Football club Hajduk Split played their first Europa League qualifier against Malta club Gzira United after 29 days of preparations. The first qualifying round was played on artificial turf in Ta' Qali.

Hajduk opened the start of a new European season with a 0:2 win against Gzira United in the first qualifying round at the Centenary stadium in Ta 'Qali, Malta, reports Gol.hr on July 9, 2019.

Siniša Oreščanin’s team managed to secure the victory with goals by Adam Gyurcso in the 44th minute and Ivan Dolček in the fifth minute of injury time. 

Hajduk dominated the first minute but was unable to break through Gzira’s defense in the first half, which ended without goals.

Hajduk’s first real chance was in the 37th minute when Jradi passed two players to find Gyurcso, who missed the goal by 10 meters. Three minutes later, Jurić cut the ball from the right and shot from 20 meters but was also unlucky. 

Hajduk finally had their chance in the 44th minute thanks to a penalty which Gyurcso scored after his shot bounced back off the side post. 

Hajduk could have increased their lead in the 69th minute, though Hamza and Dolček were unable to realize their chances. However, seconds before the final whistle and five minutes into injury time, substitute Ivan Dolček increased Hajduk’s lead to 0:2, which was the final score of the game.

Hajduk arrived in Malta on Sunday and held one official training on Monday evening, and was welcomed by hot and muggy weather, with a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. The club also arrived in Malta without a few sound names. Namely, Oreščanin could not count on captain Josip Juranović, Mijo Caktaš and Josip Posavec who received an extended rest after the U21 European Championship. 

The second leg is scheduled for July 18th at Poljud. If Hajduk moves forward,  they will play in the second qualifying round against the winner of Latvian club Ventspils and Albanian club Teuta.

More soon...

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After a sunny and hot day on most of the Adriatic, Monday evening was marked by a new wave of instability; a summer storm that sparked from Istria to Zadar, Split to Makarska, reports Dalmacija Danas on July 9, 2019.

Zvonimir Barišin

After 10 pm on Monday evening, the sky raged with lightning and thunder from Zadar to Split, which was followed by a sudden downpour of rain and hail with powerful gusts of wind. 

Thankfully, while its intensity felt much stronger, this quick change in weather failed to damage much of anything.

According to Pljusak.com, as much as 21 liters of rain per square meter fell in Plano near Trogir, causing some flash floods. In less than an hour, Split welcomed 13 liters of precipitation per square meter. Murter welcomed 12 liters, followed by Omiš and Zlarin, Stobreč, Miljevci, Vodice and Dugopolje (11 liters). 

Danica Venus Sičić

The heavy downpour also created quite a mess on the roads, as many drivers opted to pull over and wait for the thunderstorms to pass. Temperatures in this area also dropped up to 5 degrees. 

Zvonimir Barišin

Around midnight, thunder clouds hit Zabiokovlje, and a new storm line formed across the Zadar archipelago, which was just an introduction to new, more pronounced thunderstorms over the next two days. 

Thus, in the parts of the Adriatic, over 40 liters of rain per square meter will fall on Tuesday and Wednesday, and localized thunderstorms will hit throughout the day.

You can see a compilation of footage from the storm in the Split area, recorded by members of the Crometeo team.

The cold front will cool much of Croatia over the next two days, though temperatures will heat up by the end of the week to a comfortable 28 to 29 degrees Celsius. 

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

In the first five months of 2019, Croatia welcomed 171 or 18 percent more international cruise ships than in the same period last year, according to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

Furthermore, Croatia also welcomed a 19 percent increase in passengers or 247,500 passengers in the first five months of 2019, reports T.portal on July 8, 2019.

Croatia saw 43 or 3 more cruise ships which traveled to Croatia on round trips than in the first five months of 2018 - and they also stayed longer than last year, for 386 days or a 25.3 percent increase. 

The cruise ships came under the flags of ten countries, though most trips were made under the flag of Malta, which recorded 41 ships and 34,000 passengers traveling to Croatia in the first five months. 

Although in the second place by the number of round trips (36 in the first five months), cruise ships under the Italian flag brought far more passengers, or the most among all the cruise ships, which is a little more than 85,000. 

In third place is the flag of Panama, with 26 round trips and nearly 59,000 passengers.

When looking at months, the highest number of cruise ships on the Croatian Adriatic was recorded in May, when there were a total of 88, which is three trips or 3.5 percent more than in May last year, while the most significant increase of these trips, or 48.5 percent, was achieved in April, when there were 49.

Unlike last year when some months saw cruise ship trips in the minus, this year saw more cruise trips this year than in the same month of the year before.

Namely, January saw five cruise ships travel, which is a 25 percent increase compared to January 2018. February welcomed 11 trips, which is a plus of 22.2 percent, and March, which welcomed 18 cruise trips, is nearly 30 percent better than the same month in 2018. 

