TOURIST ACTIVITY OF POPULATION OF REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2021

39.4% of the population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over went on at least one private trip with overnight stays

In 2021, a total of 1.4 million persons, or 39.4% of the population of the Republic of Croatia, aged 15 and over went on at least one private trip with overnight stays, which was an increase of 4.3% compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, however, there were 27.8% less population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over who went on at least one private trip with overnight stays.

Despite travel restrictions and epidemiological measures in Croatia and around the world aimed at preventing the spread of the infection, the population of the Republic of Croatia travelled more than in 2020.

In 2021, there were more private trips with overnight stays in Croatia and abroad than in 2020

A total of 6.3 million private trips with overnight stays were realised in 2021, of which 5.4 million (84.5%) were realised in Croatia and 981 thousand (15.5%) abroad. The most common international destinations were Bosnia and Herzegovina (38.2%), Germany (11.8%), Slovenia (10.3%), Italy (5.5%), Austria (5.3%) and Serbia (4.9%).

In spite of travel restrictions, there were 127.6% more private trips with overnight stays in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2020. An increase of 127.5% was recorded in private trips with overnight stays in Croatia and of 127.9% abroad, as compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, there were 62.5% more private trips with overnight stays in Croatia, but 46.3% less private trips with overnight stays abroad.

In July and August, most private trips with overnight stays were realised in Croatia

In July and August 2021, a total of 2.6 million private trips with overnight stays were realised, or 41.4% of the total realised private trips with overnight stays in 2021. The largest number of private trips with overnight stays in Croatia were realised in August 2021 (1.3 million trips, or 24.4% of the total private trips with overnight stays in Croatia) and in July (1.0 million trips, or 19.5% of the total private trips with overnight stays in Croatia), while the largest number of trips abroad were realised in December 2021 (190 thousand trips, or 19.3% of the total private trips with overnight stays abroad) and in August 2021 (169 thousand trips, or 17.2% of the total realised private trips with overnight stays abroad).

By duration of overnight stays, private trips with four and more overnight stays in Croatia accounted for 51.7%, while trips with up to three overnight stays accounted for 48.3%. The largest number of longer trips in Croatia was realised in summer months, in July and August 2021, a total of 67.9% of them, while the largest number of shorter trips in Croatia was realised in March, September and December 2021 (35.0%). By duration of overnight stays on private trips abroad, private trips with four and more overnight stays accounted for 54.4%, while shorter trips, with up to three overnight stays, accounted for 45.6%. The largest number of longer trips abroad was realised in July, August and December 2021, a total of 54.3% of them, while the largest number of shorter trips abroad was realised in November and December 2021 (40.7%).

The most common reasons for going on a private trip with overnight stays were seaside vacation (2.6 million trips, or 40.7% of the total realised private trips with overnight stays) and visiting relatives and friends (1.9 million trips, or 29.8% of the total realised private trips with overnight stays).

In 2021, Croatian residents on private trips spent most of their nights at relatives’ and friends’

In 2021, the population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over realised a total of 42.4 million nights on private trips with overnight stays, of which 33.6 million nights (79.2%) were realised in Croatia, while 8.8 million nights (20.8%) were realised abroad. An average of seven nights was realised on a single private trip with overnight stays. An average of six nights was realised on trips in Croatia, while an average of nine nights was realised on trips abroad.

In 2021, the population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over spent 126.7% more nights on private trips with overnight stays in Croatia and 134.1% more nights on private trips with overnight stays abroad than in 2020. Compared to 2019, they spent 76.5% more nights in Croatia, but 4.5% less nights abroad on private trips with overnight stays.

By type of accommodation, the largest number of nights was realised in non-commercial accommodation establishments (28.3 million nights or 66.9%), of which 16.7 million nights were realised in accommodation establishments owned by relatives and friends and 11.2 million nights were realised in own villas and summer houses.

Average expenditures per trip amounted to 1 731 kuna for trips in Croatia and 2 966 kuna for trips abroad

Total expenditures on private trips with overnight stays in 2021 amounted to 12.2 billion kuna, of which 9.3 billion (76.1%) were spent in Croatia and 2.9 billion (23.9%) were spent abroad. Average travel expenditures per private trip in Croatia amounted to 1 731 kuna and per private trip abroad to 2 966 kuna. Total expenditures on private trips with overnight stays in 2021 were 162.1% higher than in 2020. Compared to 2019, total expenditures on private trips with overnight stays in 2021 were 31.2% higher.

