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| Croatian news |
| Tuesday, 31st August, 2010 GDP falls 2.5 per cent in second quarter The GDP has fallen 2.5 per cent in the second quarter, preliminary data from the Central Bureau of Statistics shows. The main contributor is a drop in personal consumption, Raiffeisen Consulting analysts say. The data from various sectors confirm such conclusions, with retail trade falling 4.4 per cent in the first quarter. Bad labour market indicators, drop in real salaries and disposable income and weak bank credit activities have all contributed to a decrease in consumption. The investments in fixed capital continued to fall considering that the state has decreased investment activity under pressure to curb spending, and there are still no signs of private sector investments. The construction sector data shows further decreases. The positive contribution to GDP is expected only from net exports of goods and services, the daily Vecernji List writes. Third quarter is expected to bring slight, but nevertheless positive growth. The tourist season will affect personal spending and contributions to retail sales. The increase in exports will also have positive effects. On the other hand, the growth will be limited by poor investment activity and the likely drop in state spending. The GDP growth rate could be 0.5 per cent for the third quarter, with the annual drop of 1.5 per cent. croatiantimes.com Wednesday, 25th August, 2010 Croatian government adopts budget rebalancing The Croatian government's rebalanced budget sent to the Croatian Parliament yesterday (Tues) features 4.5 billion fewer kunas (618 million Euros) in revenue than its predecessor. The government will have 108.3 billion kunas (15 billion Euros) in revenue and 122 billion kunas (16.7 billion Euros) in expenditures. The budget deficit has increased from a planned 8.6 billion kunas (1.18 billion Euros) to more than 14 billion kunas (1.9 million Euros) or 4.2 per cent of the expected gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor claims budget rebalancing is not part of pre-election moves but a means of strengthening the economy and protecting living standards.She added that budget rebalancing would also ensure extra money for pensions and unemployment and maternity benefits, among other things. The extraordinary parliamentary session on budget rebalancing will take place on 26 August. croatiantimes.com |
Friday, 20th August 2010 Orphaned bear to find home in Kutarevo Homeless, orphaned bear cub Tomica that was roaming the streets of Brod na Kupi village in the mountainous part of Croatia will be adopted by a refuge in Kutarevo. The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed the news after an article drew public attention to its plight. The cub had been scavenging for food near the village for several days. Ladislav Dobroslovic from Animalia association in Rijeka said that public attention had caused the Ministry's swift reaction. "As soon as public pressure increases, the ministries manage to find legal ways to solve problems that were allegedly unsolvable," he told Croatian daily Jutarnji List. He noted the government's eagerness to shoot "problematic" bears that wander near villages rather than to house them in a shelter. "That is the result of a strong hunting lobby," he said. Volunteers from Belgium and Germany are working on construction of quarters in Kutarevo where little Tomica will stay until big enough to join older bears. He will be sedated and transported to the refuge. Croatiantimes.com
Monday, 16th August 2010 Lost money returned to Austrian tourist in Primosten A Croatian granny spent two days searching for an Austrian tourist who left his wallet in her wine shop. Josipa Gracin, 77, from the southern town of Primosten enlisted the help of police and the local tourist board as she scoured the town looking for the tourist. He eventually returned to the shop and was so delighted he offered Josipa a 100 Euro reward, which she modestly declined. "I don't want a reward for giving him back his money. It was the right thing to do," she told Croatian tabloid 24 Sata. Croatiantimes.com Monday, 16th August 2010 Economic crisis results in shorter phone calls The economic crisis is forcing Croats to talk less on their mobile-phones and send fewer text messages despite their continued love of the gadgets. Mobile-phone operators who have registered a drop in usage for the first time in months blame the recession for that development. Central Bureau of Statistics data show a 17.6 per cent drop in text messaging during the first half of the year compared to the same period of 2009. That means that Croats sent "only" 1.5 billion text messages during the first six months of 2010. They talked for 2.88 billion minutes on their mobile-phones and 2.63 billion minutes on their land-lines, 1.8 per cent fewer than during the same period last year. Preliminary statistics show that Croats own 6.5 million mobile-phones, or an average of 1.5 phones per person. They spend an average of around seven billion kunas (967 million Euros) on calls and messaging per year. An average phone user spends an average of 100 kunas (19 Euros) per month, but that amount has decreased in recent months, the daily Jutarnji List has reported. Croatiantimes.com Thursday, 12th August 2010 Crisis confirms Zagreb´s dominance in Croatia´s economy Crisis figures have confirmed Zagreb's dominance in Croatia's economy with 61 per cent of all entrepreneurial investments ending up in the capital, according to a report in the daily Vecernji List. The paper says the capital also produces 52 per cent of all entrepreneurial income, 56 per cent of total profits and employs 40 per cent of all workers. Main economic indicators also show it is seven to eight times stronger than Istria, Primorje and Split-Dalmatia counties, which are the first to follow. The average salaries of 5,542 kunas (767 Euros) that Zagreb's entrepreneurs pay are 20 per cent higher than the second-place Istria, and 70 per cent higher than the worst-off Virovitica-Podravina