October 20, 2019 - TCN caught up with the brains behind everyone’s favorite handcrafted nautical jewelry brand to discuss the wild summer behind us, what we can expect this winter, and the biggest news yet - franchising next year. A closer look into all things Break Time with Mirela Rus.

We’re finally into the heart of autumn, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still reflect on the season behind us. How did the summer of 2019 treat Break Time? 

We had a fantastic summer in terms of business. We launched a couple of new collections: #reCYCLED with rope from recycled plastic bottles, made especially for us by a rope factory in the Netherlands, and YACHT CLUB, which uses an amazing minimalist anchor design, created for Break Time by Attila Kim and Bogdan Ciocodeica, a brilliant team of architects/designers. 

We are happy to report that our customers received both collections with great enthusiasm, so we will be building on that for 2020.

That being said, with five Croatian shops running and an international online shop, there was not much time left for relaxation, but that is what winter is for!

Which shops performed the best and what were the bestselling products?

The two Split shops were the stars of the season and we tend to believe a part of this success stems from the fact that we live here and, therefore, we can focus more on these two shops than the ones from Dubrovnik, Istria, and Zagreb.

As for the best-selling products, as mentioned above, the new YACHT CLUB collection was an absolute hit and managed to surpass every other collection in sales. A close second is our already very popular DUBROVNIK collection of nautical bracelets with a decorative compass, designed especially for men.

What changes can we expect from Break Time in the offseason?

We are keeping two of our shops open until the New Year: the Ilica 14 store in Zagreb and the Zadarska 1 store in Split. 

Any special Advent offers?

We are actually preparing some really cool stuff for Advent! First of all, through December, we will offer FREE ENGRAVING (in-store and online), so that our customers can get one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces as gifts for their loved ones (and for themselves). We will also have at least one day in Zagreb and one day in Split when we will bring the engraving machine to the shops and do custom engravings on the spot. We will make sure to announce the dates well in advance!

However, the Advent news does not stop there. We plan to launch the mini and the big versions of the Yacht Club collection - and they look so cool, we almost couldn’t wait!.

But the most exciting Advent news is that we will also launch a VERY limited edition of a special variant of the big Yacht Club anchor bracelets, which I think our fans will absolutely love. And they will make for very cool Christmas presents, too. I promise it will be something very innovative and cool. I wish I could tell you about it now, but I am doing my best to keep the surprise for one more month.

But there is still even bigger news. You’ve announced a Break Time franchise - tell us more!

We are so, so excited about this and we are working on it 24/7 currently, with the help of an amazing franchise consultant – Andrija Colak, the owner of the Surf’n’Fries franchise, with over 60 units opened all around the globe so far. And we owe thanks to TCN’s Paul Bradbury for introducing Andrija to us.

It has been four years since we opened our first shop and all this time, we had countless requests for the distribution of our handmade nautical bracelets, coming not just from Croatia, but literally from all over the world, from Dubai to Florida.

In these four years, we wanted to focus on delivering amazing products to our customers in our shops, first of all. And that, plus continually evolving and developing new collections, did not leave much room for external cooperation. 

But we feel that we have grown and learned enough now to be able to open the Break Time brand to the world. Experience and trial and error led us to choose the franchise as the optimal way to develop the brand internationally.

We hope to officially launch the franchise system at the beginning of 2020, targeting coastal locations with high tourism flows, all over the world. We made a soft announcement to get some feedback on the possible interest, and we are overwhelmed by the response we received already. We had interest shown from the UK, US, and Asia. Of course, there is still a long road ahead until we will be announcing the opening of the first Break Time franchise, but we are enjoying this new experience and will do our absolute best to make it a great one.

You can learn more about the Break Time franchise here. 

What else can we expect in 2020? 

The new franchise path meant that we also needed to reorganize ourselves in terms of both production and our stores. 

We realized that we would not be able to focus and give enough attention to our future franchisees if we keep all our five stores. So, in 2020, we are keeping the Zagreb store (Ilica 14) and the two Split stores (Zadarska 1 and Trogirska 8).

The Trogirska 8 store will move to a new location – but it will be at the same address, just next door. We are doing that because the next-door space is l, and it also has an upstairs large room that my partner, Leonard Copoiu, will use as a workshop during the summer. That will allow us to make custom bracelets and custom engravings on the spot, in less than one hour for our Split customers.

We also need to make changes related to production. Up until now, Leonard himself made absolutely all of our jewelry pieces. In the next months, we will focus on developing a production unit, and Leonard will do the training and personally supervise all production to make sure that the quality (which is what we are most proud of) stays the same.

But those are things regarding our internal functioning. What our fans would most likely be more interested in finding out is if new collections will be launched in 2020 - and the answer is YES! 

As we have done each year since we opened, we are constantly working on new products or improving our existing products. But I won’t say much more at this point; we need to keep some surprises for next year, too. 

To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

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

October 14, 2019 - The 3rd Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Forum gets underway in Zagreb next week with a rich field of international speakers, including Lutz Lungwitz, President of the German Medical Wellness Association. TCN caught up with Lungwitz ahead of the conference. 

The story of the excellence of Croatian medical tourism is slowly making its way into international channels. One key channel to connect the international medical tourism community to the opportunities within Croatia is the Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Forum, which will meet for the third year at the Westin in Zagreb on October 21-22, an event which TCN will be attending. As with previous years, this year's event has brought together some of the leading figures in the world of medical tourism, and TCN managed to catch up with one of the key speakers recently, Lutz Lungwitz. 

