New York, October 4, 2022 - Srecko Mavrek, an internationally recognized educational expert, attended a reception on the occasion of the 25th Austrian American Day at the Austrian Consulate General in New York. In 1997, President Bill Clinton proclaimed September 26 as Austrian-American day in gratitude for the many gifts that Austrian Americans bring to the life of the USA. The event was hosted by the Austrian Consul General Ms. Helene Steinhaeusl. Attendees were honored and delighted by the presence of H.E. Karl Nehammer, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria H.E. Alexander Schallenberg, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, and Major General Jürgen Ortner from Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations in New York, with whom Mavrek had a long and interesting conversation about bileteral relations between Croatia and Austria and the current situation in Europe.

Mavrek’s connection with Austria dates back to the 2000s when he worked as a research fellow at Karl-Franz-University in Graz between 2001-2005. In cooperation with the Austrian-American Educational Cooperation Association, he was hired as an international teacher by the New York City Department of Education in 2005. Since then, he received numerous professional awards including President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Community Leadership Award, SHAPE America Eastern District High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year, National Service Award from the Council for Aquatic Professionals of the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation, etc. He also served as a professional representative of Kappa Delta Pi – International Honor Society in Education to the United Nations Department of Global Communications. Mavrek has been passionately preserving and promoting Croatian heritage and culture worldwide since the 1990s. and is currently one of the Croatian Radio New York hosts.

Srecko Mavrek with the young Austrian diplomats

Srecko Mavrek and the Austrian Consul General Ms. Helene Steinhaeusl at the Summer 2021 reception

May 28, 2022 - The celebration of Statehood Day was held last Friday in the restaurant Dubrovnik in New Rochelle, NY.

The ceremony was opened by Lidija Babić, Consul of the 1st class, and then the Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in New York Nikica Kopačević greeted everyone on her own behalf and on behalf of all employees of the Consulate General. He emphasized that this year also marks the 30th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition and thanked all Croatian veterans and their families, especially those who laid down their lives in the Homeland War, which is the foundation of the creation of a free Croatia. Kopačević also emphasized the importance of the unity of Croats in the homeland and Croats in the diaspora and thanked emigrated Croats around the world and especially Croats in the United States and New York for all they have done to create a free and independent state of Croatia.

In his speech, he also referred to the words of the first Croatian president, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, who said that May 30 was the constitutive creation of a new and democratic Croatian Parliament, which was the beginning of modern Croatia and the long-term dream of many Croats. and emigration. A minute of silence was observed in honor of all the fallen Croatian defenders who built their lives into the foundations of Croatia.

The program of the celebration began with the performance of the American and Croatian anthems, which were magnificently sung by the klapa Astoria from New York, accompanied by Viktor Šarić. Along with the klapa Astoria, everyone sang “God Save Croatia”, and later during the party they were joined by Joško Grbac, a member of the group Dalmati from New York and Croatian-American music artist Tommi Mischell.

The celebration of Statehood Day in New York was enhanced by representatives of the Society for the Preservation of Šibenik Heritage Juraj Dalmatinac (http://www.jurajdalmatinac.com/) led by its president Nikola Grubić, who set up the exhibition Šibenik Through the Centuries and presented the work of the society on rebuilding fortresses and portals in the city center of Šibenik, the Geonucleus project, magazine Juraj and other projects.

Special thanks for preserving Croatian national and cultural identity in New York was given to the Croatian Catholic priests from the Croatian Church in Manhattan and the Croatian Catholic Mission in Astoria, as well as to the Croatian Radio Club NY - "Voice of Free Croatia", which has been operating in New York for more than 50 years. Among the representatives of the Croatian Radio New York, the celebration was attended by Zvonimir Crnogorac, the oldest member and one of the hosts of that radio since 1972.

(Photos credit: Ane Strazicic Rodriguez)

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

May 28, 2021 - Olive oil is a must on Croatian tables, but its impact and quality transcend borders. A great example is Hvar olive oil, which has made a triumphant return from an international competition in New York.

Turistickeprice.hr reports that Hvar olive oil again achieved great success at the prestigious New York International Olive Oil Competition. It is a continuation of the successful tradition of Hvar olive growers on the international scene.

