March 5, 2021 - Valamar Riviera's social partners, led by the Croatian Trade Union of Tourism and Services and the Trade Union of Istria, Kvarner, and Dalmatia, supported the continuation of the Valamar 'Pause, Restart' program to preserve jobs in the coming year.

T.portal reports that the 'Pause, Restart' program has been in force since March last year with the support of social partners, Valamar employees, and government measures. The new agreement was signed for one year and will be in effect from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.

The 'Pause, Restart' program provides compensation in the amount of 60% of the regular income, i.e., a minimum of HRK 4,250 net for all Valamar employees who are on hold due to business restrictions during the pandemic and are relying on the current Government measures. Valamar pays regular full salaries to other employees.

The 'Pause, Restart' program applies equally to employees and management. Each month, depending on the employment opportunities, employees who will go to work and those who will receive compensation when waiting for work are determined.

"Government support measures have been key to preserving jobs in tourism until the 2021 season. Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to affect the impossibility of normal business in tourism. It is already very likely that the continuation of support measures will be important for April and May this year, given that higher turnover in tourism can be expected only from June. Also, the continuation of the program aims to preserve jobs until the 2022 season, when business normalization is expected," the statement said.

"We are glad that our social partners have continued to support Valamar's "Pause, Restart" program because we all have a common goal, which is certainly to preserve jobs. Valamar is working intensively on preparations for the opening of the season and in 2021 guarantees a minimum net income of HRK 5,000 as well as the continuation of the year-round income program for permanent seasonal workers. Given the planned opening of most Valamar hotels, resorts, and camping resorts by mid-May, seasonal employees at Valamar can expect between 3 and 6 months of work in the 2021 season. We all hope for the normalization of business as soon as possible and a more successful season than last year," said Ines Damjanić Šturman, director of the human resources sector at Valamar Riviera.

"We are facing the 2021 tourist season, which, unfortunately, brings far more challenges than the previous 2020. STUH is aware that the tourist season in 2021 will not get results that provide liquidity to our companies while retaining the existing number of employees until next season, so I propose to the Government of the Republic of Croatia that in addition to aid in March and April, they should support tourism and hospitality in the 2022 autumn and winter tourist season," said Eduard Andrić, President of the Trade Union of Tourism and Services of Croatia.

Last year, Valamar opened 24 hotels and resorts and all 15 camping resorts with more than 4,400 employees. In 2020, almost 300,000 guests stayed at Valamar, and no COVID-19 cases were recorded, which confirms that tourist facilities achieve a high level of safety for guests, the statement concluded.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

December 10, 2020 - Valamar Riviera employees are encouraged to get involved in the "Elements of AI" project, which is considered the best program for mastering the basics of artificial intelligence in the world.

HRTurizam reports that Finland launched free training in cooperation with the European Commission to increase knowledge about artificial intelligence and bring the topic closer to the general public. Croatia is the first country in the region to translate the course and make it available to citizens. "Elements of AI" was developed by the University of Helsinki and the technology company Reaktor. The partner for Croatia is the University of Zagreb, and the project holder is the association CroAI. In contrast, the communication partner of the project is the agency 404.

Valamar applies advanced technologies in various business areas such as sales, marketing, and hotel operations, stating that they enable employees to communicate and learn on digital platforms, improve business processes and nurture an organizational culture that constantly innovates with new technologies.

“Valamar continuously invests in digitalization and business innovations, and in 2018 it founded VALDI, a team for the development of digital services and solutions that is behind numerous steps in Valamar, such as self-check-in and process automation via robots. This year, in response to the crisis, VALDI developed Valfresco in just a few months, an online store that offers delivery of products from local family farms and Valamar suppliers and ready meals from the Valfresco kitchen. Therefore, Valamar reluctantly accepted Elements of AI and invited all employees to get involved for at least 1% of colleagues to accept this challenge and acquire knowledge about artificial intelligence," said Ivana Budin Arhanić, Vice President for Business Development and Corporate Affairs at Valamar.

