Croatia passes 20 million tourists as October arrivals soar

Croatia passes 20 million tourists in 2024

Croatia has recorded 20.5 million arrivals and 106.6 million overnight stays in the first ten months of the year, according to data from the eVisitor system.

The Croatian Tourist Board has said in a statement that compared to the same period last year, this represents a 3% increase in arrivals and a 1% increase in overnight stays, with an additional 616,000 arrivals and 694,000 overnight stays.

“We have been seeing positive tourism results throughout the year, and as anticipated, this trend continued into the off-season. In October alone, we recorded 87,000 more arrivals and 286,000 more overnight stays than in October last year.

This serves as yet another confirmation of record achievements, which are also reflected in the financial indicators.

We can be very pleased with this year’s accomplishments, especially knowing that alongside achieving these results—which reaffirm our positioning as a year-round destination—we are actively working on a comprehensive reform to ensure similar success in the future,” said Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sport.

During the first ten months, the largest number of overnight stays came from guests from Germany (22.2 million), Croatia (12.6 million), Slovenia (10.7 million), Austria (8 million), Poland (7 million), the Czech Republic (5.1 million), the UK (4 million), Hungary (3.9 million), and Italy (3.8 million).

By destination, the most overnight stays were recorded in Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Split, Poreč, and Umag.

By accommodation type, the highest number of overnight stays was recorded in private rentals (39.3 million), hotels (24.3 million), and campsites (20.7 million).

Split

“A diverse and high-quality tourism offering, with appealing sports, outdoor, gastronomic, and especially business events, contributed to excellent tourism figures in October. An attractive range of activities has drawn many off-season visitors, particularly from Germany, the UK, Austria, Slovenia, as well as from the US and France.

We have intensified promotional activities, both internationally and domestically, with a focus on the pre- and post-season, where there is room for sustainable growth in tourism. Numerous flight connections and an extended airline schedule, linking Croatia to our most important markets, also played a significant role in the strong October performance,” stated Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.

In October alone, Croatia recorded 1.2 million arrivals and 3.9 million overnight stays, an 8% increase in both arrivals and overnight stays compared to the same month last year.

The destinations with the highest number of overnight stays in October were Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Split, Zadar, and Poreč.