Despite its impeccable natural beauty and rich history, the island of Hvar is often visited by tourists and recognized as one of the top destinations for summer vacations. However, a real small gastronomic scene takes place on the island of Hvar, and the most commonly used ingredient is certainly Hvar olive oil.

There are more than 200,000 olive trees on Hvar, and the latest awards from the world competition are an indicator of quality. Last year, Hvar olive growers from New York returned with three medals, and this year they were even more successful.

Christmas oil - Oil mill Božić-Svirče

Namely, out of 87 awarded samples from Croatia, as many as seven come from the island of Hvar, from five olive oil producers. Two gold medals went to the trade Zvir for olive oils Radojković Levantinka and Radojković Forms. One gold, for Oblica oil and a silver medal for the Christmas Selection, was awarded to Uljara Božić - Svirče d.o.o. Gold medals were also received by: OPG Čurin for oil Eva Marija, then OPG Magdalena Plenković for oil Atena, and OPG Makjanić Moškatelo for their MMuje.

Last year on the island of Hvar was extremely fruitful, not only with the amount of oil produced but also with very good quality, which this year was confirmed by the most prestigious competition in New York. The world competition for olive oil NYIOOC is the largest. The annual list of award winners is considered an authoritative guide to the best extra virgin olive oils of the year.

Dark green olive groves have been formed in this area since ancient times, and so far there have never been more, producing renowned oils with the highest recognition. The most common olive variety is oblica, with a representation of 85%, followed by lastovka, levatinka, and the somewhat newer varieties lećino and pandolino. More than 900 small and large producers talk about the tradition of nurturing olives for their products. It is therefore not surprising that every dish on the island of Hvar is sprinkled with this liquid gold.

When it comes to olive oil, Croatia is one of the leading countries in the industry. From Istria to Dalmatia, you can find all the information you need to know about the origins, processes, and where to buy Croatian olive oil on the Total Croatia page, now in your language!

For more news like this, follow our made in Croatia section.

September 1, 2020 - Croatian representatives Borna Coric and Petra Martic have moved into the second round of the US Open!

Croatian tennis player Borna Coric advanced to the 2nd round of this year's US Open, overcoming Spaniard Pablo Andujar 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 at the start of the tournament. 

Coric, the 27th seed, took two hours and 23 minutes to win against the world's 53rd best tennis player.

The young Croatian tennis player had problems only in the first set, while he won convincingly in the second and third sets.

Andujar entered the match better. He won the first game, and then had the chance to break in the next two games on Borna's serve. However, he did not take advantage of any of the three opportunities. Coric received his first opportunity in the fifth game and immediately took the serve away from his opponent. But already in the next game, the 34-year-old Spaniard equalized at 3-3. The Spaniard also had the 5-4 lead, but Coric managed to equalize at 5-5, only to take the 6-5 lead in the next game, then calmly served for 7-5 and a 1-0 lead in sets.

Coric played the rest of the match almost without a mistake. In the second set, at 1-1, he took the serve from Andujar for the first time, and at 5-3, for the second time.

Borna opened the third set by winning three games in a row, and there was no turning back. The Spaniard reduced his lead to 3-1, only for Borna to win three more games in a row for the final 6-1.

Coric has never played against the 34-year-old Andujar, and in the 2nd round, he will play Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero, who beat Russian Evgeni Donskoy 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 at the start of the tournament. They have played once, this year in Rio de Janeiro, and Coric celebrated 7-6, 7-5.

Female Croatian representative Petra Martic needed two and a half hours and three sets to win against Czech player Tereza Martincova (136th on the WTA list) at the opening of this year's US Open - 5: 7, 6: 2, 6: 4.

The beginning of the match was not the best for Petra - the Czech took the first set after the break in the 12th game, though the situation improved for Petra after winning the second set. Still, Martincova took the lead in the deciding set with 3-1, and it seemed that the 8th seed was close to saying goodbye to the tournament this year. However, Martic came back and scored five aces during the match with a modest first-serve percentage of 49 percent and used only five of the 21 breakpoints. In the 2nd round, Martic plays against Ukrainian Katerina Bondarenko, 349th on the WTA list.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, which particularly affected New York, the Grand Slam is being held in special conditions.

