CROATIA NEWS

Contenders for the Most Beautiful Croatia Beaches

By Saron Lease, 28th November 2019 According to Town & Country, these Croatian beaches are the most beautiful for a whole range of qualities from location, views, privacy, etc. 
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Record Visitor Numbers for Croatia in 2019

By Saron Lease, 10th November 2019 According to the New York Times, Croatia reported a record 20 million people visited the Adriatic Sea country this year – a record for the number of arrivals recorded in one year in Croatia.
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The Best Things to do in Split

By Saron Lease, 7th September 2019 We at Croatia Gems agree with Conde Nasté Traveller that Split often gets overlooked for big-hitting Dubrovnik.
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Jet2 Announces New Croatia Flight Routes Manchester & Stanstead to Zadar for 2020

By Saron Lease, 1st December 2019 Jet2 is opening up two new routes for summer 2020.
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Croatia Christmas Market Magic: Zagreb voted one of World’s best

By Saron Lease, 20th November 2019 Croatia Week reports recently that Big 7 Travel has voted Zagreb at No.3 on the list of the Top 50 Best Christmas Markets in the World 2019!
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UK Holidaymakers’ Love of Croatia Expected to Continue in 2020

By Saron Lease, 10th November 2019 Croatia’s Ministry of Tourism, when speaking at the World Travel Market’s (WMT) opening day in London this week, based on several recent announcements from the likes of EasyJet and other international airlines flying into Croatia, the Croatian Tourism Minister announced the country’s expectation that Britons will continue to enjoy holidaying there in 2020 and beyond. 
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Lovely Istria – Croatia’s Alternative to Tuscany

By Saron Lease, 7th November 2019 According to The Guardian, largely undiscovered Istria, is Croatia’s “affordable corner”, worthy of becoming the “millennials’ Tuscany” given its epicurian delights (truffles, wine, olive oils, sea food…..) and array of cultural attractions, fabulous beaches, but no Euro!
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Come and see the Croatia Film Locations of Award Winning Game of Thrones

By Saron Lease, 27th September 2019 USA Today says Visit Croatia.
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Peter Andre features Croatia and its Cuisine on ITV’s Lorraine show

By Saron Lease, 7th September 2019 ITV has announced that Peter Andre is returning to Lorraine in September 2019 for a new cooking series called Peter’s Family Food Adventure, in lovely Bol on Brac island.
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Plan that Autumn Getaway to Croatia

By Saron Lease, 27th August 2019 According to the Metro, there are many reasons why Croatia is a great location for that late holiday escape: It is a short haul flight, so doesn’t eat too much into your precious time off, making a long weekend more than possible.
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Jon Bon Jovi Holidays in Croatia This Year

By Saron Lease, 26th June 2019 According to Croatia Week, Rock star Jon Bon Jovi has managed to spend a few days holidaying in Croatia between tour dates in the UK and Germany before playing with his band in Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Romania and Israel in July.
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Salma Hayek & Ryan Reynolds Filming in Rovinj

By Saron Lease, 14th April 2019 According to Croatia Week, Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L.
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Brexit Delay Spurs UK Frenzy for Summer Breaks in EU

By Saron Lease, 19th April 2019 According to Bloomberg, and backed up by Croatia Gems’ own hot telephone wires this week, many of those Brits that had been delaying booking holidays to Europe’s beach spots have been reassured by the latest delay for Brexit, meaning that there has been a surge in enquiries and bookings for European summer holiday destinations.
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Croatia’s 6 Best Islands to Visit in 2019 According to Good Housekeeping Magazine

By Saron Lease, 17th April 2019 Good Housekeeping Magazine has picked its 6 favourite islands to visit in 2019…

Ciovo Island

Connected to the Dalmatian town of Trogir by a bridge, Ciovo is a great spot for beach lovers with marine life for snorkelers to explore and fragrant pine forests offering shade.
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Best beaches in Croatia you’ll want to add to your bucket list right now

By Saron Lease, 19th April 2019 According to Julie Delahaye, Online Travel Writer for the Mirror, these are the best Croatian beaches you just have to visit: 1.
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Top tips to save money on your Croatia villa holiday

By Saron Lease, 27th March 2019 The Dubrovnik Times reminded us that there are ways to help that precious holiday money go further, whilst at the same time immersing yourselves more into Croatian life.
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Croatian restaurants awarded Michelin’s ‘Bib Gourmand’ rating

