April 21, 2021 - After announcing it would introduce the New York-Dubrovnik line this July, will United Airlines consider New York-Zagreb flights? 

TCN announced the big news on Monday that United Airlines will introduce the New York - Dubrovnik - New York route in July this year. 

The first flight to Dubrovnik will take off from New York to Dubrovnik Airport on Thursday, July 8 (in 80 days) at 19:20 local time. The night overseas flight to Dubrovnik will take approximately 8 hours and 55 minutes, with the expected landing in Dubrovnik after 10 am. 

The B767-300ER aircraft, of which United Airlines has 38 in its fleet, will stay in Dubrovnik for two full hours. Departure from Dubrovnik is scheduled at 12:15 pm. The flight to New York will take a little over 10 hours, with the expected landing in New York at 16:25 local time.

The first departure from Dubrovnik is planned for Saturday, July 10, so the United Airlines plane will stay at Dubrovnik Airport for more than 24 hours.

From the beginning of July to the beginning of October, this well-known American carrier will land in Dubrovnik every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday morning (taking off the day before from the USA).

On 38 return flights between Dubrovnik and New York, United Airlines has 16,264 seats on sale, of which 2,280 seats are available in business class. The cabin configuration in economy class is 2-3-2, while in business class, the seat layout is 2-1-2. You can read more about the new service HERE.

But this isn't the only United Airlines flight to Croatia in the works. 

Namely, United Airlines confirmed to EX-YU Aviation News it is “seeking additional opportunities in Croatia”.

"According to global data provider OAG, in 2019, 298.136 passengers flew indirectly between Croatia and the United States, with a further 17.782 on the Philadelphia - Dubrovnik service, which has since been discontinued. The busiest unserved route was Zagreb - New York, which accounted for 10% of all traffic between the two markets. It was followed by Dubrovnik - New York, which is being launched this summer, then Zagreb - Chicago, Split - New York and Zagreb - Los Angeles," explained EX-YU Aviation News, and provided the following graphs: 

Almost three decades have passed since the New York-Zagreb route operated, and if we hadn't gone through the coronavirus pandemic, we may have seen this connection already last year, as former Tourism Minister Gari Capelli said two years ago:

"Following the arrangement with American Airlines between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik this summer, which will act as a trial run, we are already in advanced talks for the introduction of a nonstop service from New York to Zagreb. I hope that we will have this route operational next summer". 

So, will United Airlines launch New York-Zagreb flights next? We will have to wait and see. 

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 20, 2021 – Meet Active Zagreb, the sporting side of the Croatian capital, for events, clubs and activities.

As the tourism focus is still somewhat determined by social distancing and things to do outdoors, there has been a bigger concentration on what destinations can offer outside in recent months. A shift to a more active and healthy lifestyle is obviously a good thing. And one activity in particular provides plenty of options in Zagreb.

Sport.

Whether you are a die-hard fan, an occasional enthusiast, a professional athlete, or just someone who enjoys a little exercise, Zagreb has a surprisingly wide choice of sports and activities to follow or get involved in.

In April and May, for example, Zagreb city and county will be holding a number of high-profile international events for sports fans. These include the WRC – World Rally Championship (coming to Croatia for the very first time), World Rowing Cup, Zagreb Open ATP Challenger, and Zagreb Ladies Open ITF tournament). There is even an international skiing tournament in December, the Snow Queen Trophy.

These events are on top of your regular sporting fixes. Everyone knows about Dinamo Zagreb – perhaps even more so after their success in Europe this season – but the city has many other high-profile teams to support. NK Lokomotiva is another Zagreb-based team in the Croatian Premier League, while NK Zagreb has many fans and a proud heritage, despite its lowly position in the fourth league these days.

(Photo credit J. Duval)

Football may be the main sport in Croatia, but it is certainly not the only one. For basketball, Cibona are the team to follow, and RK Zagreb are the leading club for handball, which is a sport with a huge following in Croatia.

The longer I live here, the more I hear about some rather unusual things, including sports. I was always aware that there is a cricket club in Zagreb, as well as a golf course, but it was only recently that I learned of the new annual tradition of playing a round of golf while dressed in kilts and drinking whisky. Very civilised! You can learn more about this rather unusual Zagreb sporting tradition here.

Joggers and cyclists take advantage of the parks and green spaces dotted all over the city, with even greater options with spectacular views in the hills around the city. The Zagreb Advent Run started several years ago, and it was growing exponentially before the pandemic, and will once more I am sure.

