Press Releases Ryanair have announced a number of new flights and finally they have added Croatia-London Stanstead to Pula service commencing on the 31st October 2006. Flights are scheduled for every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and are currently advertised from as little as £2.99 / 4.20 Euros excluding airport taxes, fees and charges. Flyglobespan changes Pula flights schedule http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/2006/07/flyglobespan_ch.html BA add more cheap seats offers Returns to Dubrovnik for £98.60 –including tax-book next years trips now! (You can only book upto 350 days in advance). Split, Croatia, Aims for More Than Stopover Status http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/travel/30next.html?ref=travel Instant weekend: Zagreb http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2100-2279321,00.html Med to lose pull as Earth heats up http://travel.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1840221,00.html EBRD supports upgrading of Zagreb-Rijeka motorway http://www.infrasite.nl/news/news_article.php?ID_nieuwsberichten=4802&language=en Croatia’s emergence in a world of golf http://tinyurl.com/qsldb 2006 Tax Guide from Price Waterhouse Cooper http://tinyurl.com/llhua Rental law Update 2006 Nationwide tourist offices have announced that this summer they are cracking down on the black economy where locals rent out their rooms and do not pay taxes. This government led initiative is part of the harmonisation towards EU membership, as they try and maximise the country's GDP pre entry. It would seem that a side effect of this policy is to upset foreigners who are trying very hard to follow the rental laws but receive conflicting and late messages from government, accountants and lawyers. Recently I have received a number of enquiries from foreign owners who rent their properties, where their accountants are telling them that they have to have a business visa. This has always been the case but in most cases rental licenses were issued without insisting on the need for a business visa. A business visa can be generated in 5-6 weeks but requires paperwork from England and at least one visit to Croatia. Clearly this will affect this year’s season, it is difficult to offer precise advice because of the different procedures used by different counties, but one would hope that if you have rented successfully last season and are now in the process of sorting out your business visa, then it would be a very harsh (and well informed) tourist office who would insist on you cancelling your bookings for this summer. An additional complication is that not all counties enforce the law in the same manner. Some counties expect you to be permanently resident in Croatia to qualify for a business visa and do not understand that modern business can be run from anywhere in the world. They do not see the irony in that if you lived permanently in Croatia you would not have a business, as the rental would not be available, as you would be living in it! You need to hope that your individual county apply common sense and do not expect you to move to Croatia!! For more information: http://www.croatia-holidayandhome.co.uk/rental-directory/rental-law.html Croatia real estate booms as EU membership looms - Reuters Extract "In the past decade fewer than 4,000 foreigners have legally bought a house in Croatia, but many have found ways around the law, often by registering token firms in Croatia. (Interesting choice of words! ED). Some observers estimate their numbers are actually 10 times higher." Zagreb moved to simplify property-buying procedures last month by putting the Justice Ministry in charge of issuing permits. In spite of the attractiveness of Dubrovnik, the northern Adriatic's Istrian peninsula or the capital, Zagreb, the rest of the country has yet to catch up. "We generally expect property prices to continue rising as Croatia nears EU entry," said Darije Vladimir Josic from the Jadran Kapital real estate investment fund. EU Signs Air-Deregulation Accord With Balkans, Norway, Iceland http://tinyurl.com/k9mwu Visitors' guide to the delights of Croatia http://tinyurl.com/kvj56 Straub Says Germany Supports Croatia's Path To EU http://tinyurl.com/jr6fe The Backpackers/Non carbon emitting Route to Croatia! Coach from London to Paris with www.Busabout.com for £36.00 return. Then go overnight on the Stendhal train to Venice for £52.00 return with www.raileurope.co.uk From Venice www.venzialines.com will sail you to Pula in Istria for £24.00 each way. To travel throughout Croatia use the ferries www.jadrolinija.hr Jack Nicklaus to Design His First Course in Croatia http://www.cybergolf.com/news/golfnews4006.asp Croatia: Real Estate Prices Rise 2-3% in Q1:06 The prices of real estate in the first quarter of 2006 were increased by 2-3%, while the price growth compared to previous years seems to be slowing down, but maximum prices have not yet been reached, revealed a research of Rijeka-based real estate advertising magazine Infonekretnine, which was conducted on the basis of published real estate advertisements, Croatia Today reports. EU report forecasts economic growth rebound in Croatia http://tinyurl.com/fvutq NEW LAW OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP