October 20, 2021 - Mali Lošinj, Rab, Zadar, Šibenik, Supetar, and Dubrovnik will receive modern high-speed medical boats in the next two years, finally establishing an emergency maritime medical service in these areas.

This long-awaited project worth almost HRK 77 million is co-financed by EU Funds and will significantly increase the level of health and safety of people in the coastal area, while with all the necessary equipment in outpatient clinics at initial destinations will be performed to determine the need for emergency intervention and transportation to the nearest hospital on land, reports HRTurizam. 

The procurement of 6 fast boats with the necessary equipment to provide emergency medical care will be located in stationary ports in Mali Lošinj, Rab, Zadar, Šibenik, Supetar, and Dubrovnik. The boats will be built by the communities of bidders: Tehnomont Shipyard and ISKRA Shipyard.

Boats and related equipment will also be used for search and rescue purposes and to provide medical assistance in cases of maritime accidents and maritime disasters. Also, to prevent unnecessarily high costs of transport from the island to the mainland by fast boats, in dispensaries at the initial destinations of patient care, it will be possible to perform simple qualitative or quantitative medical-biochemical tests using automatic biochemical analyzers to determine the necessity of emergency intervention of transport to the nearest emergency medical institution/hospital on land.

For this purpose, the project will provide 12 automatic biochemical blood analyzers that will be distributed in 12 branches of the Institute of Emergency Medicine - Blato on Korcula, Korcula, Lastovo and Mljet in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Cres, Mali Losinj, and Rab in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Jelsa on Hvar, Supetar, Šolta and Vis in the Split-Dalmatia County and Preko in the Zadar County.

While this is great news, HRTurizam writes that it is also necessary to provide helicopter services on the islands and the coast and that it is the civilizational reach of the 21st century where we must provide all island residents with quality health care, and thus for the safety of tourists as a serious tourist destination.

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

ZAGREB, 7 Sept, 2021 - Three more Croatian restaurants have been added to the prestigious Michelin restaurant guide, bringing the total number of Croatian restaurants with one star to ten, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) announced on Tuesday following notification from Michelin.

The three new restaurants that have been awarded a single Michelin star are Nebo in Rijeka (housed in the Costabella Hilton Hotel), Alfred Keller in Mali Lošinj and Agli Amici in Rovinj. They joined the seven restaurants that have retained their stars - Boškinac in Novalja, LD Terrace in Korčula, Pelegrini in Šibenik, 360º in Dubrovnik, Monte in Rovinj, Noel in Zagrebu and Draga di Lovrana in Lovran.

In addition, seven more restaurants have been awarded the special Bib Gourmand designation for their remarkable menus at affordable prices. There are now 13 restaurants in Croatia with this designation.

The new Bib Gourmand restaurants are Konoba Mate (Korčula), Dunav (Ilok), Konoba Fetivi (Split), Izakaya by Time (Zagreb), Vuglec Breg (Krapina), Konoba Malo Selo (Buje) and Alla Beccaccia (Valbandon).

All the restaurants are listed in the new edition of the Michelin guide for Croatia for 2021. Another novelty in the new edition is the Michelin Green Star designation, which has been awarded to the Zinfandel's restaurant, housed in the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, to acknowledge its commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly gastronomy.

Commenting on the news from Michelin, Tourism and Sport Minister Nikolina Brnjac said that enjoying food and drink is an important part of the tourist experience, adding that Croatia, as a country with a rich gastronomic tradition, should invest more in its promotion and development in the future. 

HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić said that the award of new Michelin designations is a huge success for the Croatian gastronomic scene and very important for the country's tourist industry, considering various restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

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

April 30, 2021 - Preparations for another COVID season in Mali Lošinj are underway, with numerous initiatives and positive changes for citizens. 

Jutarnji List reports that in the last four years, the City of Mali Lošinj has become a leader in numerous initiatives and positive changes, which is the right recipe for improving the quality of life and keeping young families on the island.

The largest city on the Croatian island in the last four years is run by Mayor Ana Kučić, who is proud that this island area has many young people, business people, and farmers. All of them are very much responsible because Mali Lošinj has been in the top 10 destinations in the Republic of Croatia for years. Sustainable development management is carried out at all levels of the destination, which is why Mali Lošinj was ranked among the Top 100 sustainable destinations globally for the sixth time, and in 2019 the island of Lošinj was declared the most successful health tourism destination.

