TRAVEL AGENCIES, 2021

This survey includes 1 167 Croatian travel agencies and their offices that arranged trips with overnight stays or organised the sale and carrying out of package travels or excursions for domestic and foreign visitors and tourists in 2021.

Organised travels were limited in 2021 in Croatia and around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected tourists and their overnight stays organised by Croatian travel agencies.

Notice

Detailed data are available on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics under the section "PC-Axis databases", where it is possible to browse and print data in various forms. Databases are updated at the annual basis.

Domestic tourists mostly travelled in Croatia in 2021

In 2021, Croatian travel agencies organised trips with overnight stays inside Croatia for 280 thousand domestic tourists, who realised 1.1 million tourist nights, which was 74.5% more domestic tourists and 75.1% more tourist nights compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, the number of domestic tourists on trips inside Croatia decreased by 26.2% and the number of their nights by 22.1%. Domestic tourists realised four nights on average on trips organised by Croatian travel agencies in 2021.

In 2021, fewer trips of domestic tourists to foreign countries

In 2021, Croatian travel agencies organised trips abroad for 44 thousand domestic tourists, who realised 172 thousand tourist nights. Most of domestic tourists who travelled abroad visited Italy (14.1%). Those were followed by travels to Turkey (9.1%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (8.5%), Hungary (6.0%), Slovenia (5.4%), France and Germany (4.7% each), Austria (3.0%), the United Arab Emirates (2.7%), and the USA and Spain (2.4% each). A decrease of 15.6% was recorded in the number of domestic tourists who travelled abroad and they realised 16.3% less nights compared to 2020. Domestic tourists realised four tourist nights abroad on average. Compared to 2019, the number of domestic tourists traveling to foreign countries decreased by 87.0% and the number of their overnight stays by 86.2%.

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Domestic same-day visitors mostly travelled inside Croatia, or to Bosnia and Herzegovina if they travelled abroad

In 2021, the number of domestic same-day visitors whose trips were organised by Croatian travel agencies amounted to 100 thousand, out of which 93 thousand same-day visitors travelled inside Croatia. Domestic same-day visitors whose trips abroad were organised by Croatian travel agencies travelled mostly to Bosnia and Herzegovina (41.4%), Italy (20.5%), Hungary (18.3%), Slovenia (14.8%), Serbia (2.9%) and Austria (2.1%). In 2021 compared to 2020, the number of domestic same-day visitors whose trips inside Croatia were organised by Croatian travel agencies increased by 125.7%, while their number on trips abroad increased by 11.2%. Compared to 2019, the number of domestic same-day visitors on trips inside Croatia decreased by 64.8%, while their number on trips abroad decreased by 92.8%.

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Traditionally, the most tourists whose trips were organised by Croatian travel agencies came from Germany

In 2021, Croatian travel agencies arranged trips with overnight stays inside Croatia for 1.2 million foreign tourists, who realised 8.1 million tourist nights. With the easing of epidemiological measures in Croatia and the world in 2021, the number of foreign tourists who came to Croatia through the mediation of Croatian travel agencies increased by 100.5% and they realised 99.5% more nights. Despite that, compared to 2019, foreign tourists realised 54.9% less arrivals and 49.9% less nights. Foreign tourists realised an average of seven tourist nights in Croatia on trips organised by Croatian travel agencies in 2021.

Concerning the structure of nights realised by foreign tourists in Croatia who travelled through the mediation of Croatian travel agencies, most of them were realised by tourists from Germany (39.6%). Those were followed by nights realised by tourists from Austria (8.0%), Poland (7.5%), Slovenia (7.4%), the Czech Republic (7.0%), the United Kingdom (6.2%), Hungary and the Netherlands (2.8% each), Slovakia (2.6%) and Italy (2.5%). All of these countries recorded an increase in the number of tourist nights in 2021 compared to 2020.

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Domestic tourists mostly travelled by coaches on trips inside Croatia and by aeroplanes on trips abroad

On trips inside Croatia organised by Croatian travel agencies, domestic tourists mostly travelled by coaches (81.6%), while on trips abroad, they mostly travelled by aeroplanes (62.1%).

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On trips inside Croatia organised by Croatian travel agencies, domestic tourists mostly spent their nights in hotels and foreign tourists in rooms, apartments, studio-type suites and summer houses

Domestic tourists mostly spent their nights in hotels, as much as 531 thousand nights, which accounted for 48.9% of the total nights realised by domestic tourists in Croatia organised by Croatian travel agencies. On the other hand, foreign tourists mostly spent their nights in rooms, apartments, studio-type suites and summer houses, as much as 4.3 million nights, which accounted for 53.6% of the total nights realised by foreign tourists in Croatia organised by Croatian travel agencies.

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NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Purpose of the statistical survey

The purpose of the statistical survey is to monitor the travels of domestic and foreign tourists organised by Croatian travel agencies. These data provide insight into the activity of travel agencies providing the services of organising, selling and conducting package travels, enabling the purchase of travels in a related travel arrangement, organising, selling and conducting excursions, intermediating in the sale of package travels and excursions, selling, intermediating and reserving hotel and restaurant services (accommodation services). The basic indicators are the number of domestic tourists and nighty by the country of destination, the number of foreign tourists and nights by the country of origin, the number of domestic and foreign tourists and their nights by types of accommodation and the number of same-day trips organised by travel agencies.

Legal basis

The survey is conducted on the basis of the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20).

Confidentiality

The confidentiality of the collected data is guaranteed by the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20) and the Regulation (EU) No. 223/2009 concerning European statistics on tourism. The collected data are used solely for statistical purposes. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics processes the collected data and issues the results in aggregate form on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics https://podaci.dzs.hr/en/.