Lutz Lungwitz has been President of the German Medical Wellness Association (www.dmwv.de) and of the International Medical Wellness Association, both based in Berlin, since 2004. He was kind enough to find time in his busy schedule to answer a few questions about the forum and Croatian health tourism in general. 

1. You are a regular speaker on the Croatian medical tourism circuit. Tell us about the Adriatic Health, Sport and Investment Forum - what makes it a little different than the rest?
 
The first two Adriatic Health and Tourism Investment Forum in 2017 and 2018 showed us very clearly, how important it is to initiate new tourism projects in the field of health and medical wellness and to discuss as one of the main points investment opportunities at the same time. This is the main and important difference to some other, although very nice, conferences in Croatia for the development of health tourism. We have to discuss about financing strategies; without a budget all of us will lose and the dream of development in health tourism is just a dream.
 
In addition, the high professionality of Dr. Bura and his team, his warm-heartedness and his great hospitality plays a very important role to come to Zagreb for the forum. Dr.Miljenko Bura helps considerably with this conference, and he has created a feeling that we are a great "family" for the development of various health tourism projects. It is fascinating how good Dr. Bura's network is for all of us.  I get a lot of input from him and believe me, the conference is on a very high level, including speakers, translators and program.
 
2. A lot is written about wellness tourism in this region. Slovenia seems to have developed this sector well, with 40% of all overnights related to wellness, while it barely figures as a sector in Croatia, despite a proud history and large potential. Why do you think that is, and what are the main areas we should be focusing on?
 
In the field of health and wellness tourism, I don’t like to speak about the word competitors, I like more partners. The market is big enough and we will continue to rise in the future due to the age pyramid in Europe. The target groups and the respective country structure are different. I think Croatia should develop a modern young health tourism, that will especially contribute to the extension of the season on the coast, making the hinterland more famous and meaningful as a destination, as well as the capital Zagreb. Croatia can benefit from the numerous inputs from Slovenia. In Central Europe, the target markets are  Vienna, Munich, Zagreb, Bratislava, but although Berlin if you look to the time schedules of the possible flights. If you look although to the flight schedules at Zagreb airport, you will find a lot of international flights, more than nice for the development of health tourism. However, the potential can only be achieved, if the service and the quality of the offers are correct. The importance of Croatian seaside resorts, for many decades, should be pointed out in a modern way. This history confirms wellness and health holidays in Croatia and is not artificial.

 
3. You are actively watching the Croatian medical tourism industry, and many experts say it has the potential to be in the top 10 in the world. Do you agree with that assessment? What is the potential of the industry in Croatia and what should the key focus of the stakeholders be to develop that industry?
 
Personally, the potential for the further development of medical and health tourism to Croatia seems very, very high. Croatia has a unique nature, both with the Adriatic, as well as the hinterland. Croatia is easy to reach and Croatian hospitality is world-famous. It is always hard for me to speak of a ranking, because it is not clear which scale is used. What is certain, however, is that Croatia has the potential to become a major and leading country for the promotion of health and therefore health tourism. For health tourism I feel, that Croatia can be a big player in the field of dental and rehabilitation tourism. For surgeries, the main important point is in my view, to get international accreditations, to show the customer the high level of medical solutions in your country. In my mind at the end of all will be good customer care and tourist program.
 
4. Germans have been an important source of tourists of Croatian tourism in general for decades now, and many Germans indulge in wellness tourism. Is Croatia even on their radar for wellness tourism, and what should be the focus to make it so if not?
 
Germany and so the German tourist are certainly one of the important source markets for the development if tourism to Croatia. Like other nations, the German guests travel directly to the Adriatic Sea in the summer months. The term wellness is not immediately associated with Croatia until now, which is certainly wrong. I think we should make a joint effort to all of our partners, also with the involvement of the German Medical Association and its brands: "The Leading Medical Wellness Hotels & Resorts" and "The Leading Medical Clinics & Spa"  to present a new image to the public. So you have, as one example, in Rijeka, Opatjia or in Sveti Martin, very nice Thermal Resorts. Croatia is much more, as we currently offer only beach holidays in the summer!  Important is the development of an umbrella budget to be used together, because for one hotel or resort it costs too much money to be present in the German or international market alone. Through targeted spa services, the hotels can generate good sales in the off-season. What could be better to enjoy having a massage or similar in the colder winter months by the sea or in the hinterland, with a view of nature or the sea, or just spend time together in Croatia? Croatia could be a very nice wellness and health-tourism country.

 
5. What would you say are the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for Croatian medical tourism?
 
Croatia should clearly show its uniqueness and the very good care of the guests and patients, the Croatian hospitality and the Croatian specialties, such as wine and prsut in the foreground, as well as its excellent locations such as the coast, the capital Zagreb and the hinterland - places such as  Sveti Martin. It’s important to constantly reflect on oneself, evaluate and set new impulses. Likewise, the international market must be constantly monitored. Croatia's neighbors can become tough competitors. The goal, however, cannot be to reach patient groups, with low prices and the result is the poor quality. One positive opportunity for Croatia in this way, is that it is a small country, so I hope that all stakeholders will work on a ground level together. It gives the chance to meet everybody regularly and can show how important the market is. It starts from the government and will include hotels, resorts, clinics and spas. For the customer it’s important to have a very friendly service and true photos and true facts from the promoting websites.
 
