Fly Above Croatia From Your Armchair: Sveb Family Connects VR and Tourism
Despite its flaws, nobody can deny that Croatia is an exceptionally innovative country which seems to breed incredible talent across all possible fields, from sport to science and everything in between. Ever fancied flying over Croatia without ever leaving the comfort of your armchair? Now you can, thanks to the successful combination of tourism and VR by the talented Sveb family from Zagreb.
As Lea Balenovic/Novac writes on the 1st of March, 2020, the Sveb family have designed something rather remarkable indeed.
I'm in a hurry to board. At the entrance to the cabin, two flight attendants, Lidija and Marta, await me and point me to my VIP seat in the first class section of the aircraft, where they provide me with the safety instructions. The captain speaks to me and we take off.
But, in fact, I'm not in an aircraft cabin or flying over Croatia. In Zagreb's popular Radiceva street, I'm sitting in an armchair and watching footage of Osijek, Zadar, Plitvice Lakes and Pula. But I don't have the slightest feeling that I haven't moved from my hometown and I have VR glasses on my head. I really think I'm flying over the walls of Dubrovnik. I look up, I see the sky. I look down, I see the sea.
The footage of the flight over Croatia isn't the usual type we usually come across on YouTube or on television, as it was filmed in 360 degrees. With a turn of my head, I can see everything around me, and virtual reality somehow loses any sense of being virtual. Flying over Croatia from the comfort of your own armchair is an option that has been being provided for the last two weeks in Zagreb, with Lidija and Marta at the beginning of the story, as well as Robert. The Sveb family that has been being developed for two years now.
''We'd have thrown this out onto the market before if there were no mistakes,'' laughs Robert Sveb, the original creator of the idea of connecting virtual reality and tourism. The Sveb family had no one from to learn when it came to how to offer tourists something new with the help of advanced technology, and the only thing left to do was learn by good old trial and error.
''First, we shot everything with the wrong camera, so we had to throw the shots away, buy a new camera and start all over again. But then it was autumn, and it made no sense to send the drones up because of the bad weather. So we waited until spring,'' the Sveb family remembers.
In the meantime, they visited interntional travel fairs and attended conferences, acquired VR glasses, written text to accompany the footage (because it doesn't mean too much if we don't know what we're looking at), translated it into foreign languages, developed our own glasses control software, designed a marketing campaign, and created a website. And then re-recorded everything in 8K resolution (and the glasses are 4K).
For that, of course, they had to get all the shooting licenses again, hire drone operators, hire boats and skippers, and travel across Croatia. But all of this was easier for the Sveb family than finding space in downtown Zagreb.
''That was one of our biggest problems, we really struggled with that. We wanted to be easily accessible to tourists, that is, to be in the very heart of Zagreb. We applied to various state and city tenders, but since we were financing everything ourselves, we couldn't afford it. So re-recording was less of a hassle than finding space,'' Lidia Sveb explained. Still, these are good times when you know you have a good idea that no one in the world has figured it out.
''I worked for a major media outlet outside of Croatia, which aspires to be the voice of people from the third world. In addition, it works closely with various institutes and faculties conducting research on new technologies and digital media, and so virtual reality emerged on the horizon. Research has shown that storytelling in VR fosters eight times more empathy than classic storytelling does, even when compared to ordinary videos,'' explained Robert Sveb.
"I thought it would be good to create a newsroom that would deal with difficult human stories using VR technology and I was thrilled with the results," he added. When he returned to Croatia, he simply had to try something with "this new technology".
The combination of VR and tourism was simply more viable and cheaper than other ideas that came to the mind of this experienced manager. In addition, tourism in Croatia is still an enormous economic branch on which one can quite easily live.
His wife, Lidija, and daughter, Marta, thought this idea was excellent, and when he told them at his desk what had happened, it didn't take long for them to join in with the business development as the Sveb family business.
''I have a degree in psychology, and I've always been most interested in developing creativity. People learn best when they're part of something, when they can see, hear, and simply feel at the same time, and VR provides that. In addition to flying over Croatia, you can also listen to an educational story about it, which proved to be very useful,'' says Marta Sveb.
HRVR, as they called their boutique, has so far been visited by Americans, Germans, Brits, Argentines and, of course, other Croats.
''Oh, wow, I didn't know Croatia was so beautiful,'' go the typical reactions from foreigners.
