May 21, 2021 - The latest regarding COVID-19 testing at Croatian airports as Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar should introduce testing locations inside their passenger terminals this summer. 

Two Croatian airports, Split and Zagreb, currently have organized passenger testing for COVID-19. Now, Croatian Aviation reports that Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar airports are introducing the same. By the beginning of the summer season, the mentioned airports will also enable airport testing. 

Zagreb Airport in January this year allowed all passengers en route to Amsterdam to test at the airport, which is not surprising given that the regulations of the Netherlands at that time were such that passengers had to have a rapid test no older than 3 hours from entry into the aircraft, so airport testing was almost imperative.

After the Netherlands removed this measure, Zagreb still allowed testing at the airport (PCR or rapid test), and the same is available on the second floor, at two check-in counters on the right side of the passenger terminal.

We remind you that from April 26, COVID-19 testing is also possible near Split Airport; you can check the working hours HERE.

Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Pula airports (the only ones with Split and Zagreb that currently have international traffic) do not offer the possibility of testing at the airport. Still, all three mentioned airports informed Croatian Aviation that the management is preparing testing locations. By the beginning of the summer season, i.e., when several international lines are launched, everything will be ensured that testing (PCR or rapid test) is available in passenger terminals at Pula, Zadar, and Dubrovnik airports.

Testing at airports is part of the "new normal". Logically, the same will be possible in all Croatian airports, with regular international routes announced this summer. Without this possibility, tourist holidays in Croatia this summer are significantly complicated, so this service should be provided at the starting and ending points when visiting the country. 

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.

May 17, 2021 - 21 youths from Croatia, Greece, and Serbia are now in Zadar, Croatia for a week of helping stray dogs. Youth for Stray Dogs is a long-term project aiming to develop a solution for the rampant stray dog problem. Join them at their public event tomorrow, May 18, 2021, at the Zadar Sea Organ from 10:30 am onwards. 

Youth for Stray Dogs on a day of helping Privlaka animal shelter | Photo credit: Udrugra Prizma 

Udruga Prizma from Gračac in line with the Erasmus + program of the European Union gathered 21 youths from three European countries (Croatia, Greece, and Serbia) with the highest numbers of stray dog population to come up with a long-term solution to lessen, if not totally eradicate, the problem. 

The group believes that human behaviour is the most important factor in determining the stray dogs’ population dynamics and that the best and the most effective way to help homeless animals is to raise awareness in the community by educating them on how to be responsible dog owners and to give knowledge and assistance to people who are interested in learning how to become one.

Udruga Prizma said that the main objectives of this project are to promote responsible ownership through the encouragement of communities about greater dog responsibility for future and current owners, to raise awareness for animal rights and adoptions, to increase human’s positive attitude toward all sentient beings and to entice the youth in actively helping the community through practical activities.

To do that, Youth for Stray Dogs will conduct group reflections and discussions about current animal rights, visit dog shelters, conduct an interview with a dog trainer and organise local activities to engage the community in increasing empathy for all animals.

Photo credit: Luana Matošević

Below is the itinerary for Youth for Stray Dogs provided by Luana Matošević, one of the project coordinators:

May 15, 2021 (Saturday) - visit the Sklonište za źivotinje Privlaka (animal shelter) to help and take the dogs out for a walk

May 16, 2021 (Sunday) - atelier workshop to create beds for dogs by reusing abandoned tires they have recently collected from the Musapstan forest

May 17, 2021 (Monday) - a symposium about dog behaviour and animal first-aid to be conducted by a veterinary student from Greece

May 18, 2021 - CULMINATION DAY: Youth for Stray Dogs will hold a public event at Zadar sea organ from 10:30am to promote the project. They will be giving out informative brochures about everything you need to know to lessen the existing stray problem, and raise funds and food to be donated to Privlaka animal shelter.

Photo credit: Luana Matošević

This is the first part of the youth exchange program. The second part of the project will be taking place in Greece, in the city of Lamia, in September this year should the epidemiological situation allow. The first part conducted in Zadar, Croatia focuses on the animals that stay in local shelters; however, in Greece - where there is a much larger population of stray animals - the focus would be to build food and water stations and to settle agreements with the local community to improve the situation.

