October 31, 2020 – The five-star Bellevue Hotel Spa Clinic on the island of Lošinj has been named "Croatia’s Best Hotel Spa" for 2020 by the prestigious World Spa Awards, an established global organization whose main goal is to promote and reward quality in the spa and wellness industry.

As Večernji.hr reports, launched in 2015, this annual awards program was created as a sister event to the World Travel Awards, which rewards excellence and fosters growth and innovation in tourism for the past 27 years.

Croatia's Best Hotel Spa award is a new international recognition for the Bellevue five-star hotel, which is also the holder of numerous other prestigious awards, including the one for the best luxury hotel in Croatia.

"We are extremely proud to have won the 'Croatia's Best Hotel Spa' award at the World Spa Awards this year! Lošinj is adorned with an exceptional and natural healing environment, and we have strived to achieve the harmony of the science of beauty segment, wellness technology, and effective natural rituals to create the perfect combination. But all this would not have been possible without the effort and work of our dedicated team," said Melissa Mettler, director of Spa and Wellness for Lošinj Hotels & Villas, the hotel brand that manages the Bellevue Hotel.

Island of vitality

The Bellevue Spa Clinic is a perfect refuge in the Bellevue five-star hotel, located in the picturesque bay of Čikat on Lošinj – the island of vitality. In this spacious wellness center, guests can fully indulge in integrative wellness programs and treatments from world-renowned experts and brands.

These include the famous French pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez, Forlle'd Japan, Pharmos Natur, and Valmont, as well as top non-invasive medical aesthetic therapies, which include Ultherapy, Exima, CryoSauna, Oxygen, and anti-aging treatments provided by a team of aesthetics, doctors, and dermatologists.

The Spa Garden is also worth mentioning. It offers guests outdoor relaxation in the sauna, hot tub, and small pool. Bellevue is also known for its lavishly designed interior that gives guests a complete sense of luxury.

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October 15, 2020 - Guests already perceive the Cres-Losinj archipelago as one destination, which was recognized by the towns of Cres and Mali Losinj, who signed an agreement on cooperation between tourist boards. With this document, they announced the continuation of joint activities to develop tourism further.

HRTurizam reports that the Cres Tourist Board and Mali Losinj Tourist Board are currently implementing a unique Tourism Development Master Plan, which defines long-term visions, growth goals, and a framework for developing a competitive tourism strategy that will contribute to improving the quality of life and creating new development cycles.

"I welcome today's informal association of the tourist boards of Mali Losinj and Cres. I am convinced that by working together, we can position ourselves in the market better and develop projects that will stimulate the overall economic development of our archipelago, which is extremely important in these challenging times. We have excellent cooperation with Cres, and we hope that this agreement will produce many good projects for the development of our islands, but most importantly, that it will improve the quality of life of its inhabitants," said Ana Kučić, Mayor of Mali Losinj and President of the Tourist Board of Mali Losinj.

The vision of tourism in Mali Losinj and Cres is defined in cooperation with key destination stakeholders and is based on three main pillars - Sun and Sea, a tourist product that currently generates the largest share of tourist traffic, then active vacation as a primary tourist product in the pre and post season and Wellbeing which represents the essence of the experience of health tourism and the Wellness & Spa program in the destination.

The master plan envisages that Mali Losinj and Cres will approach the valorization of hitherto unused resources and interpret them in an innovative and modern way. The sustainability principle will be applied through all development activities to preserve the natural environment and quality of life.

"Tourist boards have jointly developed a strategy for the development of tourism in our archipelago, so informal association is just a logical continuation of cooperation. The joint development of a strategy is a kind of engagement of our tourism, which is an association of marriage. The synergy that will result in this tourist marriage will contribute to the recognition of our archipelago as a unique tourist destination with many special features of Cres and Losinj, from Tramuntana in the north to Ilovik in the south," said Kristijan Jurjako, President of the Cres Tourist Board and Mayor of Cres.

