Glavina and Staničić: Tourism in eight months in physical and financial plus

In the first eight months, Croatia was visited by 17.2 million tourists, who recorded 89.8 million overnight stays, which is 2 and 0.5 percent more than in the same period last year, respectively, and tourist spending has also increased; This was the first data presented at a press conference on Wednesday by the Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina and the Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), Kristjan Staničić.

Emphasizing that the presented data on tourist arrivals and overnight stays are provisional and that the official data will be available next week, Tonči Glavina and Kristijan Staničić pointed out that they are satisfied with the results, which confirm Croatia's stable position in the tourism markets, which is becoming a year-round destination because the growth occurred in the pre-season, while in July and August the number of tourists and overnight stays was lower than last year.

“The results should be seen in the context of the goals set for Croatian tourism, which are sustainability and year-round tourism,” said journalist Silvana Skočajić reporting for Croatian Radio Television.

The number of beds filled in the season showed that occupancy was higher in hotels and campsites than in family accommodation. Croatia is among the top five tourist destinations when it comes to the German market.

“Price competitiveness is very important, and it seems that it will also be a decisive factor for the next season,” said Skočajić.

If prices had been more stable, growth might have been even greater

Minister Glavina assessed that the results could have been better if prices had been more stable, but also that the tourist year is still ongoing and that the post-season will be good according to all announcements. He noted that it is important that for the first time this year, tourism growth was felt most in the pre-season, and less in the summer, which is the goal of all strategic documents on sustainable and year-round tourism development.

He thanked all tourism and other sector workers for their efforts so far this year, especially those, as he said, who listened to the market regarding prices.

He said that tourism's results, both physical and financial, were record-breaking so far this year, which he supported with data from fiscalization, according to which 310.4 million or 3.6 percent more invoices were issued in the tourism and hospitality industries in the first eight months than last year, and that their value increased by 9.9 percent, to 5.9 billion euros.

"Almost an ideal situation"

“Currently, we have, as I recently characterized it, an almost ideal situation in tourism. The growth achieved on an annual level was not generated in two summer months, and for the first time. The results show that we are becoming a year-round destination with a further growth tendency in the pre-season and post-season. So, on an annual level, according to the first data from e-visitors, we are achieving 2% more tourist traffic in arrivals and 0.5% more traffic in overnight stays, or 17.2 million arrivals and 89.8 million overnight stays”, said Minister Glavina.

Rovinj, Dubrovnik, Poreč, Umag, Split, Medulin, Vir, Novalja, Zadar and Mali Lošnj achieved the most overnight stays, it was said at the presentation of this year's tourism results.

There were fewer tourists in July and August than last year

Although in July and August, as they stated, there were slightly fewer tourists in Croatia in total than in the same months last year, i.e. 0.5 percent less or 9.6 million, which achieved 1.3 percent fewer overnight stays or 60.4 million, yet spending was higher. The value of the 111 million invoices issued in July and August together, or 2.8 percent more than last year, was 3 billion euros or 7 percent higher.

At this pace, Glavina believes that by the end of 2025, total revenue from foreign tourists will reach 15.5 billion euros or 3.8 percent more than in 2024, in line with the latest projection of the Croatian National Bank.

Glavina also pointed out a slightly higher occupancy rate of accommodation capacities (hotels, campsites and household facilities) this year compared to last year, and that the results of this year's legal changes related to the accommodation structure are already noticeable.

The goal is to stop the proliferation of private and low-quality accommodation, so on August 15th there were about 2,000 fewer tourist beds in household facilities than on the same date last year, with a simultaneous increase in hotel and campsite beds by about 1,600 or around 5,000, Glavina emphasized. This means, according to him, that in accordance with the Government's programs and strategy, tourism is effectively managed according to the principles of sustainability, drawing attention to the fact that salaries in the sector have grown by around 90 percent since 2106 and are now on average around 1,600 euros.

In 2026, everything will depend on prices and the creation of value-added products

Both the minister and the director of the Croatian Tourism Board are optimistic about this post-season, but also the next 2026, for which the sector is already actively preparing, with the minister saying that everything will depend mostly on price competitiveness, which we must increase if we want to repeat the results from 2025. This does not mean, he added, that he thinks that prices should be lowered, but rather that products and value-added offerings should be created, for which there is plenty of room in Croatia, especially in the segment of premium tourism and higher categories of facilities.

He warned that care should be taken to ensure that quality follows prices due to changes in demand on foreign markets, from some of which, like Germany, are in a structural crisis, and also due to stronger competition activities.

Which countries are less interested in coming to Croatia?

Regarding Germany, whose tourists in Croatia generate about a quarter of all overnight stays, Staničić said that it is in the group of countries from which slight minuses have been recorded in Croatia this year. This group also includes Hungary, the Czech Republic, France and the Netherlands, due to the economic situation in these countries and because their citizens are traveling less around Europe and more within their own and neighboring countries, while paying more attention to prices.

Croatia has also felt this trend, because this year its domestic tourists are in second place among all nations in terms of overnight stays, and they have traveled more around the country than ever, and more tourists have arrived from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

He also highlighted positive results from the US market, from which more tourists are expected next year, according to announcements, because more direct flights to Croatia are being negotiated, as well as good results from the United Kingdom and Poland.

He also emphasized that most tourist regions on the Adriatic coast are either in the black or with results similar to last year's in the first eight months, which will be better seen in the official results next week. He also announced intensive promotion and campaigns for the post-season and until the end of this year to motivate tourist arrivals to Croatia in all markets, and even stronger in those where the results this year have been somewhat weaker than last year.

Source: HRT