February 26, 2019 - TCN continues looking at the plans and expectations for Croatian airports in 2019, with updates from Pula, Rijeka, and Osijek, thanks to AvioRadar. 

February 18, 2019 - Looking for a Spring break in Croatia? It could be cheaper than you think - like REALLY cheap. How about 7 nights in Pula including flight for £99?

When is the best time to visit Croatia?

Well, if you are looking for a combination of great weather and truly fabulous prices, it would appear that it will be hard to beat May 2019 in Istria and the capital city, Pula. 

I don't usually pay much attention to travel offers on the Internet, but a headline as I was browsing this morning caught my attention about holidays to Croatia from the UK for under £100. 

"Brits heading to Croatia can spend seven days in Pula at a three-star hotel with return flights for just £99pp."

That is a sensational price and I decided to click through for more details. The offer, it seems, depends on a party of four travelling, and there is an additional 30 euro to be paid at the property, but the prices seem to go beyond the headline and are bookable. 

Seven nights in a 3-star hotel, with return flights from London, Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds, including all taxes apart from the 30 euro mentioned above. 

And, just as I was thinking that this might be an isolated offer, there is also the chance for a little more luxury in 4-star Park Plaza Verudela Pula for just £148 per person, including flights and taxes. 

There may never been a better and cheaper time to visit Istria and majestic Pula. 

You can check out the latest prices here, and to learn more about wait awaits you in fabulous Pula, here are 25 things to know about Istria's City of Tolerance. 

ZAGREB, February 13, 2019 - Economy Minister Darko Horvat said on Tuesday that at the moment the government did not have a final decision as to whether Uljanik shipyard would go bankrupt or be bailed out, and described figures that are being mentioned in the media as the government's cost to restructure Uljanik as unverified.

Asked what costs of Uljanik's restructure the state would consider realistic and acceptable, Horvat said that he would not bother to explain the figure of 10 billion kuna being mentioned in the media.

He recalled that so far the state had issued and paid guarantees in the amount of 2.86 billion kuna and that a further 1.7 billion kuna was "hanging in the air if we don't complete the four ships that are at a high stage of being equipped."

According to Horvat, one of those ships currently requires 22 million euro.

If we invest in the completion of that ship, that would release the state from the obligation of paying 126 million euro in guarantees. As far as guarantees are concerned, the situation with the other three ships is somewhat easier and an additional 700 million kuna in guarantees is required, Horvat said.

Asked how negotiations with creditors were going regarding the unblocking of the 3. Maj dock's account, which, if not unblocked, will lead to the dock's bankruptcy, Horvat said that the shipyard's management was currently meeting with his assistant Zvonimir Novak and that one of the topics at that technical meeting was the unblocking of the account.

"Unblocking the account of the Rijeka-based shipyard requires about 107 million kuna while the account of the Pula dock (Uljanik) requires an additional 86 million kuna to be unblocked," Horvat said.

He announced that a team of representatives of the economy and finance ministries, Uljanik's management board and the selected strategic partner would go to Brussels to meet with officials of the European Commission and discuss "interim financing that would possibly include the strategic partner."

More news on the Uljanik shipyard can be found in the Business section.

January 31, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Pula, Rijeka Zadar, and Split. 

Flights to Croatia: Volotea adds reinforcements to Croatia

Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea announced they were boosting operations on selected routes to Croatia this summer. Reinforcements have been announced to all four airports in Croatia where Volotea operates, AvioRadar reports. 

For starters, the airline has extended the seasonal line between Dubrovnik and Bari, which will now run two weeks earlier and five weeks later - from June 5 to October 2. On the new service between Dubrovnik and Lyon, Volotea has launched a second weekly flight, which will take off on Saturdays. On the Dubrovnik-Nantes service, the third weekly flight will run on Mondays instead of Tuesdays as it did last year. 

Volotea has also significantly extended their season on the Pula-Nantes line, which will run seven weeks earlier and five weeks later, from April 10 to October 30. This year’s new service between Pula and Bordeaux will operate five weeks into the post-season, from June 5 to October 2, as will the new service between Rijeka and Marseille. 

On the line between Split and Marseille, the third weekly flight will run on Tuesdays in the heart of the peak season. Last year’s new service between Split and Nice will see another weekly trip on Wednesdays. And last but not least, the seasonal service between Split and Palermo will be significantly extended, and operate a month earlier and later than usual - from April 10 to October 30. 