County where salaries are 3,320 kunas (460 Euros) on average. The data shows big regional inequalities with jobs concentrated in Zagreb and regional centres. Eastern Croatia has not yet managed to recover from the war and transitional traumas, while tourism in Dalmatia and Primorje has not yet compensated for loss of industry in those regions, the daily writes. Although small private companies have the biggest share in the total number of businesses, several counties depend on four or five large companies. Even a small disturbance in these firms could be very costly for the entire region, analysts warns. Last year 19 out of 21 of Croatia's counties experienced a decrease in investment, research from Financial Agency (Fina) shows. Only Sisak-Moslavina County and Sibenik-Knin county registered an increase, while Zagreb had a 3.3 per cent drop. The biggest loss of investment was in Lika-Senj County with 64 per cent. Croatiantimes.com Wednesday, 11th August, 2010 Frankfurt, Zurich and Vienna vie for Zagreb Airport concessions Frankfurt, Zurich and Vienna airports are interested in becoming concessionaires of the Zagreb Pleso airport where a new passenger terminal is planned. The Croatian government decided against co-financing between the State and the City of Zagreb in favour of a concessionary model, the portal Business writes. The director of Zagreb's airport Tonci Peovic hopes that the concessionaire would be selected by the end of the year. The necessary documents should be ready by 15 October, after when the government is expected to announce the tender. The companies that have won the tender for the conceptual design of the new terminal have lowered their initial cost estimates from 220 million Euros to between 150 and 170, a price more suitable to the potential partners, Peovic said. Zagreb Airport would contribute between 20 and 30 per cent toward the cost of construction. Few other airports have expressed interest in becoming concessionaires, Peovic added without disclosing which ones. The construction of the passenger terminal is expected to start in 2012 and the project could be completed by the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015. Expecting a growth in traffic, however, the airport is expanding the current building as it waits for the construction of a new terminal. The expansion is estimated at 5.5 million Euros financed by a loan that Croatia Airlines will pay back even though the company already owes the airport double the amount. The rest of their debt they will pay back in land for the terminal's construction. Croatiantimes.com Tuesday, 10th August, 2010 July saves Croatian tourism July saw record numbers of tourists heading to Croatia and erasing pre-season minuses, the Minister of Tourism Damir Bajs has announced. "The results show that this year's July is likely to be the best July in the history of Croatian tourism," the Minister said. Thanks to 2.7 million tourists, fears of pre-season minuses failed to materialise and instead the number of July tourists surpassed last year's July totals by nine per cent. Nineteen million overnight stays registered this July means a seven per cent increase over the last, Croatian daily Jutarnji List reports. Bajs added however that Croatia must not relax for the remainder of the season but give its all in the coming months, especially during August's peak. Some of Croatia's most important markets such as Germany and Italy are still in the minus, he warned. The Tourism Minister once again reiterated his commitment to maintaining Croatia's share in European tourism, which surpassed two per cent for the first time last year. That meant that every 50th tourist in Europe came to Croatia. The biggest increase in tourists were registered from Russia, Spain and Slovenia. Croatiantimes.com Tuesday, 10th August, 2010 Heather Mills on holidays in Croatia Heather Mills bought a special prosthesis she can use to go skiing at an orthopaedist in Carinthia, according to local media. Kärntner Tageszeitung (KTZ) reports today (Thurs) that the ex-wife of Paul McCartney attended a specialised shop in the provincial capital yesterday. The article claims that the 42-year-old arrived in a black SUV but without bodyguards. The former model reportedly left the shop through the back door after photographers started to gather in front of it, Austrian Times has reported. The newspaper says Mills - who split from Beatles icon McCartney in a multi-million-Euro divorce two years ago - acquired a special artificial limb developed for winter sport activities such as skiing. Mills then returned to Croatia where she is currently on holidays, according to the report. Croiatiantimes.com Friday, 6th August 2010 Church hopes Pope will visit Croatia next year The Catholic Church in Croatia is hoping the Pope visits the country next year, sources say. The Croatian daily Vecernji List writes that Pope Benedict XVI could be coming next year in order to make Croatian cardinal Aloysius Stepinac a saint and visit the sanctuary of the Precious Blood of Christ in Ludbreg. The cardinal's canonization, however, must take place before the Pope's visit. The Church authorities have turned in all needed documentation, including evidence of performed miracles and supernatural healing which had to be medically certified. Pope John Paul II beatified Cardinal Stepinac in 1998. As a political gesture, the anticipated papal visit would be seen as the Vatican's final support for Croatia's entrance into the European Union, the daily writes. Sources close to the Church say however the Pope's schedule could prevent his coming. "The Holy Father would surely like to come to our country because he used to visit Croatia when he was a cardinal. But it was easier to organize at that time," the sources said, adding: "But we hope that he will come." Croatiantimes.com Tuesday, 3rd August, 2010. Despite the crisis Croatia gets more new tourists this year Croatia has managed to attract new tourists this summer despite the crisis, with 60 per cent of those surveyed by VISA credit card company confirming that they