The tennis players are housed inside a "bubble," most in two hotels, and those who can afford it have rented houses where they will be monitored 24 hours a day. No one is allowed to leave the bubble, so that the coronavirus does not enter inside. 

Source: HRT

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August 31, 2019 - Petra Martic is among the top 16 female players at the US Open!

Croatian tennis player Petra Martic has advanced to the 4th round of the US Open in New York. Namely, Maritc defeated last year's semi-finalist and 12th seed of the tournament, Latvian Anastasia Sevastova in the 3rd round match 6:4, 6:3 in an hour and 26 minutes of play, reports Gol.hr and HTS.

This was Martic and Sevastova's third encounter and the second victory for 28-year-old Croatian. Martic’s first win was in the 3rd round of the grand slam tournament Roland Garros two years ago. 

Better yet, Petra Martic will meet the six-time winner of this tournament, 38-year-old American Serena Williams, in the 4th round of the US Open on Sunday. It will be the first match between the 28-year-old and the 23-time grand slam tournament winner.

With this win, Martic has now been among the top 16 female tennis players in all four grand slams of her career. 

However, the match didn’t start well for the 22nd best player in the world, as Sevastova won the first two games. However, when she broke Martic at 2:0, it was her only in the whole match.

Martic returned her lost serve immediately in the next game, after she saved the Latvian break point at 3:4 and equalized at 4: 4 for the second time in a duel to take away her opponents serve, which was enough for her to win the first set. 

Martic continued her excellent streak with the start of the second set, taking away to her rival in the first game.  In total, she took away the serve of her opponent on four occasions (in the third and ninth games of the first and first and ninth games of the second set). Petra achieved three aces and had a first-serve percentage of 68 percent. Martic also used four of 11 break points, while Sevastova only one of four. 

Donna Vekic will play in the 3rd round against Putintseva at 6:20 pm Croatia time, while Marin Cilic will play at 7:30 pm against John Isner. 

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

Ex Yu Aviation reports on July 1, 2019, that Ina Rodin of the Croatian National Tourist Office in New York has confirmed that two US carriers are interested in introducing nonstop flights to Zagreb, though it won’t happen next year, or perhaps even the year after that. 

"We are in serious talks with two large carriers and we hope that within the next two to three years we can establish nonstop flights between New York and Zagreb,” Rodin said. 

However, you might recall Croatia’s Minister of Tourism, Gari Capelli, certain that a route between New York and Zagreb would operate already next summer. 

"I hope that we will have this route operational next summer. The service to Zagreb will most likely be seasonal during its first year of operations, while year-round flights could commence during the second year,” Capelli said in June.

While the timing of this highly anticipated service remains up in the air, one thing we do know is that the new American Airlines service between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik should be just the beginning. 

Namely, Romana Vlašić of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board said that not only should American Airlines extend its seasonal operations, but it could introduce some other destinations from the United States to Dubrovnik. 

Croatia’s State Secretary of Tourism, Tonči Glavina, also said that Croatia would “most likely be linked with another city in the United States next year”. 

Zagreb Airport has also openly said they were focusing a connection with New York and were already speaking to airlines back in April. 

"Wherever we see opportunities and demand, we'll go. As with the opening of our Dubrovnik - Philadelphia line, we are very specific about demand. Central Europe has the greatest growth potential. We are preparing to add more and more new links. We want to continue to lead the market. We will look closely at the results for the first year of operations. We are always looking at new opportunities to grow our network to ensure we offer service to where our customers wish to go,” said American Airlines on choosing Dubrovnik over Zagreb and Split. 

So, could Zagreb be next? Stay tuned. 

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

Dubrovnik is no stranger to winning awards and you're probably used to reading about it, but this area in the extreme south of Dalmatia continues to fascinate the world for an abundance of reasons. From its stunning natural beauty and crystal clear sea, to its rich history and equally impressive culture, the Pearl of the Adriatic and its immediate surrounding area just keep on making the world's jaws drop.

This time however, it isn't just the famous Dalmatian UNESCO protected old city and its mighty walls which are taking home yet another award for a promotional film made about its unique beauty, but the wider area of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. This truly picturesque part of southern Croatia boasts an almost equal amount of natural beauty and history, and from Ston to Konavle next to the Montenegrin border, you'll likely have your breath taken away multiple times.

