According to data from Promocija plus, the leading research and analysis agency in the region, car sales in Croatia in September increased by 18.1 percent in comparison to the same month last year. In the first nine months of 2016 a total of 34,916 new vehicles were sold or 21.1 percent more over the same period last year.

This September the best selling brands in Croatia were Volkswagen, which sold 130 Golfs, followed by Skoda with 106 sold Octavia vehicles and Suzuki which sold 80 new Vitara vehicles.

From the beginning of 2016 the leading car manufacturer in Croatia was Volkswagen which sold the most new passenger vehicles (4,890) and is followed by Opel which sold 3,536 new vehicles, Renault (3,000), Skoda (2,764) and Ford with 2,546 sold vehicles.

In the so called premium segment the best selling brands were Audi with 1,246 sold vehicles, followed by its fellow country car manufacturers Mercedes (1,062) and BMW (1,049).

By fuel type, in the first nine months of this year the share of diesel powered cars in the total car sales accounted for 57 percent, petrol powered cars accounted for 41 percent, whilst the negligible percentage accounted for electric, hybrid and LPG vehicles.

Dubrovnik has once again found itself on an international top list, but this time one not to be proud of. The website Matador Network has published a list entitled “6 destinations being ruined by mega-cruise ships,” and Dubrovnik finds itself in second place. At the top of the list of shame is Venice and the rest of the list includes Belize, Alaska, Antarctica and Svalbard, Norway.

- Similar to Venice, the city of Dubrovnik just wasn’t designed to handle the volume of cruisers who come pouring of the ships that arrive every few days. A naturally hilly city, tourists are bused from the modern port to the Old Town and back each day, and are wearing the Old Town away – writes Matador about Dubrovnik.

The cruise ship crush in Dubrovnik will bring almost a million passengers this year and over 65 percent of all cruise ships in Croatian territorial waters arrive in Dubrovnik.

Read the full article here.

The world famous confectioner Buddy Valastro, also known as the Cake Boss, is coming to Croatia!

The owner and head baker of the Carlo’s Bakery and the star of the culinary and family show ‘’Cake Boss’’ which is broadcast on the TLC reality TV show, will visit Croatia on the 17th and the 18th of October where he will take part in judging and selection of the best cake with Croatian motifs.

Buddy Valastro runs a successful Italian-American family-owned chain of pastry shops in the US, which he inherited from his father. In his father's pastry shop Buddy has worked from his young days and learned all the secrets about sweets and has become a master in making grandiose cakes of different shapes.

The TV show ''Cake Boss'' follows the operations of the Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey owned and operated by siblings Buddy Valastro, Lisa Valastro, Maddalena Castano, Grace Faugno and Mary Sciarrone. The show focuses on how they make their edible art cakes, and the interpersonal relationships among the various family members and other employees who work at the shop.

The Zagreb event will be held at the City Centre One West on the 17th of October at 6 pm. Visitors can also meet the famous chef in the evening.

This will be the first visit of the famous chef to Croatia and but we hope it will not be the last.

The popular fashion website “InStyle” has published an article entitled “5 Reasons to Have Your Destination Wedding and Honeymoon in Croatia.” This latest article about Croatia in the international media praises the gems of the Adriatic and highlights the advantages of having your big day in the country.

- Located across from Italy on the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic Sea, it has some of the most spectacular beaches you’ll ever see in your life. But what you won’t find a lot of in Croatia are the massive resort chains that have become so common in other parts of Europe and throughout the world. There’s still an authentic kind of grittiness that so perfectly juxtaposes the pristine waters that surround its 1,000-plus islands – opens the article.

The sunsets, the crystal clear blue water, the history, the food and the romance were listed as the top five reasons InStyle gives for making Croatia your dream wedding destination. - If you’re planning a destination wedding or celebrating your honeymoon, Croatia should be at the top of your list of possible locales – adds the article. And piece features stunning photos from the Dubrovnik based photography company Adriatic Images.

Check out the full article here.

People who know me, know I'm not one for public showing of emotions. In fact, I prefer not to show how I feel at all outside of my home or outside of a very select circle of friends. Plenty of times this reservation is tied to my job. When you are working in tourism, especially with guests directly you need to practise not letting your feelings show. Don’t get me wrong, I am usually perfectly honest with friendly disposition towards my guests. It’s just that sometimes you don’t feel so great because of whatever reason and you can’t let your guests know this. Being overly positive and friendly right from the start is also not the best way to go. Some people simply want the service and no personal engagement and I respect that.

When it comes to everyday life and displays of emotion, hugging seems to be the most common ritual for those around me who are not shy to show affection. I am not a fan of it and I’m clumsy with other touchy-feely interactions as well. My wife is very much different in this respect and she finds endless entertainment in seeing me squirm in social situations. Recently, she was able to put my personal service delivery philosophy to a real test. We were entertaining a very special group of guests last week, very friendly and relaxed. As it turns out, all of them are dedicated huggers much like she is and guess what happened when I was exposed for an emotional scrooge? Yes, they all rushed in to show me just how much fun you can have distributing signs of joy and affection to those around you.

One day I guided a historical tour for them and enjoyed doing so. Apparently, they liked it too, because they honoured me with a group hug in the middle of one of the busiest Dubrovnik squares as a reward. I’m a big, and generally angry looking guy, so group hugs make me look like a grizzly among Ewoks (Star Wars reference…I went there). My joy was compounded when I realised there are plenty of photos of this being taken that are bound to make their way to the wife. Of course, I was visibly uncomfortable which made the whole thing even funnier. For the remainder of the week I was a victim of unprovoked random hugs by virtually anyone from the group to the delight of my better half. Well played Mrs. Jukic. Well played.

