April 24, 2021 - Reuters reporters visited Plava Laguna Parentium Hotel in Poreč and seemed happy with preparations for the upcoming tourist season. 

International media praise Croatia as a lovely holiday spot, and many foreign reporters visited Croatia to check the field with their own eyes. And 2021 is no different.

As Istria Terra Magica reports, journalists from Reuters visited Parentium Hotel, a member of Plava Laguna Hotel Group.

„Reuters reports that Poreč streets are empty for now, but thanks to measures to keep tourists and tourist workers COVID-free, a good tourist season is in preparation“, says Istria Terra Magica.

The site adds that in the following weeks 80,000 tourist workers are planning to be vaccinated, and Covid-19 tests will be offered to the guests as well.

The full article about visiting Croatia is available on the Reuters website.

Dnevno.hr covered the story too and added that „Reuters is a news agency spawned across 200 locations worldwide, and a synonym for independence and integrity“. 

Plava Laguna hotel group is one of the most influential accommodation companies in Istria, with four resorts, 25 hotels, and 13 apartments across Umag, Poreč, and Rijeka.

„At Plava Laguna, everyone is welcome. From the moment they arrive to the moment they leave, we want our guests to feel the warmth of our hospitality. So we introduce them to our beautiful Istrian countryside and the wonderful Adriatic sea. We share the delights of our national cuisine and fantastic wines. We show our guests the best of Croatia“, says their official website, available in Croatian, English, German, Slovenian, and Italian language.

The website also concludes that regardless of staying in a two-star or a five-star hotel, every visitor is considered a VIP guest.

Learn more about Poreč on our TC page.

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

April 22, 2021 - While this year's season is still leaving the country in suspense, another advantage for successful results can be seen in the development of rural tourism in Croatia.

Numerous experts and scientists participated earlier this month in an online panel „Quality and Sustainability in Rural Tourism“, reports Klubselo.hr, an official website of the Croatian Association for Tourism and Rural Development. This is just one part of the Quality and Sustainability in Rural Tourism project backed by the Ministry of Tourism. The project concluded on April 15, and it saw panels, education, and a concluded study of management in rural tourism to help the development of the field.  

It's established that introducing quality standards and a special law on rural tourism is needed. 

„The Croatian wine scene has strongly developed. We can't compete with quantity, but we can with quality and richness of wine sorts, particularly native sorts which the world craves for more and more“, said faculty professor in Zagreb, Edi Maletić, for Klubselo.hr Agronomy.

Quality over quantity can, of course, be applied to rural tourism in general. That particular field saw raised interest with the novel coronavirus pandemic as tourists are now more interested in loneliness, peace, and authenticity.

Božo Skoko, an expert on PR and marketing and a professor at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, says that traveling limitations encourage exploration of rural areas and consumption of local products. 

„Crisis is an opportunity for further touristic development. New norms and behavior rules appeared. We have more free time for family, contemplating, hobbies, meditation… social responsibility and ecological consciousness arise, and these factors have a more and more significant role in choosing destinations“, said Skoko to Klubselo.hr.

Dijana Katica, president of the Croatian Association for Tourism and Rural Development, says that there is a lot to learn from Italy, France, and Austria who have a long tradition of rural tourism.  

„Big attention is given to quality standards that aim at the diverse offer, specialization of services and to guarantee quality to users which are measured by elaborated standards“, describes Katica of the practice of the three mentioned countries. 

Vacation House "Slavonka" © Hrvatska udruga za turizam i ruralni razvoj "Klub članova Selo"

Hard work for season preparation already done

Croatia is trying to secure the uncertain season of 2021. While destinations as Vir seems to hold quite good, the overall strategy of vaccination and testing points by the Croatian Tourist Board is seen as a good way to make people safe while visiting Croatia. Apart from that, as TCN already reported, a lot is investing in health tourism, nautical tourism sees the digitalization of its system for easier arrival, and local initiatives in Novalja are also committed to expanding its offer further from party tourism of Zrće beach.

No doubt that further development of rural tourism can only be a hidden ace for the 2021 season rescue. And the still relevant Touch of Baranja photo exhibition in Zagreb is the first step of a specific action. 

As Croatian wine is one of the more developed parts of the rural offer, learn more about Croatia's wine on our TC page. 

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

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.

pixabay

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.

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

April 8, 2021 - Nautical tourists will now be able to pay the fees related to their stay online thanks to the digitalisation of nautical fees as Croatia continues dragging itself into the modern era.

