Croatia, which closed itself off early in the spring to keep coronavirus infections low, hit zero reported cases within its borders in May and reopened to visitors from all countries in July, with testing requirements in place. The move made Croatia the only nation in the European Union to accept travellers from the United States.

That continental distinction has not changed, even as Croatia's cases have risen and as it implemented a partial national shutdown last week that included closing bars and restaurants and banning weddings through Christmas.

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According to Matana, most of his American guests in 2020 have been people who had covid-19 and recovered, remote workers or people who couldn't stand to give up travelling.

Dubrovnik is making a direct effort... to appeal to "digital nomads"...

In February, Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic greenlit a project to bring ultra-fast broadband Internet to the region. In October, the city held a "Dubrovnik for Digital Nomads" virtual conference, to pitch workers on its initiatives and the virtues of making it their next remote office.

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Because the rest of the European Union remains closed to American travellers, Croatia has also become an attractive meet-up location for binational couples.

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"Dubrovnik is one of the most interesting destinations in Europe for the American market," said Frankovic, the mayor. "And we can send to our American guests only one message: Dubrovnik is not going anywhere. It is waiting for you."

Three new direct flights from the United States, Frankovic added, are in the works.