are in Croatia for the first time. That is a 13 per cent increase of first-time visitors from last year. The remaining forty per cent have had pleasant experiences vacationing in Croatia in the past and have decided to come back, the survey shows. The majority of those surveyed (65 per cent) said that they made their own arrangements, while 35 per cent consulted and used the services of a travel agency. Although the internet remains a leading source of information about Croatia, this year's survey shows a decrease in its usage. Compared to 44 per cent last year, this year only 36 per cent of visitors said that they received the first information about where to go for vacation online. The research also showed an increase in TV commercial recognition. Fourteen per cent of those surveyed said that the first information they received about Croatia was via TV commercials (compared to only four per cent in 2009). Six per cent were initially informed at tourism trade shows (eight per cent in 2009). Some 60 per cent use credit cards as a method of payment when traveling in Croatia. Only 30 per cent travel by car (32 per cent in 2009, and 43 in 2006) despite Croatia's well-developed road infrastructure. Air travel remains the preferred mode of transportation, the Croatian portal Business writes. Upon arrival, the majority stays in private accommodation (39 per cent) or hotels (34 per cent). Around 46 per cent pay for their accommodation with a credit card. Only five per cent of visitors bring their own food, while the majority of tourists buy it in local stores (more than 35 per cent) or eat in restaurants and hotels (59 per cent). Croatiantimes.com
Wednesday, 21st July, 2010 Croatian managers believe crisis peak is yet to come Sixty per cent of Croatian managers believe the climax of the financial crisis is still yet to come, research by the strategic consultancy house Roland Berger finds. Croatian managers are most pessimistic when it comes to exiting the recession. Compared to their European colleagues who believe the crisis reached its climax at the end of last year, the majority of Croatian managers are convinced that this is yet to happen. They expect the recession to peak either at the end of this year or in 2011. The research was conducted among 50 small and medium-sized businesses from seven different industrial branches. According to those surveyed, the crisis is most responsible for decline in sales, decrease in investments and chronic problems with debt repayment. More than 60 per cent of managers estimated that the same problems will be evident in 2011. Vladimir Preveden from Roland Berger's Zagreb office said that of particular concern is that the majority of those surveyed have predicted further downsizing and a continued drop in consumption. The research also found that more than half of Croatian firms find it difficult to get capital through loans, with the greatest problems being high interest rates and harder conditions, the Croatian daily Vecernji List reports. "Insolvency hit 50 per cent of Croatian companies, and unfavourable credits are more pronounced in Croatia then in other countries," Preveden said. When it comes to fighting recession, two thirds of Croatian companies have reduced employee costs through employment and salary freeze, lowering of wages and downsizing. "Crisis is an opportunity for restructuring, and recovery is possible with entrance onto new markets. With that I mean first and foremost Romania, Russia, Turkey and Asia," Preveden added. Croatiantimes.com Monday, 19th July, 2010 Croatian youth from diaspora compete at Zadar tournament The Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Jandrokovic and Canadian Minister of Croatian descent Lynne Yelich have opened the Croatian World Games (Hrvatske Svjetske Igre) where some 750 young Croat athletes from 24 countries are expected to participate. The traditional gathering of teens from the diaspora is organised by the Croatian World Congress and will last six days, with tournaments being played on sports fields in Zadar and Posedarje. "Your presence in Zadar is an additional confirmation of the solid and unbreakable ties between homeland and Croatian emigrants, which were particularly evident at the time of the creation and defence of our country in the war," Minister Jandrokovic said. Young athletes Croats from 24 countries were also welcomed by the Canadian minister who wished them good luck in the upcoming competition, the Croatian daily Vecernji List writes. Criatiantimes.com Monday, 12th July, 2010 Croatia Airlines and crew reach agreement ending strike Croatia Airlines and crew unions signed a new collective agreement on Saturday, ending an 18 hour strike that was scheduled to last until Tuesday. Suzana Artukovic Vuksan, the president of the Union of Cabin Crew Workers (SKOZ) said: "We are sorry that we had to achieve this through strike, but only that way could we have fought for our dignity." Unions were asking for more vacation time as well as changes in scheduling systems which, up until now, would give crew members very short notice before the beginning of their shift. The CEO of Croatia Airlines Ivan Misetic expressed his satisfaction with the agreement since the strike would have cost the company an estimated 3.1 million Euros had it lasted until Thursday, as well as affected even more various linked industry branches such as hospitality and tourism. Misetic said they would demand compensation for the damages estimated now at half of that sum, the Croatian daily Vecernji List reports. Croatiantimes.com Monday, 12th July, 2010 Croatian Times readers split in evaluating PM Jadranka Kosor´s work The majority of Croatian Times readers believe Croatia is at odds with Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. Of those polled, 57.4 percent of voters say the country did not agree with Kosor's policies. However, 42.6 percent of readers say they are happy with the work of the Prime Minister. Over 1,500 people took part in the poll. The majority of Croatian Times readers come from abroad. croatiantimes.com Thursday, 