Why was Hvar removed for the 2019 tour?
You would have to call the RS office to get the answer to this question, but they do make changes to tours based on feedback.
When I took this tour, we only spent a few hours over lunch on Hvar, I see they’ve changed the order so that you go to Mostar before Korcula rather than after. It looks like there is less time on the bus.
I went on that tour in 2017 and we weren't able to go to Hvar because of the weather. In bad weather, the ferries don't run and it sounded like this happened quite often. Then, the guide has to change the day on the fly, which often leads to disappointment. I like the new itinerary much better - you get wine tasting on the way to Dubrovnik and it sounds like more time in Dubrovnik that first evening.