We are so fortunate that in our line of work we have the opportunity not only to visit and explore inspiring locales, but also to meet and befriend the talented and engaging individuals who call those places home.

Several years ago, during a visit to Dubrovnik, Wanda was introduced to Mr. Mark Thomas, Editor and Chief of the Dubrovnik Times, the city’s premier English-language newspaper. The meeting was arranged at the enthusiastic insistence of the manager of the Pucic Palace, the charming boutique hotel where Wanda was staying at the time. In town to conduct site inspections, Wanda made time for a morning meeting. She and Mark first met over breakfast and since then have enjoyed a friendship founded on their shared passion: love of Croatia.

A British expat living and working in Croatia for more than 30 years, we are pleased to share a bit of Mark’s story, experience, and insights below.

 

 

 

 

TCJ: Please tell us a little about yourself. What brought you to Dubrovnik and what has kept you there all these years?

 

Mark: The short answer would be – love! I met my wife, who is from Dubrovnik, in London, and after six years of living together in London we decided to visit Dubrovnik. She had basically “escaped” the city during the Homeland War in 1991 and had come to London. In 1997 I visited for the first time and in 1998 we decided to come and take a gap year and relax in Dubrovnik. Basically, we never went home. So, love for my wife and indeed Dubrovnik. Life is a balance between standard and quality, and although the standard of living is higher in the UK the quality is much better in Dubrovnik. I always say that I moved to Dubrovnik first and Croatia second. 22 years later and I’m still loving life here. It is an inspiring place to live and I sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.

 

TCJ: After moving to Croatia, how did you personally adjust to the cultural differences? In what ways did life in Croatia differ most from life in England? 

 

Mark: To be honest when I first moved here it was a bit of a culture shock. As I mentioned I moved to Dubrovnik in 1998 and the remnants of the Homeland War were still fresh. Croatia was at the very beginning of a long transitional story and witnessing those steps has been interesting to say the least. However, I think that those early differences were also charming, life was simple back then, without the clutter of modern developments. I had lots of time, things moved at a snail’s pace compared to life in London, and although that frustrated lots of other foreigners, I quite enjoyed it. I adapted by accepting everything, from the language to the culture. It took time, but as I said I had time. I immersed myself in the society and tried hard to become a part of it, rather than just commenting from the side-lines.

 

 

 

 

TCJ: You are the Editor and Chief of the Dubrovnik Times, Croatia’s first English-language newspaper. What was your inspiration for starting the paper? Was it complicated setting up a business in another country? What challenges did you face (language, culture, etc) and how did you navigate those challenges?

 

Mark: The actual idea of the project the Dubrovnik Times came from Vjera Suman, the then editor of Dubrovacki Vjesnik. I thought it sounded like a challenge and an interesting project and was more than happy to be involved from the birth of the project. The idea behind it was that information is power and that tourists coming to the city were hungry for information in a language they understood. This idea has bloomed into a much bigger project and now covers a much bigger market. So, with the help of Dubrovacki Vjesnik the start wasn’t that complicated. Although running a company in Croatia is certainly tricky, it does however have rewards. As I was already bilingual when the company began the language issues weren’t too much of a problem, but I know many, many foreigners who struggle with the language issues. As I have already mentioned I really threw myself into the culture and the city and this background proved invaluable when the newspaper started. Of course, there were bumps along the way and indeed most people give up, but there are always solutions, however left-field they might seem.

 

TCJ: Your role as Editor and Chief gives you unique access to the key players in Dubrovnik’s tourist board and local government. This has obviously been a very challenging year across the world, but especially for countries like Croatia which see such a significant portion of their GDP earned through tourism. What is the current feeling in the city with regard to the impacts of COVID 19?

How did life adapt to meet the new challenges and needs that arose due to the pandemic?

 

Mark: To say it has been a challenging year would be a massive understatement. Croatia relies heavily on tourism, with around 20 percent of GDP coming directly from this industry. And Dubrovnik is even more dependent on tourism, at least 70 percent of the city’s budget is filled from the tourist dollar. And Dubrovnik has suffered the most in the whole country. This is due to a few reasons. Firstly, Dubrovnik is always exclusively a flight destination. Whereas other destinations along the Adriatic are accessible by car, such as Istria, Dubrovnik is just too far, plus the added problem of the Bosnia and Herzegovina borders. Secondly, the most numerous tourists in Dubrovnik come from the UK, the US and other far-flung countries. All these countries have had their own Covid-19 issues. This has meant that tourist numbers across Dubrovnik have dropped by 80 percent. And for a city that lives for tourism this is a crushing financial blow that will take years to regain. We are keeping our fingers firmly crossed for 2021, and some return to normality.

