ALTHOUGH Croatian diplomacy isn't functioning ideally, that's not the reason not to visit Croatia this summer. Poor diplomacy results are already apparent from the fact that some countries mark Croatia as a relatively unsafe country for vacation, although the available numbers of coronavirus cases aren't as dramatic as in some other countries. According to the newest data from the web page koronavirus.hr, only around 300 coronavirus cases are active in the Adriatic coast counties.

Therefore, why visit Croatia right now despite the Croatian diplomacy?

Leo Nikolic, a long-time tourist guide from Split, thinks that this year, "despite everything, there's a great opportunity to see and experience the best of Croatia and Dalmatia at its best: without crowds, with a perfect service, go from town to town without traffic jams, to park your car… So, all those trivialities that were problematic over the last years in June, July, August, and September," says Nikolic, and points out that for "the first time after five years, Dalmatia isn't suffering from the excessive commercialization, traffic and municipal chaos. At the same time, even in this ideal moment, the ferry port isn't functioning, and it turns out that the traffic solution implemented last year is poor. It isn't functioning, not even with the tourism turnover of 50-60 percent," Nikolic warns about one problem in Split. 

The tourist guide talks about the measures in public transport

Still, he says that there are many more reasons for visiting Croatia: "This is an ideal opportunity for guests to comfortably relax on the beaches without crowds, to visit the historical center of every town in Dalmatia in normal conditions, without queues and crowds. I could list many more reasons in favor of visiting Croatia this year," says Nikolic.

As far as he notices, the epidemiological measures are adhered to in tourist buses, coffee shops, and buses, whether it is because of the fear of the disease, or because "everyone who is doing any serious business is afraid of inspections which are especially focused on tourism. I think that the situation is generally good in Dalmatia; I was at the airport, everything goes according to protocols there, on ferries, on the freeway, at least what I've seen so far. It seems that clerics and worshippers are least adhering to the measures, "Nikolic concludes. 

Lower prices, no crowds...

Bruno Nizic runs three family hotels in Split. He points out three reasons for this year's vacation in Croatia: the prices are lower than in previous years, there are less crowds, and it's relatively safe. 

"Prices are lower in all segments in the food and beverage industry. Whoever couldn't afford to vacation in a destination such as Croatia, this year, they can. I can also see it by the types of guests; many of this year's guests haven't been coming to Croatia so far because we were too expensive. There were less expensive countries, such as Turkey and Greece. Besides the fact that until recently we were one of the safest countries in Europe regarding coronavirus, lower prices make our country more attractive. And there are less crowds," adds Nizic.

Regarding COVID-19, he says that they undertook many safety measures:

"We have disinfectants in all places where guests are staying and in all rooms, every two hours housemaids and cleaning ladies disinfect the surfaces, all employees wear protective face masks and gloves, we measure the temperature every time we come to work and leave work, we also check the temperature of guests upon their arrival and every morning before breakfast, we record the temperatures of us and the guests. If someone were to have an elevated body temperature, we would contact the authorities. We've made a 1.5-meter distance between the tables, we adhere to all measures, prepare masks and gloves for guests, recommend restaurants for which we are sure that the staff is adhering to the measures, we take care that every associate that we work with adheres to the measures, so we don't expose guests to danger. We advise them where to go, to which beaches," Nizic explains. 

"Individual travels are currently being requested for the Adriatic coast"

Tanja Bulic Juric has been working in tourism for years: she works in a Zagreb agency, her family is renting a facility on the sea, and she worked as a tourist guide.

"People who stayed or are now staying in Croatia feel quite safe. I've just spoken to a Dutch who was staying here last week; he said that he didn't feel in danger at any moment - not in the restaurants where he ate, not in the accommodation he stayed at, not on the beaches where he swam," Bulic Juric informs. 

She says, "in June, when borders started to open, one could see that people have a desire to travel. But it seems that the Zadar tournament was the trigger for the cancellations. We had 'Meet Croatia' journeys which started to sell well. However, it's stopped now. Individual travels are currently being requested for the Adriatic coast," says Bulic Juric.