Croats, however, react slightly differently, they have less focus on the beauty of their homeland, but are instead more focused on the technology and the unprecedented perspective of Croatian attractions.
''One visitor told us that she wanted to take her mobile phone and record in the middle of the flight, but then she remembered that the experience wasn't actually real.
''It's virtual, but there is nothing more realistic,'' claims the Sveb family, who are the very first in the entire world to offer such a tour (or at least it was the first to actually achieve it). Lidija told us that recently such a tour as the ''future of tourism'' was mentioned in Like, a travel magazine that comes out once a month.
''A PhD student said that there are tours where tourists wear VR glasses and when they arrive at a certain location, animations appear that bring history to life for the tourists, and said that in the future, people will be able to see Earth from their airmchairs. Obviously, we have already brought the future to Zagreb,'' Lidija Sveb says proudly.
She is otherwise an entrepreneur with many years of experience working with people. Therefore, this role simply belonged to her.
The flight lasts a mere seven minutes, and each and every minute is carefully thought out.
''Studies have shown that after seven minutes of virtual reality, the brain becomes accustomed to it and that there is a possibility that when people take off their glasses off later, they become unwell, we didn't want that to happen at all,'' explained Robert Sveb.
The Sveb family business is based on exhaustive analysis, and before everything else, they conducted market research to see if they had a chance to be able to start making money from it. So they came to a decision on the price of the experience they were selling. A flight over Croatia costs 80 kuna.
There are twelve locations that have been selected according to attendance, and the six foreign languages where you can hear the story of Croatia and its beauty: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Korean, are the result of statistics on the number of visitors who have been visiting the Croatian capital for the last three years. Translators have translated the text into these languages, and it is spoken by robots. The Croatian language is the only pre-recorded text, and the remaining languages are a product of artificial intelligence.
''The text is in the cloud, and robots speak it over and over again, constantly improving, and their speech becomes human, that is, it ceases to be monotonous and begins to truly tell the story,'' Robert says.
New languages are already in the pipeline and their heads are already full of new ideas.
Make sure to follow our Made in Croatia and travel pages for more.
"F*ck This Hysteria!" Rimac Loses Money as Geneva Motor Show Cancelled
"F*ck this hysteria!" wrote a frustrated Mate Rimac after the news broke that the Geneva Motor Show has been cancelled three days before it was due to open owing to the increasing fear of the spread of the coronavirus, which has already seen other huge events cancelled.
As Novac/Filip Pavic writes on the 29th of February, 2020, Croatian entrepreneur Rimac was supposed to be one of 180 exhibitors at the Geneva Motor Show, otherwise one of the most important international motoring events, which was supposed to hold its 90th edition this year.
The autoshow was cancelled after the official confirmation of coronavirus now being in Switzerland came to light and the decision by the Swiss Government was to ban all gatherings of more than 1000 people.
Mate Rimac said in a statement that the news had only reached them when they were halfway from Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb to Geneva, and that they had been driving three cars there, and that all the costs of the organisation of that would cost them several hundred thousand euros, which has now gone down the drain.
''The Geneva Motor Show is one of dozens of events on our 2020 calendar, but it's one of the largest. It requires a lot of production and a lot of things need to be put together for a successful event the size of the one in Geneva: A complete booth/stand, cars, logistics, communication, materials, our team. The organisation has been intensive for the last five months. We're disappointed with the cancellation because we've put a lot of effort, time and money into organising the fair where we needed to present the news and the name for the C_Two. However, in the last few days, everything has indicated that the show will be cancelled. A lot of our industry partners and associates are in the same situation,'' Marta Longin, head of public relations at Rimac Automobili, told Jutarnji list.
The Geneva Motor Show director, Oliver Rihs, added that exhibitors would not be able to get their money back. The Rimac Automobili team also travelled with employees of its sister company Greyp Bikes, who were also going there to display their innovative electric bicycles.
According to the fair's director, cancelling the Geneva Motor Show that draws more than half a million visitors each year will cost the Geneva economy at least 250 million euros.
Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for more. For rolling information on coronavirus in Croatia, make sure to follow this page.
