Eco Hvar

Ministry of Tourism Covid-19 Relief Measures

Published in Notices

Due to the effects of the Covid-19 virus, in 2020 the Ministry of Tourism announced financial relief measures for those engaged in the tourist industry.

Ministry of Tourism Covid-19 Relief Measures

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT THE COVID VIRUS CLICK HERE.

The full text of the Ministry of Tourism Relief Measures is available on the Ministry website, but in Croatian only, although part of the website is translated into English. The information will certainly be of use to the many English-speakers renting out accommodation on Hvar and in Croatia generally. 

Tourist fee payment relief

Private renters will not have to pay the tourist fee lump sum (paušal); payment of any outstanding flexible part of the 2019 concession fee is cancelled, and payment for 2020 deferred; the relevant changes in the laws (NN 36/2020) can be seen on the following link (in Croatian): https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/full/2020_03_36_764.html

People offering tourist rentals in private accommodation and on family farms are excused half of the annual tourist fee for 2020 which would normally be due for the main bed and parking spot in a camp and holiday camp, or according to the capacity of 'Robinson' accommodation run in accordance with the special regulations governing tourist rental activities. Furthermore, tourist fee in 2020 for camp beds ('pomoćni kreveti') will not be charged.

These measures only apply to people offering accommodation in private properties and on privately owned farmland.

The aim is to soften the financial impact of the economic burden created by the Coronavirus epidemic. Because the tourist fee is administered per bed, rather than per night's stay, it is clearly unfair and untenable in the current situation.

The responsible authorities for these measures are the Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Tourist Board. Information about the measures will be available through the eVisitor internet system. Further information can be obtained if needed from the Ministry of Tourism by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Payment of any outstanding amount due for the 2019 concession fee in respect of the use of tourist land in camps is waived, and the payment due for 2020 is deferred. The applicable law (NN 31/2020) can be seen (in Croatian) on the link: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/full/2020_03_31_674.html

In view of the exceptional situation caused by the Coronavirus, outstanding payments due for the 2019 concession fees for camps will be charged at 1 kn, and not at the standard rate, and payments due for the fixed concession fee for 2020 will be delayed from August 31st to November 30th 2020. The measure applies to commercial agencies offering tourist services on the basis of seeking concessions for camps on communal land in the Republic of Croatia according to the law (NN 92/10). Details of the charges will be made available by the Ministry of Tourism, and further information, if needed, can be obtained by email from the Ministry: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The same measures apply to those holding concessions on land owned by local authorities, and the applicable law (NN 41/2020) can be read (in Croatian) on the following link: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_04_41_853.html.

The Croatian Law on Providing Tourist Services (NN 42/2020 -887) has been amended and can be read (in Croatian) on the following link: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_04_42_887.html. The changes include the following:

- in order to prevent the operation of unregistered rental accommodation, internet sites must quote the tax identity number (OIB) of any advertiser offering tourist services in the Republic of Croatia;

- during this exceptional situation, tourist agencies will be allowed to employ people without the normal required certificates in order to keep operating, so that knowledge of foreign languages or Croatian do not have to be demonstrated, nor is it necessary for such employees to have a minimum of one year's experience in the tourist industry. These employees can remain in employment for a maximum of six months after the end of the special measures.

- contracts for package tours which were booked to take place after March 1st but cancelled are to be varied as following: the traveller has the right to cancel the package tour 180 days after the end of the exceptional situation caused by Coronavirus, and the tour operator must issue a voucher or moratorium on the cancellation of the contract for the same period; if the client decides on a refund, the tour operator must return the amount paid within 14 days after the period of 180 days following the end of the exceptional situation has elapsed.

- people providing tour guide services will no longer be entered into the Central register. This aims to allow more people to earn money from tourist services, such as students, pensioners or the unemployed.

The Law on Providing Accommodation Services has also been amended (NN 42/2020-888), and can be found (in Croatian) on the following link: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_04_42_888.html
The changes are as follows:

- temporary permits for rental premises will be extended to the end of 2021. This applies to properties which have not yet been legalized although the application for legalization was submitted at the right time.

- the Minister is empowered to vary the conditions regarding the requirements for people in the hospitality and rental businesses.

- the deadline for re-categorizing hotels and camps is extended. Applications will start from 1 year after the end of the Covid-19 special measures situation, instead of after 4 years from the original permit.

