August 3, 2020 - In July, Istria achieved 60 percent of last year's tourist traffic. According to eVisitor, 630,000 arrivals were recorded on the Peninsula last month, and in 2020 so far, the number of visitors exceeded one million.

Glas Istre reports that on average, guests spent more than seven days on holiday, and in July, there were 4.77 million tourist overnights. The number of overnights spent since the beginning of this year in Istria increased to 6.7 million.

Caution and the higher possibility of respecting social isolation measures have taken their toll, so when it comes to Istria County, so this July, the most in-demand accommodation was camps and holiday homes. These two segments of the tourist offer, when absolute numbers are in question, achieved the best results. The category listed in eVisitor as household facilities recorded more than 200,000 tourists in July, and 1.5 million tourist overnight stays. These results are thirty percent worse than those achieved last July, but given that holiday homes and villas with swimming pools, which are extremely popular this summer, are in the same category as apartments, for which the demand is still somewhat lower, it can be assumed that a large number of buildings from this first group passed this July without the slightest gaps.

Istrian hotels also had slightly better occupancy than in June, but given the specific situation with the organization of business and compliance with all prescribed epidemiological measures, most of them opened their doors only last month. Hotel accommodation in Istria recorded 114 thousand tourist arrivals in July, and almost 640 thousand overnight stays, which is about 40 percent of the result achieved last year. When it comes to far smaller numbers, there are also segments of the tourist offer on the Peninsula, which, even in these times burdened by the constant threat of COVID, managed to achieve results that surpassed those of last year. In that sense, the absolute champion of July 2020 in Istria is nautical tourism, which with 4,207 arrivals and 33,329 overnight stays in both comparative indices, exceeds last year's results by about 2 percent.

In terms of the number of guests, the first are the Germans, who in July were only about 10 percent less than last year. The Slovenes overtook the Austrians in second place, who traveled far less abroad this summer due to a solid campaign by the Austrian government and the local media. While arrivals from Germany to Istria reach 87 percent, and from Slovenia, 95 percent of last year, those from Austria were halved. Thus, in July, the number of Austrians on the Istrian coast was as much as 53 percent lower than in the comparable period last year.

When looking at individual Istrian destinations, compared to July last year, Medulin is at as much as 95 percent, and Porec and Rovinj at about 90 percent. Interestingly, near Istria, there is one town that was 2-3 percent better than July last year - Crikvenica.

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July 28, 2020 - The head of the Istria County Civil Protection Headquarters, Dino Kozlevac, said on Monday in Pazin that there are almost 200,000 tourists in Istria, a total of almost 400,000 people, so there is a high probability of a stronger spread of the coronavirus, but that the system works flawlessly.

"There are almost 400,000 people in Istria currently. There is a high probability that the virus may spread even more strongly, but for now, the system is functioning flawlessly," Kozlevac said at a session of the Istrian County Assembly, as reported by Glas Istre.

He added that the situation is changing from day to day, which is why certain decisions were made on easing measures for the economy and tourism to the satisfaction of citizens, and that, given the new dynamics of the pandemic, preparations for autumn and winter have begun.

"All decisions of the County Civil Protection Headquarters are evaluated and made in agreement and cooperation with the prefect, mayors and chiefs. Although such information was leaked to the public, there were no breakthroughs in the health system. We are ready for worse situations because our system is complex," said Kozlevac.

The director of the Institute of Public Health of Istria County, Aleksandar Stojanovic, informed the county councilors that there are currently 110 people positive for the coronavirus in Istria and that 316 people are under self-isolation measures.

"Due to the milder clinical picture of patients, not all COVID-positive people are currently hospitalized. Asymptomatic people are treated at home, i.e., at-home treatment," said Stojanovic, adding that the system has recently been opened and that, accordingly, a large number of people, local and foreign, are moving through Istria County, which increases the risk of spreading the infection.

"Currently, the largest number of newly infected people come from the area of Umag, Buzet and Labin, and large gatherings are still our biggest problem. Based on daily reports, it can be seen that Istria County conducts a wide number of tests, i.e., that every fifth person tested in Croatia is from Istria. The tourism sector has calmed because, as far as new patients are concerned, a small number of infected tourists have been identified," Stojanovic concluded.