8th July, 2010 Growing demand for Croatian natural remedies on Arab markets Croatian firm Apipharma is planning to expand its production of natural remedies in order to satisfy a growing interest from foreign markets. The company is building a new facility in Nasice that will comply with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations, allowing it easy registration of products on the world markets. The expansion is expected to double the work force from the current 40 employees. Apipharma specialises in natural pharmaceutical products made of honey and herbs. Board member Andrija Lalic says the company signed agreements with several Arab countries this year is expecting to break into the Chinese market soon, the Croatian daily Vecernji List reports. croatiantimes.com Thursday, 8th July, 2010 Dance festival comes to Svetvincenat for 11th year in a row The quaint Istrian town of Svetvincenat (Sanvincenti) is to host its 11th annual dance festival from 23 through 27 June. A break-dance ensemble FreeStyle Kings and Zagreb Dance ensemble will be joined by guests from Slovenia, Serbia and Spain. The festival was started 11 years ago by the renowned Croatian dancer Snjezana Abramovic and has since become one of the top cultural attractions in the country. croatiantimes.com Thursday, 1st July, 2010 Zagreb and Ljubljana connected at last Slovenia has officially opened the long-awaited 14.8 kilometre stretch of a highway between Pluska and Hrastje that finalizes the direct Zagreb and Ljubljana connection. The traffic jams common at the entrance and exit from the highway to the old main road will now become a thing of the past, and Croatian travellers will be able to arrive quicker at destinations in Slovenia and other Western countries, the Croatian daily Vecernji List writes. The highway Obrezje-Ljubljana is part of an international transport network Salzburg-Ljubljana-Zagreb-Beograd-Solun. Present at the ceremonial opening of the highway were the Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor and the Minister of Transport Patrik Vlacic. croatiantimes.com
 Wednesday, 30th June 2010.Eva Longoria comes to Croatia Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and her husband basketball player Tony Parker will visit the Adriatic coast of Croatia in July, the Croatian daily Vecernji List reports. The couple will spend their holidays in Vodice (Dalmatia) starting 9 July. Parker is expected to perform as an MC at the popular club Hacienda alongside the famouse hip-hop DJ Cut Killer. The two will be performing their "DJ Cut Killer and Tony Parker Show," while the TV actress will be the guest of honour for the evening. Before the famous foreign guests, visitors to Hacienda will be entertained by the well known Croatian hop-hop DJ Phat Phillie. croatiantimes.com Monday, 14th lipnja 2010 Beer sellers lament Croatia´s absence from World Cup Beer sales in Croatia are likely to suffer during the World Cup since the national team isn't playing. Statistics show that Croatians drank around 10,000 hectolitres of beer during national team games. That statistic is changing, to the disappointment of the sellers and the state that will lose, experts say, around one billion kunas (138 million Euros). Last year, during the hottest summer months, beer sales fell 10 per cent. Even during the European championship when Croatia did play, there was a disappointing rise of sales by only two per cent. The only business segment related to the World Cup that can expect a record result in the entire of Europe, and in Croatia, are the betting shops, the Croatian daily Jutarnji List writes. Croatia's biggest betting venue SuperSport expects the number of bets to increase by 20 to 30 per cent while the World Cup is on. Other shops expect similar results. According to data from the Ministry of Finance, betting shops receive some 420 million kunas (58 million Euros) of bets per month, which means they can expect around 550 million kunas (76 million Euros). croatiantimes.com Monday, 14th lipnja 2010 Croatian firms visit China Two Croatian firms Luka Rijeka (Port of Rijeka) and Jadranska Vrata (Adriatic Gate) made a joint presentation at the Chinese fair Transport logistic China that took place between 8 and 10 June in Shanghai. The presentation entitled Croatian Port - Port of Rijeka/ Central European connection for best logistics network aimed to inform the company's business partners of the developments of projects that are expected to propel the port to the position of one of the largest container terminals in the Adriatic. Transport Logistic China is an international fair for logistics and transportation started in 2004 as the extension of the European fair Transport Logistic Munich to China and other Asian countries. Some 431 exhibitors from 46 countries presented at the fair, the Croatian portal Business writes. croatiantimes.com Monday, 31st May, 2010 Croatian marketing campaign in Serbia may fall short of desired 100,000 visitors Croatia has launched a marketing campaign worth 234,000 Euros in Serbia in a hope to attract 100,000 visitors this year. With its "tourism attack" of billboards and TV commercials, Croatia is beating all its competitors. Greece, Turkey, Montenegro and Tunisia have been overshadowed by the Croatian campaign. The only potential marketing competitor is Serbia itself which is planning on launching its own domestic campaign "My Country, my travels." Croatian Minister of Tourism Damir Bajs hopes to bring 100,000 Serbian tourists to Croatia, 30,000 more than the last year. But Croatian hotels may be losing the battle to historically lower prices in Greece, Turkey or Tunisia. Another difficulty is that purchasing power in Serbia has fallen recently. Greece is expected to further lower its prices because of the depth of the crisis. On the other hand, Montenegro offers seven days in private accommodation and a return train ticket for only 99 Euros. For those for whom money is not a problem, new destinations such as Italy and Spain have been opened with the elimination of visa requirements for Serbia. Aleskandar