The Dubrovnik Tourist Board is organizing a charity concert featuring one of Croatia's most renowned music artists, Vanna. The concert will take place on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 8 PM at the Marin Držić Theatre.

All proceeds from ticket sales, priced at €20, will be donated to the Lukjernica Association, which is dedicated to protecting the rights of psychiatric patients and improving mental health and quality of life within the community.

"We invite all music lovers and those who wish to support a noble cause to join us for this special event. Tickets are available at the Marin Držić Theatre box office and online," stated the tourist board. 

Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a musical spectacle while helping those in need!

The Croatian Banking Association (HUB) announced on Wednesday significant changes to Croatia's payment system that will take effect in 2025, involving the introduction of SEPA instant payments.

"The introduction of SEPA instant payments marks an important step in the modernization and digitalization of Croatia's financial system. This payment service allows users to execute payment transactions faster, more securely, and more conveniently," HUB stated.

In 2024, alongside the Payment Transactions Act, a European regulation on instant credit transfers in euros was adopted. It will come into effect in two phases during 2025 and mandates the implementation of SEPA instant credit transfers (instant payments), enabling the transfer of funds within seconds, 24/7, 365 days a year.

According to the latest regulatory requirements, all payment service providers will be required to facilitate receiving national and cross-border SEPA instant payments starting January 9, and sending such payments starting October 9 of the same year, HUB emphasized.

In line with the regulation, fees for SEPA instant payments will be equal to those for standard payments.

HUB also noted that a significant number of banks in Croatia have already been offering the service of receiving and sending national and cross-border SEPA instant payments, providing users with fast and secure payment execution.

They reminded the public that standard SEPA credit transfers in Croatia are currently processed according to the Financial Agency's (EuroNKS) payment system schedule, with orders initiated outside working hours, on weekends, or public holidays executed on the next business day.

With the introduction of SEPA instant payments, HUB highlighted that a strong emphasis has been placed on system security. Under the regulation, banks offering this service are required to conduct more intensive client database checks against sanction lists at least once daily, every day of the year, in accordance with obligations under the Restrictive Measures Act.

As a result of such checks, there is a possibility of temporarily withholding the ability to submit/receive instant payment orders for clients using this service. Since this is an EU regulation, the checks conducted by banks in Croatia will be identical to those performed by banks in other EU member states, HUB added.

For additional information on the benefits and how to use this service, clients are advised to contact their bank, HUB concluded.

From January 8th to 12th, 2025, the renowned Vakantiebeurs fair, specializing in tourism with a particular focus on camping offers, is taking place in Utrecht, Netherlands. The Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board is participating in this prestigious event for the second time as a co-exhibitor at the Croatian National Tourist Board's stand.

The first two days of the fair, January 8th and 9th, were reserved for tourism industry professionals, while the remaining days are open to the general public.

Vakantiebeurs offers visitors inspiring vacation ideas, while exhibitors showcase a variety of accommodation options, including hotels, campsites, and attractive destinations that promise an unforgettable experience.

At the central section of the Croatian National Tourist Board's stand, daily from 12 PM to 5 PM, tastings of premium Croatian wines, cheeses, and olive oils will be held – the perfect way to experience the flavors of Croatia and discover its rich gastronomic offerings.

Yesterday, January 8th, shortly before 4 PM, on the D8 road, officers from the Metković Police Station using an unmarked patrol vehicle observed a car with Lithuanian license plates overtaking a line of vehicles.

On the Pelješac Bridge, the police used a measuring device to record the vehicle's speed, which, after applying a 10% safety margin, was calculated at 146 km/h – exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h. This marks yet another record-breaking driver, as reported by the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Police Department.

A traffic inspection revealed that the vehicle was driven by a 23-year-old Lithuanian citizen.

For the violations committed, he was issued a mandatory misdemeanor order with a fine of €1,050. Additionally, the same order imposed a protective measure prohibiting him from using his foreign driver's license in the Republic of Croatia for two months.

It’s been a bumper year for car sales in Croatia! A whopping 63,806 new motors hit the roads in 2024, marking a 12.5% jump from 2023. And December alone saw 3,642 new cars sold – that’s 227 more than the same month the year before, according to Promocija Plus.

