The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has thrown the spanner of all spanners in the works for global tourism and Croatia, for which tourism is the strongest economic branch, has been anything but immune to these pandemic-induced, extremely negative trends. Istria, however, is recovering at a remarkably enviable rate.

As Novac writes on the 30th of June, 2020, Istria has recorded some truly encouraging and excellent tourist results for last weekend. Namely, from June the 26th to the 28th, only 6 percent fewer tourists were recorded in Istria than during the same days last year, long before coronavirus was ever an issue one could have imagined.

Last year, on June the 26th, 27th and 28th, 54,000 arrivals and 522,000 overnight stays were realised in Istria, while this year, 51,000 arrivals (index 94) and 300,000 overnight stays (index 57) were realised, which is incredibly impressive. This means that over these three days, Istria has only experienced 6 percent fewer tourists, and overnight stays reached 57 percent, which is much more than the expectations suggested, which went up to a maximum of around 40 percent of last year's, pre-pandemic traffic.

Looking at the whole of the month of June, the numbers are indeed devastating, regardless of this brilliant result for beautiful Istria. Last year, that month held the record with an index of 116 when compared to June 2018, and this year, June is at the level of only 29 percent when compared to last year, local portal Glas Istre writes.

"Overall, June will end at 30 percent of tourist realisation when compared to last year, but the trend that is rising week by week and the announced bookings that continue to arrive give us the hope that July and August could be good. This is all with the clear indication that the situation can change extremely quickly, both in a positive and in a negative sense,'' said the director of the Tourist Board of Istria, Denis Ivosevic.

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As Novac/Barbara Ban writes on the 10th of June, 2020, this week, the Tourist Board of Central Istria launched its very first promotional tourist video called "Dare to explore", directed and produced by the Labin-based company Level 52. The video presents Central Istria as a magical region with well-known and interesting locations and points of interest.

''In these rather challenging times for Croatian tourism, Central Istria strives to position itself as an ideal combination of specialties, which will keep old and continue to attract new guests - magical landscapes, cultural, historical and natural beauty, and indigenous products and flavours of tradition'' said the director of the Tourist Board of Central Istria, Sanja Kantaruti.

The Mayor of Pazin, Renato Krulcic, added that the first promotional film for the destination was branded a few years ago under the slogan "Central Istria - the original Istria" was designed and realised.

''There is a video slogan which invites viewers to explore the heart of the Istrian peninsula with scenes of undiscovered tourist gems such as the Sopot waterfall near Pican and Badavac near Karojba, but also new views of well-known places in the area of ​​Pazin and the municipalities of Lupoglav, Cerovlje, Karojba, Sv. Petar u Sumi, Sv. Lovrec, Tinjan, Gracisce and Pican, ie, the component of the Tourist Board of Central Istria,'' Krulcic emphasised.

The interior is different from the rest of Istria, so the destination had to get its own approach to promotion, the authors of the film emphasised.

''The goal was to tell our fairy tale that will entice visitors to explore central Istria, especially to locations that are somewhat hidden and out of the way,'' said film co-author Goran Nacinovic.

So far, such an approach has rarely been seen in the tourist promotion of Croatia as a whole, they point out. The video combines attractive locations in Central Istria with interesting characters, as well as with authentic Istrians who work diligently in their fields and live in harmony with nature.

''We wanted to make something different and innovative, aimed at the foreign market, and yet emphasise the uniqueness and beauty of Central Istria,'' says co-author Sanel Isanovic, who, along with Nacinovic, developed the story of the film and composed the music for the film.

Watch it below:

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As Novac writes on the 3rd of June, 2020, starting this weekend, the Istrian Tourist Board is launching intensified media advertising in its emitting tourist markets with special emphasis on the area of ​​Austria and southern Germany, under the slogan "Istrien so nah!" (Istria so close!).

Building on the current destination campaigns conducted in cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), the last of which being "The vacation you deserve is closer than you think" which is being directed towards seven European markets, Istria wants to focus additional attention on its close and faithful markets - German-speaking tourists.

