One of the most famous symbols of Krapinske Toplice has been stood neglected and entirely abandoned for years, but could a young German who is partly of Croatian origin who moved to the area a couple of years ago be the solution this old continental gem needs?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 5th of March, 2019, David Krauss (35) moved to Croatia, more specifically to beautiful Krapinske Toplice in the continental part of the country, just over two years ago. He decided to invest in the renewal of the long abandoned Bellevue and restore its former glory. The technical review has been announced for March the 7th, after which, Zagorje will get a new face in its blossoming tourism story, according to a report from Zagorje portal.

A relatively short (at least by Croatian standards) fifteen months of construction work and two years of preparation of the project saw one of the most famous symbols of Krapinske Toplice, Restaurant Bellevue, get some new life breathed into it and a brand new beginning. A young German of the Croatian Roots, 35 year old David Kraus has been coming to Krapinske Toplice for years to the property once owned by his parents.

"My mother is Croatian and my father is a German, and we always said that we were so sorry that such a beautiful building is collapsing, so I decided to start investing," Krauss told the Zagorje portal, adding that they wanted to give the building a modern twist but remain loyal to the facility's old outlines.

The old facility, due to the very poor condition it has been in for a long time, unfortunately had to be completely demolished, even though that certainly wasn't the original plan. Namely, during construction, the walls they thought they would endure the process began to fail, so the decision to demolish everything for safety reasons was reached. Despite this, some of the old material and clay were preserved to fit into the new facility.

Restaurant Bellevue's investment was realised entirely by the Krauss family alone, and although the young investor didn't want to talk too much about the exact amount he invested, he noted that it was a large figure. He is not sorry for the move, having replaced his life in Germany for that in the beautiful rolling hills of green Zagorje, where he has been living for more than two years. He is also trained and experienced in the hospitality industry and is more than happy to work a job in the profession in which he was educated here in Croatia, too.

"For the time being, we have thirteen employees, mostly made up of the local population, which I think is very important if you're in the hospitality industry because they know the area you're in well, the customs, gastronomy, the people... The capacity is about 150 to 200 places, and we have a large outdoor terrace of almost the same capacity,'' Krauss said, astonished that people had already begun asking about their offer for weddings.

He is particularly pleased about the great reactions to the restoration of Bellevue the local population, with whom he communicates daily, have had. The older people remember that they once went to school right here.

"It's really nice when people tell me that they were once taught here, and now in their older days they intend to come here for a coffee or a beer," he said, pointing out that the project was supported by the municipal government.

When it comes to Bellevue's gastronomic offer, Krauss says the facility will offer dishes made from old Zagorje recipes, but crafted in a somewhat more modern way. They're planning and organising evenings full of live music performances, and access to their facility is specially tailored for the disabled.

"The Toplički pedestrian ring is near us for the people who are on rehabilitation to walk on, so we're glad to be here for when they're walking to come and have a bit of cake and some rest. I think we'll really have something for everyone,'' Krauss, who has always been madly in love with Zagorje, stated.

His only regret is that tourism in Zagorje and Krapinske Toplice is still not yet sufficiently developed, but fortunately, foreign tourists are increasingly recognising it as an interesting and different type of destination.

"Austrians and Slovenes increasingly choose rural tourism as a form of holiday, not just the sea. I'm sure that in a couple of years, our Zagorje will be dominated by such tourism,'' Krauss said, feel optimistic, announcing that the technical review of Bellevue will be on March the 7th, after which the grand opening will take place.

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Pula's Arena Hospitality Group, which refers to itself as one of the most dynamic hospitality groups in Central and Eastern Europe, currently offers a portfolio of 26 owned, co-owned, leased and managed properties with more than 10,000 rooms and accommodation units here in Croatia, as well as in Germany and Hungary.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 5th of March, 2019, the total investments of the Arena Hospitality Group in 2018 and 2019 amount to 447 million kuna in hotels and camps in both the Republic of Croatia and over in Germany, plus the 190 million kuna that the group plans to invest in the reconstruction of the much loved Hotel Brioni (Brijuni). 

This was stated in the presentation of the Arena Hospitality Group's very impressive business results. The company claims it is also now ready for yet more new acquisitions across Central and Eastern Europe. As is already known, through public offers, the group collected a massive 788 million kuna back in 2017, and since then, they have invested on average three times more than before the public offer.