Valamar Generated 2.22 Billion Kuna in Revenue, 10 Percent Growth in 2019
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of February, 2020, in addition to the minimum net salary of 5,000 kuna, Christmas bonuses and other rewards, Valamar introduced a thirteenth salary in 2019. A large number of hotels and camps have been awarded more than fifty national and international awards, and for the third time now, Valamar Riviera has won the Best Investor Relations Award.
According to the revised annual results for 2019, Valamar Riviera generated a massive 2.22 billion kuna in total revenues, marking a significant 10 percent growth when compared to the previous year. In 2019, there were 6.8 million overnight stays realised, an increase of 5 percent when compared to the same period last year, while the average prices increased by 5 percent.
Valamar's operating profit reached 769 million kuna, an increase of 11 percent when compared to 2018. The growth achieved is primarily the result of successful investments in product development and portfolio expansion, as well as the balanced management of operational efficiency, taking care to raise employee salaries and the general improvement of working conditions of Valamar employees.
''Last year, we successfully expanded our partnerships with pension funds in line with the strategy of expanding and developing the tourism business. In partnership with Allianz ZB Retirement Funds, Valamar has participated in the recapitalisation of the Imperial Riviera d.d. which started the realisation of a five-year investment cycle worth 1.5 billion kuna. In partnership with PBZ CO Pension Funds, Valamar, through the recapitalisation of Helios Faros on the island of Hvar, we've started the realisation of a five-year investment plan in our portfolio of 700 million kuna.
Valamar confirmed its status as the best employer in tourism in 2019 and ranked seventh among employers in Croatia according to a survey by MojPosao (MyJob), which is the result of the excellent working conditions and career development opportunities we offer our employees. In addition to the minimum net salary of 5,000 kuna, Christmas bonuses and other awards, Valamar introduced a thirteenth salary in 2019. A large number of hotels and camps have been awarded more than fifty national and international awards, and for the third time, Valamar Riviera has won the Best Investor Relations Award.
''Behind us lies a great period of business development, because in the past five years, we've achieved portfolio expansion and an average annual growth of business results of over 20 percent, taking care of balanced and sustainable development. We'll continue to invest in product quality and human resource development with a view to continuing growth and creating added value for shareholders and partners,'' said Željko Kukurin, CEO of Valamar Riviera.
Stable balance sheets, a strong cash flow from operating activities and a sustainable ratio of net debt to EBITDA will work to enable the continuation of the strategy of investing in portfolio repositioning according to high value added services.
Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more on Croatian companies, innovation, products and services.
Coronavirus in Croatia: ZET Employees Begin Tram Disinfection
Coronavirus is spreading quickly and has people talking like very few things have in recent times. The virus has made itself known in a large number of countries across the world and Croatia is no exception. Europe, from the United Kingdom to the increasingly worrying situation in Italy, is gradually seeing more cases appear, and when it comes to coronavirus in Croatia, we have rolling updates here.
While many argue about the measures that need to be taken to help try to inhibit the spread of the virus, with the ''mask or not to mask'' question dominating the topic, coronavirus in Croatia has caused talk about potentially closing borders and questions about the likely damage to the fast approaching tourist season.
Employees of ZET (Zagreb Electric Tram) have decided to take concrete action against coronavirus in Croatia by beginning to disinfect the trams, which are used by countless Zagreb residents on their daily commutes and foreigners from all over the world on a daily basis. Despite the fact that we're still in cold and flu season, it appears that one can't be too careful when it comes to large concentrations of people.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of February, 2020, after ZET's employees demanded worker protection against coronavirus, an employer reaction quickly followed.
"Liquid soap dispensers and hand sanitisers have been installed at all terminals, and at TP Dubrava, our valuable cleaning workers from the tram services are performing the disinfection of all of our trams returning from operation and for those which are preparing to go into operation," the Union of Drivers and Traffic Workers of ZET wrote on Facebook in a pinned post entitled ''The protection of ZET employees from coronavirus''.
The post went on to state that the reaction from ZET when its employees expressed their desire for coronavirus protection was ''surprisingly fast''.
Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more. Keep up to date with the page linked at the beginning of this article for updated, rolling information on coronavirus in Croatia.
Czech Worldwide Expedition Arrives in Croatia
ZAGREB, March 1, 2020 - Members of the Czech expedition "Tatra Around the World 2" in Zagreb on Saturday presented the project and the Tatra truck in which they are travelling around the world.
They kicked off several days ago and Croatia is their fifth destination, after which they will head for Montenegro and then east. On their route, among other places, are Turkmenistan, Chile, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Gambia.