Dedicated work on responsible tourism was also awarded by the Responsible Tourism Partnership, which awarded the Responsible Tourism Award at the World Tourism Fair in London to the City and the Mali Lošinj Tourist Board for responding to the challenges caused by COVID-19. It is a plan that envisages a kind of "Insurance Policy," i.e., monetary compensation for renters of private accommodation and the costs of self-isolation of the guest, quick coordination of the authorities in case of suspicion of infection, as well as safe return to the home country. Thus, Lošinj became one of the first cities in Croatia to take this problem seriously, aware that the island's budget is largely, like most of Croatia, dependent on tourism.

Mali Lošinj does not understand youth education only declaratively. Therefore, co-financing a full-time stay for students from 1st to 4th grade, student scholarships and scholarships for those students who reside in the City of Mali Lošinj and study outside it, subsidizing bus tickets to pupils and students to the place of schooling is only part of the measures. The city is also undertaking almost one million kuna from the budget. At the same time, in the past four years, HRK 40 million has been allocated for preschool education, and in 2021 a total of HRK 10.7 million is planned.

Aware of the importance of continuously providing quality health services to residents, the City provides housing for physicians coming from other areas and provides them with accommodation in the existing adapted housing stock owned by the City. Namely, on the island of Lošinj, funding has been provided for years for doctors - specialists who regularly come to the island. The City allocates about 500 thousand kuna, and a total of 1.2 million kuna is allocated from the budget to ensure a quality health program. In addition to the health program, they initiated amendments to the spatial planning documentation to start constructing the future Health Center in cooperation with the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

The city's priority is housing construction through several different models, such as renting city apartments and city ruins and land for a longer period. The first public call is currently being prepared, in which a dozen families will be provided with such housing. The housing construction is oriented not only to the City of Mali Lošinj but also to all other places that administratively belong to Mali Lošinj.

Unfortunately, due to the unenviable situation caused by the pandemic, Mali Lošinj planned as much as 2.9 million kuna for the social program in the budget for 2021, which is almost 40 percent more than, for example, in 2017. The reason for this is the development of social measures in recent years, but also the amendment of the Decision on the social standard of citizens, which increased the amount of social census, which includes a larger number of socially vulnerable citizens and families while maintaining existing standards in health care and all educational institutions and programs.

In the past few years, through eight different measures, more than five million kuna of support has been awarded to the economy and farmers to preserve jobs, facilitating business for entrepreneurs, and encouraging agricultural production and investment in agricultural infrastructure. Aware of the challenges facing the economy during the pandemic, the City has brought several benefits for entrepreneurs to preserve jobs, such as exemption from taxes on the use of public areas and rent of business premises and exemption from concessions and utilities. 

The agglomeration project is significant, primarily due to rising living standards and environmental protection. The largest investment that will be realized in the coming years in this area, worth as much as 486 million kuna, will eliminate the use of septic tanks and the discharge of wastewater into the environment in all settlements. This will enable the development and improvement of standards for the provision of water services and directly affect the quality of life of all residents.

From 2017 to 2021, 51 projects were applied for European and national funding sources, and 14 letters of support were issued for all projects whose implementation will take place in this area. The total amount of registered projects is HRK 529 million for EU projects and HRK 33 million for national projects. In addition to the financial injection of EU funds, which is necessary for serious projects, Lošinj and Cres have jointly launched an energy transition project at the European Commission for Clean Energy of EU Islands that develops broadband infrastructure, smart water management, and utilities.

The City of Lošinj annually allocates HRK 10 million for the work of institutions, the Public Open University, the City Library and Reading Room, and the Lošinj Museum, which includes the Museum of Apoxyomenos, and for capital projects in culture, which is one-seventh of the City's total budget. Funds have also been provided for the repair of the damaged Osor ramparts. A project for the arrangement of Kaštela is being prepared, for which complete archaeological research of the fort has been carried out, and a project for the maritime collection - the Maritime Museum.

Follow the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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April 28, 2021 - Starting this weekend, the Lošinj Gastro Weekend 2021 prepares a real treat to the visitors of 14 restaurants on the island.

A beautiful island setting of Lošinj, and delicious food next to the Adriatic - all a regular feature of the annual gastro weekend which starts this week and continues until the end of May.

As Losinj Tourist Board website VisitLosinj.hr announces, fourteen restaurants from Osor all the way to Mali Lošinj will each weekend have a special offer based on a specific product.

Starting with this Friday, April 30 to Sunday, May 2, the restaurants will have lamb specialties in which the local meat will be offered to satisfy your taste buds.