Once more, the most common reason for not going on a trip in 2021 was the COVID-19 pandemic

Out of the total population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over, 2.1 million, or 60.6% of them, did not go on a private trip with overnight stays in 2021. The most common reason for not going on private trips with overnight stays was safety, that is, the COVID-19 pandemic (46.8%).

Increase of business/professional trips both in Croatia and abroad in 2021

A total of 134 thousand persons, or 3.9% of the total population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over, went on at least one business/professional trip with overnight stays in 2021. A total of 635 thousand business/professional trips were realised, of which 444 thousand (70.0%) were realised in Croatia and 191 thousand (30.0%) abroad. In 2021, there were 188.6% more business/professional trips in Croatia and 205.6% more business/professional trips abroad than in 2020. Compared to 2019, there were 8.6% more business/professional trips in Croatia, but 55.4% less business/professional trips abroad.

An increase of 80.8% in same-day visits in 2021 compared to 2020

In 2021, the population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over realised 7.0 million same-day visits, of which 6.4 million visits (92.1%) were private and 553 thousand (7.9%) were business/professional visits. It was an increase in same-day visits of 80.8% compared to 2020, but a decrease of 12.6% compared to 2019.

Total expenditures on private same-day visits amounted to 2.3 billion kuna (2.1 billion on same-day visits in Croatia and 219 million on same-day visits abroad). Average travel expenditures per private same-day visit amounted to 359 kuna, with average travel expenditures per private same-day visit in Croatia amounting to 351 kuna and per private same-day visit abroad to 464 kuna.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

The purpose of the statistical survey

The purpose of the statistical survey Tourist Activity of the Population of the Republic of Croatia is to gather data on national tourism, that is, the data on the number and characteristics of travels of the Croatian population outside their usual environment. The goal is to assess to what extent does the Croatian population travel, their reasons for going on a trip, where and when they travel, how long do the trips last and what the trip expenditures amount to. For the surveyed persons who did not go on a private trip with overnight stays, the data on the reasons for not going on a trip were gathered.

This First Release presents the main survey results and the methods according to which the survey was carried out. In individual tables the total sum does not equal the sum of individual figures due to the rounding of the figures. Indices had been calculated as whole numbers before they were expressed in thousands or millions.

Legal basis

The survey is carried out according to the Official Statistical Act (NN, No. 25/20) and the Regulation (EU) No. 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning European statistics on tourism.

Confidentiality

According to the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20) and the Regulation (EU) No. 223/2009 concerning European statistics on tourism, the confidentiality of all personal data on the household and its members given by respondents is guaranteed. The collected data are used solely for statistical purposes and they are published at the aggregate level https://podaci.dzs.hr/en/

Observation units and coverage

The observation units for the number of persons who went on a trip are Croatian citizens aged 15 and over. The observation unit for data on the number of trips with overnight stays and same-day visits and their characteristics is a trip of a Croatian citizen aged 15 and over. This survey covers only trips with regard to the main reason for going on a trip (private and business/professional) and the main destination of a trip (in Croatia and abroad) that ended in the reporting period. The month of departure for a trip with overnight stays may be outside the reporting period (for example, December 2020 for a trip that ended in January 2021).

Sources and methods of data collection

The basis for the sampling frame is a directory of fixed and mobile telephone lines in the Republic of Croatia. A random sample stratified according to the county and type of telephone line (fixed or mobile) was used in the survey. The target population for a survey are citizens of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over who live in private households, excluding population living in institutional households (homes for the elderly, prisons and the like), citizens of the Republic of Croatia living abroad and foreign citizens living in Croatia. In case of a fixed telephone line, a surveyed person was selected from a chosen household according to the birthday key method.

The data on tourist activity of the Croatian population in 2021 were gathered through telephone interviews with computer support (CATI method) on a representative sample of a total of 22 000 Croatian citizens aged 15 and over.

The data were gathered by carrying out four waves of CATI research. A quarter is taken as the reference period. A travel has to end within the reference period and may start up to 365 days prior to the reference period.

The first round of gathering data was carried out in April 2021 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from January to March 2021. The second round was carried out in July 2021 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from April to June 2021. The third round was carried out in October 2021 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from July to September 2021. The fourth round was carried out in January 2022 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from October to December 2021 and in whole 2021.

The characteristics of trips are monitored on the level of four overnight stays and four same-day visits as the upper limit. The following data are gathered for each individual trip: type of trip (private, business/professional), the main reason for going on the trip, the month in which the person went on the trip, the duration of the trip with overnight stays (the number of nights), the destination country for trips abroad, the organisation of the trip (self-organised, through an agency), the main transportation vehicle, the type of accommodation on trips with overnight stays, the number of persons for which expenditures are presented, the trip expenditures, the structure of expenditures on trips with overnight stays.