The cities of Cres and Mali Losinj have been cooperating at all levels for years, have joint utility companies, a development agency, and cooperate on numerous projects. The informal association of tourist boards is a logical sequence of cooperation.

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October 7, 2020 - Global Green Destinations has named Lika and Mali Losinj among the TOP 100 sustainable destinations in the world!

HRTurizam reports that Global Green Destinations is an international foundation that brings together the world's sustainable tourist destinations. This week, Global Green Destinations Days released the Global TOP 100 Sustainable Destinations for 2020, which included two Croatian destinations: Lika and Mali Losinj.

The competition for 100 sustainable destinations is organized to show stories of sustainable tourism and good practices, as inspiring examples to other destinations, tour operators, and travelers. According to the evaluation of the TOP 100 Green Destination team, this year, the selection was more than ever determined by the quality, efficiency, and portability of good practice stories submitted by destinations when applying.

Since its founding, the Lika Destination cluster has been guided by the philosophy of sustainable development (Smart Sustainable Destination), and the main activity of the cluster is the tourist promotion of Lika destinations on the domestic and foreign markets based on natural, cultural, historical, gastronomic and health features.

Quality cooperation with 8 protected natural areas, including as many as 3 out of 8 national parks in Croatia, forming a joint ticket to Lika, implementing multi-day programs to stay longer, networking and connecting local producers under a common brand - Lika Quality, opening new markets and encouraging the increase of local production and numerous projects in the field of destination, cultural and sustainable tourism are just part of what the Lika Destination Cluster has been working on since day one, to create conditions for the development of sustainable year-round tourism in Lika.

"Destination Lika in recent years is becoming increasingly recognizable in the tourism market, and this certificate is just further proof of how the Lika Destination Cluster works well on the promotion of the destination and development on the principle of sustainable development," points out the Lika Destination Cluster and emphasizes that this prestigious award is proof of destination development in the right direction and aligned with the latest world trends.

Mali Losinj is again in the group of the best this year, and in 2020, it competed in the categories of Culture and Community and Nature and Ecotourism.

"Sustainable development management, which is a strategic issue and a great responsibility, is carried out at all levels of the destination, as evidenced by the fact that we are included in the Top 100 sustainable destinations in the world," said the director of the Mali Losinj Tourist Board, Dalibor Cvitkovic. The Mali Losinj Tourist Board is among the leaders in sustainable development in Croatia.

“We were among the first to get involved in the European Commission project: ETIS - European Tourism Indicator System for Sustainable Destinations, we participate in the CROSTO project - Croatian Observatory for Sustainable Tourism Development and many others. This year, as an example of good practice, we presented the Integrated Quality Management in Destination (IQM) project, which involves more than 130 stakeholders in the destination to raise quality in all segments, creating quality standards, stakeholder connectivity, and recognizability of Losinj as a destination of excellence. We are glad that, along with Losinj and Lika, the destination was chosen in the Top 100 sustainable destinations in the world because it is proof that our strategy of sustainability and balance of tourism and environmental development is sailing in the right direction," concluded Cvitkovic.

By publishing this annual list and sharing awards of good practice and success stories in destination management, the initiators recognize the steps taken to make tourist destinations more sustainable, responsible, and attractive to visitors.

This leading global conference dedicated to sustainable destination management and competition is held under the auspices of the Top 100 Partnership, with special contributions from Green Destinations, QualityCoast, TravelMole, Vision on Sustainable Tourism, Travelife, ITB Berlin, Asian Ecotourism Network, Ecotourism Australia, and GLP Films.

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September. 27, 2020 - This year, the Mali Losinj Tourist Board made the most of the COVID crisis, from communication, campaigns, ideas, and, most of all, proactivity. The Ferry Free campaign is just one example.

Namely, Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam writes that the Mali Losinj Tourist Board launched the FERRY FREE campaign to attract visitors in September. Thus, for visitors staying in September for more than seven nights, the Tourist Board co-finances return ferry tickets in the facilities that responded to the invitation.

