In a striking surge of tourist activity, Croatia welcomed 2.5 million tourists and recorded 13.5 million overnight stays in September 2023. marking a notable increase of 15 per cent in tourist arrivals and four per cent in overnight stays when compared to the same month in 2022, according to data collected by the eVisitor registration system.
One of the main reasons leading to an increase in tourists is the country’s Schengen Zone membership and its transition from the former currency, the kuna, to the euro, which improves transaction convenience for visitors from the Eurozone.
Compared to September 2019, the year before the global pandemic, there was a notable increase of nine per cent in travellers and a five per cent rise in overnight stays, as reported by the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) on October 3.
Just in the first nine months of 2023, Croatia welcomed 18.7 million travellers who generated 102 million overnight stays, marking a notable increase of nine per cent in visitor numbers and a two per cent rise in overnight stays compared to the same period in 2022, with statistics closely mirroring the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
For the success of the postseason, Croatia’s Director of the National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić, highlighted that there were approximately 200,000 guests compared to 150,000 the previous year.
Staničić also expressed satisfaction with the robust performance in European markets and the remarkable growth in more distant markets, such as the United States, where September witnessed a 33 per cent surge in arrivals and a 25 per cent increase in overnight stays.
As we enter October, we still have active campaigns and promotional activities in many markets for the post-season, so we expect to continue the positive tourism trends until the end of the year.
Similarly to the postseason, Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac highlighted that the number of tourists was equally strong during this year’s pre-season, indicating Croatia’s strategic move towards becoming a year-round destination.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia will continue to support the development of year-round and regionally balanced tourism, and we have allocated €1.3 billion for a new investment cycle that will enable further improvement in the quality of our offerings.
Brnjac has confidence that the upcoming Tourism Law, designed to equip cities and counties with additional destination management tools to enhance competitiveness and sustainability, will help Croatia maintain its status as a year-round destination.
