Ivana Smilović – a senior journalist at The Dubrovnik Times. Born and raised in Dubrovnik, Ivana (or Smile as she is known to all) graduated Media Studies from the University of Dubrovnik. A book worm, coffee addict and want-to-be world traveller Ivana brings her unique local insight, connections and general optimistic and well smiley feel to the Times.
Email: ivana@thedubrovniktimes.com
The Croatian National Tourist Board has prepared four new videos for social networking activities on gastronomy, natural beauty, active tourism and culture, through which it continues to implement the excellently accepted new communication concept #CroatiaLongDistanceLove. Promotional activities in the coming period will take place in the four segments, and the first published video is on the subject of Croatian natural beauty.
-I am very pleased that our communication under the label #CroatiaLongDistanceLove is producing great results, as it can be seen by the great interest of our followers on social networks, as well as the American, German, Austrian and Hungarian media who have shared them with their viewers and readers. We have embarked on the second phase of the concept, in which we specifically promote certain segments of the Croatian tourist offer that we are well known for, such as natural beauties, cultural heritage, but also gastronomy. Through one-minute videos and accompanying content, we wish to remind our followers of the extraordinary beauties Croatia offers and to inform them that they are welcome to our country as soon as the time comes to plan their trip - said Croatian Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic.
The video that launched the #CroatiaLongDistanceLove concept has so far been viewed by over one million users, with most reviews and comments being made in close markets such as Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Slovenia. The comments are extremely positive, mostly referring to the beautiful frames of sun, sea, beaches, but also to the message "Welcome Croatia to your home" used in the new communication concept. On YouTube, the video has been viewed over 37 thousand times, while on Instagram, the tag #CroatiaLongDistanceLove has been used over a thousand times.
The video was shared by numerous county and local tourist boards, agencies and hotels, but also by private renters, and well-known Croatian athletes, foreign bloggers and journalists, as well as the European Travel Commission, who shared the video on its site, praised the message concept and content. Also, in the last month the number of fans and their activities on Croatia Full of life channels has increased, so for example, in April alone, Instagram reached almost 4 million people, recieved more than 9 thousand comments, 740 thousand likes and over 5 thousand new fans.
Gasoline prices in Croatia have risen since midnight after several weeks of falling – Poslovni.hr reports. The average price increase is 10 lipas per liter, or 5 kuna for a full tank of 50 liters of fuel.
A liter of gasoline at INA's gas stations costs 7.8 kuna, and depending on the stations, prices range from 7.69 to 7.96 kuna.
The price of diesel remained the same - ranging from 7.37 to 7.68 kuna. The average price is 7.47 kuna per liter.
Autogas is still 3.61 kuna per liter.
Coronavirus situation made everybody dream about their next travels a whole lot more than before. That's why many specialized websites bring tips where you should go when the world starts opening again and Motor1 is one of them! This website that targets car buyers as well as car enthusiasts has recently published an article titled 10 Of The Best Driving Roads In North America (Plus One In Croatia) and we were really happy to see which road has been chosen to enter the list.
-While there are plenty of ways to define a pleasant motoring experience, we’re going to focus primarily on something that provides a unique experience, rather than just high-speed curves. And since we’ve still got lots of world to see, we’re not even going to claim these are the best roads out there (or that this list is in any particular order). But if you have a spare day or two and find yourself craving some solo time with your car – or truck or motorcycle – these stops are a great place to start – the author explains, bringing the full list that you can see here.
But the most interesting for us was, of course, Croatian road and that's D414 State Road (Trpanj / Ston, Croatia).
-Driving from Trpanj’s ferry terminal south toward the medieval Walls of Ston requires a cruise on the D414 State Road. Belying its utilitarian official name is some of the most incredible scenery on the Adriatic Sea, with cold and imposing limestone hills on one side of the road giving way to lush coastlines on the other. D414 is narrow in places, but ample turnouts and classically European lane discipline makes preserving momentum easy. D414 connects to D8, Croatia’s section of the Adriatic Highway, at its southern terminus – Motor1 writes.