As usual, Dubrovnik was the most visited hotspot for cruise ships this year, with 124 visits. Split is in second with 76 of these visits, while Zadar saw 32, Korcula 30, Šibenik 25 and Hvar 20. Less than ten visits were recorded in Rovinj, Ploče, Stari Grad, Pomena and Pula.

But this is anything but good news, for various reasons.

For one, TCN reported last week that the "Transportation and Environment" Association conducted extensive research on air pollution in European destinations in ports which accept cruise ships in 2017, which presented the results of research from Croatia's top destination - Dubrovnik.

The authors of the study showcased the observed pollution levels in Dubrovnik in figures and tables, to make them as clear as possible. In the study, the release of harmful particles of sulfur and nitrogen oxide was compared with that produced by the number of registered vehicles present at cruising destinations.

According to the data, 27,173 vehicles were registered in Dubrovnik at that time. During 2017, in the port of Gruž, forty such of these vessels sailed on round trips, spending a total of 2,791 hours moored, and during that time, 2,523 kilograms of contaminated particles were discharged into Dubrovnik's air.

During that same time, the 27,173 vehicles registered in the Dubrovnik area released 11,561 kilograms of exhaust gases into the air. Translated into basic percentages: 20.1 percent of the air pollution in Dubrovnik comes directly from cruise ships.

When considering the release of harmful compounds such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides, during those 2,791 hours of cruise ships being moored in Gruž, they released a massive 140,259 kilograms of nitrogen oxide into the air, while 27,173 registered vehicles during that same year released 100,174 kilograms of the same harmful compound.

During their stay, cruise ships released 6,344 kilograms of sulfur oxide into Dubrovnik's air, and passenger cars released 331 kilograms of the same compound during that time.

But Dubrovnik isn’t the only polluted cruise ship destination, as Rijeka and Split made the list, too. You can find the full study at Transport & Environment. 

Some Croatian travel agencies are taking a symbolic stand to protest this cruise ship pollution, like Secret Dalmatia, which you can read more about on TCN.

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

In the first half of the year, just like in June, Split has achieved record results in tourist traffic and confirmed that it would once again be a hit destination in 2019.

Namely, in the first six months of this year, Split welcomed 325,456 arrivals, which is 11 percent more than last year, and 848,235 overnight stays, which is 14 percent better than last year, reports Dalmatinski Portal on July 8, 2019.

According to the data from the eVisitor system, Split was at the very top of Croatia for growth in tourist traffic in this year’s pre-season. It is particularly important to note that Split was a hotspot for winter and spring breaks this year, which saw a 17 percent increase in visitors from the United States. In second place are British tourists, who achieved an increase of 7 percent, followed by the Germans, French, Australians, Canadians, and others. Most impressive is that in the first six months of the year, there was a 53 percent increase in Chinese tourists.

“In June, Split welcomed a 10 percent increase in tourist arrivals, and the city was visited by 130,391 guests last month, which generated 363,516 overnight stays or an increase of 13 percent. The biggest contribution to this record result in June is thanks to foreign guests, which saw a growth of 11 percent compared to last year. Americans made up the most of the foreign tourists, with 18,705 arrivals and an increase of 11 percent, followed by the British with 16,755 arrivals (an increase of 9 percent), the Germans with 8,062 arrivals (an increase of 26 percent), and French tourists who achieved an increase of 35 percent. Such a structure of guests has confirmed that Split has found its place in the plans of the most selective guests,” said Alijana Vukšić, director of the Split Tourist Board

This year, Split is directly connected by plane to more than one hundred destinations in Europe, and more than 50 airlines fly to Split Airport. 

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

Over the weekend, the Split Airport and Ferry Port will see the arrivals and departures of about 100,000 passengers, which is the largest turnover since the beginning of this year’s tourist season, reports Splitski Dnevnik on July 6, 2019.

“On Saturday, until midnight, Split Airport will welcome about 29,000 passengers, and on Sunday there will be about 24,000 passengers, totaling to 53,000 passengers for a record in this year's weekend traffic at the airport," said Head of the Reception and Dispatching at Split Airport, Mate Melvan.

Passenger traffic during the first weekend of July at Split Airport is about five to six percent higher compared to the first weekend of July last year, and will increase every coming weekend until mid-August, Melvan added.

During the day, 109 aircraft will fly to Split Airport, with passengers from all around the world, while 105 aircraft will fly on Sunday.

"The Split Ferry Port this weekend will welcome 47,530 passengers and 8,790 vehicles, which is the largest of this year's weekend traffic at that Ferry Port," said Jelena Ivulić, head of Jadrolinija in Split.

According to the registration plates of the vehicles, most of the tourists traveling to the Central Dalmatian islands are coming from Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic while mostly English tourists are going to Croatia by plane. 