Valamar will also enable all employees who complete the course to continue working on digital projects and include them in its Valamar Digital & Innovation team. About 50 digital projects and innovation projects are already underway at Valamar, several of which apply technologies and artificial intelligence.

Get involved. It is free.

The project aims to demystify artificial intelligence, encourage as many people as possible to learn what artificial intelligence is, what can be done with it (and what cannot be done), and start developing artificial intelligence methods. Courses are a combination of theory and practical exercises and can be done at your own pace.

You can learn more about joining the project HERE.

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

November 13, 2020 - The Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce have recognized Valamar's green business philosophy, as Valamar Riviera receives the highest recognition for social responsibility.

Namely, HRTurizam reports that Valamar Riviera is the best large company in Croatia according to the CSR Index for 2019.

The Corporate Social Responsibility Index (CSR Index) evaluates the practices of the most successful companies in Croatia, taking into account seven key areas - economic sustainability, the inclusion of corporate social responsibility in business strategy, work environment, environmental protection, market relations, community relations and responsible policies diversity and protection of human rights.

Valamar Riviera is a leading Croatian tourism company that continuously invests in employees, products, and destinations with extremely great concern for sustainable development and socially responsible business. It has invested more than 400 million kuna in the past five years.

"In this challenging year for the entire economy, especially for tourism, the importance of responsible business, and the quality of relations with stakeholders were crucial for successful crisis management. In the crisis, Valamar acted quickly to preserve jobs, liquidity, and key resources to be ready for the recovery period. We have succeeded in this largely due to the trust of employees, shareholders, and partners in the long-term sustainability of our business. Therefore, we are extremely proud to be recognized as the best large company in Croatia in the field of social responsibility and sustainable business," said Ivana Budin Arhanić, Vice President for Business Development and Corporate Affairs at Valamar Riviera.

Through the "Good job at Valamar" program, Valamar provides systematic care for its employees and has been declared the most desirable employer in tourism in Croatia and is the 6th best employer in Croatia.

In 2019, Valamar also launched a comprehensive educational platform for employee development and education called Valamar Excellence, which provides employees with more than 160,000 hours of training per year. In 2020, Valamar preserved all jobs through the "Pause, Restart" program, which will continue until the beginning of the next tourist season with the support of the Government and social partners.

Around HRK 97 million has been invested in the "Green Valamar" program in the past 5 years, and 100 percent of the electricity in Valamar's hotels, resorts and camping resorts comes from renewable sources. Over a period of several years, Valamar has managed to reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 70 percent and has also implemented several photovoltaic power plants at many tourist facilities in its portfolio.

“In the coming period, Valamar will continue to focus on renewable energy sources and cooperation with local suppliers, in which Valamar is already an important partner to local producers through the Valfresco Direkt online store, which includes more than 100 small producers and family farms across Croatian. Valamar will continue with the "plastic-free" initiative by replacing disposable plastic packaging with environmentally friendly ones, as well as other initiatives aimed at significantly reducing the carbon footprint, contributing to responsible destination development, and supporting sustainable tourism development in Croatia," Valamar concludes.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

November the 3rd, 2020 - Just how has the ongoing Croatian economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic affected one of Croatia's largest and most successful companies? There's a mixed bag of results.

As Novac writes, during the first three quarters of 2020, Valamar Riviera, the largest Croatian tourist company, generated 2.2 million overnight stays and total revenues in the amount of HRK 673 million, equal to 33 percent of the previous year's revenues.

At the level of the business year, Valamar Riviera expects to make a net loss, but also achieve a positive cash flow with an operating profit in the range of HRK 100 to 115 million. Valamar emphasises that they have been actively managing the situation caused by the Croatian economic crisis and the balance with the enfeebled tourist season since the very beginning of the pandemic. In March alone, the decision to pay a dividend for 2019 was revoked, members of the Supervisory Board waived their fees, and management gave up around 30 percent of salaries.

