August 20, 2021 - The Croatia women's volleyball team opens EuroVolley in Zadar with a win against Switzerland! Up next, Croatia faces Belarus on Saturday. 

In the European Women's Volleyball Championship first match of Group C, hosted in Zadar, Croatia defeated Switzerland with a convincing 3-0 (25:20, 25:19, 25:21).

In the Krešimir Ćosić Hall in Višnjik, the Croatia women's team opened the European competition with a celebration against Switzerland and without losing a set after 71 minutes of play. In the first set, middle blocker and freshly 21-year-old Božana Butigan had a 100 percent performance in the attack by scoring five points.

Daniele Santarelli's team was decisive for the outcome in the middle of the first and second sets, while Switzerland offered the fiercest resistance in the third set, in which they had a 12:8 lead. However, another great period followed for Croatia, winning 12 of the next 15 points and taking the 20:15 lead to calmly bring the match to an end by a maximum of three points.

Laura Miloš with 18 points and captain Samanta Fabris with 13 points were the most effective for Croatia against Switzerland. 

This is Croatia's fifth consecutive victory over Switzerland in the last ten years.

"I couldn't sleep all night because of the excitement. This is the first European Championship for me, the first game. The victory was significant to us, and I am overjoyed that we started this tournament with a victory. We are focused on the opponent who is coming to us next because we are going from game to game," said Miloš after the match.

"The first match is never easy. Everyone is nervous, so we didn’t know what awaited us during this match. Our game was not the best, but at certain moments we had outstanding actions. Some situations, we can still correct, even though we don’t have much time. This was a good start; we showed a good game, although, in the first set, we did not have a strong defense and blocks," said coach Daniele Santarelli. 

Before the match, the European Championship opening ceremony was held, which was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, accompanied by Minister of Sport and Tourism Nikolina Brnjac, Minister of Defense Mario Banožić, and Minister of Labor and Pensions, Family and Social Policy Josip Aladrović.

Italy and Belarus, and Hungary and Slovakia will meet today in Group C. Croatia will play against Belarus in the second round on August 21. Group A is played in Belgrade, Group B in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and Group D in Cluj, Romania.

Source: HRT

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

August 18, 2021 - On Thursday, August 19, the Croatia volleyball team will play the first game of the European Women's Volleyball Championship against Switzerland in Zadar.

The Croatian Volleyball Federation points out that they are ready, and their goal is to advance to the second phase of the competition, reports Gol.hr.

"We are healthy and ready for Thursday; there are still nuances left. We have had excellent preparations. We need to think gradually from game to game. I hope that we will win second place here, which is our goal, and get to the second phase of the competition in that position. I think that in Serbia we have a real chance to stay as long as possible. The first goal is to pass the group and then secure a trip to the World Cup, where we haven’t been for ten years. The girls are motivated and eagerly await the start of the championship," said Croatian Volleyball Federation expert secretary Frane Žanić.

Croatia opens the championship on August 19 with a match against Switzerland, followed by Belarus on August 21, Slovakia on August 22, Hungary on August 24, and Italy on August 25.

Croatia is looking forward to the start of the championship.

"We are only two days away from the start of the European Championship. We are all very excited. We have been preparing for this competition for the last two months, so we can't wait for it to start. We will play the first game against Switzerland. This is a great competition at a high level; I believe that all teams are strong and dangerous. We will give 100 percent in every game. I hereby invite everyone to follow us on TV," said national team member Nikolina Božičević.

"We have been preparing together for almost three months; a very long cycle is behind us. We have played the European League, many friendly matches, and now we have the European Championships waiting for us for the first time. So we are very excited and well prepared," added Lucija Mlinar.

The championship organizers point out that everything is ready for the big sports event in Zadar, which will last until August 26.

"We are in the final details phase, and I can say that we are completely ready. The final inspection of the members of the European Federation delegation is underway. The hall is ready. We only miss our guests, a total of six teams. Together with professional staff and the entire ensemble sent by the European Federation in Zadar, there are 500 people. Thousands of people can stay in the hall at the same time. There are certain contingents of places that must be provided to visiting teams and their family members. The organization is the second part, and one part we must provide for our VIP guests. All those who are interested can contact us; if there is another vacancy, we will be happy to provide it free of charge because there are no regular ticket sales," said Valentina Bifflin, director of the Croatian Volleyball Federation.

Zadar is the host of Group C at the European Women's Volleyball Championship, while Belgrade, Plovdiv, and Cluj-Napoca are the other host cities.

