The development of travel traffic, the progress of tourism reform and the competitiveness of prices in the tourism sector were the results of the third session of the Croatian National Tourism Development Council held under the Croatian Prime Minister, A. Plenkovi?.
The Croatian Prime Minister expressed cautious optimism about the course of tourism in 2025, stating that this year’s tourist season seems to be close to the previous record level, with a good chance of surpassing it. According to the statistics presented at the meeting, as of July 15, arrivals amounted to 9.65 million and overnight stays to 42 million, both recording an increase of 2% compared to the corresponding period in 2024.
A significant increase was recorded in domestic tourism with the relevant number of overnight stays amounting to 5 million, an increase of 8% compared to the corresponding period in 2024. In first place, in terms of arrivals and overnight stays, is the Istria Region, followed by the Split-Dalmatia and Pimorje-Gorski Kotar Regions.
The largest number of foreign tourists came from Germany, Slovenia, Austria and Poland. As for tax revenues from all tourism activities, they amounted to 3.6 billion euros, recording an increase of 12% compared to the corresponding period in 2024.
In the context of the discussion on the tourism reform, the Prime Minister made special mention of the new legislation on tourist accommodation, which regulates the short-term rental market. He noted that Croatia lags behind other Mediterranean countries in terms of hotel potential, adding that significant investments in new hotel units should be implemented in the coming years.
The main topic of discussion, as in the previous session of the Croatian National Tourism Development Council, was the upward trend in prices in the tourism sector. According to available data, 50% of European tourists choose their destination at the last minute, with price as the main criterion.
This fact, he stressed, sends a clear message to the country’s tourism sector for a “reasonable pricing policy” that will be profitable for businesses, but also attractive for tourists. He called on representatives of the tourism sector to take into account the need to maintain the competitiveness of the Croatian tourism product compared to other tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.
(*) The information comes from the Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs in Zagreb.
