TOURIST ARRIVALS AND NIGHTS IN COMMERCIAL ACCOMMODATION, SEPTEMBER 2025

 

September 2025 brought an increase in the number of tourist arrivals and nights compared to September 2024

In September 2025, there were a total of 2.4 million tourist arrivals and 11.9 million tourist nights in commercial accommodation establishments, which was an increase of 5.7% in tourist arrivals and of 6.3% in tourist nights compared to September 2024.

Foreign tourists realised 2.2 million arrivals and 11.2 million nights, which is an increase of 5.1% in arrivals and of 6.2% in nights, compared to September 2024. They realised an average of 5.2 nights per arrival.

Domestic tourists realised 257 thousand arrivals and 724 thousand nights, which was 11.8% more arrivals and 7.6% more nights compared to September 2024. They realised an average of 2.8 nights per arrival.

Notice

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

A third of foreign tourist nights realised by tourists from Germany

In September 2025, most foreign tourist nights were realised by tourists from Germany, as many as 3.8 million nights, which accounted for 33.6% of the total realised foreign tourist nights in Croatia. German tourists realised an average of 8.0 nights per arrival. Compared to September 2024, nights realised by tourists from Germany increased by a significant 14.1%. These were followed by nights realised by tourists from Austria (9.8%), Poland (7.7%), Slovenia (6.2%), the United Kingdom (5.4%), the Czech Republic (4.8%), the USA (3.1%), Italy and Hungary (2.5% each). Tourists from these nine countries together realised 75.6% of all foreign tourist nights in September 2025.

Of these countries, compared to September 2024, an increase in the number of tourist nights was also realised by tourists from Austria (of 1.9%), Poland (of 4.2%), Slovenia (of 5.3%) and the USA (of 7.7%). A decrease in the number of tourist nights was recorded by tourists from the Czech Republic (of 1.0%), Italy (of 0.1%), Hungary (of 1.9%) and the United Kingdom (of 0.4%).

 

The group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation recorded 44.6% of all tourist nights, while the group Camping sites and camping grounds had the largest increase in the number of tourist arrivals and nights

In September 2025, for the fourth month in a row, the highest number of tourist nights was realised in the group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation, with a share of 44.6% of all tourist nights realised in Croatia. A total of 976 thousand arrivals and 5.3 million nights were realised in that group, which was 3.9% more arrivals and 2.2% more nights compared to September 2024. The most tourist nights in that group of accommodation were realised by tourists from Germany, with a total of 1.5 million nights, which accounted for 27.4% of all nights realised in that group. They were followed by nights realised by tourists from Poland, 550 thousand (10.4%), and from Austria, 321 thousand (6.1%). Compared to September 2024, tourists from Germany realised 6.5% more nights, and tourists from Poland 1.9% more nights, while tourists from Austria had a decrease in tourist nights, of 2.8%.

Nights realised in the group Hotels and similar accommodation followed, with a share of 29.4%. In September 2025, a total of 969 thousand arrivals and 3.5 million tourist nights were realised in that group of accommodation, which was 3.4% more arrivals and 4.5% more nights compared to September 2024. Tourists from Germany realised the most nights in that group of accommodation (645 thousand), followed by tourists from Austria (411 thousand) and domestic tourists (339 thousand).

Although the group Camping sites and camping grounds ranked third in September 2025 in terms of the share of tourist nights, with 26.0%, it had the largest increase in the number of tourist arrivals and nights compared to other groups of accommodation. A total of 468 thousand arrivals and 3.1 million nights were realised in that group of accommodation, which was 15.5% more arrivals and 16.5% more nights compared to September 2024. More than half of all tourist nights in this group of accommodation (53.5%) were realised by tourists from Germany (1.7 million nights). They were followed by nights realised by tourists from Austria, 363 thousand (11.8%), and from Slovenia, 259 thousand (8.4%). Compared to September 2024, all three of these countries realised an increase in the number of tourist nights, as follows: Germany of 25.6%, Austria of 6.5% and Slovenia of 10.9%.

The most tourist nights in the group Camping sites and camping grounds were realised in the County of Istria, as many as 1.6 million nights, followed by the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, with 560 thousand nights, and the County of Zadar, with 388 thousand nights.