To know more about Udruga Prizma and their ongoing and future projects and events, CLICK HERE.

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

For more news about Croatia, CLICK HERE.

May 12, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 8 LOT lines to Croatia will operate this summer to five Croatian airports!

Croatian Aviation reports that Polish national airline, LOT Polish Airlines, plans to operate regular flights to five Croatian airports in the summer season. We bring you the planned flight schedule, currently confirmed by the airline.

After a short break without operations in January and February, the Polish LOT resumed traffic to Zagreb with the first day of the summer flight schedule this year. The line is currently in operation three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and the company will gradually increase the number of operations. It will operate 6 times a week during the peak summer season between Zagreb and Warsaw. Before the pandemic, LOT operated twice a day to Zagreb.

Lines to Dubrovnik Airport

At the end of April, the line between Warsaw and Dubrovnik started operating twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On this line, there will be an increase in the number of operations. The company plans to run to Dubrovnik four times a week.

In addition to the line from Warsaw, LOT will resume traffic on the line from Poznan, which will be in operation from June 3, once a week, every Thursday. From June 19, the third line to Dubrovnik will be introduced, from Krakow, also once a week, on Saturdays.

Lines to Zadar Airport

This summer, LOT will also have two lines to Zadar. The line from Warsaw will operate from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays, and from the same date, the line from Rzeszów will also be in operation once a week.

The company has already resumed traffic on the line between Warsaw and Split. The line is in operation twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, and LOT plans to keep two flights a week on this line throughout the summer season.

Return to Rijeka Airport as well

Good news for Rijeka airport, too! Although the company had previously considered canceling the route to Rijeka and withdrew it from sale, flights are now available for booking again, and LOT plans to resume traffic on the line between Warsaw and Rijeka from June 19 with one flight a week, on Saturdays.

On the routes to Croatia, LOT plans to use Embraer aircraft (170, 175, 190, 195), but already on the first flights to Dubrovnik, the company used a larger capacity aircraft - B737-800.

This flight schedule is a planned schedule of the airline which, in case of higher demand, will react by introducing additional flights, but also cancel certain ones in case the booking is not satisfactory, which became the practice of all airlines after the global pandemic.

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.

May the 11th, 2021 - One Zadar-based test run by AquaWeb is seeing how much water can be obtained from the air in a bid to help out agriculture and other forms of food production in Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, the very first biomimetic company in Croatia operates under the name CROdelicious, the director is Ana Yael Prelog, while the co-owner, known for numerous international environmental projects, is Croatian-American scientist Anamarija Frankic, who teaches coastal ecosystem management and biomimicry at the University of Massachusetts.

The American team in which her students participated in the creation of the biomimetic design of AquaWeb, which involves obtaining water from the air for local food production, won two international awards. Back in 2017 it took home first prize at the Global Biomimicry Design Challenge, as well as the Ray of Hope Prize.

Today, AquaWeb design in Croatia is marketed through CROdelicious, and the system will be tested out on the agricultural property of the University of Zadar - Bastica. At this stage, it is still a pilot project, implemented in cooperation with the Zadar County Development Agency Zadar Nova, meaning that the planning, design and construction of AquaWeb has played a key part of the "AdriaClima" project which is worth a total of 8.8 million euros.

"In general, the goal is to strengthen the adaptation and resilience of local communities to climate change, which we're witnessing today," said the director of the aforementioned development agency Marina Dujmovic Vukovic.

This innovative solution by AquaWeb is based on the absorption of water from the air and its subsequent storage, and according to Frankic, AquaWeb wants to show how it is possible to ensure on-site water availability and the proper irrigation of small agricultural areas, especially in periods of water deficit.

''AquaWeb acts as an absorbing infrastructure for atmospheric water, mimicking the way a spider's web collects water, water storage techniques modelled on various succulent plants, then the transportation of the water like mycelium and structural support in the form of honeycombs. In nature, there are hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanostructures in which different species in nature absorb water from the air. Therefore, this project is based on nanotechnologies,'' explained Frankic, adding that she got Fulbright to establish a course in Biomimicry at the Department of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture at the University of Zadar.