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May 5, 2020 - At the 2nd session of the Istria County Tourism Committee, held Monday through a full conference call, members discussed the epidemiological situation in Istria and future activities after the borders open, as well as expectations for the 2020 tourist year.

HRTurizam reports that at the very beginning, the Acting Prefect and the President of the Committee, Fabrizio Radin, emphasized that they had asked the National Civil Protection Headquarters when the borders would open, that is, the date and conditions of the eventual border opening of the Republic of Croatia to other European countries.

"We have received a reply that the topic of the eventual opening of internal borders within the EU will be on the table of tomorrow's summit, which will be held in Brussels. At that meeting, guidelines and indicative dates for the opening of borders should be defined," said the prefect of Radin.

Following the protection measures for hotels and camps, those for nautical, private accommodation and travel agencies are being developed. 

The session was also attended by the Director of the Institute of Public Health of Istria County, Dr. Aleksandar Stojanovic, who commented on the epidemiological situation in Istria, as well as the proposals for protection measures for camps and hotels.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have had 87 COVID-19 positive people, and as you can hear, a few days ago, the last patient in Istria County was cured, or he was discharged from the Pula General Hospital. As of Thursday, we have no more positive patients in Istria County. At the moment, we have about 1300 people in self-isolation, 200 of whom are contacts of positive people, while others have received an epidemiological measure of self-isolation because they crossed the border," said Dr. Stojanovic.

Regarding the proposals for protection measures and operational procedures drawn up by the Croatian Camping Union and the Croatian Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, Dr Stojanovic said that they are professionally based and mostly cover potential risks. The measures will be presented after an agreement with the National Headquarters and the Ministry of Tourism.

It was agreed at the session that a proposal for measures for nautical tourism, private accommodation and travel agencies would be drafted by next week, in cooperation with the above sectors and ZZJZIŽ.

Regarding the expectations of the tourist year, it was emphasized that everything depends on the date the borders open for both Croatia and the main markets, i.e., Slovenia, Austria, Germany Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Furthermore, from Monday, May 11, hotels and campsites would operate, with all their facilities, which will open gradually, depending on the opening of state borders, or market demand.

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April 28, 2020 - At its first session on Monday, which was held through a conference call, the Istria County Tourism Committee stated that the priority is to prepare Istria for opening the borders and the arrival of guests.

Index.hr reports that members of the Committee unanimously stated that an agreement was needed between the public health system, i.e., the epidemiological and tourism experts, which should enable the protection of health and realizing part of the tourist year. As stressed at the session, tourism stakeholders are in the final stages of preparing their business in new circumstances, but expect the epidemiologists' instructions so that they can start opening facilities from May 11 and welcome foreign guests after the borders open.

In support of this, the Committee adopted four conclusions, the most important of which is the need to define epidemiological conditions under which tourism and catering activities (hotels, camps, family accommodation, restaurants, marinas) can be performed, with all its contents, and with the coordination of the Civil Protection Headquarters and tourism professionals.

The second conclusion relates to inquiries made to the National Civil Protection Headquarters on opening borders, that is, the date and conditions for opening borders of the Republic of Croatia.

"If it is not possible to define the exact date of border openings yet, then we will request at least a date when this information can be expected. Also, for the necessary preparations, information on opening borders of the most important markets for Istria County, such as Slovenia, Austria, and Germany, is necessary," said members of the Istria Tourism Committee.

The third conclusion relates to preparing a promotional campaign that would target the most significant markets for Istria County and would further promote Istria as an auto-destination, while the fourth conclusion relates to cooperation with Istrian units of local self-government, which refers to defining specific measures for the use of beaches, squares and other public spaces, which have been places of mass gatherings of guests in recent years.

To actively monitor the further development of the epidemiological situation and achieve maximum results in the realization of this year's tourist season, it was agreed that the Committee would meet at least once a week, Istria County said.