The next is asparagus weekend (May 7-9), followed by fish dishes (May 14-16), Medditaranian herbs dishes (May 21-23), and finally the Antic cuisine (May 28-30).
Artatore, Baracuda, Bocca Vera, Bora bar, Borik Mediterranean Bar, Deveron, Diana Steakhouse, Eki, Lanterna Grill Mare, Silvana, Silver Bay Televrin, and Veli žal are the restaurants.
Turizmoteka.hr also covered the story and warned readers to reserve their place in the restaurants to enjoy this lovely culinary spectacle.

„In these moments, the cooperation between every actor in the destination is extremely important to overcome the negative effect of corona crisis as fast as possible. This festival is an ideal opportunity for visitors to meet Lošinj through local specialties. Come and enjoy!“, said Mali Lošinj mayor Ana Kučić, writes Turizmoteka.

"It is our wish to bring our guests almost all gastronomy pleasures the Island of Vitality is known for“, said Dalibor Cvitković, president of Lošinj Tourist Board, referring to the island's nickname.

Learn more about Croatian islands on our TC page.

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March the 17th, 2021 - The beautiful green heart of Croatia, Lika, and charming Mali Losinj have both been listed among the top 100 global green destinations for the year 2020.

As Morski writes, the Green Destinations Story Awards jury commission divided the top 100 green destinations in 2020 into a total of six categories and, according to the submitted material, selected the most innovative and sustainable, and one of the important criteria was the possibility of applying examples of good practice in other destinations across the world.

The Lika Destination Cluster won third prize in the category Islands & Seaside with the story Local products in the function of destination development, and Mali Losinj was included among the top six finalists in the category Communities & Culture, with the story Integrated quality management in the destination.

The truly beautiful and emerald green area of Lika is unique in many ways because it combines a beautiful continental part of the country, the Velebit mountain massif as a unique biosphere park and the coastal part that leaves nobody feeling indifferent. It is an area that includes three gorgeous national parks, a nature park, a cave park and a number of other natural phenomena. Most of this area is a unique example of rich biodiversity, which is an excellent prerequisite for the production of premium food that is placed under the unique brand Lika Quality and it is thanks to this project that the destination Lika won this highly commendable award.

¨At the recent selection for the global top 100 green destinations across the world, Lika won for the first time, but the recognition doesn´t stop there, within that same list, it was selected among the top fifteen," said a proud Petra Kovacevic, the leader of the Lika Destination Cluster.

The island of Losinj, known as the island of vitality, is a brand that has been striving for sustainable and responsible tourism since way back in 2006, and is considered one of the leaders in sustainable development in the Republic of Croatia.

¨Were glad that Losinj has once again been recognised as one of the best green destinations. Sustainability is the key advantage of the island of vitality. Through many years of measuring things up and comparing data, we´ve detected strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities in order to constantly improve the destination's sustainability strategy. With integrated cooperation with its residents and visitors, we have come to a solution on how to develop, but at the same time preserve a permanent quality destination for coexistence and the pleasant stay of our guests,¨ said the director of the Tourist Board of Mali Losinj, Dalibor Cvitkovic.

The competition for 100 sustainable destinations is organised to highlight relevant and true stories of sustainable and responsible tourism across the globe, which serve as inspiration for other destinations, tour operators and of course travellers and tourists.

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March 13, 2021 - Mali Losinj Tourist Board webinars have been used as a communicative tool for all tourism stakeholders on the island in preparation for the new season. 

Quality communication is key when it comes to tourist season preparations, and the Mali Losinj Tourist Board is one positive example you'll find in Croatia. You may recall them in the spotlight last year for their FERRY FREE campaign and "insurance policy" for guests in case of self-isolation.

Thus, this year as well, the Mali Losinj Tourist Board has additionally strengthened communication in the field, as well as with education through webinars. In a conversation with Dalibor Cvitković, director of the Mali Losinj Tourist Board, Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam learned how they are preparing for this year's season on Losinj and how they, as a tourist office, communicate with tourism stakeholders.

Although education on Losinj is not foreign to you, during the COVID-19 crisis, you intensified communication with webinars. How do you communicate as a tourist office?

"Yes, I have always advocated open communication with all stakeholders in tourism; given the impossibility of holding forums and workshops, we decided to communicate through webinars with stakeholders, especially with a group of renters.