The promotion of the Istrian Peninsula was actively carried out by the Istrian Tourist Board during the previous period of coronavirus induced "dormancy", so, among other activities, two significant newsletter campaigns were realised at more than 500 addresses in Austria and Germany.highlighting Croatia's good crisis management during the pandemic, while in the second, the opening of accommodation and catering facilities, attractions and other tourist facilities was presented.

The director of the county office, Denis Ivosevic, believes that the long-standing friendship between Istria and its Austrian and German guests will be expressed even during these extraordinary circumstances, mutually confirming the level trust built over many years - on the one hand - the optimism and loyalty of Istria's visitors, and on the other hand, by the development of high quality services and facilities on the Istrian Peninsula.

By always following the trends in the travel market, as well as listening to the wishes of its visitors, Istria has developed a type of tourist infrastructure that, even in these difficult times caused by the global pandemic, can offer the necessary security and all the conditions required for a pleasant holiday.

An additional incentive in choosing a destination will be provided by the advertising momentum on online channels, which is scheduled to begin on June the 5th and will last for six weeks, intended primarily for visitors looking for an offer of camping and private accommodation.

Selected motifs, such as attractive Istrian panoramas, from the famous views of Rovinj and the picturesque outline of its old town, a romantic twilight over Porec to the nearby Brijuni islands and more will be used to lure German and Austrian tourists who are more than likely needing a getaway after the last period, to Istria.

Advertisements promoting Istria also contain a partner logo that officially connects Istria County with one of the world's strongest brands - the football giant FC Bayern Munich. The agreement on this important strategic partnership with the tourist board was signed two years ago, on June the 4th, 2018.

In addition to the Tourist Board of Istria County, this advertising is financially supported by the Croatian Tourist Board and several leading hotel companies in Istria.

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May 14, 2020 - The third session of the Istria County Tourism Committee was held through a conference call on Tuesday. In addition to the permanent members, it was attended by the Chief of the Istria County Civil Protection Headquarters Dino Kozlevac and the Director of the Istria Institute of Public Health Dr. Aleksandar Stojanovic.

HRTurizam reports that the director of the Istrian Institute of Public Health, Dr. Stojanović, provided information on the epidemiological situation in Istria County, stating that there is no circulation of the virus, and that there had been no positive findings of COVID-19 in Istria for 23 days. However, according to new information over the last two days, two cases of coronavirus infection appeared in Istria. Both cases are related to the flight from Frankfurt to Zagreb, and 19 samples of swabs are currently being examined in the County because of the suspicion of the coronavirus.

Stojanović also referred to two documents that arrived at the Institute for review last week, and these are proposals for epidemiological actions in the ports of nautical tourism - marinas, or travel agencies. Both documents have been agreed with epidemiologists and are ready for submission to the competent ministries and the Central Committee of the Republic of Croatia. During this week, a leaflet will be reviewed, adapting tourist animation to the rules of the Headquarters, as well as a proposal for a protocol of opening water parks.

The issue of readiness of hospital facilities in case of possible infection in guests was also raised, to which Dr. Stojanović said that OB Pula is ready, and currently, there is not a single patient with the coronavirus at the Department of Infectious Diseases. Chief of the Headquarters Kozlevac, on the other hand, commented on the entry of foreign citizens into the Republic of Croatia. According to him, citizens from the EU and third countries such as BiH and Serbia are currently allowed to enter, on 5 grounds:

1.) if you own real estate in Croatia, 2.) if you have a registered company or economic activity whose foreign citizen is the owner or member of the management, 3.) at the invitation of a business entity from the Republic of Croatia for a business interview, 4.) if you are attending a funeral or 5). if you are visiting a sick person.

Also, Kozlevac emphasized that when entering the Republic of Croatia, there are no longer any health measures, such as self-isolation, and that tourist arrivals are currently not possible. MEP Valter Flego added that the European Commission would come up with a more concrete proposal to open the borders (which you can find here). Former MEP Ivan Jakovčić commented on a large survey conducted among Germans and Austrians, which showed that 75% of them want to go on holiday, and of which as many as 65% want to come to Croatia.

