While attending the 50th Trka na prstenac in Barban, Croatia’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Tonči Glavina, highlighted that the country is on track for another record-breaking tourism season, though he warned that sustainability must remain the guiding principle, reports HRT.
According to Glavina, Croatia has so far recorded 16 million arrivals and 83 million overnight stays, marking an increase of 2% in arrivals and 1% in overnights compared to last year. Pre-season results were particularly strong, and early indicators suggest that the post-season will also perform well.
“This is the ideal scenario – stronger pre- and post-season results, which help to relieve pressure from the summer peak when infrastructure is stretched to its limits,” said Glavina.
He acknowledged, however, that rising prices in some cases have hurt Croatia’s image. Still, he stressed that the real winners of 2025 are those who invested in raising quality.
“Spending has grown in the first eight months, and salaries are at their highest recorded level. In that sense, we are all winners,” he added.
The minister reiterated that Croatia does not need new accommodation growth but rather a rebalancing of its structure.
“We must ensure more occupancy throughout the year. That means extending both pre-season and post-season,” he explained.
Tourism remains a cornerstone of the economy, contributing one of the largest shares to GDP. The Croatian National Bank projects that revenues could reach €15.5 billion this year.
Glavina also underlined that the rapid growth of private apartments has been curbed:
“We have halted the uncontrolled expansion of new capacities, which had created an unsustainable structure of accommodation,” he said.