6. Improving infrastructure and developing projects are key themes of this conference. How attractive is Croatia to the German investment market, and what types of medical tourism investment projects do you think should be the focus? 
 
Croatia, as a "new" member of the European Union with high potential and secure laws,  is certainly interesting for investors. Although, as we all know, it’s generally very difficult to address investors or to win them on a short-term basis.  In my mind the main goal of medical tourism investment projects, is the developing of Medical Wellness hotels & resorts, with high comfort and with extraordinary treatments and rehabilitation Projects. Medical Wellness is the combination of conventional medical services, like: plastic surgery, dental, eyes, hair, beauty and cosmetics, alternative therapies and offers the relaxation in the traditional spa, as well as massage and sauna treatments, Thalasso-Therapies, Ayurveda, TCM, Kneipp-Treatments, Physiotherapeutic, Detox and more.
 
The future investment projects should be a mixture of the development of existing buildings and the development of new projects on a very high, modern and sustainable level for medical wellness. I hope that we can develop a common education system for hotels, resorts and clinics.
 
As a conclusion of this interview let’s say: “Let’s work together and develop Croatia as a Leading Medical Wellness, Wellness and Health Destination, with a high standard of Wellness, Medical Services and Rehabilitation Programs” for its own population and the guests from abroad.

For more details about the 3rd Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Forum in Zagreb on October 21-22, check out the full programme here. 

To learn more about the forum organisers, including their other initiatives to develop medical tourism in the Adriatic, visit the Medical Group Ltd website. 

To follow the latest in the Croatian medical tourism story, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

October 14, 2019 - TCN contributor Valentino Komusar takes a more in-depth look into the football career of Dinamo star and Croatia national team member Bruno Petkovic.

“It’s a dream of every football player to play for his national team. It’s stuck in your head from an early age. I have to continue to play as I do now and hope that the call will come. Everything else depends on the manager,” Bruno Petkovic said for Croatian media a year ago, a few months after he completed his move from Bologna to Dinamo. 

Today, he has earned six caps for the national team and scored four goals. Last Thursday, Bruno was the hero of the game against Hungary after scoring a brace. He debuted for Croatia in March of this year against Azerbaijan and is already one of the key members of the team, while on the club level, he also continues to impress for Dinamo Zagreb. His popularity is also growing worldwide as, in the last few days, his profile on Transfermarkt had the most views, even more than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi! But the path to success wasn’t easy.

Bruno Petkovic was born in 1994, in Metkovic, a town located in the southeast of the country where he also began his football career following in the footsteps of his father Jakov, who played professionally. When he was 13, Bruno left for Zagreb, where he first joined Dinamo then played for a few different clubs in the capital of Croatia before leaving for Italy in 2013. Bruno signed for Catania, but was loaned out on four occasions before he joined Serie B outfit Trapani in 2016.

There, he started to shine after scoring ten goals in 38 appearances for the club, so much so that he caught the eye of a Serie A team, Bologna. With not much playing time and providing only three assists while playing for the team and out on loan for Hellas Verona, it was time to come back home. Petkovic joined Dinamo once again in August of 2018. 

“My wish was to come back as I made my first serious football steps at Dinamo 10 years ago. After so many years abroad, where it was hard, I decided to come back. I think this is a step in the right direction to show why everyone thinks highly of me. Everybody talks about that talent of mine, which I haven’t fully justified if you look at the statistics. It’s up to me to prove my worth and I believe that I will get the chance,” Petkovic said when he came back to Croatia's capital.  

Pretty much immediately, Bruno became a crucial part of the team and so far, he scored 20 times in 57 appearances while providing 14 assists at the same time. His impressive performances on the pitch earned him a new contract with Dinamo a month ago, where he reportedly doubled his salary, while the manager of the Croatia national football team, Zlatko Dalic, made him number one striker. Today, many feel that Bruno filled the void that was made when Mario Mandžukić retired last summer and that he is ready to become a new number one striker for the national team and follow in the footsteps of Davor Šuker, Eduardo da Silva and already mentioned Mandžukić. 

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

October 11, 2019 - With over 11,000 caricatures over 25 years Nik Titanik's work has achieved iconic status in Croatia, but which are the artist's personal top 5 caricatures of his career?

His biting political satire is equal to the quality of his artistic talent, and the caricatures of Nikola Plecko, aka Nik Titanik, have entertained the Croatian public for quarter of a century. Plecko's work has long been recognised on the national level, and an exhibition at Mimara in Zagreb to celebrate the first 25 years of his work (and with more than 300 pieces on display) opened last month. It is a measure of the affection that Nik Titanik is held that the turnout was several times higher than anticipated for the opening night. You can read more about that here. 

I asked Nik if he would have time to choose his top five works from that illustrious career, and to give us a little background to each, which he kindly agreed to. So below, the very best of Nik Titanik, through the eyes of Nik Titanik. Thank you, Sir, for what you do, and here's to the next 25!

1. How Zagreb got its name

According to the legend, Zagreb got its name based on the story about a young maiden called  Manda who went to the Manduševac well to collect water. Suddenly, a soldier came along, saw Manda and told her: "Zagrabi, Mando, zagrabi!" (Grab Manda, grab!) - meaning water for him to drink it.