Half of September tourist nights realised in the County of Istria and in the County of Split-Dalmatia

In September 2025, a total of 51.7% of tourist nights were realised in the County of Istria and the County of Split-Dalmatia. The County of Istria kept its top position with 3.7 million tourist nights, which is 31.2% of all tourist nights realised in Croatia. Compared to September 2024, the total tourist nights in the County of Istria increased by 9.3%, with domestic tourist nights increasing by 5.5% and foreign tourist nights by 9.4%.

The County of Split-Dalmatia ranked second in the terms of the number of tourist nights realised, with 2.4 million, while the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar ranked third, with 1.9 million nights. In both counties, there was an increase in the number of tourist nights compared to September 2024, of 3.7% in the County of Split-Dalmatia and of 7.5% in the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar.

The highest number of foreign tourist nights in September 2025 was realised in the County of Istria (3.6 million), followed by the County of Split-Dalmatia (2.3 million) and in the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar (1.8 million).

When it comes to domestic tourists, they realised the largest number of nights in the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar (137 thousand). The County of Split-Dalmatia followed, with 119 thousand nights, and the County of Istria, with 108 thousand nights.

 

Most wanted destinations in September 2025: City of Zagreb for domestic tourists, and Rovinj – Rovigno for foreign tourists

In September 2025, the City of Zagreb was the destination with the highest number of nights realised by domestic tourists, with a total of 40 thousand nights. It thus outran coastal destinations: Crikvenica, which had 30 thousand tourist nights, Mali Lošinj, with 23 thousand nights, and Rovinj – Rovigno, with 22 thousand domestic tourist nights. Domestic tourists realised 9.1% more arrivals and 8.3% more nights in the City of Zagreb compared to September 2024.

Among foreign tourists, Rovinj – Rovigno is the most wanted destination for the fourth month in a row, with a total of 586 thousand nights. Other popular destinations followed: Dubrovnik (556 thousand), Poreč – Parenzo (428 thousand), Split (398 thousand) and Umag – Umago (323 thousand). Rovinj – Rovigno, as the most popular destination among foreign tourists, recorded 5.7% more arrivals and 8.5% more tourist nights compared to last September.

The group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation had 56.4% of the total number of permanent beds at disposal

In September 2025, there were 373 thousand rooms, apartments and camping sites available to tourists, with a total capacity of 970 thousand permanent beds.

The group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation had the largest accommodation capacity, with a total of 207 thousand rooms, apartments and camping sites, which accounted for 55.6% of all available units. There were 547 thousand permanent beds in this group, which is 56.4% of the total number of available permanent beds.

In the group Camping sites and camping grounds, tourists had 83 thousand rooms, apartments and camping sites at their disposal (which is 22.3% of the total number of available rooms, apartments and camping sites), with 249 thousand permanent beds (which is 25.7% of the total number of available permanent beds).

In the group Hotels and similar accommodation, tourists had 82 thousand rooms and apartments at their disposal (which is 22.1% of the total number of available rooms, apartments and camping sites), with 173 thousand permanent beds (which is 17.8% of the total number of available permanent beds). In September 2025, the average (net) occupancy rate of rooms in the group Hotels and similar accommodation was 73.4%, which was slightly higher than in September 2024, when it amounted to 72.0%. In September 2025, the average (net) occupancy of permanent beds was 69.6%, which was higher than in September 2024, when it amounted to 67.5%.

 

Tourists aged from 55 to 64 realised the most nights

Unlike July and August 2025, when the most tourist nights were realised by tourists in the age group up to 14 years, in September 2025, the most tourist nights were realised by tourists in the age group from 55 to 64 years, with 2.5 million nights (which accounted for 20.7% of all tourist nights). They were followed by tourists in the oldest age group, of 65 and over, who realised 2.3 million nights (which accounted for 19.2% of all nights).

 

Increase in tourist arrivals and nights in the first nine months of 2025

Total indicators for the period from January to September 2025 show an increase in tourist nights in commercial accommodation compared to the same period of 2024. In the first nine months of 2025, there was a total of 18.7 million tourist arrivals and 89.4 million tourist nights in commercial accommodation establishments, which was an increase of 2.3% in the number of tourist arrivals and of 1.2% in the number of tourist nights compared to the same period of 2024.

