Croatia is experiencing a golden age in the tourism sector, achieving outstanding results in September and during the first nine months of this year. This confirms Croatia's position as one of Europe's most sought-after tourist destinations.
Based on data provided by the eVisitor system, which tracks tourist traffic throughout the country, Croatia welcomed 2.5 million arrivals and recorded 13.5 million overnight stays in September. This represents a significant increase of 15% in arrivals and 4% in overnight stays compared to last year. Furthermore, compared to 2019, arrivals and overnight stays increased by 9% and 5% respectively.
Coastal regions, including Istria, Split-Dalmatia, Kvarner, Zadar, and Dubrovnik, remained popular tourist destinations in September.
Surprisingly, autumn tourism is performing exceptionally well in Croatia, with around 200,000 tourists currently visiting the country compared to 150,000 in the same period last year. The increase in the number of tourists is particularly significant in important European markets such as Germany, Austria, and Slovenia, as well as in markets further afield, including the United States.
Kristjan Staničić, the Director of the Croatian Tourist Office, expressed his satisfaction with the outstanding results achieved in the most significant European markets and markets further afield, such as the United States. The country initiated active promotional campaigns for the autumn season at the beginning of October, and the positive trend is expected to continue until the end of the year.
Rovinj, Dubrovnik, Porec, Split, and Umag were the most popular destinations for overnight stays in September.
During the first nine months of the year, Croatia recorded more than 102 million overnight stays, with an increase of 9% in arrivals and 2% in overnight stays compared to the same period of the previous year. Germany was the most significant source market, with 3.8 million overnight stays, followed by Austria, Slovenia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
Minister of Tourism and Sport Nikolina Brnjac expressed her satisfaction with the current state of tourism, stating that Croatia is an attractive destination for tourists all year round, as evidenced by the exceptional summer season and continued record results in tourism even during high season. The government is committed to further developing tourism throughout the year and ensuring the sustainability of the tourism industry.
