January 19, 2021 - The Croatian Tourism Ministry will award 'Safe Travel' labels to hotels and tourist facilities ahead of the 2021 Croatian tourist season.

Unlike some countries, such as Greece, Hungary, and Estonia, which have announced the introduction of COVID passports for tourists intending to visit, the Croatian Tourism Ministry has taken the view that "the COVID passport system has not been developed at the EU level" and that they will await the decision from the EU, reports Jutarnji List.

It can be learned unofficially that Croatia is not in favor of introducing COVID passports at the moment and that this will be its starting position at a virtual meeting next Thursday, at which EU heads of state or government will discuss this topic.

COVID-passport is a colloquial name for a vaccination certificate, i.e., a certificate that a person has vaccinated against coronavirus, which in some EU countries could replace rigorous measures when crossing the border, like presenting a negative PCR test or quarantine. In other words, a vaccinated tourist who has this certificate (COVID-passport) with them could enter the country without hindrance.

The idea was first put forward publicly by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who believes it will help kick-start the recovery of the tourism and travel industry. According to the draft of the new law, France envisages the introduction of 'green passports' for people who have been vaccinated. The draft law also states that those who cannot prove they are negative for COVID-19 or have not been vaccinated are "banned from certain activities and access to public transport, restaurants, cultural institutions, and other public places." Spain has also been announced that the authorities there will register their citizens who refuse to be vaccinated and share it with other EU countries.

The idea is controversial from a legal point of view because, in most countries, vaccination cannot be mandatory. On the other hand, there must be no discrimination in the rights of freedom of movement. Another problem will be that citizens still cannot decide for themselves when they will be vaccinated because there will not be enough vaccines for at least a few more months for everyone to be vaccinated.

"To introduce such a restrictive measure in Croatia, it should be acknowledged that the situation is so serious - extraordinary - that it requires quite extraordinary human rights restrictions. Since such a thing is uncommon, we would have to be in a state of a great natural disaster (Article 17 of the Constitution), so the introduction of such a measure would have to be decided by Parliament by a two-thirds majority of all deputies. Or, in other words, as long as the government claims that we have a regular state of constitutional law (Article 16 of the Constitution), this type of restriction cannot be introduced, which represents a kind of coercion," explains Djordje Gardasevic from the Department of Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb.

While an agreement is awaited in Brussels, the Croatian Tourism Ministry is preparing a list of hotels and tourist facilities that will be awarded the 'Safe Travel' label as proof that they are safe for guests because they respect epidemiological protocols. In about twenty days, the Ministry will start a campaign, 'Safe stay in Croatia,' and will award these labels.

"Safety protocols are being prepared for accommodation and catering facilities, including for nautical tourism, and the label will be harmonized with the recommendations of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, which are currently in force. The labels will be awarded at the beginning of February, and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport will keep records of entities with national labels and conduct ad hoc checks on compliance with the measures," reads the official response of the Ministry of Tourism.

At the end of last summer, Croatia became one of the countries that received the WTTC seal for safe travel, created by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The 'Safe Travel' trademark was designed to enable travelers to identify destinations and companies worldwide that have adopted global standardized health and hygiene protocols. In a way, it is a guarantee to tourists that they will stay in a facility that adheres to coronavirus control protocols.

"We will have two types of Safe Travel labels - WTTC and national - and the application of safety protocols and achieving the required level of vaccinating tourism workers and the entire population will contribute to strengthening Croatia as a desirable and safe tourist destination, where guest safety comes first," explained Ivana Crnić, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Tourism and Sport.

"The list will include hotels, marinas, family farms, private accommodation, even airports, and ferries. After all, we have already proven to be a safe destination because no tourists became infected in hotels in Croatia in the summer of 2020," said Crnić.

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December 11, 2020 - The first meeting of the Council for Croatia's Recovery and Development of Tourism, the 2021 tourist year, and improving the tourist offer was held at the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. 

