Split and Hvar attracting a different kind of British visitor

Hvar

Split and Hvar are attracting British visitors with more refined tastes than ever, as interest surges for exclusive experiences and off-peak travel.

The British have long loved Split—this is neither a secret nor news. However, the recent surge of interest was clearly evident at the large WTM tourism fair in London, where crowds gathered around the Croatian stand.

If the first thing that comes to mind is rowdy young Brits, often associated with raucous scenes on city streets during hot summer nights, think again—this time, it’s a different clientele, Slobodna Dalmacija reported.

According to representatives from the county’s Tourist Board, Split and Hvar remain the favourite destinations for Britons—both for those who have been before and can’t wait to return, and for those planning to experience the charms of the city and sunny island for the first time.

The British are among the most numerous visitors to Split, and this time they showed particular interest in luxurious, uniquely designed venues with bespoke services, often for weddings or stag and hen parties.

Bigger Numbers Every Year

Business travellers were enquiring about five-star hotels to host large corporate events. The stand, which was a visual attraction itself, designed as a portal displaying rotating images of Croatia’s most stunning locations, also drew in mature British visitors planning to travel exclusively during the shoulder seasons (April–June and October–November).

Split

Added to this interest are the latest figures from the Croatian Tourist Board, showing that 2024 has been an outstanding season, surpassing the 2023 tourism figures.

In the first ten months, our county welcomed 3.7 million guests, resulting in 18.3 million overnight stays—a growth of five percent in arrivals and three percent in stays compared to the previous year.

The top overnight stays were from tourists from Poland (2.3 million), Germany (2.2 million), the Czech Republic (1.2 million), the United Kingdom (1.2 million), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.1 million).

These impressive figures for the first ten months have already surpassed the 2023 totals.