Online shopping has become an integral part of daily life, and trends in Croatia for 2024 reveal significant shifts in consumer behavior. Accelerated by the growth of e-commerce, digitalization is influencing purchasing decisions, with younger generations increasingly dominating the online marketplace. Heureka Group, in its analysis based on data from the 2024 E-commerce Report by Ceneje! and Valicon, highlighted key trends, popular products and categories, and the importance of research before making purchases, reports T-Portal

Compared to the previous year, demand across various product categories has risen. This indicates that consumers prefer to thoroughly research their options before purchasing, no longer accepting the first offer they come across. The year 2024 demonstrated that Croatian shoppers sought products that made their lives easier, supported healthy habits, and provided greater comfort. At the same time, their willingness to invest in style and luxury reflected their personal values.

During 2024, interest in practical and eco-friendly products increased significantly. Small household appliances saw a 6% rise in demand, highlighting the search for innovations that simplify daily tasks. Notably, demand for heating and cooling devices surged by 62%, reflecting adaptation to increasingly extreme weather conditions. Laptops (13%) gained popularity due to the growing need for remote work and online learning, while televisions (8%) continued to play a key role in entertainment. Meanwhile, the 11% growth in cycling-related products showcased a rising awareness of health and sustainable transportation.

During the past year, approximately 206,500 residence and work permits were issued to foreigners in Croatia, according to the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), reports Danica.hr

This represents about a 20% increase compared to the previous year. The majority of permits were issued for the construction industry (75,000), followed by tourism and hospitality (56,000), and industry (28,500).

The largest number of permits went to citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (38,100), followed by Nepal (35,600), Serbia (28,000), India (20,500), and the Philippines (14,700).

In northern Croatia, the Varaždin County issued the most permits, approximately 9,900, reflecting a 22% increase. Next was Krapina-Zagorje County, with 5,800 permits, a remarkable 66% rise.

Međimurje County issued 4,400 permits for foreign workers, a 12% decrease. Koprivnica-Križevci County issued 3,900 permits, the same as the previous year, while Bjelovar-Bilogora County saw the most significant growth, with 2,100 permits, a 72% increase.

The Korčula Volunteer Fire Department (DVD Korčula) shared the total number of interventions they conducted during 2024 on their official Facebook page. From extinguishing fires on land and boats, assisting with helicopter flights, pumping out water, handling traffic incidents, to inspections and public event security, the firefighters have been exceptionally active, reports Dubrovački Vjesnik. Despite the year having only 365 days (366 in leap years), the Korčula firefighters, led by Commander Francesco Verazza, carried out an astounding 439 interventions!

In 2024, members of DVD Korčula responded to 19 fires, including 4 building fires, 10 wildfires, 4 fires in waste containers, and 1 boat fire.

They conducted 191 technical interventions in total, including 19 obstruction removals, 1 pumping operation for a vessel, 8 technical interventions on buildings, 18 road traffic incidents, 2 underwater technical assists, and an incredible 52 instances of water pumping.

Among other operational activities, totaling 229, highlights include 218 potable water deliveries, 3 inspections, 3 assists to emergency medical services, and providing security at 4 public events. They also recorded 2 false alarms.

Considering that DVD Korčula has only three full-time firefighters year-round and relies heavily on volunteerism and the dedication of its members, these figures are truly remarkable. Congratulations and thanks are due to DVD Korčula, its members, and the leadership team!

While their motto is "Extinguish fires, save your brother," they seem to have embraced another motto of their colleagues: "Safety and trust." Whether or not they officially adopted it, one thing is certain—they’ve earned it!

There are moments in life when the universe throws you a curveball, and you’re left questioning your choices, sanity, and the laws of physics. One such moment occurred recently on my New Year’s Day flight from Stansted Airport to Dubrovnik. It involved an overweight bag, a surprising turn of events, and the kind of luck you usually only read about in bad fiction.

