February the 19th, 2026 – Croatian tourism is currently being presented at the f.re.e tourism fair in the German city of Munich, with the message being about sustainability, affordability and diversity.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian tourism is currently being presented at the international f.re.e tourism event in Munich from 18th to the 22nd of February. The primary message for the country is that it is a diverse and sustainable destination that offers value for money.
germany is croatia’s most important source market
Tourism Minister Tonči Glavina has highlighted Germany as the most important source market for Croatia ahead of this fair which is otherwise intended for a wide audience. Bavarian tourists actually account for a very significant 40% of all German tourist arrivals in Croatia.
“The absolute best that Croatian tourism has to offer will be presented at this Munich fair and we’ll do so by using our comparative advantages. They include being a car destination for Germans, to the country’s excellent offer of campsites and family accommodation. The key criterion for choosing a destination for the majority of people remains value for money, so we want to send out a clear message that Croatia is still a destination that offers this to Germans and that it’s a place where they can find quality, safety and a wealth of content to enjoy all year round,” revealed Glavina.
He also stated that Croatia sees an opportunity for further sustainable growth in this market during the pre- and post-season. According to research by the European Travel Commission-ETC, more and more tourists are choosing to travel during those months as opposed to the often insufferable heat of summer. According to Glavina, that further confirms the correctness of Croatia’s current strategic direction for tourism in general.
In 2025, more than 3.1 million tourists came to Croatia from Germany, representative of just one percent less than in 2024, with 22.3 million overnight stays recorded. That made the Germans by far the largest share of 20.2 percent in the total number of overnight stays realised by foreign tourists. They visited Istria and Kvarner the most, and they also spent plenty of time in campsites, where they achieved 37 percent of total overnight stays and 31 percent of all tourist arrivals last year.
adac: croatian campsites are the best in europe
This data is supported by the awards and ratings of the German automobile club ADAC, according to which Croatian campsites are among the best in all of Europe in terms of the quality of what they offer. From the beginning of the year to mid-February, Croatian tourism achieved about nine percent more arrivals of German tourists compared to the same period last year, and the Ministry of Tourism believes that this clearly shows the strengthening of traffic throughout the traditionally quieter pre-season.
A series of meetings are planned, including the traditional one with representatives of the aforementioned German car club ADAC and with the Bavarian State Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism, Michaela Kaniber. The organisers of the f.re.e. fair conducted a survey back in January on the travel habits of Germans with a specific focus on Bavarians. As announced on the Munich fair’s website, that revealed new priorities in Bavarian minds when it comes to holiday planning and types of travel, with an emphasis being placed more conscious travel planning, in the space between financial constraints and the desire for relaxation.
Holidays clearly remain a central need for Germans, but they choose them in an effort to balance financial constraints, a desire for peace and nature, and an openness to new forms of travel. As a result, they are planning their trips more consciously, increasingly adapting them to their individual life situations. The study found that the types of holidays that many Germans would have ruled out a decade ago are now gaining popularity.
