visit.dubrovnik.hr/blog

UPWARD TREND CONTINUES

The significance of Dubrovnik as a congress industry destination has been confirmed by a further rise on the newly published list of prestigious global association of ICCA, because according to the latest data it has been ranked 74^th on the world congress cities list, while last year it was 87^th . 

One of the most prominent organizations in the world of international congresses - ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) has published the ICCA 2012 country and city rankings, where Dubrovnik again has an excellent position, rising to seventy-fourth place out of 389 positions this year, while among the countries Croatia is ranked fortieth in the world and 22^ndin Europe. On the European list of 210 cities, Dubrovnik is also ranked to a higher position and is currently at the 39^th place, let us remind that last year it was 48^th.
All these rankings confirm Dubrovnik as an exceptionally attractive convention destination. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2012 Dubrovnik had an increase in the number of congresses by 22 percent, last year a total number of congresses held was 455, a steady positive trend of the past years has witnessed a stable status of Dubrovnik as a convention destination. During spring, large convention hotels, such as Dubrovnik Libertas Rixos, Valamar Lacroma, Dubrovnik Palace, Radisson Blu and others were hosts of a number of large conferences together with smaller meetings that were held in all the hotels with convention facilities, and the first part of 2013 in the congress part of the offer has also been very successful. In regular reports issued by the ICCA, a list of countries and cities around the world is monitored, as well as the list according to continents and cities. The criteria for ranking a convention destination are purely international congresses of associations that are held periodically in various destinations (at least 3 countries), not counting the “ad hoc” conferences. Dubrovnik will again present its convention offer at the largest gathering of convention professionals in the world, the IMEX fair in Frankfurt, where this year also the Convention Office of the City of Dubrovnik Tourist Board will be presented as well.

One of last year’s biggest successes and most popular music venue in Dubrovnik was Park Orsula. The beautiful park on a hillside overlooking the city has been painstakingly restored by a team of locals over several years. Their now annual music festival provides Dubrovnik with a stunning summer stage much longed for by locals and tourists alike.

The line up for the 2013 edition promises to bring many well known musicians from the Balkans to Park Orsula as well as British act the Tiger Lillies. Attending a concert at Orsula should be on the top of everyone’s to do list this summer. You won’t be disappointed and the unique atmosphere is bound to leave a lasting impression.

Park Orsula Music Festival 2013:
15.06.  Vasil Hadžimanov Band
21.06.  Dječaci, General Woo, Kandžija i Toxara, Otpisanimator
28.06. Meri Cetinić
05.07.  Klapa Šufit, Klapa Subrenum
06.07.  Svadbas, Quasarr, Feredon
11.07.  The Tiger Lillies, Izae
13.07. Teofilovići i Miroslav Tadić
19./20.07. Blues Weekend: Zdenka Kovačiček („S ljubavlju, Janis“ – tribute to Janis Joplin), Bebe na vole, Gruhak, Otprilike ovako, Delta Blues Gang, Kukac & Friends, Harpoon Blues Band
21.07.  Goribor, Lovely Quinces
26.07. Neno Belan i Fiumensi unplugged
30.07.  Vlada Divljan & Ljetno kino
02.08.  Damir Kukuruzović Gipsy Swing Quartet
03.08. Alex Barck JAZZANOVA & EDDY RAMICH Kontrapunkt
10.08.  Sevdah Takht Damira Imamovića
17.08.  Vlatko Stefanovski Trio
21.08. Klapa FA Linđo, Klapa Ragusavecchia
23.08.  Goran Bare i Majke
 30.08.  Silente promcija albuma & Guests

http://www.justdubrovnik.com/2013/05/park-orsula-festival-lineup-announced/10803/

„Walls of Stone, Heart of Art“

A new visual identity for the 64th Dubrovnik Summer Festival is a layout of Dubrovnik inscribed in the human heart. The City is presented like a living organism that celebrates art and lives in it. The visual identity of Summer Festival throughout history was created by a number of prominent artists and designers, including Tomo Gusić, Boris Ljubičić, Luka Gusić and Orsat Franković, while the production of this year’s visual identity has been assigned to Maro Pitarević and a designer duo Šesnić & Tuković from Tukovicdesign studio. Dubrovnik is a world famous city of unique beauty and rich history, and one of the first associations to Dubrovnik are its walls. That’s where our idea was born. Later it was extended by the HEART OF ART. For Dubrovnik really has a heart of art. In the glorious days of the Dubrovnik Republic art pulsed within the city walls, and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival each year revives the heart of art – said the artists explaining what they were inspired by. The visual similarity between the heart and the city layout looks too simple and that is why it reinforces best the link between architecture and anatomy of living organisms that celebrate art and live in it. Dubrovnik we speak about is not made of stone, but of pure emotion. We hope that this concept will inspire artists for cardiac performance and visitors to experience the Festival not only by their eyes or ears, but also by the heart – said the artists.

