Croatia opens Berlin tourism office to strengthen ties with Germany’s largest visitor market

Romeo Draghicchio, Hanna Kleber, Gordan Bakota, Kristjan Staničić (Photo: HTZ)

BERLIN, 2 June 2026 – The Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) has officially opened a new representative office in Berlin as part of efforts to strengthen Croatia’s presence in Germany, its most important tourism market.

The new office will operate alongside the CNTB’s existing office in Munich, providing coverage of the entire German market. The opening ceremony was attended by CNTB Director Kristjan Staničić, Corps Touristique President Hanna Kleber, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy adviser Andreas Kolbe, Croatian Ambassador to Germany Gordan Bakota and CNTB Berlin Office Director Romeo Draghicchio.

Speaking at the opening, Staničić said Berlin’s role as a major European political, economic and transport hub made it a strategic location for expanding Croatia’s tourism promotion activities.

He noted that the Berlin office continues Croatia’s long-standing presence in Germany, previously maintained through its Frankfurt office for the past three decades. According to Staničić, German travellers continue to recognise Croatia for its safety, proximity, authenticity and strong value for money.

Germany remains Croatia’s largest source market, accounting for more than 20 per cent of all tourist overnight stays in the country. German visitors are also increasingly choosing to travel during the pre-season and post-season periods, helping to extend Croatia’s tourism year.

Staničić highlighted the importance of air connectivity, noting that Croatia is currently connected by direct flights to 15 German cities. He also pointed to recent German tourism research indicating that visitors spend less in Croatia for a comparable level of service than in competing Mediterranean destinations such as Greece and Spain.

German tourists are among Croatia’s highest-spending visitors and are particularly interested in quality and premium tourism products. Popular holiday choices include camping, family holidays and private accommodation, while interest in active tourism, nature-based experiences and authentic local experiences continues to grow.

Kristjan Staničić (Photo: HTZ)

Safety, cleanliness and infrastructure remain important factors for German travellers, while Croatia’s gastronomy and cultural heritage provide additional appeal.

Last year, German visitors recorded 22.3 million overnight stays in Croatia. The largest share was registered in Istria, with more than 10 million overnight stays, followed by Kvarner with more than four million. Zadar County and Split-Dalmatia County each recorded more than 2.2 million overnight stays from German guests.

At destination level, Rovinj, Poreč and Medulin were the most popular locations among German visitors.

Romeo Draghicchio, Director of the CNTB office in Berlin, said the new office forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen Croatia’s promotion in Germany, with a particular focus on northern regions of the country.

He explained that the office will work closely with key tourism partners, travel agencies and airlines to further improve connectivity between Croatia and Germany. A strong emphasis will also be placed on cooperation with digital media, influencers and modern communication platforms, which are playing an increasingly important role in destination promotion and travel decision-making.

Romeo Draghicchio (Photo: HTZ)

Draghicchio added that the strong turnout of tourism professionals, media representatives and tourism associations from Berlin and the surrounding area reflected the high level of interest in Croatia within the region.

Among those attending were representatives from major German media outlets including Travelbook, BILD.de, T-Online.de, Deutsche Welle, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Berliner Zeitung, Elle, Funke Mediengruppe, Fenix Magazin and regional broadcaster RBB.

Representatives from ADAC, PiNCAMP, Select Travel, Croatia Airlines, the Association of Independent Travel Agencies (ASR), the German Travel Association (DRV) and the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) also attended.

(Photo: HTZ)

Guests at the event were treated to traditional Croatian specialities, while Croatian vocal ensemble Klapa Sveti Juraj provided the musical entertainment.