The tourism industry in Croatia has had a successful start to the year, with over 120,000 tourists currently staying in the country, of which 100,000 are foreign, according to E-visitor data. This is an increase of around 50,000 compared to the same time last year, demonstrating a positive trend for the industry.
Of the total number of tourists, more than 110,000 are staying on the coast, with the majority in Istria, Kvarner, and Split-Dalmatia County. The most popular destinations for tourists include Rovinj, Poreč, Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb.
The majority of tourists are coming from Germany, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary, as reported by Dnevnik Nova TV reporter Mario Jurič.
Despite the ongoing concerns of inflation, it seems that tourists are still willing to enjoy the offerings of Croatia. “We enjoy Split. We walk. It’s really like a small adventure country,” said one visitor from Great Britain. “Almost everything is the same,” added a visitor from the Czech Republic.
According to the director of a hotel, Nevena Tomaš Čikeš, the hotel was 100% full on Easter, as well as on Easter Monday. “Our average room price was 180 euros,” said Tomaš Čikeš. However, despite the positive start to the year, tourism workers still face challenges with workforce shortages. “We are very satisfied; the season has never started earlier. I think we will do very well. The lack of manpower is evident. It will be difficult, it will be rough. Whoever survives will talk,” said Tomaš Čikeš.
So far in 2023, Croatia has achieved 1.2 million arrivals and 3.5 million overnight stays. This is a growth of 35% in arrivals and 29% in overnight stays compared to the same period last year, indicating that the tourism industry is bouncing back after the pandemic.
The Croatian tourism industry is showing a positive trend at the beginning of the year, with an increase in foreign tourists and overnight stays. However, the ongoing workforce shortage remains a significant challenge that tourism workers will need to address to sustain this success.