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April 23, 2020 - A special committee for tourism has been established in Istria to adopt decisions quicker and ensure better coordination and planning. 

Thus, HRTurizam reports that by the decision of the deputy prefect of Istria County, Fabrizio Radin, the Tourism Commission for Istria County was established today in 2020, as the expert and advisory body of the prefect.

The Commission will actively monitor and analyze the epidemiological situation caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the region, the Republic of Croatia and the main markets of Istria County and its implications for the tourist season in Istria.

The Commission will coordinate its activities related to the tourist season in Istria County and coordinate with the County Civil Protection Headquarters. They will also propose measures to the Government of the Republic of Croatia to support the tourism sector in all segments and problem solving, as well as measures for Istrian cities and municipalities to support entrepreneurs to maintain business and retain existing jobs.

The Commission will coordinate the public and private sectors in taking measures and activities aimed at maximizing results in saving the tourist season. In addition, it will design measures, activities and marketing projects according to the most significant markets, and, if necessary, perform other tasks entrusted to them by the prefect.  

The President of the Commission is prefect Fabrizio Radin, and the following members were also appointed: Boris Miletić, Mayor of Pula and representative of all local self-government units in the County; Veljko Ostojic, director of the Croatian Tourism Association and a representative of hotel and camping tourism; Boris Žgomba, President of the Association of Travel Agencies at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce; Marijan Ritossa, representative of small family-run hotels and private accommodation; Sean Lisjak, president of the Association of Marinas at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce; Denis Ivošević, director of the Istria County Tourist Board; Valter Flego, a former Istria County prefect and current Member of the European Parliament; Ivan Jakovcic, a former prefect of Istria and a former MEP; Anton Kliman, former Minister of Tourism and current Member of Parliament, and Darko Lorencin, former Minister of Tourism.

Nada Prodan Mrakovic, Head of the Tourism Department in the region, has been appointed as the secretary of the Commission, since the mentioned Administrative Department will perform the expert and administrative tasks for the Commission.

Istria is ahead of everyone once again, and will certainly recover the fastest once the coronavirus crisis ends.

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April 12, 2020 - Istria Buzz is a new online platform bringing together homemade, local, and natural products from Croatian farms around the region.

HRTurizam writes that each crisis carries its challenges - and the corona crisis, perhaps the most serious in the 21st century, has led to restrictions on movement, a drastic reduction in shopping opportunities, and the closure of green markets for everyday shopping. Like other types of shopping - this can be organized online, and we've seen a significant need to place fruits, vegetables, meat or dairy products in webshops.

In the last few weeks, online ordering for food and basic household supplies has become extremely popular and is rapidly expanding across Croatia, including in Istria.

Recognizing the urgent need, and with the mission of solidarity to help Croatian OPGs and small food producers by providing a digital platform for free advertising, the young software company Lloyds Design from Labin came up with the idea to create a brand new, up-to-date digital platform in a short timeframe that will bring together Istrian OPGs and greatly facilitate and accelerate their connection with potential customers.

Istra Buzz is a modern platform that is designed to ease the current situation for domestic producers and, of course, customers.

"Since online shopping is truly an integral part of today, and Istria has not had a good enough platform so far, we have decided to use our company's resources to create a platform that will be used not only in the current situation of limited movement, but also in the future. We are providing the platform for free to use, and we hope that the news of this platform will spread quickly. We are sure that with this platform, we will make it easier for citizens to buy local products while helping manufacturers sell them," points out Domagoj Ostovic, owner of Lloyds Design.

The simple, intuitive and fast interface allows those less proficient in online shopping to easily browse the offer, get the items they want, contact OPGs and place their order, whether they are on their PC, tablet or smartphone.

As of today, the platform is active on the istria.buzz website, and is already gathering over 50 OPGs from Istria County, who will offer their products, as well as delivery, to Istrian cities and settlements.

“We support domestic production and encourage the development of our local entrepreneurs. Let it all buzz," Ostovic concludes.

You can visit Istria.buzz HERE.