The Arena Hospitality Group is currently operating in the aforementioned three countries, under four brands, including Park Plaza and Art'otel, last year the company earned 758 million kuna in total revenue, an increase of 5.6 percent when compared to their record back in 2017, accompanied by healthy growth in all segments, hotels, tourist resorts and camp sites. In Croatia alone, they experienced handsome revenues of 503.8 million kuna.

After 2018's big investment in Glamping Arena One 99, worth 70 million kuna, this year, an investment of 128 million kuna is planned in Kažela camp, 60 million kuna is the planned amount to invest in Verudela Beach, a tourist resort, which should be completed by the year 2020, when the beginning of the works at Hotel Brioni (Brijuni) are planned. In the reconstruction of Art'otel Berlin Kudamm alone, the company will invest 53 million kuna.

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Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

Investment in Croatia continues despite problematic red tape, and thanks to EU funds (among others), Istria County is set to see a huge cash injection for their numerous ports.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of March, 2019, Istria County is the founder of five port authorities: Pula Port Authority, Rovinj Port Authority, Rabac Port Authority, Poreč Port Authority and Umag-Novigrad Port Authority, which are expecting big investments this year, according to a report from Glas Istre.

In Pula, the completion of the new 130-metre-long coastline is expected, which will surely contribute to the further overall growth of maritime traffic in the busy Port of Pula. The construction of the new operational coast/shoreline is a project which has been being carried out in several phases, and the latter part of it is worth 3.5 million kuna. Another significant move is that at the end of this year, the design of the passenger terminal project in Pula should begin.

In addition to the ''doing up'' of Pula's coastline, Pula Port Authority is also expecting several other projects to begin, including the replacement of pontoon at Bunarina, the continuation of the promenade towards Veli Vrh, the redoing of the coastline in Fažana, as well as the harbour in Krnica, and works on the beloved Brijuni island which stand at about seven million kuna.

In 2019, Rovinj Port Administration plans to build the San Pelagio communal port, estimated at a value of 32 million kuna, in which Istria County, the City of Rovinj and Rovinj Port Authority will jointly participate.

Significant investments, announced by county prefect Flego, are also expected in the area of ​​the Port of Rabac. The plan is to reconstruct the Trget communal barges, the value of which is estimated at 13.3 million kuna.

Other projects in the works are the construction of a primary breakwater in the port of Rabac, estimated at 72 million kuna, for which a financing model is currently being sought, while the project of Brestov Port, worth 23.7 million kuna, is set to be financed through European Union funds.

Poreč Port Authority is also expecting a number of projects, and the most significant of them all is extension is the existing naval structure in Vrsar Port, which serves as a home for fishing vessels, amounting to 10.5 million kuna. With the extension of the existing area, fifteen brand bew anchorage sites will be provided, meeting the needs of Vrsar Port, as one of the most active fishing centres on the western coast of Istria.

In addition, progress is being made on works on the Barbaran breakwater, through with Poreč Port Authority continues to invest in the Poreč aquatorium. This is the most important investment this year in Poreč, worth 4.8 million kuna, which is financed from the aforementioned port authority's own funds, Istria County and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure.

A welcome 5.1 million kuna was allocated by the EU Maritime and Fisheries Fund to the Umag-Novigrad Port Authority, for the demolition of the old pier and the construction of a new one in Savudrija harbour, seventeen new lighting posts, the introduction of video surveillance cameras, and the installation of an ''eco-island'' for waste separation for local fishermen.

In addition to all of the above, another major project is under preparation for the construction of the new Dajla-Belveder port, and all the necessary permits to get the green light are now underway.

The start of construction is planned for this year and will continue through 2020. The construction of the port will provide sixty communal berths, a landing place for fishing vessels and an appropriate operational shoreline for small boat excursions. The project value amounts to 24.3 million kuna, with the funds provided by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Istria County, the City of Novigrad, and the Umag-Novigrad Port Authority.

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Click here for the original article by Glas Istre

Investment in Croatia has stagnated in certain important areas, despite interest from domestic investors having been drawn to other more promising areas, such as the hotel sector. Foreign investment in Croatia, despite having occurred in some quite large projects, is still dwindling.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 1st of March, 2019, the focus of investors last year was largely on shopping centres and of course the apparently eternal hotel sector, although figures didn't exceed those seen during the year before the crisis hit. The value of commercial real estate transactions last year was twice as high as it was during 2017, reaching about 810 million euros.