In a wave of rapid development, especially over the last 25 years under the pressure of climate change, in parallel with the search for answers to this great threat to the economy, biomimicry is entering into all pores of modern business. It is also present in all scientific disciplines, biomimetic technology, medicine, architecture, design, engineering… It is estimated that about 45 billion US dollars account for investments managed by companies that support bioinspired innovations. Frankic claims that solutions on this basis do exist in Croatia, they're just not typically recognised and many are not even known of.

AquaWeb's new initiative for a greater impact of the principle of biomimicry on the business of entities in various industries is already attracting interest and cooperation. A team of young experts, including Matej Vucic (biology), Naum Kiceec (marketing), Marin Bosnjak and Marko Mataic (IT), is creating the first Croatian startup for agriculture based on biomimetics. They intend to put the projects they are preparing for EU funding into money through cooperation in agricultural production, including the networking of interested family farms (OPGs), as well as the introduction of this approach to other activities in a multidisciplinary way, from the construction sector to that of energy.

''Our idea is to facilitate business processes based on biomimicry and through innovative technologies to gain greater value, not only in business on self-sustainable principles, but for society as a whole, our environment and the entire country,'' stated Kiceec.

Biomimicry is gaining more and more importance, explained Frankic, because there is no waste in nature, everything is efficient, multifunctional and sustainable on the basis of collaboration, and not just in competition as we're taught. In biomimicry, we can learn how to be self-sustaining, thus, based on the results of monitoring in Zadar's Bastica, guidelines will be planned for the further implementation and application of innovative technologies and ''nature based'' biomimetic solutions in agriculture and in self-sustainable local development.

Depending on the results, activities and planning for potential commercial production will continue, and given climate change and the dire need for water, the sky quite literally is the limit for AquaWeb's praiseworthy idea.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

May 7, 2021 - As part of NATO, Croatia participates in a large military exercise called DEFENDER-Europe-21, and UK and US navy ships arrived in Zadar with valuable equipment to be distributed among training areas in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Large-scale, multinational, and army-lead, DEFENDER-Europe is a joint exercise designed to build readiness and interoperability between the U.S., NATO, and partner militaries. This year's edition DEFENDER-Europe-21, as reported by U.S. Army Europe and Africa website, focuses on „Building operational readiness and interoperability with a greater number of NATO allies and partners over a wider area of operations is defensive in nature and focused on responding to the crisis if necessary“, and also shows that „the U.S. commitment to NATO is ironclad.“

The exercise also includes strict COVID prevention and mitigation measures, such as pre-deployment COVID testing and quarantining and the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy show significant involvement and will utilize key ground and maritime routes bridging Europe, Asia, and Africa – continues the website.

„Exercises new high-end capabilities such the new U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Brigades, air, and missile defense assets and the recently reactivated V Corps and demonstrates our ability to serve as a strategic security partner in the western Balkans and the Black Sea regions while sustaining our abilities in northern Europe, the Caucasus, Ukraine, and Africa“, adds the exercise goals the official U.S. Army website.

Apart from the U.S., Approximately 28,000 multinational forces from 26 nations conduct nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in 12 countries, and as a NATO member, Croatia has not been left out of the drill.

U.S. Naval Ship Yuma arrives in Zadar, Croatia © Sgt. Alexandra Shea

As part of the exercise, U.S. Naval Ship Yuma and U.K. Vessel Hurst Point off-loaded more than 300 pieces of military equipment in Zadar, Croatia’s Gazenica port, after ferrying it from Durres in Albania. The delivery started on Tuesday, May 4, and it was concluded on Friday. The journey of the equipment started back on March 24 at the Port of Jacksonville in Florida. The local U.S. National Guard units were shipping the equipment for three days onto USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR 300) after which, the ship stopped by Portsmouth in Virginia for the final pieces of equipment before heading towards Durres in Albania. In Durres, the smaller vessels took the equipment and finally loaded it to Yuma, and Hurst Point, which brought it to the gem of Northern Dalmatia, Zadar.