Domestic tourists realised 2.5 million arrivals and 8.0 million nights in the first nine months of 2025, which was an increase of 8.6% in the number of arrivals and of 6.1% in the number of nights compared to the first nine months of 2024.

Foreign tourists realised 16.2 million arrivals and 81.4 million nights in the first nine months of 2025, which was an increase of 1.4% in the number of arrivals and of 0.7% in the number of nights compared to the same period of 2024. Most foreign tourist nights were again realised by tourists from Germany, a total of 20.0 million, which was 24.6% of the total number of realised foreign tourist nights. They were followed by nights realised by tourists from Slovenia (9.4%), Austria (8.7%), Poland (8.5%), the Czech Republic (5.4%), the United Kingdom (4.4%), Italy (4.3%), Hungary (4.2%) and Slovakia (3.7%). Compared to the same period of 2024, an increase in the number of nights was realised by tourists from Slovenia, Poland, and the United Kingdom, while other aforementioned countries had a decrease in the number of tourist nights.

 

The County of Istria had the largest number of tourist nights in the first nine months of 2025

In the period from January to September 2025, the County of Istria realised the highest number of tourist nights, 27.3 million, which accounted for 30.5% of the total number of tourist nights realised in Croatia. It was followed by the County of Split-Dalmatia, with 17.5 million realised tourist nights (a share of 19.6%), and by the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, with 14.7 million realised tourist nights (a share of 16.4%). Compared to the same period of 2024, all three of these counties realised an increase in the number of tourist nights, as follows: the County of Istria of 1.5%, the County of Split-Dalmatia of 0.9%, and the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar of 0.5%.

 

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

The purpose of the statistical survey

The purpose of the statistical survey Tourist Arrivals and Nights is to monitor the tourism activity realised in commercial accommodation establishments and to provide internationally comparable data in accordance with European standards for tourism statistics. The results of this survey provide the basic indicators necessary for the analysis of tourism in the Republic of Croatia. The basic indicators are the following: tourist arrivals and nights by country of residence, types of accommodation establishments, tourists by sex and age groups, mode of arrival as well as the number of rooms and permanent beds.

Legal basis

The survey is implemented on the basis of the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 25/20, 155/23 and 124/25 – corr.) and the Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2011 concerning European statistics on tourism.

Observation units

The observation units are all legal entities and natural persons that provide overnight accommodation services, as well as natural persons who provide hospitality services in households and on private family farms.

The Hospitality and Catering Industry Act (NN, Nos 85/15, 121/16, 99/18, 25/19, 98/19, 32/20, 42/20, 126/21 and 152/24) defines the manner and conditions under which legal entities and natural persons can provide overnight accommodation in an accommodation establishment.

Sources and methods of data collection

The data source for the statistical survey on tourism activity (the number of tourist arrivals and nights) and accommodation establishments is the eVisitor system. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics takes over the data from the administrative source eVisitor system from the Croatian National Tourist Board on a monthly basis and further processes them statistically. Monthly data are downloaded on the seventh day of the month for the previous month.

All legal entities and natural persons that provide overnight accommodation services in an accommodation establishment, as well as natural persons who provide hospitality services in households and on private family farms, according to the Ordinance on the eVisitor system (NN, No. 43/20), check in and check out tourists via the eVisitor system, as the central electronic system for checking in and checking out tourists in the Republic of Croatia.

Coverage and comparability

This statistical survey covers accommodation establishments that are categorised in the groups Hotels, Camping sites and Other accommodation establishments pursuant to the Hospitality and Catering Industry Act (NN, Nos 85/15, 121/16, 99/18, 25/19, 98/19, 32/20, 42/20, 126/21 and 152/24). The Minister of Tourism prescribes the types of accommodation establishments within these groups in an ordinance.

According to the Ordinance on the Classification, Categorisation and Special Standards of Accommodation Establishments in the group Hotels (NN, Nos 56/16 and 120/19), the types of accommodation establishments are the following: hotels, heritage hotels, all-suite hotels, integral hotels, diffuse hotels, special-standard hotels, spa-type accommodation, tourist resorts, tourist apartments, boarding houses and guest houses.