While, as stated, the main focus of investment in Croatia has been on shopping centres and the hotel sector recently, there has been considerably less movement in numerous other areas, the number of construction projects seeing investment in Croatia, for example, has not yet overtaken the position it held the year before the crisis. The market for industrial and logistics property is still easily the least developed of all, despite its enormous potential and demand, and the office space market is most lacking in large office space available, according to an annual review carried out by the Colliers International consultancy company.

"The growth in the number of transactions last year is a result of the positive sentiment of investors and attractive returns, given that Croatia has stabilised economically in relation to the markets in the environment, the investment risk has been reduced, as the rating agencies showed. However, there's still a lack of greenfield investments and major projects, as well as there is a large number of foreign investors missing from the picture,'' said Vedrana Likan, the director of the Colliers Croatian office.

Once again last year, domestic investors wanting to pursue investment in Croatia were the by far the most active on the market, accounting for 50 percent of all value transactions, while the most active foreign investors were property investment funds from South Africa, with a 40 percent stake in the volume of transactions in 2018. The top transactions were the entry of PND Strategy of Danko Čorić into Hotel Maestral, Immofinanz bought eight retail parks in Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia, while the Tower Property Fund purchased industrial property in Žitnjak.

This year, a similar number of transactions are expected, just like last year, with a boost of the presence of investors from the Middle and Far East, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Korea. Most transactions are expected in tourism and office property, while retail will have weaker growth due to the fact that the market is already quite saturated. In the retail segment, the potential risk in Colliers is reflected in negative demographic trends and ever-growing internet commerce.

The need is for larger office spaces of 1,500 square metres, and such spaces are almost unavailable on the Croatian market, there is also a dire need for office class A. Despite the low office vacancy rate (4.5 percent) this area has remained at the level of 2017 (12-13 euros per square metre). Colliers has seen stronger developer activity due to the high demand and the lack of modern storage and logistics space(s)available, they have also warned of unfavourable conditions for the construction of such buildings due to high communal fees, which are still charged in Croatia per cubic metre rather than per square metre.

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Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

More investment in Croatia and some very welcome news for fishing ports up and down the Croatian coast in several counties as valuable contracts worth a massive eighty million kuna are signed by Oleg Butković, the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure.

As Morski writes on the 20th of February, 2019, on Wednesday the 20th of February, Croatia's Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure signed binding agreements and contracts for the allocation of state budget funds for the construction, repair, and reconstruction of various facilities in ports which are open to public traffic, marking a praiseworthy investment in Croatia.

The ports, which are located in seven different coastal Croatian counties are considered to be of importance at both the county and local level, and their upcoming modernisation, reconstruction and construction will take place as part of the construction of fishing infrastructure this year.

The contracts will be signed by the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, and the directors of the port administrations Rabac, Crikvenica, Rab, Bakar-Kraljevica-Kostrena, Novi Vinodolski, Novalja, Senj, Zadar, Korčula and Vela Luka, as well as the port authorities of Šibenik-Knin County, Split-Dalmatia County, and Dalmatia's southernmost county - Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

Through the signing of these contracts and agreements, a huge total of eighty million kuna will be allocated to 25 infrastructure projects in as many as seven Adriatic counties in a massive investment in Croatia and its long and impressive coastline, not only in popular Dalmatia, which relies heavily on ports and their infrastructure.

With the allocation of these state budget funds, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs Transport and Infrastructure is continuing to go forward with its previously started investments in the field of the development and modernisation of port infrastructure on Croatian islands, as well as in coastal [mainland] areas, the competent ministry said in a statement on the matter.

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As Morski writes on the 13th of January, 2019, Jadranovo near Crikvenica, which continues to record an encouraging and steady rise in both tourist arrivals and overnight stays, needs to give its beach and immediate coastal area a makeover. The inhabitants of Jadranovo, as well as their growing number of guests, require a safe, well-kept beach area that will allow for the further development of tourism in the area.

Therefore, and in addition to Perčin port, Grabrova bay, and more precisely its area located under the beach, will be given that much needed makeover. Behind that, a new square will be constructed, which together with the beach will make up the brand new face of Jakovarska bay. Creating a quality and attractive beach space will create the opportunity for new initiatives to develop, including the placement of tourism facilities and shopping areas on the coast, writes Novi list.

This project was recognised by the Ministry of Tourism and the Deputy Mayor of Crikvenica, Silvia Crnić, who signed the contract for the co-financing of the project in the amount of 640 thousand kuna, in accordance with the program of development of the public tourist infrastructure for 2018.

