ZAGREB, 3 June 2021 - Croatia Airlines (CA) on Thursday operated its first flight this season between Munich and Rijeka.

The reintroduction of regular flights between Rijeka and Munich is part of the plans to renew and intensify flight arrangements from Croatia to other European destinations during this summer season.

CA flights on the Rijeka-Munich route will available on Thursday and Sunday this summer, plus also on Tuesday during July, the Croatian air company said.

First flight on the route Munich-Rijeka today (Croatia Airlines Official Facebook Page)

CA plans to operate flights to seven Croatian destinations and another 18 destinations in Europe this summer.

Zagreb will be connected with 14 European destinations, Split with 12, and Dubrovnik with six destinations outside Croatia, for instance.

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

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 22, 2020 -  The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) is presenting its tourist offer at the f.re.e fair in Munich, one of the most important fairs in the German market, from February 19 to 23. This year, Croatia expects a 3% increase from German tourists.

HRTurizam reports that before the fair, a large tourist delegation from Central Dalmatia, namely 70 Alkars, Alka boys, and members of Sinj City Music, paraded in the very center of Marienplatz and delighted many passers-by in the Bavarian capital.

HTZ Director Kristjan Stanicic is currently in Munich, meeting with Michael Hinterdobler, Bavarian Government envoy and Assistant Minister for International and European Affairs, with Prince Leopold Von Bayern, Konig Ludwig Kaltenberg, who owns the Kaltenberg brand, but also with Evelyne Menges, Member of the Munich City Hall. State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism Tonci Glavina and President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Luka Burilovic also visited the fair on Friday.

HTZ

“Presenting at the Munich fair is of utmost importance to us because Germans, especially residents of southern provinces such as Bavaria, have, for the most part, made up the total tourist traffic in Croatia for years. This year we have enriched our appearance at the fair with a great presentation of the Alkars and our 300-year unique event Sinjska Alka, and we met with key strategic partners such as FTI Touristik, the third-largest tour operator in Europe and IDRiva Tours, a tour operator specializing in bringing German guests to Croatia which forecasts market growth for Croatian destinations,” said Croatian National Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic, adding that up to now, the German market saw an increase of 25 percent in arrivals and 18 percent in overnights compared to the same period last year, while overall traffic growth from the German market is expected to be up to 3 percent in 2020.

"The level of sales from the German market so far is higher than last year, which makes us very happy. Air connectivity has a big impact on the growth of tourist traffic, so this year we expect to continue establishing additional airlines from Germany. The tourism market is increasingly changing, thus increasing numbers of German tourists are turning towards sustainability, that is, products and offers with a built-in nature conservation component. Therefore, it is in this segment that we see the great potential and opportunity to strengthen our position in the future in this extremely important market for us,” said State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Tonci Glavina.

The Alkars are a special attraction at the fair and the main city square in Munich. After the Alkars paraded in the center of Munich, the fair hosted a program of the Alkar Knights Society and the Sinj City Music, through which Split-Dalmatia County was presented. With this presentation, they wanted to popularize the UNESCO protected knight's competition, but also Central Dalmatia and the whole of Croatia as a tourist destination.

Head of the Croatian National Tourist Board branch in Munich, Nera Miličić, emphasized that it is her special honor to host the Sinj Alkars in Munich and to promote the Sinjska Alka at the largest Bavarian tourism fair.

HTZ

“The Alka is a symbol of patriotism and I am proud that we have presented the UNESCO list of intangible heritage to the Bavarians, who are our most numerous guests, part of the Croatian culture and tradition. The ceremonial procession of the Alkars and the Alkar boys, together with the Sinj City Music, between the three medieval Munich gates, was a special attraction for the residents and visitors of Munich, as well as the pride of many Croats living in Bavaria,” said Miličić, adding that the Sinj Alka and the Bavarian Kaltenberg knights are part of Europe's cultural heritage and have agreed on cooperation.

A special novelty at this year's fair is the refreshed visual appearance of the HTZ booth, which is enriched with red and white squares as an ode to the upcoming European Football Championship. Visitors to the fair can taste commemorative Alkar and the Heart of the Adriatic cocktails, while top-quality Croatian wines are served under the brand name “Vina Croatia - mosaic wines” organized by HGK and HTZ.

Within the Croatian National Tourist Board stand, a total of 24 co-exhibitors are represented at the fair, including the Dubrovnik-Neretva, Split-Dalmatia and Vukovar-Srijem (Slavonia cluster) tourist boards, the Zagreb and Dubrovnik tourist boards, as well as numerous economic and tourism entities.