There was no contagion in their hotels

In parallel with austerity measures and increased liquidity, Valamar actively prepared for the season and modified its products and services to welcome guests safely and securely. This season, 24 hotels and resorts were opened, as well as all 15 camping resorts in eight Adriatic destinations, which employed more than 4,400 employees. Although the tourist season started at the end of June and during July, travel restrictions to Croatia caused a sharp decline in the second part of August and during the off-season. However, since the beginning of the pandemic, almost 300,000 guests have stayed in Valamar's facilities, and no cases of transmission of the infection have been recorded in any of the company's hotels and resorts. The planned investment projects for 2020 in the total amount of HRK 800 million have been partially reallocated for implementation in a period of two years. During the autumn and winter, the reconstruction of the Valamar Parentino Hotel in Porec and the Valamar Meteor Hotel in Makarska will be completed. In the next 12-24 months, all other large investments will be put on pause, including works on the construction of the Valamar Pinea Hotel in Porec, otherwise the largest tourism project in Croatia, carrying an impressive total value of HRK 790 million.

"The Croatian economic crisis has shown that systems that have previously strived for excellence and cared for all stakeholders will do so even more during times of crisis, in order to maintain the confidence of their stakeholders and be ready for a recovery period. Valamar actively managed the crisis throughout 2020 and ensured its strong position to continue development during 2021 and 2022, when business normalisation is expected. We'd like to thank all of our stakeholders, especially our employees, shareholders, suppliers, builders, banks and the Croatian Government, who partnered with Valamar in this demanding business year,'' Zeljko Kukurin, President of the Management Board of Valamar Riviera, pointed out in a statement.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

October 31, 2020 - Croatia's largest tourism company Valamar Riviera achieved 33% of last year's figures and still managed to preserve all jobs. 

HRTurizam reports that despite the COVID-19 crisis, Valamar Riviera generated 2.2 million overnight stays in the first three quarters of 2020 and total revenues of HRK 673 million, or 33% of last year's revenues. While Valamar Riviera expects to realize a net loss, they also will have positive cash flow with an operating profit in the range of HRK 100 to 115 million.

"With the support of stakeholders, we have been actively managing the crisis and the tourist season since the beginning of the pandemic," Valamar points out, adding that the decision to pay dividends for 2019 was revoked in March. 

Also, a program for preserving jobs titled "Pause, Restart" has been agreed with the social partners, which pays non-working employees compensation of 60% of the salary, i.e., a minimum of HRK 4,250 per month. The Government supported the job preservation program through subsidy measures.

"The crisis has shown that systems that have previously strived for excellence and cared for all stakeholders will do so even more during the crisis to maintain the confidence of their stakeholders and be ready for a period of recovery. Valamar actively managed the crisis in 2020 and secured a strong position to continue development during 2021 and 2022, when business normalization is expected. We thank all stakeholders for their support, especially employees, shareholders, suppliers, builders, banks, and the Government who, together with Valamar, worked together on this demanding business year," said Željko Kukurin, President of the Management Board of Valamar Riviera.

Thus, operating costs were reduced by 59% compared to the same period last year, and the completion of the started investments was postponed for 2021. Additional medium-term liquidity has been provided through loan rescheduling sufficient to amortize the crisis in the coming period.

In parallel with austerity measures and increasing liquidity, Valamar has been actively preparing for the season and modifying its products and services to welcome guests safely and securely. This season, 24 hotels and resorts were opened, and all 15 camping resorts in eight Adriatic destinations with more than 4,400 employees.

Although the tourist season started well at the end of June and during July, travel restrictions to Croatia caused a sharp decline in the second part of August and the post-season. However, since the beginning of the pandemic, Valamar has had almost 300,000 guests. No coronavirus cases have been recorded in Valamar's hotels and resorts, all jobs have been preserved, and Valamar has been recognized as the best employer in tourism this year.

The planned investment projects for 2020 in the total amount of HRK 800 million have been partially reallocated for implementation for two years, according to Valamar. During the autumn and winter, only the started projects will be completed, primarily the investment in the reconstruction of the Valamar Parentino Hotel in Poreč and the Valamar Meteor Hotel in Makarska.