The session also discussed the possibilities for the arrival of guests by air, especially in the case of flights of low-cost airlines, which the Croatian National Tourist Board deals with, while the Istria County Tourist Board is in charge of communication with easyJet, said Denis Ivosevic. Furthermore, there was talk about measures to act on the beaches, and it was said that controls would be performed primarily by the State Inspectorate, and then the municipal security guards and the beach concessionaires themselves, with patrols by the police and the Civil Protection Headquarters.

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As Glas Istre/Luka Jelavic writes on the 16th of January, 2020, most of the work involved in transforming areas of Groznjan into tourist attractions is related to the restoration of the bell tower itself and the repair of the roof of the parish church in Groznjan, the restoration of the church in Kostanjica, the restoration work involved with the churches in Kuberton and Vrnjak, the restoration works in the church of St. Ivan and the decoration of the Olive Oil Museum in Zavrsje, as well as the decoration of the promenade in Groznjan, as part of the cultural and historical centre.
 
Since its inception, the Municipality of Groznjan has earmarked a considerable amount for the culture and protection of cultural and religious monuments, consisting of around twenty percent of the annual budget. This will be the case again this year, and around 2.2 million kuna is earmarked for these purposes and cultural events of interest to the municipality and its citizens. Part of the funds for this have been provided directly from the budget, while part, especially for larger investments, will be raised from various funds or donations from state institutions and the like.

Of this amount, almost one million kuna will be invested in cultural and religious heritage buildings in Groznjan.

In the parish church in Groznjan, the stairs to the bell tower were restored earlier, the entrance to the bell itself was expanded, and a new front door to the bell tower will be erected. Otherwise, the bell tower and statics need to be strengthened and accessibility improved so that in the near future the 36-metre-high bell tower, built next to the church between 1603 and 1682, can also be used as a lookout for tourists.

The church in Sterna, built in 1746 with the bell tower erected in 1791, will continue to function as it always has done. The entire roof is being restored, followed by the painting and decorating of the interior, which was illuminated last year.

The restoration of the southern and northern chapels in the interior of the parish church, which was built in 1500 and completed in 1769, has already been completed in Kostanjica. Documentation was also prepared for the renovation of the ceiling and roof of that particular church. The north chapel's restoration was followed by additional works on the roof to preserve the interior before further reconstruction. In front of the church lies a gorgeous Venetian bell tower, made of sandstone, on whose arch the year of construction was written - 1766. The cemetery will also be worked on in Kostanjica.

''There are many smaller and larger sacral objects in our area that are part of the cultural and sacred heritage that should be preserved from decay. It's the most difficult where there are very few or no residents, such as in Vrnjak, a long-abandoned village or in Kuberton where a house is restored and some people come back. This year, we'll be working to save the churches in these two places. In addition to the roof, wooden joinery needs to be repaired. The municipality invests in such facilities every year as much as it can, there's a lot of work to be done, especially on roofs that are damaged and on the ceilings and interiors which are damaged, which is a huge amount of damage because the churches are mostly painted,'' says Claudio Stocovaz of Groznjan, adding that the fresco on the the ceiling of St. Florian's Church near Martincic was recently restored.

Other activities in the field of culture and cultural heritage include a massive 112,000 kuna cash injection for ''regular'' activities (cultural programs, the municipality award for the Ex tempore painting event, the creation and publication of the Grožnjan monograph and various cultural events), while the budget for local festivals and cultural events that nurture folk traditions and customs, is estimated at around 230,000 kuna.

For the Jazz is Back! cultural event, the municipality will allocate 322,000 kuna, which is part of the total cost of the international festival, and 300,000 kuna is planned for the continuation of the preservation and renovation of the inter-storey structures of the castle in Zavrsje, a historic building built back in the eleventh century as the palace of the noble Contarini family, which ruled the area for three centuries.

Part of the funds from the budget is also earmarked for the regular activities of the Fonticus City Gallery and for various other activities which preserve culture and the arts as a whole.

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Traditionally, most of Pula's visitors came from Germany, next in line come the Italians with an increase of five percent and guests from the United Kingdom with an increase of 11 percent, meaning that European visitors continue to be Pula's most numerous guests.

