May 3, 2023 - For the long weekend connected with Labor Day, from April 28 to May 1, there were 256,000 registered tourists and more than 890,000 overnight stays in Croatia, which is an increase of over 40 percent compared to the same period last year, reported Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) on Tuesday.

As 24Sata writes, data on tourist arrivals and overnight stays around Labor Day show that 49 percent more tourists came to Croatia this year than at the same time last year, while there were 42 percent more overnight stays, according to HTZ based on data from the eVisitor system.

Tourists spent the most nights in Istria, Kvarner, and the Split-Dalmatia County, more precisely in Dubrovnik, Poreč, Rovinj, Umag, Zagreb, and Split.

Commenting on these data, HTZ director Kristjan Staničić pointed out that this year's tourism results are the best announcement of the main summer season and that Croatia is an increasingly attractive year-round destination.

"After Croatia's entry into Schengen, this year it is also a more accessible destination for short and frequent weekend trips. Around Labor Day, the most numerous tourists were Slovenians, Poles, Austrians, Germans, and Italians, and there were also quite a few Dutch and British", says Staničić.

HTZ is also satisfied with the results in the first four months of this year, according to which there were 2 million tourists and 5.9 million overnight stays, which is 28 and 17 percent more than in the same months last year, as well as 4 percent more overnight stays. than 2019

In addition to domestic tourists, by the end of April this year, most foreign tourists arrived from Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, the UK, and the USA, and most of them in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Split, Poreč and Opatija.

The Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, is satisfied that the positive trends since the beginning of the year have continued over the long weekend, which she considers an additional confirmation that Croatia is desirable outside of the summer months.

"We are particularly pleased that tourists increasingly recognize the attractiveness and the offer of continental counties, which almost all achieve better results than in 2019. This all favors the fulfillment of strategic goals - the development of year-round and more regionally balanced tourism," said the minister, who is optimistic for the upcoming main part of the tourist year.

HTZ also presents data for April this year, in which there were 1.1 million tourists and 3.3 million overnight stays in Croatia, which are increases of 26 and 16 percent compared to last April.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

March 2, 2023 - Tourist traffic in the first two months of this year exceeded the same months of 2019 by 5 percent with almost 514,000 tourist arrivals, and by 16 percent with 1.46 million overnight stays, according to data from the eVisitor system, which Hina was provided by the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ). Moreover, the number of tourist arrivals and overnight stays in the first two months of this year was higher than in the same months last year, by 24 percent in arrivals and 17 percent in overnight stays.

As Index writes, more than half of the total tourist traffic was realized on the coast, that is, 283.7 thousand tourists stayed in the counties by the Adriatic, and they accounted for a little more than 961.3 thousand overnight stays, of which the most were in three regions - Istria, Kvarner and Split-Dalmatia County.

Most overnight stays in Zagreb

Zagreb is first among destinations, with almost 255 thousand overnight stays in the first two months, while Rovinj is second with nearly 86 thousand. Split is third with 85.1 thousand. They are followed by Opatija, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Porec, and Zadar. According to the types of accommodation, the most overnight stays in the first two months were in hotels, 780.6 thousand, which, according to HTZ, is 23 percent more than last year, and 9 percent more than in 2019.

Among the markets from which tourists came in terms of overnight stays in the first two months, Croatia is in the first place, i.e., domestic tourists, with 557.3 thousand overnight stays or 6 percent more than in 2022, and as much as 19 percent more than at the same time in 2019. These are also rare, if not the only, months of the year when there are more domestic overnight stays than foreign ones.

Slovenia is in second place, as tourists from that market spent 132.4 thousand overnight stays in Croatia, or 14 percent more than last year and 18 percent more than in 2019, followed by tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina with slightly more than 105 thousand overnight stays, which is 18 percent more than in 2022 and about 9 percent less than in 2019.

From the market of Austria with 85.3 thousand overnight stays of their tourists, an increase of 27 percent was recorded compared to the first two months of 2022 and 29 percent compared to the same in 2019, while slightly more than 80 thousand overnight stays of tourists from Germany is 7 percent more than in 2022. . and even 44 percent more than in 2019.

