ZAGREB, 7 Jan (Hina) – In 2025, Croatia recorded 21.8 million tourist arrivals and 110.1 million overnight stays, up 2% and 1% respectively on 2024, with most stays on the Adriatic coast, the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Wednesday, citing data from the eVisitor system.
Most overnight stays, 104.6 million, occurred on the Adriatic, a 1% increase on 2024. Continental Croatia, including Zagreb, recorded 5.6 million stays, up 2%.
By county, Istria led with 30.3 million overnight stays, followed by Split-Dalmatia (20.9m), Kvarner (a wider Rijeka area) (18.5m), Zadar (15.5m), Dubrovnik-Neretva (9.3m), Šibenik-Knin (6.6m) and Lika-Senj (3.5m). Top destinations included Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Split, Poreč and Umag.
Foreign tourists made up over 90% of the total.
Germans accounted for the most overnight stays (22.3m), followed by domestic tourists (13.8m), Slovenians (11.1m), Austrians (8.2m), Poles (7.3m), Czechs (4.9m) and Britons (4.1m).
December alone saw 450,000 tourists and 1.1 million overnight stays, a 7% increase on December 2024. The busiest regions were Kvarner, Istria and Split-Dalmatia County, with Zagreb, Opatija, Split, Dubrovnik and Rovinj the leading destinations. During the Christmas-New Year period (24 December-1 January), more than 188,000 tourists spent over 541,000 nights, up 8% on the previous year, with Zagreb the top destination.
Tourism and Sports Minister Tonči Glavina described 2025 as a record year in all segments, noting the success of accommodation reforms and strong revenues. He cautioned that 2026 would bring challenges from geopolitical instability, economic trends and evolving tourist patterns, emphasising that price competitiveness would be key.
HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić said the strong results would motivate efforts to position Croatia as a year-round destination, develop premium and sustainable tourism, strengthen partnerships with airlines, tour operators and travel platforms, promote digital campaigns, and encourage early bookings, including the ‘Local Host’ project. He highlighted that quality and value for money remain the sector’s main objectives.