Zadar expects a lot of promotion from EuroVolley and influences young people to start playing volleyball in as many numbers as possible.

"I am glad that we are hosting volleyball. It means a lot to the City of Zadar and the development of sports tourism that we are building. We wish our volleyball players all the best, and we believe they will achieve a good result," said Zadar Mayor Branko Dukić.

The President of the Zadar Sports Association, Snježana Jurinić, also hopes to popularize volleyball.

"I believe that all previous competitions, as well as this European Championship, will popularize volleyball and expand to the entire County and that the City of Zadar will become the leading regional volleyball center. We can already see that women's volleyball has become a sport and enrolls children in volleyball."

The Višnjik Sports Center, where the Eurovolley matches will be played, has shone with new splendor and is fully ready for another big competition. The hall has been decorated and refreshed, along with the auxiliary ones that the national teams will use.

"It is an honor and pleasure to host such a big event. The Croatian Volleyball Federation embraced ŠC Višnjik as its base for preparations and competitions. It shows that all investments in sports infrastructure within ŠC Višnjik are a complete success. The hall looks fantastic and is one of the most beautiful," pointed out the director of ŠC Višnjik Denis Karlovic.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

August 11, 2021 - Digital nomads give back to communities in various ways. The third in a new series on TCN, following the lens of Steve Tsentserensky, one of the early recipients of the Croatian digital nomad permit. Where better to continue than gorgeous Zadar?

One of the discussion in Croatia these days surrounds digital nomads. What EXACTLY does Croatia get from digital nomads, especially if they do not have to pay income tax locally with the 12-month permit?

It is a classic Croatian tourism short-term mindset, which has become sadly familiar over the decade I have been writing about the subject. 

For me, there are three key wins for Croatia - and they all cost nothing.

1. Permit holders may not pay tax, but they are spending on rent, food, drink, entertainment once they leave their virtual office. Think of them as long-stay tourists if you will. I never heard of anyone here complaining about tourists spending here.

2. The mindset. This, to me, is one of the most exciting aspects of the digital nomad era. People with fresh ideas, different experiences, stimulating lifestyles. If they are moving to Croatia because it is so great, perhaps Croatia has something to offer, rather than the sad path of emigration. 

3. The fabulous free promo from digital nomads, clearly in love with this beautiful country. They decided to come, love what they find, and want to tell the world how amazing Croatia is - through blogs, Instagram posts and various other forms of social media. Kind of like the national tourist board's job if you like. Only better. 

This series will focus on the last point, the fantastic free promotion of Croatia by these longer term visitors. TCN is thoroughly enjoying our working partnership with one of the early recipients of the digital nomad permit. Steve Tsentserensky from Ohio. Steve first came to my attention with this fabulous video of Zagreb.

We are big fans of Steve's work, and we met recently over a beer or three in Zagreb. Steve will be travelling around the country over the next 12 months (actually, we think a little longer) documenting Croatia through his lens. We thought it would make a nice feature on the site, as well as showing how just one nomad with the permit is spreading the word about this beautiful country, so that others may see and come. 

And so continues our new series - Croatia through the lens of a Croatian digital nomad permit holder, this time in Zadar. Steve visited Zadar and Total Croatia partner Falkensteiner Punta Skala recently. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And so too a great video. So I will shut up now. 

You can follow Steve on Instagram.

To learn more about the city, check the TC Zadar in a Page guide. 

July 16, 2021 - The Infobip Shift conference will be held this September in Zadar as the largest developer event in Europe this year!

After acquiring Shift, Infobip, the leading IT company in Croatia and the region, announced its plans for the upcoming Infobip Shift conference, which will be held on September 7 and 8 this year in Zadar at the Krešimir Ćosić Hall. The developer conference will bring together over three thousand people over two days, making this edition the largest developer event in Europe this year, reports Dalmatinski Portal. 

After Infobip organized its own DevDays development conference for many years, with the acquisition of Shift, both conferences were merged into one technology festival during which the best speakers from the developer world will gather, 60 in total, from companies such as Microsoft, Google, Adobe and many others. The Infobip Shift conference program will be held simultaneously on five stages. There will be three main stages, one intended for workshops, and the entire program will be rounded off by startups that will present their ideas and products on the Startup Tribe stage. With a rich conference program, time and a place for socializing and meetings have been provided, for which a thousand square meters are planned in front of the hall.

