Croatia recorded 7.6 million tourist arrivals and 29.5 million overnight stays in the first six months of the year, the same as in the same period last year, according to data from the eVisitor system, which covers commercial and non-commercial accommodation as well as the charter sector.
In the Adriatic, 27.1 million overnight stays were recorded, at the same level as last year, while the continental part together with Zagreb recorded 2.4 million overnight stays, an increase of one percent. By county, Istria leads with 8.7 million overnight stays, ahead of Split-Dalmatia with 5.3 million and Kvarner with 4.7 million, with the most visited destinations being Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Poreč, Zagreb and Split.
The highest number of overnight stays were recorded by guests from Germany, 5.6 million, followed by domestic tourists with 4.2 million, guests from Slovenia with 2.9 million and Austria with 2.5 million. Hotels with 14 percent of capacity account for 47 percent of arrivals, while guesthouses hold 52 percent of commercial capacity, but account for 27 percent of arrivals.
June saw a decline in arrivals and overnight stays compared to last year, but the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristian Staničić, said there was no reason to be concerned. The weaker June was, he said, expected due to the different distribution of holidays and school holidays in key source markets.
"Looking at cumulative results, which is the most important indicator, we repeated the results of last year's pre-season, which was record-breaking," said Staničić. Croatia, he said, is "not too expensive or cheap", but the value guests receive for their money is key. This year, he added, there is a particular trend of last-minute reservations.
According to preliminary, unofficial data, in the first nine days of July, some 2 percent more arrivals were recorded than in the same period last year. "The booking is good, but according to information from the ground, we are facing a fight for every guest at the peak of the season," Staničić concluded.