Before starting the webinar, we conducted a survey among renters with the question of which topics they would like us to cover in the webinars. So we formed topics and lecturers following their suggestions. So far, we have done three webinars, the first to emphasize storytelling in tourism and digital apartments (advertising on the web and social networks), then a webinar "How to be a good host during COVID," with an emphasis on apartments and business. In the third webinar, in cooperation with our representative offices' directors in the main markets of Italy, Austria, Slovenia, and Germany, we tried to answer "What to expect from the season?".

Of course, at each webinar, we present the current information at our disposal and the legal obligations of landlords in terms of tourist tax, membership fees, flat income tax, recategorization, etc., but also the opportunities that the Mali Losinj Tourist Board has in cooperation with landlords from co-financing marketing activities, cards for renters with discounts, loyalty programs for long-term guests, distribution of seedlings - Lošinjski cvijet, to the year-round promotion of family accommodation through all sales channels and free use of photo and video materials of the Mali Losinj Tourist Board.

We do 'hybrid' webinars so that part of the landlords can attend in our office (up to 10 people), and the rest through Zoom, and so far, we have had an attendance of 50 - 70 participants who have the opportunity to ask questions to our lecturers and us personally.

The next webinar is on Wednesday, March 17, to present the Safe Stay project in Croatia. Mr. Edvin Jurin, a well-known marketing expert, and a consultant, will present the topic "Renters - Newly different," where we will answer questions about the new different era of renting, how to create a map of the tourist experience, and how future destinations will look."

Also, open and quality communication is a tool to raise all participants' quality, including entire destinations directly?

"Of course, our goal is to raise the quality of service in all tourist offerings in the destination and work on networking all stakeholders in the destination so that Losinj as a destination gets additional recognition.

By measuring the indicators of the European System of Indicators for Sustainable Destinations - ETIS, we strive to monitor, manage and strengthen the sustainability of the tourist destination. In addition to ETIS, we are working on the Study of Sustainability of Tourism Development and Reception Capacity of Mali Losinj. Together with the island of Cres, we have adopted a tourism development strategy for Mali Losinj and Cres with defined operational development strategies from tourism products, tourism infrastructure projects, accommodation strategies, competitiveness programs, and tourism marketing.

With the vision that Mali Losinj and Cres, with their quality and uniqueness of the tourist offer, represent one of the leading sustainable, lifestyle, and wellbeing island destinations in the Mediterranean."

This year we are much smarter and more prepared for the challenges tourism brings in the age of coronavirus. Last year, you had the FERRY FREE campaign and the "insurance policy" for guests in case of self-isolation. What will you do this year? 

"Through open communication with stakeholders last year, we noticed the numerous inquiries we have when a guest arrives during the COVID-19 crisis. Here, we jointly developed behavioral protocols at the destination level, sent clear instructions to all accommodation facilities in several languages ​​, from the code of conduct to the survey questionnaire in case of suspected COVID-19 infection. We also took financial responsibility to reimburse renters and guests that because of the coronavirus, they have to extend their stay, or the landlord could not rent it for the sake of the guest who was supposed to remain in self-isolation. We will have an "insurance policy" this year to provide security for guests and owners of accommodation facilities.

Other marketing activities such as "Ferry free" last year will depend primarily on the border crossing protocol and the conditions that countries from our main markets will put as an obligation to return to the same, here we are talking about "Covid passports" or the obligation for the guest to have a negative PCR or antigen test.

We are in coordination with all stakeholders in the destination. We will be ready if necessary to ensure easier and faster testing in the destination area or participate in participating in their costs, monitor the situation, have more scenarios, and be ready to respond."

To conclude, the Mali Losinj Tourist Board website clearly communicates where the tests are performed (swabs, rapid antigen test, serological tests), at what price, and where to report.

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December 20, 2020 – The 13 winners of the incredibly popular World Meteorological Organization annual competition have just been announced, and two fine pieces of Croatia weather photography are among them. These spectacular images of Croatia weather photography show all 9 Croatian photographs which reached the final in 2020 and all 10 Croatian finalists who similarly stunned the global audience in 2019

Croatia weather photography: the two newly announced winners from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Sandro Puncet Photo taken: Losinj island

Photographer: Zrinka Balabanic Photo taken: Pag island

Thanks to its popularity as a tourist destination, lots of people are now used to seeing beautiful photos of Croatia. Although, the images they usually see are of idyllic beaches, cloudless skies, stunning nature and turquoise blue seas. But, as anyone who knows the country will tell you - and as these photos show - Croatia isn't always like that.