„This process is called Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, a method used to ensure swift delivery of supplies and equipment in a variety of port situations“, explained the press release.

U.S. equipment leaves for training area © Sgt. Joshua Oh 

While many would probably stop at Zadar and chill for a lovely holiday, the equipment, however, will continue its journey. Part of the equipment will remain in Croatia, but it will be transferred to Slunj, home of the Main Training Area, and the rest goes to training areas scattered in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In BiH, the drills and maneuvers for which the equipment will be used are under the umbrella of the linked exercise named "Immediate Response 21” which will culminate in a joint, multinational live-fire demonstration called “Croatian Rampart 1991-2021” at the end of May. Not just as a test of possibility in the „God-forbid-we-are-attacked“ scenario, Croatian Rampart 1991-2021“ also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Croatia Armed Forces.

The Main Training Area in Slunj, Croatia and training areas throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina to be used in drills and maneuvers alongside members of the Croatian Armed Forces, under the umbrella of the linked exercise named "Immediate Response 21.” The exercise culminates in a joint, multinational live-fire demonstration called “Croatian Rampart 1991-2021” - which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Croatian Armed Forces at the end of May.

British Major Dan Cornwell talking to Croatian press, screenshot / Defense Flash News

British Major Dan Cornwell told the Croatian press that the idea of being in Zadar is that Croatian, U.K., and U.S. forces operate together in loading U.S. equipment and personnel.

„We've done this before, on exercise last year in Germany, and I can say, it's a lot better down here in the south, it's absolutely amazing to be here in Croatia to do this alongside Croatian Armed Forces where we can better understand how we operate differently, how we operate similarly and equally building up our interoperability and our ability to operate better in the future“, said Maj. Cornwell, indicating that perhaps he can find Zadar, like many others, as a great holiday destination and not just the line of duty.

Learn more about Zadar on our TC page.

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

May 7, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Iberia flights from Madrid to Zagreb, Split, and Zadar have been announced for the summer. 

Croatian Aviation reports that in the summer of 2020, the Spanish national airline operated to only one destination in Croatia instead of the usual four - Dubrovnik Airport. This summer season, the company intends to operate at all four airports in Croatia, the same as in the summer of 2019.

Namely, Iberia will run regular lines from Madrid to Zagreb, Split, and Zadar. The line to Dubrovnik is already in traffic.

Line to Zagreb

The regular Madrid - Zagreb - Madrid flight has been announced since the beginning of the summer flight schedule (end of March), but flights are continuously canceled due to the epidemiological situation. Iberia currently plans to establish traffic between the two capitals from Friday, June 4.

As of that date, the company currently offers three flights a week between Zagreb Airport and Madrid, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with A320 aircraft.

The company intends to increase the number of rotations to Zagreb in July by introducing the fourth flight of the week, every Tuesday. The schedule for July and especially August is still subject to change. The company will certainly analyze the state of booking and the demand on individual flights as we approach the peak of the summer season.

This is a significantly smaller number of flights of this carrier to Zagreb compared to the summer of 2019 when Iberia operated on this route twice a day. Still, given the overall situation, it is certainly positive news that they plan to return this summer to Zagreb airport.

Line to Split Airport

From June 1, Iberia plans to renew the Madrid - Split - Madrid line. Three flights a week have been announced on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from the mentioned date.

In the second week of June, a flight is added on Wednesdays, and as of June 21, 6 flights a week have been announced, every day except Thursday. The flight schedule for July differs from the schedule for June, but the company will likely make more operational changes on this route by July.

Line to Zadar Airport

Iberia plans to re-establish the Madrid - Zadar - Madrid route from June 29. This route should be in operation until the end of the summer season twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, operated by A320 aircraft.

Line to Dubrovnik Airport

Flights between Madrid and Dubrovnik have been operating regularly since the beginning of the summer flight schedule. The company has recently increased the number of operations on this route, so flights are available on Fridays and Sundays throughout June.