We are looking forward to the 64th Summer Festival! (Http://www.dubrovnik-festival.hr/Default.aspx

Gulliver Travel has presented the FISHING AND FISHERMEN’S TALES tour to their guests last Friday on the trawler named Orka  the new tourist product which has enriched their tour offer and the tourist offer in Dubrovnik Region in general. On that occasion, Mr Goran Hrnić, President of the Board of Gulliver Travel, said: “Gulliver is The whole range of our products, from the Tourist train through Konavle vineyards, to the motor bike Gulliver Easy Ride to the specialized adventure, gastro and other tours proves that we are strategically focused on differentiated product. Besides being „different“, the tour is also „local“ and „autochthonous“, which meets the requirements of the sustainable development of tourism that we implement in our activities when and where possible.” After boarding in Gruž Port, Orka sailed across the crystal clear sea to the Elaphiti Archipelago and the Island of Mljet. Next to St Andrew’s island, the trawls were lowered into the sea and the fishermen’s tales began: fishing, pulling the nets and talking to the crew of the trawler. The catch of the day was prepared for lunch, and was followed by swimming on Saplunara Beach and return to Gruž Port in the late afternoon hours. Their guests truly experienced what it was like to be a fisherman and tell fishermen’s tales for a day.

http://www.gulliver.hr/#id=1274&name=Welcome to the world of fishermen and fishermen’s tales!&lang=en&typ=media

For those of you planning a trip to Dubrovnik in high summer, one of the top things on your to do list should be attending the 64th Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

If you’d like to see Rufus Wainwright in concert on the Revelin Fortress or watch ballet in front of the Church of St. Blaise then be sure to guarantee a ticket by purchasing your tickets now. Online ticket sales are available through the Dubrovnik Summer Festival http://www.ulaznice.com.hr/paganini/app/web_v2/ctl_evt.jsp?act=search_results&p=t&t=4

For now just a handful of events are on sale online with the full program going live at the beginning of May. Among the highlights this year are: Robert Glasper Experiment,  the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in front of the Cathedral and Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte performed at the Art School Park.

After more than a month on the road and covering over 1,000 miles the Run For Love 146 runners arrived in the Old City of Dubrovnik yesterday to a hero’s welcome.

Three young Londoners, Rob Martineau, Tom Stancliffe and Guy Hacking, started their journey over a month ago in Odessa in the Ukraine, their goal was to reach Dubrovnik, 39 marathons in 33 days, an extraordinary feat of human endurance. And yesterday, amid scenes of wild jubilation and tears, they arrived in the heart of the Old City of Dubrovnik. More than 300 people, friends and family, were waiting for them. Banners and flags decked the Stradun and at around 3:30pm the three of them ran the final leg through the historic Old City of Dubrovnik. In Forrest Gump style they had been joined by various runners along the way and for the final three days more than thirty runners had accompanied them.

“I just can’t believe this welcome,” commented an emotional Hacking, “we heard the roar as we entered Dubrovnik.”

The purpose of the run was to raise £150,000 for the charity Love146, a charity that works against child trafficking and exploitation. 1.2 million children are sold into exploitation each year. Guy Hacking, 30, said “It’s tragic to think of children living in slavery. Love146 are determined to end child trafficking. It’s such an important cause and it’s great to be able to support the charity’s work.”

The three of them spent a well earned night in the Hilton Imperial in Dubrovnik before preparing for an extra stage with more than 170 sponsored runners today around Konavle. (http://dubrovacki.hr/clanak/51379/run-for-love-ends-in-dubrovnik)

Auto Stop Race is one of the best known student projects in Poland. Organised by the BUT Traveller’s Club at the University of Economics in Warsaw, the main goal of the race is to hitch-hike as a cheap, ecological and exciting way of travelling and getting to know the world.  Last year’s edition saw participants race to Barcelona, Spain and this year Dubrovnik becomes the destination of choice.

Three basic principles form the rules of the competition: The fastest wins, travel only by hitch–hiking  and have fun.

