Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited the village of Vrbanj on Hvar Island over the weekend to officially open a new island branch of the Juraj Bonači Centre for Education and Care. The facility, aimed at supporting children with developmental challenges from birth to the age of seven, marks a major step forward in improving social services for island communities.

“This centre means children no longer need to travel to Split for care — it’s a new standard of support for island families,” said Plenković.

The project was made possible through cooperation between local authorities and the Perle Association, with additional backing from the cities of Hvar and Stari Grad and the municipality of Jelsa.

Photo - Vlada/X

Plenković also announced forthcoming changes to the Islands Act that would mandate similar facilities on other major Croatian islands. He confirmed further investment in a centre for older children and youth between Vrbanj and Stari Grad.

Following the opening, the Prime Minister continued his tour of Hvar, Stari Grad, Jelsa, and Solin, expressing strong support for HDZ candidates in the upcoming local elections.

“Our government has invested over €3.5 billion in island development in the past eight and a half years. We’re committed to improving life on Croatia’s islands,” he said.

The much-anticipated Pelješac Bridge Night Run organised by DU Motion, set for May 29, 2025, has officially sold out in record time, making it the fastest sell-out since the race was first launched. Interest in this unique running event continues to grow rapidly, confirming its status as one of the most sought-after races in Croatia.

Described as spectacular and unforgettable, the race gives runners the rare opportunity to sprint across the Pelješac Bridge, Croatia’s most ambitious infrastructure project to date, and one of the longest bridges in Europe. With the race starting at 20:30, participants will run under the stars, surrounded by dramatic Adriatic views and the bridge’s iconic lighting, creating a truly magical atmosphere.

This year's edition attracted more applicants than ever before, and all available spots were snapped up within hours of opening registration—making it the quickest sell-out so far. The 5-kilometre course has a 50-minute time limit, and capacity is tightly controlled for logistical and safety reasons.

Originally launched to celebrate the bridge’s engineering marvel and to offer athletes a one-of-a-kind race location, the Pelješac Bridge Run has quickly become a bucket-list event. Organisers call it a “dream come true for runners” and a “spectacle that will be talked about for years.”

Although this year’s event is now at full capacity, fans of the race are already marking their calendars and refreshing their browsers, hoping to secure a place for the next edition.

Zagreb Airport is flying high after clocking up a whopping 419,675 passengers in April alone – that’s a 13.6% jump compared to the same month last year.

Plane-spotters had plenty to cheer about too, with 4,581 aircraft movements, up 7.1%, and the airport notched up its busiest day ever on record during the month, reports EX-YU Aviation. 

So far this year, over 1.27 million travellers have passed through the terminal – an impressive 9.6% boost on last year, with 111,590 extra passengers already through the doors.

And the take-off continues! May is looking even busier, with seat capacity up by more than 10%. At this rate, 2025 could be a bumper year for Croatia’s busiest airport.

The value of Croatian goods exports reached €6.1 billion in the first three months of this year, marking an 8.6% increase compared to the same period last year, while imports rose by 7.6% to €10.7 billion, according to preliminary data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

The foreign trade deficit for the period stood at €4.6 billion, with export coverage of imports at 57.1%. According to the DZS data released on Friday, exports to EU member states amounted to just over €4 billion in the first quarter, up 8% year-on-year. Exports to non-EU countries increased by 9.8%, reaching €2.1 billion.

Imports from EU countries rose by 2.5% on an annual basis, totaling €8.2 billion, while imports from non-EU countries reached €2.5 billion—an increase of 28.5%.

DZS also released provisional data for goods trade during the first two months of the year.

Total exports during that period reached nearly €4 billion, up 10% compared to the same time last year. Imports also increased by 10%, reaching €6.9 billion. As a result, the foreign trade deficit stood at €2.9 billion, with an export-import coverage ratio of 57.5%.

When it comes to local government—specifically, the councils and assemblies of municipalities, cities, and counties, as well as mayors and county prefects—Croatian voters will head to the polls on Sunday, May 18, at 6,600 polling stations, which is 28 more than four years ago.

The highest number of polling stations, 642 and 609 respectively, will be open in Zagreb County and Split-Dalmatia County, while the City of Zagreb will have 605.

The fewest polling stations, 113 and 158, have been designated in Lika-Senj County and Međimurje County.