From the beginning to the middle of June, four flights a week have been announced (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays), and from June 18, the line will operate daily. In July, Iberia plans an even larger number of operations to Dubrovnik, which will primarily depend on well-known factors. 

Apart from Iberia, no other airline operates on a direct route between Croatian airports and Madrid. Along with travelers whose final destination is Madrid, Iberia has for many years been one of the first choices of many travelers who continue their journey to South America (destinations such as Bogota, Lima, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, etc.).

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.

April 30, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Lufthansa flights to Zadar and Pula resume this weekend! 

Croatian Aviation reports that German national airline Lufthansa will operate again today to Pula and tomorrow to Zadar.

Germany's Lufthansa is resuming traffic on two more lines to Croatia. After the company reconnected Frankfurt and Zagreb and regularly operates on routes from Munich and Frankfurt to Split and Dubrovnik, as of this weekend, Lufthansa includes two more destinations in Croatia - Pula Airport and Zadar Airport!

From today, Pula Airport will once again have a regular route to Frankfurt. Lufthansa will operate the first flight on this route in the late afternoon, then again tomorrow, and flights throughout the week are announced once a week, every Saturday. The number of weekly flights should increase in June, and then the Munich-Pula-Munich route will be introduced.

On Saturday, May 1, Lufthansa will make its first flight in this summer season on the Frankfurt - Zadar - Frankfurt route. An E190 aircraft has been announced for the first flight, and flights will take place once a week, every Saturday, until the end of May. A larger number of weekly operations is expected on this line in June as well.

Next Saturday, May 8, Lufthansa will resume traffic on the line between Zadar and Munich once a week (Saturday).

This weekend, Lufthansa will have as many as 7 international routes to 5 Croatian airports, and as of next weekend, 8 of them. Rijeka Airport, another Lufthansa destination in Croatia, will not have flights for some time. Namely, scheduled flights on the route from Munich and on the new route from Frankfurt have been postponed to the beginning of July.

Tickets are on sale on the airline's official website, and, as with most other companies, travel date changes are allowed if you are unable to travel on the originally planned date.

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.

April 22, 2021 - The Representation of the Croatian Tourist Board in Italy, in cooperation with the Zadar County Tourist Board, is holding a virtual presentation intended for Italian travel agents and B2B media. The topic of the virtual meeting is the tourist offer of Croatia, with emphasis on the offer of Zadar County.  

As htz.hr reports, the virtual presentation gathered more than 60 participants. The presentation included information on the national safety label Safe Stay in Croatia and all measures implemented for the safe stay of tourists in destinations.

"While we are waiting for the full opening of Italy and the possibility of uninterrupted travel, activities such as virtual presentations are an ideal opportunity to, in cooperation with county tourist boards, present the tourist offer of Croatian regions for which Italy is one of the most important markets. In these uncertain times, it is essential to maintain presence and visibility on the market and continuously communicate all current information to partners and the media", said Viviana Vukelic, director of the CNTB Representation in Italy. 

Vukelic added that the Safe Stay's information campaign in Croatia would soon be launched on the Italian market, followed by a B2B campaign in specialized tourist media, and then the main invitation campaign for Italian tourists.

The gathered partners and media representatives were also greeted by the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić. "Good expectations from the Italian market for this season are based on the feedback of the main partners from the Italian market, as well as on the announcements of new shipping and airlines that will connect Croatia and Italy this season," said Staničić.

The presentation of the potential of Zadar County to Italian agents and the media is especially focused on three products, namely outdoor, nautical, and gastronomy.

"Italy has always been our loyal market, which was, unfortunately, the most affected by the epidemic last year, and for which we still expect a good response this year. The Italians greatly appreciate our indented coastline and beautiful archipelago. On this occasion, we reminded the interested partners of our strengths and introduced them to the offer of various opportunities that can be experienced in various parts of the county. Nautics, i.e., islands, with an emphasis on gastronomy, capacities, and various tools to make it easier for our guests to organize their stay, are just some of the prominent topics. We are extremely pleased and optimistic about the great interest shown by the partners for our destinations, which is proven by this virtual meeting", said the director of the Zadar County Tourist Board, Mihaela Kadija.