In the next 12 to 24 months, all other major investments will be paused, including works on the construction of the Valamar Pinea Hotel in Poreč, the largest tourism project in Croatia, worth a total of HRK 790 million.

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

Croatia's tourism giant Valamar reported a drop in revenue of 81 percent amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but in spite of that, several positive results have come about.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 31st of July, 2020, in the first six months of this year, Valamar generated total revenues of 134 million kuna, or 81% less than it did back during the same period last year, as a result of the closure of tourist facilities from March to the end of May and significant disruptions to tourist flows caused by the global pandemic. The aforementioned factors continued to negatively affect the volume of business for Valamar in June.

In the first half of this year, Valamar actively managed the coronavirus crisis and launched action plans to stabilise its operations in time. The business was successfully "paused" on March the 15th, all jobs were preserved and Valamar was ready to welcome the opening of the season in June with modified products and services that increased the safety of guests and the quality of services.

The necessary liquidity for the company has been ensured until 2021 through plans for operational savings, investment savings, payment delays and agreements with investors. Operating costs were reduced by 61% compared to the same period last year, and the package of economic measures introduced the Croatian Government helped to preserve all jobs during the closure of Valamar's many facilities. Despite the crisis, Valamar Riviera confirmed its status as the best employer in Croatian tourism this year yet again, and took an impressive 6th place on the list of the best employers in all of Croatia.

All jobs were preserved within Valamar despite the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic

As of April the 1st, Valamar, with the support of its social partners, has been implementing the Pause, Restart programme, under which all employees who aren't working are provided with salary compensation in the amount of at least 60% of their regular salary, but not less than 4,250 kuna net per month. In the period from March to June, over 90% of Valamar's employees were on this ''pause'', for which the costs were jointly borne by the shareholders and the state, which subsidises this type of compensation. After the successful opening of most of Valamar's facilities and the start of the season, today, Valamar has more than 4,000 employees working again, while 1% of the large company's employees are still not working. Valamar will continue the Pause, Restart programme during the autumn and winter in order to preserve jobs until the spring of 2021, when business normalisation is expected.

Financial stability was maintained for further development

In addition to preserving jobs, Valamar's priority was to ensure sufficient liquidity to amortise the coronavirus crisis and continue development in the year 2021. In March, the decision to pay a dividend for 2019 was revoked, members of the Supervisory Board waived their fees, and the company management's salary was reduced by up to 30%. Additionally, policies and mechanisms of agreed payment deferral for 6 to 12 months to other stakeholders, including sales partners, suppliers, contractors, banks and others, have been introduced, with the aim of a balanced approach to crisis management and achieving business sustainability in times of crisis.

In agreement with the banks, Valamar has postponed the repayment of loans in 2020, and the finalisation of a new medium-term liquidity plan is expected in the coming days. Successfully acheived financial stability and an ownership-operational management model will enable full business start-up and continued development in 2021.

Investment management

The initially planned investment cycle for 2020 amounted to over 800 million kuna, but was reduced by 125 million kuna by the end of June. Valamar also temporarily slowed down the construction of the Valamar Pinea Collection Resort in Porec, Istria, the largest single investment in Croatian tourism worth a total of 790 million kuna, and postponed the completion of this investment. The investment in raising the quality and capacity of the Valamar Parentino hotel in Porec was successfully realised and the new family hotel received its first guests in the second half of July. The Supervisory Board of Imperial Riviera had given its prior consent for the continuation of investments in 2021 in the amount of 36 million kuna, which will complete the previous investments in Valamar Meteor hotels in Makarska and Valamar Parentino hotel in Porec, readying them for the 2021 tourist season.

The course of 2020's tourist season...

During June and July, Valamar gradually opened 21 hotels and resorts and all 15 campsites in eight Croatian Adriatic destinations, which are currently accommodating more than 30,000 guests, a remarkable success given the challenges facing tourism globally at the moment.