In my version, Zagreb's mayor Milan Bandić is a young maiden who collects water (money from citizens) into a jug (city budget)

2. In 2008, George W. Bush visited Croatia. There is a stereotype (is it just a stereotype?), that Americans know nothing about Croatia and Croatians. Therefore, George greets all of us by calling us Croissants instead of Croatians.

3. Heavy ideological topic.

Željka Markić's organization and other conservative movements organize annually The Walk for Life, an anti-abortion demonstration walk across Zagreb's streets.

Because she and her supporters deny the right of free choice, in my version, there is an altered slogan that says "The Walk for Interfering with Someone Else's Life."

 4. At the beginning of the Nineties, Franjo Tuđman, our first president, had a patriotic slogan "We have got Croatia!"4. At the beginning of the Nineties, Franjo Tuđman, our first president, had a patriotic slogan "We have got Croatia!"

My version depicts a beggar who, during the economic crisis in the first half of the 2010s, is begging for money and on his banner is written: "We have only got Croatia."

5. The famous Croatian painter Oton Iveković painted the picture called "The arrival of the Croats."

My version is called "The departure of the Croats" across the border where... There are jobs...There are no 'cajka' (trash folk) music... There where is no important where someone was in 1941, 1945 or 1991 (reference to the Second World War and recent Homeland War that are often misused for political purposes).

The Nik Titanik exhibition at Mimara Zagreb is open until October 24 - more details on the event Facebook page. 

To follow the latest from Nik Titanik, join more than 100,000 others by clicking here. 

October 11, 2019 - A joint press conference of the men and women’s Croatia handball coaches was held ahead of the meetings against Germany in Zagreb and Hanover.

HRT reports that the women’s handball team will play first at the Arena in Zagreb on October 23, starting at 5 pm, followed by the men’s team at 7:30 pm. Three days later, the teams will meet in Hanover -  the men’s team at 2:30 pm and the women's team at 5:30 pm. 

Lino Cervar is preparing for the European Championships in Austria, Norway, and Sweden, and Nenad Sostaric is expected to continue the qualifications for EURO 2020.

“It is a meeting with a very attractive opponent, and I do not doubt that there will be a lot of support at the Arena. We envisioned this for two purposes - as a controlled gathering, a test of physical and mental abilities, as an extremely difficult Olympic year awaits us. We need to have conversations, familiarize them with the goals. And secondly, we want to see where these players are against a strong rival, as they are constantly with or close to the national team,” Cervar said, explaining: 

“Some are brand new, and we need to expand our base. Those not listed are by no means written off. Part of them opted out due to club or family responsibilities, and some are injured.”

Sostaric pointed out that there were a lot of changes in the lineup compared to the last gathering.

“Some of the handball players are injured, some of them asked for rest. It is a good opportunity for us to see those who play the Croatian Handball League, are constantly part of the roster, but have played little. Germany is one of the best teams in the world. It will be a good check anyway,” Sostaric said.

Both teams will gather in Zagreb at the Panorama Hotel on Monday, October 21, at 1 pm.

Croatia handball team (men's):

1.    Marin Šego – Montpellier HC

2.    Matej Ašanin – PPD Zagreb

3.    Moreno Car – Nexe

4.    Zlatko Horvat – PPD Zagreb

5.    Fran Mileta – Nexe

6.    Vlado Matanović – Gorenje Velenje

7.    David Mandić – PPD Zagreb

8.    Lovro Mihić – Wisla Plock

9.    Marin Jelinić – Nexe

10.    Željko Musa – SC Magdeburg

11.    Marin Šipić – PPD Zagreb

12.    Marino Marić – MT Melsungen

13.    Kristijan Bećiri – PPD Zagreb

14.    Marko Mamić – Leipzig

15.    Domagoj Pavlović – MT Melsungen

16.    Domagoj Duvnjak – THW Kiel

17.    Josip Šarac – Celje pivovarna Laško

18.    Luka Cindrić – Barcelona

19.    Igor Karačić – PGE Vive Kielce

20.    Matej Hrstić – PPD Zagreb

21.    Luka Mrakovčić – PPD Zagreb

22.    Luka Stepančić – MOL Pick Szeged

23.    Ivan Martinović – Hannover – Burgdorf

24.    Nikola Jukić – Chartres

25.    Ivan Slišković – Göppingen

26.    Leon Šušnja – Wisla Plock

Croatia handball team (women’s):

1. Tea Pijević – Lokomotiva

2. Magdalena Ecimović – Podravka Vegeta

3. Lucija Bešen – Sesvete Agroproteinka

4. Paula Posavec – Lokomotiva

5. Korina Karlovčan – Podravka Vegeta

6. Tena Japundža – Lokomotiva

7. Ana Debelić – Podravka

8. Ines Domjan – Koka

9. Sara Šenvald – Lokomotiva

10. Marina Glavan – Lokomotiva

11. Dora Lacković – Osijek

12. Selena Milošević – Podravka

13. Stela Posavec – Lokomotiva

14. Dejana Milosavljević – Podravka

15. Dora Kalaus – Lokomotiva

16. Lea Franušić – Podravka

17. Kristina Prkačin – Lokomotiva

18. Katarina Mrazović – Koka

19. Lea Vukojević – Zrinski

Call ups:

1. Mara Budić – Dugo Selo

2. Andrea Šimara – Lokomotiva

3. Nataša Miočinović – Umag

4. Josipa Kašelj – Lokomotiva

5. Josipa Mamić – Bjelovar

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

October 10, 2019 - Air Transat is looking to strengthen operations in Croatia. Are trips to Dubrovnik and Split in its plans?

