August the 19th, 2026 – Croatian landlords who rent out their properties to tourists are facing changes in the very heart of the summer tourist season – and they aren’t thrilled.
We’re firmly in the middle of August, and around 250,000 guests are currently holidaying in Istria, yet even at the height of the tourist season not all accommodation capacities are full. While hotels and campsites are almost full, apartments can still be found sitting empty. Poslovni reports that this summer tourist season has so far been marked by a trend that has affected all types of accommodation – guests are increasingly waiting until the very last moment to make a reservation.
This behaviour is also changing the way Croatian landlords who do rent their properties out to tourists have to run their business this year. Lorena John, president of the Istria Family Accommodation Association, believes that the offer must adapt to guests who make their decision only a few days before travelling, HRT reports.
“Guests reserve the accommodation facility a few days before they are due to arrive. It is important that landlords adapt and count on that. I assume guests are counting on a better price, so that minimum stay is included in those discounts, that everything is regulated and that we are more flexible, and then our facilities will be full and they will prefer to stay in our property,” John said.
the price-quality ratio is more important now than ever
The large supply allows guests to wait and compare options, looking for the price-quality ratio that suits them best. Price is precisely one of the main reasons why reservations are increasingly left until the end. How much the market has changed is best illustrated by comparison with previous years. Boris Žgomba, president of the Association of Travel Agencies at the Croatian Chamber of Economy, says that the concept of last-minute now refers to a significantly larger share of capacity than before.
“Last-minute this year is completely different from what it was in previous years. In previous years last-minute was used to sell the final 20 percent of capacity a short time before arrival. However, now we have the opposite situation: 80 percent of capacity is unsold and is being sold at the last moment. And that is very, very difficult to manage,” Žgomba said. Experts point out that landlords who actively work on their offer and its improvement fare better. In such circumstances tourism can hardly be a side business, because it requires time, adaptation and continuous engagement.
travel habits are altering
How far in advance bookings are made also depends on the type of accommodation. An apartment can be filled even on the day of arrival, while for holiday homes the notion of last-minute is considerably broader. Massimo Chiavalon, owner of a travel agency, says that guest habits have also changed noticeably in that segment.
“At least 15 or 20 days in advance for us. Actually even a month is last-minute for us, because we used to be used to holiday homes being booked six months, even a year or more in advance. In the peak of the season it can still happen that guests will not find a free holiday home if they want to book at the last moment, but the last-minute booking trend is clearly visible,” Chiavalon said.
