Croatia ranks 9th in the EU for most tourism nights

Dubrovnik

The year 2024 was a record-breaking one for tourism across the European Union, with over 3 billion overnight stays registered at tourist accommodation establishments, Eurostat has confirmed.

This marks a 2.2% increase compared to 2023, with an additional 65.4 million nights recorded. The surge was largely driven by international visitors and a strong final quarter of the year.

The most overnight stays in 2024 were in Spain (500 million), followed by Italy (458 million), France (451 million) and Germany (441 million)

Croatia Ranks Among EU’s Top 10 Tourist Destinations

Croatia remains one of Europe’s most popular tourist spots, securing ninth place among EU countries with over 108 million overnight stays in 2024.

Top 10 EU Countries for Overnight Stays in 2024:

1. Spain
2. Italy
3. France
4. Germany
5. Greece
6. Netherlands
7. Austria
8. Poland
9. Croatia
10. Portugal

Croatia’s Strong Growth in Q4 2024

The last quarter of 2024 played a key role in the overall tourism boost across Europe. Croatia saw a 10.2% increase in overnight stays in Q4 compared to the same period in 2023, making it one of the best-performing countries in the EU.

Tourism Trends Across the EU

The highest overall tourism growth was recorded in Malta (+14.4%) and Latvia (+7.4%).

The only countries with a decline in tourism nights were Luxembourg (-2.7%), France (-0.6%), Belgium (-0.2%), and Sweden (-0.1%).

In Q4 2024, every EU country except Ireland (-1.8%) experienced growth, with Malta (+16.5%), Latvia (+12.5%), and Italy (+11.1%) leading the way.