According to the Ordinance on the Classification and Categorisation of Accommodation Establishments in the group Camping sites (NN, Nos 75/08, 54/16, 68/19 and 120/19), the types of accommodation establishments are the following: camping sites, glamping, small camps and quickstop camping.

According to the Ordinance on the Classification and Categorisation of Accommodation Establishments in the group Other accommodation establishments (NN, Nos 54/16 and 69/17), the types of accommodation establishments are the following: rooms, apartments, studio-type suites, holiday houses, overnight accommodations, vacation establishments for children, hostels, mountain lodges, hunting lodges, pupils’ homes or students’ homes or akademis and Robinson-type accommodation establishments.

According to the Ordinance on the Classification and Categorisation of Establishments Providing Hospitality and Catering Services in Households (NN, Nos 9/16, 54/16, 61/16, 69/17 and 120/19), accommodation establishments in households are the following: rooms, suites, studio-type suites, holiday houses, camping sites, quickstop camping and Robinson-type accommodation (quickstop camping – Robinson-type accommodation).

According to the Ordinance on the Classification and Categorisation of Establishments Providing Hospitality and Catering Services on Private Family Farms (NN, Nos 54/16, 69/17 and 120/19), these are the following: rooms, suites, rural holiday houses, camping sites, quickstop camping and Robinson-type accommodation (quickstop camping – Robinson-type accommodation).

Pursuant to Article 29 of the Hospitality and Catering Industry Act (NN, Nos 85/15, 121/16, 99/18, 25/19, 98/19, 32/20, 42/20, 126/21 and 152/24), this statistical survey also covers organised off-site camping sites. During sports, scout, cultural/artistic and similar events as well as during organised trips in canoes and similar vessels on sea, rivers and lakes, or by bikes etc., organised off-site camping is allowed on spaces provided for it.

This statistical survey also covers the following establishments providing accommodation services: spas, inns offering accommodation services and uncategorised establishments.

Pursuant to the Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2011 concerning European statistics on tourism, data on tourist arrivals and nights in the Republic of Croatia according to the NKD 2007, division 55, groups 55.1 Hotels and similar accommodation, 55.2 Holiday and other short-stay accommodation and 55.3 Camping sites and camping grounds are submitted to Eurostat on a monthly basis. Data submitted for the group 55.1 Hotels and similar accommodation also include information on occupancy rates of permanent beds and rooms (net). The mentioned data are published on the Eurostat’s website http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat and are comparable to EU Member States data.

Pursuant to the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia on the Introduction of Temporary Protection in the Republic of Croatia for Displaced Persons from Ukraine of 7 March 2022, the citizens of Ukraine are granted temporary protection in accordance with the Act on International and Temporary Protection (NN, Nos 70/15, 127/17 and 33/23). Persons from Ukraine who have not requested temporary protection in the Republic of Croatia use the service of accommodation in a short-stay accommodation establishment and pay for the accommodation service. Therefore, they are registered in the eVisitor system and are considered tourists.

The data do not include non-commercial tourist traffic (the stay of owners, their family members, and other relatives and friends in apartments and holiday houses as well as of tourists in other establishments where accommodation service is not charged, e.g., when they are accommodated by citizens of a tourist town/municipality). Non-commercial tourist traffic is covered by a separate statistical survey.

Confidentiality

Aggregate data for which there are reasons for keeping their confidentiality in line with the Official Statistics Act (NN, Nos 25/20, 155/23 and 124/25 – corr.) and Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics are treated as confidential and are not published.

Definitions

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

eVisitor is the central electronic system for checking in and checking out tourists that serves to link all tourist boards in the Republic of Croatia. It is available via internet with no need for any additional software installations.

The tourist registry in the eVisitor system is kept separately for each individual legal entity and natural person offering accommodation services as part of the hospitality and catering activity (boarding houses, hotels, hostels, etc.), or on a sea vessel as part of the nautical tourism (charter, cruising), as well as accommodation services in households and rural households.

Checking in and checking out of the tourists who are entered into the eVisitor system is authorised on the basis of a secure access to the eVisitor authentication protocol which ensures the conditions for a safe and correct electronic check-in and check-out.