Head of HTZ: We have a successful tourist year ahead

"The results of tourist traffic this year, as well as the trends in the tourist market, indicate that we will have a successful tourist year, during which we can further strengthen Croatia's position as one of the leading destinations in the Mediterranean," HTZ director Kristjan Stanicic commented for Hina.

He emphasized that optimistic announcements and feedback from key partners also come from numerous tourist fairs where HTZ represents Croatian tourism in this period, from New York, Madrid, Milan, through Munich, and Budapest. He also expects positive effects from performances at upcoming fairs, especially in March at ITB in Berlin and Ferien-Messe in Vienna, of which Croatia is a partner.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

October 7, 2022 - Last night, at the traditional conference of tourism workers - the Croatian Tourism Days (DHT) in Šibenik, the first part of this year's awards was given to the best in tourism. Osijek received the most successful Continental City Tourism Destination award, while Slavonia, with all five counties, was declared the most successful rural tourism destination.

As Radio Osijek writes, another award has arrived in Slavonia, more precisely to the Vukovar-Srijem County. Rujana Bušić Srpak, director of the Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist Board, is the employee of the year in the Tourist Board system. And Varja Guttert from Nature Park Kopački Rit was the best tourist guide.

Country club Terra Negra also received recognition as a finalist in the category of a unique gastronomic experience of the year.

"This award is the result of the work of all Osijek tourism workers, restaurateurs, and citizens because they make our city an authentic destination," said Osijek Mayor Ivan Radić, thanking for the award, which declared Osijek the most successful continental city tourism destination.

Hrvoje Jelavic / PIXSELL

"Skyrocketing numbers confirm that Osijek is the most successful continental city tourism destination. For example, this year's September is 30 percent better in overnight stays compared to the record year of 2019. Even for last year's Advent, Easter, and until the summer months just finished, the previous records for the number of arrivals and overnight stays were broken," continued Radić and pointed out that the city is investing in tourist infrastructure: "We renovated the swimming pools at Copacabana in Osijek, which in a month and a half attracted more than 30 thousand visitors. We also landscaped the Drava beach at Kopika. We are restoring the historical core of Tvrđa, which will soon become the pearl of Osijek tourism again. We are building a concert hall. The major renovation of the Osijek Airport is also underway. And the promenade along the Drava - our famous Promenade - will, once we connect the Lower and Upper Towns, become the longest promenade in this part of Europe. We also renovated the pedestrian bridge, a symbol of Osijek and a favorite photo point of our guests," said Radić.

He emphasized that numerous and well-organised sports and cultural and entertainment events contribute to excellent results. "Because that's what Osijek is - a city of sports, a city of culture and entertainment, a city of delicious food, good wines, and authentic socialisation. A city of parks, walks, bicycles, good and open people, and a pleasant place during all four seasons. A city that does not have a season, but a good year-round dynamic, from competitive adrenaline on the sports fields, through summer refreshments at Kopika, to the inner warmth of Advent", the mayor of Osijek stated with satisfaction.

The second part of the awards will be presented today, October 7, for the best in tourism, and among them is the "Anton Štifanić" award in the company/institution/association and individual category, the lifetime achievement award, and special recognitions for exceptional contribution to the promotion of the Republic of Croatia and application of the principles of sustainable development.

As questionable as some of the Croatian Tourist Board's choices are, like their official promo video, the awards given out to Slavonia and Osijek were more than deserved. Congratulations to the recipients!

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

October 6, 2022 - October is Croatian Tourism Month and the National Tourist Board organised its annual Croatian Tourism Days. And so another edition of the Days of Croatian Self-Congratulation has kicked off with a bang. This year's promo video, it seems, needed to be spiced up. So they did what anyone would do. Use stock footage of a train in Norway.

