TOURIST ARRIVALS AND NIGHTS IN COMMERCIAL ACCOMMODATION, JULY 2026

July 2026 brought an increase in tourist arrivals of 2.7% and an increase in tourist nights of 1.2%

There were 4.5 million tourist arrivals and 25.3 million tourist nights in commercial accommodation establishments in July 2026, which was 2.7% more tourist arrivals and 1.2% more tourist nights compared to July 2025. Concerning the structure of the total realised tourist nights, 7.3% of them were domestic tourist nights, and 92.7% were foreign tourist nights.

Domestic tourists realised 411 thousand arrivals and 1.9 million nights, which was 7.4% more arrivals and 5.6% more nights compared to July 2025.

Foreign tourists realised 4.1 million arrivals and 23.4 million nights, which was 2.2% more arrivals and 0.9% more nights compared to July 2025.

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 at the monthly basis.

Tourists from Germany and Slovenia realised 30.3% of all foreign tourist nights in July 2026

In July 2026, the most foreign tourist nights were realised by tourists from Germany. They realised a total of 4.4 million nights (which accounted for 18.8% of all foreign tourist nights). Compared to July 2025, the number of their nights increased by 1.2% and they spent an average of 7.5 nights per arrival.

The nights realised by tourists from Slovenia followed, with 2.7 million (which accounted for 11.5% of all foreign tourist nights). They realised 0.3% more nights compared to July 2025, which is an average of 7.2 nights per arrival.

Both tourists from Germany and tourists from Slovenia spent the most nights in the County of Istria. Tourists from Germany realised 2.1 million nights there (which accounted for 47.1% of all nights realised by tourists from Germany in Croatia). Tourists from Slovenia realised 714 thousand nights (which accounted for 26.6% of all their nights realised in Croatia). Compared to July 2025, tourists from Germany realised 1.6% more nights in the County of Istria, while the number of nights realised by tourists from Slovenia remained at the same level.

They were followed by nights realised by tourists from Poland (9.5%), the Czech Republic (7.5%), Austria (6.9%), Hungary (5.8%), Slovakia (5.2%), the Netherlands (3.7%), the United Kingdom (3.4%), Italy (3.1%) and Ukraine (3.0%). Of these countries, an increase in tourist nights was realised by tourists from Poland (of 0.6%), the Czech Republic and Hungary (of 8.3% each), the United Kingdom (of 2.9%) and Ukraine (of 16.7%). At the same time, tourists from the other mentioned countries realised fewer nights, namely tourists from Austria (by 3.8%), Slovakia (by 2.7%), the Netherlands (by 3.4%) and Italy (by 1.2%).

The most tourist nights realised in the group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation (56.4%)

In July 2026, as in June 2026, tourists realised the most nights in the group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation, with a share of 56.4%. There were 2.5 million tourist arrivals and 14.3 million tourist nights realised in this group, which was an increase of 2.3% in tourist arrivals and of 1.0% in tourist nights, as compared to July 2025. In this group of accommodation, the most tourist nights were realised by tourists from Germany, 2.4 million nights (which accounted for 16.8% of all nights in this group). They were followed by nights realised by tourists from Poland, 1.6 million nights (which accounted for 10.9% of all nights in this group), and nights realised by tourists from Slovenia, 1.3 million nights (which accounted for 8.8% of all nights in this group).

The group Camping grounds and recreational vehicle parks followed, with a share of 23.7% in tourist nights. There were 849 thousand arrivals and 6.0 million tourist nights in this group, which was an increase of 2.6% in tourist arrivals and of 1.2% in tourist nights, as compared to July 2025. In this group of accommodation, the most tourist nights were also realised by tourists from Germany, 1.5 million nights (which accounted for 25.7% of all nights in this group), followed by nights realised by tourists from Slovenia, 1.1 million nights (19.0%), and the Netherlands, 534 thousand nights (8.9%).

Hotels and similar accommodation is the third group of accommodation in terms of the nights realised in July 2026, with 1.2 million arrivals and 5.0 million nights, which is an increase in tourist arrivals of 3.7% and an increase in tourist nights of 1.7%, as compared to July 2025. The most tourist nights in this group were realised by domestic tourists, 532 thousand nights, followed by tourists from Austria, 511 thousand nights, and tourists from Germany, 472 thousand nights.

The most tourist nights in July 2026 realised in the County of Istria

In July 2026, the most tourist nights were realised in the County of Istria, a total of 7.5 million (which accounted for 29.5% of the total tourist nights realised in Croatia). Compared to July 2025, there were 1.3% more tourist nights in the County of Istria. An increase in tourist nights was realised by domestic tourists (of 6.2%) and foreign tourists (of 1.2%).