Stansted Airport was heaving, a microcosm of post-festive chaos. People sleeping on the floor, families huddled together in exhaustion, and a distinct lack of seating. We managed to nab two seats in what was described as an “additional seating area,” a euphemism for “we’ve crammed a few chairs near the toilets.”

Winter sun and skiing seemed to be the dominant themes on the departure boards. And yet, wasn’t the UK in the throes of a financial crisis? Clearly, Brits were prioritizing their vitamin D levels and après-ski over their energy bills.

But my tale truly begins before the check-in desk.

You see, there are certain foods from the UK that I sorely miss in Croatia. Branston pickle, salad cream, Double Decker chocolate – the culinary trifecta of a homesick expat. So, I hatched a plan: take an extra suitcase and fill it to bursting with these gastronomic treasures. Little did I know, this seemingly innocent idea would lead a ridiculous.

By the time I zipped up my suitcase, it was bursting at the seams.

“This feels overweight,” I muttered to my wife. “You’ll be fine,” she said with the kind of optimism that should have been a red flag. Spoiler alert: I was not fine.

Dragging the suitcase to the airport was an Olympic sport in itself. The handle snapped under the strain, and I’m fairly certain the wheels left scorch marks on the floor. When we reached the self-service bag drop, I heaved it onto the scales. Seventeen kilos. Our limit? Ten kilos.

Cue a sinking feeling that rivalled the Titanic.

Now, anyone who’s flown with a certain Irish budget airline knows their penchant for penalizing passengers with overweight luggage. I braced myself for financial ruin. The screen flashed up the surcharge: £83!

Suddenly, my jar of Branston pickle had the street value of gold.

I attempted to pay, only for the machine to reject my card. A flurry of panic ensued. A staff member approached, her face a mixture of pity and mild amusement. “Oh, you’re on the Dubrovnik flight,” she said. “We’re doing a special training exercise today. All passengers on your flight need to go to check-in desk 82.”

Off we went, my broken suitcase in tow.

The queue at desk 82 was reminiscent of a Premier League stadium on match day. We shuffled forward inch by inch, the minutes ticking away. By the time we reached the desk, I was ready to abandon my overweight bag, and to be honest I would have done if my wife hadn’t convinced me to be patient.

The check-in agent greeted us with a smile. “Passport and boarding cards, please.” I handed them over, my credit card poised for action. She weighed the bag: seventeen kilos. I winced, waiting for the inevitable demand for payment. Instead, she said something that will stay with me forever: “It’s your lucky day. As part of our training exercise, all excess baggage fees for the Dubrovnik flight are waived.”

I blinked.

Surely, I had misheard. “Waived?” I repeated. “Yes,” she confirmed. “Happy New Year!”

Out of all the flights departing Stansted that day, ours had been chosen as the guinea pig for this bizarre but delightful experiment. My overweight bag of British delicacies was allowed on board, free of charge. It was a New Year’s miracle.

Photo - Mark Thomas 

As we boarded the plane, I couldn’t help but feel a smug sense of satisfaction. My Branston pickle and I were going home, triumphant and unscathed. The year had started on a high note, and for once, the universe had been on my side.

So, here’s to 2025: a year of small victories, unexpected kindness, and, hopefully, no more broken suitcase handles.

Read more Englishman in Dubrovnik…well, if you really want to

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About the author

Mark Thomas (aka Englez u Dubrovniku) is the editor of The Dubrovnik Times. He was born and educated in the UK and moved to live in Dubrovnik in 1998. He works across a whole range of media, from a daily radio show to TV and in print. Thomas is fluent in Croatian and this column is available in Croatia on the website – Dubrovnik Vjesnik

Zagreb Airport has achieved its busiest year on record in 2024, handling a total of 4,316,619 passengers. This marks a 15.9% increase compared to the previous year, translating to an additional 592,969 travellers. Notably, this is the first time in the airport’s history that it has surpassed the four-million mark in a single year, reports EX-YU Aviation. 