Recall, last weekend, 212 aircraft flew to Split, which brought 52,000 passengers from more than a hundred world destinations, and from last Friday to Sunday, more than 70,000 passengers and more than 13,000 vehicles traveled through the Split Ferry Port. 

The weekend before that, when we formally welcomed the new season, Split estimated 112,000 travelers from Croatia, around Europe and the world thanks to airplanes, ships, ferries, and catamarans.

And the weekend before that, on June 15th, which officially marks the start of the tourist season, figures revealed that 140,000 passengers traveled through the Split Airport and Ferry Port.

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

On Sunday, July 14, the 65th Split Summer festival will begin with the premiere performance of Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'Rigoletto' at Peristyle. For the first time in the long tradition of the festival, this Verdi masterpiece, one of the most popular and most liked operas in history, and the first part of his "Latin" or "Romantic" trilogy, will take this famous Split summer stage, reports Dalmatinski Portal on July 6, 2019.

Under the direction of Ivo Lipanović, and directed by Drazen Siriščević, 'Rigoletto' will be performed by the orchestra and choir of the Croatian National Theater in Split and soloists. The title role will be baritone Elia Fabbian, the soprano Elena Mosuc will interpret the role of Gilda, the Duke of Mantua will be tenor Francesco Marsiglia, Ivica Čikeš will play Sparafucile, and Maddalena will be performed by mezzo-soprano Terezija Kusanović. Apart from the premiere, the second performance is scheduled for July 17th.

Other roles include Bjanka Ivas, Ivan Šarić, Marko Lasić, Spiro Boban, Vinko Maroević, Mate Akrap, Ivona Bosančić Lasić, Vlatko Belas and Tea Požgaj. Set designer Slaven Raos, costume designer Juraj Zigman, choreographer Igor Kirov, choir artist Frane Kuss, stage lighting Srđan Barbarić, assistant director Jelena Bosančić and conducting assistant Jure Bučević are also featured in the team.

Director Dražen Siriščević, who, as the operatic director, made his debut at the Split Festival five years ago, said: 

"Giuseppe Verdi did not particularly try to present the story of human destinies from the 16th century faithfully in the reconstruction of the musical expression of the high Renaissance. On the contrary, he was free to use all available musical instruments of his time. With the contemporary music language of the 19th century, he painted a 300-year-old story that he had experienced as a contemporary. Today, in the 21st century, on the verge of this Verdi approach, ours will answer all the questions and challenges of his music theater from the perspective of the time we live in. It will be July 2019, and at Peristyle.”

The premiere performance on July 14 begins after the opening ceremony of the 65th Split Summer at 21:00.

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July 5, 2019 - It’s another busy year for Croatian airports, which saw the busiest June in history. 

Rijeka Airport continues to grow each year and saw a record increase in passengers and operations compared to June 2018, reports Novi List. 

"After the successful 2018, when Rijeka Airport broke all records, achieving a total turnover of 183,606 passengers and a growth in traffic of almost 30%, this summer season also opened with great news.

Namely, Rijeka Airport can boast the busiest June to date and has increased passenger traffic by 37% as compared to June 2018, while traffic operations accounted for 40% higher turnover compared to the previous year,” the airport said. 

These excellent achievements are an excellent introduction to the season, in which they expect 200,000 passengers. 

The reason for the increase is the introduction of new lines for Belgrade, Munich, and Marseille, but also an increase in the number of existing carriers, in particular, Transavia for Eindhoven, which increased by 350% compared to last season's number of operations,” they added.

Avio Radar reports that Dubrovnik Airport also recorded a stellar June, which saw 415,876 passengers, which is 50,528 more passengers than last year. Thus, Dubrovnik Airport welcomed a passenger growth of 13.83% last month. 

The first direct line from the United States to Croatia operated by American Airlines has significantly contributed to Dubrovnik’s success. 

Dubrovnik Airport has recorded an increase in traffic in each month this year. In the first half of the year, 1,059,564 passengers traveled through the airport, which is 157,184 more passengers than last year, or a growth of 17.42%. 

Split Airport welcomed 513,706 passengers or an increase of 8.2% for a record June, and in the first six months of 2019, they welcomed 1,102,118 passengers, which is up 8%. 

Ex Yu Aviation reports that Zagreb Airport saw 336,618 passengers in June, which is an increase of 1.5% compared to last year. In the first half of the year, Zagreb Airport handled 1,534,105 passengers, which is up 4.2%, or an additional 62,477 compared to 2018.

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

On June 14, 2019, TCN reported that Split Airport's new passenger terminal was set to open on schedule, and in approximately two weeks, though the exact date was still unknown. Technical checks were said to be currently underway at the site, after which the Croatian Ministry for Construction and Spatial Planning would issue an operating permit. 

