Today, we’re bringing you an overview of the Croatian tourism – up to the latest available data in November 2025. In general, total arrivals declined by 6% to 424.5k during November, while total nights also declined by 4% YoY to 1.09m. Since the beginning of the year, however, total arrivals amounted to 21.3m, growing by 2% YoY, while total tourist nights amounted to 108.7m, increasing by 1% YoY.
2025 is almost over, with us currently in the last month of the year. While we won’t have the FY data for another month for the tourism industry (and the revenue numbers for at least half a year), nonetheless, it is prudent to look at how the industry performed during this period.
In general, November is one of the slowest months of the year, so any increases/decreases do not have a material effect on the overall performance for the year. During the month, total tourist arrivals amounted to 424.5k, with 225k foreign arrivals and 199.4k domestic arrivals, representing a decline of 6% (total), 9% (foreign), and 3% (domestic). On the other hand, total tourist nights amounted to 1.09m, decreasing by 4% YoY. Of this, foreign nights amounted to 683k, down 5% YoY, while domestic nights amounted to 407k, also down 2% YoY. This would imply an average stay per person of 2.57 nights, up 2.8% YoY.
Croatian tourist arrivals & overnight stays (January 2019 – November 2025)
Source: HTZ, InterCapital Research
Moving on, 90% of the overnights were recorded in commercial accommodation, 9% in non-commercial, and 1% in nautical accommodation. Inside the commercial accommodation, 61% of nights were recorded in hotels, 24% in private accommodation, 4% in camps, and 11% in other types of accommodation. By countries, 38% of overnights were recorded by domestic tourists, 9% by Slovenia, 7% by Germany, and 6% each, respectively, by Austria and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
By counties, Kvarner recorded the highest number of nights (206k), followed by Grad Zagreb at 191k, Istra at 167k, Splitsko-dalmatinska at 123k, and Dubrovačko-neretvanska at 97k. Turning our attention to the YTD (11M) 2025 data, total tourist arrivals amounted to 21.3m, up 2% YoY, while total tourist nights were up 1% YoY.
While July and August saw a slight drop off in the number of nights (-1%, and -1.5%, respectively), June recorded a strong 14% increase, while September and October also grew, by 5% and 3%, respectively. In other words, due to the high prices at the height of the season, a lot of people shifted to the pre- and post-season period. This is good, in line with the Government’s strategy of diversifying away from the industry during those crucial 3 months of summer. On the other hand, an increase has to be “wider”, affecting more months of the year, rather than just months clustered around the summer.
Besides upgraded and higher-end accommodation offerings (mostly at hotels & camps, with private accommodation lagging behind), new services and entertainment options should be offered & expanded. New types of services, focusing tourism on other aspects & parts of Croatia that the country can offer, could be explored. In general, anything leading to diversification is good.
On the revenue side, we still do not have the numbers for the 3rd quarter, and especially for the year. We do have the numbers for H1, and the total revenues from the industry for that period amounted to EUR 3.51bn, up 6% YoY. As such, it could be summarized that most of the increase in these revenues came from higher prices, both of accommodation & services offered. The question remains, how long can this price growth be supported? A lot of media houses, especially from Austria & Germany, are continually wondering – is Croatia becoming too expensive?
Such perception can be very detrimental for the whole industry, as most of the industry is still focused (private accommodation) on lower-end offerings. As such, investments, legislative changes, better Governmental planning & guidance, larger transparency, a more diverse services portfolio – all the things needed to keep such an industry growing. Sea and the sun are no longer enough – especially when prices of certain things make it seem like those things are made of gold.