Croatia weather photography: the two newly announced runners-up from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Šime Barešić Photo taken: Drage, Pakostane

Photographer: Mislav Bilic Photo taken: Lapad Peninsula, Dubrovnik

Out of season, Croatia can experience vastly different weather conditions to those advertised in travel brochures and blogs. And, whenever there's a spectacular weather occurrence, usually there's a photographer out there, braving the elements, trying to capture it.

Over recent years, some of the best Croatia weather photography has featured in the annual competition organised by the World Meteorological Organization. 2020 has been no different.

The other five Croatian finalists from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Šime Barešić Photo taken: Drage, Pakostane

Photographer: Sandro Puncet Photo taken: Losinj island

Photographer: Zoran Stanko Photo taken: Geisler Alm, Dolomites, Italy

Photographer: Maja Kraljik Photo taken: Umag, Istria

Photographer: Igor Popovic Photo taken: Rijeka

The winners of this year's competition have just been announced and the two fantastic examples of Croatia weather photography within the top 13 will take their place in the 2021 World Meteorological Organization calendar.

The 10 Croatian finalists from the 2019 competition
Photographer: Danica Sičič Photo taken: Srobreč, Dalmatia

Photographer: Romeo Ibrišević Photo taken: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Photographer: Božan Štambuk Photo taken: Bundek park, Zagreb

Photographer: Miroslava Novak Photo taken: Pribislavec, Međimurje

As well as the two winners, two further examples of Croatia weather photography came in the runner-up category, of which there were 12 in total.

Photographer: Francesca Delbianco Photo taken: Zagreb

Photographer: Ivica Brlić Photo taken: Sava river, Davor, near Slavonski Brod

Photographer: Nataša Šafar Photo taken: Rečica, near Karlovac

Photographer: Romeo Ibrišević Photo taken: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Over 1000 photographs from all over the world were entered in the 2020 competition. The submissions were narrowed down to a final selection of 70 contenders. As TCN reported back at the start of October, no less than 9 examples of Croatia weather photography made it into the final 70, taken by 7 Croatian photographers.

Photographer: Danijel Palčić Photo taken: Pag island

Photographer: Aleksandar Gospic Photo taken: Ražanac

Croatia regularly punches well above its weight in the annual competition, as we can see from these 10 examples of incredible Croatia weather photography that were among the finalists in 2019.

All images courtesy World Meteorological Organisation

December the 16th, 2020 - The area of Poljana in Mali Losinj is even safer following yesterday's removal of old WW2 ordnance that had been lying undisturbed ever since the 1940s.

As Morski writes, yesterday in the area of Poljana in Mali Losinj, a complex action of the removal and subsequent destruction of two explosive devices left over from the second world war was carried out. The ordinance included an MC-500 LB aircraft bomb, made in England, and a RKT 152 MM, 60 Lb polyvalent rocket.

The action was attended by police officers of the Anti-Explosion Department of the Police Administration of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, in cooperation with police officers of the Anti-Explosion Service of the Police Directorate and the Mali Losinj Police Station, along with the Cres branch and with members of the Croatian Army. The removal was done successfully with the logistical and organisational support of the Town of Mali Losinj and the participation of employees of both HMP and JVP Mali Losinj.

The aforementioned bomb, weighing about 300 kilograms in total, was safely deactivated and removed from its place of discovery before being transported by a helicopter belonging to the Croatian Air Force to the Mali Losinj heliport. From there, it will be transported to the military range where it will be destroyed according to professional rules. The polyvalent rocket, weighing about 30 kilograms, was destroyed by police officers at the scene according to the rules of the profession.

During the action near Poljana in Mali Losinj, which took place from 10:30 to 11:30, some of the population living near the area were evacuated from their homes, and other residents were instructed not to leave residential and other buildings, ie not to stay out in the open until the end of the action.

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December the 9th, 2020 - Yet another praiseworthy ranking for a Croatian hotel even during a year which has challenged their very operation as Mali Losinj's Boutique Hotel Alhambra is listed among the top ten hotels in Europe.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Boutique Hotel Alhambra, a unique hotel located in beautiful Mali Losinj that has continued to delight guests from all over the world with its luxurious atmosphere, was ranked by the readers of Luxury Lifestyle Magazine among the ten best hotels in all of Europe. As part of the prestigious Readers' Travel Awards 2020, among the best in the Best hotel in Europe category lies the Bellevue 5 * hotel, another award-winning representative of the Losinj Hotels & Villas brand, a hotel group that is also the only Croatian representative in the company of the best European hotels.