Škoda Skids into Top Spot!

Škoda was crowned king of the Croatian car market, selling an impressive 8,412 vehicles, snatching 13.1% of the market share. VW wasn’t far behind with 7,417 cars (11.6%), while Renault motored into third with 4,593 sales (7.2%).

Toyota and Suzuki weren’t sleeping at the wheel either, securing fourth and fifth place with 4,217 and 4,074 vehicles sold, respectively.

Luxury Lovers and Newbies Join the Race

When it comes to premium brands, Audi cruised ahead with 2,523 sales. BMW shifted 1,983 cars, and Mercedes rolled out 1,237. Tesla revved up with 601 sales, while Porsche fans snapped up 425. Even new players like MG and Geely got a piece of the action, with 1,434 and 593 sales, proving Croatia’s ready to embrace fresh wheels.

December’s Hot Wheels: Vitara Takes the Crown

December’s best-seller? None other than the Suzuki Vitara, with 150 flying off the forecourts. The MG ZS wasn’t far behind with 147 sales, followed by the trusty Škoda Octavia at 141. VW’s T-Cross and Citroën’s C3 rounded off the top five with 140 and 137 sales, respectively.

Petrol Still Powers the Roads

Petrol cars ruled the roost, making up nearly half of all sales at 47.9% (30,535 cars). Hybrids gained ground with 19,263 sales (30.2%), while diesels coughed up just 16.7% (10,685 cars). Electric vehicles? A modest 3% with 1,915 sold. And let’s not forget gas-powered cars, which made up 2.2% with 1,408 sales.

According to data from the eVisitor system, the first six days of January in Dubrovnik recorded 3,221 tourist arrivals and nearly 11,500 overnight stays—13% fewer than in the same period last year.

In addition to domestic visitors, the most numerous guests are from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Slovenia, Albania, and Montenegro. Currently, 428 tourists are staying in the city, which is only a third of the number recorded on the same date in 2024.

The festive stands in Dubrovnik, on Stradun, are being dismantled, marking the end of the Dubrovnik Winter Festival. Trucks are on Stradun, and the stands are being taken down one by one, awaiting the next occasion.

However, considering the City’s announcements, we’ll see what Stradun will even look like next year, how many booths there will be—if there are any at all.

Inflation in the Eurozone picked up pace in December, with consumer prices in Croatia surging almost twice as fast as the average, according to preliminary calculations by the European statistical office published on Tuesday.

The annual inflation rate in the Eurozone, measured by the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), reached 2.4% in December, marking an acceleration for the third consecutive month.

The trend of milder price growth ended in October, when inflation rose to 2.0%. Revised data showed a further increase to 2.2% in November.

Services and Food Lead the Way

In December, services saw the steepest price hike, up by 4%, slightly higher than the previous month. Fresh food prices rose by 1.7% compared to the same period last year, showing a significant slowdown compared to November.

Energy prices edged up by just 0.1% in December year-over-year, following declines of 2.0% in November, 4.6% in October, and 6.1% in September.

Excluding energy and fresh food, core inflation in the Eurozone stood at 2.8% in December, marginally higher than in November.

On a monthly basis, prices in the Eurozone increased by 0.4% in December, reversing a 0.3% drop from the previous month.

Croatia Tops the Charts

Croatia recorded the highest annual inflation rate among Eurozone countries in December, with prices soaring by 4.5%, up from 4.0% in November. Monthly prices increased by 0.2% after stagnating the previous month.

According to Croatia's State Statistics Bureau (DZS), consumer prices in December were 3.4% higher than in December 2023, with a monthly increase of 0.1%.

Belgium followed closely, with prices rising 4.4% year-over-year. Estonia also crossed the 4.0% mark.

Mildest Increases in Ireland and Italy

Ireland experienced the lowest inflation in the Eurozone at the end of 2024, with prices increasing by just 1%. Italy and Luxembourg followed with rises of 1.4% and 1.6%, respectively, as reported by Eurostat.