May the 31st, 2025 – Premium Croatian tourism is evolved over time, and now those seeking to experience it are wanting much more than just 5 star hotels. The Stories Platform has been at the forefront of altering guest requirements.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, experiencing Croatia exclusively as a destination of sunshine, sea, beautiful beaches and picturesque postcards from Dalmatia is a mere fraction of a much, much richer story. Tourism based only on seasonal hustle and bustle and “cheap tourist traps” is slowly becoming a thing of the past, while a new face of the Croatian tourist offer is being carefully shaped. Moving away from overtourism, premium Croatian tourism is now much more personalised and sustainable. This form of tourism isn’t necessarily located only by the coast, nor is it measured by eVisitor numbers. Instead, the new face of premium Croatian tourism is measured by experience, value and connection to the deeper local story.
Today, when tourists are increasingly on the hunt for authenticity, Croatia has an enormous opportunity on its hands. It also has a huge responsibility to tell its story differently. Croatia is much more than it has permitted itself to be until now. It’s a stunning country of incredible diversity, micro-destinations and tiny details that form the difference between travel and experience. Premium Croatian tourism is turning away from the classic “sun and sea” to “stories and experiences”. That notion is at the very core of one of the most interesting initiatives on the domestic tourism scene, the Stories – Experience Premium Croatia platform. It celebrated its first anniversary this month at Zagreb’s Amadria Park Hotel Capital.
With a vision to unite and brand the best that Croatian tourism has to offer: impeccable service, premium content, sustainability and authenticity – values that increasingly define the choices of modern travellers, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce platform brought together the best of premium Croatian tourism. That included hoteliers and luxury villa owners, as well as agencies and nautical companies. It was all done with the aim of creating a recognisable image of Croatia as a premium tourist destination.
The results of the first comprehensive research on Croatian premium tourism were also presented during the celebration. For the first time, the research confirmed the existence of a strong market segment in numbers. It showed that Croatia has 20,000 hotel rooms in the premium category (which is 22% of the country’s total hotel capacity), followed by 10,000 high-category campsites, almost 3,000 luxury villas and 8,700 premium berths in marinas. Total revenue from premium accommodation in 2024 amounted to a very significant 1.4 billion euros.
While encouraging, the numbers are just an introduction to what is yet to come. The essential change lies in the tourists themselves, in their motives, expectations and their behaviour. It’s no longer enough to have a good apartment with a view, it’s necessary to offer a meaningful, personal and different experience. Today’s travellers tend to seek a local story, peace, authenticity, and are willing to pay more – if what they get matches their values. This is precisely where space opens up for Croatia, which can capitalise on its astonishing natural beauty, cultural heritage and culinary diversity through the concept of so-called premiumisation.
In this sense, Croatia is slowly but surely positioning itself as a destination with exceptional potential. The national tourism strategy aims to increase the share of premium and luxury guests to 15-20%. This doesn’t mean completely shunning mass tourism, but rather developing a parallel story – one that creates greater value with less pressure on locations, infrastructure and communities.
In this, the key role is played by those entities that already live the values of the premium offer – not only through luxury, but through innovation, sustainability, design, quiet luxury and emotional connection. This is unfolding all over the country: from famous destinations like Rovinj, Hvar and Dubrovnik, to hidden wine cellars, designer holiday homes in Zagorje or spa resorts in mountainous Gorski Kotar.