"In our main markets, we have conducted, and still carry out in some, the marketing campaign 'Losinj - Your island oasis' with the action 'Ferry Free' where guests who come in September and stay at least seven nights, we reduce the price of accommodation by taking care of the return ferry ticket for both vehicles and passengers," points out Dalibor Cvitkovic, director of the Mali Losinj Tourist Board.

Because the tourist season ended abruptly as the borders closed,  the course and efficiency of the action were disrupted, but the action has borne concrete results in the current framework.

"During September, following the 'Ferry Free' campaign, we expect to achieve more than 5,000 overnight stays, which is a direct consequence of the campaign. Of course, we expected a greater economic effect, but our main markets are closed, and most of the guests who took advantage of the action were guests from Germany. According to everything, we can be satisfied, and in cooperation with partners, we plan to continue the action next year. On the contrary, we plan to expand it even more, through more terms; in the pre- and post-season, as well as to focus especially on domestic guests," said Cvitkovic.

Yet even in these current frameworks, the action has proven to be successful. If we consider that the average consumption of tourists on Losinj is around 100 euro, then it is slightly lower in the COVID crisis (approximately 80 euro). Thus, we come to a simple calculation that, thanks to this action, 400,000 euro was generated in September - which is more than great success. Of course, this is a rough estimate. And September is still here.

When asked how he would comment on the summer season, Cvitkovic said they were satisfied, following the initial announcements. The bitter taste of unrealized tourist traffic in the second part of the season remained. "We are to blame for the increase in the number of infections, which, of course, reflected on the whole situation. The question is whether we have learned anything this year," adds Cvitkovic.

It is possible to have tourism during the coronavirus pandemic, but we all have to adhere to epidemiological measures, emphasizes Cvitkovic, and this season has shown that, among other things.

"For the first eight months, we achieved an index of 58 in overnight stays, but we hoped that the post-season would have higher numbers. What makes us happy, both in the whole of Croatia and also on Losinj, was that there were no COVID cases in accommodation capacities. Also, despite many people and common rooms, hotel accommodation did not have a single case of new patients, nor were they hotspots. And we know how hotels are generators of consumption and employment and how important they are for every tourist destination," Cvitkovic points out and says that on the other hand, the Headquarters must work on putting out some possible hotspots faster and more efficiently.

"Synergy within the tourism sector is important, and the Institute of Public Health is currently one of our main partners. We have to form teams to be ready to do the testing quickly, so in less than 72 hours, we have test results. This is a key issue for guests. Also, we all need to network much better, to have a health care system behind us, and to make tests and reservations on time - everything was ad hoc this year, but now we have the opportunity to plan the whole system and story in 2021. Now we are much smarter and more prepared for the whole situation and the challenges that tourism brings during the COVID-19 crisis," adds Cvitkovic.

In case one of the guests has coronavirus symptoms, the Mali Losinj Tourist Board, in cooperation with everyone in the destination, has prepared clear protocols this year and an "insurance policy" for guests.

Namely, in case of suspicion of COVID-19, the guest does not go to the doctor alone but must contact the hotel's reception or the owner of the accommodation. Then the questionnaire made by the Losinj Tourist Board is filled in, and the hotel or the landlord calls the doctor and the epidemiological service. Also, Losinj is the first destination in Croatia that covers the cost of accommodation and meals for guests or their families in case of self-isolation.

The lesson for next year is that it is difficult to plan anything. Still, we must be ready to react quickly, as this year, says Cvitkovic and adds: "The situation will change from day to day and therefore we will have more plans because we cannot know in advance what will happen, but we must be ready for all situations," says Cvitkovic and announces that the Losinj Tourist Board is preparing more action protocols for next year.

"We have to be ready to react very quickly and make decisions quickly. That is why synergy is important and that we have prepared several scenarios. From campaigns, communications to protocols. The 2021 season will not be significantly different than this one. Losinj will continue to be primarily a resting place for holidayers and car tourists."

Now we have time to prepare well for next year, and as Cvitkovic says, we are much smarter than at the beginning of the crisis.

