Flydubai’s Zagreb service soared in 2024, with over 20,000 extra passengers taking to the skies compared to the previous year – a whopping 33% increase!

The airline welcomed 83,475 travellers on the route, thanks to a boost of 34,580 extra seats between the two cities, reports EX-YU Aviation. 

Despite the rise in numbers, the average cabin load factor dipped slightly, dropping from 76% in 2023 to 71.7% last year. 

Market conditions indicate that housing prices in Croatia will continue to rise this year, though at a milder pace than in previous years, according to experts speaking at the RE:D real estate conference on Wednesday, reports N1. 

Ongoing Price Growth in the Housing Market

Vedrana Likan from Colliers stated that recent data points to a sustained upward trend in housing prices, particularly in new developments, and that market conditions do not currently suggest a reversal of this trend.

"We expect housing prices to show a tendency for slight growth," Likan noted.

A Slowing Market

Despite rising prices, the market has slowed, as evidenced by a decline in transaction numbers. Affordability remains a major issue across the European Union, including Croatia.

Likan highlighted that the Croatian government, as the owner of a significant amount of real estate—especially land suitable for new housing developments—should recognize its role and responsibility in addressing the affordability crisis.

State-Owned Land as a Key Solution

She emphasized the urgent need for the government to activate its real estate assets. While the state does not necessarily need to act as a developer, it should acknowledge that the large land areas it owns present a valuable investment opportunity.

"The government could participate as a partner, seller, concessionaire, or grantor of building rights—there are several possible models," Likan suggested.

Decline in Commercial Real Estate Investments

Likan also reported that in 2024, Croatia saw a sharp 65% decline in commercial real estate investment volume compared to the previous year, dropping to approximately €240 million. This includes office buildings, hotels, logistics spaces, and shopping centers that generate revenue.

Given trends in the global and European markets, a downturn was expected, but the decline was more severe than anticipated. However, she expressed optimism, noting that investment volumes in other Central and Southeastern European countries grew by around 70%, which could indicate a positive shift for Croatia in the near future.

Limited Office Space Availability Driving Up Prices

Croatia is currently experiencing historically low office space availability, with only about 2% of office properties vacant. This scarcity is pushing rental prices higher.

Barriers to new office developments include high land prices, unresolved property-legal issues, high construction costs, labor shortages, expensive materials, and costly financing options.

Is There Enough Supply to Meet Demand?

Likan pointed out that demand across all commercial real estate segments is so high that it remains uncertain whether current and upcoming developments will be enough to meet market needs.

Potential for 32,000 New Apartments in Zagreb

Boro Vujović, director of the real estate agency Opereta, echoed the sentiment that, given inflation and demand outpacing supply, a drop in housing prices is unlikely. Instead, prices are expected to remain stable or increase slightly compared to last year.

Due to high demand and limited new construction, even older apartments are being sold at "perhaps unjustifiably high prices," Vujović noted.

He also pointed out that planned changes to Zagreb’s General Urban Plan (GUP) will likely lead to reduced construction potential and higher costs per square meter. "The new GUP will impose stricter regulations on buildability and building height, making development even more challenging and expensive, which could further drive up prices," he explained.

Estimates suggest that government- and city-owned land in central Zagreb could accommodate the construction of around 32,000 new apartments. However, this would require political will to make the land available for development.

For instance, activating the large Gredelj site in central Zagreb could enable the construction of a significant number of housing units. Vujović emphasized the advantages of developing in central locations, as opposed to the periphery, where infrastructure costs are higher and traffic congestion is an issue.

Ryanair will switch to 100% digital boarding passes starting November 3. Originally set for May, the airline has now extended the deadline, giving passengers more time to adjust.

Currently, 80% of Ryanair travelers already use digital boarding passes, but with 200 million passengers per year, that still leaves 40 million relying on printed passes.

In a statement, the airline said: "Ryanair passengers will no longer download and print a physical paper boarding pass but will instead use the digital boarding pass generated in their myRyanair app during check-in."

Looking ahead, Ryanair expects to eliminate most airport check-in fees by November 2025, as all passengers will be required to check in online or via the app.

For those without smartphones, the airline suggests seeking assistance from a friend or family member.

A session of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Presidency was held today, after which Prime Minister Andrej Plenković gave a statement to the media and commented on current political issues.

Plenković commented on the conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump: “We will see what was discussed. Trump sees himself as a peacemaker, someone capable of stopping wars. He is now projecting that role of the U.S. onto Ukraine and the Middle East. It seems most important to him to demonstrate that he is the one who secured peace. However, if a ceasefire and peace process result in rewarding Russian aggression with Ukrainian territory, that would be a terrible outcome and will never be the policy of our government.”

