April 14, 2021 - With the season approaching, the question on everyone's mind is will traveling during the coronavirus pandemic to Croatia bring problems for tourism in the country?' A light at the end of the tunnel still might be possible.

While many high-reputation magazines regularly praise Croatia as a top destination, this summer, the season will be only as strong as the health situation regarding coronavirus – both in Croatia and abroad, from where the country welcomes as many tourists as possible. Sadly, as Croatian National Radiotelevision (HRT) reports, due to the bad pandemic situation, many European countries, including Croatia, are canceling the travel season.

While, as we reported on TCN, many flights are returning and coming to Croatia, the measures are possibly demotivating travelers.

HRT says Croatia is declared as a highly-risked country in Germany, and returning citizens need to show a negative test that is no older than 48 hours which is a change to previous arrangments when Germans could test after returning home.

„The English planned to allow traveling from May 17 but tour operators and others don't have a big number of reservations to make it profitable so everything is postponed until June 24“, said hotelier  Domagoj Tomasović to HRT. 

British tourists were indeed expected mid-May, but as Darija Reić, director of the Croatian Tourist Board in London, said on the "Good Morning Croatia show" on HRT, there are still fines for non-essential travel.

„Travelling outside of UK is still illegal if you don't travel for essential reasons which include traveling for business, education or medicinal purposes. Otherwise, it's possible to be fined 5000 pounds“, explained Reić, as noted by Turizmoteka.

Tonči Glavina, state secretary for Tourism ministry, said for HRT that the UK is not alone in sending a message to its citizens to not travel anywhere and went on to say that may not be bad for Croatia.

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While the UK stands better in the percentage of vaccinated people than Croatia, Croatians are focusing on reaching the green zone by the end of May. Seventy thousand vaccinated workers in the tourist sector are the goal for the country.

„If that doesn't happen until the start of the season, then we need tests and it would be good if tourist board make testing zones and if we co-finance the expenses of testing to our guests“, concluded Tomasović.

The Ministry of Tourism already secured 20 million kuna to co-finance testing for tourists if Croatia doesn't reach the green zone.

PCR tests currently cost 500 kuna; quick antigen test is 150 kuna, and the translations of the results to English is 125 kuna. Twenty tourists were already tested in Zagreb on Tuesday. 

Learn more about coronavirus: news and travel in Croatia on our TC page.

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ZAGREB, 14 April, 2021 - In the past 24 hours Croatia has registered 3,099 new coronavirus cases while 41 people have died as a consequence, the national COVID response team reported on Wednesday.

That is a significantly higher number of infections and deaths compared to Tuesday when 1,936 new cases and 25 deaths were registered.

There are 13,880 active cases in the country, including 1,955 hospitalised patients, of whom 185 are on ventilators. There are currently 27,528 people in self-isolation.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case of coronavirus was detected in Croatia, there have been a total of 297,973 people infected with the virus and 6,399 people have died as a consequence. A total of 277,694 have recovered from the disease, including 1,274 in the past 24 hours.

To date a total of 1,663,542 have been tested for the virus, including 11,017 in the past 24 hours.

As of 13 April a total of 605,423 doses of vaccines have been administered, inoculating 491,601 people. Of that number, 375,993 people have received the first dose and 113,822 have received both doses. For 1,786 people there was no data on which dose they received.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 13 April, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, 1,936 new cases of the coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Croatia, and there have been 25 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Tuesday.

Since the start of the epidemic in February 2020, 1,652,525 people have been tested for the virus, including 10,214 in the past 24 hours.

The number of active cases in Croatia stands at 12,096, including 1,948 people who are hospitalised, of whom 192 are on ventilators.

Currently 26,192 people are in self-isolation.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case of the infection, 294,874 people have contracted the novel coronavirus and 6,358 of them have died. A total of 276,420 people have recovered, including 1,659 in the last 24 hours.

As of 12 April, 595,369 doses of vaccine have been used, and 483,825 people have been vaccinated.

Of them, 370,544 people have received the first dose, and 111,544 have received both doses. For 1,737 people, there is no data on which dose they have received.

For more about COvid-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page

ZAGREB, 9 April, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 50 COVID-19-related fatalities and 2,599 new cases of coronavirus infection, after 8,994 samples were tested, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Friday.

The number of active cases in Croatia today stands at 13,200.

There are 1,768 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 175 of whom are on ventilators.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case of the infection, a total of 288,364 people have contracted coronavirus and 6,235 of them have died.

A total of 268,929 people have recovered, including 2,116 in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 26,425 people in self-isolation.

To date, 1,619,663 people have been tested, 8,994 of whom have been tested over the past 24 hours.

As of 8 April, 543,436 doses of vaccine have been used, and 440,890 people have been vaccinated. Of them, 336,693 people have received the first dose, and 102,546 have received both doses. For 1,651 people there is no data on which dose they have received.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 8 April, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 3,217 new cases of coronavirus infection, which is almost twice as many as on Wednesday when there were 1,649 new cases, and there have been 36 deaths, according to data from the national COVID-19 crisis management team released on Thursday.

The number of active cases in Croatia today stands at 12,767. There are 1,756 COVID patients in hospitals, 171 of whom are on ventilators.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case of the infection, a total of 285,765 people have contracted coronavirus, 6,185 of them have died and 266,813 have recovered, including 1,775 in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 28,763 people in self-isolation.

To date, 1,610,669 people have been tested, 11,216 of whom have been tested over the past 24 hours.

As of 7 April, 533,409 doses of vaccine have been used, and 432,601 people have been vaccinated. Of them, 330,142 people have received the first dose, and 100,808 have received both doses. For 1,651 people, there is no data on which dose they have received.