Flights to Croatia: Iberia moves focus to Croatia 

The national carrier of Spain will increase capacity to Croatia by 44.6% this summer - and better yet, this is the first year the airline continued flights from Madrid to Zagreb and Dubrovnik over winter, EX-YU Aviation News reports.

"Currently, both destinations are offered twice a week from Madrid, though we will increase our services to both cities during the summer season. On the route from Madrid to Dubrovnik we will offer two additional flights a week in April, May, June, September and October 2019 compared to last year,” the airline said for EX-YU Aviation News.

Thus, Iberia will operate thirteen flights a week to Zagreb. They will also fly from Madrid to Split in July and August five times a week. 

"Most of our passengers fly point to point, but we also have connecting traffic. Among the cities that feed more passengers to our flights from/to Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb last year were New York, Lisbon, Bilbao, Porto, Chicago, Boston and Miami,” Iberia added. The airline also saw passenger a 105% passenger increase on services to and from Croatia in 2018. 

Madrid and Zadar will even be connected two times a week this summer,  from July 2 to August 31. 

"These new additions to our program will reinforce our presence in Croatia, not only for point-to-point flights but for long haul connections as well," Iberia concluded for EX-YU Aviation News. 

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

In the summer of 2020, the city of Pula will be left without more than 30,000 foreign guests who spend hundreds of euros a day. Namely, Pula will feel the loss of mostly British tourists, performers, organizers and visitors to the two world-renowned music festivals Outlook and Dimensions, which will have their final release this year, according to the announcement by British organizer NVS Music Group on Tuesday.

Although other music events are still being held in Pula and at other locations by Pozitivan ritam, the local partner of the British organizer, the city of Pula is not happy because the festivals played an important role in promoting Pula and developing the local economy.

That is why they stated in the press release that they would do everything in their power to make sure the decision for Outlook and Dimension to leave Pula is not final. But, as we informally know, the ultimate outcome depends on many factors, from Brexit and British market behavior to state-level support, reports Poslovni.hr on January 24, 2019. 

The festival organizers did not publicly comment on what they are planning to do with Outlook, which will celebrate its 11th edition in Pula this year, and Dimensions, which will welcome its ninth. The organizers have published the final dates of both festivals, with the artists to be announced in the coming days, and have noted that "it will certainly be worth visiting and remembering, as it's the final edition of the festivals at that location."

We’re still unsure if the British organizer will continue at another location in Croatia or any other destination, and why exactly they gave up on Pula.

Pozitivan ritam has also been unable to answer these questions as they are just local partners in charge of the logistics and the implementation of the festivals. They have said, however, that these announcements have nothing to do with the special edition of their Seasplash festival, which has moved from Pula to Šibenik this year, and emphasizes that Pula remains their center, along with the Seasplash Summer Club, the Slurp Festival, the Kotač Club and other programs.

As far as Outlook and Dimensions are concerned, it is unofficially known that this year saw lower ticket sales mostly due to uncertainty surrounding Brexit, pushing the organizer to announce the final release of the festivals to boost ticket sales and secure financial sustainability. The organization of such events is otherwise expensive, and at Fort Punta Christo, even though the minimum concession is paid to Pula, the additional challenge is that there is no electricity or water, or fences which are replaced by security guards.

The task of the organizer is to reduce high costs and increase revenues which have fallen due to bad weather in the last two years, resulting in less spending on the site. Therefore, negotiations on all levels are expected in the coming months, including with the Croatian Tourist Board, which last year supported the festivals with 50,000 kuna, far less than the year before and seven times less than in 2015 when the Pula festivals were ranked top events.

Pula, however, really hopes this will not be the final decision.

"In addition to the excellent international promotion of Pula, the great financial benefits generated by the festivals have attracted many hospitality and trade activities, which have greatly enriched Pula's tourist offer. The festivals contributed to an increase in the number of arrivals and overnights, as well as income in many activities in the post-season and many were an opportunity for employment and additional earnings,” said the press spokeswoman of the Pula Department of Culture, Jasmina Nina Kamber.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

The most popular music festivals in Istria, Outlook and Dimensions, will be held for the last time at Fort Punta Christo in Štinjan. Could the move be a massive hit to Pula tourism? 

After the announcement that the Seasplash festival would move from Štinjan to Šibenik this summer, Pula has received yet another blow, which will leave the city without two more major festivals that have marked the area for the last decade, reports T.portal on January 23, 2019. 

