ZAGREB, 5 Feb (Hina) – Most Croatians plan to spend their winter holidays at home, with a smaller share travelling abroad, mainly to Austria and Slovenia, a survey by Visa showed.

The research, conducted in December and January among just over 1,000 internet users aged 18 to 60, found that 62% plan to holiday in Croatia this winter, while 38% intend to travel abroad. Last year, roughly half chose foreign destinations.

Winter sports and related activities were the main motivation for travel for 53% of respondents, rising to 55% among those aged 30 to 39.

Over the past five years, ice skating has been the most popular winter sport, cited by 37% of respondents, followed by skiing at 27%. Snowboarding and ice hockey were less common at 8% and 6% respectively.

Nearly half of respondents said skiing was their top winter activity, while 35% opted for sledding and ice skating. Also, 69% said they bought some form of winter sports gear (clothing and footwear) in 2025, while 48% chose to rent it.

The survey also found that artificial intelligence is beginning to influence purchasing habits, with 15% having already used AI tools to buy or rent winter sports gear and 47% considering doing so.

Nine out of ten respondents said they pay using cards or mobile wallets. Half said they would spend less, choose different retailers or not return to shops that do not offer digital payment options.