HTZ

Last year, a record 3 million tourist arrivals and more than 21 million overnight stays were recorded from the German market, representing a 3 percent growth in arrivals compared to 2018.

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

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 17th of May, 2019, as things currently stand, Croatia's beloved and highly popular Mlinar bakery chain boasts bakeries in seven European countries apart from the Republic of Croatia: in neighbouring Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary, as well as a little further afield in Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, and Malta.

The news that Mlinar had closed its bakery in the bustling German city of Munich came as a surprise to many. The Yelp page, which offers customers and would-be customers open and transparent reviews of everything from hotels and restaurants to shops, states the Mlinar bakery at Marienplatz, Munich, is closed, according to a report from 24sata.

Over the last year or so, Croatia's much loved Mlinar bakery has been continuing to expand rapidly and has opened multiple outlets outside of Croatia, some in Europe and some much, much further afield.

Back at the tail end of 2012 is when Mlinar first began to spread its wings. First they entered the neighbouring Slovenian market, and the opening of a bakery in Germany was definitely a special moment for the company which has long been a household name here in Croatia.

The biggest achievement for Mlinar's operations over in Germany took place back in 2015 when a bakery was opened on Munich's Marienplatz, in the very centre of this popular and busy German city. The then majority owner, Mato Škojo, proudly announced the further expansion of the company on both the European and global markets.

The closure of this particular bakery came to light after it was announced that the Mid Europe Investment Fund, which is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, took over the majority stake in Mlinar, the largest Croatian bakery company, while its former owner Mato Škojo retained a mere minority stake.

From Mlinar itself, they state that the Munich bakery was closed due to the inability to continue to cooperate with the owner of the premises at which it was located, before London's "Mid Europe" Investment Fund became the majority owner of Mlinar. They stress how these situations do happen from time to time and that the company is in constant search for adequate spaces, adding that it is continuing with its expansion plans.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more.

The stand of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) with its 24 exhibitors is the largest at this year's Munich Tourism Fair, with the tourism potential of both Zagreb and Slavonia having special emphasis placed on them. Gari Cappelli believes that continental tourism is the future for Croatia's tourism offer.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of February, 2019, through the variety of Croatian snacks prepared by famous Croatian chefs, master chef Branko Ognjenović and the chef of the Croatian football team, Tomica Đukić, numerous visitors to the International Tourism Fair f.re.e 2019 - which, as we reported recently, is being held in Munich, Germany, from the 20th to the 24th of February this year, had the opportunity to get better acquainted with the gastronomic offer of Slavonia and the City of Zagreb yesterday at the stand of the Croatian Tourist Board.

The Slavonian gastro scene showcased Ilok cellars (Iločki podrumi), Kutjevo, Belje, Brzica and Feravino. The promotion of Croatian tourism also includes some of the legends of FC Bayern - Slavonia native Ivica Olić, Giovani Elber, and Andreas Jung.

The f.re.e. tourist fair is otherwise the largest and most visited tourist fair in Bavaria, stretching to over 88,000 square metres, and this year, boasting as many as 1,300 exhibitors from 70 countries across the world, it is bigger than ever before.

The Croatian Tourist Board's stand, with its 24 exhibitors, was the biggest at the fair. Unlike in previous years when Croatia promoted its popular destinations on the coast mostly, this year the often overlooked Croatian continent, more specifically the capital of Zagreb and the Eastern region of Slavonia, which both have a lot to offer to tourists, are taking the limelight. The promotion of Slavonia as a desirable tourist destination is an excellent move for the Days of Croatian Tourism, which is set to be held on 4th to 9th October in the Slavonian region of Osijek.

Croatian Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli, and Director of the Croatian Tourist Board Kristijan Stančić participated in the presentation of the Croatian tourist offer along with the director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, Martina Bienefeld, Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Ivan Anušić and the domestic manager of the tour operator for Croatia, Selimir Ognjenović.

''Of the three million tourists coming to Croatia from Germany, 1.2 million of them come from Bavaria. So I can say that the Munich Fair is always some sort of indication for us to know what's going to happen this year in regard to tourism. The Germans are the type who appreciate the quality of Croatian tourism, because when those three million tourists return home to Germany, there's a lot to talk about.

Interestingly, we're not presenting the coast but the continent, because I think that's the future through health tourism, special forms of tourism, hunting, fishing, cyclotourism...'' Gari Capelli told Poslovni Dnevnik.