The first world expedition in a Tatra truck took place before World War I and the biggest one was in 1987, said the leader of the expedition, Petr Holecek.
The latest expedition consists of five permanent members who can be joined by anyone interested in the adventure, whether for a couple of days or a longer period, he added.
Petr Kasicka, first secretary at the Czech Embassy to Croatia, said the project was supported by many business people.
The leaders of the expedition which, over the next three years, will visit 67 countries and go around the world, are doing a big promotion for the Czech Republic, he said, adding that the embassy and everyone in the Czech Republic would help them.
More news about relations between Croatia and the Czech Republic can be found in the Politics section.
Croatia Prepared for New Migrant Wave, Says Interior Minister
ZAGREB, March 1, 2020 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Saturday Croatia was prepared for a potential new migrant wave and that for now there was no increase in arrivals on the Western Balkan route.
"For several years now, Croatia has had a plan for the situation we are faced with and for a situation we could be faced with," he told reporters, adding that "at this moment there are no visible increases on the route called Eastern Mediterranean or Western Balkan" and that "there's no worry" about Croatia's preparedness.
Croatian police efficaciously protect the border, Božinović said, adding that "perhaps, unlike in some other countries, such situations are no surprise for us because we are constantly fully operational."
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Turkey had opened its borders and that 18,000 migrants were en route to Europe.
The EU relied on Turkey to stop the migrant flow after more than a million people arrived in Europe from the Middle East in 2015.
Božinović said he was in contact with European institutions and that the EU was acting in two directions.
"On the one hand, a diplomatic effort is being made to deescalate the situation in Idlib, while on the other hand humanitarian action is being taken with the approval of €60 million... to ensure accommodation, food and medical care for Syrians" in that Syrian province, he said.
Aid envisaged under the EU-Turkey agreement continues, he added.
More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.
Luka Modric v. Ivan Rakitic: Croatian El Clasico Returns Tonight
March 1, 2020 - Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic will meet for the 18th time in El Classico tonight, to be played at 9 pm at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
It was March 2019, exactly a year ago. Barcelona won at the Bernabeu and Ivan Rakitic scored the only goal of the game, reports 24 Sata.
“Setien, don't forget about Raketa, he knows how to mess with Real,” read the headlines of Spanish media ahead of El Clasico on Sunday night.
And this is not by accident. Apart from the fact that Rakitic scored Barcelona's last goal against Madrid, and it has been exactly one year since then, but he has scored four goals in his career against Real Madrid. The only club he has scored more against is Real Betis, recording five goals total. Rakitic is gaining momentum once again, and has started for Barcelona in the last two games, against Eibar and Napoli. All signs lead to him starting again against Real Madrid tonight.
The 'Croatian El Clasico' returns for its 18th episode.
The first collision of Rakitic and Modric was in September 2012. Then, Rakitic was a star in Seville, while Luka Modric was going through tough times at Real Madrid. In that match, Luka came off the bench for Mesut Özil. Sevilla won 1:0, and Rakitic and Modric exchanged jerseys. Since then, they have played against each other 17 times - Rakitic celebrated nine times, four games ended in a draw, and Modric won four times.
If we were to compare the two players in La Liga this year, then Luka is more successful. Modric started in 13 games this season, playing an average of 63 minutes per game and scoring three goals. Rakitic, on the other hand, has not scored a single goal this season, has started only in nine games, and is playing 46 minutes per game.
The match tonight is a massive step towards the La Liga title. If Barcelona wins, they will be five points ahead and push Real Madrid into even bigger problems, potentially resulting in a Zinedine Zidane sacking.
Thus, the story of Ivan and Luka continues. The story of two friends, whose intertwined football journey began in September 2007, when Croatia beat Estonia 2:0.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Croatian National Tourist Board on Coronavirus: "We Will Adjust"
March 1, 2020 - The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) and its representative offices around the world are actively monitoring the coronavirus situation and adjusting promotional activities in German and other markets, said HTZ Director Kristjan Stanicic after the world's largest tourism conference ITB Berlin was canceled.
T.portal ITB Berlin was supposed to take place from March 4-8, 2020, but was canceled on Friday night for the first time in 54 years due to the spread of coronavirus.
This canceled the appearance of around 10,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries, including Croatia.