Regarding traffic connections, along the international ferry line Zadar - Ancona, from July 24 to August 29, 2021, the fast ship of the tour operator Gomo Viaggi with 374 seats will connect Pesaro and Cesenatico with Mali Lošinj and Novalja and Cesenatico with Rovinj. The ship will operate three times a week in July and four times a week in August. The same partner confirmed that it would keep the airline from Ancona to Split in August. Other routes of companies such as EasyJet, Volotea, Ryanair, and Vueling will connect Croatian airports with Rome, Milan, Napoli, Bari, Palermo, and Venice. The cruise company MSC Crociere will start traveling again from June 2021, and Croatia is included in their program. It is planned that their cruisers from Venice, Trieste, and Bari will stop in Dubrovnik and those from Venice and Bari in Split.

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.

Find more information about Zadar HERE and everything you need to know about the Zadar airport HERE. 

April the 8th, 2021 - The Zadar cruise ship season for this summer is being called into question owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Many worry that cruise ships won't be docking in that particular Dalmatian city until autumn.

As Morski writes, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic completely paralysed the cruise ship industry last year. Due to the impossibility of securing the necessary epidemiological measures, the world's largest cruise companies moored almost all of their gigantic vessels. Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) shows that in the circular tourism sector in 2020, there were only 26 arrivals, which is 700 trips or a mindblowing 96.4 percent less than there were in 2019, all as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the numerous problematic restrictions on international travel.

The data also shows that there were cruises of foreign ships taking in the first three months of last year, then there was a complete cessation of travel until the month of July. Five trips were made in August and September, after which the cruise industry stalled completely by the end of the year. In 2020, cruisers sailed only in ports in Dubrovnik-Neretva and Istria counties. Unlike large international vessels, small cruise vessels from Croatian agencies and companies did make several voyages in late June and early July, following the easing of epidemiological measures in Croatia back at that time

Skific explained the situation with the interruption of cruise ships and problems in the last year, as well as the potential and prospects for the upcoming tourist season.

''Last year will probably be recorded as one of the most difficult years we've ever had, especially in the segment of international passenger traffic. The coronavirus pandemic practically wiped out all cruise ship announcements as well as international liner traffic in the space of a mere few weeks in March, not only in all Croatian ports but in all ports across the world. It's been a global crisis, and cruise companies have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, even more so than the aviation industry. It's impossible to dock in more or less all of the world's ports, and the only type of activity that remains in the ports has become the acceptance of ships without passengers on them, vessels which are at rest,'' explained Skific.

''Out of the announced slightly more than 200,000 passengers back in 2020, only 714 passengers arrived, and all of this more or less happened before the start of the pandemic in March. An additional limiting element in the acceptance of cruise ships during 2020 was the Decision of the National Civil Protection Headquarters on the ban on entry of passenger ships carrying more than 200 passengers into Croatian waters.

For most of the year, there were one to two cruisers of the Marella Cruises company (Dream and Discovery 2) in the ports, in their lay-up (at rest) status,'' he added.

Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, revenues in the cruise ship segment decreased by approximately 5 million kuna. When compared to the announcements for 2020, the decline in revenue should have been even more pronounced. Zadar Port Authority lost so much at the expense of collecting port fees. Broadly speaking, the lost revenue of all our concessionaires that are directly related to the provision of services to cruise ships are very high,'' noted Skific.

The Zadar cruise ship season this year is being called into question, and this industry will have the hardest time of all when it comes to recovery

Experts predict that the cruise ship industry will have the hardest time recovering from the consequences of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike airlines, which, in the absence of passenger transport, shifted their operations to freight, cruise companies had no choice but to "drop anchor" and wait. Due to the uncertain situation with the coronavirus pandemic, the Zadar Port Authority hasn't yet published its list of announced cruiser arrivals. They say that when a trip is actually realised, they will publish the data day by day.