regarding the necessity of a usage permit in the sales contract (I have received this early alert from Croatia - whilst the translation isnt great I think the overall message is important. Hopefully more clarification will be forthcoming. MW) "Check with your lawyer and the Ministry the full extent of this new legislation. The assistant of Ministry of Building says that all buildings, which contain more apartments than the number shown in the building permit, will be defined as an illegal building. According to the changes of the law of property ownership, (which are still in process,) from 1st of January 2007, the usage permit will be crucial document for obtaining of owners rights for getting of ownership for the appartments or flats and other spaces. The consequences will be drastic; if your building does not have the usage permit, it will not be possible to sell, get insurance, or to take a mortgage for that apartment. This law change will make radical changes on property sales market because these changes will make difficult to sell off plan buildings. All properties from 2004 will need a usage permit and need to obtain it before Jan 2007". Peljesac Bridge When I was in Croatia last week I took some pictures of the ground works for the beginning of the bridge from the north of Klek on the mainland. The bridge will end up over in Brjesta on the peninsula (to the right of the images) already it is easy to imagine what an amazing finished construction it will be in 2008. (2009 if they use my builders!) Pictures: http://www.croatia-holidayandhome.co.uk/picture-galleries/Peljesac-bridge-gallery.html Croatia Europe’s Top Tourist Destination http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7003223332 Interesting statistic! "Foreigners currently own 3,962 properties in Croatia, out of which 58.58 percent (2,321) belong to German citizens, then follow Austrians with 738 real estates, and Hungarians are in the third place." 2nd International Conference on Real Estate Market by Dubravko Ranilovic, president of the Real Estate Association within Croatian Chamber of Commerce. March 2006. I thought this was an interesting fact to compare with the scare stories that were run last year by the Croatia media about foreigners buying all the Croatian real estate with Brits being the chief culprits. The numbers are not that excessive as compared to foreign ownership in other emerging countries and clearly the Germans and Austrians lead the ownership stakes. Croatia Airlines The national carrier reacts to the competition by introducing 79 Euro returns from Gatwick. http://www.croatiaairlines.hr/Default.aspx?tabid=557 Croatia and the EU screening process http://tinyurl.com/ry3v5 Croatian tourism takes off, despite obstacles http://tinyurl.com/gd8uw More good news on budget flights-Easyjet-Gatwick to Split Starting on May 2nd, I was quoted £47.00 return including tax – wonderful! - just need Dubrovnik next please!! http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/index.asp Croatian Blog! An excellent account of what it’s like living in Croatia. If you scroll through the pages there are articles on lifestyle, pets, food and drink, shopping, television and radio, etc. The Monday and Tuesday columns cover specific destinations and tourist activities, Wednesday is about business in Croatia, and Friday is a review of the week’s news, etc. http://www.croatiaonline.blogspot.com Second Budget Carrier adds Croatia EasyJet will start a four-times-a-week service between Luton and the Croatian city of Rijeka on June 30, from £26.00 one-way! http://www.easyjet.com/EN/News/new_to_marrakech_rijeka_istanbul.html European Commission President Addresses Croatian Parliament http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=26108 Let head rule heart when buying in a strange land http://news.ft.com/cms/s/51ee9114-9fa3-11da-a703-0000779e2340.html Istria in the making http://tinyurl.com/p6vx5 Online ownership checking! A Croatian language site which, for some areas, is offering land registry detail, very early days but a positive sign! http://e-izvadak.pravosudje.hr Great new site! http://www.croatia-beaches.com Wizair To Split Everyone has been waiting for Ryanair or Easyjet to launch flights and this modest outfit flying from Luton have outdone them all. Following the announcement last month of its cheap year round flights to Zagreb, this month Wizair added Split to the schedules from May 2006. When I went on the site a fortnight’s return in August was quoted at £27.00 (before tax)! With the new motorway north and not bad roads south, these flights will really open up the whole country. Time magazine Top Travel Tips for 2006 as No. 1: CROATIA - Dalmatian Coast "THE DALMATIAN COAST. This year skip the French and Italian Riviera and head for Croatia's Dalmatian Coast, where mountains meet the shimmering Adriatic Sea. The region is still relatively undiscovered, which means unspoiled beaches and affordable prices even in the medieval walled city of Dubrovnik." 2006 Index For Economic Freedom Ranks an improving Croatia 55th Among 161 Countries http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=24725 Click here for the 2005 Press Releases Archive Click here for the 2002/2003/2004 Press Releases Archive