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January 29, 2020 - Outdoor tourism in the protected areas of Istria was presented at the CMT - Die Urlaubsmesse trade fair in Stuttgart, with a special emphasis on cycling and nature walking, as part of the EU project KLIM Kontija-Lim Bay. 

Glas Istre reports that among the many European projects implemented or currently being implemented by the County of Istria is the EU project LIKE - Living on the Karst Edge. Thus, as part of this great German fair, everything that the Ćićarija mountain plateau has to offer, including the development potential of cycling tourism under the brand of Ćićarija Regional Park, was presented in this segment.

“We have presented and exhibited promotional materials related to outdoor hiking and biking with an emphasis on eco-friendly tourism products and offers in nature protected areas. We also presented the second edition of the brochure on eco-friendly content in Istria called Istria ecoxperience - Everything Eco in Istria. The sea and the seabed of the Lim Bay on the west coast represent a special reserve in the sea, while its slopes and coast are protected natural values, which include the Kontija Special Forest vegetation reserve. 

This year, the area is richer with cycling trails and educational walks that blend in without compromising the natural environment to allow visitors to move along the entire channel with the opportunity to engage in a range of recreational and educational programs. At the fair, we exhibited leaflets, brochures, monographs and posters, and enriched it with video materials. Everything is super accepted as people seek new experiences and move away from the hustle and bustle,” said Bruno Kostelic, Head of the Department for Nature and Environmental Protection in the County Department for Sustainable Development.

He also emphasized that cycling and cycling tourism are of primary interest for the development of selective forms of tourism in Istria, and that in the case of the Ćićarija Regional Park, this potential takes on a whole new light.

One of the key trends in the tourism sector is the growing concern for the environment, both by hoteliers and other tourism companies and guests, among whom there are more and more people who change the way they travel because they care about the environment and seek content that offers natural values and unspoiled nature.

“Istria County is a tourist destination, which has numerous natural values and landscapes that are not exclusively related to the sea, as well as offers and tourist facilities on the coast. In the Istrian peninsula, 35 natural areas are protected, and with the accession of Croatia to the European Union, we are additionally adorned with 66 Natura 2000 sites, which makes up 37 percent of the total area of protected natural values in our county. Natural values are our wealth and potential we protect, and we develop new tourism products with innovative concepts such as citizen science projects and other content and offerings within protected areas that in many ways involve science, locals and our guests, leaving us with a real sense of involvement and contribution to protecting nature,” Kostelic notes.

Istria County is a partner in the EU project KLIM Kontija-Lim Bay, Sustainable Management of Protected Areas, which is implemented under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion with an implementation period from August 2018 to December 2021, the leading partner of which is the Municipality of Vrsar. The project is being implemented to use the Kontija Forest and the entire Lim Bay sustainably, through the construction of a scientific and educational center of the Kontija protected forest, as well as providing numerous additional facilities following the nature protection conditions and developing a broader vision of the development of the Lim Valley area. In its spatial scope, it includes the project area, but it also extends to the areas of the currently unincorporated cities and municipalities of Pazin, Rovinj, Kanfanar, Sveti Lovreč, Sveti Petar u Šumi, Tinjan and Žminj.

At the same time, because of the exceptional natural values of the Lim Bay and the Kontija Forest, recognized through several different nature protection categories of the project area, the Natura Histrica Public Institution plans to develop management plans for these areas for their protection and sustainable development. The Kontija Forest thus becomes one of the key natural resources for the further development of tourism in the Municipality of Vrsar.

The KLIM project begins the systematic approach to the valorization of the wider area of the Lim Bay and the Lim Valley, which abounds in exceptional natural and cultural heritage. The broader framework and vision of the development are defined by documents that the County of Istria has produced before the implementation of the KLIM project, the Spatial Programming Basis (PPO) of the Lim Bay and Lim Draga, the programming concept of Lim Valley Park, the Lim Bay Recreation Park design concept.

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January 13, 2020 - New facilities such as theme parks and trails, rest areas, lookouts, cultural and artistic checkpoints, ecological-educational trails and specialized training grounds and structures for sports and recreational activities will soon be developed in Lim Bay.