Ex Yu Aviation reports that the theme of Air Transat’s annual meeting last week was Croatia - and we are not surprised. In 2018, 172,712 Canadian tourists visited Croatia, which was an increase of 26.5% compared to 2017. 

While Canada’s third-largest airline has operated a seasonal summer service to Zagreb since 2016, it has put Croatia’s popularity in focus and previously expressed interested in expanding to Dubrovnik and Split. They’ve even made contact with both airports. 

“Croatia remains a key destination for Transat in view of the interest shown by Canadian travelers in the summer and its potential for tourism development. We are continuously looking at all opportunities, including Croatia. Like all airlines, there are a number of considerations involved when we are selecting a destination, including customer demand, airport infrastructure and competition from other carriers," Air Transat said.

So, is a connection to Dubrovnik and Split on the horizon? Air Transat said they are always analyzing and re-evaluating the market and their roads, based on a variety of factors, to optimize their operations. 

Recall, Air Transat announced a new service between Toronto and Split back in September 2018, though they canceled it in January 2019 and instead increased frequencies to Zagreb. 

Air Transat's Marketing Director, Debbie Cabana, confirmed the news then. 

"For commercial reasons, we have decided to cancel our summer 2019 program for Split, Croatia. Nevertheless, Croatia remains a key destination for Transat and, given the interest shown by Canadians in the summer of 2018 and its potential for tourism development, we will be adding a third weekly departure from Toronto to Zagreb. Flights will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays during peak season. Passengers from Montreal and Vancouver will also benefit from a connecting flight to Toronto to take advantage of this added flight to Croatia. This third flight will make Zagreb accessible from Calgary as well, via return connecting flights to Toronto". 

The carrier was to fly between Toronto and Split once a week from June 20 to September 12.

However, Air Transat isn’t the only airline helping Canadian tourists to Croatia - we have Canada Rouge to thank for that, too. 

"Further growth in travel is expected from Canada to Croatia at around 20% per year. Estimates are based on the recovery of the Canadian economy, the strong contribution of nonstop flights linking Toronto with Zagreb, and general growth in interest for travel to Croatia,” Ina Rodin from the Croatian National Tourist Board concluded. 

Air Transat announced they’ll release the 2020 summer flight schedule soon. 

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

October 9, 2019 - The 3rd edition of the Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Forum will be held at the Westin in Zagreb once more from October 20-22. 

The potential of Croatia's medical tourism industry will once more be in the spotlight later this month, as the 3rd Adriatic Health, Sport & Tourism Forum will take place at the 5-star Hotel Westin in Zagreb from October 20-22. 

Many international experts agree that Croatia has the potential to be in the top 10 countries in the world within ten years, and this year's forum has a quality lineup of Croatian and international speakers - and investors - who will be taking part in the 3-day event. Unlike many other health tourism conferences, the forum has a key focus on infrastructure and projects to support the growth of the wellness and health tourism expansion plans. None more so than the 500-million-euro planned resort on Pasman from American investor Jeff Blackard, who will be one of the keynote speakers. Event organiser Miljenko Bura MD had this to say by way of introduction of AHT:

"There are large-scale health tourism projects in the region that envisage great investments in the general and tourist infrastructure, products and services, and medical and tourist professionals in Croatia, Montenegro and other countries in the region, and their implementation requires huge funds which those countries do not have. Therefore we have launched the initiative seeking from the EC non-repayable funds to co-fund the investments, said Miljenko Bura of the Medical Group.

"Bura said that the potential for health tourism in Croatia and the rest of the Adriatic region was extremely large. It is authentic and has an unpolluted environment and sea which only few regions in the world can boast, he added."

The Forum gathers key people and projects in tourism and healthcare industry within Adriatic Region. The Forum is the right place for all visionaries and enthusiasts interested in how the health tourism in the Adriatic Region can reach the next level and become the full-time destination with quality contents from medical, wellness, touristic, rural and gastronomic segments.

The full programme is now available and can be viewed below - it promises to be an intense and productive 2.5 days, and TCN will be covering the event as a media sponsor. 

PRELIMINARY FINAL PROGRAM FOR THE 3^rd ADRIATIC HEALTH, SPORT AND TOURISM INVESTMENT FORUM 2019.

(3^rd AHT INVESTMENT FORUM)

Preliminary final program covers thematic blocks that will be discussed in detail during the 3^rd AHT Investment forum (October [20] 21 and 22, 2019.):

DAY ZERO Sunday, October 20, 2019

14:00-19:00 Workshops

• DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL PATIENT INFORMATION DESK OFFICES AND SUPPORT SERVICES

Emin Cakmak, founder and honorary chairman, Global Healthcare Travel Council, Turkey

Dr Prem Jagyasi, founder, Dr Prem and Associates, founder, Dr Prem Web Magazine Network, India/UAE

• DIGITAL MEDIA MARKETING IN GLOBAL HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL TOURISM

Dr Prem Jagyasi, founder, Dr Prem and Associates; founder, Dr Prem Web Magazine Network, India/UAE

• MEDICAL WELLNESS AND PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS ("LIFESTYLE MEDICINE") AS AN INNOVATION INTHE HOTEL'SOFFER

Dr Lutz Lungwitz, president, German Association of Medical Wellness, Germany

Dr Tomislav Majić, founder, Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre at Smarjeske Spa, Slovenia

Dr Mladen Golubić, medical director, Center for lifestyle medicine, Cleveland Clinic, USA 

19:00-21:00 Welcoming reception

DAY ONE Monday, October 21, 2019

08:00-09:00 Registration

09:00-09:30 Opening ceremony

09:30-10:00 Sponsor presentation

10:00-11:40 Panel: DEVELOPMENT OF A YEAR-ROUND HEALTH, SPORT AND TOURISM DESTINATION – CHALLENGES!!!