As Glas Istre/A Dagostin writes on the 6th of January, 2020, Pula has yet another record-breaking tourist year behind it, with 2019 bringing in 465,160 guests to the popular Istrian city, up by six percent from 2018, and 2,306,309 overnight stays, up by 3.5 percent when compared to 2018.

''All the companies that deal with tourism in various ways, as well as all others who support tourism, as well as the City of Pula itself with its companies and institutions, certainly deserve this. Various events are responsible for the results, with Pula at the very top in terms of their numbers and their diversity in all of Croatia. These events run throughout the year, from the Arena, to Kaštela, to the streets and squares,'' says Pula Tourist Board Director Sanja Cinkopan Korotaj.

From June to September, from two to four events are held daily, and in other months the number of events have been increasing year by year.

As previously mentioned, the most numerous guests to Pula come from Germany, Italy and Britain, signalling that fellow European tourists love the city a lot. Local guests ranked fourth with 135,267 overnight stays and an 11 percent increase achieved. When it comes to type of capacity, the largest increase in overnight stays was recorded by vessels with 10 percent, which is excellent news for Croatia's nautical tourism, followed by small private renters with an increase of seven percent, apartments owned by companies with a five percent increase, hotels with a three percent increase and camps with a one percent increase.

''Hostels can be said to be at the level of last year, and the apartment complexes realised fewer nights because the Arena Hospitality Group intended part of these facilities to be for their workers, which aren't included in tourist overnight stays,'' explained Cinkopan Korotaj.

In the period between December the 27th, 2019 and January the 1st, 2020, there were 4,413 overnight stays realised in Pula, which is actually 1,870 overnight stays less than were realised in 2018.

''The reason for that is the earlier closure of the Park Plaza Histria Hotel, which otherwise remained open during that period, was to reconstruct some parts of it. Despite this, apartments belonging to small renters and businesses increased by two percent, which means that there were more individuals and fewer groups, which is evident through the structure of guests according to the countries of arrival,'' continued Cinkopan Korotaj.

Unlike in previous years, when guests from Italy and Austria came during the New Year holidays, more often in organised groups, in 2019 Croatian guests were the most numerous, followed by guests from neighbouring Slovenia, Italy and Germany.

Despite the smaller number of guests staying overnight in Pula, many groups from all over Istria could be seen throughout the city, and a larger amount of individual visits of guests from other cities was noticed, which certainly contributed to the impressive attendance figures of the "December in Pula" event.

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A mere fifteen or so years ago, Bale in Istria was a pretty but still undeveloped small town that seemed to lack any real perspective. This is no longer the case today.

As Novac writes on the 14th of December, 2019, it all began fifteen years ago with the decision of Plinio Cuccurin, hitherto publicly known as a top manager and one of the two key figures at what was then the Rovinj tobacco factory, to devote himself to the development of his native Bale.

Since then, Bale has transformed itself beyond recognition. Not only through budgeting, changes are evident at both the content and visual levels. Bale was given a brand new framework, primarily owing to Cuccurin's idea that he and his associates saw the Mon Perin Citizens' Association in perspective and could see what function it could have in the development of this picturesque little Istrian town. In a decade and a half, in addition to becoming a mainstay of the municipality whose budget has begun to fill up, Mon Perin has become a leader in sustainable, participatory and social entrepreneurship in Croatia, according to Glas Istre.

Sustainable entrepreneurship in the case of Mon Perin and Bale means that it is evolving to fit the wants and needs of its residents first and foremost. The concept of participatory democracy means that employees and co-owners of Mon Perin, as well as the residents of Bale participate in the creation, adoption and the eventual implementation of various projects through the municipality. Mon Perin's entrepreneurship is social as well, since it takes care of those who need help through donations and by creating tourism, cultural and business activities, as well as raising standards collectively.

In Bale and through Mon Perin, and owing to the unbreakable link between them, all these theories have been successfully put into practice in beautiful little Bale.