After the founder and executive director of the Shift conference, Ivan Burazin, was appointed a member of the Management Board for development experience at Infobip, his longtime associate Marin Tomičić was appointed project manager of the Infobip Shift conference.

"In a little less than two months, something truly unseen awaits us in this area. The program will be opened and closed by the performances of the co-founders of Infobip, Izabel Jelenić, and Silvio Kutić. In addition, we were able to secure the arrival of the world’s greatest speakers like David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of the Ruby on Rails framework, and Val Head coming ahead of global IT giant Adobe. Finally, of course, we also took care of the part of the conference that guarantees fun, so that all visitors will be able to enjoy a unique afterparty after the end of the program. The young and motivated team gathered around the organization of this event is working hard to justify the high expectations and trust," said Marin Tomičić, project manager of the Infobip Shift conference.

He added that Infobip has almost 500 developers in Vodnjan, Zagreb, Split, and Rijeka, who come from all over Croatia.

"Previous editions of the Shift conference were held in Split, while Infobip DevDays were held in Tuhelj. In the wake of this rich spread, we decided that the Infobip Shift conference in the coming years, starting with this one, will tour the whole of Croatia without a fixed location. We want the conference to be held at a different location every year. Therefore, we decided to hold this year's edition on the coast in Zadar," he said.

The tenth jubilee edition of the conference will not only be bigger than any Shift so far, but the whole experience of following the conference will reach an unprecedented level. From speakers, partners and startups, to organizational meetings and educational workshops - Infobip Shift will be the most influential developer event this year.

"My vision since 2012 has been to create the largest global development conference, but also to strengthen Croatia's connection with the world development scene. Over the years, we have grown, and we are getting closer to our goal. With Infobip, we got what we lacked - the support of a large company to give the domestic conference that global caliber and become the leader," said Ivan Burazin, a member of the Board for Development Experience at Infobip.

Join the two-day Infobip Shift conference on September 7 and 8 this year. Discover the latest technologies and learn all from the world's top developers. More information about the conference, tickets, and schedule can be found on the official website of Infobip Shift.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July the 13th, 2021 - The Zadar region has been deemed a potential risk as Austrian tourists are warned to be careful by a popular Austrian publication.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, under the headline “Atlas for a holiday trip”, the Österreich newspaper provides its readers with an overview of the epidemiological situation and the current coronavirus figures for coronavirus and its various different strains for all EU member states, as well as for the US and Turkey.

On Saturday, under the headline "Holidays in danger" and the subtitle "Croatia-Alarm in the Zadar region", the paper warns Austrian tourists to properly inform themselves before taking a trip to Croatia and other popular sea holiday destinations about the situation in the specific region they have chosen, writes Vecernji list.

''While the incidence in Istria is somewhere close to zero, Germany has assessed the Zadar region as a high-risk area. In general, the share of the delta coronavirus variant in new cases of infection is already around 54.5 percent, which is worrying,'' writes Österreich.

The publication further informs Austrians that Spain has reintroduced its curfew, that the number of new cases of infection with new strains in Portugal have "exploded", that Cyprus is again a high-risk area, that Turkey is inaccessible, that Greece is struggling with an increase in incidence, while Italy has already cancelled their previous British welcome thanks to the delta variant's introduction into the country.

Under the headline "Croatia: One region with increased numbers" on Sunday, the Austrian daily again writes about the "slight increase in cases of delta infection in the Zadar region" which, as repeated, already accounts for 54.5 percent of all new cases in that entire Dalmatian county.

Not only the Austrian media, but also the authorities in the Austrian Government are closely monitoring the development of the situation with the spread of the delta variant in their immediate neighbourhood, but also here in Croatia, the most popular tourist destination for Austrian tourists.

They're more than aware that the most troublesome situation with regard to coronavirus in Croatia is indeed in the Zadar region, but they are also following epidemiological measures taken by the Croatian National Civil Protection Headquarters to prevent the spread of the delta strain through the Zadar region and its surroundings, such as a ban on concerts and similar events without visitor control.

For more, follow our travel section.

July 7, 2021 -  Three new routes are postponed while the number of rotations on two existing lines to the UK is reduced at the Ryanair Zadar base. 

Although Ryanair officially opened its base in Zadar at the beginning of July, announcing 78 weekly flights to 37 destinations, 17 of which are new, by the middle of the first working week, the largest European airline had to postpone the start of three new routes and reduce the number of rotations on two existing lines to the UK, reports Zadarski.hr.