Croatia has a unique opportunity, given the high level of security, as well as its geographical in Europe, to impose itself as the most desirable destination in the Mediterranean and achieve strong growth in 2021. It is therefore necessary to preserve jobs in tourism and support business systems that have the ability and responsibility to start business back up again very quickly. With the support of all stakeholders, Valamar actively managed the crisis, launched the 2020 tourist season and ensured its quality position for a successful return to normal.

For more, follow our business section.

August 1, 2020 - During June and July, Valamar gradually opened 21 hotels and resorts and all 15 campsites in eight Adriatic destinations, which currently house more than 30,000 guests.

HRTurizam reports that in the first six months of this year, Valamar generated total revenues of HRK 134 million, or 81% less than in the same period last year, as a result of the closure of tourist facilities from March to the end of May and significant disruptions to tourist flows caused by the global pandemic that continued to negatively affect business volumes in June as well.

However, in the first half of this year, Valamar actively managed the crisis and launched action plans to stabilize the business in time, Valamar Riviera points out, adding that the business was successfully "paused" on March 15, all jobs were preserved, and they were ready to welcome the season-opening in June.

"The necessary liquidity is provided until 2021 through plans for operational savings, investment savings, deferred payments and agreements with investors. Operating costs were reduced by 61% compared to the same period last year, and the measures of the Government of the Republic of Croatia helped to preserve all jobs during the closure of facilities. Despite the crisis, Valamar Riviera confirmed the status of the best employer in tourism this year as well and took a high 6th place on the list of the best employers in Croatia," the company emphasized.

As of April 1, with the support of the social partners, they implemented the Pause, Restart program, under which all employees who do not work are provided with a salary compensation for waiting for a job in the amount of at least 60% of their regular salary, but not less than HRK 4,250 net.

From March to June, over 90% of Valamar's employees were on Pause, for which the costs were jointly borne by the shareholders and the state, which subsidizes the compensation for waiting for a job. After the successful opening of most facilities and the start of the season, today, Valamar has more than 4,000 employees, while 1% of employees are still on Pause. They will continue the Pause, Restart program during the autumn and winter in order to preserve jobs until the spring of 2021 when business normalization is expected.

In addition to preserving jobs, the company's priority was to ensure sufficient liquidity to amortize the crisis and continue development in 2021. "In March, the decision on the payment of dividends for 2019 was revoked, the members of the Supervisory Board waived their fees, and the management's salary was reduced by up to 30%. Also, policies and mechanisms of agreed payment deferral for 6 to 12 months to other stakeholders, including sales partners, suppliers, contractors, banks and others, have been introduced, with the aim of a balanced approach to crisis management and achieving business sustainability in times of crisis. In agreement with the banks, Valamar has postponed the repayment of loans in 2020, and the finalization of a new medium-term liquidity plan is expected these days. Achieved financial stability and ownership-operational management model will enable full business start-up and continued development in 2021."

The initially planned investment cycle for 2020 amounted to over HRK 800 million, but was reduced by HRK 125 million by the end of June.

Valamar also temporarily slowed down the construction of the Pinea Collection Resort in Porec, the largest single investment in Croatian tourism worth a total of HRK 790 million, and postponed the completion of this investment. "The investment in raising the quality and capacity of the Valamar Parentino Hotel in Porec has been successfully realized, and the new family hotel received its first guests in the second half of July. The Supervisory Board of Imperial Riviera has given its prior consent for the continuation of investments in 2021 in the amount of HRK 36 million, which will complete the previous investments in Valamar Meteor hotels in Makarska and Valamar Parentino hotel in Porec in the fall," they added.

During June and July, Valamar gradually opened 21 hotels and resorts and all 15 campsites in eight Adriatic destinations, which currently house more than 30,000 guests.