The most foreign tourist nights were realised by tourists from Germany (28.6%), Austria (11.1%), Slovenia (9.8%), the Netherlands (7.1%), the Czech Republic (6.3%) and Poland (5.8%). Of these countries, only Austria and Poland had a decrease in tourist nights, whereas the other mentioned countries had an increase in tourist nights in July 2026 compared to July 2025.

Following the County of Istria, the most tourist nights were realised in the County of Split-Dalmatia, 5.3 million (which accounted for 20.9% of the total nights realised in Croatia), and in the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, 4.2 million (which accounted for 16.8% of the total nights realised in Croatia). Compared to July 2025, there were 1.9% more nights realised in the County of Primorje-Gorski Kotar and 1.6% more nights in the County of Split-Dalmatia.

Domestic tourists most often choose Crikvenica, while foreign tourists choose Rovinj – Rovigno

As in June 2026, the most popular destination among domestic tourists in July 2026 was Crikvenica, with 74 thousand nights realised. It was followed by Vodice and Biograd na Moru, with 67 thousand nights each, Mali Lošinj, with 61 thousand nights, Šibenik, with 58 thousand nights, Zadar, with 47 thousand nights, Novalja, with 43 thousand nights, and Rab, with 40 thousand nights. Compared to July 2025, domestic tourist realised 3.9% more nights in Crikvenica.

Among foreign tourists, the most popular destination in July 2026 was Rovinj – Rovigno, with 989 thousand nights realised. It was followed Poreč – Parenzo, with 778 thousand nights, Medulin, with 777 thousand nights, Dubrovnik, with 735 thousand nights, Split, with 646 thousand nights, and Umag – Umago, with 640 thousand nights. Compared to July 2025, foreign tourists realised 2.7% more nights in Rovinj – Rovigno.

Accommodation units in the group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation accounted for 59.9% of all available accommodation units

In July 2026, there were 424 thousand rooms, apartments and camping sites available to tourists, with a total of 1.1 million permanent beds.

The largest accommodation capacities were available in the group Holiday and other short-stay accommodation, in which 254 thousand rooms, apartments and camping sites were available to tourists, or 59.9% of the total available accommodation units. There were also 678 thousand permanent beds in this group (which accounted for 60.9% of the total number of available permanent beds).

There were 83 thousand rooms and apartments available to tourists in the group Hotels and similar accommodation (which accounted for 19.5% of the total number of available rooms, apartments and camping sites), with 174 thousand permanent beds (which accounted for 15.6% of the total number of available permanent beds). The average (net) occupancy rate of rooms in July 2026 was 79.8%, while for permanent beds it was 93.9%, whereas in July 2025, the average (net) occupancy rate of rooms was 78.4%, and of permanent beds 92.6%.

Tourists aged up to 14 realised the most nights in July 2026

The most nights in July 2026 were realised by tourists in the youngest age group, up to 14. They realised 5.9 million nights (which accounted for 23.3% of the total realised nights). They were followed by tourist nights realised by tourists aged 35 to 44, with 4.8 million nights (which accounted for 18.8% of the total number of nights in Croatia).

In the first seven months of 2026, there were 1.4% more tourist arrivals and 0.8% more tourist nights, as compared to the first seven months of 2025

There were 11.7 million tourist arrivals and 51.2 million tourist nights in commercial accommodation establishments in the first seven months of 2026, which was an increase of 1.4% in tourist arrivals and of 0.8% in tourist nights, as compared to the same period of 2025.

In the first seven months of 2026, domestic tourists realised 1.9 million arrivals and 5.3 million nights, which was an increase in arrivals of 8.1% and an increase in nights of 7.0% compared to the first seven months of 2025.

Foreign tourists realised 9.8 million arrivals and 45.9 million nights in the first seven months of 2026, which was a slight increase in tourist arrivals and an increase in tourist nights of 0.2% compared to the first seven months of 2025.

The most foreign tourist nights in the first seven months of 2026 were realised by tourists from Germany (21.1%), Slovenia (11.1%), Austria (8.5%), Poland (8.2%), the Czech Republic (6.0%), the United Kingdom (4.5%) and Hungary (4.4%).

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, 124/25 – corr. and 69/26) and 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 capacities 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 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 NKD 2025, division 55, groups 55.1 Hotels and similar accommodation, 55.2 Holiday and other short-stay accommodation and 55.3 Camping grounds and recreational vehicle parks 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 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, 33/23 and 17/25). 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, 124/25 – corr. and 69/26) 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 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 NKD 2025 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 grounds and recreational vehicle parks 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 2025	National Classification of Activities, 2025 version
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia

 

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