''The announcements of arrivals for this year aren't relevant because the data changes from day to day and this is completely unreliable data, given that even cruising companies don't know if and when they will start implementing their own respective itineraries for 2021. In the announcements, we had a little less than 200 voyages on which about 320,000 passengers were to arrive, counting on the full capacity of the vessel. Realistically, we expected about 280,000 passengers in 2021, of course, this was according to the announcements before the coronavirus pandemic struck,'' explained Skific.

The Zadar cruise ship season for 2021 will depend entirely on the epidemiological situation at any given time

The biggest challenge for cruise companies in 2021 will be to gain the trust of both tourists and employees. Holidays in a situation where the proper epidemiological measures aren't one hundred percent guaranteed are now no longer attractive at all. No company is interested in repeating last year's situation in which the passengers and crews of cruisers found themselves, when it was discovered that the virus had appeared on vessels in the United States and in Japan.

Passengers and crew in such situations were forced to either carry out quarantine on board the ships or in the country where the ship was granted permission to anchor. Some countries such as Thailand and Malaysia have banned the landing of cruisers in their ports. Such a situation also leads to diplomatic conflicts between countries whose citizens are infected on a cruise ship and countries that aren't ready to take care of the sick or at least arrange to ensure their return to their home countries in accordance with all epidemiological measures.

Skific was asked about the existence of instructions and protocols on the entry of vessels under foreign flags if there are infected crew members or passengers on them.

''According to the announcements, a general instruction of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure on the treatment of infected passengers is expected. However, it's also expected that in agreement and coordination with the National Civil Protection Headquarters, different approaches will be present depending on the destination, city or port. It will all depend on the current epidemiological situation in certain destinations,'' he said.

Both ports and cruise companies are required to provide security and safety protocols

''From the very beginning of the pandemic, we've taken a number of measures to protect the health of employees - all according to the instructions of the Headquarters - from disinfectants in each office to having it at the entrance to the Port Authority. The entrance door to the premises of the Zadar Port Authority is locked so that we strictly control who enters and exits, we keep our distance at meetings and wear masks, we also do the same in our offices if more than one person is working in the office at any one time.

There are few of us and it's very important for us to preserve the health of every single employee given the large amount of work and projects that this Port Authority implements. Additionally, in the case of smaller controlled events with more than one person involved, the body temperature of each of the participants is measured,'' he assured.

Cruise ships are practically prisons at sea, which is hardly an attractive idea to anyone. Last year, due to a lack of information about the novel coronavirus, and due to not finding a way to prevent the virus from entering ships, cruise companies were brought to their very knees in the form of bankruptcy. This year, the main task of cruise companies is to provide healthcare and safety protocols to protect both passengers and crew.

The most important part of these protocols is to test all passengers and crew members for the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, before departure. One of the ways to reduce the possibility of exposure to the virus is to abolish the stay outside the vessel during a vessel's time in ports or to arrange organisations referred to as ''Bubble trips", in which passengers and guides don't come into any contact with any people who haven't been on board.

In terms of hygiene standards, the use of hospital disinfectants, which destroy 99 percent of the virus, is now recommended. Reducing the number of passengers to ensure social distance is another important item to take into consideration although this will also hurt the already empty pockets of the industry. It is also being recommended to determine isolation units for guests and crew with suspected coronavirus infection.

With all of the above in mind, Royal Caribbean, together with the Israeli health and tourism authorities, offered the first round trip on which the crew and guests over the age of sixteen must be vaccinated against COVID-19.

A properly controlled corridor

''Cruise ship companies have adopted a number of very strict protocols - from PCR tests after the first and after each subsequent entry into the vessel, some companies will only allow vaccinated passengers to book, excursions are being organised in strictly controlled conditions and for some, it will not be possible for people to leave the ship freely with some individual arrangements.

Passengers who don't respect this will simply be sent home if, contrary to the ship's protocol, they go beyond the agreed rules. Such events have already been recorded in the few test itineraries organised with a limited number of passengers involved. In addition, companies will only fill part of their capacitis, and bus trips with more than 50 percent of their full capacity utilised will not be allowed on excursions.

