Croatian Tourism Matches Last Year's Pace in First Half, Slovenia Key Market

Croatia's tourism industry has maintained its performance in the first half of 2024, achieving results comparable to the previous year. The country welcomed over 7.6 million visitors, who generated 29.5 million overnight stays, according to data from the eVisitor system.

Slovenia continues to be a significant market for Croatian tourism. Visitors from Slovenia accounted for 2.9 million overnight stays during the first six months, positioning Slovenia as one of the top three source markets for Croatia. While specific June figures are still pending, the overall performance has pleased Croatian officials.

Tonči Glavina, Croatia's Minister of Tourism and Sport, expressed satisfaction with the results, especially considering the current geopolitical landscape and market disruptions. He noted that, based on Eurostat data for the first quarter, Croatia ranked as the fourth leading destination in Europe for overnight stays, surpassing competitors like Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Glavina is optimistic that a prudent pricing strategy will ensure a successful second half of the year.

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Given all the geopolitical circumstances and market disruptions, we are satisfied with the results achieved in the first half of the year, which are at last year's level.

The Istria region recorded the highest number of overnight stays with 8.7 million, followed by the Split-Dalmatia County with 5.3 million, and Kvarner with 4.7 million. Popular destinations included Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Poreč, Zagreb, and Split. In the first three months alone, tourism generated 945 million euros in revenue, an increase of 80 million euros compared to the same period last year.

Germany led as the largest source market, with 5.6 million overnight stays, followed by domestic Croatian tourists with 4.2 million. Slovenians ranked third with 2.9 million overnight stays. The Croatian National Tourist Board highlighted that this sustained interest from Slovenia extends beyond the peak summer season, encompassing spring, long weekends, and the shoulder season, underscoring Croatia's appeal as a year-round destination.

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The achieved results confirm the quality and competitiveness of the entire Croatian tourist offer, as well as the importance of regular promotional activities in key foreign markets from which most guests come to Croatia.