The lines to Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Liverpool, which were supposed to be established from the first of July, have been postponed until the beginning of September, and the number of rotations on the lines to Manchester and London Stansted has been reduced from four to two a week.

Ryanair did not publish the information on postponing the lines on its official website, though it was learned by people in Zadar who booked tickets for Edinburgh in July and August. The company informed them that the lines were canceled, and reservations were not accepted until September.

"Ryanair has postponed the start of certain routes to the UK, so instead of July 1, the routes to Edinburgh and Liverpool, which were supposed to fly twice a week, and Newcastle, which was supposed to go once a week, will start on September 1. In addition, the lines to Manchester and London Stansted are already running but have been reduced from four to two weeks of rotation," confirmed Nikola Barač from Zadar Airport.

Although they are not sure at Zadar Airport why there was a delay and reduction of flights to Great Britain, they assume that the reason is the epidemiological restrictions that await all passengers upon arrival.

"Ryanair has not informed Zadar Airport of the reasons for the reduction of flights to the UK. However, since passengers must be in a ten-day quarantine upon arrival in the UK, it can be assumed that the cause of the decline in interest in these flights is the epidemiological measures in force in the UK," Zadar Airport points out.

The news of postponing Ryanair's flights to Great Britain in July and August resonated negatively in the Zadar area, which has been developing its tourist offer for the last ten years thanks to the guests of low-cost airlines. The Association of Private Accommodation Landlords president in Zadar, Daniel Radeta, was surprised by the information.

"It is definitely a blow for this tourist season in which we have already gone deep. There is no going back. This is devastating information given the circumstances, more precisely the new bans introduced by the Civil Protection Headquarters, and concern only Zadar County," said Radeta, adding that "northern" tourists are among the best when it comes to spending power. He believes that the delay in flights will definitely lead to the cancellation of reservations in private accommodation.

"When it comes to Zadar County, the British make up a substantial share of tourists precisely because of the connection via airlines. In addition, they are among the largest consumers, so the delay of flights in July and August, the two strongest months of the season, will definitely affect the season result. It will certainly not be what we thought," Radeta points out, adding that this move by Ryanair is not only a blow to renters but the entire tourism sector in the area of ​​Zadar, but also neighboring counties where Ryanair's guests went. Therefore, he points out that the tourist boards should have put more effort into facilitating the arrival of guests in Zadar and how to ensure their safe arrival and departure, at least in the form of a rapid antigen test. "This would make a difference compared to other destinations in the country," says Radeta, who also referred to the latest decision of the Headquarters on the ban on holding concerts and similar events in places where it is not possible to keep records of guests.

"Such decisions greatly affect tourists who thought to visit our county. Before arriving at a destination, tourists read about what is happening there, and according to the headquarters' decisions, they think that we are falling on the road because of COVID-19. The tourist community now only cares about its program, which until recently they did not even have, and they should worry about attracting tourists to our destination. Now the most important thing for them is that their festivals are held at the Forum. Some have the right to everything, and some to nothing," Radeta estimates.

The Zadar County Tourist Board director, Mihaela Kadija, did not have information about the cancellation of lines for Great Britain during the two peak summer months.

"I am sorry, but I am not surprised by such a decision of the airline due to the epidemiological restrictions that some countries have for their own and other citizens. Even before July 1, when they officially opened their base in Zadar, Ryanair had 13 open flights from Zadar. Still, the aviation industry is specific, and in such pandemic, conditions are susceptible to any changes," said Kadija, who does not think that due to fewer arrivals, guests from the UK season be less successful.

Guests from the UK are always welcome, but I don’t think they will significantly affect the season's success. Our traditional markets are Germany, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Those markets are stable for now, and I don’t think this flight delay will have an overly negative impact on this year’s tourism results.

The introduction of restrictive measures by the Zadar headquarters due to the growing number of new cases is also welcomed.

"That was the right and the only possible decision in the current situation of increasing the number of newly infected. When we had about 20 patients daily, Germany put us on the orange list. After that, the number of patients per day rose to 40 and more. Normally we should not allow such a spread of infection because our guests are looking for safety, not risk, and places where measures are not being followed. That is why I welcome the decision of the staff. If people adhere to the measures, we have the opportunity to have a great season," said Kadija, emphasizing that the number of guests in June was over 40 percent higher than last year at the same time. July.

