Online platforms drive surge in Croatia’s tourist bookings

Brač

Croatia is seeing a continued rise in tourist accommodation bookings made through online platforms, reflecting the growing role of digital channels in the country’s tourism sector.

The Croatian Bureau of Statistics has released new experimental data analysing short-term tourist accommodation booked through online platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor.

The data offers new insights into the rapidly expanding segment of short-term holiday rentals and highlights how digital platforms are reshaping tourism trends in Croatia.

The new indicators were introduced to better monitor the impact of online platforms on the short-term accommodation market.

Based on data sources from Eurostat, the statistics focus on bookings and overnight stays in the category of holiday and short-stay accommodation facilities.

This segment forms an important part of the so-called “collaborative economy”, where online platforms act as intermediaries connecting travellers with accommodation providers.

The latest figures show significant growth in bookings and overnight stays made through online platforms in 2024.

Domestic tourists recorded the strongest increase. Compared with 2023, bookings by Croatian travellers rose by 20.8%, while overnight stays increased by 17.7%.

Foreign tourists also contributed to the upward trend. In 2024, bookings made by international visitors through online platforms grew by 7.1%, while overnight stays rose by 8.8% compared with the previous year.

The longer-term trend also shows strong growth since before the pandemic. Compared with 2019, bookings by domestic tourists increased by 85%, while their overnight stays rose by 77.9%.

International visitors recorded a 30.1% increase in bookings and a 45.6% rise in overnight stays over the same period.

The figures highlight the growing importance of digital booking platforms for both domestic and international travellers visiting Croatia.

The positive trend has continued into 2025.

During the first half of 2025, tourists made around 925,000 bookings through online platforms, generating 11 million overnight stays in holiday and short-stay accommodation across Croatia.

On average, this equates to 5,112 bookings and 60,583 overnight stays per day, with each booking generating an average of 11.9 overnight stays.

Compared with the same period in 2024, the number of bookings rose by 11.2%, while overnight stays increased by 13.4%.

The figures suggest that Croatia’s tourism sector continues to benefit from the growing use of online platforms for accommodation bookings.