Croatians use the search engine and how well they respect it as a source for delivering credible information. With Coronavirus vaccines now announced and, all hope, the biggest potential earthquake out of the way, for now, it's understandable for most Croatians to be looking forward to the return of more trivial matters dominating their Google searches in 2021.

September 18, 2020 - Incredible new video series explore Croatian culture, its natural assets, and the country's rich traditions, a collaboration with Google

Steeped in history and tradition, Croatian culture is incredibly diverse. Recognised as being of high value to the country's appeal and its understanding of itself, many items from this rich heritage appear on the protected UNESCO list.

The Croatian National Tourist Board has teamed up with Google Arts & Culture and partners The Museum of Arts and the Museum of the Sinjska alka to produce an incredible series of videos that explore this cultural heritage.

From arts & crafts to music and dance, natural assets and architecture, the new videos show off the rich menu of traditions assets that make Croatia such an incredible country. With so many items included on the protected UNESCO list, there's always something more you can learn about Croatia, no matter how many times you visit.

Lace-making, costumes of folklore, ancient instruments, time-honoured recipes, beloved festivities and distinct, regional styles of music are just some of the facets of Croatian culture explored in the videos. Now, people from all over the world can explore Croatian culture and heritage before they even arrive. The menu of videos and accompanying media is presented in both English and Croatian.

Some of the videos in the series are not new, but they have been selected by the Croatian National Tourist Board for inclusion as they are the best at showcasing their particular aspect of Croatian culture. Alongside the video presentations, there are a wealth of photographs and informative texts. You can view the whole new collaboration with Google Arts & Culture here

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

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A public holiday on October 8, 2019, as Croatia celebrates its Independence Day. All the world shall know, thanks to Google. 

A familiar flag and a proud moment for many Croatians searching for their latest information online this morning, as the iconic Google homepage has been temporarily changed to mark a special day in Croatia. 

The Croatian flag flies proudly on the most visited web page on the planet to mark the 28th anniversary of Croatian independence. 

Happy Independence Day.