Croatia's 2026 tourism keeps half‑year levels despite June slowdown

Croatia recorded 7.6 million tourist arrivals and 29.5 million overnight stays in the first half of 2026, matching the previous year’s figures and confirming its position as the fourth‑largest destination in Europe for overnight stays. The season reached the usual limits of 21‑22 million guests and about 110 million nights, prompting officials to stress careful price‑policy management across accommodation and services.

June showed a 7 % decline in arrivals and a 6 % drop in nights, driven mainly by a reduced German market, while domestic tourism grew and arrivals from other European countries rose. Hotels, which represent only 14 % of total accommodation capacity, accounted for 47 % of commercial arrivals, whereas private accommodation, despite its larger share of capacity, contributed less. The government highlighted a €6 million investment in airline and tour‑operator partnerships that increased scheduled routes to 330, and presented a proposed Hospitality Law aimed at curbing unregistered rentals and improving sector transparency. Premier Andrej Plenković also noted the successful €1.25 billion state bond issue and a strategic partnership between Croatian firm DOK‑ING and Germany’s Rheinmetall.