Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for August, 2007

Listen up, Jadrolinija–they’re talking to you! Upgrade your fleet, add coastal cruises and improve inter-island transport. At least, that’s my interpretation of the technical jargon that follows.

This from Lloyd’s List:

AS Croatia prepares to enter the European Union, strategic reforms and
structural change are necessary if the country’s ferry operators are to
compete effectively, writes Sandra Speares.

In a paper presented in the Maritime Policy and Management journal, Heidi
Cottam, Michael Roe and Jonathan Challacombe of Plymouth University’s centre
of international shipping and logistics say that Croatian fleets are
suffering from “obsolete vessels with inferior technology, operating
regional networks with point-to-point routings instead of global service
activity”.

According to the paper, EU enlargement “has changed the meaning of the
Adriatic as a traffic corridor for tourism.

“Today, Croatian maritime transport systems must be considered in relation
to the interconnectivity of regional transit networks.”

The paper urges Croatia to seek to improve the standard of passenger
transport to that of the Single European Transport Policy.

The paper also advocates a return to the cruise industry by Croatian
shipping companies, initially by means of state concessions, but in the
longer term through private funding and financing initiatives.

The authors suggest that “Croatian operators should develop a modest fleet
of contemporary cruise liners on the Adriatic, to niche markets that are not
in direct competition with the leading operators”.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development agreed a ?26.5m
($35.5m) loan to modernise the port of Dubrovnik at the beginning of 2005,
to ensure that the port would be able to accommodate three 300 m ships at
one time, although the authors say that more investment is needed to improve
Croatia’s traffic network.

While Croatia has the chance to move back into the international cruise
market, the paper says, capital remains in short supply, as is the case with
the short sea ferry fleet where investment has been limited.

It recommends that short sea ferries “should now be directed towards the
international cross-trades with increased emphasis on geographical and
product niches”.

Government support, the paper says, will be needed to “overcome the conflict
between the interests of the shipping and tourism industries and that of the
national citizen”.

It took a while but Split finally has a brand-new five-star hotel only steps from the celebrated “Diocletian’s Palace” and Split’s historical town centre. For years Split has suffered from a shortage of decent accommodation, let alone luxury accommodation but that era is past. The Hotel Atrium is primarily designed for business travellers (FREE wireless access from every room!) but leisure travellers will also find a lot to love. Such as, the indoor swimming pool, wellness centre, jacuzzi, sauna, on-site restaurant and its excellent location. The hotel is so comfy it just might encourage you to stick around Split for a while before running off to the islands. Find out more about Split accommodation.

They’re here at last, Jadrolinija’s ferry timetables valid from October 2007 to May 2008. From Ancona to Split, Ancona to Zadar, Bari to Dubrovnik , Rijeka to Dubrovnik and all local routes, Jadrolinija has it all. At first glance it seems as though the changes from last winter are minimal. Still, it’s gratifying to see that there are now two boats a week from Zadar to Mali Losinj instead of one.  I only wish the Baska (Krk) to Lopar (Rab) continued throughout the winter. (Sigh). Read more about ferries to Croatia