At the congress fair "Conventa 2018" held in Ljubljana from January 23rd to 25th, the Kongres Magazine gave Dubrovnik a "Meeting Star Award" in the category of destination that can accommodate up to 1,200 congress participants.

Gorazd Cad, Editor-in-Chief of the Kongres Magazine and co-founder of "Conventa", presented this amazing award to the Tourist Board Director, Romana Vlasic, and emphasized that interest in Dubrovnik is increasing every year. It was also pointed out that this year's Conventa has hosted the largest number of buyers so far, especially from the United States, which also have a great interest for Dubrovnik, one of the leading international destinations in South East Europe.

Prizes were awarded in four categories - Vienna, Ljubljana and Kranjska gora were awarded in the other three.

The Kongres Magazine is one of the leading media in the congress industry. It brings knowledge of top world experts about organizing meetings. The great number of 4,000 meetings is expected to take place at the fair, attended by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.

One of the first things that pops into your head when you think about Dubrovnik is probably magnificent stone walls. Proud monuments that have secured the livelihood of the city, in more ways than one, over the centuries. One tiny, although not irrelevant, section of these ancient walls has recently been repaired and the results have brought a number of shocked and angry reactions. The wailing wall of Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik’s wall of shame or the future site of dozens of adverts for restaurants?

Behind the Dubrovnik Cathedral a supporting wall has been reconstructed and the results have enraged many citizens. “The wall needed repairing because it was in terrible condition, but in a stone city the wall should be repaired with stone,” commented one local citizen. Whilst another local commented, “Who supervised this and who gave it them permission to do this?”

The answer as to who gave permission for the restoration of this wall came from the Dubrovnik Restoration Institute. After numerous inquiries from media outlets in Dubrovnik they answered the following, so as they say, to make sure that the public were well informed. Here is their answer, make your own conclusions.

- The Conservation Department in Dubrovnik asked in written form to the City of Dubrovnik to repair the wall behind the cathedral. The wall was statically in very poor condition with visible cracks. The plaster had mostly fallen off the wall, so it might be possible to get the wrong impression that the wall was initially stone. The type of material from which the stone and bricks were built were originally plastered. During the repair, the wall was first disintegrated, then statically reinforced, and then re-fitted with the same material (stone and brick). The gravel and the composition of the material wall remained the same. The project for which the restoration was carried out has received all the necessary consents from the conservators who have been involved in all segments of restoration since the beginning. The final layer is antique lime-free plaster without cement plaster whose tone and manner of processing have been determined by conservators – writes the Principal of the Dubrovnik Restoration Institute Iva Carević Peković.

Before 

After

The average unemployment rate in Croatia throughout 2017 was recorded at 12.4 percent, which is the lowest ever level since data was been kept.

The labour market is extremely seasonal, with the tourist industry a main factor that the summer registered unemployment rate was at around 10 percent last year, and then as the winter approaches the rate slowly rises again. In fact during the tourist season the tourism industry of Croatia has a shortfall of workers.

Last year the average registered unemployment rate, at 12.4 percent, was the lowest since 2000 when records started to be kept. And the indicators this year according to economic experts is that the level will continue to fall. The positive annual trend in the movement of the registered unemployment rate in 2018 is expected to continue, given the positive macroeconomic trends.

However, there are some black clouds in the rosy unemployment figures, which show a trend towards short-term contracts and seasonal work. Last year 35 percent of the people who left the registered unemployment list went to work in outsourcing, rather than full-time contracts or even part-time ones.

British American Tobacco (BAT), which took over the Croatian company Rovinj tobacco factory, is planning to increase its investments into Croatia this year, reports Poslovni.hr.

The Adria region, which is controlled through the Croatian offices, was expanded last October to include five neighbouring markets, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The Adria region, together with the markets of Bulgaria and Romania, will become part of the new BAT organization in South and Central Europe (SCEA).

BAT has announced that in Croatia this year they will invest 40 million Euros. Around 80 percent of all the tobacco products produced by BAT in Croatia are exported and the plan is to increase it to over 90%, along with an increase in production. BAT currently employs 1,650 workers in its operations in Croatia.

A spectacular video of the ancient Old City of Dubrovnik has been published and shows unique views of the UNESCO World Heritage City.

With the poignant headline “This isn’t Nottingham or King’s Landing – this is the only and only Dubrovnik,” the LMT Studio from Dubrovnik have produced another gem of a promotion for the city. Soaring aerial shots, proud stone facades and panoramic views over the sea of terracotta roofs.

Check out this stunning video

One of the most iconic statutes in Dubrovnik is in desperate need of repair. Orlando’s Column, in the very heart of the Old City of Dubrovnik in front of St. Blaise Church, has visible cracks all over it.

The statue was last repaired only ten years ago, but due to unprofessional works that were carried out without the licence of conservationists the symbol of freedom in Dubrovnik is seriously cracking again.

The Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament voted on Tuesday a proposal for the allocation of the 73 members seats that will become vacant following the departure of the UK from the EU in 2019, and according to this proposal Croatia will get one more seat.

Of the 73 seats currently held by the British, 27 will be distributed among the current EU members, while the remaining 46 seats will remain vacant so that future member states can fill these positions. There is a possibility that they will be filled through the so-called. 'pan-European lists' through which citizens of one EU country can vote for a candidate from another member state.

Spain (5), France (5), Italy (3) and the Netherlands (3) will split most of the vacancies left after the Brexit break away, while other EU members such as Denmark, Poland, Austria and Croatia will receive a new seat in the EU Parliament.

The filming of the multimillion dollar budget Hollywood action thriller ‘’Black Money Games’’ which was supposed to begin in the spring this year on the island of Hvar has been postponed.

According to the words of the Serbian actress Katarina Radivojević, who will have the main role in the film side by side of Tom Hanks, the realization of the film produced by Joey Tufaro is not questionable.

However, over the last few months, this project ‘’has become the culmination of a much larger project titled ‘’Black Money Games’’ which includes a book, a TV series, a documentary and an already launched video game’’, explained the co-producer Mirjana Tomić.

‘’Black Money Games’’ is based on true events about the dark side of cash flows. The main character Eva (Katarina Radivojević) is a Balkan prosecutor who reveals thieves who take billions and billions dollars across the globe and hampers black cash flows from Eastern Europe to treasured islands on the Adriatic. She not only saves islands but attacks ivory smugglers in Botswana and Malawi.

The whole project was inspired by the life and work of Thomas Creal, an international expert in tracking and destroying flows of illegally acquired money and the co-founder of the video game Eva Black Money Game.

‘’By the end of February the producer will conclude contracts with other major film stars in the United States, and then we will be able to tell you more’’, said Tomić, adding that the film will feature big acting names as well as numerous guest stars in various episodes of the TV series.

The $50 million new Hollywood blockbuster will be filmed in Prague, Belgrade, on Hvar and in Botswana.