Zagreb is very well-equipped with facilities for doing sport. Croatians are passionate about fitness, and you will find as many in a gym as sitting in a cafe. Here is where to find some of the more popular gyms. There are also 6 public swimming pools available. And there is plenty of choice for yoga enthusiasts. 

(Photo credit - Marija Gasparovic)

A short drive outside the city opens up a new world of sporting activity adventures. Skiing, hiking, cycling (check out this Sljeme forest adventure on two wheels, for example), and running, or perhaps a more sedentary round of golf. You can learn more about the wonders around the city in the official Around Zagreb website. 

You can learn more about the Croatian capital in the TC Zagreb in a Page.

April 19, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Turkish Airlines announces fewer Istanbul-Zagreb flights from May 1, while the Dubrovnik line is still in question. 

Croatian Aviation reports that the Turkish national airline will offer fewer weekly flights between Zagreb Airport and Istanbul in May compared to April.

In April, Turkish Airlines offered up to 9 flights a week on a direct route between Zagreb and Istanbul. In May, however, the airline reduces the number of weekly operations between the two mentioned cities, and only up to five flights a week are available.

Turkish Airlines offered a larger number of flights on this route in early April. As many as two flights a day were available three days a week; the company was obviously counting on increased demand around the Easter holidays. However, the number of operations in May will not be so large. From May 1, Turkish Airlines will reduce the number of operations to five flights a week and operate B737-800 aircraft and A320 family aircraft.

Direct flights between Istanbul and Zagreb in May will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, noting that flights on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays are announced in the morning and on Mondays and Thursdays in the evening.

The second Turkish Airlines line in Croatia is the one to Dubrovnik, which the airline has operated since 2016. Turkish Airlines held a meeting with representatives of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board in January this year on re-establishing a direct line between Istanbul and Dubrovnik, which has been suspended since the outbreak of the global pandemic. It is currently possible to book a flight on this route for the beginning of June. However, the airline has been holding tickets to and from Dubrovnik since January 2020, then cancels those flights.

Whether Turkish Airlines will return to Dubrovnik this year remains to be seen, but Zagreb, as the company's Croatian destination, should not be questioned. In fact, in the peak season, we can expect daily flights to the Croatian capital depending on the restrictions.

As for the wider region, this well-known airline plans to operate in May to Ljubljana (3 times a week), Budapest (7 flights a week), Vienna (14 times a week), Belgrade (11 times a week), Sarajevo (8 times a week), Podgorica (9 times a week), Pristina (5 times a week), Skopje (5 times a week) and Venice (7 times a week).

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 16, 2021 - The global promotion of Croatia Rally is said to be around EUR 40 million, positioning the country on the map of motorsports fans worldwide.

There is one week left until the start of the biggest sporting event in Croatia this year - the Croatia Rally, the third stage of the World Rally Championship (WRC). It is a sports spectacle of the highest level that will put Croatia on the automotive map of the world, and in addition to its sporting size, the event also brings a significant economic and tourist impact, reports HRTurizam.

Analyzes show that the value of global media visibility for Croatia alone from the Croatia Rally is over 40 million euro. Apart from the media value, Croatia Rally is also of great importance for the image of Croatia because it positions the country on the map of motorsports fans worldwide.

"Although the coronavirus and restrictions prevented us from realizing all the ideas we had, Croatia Rally will bring us global visibility among hundreds of millions of WRC fans around the world this year as well. It is important that we show the FIA ​​and the WRC Promoter that we are a reliable partner and justify the tremendous trust they have given us. I am sure that, thanks to the hard-working team that works day and night and our loyal partners, we will succeed in this plan and show that Croatia deserves to host this great event," said Daniel Šaškin, President of the Croatia Rally Organizing Committee.

Under strict epidemiological standards, 1,200 participants of the competition - drivers and support staff - will arrive in Zagreb, and the event will be watched online or live by about 1,500 journalists and camera crews.

"Sport is once again functioning as an ambassador for branding Croatian tourism because it is an excellent indirect way to attract the attention of the world public and create interest in Croatia. Global publicity with a strong media reach that we get by participating in the WRC has a stronger effect on potential consumers in tourism compared to paid tourism advertising, and thus is a very effective part of integrated marketing communication in Croatia as a tourist destination," said Sanja Čižmar, consultant at hospitality and company director 505 Consulting.

Portugal often stands out as an example of a country that has made very good use of the World Rally Championship potential. 