Aircraft movements also saw an uptick, rising by 9.2% to 49,955. The past year saw significant developments at the airport, with new arrivals including T’Way Air and Pegasus Airlines, as well as continued expansion by Ryanair, which introduced several new routes.

Looking ahead, Zagreb Airport is poised for further passenger growth, with projections indicating that it will remain one of the fastest-growing airports in the region, particularly in the first quarter of 2025.

Zoran Đukić and the studio đkć are the winners of the Croatian Designers Society award for the visual identity of the 75th Dubrovnik Summer Festival, titled "Horizont." The award ceremony took place last night at Lauba – House for People and Art, as part of the Croatian Design Exhibition 23/24, where a total of 346 design works were presented.

The visual identity for the 75th Festival won the top award in the Visual Communication Design category! Among the nominees for the Grand Prix award were the visual identities of the 74th and 75th Festivals, along with two other works, one of which was awarded for the documentary series Moderna vremena.

"Horizont in the sunset represents the visible but intangible, almost nonexistent, boundary between day and night, between the sky and the sea, the known and the unknown – a point in time and space that marks a transition. In that special moment, the sun colors everything in its crimson hues – the sea, the city, and the people – ceremoniously announcing its departure and handing the stage over to the night, with its mystique, fun, and ease. This is the moment when performances begin at the Summer Festival," the designer explains.

Zoran Đukić is a visual communication designer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in creating thoughtful and innovative visual identities, publications, and exhibitions for a wide range of clients in the cultural sector. He is the founder and leader of the studio đkć d.o.o. and enjoys designing visual identities and theater posters the most.

With excellent attendance at over 180 diverse events during the 11th Dubrovnik Winter Festival, a record number of views on social media content was also achieved.

The official pages of the Dubrovnik Winter Festival garnered more than 3.5 million views over the nearly 40 days of the event, with 2.2 million views on Facebook and 513,000 unique user accounts reached, while on Instagram, the total views reached 1.4 million, engaging 206,000 user accounts.

Last year, the 10th Dubrovnik Winter Festival garnered 1 million views on social media, while this year’s festival achieved a success nearly three and a half times greater. Throughout the festival, social media engagement remained consistently high, with the biggest interest traditionally recorded on the opening day of the festival, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve, each generating hundreds of thousands of views.

The collaboration with the Faculty of Media and Public Relations at the University of Dubrovnik continued during the 11th Dubrovnik Winter Festival, with students actively following the festival as part of their practical assignments. They created a wealth of multimedia content, closely tied to social media posts, which garnered millions of views.

The Dubrovnik Winter Festival is a project of the City of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, public cultural institutions, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, and public companies, along with numerous partners, sponsors, and individuals. During Advent and leading up to New Year's Eve, over 180 diverse cultural and entertainment events were held at 30 locations throughout Dubrovnik, offering a wide range of activities for residents and visitors of all ages.

For the first time in its history, the Croatian Air Force (HRZ) has appointed a woman as its Chief Non-Commissioned Officer. Nevena Ramić, who joined the Croatian Armed Forces at their formation in 1991, has dedicated 34 years to her career, steadily advancing through the ranks and earning numerous accolades along the way.

Ramić described her new role as both an immense honor and a significant responsibility. "I never imagined, not even in my wildest dreams, that I could achieve this position. It’s an incredible honor, and to be honest, I went through a whirlwind of emotions when the idea of me taking on this role was first raised. But now, I feel a deep sense of responsibility and a strong determination to give my absolute best, as I always have in my work," Ramić told HRT.

Born in Zadar in 1971, Warrant Officer Nevena Ramić has been with the Croatian Armed Forces since 1991. Over the course of her career, she has held numerous positions and, in 2016, was appointed Chief Non-Commissioned Officer at the Training Center in Zemunik—a role she served in until her latest historic promotion.