TOURIST ACTIVITY OF POPULATION OF REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2024

 

Trips of Croatian population – one in two Croatians aged 15 and over went on private trips with overnight stays

In 2024, a total of 1.8 million Croatian citizens aged 15 and over, or 54.0%, went on at least one private trip with overnight stays. Compared to 2023, the number of citizens who went on private trips with overnight stays increased by 9.7%.

Number of private trips with overnight stays increased by 9.1% compared to 2023

In 2024, Croatian population aged 15 and over took a total of 5.5 million private trips with overnight stays, of which 3.6 million (65.6%) in Croatia and 1.9 million (34.4%) abroad. Compared to 2023, an increase of 9.1% in the total private trips with overnight stays was realised.

Out of a total of 3.6 million private trips with overnight stays realised in Croatia, 2.0 million of them (54.5%) were shorter trips of up to three overnight stays, while 1.6 million of them (45.5%) were longer trips of four and more nights. Compared to 2023, a total number of private trips with overnight stays in Croatia increased by 9.5%, with an increase in shorter trips of 15.9% and in longer ones of 2.7%.

Concerning trips abroad, the most often chosen destinations were Bosnia and Herzegovina (20.0% of the total realised private trips with overnight stays abroad), then Italy (14.3%), Slovenia (10.4%), Austria (10.3%), Germany (7.8%), Serbia (5.3%), Hungary (4.6%) and Spain (2.9%). Compared to 2023, the number of private trips with overnight stays realised abroad increased by 8.4%.

 

The most private trips with overnight stays in Croatia were taken in August, whereas destinations abroad were mostly chosen in December

The largest number of private trips with overnight stays were traditionally taken during summer months. In June, July and August of 2024, a total of 2.2 million private trips with overnight stays were realised, which accounted for 40.3% of the total realised private trips with overnight stays that year.

The largest number of private trips with overnight stays in Croatia were taken in August (745 thousand trips, which accounted for 20.8% of the total private trips with overnight stays in Croatia), then in June (551 thousand trips, or 15.4%) and in July (454 thousand trips, or 12.7%). The largest number of private trips with overnight stays abroad were taken in December (245 thousand trips, which accounted for 13.0% of the total private trips with overnight stays abroad), then in May (211 thousand trips, or 11.3%) and in June (202 thousand trips, or 10.8%).

City break trips abroad and seaside vacation in Croatia were the most common motives for making trips

Seaside vacation and visiting relatives and friends were the most frequent motives for taking private trips with overnight stays in 2024. Seaside vacation was the reason for 1.6 million trips (28.6%), whereas for 1.5 million trips it was visiting relatives and friends (28.3%).

Concerning private trips with overnight stays in Croatia, the most frequent motive was seaside vacation with 1.5 million trips, which accounted for 41.1% of all trips of that kind. It was followed by visiting relatives and friends, which was the common reason for 1.0 million trips, or 28.0%. The most common motives for going on private trips with overnight stays abroad were city break trips, which was the reason for 762 thousand of them (40.6%), whereas visiting relatives and friends was reason for 544 thousand trips (29.0%).

Increase in tourist nights on private trips with overnight stays was recorded both in Croatia and abroad

In 2024, the Croatian population aged 15 and over spent a total of 30.1 million nights, of which 20.2 million nights (67.2%) on private trips with overnight stays in Croatia and 9.9 million nights (32.8%) abroad. An average of six nights were spent on private trips with overnight stays in Croatia and an average of five nights were spent abroad. Compared to 2023, tourist nights spent on private trips with overnight stays in Croatia increased by 1.0%, whereas those spent abroad they increased by 4.1%.

By type of accommodation, the largest number of nights were spent in non-commercial accommodation establishments (16.8 million nights, or 55.8% of the total nights realised on private trips with overnight stays), whereas 13.3 million tourist nights, or 44.2%, were spent in commercial accommodation establishments. Compared to 2023, nights spent in non-commercial accommodation establishments decreased by 8.9%, whereas those spent in commercial accommodation establishments increased by 20.1%.

In Croatia, citizens aged 15 and over spent the most tourist nights on their private trips with overnight stays in non-commercial accommodation establishments – a total of 12.3 million (60.9% of the total realised nights on private trips with overnight stays in Croatia). On the other hand, there were 7.9 million nights, or 39.1%, realised in commercial accommodation establishments. Concerning commercial accommodation, the largest number of nights were spent in apartments, rooms and summer houses – a total of 3.4 million (43.2% of the total realised nights on private trips with overnight stays in Croatia), followed by nights spent in the group Hotels and similar accommodation, where a total of 3.0 million nights (38.0%) were realised.

Concerning private trips with overnight stays abroad, Croatian citizens spent the most nights in commercial accommodation establishments, 5.4 million of them (54.9% of the total nights realised on private trips with overnight stays abroad), while in non-commercial accommodation establishments they spent 4.4 million nights (45.1%). As for commercial accommodation abroad, the most nights were spent in the group Hotels and similar accommodation – 3.3 million nights (61.7% of the total nights in commercial accommodation establishments abroad), which was followed by nights spent in rooms, apartments, studio-type suits and summer houses, namely 1.7 million nights (31.8%).