Sounds good? Put it on your bucket list!
With the termination of the Decision of closing children's playgrounds and open sports playgrounds as an anti-epidemic measure of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia, children's playgrounds and sports playgrounds will be opened in the City of Dubrovnik.
The department for communal services and local self-government has ordered the contractor in the field of playground maintenance to open all children's playgrounds and sports fields managed by the City of Dubrovnik.
On this occasion, a review of the devices and other equipment will be carried out and it is expected that by Tuesday all playgrounds in the administrative area of the city will be open and ready to welcome users.
The City of Dubrovnik recommends that all users continue to adhere to the current anti-epidemic measures of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, especially those related to personal hygiene and maintaining social distance.
In the past week in the area of Police Administration of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County there were seven traffic accidents with one death case, while one person got heavily injured and five persons got light injuries. There was one traffic accident with material damage.
By carrying out traffic control measures, police officers have taken 504 repressive measures against the perpetrators of traffic offenses, out of which 273 measures taken due to speeding, 88 measures because of non-use of the seat belt, eight measures against drivers who were driving the vehicle under the influence of alcohol and five measures because of using mobile phone while driving. There were 14 measures due to the improper stop and parking.
When it comes to coronavirus situation in Croatia, two things are certain: Croatia reacted to the virus fast and efficiently and this summer season will be hard and challenging.
BBC has just published an article on this topic, titled Coronavirus: Greece and Croatia acted fast, now need to save summer, praising the two countries on their reaction when it comes to virus, but also seeing the problems that the rest of the year brings – especially the possibility of the ruined summer season.
-For Croatia the problem is no longer how to keep foreigners out, but to bring them back in. About half of Croatia's 20 million annual visitors arrive in July and August and tourism is responsible for at least a fifth of its economic output – BBC explains, giving a small timeline of how things started and were handled in Croatia in Greece.
As BBC writes, Croatia needs co-operation from its neighbours, Slovenia in particular. Slovenians rank second only to Germans in terms of the number of nights they spend in Croatia. If you travel by road from Northern Europe you have to cross Slovenia to reach the beaches of Istria Dalmatian and the Kvarner Gulf.
They add that the two countries' tourism ministers met in Zagreb last week to sketch out a plan to allow Slovenians to travel across Croatia's borders by the end of this month, with other nationalities following in June.
Also, Czech travel agencies are keen to establish a "corona corridor" enabling quarantine-free travel to the coast, a plan warmly received by Croatia's prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic. A survey in Austria too has indicated that people are still hoping to bask in the Croatian sun.
See the full article here.
Rudjer Boskovic's Diocesan Classical High School ex students and Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra are behind the mood lifting video which brings famous Dubrovnik children's song Pirate from Porporela.
- By performing Pirate from Porporela, we send a strong message to everyone that, regardless of the circumstances, we can always take better care of ourselves! That doesn’t mean that those who are moving forward aren’t afraid, but that they combat their fear with optimism, persistence, kindness, friendship, community, a cheerful spirit, a positive attitude – they pointed out.
Listen to the video below and try not to smile – we dare you!
Minister of the Economy Darko Horvat informed his colleagues at the Government session that starting of the economic activity also involves more intensive movement of citizens, therefore it is necessary to enable a sufficient number of face masks to protect and prevent the spread of the virus in shops, public transport and other public spaces.
-In order to ensure the protection of health and life of people in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, due to the epidemic of Covid-19 disease caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the Government of the Republic of Croatia limits the maximum retail price of face mask to a maximum of 12 kuna - Minister Horvat said.
The decision obliges the State Inspectorate of the Republic of Croatia to prepare, in cooperation with the Croatian Institute of Public Health, a template for the decleration, or more precisely the information on the product of the face mask.