"Sun and sea, outdoor, wellness, gastronomy - this form of tourism is good for us, our biggest markets recognize it, but I would like to dedicate more time to the domestic guest. Here, the State could turn Cro cards into Cro vouchers, not to put everything at the employer's expense, but to co-finance partly or 100% as in Slovenia. I think it would be a great opportunity for 2021 to raise the number of domestic guests, because they have no limits with borders, and the domestic guest is more than a good guest. Also, the presentation of new cases from the national level should certainly be viewed in all regions, even destinations. For example, this year, we had zero patients on the island, while in Rijeka, for example, the picture was different. And there were many more such examples," Cvitkovic concludes.

Quick reaction, communication, synergy, proactivity, courage, and readiness for action are the qualities that adorned the Mali Losinj Tourist Board this year. 

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June 9, 2020 - The SightRun mobile application has enhanced Croatian tourism with three new island tours: Cres, Mali Lošinj and Supetar.

HRTurizam writes that while it is still difficult to predict how the tourism sector will look after the coronavirus, it is quite clear we will have a different kind of tourism.

But one thing is for sure; the bigger focus will be on sustainable and active tourism. This is where SightRun, a tourist running application that provides a new dimension of running, combining this activity with sightseeing, comes into play.

It is an innovative tourist product that presents destinations as 'Run Friendly' destinations and brings this unique niche closer to the destination through stories of local delicacies, cultural and historical sights and natural attractions.

In times when we still need to pay attention to social distance, apps like SightRun help us continue to enjoy the destination without having to do it in large groups. It is the digitalization of tourism in the true sense.

And now, the SightRun application has been enhanced by three new island tours: Cres, Mali Lošinj and Supetar.

The SightRun team has also been working on developing new tours in recent months. "Although the corona-crisis has slowed down and stopped certain promotional actions, this startup can certainly give its contribution to Croatian tourism. The cities of Cres, Mali Lošinj and Supetar have found their place on the list of runner-friendly destinations this time. The tours are about 5 kilometers long and start in the center. Running through the alleys of island settlements, promenades along the sea with stories about the destination and other attractions on the island, will surely encourage guests to explore these attractive destinations further," said SightRun.

It is certainly important to emphasize that all tours are available in Croatian and English.

The SightRun app allows the user to safely (and independently) explore the destination in which they are running for the first time, learn about its history and discover some of the sights and attractions.

“For this type of guest, we mean active guests, it sometimes means first getting to know the destination and therefore, we want to leave the best impression to intrigue the guest to peek into local restaurants, explore the surroundings, look into museums and for a local tourist guide for more information. People are an indispensable link in tourism, and technology is an additional wheel that can enable things to start faster," says SightRun.

All tours are intended for runners, but due to the use of the GPS system of the user's mobile phone, speed is not important. This means that the user can move at the desired speed, walk, stop, take photos, and finish the tour at their pace and time.

The SightRun application is currently available in 17 Croatian destinations, as well as in Munich and Graz.

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February 29, 2020 - A look at the busy sporting year ahead for Mali Losinj.

After the Mayor Ana Kučić received the Losinj - European Island of Sport 2020 award during the ACES Europe Gala Ceremony at the European Parliament in Brussels last December, the final preparations for this year's biggest sporting events are underway, which are partly responsible for this prestigious title, reports Vecenji List.

“In the coming months, we expect the world extreme cycling Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup Losinj 2020, followed by XCO Losinj - cross country mountain race.

The island town is also hosting the most challenging Central and Eastern European triathlon race in 2020, XTERRA CROATIA! This is followed by the Island MTB Stage Race and Adventure race Croatia 2020. This year, for the first time, the Run 4 Vitality festival will be held, as well as the Jubilee 10th Half Marathon, Cres - Losinj Triathlon and Cres camp; trail weekend, and numerous traditional regattas are inevitable. Indeed, this year there will be no shortage of sporting events,” said Mayor Kucic.