Establishing and running the eVisitor system is the responsibility of the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB).

CNTB is a national tourist organisation founded in order to create and promote the identity and reputation of Croatian tourism, to plan and implement a common strategy and concept of its promotion, to propose and perform promotional activities of mutual interest for all entities in tourism in the country and abroad, as well as to raise the overall quality of the entire tourist offer in the Republic of Croatia. The head office of the CNTB is situated in Zagreb. The duties of the President of the Croatian National Tourist Board are undertaken by the Minister of Tourism and Sport.

Tourist is any person who, outside his/her place of usual residence, spends at least one night in a hotel or some other tourist accommodation establishment for reasons of rest, recreation, health, study, sport, religion, family, business, public missions or meetings. Excluded are persons residing at a place for longer than 12 consecutive months, persons whose main reason for visiting is an activity that is financed from the place of visit, persons who travel to their work place or an education institution on a daily or weekly basis, persons coming into or going out of the country as migrants, frontier workers, diplomats, consular representatives and military force members on their regular duties, displaced persons, nomads and persons in transit.

Domestic tourist is any person permanently residing in the Republic of Croatia who spends at least one night in a hotel or some other tourist accommodation establishment outside his/her place of permanent residence.

Foreign tourist is any person permanently residing outside the Republic of Croatia who temporarily resides in the Republic of Croatia and who spends at least one night in a hotel or some other tourist accommodation establishment.

Tourist arrival is the number of persons (tourists) who were registered and stayed overnight in an accommodation establishment. Consequently, in case tourists change the accommodation establishment they stay in, they are re-registered, which results in data ambiguity. Statistics thus registers the number of tourist arrivals and not the number of tourists.

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

Residence is the place where a person settles with the intention of a permanent stay.

Age group of tourists is presented according to the years of age at the time of stay in a tourist accommodation establishment.

Accommodation capacities are presented as the number of rooms, apartments and camping sites, and the number of permanent beds. The application of the Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2011 concerning European statistics on tourism means that the capacity of an accommodation establishment presented is taken over from the month when it reached its maximum.

Permanent beds are those that are regularly available to guests.

Occupancy rate of permanent beds (net) in the reference period is obtained by dividing the total number of nights by the number of beds on offer and the number of days when the beds were actually available for use during the reference period. The data are expressed as a percentage.

Occupancy rate of bedrooms (net) in the reference period is obtained by dividing the total number of bedrooms used during the reference period by the number of bedrooms available for use during the reference period. The data are expressed as a percentage.

Division 55 of the NKD 2007 includes the provision of short-stay accommodation services to tourists. Particular units may only provide accommodation services, while others may combine the services of accommodation, catering and/or recreation equipment. Tourist accommodation establishments listed in this division are broken down into four groups.

Group 55.1 Hotels and similar accommodation includes the following types of accommodation establishments: hotels, heritage hotels, all-suite hotels, integral hotels, diffuse hotels, spa-type accommodation, special standard hotels, tourist resorts, tourist apartments, boarding houses and guest houses.

Group 55.2 Holiday and other short-stay accommodation includes rooms, apartments, studio-type suites, summer houses, rural summer houses, hostels, spas, overnight accommodation, vacation establishments for children, inns offering accommodation services, mountain lodges, hunting lodges, pupils’ homes or students’ homes and Robinson-type accommodation establishment.

Group 55.3 Camping sites and camping grounds include camping sites, glamping, small camps, quickstop camping, quickstop camping in households ‒ Robinson-type accommodation, quickstop camping on private family farms ‒ Robinson-type accommodation, and organised off-site camping sites.

Group 55.9 Other accommodation includes uncategorised establishments.

Territorial constitution

Data by counties, cities and municipalities are given by the territorial constitution according to the Act on the Territories of Counties, Towns and Municipalities in the Republic of Croatia (NN, Nos 86/06, 125/06, 16/07, 95/08, 46/10, 145/10, 37/13, 44/13, 45/13 and 110/15).

Abbreviations
EC	European Community
EU	European Union
Eurostat	Statistical Office of the European Union
NKD 2007	National Classification of Activities, 2007 version
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia
USA	United States of America

 

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