Through Mon Perin and the camps that belong to it, such as San Polo and Colone, Bale is developing a hitherto unknown and therefore innovative enterprise - one with a human face. Success is important, as is profit, as is environmental protection. The point of the whole story for Bale lies in the balance of all those things, the balance of citizens and of nature. At the same time, everything seems somehow to limit the development of Bale and Mon Perin, but in a proper manner, opting for gradual and moderation rather than exaggeration.

Mon Perin's market value today syands at a massive 300 million kuna. When it was first established, there were two one-star camps, and now there is one four-star camp. At the time of its founding, it had a mere five employees, and now there are 35 of them. Overall, in the season, 140 people work for Mon Perin, and the average net salary is 7,200 kuna, which is 20 percent more than in industry.

The huge difference in time since its inception to the present day is already visible at first glance in three other categories. First, in the number of overnight stays: there used to be 73 thousand per year, now there are 276 thousand.

Second, revenue: from 5.2 million kuna, they increased to an incredible 59 million kuna.

Third, EBITDA, therefore, profit before depreciation and tax: from 317 thousand kuna it climbed to an impressive 28.5 million kuna! Mon Perin's total investments since 2006 up to 2019, amounts to 187 million kuna.

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As Glas Istre/Patricija Softic writes on the 3rd of December, 2019, after fifteen very long years of negotiations and a sense of constant uncertainty, as well as at least five changes to conceptual designs, the Council of the Municipality of Fažana unanimously adopted the latest idea for redesigning the area of ​​the former Badel and Istrian factories. Can what is being referred to as the project of the century for this area finally begin?

What is in question is an area covering ​​1.6 hectares along the coast, of which about a third is occupied by the old core of Fažana, and was purchased back in 2006 by the company Liberty, which has Israeli owners.

Since then, there has been controversy between investors and representatives of the municipality about what may and may not be built in this area, and how and when it can or can't be done. The investors had their initial intentions for the so-called project of the century in this part of Istria cut down to a significantly smaller level by the municipal authorities, insisting first and foremost that the view of the old town of Fažana should not be disturbed in any way.

It seems that this time, the conceptual design for Fažana's ''project of the century'' was finally able to accommodate all desires and needs from both sides. The Mayor of Fažana, Radomir Korać, confirmed this, saying that they could finally be satisfied because all the conditions that the municipality had set for the investors and designers were respected. The project itself was presented to the councilors by Siniša Zdjelar from the award-winning architectural office ZDL Arhitekti from Rijeka.

''Our first goal was not to disturb the view of the centre of Fažana with new buildings, so new residential buildings should follow the height and appearance of the older buildings that are being upgraded, and then these buildings will be slowly enlarged and modernised with architectural solutions according to the planned hotel which is being planned for on the outskirts of the settlement. We connected them all with roads that ideally connect to existing roads and the view of either the sea and Brijuni, or to the bell tower in Fažana's main square, is open to everyone,'' Zdjelar explained.

The plan is currently to build 73 apartments and 27 business premises, an underground garage with 330 parking spaces under residential and commercial buildings, and a hotel with 150 beds and an attached garage with 100 parking spaces. The final acceptance from all sides of Fažana's ''project of the century'' is the result of obtaining a building permit and everything else required for such a construction.

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The respected British newspaper, The Guardian, usually has many fine things to say about all regions of Croatia it discovers, and the gorgeous Istrian peninsula is now taking the limelight, with a journalist from The Guardian referring to it as the Tuscany of the millennials.

As Novac writes on the 6th of November, 2019, the Istrian peninsula, a picturesque and very affordable corner of Croatia, could become the new Tuscany, writes journalist Eva Wiseman, putting the question of whether Istria is the ''perfect holiday'' destination.

Visiting Istrian cities like Rovinj, Pula and Buzet, the British journalist concluded in an article published in The Guardian that this part of Croatia, namely the Istrian peninsula, could become the new Tuscany for millennials.

Eva states the fact that are forbidden there, as the streets are too narrow and the stones are too polished. The food, as the journalist says, is influenced by Italy, but is significantly cheaper. Because of this, it attracts younger tourists for whom neighbouring Italy is much too expensive. The journalist also notes that there aren't that many Britons, despite recently introduced cheap flights from the United Kingdom directly to the Istrian city of Pula.