The participants travel in teams of two for safety with complete freedom over their route. Around 1000 hitchhikers have arrived in Dubrovnik and set up home at the camp site in Kupari, just outside of the city.  The group are hoping to make a new Guinness World Record with their trip and are currently being followed by 8,000 people on facebook. (http://www.justdubrovnik.com/2013/05/hitchikers-race-from-warsaw-to-dubrovnik/10563/)

Dubrovnik was awash with purple T-shirts today as a group of school children arrived on Monarch Airlines. More than 150 children from a school in Milton Keynes in England arrived on a specially charted flight from Monarch Airlines. The educational trip organised by the British airline Monarch Airlines organized the ducational trip to Dubrovnik for more then 150 children from a school in Milton Keynes in England.. That was  part of an action “make flying fun” in which Monarch asked head teachers to nominate their school to win a trip to Dubrovnik. This, rather unusual, school trip was won by a school in Milton Keynes and the pupils enjoyed a flying visit to Dubrovnik for the day on a specially charted flight from Monarch Airlines. The whirlwind trip to the city included a visit to the Aquarium, the city walls, lunch in the Klarisa restaurant and an educational film about the history of Dubrovnik. “Dubrovnik has proved to be one of the hit destinations for British tourists and we are very pleased with the results Monarch achieved last year,” commented Massey. This season Monarch will fly from London, Manchester and Birmingham to Dubrovnik and has even opened new flights to Split. “I certainly believe that Dubrovnik could become an all-year-round destination and Monarch is working towards increasing the number of flights,” concluded Massey. This educational – promotional tour is another opportunity of publicity for Dubrovnik on the British market.” 2012 was a record year for British tourists in Dubrovnik with 93,041 visiting, making them the number one guest in 2012. Compared to 2011 there were almost 40 percent more British tourists in Dubrovnik last year and they accounted for almost 500,000 overnight stays, an increase of 40 percent on 2011.

Shakespeare’s Kings and Clowns and The Return of Sherlock Holmes were presented Lazareti in Dubrovnik by the London theatre company Performance Exchange  as part of a three-day guest appearance.  

Last weekend the acting group from London delighted the audience with their fast-paced and atmospheric performance of The Return of Sherlock Holmes followed by a fun and interactive view of Shakespeare. Daniel Foley, of Performance Exchange, commented that “we are thrilled to be in Dubrovnik and hope this will be the first of many visits here.” The performances are produced by The Dubrovnik Shakespeare Festival.   http://dubrovacki.hr/clanak/50891/sherlock-meets-shakespeare-in-lazareti

Once again Dubrovnik  Museums have enriched the range of their  museum shop in the Rector’s Palace with new silk scarves and a leather collection, a business folder and a document case. The Dubrovnik Republic MAP scarf has been inspired by the map of the Republic that Dubrovnik commissioned from the well-known Venetian cartographer Vincenzo Coronelli.  It was published in the celebrated atlas Isolario dell’ Atlante Veneto in Venice in 1696, and is the earliest extant map to show the territory of the Dubrovnik Republic reasonably accurately and reliably.  A specimen of this map is kept in the Maritime Museum. Maritime States Flags is the title of a scarf inspired by the Table with Flags of the Maritime States, a copy of which is also kept in the Maritime Museum.   Flags of the Dubrovnik Republic are among those displayed in the table, drawn by Vincenzo Scotti in 1804. A wind rose motif of 1571 was applied to a silk scarf back in 2011, but now   it can be found in altered and enlarged dimensions. The scarf is inspired by a depiction of the wind rose in the portulan atlas of Diogo Homem.  Wind roses in general have signs depicting the eight main and eight half winds, and were used by sailors for orientation at sea. The leather business collection Seal of the Dubrovnik Republic includes a document case and a business folder, both displaying the motif of the Great Seal of the Dubrovnik Republic of the 18^th century.  It shows three towers with the likeness of the city’s patron saint, St Blaise (on the central tower) and his initials. The Republic used the Great Seal to authenticate treaties; today it is kept in the Cultural History Museum. Dubrovnik Museums started making unique souvenirs not quite five years ago. Now the museum shop holds collections of jewellery inspired by the archaeological heritage, collections of fashion accessories made of silk – neckties and head squares or scarves with various motifs from the holdings of Dubrovnik Museums, valuable replicas of St Blaise from the portal of the Rector’s Palace as well as of Maro and Baro, the bronze jacks from the city’s clock tower, and many other original souvenirs based on the museums’ collections. Dubrovnik Museums intend to go on with the production of authentic souvenirs from Dubrovnik, thus enhancing the range of souvenirs of the city as a whole.