Susa from National Tourism Organization of Serbia said that while the campaign is likely to attract more Serbian tourists, the goal of 100,000 sounds too ambitions. "Croatia's offer is based on hotels. And from here, an all-inclusive hotel in Turkey, with aqua park costs 25 Euros per day." "Such offers cannot be found on the Croatian coast under 80 or 90 Euros." Nebojska Stikic, product manager from Jolly Travel agency in Belgrade says that they have been receiving inquires, but that so far sales equal to last year's demand when there was no big marketing campaign. "The most popular places are Istria and Kvarner. Most often it is the couples that are inquiring, or groups of two or three, while families with children are hesitating." "But this market is unpredictable," he added. "Serbians decide at the last minute, so in the end we might be surprised by the numbers," he said. croatiantimes.com Friday, 28th May, 2010 Apartment prices in Dubrovnik jump 8.4 per cent in May Dubrovnik is the only city to register a significant increase in apartment prices, according to the latest research by real estate portal Crozilla.com. For one square metre in Dubrovnik, a buyer would have to pay 3,597 Euros on average in May, which is an 8.4 per cent increase on the previous month. None of the other Croatian cities registered such a sharp increase. In Split, the prices went up by 2.5 per cent to 2,180 Euros. In Rijeka, only 0.5 per cent growth was noted (1,709 Euros). The biggest decrease was registered in Osijek with 4.5 per cent, where the prices fell from 1,075 Euros on average to 1,027 Euros. In Zadar in May the average price was 1,671 Euros which is 20 Euros less than the actual price in April. A small decrease of 0.8 per cent was also noted in Pula, where a square metre costs 1,470 Euros, the Croatian business portal Poslovni Dnevnik writes. Zagreb is also slowly losing on value, with the average prices for May at 1,864 Euros, a difference of 0.7 per cent from previous months. croatiantimes.com
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Tuesday, 25th May, 2010. Nobel Prize winner Harald zur Hausen lectures in Split Nobel Prize winner Harald zur Hausen will give a lecture at the Split Faculty of Economics entitled: "The search for viruses - cause of the malignant tumour" on 25 and 26 May in Split. Harald zur Hausen is a German virologist who has done research on cancer of the cervix, where he discovered the role of papilloma viruses, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine 2008. His lecture is part of the project NobelST, which the City of Split is putting together in co-operation with Medils, Split International Centre of Excellence for Scientific Research and Education. The project NobelST should bring Nobel Prize winners as lecturers to Split. Also it should be seen as Split promotion. The lecture is open to the public and will be held tomorrow (Tues) at 6 pm. Harald zur Hausen's host and moderator will be well known Croatian scientist Ivan Djikic. croatiantimes.com Tuesday, 25th May, 2010. Croatian air race starts The 1st "Croatian air race" will be held from 29 -31 May in the skies above the south island of Brac. The air spectacle will be held to mark 100 years of aviation in Croatia. The main organisers are air traffic controller Ivan Simic and professional pilot Ivan Jaklenec. Their aim is to present aviation as a profession, sport and way of living. The first Croatian air race will feature more than 40 planes and even more pilots from Croatia and abroad. The audience will also have chance to meet pilots and to learn more about planes. croatiantimes.com
Friday, 14th may, 2010 Slovenia catching up with Croatia in tourism competitiveness Slovenia has jumped nine places in tourism competitiveness in the last two years to 35, coming just behind Croatia. Croatia meanwhile climbed only four places, according to the latest research by World Economic Forum that looks at prices and offers in the travel and tourism sector. Croatian daily Jutarnji List reports that Croatia's 34th place is admirable given that the research covered 133 countries from around the world. But considering that the first three places have been held for years by Switzerland, Austria and Germany - countries that do not have a sea - the situation is worrisome, the paper says. Hungary, which has neither sea nor mountains like Austria and Switzerland, is only three places below Croatia. Tourism forms 12 percent of Slovenia's GDP, a negligible 0.5 percent less than in Croatia. Numbers suggest that Croatia's offers must match the prices (or vice versa) if the country is to keep its old guests and attract new. The Tourism Competitiveness Index measures success of certain countries in the travel and tourism sector. It is divided into three categories that take into consideration legislative regulations, environment for business development and the quality of human resources together with the wealth of cultural and national assets. "The Index is not based on beauty competition nor is it a mirror of attractiveness of certain countries. The goal is to measure the factors that encourage development of travel and tourism industries in certain countries," said Jennifer Blanke, economist at the World Economic Forum. Croatia was rated well in terms of tourism infrastructure, but the report mentions a lack of professional personnel and air traffic connections. The biggest criticism came in terms of price competitiveness. More simply, prices are too high for the quality of offers. "In turbulent times of global economic crisis, tourists will become even more cautious about planning their expenses and choosing destinations. Because of that Croatia must work harder on the price competitiveness of tourism offers in order to keep the old and attract new guests" the National Competitiveness Council said. Some of Croatia's direct rivals like Cyprus have climbed three places since last year to 21st and Montenegro is up to 52nd from 59th place last year. The ten highest-rated destinations are Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, Canada, Spain, Sweden, United