A White House official stated that the phone conversation between President Trump and Putin lasted about an hour and a half, according to the official, though the exact time of its conclusion was not specified.

Deputy Mayor Jelka Tepšić and Head of the Department for Culture, Heritage, and Tourism, Julijana Antić Brautović, recently visited the Polish region of Mazowsze to attend the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Linđo Folklore Ensemble and one of Poland’s two national ensembles, Mazowsze.

Mazowsze, the oldest and largest Polish national ensemble, is renowned for its highly successful world tours. The group has not performed in Croatia for the past 70 years, but thanks to this collaboration, Dubrovnik audiences will have the opportunity to experience their performance in June.

The agreement was signed during Linđo’s tour, which included three concerts by the Dubrovnik folklore ensemble. Additionally, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board hosted a promotional event where Deputy Mayor Tepšić presented Dubrovnik’s sustainable tourism development project.

The Dubrovnik delegation also held a working meeting with Croatia’s Ambassador to Poland, His Excellency Tomislav Vidošević. As part of the embassy’s initiatives, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra will perform for Polish audiences in May. Discussions also touched on potential cooperation within the Dubrovnik Jazz Outbreak festival.

This marks Linđo’s first tour in its 60th anniversary year, while the upcoming concert by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra in Lublin will be their first international performance in celebration of their 100th anniversary.

The Croatian National Bank (HNB) is issuing gold and silver numismatic coins titled "King Tomislav," featuring commemorative motifs representing the Croatian ruler. The gold coins will be available in denominations of 10, 100, and 200 euros, while the silver coins will be issued in 4 and 6-euro denominations, the HNB announced.

The designer of the "King Tomislav" gold and silver coins is Nikola Vudrag, a university graduate in sculpture. The numismatic coins will go on sale on March 20, 2025, except for the 6-euro silver coin, which will be available in May.

The coins will be sold by the Croatian Mint, with an expected initial price of around €11,000 for the 200-euro gold coin, approximately €3,280 for the 100-euro gold coin, and around €220 for the 10-euro gold coin. The 6-euro silver coin is expected to cost around €239.99 (including VAT), while the 4-euro silver coin will be priced at approximately €79.99 (including VAT). The final sale price will depend on the market prices of gold and silver at the time of purchase.

The 200-euro gold coin will be issued in a limited quantity of 100 pieces, the 100-euro gold coin in 300 pieces, and the 10-euro gold coin in 1,000 pieces. The 6-euro silver coin will have a limited edition of 500 pieces, while the 4-euro silver coin will be issued in 2,000 pieces.

Interested buyers can find ordering and purchasing details for the "King Tomislav" coins on the Croatian Mint's official website, the HNB stated.

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković participated in the Smart Cities conference held in Zagreb, where he presented Dubrovnik as the first city in Croatia to successfully implement its own affordable housing model.

Although the issue of affordable housing was only sporadically discussed for years, it has now become one of the key political topics. However, while others debated, the City of Dubrovnik took action—systematically working on the Dubrovačka Stanogradnja program. Through this model, the city has so far provided housing for 91 families, either by allocating apartments with affordable rent or through a one-time financial aid of €30,000 for purchasing a home.

In addition, Dubrovnik has strategically planned for the future development of affordable housing. By constructing the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Bridge – Pobrežje road and acquiring 70,000 m² of land in Pobrežje, the city has secured space for new residential zones. This model is fully aligned with the Croatian Government’s program and the initiative led by Deputy Prime Minister Branko Bačić, which allows for the rapid rezoning of city- and municipality-owned land from agricultural use to affordable housing zones.

Furthermore, the City of Dubrovnik has a ready-to-go project for the construction of youth housing in Solitudo, which will be implemented through the Croatian Government’s program, giving 50 young families the opportunity for affordable housing in their hometown.

By participating in the Smart Cities conference, Dubrovnik once again positioned itself as a leader in tackling the challenges of modern urban environments, demonstrating that responsible planning and strategic investment can make a city a role model for others in Croatia.

The Dubrovnik police received a report yesterday about a fraud case involving a 26-year-old Slovak citizen who paid a deposit of €1,050 for an apartment rental in Dubrovnik, only to later realize that the advertisement was fake.

The victim found the ad on a website and, in an attempt to arrange the rental, contacted an unknown individual via email. This person introduced themselves as an Italian citizen and the supposed owner of the apartment. Following the instructions of the alleged owner, the victim made the deposit via a payment link, only to later discover that the apartment did not exist.

After receiving the criminal complaint, the police launched an investigation into the case. The Dubrovnik-Neretva Police Department is warning citizens to be cautious when searching for accommodation through online ads and websites. It is advisable to verify the property owner through publicly available sources to ensure they are the person advertising it. The recommendation is not to send money to unknown individuals.