HRTurizam reports that the recently established council brings together key representatives of the tourism and travel sector, including associations of large and small hoteliers, camps, agencies, marinas, caterers, family accommodation, unions, carriers, and others.

The meeting participants agreed that health is in the first place and that by respecting the measures, we can contribute to the faster normalization of tourist activities. The meeting also discussed short-term recovery measures, preparation for the next tourist year, and things important for the tourism sector. Also, it appealed to hoteliers celebrating the New Year to adhere to the measures of the Headquarters. They assessed the Government of the Republic of Croatia's compensatory measures to preserve the economy and jobs as satisfactory, with the expectation that they will continue.

"Cooperation is now needed more than ever before as the tourism sector is one of the most affected by the pandemic," Brnjac said, adding that the full potential of European funds was being used to enable the tourism sector to grow further on a sound footing.

The Council members presented their views on the situation and constructive proposals to improve the tourist offer further. They expressed satisfaction with this model of work, believing that open cooperation guarantees quality solutions. Minister Brnjac once again called on them for cooperation and openness and for better interconnection to create quality tourist products, raise the competitiveness of Croatian destinations and announced further activities of the Ministry in which they will be involved.

New Year's Eve will not be possible in hotel and catering facilities following the measures and the current epidemiological situation.

"At today's meeting, we touched on key topics related to short-term measures for the recovery of Croatian tourism, with an emphasis on the hotel industry, as well as preparations for the 2021 tourist year. I must say that at this moment, the most important thing for all of us is to stay healthy and to stay focused until the end of this challenging year, thinking that our health is still in the first place. For us all to start preparing for next year as soon as possible, I appeal to my fellow hoteliers to take all the Civil Protection Headquarters' prescribed measures very seriously and not to try to interpret those measures as would suit us. Unfortunately, the situation is such that it does not suit anyone, but the most important thing is to stay healthy. Organizing New Year's Eve and other celebrations prescribed by the Headquarters is not allowed to be organized. I believe that we are all aware that we must spend these holidays in peace and health," pointed out Josipa Jutt Ferlan, president of the HGK Hoteliers Association.

Eduard Andrić, President of the Trade Union of Tourism and Services of Croatia and the Social Council for Tourism, pointed out that the meeting was good with open topics.

"My goal as a representative of the Trade Union and workers is for the Government to decide by Christmas at the latest whether the subsidies for workers go further, i.e., by Easter. This is the only condition for workers and employers to welcome the next season without any problems. Workers who are dissatisfied at the moment because most of them receive only support provided by the Government, will be in a position next year to return to their salaries agreed in collective agreements by the tourist season," said Andrić, adding that the goal is to stay healthy, which is why it is better, both for guests and workers, not to hold New Year's Eve.

"At today's meeting, we presented our proposals on the topic of recovery and resilience in the short term and preparation for the 2021 season, which aims to ensure quality service to all guests who will come to Croatia. We hope that the measures to preserve jobs will remain in force, at least until April, and we are pleased that the new liquidity loans will ensure better accessibility to small and family hotels. We are sure that with all the adopted measures and those planned, we will welcome guests in Croatia with a quality workforce and service. As for the topic of holding New Year's Eve in hotels, I think that most, or no one is even thinking about it, given that the measures that have been adopted in no way allow any celebration over 20 people or pouring alcohol. So, at the moment, the measures do not provide any possibilities for New Year's Eve, so I am surprised that some are advertising New Year's Eve, which will certainly not be able to happen,"  said Sime Klaric, president of the National Association of Family and Small Hotels.

"The conclusion of the first meetings goes in the direction of cooperation, openness, and a stronger focus on the domestic guest as well as on the importance of uniform security protocols, which are being prepared," concluded Minister Brnjac.

