Croatia records 5% more visitors so far in 2026 

Hvar

Croatia has recorded a positive start to the 2026 tourism year, with official data showing continued growth in both arrivals and overnight stays across the country.

According to figures from the eVisitor system, which tracks tourist traffic in commercial and non-commercial accommodation as well as nautical charter (eCrew system), Croatia welcomed 4.5 million arrivals and generated more than 14 million overnight stays from January to the end of May, the Croatian Tourism Board said in a statement.

This represents an increase of 5% in arrivals and 7% in overnight stays compared to the same period last year.

The majority of tourist activity was concentrated along the Adriatic coast, which accounted for 12.2 million overnight stays, an increase of 8% year-on-year.

The continental part of the country also recorded growth, with overnight stays rising by 3%, reflecting continued interest in inland destinations outside the traditional coastal tourism hotspots.

Croatian Minister of Tourism and Sport Tonči Glavina highlighted the positive results, stating that the growth confirms the effectiveness of current tourism policies, particularly in strengthening the pre-season and extending activity into the post-season period.

He also noted that recent geopolitical developments, including the crisis in the Middle East, have prompted a swift adjustment in Croatia’s tourism marketing strategy, with campaigns refocused on key source markets.

These campaigns now emphasise Croatia’s proximity to major European markets, perceived safety, and strong value-for-money positioning.

However, the minister also acknowledged that demand forecasts for July and August appear slightly more cautious compared to previous years, underlining the importance of maintaining competitive pricing and high-quality package offerings.

Key Destinations and Regional Performance

By counties, the highest number of overnight stays in the first five months was recorded in:

• Istria – 4.1 million overnight stays

• Split-Dalmatia County – 2.2 million overnight stays

• Kvarner – 2.1 million overnight stays

Among individual destinations, the strongest performers included:

• Dubrovnik

• Zagreb

• Rovinj

• Split

• Poreč

• Zadar

Key Source Markets

In terms of international markets, the strongest performance came from:

• Germany – 2.7 million overnight stays

• Domestic tourists – 2.5 million overnight stays

• Slovenia – 1.3 million overnight stays

• Austria – 1.1 million overnight stays

• United Kingdom – over 670,000 overnight stays

• United States – over 540,000 overnight stays

These figures confirm continued strong demand from traditional European markets, alongside steady growth from long-haul markets such as the US.

Accommodation Trends

Analysis of accommodation types shows continued dominance of private and hotel sectors:

• Hotels (15% of capacity) accounted for 43% of total overnight stays

• Private accommodation (52% of capacity) accounted for 23% of overnight stays

• Campsites (20% of capacity) accounted for 16% of overnight stays

The data highlights the continued importance of hotels in driving higher-yield tourism activity despite lower overall capacity share.

Croatia also saw strong short-term performance during the Corpus Christi (Tijelovo) holiday weekend, from 4 to 7 June.

During this period, the country recorded:

• 378,000 arrivals

• 1.7 million overnight stays

The most visited counties were Istria, Split-Dalmatia, and Kvarner, while top destinations included Rovinj, Dubrovnik, Poreč, Split, and Medulin.

Tourism officials have noted that pre-season and post-season periods are becoming increasingly important to Croatia’s overall tourism performance, contributing to more balanced year-round activity.