Glas Istre writes that at the beginning of this year, the Istria County Administrative Department of Tourism will announce a public call for co-financing events and tourism projects in Istria, for which HRK 660,000 is foreseen. 

Events that prolong the tourist season and direct tourist flows to less developed areas of Istria are encouraged. County Head for Tourism Nada Prodan Mrakovic points out that through local manifestations and tourism projects they want to strongly promote the local traditions and customs and the valorisation and presentation of typical Istrian products, but also emphasize environmental protection and all other environmental aspects.

“Through the program of promoting the sustainability and quality of tourist events in Istria, we strive to motivate the organizers for the sustainable development of events, but also for the organization in the pre and post-season and in less developed tourist areas, which raises the level of attractiveness of the destination and provides additional content,” says Prodan Mrakovic presenting this year's plan of work by the County Department of Tourism.

They are focused on developing Istria as a quality tourist destination oriented to year-round tourism and sustainable development, which drives the local economy and strengthens local values, customs and traditions, respecting space and architecture, protecting heritage and preserving and smartly valorizing natural and cultural resources.

“This requires the consensus of all tourism stakeholders in Istria, responsibility and smart development. The basis of our programs is the Master Plan for Tourism of Istria from 2015 to 2025, from which I highlight several important measures of the operational strategy that we guide in our activities. These include aligning the development of accommodation types with product development, the database of private accommodation and the new marketing process according to accommodation types. We encourage the Touring System of Istria, that is, we support initiatives of cities and municipalities and their tourist boards to organize lookout points, rest areas and info-points precisely to develop this segment more and to enable guests to get to know more about the beauties and contents throughout Istria. This is complemented by the Visitor Interpretation System, where some are already in operation, such as Mare the Witch's House in Svetvinčenat, the Visitor Center in Barban, the Arsia Center in Raša, and several are still in the works. At the same time, many are still being prepared,” says Prodan Mrakovic.

With the "Istria Culture" measure, the goal is to use cultural resources to enhance tourist attractiveness and further diversify experiences and attract more visitors motivated primarily by culture.

“We started measuring some indicators of Istria's sustainable development according to ETIS, the European System of Sustainability Indicators for the Development of Tourist Destinations, and CROST, the Observatory for Sustainable Tourism Development in Croatia, a project of the Institute of Tourism launched to measure and monitor the sustainability of tourism in Croatia. In doing so, we want to sensitize the public to the importance of sustainable tourism development and raise awareness and to make plans and policies for future development based on the indicators obtained. What will help us even more with this is the Sustainable Tourism Study, which is being produced at the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism in Porec, which should give us answers about the perceptions of the population and local self-government units in Istria on sustainable development, the plans they have for the future and the like,” she added.

In the segment of private accommodation, this is followed by the continuation of the development and promotion of the EcoDomus project (eco-friendly accommodation), for which the budget of the Tourism Department is planned at HRK 180,000. The project was awarded at this year's Croatian Tourism Days and was awarded the HTZ Award in the Sustainable Tourism Development category. So far, more than 40 private renters from all over Istria have been awarded the EcoDomus certificate, which is encouraged to tailor their facilities and services to guests responsibly and sustainably. The criteria for obtaining a certificate are valued local values. The host is also encouraged to inform guests about the local cultural and historical heritage, natural values, amenities and events, arrange the environment of their facility with native plant species, promote traditional products and souvenirs, inform guests about learning opportunities and/or participating in traditional customs, promotee local cuisine and typical food products, save water and electricity, sort waste, use environmentally friendly cleaning products and the like.

“Regarding the tourist infrastructure, we continue to maintain and promote the Parenzana hiking and cycling trail, in synergy with the towns and municipalities through the route, namely Poreč, Višnjan, Kaštelir, Vižinada, Karojba, Motovun, Oprtalj, Grožnjan, Buje and Umag. In order to ensure the conditions for continuous and undisturbed sports and recreational use of the route, regular maintenance is necessary. Considering the limited possibilities of local budgets, especially the smaller units of local self-government in the interior of Istria, by pooling earmarked funds of HRK 300,000 for arranging and maintaining Parenzana, a systematic solution is ensured throughout the calendar year,” points out Prodan Mraković.