As RTL writes, the Croatian Tourism Month is an action of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian Tourist Board, which is taking place from October 1 to 31 of this year. It will enable all citizens of Croatia to visit and get to know other parts of our country at discounted prices, according to the official website of the mentioned action.

The goal of the project is to encourage domestic tourism and increase tourist traffic in the post-season, according to the description of the project. However, it seems that the way in which they decided to promote the Croatian Tourism Month is interesting. As if there wasn't enough natural beauty and potential in Lijepa Naša, stock video of a train traveling from Oslo to Bergen in Norway was used to illustrate the railway in the promo video.

The official Croatian Tourist Board promo video

The frames are identical, which is blatantly obvious. The only differences are in the colours and contrast, as those who analysed the video noticed. This sparked a discussion on social networks, where the airport used in the video was also criticised.

Whether or not this was a blunder in the promotion of Croatian tourism, you can judge for yourself after watching the original video HERE.

RTL sent an inquiry about the video to HTZ and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the reply to be published as soon as they receive one.

What is also quite interesting about this involvement is the total lack of engagement by those who have watched it. Almost one million views, but just 7 likes. Comments are turned off and the info about the official website for the promotion is not hyperlinked. It is a good job that tourists come anyway, without such excellent promotion. 

Stay tuned, and make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section for more.

ZAGREB, 4 May 2022 - The Croatian tourism industry continued to see positive trends in April, with 876,600 tourist arrivals and 2.8 million overnight stays, which are annual increases of 260% and 231% respectively, according to the Croatian Tourism Board.

In the first four months of 2022, 1.6 million tourists stayed in Croatia, or 171% more than in the same period in 2021, while the number of overnight stays increased by 150% to slightly over 5 million.

Compared with the results of the record-breaking pre-pandemic year 2019, the number of tourist arrivals registered in April 2022 reached 75% of the number recorded in the same month of 2019, while overnight stays reached 85%. In the first four months of this year, the numbers reached 76% for arrivals and 89% for overnight stays.

In April 2022, Germans generated the largest number of overnight stays (472,200), ahead of Croatians (470,000) and Slovenians (423,300). The top five also include Austrians and Britons.

The largest number of tourist overnights was recorded in Istria County (959,000), followed by the Kvarner region (447,000) and Split-Dalmatia County (397,000). The capital Zagreb recorded 171,000 overnight stays, which is more than all the other continental regions combined (156,200). 

In the first four months of the year, the largest number of overnight stays was generated by Croatian tourists (1.3 million), Slovenians (643,300) and Germans (638,300). They were followed by tourists from Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Istria recorded the largest number of overnight stays (1.5 million), ahead of Kvarner (827,900) and Split-Dalmatia County (675,400). Zagreb followed with 517,600 overnight stays, which was again more than all the other continental regions combined (460,000).

On 1 May, the Labour Day holiday, about 175,000 tourists visited Croatia, which was 48,000 more than on the same day in 2021 and 22,000 fewer than in 2019.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 3 March 2022 - The booking for tourist accommodation in Croatia is currently somewhat slow, but without any major disruptions to the travel market, Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) director Kristjan Staničić said on Thursday.

He said it was very hard to make any forecasts right now considering the Ukraine crisis and its impact on present and future tourism trends. "Unless the situation in Ukraine stabilizes soon, it is realistic to expect that the crisis will start to spill over to countries in its immediate vicinity and then to the rest of Europe," he added.

Staničić said that this year Croatia could hardly count on visitors from remote markets, such as the United States, Canada, and China, who see Europe as a single destination. On the other hand, Croatia could benefit from the fact that it is primarily a car destination, easily accessible by road, which in the present circumstances is a comparative advantage.

Staničić relayed today's statement by the European Travel Commission, of which he is vice-president, in which the representatives of national travel organizations condemned the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

"ETC strongly condemns this violation of international law and calls for all parties to work towards a peaceful resolution," Staničić said, adding that all ETC members and partners were called upon to help by providing transport, shelter, and food to those in need.