Polling stations are determined by the relevant municipal, city, and City of Zagreb electoral commissions, based on the principle of accessibility for voters.

The State Electoral Commission (DIP) has published the list of polling stations and their designated areas on its official website, making it easy for any voter with doubts about where to vote to check.

Due to the complexity of local elections, unlike other types of elections, voters can only cast their ballot in their place of permanent residence—not in any other location, either in Croatia or abroad.

The right to vote is granted to adult Croatian citizens who have permanent residence in the administrative unit where the elections are being held.

Due to the hailstorm that struck the area of Smokvica on the island of Korčula during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, causing significant material damage to agricultural crops, Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavić declared a natural disaster for the municipality on Friday.

In the decision, Prefect Dobroslavić calls on all farmers in the affected area who have suffered damage to report it to the Municipal Commission for the Assessment of Natural Disaster Damage within eight days.

In accordance with Article 25 of the Law on Mitigation and Elimination of the Consequences of Natural Disasters, the Municipal Commission for the Assessment of Natural Disaster Damage is obliged to enter all received initial damage assessments into the Damage Register within the legally prescribed timeframe, the decision states.

Croatia welcomed 1.2 million tourists in April 2025, marking a 14% increase compared to the same month last year, while the number of overnight stays rose by 17% to 3.6 million, according to data from the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB).

Over the first four months of the year, there was a 3% rise in arrivals (2.27 million tourists) and a 4% increase in overnight stays (6.4 million). These results were partly driven by the Easter holidays, which fell later than last year. The four-day Easter period alone recorded a double-digit growth in tourist numbers compared to the same holiday in March 2024.

According to the CNTB’s eVisitor system, 1.57 million foreign tourists visited Croatia in the first four months of 2025, accounting for 4.8 million overnight stays — up 2% and 4%, respectively, year-on-year.

There were also 697,000 domestic tourists during this period — 6% more than last year — who accounted for 1.5 million overnight stays, an increase of 3%.

April Sees 17% More Overnight Stays

As usual, foreign tourists accounted for the majority of overnight stays in April, with 3.1 million, a 20% increase over April 2024. There were 16% more foreign tourist arrivals as well — 997,200 in total.

Domestic tourism also grew, with 4% more local arrivals (233,000) and overnight stays (526,000) than in April 2024.

Domestic tourists ranked second by nationality in terms of overnight stays, behind the Germans. Slovenians came third, followed by Austrians, Brits, Poles, Italians, Americans, French, and tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Most tourists in April stayed in hotels, which accounted for 1.6 million overnight stays — 12% more than last year. Private accommodation followed with 806,600 stays (up 21.6%), and campsites came third with 546,500 stays — the highest growth rate of all, up 36% year-on-year.

Overall, 92% of overnight stays in April were in commercial accommodations, 4% in non-commercial accommodations, and another 4% in nautical tourism.

By county, Istria led the way in April overnight stays, followed by Split-Dalmatia and Kvarner. The top five counties were rounded out by Dubrovnik-Neretva and Zadar, with the City of Zagreb also recording high figures — making it the top inland destination.

Among individual destinations, the top five in April 2025 were Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Poreč, Split, and Rovinj.

The City of Dubrovnik is once again working intensively this year on preparing and tidying up its beaches to ensure they are in top condition for the upcoming season. Seasonal maintenance on beaches and swimming areas began in early April and is scheduled for completion by mid-June, in time for the peak swimming season.

A wide range of works has already been carried out – from the installation of beach equipment such as ladders, showers, and changing cabins, to the repair of a section of the promenade in Zaton. The beach at Donje Čelo on Koločep has been leveled and the access path cleared, while in Solitudo (Mandrač), work has begun on leveling the beach, mowing the grass, and cleaning the coastal area. At Buža, protective fencing is being installed, and simultaneously, new information boards with barcodes linking to sea quality data are being set up.

When it comes to swimmer safety, protective buoys have already been placed at bathing areas in Zaton, along the Rijeka Dubrovačka coastline, in Lozica, parts of the beaches on Koločep, and in Štikovica. Installation continues at remaining locations, depending on weather conditions and safety guidelines.

Due to unstable weather conditions, beach leveling is being carried out in stages to ensure quality execution and lasting results.

As part of the planned activities, works are scheduled tomorrow in the Sumartin Bay area (Lapad), continuing the systematic preparation of all city swimming areas for the upcoming season.