Namely, Outlook and Dimension are the sister festivals that have operated in Croatia for twelve years, hosting musicians, promoters, visitors and publishing houses from all over the world. Big names like Dizzee Rascal, Damian Marley, Lauryn Hill, Grace Jones, Massive Attack and Jeff Mills are just some of the great musicians who played at the unique fort and the Pula Arena.

"We are really sorry about the difficult decision the festival organizers had to make based on many factors they cannot influence. We understand and respect the decision. From the very beginning, we have been in partnership with the organizers, and we are even now when we are trying to find a solution that will enable holding these festivals in Pula,” said the press spokeswoman of the Pula Department of Culture, Jasmina Nina Kamber.

She added that the Outlook and Dimensions festivals are among the most popular music festivals in Europe, and thanks to them, Pula has become a recognizable festival destination, with tens of thousands of young people coming from all over the world every year.

In their words, the city has supported its maintenance since the very beginning due to its high potential and the benefits to the entire community.

"In addition to the excellent international promotion of Pula, the great financial benefits generated by the festivals have attracted many hospitality and trade activities, which have greatly enriched Pula's tourist offer. The festivals contributed to an increase in the number of arrivals and overnights, as well as income in many activities in the post-season and many were an opportunity for employment and additional earnings,” said Kamber, adding that a significant part of the revenue generated during the festival was enabled to build and maintain the city’s infrastructure.

"The entire festival organization has greatly contributed to the promotion of Pula as a recognizable festival destination, and we still hope for their stay or soon return," said Jasmina Kamber.

This year's Dimensions festival will take place from August 29 to September 2, while the festival's summer season will end with the Outlook festival from September 5 to 9. 

Over the next few days, the festivals should also announce the first round of artists who will be coming to the forth this summer. Namely, Outlook will publish their first performers on Thursday, January 24th, and Dimensions on Thursday, January 31st.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

Uljanik's woes continue as workers endure difficult times and strategic partners for the enfeebled Pula shipyard's appear to be moving cautiously and slowly. Despite that, the burdened Croatian shipyard is currently involved in completing the construction of the most expensive vessel constructed in any shipyard in the Republic of Croatia.

As Novac.hr/Barbara Ban  writes on the 18th of January, 2019, Australian Glen Moroney's Scenic Eclipse polar cruiser of the Scenic Group is currently in its final phases at Uljanik.

The outside molding of this luxurious polar vessel, which was worked on by as many as 400 to 700 people was completed, out of which about ten percent of Uljanik's employees were directly engaged. The rest of the ship has been being built by some of Uljanik's co-operatives and people from the Scenic Group itself. When finally finished, it will be part of a fleet of twenty luxury cruisers of which the aforementioned company is proud.

In addition, the vessel should be receiving its very first guests as early as this year, albeit with a great deal of delays given the fact that it was supposed to embark on its first trip at the end of August 2018. Work on the boat is now continuing without interruption, and on his first voyage, the cruiser will travel around the Mediterranean, with its first port of call being Barcelona. Booking for that trip has gone ahead, and because of the unwelcome delay the prices are somewhat less than they were originally. For all those who booked the first trip when the vessel was meant to be completed last summer, the company refunded customers their cancellation fees.

''This cruiser is one of the most complex vessels in its segment being built today on a global level and we're proud of it. We experienced significant difficulties where there was a shift in deadlines, however, Uljanik possesses the knowledge to create such a vessel in record time in relation to the circumstances. On several occasions, the owner himself emphasised that, in relation to the circumstances, the execution time was something beyond his expectations. The ship is now in its final phase,'' stated Uljanik's managing director Emil Bulić.

Otherwise, the Scenic Group commissioned another such vessel from Uljanik, and Uljanik has offered assurances that the shipowner has no intent of terminating this contract which was concluded a year ago. On the other hand, Australia's Moroney is one of the investors who is interested in Uljanik himself.

Give our business page a follow to stay up to date with Uljanik's unfolding situation and much more.

Click here for the original article by Barbara Ban for Novac.hr

ZAGREB, January 17, 2019 - The Pula-based Uljanik shipyard said on Thursday that the due diligence period had been extended until January 24 following additional interest shown by potential investors.

The data room is open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday, January 19.

The company recalled that the deadline for submission of bids for a strategic partnership remained 8pm on January 25.

Economy Minister Darko Horvat said last week that intensive talks were under way with several partners and that it would be clear by January 25 whether they would eventually make a financial offer. He added that "two serious partners" were conducting due diligence.