By Saron Lease, 23rd March 2019 According to The Dubrovnik Times, as well as new stars for restaurants Noel (Zagreb) and Draga di Lovrana (Lovran), taking the number of Croatian Michelin starred restaurants to five, Michelin has awarded its Bib Gourmand rating to a further four restaurants taking that number to eight.
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Try before you buy: Use your 2019 Croatia holiday to search for the ideal holiday home

By Saron Lease, 19th March 2019 ES Homes and Property suggests that if you’re planning a holiday home search this year, Croatia is one of the countries that has hot buys you should know about.
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Croatia Easily Beats UK in Global Finance’s Safest Country List

By Saron Lease, 13th March 2019 According to Global Finance, Croatia lies 22nd in its ‘2019 Global Finance ranking of safest countries in the world’  beating countries like the UK (38th), USA (65th), France (36th) and the Netherlands (31st).
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Bill Gates loves Croatia’s Skradin, near Sibenik and the National Parks

By Saron Lease, 9th March 2019 Croatia’s main hotspots of Dubrovnik and the islands are favourite holiday destinations for many of the rich and famous, but as the Dubrovnik Times reports, little known Skradin is the place much loved by philanthropist Bill Gates.
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Vis Island’s Stivina Beach makes it onto CNN’s Best Beaches list

By Saron Lease, 7th March 2019 According to CNN Travel, you should make an effort to visit Croatia’s amazing Stivina Beach on tiny Vis island.
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The Telegraph’s Top 10 most Beautiful Seaside Towns in Croatia

By Saron Lease, 23rd February 2019 The Telegraph has put forward its choice of the top ten most beautiful Croatian seaside towns.
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City of Split features in Oscar Nominated film ‘Cold War’

By Saron Lease, 20th February 2019 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 91st nomination of Oscars, and included are three for the film Cold War set in the stunning city of Split, beloved by so many for its vibrancy, history and culture.
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Croatia’s 3rd Michelin Star Restaurant Awarded in Sibenik

By Saron Lease, 18th February 2019 According to the Michelin Guide, the Pelegrini Restaurant in Sibenik on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, has been awarded a Michelin star.
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Croatia Reggae Music Festival Moves to Sibenik for 2019

By Saron Lease, 12th February 2019 According to TimeOut, the Seasplash Festival moves from Pula to Sibenik for its 17th year. 
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Visit Split’s new Interactive Museum of Senses

By Saron Lease, 15th February 2019 So what to see after you have immersed yourselves in the sights and sounds of Split’s Old Town and you need a rest from the beach?
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Abta reports a Promising Start to Holiday Bookings

By Saron Lease, 14th Febuary 2019 According to Travel Weekly, more than one in four consumers will spend more on their holidays this year, according to new figures from Abta.
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Dubrovnik – one of the World’s Most Romantic Places for Valentine’s Day according to Trip Advisor

By Saron Lease, 8th February 2019 TripAdvisor has voted Dubrovnik as one of just ten European places to make it into its long list of the most romantic destinations in the world for 2019.
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Croatia – one of Europe’s greatest travel success stories

By Saron Lease, 29th January 2019 According to The Evening Standard, Croatia is one of Europe’s great travel success stories.
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Head for affordable Croatia for your villa holiday

By Saron Lease, 28th January 2019 According to Under Scoop Fire, for those seeking to limit their holiday budget but who have the travel bug, Croatia is fast becoming a go-to destination.
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Croatia Cycling Holiday – Fancy a Cross-Border Bicycle Hike

By Saron Lease, 23rd January 2019 Croatia cycling holidays areon the up and National Geographic reports that the Trans Dinarica, a new cross-border cycling route, presently connects Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, beginning in Slovenia’s Soča Valley, near Italy, then heading south along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, including Croatia’s stunning islands, before turning east and ending in Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. 
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Head for Sibenik and Enjoy its Renaissance

By Saron Lease, 23rd January 2019 According to the Washington Post, (and we at Croatia Gems agree), sleepy Sibenik (pronounced she-be (like ‘be’ in bed)-nick) is having a renaissance, so now is the time to discover it.
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Photos © Croatian Tourist Board

Croatian island of Vis nominated for European Film Location of the Year

By Saron Lease, 18th January 2019, According to Croatia Week, The European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) has announced the finalists in the European Film Location Award for the best European location.
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CNN Hails Croatia’s Brac Island Beach Zlatni Rat a Great Place for Wind & Kite Surfers

