Croatia’s rising popularity among American tourists now confirmed

Dubrovnik

The popularity of Croatia as a tourist destination among American travellers continues to grow, with the United States now ranking among the top five markets by number of arrivals.

According to the latest data from the eVisitor system, from January to mid-June 2025, Americans made over 260,000 arrivals and nearly 690,000 overnight stays in Croatia.

This represents a year-on-year increase of 16% in arrivals and 17% in overnight stays.

Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), welcomed the results, stating:

“It is significant and encouraging that we’ve managed to maintain strong interest from the American market. This year’s excellent performance shows that Americans are among our most numerous guests, and we aim to continue this positive trend.”

He noted that maintaining this growth will rely heavily on increasing air connectivity, particularly direct flights, alongside sustained promotional campaigns and strategic partnerships.

So far this year, American guests have logged the highest number of overnight stays in Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, Hvar, and Rovinj.

Promoting Croatia Across the US

To further strengthen ties with the US market, the Croatian Tourist Board took part in several high-profile tourism events across the United States.

In Las Vegas, HTZ participated in the annual Travel Leaders Network EDGE conference, held at Caesars Palace. The event brought together more than 2,000 leading travel professionals and agents from around the globe.

EDGE 2025 (Photo: HTZ)

HTZ also attended the exclusive Luxury Forum within the conference, engaging with nearly 300 top luxury travel advisors.

Leila Krešić-Jurić, Director of the HTZ office in New York, addressed the audience and announced that Croatia will once again host the International Luxury Travel Forum in Opatija this October.

Luxury forum in Las Vegas (Photo: HTZ)

To celebrate the occasion and build business relationships, HTZ also organised a special evening reception, showcasing Croatian hospitality and Mediterranean charm.

Korčula being presented in the US (Photo: HTZ)

In addition to Las Vegas, Croatia was promoted in Los Angeles at the Signature Travel Network’s 2025 Travel Exchange. More than 120 agents experienced Croatia through the Destination Experience Room, where key travel industry stakeholders presented the country’s tourism offering.

Signature Travel Network is a prominent consortium of leading travel agencies and suppliers, and represents a valuable partner in promoting and selling Croatia as a premium travel destination.

A Year-Round Destination for the US Market

“American guests appreciate Croatia for its authentic experiences, pleasant climate, natural beauty, rich history, and top-tier gastronomy – all available year-round,” Krešić-Jurić explained.

HTZ representatives – KVI Travel (Photo: HTZ)

She highlighted that the strong performance is a testament to effective promotional campaigns and fruitful collaboration with international partners, airlines, and tour operators.

“The US market, as our most important long-haul market, plays a crucial role not only in sustaining positive tourism trends but also in advancing our key priority – the development of sustainable, high-quality, year-round tourism,” she concluded.

Workshop (Photo: HTZ)

HTZ also presented Croatia at a luxury-focused B2B event in Phoenix, organised by Internova’s Global Travel Collection. Once again, strong interest from American travel agents confirmed Croatia’s growing appeal among high-end travellers.