Croatian tourism sees double-digit growth in arrivals

Croatian tourism soars in April 

Croatia’s tourism sector continues its positive momentum with a notable rise in visitor numbers and overnight stays in April 2025, according to the latest data released from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics.

A total of 1.2 million tourist arrivals and 3.3 million overnight stays were recorded in commercial accommodation in April – a 14.8% increase in arrivals and an 18.4% increase in overnight stays compared to the same month last year.

Foreign Tourists Dominate Overnight Stays

Foreign visitors made up a significant majority, accounting for 85.5% of all overnight stays, while domestic tourists contributed 14.5%.

• Domestic tourists recorded 228,000 arrivals (+4.6%) and 477,000 overnight stays (+2.6%).

• Foreign tourists registered 956,000 arrivals (+17.5%) and 2.8 million overnight stays (+21.6%).

Germany leads among source markets

Tourists from Germany were the largest group among foreign visitors, achieving 532,000 overnight stays, which represents 18.9% of all foreign overnight stays – a sharp 48.4% increase compared to April 2024.

The Istria region was the most attractive destination for German tourists, with 234,000 overnight stays – 44% of their total overnight stays in Croatia, and a 74.5% rise from the previous year.

Istria remains top tourist destination

Istria not only topped the list for German tourists, but was also the most visited region overall in April, recording 997,000 overnight stays, or 30.3% of all stays in the country – a 30.2% increase from April 2024.

Breakdown of overnight stays in Istria by foreign visitors:

• Germany: 26.1%
• Slovenia: 22.0%
• Austria: 16.8%
• Italy: 7.5%
• Poland: 3.6%

Positive growth in the first four months of 2025

Looking at the broader period from January to April 2025, Croatian commercial accommodation saw 2.2 million arrivals and 5.6 million overnight stays, marking a 3.6% rise in arrivals and a 4.7% increase in overnight stays compared to the same period in 2024.

• Domestic tourists contributed 681,000 arrivals (+6.4%) and 1.4 million overnight stays (+3.2%).

• Foreign tourists accounted for 1.5 million arrivals (+2.4%) and 4.3 million overnight stays (+5.2%).