About 900 professional triathletes, women and men, will try to qualify for the XTERRA World Cup in Hawaii. This is also the first time in history that such a demanding adrenaline race is coming to Croatia, and it will be its premiere edition for Central and Eastern Europe in Losinj. The competitors have 41.5 kilometers of offroad track where they must swim 1.5 kilometers in the shortest time and by rules, ride 30 km of offroad bike paths and run 10 offroad kilometers. The XTERRA Croatia MTB Race will be held as part of the race. The length of the trail will be 40 kilometers, with a total altitude difference of 900 meters, with a start and finish in Mali Losinj!

A unique race in the world of mountain biking on four islands: Rab, Krk, Cres and Losinj is the Mitas Adria 4 island MTB stage race, one of the best in Europe. Beautiful and picturesque landscapes and excellent organization put this race on the calendar of many MTB enthusiasts. The race will take place from 21 to 25 April 2020, starting from Baska, and will run on four islands: Krk, Rab, Cres and Losinj.

Through these four stages, the competitors will cross a total of 270 kilometers and climb more than 5,000 meters. The race is intended for all mountain bikers, especially those who are looking forward to the early season opening and accumulating points.

Numerous competitors from all over the world will descend on the1.8 km long trails and sights of the ‘island of vitality’ from May 7 to 10, 2020, competing in the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup Losinj 2020 Extreme Cycling. Cycling weekends will attract many competitors as well as spectators. Otherwise, extreme cycling competitions or ‘downhill’, will be organized by the Losinj Athletic Club and the Trbovlje Mountain Bike Club, with the full support of the City, Losinj Hotels & Villas and the Tourist Board of Mali Losinj.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 10th of February, 2020, Jadranka trgovina (trade), one of the leading trading houses on the Kvarner islands, has opened the first HoReCa centre on the islands of Cres and Losinj. The newly opened HoReCa centre is located within the Maxi Market in Mali Losinj, and is significant for manufacturers, suppliers and customers involved in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Particular attention is being paid to items for private renters, with over four thousand products now readily at their disposal.

"The opening of the first HoReCa centre in the Cres-Losinj archipelago is of great importance for us, but also for those involved in any form of tourism and catering, as it facilitates the availability of items they have so far had to look for on the mainland. Customers can be assured of the quality of our offer, which consists of more than four thousand items intended for the hospitality industry. Jadranka Commerce is proud of this venture and we look forward to successful cooperation with all interested customers,'' said Milutin Dzebic, the director of Jadranka trgovina.

On the occasion of the opening of the HoReCa centre in Maxi Market, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli, who was born in Losinj, expressed the importance of raising the quality in all services, and emphasised that Jadranka trade is a positive business example for others through its many years of successful work. In addition to the Minister of Tourism, support for the HoReCa centre was also provided by the Mayor of the City of Mali Losinj Ana Kucic and the Mayor of Cres, Kristijan Jurjako.

The newly opened HoReCa centre in Mali Losinj covers an area of ​​450 metres square within the Maxi Market Jadranka store. Particular emphasis in the centre is placed on the offer for private renters. This opening also reflects the focus of Jadranka trgovina on the needs of all customers involved in tourism and the hospitality industry. On Saturday, February the 8th, all visitors were guaranteed a ten percent discount on the cleaning programme and an additional ten percent discount on the ''renter assortment'' with the presentation of a "renter card". In addition to the discounts mentioned above, customers also had the opportunity to taste delicious products from various suppliers.

Jadranka trgovina operates within the Jadranka Group, which is otherwise the largest hotel and tourism company in all of Kvarner.

It is oriented to the supply of locals and tourists on the islands of Losinj and Cres. In addition to supplying hotels, camps and self-catering establishments, Jadranka trgovina takes pride in the care of the locals. Proof of this lies in the fact that their shops are open year-round providing a constant supply to the citizens of Mali Losinj, small towns on the island of Losinj, and the inhabitants of the island of Susak.

In addition, Jadranka trgovina employs 170 employees, mostly locals, while the total number of employees increases to 340 during the tourist season.