Studies show that the direct spending of fans, organizations, and teams during Rally Portugal 2019 exceeded 73 million euro. And it is with Portugal, which has made great use of the potential of organizing the WRC stage, that Croatia very often compares itself in terms of tourism.

"We must not neglect the economic effects that Croatia can achieve. Although the current year is marked by a pandemic and most of the economic impact of this global spectacle will be absent, an important aspect is that the race takes place in April, thus drawing public attention and potentially creating effects outside the main summer season. In addition, economic research conducted by Croatian scientific institutions several years ago showed that the estimated generated consumption in a stable market situation according to the conservative scenario is over 22 million euro. Although this level of effects will not be fully achieved this year due to pandemic restrictions, Croatia has the opportunity to host the World Cup in the coming years, when significant economic effects are expected," adds Čižmar.

Relevant research by economic analysts shows that the direct economic effects of the organization of the World Rally Championship are realized primarily in the activities of transport, catering, and accommodation, but also through accompanying events.

In addition to generating the consumption of visitors, journalists, and participants, the attractiveness of the landscape, road infrastructure, and local eno-gastronomic specialties will be promoted in parallel. International research also indicates that a very large proportion of WRC visitors visiting their destination for the first time intend to return for a tourist visit.

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

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

April 14, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Austrian flights to Split and Dubrovnik resume later this month, and LOT announces regular traffic between Warsaw and Dubrovnik from April 28.

Croatian Aviation reports that Austrian Airlines will resume operations on its seasonal routes from Vienna to Split Airport and Dubrovnik Airport by the end of April. Although these lines in previous years mostly started with traffic as early as the end of March, due to the impact of the pandemic, this will happen a month later this year. 

The Vienna - Dubrovnik - Vienna line will operate from April 23, once a week, every Friday, and as early as the beginning of May, two more flights a week will be added, so Austrian will operate to Dubrovnik every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

The Vienna - Split - Vienna line has been announced from April 30, also three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. E195 aircraft and aircraft from the A320 family have been announced on both mentioned routes.

Polish LOT Polish Airlines has announced the resumption of regular traffic between Warsaw and Dubrovnik. The line should be in operation from April 28. Until the second half of May, two flights a week have been announced, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. E195 aircraft have been announced on this route, which can carry up to 112 passengers in the Polish national transport fleet.

Both companies, Austrian Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines, have resumed traffic to Zagreb Airport. Austrian currently operates four times a week to Zagreb (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday), and Polish LOT also operates to Zagreb on the same days. 

Furthermore, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) will restart its seasonal line from Kyiv to Pula this summer and has announced its return to Split after seven years. Both lines will run two flights per week and begin on June 2 and June 3. Boeing 737-800 jet will operate on this route. You can find more information about the Kyiv - Pula line here.

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.

ZAGREB, 13 April, 2021 - Foreign tourists who generate at least one bed night in Zagreb can be tested for COVID-19 at 50% of the price and about 20 have already been tested over the weekend, the director of the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ), Martina Bienenfeld, said on Tuesday.

TZGZ is the first regional tourist board in Croatia that has opened a testing station for foreign tourists as had previously been proposed by Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac.

Testing to be co-financed

In addition to opening the testing station, TZGZ has decided to cofinance testing that is conducted during weekends and public holidays, Bienenfeld told Hina.

TZGZ will cover half the cost of testing for tourists, she said, estimating that the greatest demand will be in the coming period and that that will depend on the percentage of inoculated tourists from the countries they are coming from, but also of employees in tourism and citizens themselves, and finally on the introduction of Digital Green Certificates at the EU level.

Testing during weekdays will be at the normal price and already about ten Zagreb hotels are providing testing services. Testing can also be conducted at Zagreb's airport.

Providing opportunity for tourists to extend their stay

"One of the important reasons why we decided to co-finance testing in the days noted is that this provides the opportunity for tourists to extend their stay in Zagreb, because they do not have to worry where and when they can be tested when returning to their countries and they can avoid quarantine," said Bienefeld.

All the necessary information regarding testing is available at www.infozagreb.hr/korona-virus in various languages, she said and added that the first tourists tested this way last weekend (10 and 11 April) were from Italy, Denmark, Germany and Albania.

Bienefeld said that since the beginning of the year until 11 April, almost 65,000 tourists had visited Zagreb and they generated 177,500 bed nights, which is about 47% of arrivals and 58% of bed nights generated in the comparable period in 2020.