States, Australia and Singapore. croatiantimes.com Wednesday, 12th May, 2010 Wednesday, 12th May, 2010 Croatian tourism growing Germans are the biggest spenders when it comes to travel with 63.7 billion Euros spent around the world and 1.5 billion in Croatia. Close to 23 percent of Croatia's visitors are Germans. In terms of their travels around the world, Germans are closely followed by Americans, British and Chinese, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) said. The WTO said it had also noticed a slight recovery in the market during the last quarter of 2009 when there was a two percent increase registered after 14 months of continuous fall. It expects three to four percent growth this year. The demand for Croatian tourist destinations is good in various foreign markets, said experts at the CROTour 2010 tourism fair held last April in Zagreb. They said they expect at least as many if not more visitors than last year. croatiantimes.com Friday, 7th May, 2010 138 million Euros "change" for taxpayers after reforms, Minister says New tax reforms will mean one billion kunas (138 million Euros) back into taxpayers' pockets, the Minister of Finance Ivan Suker said today (Thu). The tax relief will amount to approximately 1.5 billion kunas (207 million Euros) after new tax brackets and corresponding rates are introduced. But the elimination of certain tax privileges will take an additional 500,000 kunas (69,000 Euros), leaving a difference of 138 million Euros of savings for taxpayers. At today's press conference Suker said the government was satisfied with budget activities, especially for April when revenue and expenditures were equal. He added that the tax revenue fell by only 0.3 percent in the first four months of the year. "The things are clearer now after four months, and that is why we were against budget rebalance two months ago," Suker said. But expenditures rose, with pensions being the main reason behind the increase, the Croatian daily Jutarnji List writes. The government spent 350 million kunas (48.2 million Euros) more on pensions this year than for the same period in 2009.croatiantimes.com Tuesday, 4th May, 2010 Prime minister wants harsher punishments for rowdy fans Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor announced today (Mon) that she wanted harsher punishments for people who engaged in disturbances at sporting events. She was reacting to an outbreak of violence during Saturday's soccer game in Zagreb during which a policeman lost an eye. Kosor said that she wanted longer prison sentences, currently capped at 60 days, and higher fines. "I am interested in the human rights of the policeman who was left without an eye and of all others who were in the stadium," she added. The policeman, Kristijan Trokter, 33, was injured when a fan of Zagreb's team Dinamo threw a firecracker under his visor during a violent skirmish with fans of rival Hajduk Split. Trokter lost an eye, and his hearing was badly damaged. "I have gone through a lot in the 14 years that I have been working as a policeman, but that was war," he told the Croatian daily Jutarnji List. croatiantimes.com Friday, 30th April, 2010 Croatia and Serbia to sign military cooperation agreement Croatian and Serbian military officers could start participating in educational exchanges if a bilateral agreement is signed by the end of the year as planned. The agreement would also outline the cooperation in the area of security politics, defence planning, military science, training and medicine among others. It would not include the exchange of security information. The Croatian Ministry of Defence (MORH) says, however, that such cooperation has not been ruled out for the future. The agreement is expected to ease up the entry onto Serbian markets of Croatian manufacturers of weapons and other military equipment. At a recent military fair in Bucharest, Romania, Serbian military representatives expressed interest in uniforms produced by the Croatian company "Kroko" for Croatian and Montenegrin soldiers. They also liked the helmets made by another Croatian company "Sestan-Bush" and had said that both will most likely be invited to participate in a public tender. The two countries have been negotiating the agreement for over a year, but the process has been delayed since Croatia's recognition of the independence of Kosovo, the Croatian daily Jutarnji List writes. Even without the official agreement the technical cooperation has existed for years, MORH sources say. croatiantimes.com Friday, 30th April, 2010 President addresses nation for Labour Day Workers are the biggest victims of bad economic politics that encouraged borrowing and spending instead of savings and production, the Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said to the nation in his Labour Day greeting today (Thu). Josipovic said that the Croatians are marking this year's holiday "with pride, but also with worry, aware of the difficult state of the economy that endangers jobs, a decent standard of living and the prosperity of the entire society." He warned about the daily violations of rights of those who continue working for little or no pay. The basic duty of every country is to ensure that everyone has a job and a fair salary, the President said. "Unfortunately in this time of crisis we are further from that goal." He added that the burden of getting the country out of the crisis must be borne equally by all levels of the society. The president ended his Labour Day greeting by thanking those who "with their dedication to their work are investing in the good of their families, the public good and in the development of our homeland." croatiantimes.com Tuesday, 27th April, 2010 Sisak-Moslavina County to subsidise medicinal herbs Sisak-Moslavina County in central Croatia will subsidise the cultivation of medicinal herbs in order to make the region's farmers more competitive. There is a large potential for cultivation of these plants in certain parts of the country where conventional agriculture has not developed. Sisak-Moslavina County