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Kvarner's tourist traffic numbers continue their upward trajectory. The Kvarner region, located in Northwestern Croatia, finished 2019 with 3.1 million arrivals and 19.1 million overnight stays. Compared to 2018, there were 2% more arrivals and 1% more overnights. Overnights also increased by 3% compared to 2017, 13% compared to 2016 and 50% compared to 2010.

During peak season, overnight stays remained at last year's levels, with an average occupancy of 25 days, and 30 days at hotels. That means that there wasn't a lot of room for growth during the the busiest season of the year, according to MorskiHR on January 8, 2020. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that overnight more stays increased by 1% during pre-season, while the post-season overnight stays increased by 4%. The increase in overnights during pre and post-season is more significant when compared with results from 2010, and it shows that overnights during these times of the year increased by 90%, according to the tourist board.

Germany Traditionally Strongest Market

In 2019, 630,000 German guests visited the Kvarner region, resulting in almost 4.7 million overnight stays. This figure has certainly been influenced by the large number of promotions directed toward the German market.  In addition to Germany, three more markets have reached more than one million overnights: Slovenia (3 million), Austria (1.8 million) and Italy (1.3 million). The share of foreign traffic for these four countries is nearly 70%.

Kvarner’s inclusion on group tour routes which take guests from distant markets to Europe has also resulted in a large increase in traffic from these markets. In the last 3 years, guests from China have almost tripled their number of overnight stays while US citizens have increased their overnights by 50%.

Guests from the United Kingdom are also worth mentioning. They spent 137,000 overnights in Kvarner which is 25% increase from 2018, and 44% increase from 2016! Foreign tourists account for 85% of overnight stays and domestic tourists 15% (3 million nights, an increase of 5%). 

Mali Lošinj

Most Guest Overnights on Island of Krk

Among the subregions, the island of Krk is in the lead, with an increase of 1% and 7 million overnights (and has a 36% share of total overnights in Kvarner).

The Crikvenica-Vinodol Riviera ranks second (3.2 million) followed by the island of Losinj (2.4 million). The number of overnight stays continues as follows: the Opatija Riviera and the island of Rab (2.2 million), the island of Cres (1.1 million), the Rijeka area (925,000) and Gorski Kotar (110,000). The highest percentage increase in overnight stays (14%) was recorded in the Rijeka area.

Mali Losinj (2.4 million nights) and Crikvenica (2.2 million nights) are among the "best" destinations.

Guests Prefer Croatia Family Accommodations

Family accommodations accounted for 40% of recorded overnight stays (7.7 million). Campsites and hotels recorded almost the same number of total overnights: 3.7 million each with individual shares of 19%. 

The highest increase in overnights was recorded in upper-category accommodations:

• Hotels generally realized 1% more overnights. However, 4 and 5-star hotels enjoyed a 6% increase.
• All family accommodations experienced a 1% increase in overnight stays, but 5-star family accommodations enjoyed a 38% increase!
• A similar scenario applies to campsites: there was an overall 1% decrease in overnight stays, but overnights at 5-star camps are up 22%.

Regardless of the type, 5-star facilities have seen 15% increase in overnight stays during the past year and 70% increase overnight over the last 3 years!

Cres

Nautical Tourism Overnights Up Thirty-Two Percent

These figures do not include 24,500 arrivals and 156,000 overnight stays due to nautical traffic, which in has increased by as much as 32% the last year alone. There are about 20 nautical tourism ports in Kvarner, and Marina Punat alone accounts for more than half of nautical overnights.

Kvarner Third to Istria and Split-Dalmatia in Accommodation Capacity

As of 2019, there are 190,000 permanent beds available for tourists in Kvarner which represent a 17% share in accommodation capacity within Croatia. The Kvarner region ranks third in terms of total available accommodation, which is behind Istria and Split-Dalmatia counties in Croatia. 

Irena Peršić Živadinov, Director of the Kvarner Tourist Board, emphasizes that the primary goal is to strengthen the pre and post-seasons, because one cannot always count on a record “peak” season.

