Australian tourists lead spending jump in Croatia

Hvar

New data from the Croatian National Bank reveals a shift in tourism trends last year.

While foreign tourists still brought in nearly €15 billion, the rate of growth in spending has slowed significantly compared to previous years, tportal reports.

Last year, revenue from foreign visitors grew by just 2.66%, a stark contrast to the 11.4% jump recorded in 2023. Meanwhile, spending by Croatian travellers abroad saw a notable increase.

A breakdown by country shows a drop in spending from Croatia’s traditionally strongest markets. Of the top five countries whose tourists spent over €1 billion in Croatia, four – Germany, Austria, Slovenia and the UK – recorded a decline.

Only Italy saw a modest rise of 3.75%.

Slovenians cut their spending the most, down by 13.15%, followed closely by Austrians (-13.06%) and Germans (-8.36%).

Interestingly, the number of overnight stays by Germans and Italians decreased only slightly, while Slovenians spent less despite a 3.3% rise in overnight stays. Italians, on the other hand, spent more even though their overnight stays dropped nearly 7%.

In contrast, countries less known for high tourist spending in Croatia showed impressive growth.

Australian visitors spent €307 million – up nearly 80% – despite a 10% fall in overnight stays.

Tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Hungary, and Slovakia also spent 40–50% more than the previous year, with a simultaneous rise in visits.

Hungary’s surge pushed it into the top 10, taking seventh place. Serbia, Ireland and Spain also showed healthy increases in both arrivals and spending.

Meanwhile, Polish tourists bounced back after a sharp drop in 2023, spending €543.7 million and securing sixth place on the list.

Tourists from the Czech Republic and Switzerland also recovered.

On the downside, North American markets cooled significantly. Spending by tourists from the USA and Canada dropped following several years of strong growth.