About 250 meters of Jadranovo's beach area will get a new look as well as some very welcome brand new facilities. There will also be, as previously mentioned, a new square that will fit perfectly into the coastal area and become an integral part of Grabova's new look. The cost of these works stands at fourteen million kuna and such investments will easily be justified by the much faster development of Jadranovo as a destination.

In the area itself, locals think that Grabova's makeover, as well as the doing up of Perčin port, will see Jadranovo truly become a place that lives on the sea and not just by the sea. Although Jadranovo boasts many beautiful beaches, they are mostly hidden away and more difficult for people to access. This project will provide an easily accessible oasis in the very centre of a place that both tourists and locals will fall in love with at first sight.

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Click here for the original article by Natasa Car for Novi list

A two million kuna project will see the popular Sovlje beach in Tribunj near the historic Dalmatian city of Šibenik get a variety of new facilities, including new steps, smart benches, new showers, and a very welcome cash injection from the ministry.

As SibenikIN writes on the 3rd of January, 2019, the new year has started off wonderfully for the Tribunj Municipality, where the Croatian Ministry of Tourism has approved 400,000 kuna for the ''doing up'' of the popular Sovlje beach, while the rest of the funds are set to be provided by the municipality itself.

''The public procurement process is currently in progress, and as soon as January the 8th, we should know who the contractor to carry out the works on Sovlje beach will be, as that will be when the public procurement process ends,'' said Tribunj Mayor Marko Grubelić.

With a massive total investment of around two million kuna, the entire coastline of Sovlje beach will be given a new lease of life. There will be stone steps going into the sea in more place,s and a ramp for wheelchair access for the disabled will be constructed. There will also be two brand new smart benches and two new showers on the beach.

''Considering the increase in the tourist accommodation capacities in the area of ​​Sovlje, increase the surface area of the beach should reduce the crowds during the summer months,'' stated Grubelić.

Grubelić was initially dissatisfied with the original conceptual solution for the fixing up and modernisation of Sovlje beach and, when he took over the function of Tribunj's mayor, he requested that the architectural office in charge of overseeing the procedure to change its plans.

As a result of the new conceptual solution and the collection of all the necessary certifications and green lights to get things going, the Sovlje beach project became a major one and a building permit was finally obtained. Works should begin in January this year following the announcement of the company which will be chosen and contracted to do the works on the 8th of this month, and the project's completion is expected as soon as May this year.

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Croatia's Master Yachting is one of the country's frontrunners when it comes to Croatian nautical tourism, and recent investments, their last one having been in the Lagoon 620 luxury catamaran, have seen their revenue increase.

As Marta Duic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 3rd of January, 2019, Croatia's Master Yachting from Sukošan celebrated twenty years of existence last year, and as its director Darko Obradović says, they are one of the first companies in the nautical tourism sector in Croatia and their biggest advantage is that they're near the two national parks and their bases are close to Zadar.

Today, they have 25 full-time employees, and up to 40 during the tourist season. The company has a fleet of 80 vessels, most of which are the catamarans of the Lagoon brand, as well as a large range of sailboats of at least 35 feet in length, to the latest Oceanis 51.1, and motor boats of various different sizes.

As Croatia's Master Yachting claims, their clients and associates are mostly from European Union countries, and the most sought after vessels are typically catamarans. "They're equipped like luxury apartments which sail, and seven days, which is often for which they're rented, it's possible to sail the routes that include visiting the most attractive places and bays along the Adriatic," says Obradović. The summer season is of course the most popular, and lovers of sailing also appear to enjoy taking to vessels owned by Croatia's Master Yachting in April, May, and in October.

"We're adapting to the market and the demand. Today, when everything is available online, it can be difficult to meet all customer requirements, and owing to that, our concentration is on quality and comfort. The company also operates in the YachtInvest segment, which enables it to buy boats through its own channels, and thus provides the ability to place your vessels under your own "charter managemnet". That means that a start-up investment is justified because the vessel makes a profit during the leasing period, which largely covers all the relevant expenses. In the end, the investor chooses how much he will use for himself and how much will be for commercial lease," explains Obradović.

He also praised the fact that Croatia's Master Yachting is growing in terms of the sale of vessels. Their operating income amounted to almost 23 million kuna in 2017, and according to Obradović's estimates, 2018's results will see revenues of about 50 million kuna.

"We're constantly investing in employee training and process optimisation, while investing heavily in the fleet. The last investment was purchasing a luxury Lagoon 620 catamaran which marked our entrance into the luxury charter, which is the future of nautical tourism because more and more customers require ''all inclusive'' packages.