Kvarner Tourist Board Expects Long-Term Increase

“In recent years, the Kvarner region has definitely succeeded in strengthening the pre and post-seasons. Compared 2010 to 2019, we have seen a huge increase in overnight stays during both seasons - almost 90%! Over the past 10 years, we have invested in the quantity and quality of the regions’ offerings. We have also focused on joint branding and activities and recognized our strengths regarding products and offerings."

“These steps probably won’t yield immediate results but will take a longer time to have an effect. Taking that into consideration, for example, 12.7 million overnight stays were recorded in 2010, it is clear that in a period of 9 years we have realized 6.3 million more overnights, or the total number of overnights in Kvarner ha increased by almost 50%,” Peršić Živadinov points out.

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As Jurica Gaspar/Morski writes on the 2nd of January, 2020, this year, Mali Losinj joined destinations across the European Union that entered the new year of 2020 without firework displays. The amount of money previously used for fireworks in Mali Losinj will instead be diverted to purchase equipment for the Health Centre and the Emergency Medicine Institute.

''In this way, our wish is to provide pets who are afraid of these explosive devices a more peaceful evening,'' said Mali Lošinj Mayor Ana Kucic.

''I honestly didn't expect this much media interest in something that has already been and gone, but I will tell you that we made the decision by chance and it was all a bit unplanned. Namely, we've been tormented with logistics and similar details for the organisation of New Year's Eve for several years now, and since we're on a sustainable path in all fields, this year we decided to support the Society for the Protection of Animals, but also to protect children from the negative effects of pyrotechnics,'' the Mali Losinj mayor explained.

''We wanted to contribute to the awareness that fireworks and firecrackers aren't necessary in order to contribute to the joy and happiness of entering the new year. For the tenth year in a row, December in Mali Losinj was marked with a humanitarian note, ie, the raising of funds for those in need. We wanted to direct those funds towards the purchase of a medical device that will make life easier for our citizens and our visitors.

The fireworks would cost around 30,000 kuna, and blood test apparatus costs that same amount. The lab doesn't work on the weekends, so this apparatus would be placed in the first aid clinic. We're in the process of procuring it in the next ten days and Mali Losinj will add more money to it if necessary.

Other funds raised through humanitarian action in December exceed an impressive 60,000 kuna. This money was used to secure the purchase of didactic equipment for the nursery and the purchase of precision surgical instruments for the surgical clinic,'' said the mayor of Mali Losinj, Ana Kucic.

This is a positive example and a praiseworthy decision, which we sincerely hope other cities across Croatia will follow in the coming years.

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ZAGREB, September 16, 2019 - The Museum of Apoxyomenos in the town of Mali Lošinj on the northern Croatian island of Lošinj has become a part of the tourist itinerary within the European project called KeyQ+ that promotes points of reference for tourists and general public interested in culture and gastronomy, the local tourist authorities have recently reported.

The official name of the project is "KeyQ+ Culture and Tourism as keys for quality cross-border development of Italy and Croatia", and the tourist board in Mali Lošinj is one of the nine Italian and Croatian partners in the project.

The main results of the project are a gastronomic guide and an itinerary for tourists, as well as workshops for the exchange of experience between workers in the hospitality industry.

The project KeyQ+ is aimed at protecting and preserving historical traditional cuisine and less-known cultural heritage sites, in order to foster the cross-border economy.

"To that scope the project will ensure the definition of innovative tourist itinerary that will be focused on enhancing the local wine-gastronomic attractiveness, and supporting synergies creation among the didactic kitchens, local producers and cultural sites operators," according to the description of the project.

Apoxyomenos Museum in Kvarner Palace in Mali Lošinj opened in 30 April 2016 and Apoxyomenos, which is the ancient 192-centimetre bronze sculpture weighing 300 kilogrammes and the only one of its kind found on the eastern Adriatic coast, is put on display in the reconstructed Kvarner Palace which has been transformed into a museum.

More news about museum in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.