As of July 1, 37 destinations were available from Zadar on Ryanair's direct flights, of which 17 were new.
Austria: Vienna; Belgium: Brussels Charleroi; Czech Republic: Prague; Denmark: Aarhus; France: Paris Beauvais, Marseille; Germany: Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Dusseldorf Weeze, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Memmingen; Hungary: Budapest; Ireland: Dublin; Italy: Bari, Bologna, Milan Bergamo, Naples, Rome Ciampino; The Netherlands: Eindhoven, Maastricht; Poland: Gdansk, Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw; Romania: Bucharest; Sweden: Gothenburg, Stockholm Skvasta, Vaxjo; United Kingdom: Edinburgh, Liverpool, London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

July 5th, 2021 - On Monday, the Zadar County Civil Protection Headquarters made a decision, which was confirmed by the National Headquarters, on introducing what are deemed to be necessary new epidemiological measures in Zadar County - a ban on all types of concerts and similar events in open areas.

Jutarnji List reports that the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia, on July 5, 2021, has decided to introduce the necessary epidemiological measure for the area of ​​Zadar County.

The following is being introduced:

The necessary measure in item I of this Decision is: A ban on holding all types of concerts (live music) and similar events in open areas where it is impossible to control the persons present.

The staff of local self-government units is in charge of intensifying compliance with the prescribed epidemiological measures.

The necessary epidemiological measure referred to in this Decision shall be determined until 18 July 2021.

This Decision shall be published in Narodne Novine (Official Gazette) and shall enter into force on 6 July 2021.

Davor Božinović, Chief of the National Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, has signed this decision.

According to the Headquarters, the decision will be in force until July 18 this year, and it was made, according to the Headquarters, in agreement at a meeting with representatives of local self-government units in Zadar County.

This decision comes after the COVID-19 outbreak in Zadar County; for the past few weeks, most new cases of infection within the country have come from Zadar County. 

For all, you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

June 27, 2021 - Due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Zadar County, it is now considered a low-risk area for travelers returning to Germany. 

As of today, Zadar County is a low-risk area for travelers returning to Germany, reports HRT.

This means that those who leave that county for Germany must first register digitally, have a negative test when entering the country, or self-isolate until a negative test is presented. This does not apply to those who have been vaccinated.

Yesterday, out of 86 new COVID-19 cases, 42 were recorded in Zadar County. At the COVID wards at the Zadar General Hospital, 10 patients were hospitalized, and there are currently 207 active cases in the county.

The head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters Davor Božinović and the Chief of the Zadar Civil Protection Headquarters, Ante Babić, hope that the increasing number of newly infected will not affect the success of the tourist season.

"It is certainly not good because nowadays, given that this is a pandemic that has affected the whole world, given that this is a pandemic that has affected the whole world, and given that those countries from which tourists come, their citizens listen to the recommendations of their countries and to see where they should come to eventually rest and be healthy. So it’s not good, but I repeat again, I don’t think it should ultimately jeopardize the season. If this had to happen already, then it is better today, in June, than possibly in a month or so. We hope that the numbers will start to drop as soon as possible, but the biggest responsibility is on all of us," Babić said.

13 new cases in Zadar County

Today there are already fewer infections in Zadar County. The Civil Protection Headquarters announced that there are e13 new positive cases in the last 24 hours.

380 samples were tested and 611 residents were monitored.

For all, you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

June the 13th, 2021 - With the epidemiological picture finally becoming more favourable and vaccination across Europe going well, things are beginning to very slowly but steadily return to some form of pre-pandemic normality. For Croatian tourism, there couldn't be better news. So far, 14 Zadar cruise ships are scheduled, the first of which is set to arrive in mid-July.

As Morski writes, the well known Cruise company Viking Cruises is the first cruise company to publicly announce the return of their cruisers to the Dalmatian city of Zadar this summer, and it isn't the only one. As 057.info has learned from Rebeka V. Pevec, the General Manager of ZIPO (Zadar International Port Operations), 14 Zadar cruise ships are set to arrive in Zadar's Gazenica Port this summer.

''With an increasing number of cruisers returning to operation and choosing the Mediterranean for their itineraries, we hope that number will increase. Of course, all this primarily depends on the epidemiological situation in Croatia and in the Zadar region, on how much everyone will adhere to the epidemiological measures, and on the level of vaccination of the population. All these are factors that these companies are closely monitoring, and based on that, as well as on the recognisability of the destination, they make decisions that they will include in their itineraries for this season,'' explained Rebeka V. Pevec.