Compared to the record 2019 year, that is about 27% and 37% of arrivals and bed nights respectively. 

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 13, 2021 - As the largest long-term user of MZLZ services with more than a 50 percent share of its annual passenger traffic, Croatia Airlines is looking for the same terms as the new competitor, Ryanair. A look at the Ryanair agreement at Zagreb Airport and why Croatia Airlines wants in.

Following the announcement of the Ryanair base opening at Zagreb Airport (MZLZ), Croatia Airlines, as the largest user of MZLZ services, has asked its partner to harmonize the agreed terms of service with the terms offered to Ryanair, reports HRTurizam.

After Zagreb International Airport and Ryanair announced the opening of the Irish airline base in Zagreb on March 30, Croatia Airlines, as the largest long-term user of MZLZ services with more than a 50 percent share of its annual passenger traffic, asks its partners to align the agreed terms of airport services with better commercial terms than those obtained by a new competitor in Zagreb, Ryanair.

"Passengers and the Croatian public have the right to competitive prices and complete and objective information. It is inadmissible for the national airline to finance the entry of new competitors on the Croatian market," emphasize Croatia Airlines and point out that they expect that better conditions for Croatia Airlines will be agreed upon in upcoming meetings.

A large number of strong competitors is a market reality that Croatia Airlines (CA) has been facing in its operations since its establishment, and there is really nothing controversial in that, CA said in a statement but pointed out that it is unacceptable for a national airline to finance new entrants.

“Specifically, under the terms offered to Ryanair, the national airline Croatia Airlines would pay HRK 135,384,105 less than the amounts actually paid in 2019, which would mean that the company, instead of the reported net loss of around HRK 80 million, would report a net profit of more than HRK 55 million that year," CA said, adding that the terms offered to Ryanair are in line with information from the MZL Zagreb website, which includes the recently published Growth Incentive Model, which was a prerequisite for the arrival of Ryanair.

Namely, the mentioned Traffic Growth Incentive Model explicitly states that the existing routes are defined (according to the IATA code) in Appendix A of this document. All other routes that are not listed in that appendix are considered non-existent.

“It is interesting to note that the IATA codes mentioned refer to airports and not to locations, i.e., regions and cities in which they are located, thus camouflaging the intention of MZLZ to install new carriers on the same markets without hindrance, which directly benefits from more favorable conditions. Therefore, the incentive model camouflages Ryanair's announced traffic to destinations to which Croatia Airlines (and other carriers) also fly," CA said.

As the MZLZ offer has not yet been received despite the urgent reaction of Croatia Airlines and the meeting, Croatia Airlines is aware of the existing legislation and warns the Croatian public of distorting equal market competition and potentially harmful effects due to obvious interests.

For effective market competition among entrepreneurs in certain markets, it is necessary to ensure equal access to and survival in the market, which is achieved through domestic and international legislation, especially at the European Union level. The relevant market, in this case, is the cities and regions, routes, and destinations to be flown, which are part of Ryanair's announcement: Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Paris and Rome, Milan, Munich, and Oslo). Croatia Airlines has independently developed and invested in all of the above markets for years and in some for decades.

“We appreciate the efforts of MZLZ to ensure new turnover, but only based on impartiality, the same regulated conditions for all companies and without benefits. At the same time, we expect that MZLZ will meet Croatia Airlines' needs in the same way and that the conditions will be harmonized with those achieved by Ryanair, taking into account the number of routes and transported passengers. Failure to approve the same, or even greater discounts to Croatia Airlines about the amount of traffic and the number of destinations, endangers equal competition and knowingly inflicts direct damage on the national airline that is majority-owned by the Republic of Croatia," point out Croatia Airlines, adding that according to available information, and given that Croatia Airlines in 2020 achieved a market share in the total turnover of MZLZ of 62 percent of transported passengers, Croatia Airlines does not consider it necessary to finance its competition and expects to reach an agreement as soon as possible with MZLZ on better commercial conditions, to provide the Croatian public and its passengers with what they rightly expect.

CA also points out that during the entire pandemic, it did not interrupt traffic at any time, unlike all other airlines that disappeared from the Croatian market in extraordinary circumstances (March 2020). After operating only one flight per day from the beginning of April to the beginning of May 2020 (Zagreb - Frankfurt - Zagreb), the national airline invested in the gradual renewal of traffic by increasing the number of destinations and frequencies following market demand.