We believe in our own knowledge of the matter, given our long experience, the number of customers returning to us from year to year, and the in importance of the number and quality of our boats. In the YachtCharter sector, the company has been recognised as the leader in the region," added Obradović.

Croatia's Master Yachting arrived to such a status, as they say, owing to a personalised approach to their clients and "tailor-made" offers, which was made possible thanks to their wide range of vessels.

"The plan is the expansion of our base, ie, the opening of new ones in other regions, and the continuation of investment in new products, namely new vessels, where the niche is the luxury charter," Darko Obradović of Croatia's Master Yachting.

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Click here for the original article by Marta Duic for Poslovni Dnevnik

Greek investor Petros Stathis has been visiting numerous institutions in order to complete the most luxurious tourist project in the Republic of Croatia, Amanresorts Cavtat, in Croatia's southernmost county of Konavle which borders Montenegro.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 13th of December, 2018, Greek investor Petros Stathis has re-activated matters over more recent days in regard to the eventual realisation of the Amanresorts project in Cavtat, otherwise being hailed as the most luxurious tourist project in the whole of Croatia, which could even end up making the list of strategic projects in the Republic of Croatia, which would be a useful move in terms of resolving the outstanding issues of spatial planning, among others, as soon as possible.

As a result of the large amount of paperwork involved in the process, the aforementioned investor has been heavily engaged in all of the required fields, from the state administration to the local administration, as Poslovni Dnevnik has unofficially published. The reactivation of the Amanresorts Cavtat project comes after more than three years after Amanresorts Cavtat was supposed to open its doors, but unfortunately encountered several stumbling blocks, mainly typically administrative ones, although Stathis never once gave up on it.

"I'm convinced that the Amanresorts Cavtat project will be successfully completed, and together with other Aman projects in the vicinity, Amanresorts Venice and Sveti Stefan (Montenegro), will become the star of the tourist sector of South East Europe," said Petros Stathis in the spring of 2015, when he explained why he was suddenly closing the Cavtat construction site.

He then stated that there were problems with the Bonvena Hotels company which was due to take care of the Cavtat project, which Stathis took over in the meantime, and that the entire chain of Amanresorts luxury resorts had gone through the process of ownership change.

For the realisation of the project, the investor is supposed to adapt the spatial planning documentation, and it's necessary to reach an agreement on various other factors, considering that the investor is seeking the closure of the beach below the area with his 30 million euro project.

The Municipality of Konavle didn't respond to Poslovni Dnevnik's question of what exactly they are willing, or unwilling, to offer to the investor in order to realise the Amanresorts Cavtat project. In addition, not even the investor himself, who has been investing in Montenegro in the meantime, has spoken publicly on the subject.

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Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

New hotels in Croatia are popping up all the time, and some major investments have seen the tourism sector come on leaps and bounds even very far away from the glitz and glamour of the yacht-filled coast. 

Croatia's investment climate has some big improvements to be getting on with, and quickly, but despite numerous issues, large investments in the country's safest sector, tourism, continue to pour in.

The Croatian capital of Zagreb has gone from all but entirely overlooked as a tourist destination to a ''must visit'' continental city which many are referring to as the ''new Vienna'' among other names. The city's dazzling Advent in Zagreb festivities has seen the Croatian capital take the prize for best European advent destination for an impressive three years running, and as the hotels fill up, new ones continue to open their doors.

As SibenikIN writes on the 28th of November, 2018, the new luxury Hotel Capital Zagreb group Amadria Park, to which the extremely popular Solaris Resort near the ancient Dalmatian city of Šibenik belongs, will be officially opened on Thursday in the centre of the Croatian capital. The brand new hotel boasts 112 rooms and the value of Ugo Group's investment, which stands behind Amadria Park, is a massive 14.5 million euro.

The new hotel is located in the building of the former Croatian branch of Wiener Bankverein at the corner of Jurišićeva and Palmotićeva street, and is the first so-called ''city'' hotel of the Amadria Park group.

''[Opening - TOMORROW 29.11.2018] The moment has arrived! It's time to unveil Amadria Park's first Zagreb hotel - Capital.

A heritage hotel with a well-appointed, central Zagreb location, it combines early 20th century architectural grandeur with the upmarket elegance of a modern hotel.

Only 450m from Ban Jelacic Square, it offers 112 rooms, restaurant, bar and cafe, fitness zone, underground garage, upmarket store and meeting rooms.'' wrote an update on Amadria Park's Facebook page.

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