- hotel and camp operators who have been granted a temporary operations permit for the type of operation, but not yet for the category of the premises, are granted an extension of one year following the end of the Covid-19 special measures in the Republic of Croatia.

- for renters whose categorization permits were issued before September 1st 2007, and for those who wish to retain their existing level of category (star rating), applications for new documents must be made before the following deadlines:
8.4.2022 – for permits issued before 31.12.2000.
8.4.2023 – for permits issued between 1.1.2001 and 31.12.2004.
8.4.2024 – for permits issued after 31.12.2004.

The Law Governing Tourist Boards and the Promotion of Croatian Tourism has been amended to alleviate financial constraints caused by the Covid-19 epidemic. You can read the amendments (NN 42/2020-885) on the following link (in Croatian): https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_04_42_885.html

The Law on the Tourist Fee has been amended, (NN 42/2020-886) and can be read (in Croatian) on the following link: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_04_42_886. The amendments are as follows:

- during the Covid-19 special situation, the Croatian Government is empowered to vary the system for determining the level of the tourist fee and the deadlines for its payment.

- the Croatian Government is also empowered to repurpose resources from the Fund for Insufficiently Developed Inland Areas and the Fund for Associated Tourist Boards.

- while the special conditions caused by the Covid-19 epidemic last, inspectors will not issue fines or penalty notices, or institute legal action in the case of contraventions.

If you need further information, contact the Ministry of Tourism by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

May 2020

More in this category: « Covid-19, sneaky sniper Eco Hvar Supporters Honoured »
back to top
You are here: Home notices Ministry of Tourism Covid-19 Relief Measures

Eco Environment News feeds

  • As the UK prepares its next carbon budget, what needs to be included?

    Expert recommendations will influence plans for energy, housing, transport industry and farming for decades

    Labour will next week be confronted with stark policy choices that threaten to expose the fault lines between the Treasury and the government’s green ambitions, as advice for the UK’s next carbon budget is published.

    Plans for the energy sector, housing, transport, industry and farming will all be called into question in a sweeping set of recommendations for how the UK can meet the legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

    Continue reading...

  • Young country diary: A sky full of geese is an awe-inspiring sight

    North Norfolk: Every morning, an endless flow of pink-footed geese passes overhead. Their comings and goings define the day

    The first thing you hear is a raucous cacophony in the distance, ebbing and flowing. Then the first small specks appear, and soon the sky is filled with a seemingly never-ending flow of geese.

    These are pink-footed geese, who migrate to north Norfolk at the start of winter along with hundreds of thousands of other geese. They come here to escape the harsh winters of Siberia, Iceland and Greenland, where they breed. Norfolk has an abundance of food compared to the Arctic: leaves, berries, seeds and crop remains.

    Continue reading...

  • Brazilian city in Amazon declares emergency after huge sinkholes appear

    In Buriticupu, about 1,200 people risk losing their homes, and residents have seen the problem escalate in 30 years

    Authorities in a city in the Brazilian Amazonhave declared a state of emergency after huge sinkholes opened up, threatening hundreds of homes.

    Several buildings in Buriticupu, in Maranhão state, have already been destroyed, and about 1,200 people of a population of 55,000 risk losing their homes into a widening abyss.

    Continue reading...

  • Outcry as Trump withdraws support for research that mentions ‘climate’

    US government stripping funds from domestic and overseas research amid warnings for health and public safety

    The Trump administration is stripping away support for scientific research in the US and overseas that contains a word it finds particularly inconvenient: “climate.”

    The US government is withdrawing grants and other support for research that even references the climate crisis, academics have said, amid Donald Trump’s blitzkrieg upon environmental regulations and clean-energy development.

    Continue reading...

  • Rolling back on climate actions may spell rise in preventable illness – study

    Net zero policies would result in fewer deaths saving UK billions, say researchers

    Countries that weaken or stop their net zero and climate actions may be consigning their populations to decades of preventable illness.

    Gains from net zero are often presented as global benefits and mainly for future generations. But less fossil fuel use also means less air pollution which results in local health gains right away.

    Continue reading...

  • Dark side of bright nights taking toll on forgotten invertebrates

    From bats to moths, species working the night shift are suffering as light pollution soars

    When we think about invertebrates, most of us picture bees, butterflies, worms, crabs or perhaps even a jellyfish. But did you know that at least two-thirds of invertebrates are active at night, meaning many are unlikely to be seen? Invertebrates carry out many of the same functions as their daytime counterparts, in some cases doing so with greater efficiency and variety.