The Luxury Lifestyle Magazine is a professional publication for the discovery new luxury destinations, gastronomic delights, exclusive locations and the top brands that inspire travellers from all over the world to explore destinations and hotels they've never visited before. The Readers' Travel Awards provide the publication's readers the opportunity to single out those tourist facilities that have left the strongest impression on them, with the aim of highlighting the unsurpassed gems of the global tourism industry and rewarding excellence in a number of categories. Readers were able to vote for their favourites after the nominations were reviewed by an expert committee, according to strict criteria.

Surrounded by the intoxicating scent of ancient pine trees and elegantly adorning Cikat bay, one of the most beautiful in the region, the luxurious Boutique Hotel Alhambra is housed in an Austro-Hungarian Art Nouveau-style villa built in 1912. It is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, one of only two Croatian members of the American network of leading tourist entities Virtuoso and one of the five Croatian representatives of the Traveler Made community. The Boutique Hotel Alhambra offers a high level of privacy for guests who want to enjoy an escape from everyday life, with the offer of organised transfers, the rental of luxury cars and boats to travel and experiences designed according to the personal preferences of the guest. The world-class Alfred Keller restaurant is known for its indigenous seasonal ingredients and delicacies, and the unique Cube Spa Alhambra is a top wellness oasis where guests can indulge in a range of body treatments and rituals, from cleansing baths to detoxifying scrubs and wraps, enjoying the benefits of natural essential oils.

''We're very honoured that the readers of LLM, many of whom we've had the pleasure and privilege of hosting in our hotel, chose us among the ten best hotels in Europe. Our daily mission is to serve the most demanding wishes of our guests with a commitment to consistently create and provide an unforgettable experience in all aspects, exceeding their expectations. All praise goes to our dedicated team who have always gone above and beyond to fulfill the promises we give to our guests. We'd also like to thank our guests and readers for voting for us and we look forward to their return to the Alhambra and to our beautiful island,''  said Andrea Glavan, the director of the Boutique Hotel Alhambra.

The impeccably designed Bellevue 5 * hotel, which recently won the prestigious title of the best Spa hotel in Croatia according to the World Spa Awards, in the Spa Clinic which stretches over 2500 m2 and is the largest in the whole region, provides an excellent wellness haven where guests can enjoy integrated fitness, wellness and beauty programmes, complemented and treated by world-renowned brands such as Bastien Gonzalez, 45 Degrees, Forlle'd Japan, Pharmos Natur and Valmont.

The luxury collection of the Losinj Hotels & Villas hotel consists of the Alhambra Boutique Hotel, the Bellevue Hotel and three ultra-luxury villas - Villa Augusta, Villa Mirasol and Villa Hortensia, all of which located along the gorgeous coastline.

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November 12, 2020 - Great news for the Mali Losinj Tourist Board, which has been recognized for responsible tourism management during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

HRTurizamHRTurizam reports that the Responsible Tourism Partnership has been awarding the WTM Responsible Tourism Awards for years as part of the World Tourism Fair in London.

Among the prominent this year was the Mali Losinj Tourist Board for responding to the challenges caused by COVID-19.

Thus, the Mali Losinj Tourist Board received recognition, in cooperation with the City of Mali Losinj, the Epidemiological Service, and other stakeholders in the destination, for the protocol it devised in the event of COVID-19 infections.

The plan envisages a kind of "Insurance Policy," i.e., monetary compensation for renters of private accommodation and the guest's self-isolation costs, quick coordination of the authorities in case infection is suspected, as well as safe return to the home country.

Also, the award was given thanks to the unique FERRY FREE action in which everyone participated - from large tourism organizations to small renters. All guests who stayed on the island of Losinj for more than seven nights in commercial accommodation in September received a reduction in the final accommodation bill in the value of a return ferry ticket.

“Responsible tourism is what we do together in a destination to achieve a goal. The term 'sustainable' is too often used only in an abstract sense. Sustainability is an ambition, and responsibility requires us to show what we are doing to make tourism better and to be more transparent in what we achieve, together," said Dalibor Cvitkovic, director of the Mali Losinj Tourist Board.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the award ceremony was held online and maintained virtually for the first time in 40 years. The fair itself took place from November 9-11. Encouraged by the situation, the judges decided to commend the companies and destinations taking responsibility during COVID-19 and addressed the many challenges of this pandemic.

"The Mali Losinj Tourist Board is recognized as a driver of change that leads to making tourism more sustainable by taking responsibility for reducing the negative and increasing the positive effects of tourism," concludes Cvitkovic.

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