Associations in tourism and related activities that participated in the meetings were: Croatian Association for Tourism and Rural Development "Village Members Club", Croatian Rural Tourism Association, Family Tourism Association HGK, Adventure Tourism Association HGK, Cultural Tourism Association HGK, Croatian Holiday and Hostel association, Association of Hostels of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Family and Small Hotels, Association of Hoteliers of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Group of unique luxury hotels HGK, Croatian Tourism and Services Union, Health Tourism Association HGK, Croatian Employers' Association, Business Tourism Association HGK, Croatian Tourism Association, KUH, Croatian Hotel Employers Association, Association of Catering Activities of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Caterers, Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts - Guild of Caterers and Tourist Workers, Association of Voices of Entrepreneurs, Association of Croatian Travel Agencies, Association of Travel Agencies HGK, Association of Croatian Tourist Guides, Association of marinas HGK, Association of boat accommodation providers - charter HGK, Association of tourist shipping companies HGK, River tourism association HGK and Diving tourism association HGK.

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October 28, 2020 - The first Vacation-Worthy Week campaign by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and the Croatian National Tourist Board, which took place from October 16 to 25, has come to an end. 

HRTurizam reports that during the promotional week, citizens could take advantage of a total of 424 offers and services from all parts of Croatia at 50 percent cheaper prices. 

Although, due to the specific situation in which the action was carried out, per the coronavirus epidemic, it is difficult to assess its success. The current epidemiological situation is certainly not conducive to tourism, so it isn't easy to have real data on any action, including this one. However, the CNTB points out that they are satisfied with the results of the action.

Currently, there is no analysis or assessment of how much the action generated in total visits and tourist spending. Still, the CNTB points out data from individual tourist entities and data from the action's website.

Among numerous tourist entities, national parks and nature parks took part in the action, which was in the special focus of visitors. Thus, Plitvice Lakes National Park, which offered tickets to all visitors at an affordable price of 50 kuna, was visited by almost 30,000 guests in ten days.

Krka National Park, which was visited by 2,700 tourists in the promotional week, also recorded good results, while Northern Velebit National Park sold more than 500 tickets in the same period. At Biokovo Nature Park, they are delighted with the results achieved, as more than 3,000 tickets were sold as part of the campaign, and most of the guests visited the newest Skywalk tourist attraction. Excellent results were also achieved by the freshwater aquarium Karlovac - Aquatika, which recorded 1,500 visitors, or three times more than the usual number of visitors at this time of year.

The CNTB points out that the campaign's website attracted more than 150,000 unique visitors, who spent an average of three minutes studying the offers. They mostly reviewed offers from  ​​the city of Zagreb and Split-Dalmatia, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, and Istria counties.

"I thank everyone who joined the Vacation-Worthy Week campaign, tourist entities with a large number of offers, but also all tourists who confirmed their reservations and participated in the research of cultural, natural, gastronomic, and other riches of Croatia. I am pleased with the tremendous response of visitors to nature parks and national parks, which shows that we all want to stay in the fresh air, be physically active, but also that such offers are valuable," said Minister of Tourism and Sport Nikolina Brnjac.

"We are satisfied with the excellent response of tourist entities and citizens who supported the first campaign. I want to thank the providers of tourism services who made their offers and services part of our project, and I would also like to thank all the citizens who took the opportunity to get to know Croatia better through this action. We are aware of the challenging moment in which the project was launched. Still, numerous positive reactions testify to its success," said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Stanicic.

The CNTB adds that the action will be carried out twice a year in the coming years, in spring and autumn, to strengthen domestic tourist traffic in the pre- and post-season.

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October 16, 2020 - Tourist services and experiences within the Vacation-Worthy Week campaign of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and the Croatian National Tourist Board begins today until October 25. Travelers can enjoy a minimum of 50% off!

Thus, HRTurizam reports that all Croatian citizens and foreign guests in Croatia in that period can experience about 400 different tourist services in all parts of Croatia at promotional prices, which can be found on the official website. 

As we know, the project's goal is to increase tourist traffic in the pre- and post-season periods, as well as the further development of domestic tourism. Through this action, tourists will have the opportunity to visit different parts of Croatia with a 50% discount for many tourist products and services, from accommodation, transportation, cultural, historical, natural sights and tourist attractions to catering services and various experiences.