However, on July 5, 2019, we still don’t have an answer. Namely, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Split Airport missed the deadline for opening the new passenger terminal, as the Airport announced it would be open to travelers by the end of June. A reason for the delay is not yet known, nor is the new opening date. 

Over the last six months, we’ve reported that the new terminal was on schedule to open in June, with Croatia’s Minister of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković confirming in March that the more than 450 million kuna terminal and its additional facilities were progressing faster than planned. 

This delay comes as Split Airport welcomed 513,706 passengers or an increase of 8.2% for a record June. In the first six months of 2019, Split Airport welcomed 1,102,118 passengers, which is up 8%. 

Recall, the new terminal will spread across 50,000 square meters, which is a significant improvement compared to the current 14,000. The will be 30 check-in counters, 6 exits, 5 luggage carousels, a new sorting facility, parking for 900 cars, a station for 49 buses, and a 120-meter-long air-conditioned pedestrian bridge that connects it all. There will also be a lounge for business class passengers, an observation deck, and more restaurants. You can see the progress of the airport back in March here.

“This additional space will enable us to handle 2,500 passengers per hour instead of the current 2,000. That totals 40,000 travelers per day,” said Lukša Novak, Split Airport’s general manager. 

"On an annual basis, the extra capacity will enable us to handle an additional one million passengers. Depending on tourism industry trends, this terminal should cater to our needs over the next fifteen years. We expect new routes to be launched once the new terminal opens. Each year we expand with some five or six new destinations. We are currently linked with around 100 cities or some fifty countries. We expect for this trend to continue in the coming years,” added Novak. 

Split Airport expects to see 5-10% growth in passengers this year. 

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

July 4, 2019 - “So many books, so little time,” Frank Zappa once said, and with this new initiative on Bačvice beach by the Split City Library 'Marko Marulić', we would agree. 

Do you finally have the time to dig into a good book this summer? Or are you one of many whose days sunbathing at the beach is not complete without a book in hand? Whether you belong to these categories or not, we think you’ll still be pretty impressed by the latest gesture from the Marko Marulić City Library in Split.

Namely, this Split institution kept the city’s book worms to heart, and on Thursday, mounted free book stations named the “Little Free Library" at two locations on the popular Bačvice beach. They’re not hard to spot, either, and will catch your attention thanks to their flashy red and blue and white striped design. 

The painted cabinet, which resembles an emergency post or call box, is really just an outdoor bookshelf. 

“Enjoy a good book with the sun and the sea! These small libraries are free of charge bookcases for anyone who wants to read. They work on the principle of 'take a book, leave a book', so that anyone can take a book, read it, return it, and add their own book if desired. Without membership fees, without it being overdue, and with working hours every day of the year, day and night,” said the Marko Marulić City Library.

This free library project was supported by the City of Split and Bačvice Beach d.o.o. and aims to encourage the people of Split and their guests to read and exchange books. But you must not forget the golden rule: Take a book, bring a book, treasure the book!

While these free libraries certainly service tourists in Split this summer, we can only hope to spot more red bookcases outside of Split’s busy city beaches and in areas where locals will be pushed to put down their mobile phones and opt to get their heads deep into a good book instead.

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

Green Sail from Split, the only non-profit organization in Croatia which promotes its activities on protecting the sea and marine environment, has become one of the 30 semifinalists in the 2019 European Social Innovation Competition, selected from more than 500 applicants from across Europe, reports Dalmacija Danas on July 4, 2019.

The theme of this year's competition is to solve the issue of plastic waste, and ideas and projects are needed in which plastic waste is reduced by introducing systematic changes at the local, national and European level. The purpose of the European Social Innovation Competition is to support ideas and projects that reduce plastic waste and garbage by changing or improving existing processes or introducing entirely new products and launching new initiatives.

Green Sail was one of the 30 projects from 19 countries that were selected for the next round of a total of 543 ideas reported from across Europe, all geared towards solving the growing problem of plastic waste. The published projects cover a wide range of solutions, from improving supply chains to changing consumer behavior.

The innovative idea of the Green Sail organization implies an educational program to reduce the amount of plastic waste within the nautical industry in other European countries, according to the model that the organization is already successfully implementing in Croatia. The idea behind the Green Sail project is to gradually develop plastic waste reduction and recycling programs for charter companies and marinas in other European countries with a developed maritime industry, like Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, and France.

The introduction of Green Sail's program into international charter and marinas will try to solve this problem in other countries apart from Croatia. What Green Sail awaits as a semifinalist is the chance to attend the renowned Academy of Social Innovation in Turin - an intensive three-day event where experienced social innovators are trained and given an opportunity to develop their ideas into sustainable business projects.

Apart from the Academy, the semifinalists also receive the personal support of a local mentor, who will assist them in preparing for the next stage of the competition, where they submit their extensive development plans to an independent commission. The commission will then select ten finalists and only three winners, each of which will receive 50,000 euros.

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