March the 30th, 2026 – Younger visitors are altering old traditions by bringing new trends to Croatian tourism, particularly outside of the main summer season.
As Novi list/Alenka Juricic Bukarica writes, when it comes to the age of its guests, Croatia has an ideal distribution by age group. 49% of guests recorded as staying in the country last year were over 40, and 51% were younger than the “magical” 40.
The Croatian Tourist Board’s eVisitor data shows that last year 15% of tourists were actually under 12, meaning they were children. The smallest share was made up of guests between 13 and 18 years old, around 8%. Guests between 19 and 30 years old last year accounted for 13% of overnight stays realised, and those between 31 and 40 years old accounted for 15%.
younger visitors are changing trends in croatian tourism
The largest share of overnight stays, at 18%, is still being made up of guests between 41 and 50 years old, while in 2025 the share of those between 51 and 60 years old accounted for 15%, with those over 60 making up 16%. This means that the age structure is fairly even, with guests between 41 and 50 slightly dominating, and they have actually held the top spot for years now.
This share of 18% has not changed since the pre-pandemic year of 2019, and not even during the pandemic itself. During the pandemic-dominated years, the number of those over 60 was expected to decline slightly, while the share of guests between 31 and 40 increased, but by 2023 this share had stabilised at 15%.
Apart from that, there have actually been no major fluctuations, and the share of young travellers under 30 is slightly lower. That refers to those who have completed their education and started building an independent life and career.
Younger visitors and their higher numbers are actually changing trends in Croatian tourism. These tourists often seek out active content, festival and sports programmes, which Croatia offers through music festivals and sports events, cultural and food/wine experiences, and they are increasingly attracted to outdoor activities such as sailing, diving or even cycling.
Younger tourists are also more aware of environmental protection and travel sustainability, which is an important factor for them when choosing a destination and their travel behaviour. That means that they also seek out authentic experiences and the beauty of nature in national parks, lesser-known cities and islands.
off the beaten path travel, festivals, programmes and events
So-called “off-beaten-path” destinations are increasingly sought after among the younger guest population. This may explain why destinations that promote nature, active holidays and sustainable tourism products have greater appeal among younger groups. What attracts young visitors the country and what trends are actually changing in Croatian tourism has also been explained by the Tomas guest preference survey conducted by the Institute for Tourism in Zagreb.
According to the latest Tomas survey, young guests were mostly motivated to come to Croatia by entertainment, events and so on. Croatia remains an exceptionally strong event destination for young people, with this group particularly attached to hostels. In the 2022/23 Tomas survey, the largest share of younger guests stayed in hostels, making up a very significant 51% of those under 30.
family accommodation
Speaking about how interesting Croatia is to young tourists today, Boris Žgomba, president of the Association of Travel Agencies at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, said that Croatia has been a popular destination for this segment of guests for a number of years. This isn’t solely because of an through festivals, of which there are many, but also sporting events and various programmes both in and out of the main summer tourist season.
Younger guests come and engage in active tourism programmes, cultural and similar programmes that destinations implement on an individual basis, and which attract a younger audience for the most part, although not exclusively. “It’s very important for Croatia that we have a large portion of accommodation (about a million tourist beds out of a total of two million) in family accommodation, which is most often affordable for the younger guest population. This is certainly a big plus for these visitors. However, on the other hand, we must not succumb to the stereotype that young people don’t have money. If someone is 25 or 30 years old and works and has their own income, we definitely cannot say that they are less able to pay,” said Žgomba.
organised excursions
Croatia also has a lot of student and organised trips.
Over more recent years, Croatia has established itself as a complete destination interesting to young travellers. It clearly depends on the individual destination and its specific offer as to how much younger audience it attracts, but overall progress is visible. Zgomba added that increasing the number of low-cost airlines from all over Europe to Croatian airports certainly contributes to the increased arrival of young tourists.
Younger guests today are therefore not motivated to come only for entertainment and festivals, but also by other forms of offer such as outdoor activities, which is certainly a good trump card for attracting a younger audience even outside the peak season.