In a way, it was a welcome break from being strictly professional, I have to admit. The hugging thing is still not my cup of tea, but by the end of this group’s stay, we’ve established a very nice relationship which perhaps wouldn’t be so friendly if it wasn’t for the ice breaking displays of emotion. One thing puzzles me though. I’ve guided two more city tours since then and both times there were guests at the end of the tours who felt compelled to give me a hug. This almost never happened before. Are hugs like bee stings that release pheromones and attract other huggers? A chilling thought, if ever there was one. One of the guests even commented: “You are such a good hugger.” What can I tell you, practice makes perfect.

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Bozidar Jukic, AKA The Restless Native, is a Dubrovnik local with too many interests to name them all, with writing being at the very top of the list. He is a lover of good food, music and film, and a firm believer in the healing power of laughter. His professional orientation is towards tourism and travel so it comes as no surprise he spends most of his time alongside Mrs. Jukic running their own local tour company. Their goal is helping travellers from all over the world get a more intimate experience of Dubrovnik and what it has to offer. To find out more about their work, visit their website or Facebook page.
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The official newspaper of the European Union reported that the European Commision approved the registration of two Croatian food products – olive oil from Korcula and lamb from Pag - as Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) and Protected Designations of Origin (PDO).

The European Union documents decribed the olive oil from the island of Korcula (Korculansko maslinovo ulje) as an extra-virgin olive oil obtained directly from olives by mechanical means. The basic raw material for the production of this oil are fruits of the olive autochthonous varieties Lastovka and Drobnica. Storage and bottling of the oil must also take place in the defined geographical area.

Paska janjetina or the lamb meat from the island of Pag was described as fresh meat obtained from the slaughter of young lambs of the autochthonous Croatian breed of sheep Paska ovca (Pag sheep) that were born and bred solely on the island of Pag.

Croatia is also known for its other food products protected at the EU level such as turkey from the Hrvatsko Zagorje region, Poljicki soparnik, prosciutto from Drnis, the island of Krk, Istria and Dalmatia, extra virgin oil from Cres, tangerines from the valley of Neretva, sour cabbage from Ogulin, kulen from Baranja and potatoes from Lika.

Mayor of Dubrovnik Andro Vlahusic and councilor for administration for the mayor's office Igor Deranja met today with the director and executive producer of the film "Robin Hood: Origins" Otto Bathurst and E. Bennett Walsh.

Director Bathurst told the mayor that Dubrovnik, which will play Nottingham in the movie, is a location they could never dream of.

- In the movie with the historical theme, the choice of location is just crucial. We looked at dozens of locations around the world, but Dubrovnik very quickly established itself as the only choice - said Bathurst and discovered that our city will be" the heart of the movie itself. "

The executive producer of the film, which will very likely turn into a trilogy, veteran E. Bennett Walsh closely acquainted the mayor with the project, presented a draft plan of shooting and expressed demands of the film crew. The producer, whose filmography includes such blockbusters like "Disturbia," "The Amazing Spider-Man" and both parts of Tarantino's "Kill Bill", is delighted with the openness and affection which by the City of Dubrovnik. He also said that Lionsgate is also in the final negotiations with the rest of the actors who will complement already impressive lineup and all the details will be known by the end of October when the much broader film crew will again visit Dubrovnik.

-The budget for marketing and promotion of the movie is very close to the amount of 100 million dollars, and Dubrovnik will be the basis of the total global marketing campaign - said Walsh.

When welcoming Bathurst and Walsh , the mayor Vlahusic said that in the city of Dubrovnik is the right partner to overcome the challenges that are inevitable when the recording takes place in the heart of the living city. The director and producer Barhurst Walsh readily accepted the mayor's proposal to flag the arrival of "Robin Hood" during the course of the Dubrovnik Winter Festival through a joint promotional campaign.

So far confirmed filming locations include a part of Stradun, City Port, the street of St. Dominic and the area under the bridge at Ploce. Setting the set design will begin in December, and the shooting will take place during three weeks in February and March.

By recording these big productions Dubrovnik will further confirm its status as the largest film studio in the open. Premiere of the film is planned for February 2018.

At the conference MEETING G2.1 held last October in Zagreb, the Croatian president Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic emphasized that in 2014 Croats from the Diaspora invested 1.1 billion Euros in Croatia.

This year's conference MEETING G2.2 under the title ''Croats together in business'' will be held from the 10th to the 12th of October at the Congress Centre Forum in Zagreb. Many successful entrepreneurs who returned to Croatia, a group of influential Croatian businessmen who have lived in many countries as well as successful exporters from Croatia will attend the Zagreb conference.

The main goal of the conference is to connect Croats from abroad with people and business opportunities in Croatia via practical online and offline knowledge-sharing, matchmaking and networking forums in order to drive a new era of the economic development, growth and productivity of the homeland.

''We cannot wait for the whole situation in Croatia to improve in order to invest in the country. There are many young people in Croatia who managed to succeed in these difficult conditions. Also there is great interest in investing in Croatia and the Croatian Diaspora has an important role in the whole process. Croatian entrepreneurs should not be afraid, they must take advantage of our people around the world, just as the Mlinar company recently did when they opened a franchise in Australia'', said Don Markusic, the vice president of the Transparency International Croatia and the president of the Asia-Pacific Chamber of Commerce and also one of the participants of the upcoming business meeting.

At the closing of the last year's conference MEETING G2.1, Joseph Hrgetic, the G2 project director concluded, ''It is important that Croats outside Croatia stay connected with each other, and not only with Croats in Croatia. We want to strengthen our influence on the State Office for the Croats outside the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Heritage Foundations all around the world as well as to connect strongly to the Emigration Congress and the Croatian World Congress in order to achieve synergy through cultural, ethnological and business cooperation''.