Tourist Season in Croatia: Results so far

A pre-season better than ever:

At this point in time, Croatia is in the midst of its hectic summer season. For the longest time the summer season was where the most crucial numbers were achieved in Croatian tourism. As times change and the country evolves its offer, the sole focus on the summer season has also shifted. Croatia has entered its summer season with extremely positive trends and high number of visits, all of those results were achieved in the pre-season timeline. 

This represents a very clear trend of Croatia slowly morphing into a tourist destination for the entire year. Talking to the reporter Sanja Jurišić from Nova TV, even the prime minister of tourism Tonči Glavina, shares a similar sentiment. He goes on to say that Croatia over-achieved in the pre-season and so far every year our pre-season numbers have gotten better and better.

Analyzing the data, the numbers clearly show an upward trend of arrivals, before the main summer season even arrives.  The Croatian Tourism Board, HTZ, released several reports showcasing just this fact.

In the pre-season the Adriatic coast achieved 25.8 million overnights, a 2 percent increase from the previous year. The continental portion of the country had 1.1 million overnights, again showcasing a growth of 7% percent from 2023. The city of Zagreb itself achieved record breaking numbers, 1,2 million overnights in the first six months of the year. By the estimates of The Croatian Tourism Board, from January until the end of July, Croatia achieved 12 million arrivals and almost 55 million overnights. These are double-digit growth numbers from previous years. 

An ever-evolving summer season:

July records somewhat weaker results, but this is a consequence of more people visiting the country year round. Croatia was visited by 4.67 million tourists in July, which is three percent less than last July, but the number of overnight stays was the same, approximately 29.45 million. Furthermore, as a sign of the summer visits not slowing down but actually ramping up, in the first week of August, 842.3 thousand tourists visited Croatia.

This is a 6 percent increase from 2023. So far during the summer, the usual regions have achieved the best results. Croatia offers a wide array of experiences for tourists, and every single region has something to offer. The region of Istria, Split-Dalmatia county and Kvarner have achieved the best results this summer. The most visited cities so far are Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Zagreb, Split, Poreč and Umag. 

Becoming an year-round destination:

Croatia has been a summer tourist destination for years but its goal has always been forward facing. The country's focus now lies on transforming into a year-round destination. A destination that offers its guests countless opportunities and activities outside of just a few main summer months. Croatia's main foreign markets include Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, USA and many more. All of those countries have guests that are searching for a destination that is attractive the entire year. 

As the prime minister of Tourism Tonči Glavina said: “ We are going in a new direction, with a new law on tourism, a new strategic framework, with a whole new management model in which we develop year-round tourism.” This marks a clear intention for the future. After several years of stagnation and recovery caused by the COVID pandemic, Croatia is finally moving forward. 2024 will most certainly be another record year but in a different way. No longer dependent on just a few summer months, the country is becoming a premium year-round destination.

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