is such a region, which has ensured 14,000 Euros of government money for new plantations. Zoran Vasic the head of the County's agricultural department said that the subsidies are meant to make the local producers more competitive. "Imported and refined camomile from Egypt is less expensive than the camomile here, so we decided to help the farmers growing medicinal herbs rise to their competitors." For every new hectare dedicated to medicinal plant production the County will give 5,000 kunas (688 Euros) plus 2,000 kunas (275 kunas) of subsidies. That could double the current surface. There is also a big interest on the part of the food industry in horseradish. No one in the region is currently producing it, so a part of the subsidies could go towards stimulating its cultivation. Last year Croatia imported 750 tons of medicinal herbs out of which many could (or already do) grow in Croatia. Although statistics do not register the exact species imported, the experts say that Croatia buys everything from stinging nettle that grows in the wild, to lemon balm, mint and lavender that thrives in Dalmatia and has proven successful in other areas as well. For companies that use these herbs it is often more cost effective to import than organise production within the country as this is, in addition to being expensive, also strictly regulated because of EU standards that forbid pesticide use. Croatia exported six million Euros worth of medicinal herbs last year. Camomile formed 80 percent of those exports with Germany and Italy being Croatia's main buyers. The value of just the camomile exports was 5.3 million Euros. croatiantimes.com Friday, 23rd April, 2010 Croatian delegation to attend World Bank Spring Meeting in Washington D.C. The Croatian delegation led by Minister of Finance Ivan Suker and the Governor of Croatian National Bank Zeljko Rohatinski will be heading to Washington D.C. from April 23rd until the 25th for the World Bank and IMF Spring Meeting. They are expected to discuss Croatia's current projects as well as future steps regarding preparation and approval of new projects, including the Bank's support for economic development of Croatia and financing of activities needed for EU accession. The current macroeconomic situation in Croatia will be another one of the topics, as well as the measures Croatia is undertaking amidst the global economic crisis, the Croatian daily Vecernji List reports. croatiantimes.com Friday, 23rd April, 2010 Government abolishes toll privileges for handicapped The Croatian government has abolished toll privileges for some 24,334 disabled persons who until today (Thu) were able to use the roads without paying the toll fees. It hopes to save 30 million kunas (4.1 million Euros) by implementing this measure. The Minister of Transport Bozidar Kalmeta explained that the war veterans and the disabled must pay the fees until "better economic times" arrive, Croatian daily Jutarnji List reports. croatiantimes.com
Wednesday, 14th April, 2010 Tight security for Josipovic - Tadic meeting on Friday Death threats will mean security forces are on high alert this Friday when Croatian President Ivo Josipovic meets Serbian head of state Boris Tadic in Hungary. The security boost comes after Tadic and other members of his government received death threats from a drug cartel led by Darko Saric. The threats have been taken very seriously in Serbia and a source quoted by the Croatian daily Vecernji List said security in Hungary will be high for both presidents. "There can't be two bodyguards for one president and four for the other. It shouldn't be forgotten also that Croatia and Serbia cooperate very closely in the fight against organized crime. "Both leaders are determined to put an end to this and that on its own provokes the underground criminal networks," he told Vecernji List. The presidents will meet the Hungarian head of state Laszlo Solyom to talk about preservation of the Danube river. They will then continue to Vojvodina region in Serbia where Josipovic is expected to speak with its Croatian national minority. (croatiantimes.com) Thursday, 8th April 2010 Austrian dancing stars teach tourists in Croatia Stars from the Austrian version of Dance With Stars will teach tourists in Croatian tourist resorts. Valamar tourism group says guests at three Valamar-owned hotels in Porec and Rabac will now be able to dance with Latino dance world champions Alice Guschelbauer and Balazs Ekker. "By adding this opportunity we wanted to show that guests know how to recognize 'value for money," Valamar's board member Zrinko Kamber said. (croatiantimes.com) Tuesday, 6th April, 2010 Low demand for pandemic flu vaccines Only 20,000 doses of pandemic flu vaccines have been used in Croatia, out of 340,000 ordered. Due to low demand, the Minister of Health Darko Milinovic cancelled the additional 1,5 million doses on order. 300,000 doses remain in storage at the Immunology Institute in Zagreb and are likely to be destroyed since they expire in August. But contrary to expert's expectations, the public interest in seasonal flu vaccines was much higher this year, with 13 percent of the population getting the shots. 600,000 doses of the vaccine were bought in record time, the Croatian daily Vecernji List has reported. Only this year the seasonal flu seems to have skipped Croatia. "This is truly absurd and upside down! Thirty times more people received protection from a flu that did not even come than from the pandemic flu from which some patients were dying on respirators," said epidemiologist Dr. Bernard Kaic. (croatiantimes.com) Tuesday, 6th April, 2010 Croatians happy despite the crisis, research shows The first Croatian National Index of Happiness results show that Croatians still believe they have reasons to be happy and satisfied despite the crisis and growing unemployment. Magazin Banka, Hendal market research agency and Allianz Zagreb insurance company conducted the research which measures the physical and emotional health of the population. With 63,8 points (out of 100), Croatia is in the "positive." The research will be repeated on the monthly basis and will show a different picture of economic activity and economic politics, independent of the GDP. "GDP is an economic term that does not say anything about life quality and the development of society," Banka Magazine writes.