The County Tourism Department is continuously investing HRK 260,000 annually in Parenzana, independently and from its resources, and this year will set up signposts, boards for various purposes, illuminated tunnels, and enable Internet connection in some places, all to increase its attractiveness, because it is traversed by around 100,000 cyclists and pedestrians every year. This project valorises untapped resources and fosters an economically and socially sustainable environment, such as cycling services, catering (from private accommodation to boutique hotels, taverns and agritourism), wine cellars, olive oil roads, medieval towns and the like.

“In recent years, we have witnessed increased activities around the beaches, which are also supported by the Ministry of Tourism. In this segment, it is very important to manage beaches smartly and responsibly, since beaches are the most important natural resource in the product of the sun and the sea, which is dominant in Istria. Developing the document of the regional program for the development and management of beaches created the preconditions for improving the quality of all the beach content by thematizing the beaches and prescribing the minimum technical conditions of development, the long-term sustainability of managing these areas, as well as improving the attractiveness and visual identity of the entire coastal zone of Istria. This is a prerequisite for an increased satisfaction of tourists and locals through the use of those beaches that are thematically best suited to their interests and preferences,” says Prodan Mrakovic.

Three-Hundred-fifty-thousand kuna has been earmarked this year to encourage the development of selective forms of tourism, such as cultural and sport-recreational tourism, and especially cycling tourism. This includes support for IRTA's Istra Inspirit program, which is based on the valorisation of Istrian myths and legends and their attractive approach to guests. The main objective of the project is to enrich the tourist offer through the segment of cultural and historical heritage and create a unique experience and stories and indirectly extend the tourist season and enrich the cultural and tourist offer. Together with private individuals and others in the public sector, it supports the development of cycling tourism and other nature-based activities throughout Istria, in collaboration with the Istria Bike department established within IRTA.

“In order to investigate the cycling situation on the Istrian market and the satisfaction of locals and tourists with cycling, we have conducted a study on managing the quality of development of cycling tourism in Istria County. The study aims to investigate users' opinions regarding the expected quality and satisfaction of tourists and visitors with the current offer of cycle tourism products in the destination. The main objective of the Study is to offer a sustainable model of quality management for the cycling tourism product. Implemented activities will include examining the opinions and attitudes of cycling tourism service providers and defining indicators that will be able to continuously monitor the quality of cycling tourism at the county level. The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Tourism, and the study costs HRK 187,500, according to Prodan Mrakovic.

In the natural heritage segment, the Gulf of Lim and the Lim fjord is a space that needs to be smartly and responsibly developed to enhance its attractiveness, but not to the detriment of nature, plants and animals living there. Therefore, based on the "Spatial and Programming Basis of the Gulf of Lim and Lim Fjord”, adopted by the Assembly of Istria County, together with the Public Institution Natur Histrica and the municipalities and cities that fall within the scope of the professional foundation, the natural and cultural heritage will be valorized. In accordance with the expert background, existing activities will be upgraded and new facilities such as theme parks and trails, rest areas, lookouts, cultural and artistic checkpoints, ecological-educational trails and specialized training grounds and structures for sports and recreational activities will be developed. The realization of individual segments from the expert background is planned to be financed from EU funds, since it is harmonized with the European directives and spatial planning documentation of the County of Istria.

“We will continue to be present in the education segment of existing and potential caterers. The training aims to raise awareness of the importance of nurturing table culture and authenticity, as well as professionalizing and investing in quality with all catering providers, through incorporating acquired knowledge and skills into the tourist offer of the facility. To sum it up, our goal is to raise awareness of responsible and sustainable tourism development, which implies controlled and quality development based on plans and concepts, long-term perspective, local community involvement, local employees and respect for native architecture. Tourism must promote and enhance economic viability, social balance and environmental friendliness. Therefore, it is important for us to strengthen the local economy, preserve and promote local values, customs and traditions, and preserve the environment and local architecture,” concluded Mrakovic.