ETC believes that the conflict will have a negative impact on the travel and tourism sectors in European countries, which are slowly beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Staničić said.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 24 Feb 2022 - Croatian Tourism Association director Veljko Ostojić said on Thursday that after two years of the pandemic, the latest events in Ukraine brought another period of insecurity and uncertainty.

Any war situation, regardless of the vicinity, deters from travel, he told Hina, adding that at the moment it is impossible to predict how the Russia-Ukraine crisis will impact Croatia's tourism.

He said one could expect bookings on the main markets to slow down in the days ahead, but is confident in last-minute bookings as in the last two years.

Croatia's big advantage is that it's predominantly an auto destination and very safe, which will be important in preparing for the summer season, Ostojić said.

The Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ), which has an office in Moscow covering Ukraine as well, told Hina that next week more would be known about the impact of Russia's attack on Ukraine on travel from the two countries. The Tourism Ministry concurred.

According to HTZ data, 145,000 Russians visited Croatia in 2021, generating 800,000 nights, respectively 94% and 80% of the figures registered in 2019, a record year for Croatia's tourism.

Ukrainians generated 146,000 arrivals and 857,000 nights, respectively 4% and 2% more than in 2019.

This year to date 2,000 Ukrainians visited Croatia, generating 12,000 nights, up 47% and 53% on the year respectively.

 For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 13, 2021 - October is Croatian Tourism Month, where autumn offers in Croatia can be enjoyed up to 50% off. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that October this year will be "Croatian Tourism Month," as part of which Croatian citizens and foreign tourists in Croatia will be able to enjoy offers up to 50 percent off and use the tourist offer and services throughout the country, the director of the Croatian Tourist Board (CNTB) Kristjan Staničić said. 

This joint project of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the CNTB is currently being prepared, and all important information will go through the CNTB campaign, announced Staničić, recalling the excellent results of last year's project "Vacation-Worthy Week."

"Motivated by the desire to extend the season as much as possible, but also respecting the suggestions of users on the one hand and service providers on the other, we decided, together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to provide up to 50 percent off for domestic and foreign tourists throughout October. Naturally, it will be important for the service provider to adhere to the prescribed epidemiological measures, which will then be in force and act responsibly," Staničić emphasizes.

The second wave of the campaign for domestic tourists, "Experience domestic. Explore rural Croatia!" launched this year to encourage domestic tourist traffic by getting to know rural destinations, is also announced for the autumn.

"In the second wave of this campaign, we will promote an additional four thematic destination videos, which are under development, and which will seek to bring closer the rural tourist offer, and an ongoing campaign for domestic tourists dedicated to cycling "Cycling, explore, and enjoy!" focused on the EuroVelo 8 route, which as part of the EU project covers the entire Croatian coast, from Istria to Dubrovnik," says Staničić.

He believes that all this will encourage tourists to use autumn for a short vacation at popular prices and locals to further discover Croatia in an interesting, healthy, and sustainable way. This will increase the current 10.6 million overnight stays this year.

Noting that for the last quarter of this year the CNTB has a fully prepared communication and advertising strategy, Staničić reveals that at the end of September there will be a campaign of thanks, with the working title "Thank you" on all "Croatia, full of life" social networks/profiles in ten markets with the most overnight stays this year.

"The goal is to draw attention to Croatia further, and through the positive experiences of the tourists themselves and their impressions shared on social networks, to thank them for choosing Croatia and spending a great vacation here," says Staničić.

In October, they are planning a campaign on culture, history, intangible heritage, eno-gastronomy through the platform "Croatia Hearts and Crafts" in cooperation with Google, through which an interactive presentation of everything Croatia can be proud of is presented.

Asked whether the revenues from the tourist tax, which is an important income of the CNTB and the system of tourist boards, improved due to better than expected and good physical results in the season (arrivals, overnight stays), Staničić pointed out that in the circumstances without a pandemic meant higher revenues, both for the entire tourism sector and economy and the CNTB.

