August the 13th, 2026 – The Croatian tourism minister has stated that last minute bookings are saving August, with more and more people paying closer attention to value for money before making reservations.
Croatian tourism is once again confirming its strength this year, and the results achieved show that we are on the right track, said Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sport. Sinisa Malus reports for Poslovni that the month of July’s tourism results were better than expected, and indications suggest that the second half of the summer could follow the same pattern.
According to data from the eVisitor system, which records tourist traffic in commercial and non-commercial facilities as well as nautical charters (eCrew system), Croatia recorded 12.4 million arrivals and 59.1 million overnight stays from January to the end of July. Compared with the same period last year, this represents growth of 1 percent in both arrivals and overnight stays.
Of that total, 56.1 million overnight stays were recorded on the Adriatic (up 0.5 percent year-on-year), while the continent, including the city of Zagreb, recorded more than 3 million overnight stays (up 1 percent).
july was fantastic for croatia
eVisitor data also shows that in July this year, Croatia recorded 4.7 million arrivals and 29.6 million overnight stays, which is an increase of 2.5 percent in arrivals and 1 percent in overnight stays compared with July last year. In the seventh month the most guests came from the markets of Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and others. By counties, the most tourists were counted in Istria, Split-Dalmatia County and Kvarner, while the most visited destinations were Rovinj, Vir, Poreč, Medulin and Dubrovnik.
“We are satisfied with the tourism results achieved in the first seven months of this year, and especially with the fact that in July we recorded the best result of the last two years. This confirms that Croatian tourism continues to maintain its competitiveness and resilience and that, despite changes in the market, we are succeeding in maintaining positive trends. We are particularly pleased that good results are also being recorded in financial indicators.
In July the value of fiscalised invoices rose by 18 percent, while the number of issued invoices was 8 percent higher than in the same month last year. Growth is also being recorded in road, air and maritime traffic, and all these results confirm that we have responded well to market circumstances – both through quality promotion of Croatia and through timely adaptation of the offer. I thank the entire tourism sector for the effort invested, and especially accommodation providers who responded to our appeals and, with their promotional offers, additionally contributed to the competitiveness of our offer.
Ahead of us is still a good part of August, after which we will make a complete overview of this main part of the tourist year. Croatian tourism is once again confirming its strength this year, and the results achieved show that we are on the right track and that together we are successfully responding to changes and challenges,” said Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sport.
When Croatia’s tourism results are broken down by counties, in the first seven months the most overnight stays were recorded in Istria (16.7 million), Split-Dalmatia County (11.1 million) and Kvarner (9.7 million), while by destinations the leaders were Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Poreč, Split and Umag.
last minute to the rescue
“The course and results of the tourist year so far show that Croatia still has a very strong position on the global tourism market, despite all the demanding circumstances. What we particularly read from this year’s tourist movements is a change in the way guests make decisions about their trips. Last-minute bookings play an important role, and when choosing a destination, the best value for money is increasingly sought, along with safety and easy accessibility. In this context Croatia has a series of advantages – from proximity to our most important source markets and good transport connections to the diversity of the offer that enables different types of holidays.
Given the considerable number of promotional last-minute arrangement prices in August, the tourism sector believes that the August figures will also be good.
The results achieved therefore give us additional wind in our sails for the continuation of the tourist year, all the more so because the Ferragosto period is ahead of us, traditionally very important for travel by Italian guests. In addition to the main summer months, we are also recording excellent advance bookings for the shoulder season, for which promotional activities begin in mid-August, especially on the Polish and UK markets,” said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.
Looking at markets, during the first seven months the most overnight stays were recorded by guests from Germany (10.3 million), Croatia (7.6 million), Slovenia (6.7 million), Austria (4.3 million), Poland (3.9 million), the Czech Republic (3 million), the UK (2.2 million), Hungary (2.1 million) and others.
Given the considerable number of promotional last-minute arrangement prices in August, the tourism sector believes that the August figures will also be good, at least at last year’s level.
59.1 million overnight stays were recorded over the first seven months of this year
Interesting trends can also be seen on individual markets. Thus eVisitor figures show that Croatian tourism in July and during the first seven months of 2026 recorded significant growth in tourist traffic from the Czech, Hungarian and Italian markets.
The most pronounced positive shift was recorded on the Czech market. Compared with July last year, the number of arrivals of Czech tourists rose by 12 percent, while the number of their overnight stays was higher by seven percent. In the period from January to the end of July growth of five percent was recorded in both arrivals and overnight stays compared with the same period last year. The Hungarian market is also a reason for satisfaction. During July the number of arrivals of Hungarian tourists increased by eight percent, while the number of overnight stays rose by seven percent.
In the first seven months of the year growth of seven percent was recorded in both arrivals and overnight stays compared with last year. Hungarian guests stayed most on Kvarner, in Istria and Zadar County. The Italian market, which had stagnated in recent years, is also recovering. In the period from January to July the number of arrivals and overnight stays of Italian guests increased by two percent compared with the same period last year, while in July a one-percent growth in arrivals was recorded.