Passengers with deep pockets will arrive on 2020's Zadar cruise ships...

The companies that have confirmed their Zadar cruise ships this year are Viking Cruises, Holland America Line (HAL) and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. All three companies are considered luxurious and passengers generally have a higher purchasing power, and accordingly have higher expectations of their chosen destinations and expect a higher level of service and quality, not only on board, but also in the destinations they visit.

The first announced and so far confirmed of the Zadar cruise is on July the 20th, when Viking Venus is due to arrive, the newest ship in the Viking Cruises fleet of identical ships. Considering that Viking Venus is the first cruiser to visit Zadar after more than a year, and that this is its inaugural arrival in Zadar, we hope that together with the tourist boards and citizens of Zadar and the region we'll give a worthy welcome to both the guests and the crew, to prove ourselves as good hosts and as a good destination for cruisers,'' Pevec added.

Given the pandemic and the slightly better numbers after the start of the vaccination rollout, is there any optimism for this season?

''What gives us optimism and hope is the fact that more and more cruising companies are returning to operation, they're creating new itineraries and depending on the epidemiological situation, we see our opportunity there. However, at the same time, it's important to note that there is a lot of competition between ports and destinations in both the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, in terms of service, shipping costs, fees and the very recognisability of the destination. Therefore, and compared to the announced numbers of tourists arriving in Croatia by land, and the still current classification of the US State Department, according to which Croatia is in the red zone, our optimism is very cautious,'' Pevec stated.

Now is the time to make the best impressions for next year

''As for the epidemiological measures themselves, the recommendations were made in accordance with the recommendations of the most relevant regulatory bodies, the ECDC and EU Healthy Gateways, and since back in August 2020, no incidents have been recorded. Most ships are currently sailing at approximately 50% capacity, the passengers and crew are mostly vaccinated, so things should be fine if good preparation is carried out and if all stakeholders strictly adhere to the prescribed and agreed epidemiological measures.

In this situation and given all the circumstances, we look forward to every guest and every cruise ship arrival and we'll try to leave the best possible impression as a port and as a destination, in order to attract as many arrivals in the future. So, we aren't just focusing on this season, but we're thinking long term, because in this industry the real results are not seen immediately, but are realised through at least two years. The priority is to prove ourselves as a safe destination, with a high level of vaccination and with a culture of adherence to prescribed epidemiological measures, and of course as excellent hosts to ships, their guests and their crew,'' said Pevec.

Given the overall situation across the world, especially in the emitting markets of the cruising industry, a return to the figures from 2019 is expected in five years.

''Of course, it could happen earlier, but with the condition of very strong promotion in all media relevant to the cruise industry, and with a focus on Zadar as a safe and ideal destination for cruisers. With the appearance of the pandemic, all previous results were minimised and now we need to win over cruise companies to choose Zadar as one of their destinations. As a community, we can achieve this only with strong marketing, impressive service and the creation of a reputation as a serious destination that understands and appreciates the cruising industry,'' Pevec concluded for 057.info.

For more on cruises to Croatia, check our our travel section.

June 11, 2021 - Good news after it was established yesterday that Slovenian tourists would not need to go into self-isolation when returning from the Adriatic counties, according to the decision of the Slovenian Government to remove the Croatian coast from its red list, which will take effect from tomorrow.

At yesterday's session, the Slovenian Government decided that the Adriatic Croatia administrative unit is no longer on their red list. The counties of Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Lika-Senj, Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia, and Dubrovnik-Neretva were thus removed from the list of countries and areas with a high risk of coronavirus infection, reports hrturizam.hr.

Namely, in areas not on the dark red or red list, there is no high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, so a person coming from such an area can enter Slovenia without being sent into mandatory self-isolation if they submit proof that they've been in the area.

Apart from Croatia, Switzerland, the Vatican, the Austrian administrative unit of Tyrol, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and the Portuguese Azores were removed from the red list of European Union countries at yesterday's session. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro are no longer on the same list comprised of third countries. The administrative units of Pannonian Croatia, the City of Zagreb, and Northern Croatia are still on the red list. This means that a person coming from these areas in Croatia is quarantined for ten days due to possible infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus upon returning to Slovenia

The decision to remove the Adriatic counties from their red list, made by the Slovenian Government yesterday, will take effect on Saturday, June 12th.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of testing centers and vaccination points across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and choose your preferred language.

Follow the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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