Like Greece, Portugal and other European countries usually popular with tourists in summer, Croatia has its eyes on the summer months.
To reassure travelers, while the curve of Covid-19 is panicking like everywhere on the Old Continent and that vaccination is progressing more slowly than expected, the country has just launched a promotional campaign and a health label, "Stay Safe in Croatia ".
As the Minister of Tourism Nikolina Brnjac explained, it is about highlighting the way in which the country's tourist infrastructure invests in health safety.
“We want to make sure that any stay in Croatia is safe and pleasant,”
said the Minister.
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Number of cases, confinement, openings ... Update on the situation in Croatia
Croatia has started its deconfinement.
The terraces of cafes, bars and restaurants are open, public gatherings of less than 25 people allowed.
Since mid-January, the number of cases has climbed again, with around 1,100 new Covid-19 contaminations per day for a total of 257,000 cases and 5,773 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Where is the vaccination campaign?
The vaccination campaign, launched in December 2020, is progressing slowly: only 8.5% of the country's 4 million inhabitants have received a first dose of vaccine.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković wants to boost
“to ensure maximum protection for its citizens before the tourist season”
this summer.
To do this, the government has launched negotiations with Russia to obtain the Sputnik V vaccine as soon as it is approved by the European Medicines Agency.
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Vaccination passport, quarantine, test ... What will be the conditions of access this summer for tourists?
Faced with the delay in vaccinations, the Croatian government is looking for other strategies to attract and reassure visitors.
“This year, safety will be the priority for travelers in their choice of destination,”
remarked Minister Nikolina Brnjac.
The Stay Safe in Croatia label will be granted to companies working in the travel, accommodation or gastronomy industry, which respect all the epidemiological and health measures put in place to fight against Covid-19.
During the launch of the campaign, Nikolina Brnjac also announced that the country would offer tests, PCR and antigens, in tourist resorts, as well as detailed information on what to do in the event of symptoms.
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European travelers can travel to Croatia provided they can justify a negative PCR test of less than 48 hours or undergo this test on arrival.
The country has also simplified the procedures for obtaining a short-term residence permit for teleworkers.
It allows “digital nomads” and their immediate families to settle in Croatia for a period of up to one year.
Croatia welcomed the European proposal to set up a "green certificate" for European travelers, stressing however that it was necessary to be careful not to make it a discriminatory measure for the unvaccinated.