For more about Covid-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 7 April, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 1,649 new cases of coronavirus infection and 36 deaths, and the number of active cases currently stands at 11,361, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Wednesday.

There are 1,750 COVID patients in hospitals, 160 of whom are on ventilators.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case of the infection, a total of 282,548 people have contracted coronavirus, of whom 6,149 have died and 265,038 have recovered, including 1,280 in the last 24 hours.

There are 27,406 people currently in self-isolation. To date, 1,599,453 have been tested, 9,466 of whom over the past 24 hours.

As of 6 April, 526,414 doses of vaccine have been used, and 427,387 people have been vaccinated. Of them, 326,711 people have received the first dose, and 99,027 have received both doses. For 1,649 people, there is no data on which dose they have received.

For more about Covid-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 6 April, 2021 - Over the past 24 hours, Croatia has registered 735 new cases of the coronavirus infection and 30 deaths, and the number of active cases currently stands at 11,028, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Tuesday.

There are 1,713 COVID patients in hospitals, 155 of whom are on ventilators. In the last 24 hours, 1,531 people have recovered and 6,333 have been tested.

Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case, 280,899 people have contracted coronavirus, 263,758 have recovered and 6,113 have died.

To date, a total of 1,589,987 people have been tested.

There are currently 26,592 people in self-isolation.

As of 5 April, 524,724 doses of vaccine have been used, and 426,310 people have been vaccinated, 326,247 of whom have received the first dose and 98,414 of whom have received both doses. For 1,649 people, there is no data on which dose they have received.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 2 April, 2021 - In the past 24 hours 2,362 new coronavirus cases and 29 COVID deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 response team said on Friday.

The number of active cases is 13,111, including 1,464 hospitalised patients, of whom 153 are on ventilators, while 34,878 people are self-isolating.

Croatia has registered 276,416 coronavirus cases to date as well as 5,996 COVID deaths and 276,416 recoveries, including 1,670 in the past 24 hours.

To date 1,568,027 people have been tested for the virus, including 8,697 in the past 24 hours, and 404,518 have been vaccinated, including 92,380 with both doses. For 1,519 people there is no information as to whether they have received one or two doses.

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ZAGREB, 1 April, 2021 - In the last 24 hours 2,422 new coronavirus cases have been registered in Croatia, with the share of infected persons among those tested reaching 25.56%, Health Minister Vili Beroš told a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Currently, 33,376 people are self-isolating and 1,337 are receiving hospital treatment, including 144 who are on ventilators.

"A total of 6,832 persons have been infected this week alone, and compared with the start of last month, the number of patients on ventilators has nearly doubled and the number of hospital patients has increased by 60%," Beroš said.

By Wednesday, 2,632 samples have been sent for sequencing and the results show that the British variant of the coronavirus was detected in 67% of them.

Croatia has so far received 540,845 vaccine doses, and by 30 March 463,003 doses have been administered, or 86% of the doses received.

Beroš said that additional intensive care units are being reopened in the Dubrava Hospital in Zagreb, as well as in other hospitals as necessary.

He called on the citizens to refrain from large gatherings during the Easter holidays, to maintain a safe distance, wear masks and air out their rooms.

 In the last 24 hours, there have been 20 COVID-related deaths bringing the death toll to 5,967.

The head of the national coronavirus response team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, spoke of the measures to contain the coronavirus, which are being tightened until 15 April.

"Given the fact that the epidemiological situation is not the same everywhere, the national response team is introducing the new measures for the large part at the proposal of county teams," Božinović said.

Over the next two weeks, indoor training will be forbidden at national level, except for top athletes, and the work of indoor play groups will be restricted.

As for the border crossing regime, for entry into Croatia fast antigen tests, recognised by EU member states, and vaccination certificates will be recognised.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 31 March, 2021 - Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac said on Wednesday that clear entry criteria for Croatia were being prepared according to European Commission recommendations for travel across borders, which will probably be - recovered from COVID-19, vaccination or a PCR or antigen test.

Asked by reporters ahead of an inner cabinet meeting what she thinks of the measures by the national COVID response team and how the deteriorated epidemiological situation is being reflected on tourism and bookings, Minister Brnjac said that as soon as the European Commission released its draft recommendations on travel restrictions, Croatia immediately started working on clear criteria for entry into Croatia.

The Commission recently proposed a regulation on creating a Digital Green Certificate which should enable safe travel within the European Union during the pandemic. The certificate should be proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has received a negative test result or recovered from COVID-19.

Brnjac added that this requires technical preparations which are already being worked on in the Interior Ministry and the Croatian Institute for Public Health so that, as soon as the regulation enters into force, it can be integrated in the system.

That is important because of the epidemiological situation, which is why at the end of 2020 we launched safe protocols and the "Safe stay in Croatia" label, she said.

"We have previously warned that the most important thing is for Croatia to be in the 'green' zone and we asked local tourist boards to recommend testing stations for tourists... We need to achieve flow of both tourists and tests," said Brnjac.

Asked how the current situation is being reflected on bookings, Brnjac said that she is in constant contact with partners on the markets and that there has been an increase in enquiries, mostly about whether Croatia is in the "green" and about the vaccination of tourism workers which, she added, could be conducted in May and June as "vaccines are coming."

"There are fewer bookings than in previous years, even for Easter, but more are expected... from the end of May and in June, for which there is more interest by tourists, and that is why we should have the best epidemiological situation possible," she said. 

Asked about aid for travel agencies which are required to refund deposits for cancelled travel arrangements, yet don't have the funds to do so, Brnjac said "they can get loans and return what they owe, with state guarantees for up to 100 per cent of the loans that are earmarked for SMEs and 90% for (those earmarked for) large companies."

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