However, for additional relief and assistance to the tourism sector in business, regulations were adopted that defined the tourist tax reduction and membership fees for renters, tourist taxes for boaters, and tourist membership fees for businesses. This was reflected in the CNTB budget and the entire system of tourist boards, Staničić notes.

"Although about 77 percent of the results from the record 2019 have been achieved so far, which is better and more than the planned 60-65 percent of results, that does not mean higher revenues of the CNTB, which by reducing fees and membership fees has made a strong contribution to the sector in achieving the results we are witnessing today.

We continue to work according to the adopted Annual Work Program for this year, with the most funds allocated for promotional, marketing, and PR activities to maintain Croatia's position as the safest and most successful tourist destination in the Mediterranean. I believe that we will more than successfully end this tourist year in that respect as well," states Staničić.

He adds data from eVisitor, according to which from September 1 to last weekend, i.e., September 11, there were 904 thousand tourists in Croatia or only 7 percent less than in the same days in 2019, with 2 percent more overnight stays or 6, 3 million. Most of them, 5.7 million overnight stays, were realized by foreign tourists, which is an increase of 3 percent, although compared to the same day in September 2019, there were about 9 percent less or 820 thousand, which means that they stay longer in Croatia. 

With domestic tourists, the situation is the opposite - in the first 11 days of September, there were as many as 31 percent more than at the same time in 2019 or 83 thousand, but they realized 6 percent fewer overnight stays or 619 thousand.

On September 11, there were more tourists in Croatia than on the same day in 2019, i.e., about 510 thousand of them compared to about 460 thousand, while on the same day in 2020, there were about 200 thousand.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel and border rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and coronavirus testing centres located up and down the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 7 Sept, 2021 - Three more Croatian restaurants have been added to the prestigious Michelin restaurant guide, bringing the total number of Croatian restaurants with one star to ten, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) announced on Tuesday following notification from Michelin.

The three new restaurants that have been awarded a single Michelin star are Nebo in Rijeka (housed in the Costabella Hilton Hotel), Alfred Keller in Mali Lošinj and Agli Amici in Rovinj. They joined the seven restaurants that have retained their stars - Boškinac in Novalja, LD Terrace in Korčula, Pelegrini in Šibenik, 360º in Dubrovnik, Monte in Rovinj, Noel in Zagrebu and Draga di Lovrana in Lovran.

In addition, seven more restaurants have been awarded the special Bib Gourmand designation for their remarkable menus at affordable prices. There are now 13 restaurants in Croatia with this designation.

The new Bib Gourmand restaurants are Konoba Mate (Korčula), Dunav (Ilok), Konoba Fetivi (Split), Izakaya by Time (Zagreb), Vuglec Breg (Krapina), Konoba Malo Selo (Buje) and Alla Beccaccia (Valbandon).

All the restaurants are listed in the new edition of the Michelin guide for Croatia for 2021. Another novelty in the new edition is the Michelin Green Star designation, which has been awarded to the Zinfandel's restaurant, housed in the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, to acknowledge its commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly gastronomy.

Commenting on the news from Michelin, Tourism and Sport Minister Nikolina Brnjac said that enjoying food and drink is an important part of the tourist experience, adding that Croatia, as a country with a rich gastronomic tradition, should invest more in its promotion and development in the future. 

HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić said that the award of new Michelin designations is a huge success for the Croatian gastronomic scene and very important for the country's tourist industry, considering various restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 1, 2021 - It was yet another impressive summer month in Croatia, as August overnight stays in Croatia reached 93% of the record 2019!

In August 2021, there were 4.3 million arrivals and 30.7 million overnight stays in Croatia, i.e., 59 percent more arrivals and 46 percent more overnight stays than in the same period last year. At the same time, foreign tourists realized 26.7 million overnight stays, while domestic tourists realized 4 million overnight stays, announced HTZ.

These are the first data from eVisitor, which tracks tourist traffic in commercial and non-commercial facilities and nautical charter (eCrew). Compared to the 2019 results, in August this year, 86 percent of arrivals and 93 percent of overnight stays were realized!