• Adriatic region as a year-round riviera – a common project of the European Union?!
• Health, sports and tourism infrastructure – a prerequisite for locals and visitors

Introductory lecture: A successful development of global healthcare and

tourism destinations – the Turkey experience Emin Cakmak, founder and chairman, Global Healthcare Travel Council, Turkey

Panelists: Gari Cappelli, Minister of Tourism, Croatia

Dr Vlasta Brozičević, Terme Selce, Croatia

Dr Jasmina Knežević, Belmedic, Serbia

Joe Bašić,

Magdalena Rutkowska, president, Medical Travel Partner, Poljska

Dr Miljenko Bura, initiator, AHT Forum; founder, Medical Group; medical tourism consultant, Croatia

Moderator: Dr Prem Jagyasi, founder, Dr Prem and Associates; founder, Dr Prem Web Magazine Network, India/UAE

11:40-12:00 Project presentations

12:00-13:30 Panel: INVESTMENT POTENTIAL IN THE HEALTHCARE, SPORT AND TOURISM OF THE ADRIATIC REGION

Panelists:

Zdenko Lucić – State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Croatia - Representatives of the Adriatic region countries

Jeff Blackard, CEO, Blackard Global, USA

John Gašparac, Executive director, PWC Croatia

Hrvoje Stojić, Economic Research Director, Addiko Bank, Croatia

Marko Pažanin, Executive Director & Partner, Croatia Sotheby´s International Realty

13:30-14:30 Lunch

14:30-16:00 Panel: HEALTH TOURISM IN EUROPE: PRESENT AND FUTURE

Panelists: EU representative

Croatian Ministry of Tourism representative

Luke Savage, Managing Director – International Acquisitions and Operations, Medical Properties Trust, USA

Emin Cakmak, founder and honorary chairman of Global Healthcare Travel Council, Turkey

Magdalena Rutkowska, president, Medical Travel Partner, Poland

Ivana Kolar, CEO and Founder, Julius Rose Business Consulting, Croatia, TBA

Dr Vladimir Mozetič, President, Kvarner Health Cluster, Croatia

Moderator: Lutz Lungwitz, President, German Association of Medical Wellness, Germany

16:00-16:45 Projects presentation

16:45-18:15 Panel: SENIOR ECONOMY: NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Introductory lecture: Smart Medical City

Marko Vukobratović, PhD, Barrage, Osijek, Croatia

Panelists:

Dr John Raffetto, CEO, Ambassador Care and American Adriatic Health LTC, Washington D.C., USA

Marino Šabijan, CEO, LUXHEAL, Zagreb, Croatia MedicalChain, London, UK, TBA Ericsson, Zagreb, Croatia

18:15-19:00 B2B networking

DAY TWO: Tuesday, October 22, 2019

08:30- 10:00 Panel: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH TOURISM

Introductory lecture:

Dr Prem Jagyasi, founder, Dr Prem and Associates; founder, Dr Prem Web Magazine Network, India/UAE

Panelists:

Dr Miljenko Bura, initiator, AHT Forum; founder, Medical Group; medical tourism consultant, Croatia

Dr Lutz Lungwitz, president of the German Association of Medical Wellness, Germany

Rick Shands, TAHPI, London – Dubai – Sydney

Dr Steven Pavletić, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, USA

Dr Dražen Jurković, CEO, UPUZ, Croatia

Dr Milorad Gošev, CEO, Roche Pharmaceuticals Croatia, TBA

Moderator:

Luke Savage, Managing Director – International Acquisitions and Operations, Medical Properties Trust, USA

10:00-10:45 Projects presentation

10:45- 11:00 Break

11:00- 12:30 Panel: EU FUNDING IN NEW FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2021.-2027.

• Platform for the development of health tourism in the Adriatic region

Panelists: EU representative

Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds representative, Croatia

Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development representative, Croatia

Ministry of Health representative, Croatia

Dr Vjekoslav Mandić, Minister of Health, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Damir Novotny, CEO, T&MC Group, Croatia

Jakša Puljiz, PhD, Head of Department for European Integration, Institute for Development and International Relations, Croatia

Moderator: TBA 12:30-12:45 Projects presentation

12:45-13:45 Panel: FOOD AS A RESOURCE IN (HEALTH) TURISM

Ministry of Agriculture representative, Croatia

Dr Mladen Golubić, Medical Director, Centre for lifestyle medicine, Cleveland Clinic, USA

Dr Zvonimir Šostar, director of the Teaching institute “Andrija Štampar”, Croatia

Diana Gluhak-Spajić, HEALTHY MEAL

Zvonimir Novak, President, Croatian Competitiveness Cluster of Food Processing Sector, Croatia

13:45-14:45 Lunch

14:45-15:30 Project presentations

15:30-17:00 Panel: SPORTS AND HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOURISM BRANDING

Panelists:

Sanda Čorak, PhD, VP, Institute for Tourism, Zagreb, Croatia

Marin Čilić, Professional tennis player, Croatia, TBA

Marijan Kustić, Executive Director, Croatian Football Federation, Croatia

Damir Knjaz, PhD, University of Zagreb - Faculty of Kinesiology, Croatia

Igor Jukić, PhD, University of Zagreb - Faculty of Kinesiology, Croatia

Moderator:

Ranko Ćetković, General Secretary Assistant, Croatian Olympic Committee, Croatia

17:00-18:30 B2B networking

For more information about the conference and to reserve your spot, visit the official website. 