The stock exchange also expected more than 160,000 business visitors from the world, more than 5,000 journalists, as well as negotiations of concrete deals for the whole world worth over 5 billion euro.
"We are sorry that ITB was canceled, which is the largest and most important trade fair for tourism in the world, at which the Croatian National Tourist Board had to present its entire Croatian tourism offer with about 30 co-exhibitors. The plan was also intended to be used for meetings with key German and international partners, tour operators, agencies, tourism organizations, airlines, etc. However, it is quite clear that with the new coronavirus situation, preventive actions, health, and safety of many participants and visitors is the primary goal,” said Stanicic.
He points out that the Croatian National Tourist Board continues its activities in the German and other markets, in cooperation with numerous partners, also following the possibilities and outcome of this situation, which is equally challenging for tourism in other countries and destinations.
The World Tourism Organization-UNWTO assessed that the continuation of tourism and its unique transformative potential depends on stability and international solidarity.
"The tourism sector must always put people and their well-being first, as evidenced by the decision to cancel ITB Berlin for public health reasons," UNWTO pointed out, recalling that tourism is one of the world's leading economic sectors with millions of resources across the globe.
This weekend, the organization also called on everyone in tourism for close cooperation and responsibility, stressing that the UNWTO stands ready to support its members in plans and harnessing the power of tourism to drive economic and social recovery.
Despite these messages and the realization that the lives and health of people are paramount, the global tourism sector is also worried about the results this year, as travel reservations are increasingly canceled and individual reservations in hotels and air travel are reducing.
With the cancellation of several major world congresses, stock exchanges, fairs, exhibitions and other business meetings across Europe and the world in February and March this year, the business tourism segment in the world will remain without nearly $30 billion in revenue, and similarly estimated damages in aviation transport and total tourist traffic.
Hotel owners across Europe and around the world are also registering cancellations, which, according to analysts, has no impact or reduced prices, given the current fear and uncertainty of travel.
But from the sector, both globally and domestically, according to information from associations, groups, and company representatives, many believe that the situation will stabilize in a month or two, with the awareness that it is tough to predict what will happen next and how to develop the situation, especially if the spread of the virus continues.
For example, Italian hoteliers have already warned that the coronavirus has hit the national tourism industry, especially after US authorities urged their citizens to reconsider traveling to Italy, while other major countries issued warnings only in northern Italy.
Because of this situation, the tourism industry is demanding urgent measures from all levels of government in Italy to guarantee cash flow to tourism operators to protect jobs and avoid the 'collapse' of an industry of 300,000 businesses and 1.5 million people.
In other countries, hotel and professional associations of agencies, airlines (such as IATA), and other segments have already warned that they are expecting weaker business results due to the epidemic, which has caused a fall in bookings and frequent cancellation of travel.
To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Damir Kedžo Takes Dora 2020!
March 1, 2020 - Damir Kedžo is the winner of Dora 2020!
February 29 is an important day for all Croatians and lovers of the Eurovision Song Contest. Namely, in Opatija, one of the most charming cities along the Croatian coast, Dora 2020 was held, which is the Croatian contest for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Out of sixteen singers, there is just one good enough to represent Croatia in Rotterdam. On Saturday night, Croatia made its choice: Damir Kedžo was the winner the song 'Divlji vjetre' (Wild wind).
A simple outfit, no fireworks, no extravagant lightning, just Damir Kedžo, and five powerful female backing vocalists. How did he succeed? Maybe the answer to this question is what he kept repeating: "I feel this song. I felt it at the moment I first heard it."
The second place was given to one of the youngest contestants, Mia Negovetić. Mia is only 17 years old but knows no boundaries when it comes to singing. The song "When It Comes To You" is written by a Swedish team, and Mia. What else could we expect from someone who appeared on Little Big Shots in the US and absolutely smashed Beyonce's song 'Listen' when she was 13 years old? Way to go, Mia!
(Mia on Little Big Shots)
While many people were sure that Indira was going to win, you could hear someone saying: "I think this is just like Luka Nižetić from the last year."
With powerful singing and dancing, the colorful performance of Indira took 3rd place. The co-author of her song 'You Will Never Break My Heart' is Doron Medalie, whose song 'Toy', performed by Netta, won the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. Is that why Netta canceled her performance at Dora 2020, or she really did catch a cold? In this time of Corona, one can't be sure.