In the end, Croatia Airlines reminds that from 2016-2019; they opened ten completely new destinations from Zagreb (St. Petersburg, Lisbon, Bucharest, Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, Dublin, Prague, Milan, Mostar), for which they received a total of HRK 1,459,521 in incentives from MZL Zagreb. For twelve routes, of which most are not new, Ryanair annually received 30 times the incentives.

Also, Ryanair announced the opening of its base in Zagreb with only two aircraft. Simultaneously, the national airline owns 6 to 7 times more, or 12 to 14 based aircraft that have been flying successfully for decades, adhering to the highest safety and professional standards, concluded CA. 

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.

ZAGREB, 12 April, 2021 - Tomislav Tomašević, the candidate for Zagreb Mayor of the We Can/Zagreb is Ours! platforms on Monday presented candidates for his deputies, Danijela Dolenec and Luka Korlaet.

"I truly believe that we will be a great team that will run the city well and improve the quality of life for its residents," Tomašević told a news conference.

Dolenec is a reader at the Zagreb Faculty of Political Science, an award-winning researcher and founder of the We Can! and Zagreb is Ours! platforms, while Korlaet is a senior lecturer at the Zagreb Faculty of Architecture.

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

April 12, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as El Al flights to Zagreb resume from May, and Arkia flights to Dubrovnik later this month!

Croatian Aviation reports that two Israeli airlines plan to establish direct flights from Tel Aviv to Dubrovnik and Zagreb at the end of this month and at the beginning of May.

Arkia Israel Airlines has announced that it will establish a direct line between Tel Aviv and Dubrovnik from April 23, 2021. The line will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. It will be operated by E195 aircraft.

In previous years, Arkia operated on a regular route to Rijeka, even using B757 aircraft, but the line last worked in the summer of 2018.

On the other hand, the national airline, El Al Israel Airlines, is currently offering tickets on a regular route between Tel Aviv and Zagreb from May 4 this year. Only one flight per week has been announced for the beginning of May, and a total of three flights a week on this route should be available in the second half of May, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Before the outbreak of the global pandemic, El Al operated seasonally on this route, using B757 aircraft (pictured), and on several occasions, the B747 also came to Zagreb. In the meantime, the company retired all B747 aircraft in the fleet, and currently, B737-800 aircraft are planned for Zagreb. The company currently has 15 aircraft of this type in its fleet, and the capacity varies depending on the configuration - from 166 to 189 seats.

Given that the Israeli population's vaccination rate is extremely high and that the demand for tourist travel is growing significantly, it is not surprising that these two carriers have announced they will resume lines to Croatia.

In the summer season of 2019, Croatia Airlines operated seasonally on the line between Zagreb and Tel Aviv. It was the only night rotation of the Croatian national airline, departing around midnight from Zagreb. It is unknown whether the company will resume traffic on this line in the summer season this year.

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 11, 2021 - GNK Dinamo presented their vision for a new Maksimir stadium on Saturday, designed by famous Zagreb architect Otto Barić.

The club pointed out that they want a new Maksimir stadium, a place where club history was created and where thousands of fans celebrated victories, mourned defeats, and where all Dinamo fans' emotions are written in the frozen sequences of legendary victories.

"Based on materials made by the club, and in line with UEFA standards, the visual appearance of the stadium in Maksimir was made by the famous Zagreb architect Otto Barić, with his partners from the specialized company Polymachine who translated the idea and vision into these photos," published the club.

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It is a proposal to build a stadium with a capacity of 34,000 seats, with large parking capacities - 300 VIP parking spaces and 30 VIP spaces, then PRESS parking and parking for spectators. All seats in the stadium are seated and covered, with a fan shop and a club museum, and additional commercial facilities on the north stand. Modern hospitality is planned in the entire stadium, as well as a state-of-the-art media complex. Of the ceremonial lodges, there are 2,000 VIP seats in the west and 1,000 VIP seats in the east, behind which is the camp of Dinamo's football school with the necessary infrastructure. The guest tribune would be in the southern part of the stadium.

The new Maksimir stadium would be fully accessible, in line with all UEFA and FIFA recommendations, and the construction of facilities for spectators with disabilities is planned. On 1,000 individual seats, 5 places are provided to accommodate spectators with disabilities and their companions, with accessible entrances and other services.

The club estimates that the construction would cost around 60 million euros, and Dinamo says that they want to participate in constructing a new stadium with a strategic partner in the project - the City of Zagreb.

Source: HRT

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

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.