To follow the latest from the Croatian medical tourism story, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

To learn more about the forum organisers, including their other initiatives to develop medical tourism in the Adriatic, visit the Medical Group Ltd website. 

October 7, 2019 - The 11th round of the Croatian First League was held from October 4 to 6, 2019. Hajduk remains in first after the 11th round, with Dinamo just one point behind in second and Osijek and Rijeka 4 points behind in third and fourth place. 

Istria 1961 v. Inter Zapresic (2:2)

Istria and Inter opened the 11th round on Friday, October 4, 2019, in Pula in front of 1,555 spectators. 

Inter’s Grgic was the first to score for 0:1 at the half, though most of the excitement was saved for the second half. 

Ivancic scored two goals for Istria, in the 47th and 56th minutes for 2:1, though Frelih equalized for Inter in the 4th minute of added time for 2:2. 

Istria is currently in 7th place with 10 points, while Inter is in 9th with 7. 

Hajduk v. Varazdin (2:0)

Hajduk and Varazdin met on Saturday, October 5, 2019, at Poljud stadium in Split in front of 7,945 spectators. 

Hajduk’s Jairo scored in the 21st minute for 1:0 at the half, though Nejasmic increased their lead to 2:0 in the 65th minute, which was the final score of the game. Varazdin’s Senic received his second yellow in the 90th minute, forcing Varazdin to play with a man down for the final minutes of the game. 

Hajduk is currently in first place with 23 points, while Varazdin is in the last place with 7. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (1:0)

Dinamo and Belupo met on Saturday, October 5, 2019, at Maksimir stadium in front of 1,511 sectors. 

The only goal of the match came in the 5th minute when Petkovic scored a penalty for 1:0. Neither team was able to score for the remainder of the match. 

Dinamo is currently in second place with 22 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 10. 

Osijek v. Gorica (2:1)

Osijek and Gorica met on Saturday, October 5, 2019, at City Garden Stadium in front of 2,212 sectors. 

While the first half went without goals, Lovric put Gorica in the lead with a goal in the 54th minute. Osijek’s Maric scored a penalty in the 66th minute for 1:1, and Mance increased Osijek’s lead to 2:1 in the 75th minute. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 19 points, while Gorica is in 5th place with 15. 

Rijeka v. Lokomotiva (1:1)

Rijeka and Lokomotiva closed out the 11th round at Rujevica Stadium on October 6, 2019, in front of 4,835 spectators. 

Andrijasevic put Rijeka in the lead with a goal just before the ref blew the whistle for the half, though Uzuni equalized for Lokomotiva minutes later in the 49th minute for 1:1, which was the final score of the game. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 19 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th place with 15. 

You can see the HNL table here. 

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

October 7, 2019 - British cyclist Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) is the winner of this year's edition of the CRO Race cycling tour, which finished at St. Mark's Square in Zagreb on Sunday.

HRT writes that Yates won with a time 22 seconds ahead of the second-placed Italian David Villella of Kazakhstan's Astana, and 29 seconds ahead of the third-placed Spaniard Victor De la Parte, a member of the US CCC team.

For the 27-year-old, who finished fourth at the 2016 Tour de France, this is his second victory in a stage race. So far, his best result was in Turkey in 2014. Earlier this year, Yates took second place in the "WorldTour" races "Tirreno-Adriatico" and "Volta a Catalunya".

“A win is a win no matter how big the race is. I can be pleased with the season even though it had its ups and downs,” Yates said.

In addition to the red jersey intended for the overall winner, Yates also won the green jersey as the best climber in the CRO Race. His team-mate from Australia, Alexander Edmondson (Mitchelton-Scott), won the blue jersey for best points, while Kazakhstani cyclist Vadim Pronski of Astana, who won the team title, wore the white jersey for best young cyclist. 

The best-placed Croatian cyclist was 40-year-old Radoslav Rogina (Adria Mobil), who finished in tenth place in the overall order,  2:09 minutes behind Yates.

The winner of the last, sixth stage, from Sveta Nedelja to St. Mark's Square in Zagreb, was Italian Alessandro Fedeli from the French team Delko Marseille, who finished two seconds before second-placed Slovenian Jan Tratnik from Bahrain-Merida and third-placed Austrian Florian Kierner from Felbermayr Simplon.

