Balkan tourism rebounds in summer 2026 with rising visitor numbers

Montenegro’s coastal town of Herceg Novi reported 29,569 guests in August, including 28,700 foreign visitors, and a 17% rise in June revenue compared with the previous year. The Croatian Tourist Board noted a strong return of Czech and Hungarian tourists, with Czech arrivals up 12% and Hungarian arrivals up 8% in July, while Italian visits also increased modestly.

Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 857,337 arrivals in the first half of 2026 – a slight 1.1% drop in total visitors but a 1% rise in overnight stays, with foreign guests accounting for 68.4% of nights. The largest share of foreign nights came from Croatia (19.3%) and Serbia (14.2%).

Kosovo saw 70,234 visitors in June 2026, 41,596 of whom were foreign, marking a 5.2% increase in foreign arrivals. The top source markets were Albania, Germany, Turkey and Switzerland. Analysts also highlighted a shift in European travel interest, with Croatia absent from the most‑searched European destinations list, while other Balkan locales gain attention.

Montenegro’s tourism officials warned that the sector suffers from outdated infrastructure and a large informal economy, calling for professional destination management, new tourism legislation, airport upgrades and stronger promotion in high‑spending Western European markets.