    For centuries, artificial light has been a symbol of progress. From the flickering flames of early fires to the dazzling LED displays of modern cities, light has shaped human civilisation. But while we celebrate its convenience, we often overlook the darker side of our obsession with illumination: light pollution.

    The Guardian is running theinvertebrate of theyear competition 2025 – and this time it’s global.Nominate your favourite invertebrate, and then, in a few weeks time, we’ll vote on which is the best.

    Continue reading...

  • ‘To say there’s no future is counterproductive’: metal megastars Architects on grief, climate and hope for humanity

    Consumed by anger and still mourning a brother and bandmate, the British quartet have written their masterpiece. They explain how they’re fighting self-loathing and trying to age responsibly

    In a world of low royalties and short attention spans, not many bands make it to 11 albums, much less have their 11th be their masterpiece. But over the course of 20 years, the metalquartet Architects have inched towards this milestone. The Sky, the Earth & All Between sets out its scale in its title, where gigantic pop choruses soar over hellish chasms of churning noise, resulting in the most consistently sublime British rock album of this decade. The band are now at their arena-filling, Metallica-supporting peak, adored by millions.

    “But it means nothing,” says frontman, Sam Carter. “Because you don’t believe it. If you can’t access that part of you that lets it in, then it’s pointless.” Drummer and lyricist, Dan Searle, is equally downcast. “I punish myself, I loathe myself,” he says evenly, blinking behind his glasses. “I feel like I’m shit at everything.” Across two decades, the band have been buffeted by poor mental health, creative differences and an instance of particularly traumatic grief. While the pair are quick to joke during our long conversation in a London photo studio, and are clearly ravenously ambitious, I have never met a rock band as candid about their frailties.

    Continue reading...

  • The EPA weighed two LA beachfront sites for toxic waste sorting. These ‘hippies and hicks’ revolted

    Residents in Topanga Canyon – an area of Indigenous heritage and artists – mobilized against the state’s decision to bring in hazardous materials after wildfires

    Twenty years ago, it was called Rodeo Grounds – an eclectic neighborhood of artists, musicians and surfers living in beach shacks where Topanga Canyon meets the Pacific Ocean. In a bizarre agreement with the former owner some paid as little as $100 a month for rent, raising multiple generations of their families here since the 1950s. But that was before the state purchased the property and started evicting residents in 2001. Julie Howell, who once owned Howell-Green Fine Art Gallery further up in the canyon, says the bohemians were kicked out.

    “I actually had a show in my gallery 20 years ago for the group of artists who lived there at Rodeo Grounds, who they kicked out of that spot because it was so environmentally sensitive,” says Howell.

    Continue reading...

  • ‘If not fire, we’ll be killed by hunger’: villagers continue to feel fallout from Bolivia’s worst wildfires

    Residents battle food shortages and health issues after vast areas of forest and farmland burned last year

    As she walks away from the house where she raised her family, Isabel Surubí pauses to point at the bed of a stream, now covered with dry leaves, that once supplied her entire community. “The water used to come from here,” she says.

    In 2024, wildfires in Bolivia burned more than 10m hectares (about 39,000 sq miles) of forest, farmland and savannah – an area greater than the size of Portugal. After the fires, and the drought that preceded them, the spring feeding Surubí’s village of Los Ángeles in Bolivia’s tropical dry forest ran dry.

    Continue reading...

  • ‘Our community deserves beauty’: one man’s mission to green a UK tree desert

    In Grimsby, locals have created a society focused on the environmental and health benefits more trees provide, planting thousands in schools, parks and hedgerows

    Billy Dasein was born on Rutland Street, Grimsby, in the front room of the house where he still lives. His father was a fitter, and his mother a housewife who also worked in the Tickler’s jam factory. He left school at 16 and wound up working at Courtauld’s synthetic textiles factory.

    Rows of terrace houses, constructed for workers in the booming fish industry, are set out in a grid structure by the docks. Life was similar on all these streets: doors left unlocked, kids out playing. Everyone knew everyone.

    Continue reading...

Eco Health News feeds

Eco Nature News feeds

Copyright © 2025 Eco Hvar. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Orion Informatika.