Individual departures from the vessels in the next short-term period will not be possible at all. The protocols are such that in the destination they actually take us as a bigger threat to passengers than they could be to us,'' Skific pointed out, adding that COVID-19 protocols of cruise companies currently don't and won't allow for the uncontrolled arrival and departure of passengers.

''A controlled corridor with security guards measuring body temperatures, disinfectants and masks inside the terminal in that short passage time to the bus at this point seems quite sufficient. Travel and maritime agents, drivers and everyone from the destination who is in contact with passengers will have to adhere to the same protocols. However, depending on the epidemiological situation, the introduction of additional measures is not excluded,'' he warned.

Although the Zadar cruise ship season is in doubt, luckily, the Zadar Port Authority doesn't depend exclusively on cruise ships

''More or less all cruise ship trips before the end of June have been practically cancelled, and the big question is what will happen in the second half of the season. According to informal talks with these cruise companies, they don't expect a significant number of trips to actually happen before the end of August and the beginning of September. Let's hope that the vaccination of the population will do its thing - by improving the epidemiological picture across Croatia by the end of the summer, we could reach at least autumn with the arrival of some cruise ships.

Back at the very beginning of this year, we thought that about one-third of the planned arrivals would be realised, however, as things currently stand, we'd be pleased with the very fact that traffic is starting to actually kick off again. Luckily we aren't quite as exposed to the need for revenues from cruise ships like some other ports in Croatia and the world are, our revenues are prudently dispersed into several segments of traffic and activities, however, in case the pandemic fails to calm down by the end of the year, we'll all have cause for concern,'' warned Skific.

One thing is for sure, even if the coronavirus pandemic were to suddenly end tomorrow, all cruise companies will need a lot of time to regain the trust of customers and potential employees after this absolute disaster.

For more information on coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, quarantine and border rules, as well as the locations of testing centres up and down the country, make sure to bookmark this page.

For more on travel, click here. For all you need to know about Zadar, visit Zadar in a Page.

March 31, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 17 new Ryanair flights to Zadar this summer have been announced, for a total of 37 international lines flying to the new Ryanair Zadar base! 

Croatian Aviation reports that Ryanair held two press conferences yesterday, both virtual, for Zagreb and Zadar airports. 

At the press conference, Europe's largest airline announced the reopening of its base at Zadar Airport. With two base aircraft, on as many as 78 weekly flights, it will connect Zadar with 37 destinations, of which as many as 17 are new, giving passengers the opportunity to choose from a number of European destinations from July 2021.

Ryanair's new destinations from Zadar Airport announced for this summer season are:

Aarhus,

Bari,

Bologna,

Bremen,

Bucharest,

Budapest,

Edinburgh,

Gdańsk,

Liverpool,

Maastricht,

Naples,

Newcastle,

Paris,

Rome,

Vaxjo,

Warsaw,

Wroclaw.

In addition to the 17 new lines, Ryanair will operate from Zadar on 20 more previously introduced lines, bringing a total of 37 international destinations to Zadar!

Given the number of announced routes, Ryanair will open a base at Zadar Airport this summer and base 2 of its aircraft there. In total, on a weekly basis, the Irish carrier will have as many as 78 return flights to 15 European countries.

According to Croatian Aviation, there will also be 12 Ryanair flights to Zagreb from eight countries. Thus, the Croatian metropolis will be connected with Paris, Brussels, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Memmingen, Milan, Rome, Podgorica, Oslo, Gothenburg, and London.

Already this autumn, Ryanair will perform as many as 36 weekly flights from Zagreb Airport to the following destinations:

Brussels Charleroi, from June 2, 3 times a week,

Dortmund, from September 3, 2 times a week,

Frankfurt-Hahn, from September 3, 3 times a week,

Gothenburg, from September 3, 3 times a week,

Karlsruhe, from September 2, 2 times a week,

London, from September 1, daily,

Memmingen, from September 3, 2 times a week,

Milan, from July 1, 4 times a week,

Paris, from September 2, 2 times a week,

Podgorica, from September 4, 2 times a week,

Rome, from September 3, 3 times a week,

Torp Sandefjord, from September 1, 2 times a week.

For the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia, CLICK HERE.