There were some more than typical songs, while for some, Eurovision was a bit of an unattainable goal. When talking about unusual songs, the first award would definitely go to Alea Neon with the song 'Zovi ju mama' (Call her mom). The members of her band were plants; to be precise, she performed with kale and pine on stage. As she said: "These songs are a green anthem, my response to the fires both here and around the world and an invitation to have a closer experience with Mother Earth."
Another interesting contestant was Nikola Marjanović with the song 'Let's forgive'. The message of the song is, I believe, is more than apparent. But, the detail that made a significant change was the woman who was on the stage with Nikola, translating the song in sign language. Quite unique, new, and unusual to see.
Although Lorenzo, Dino Purić, and Reper iz Sobe did not get the highest points, they seemed like they had a great time on stage. The guys played by themselves which was a rare thing to see at Dora 2020. Their song was the so-called the anthem for Croatians; Vrati se iz Irske (Come back from Ireland). They sang about olives, water from "our well" and pasta that cools while expatriates are away from home. A cheap song or powerful message? Let the number of returnees who came back because of this song decide.
Marin Jurić Čivro, the humble legend with a natural R&R touch, came to Dora with a pop song. Why is that so, we can only keep asking that ourselves. It's a pity, because he is capable of much more. Despite that, singing while lying down, when the pressure of importance makes it even harder, was pretty impressive.
The other singers in the race for Dora 2020 included Colonia, Jure Brkljača, Lorena Bućan, Đana Smajo (who is only 16 years old!), Alen Vitasović ft. Božidarka Matija Čerina, Zdenka Kovačiček, Edi Abazi, Bojan Jambrošić and Elis Lovrić.
Dora 2020 was opened and closed by last year's winner, Roko Blažević. On Saturday night, he handed over the baton (microphone) to Damir Kedžo. Damir, we wish you all the best in Rotterdam. May as many people as possible feel the song in the way you do. If so, Croatia will get higher than ever.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Damir Kedzo to Represent Croatia at Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam
March 1, 2020 - The Dora was held in Opatija on Saturday night to crown the best song to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. Of the sixteen singers that competed, Damir Kedzo was named the winner with his song "Wild Wind".
HRT reports that with the song "Wild Winds" ("Divlji vjetre"), Damir Kedzo will represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam in May! The Omišalj singer won Saturday night’s Dora competition in Opatija and thus fulfilled his childhood dream.
The winner of the 26th Dora was decided by the audience and an expert jury from five HRT centers. In the tense final, Rijeka singer Mia Negovetic and Damir Kedzo had an equal number of points, and since the song with more audience points won, Kedzo was crowned the winner.
The 65th Anniversary Eurovision Song Contest will be held from May 12 to May 16, and Damir will compete in the first semi-final night to enter the grand finale.
This was Kedzo’s third appearance at Dora and, apparently, the time was a charm. The song "Wild Winds” is written by his permanent collaborator Ante Pecotic, along with composers Bojan Salamon Shalla and Matija Rodic-Matroda, the only Croatian to be on the list of the world's best DJs and producers.
"When I got off the stage, I said, 'this was really good, I can stand behind this'," said the winner of this year's Dora in his first public address at a press conference.
Kedzo was accompanied by five excellent singers - four Rijeka singers Anja Stanic, Ana Kabalin, Medea Market Sindik and Gina Skulic and Opatija's Mateja Majerle who wore traditional Croatian jewelry from each region.
Kedzo was handed the Dora statue, created by artist Ivica Propadal, by the Director-General of Croatian Radio and Television Kazimir Bacic. The Dutch Ambassador HE Mr Hendrik Jan Voskamp wished him good luck at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam.
Second place went to Mia Negovetic with the song "When It Comes to You", while the third place went to Indira Levak with the song "You Will Never Break My Heart".
The full list of performers who fought for a spot in the Netherlands on Saturday were Elis Lovric, Bojan Jambrosic, Edi Abazi, Zdenka Kovacicek, Alen Vitasovic & Bozidarka-Matija Cerin, Djana, Akle Neon, Nikola Marjanovic, Lorenzo feat Dino Puric & Rapper from the Room, Marin Juric- Chivro, Lorena Bucan, Indira, Jure Brkljaca, Colonia, Mia Negovetic and Damir Kedzo.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