"I am glad that we have decided to launch this completely new project in times of crisis, in the days when we all need to move away from the news and enjoy nature with our loved ones. I hope that this week will arouse optimism in all of us and the will to get to know the whole of Croatia better and that we will truly enjoy the charms of the off-season in several destinations, with numerous benefits. With projects like this, we open the way and promote the offers and services of tourist entities and small entrepreneurs, family farms, farmers, caterers, craftspeople, and all other valuable people who are the foundation of the success of Croatian tourism. Thanks to the excellent response of providers and all tourists who have already confirmed their reservations, I am sure that this week will be the first of many. Let this week be a worthwhile holiday for you," said the Minister of Tourism and Sport Nikolina Brnjac.

"We note the excellent response of many tourism service providers involved in this action, without which a worthwhile holiday would not be possible, and we are pleased with the information that many tourism entities have already sold out their offers and services. I invite as many domestic guests as possible to take this opportunity and discover Croatia at much better prices, of course, adhering to all prescribed epidemiological measures. We are pleased that, despite this demanding moment, we have launched this project, which will continue in the coming years," said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Stanicic.

Numerous national parks and nature parks are participating in the project, including the Mljet National Park, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, offering half-off ticket prices, and Plitvice Lakes National Park, whose director Tomislav Kovačević emphasized that this year the park is celebrating the 71st anniversary of the proclamation of Plitvice Lakes as a National Park and the 41st anniversary on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

"To celebrate our 41st birthday with our visitors, we are participating in this project with much better ticket prices and more favorable menus in the restaurants Jezero, Poljana, and Korana. We are proud to be a part of this story; we invite everyone to visit us and see why millions of tourists from all over the world have come to Plitvice Lakes National Park in recent years," said Kovacevic.

Otherwise, the action will be organized twice a year, during the Easter holidays and in October.

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October 14, 2020 - On Tuesday, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, led by Nikolina Brnjac held a working meeting with representatives of county tourist boards. Along with the Minister, the meeting was also attended by State Secretary Sandra Herman and the Director of the Croatian Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić.

HRTurizam reports that Minister Brnjac thanked those present for their work so far and pointed out that such coordination will be held more often in order to better implement strategic and operational plans.

"You are the backbone of our system. I believe that through open dialogue and timely exchange of information, we can contribute to a better and more systematic solution to the challenges in the coming period," said Minister Brnjac.

Representatives of regional tourist boards presented concrete problems to the ministers and associates and suggested proposals in order to better adapt to the COVID situation, expressing satisfaction with this form of cooperation.

Minister Nikolina Brnjac pointed out that now is the opportunity for a strategic turn, both in the organization of the tourism sector and in finding the best solutions for the coming period.

"We have started the initial administrative steps for the development of a long-term sectoral strategy called the Strategy for the Development of Sustainable Tourism until 2030. For the first time, we are in the process of preparing an Environmental Impact Study. These are documents on which it is important to reach an agreement between the private and public sectors because they will determine the further direction of tourism development," added Minister Brnjac and called on the representatives of tourist boards to cooperate and proactively communicate.

All participants in the meeting agree that the opportunity for development certainly lies in the use of EU funds, but also in the harmonization of the Ordinance and timely guidelines for the implementation of work and programs as well as the exchange of experience and knowledge.

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October 5, 2020 - Designed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian Tourist Board, the Vacation-Worthy Week campaign encourages domestic tourists to travel around Croatia for half the price, from October 16 to 25, 2020. 

If you were always hesitant to take a relaxing weekend at a hotel or a nice apartment because it was too expensive for your budget, this October might be the right time for you.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that from October 16 to 25, domestic guests can enjoy the perks of tourism half-off thanks to the Vacation-Worthy Week campaign designed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian Tourist Board.

Across these 10 days, domestic guests can treat themselves to a trip, extended weekend, or week around Croatia where they will enjoy tourist products at half the price, from the accommodation, transport, and sights to catering services and various experiences.

