How Will the Iran War Affect Croatian Tourism?

March the 12th, 2026 – Things are escalating across the Middle East, but will the Iran war affect Croatian tourism this year? Experts say yes, but likely not in the way you might imagine.

As Index vijesti/news writes, the unfolding escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has raised the question of possible consequences for Croatian tourism, energy prices and general expectations for the upcoming season.

While the Ministry of Tourism says it doesn’t expect major disruptions as a result of the Iran war, Croatian tourism professionals have warned of a slowdown in bookings and uncertainty that could lead to last-minute sales of packages and more,

“we expect a good season, croatia is a safe destination”

State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sport Monika Udovičić said that the situation in the Middle East was unexpected, but that after talks with partners in key markets, assessments indicate that there should be no significant impact on tourism.

“We’re all trying to calm the situation and look at things objectively. As it currently stands, the Iran war shouldn’t significantly affect Croatian tourism, given that 80% of visitors to Croatia come from elsewhere on the European market,” Udovičić explained on the HRT show “U mreži Prvog”.

However, she did warn that general instability across the world is never good for tourism because security and peace are its prerequisites. “What we need to do is prepare for the pre-season and post-season very well, while also focusing on the main part of the tourist year during summer. We need to be focused on what we’re doing and increase competitiveness, and there’s also the ongoing issue of price competitiveness,” she said.

She stressed that Croatia must maintain the perception of an exceptionally safe country. Although she does not expect significant disruptions in American markets, Udovičić warned of possible problems on airlines connecting Europe and Asia via hubs such as Doha and Dubai.

She also commented on the rise in fuel prices as the first concrete impact of the crisis. “We saw that the prices of petroleum products jumped sharply and that was felt very quickly here as well. That was one of the first impacts that we could really physically feel and I think the government’s response to that was good,” she concluded.

will last-minute bookings come flooding in?

Boris Žgomba, president of the Association of Travel Agencies at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, believes that the situation must be viewed in the context of the entire year. He warned that Croatia entered this season in a challenging situation because sales dynamics were already slower than last year even before the crisis. “Bookings have already either been late, or they were slower or lower than they were last year on this day,” he pointed out.

The current crisis, according to him, further complicates the situation. “Of course, what’s happening now in the Middle East is not good. Even if it ends tomorrow, it still has consequences. It isn’t just about the threat of war and the perception of people visiting Croatia, but about the entire chain of events that follows, from the increase in energy prices to inflation,” warned Žgomba.

He praised the government’s rapid response to fuel prices, but warned that a longer-term crisis would inevitably lead to an increase in package prices. “I think we’ll end up solving any problems related to this tourist year at the last moment. By that I mean that there will probably be a lot of last-minute bookings. That isn’t good and could lead to chaos for the market,” he concluded.

people are sitting back and waiting to see what will happen

The president of the Croatian Family Accommodation Association, Barbara Marković, stated that the geopolitical situation is slowing down guests’ decisions. This is also why a last-minute booking scenario is also extremely likely when it comes to private accommodation. “People are sitting back and just waiting to see what will happen. This whole situation naturally causes anxiety for everyone,” she pointed out.

However, she has also noticed positive trends, such as increased bookings for holiday homes. “I believe that guests will choose destinations that are closer to them during this period, or destinations they can drive, and Croatia is, at least to a large extent, precisely that,” she said.

The biggest change will be related to remaining visible in distant markets. “What we’re seeing on the ground is the stagnation of bookings from distant countries like America and Australia. These markets have performed very well this year in ‘first minute’ bookings, but we’re now also seeing some cancellations. As for bookings from elsewhere across Europe, they are still coming in, not being cancelled, and are very much stable,” explained Marković.

As for Croatia’s constant issue of very high prices, she pointed out that they stabilised last year, but now two scenarios are possible. On the one hand, higher demand from guests who forgo long-distance travel could raise prices during the peak season. On the other hand, in destinations with an excessive number of accommodation units, prices could fall.