Most tourist overnight stays were realized in Istria (8.6 million), Split-Dalmatia (5.8 million), and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (5.7 million). This is followed by Zadar (4.8 million), Šibenik-Knin (2.3 million), and Dubrovnik-Neretva County (1.9 million). The destinations that attracted the most visitors are Dubrovnik (164,000 arrivals), Split (160,000), Rovinj (149,000), Medulin (125,000) and Poreč (125,000).

"We can be satisfied with the results in the first eight months, and I would like to thank everyone for their effort, work, flexibility, and responsibility. The tourist year continues, and this is best evidenced by the fact that at this time, there are about 680,000 tourists in Croatia, which is at the level of the number of tourists we had at this time in 2019. This is a great announcement for September. We want to continue at the same pace to boost economic development further and ensure tourism has an even better starting position over the next year. I am especially pleased with the fact that, above all, we are achieving excellent financial results. Namely, the value of fiscalized accounts in tourism activities during the previous month was 21 percent higher than in August 2019. Their value amounted to almost HRK 18 billion at the annual level, which is about 84 percent of the value from the first eight months of 2019. I believe that this will be an incentive for everyone to continue to emphasize the quality for which there is significant demand and sustainable business, which is the foundation of tourism development," said Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac.

Looking at the markets in August, most tourists came from Germany (1.1 million), Poland (338,000), Austria (317,000), the Czech Republic (250,000), Slovenia (239,000), and Italy (205,000). Of these markets with the most August arrivals, 83 percent more guests came to Croatia from Germany, 7 percent more guests from Poland, 182 percent more guests from Austria, and 30 percent more guests from the Czech Republic compared to August last year. In addition, there are 100 percent more guests from Italy, while Slovenian tourists achieved similar results in tourist traffic as in August last year.

According to the type of accommodation, most overnight stays were realized in households, camps, and hotels, of which the highest growth compared to the previous year was achieved by camps (93 percent more) and hotels (86 percent more overnight stays), followed by private accommodation and charter with a growth of about 35 percent in overnight stays. Compared to August 2019, the best results were achieved in camps and charters that achieved 2 percent more overnight stays (camps), or 1 percent more overnight stays (nautical - charter).

In the first eight months of this year, there were 10.7 million arrivals and 67.9 million overnight stays in Croatia, i.e., 56 percent more arrivals and 43 percent more overnight stays than in the first eight months of 2020.

The highest number of overnight stays in Croatia was recorded by guests from Germany (15.9 million), domestic tourists (10.1 million), Slovenia (7.9 million), Poland (5.8 million), and Austria (4 .9 million). On the other hand, most tourist overnight stays were realized in Istria (18.9 million), Primorje-Gorski Kotar (12.6 million), and Split-Dalmatia County (12.4 million), while the most popular destinations were Rovinj with 2.7 million overnight stays and Vir and Poreč with 2 million overnight stays.

"Behind us is the main part of the summer season in which the entire Croatian tourism sector has done an excellent job. We have weeks ahead of us in which, according to the announcements of our most important partners and tour operators, we can expect excellent tourist traffic. For the post-season, we have prepared several promotional activities to ensure further visibility in the tourism market as a quality, diverse, and above all safe destination where the prescribed epidemiological measures are respected," said the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Stanicic.

There were 42 percent more vehicles on the highways last week than in the same weekend last year, but also only five percent less than in 2019

During the last weekend, the motorways under the Croatian Motorways (HAC) jurisdiction recorded a turnover of 734,637 vehicles and tolls of HRK 40.5 million without VAT, which is an increase of 42 percent compared to last year, and tolls by 52 percent.

Namely, compared to the same weekend last year, a turnover of 518,541 vehicles was recorded, and tolls were collected of HRK 26.69 million without VAT.

Compared to 2019, a turnover of 777,654 vehicles was recorded, and a total toll was collected of HRK 43 million without VAT. Thus, this year's vehicle traffic is lower by five percent, and tolls collected by six percent.

Follow the latest flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.