TRAVEL AGENCIES, 2022

 

This survey includes 1 379 Croatian travel agencies and their offices that arranged trips with overnight stays and/or mediated the sale and carrying out of package travels and/or same-day trips for domestic and foreign tourists and visitors in 2022.

Compared to the previous two pandemic years, when travelling was limited, in 2022, there were more travels 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 prefer to go on trips with overnight stays to Croatia rather than to foreign countries

In 2022, Croatian travel agencies organised trips with overnight stays for 582 thousand domestic tourists, namely for 403 thousand tourists a trip in Croatia (which is 69.3% of the total number of domestic tourists who went on a trip organised by Croatian travel agencies) and 179 to foreign countries (30.7% of the total number). Since 2019, domestic tourists have rather gone on trips with overnight stays in Croatia than to foreign countries.

Increase in trips with overnight stays of domestic tourists

In 2022, Croatian travel agencies organised trips with overnight stays in Croatia for 403 thousand domestic tourists, who realised 1.5 million nights, which was 44.1% more domestic tourists and 35.9% more tourist nights compared to 2021. Compared to 2019, the number of domestic tourists on trips in Croatia increased by 6.4% and the number of their nights by 5.9%. Domestic tourists realised four nights on average on trips organised by Croatian travel agencies in 2022.

Of foreign countries, domestic tourists mostly travelled to Italy

In 2022, the number of domestic tourists whose trips abroad were organised by Croatian travel agencies amounted to 179 thousand, and they realised 657 thousand nights. They realised four tourist nights on average abroad. Of foreign countries, domestic tourists mostly travelled to Italy (24.1%), followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (9.2%), Germany (6.1%), France (5.7%), Turkey (5.5%), Hungary (5.3%) and Austria (5.1%). Domestic tourists travelled to foreign countries four times more and they realised four times as many nights as in 2021. Compared to 2019, the number of domestic tourists who travelled abroad decreased by 47.6% and they realised 47.1% less nights.

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Domestic visitors on same-day trips travelled the most in Croatia, and of foreign countries, to Austria

Croatian travel agencies organised same-day trips for 324 thousand domestic visitors, namely for 256 thousand visitors a trip in Croatia, and for 68 thousand a trip abroad. Domestic same-day visitors whose trips abroad were organised by Croatian travel agencies travelled the most to Austria (30.6%), followed by Slovenia (21.1%), Italy (21.0%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (12.5%), Hungary (10.7%) and Serbia (3.0%). Compared to 2021, the number of domestic same-day visitors whose trips in Croatia were organised by Croatian travel agencies was almost three times higher, while the number of those who travelled abroad was nine times higher. Compared to 2019, the number of domestic same-day visitors on trips in Croatia decreased by 2.9%, while the number of those who travelled abroad decreased by 32.4%.

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Tourists from Germany traditionally realised the most arrivals and nights

In 2022, Croatian travel agencies organised trips with overnight stays in Croatia for 2.1 million foreign tourists, who realised 12.4 million nights. Foreign tourists realised six nights on average on trips organised by Croatian travel agencies in Croatia in 2022. Compared to 2021, there were 72.5% more foreign tourists in Croatia, who realised 58.3% more nights. Compared to 2019, the number of foreign tourists decreased by 22.5% and they realised 22.9% less nights.

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 (33.1%). These were followed by nights realised by tourists from the United Kingdom (10.4%), Austria (8.2%), Poland (7.3%), the Czech Republic (7.2%), Slovenia (4.4%), Italy (4.1%), Slovakia and Hungary (3.4% each), the Netherlands (2.8%) and the United States of America (2.4%). Compared to 2021, all these countries realised an increase in the number of tourist nights in Croatia. Compared to 2019, of these countries, the following realised an increase in the number of tourist nights on trips organised by Croatian travel agencies: the Czech Republic (of 2.7%), Poland (of 2.5%) and Slovakia (of 16.2%).

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Tourists on trips with overnight stays mostly travelled by coaches

With regard to way of organising transport to the main destination, domestic tourists on trips with overnight stays in Croatia mostly travelled by personally organised means of transport (54.6%), while to foreign countries they mostly travelled by means of transport organised by a travel agency (87.1%). On trips with overnight stays organised by Croatian travel agencies, domestic tourists mostly travelled by coaches, 84.5% of them in Croatia, and 57.9% of them to foreign countries.

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On trips in Croatia, domestic tourists realised the most nights in hotels

In 2022, domestic tourists realised the most nights in hotels, namely 891.2 thousand nights, which accounted for 60.4% of the total nights realised by domestic tourists on trips 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, with 6.6 million nights, which accounted for 53.0% of the total nights realised by foreign tourists on trips in Croatia organised by Croatian travel agencies. Compared to 2021, domestic tourists realised the highest increase in nights in hotels, 68.0%, while foreign tourists realised the highest increase in nights in camping sites, 66.6%.

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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 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 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
EU	European Union
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia

 

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 111
Press corner: press@dzs.hr

Persons responsible:
Edita Omerzo, Director of Spatial Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Ivana Brozović and Suzana Nujić

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