September the 1st, 2026 – Less heat, less crowds and generally fairer prices are leading more and more Croats to opt to travel during the post-season.
With the first days of September arriving, the tourist off-season practically officially begins for Croatia. Booking.com has therefore published its 11th annual research report on consumer attitudes and understanding of the social and environmental impact of travel, with insights from 32,500 travellers across 35 markets worldwide. Katarina Kusec reports for Poslovni that according to that data, the majority of Croatian travellers – 58 percent of them in total, plan to travel during the post-season. Both Croatian and European accommodation providers are trying to make use of this period, while the latter want to monetise the remaining demand and attract bookings in the later part of the season.
less heat, less crowds and (sometimes) better value for money
Speaking further about Croats who decide to travel during the off-season, 80 percent of them stated in the research that they do so in order to avoid destinations with large numbers of visitors, while 55 percent are motivated by the possibility of savings. The results indicate that travelling in the off-season has its advantages: besides smaller crowds, there is also a more price-accessible experience, and 53 percent of Croatian travellers plan to avoid overcrowded tourist destinations, which represents an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year. This part of the season also reflects a more thoughtful approach to travel, as 65 percent of our travellers state that they want to avoid contributing to mass tourism, while 45 percent of those who travel in the off-season are motivated by the desire to reduce pressure on destinations.
the weather is in charge…
As many as 68 percent of all respondents globally say they actively avoid destinations known for extreme weather conditions. Speaking solely about Europeans, research by the European Travel Commission shows that September stands out as an important month for travel, with 22 percent of residents of the Old Continent planning trips in 2025, compared with 25 percent who do so in July and August.
When it comes to owners of accommodation facilities, attention is focused on more commercial tactics with which they can attract demand. Namely, data from the European Accommodation Barometer for 2026 are based on a survey conducted among 1,240 executives and managers from the European accommodation sector, including representatives of hotels and alternative accommodation facilities, and they state that discounts stand out as the most frequently used tool for attracting guests.
In view of this, 79 percent of Croatian accommodation facilities state that special prices or packages for the off-season bring positive results. Accommodation facilities also rely on broader distribution strategies, with 87 percent of them considering online platforms an effective channel for generating bookings in the off-season. The report states that event-driven tourism is another popular way of attracting alternative demand among accommodation facility owners; 37 percent of them stated that they had benefited from event-motivated travel over the past 12 months.
one third cancelled a planned trip
Nevertheless, the weather is increasingly influencing travel, so Booking notes that extreme weather conditions are actively changing travel choices and travel times. Almost three quarters of all respondents said they take into account the risk of extreme weather conditions when choosing a destination (74 percent) and the time of travel (74 percent), while 68 percent say they actively avoid destinations known for extreme conditions.
Interestingly, 31 percent of travellers stated that they had cancelled or changed their travel plans in the past year due to extreme weather conditions or natural disasters.