Tourist fees for nautical tourists in Croatia can now be paid online, reports Goran Rihelj for Hrturizam. The website Nautika E-visitor, available in English, Croatian, German and Italian, offers the ability to accept payments according to the size of the vessel, which can stretch from 7 to over 20 metres in length, as well as by the number of people. These options are aligned with the Tourist Tax Act.

The site was launched last year as a service of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport, and Infrastructure and allowed tourists to pay and download an electronic confirmation of payment of navigation safety fees online. The entire system has been updated in regard to the digitalisation of nautical fees, and there is no longer an option to pay the fee in person, which was the only way to do it previously.

''Croatia has a fleet of 4,300 vessels, more than 140 nautical tourism ports with over 17,000 berths and over a million cruise passengers. The average consumption of nautical tourists is 126 euros per day, and in the charter sector, 183 euros per day. More than 30 percent of that money is spent on other forms of tourism, from cultural content to wine and gastronomy,'' reads the article on HRturizam.

port, pixabay

It goes on to remind readers that Croatia.hr, the main website for information on tourism owned and run by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), also has a subsite for nautical tourits. The subsite, just like the main site, is available to view in Croatian, English, German, Italian, Czech, French, Japanese, Hungarian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Spanish, and the Swedish language.

An important step in digitalisation development of Croatia has proven and continues to prove especially useful during the ongoing global pandemic, which makes frequent physical contact with other people risky.

As such, nautical tourists generally have an edge when it comes to being able to self-isolate and enjoy their holidays safely with a chosen group of friends or family on their private vessel. This is yet another argument for them to visit Croatia, along with the breath-taking coastal landscape accompanying clear Adriatic sea.

Learn more about sailing in Croatia on our TC Page.  

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

ZAGREB, 7 April, 2021 - The Croatian Embassy to the Russian Federation has received initial applications for tourist visas from Russian citizens and currently there is a good interest on the Russian market in vacationing in Croatia, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Wednesday.

Russian national airline Aeroflot will fly from Moscow to Pula, Dubrovnik and Split every day from the start of June to the end of September, the HTZ said in a statement.

Currently, Aeroflot flies between Moscow and Zagreb once a week and plans to introduce a second weekly flight as of May, while in the summer it will operate on this route three times a week.

S7 Airlines will fly from Moscow to Pula and Dubrovnik from late April to late October, while Nordwind will connect Moscow and Zagreb during the same period.

The head of the HTZ office in Russia, Rajko Ružička, said that there is a growing demand on the Russian market for safe summer destinations, and that Croatia is one of them.

Russians can enter Croatia with a negative PCR or antigen test, a certificate proving that they have recovered from COVID-19 or a certificate showing that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, Ružička said.

A great interest in Croatian destinations has also been shown at the recent MITT travel show, the HTZ said.  

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

April 7, 2021 - Renowned for Zrće Beach and the partying that goes on there, party tourism in Novalja is no longer in focus, as the mayor is shifting towards content for the local community.

Novalja on Pag island is one of Croatia's biggest hotspots to visit over summer. Zrće Beach is a world-renowned synonym for partying and all the crazy fun things that come with sipping cocktails on the beach next to the clear Adriatic Sea at any time of the day while some of the biggest names of the international DJ and music scene are in their finest element.

Still, as the Croatian tourist offer, in general, tries to break out of the perception that Croatia is great „only for summer“ and also tries to popularise other parts of the country that are a bit further from the coastline, Novalja is on a mission of its own - to break the stereotype that „it's just for partying“.

As Večernji List reports, Ante Dabo, the mayor of Novalja for two the past two terms, is more than aware that Zrće is vital to Novalja's tourism, but the town is heavily working to offer more content to visitors.

„From 2017 to 2019, we invested 48 million kuna in capital projects and despite the coronavirus pandemic, we invested 51 million kuna in 2020 alone“, said Dabo for Večernji List.

One of such projects is using the town's own funds for the Grozdenica culture centre. This new centre is imagined to be the core of cultural events in Novalja, and given it's a multifunctional hall with 210 seats and a stage with the most modern equipment, there is no doubt it will spot on for hosting cinema screenings, conferences, concerts, and theatre plays.

The new port and Marina are also part of the branding scheme to further position Novalja by attracting nautical tourism.

„We reduced taxes so new hotels could be easily opened, but we will allow building hotels that have less than four stars. We want quality hotels that will accept guests in the winter months to extend the season. We relied more on private accommodations but we also have hotel capacities of high standards and 600 more beds in comparison to 2019“, said Dabo commenting on changes in urban planning that forbids building hotels that have less than four stars.

