Croatia tourism :110 million overnights and 10,000 less beds in 2025

Croatia welcomed more than 21.8 million tourist arrivals last year, generating a record 110.1 million overnight stays, according to official figures from the eVisitor system, the national platform tracking tourist traffic across commercial, non-commercial and nautical accommodation. The results represent a 2 percent increase in arrivals and a 1 percent rise in overnight stays compared with 2024, confirming Croatia’s continued appeal despite mounting pressures on global travel demand.

Beyond the headline growth, 2025 marked a turning point in tourism policy. The country recorded a reduction of nearly 10,000 tourist beds, a shift the Minister of Tourism and Sport, Tonči Glavina, described as a deliberate outcome of wide-ranging tourism, spatial and tax reforms. Speaking recently on local radio, Glavina said the aim was not expansion at any cost, but higher quality, better occupancy and improved living conditions in tourist destinations.

“The goal was to stop uncontrolled growth, optimize existing capacity and return housing to local communities,” he said, stressing that the reforms represent a long-term change in direction rather than a short-term intervention.

Tourism Reform Drives Housing Shift and Market Slowdown

One of the most tangible effects of the reforms has been the return of housing to the long-term rental market. For the first time since 2018, private accommodation providers recorded higher occupancy levels, while the number of taxpayers registered for long-term rental rose by 14 percent. More than 3,600 property owners have already partially or fully switched from short-term tourist rentals to long-term leasing.

The property market, particularly along the Adriatic coast, is consequently showing early signs of adjustment. While prices have not yet declined, real estate agents report a 30 percent drop in sales in Adriatic counties, a slowdown that could eventually ease price pressure, especially for older apartments.

Adriatic Dominance and Continental Growth

Tourist traffic remained heavily concentrated along Croatia Adriatic coast, which accounted for 104.6 million overnight stays, an increase of 1 percent year on year.

Istria once again led alone with 30.3 million overnight stays, followed by Split-Dalmatia County with 20.9 million, Kvarner with 18.5 million, and Zadar County with 15.5 million. Further south, Dubrovnik-Neretva County recorded 9.3 million overnight stays, while Šibenik-Knin County reached 6.6 million. Lika-Senj County, benefiting from nature-based and transit tourism, generated 3.5 million overnight stays, with remaining regions collectively contributing several million more.

At the destination level, Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Split, Poreč and Umag once more emerged as Croatia’s top-performing tourism hubs.

Meanwhile, continental Croatia, including Zagreb, continued its steady rise as a year-round destination, recording 5.6 million overnight stays, a 2 percent increase compared with 2024. The growth reflects stronger pre-season and post-season travel, as well as a record-breaking December, which alone surpassed one million overnight stays nationwide.

Despite the strong results, Glavina warned that price competitiveness will be the decisive factor for future success. Research indicates travelers are becoming more price-sensitive, traveling less and spending more cautiously while comparing Croatia directly with competitors such as Spain and Italy.

“If we fail to stabilize prices across retail, hospitality, transport and services, we will feel the consequences very quickly,” the minister said, adding that coordinated action across the sector will be essential to repeat these results in the years ahead.

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