Average expenditures per private trip with overnight stays in Croatia amounted to 344 euro, while abroad they amounted to 551 euro

Total expenditures on private trips with overnight stays in 2024 amounted to 2.3 billion euro, of which 1.2 billion euro (54.4%) were spent in Croatia and 1.0 billion euro (45.6%) abroad. Average expenditures per private trip with overnight stays in Croatia amounted to 344 euro and per private trip abroad to 551 euro. Compared to 2023, average expenditures on private trips with overnight stays increased by 22.4% in Croatia and by 17.0% abroad.

A private passenger car remained the most common transportation mean

In 2024, the most often chosen transportation mean on private trips with overnight stays, both in Croatia and abroad, was a private passenger car. It was chosen for as much as 4.2 million trips (77.5% of the total realised trips with overnight stays), followed by coach (545 thousand trips, or 10.0%) and by airplane (479 thousand trips, or 8.8%).

The most often chosen transportation mean on private trips with overnight stays in Croatia in 2024 were a private passenger car, namely 3.1 million trips (86.7% of the total realised private trips with overnight stays in Croatia), and coach (304 thousand trips, or 8.5%). As for private trips with overnight stays abroad, the most often chosen transportation mean was also private passenger car (1.1 million trips, or 60.0%), followed by airplane (465 thousand trips, or 24.7%) and coach (241 thousand trips, or 12.8%).

Lack of finances was the most common reason for not taking private trips with overnight stays

Out of the total population of Croatia aged 15 and over, 1.5 million persons, or 46.0%, did not go on private trips with overnight stays in 2024. The most common reasons for not taking private trips with overnight stays were lack of financial resources (claimed by 45.9% of the total number of persons who did not take private trips with overnight stays).

The number of business/professional trips with overnight stays dropped, particularly abroad

There were 282 thousand persons, or 8.5%, of the Croatian population aged 15 and over, who took at least one business/professional trip with overnight stays in 2024. They realised a total of 598 thousand business/professional trips with overnight stays, of which 352 thousand (58.8%) in Croatia and 247 thousand (41.2%) abroad. Compared to 2023, there were 1.0% fewer business/professional trips with overnight stays in Croatia and 25.1% fewer trips abroad.

June was a month when the largest number of business/professional trips with overnight stays were realised – a total of 96 thousand (16.0% of the total realised business/professional trips with overnight stays), of which 65 thousand (67.9%) in Croatia and 31 thousand (32.1%) abroad.

A total of 1.9 million nights were spent on business/professional trips with overnight stays, of which 875 thousand of them (44.2%) in Croatia and 1.1 million of them (55.8%) abroad. Three nights were spent on business/professional trips with overnight stays on average.

Total expenditures on business/professional trips with overnight stays in 2024 amounted to 415 million euro, of which 173 million euro (41.6%) were spent in Croatia and 243 million euro (58.4%) abroad. Average expenditures per business/professional trip with overnight stays amounted to 491 euro in Croatia, whereas they were much higher abroad and amounted to 984 euro.

There were 10.7% of same-day visits more than in 2023

In 2024, the Croatian population aged 15 and over made 7.7 million same-day visits, which was an increase of 10.7% compared to 2023. Out of a total number of same-day visits, private ones made as much as 94.0%.

Out of the total number of private same-day visits (7.2 million), 6.0 million were realised in Croatia (which accounted for 83.6% of total number of private same-day visits), whereas 1.2 million (16.4%) of them were taken abroad. Total expenditures on private same-day visits amounted to 445 million euro, of which 332 million euro were spent on same-day visits in Croatia and 113 million euro on same-day visits abroad. Average travel expenditures per private same-day visit amounted to 55 euro in Croatia and 96 euro abroad.

In 2024, out of the total of 460 thousand realised business/professional same-day visits, 385 thousand (83.6%) were taken in Croatia and 75 thousand (16.4%) were taken abroad. Total expenditures on business/professional same-day visits amounted to 48 million euro. Average travel expenditures per business/professional same-day visit amounted to 101 euro in Croatia and 123 euro abroad.

 

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.

The main survey results and the methods according to which the survey was carried out are presented here. 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 and methodological basis

The survey is carried out according to the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 25/20 and 155/23) and the Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2011 concerning European statistics on tourism.

Confidentiality

According to the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 25/20 and 155/23) and the Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics. The collected data are used solely for statistical purposes. Data are processed by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and the results are published at the aggregate level on the website of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics at https://podaci.dzs.hr/en/.

Observation units

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.

Coverage and comparability

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 2023 for a trip that ended in January 2024).

Data for 2023 and 2024 have been estimated on the basis of the Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Croatia in 2021 (Census 2021), while previously released data were estimated on the basis of the Census 2011 data. This caused a break in time series of data and, consequently, data for 2023 and 2024 are not comparable to data for previous years.

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 2024 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 its end.

The first round of gathering data was carried out in April 2024 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from January to March 2024. The second round was carried out in July 2024 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from April to June 2024. The third round was carried out in October 2024 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from July to September 2024. The fourth round was carried out in January 2025 and included the tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in the period from October to December 2024 and in the whole of 2024.

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 2024 were included.

In the analysis of the accuracy of estimates, the sum estimate, the coefficient of variation expressed in percentage and the 95.0% 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 61.32% 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 (14.11%), accommodation expenditures (14.98%), expenditures on food and drinks in hotel and restaurant establishments (15.80%) and other expenditures (9.74%).

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 4 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
EC	European Community
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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