Here's her answer to the question why Croatia is worth visiting in 2020:

"Croatia, including the islands, has around 6,000 kilometers of the coast. I think that every tourist that comes can find an isolated part of the coast for himself on the arranged or wild beaches. At least Croatia is safe when it comes to that. Unlike some other neighboring destinations, where the beaches are cramped, given the number of residents, that's not the case in Croatia. Croatia has an average of 75 residents per square kilometer as opposed to Germany, where that number exceeded 200, or the Netherlands, where the number is over 400. Thereby, the guests come here into a surrounding that is much more relaxed and safer regarding the epidemiological measures. Apartment accommodation dominates Croatia's accommodation capacities, where guests have an opportunity to enjoy privacy and distancing and preparing their own meals. Croatia is accessible to the guests from the European countries by road, which is important because it gives the guests a feeling of safety in terms of mobility in these uncertain times. Besides beautiful beaches and sea pleasures, Croatia offers many other activities that allow spending time in nature and strengthening the immune system. The arranged bicycle and trekking trails, visiting the national parks and nature parks, and our guests can experience all of it without crowds this year, with affordable prices, good service, and the committed tourist workers," Bulic Juric believes.

Hotel chain on the island of Brac and Makarska Riviera took strict epidemiological measures: "The safety of our guests is our top priority"

Josip Rikic, hotel operations director in the hotel chain Bluesun (they have 15 hotels, most of them are on the island of Brac and Makarska Riviera) told Index what actions they took and why guests in their accommodation units should feel safe.

"We've adopted measures for all hotels to which everyone adheres to. We made instructions for workers, and the most important ones are in connection with rooms and their cleanliness. After the rooms are cleaned, they are additionally disinfected. Each cleaner wears two types of gloves, one for special cleaning of the room, and another for bathrooms. The clean laundry is hermetically sealed in cellophane," said Rikic.

He told us how they organized their work and what measures they took to keep the safety of the guests and employees on the highest level. 

Each main hotel point has disinfectants; receptions have double protection; the employees wear masks and gloves, and plexiglass barriers were installed for protection.

What to do when a guest gets infected?

Hotel maps, papers, and laminated menus are eliminated from rooms; there's a welcome letter with a link to the hotel website where guests can find the information they need: from room service, wellness price list, to all information needed that would usually be printed out.

Also, it's recommended that hotel departments communicate via phone as much as possible to reduce contact.

There are strict protocols regarding arrivals, retention, and clothes storage of the employees when they arrive. Contactless payment methods are the usual practice; check-ins and check-outs are maximally reduced. 

In case the guest gets infected, an isolated part of the hotel is provided, with controlled access until the arrival of an epidemiologist.

Also, shifts are organized in teams, so the same people can always work together.

All hotel employees, including kitchen workers, have to wear gloves, while the kitchen workers have to disinfect their hands every few minutes.

How does wellness function: Mandatory temperature checks and reservations 

Wellness work is regulated in a way that the body temperature is checked upon entry, and a reservation is needed to avoid crowds in the rooms. There are also plexiglass barriers on wellness receptions, while the guests can decide whether they want a treatment with or without gloves. 

Saunas aren't in function because of the pandemic, loungers are at 1.5-meter distance and are disinfected after every use, as well as the table in the food and beverage facilities in hotels.

Rikic says that their guests feel safe in the hotels, which they've shown in a questionnaire, and he asks everyone to come and see for themselves. Besides the safety and the cleanliness of objects, guests also enjoy top gastro offers, crystal clear sea, clean beaches, and nice promenades. 

Istrian family Fernetich offers guests fruits and vegetables that they grow themselves, and they have their own olive oils

Tulio Fernetich, who turned a family land in Istrian Brtonigla into a luxurious Heritage Hotel San Rocco, thinks that small boutique hotels have a big advantage during the pandemic because they allow larger social distance. When talking about his hotels, he says that it doesn't offer only accommodation to the guest, but a complete experience.

The Fernetich family also works in olive-growing and produces award-winning extra virgin olive oils, which his guests gladly taste in the large garden in front of the hotel. Besides that, they grow fruits and vegetables by themselves, and the eco-production, he says, additionally attracts guests because they know everything is local and tasty.

"Given the epidemiological situation, safety comes first. It's difficult to take care of everything in facilities with 500 people, but here at our hotel, everything is personalized. The tables are at a 5-meter distance, we have almost a hectare for as many as 30 guests," Fernetich told Index.

"We offer guests a complete experience"

"There are no crowds here, and guests are way safer than in big cities where they live. There is beautiful nature all around us, everything is in the open, and that's an ideal situation for the people from cities to come here to rest and relax. Our guests say that they feel safe here," says Fernetich.

