Croatia shifting beyond seasonal travel

September results ‘almost fantastic’

Croatia is steadily transforming into a year-round tourist destination, Tourism and Sports Minister Tonči Glavina said at a gathering of tourism leaders in Dubrovnik to mark World Tourism Day, celebrated globally on 27 September.

The theme of this year’s World Tourism Day is “Tourism and Green Investments”, with a strong focus on the sector’s potential as a driver of positive change through responsible management, innovation, education, and sustainable planning.

“Croatia is truly becoming a year-round tourist destination. The numbers confirm this – while we once again have record tourism figures, for the first time in history growth has not been generated in July and August, but in the pre- and post-season,” Glavina said.

As HRT reports, he highlighted that results for September were “almost fantastic”, with tourist traffic in commercial accommodation increasing by more than 7% compared to last year.

“I hope we maintain this strong pace until the end of the year,” he added.

World Tourism Day has been observed since 1980, and this year’s official global conference takes place in Melaka, Malaysia, from 27 to 29 September.

According to UN Tourism, almost half of young people in emerging destinations lack appropriate training for the tourism sector.

To bridge this gap, governments and stakeholders must prioritise accessible, high-quality education and vocational training tailored to the sector’s evolving needs.

Innovation and responsible entrepreneurship, alongside digitalisation and new business models, are seen as key drivers for sustainable tourism.

Responsible management of natural resources remains essential for the future of tourism. All stakeholders, from governments to businesses, are urged to ensure that their activities minimise negative impacts on nature.