April the 20th, 2025 – Dubrovnik has recorded significantly fewer tourists throughout the months of March and April, but will this concerning trend continue into summer?
As Dubrovacki dnevnik/Petra Srebrovic writes, stories about potentially poor numbers for Dubrovnik have primarily stemmed not from reservations made thus far for the summer season, but more from pre-season figures. That’s specifically the case for recorded figures in March and the first half of April. Dubrovnik recorded considerably fewer tourists in both March and April.
By mid-April, around one hundred thousand arrivals and around 250 thousand overnight stays had been achieved in Dubrovnik, which is 17 and 8 percent less compared to last year, respectively. Will this downward trend continue in the season? Answers were sought at the main addresses for Dubrovnik’s tourism development strategy – in the offices of the mayor, the Tourist Board and the Airport.
dubrovnik has seen fewer tourists because of a later easter
The Director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Miro Drašković, stated that they are aware that the figures in the first months of this year are somewhat weaker compared to the same period last year, but that there are several objective reasons for this.
“First of all, Easter has fallen much later than it did last year, when it fell at the end of March. It having fallen earlier in 2024 saw increased tourist traffic,” explained Drašković, explaining how this shift affected the figures in March, which are therefore slightly lower.
He also revealed that Dubrovnik is recording a lower number of tourists from the German and Scandinavian markets overall. “This was expected given that the winter charter programme of the travel agency W Touristic, which in previous seasons significantly contributed to arrivals from those countries, was absent this year,” he explained.
A reduced number of arrivals from the Croatian market and from neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina was also observed. “This can primarily be attributed to poorer weather conditions and the absence of shorter, weekend stays,” said Drašković, recalling that in 2024, Dubrovnik also hosted the European Water Polo Championship. That meant that 3,000 more overnight stays were achieved during that period, which is a significant difference in the winter season.
expectations for the remainder of the pre-season are good
What kind of pre-season does the head of Dubrovnik’s main tourism organisation expect? Drašković stated that according to current data and announcements from the market, he expects a stable and high-quality pre-season. “This year’s later Easter shifts the more intense tourist traffic to the second half of April, which is also visible through specific announcements and occupancy rates in accommodation capacities,” he noted.
Since last year, Tourism Minister Tonči Glavina has been warning about the importance of price competitiveness of destinations. Drašković said that Dubrovnik’s prices are also a very current topic in discussions with representatives of the tourism sector this year – from hoteliers to private renters and those in catering and hospitality.
competitiveness is key for dubrovnik and satisfied tourists
“It’s become clear that certain sectors are announcing some price adjustments. With that being said, what is particularly important is the need to maintain a realistic, balanced and market-competitive pricing policy. Everyone is well aware that today’s guests very carefully assess the ratio of price and quality of service, especially in the pre-season, when competition among destinations is most pronounced. That’s why I’ve been continuously emphasising, for the last three years, how important it is to maintain guest trust through a fair and sustainable pricing policy. It all needs to be in proper accordance with the quality of the actual offer,” said Drašković. He added that the prices themselves are ultimately determined by each stakeholder for themselves and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board has no influence on the formation of the final prices.
dubrovnik and nautical tourists
When looking at nautical tourism figures, March saw a significant decline compared to last year, while the cumulative figure from the beginning of the year to the end of March was significantly better than last year.
“According to the available data for March, there was a decline in nautical tourism compared to the same month last year – while in March 2023 there were 344 overnight stays, this year there were 102. However, it is important to emphasise that these are very small figures that aren’t crucial for the overall course of the nautical season,” said Drašković.
growth for dubrovnik airport
While Dubrovnik has been recording fewer tourists and therefore the figures are in a slight decline, growth is being recorded at Ruđer Bošković Airport. “The data for the winter months shows an increase in traffic compared to 2024. Back in January, there was a 31.5 percent increase in the number of passengers, with an increase in the number of operations by 22.73 percent,” said airport spokesperson Marina Ruso Mileusnić.
“In February, the number of passengers increased by 26 percent, while the number of operations recorded an increase of 20.86 percent compared to the previous year,” she added.
At the beginning of March, routes to Madrid, Manchester, Dublin, Paris and Istanbul were all introduced, as well as additional routes to London, which resulted in an increase in the number of flights and destinations, and thus a higher number of passengers. “A total of 48,998 passengers recorded in March represents an increase of 14.87 percent compared to March 2024. With 600 operations, an increase of 21.46 percent was recorded,” she stated.
Regarding aircraft occupancy, similar results were achieved in January and February 2025 as in 2024, when aircraft occupancy stood somewhere between 50 and 60 percent. “In January 2025, the occupancy level reached 51 percent, while in February it increased to 62 percent. The exception is the aircraft occupancy in March 2024, when it stood at 71 percent. In the same period in 2025 it was recorded at a level of 64 percent,” she explained.
Ultimately, in the first part of April 2025 (from April the 1st to the 13th), the aircraft occupancy rate stood at 65 percent.
the mayor of dubrovnik: There’s no need for concern
Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković is convinced that there’s no reason to worry about Dubrovnik having recorded fewer tourists so far in 2025.
“I think the upcoming season will be excellent. Since I come from a tourism background, I think I’m very competent to comment on tourism figures and expectations. We cannot compare this year and last year, because last year we had an early Easter, and now it’s fallen late. The figures then fall or rise depend on that,” Franković believes.
He also revealed that a Tourist Council was recently held, at which hoteliers, private renters and Dubrovnik Airport all reported that the announcements were excellent. “We’ve ensured Dubrovnik’s promotion across all the most important markets. I myself held a presentation of Dubrovnik to numerous travel agencies from all over the world. Some may perceive this as a political message, but we send images of the city and support all travel organisers to make Dubrovnik as a desirable destination,” he said, adding that almost every week, he and his deputy Jelka Tepšić give interviews to leading media outlets and talk about Dubrovnik and sustainable tourism.