Fedeli was a member of the eight who stood out from the leading group at the very beginning of the stage in Sveta Nedelja, and by bravely driving through the streets of Zagreb, he was able to resist the peloton to the finish. Fedeli attacked his fleeing partners during the penultimate round of driving downtown Zagreb about 10 kilometers before the finish line. Although Kierner, Dutchman Stef Krul (Metec-TKH), and Austrian Florian Gamper (Tirol KTM) were always only 10 seconds behind, they failed to catch him, while the Bahrain-Merida-led peloton misjudged their attack and missed the 23-year-old Italian, who marked his fifth professional career victory.

Yates crossed the finish in Zagreb as seventh with five seconds behind Fedeli, but that was enough to increase his lead in the final order from 15 to 22 seconds ahead of Villella.

The final, sixth stage was driven from Sveta Nedjelja to Zagreb, and cyclists also visited several other cities in Zagreb County, like Velika Gorica, Dugo Selo, Vrbovec and Sveti Ivan Zelina during the 155-kilometer route. The race ended with two six-kilometer laps in the center of Zagreb. There were targets in Velika Gorica, Dugo Selo, and Vrbovec, while Sveti Ivan Zelina hosted the only hill in the stage.

Very soon after the start, eight cyclists stood out from the leading group - Austrians Florian and Patrick Gamper from the Tirol KTM team, Florian Kierner and Patrick Lehner from Felbermayr Simplon and the Dutch Dylan Bouwmans and Stef Krul (Metec-TKH), Italian Alessandro Fedeli (Delko Marseille) and Slovenian Matic Grošelj (Ljubljana Gusto Santic). Those eight quickly created an advantage of over four minutes, dividing all the prizes for hitting the goals, but as none of them were near the top in the standings to win first place in any of the three competitions (overall ranking, competition by points, competition for the best climber), these results did not affect the final ranking.

Although by the time they entered Zagreb, the leading group had fallen to only a minute and a half ahead, and though it seemed that the winner would come from the leading group of cyclists, young Fedeli had other plans and with a fantastic solo-run, he achieved a sweet victory.

RESULTS

6. STAGE:

1. Alessandro Fedeli (Ita/Delko Marseille)    3:22:14

2. Jan Tratnik (Slo/Bahrain)                                 +2

3. Florian Kierner (Aut/Felbermayr Simplon)        +2

4. Stef Krul (Niz/Metec-TKH)                                +2

5. Alexander Edmondson (Aus/Mitchelton-Scott) +5

6. Dušan Rajović (Srb/Adria Mobil)                       +5

7. Adam Yates (VB/Mitchelton-Scott)                    +5

8. Sjoerd Bax (Niz/Metec-TKH)                             +5

9. Benjamin Hill (Aus/Ljubljana Gusto Santini)     +5

10. Quentin Pacher (Fra/Vital Concept)               +5

-----------------------------------------------------

31. RADOSLAV ROGINA (HRV/Adria Mobil)           +24

51. JOSIP RUMAC (HRV/Androni Giocattoli)        +1:31

OVERALL RESULTS:

1. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)             20:57:05

2. Davide Villella (Ita/Astana)                      +22

3. Victor De la Parte (Špa/CCC)                   +29

4. Andrej Zajc (Kaz/Astana)                         +42

5. Domen Novak (Slo/Bahrain)                     +50

6. Alexis Guerin (Fra/Delko Marseille)           +1:09

7. Pierre Rolland (Fra/Vital Concept)            +1:25

8. Brent Bookwalter (SAD/Mitchelton-Scott) +1:42

9. Sjoerd Bax (Niz/Mrtec-TKH)                       +1:45

10. RADOSLAV ROGINA (HRV/Adria Mobil)     +2:09

---------------------------------------------------

37. JOSIP RUMAC (HRV/Androni Giocattoli)    +19:11

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

October 3, 2019 - What happens when a Hajduk fan falls in love with a Dinamo supporter? An epic wedding invitation. 

Planning a wedding can be stressful, and can often bring out traits of your partner you didn’t know existed. But, despite the quips and quarrels you experience, your wedding day vows promise to commit to one another for a lifetime, and, of course, respect one another despite your differences.

But this all gets a bit trickier when a Hajduk and Dinamo fan fall in love. 

However, newlyweds Stefan and Nela are one of the rare success stories in this football love affair - and they have every reason to celebrate, for their genuine love has withstood one of the world’s most notorious football rivalries. 

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that Stefan, an ardent fan of Hajduk, and Nela, a die-hard Dinamo supporter, conquered Croatia’s clash of Split and Zagreb. And because their love prevailed, they made sure to show it with an unconventional wedding invitation.

Thus, Stefan and Nela chose a unique yet appropriate way to display their ‘forbidden love’ to one another and their beloved football clubs, and their wedding invitations were designed as a ticket to Croatia’s 'Eternal Derby' between Dinamo and Hajduk. 

The ticket shows Nela as Dinamo, and Stefan as Hajduk. The invitation invites guests to the ‘game of their lives’ and asks them not to miss the derby of the year. The invitation names the stadium as the church, followed by the celebration in Kiseljak, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The wedding band shared on Facebook that they were honored to be a part of this event. 

“For the most important day in their lives, many newlyweds pay attention to the smallest details. One of them is certainly the wedding invitation, which the couple wants to be special and unique.

So, newlyweds Nela and Stefan, who were married in Lepenica, had a very interesting and original wedding invitation.

The invitation was made in the form of a ticket to a football match Dinamo and Hajduk, since Nela is a Dinamo fan, and Stefan goes for Hajduk. Congratulations to the newlyweds and good luck to them in the match of their lives.”

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