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December 8, 2019 - A superb evening was held at the exclusive Harry’s Bar in London in cooperation with the Istria Tourist Board to celebrate the Istrian white truffle.

While it was no easy task to impress several of the finest London gourmands, they were enchanted by the Istrian feast, the most exquisite white truffles, excellent wines and, of course, Istrian extra-virgin olive oil. In the end, it was a fantastic night for all.

Glas Istre writes that the Chairman of Sotheby's UK auction Lord Harry Dalmeny revealed that more than £18,000 was raised for three charities from the evening, and not only was this an exclusive promotion of Istria in London, but a significant breakthrough for the tourist boards and the counties of Istria.

All the proceeds from the auction (£18,300) will go to charity. The Veruda Day Care Center for Rehabilitation in Pula was selected on the Croatian side, which will receive a sum of £12,100. In addition to the amounts auctioned in three auction rounds - six small truffles were sold for £2,800, one medium and one small for £2,600, and a two-day truffle experience package in Istria for £3,500. Furthermore, an anonymous London millionaire donated an extra £3,200 to the famous Veruda Center.

From the UK institutions, donations will go to The Felix Project, which supplies fresh and nutritious food to more than 300 London-based charities, providing 6.5 million meals a year, and to Chain of Hope, which provides life-saving heart treatments.

“Having the president of Sotheby's as an Istrian truffle auctioneer is a great honor for us. We managed to join one of the most luxurious private clubs, Harry's Bar, Sotheby's, as the world's largest auction house and the Istrian truffle, as one of the best truffles in the world. We don't just have time to promote ourselves through classic communication models because then it would take ten years. We take the shortcut, straight to the strongest, so that we shorten the journey towards promoting and raising the reputation of the Istrian destination. If this is the opening tonight, then the closing will be next year with the ATP Master Series, the tennis spectacle at the Arena. Both events really guarantee that we are clearly targeting higher spending power audiences, with tennis that originated in England and is widespread in our country, and with truffles known around the world as the culmination of gastronomy,” said Denis Ivošević, director of the Istria Tourist Board.

As for the "conquest" of the British market, these two major events were preceded by a series of other actions. In the last three to four years, Ivošević points out, they have significantly increased air arrivals to Istria, from virtually all London airports, except City. From all five other airports, five different airlines fly to Pula, from national carrier British Airways flying from Heathrow to EasyJet from Gatwick and Southend, Ryanair from Stansted, TUI UK and Jet2.com from Gatwick. When they secured the flights, two years ago, the Istria Tourist Board contracted a collaboration with the London-based PR agency Fox Communication, and for two years in a row, much has been written about Istria, with a focus on London and its surroundings.

The Istria truffle was also the star of the dinner at Harry's Bar, which was enjoyed by about 70 guests. Under the expert guidance of Italian restaurant manager Luciano Porcu, paired with Kozlovic's Teran and Malvasia and Chiavalon extra virgin oil, scallops, homemade tagliolini, and veal piccata were served, and finally toasted panettone, chocolate sorbet and zabaglione. With these top delicacies and the spirited Lord Dalmeny, the truffle auction began, which were brought to London by representatives of Zigante Truffles. The star of the evening, the biggest truffle of the season in Istria, weighing 375 grams, went to an anonymous London buyer for £3,800.

“To me, this is really fantastic, something different that we haven't seen yet. Such events, with auctions, really target a specific group, deep-pocket guests. The Istrian County Tourist Board has managed to combine a lot of things, including gastronomy, selected clientele and humanitarian actions. The engagement of Sotheby's has definitely raised the level of the whole event, and if someone wants to target such an audience, a little more sophisticated, richer, with more refined taste, then this is definitely the right approach. Istria is recognized as a gastronomic destination, among others. The British appreciate our cuisine and we want to talk more about it. We see great potential for the growing interest in Istria on the British market,” said Darija Reić, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board representative office in London, and also a guest at the Istrian dinner.