As Morski writes on the 11th of April, 2019, the brand new promotional film from the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board, ''Dubrovnik Riviera'' continues to win awards and receive recognition from all sides. To be more precise, at the 2019 New York Festivals® International Film and TV awards festival, which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, the promo film showcasing Dubrovnik-Neretva County's sheer beauty came third place and won the bronze plaquette.

To briefly recall, at the recent ''The Golden City Gate'' ceremony in Berlin, Germany, at the biggest international ITB World Tourism Fair, the promotional film came second place in the category of regional films, the film has been made by Balduci Film from Zagreb, was directed by Herve Tirmarche and produced by Spomenka Saraga. The film depicts the beauty of Dubrovnik-Neretva County from the Neretva valley, to the islands of Korčula and Mljet, and then Croatia's southernmost municipality of Konavle, which borders Montenegro.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle and travel pages for much more. If it's just Dubrovnik and southern Dalmatia you're interested in, have a look at Dubrovnik in a Page for everything you need to know about the Rearl of the Adriatic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 9th of April, 2019, more than sixty meetings with investors were held by five Croatian and three Slovenian issuers as the Zagreb and Ljubljana stock exchanges presented their markets and issuers in New York on Monday, at the second largest international stock market - Nasdaqu, in cooperation with the Auerbach Grayson investment company and with a very good response from American investors, as the Zagreb Stock Exchange announced on Tuesday.

Although the Zagreb and Ljubljana stock exchanges have repeatedly presented their markets and issuers at local and regional investment conferences and on other similar occasions, this was the first time that such an event was organised outside of Europe, the statement said.

With the management bodies of both the Zagreb and the Ljubljana stock exchanges, investors were introduced to the Croatian companies AD Plastik, Arena Hospitality Group, Atlantic Group, Podravka and Valamar Riviera, as well as the Slovenian companies Krka, Petrol and Triglav Group. The Croatian investment association, Intercapital, presented the Croatian and Slovenian market and its potential, and, as previously mentioned, the companies held more than sixty individual meetings with US investors.

"For the first time in the history of the Zagreb Stock Exchange, we're organising the presentation of our most prominent issuers who have voluntarily accepted the highest standards of corporate governance and reporting to US investors.

We are very pleased with the level of interest and we hope that acquainting US investors with our companies and the potential of our regional market will result in their interest in investing in Croatian and Slovenian companies,'' said the director of the Zagreb Stock Exchange, Ivan Gažić, the president of AD Plastik, Marinko Došen, added that he hopes that the New York presentation will help attract new investors to Croatia.

"We support all the activities of the [Zagreb] exchange, which will enable us to revive the Croatian capital market with joint forces, we're pleased with the level of interest of American investors in AD Plastik, and I believe that the potential of our shares and business will be recognised on that market as well,'' Došen stated.

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

Excellent news for one Zagreb company as its success leads to the opening up of yet another office abroad, this time across the Atlantic in no less than the Big Apple - New York, USA.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of February, 2019, the key person and the manager of the Zagreb company's brand new American office is Mick de Meijer, a former executive director of several marketing agencies and a person with very strong experience in two key areas - project management and business development.

Zagreb's Q IT software company, which is one of the fastest growing IT companies in Europe according to Deloitte, has been operating at a new location since the beginning of this year. Their sixth global office was opened in New York, the digital hub of the eastern coast of the United States. The office is located in the very centre of New York, more precisely in Manhattan, and in addition to this location, this Croatian company still continues to operate from Zurich, Oslo, Belfast, Los Angeles, and of course from Zagreb, where the company's headquarters are located.

In his twelve years of hard work in the field, Mick de Meijer has successfully consulted more than 100 companies and worked directly with a variety of enormous and highly respected brands such as Victoria's Secret, Trojan, and Heinz.

So far, this Zagreb company has successfully helped a number of American companies with their technology development, of which, companies such as the United States Postal Services, Facebook, Walmart and Coca-Cola should definitely be mentioned. They have worked in different manners for these gigantic American companies, ranging from genialising their employment process to dealing with the system that employees use in their daily work.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated business and Made in Croatia pages for much more on Croatian companies, products and services, as well as information on doing business and the overall investment climate in Croatia. If it's just the capital you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

Excellent news for Pag as its American distributor sings its praises.