Record start confirms Croatia now a year-round destination

Dubrovnik

According to the initial data from the eVisitor system, Croatia recorded over 1.1 million arrivals and more than 3 million overnight stays from January to the end of March, the Croatian Tourist Board said in a statement.

Compared to the same period last year, this represents a 16 percent increase in arrivals and a 15 percent increase in overnight stays,

Of this, the Adriatic coast recorded 2.2 million overnight stays, a 20 percent increase from last year, while over 415 thousand overnight stays were recorded in continental Croatia, representing a 7 percent increase.

During the first quarter, Zagreb saw 440 thousand overnight stays, reflecting a 5 percent increase from the same period last year.

“In the first quarter, Croatia experienced excellent transit weather, and we are witnessing stable double-digit growth in traffic, which is a direct indicator of the strengthening of our overall pre-season offer and the increasing recognition of Croatian destinations as year-round and attractive destinations.

The pre and post-season periods are precisely the times of the year in which Croatian tourism can progress the most sustainably and qualitatively, and all our activities are directed towards that goal, as defined by the new Strategic Marketing and Operational Plan, aiming to position our country as an attractive and safe destination in the niche between standard and premium.

In other words, we are focused on groups of guests with different needs and travel motives, catering to tourists seeking interesting destinations and offers, escape and relaxation from daily routines, and authentic experiences,” stated Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian Tourist Board.

Segmenting Croatia’s tourism results by counties, the highest number of overnight stays in the first quarter were in Istria (772 thousand overnight stays), the Kvarner region (534 thousand overnight stays), and the Split-Dalmatia County (333 thousand overnight stays), with destinations including Zagreb, Rovinj, Dubrovnik, Split, Opatija, Poreč, and Zadar.

Zadar

“The positive trends we are witnessing in tourism, from physical to financial indicators, are the result of systematic work and all activities we have undertaken in recent times to direct Croatian tourism towards year-round and sustainable development.

The fact that we have recorded record attendance in the pre-season for the second consecutive year confirms that tourists already perceive us as a year-round destination, and our destinations offer increasingly diverse and richer offerings during that period. I believe that with further engagement from the entire sector and with the strong support of the government, which the tourism sector has received in all segments from day one, these positive trends will continue.

These trends make Croatia a desirable destination throughout the year, one that listens to the desires and needs of tourists and the local population, because only in this way can we continue to have successful tourism in the future,” emphasized Nikolina Brnjac, Minister of Tourism and Sports.

Looking at the markets, during the first three months, the most overnight stays were made by domestic guests (over 962 thousand overnight stays), followed by guests from Slovenia (over 285 thousand overnight stays), Germany (279 thousand overnight stays), and Austria (over 250 thousand overnight stays).

When observing realized overnight stays by types of accommodation facilities, the most overnight stays were recorded in hotels (1.7 million overnight stays), private accommodations (638 thousand overnight stays), and campsites (151 thousand overnight stays).

Busy Easter Period 

During the extended Easter weekend, over 380 thousand overnight stays were recorded.

Rovinj

Additionally, the first data from the eVisitor system also show that during the extended Easter weekend in Croatia, from March 29th to April 1st, there were 120,436 arrivals and 380,970 overnight stays.

Alongside domestic guests who were the most numerous, during the extended weekend, Croatia saw the highest number of guests from the German, Austrian, Italian, Slovenian, Slovakian, and other markets.

Hotel accommodations were the most sought after, and in terms of destinations, Poreč, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Rovinj, and Split had the highest number of guests for the extended weekend.