Except for the previously mentioned characteristics of trips, data are also gathered on the socio-demographic profile of the population (age, sex, level of education, number of persons in the household, status in employment, county).

Due to the fact that the data on tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia refer to each individual quarterly period, merging the results of four quarterly periods does not allow for the assessment of the number/share of persons who went and who did not go on a trip in the observed year. The assessment of the number of persons who went on a trip was calculated on the basis of 7 000 surveyed persons who were surveyed in the last (fourth) survey wave in which the trips throughout the whole 2021 were included.

In the analysis of the accuracy of estimates, the sum estimate, the coefficient of variation expressed in percentage and the 95% reliability interval used in the sum estimate are presented. The categories with the coefficient of variation value ranging between 10.0% and 29.9% are put in brackets, which means that the estimation is less accurate.

Response rate

The response rate was 64.2% of all eligible units. The highest non-response rate was recorded for questions regarding trip expenditures. This non-response problem was mitigated by applying the sequential hot-deck imputation method.

Imputation rates include transportation expenditures (9.95%), accommodation expenditures (10.58%), expenditures on food and drinks in hotel and restaurant establishments (9.89%) and other expenditures (6.79%).

Definitions

Tourism means the activity of visitors taking a trip to a main destination outside their usual environment for less than a year, for leisure, business or other personal purpose other than to be employed by a resident entity in the place visited.

Usual environment of a person is immediate vicinity of the person’s home and place of work or schooling, or other places that the person regularly visits. Each person has only one usual environment. The following criteria define a usual environment: crossing of the administrative borders of the distance from the place of usual residence; duration of a trip; the frequency of going on a trip; the purpose of a trip.

Place of usual residence is considered a place where a person came with an intention of permanent residence.

National tourism of a country encompasses national tourism, which includes activities of citizens of a particular country who travel and accommodate in places within that country but outside their usual environment, and outbound tourism, which includes the activities of citizens of a particular country who travel and accommodate in places outside the borders of that country and outside their usual environment.

Visitor is every person who travels to a place different from his/her usual environment for a period shorter than 12 months without interruption and whose main purpose of travelling differs from performing a particular activity financed by a resident entity in the place visited, providing that he/she spends at least one night in an accommodation establishment. Visitors include tourists and same-day visitors.

Tourist is every person who, outside his/her place of permanent residence, spends at least one night in a commercial or non-commercial accommodation establishment for reasons of rest, recreation, visit to family and friends, preservation and improvement of health, business, religious and other reasons. Tourists exclude migrants, borderline workers, diplomats, military force members on their regular duties, displaced persons and nomads.

Same-day visitor is every person who travels to a place outside his/her usual environment, who does not spend a night in a hotel or some other tourist accommodation establishment and whose main purpose of travelling differs from performing a particular activity financed by a resident entity in the place visited.

Duration of a tourist trip is the time spent on the trip, which can last a maximum of 365 days continuously. According to the duration criterion, there are same-day visits and trips with overnight stays.

Same-day visits are trips outside the usual environment, on which a person spends at least three and less than 24 hours at a destination (a night is not realised).

Trips with overnight stays are trips outside the usual environment with at least one but less than 365 overnight stays realised.

As regards purpose, trips can be private and business/professional.

Private trip is a trip aiming at rest, recreation, shopping, health, pilgrimage, religious event, visit to relatives and friends, etc. Private trips do not include weekly migrations or departure for work or schooling, seasonal work, staying in hospitals or spas financed by social insurance contributions, staying in refugee camps and asylum.

Business/professional trip is a trip aiming at business or professional reasons excluding daily local trips or business-motivated trips in usual environment. Business/Professional trips include trips to congresses, conferences, business meetings, fairs, exhibitions, language learning and other educational trips, cultural, sports and similar trips. Trips financed by a resident entity in the place visited are excluded.

Duration of a trip with overnight stays is measured by the number of nights spent at a destination. There are shorter and longer trips.

Shorter trips are trips on which tourists realise 1 – 3 tourist nights.

Longer trips are trips on which tourists realise four or more tourist nights.

Expenditures on a tourism trip include all travelling expenses that occurred before the beginning of the trip and during the trip. These expenditures may also be made by another person on behalf of the visitor or at the visitor’s expense.

 

Abbreviations
COVID-19	COrona VIrus Disease-19
CATI	computer-assisted telephone interviewing
EU	European Union
mln	million
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia
‘000	thousand

Symbols
( )	less accurate data

 

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