Horvat said in parliament on Thursday morning that a third potential partner had shown interest on Wednesday and that he was certain that one more would express its interest next week.

More news on the Uljanik shipyard can be found in the Business section.

January 13, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia, with updates from Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. 

Flights to Croatia: LOT boosts operations from Poland

Polish national carrier LOT Polish Airlines, a Star Alliance member, announced the introduction of a new line from Poland in their 2019 summer timetable. In 2018, LOT introduced the Dubrovnik-Warsaw line, which ran six times per week - or every day except Tuesday. 

While this line will remain in traffic this summer with the same number of weekly flights, a new route between Dubrovnik and Krakow (“Pope John Paul II) will operate once a week, on Saturdays, from May 25 to September 28, 2019, AvioRadar reported. The Embraer ERJ-195LR will be used on this line. 

The line between Dubrovnik and Krakow already operated in the past by Slovakian low-cost carrier SkyEurope, which ran two flights a week but halted operations in 2009. Following them, Polish regional carrier EuroLOT managed this route, though they also cut off all traffic in 2015. 

Flights to Croatia: Eurowings increases operations from Cologne 

German low-cost carrier Eurowings has extended their flight offer from Cologne to Croatia for the peak season. Namely, additional flights will operate from July 15 to August 23, 2019, from Cologne to Pula, Rijeka, Split, and Zadar, announced AvioRadar. 

On the Cologne/Bonn - Pula line, there will be an additional rotation on Monday. On the line to Rijeka, there will be two additional flights in the heart of the season - on Tuesdays and Fridays. The route to Split will now fly every day with the addition of the Wednesday service, and an additional flight on Thursday will boost the line to Zadar. 

Flights to Croatia: Air Transat confirms cancelation of Toronto-Split service

While we reported earlier this week that it looked as if Air Transat canceled their new service between Toronto and Split for 2019, Air Transat's Marketing Director, Debbie Cabana, confirmed the news for EX-YU Aviation. 

"For commercial reasons, we have decided to cancel our summer 2019 program for Split, Croatia. Nevertheless, Croatia remains a key destination for Transat and, given the interest shown by Canadians in the summer of 2018 and its potential for tourism development, we will be adding a third weekly departure from Toronto to Zagreb. Flights will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays during peak season. Passengers from Montreal and Vancouver will also benefit from a connecting flight to Toronto to take advantage of this added flight to Croatia. This third flight will make Zagreb accessible from Calgary as well, via return connecting flights to Toronto". 

The carrier was to fly between the two cities once a week from June 20 to September 12.

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

January 7, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia, with updates to Pula and Dubrovnik. 

Flights to Croatia: Ryanair from Dublin to Split and Dubrovnik

Ryanair has announced that they are launching their first flights to Dubrovnik and Split from Dublin, four times a week from June, as part of its largest Croatian summer schedule so far. The 2019 summer schedule also includes flights from Zadar to Cologne, Hamburg and Nuremberg, reports HRTurizam. 

"Ryanair is pleased to announce our first flights from Dubrovnik and Split to Dublin, which will run four times per week from June, as part of the expanded summer schedule in 2019, which also includes new flights from Zadar to Cologne, Hamburg, and Nuremberg,” said Ivana Hanjš, executive director of sales and marketing for Europe.

Flights to Croatia: S7 to Dubrovnik and Pula

Russian airline S7 has also announced they’ll be boosting operations to both of their destinations in Croatia for the 2019 summer, reports AvioRadar.

Namely, on the line between Dubrovnik and Moscow (Domodedovo airport), S7 will operate using the larger Boeing 737-800 aircraft instead of the Airbus A319 aircraft. Flights will continue to work twice a week, on Monday and Friday, over the same period as last year. 

On the line between Pula and Moscow (Domodedovo), S7 has announced an additional line on Saturdays. Thus, instead of last year’s five flights per week, S7 will now operate between the two cities six times a week. There will be no flights on Tuesdays and Sundays. 

The Pula-Saint Petersburg line remains unchanged and will run as it did last year - once a week on Sundays. 

Flights to Croatia: El Al from Tel Aviv to Dubrovnik

Ex Yu Aviation announced that Israel's national carrier El Al has also announced a new seasonal flight between Tel Aviv and Dubrovnik. The Israeli airline will fly once a week between the two cities, on Tuesdays, beginning June 4, 2019. Operations will end on September 24, 2019. El Al will operate using the 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

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