Their restaurant is also one of the top destinations in Istria, so 50 percent of guests stay in the accommodation, and 50 percent come to the restaurant.

"We are one of the top restaurants and gastro destinations in the country; people come here because of the gastronomy. We prepare dinner for a maximum of 30 people because when it comes to high-level gastronomy, we cannot prepare more meals than that. We have degustation menus, specialized waiters who are also sommeliers. With the food, our fruits and vegetables, and the award-winning olive oils, we offer a complete experience for our guests in our big park," said Fernetich.

The owner of famous Split restaurants: Such beauty within reach of the center of Europe tourist won't experience anywhere else

We talked with Stipe Jelicic, the owner of restaurants Adriatic Graso and Posejdon, pizzeria Skipper, and the famous Bajamonti. He told us that, when they were in a lockdown, they were preparing for this challenging season, given the circumstances.

His employees wear masks at all times, even when the masks weren't mandatory. They strictly adhere to the measures. 

"Guests have many reasons to feel safe at the Adriatic coast and here. Our advantage is a large number of apartments in Split, especially for those who want to distance themselves. This year there is a great interest for charters because families can isolate themselves on the boat and enjoy the beautiful archipelago," Jelicic told Index. 

"As owners, we adhere to all the decisions made by the experts. I've traveled a lot around the world, but such beauty which is within reach of the center of Europe, the tourists won't experience anywhere else. As far as nautical tourism goes, the prices are affordable, and there is also an unforgettable gastro offer," said Jelicic.

A Dutch family spent two weeks in Croatia

And what tourists think about our country, one of them revealed - John Palumbo, who lives with his family in Amsterdam. His family spent two weeks in Croatia in July. This is the second time they've chosen Croatia for their destination because they had a great time last year in Dubrovnik.

John Palumbo told us that this year they vacationed in Istria and Kvarner, so they spent a week in Pula, while visiting the rest of Istria, and the second week in Opatija and Krk. 

John says that Croatia offers everything that a tourist needs, especially if they are from North Europe.

"We had a great time, and I would recommend everyone to come to Croatia. We decided to return because we had a great time last year in Dubrovnik. Croatia offers everything that a tourist from the north needs. We were looking forward to the sun, the Mediterranean cuisine, relaxing, and Croatia offered everything that we wanted," said Palumbo for Index.

"We will certainly return to Croatia"

"Besides Pula, we visited Rovinj, Dinopark in Funtana, where the kids especially enjoyed, we had a lot of fun. Then we went to Opatija, where we spent the second week of our vacation. After that, we went to the island of Krk and we stayed on a nice beach in Brsec. I also have to say that last year we were fascinated with Dubrovnik," said Palumbo. 

Besides last year's vacation in Dubrovnik, they also had another reason for visiting Croatia. 

"We came to Croatia because it was one of the rare countries which were open to tourists. We decided to vacation here at the last moment because we booked the last minute flight. We will certainly return to Croatia," said Palumbo, and added that they were lucky to return just before the Dutch government issued recommendations to go into a 14-day quarantine upon returning to the Netherlands from Croatia.

"We were surprised by how the people are disciplined and wear masks"

We asked him if they felt safe in Croatia.

"Yes. We were surprised by how people are disciplined - they wear masks in supermarkets, etc. But, what's safe today anyways? The majority of the infected people don't even know they're infected. There are risks everywhere, we were aware of that, and we didn't want to miss our vacation because of minor risks. What was more important to us was that we could enjoy a certain quality of life, such as going to restaurants and eating normally. And we also intentionally decided to travel by car from Amsterdam because we didn't want to take unnecessary risks with flights and spending time at airports. This way, we were enjoying the ride, and although there was a delay at the Slovenian border upon entering Croatia, it wasn't a major problem for us," Palumbo concluded. 

To make the arrival to the islands easier for tourists, Croatia Airlines, the national airline, and Jadrolinija, the leading Croatian sea shipping company, joined their forces and they will together develop a platform through which the passengers will be offered an intermodal travel service, i.e., the combination of air and maritime transport, namely for travels from the European airports to the Croatian island destinations.

That will additionally improve the tourist offer in Croatia, which will make Croatia and its destinations more available and accessible in a simple and effective way.