Reporting units

The reporting units in this survey are travel (tourist) agencies, that is, all business entities (legal entities and tradesmen) that perform the activities of travel agencies and tour operators according to the records of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and the National Classification of Activities, 2007 version. The reporting units also include travel agencies from the Register of Travel Agencies of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport.

Sources and methods of data collection

The data are collected via a web-based application. The reporting units entered annual data for the whole travel agency, irrespective of where its offices may be located, directly into the TU-14 e-form (Report on Travel Agencies), which is available on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics at https://podaci.dzs.hr/en/.

Coverage

The survey covers travel agencies that provide the services of organising, selling and conducting package travels, enabling the purchase of travels in a related travel arrangement, organising, selling and conducting excursions,  intermediating in the sale of package travels and excursions, selling, intermediating and reserving hotel and restaurant services (accommodation services) with their seat in the Republic of Croatia or in another Contracting State to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation, which have a registered branch office in the Republic of Croatia.

The survey also covers web sites that provide services of travel agencies (organising, selling and conducting package travels and excursions, intermediating in the sale of package travels and excursions, selling, intermediating and reserving hotel and restaurant services and transport services) for a fee (advertising and marketing), by remote access, by using electronic means and on personal request of service users, the aim of which is to connect service providers and users, as regulated by the Act on the Provision of Tourism Services (NN, Nos 130/17, 25/19, 98/19, 42/20 and 70/21) as well as by a special legal act that regulates hotel and restaurant activities.

This survey does not include travel agencies that provide only the services of sale, intermediation and reservation of tickets for all kinds of events, visits to museums, historic or cultural attractions, the sale of airline tickets, card transaction services and exchange services in accordance with special regulations, the sale, intermediation and reservation of services of renting vehicles, aircraft and vessels, the sale, intermediation and reservation of services provided by tourist guides and travel managers, as well as services of operating vessels of yachtsmen, tourist information services to visitors or tourist promotion services.

Furthermore, this survey does not include travel agencies engaged in charter activity defined by the Ordinance on the Conditions for Conducting the Activity of Chartering of Vessels with or without Crew and the Provision of Guest Accommodation Services on Vessels (NN, No. 42/17).

Definitions

Travel agency is a trade company, a tradesman, or their organisational unit that can provide services as a trader, organiser or retailer within the meaning of the Act on the Provision of Tourism Services (NN, Nos 130/17, 25/19, 98/19, 42/20 and 70/21), as well as organise, intermediate or provide other services connected with the trip and stay of tourists. Travel agency operates in business premises, or, exceptionally, it may provide its services and conclude contracts via a website or similar online sales system, including a telephone service, without the physical presence of the service user in the business premise where the travel agency carries out its activity. A travel agency may also carry out its business activity in residential premises, which must meet the occupational safety requirements laid down by special regulations governing occupational safety.

Travel service includes passenger transport, accommodation that is not an inseparable part of passenger transport and is not intended for residential purposes, renting of cars or other motor vehicles and any other tourist service that is not an inseparable part of the travel service.

Tourist is every person who, outside his or her place of usual residence, spends at least one night in an accommodation establishment or in another establishment intended for accommodating tourists for rest or recreation, health, studying, sports, religion, family, business, public missions or gatherings. Migrants, cross-border workers, diplomats, military members at regular missions, refugees and nomads are not considered tourists.

Tourist nights refer to every registered overnight stay of a person (tourist) in an accommodation establishment.

Same-day visitor is every person who goes on a same-day trip outside his or her place of usual residence and comes back the same day (he or she does not spend a night in the place of destination).

Same-day visit or trip is a combination of at least two individual services for the purpose of the same trip or vacation, consisting of transportation and other tourist and hospitality services, which lasts less than 24 hours and does not include an overnight stay.

Trip with overnight stays is a trip with at least one but less than 365 overnight stays realised.

Tour or cruise is a tourist journey lasting for several days according to a specific tour (cruise) itinerary (elaborated plan of the journey). It is an inclusive tour that comprises various means of transport and all tourist services during the journey, including a guide and a tour conductor.

Charter activity refers to the chartering of vessels with or without crew and the provision of guest accommodation services on vessels in inland sea waters and territorial sea according to the Ordinance on the Conditions for Conducting the Activity of Chartering of Vessels with or without Crew and the Provision of Guest Accommodation Services on Vessels (NN, No. 42/17).

Graphs 7 and 8 show structure of domestic and foreign tourist nights by types of accommodation establishments in Croatia: hotels, camping sites, rooms, apartments, studio-type suites and summer houses, and other accommodation.

Hotels includes the following types of accommodation establishments: hotels, heritage hotels, all-suite hotels, integral hotels, spa hotels and special-standard hotels.

Camping sites includes the following types of accommodation establishments: camping sites, small camps, quickstop camping, Robinson-type quickstop camping in which accommodation services were rendered by hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs (legal entity or natural person), households and private family farms as well as organised off-site camping sites.

Rooms, apartments, studio-type sites and summer houses include the following types of accommodation establishments: rooms, apartments, studio-type suites, summer houses in which accommodation services were rendered by hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs (legal entity or natural person), households and private family farms.

Other accommodation includes the following types of accommodation establishments: hostels, mountain and hunting lodges and accommodation on vessels on cruise.

 

Abbreviations
COVID-19	COrona VIrus Disease-19
EU	European Union
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia
USA	United States of America
Symbols
-	no occurrence

 

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
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Persons responsible:
Edita Omerzo, Director of Spatial Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

 

Prepared by:
Ivana Brozović and Suzana Nujić

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