 

 

 

 

TCJ: We are thankful that Croatia was open to American travelers this summer and will most likely remain open again this summer. Despite an increase in cases across the globe, Croatia, generally speaking, has performed quite well. Did you have the opportunity to speak with any American travelers to Dubrovnik this year? What was their experience of Croatia during COVID? Did they feel happy/safe? What were their impressions?

 

Mark: Yes, Croatia was one of the few European countries that remained open to US travelers this summer. This was basically because the EU blocked US tourists coming to the so-called Schengen Zone, and although Croatia is a full member of the EU it isn’t yet in this border-free zone. In fact, now Croatia has tightened up the border regime and all people passing the border now need a PCR test not older than 48 hours. In Dubrovnik there were very, very few Americans who actually decided to travel. I did meet, and indeed interview, a few and they all told me that they felt extremely safe in Dubrovnik. One couple from Chicago told me that “Dubrovnik saved us. If we had stayed in Chicago, we would have gone mad a long time ago.” and another pair who were working remotely in Dubrovnik said that “We talk often about how thankful we are to be here instead of in the USA where things are continuing to spiral out of control. After our quarantine, we have been able to explore Dubrovnik a little more. We go to the beach and swim in the sea almost daily. The people of Dubrovnik are very friendly and welcoming.”

 

TCJ: Croatia has always been such a warm and welcoming country, where locals are truly passionate about their homeland and eager to share it with visitors. Do you still find this to be true, or has the pandemic seen a shift in attitude toward visitors due to the potential threat of transmission?

 

Mark: In fact, this year it would appear that locals have been even more welcoming than normal. Croatians are extremely proud people, and love to “show off” their country to guests. I have to say that if possible this year was a great year to visit Dubrovnik. Tourists who came this summer had an absolutely unique experience, one that no amount of money could buy. The normally over-crowded Old City has relatively empty. All the restaurants and cafés were offering discounts and hotels also dropped their prices. So not only did tourists save money but they also got to see the city as never before.

 

 

 

 

TCJ: How has your life in Dubrovnik been personally impacted by the pandemic?

 

Mark: Yes, a strange year. I have had friends contract the virus and have even been in ten-days of self-isolation myself. A year to forget. I have been very busy with my website and trying to inform guests and potential guests of the Covid-19 situation in the city. So in that sense I have been working, although many of my projects that are linked to tourism were cancelled. Getting clear and independent information to tourists has been my priority. The phrase “knowledge is power” has been highlighted this year.

 

TCJ: The ASTA Destination Expo 2020 was set to take place in Dubrovnik in December, but has now been postponed to June 2021. What is the “buzz” on the ground about this event? Are hotels and service providers excited or concerned? Do you think the city is prepared?

 

Mark: Yes, it is shame that is has been moved, but we are still looking forward to the event in the summer of 2021. As I have already mentioned US travelers are the second most numerous in Dubrovnik after UK guests so such an expo is a great opportunity for local businesses to get in front of agents, airlines and travel organizations from the US. The city is certainly prepared for this event and we receive questions about it regularly, of course we’ll be there to keep our finger on the pulse of tourism in Dubrovnik. 

 

TCJ: As you know, Tasteful Croatian Journeys founder, Wanda S. Radetti, was one of the first to offer luxury travel to Croatia. We strive to create experience-based holidays which encourage meaningful engagement with local people and culture. What has been your experience with Tasteful Croatian Journeys and what do you think is important for travelers to know?

 

Mark: Yes, I have known Wanda for many years now and my experience with Tasteful Croatian Journeys has always been positive. I have already said that knowledge is power, and Wanda has an abundance of knowledge. Getting the true Croatian experience is much more difficult than you would imagine. Unfortunately, of the millions of travelers who come to Dubrovnik every year very few actually get the “Dubrovnik Experience” and that’s a shame. Wanda offers this real experience. 

 

 

Mark Thomas was born in the UK and has been living and working in Dubrovnik since 1998. He is the Editor and Chief of Croatia’s first English language newspaper, The Dubrovnik Times – www.thedubrovniktimes.com

 

Considering a move to Croatia like Mark?
If you are planning a multi-month stay on a Digital Nomad visa, our team of specialists can help make arrangements and provide resources to get you settled. For long term expatriation, we direct you to www.expatincroatia.com for information on immigration, health care, setting up a business, and more.