Glavina: Tourism results in 2024 confirm that Croatia is a year-round destination

In 2024, Croatia was visited by 21.3 million tourists who recorded 108.7 million overnight stays, which is 4.1 percent more than in 2023, and this was accompanied by an increase in revenue from foreign tourists, fiscalized invoices in tourism and hospitality, and passenger traffic, reported the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on Friday.

Citing data from the eVisitor and eCrew systems, the Ministry stated that in 2024, the majority of total overnight stays, or 103.3 million, were recorded on the Adriatic, which is also 1 percent more than in 2023, while the continental part of the country as a whole, with more than 2.7 million overnight stays, is up 5 percent.

The same number of overnight stays as in all continental counties, or 2.7 million, was achieved in the City of Zagreb alone, which is 6 percent more than in 2023.

Important increases in traffic in the pre- and post-season

“We can be very satisfied with the achieved tourism results in 2024, including financial ones, because another record year was achieved by all parameters. We are especially pleased that the most pronounced growth was in the pre- and post-season, confirming that Croatia is becoming a year-round tourism destination,” emphasized the Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina.

In the pre-season, namely from January 1 to May 31, 2024, there were 11 percent more tourists and 12.5 percent more overnight stays, and in the post-season, from October 1 to December 31, there were 10.3 percent more tourists and 9.7 percent more overnight stays.

Istria still has the most overnight stays among all counties

The highest number of overnight stays in 2024 was achieved, as usual, in the Adriatic counties - the highest in Istria, or 30 million, followed by Split-Dalmatia County with 20.7 million, Kvarner with 18.2 million, Zadar County with 15.4 million, Dubrovnik-Neretva County with 9.1 million, Šibenik-Knin County with 6.6 million, and Lika-Senj County with 3.4 million overnight stays.

According to destinations, the most overnight stays in 2024 were achieved in Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Split, Poreč and Umag.

“Croatian tourism achieved excellent results in 2024, despite the demanding market circumstances. This is confirmation of the strength and recognition of the Croatian tourism brand, commented the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić.

Excellent December, most overnight stays in Zagreb

He also stated that tourism results were also good in December 2024, with 416,000 tourist arrivals and 992,000 overnight stays, which is 4 percent more than in the same month in 2023.

Especially good results, according to Staničić, were during the Christmas and New Year holidays, from December 24 to January 1, when 169,000 tourists and more than 467,000 overnight stays were registered in Croatia, which 'surpassed' the same period in 2023 by 8 and 2 percent.

The highest number of overnight stays during the holidays was in Zagreb, Opatija, Poreč, Dubrovnik and Split, and by type of accommodation in hotels and in household facilities.

Fiscalized invoices worth almost 7.3 billion euros

The Ministry also reported data on the financial results of tourism in 2024, and the Croatian National Bank for the first nine months on foreign tourist revenues of almost 13.2 billion euros or 1.7 percent higher than in the same period in 2023, which means 224 million euros more in revenue.

Data from the Tax Administration show that in 2024, a total of almost 7.3 billion euros worth of fiscalized invoices were issued in tourism-related activities, or 11.5 percent more than in 2023, and 5 percent more invoices were issued in these activities, or 431 million.

Records in passenger traffic

Noting that records were also achieved in 2024 thanks to tourism in road, air and maritime (passenger) traffic, the Ministry stated that more than 76.5 million vehicles passed on Croatian motorways, of which almost 497 million euros in tolls were collected. There were 8 percent more vehicles than in 2023, and the tolls collected were 13 percent more.

In maritime traffic, initial information from the Jadrolinija passenger shipping company states that in 2024 it transported 12.6 million passengers and 3.7 million vehicles, and that this "surpassed the goals set for the previous year and reached new record figures."

All airports recorded an increase in passenger traffic in 2024, so Zagreb Airport welcomed its four millionth passenger on December 1st, for the first time in history, while Zadar Airport achieved the total traffic from 2023 on the last day of August, pointed out the Ministry.

Source: HRT