Croatia, says Reić, is yet to be discovered, especially by the upper classes of British society. After Dubrovnik and Split-Dalmatia County, especially the islands, Istria is the third most sought after destination by Brits. They are guests for the pre and post-season since they prefer nautical, active and gastronomic tourism, and in recent years, Advent trips have become more and more popular, as have Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split, as increasingly popular destinations for British tourists in the winter.

“Despite Brexit, this year we had an increase of 4% in tourist traffic from Britain. What Brexit brings is still a big unknown, more may be known after the December 12 election, but the British love to travel and won't give up on it. It was agreed that British airlines and tour operators would be able to travel and fly within the EU by the end of 2020 under the same conditions. So in the year ahead, there are no major changes, and what will matter is the strength of their currency, which is related to Brexit, and I think they will turn to more countries that do not have the euro, which Croatia should use,” Reić explained.

Denis Ivošević spoke about his strategy to return Istria to the British market.

“The last time a similar event took place was more than twelve years ago when Italian truffles from Alba were auctioned. This fact is not surprising given that most good restaurants are held by Italian managers, chefs, entrepreneurs. How ubiquitous and strong the Italian brand is can be seen every step of the way in London, so we are at the beginning. We have a long way to go; we have to be persistent and ubiquitous,” Ivošević concluded.

You can read the full piece here. 

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

November 24, 2019 - Zavrsje, where Otto Bathurst directed Robin Hood in the spring of 2017, was nominated for Best European Film Location. Ten European cities, regions, and countries have been nominated for the award in total.

HRTurizam reports that the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN), in collaboration with the Cineuropa Film Portal, is selecting the best European film location in the film and TV industry for the third time.

In the first phase of the competition, each EUFCN member nominated one location from their region, that is, the country used in the movie, TV series, or documentary released between January 2018 and July 2019.

Among the ten shortlisted locations is the Istrian town of Zavrsje - Piemonte d'Istria, a candidate of the Istrian Film Commission - Istria Film Commission, which is responsible for promoting Istria as a film destination within the Istrian Cultural Agency.

Otto Bathurst directs the nominated film and Joby Harrold authors the script. The lead roles are interpreted by Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Eve Hewson, Jamie Dornan, Ben Mendelsohn, Paul Anderson and Tim Minchin.

For Robin Hood, over 670 film employees worked in Croatia, 273 of them Croatian, with almost 1,650 extras. The recording was executed through the incentive measures of HAVC - Croatian Audiovisual Center, and over the 15 days of filming, the total local consumption was at the level of the largest projects recorded so far in Croatia.

Much of the action took place in Dubrovnik, which embodied Nottingham. After Dubrovnik, the film crew moved to Istria, more precisely Zavrsje, one of the best-preserved examples of medieval architecture in the interior of Istria.

Zavrsje, in the Groznjan municipality, plays Loxley, Robin's hometown, and the Parenzana Bridge connects Nottingham and Loxley in the film. Robin Hood arrives at the hearth of his hometown, where he decides to wage a fight against the notorious sheriff of Nottingham on the ruins of his home. Impressive action scenes were filmed in the area.

The film was released in the USA on November 21st and hit Croatian cinemas on November 29th, thanks to Blitz Film & Video Distribution.

In addition to Zavrsje, the other nominated cities are Athens (Greece) in the series The Little Drummer Girl, Vilnius (Lithuania) for the series Chernobyl, Delphi Theater in Germany, where the series Babylon Berlin was filmed, Dorfuli (Northern Macedonia) for the documentary Honeyland, El Hierro in Spain for Hierro,  Luggala (Ireland) in the Vikings series, Lviv in Ukraine for the Eva.Stories by Mati Kochavi project, Italian Rocca Guidonesca di Rocchettine in the series Il Nome della Rosa, and Brussels (Belgium) in the miniseries Les Miserables.

Now, it is up to the audience to choose the best filming location from these ten nominees. Please note that one e-mail address is valid for one vote, which must be confirmed by a link sent to the voter's e-mail inbox. 

You can cast your vote by December 30, 2019, HERE.

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