"Croatia has a unique opportunity, given the high level of security, geographical and political position in Europe, to impose itself as the most desirable destination in the Mediterranean and achieve strong growth already in 2021. It is, therefore, necessary to preserve jobs in tourism and support business systems that have the ability and responsibility to start a business quickly. With the support of all stakeholders, Valamar actively managed the crisis, launched the 2020 tourist season, and ensured a quality position for a successful return to the development phase of business during 2021," concludes Valamar.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of May, 2020, this season, in order to increase the safety of guests, Valamar is introducing something called the "CleanSpace - 100% privacy" service, which guarantees that key points of contact in rooms and mobile homes are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and that no one enters the accommodation unit before the scheduled guest arrives. In addition, the service offers complete privacy in the room throughout the guests' stay with the guarantee that the staff will enter the accommodation unit only at the invitation of the guest themselves.

Valamar Riviera, known as the largest tourist company in Croatia, started opening its tourist facilities once again on May the 22nd, 2020, with the opening of the Lanterna Premium Camping Resort in Poreč and La Pentola restaurant in Rabac. By the end of May, the other twelve Valamar camps will open across Istria and Kvarner. 

The opening of accommodation facilities owned by the tourist giant Valamar is a continuation of the plan to open the tourist season in Croatia, as announced by the Ministry of Tourism and the facilitated border crossing regime in May and June for Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and Poland. After that, it will be possible to open tourism up further to other markets depending on the epidemiological situation as time goes on.

For the past 90 days, Valamar's focus has been on managing the crisis caused by the global COVID-19 epidemic. As such, Valamar's business was successfully "paused", all jobs were preserved and the company was preparing for a restart while the priorities were to provide liquidity until the normalisation of business in 2021. Emphasis was placed on the modification of products and services to increase overall guest safety and accelerate existing digitalisation projects.

In the last 60 days, Valamar has modified its products and accelerated the development of its various digitisation projects to improve the services it can offer for the 2020 tourist season. In 2020, the accommodation capacity of hotels, resorts and camps will be reduced by 20 percent to provide even more space for guests in various areas. The key pieces of innovation that will be implemented at the re-opening of Valamar's numerous facilities are the "V Health & Safety" programme for the safety of guests, the aforementioned "CleanSpace 100% privacy" enhanced system for the cleaning of hotel rooms and mobile homes, the "Valfresco Direkt" online shopping and food delivery services, the "Online reception'' service and the "Bed & Brunch" concept.

V Health & Safety is a comprehensive programme encompassing health, safety and environmental standards, as well as advanced cleaning protocols aimed at further strengthening the hygiene standards that Valamar applies in its facilities. V Health & Safety protocols are harmonised with the safety recommendations of the World Health Organisation, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the Croatian Institute of Public Health. From 2020 onwards, every accommodation facility owned by Valamar will have a V Health & Safety manager who is available to guests 24/7 throughout their stay, and should it be necessary, in close cooperation with the Croatian health system, manages the provision of health care for Valamar's guests.

This season, in order to increase the safety of guests, Valamar is introducing the "CleanSpace - 100% privacy" service, which has been detailed above.

As a result of the acceleration of digital development in 2020, the ''Online Reception'' service will be available to all hotel and camp guests. This service enables the check-in and check-out of guests via the Internet, thus simplifying arrival and departure procedures.

Bed & Brunch is a new restaurant concept in the Old Town Holiday and Sunny B&B hotels, which, instead of the classic half board scenario, offers an extended breakfast and brunch that guests can enjoy from 07:00 to 13:00, which gives them even more space and simplifies meals and hotel stays.

As part of the preparations for the restart of Croatian tourism amid the coronavirus pandemic, Valamar has developed a new service called Valfresco Direkt in just 60 days, which will be launched in early June in Istria and will be available to all citizens, tourists and Valamar guests.

Valfresco Direkt will enable the online ordering, purchase and delivery of domestic products directly to Valamar's customers, with special emphasis having been placed on partnerships with Croatian producers and family farms. In addition to a wide range of fresh local products, which are strongly supported by local producers, Valfresco will also offer a selection of ready-made dishes. The project will be premiered in Istria, and then the service will be extended to other Valamar destinations across the Republic of Croatia.

For more, follow our business page.