The Arena in Pula, which once hosted gladiator fights, the author writes, today serves as a stage for numerous concerts and film festivals. In Buzet, however, she met the family behind the “Prodan Tartufi” truffle shop, saying that the forests there had “some of the richest soil in the world with white truffles”.

“Back to Rovinj, where the stone town shines pink as the sun goes down, we jump to the beach to cool off. That night, we eat fresh fish at the edge of a cliff, watching the old men dive in the water below,'' Wiseman writes.

From basic information it states that return flights from London to Pula with Ryanair are a mere 83 British pounds (720 kuna), and double rooms at Rovinj's Grand Park Hotel cost 155 pounds (1350 kuna) with breakfast.

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As Glas Istre/Boris Zgomba writes on the 1st of November, 2019, the variety of foods, the gastronomic tradition with elements of different cuisines that have historically dominated Croatia and its region over several historical periods and the traditional skill of cooking and eating impresses a large number of guests who visit Istria and Croatia.

Gastronomy is an indispensable part of the experience of a destination and certainly an increasingly important element of the research and interest of modern tourists. The local experience is often associated with enjoying the gastronomic specifics of a particular location. Countries with developed tourist traditions understood this first and as such especially branded their national cuisine.

The best examples globally are countries like France, Italy, Greece and the like. Current global data shows us that currently, the average tourists spend between 20 and 30 percent of their travel budget on food. What we can expect in Istria over the coming period is the further strengthening of the trend of consumption growth to the gastronomic offer.

On the other hand, gastronomy strengthens its influence on the choice of tourist destination. Looking at the latest TOMAS survey by the Institute of Tourism on Attitudes and Tourist Consumption in Croatia, gastronomy and food enjoyment is one of the three main motives for arriving at a destination for as many as 29 percent of tourists.

That is why, when we talk about the development of tourism in general in Croatia, it's absolutely crucial that we position the country in this segment as much as possible. Croatia's gastronomic offer, at least on the ground, has a comparative advantage inherent in the Mediterranean climate. As previously mentioned, the variety of food, the gastronomic tradition with elements of different cuisines that have historically dominated the region throughout some periods and the traditional skill of cooking and eating impresses a large number of guests who visit Croatia. What Croatia isn't excelling in is the communication and presentation of this particular offer to the rest of the world.

Istria is an excellent example of how gastronomy can be transformed into one of the drivers of tourist traffic. In Istria, the branding of gastronomic offer has been very serious for more than a decade now. Istria is a great example of successful synergy between the private and public sectors, working hard and hard to achieve one goal - to brand Istria as the most desirable gastronomic destination in Croatia and the entire Mediterranean. Although we're still on the way to that goal, we haven't been without encouraging results.

Today, Istria is the only region in Croatia that has developed an indigenous gastronomic offer in a high quality and systematic way. Numerous private investments in facilities and their offers, as well as numerous activities of the tourist boards, and of course the promotion of travel agencies, which have singled out the gastronomic offer in their programs, helped in this mission.

Tourists, especially from more distant countries such as those from outside of Europe that aren't part of Croatia's traditional broadcast markets, are looking for indigenous offers, they want to enjoy the local gastronomy, they want to get informed about local food and drinks, and they want to try their hand at creating them themselves.

Therefore, the popularity of Istria's gastronomic attractions for tourists, such as indigenous cooking workshops, gastronomic-oriented museums, truffle hunts, numerous events dedicated to local food and days dedicated to the diverse natural produce of Istria from truffles and mushrooms, to cheese and honey, to sausages, prosciutto and much more. Such special offers will be increasingly in demand and they will become the key to generate further tourist demand.

When we talk about gastro tourism, we have to keep in mind that this is a segment of cultural tourism, which is complex and covers many fields of human activity.

Gastronomy best presents the specific lifestyle of a destination, which is why it must be authentic. In order to achieve the national goal that Croatia needs to become a recognisable gastronomic destination and become part of the top twenty tourist destinations in the world, all tourism stakeholders, as well as the wider society, need to "push" in the same direction and encourage the development of a quality offer and its proper presentation.

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