By Saron Lease, 1st January 2019 According to CNN Travel, the movement of the wind on Zlatni Rat beach means that one side of the beach promontory takes the full impact, making it a great spot for wind and kite surfers.
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Croatia Flights – EasyJet Seat Sale On Until Midnight 10th January

By Saron Lease, 2nd January 2019 In order to ‘beat the post-Christmas blues by making some New Year’s travel resolutions’ easyJet is discounting up to 20% off 400,000 seats to some European destinations.
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Croatia Flights added from Zagreb – Dublin

By Saron Lease, 30th December 2018 According to Avioradar, Croatia Airlines, the Croatian national air carrier, has announced that it will boost the number of Croatia flights to Ireland on its Zagreb – Dublin line, which began flying at the beginning of May 2018.
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Aston Villa agree deal to sign Croatia goalkeeper in January 2019

By Saron Lease, 26th December 2018 According to the BBC, Championship side Aston Villa have agreed to sign Croatia football hero  goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
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Zadar, Croatia in Top Ten Lonely Planet City Destinations For 2019

By Saron Lease 22nd December 2018 If you’re thinking of a city break, with flights to Croatia increasing outside of the summer holiday season, Croatian cities are getting more and more attention on the short stay destination map. 
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Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Croatia!

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Direct Flights from USA to Dubrovnik in 2019

By Saron Lease, 22nd December 2018 According to Croatia Week American Airlines have published schedules for direct flights 3 times a week from Philadelphia to Dubrovnik.
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Christmas Croatia – Zagreb’s Advent Markets

By Saron Lease, 22nd December 2018 If you have a weakness for Christmas Markets you have to head for Zagreb, Croatia’s stylish capital city, where they don’t just have one Christmas Market they have 14!
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Foreign Workers Needed for Croatia in 2019

By Saron Lease, 22nd December 2018 According to Reuters the Croatian Government raised the number of licenses for foreign workers in 2019 in an effort to make up for shortages of skilled domestic workers, notably in construction and tourism – the number has increased from 38,769 to 65,100.
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The Coolest Croatian Island Hotel Locations for 2019 Croatia Holidays

By Saron Lease, 19th December 2018 The Telegraph Travel has chosen a smorgasbord of Croatian island hotels for a 2019 Croatia holiday…

Best Islands to stay in Croatia

Brac Island is probably one of the easiest islands to get to lying just off the coast on the Split Riviera, plenty of ferries and just a 50 minute crossing makes it a comfortable adventure for familes..
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The Top Destinations for 2019 – Travelers’ Choice Awards by ‘Afar’

By Saron Lease, 19th December 2018 Afar’s 3rd Annual Travelers’ Choice Awards has been published with over 100k of votes for the most desirable destinations to visit in 2019.
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Jack Stein Filming Cooking TV Show ‘Inside The Box’ in Zagreb

By Saron Lease, 18th December 2018 In a boost to Croatia food, Jack Stein has been out and about in Zagreb!
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Better Ferry schedules to Croatian islands for 2019

By Saron Lease, 8th November 2018 According to Slobodna Dalmacija News, Tourists travelling to Croatian islands in 2019 will benefit from early publishing of the ferry timetables.
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Croatia starting to attract more tourists off season

By Saron Lease, 18th October 2018 Croatia visited 18 million tourists in the first 9 months of 2018.
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Skyscanner votes Croatian Beach 2nd Nicest in the World

by Saron Lease of Croatia Gems, 2nd November 2018,

Renowned for having the clearest and cleanest water in Europe, one Croatian beach has made popular tourist search engine Skyscanner’s list of 10 of the World’s Best Beaches!

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Croatian Produce at SIAL Food Fair

By Saron Lease, 22rd October 2018, According to Total Croatia News Sial, one of the most important international food fairs, opened it’s doors on Sunday in Paris ( 21st – 25th October ) representing Croatia is Prsut Vostane with it’s lovely Prosciutto.
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Croatia has been named the best travel destination of the year 2018 by the association of Travel agents of Quebec

 By Saron Lease 18th October 2018, According The Dubrovnik Times, the ceremony was held at the Theatre Rialto in Montreal last week and Croatia was up against stiff competition from Mexico/Dominica and Portugal.
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