(croatiantimes.com) Thursday, 1st April, 2010 Two Croats saved after ship sinks Two Croats were rescued from a cargo ship that sank on Tuesday off the coast of La Coruna, Spain. Twenty-two of 24 crew members were saved after the ship had sunk in bad weather. Two people are still missing. The "Kea" was sailing from St. Petersburg to Santa Marta, Colombia. Most of the crew members were Philippino, with a few Russians, Latvians and Ghanaians and two Croatians, the captain and an electrician. Rescue services are continuing to look for the missing despite bad weather, the Croatian daily Jutarnji List has reported.(croatiantimes.com) Tuesday, 30th March 2010 Former minister Polancec is under arrest Damir Polancec, a former Croatian Minister of Economy and MP, was arrested for possible criminal acts at Podravka food company today (Tues). Polancec's attorney Ante Nobilo said Polancec was suspected of misuse of his position at the firm, where he was a director and board member. Police raided and searched Polancec's home in Koprivnica early this morning and took him to the anti-corruption agency (USKOK) office in Zagreb. Police also searched Polancec's apartment in Zagreb. He resigned as economy minister in October 2009. (croatiantimes.com) Friday, 26th March, 2010 Dubrovnik to host Mediterranean Fair of Healthy Food and Medicinal Herbs The seventh Mediterranean Fair of Healthy Food and Medicinal Herbs will take place from 9 to 11 April in Dubrovnik. The fair will feature educational round-tables, lectures, presentations, and cultural, entertainment and culinary events. There will be around 300 participants interested in improving health and the quality of life and protecting the environment. The second Days of Honey in Dubrovnik-Neretva County featuring a tasting of 69 different brands of honey will occur together with the fair. It will also promote Croatian products with "Originally Croatian" and "Croatian Quality" recognition. Besides food products and medicinal herbs, the fair will feature electric and hybrid cars, eco-furniture, clothes made of natural materials and souvenirs. (croatiantimes.com) Friday, 26th March, 2010 Croatia to begin Euro 2012 qualification play against Latvia Croatia will begin Euro 2012 qualification play against Latvia on 3 September 2010. It will also end it by hosting the same team on 11 October 2011. Sports analysts say that Croatian footballers did not have the luckiest of draws because they will play one of their toughest competitors, Greece, soon after their difficult opening match and a home game against Israel. Croatia is part of Group F that includes Israel, Greece, Malta, Georgia, and Latvia. (croatiantimes.com) Friday, 26th March, 2010 Croatia Boat Show to bring world yacht names to Split The 12th Croatia Boat Show will take place from 10 to 18 April in Split. The well-known Croatian nautical fair is a stage for the local and international nautical industry from yacht builders to engine and equipment producers, as well as companies offering various complementary goods and services to lovers of the sea and sailing. This year, the fair will also features more car industry representatives because the Zagreb Auto Show 2010, an international fair for automobiles, motorcycles and supporting industries, has been cancelled because of the extremely-bad situation in the auto market. The organizer said the show stars would be motor yachts longer than 15 metres, especially the 35- metre-long Elegance 115. Two motor yachts, the Princess - V 56 and V 78, the Greenline 33 hybrid will make their premier appearances. In response to the economic crisis, the fair organizer, the firm Profectus, will allow all domestic shipbuilders free exhibition of one of their vessels. Croatian exhibitors that will take part will include AD Brodovi, Damor, Bravo Makarska, Grginic yacht, Donat Boats and Terra Nauta, among others. (croatiantimes.com) Wednesday, 24th March 2010. Croatia Airlines to offer direct Zagrab-Athens flights Croatia Airlines will begin direct flights between Zagreb and Athens this summer. The flights will start on 1 June and occur three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The price of a round-trip ticket will be 134 Euros, including fees and taxes. The Privredni vjesnik website has reported that the flights will be on Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft with 132 and 162 seats, respectively. Tickets will be available at website http://www.croatiaairlines.com. (croatiantimes.com) Wednesday, 24th March 2010. Tuesday, 23rd March, 2010 Stakeholders in the process of development of rural tourism have been meeting numerous difficulties in administrative, bureaucratic, organizational, financial and other areas. By all means, it is necessary to take into consideration a great challenge imposed on family farms and entrepreneurs involved in rural tourism. It lies in the process of European integration and harmonization with the standards of the European Community. On the basis of all that has been said, and the conclusions to the first congress, we have started organizing the second international congress on rural tourism, which is going to be held on 21 - 25 April 2010. The intention of introductory speeches, specialised topics, examples of the good practices and the roundtable Towards the Strategy for the Development of Rural Tourism is to join forces and make the first giant step forward. Foreign institutions and European Union experts have also been invited to the Congress.
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Tuesday, 17th August, 2010 
Wednesday, 21st July, 2010 
Wednesday, 30th June 2010.
Wednesday, 26th May 2010.
Tuesday, 18th May, 2010
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 excellent Made In Croatia gift /suvenir |
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