Nera Miličić, head of HTZ in Germany, says that there is a sense of pride in announcing the expansion of the Croatian tourist offer with "The most beautiful Croatian tourist secret" - Slavonia, and the triple winner of the most beautiful European advent - the Croatian capital city of Zagreb.

''We're especially delighted to have organised the largest presentation of the Croatian continent in Bavaria with our partners so far,'' noted Miličić.

''Given that for Croatian tourism, Germany is the emitive market from which we have the largest tourist turnover, we've created a rich and original event program at the Croatian stand that is attracting the attention of numerous visitors.

This is also the confirmation of a well-founded cooperation with FC Bayern Munich which gives us additional promotional value on the Bavarian market, where every other German tourist comes to us from,'' commented HTZ director Kristjan Staničić.

As a tourist destination, Croatia is a serious competitor on the German market. During these times of major changes, an increase in the amount of airline passengers from Germany to Croatia has been recorded, which has positioned Croatia among the most competitive destinations, alongside Spain, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Egypt and Tunisia, countries which many tourists seeking package deals are usually attracted to.

Although Croatia was otherwise perceived as a destination to drive to from Germany, through the country's camping and private accommodation offer, it has also entered into the package holiday segment (hotel, transfer, flight) which is sold through a tour operator network. All in all, the interest of German tourists for Croatia remains very high indeed.

Numerous tour operators are continuing to expand their programs, smaller operators have begun ''selling'' Croatia, and some airlines are continuing to announce new lines.

The Germans are still in the leading position when it comes to the number of overnight stays realised by foreign tourists in the Republic of Croatia. In addition, the largest number of tourists from Germany come from the regions of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg. However, the Germans typically enjoy more family oriented holidays, often bypassing potentially more ''specialised'' types of tourism on offer.

Therefore, the presence of Croatia's more specialised tourist offers at such fairs is crucial to boost the awareness of German tourists to the country's more numerous tourist offers, and in particular to awaken tour operators to Croatia's more luxurious package of arrangements,'' stated Dragan Kovačević, Vice President of Agriculture and Tourism at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), who is also representing Croatia's tourist offer in Munich.

Make sure to stay up to date with more on continental tourism, the Croatian Tourist Board and Croatia's various tourist offers by following our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages.

f.re.e., Fair for Leisure and Travel (Die Reise und Freizeitmesse originally) ist the largest tourism-related fair held in the German state of Bavaria, and one of the most important such fairs in Europe. Today it was opened in Munich, and the organisers say that this year's installment is the largest for the fair in Munich.

It holds an additional layer of importance for the Croatian tourism, as a largest proportion of tourists in Croatia, especially in the Northern part of the Croatian coast, come from Germany, so the number of Germans is often seen as the most importan factor in determining the success of the tourist season. So, this year Croatian Tourist Board and the Tourist Board of Kvarner are participating - the Kvarner stand at the fair in Munich is shared by Krk Island Tourist Board, Kovačine camp and Kimen hotel, Rab and Lopar Tourist Boards, Poljana camp, Opatia Riviera, Crikvenica Tourist Board and Jadran Crikvenica Hotels.

On the first day of the fair a presentation of Žlahtina, a wine variety indgenous for the region was held (imagine what the rest of the programme for the expected 135 thousand visitors will look like, if they planned the wine presentation for the first day!) Tanja Augustinović from Kvarner Tourist Boards told Novi list about the importance of the guests coming to Croatia from Bavaria, as they are familiar with Croatia, Croatia is close to them so they visit on shorter trips as well (weekends in the pre- and post- season); however they're always looking for novelties. This year a lot is being done to promote the health tourism of the region, as it is something to be proud of.

This year's fair is oriented towards active vacationing and camping, so Croatian exhibition at the fair also includes a lot of information about that segment. Dina Blažević from Krk Tourist Board explains that the camps are very popular among German guests, especially the now five star camp in Omišalj, but also the other four and five star camps.

Representatives from Opatija Riviera are promoting their outdoor tourism segment at the fair in Munich, as it is the second time the comprehensive brochure of the outdoor activities in the region is presented. They are also promoting the numerous events held in and around Opatija, such as the carnival, marunada (chestnut festival) etc.

A touch of Eastern Croatia in Munich is set to bring German tourists to Slavonia's overlooked golden fields.

Promotion for Eastern Croatia to Bavarian tourists.

ZAGREB, February 23, 2018 - The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) is promoting the Croatian tourist trade at the most important Bavarian travel and leisure fair, f.re.e, in Munich this week, the HTZ said on Friday.

Tour operators claim that the geopolitical situation in the world is in favor of Croatia, which is still perceived as a safe destination among tourists.