March 26, 2020 - To preserve jobs and business continuity in conditions where tourist traffic is completely suspended, Valamar has decided to launch the ‘Pause, Restart’ program, which will apply from April 1 for a minimum of 30 to 90 days, the length of the Government's measure for preserving jobs.

HRTurizam reports that the Pause, Restart program will cover all Valamar employees for 30 to 90 days, which means that there will be no layoffs in Valamar. Also, about 2,800 workers employed by Valamar and Imperial Rab will benefit from Government measures.

All employees who cannot work due to the coronavirus crisis will be referred to the Pause, Restart program from April 1

During the Pause, employees will be provided a salary compensation of at least 60% of the regular salary, but not less than HRK 4,250 net. This measure will apply equally to employees and management, including seasonal and permanent seasonal workers.

During the Pause, the staff and management in charge of crisis management and administration, the maintenance, conservation and facility security staff, as well as the employees who perform communications with guests and partners, will work primarily, emphasized Valamar, adding that the part of management that has to work will be paid up to 30% until all employees return to work. Other full-time employees will be paid regular full pay.

"COVID-19 has triggered a global crisis and at the moment, tourism and hospitality are growing. Temporarily, until the situation calms down, we cannot operate regularly. We are proud of our employees and our goal is that no employee will lose their jobs because of this crisis. Valamar will do its best to get all of our people on a break back to their jobs as soon as possible. The situation is temporary; the business will start again and then we all need to be ready to Restart business. Valamar is a strong and stable company and I believe that with the support of the public sector, our shareholders, investors, partners and employees, we will survive this period and prepare for a quality business continuation,” said Valamar CEO Željko Kukurin.

Following the tightening of general prevention measures by the competent authorities, all hotels and restaurants in Valamar were closed in March.

The Management Board also canceled the General Assembly and, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, revoked the proposal for a dividend payment decision and, upon convening the General Assembly, will propose to retain the 2019 profit in order to increase liquidity and support the measure of preserving all jobs.

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

Mach 13, 2020 - Valamar, the largest hotel company in Croatia, has decided to temporarily close its hotels in Porec, Rabac, and Dubrovnik due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Valamar decided to close its hotels in Porec, Rabac, and Dubrovnik temporarily, following the recommendation of the competent authorities and the decision of the County of Istria, which restricted public gatherings, closed schools and kindergartens and restricted use of public spaces, reports Index.hr and T.portal.

The Valamar Riveria Administration's statement is transmitted below in its entirety:

"Following the recommendations of the competent authorities and the decision of the County of Istria, which restricted public gatherings, closed schools and kindergartens and restricted the use of public spaces, Valamar decided to temporarily close the Diamond Hotel in Porec and Sanfior in Rabac. After the crisis headquarters stepped up border controls yesterday for nationals of Germany, Austria and other countries, we also decided to close the Lacroma and Argosy hotels in Dubrovnik.

There is no suspicion or occurrence of COVID-19 in Valamar hotels, but we are not able to provide the guests with the desired level of security, quality of service and experience of the destination in this situation. Given the closure of the schools and kindergartens, we have decided to stand behind our parents first and foremost, so Valamar employees will be on a collective vacation until the end of March. We believe that the National Headquarters is managing this unusual situation very well and it is only responsible to follow their recommendations and decisions with the common goal of preventing this as much as possible.

Tourism is a very important industry, so Valamar will continue to work closely with the competent authorities so that we can continue with preparations for the tourist season as soon as possible.”

The number of cases of coronavirus in Croatia rose from 27 to 31 overnight, Health Minister Vili Beros announced at a 9 am press conference in Zagreb.

There were two new cases in Istria, bringing the total there to 6, and two more in Zagreb, bringing the total to 12. the two Zagreb patients were from the close circle of existing patients, while one of the Istrian cases had returned from Italy, and the other had been in contact with someone from Zagreb who had returned to Switzerland. 

In addition to the daily TCN briefing, you can follow all aspects of TCN's coronavirus coverage in the dedicated COVID-19 section by clicking here.