Although there are only a few weeks left until the campaign begins, everyone who wants to offer their services to domestic guests at a discount can sign up until October 15.

The action already includes numerous hotel houses, private renters, restaurants, nature parks, national parks, museums, galleries, adrenaline tourism, outdoor activities, boat renters, and health and spa tourism facilities.

According to the Ministry of Tourism's propositions, the minimum discount amount is 50 percent, but it can also be higher. The exception is the transport category, in which a discount of less than 50 percent is allowed. As things stand now, there are interested parties on both sides - companies, and individuals who will offer their services at lower prices, but also guests who would like to end this stressful year by taking a beautiful wellness or nature holiday.

"We planned to work all October in the hotel, and we joined the action with lower prices for domestic guests. We calculated that the prices would be half of what they usually are in September, so it is quite affordable. The hotel facility is in operation, and we would like local guests to come at the end of the season and discover some new beauties during a short vacation at affordable prices. In terms of earnings, this year is lost in that sense, so why not give the locals a chance to rest a bit?" says the director of one Dalmatian island hotel.

As large hotel facilities prepare for closure, smaller accommodations and family homes will certainly work much longer. They could have more guests because they offer specific services and can dedicate themselves to the guests.

"We are very ready to participate in this action because every day we can work is important to us this year. With us, guests will be able to have half-board in a four-star hotel for 30-40 euro a day and numerous excursions, sightseeing, and activities that are available to them because we are close to nature parks. All of that would be twice as expensive on some other October days. And in nature, the prices will be half the price for tickets and tours, so when everything is added up, the family can enjoy a lot for much less," says the owner of a small family hotel in Zadar.

On the other hand, family renters will find it easiest to prepare for domestic guests because they are practically always ready to offer them accommodation.

However, as they halved their prices in September, it is not expected that they will continue to lower them, so an apartment for four people can be rented for 30 euros a day. Other renters do not see any profit in that, and have chosen not to participate.

"It doesn't pay to clean the apartment, change the bed linen, and disinfect everything for 30 euro a day. I spend so much on electricity, water, labor, and detergents. My lowest price can be 50 euro a day, and I don't make any money with it either. But for less than that, I will not work. I would like to have guests in October, I will sign up for this action, so we will see if there will be interest from local guests," says one landlady from Split.

As planned, October should be marked by domestic tourists if they decide to enjoy cheaper tourist offers. How important domestic guests are for the overall tourist result is best shown by the eVisitor data. Last year, domestic tourists recorded 2.4 million tourist arrivals and 13.8 million overnight stays, or about 12 percent of total arrivals.

In the current part of the 2020 tourist year, this result has almost doubled. Domestic tourists have achieved 1.3 million arrivals and 9.6 million overnight stays, which is about 20 percent of total tourist arrivals and overnight stays in 2020. 

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 28th of September, 2020, the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sport has become active on social networks, through which they plan to strengthen communication with the sector and the public, both in tourism and in the sport segment, which also suffered significantly in the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

After the launch of their pages on Facebook and Twitter, the launch of an Instagram and a Linkedin account is being prepared in the coming days, announced Ivana Crnic, the spokesperson of the aforementioned Croatian ministry who is leading the project.

"The idea is to connect as well as possible with both sectors and the business community, which is very active and wide, to open new channels for communication and publication of our numerous pieces of news and service information that is often nowhere to be seen, from open tenders onwards. In addition, these can be channels for the promotion of numerous business activities in both sectors, good projects, actions, entrepreneurs,'' said Crnic, who is currently very satisfied with the response of users towards the aforementioned Croatian ministry's moves on social media.

For example, this weekend, on the occasion of the World Tourism Day, which is celebrated on the topic of rural development, the Croatian ministry announced a call for the best photo related to the topic, which on Sunday alone attracted about 40 users who sent in their private holiday photos.

There are two rules, the photo must be taken in the Republic of Croatia, and the author of the photo must agree to the publication on the Facebook pages of the ministry. The best author will receive a promo package from the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ).

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