The mayor also adds how Pag has rich cultural and archaeological findings along with heritage, natural wonders tracking, and bike tracks for recreational tourism.

Ante Dabo screenshot / LIKA CLUB

Caring for locals and not just for visitors

Zrće brings money, Zrće is a party hotspot, and Zrće is also loud and a threat to the peace of locals who don't visit clubs and events themselves. As Večernji List reminds, Dabo became known to the broader public in Croatia for introducing rules of conduct for tourists and for reducing the noise from Zrće.

„Zrće is too big of a brand to say it's not needed for Novalja, but everyday activity on Zrće needs to be reduced. That's the solution to compromise for party people and for other guests who are interested in a more peaceful vacation“, said Dabo referring to Novalja's need to escape from the monoculture of partying.

Locals are happy too as Novalja has the biggest budget when counted by the number of residents in all of Croatia, according to the Institute of Public Finance. A lot is also done for young families. By further rebuilding the kindergarten, Novalja will have more significant capacities to take care of the kids while parents are working. A low-energy building was built with the partial help of the EU funds, and the firefighter station is being reconstructed (also by EU funds) to ensure every service for protection and rescue can be in one place. The EU project of developing an entrepreneur zone Čiponjac worth 10 million kuna is also done, an entrepreneur incubator Ragan worth 12.5 million kuna, and a design to boost local-level entrepreneurship recently started, too. Business spaces are offered to new and young entrepreneurs at affordable prices.

The biggest project for Novalja, however, is Aglomeracija Novalja, which enhances agglomeration and water infrastructure with a new biological purifier for wastewater. Fifty kilometers of pipes are incorporated in the new sewer system that stretches through Metajna, Barbat, and Stara Novalja to the new purifier in the Vrtić district. Aglomeracija Novalja, worth 72 million kuna, and financed by EU funds up to 72%, makes Novalja a small town that is revitalizing, despite the corona crisis.

Learn more about Novalja and the island of Pag on our TC Page.  

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

April 6, 2021 - The first Croatian scientific book on hospitality (Excellence as a Standard in Hospitality Business) backed by the experiences of two respected authors in the business has been released! 

As Turizmoteka reports, the book published by the Aspira school (original title: Izvrsnost kao standard u ugostiteljskom poslovanju) has four chapters and 24 subchapters which will help further develop the business to the experience and allow unexperienced to set up the optimal business concept“.

The book covers specifics of the hospitality business, criteria for hiring new workers, explores questions of discipline and offers interesting findings on why some bars and restaurants fail and others remain successful. Scientific research of the book is accompanied by the experiences of the authors who are very experienced in the hospitality business.

The leading author Igor Pavel previously published a manual on managing in the field, which inspired the writing of the book. He is in the hospitality business for the past 16 years, where he gained experience in various aspects and from multiple positions and is currently hired as a manager in one of the largest American cruise ship companies. He closely worked with top managers and CEOs of various big international tourism and hospitality companies. He also trains management and workers with his educational material helping them to increase the quality of their standard.

The second author, Alen Jerkunica, is a dean and one of the founders of Aspira private school, which has international courses on hotel management and tourism as well as gastronomy in Split and Zagreb. Continuously cooperating with experts from hotel management, he also participates in research projects with scientists specialized in marketing and management in sport and tourism.

The book is so far available only in Croatian, and you can buy it here.

For more about made in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 2 April, 2021 - More than 22,000 tourists are staying in Croatia ahead of Easter, including 17,000 foreigners, and although the number is expected to increase over the holidays, turnover is not expected to reach the pre-pandemic levels, National Tourist Board director Kristjan Staničić said on Friday.

"Considering all the circumstances, we don't expect for the coming Easter holidays the level of turnover from previous years and previous Easter holidays but, by adhering to all epidemiological measures and protocols, we expect tourism activities, with an emphasis on the domestic market," he told Hina.

Since the school spring break follows the Easter holidays, more domestic tourists are expected next week, alongside those from Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic, he said.

More than 130 hotels and 60 campsites are currently open and most tourists are staying in Istria County, the northern Adriatic Kvarner region and Split-Dalmatia County, Staničić said, calling on all citizens and tourists to behave responsibly.

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

Located in the heart of Lika, the Barac caves are one of the many treats of this landlocked region often neglected in comparison with Istria, Dalmatia or Kvarner. Despite that, this area has been gaining more and more attention over recent years. Jutarnji List recently provided ten reasons to Croats as why they should visit the Barac caves in spring, and here at TCN, we don't see why they couldn't apply to our non-Croatian readers too. So, here are ten reasons to visit the Barać caves, according to Jutarnji List.

1.) The location is easy to get to

From the Croatian capital of Zagreb, you need to drive only 130 kilometres or, in other words, a little under two hours. The trip is a little bit longer if you come from Rijeka (170 kilometres) or Zadar (150 kilometres). Once you reach the village and municipality of Rakovice, you can easily follow the signs to the Barac caves. 

2.) This destination is part of a world-renowned tourist offer

Located close to the oldest National Park in Croatia, Plitvička Jezera (Plitvice Lakes), the Barać caves are part of Lika's offer as a destination, which is placed in the top 100 sustainable destinations and the top 15 finalists.

3.) They're weekend trip perfection

The Barac caves are an excellent spot for a one-day field trip. Along with touring the caves, there are additional offers of hitchhike tracks, a children's playground, a picnic area, a badminton court, and more.

4.) They're just as perfect for active vacation lovers

With two nearby adrenaline parks, the ability to rent quads and bikes, as well as and organised cycling tours and horse-riding through the Plitvice valleys, there's no chance of you running out of things to do. With some pre-arrangements, you can also visit the Dolina Jelena (Deer Valley) ranch in town of Drežnik, where you can come close and even feed the deer there.

 5.) It's for all ages

 To enter the cave, there is a light 200 metre uphill stroll that doesn't require much of a physical effort. You can tour this area only accompanied by a guide whose interpretation and info is suitable for all ages.

© Denis Stošić / Lika Destination

6.) It's the home of bats

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Rhinolophus hipposideros are two types of bats you can find in almost every auditorium of the upper Barac cave. And with the coming of spring, they're waking up and hunting bugs which is an excellent opportunity to learn more about them.

7.) Cave bear memorabilia 

30.000 year old remnants of a cave bear are displayed within the Barac caves which is extremely rich in both archaeological and paleontologist findings with remains from the Ice Age all the way to the Middle Ages.

8.)  Face your fear of the dark

The Barac caves are lit up, but you can also experience the cave in its natural ambient - in complete darkness with the sound of water drops. It's scary at first, but exciting and relaxing at second sight.

 9.) An idividual approach

To organise an event it takes two adults who will be accompanied by a guide. Tickets don't need to be bought up-front, and the guy welcomes you at the info counter. The tour is organised upon your arrival. Before arranging the tour, the guide will give you some basic information before you purchase a ticket, and the tour lasts for about 60 minutes.

 10.) Happy customers

Tripadvisor awarded Lika's stunning Barac caves with the ''Travellers choice'' title meaning they're among the top 10 percent of the best destinations on Tripadvisor and are constantly receiving new and excellent reviews. Google also awarded the Barac caves with a rating of 4.7/5 and Facebook gave them a 5/5. 

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

March 31, 2021 - Last year's champion of tourism Vir Island is on its way to keeping first place.

After being last year's champion of tourism, the island of Vir is optimistic about having another great year.

As Večernji List daily newspaper reports, without having any organised events, Vir recorded 87% of last year's numbers in January alone. Speaking of last year's numbers, Vir was a well-deserved champion indeed with its 2.3 million overnights, over 100.000 tourist arrivals, and 87% of traffic from 2019. Vir Tourist Board director Srđan Liverić says he expects this year to be even better.

„We expect a good season, but we are aware this will depend on the situation in the world and travel possibilities. Due to the coronavirus crisis, we didn't show up on markets where we were present for more than 10 years and so we are waiting to see what will happen in spring", said Liverić for Večernji List.

He adds that one of the key advantages of Vir is that it is a real-estate tourism destination. In other words,  almost half of all estates on the island are owned by foreign citizens who reside on Vir year after year. They also invite their friends and families to join. The other half is owned by domestic, Croatian tourists who go there over weekends because the island is easily accessible by car

With good results in January, February also kept the island happy with a 16% increase. Mate Čulina, manager of the Vir Turizam tourist agency, told Večernji that while reservations remain in small numbers until the warmer months, Villa Lanterna already has 60 days fully booked in July, October, and September. Last year, Villa Lanterna had 100 days of filled capacities, and other luxury accommodations did similarly.

Vir Tourist Board also showed strong support for local renters, presenting them on their redesigned webpage.

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