In a special interview, Tonči Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, reflects on the results of this year’s season, strategic goals for Croatia tourism 2025, and long-term reforms in sustainability, digitalization, and investment. He highlights the country’s shift toward year-round tourism, higher-value services, and balanced regional development, as well as opportunities for regional cooperation and authentic experiences that set Croatia apart.
How do you evaluate this year’s summer tourist season in your country – did the results meet expectations, and in which segments do you see the greatest growth?
This year, once again confirmed the direction in which Croatian tourism is moving – we are becoming a more competitive and desirable destination. The results not only met but exceeded expectations. We achieved 17.2 million arrivals and nearly 90 million overnight stays, marking a 2% increase compared to last year, while revenues grew by almost 10% and fiscalized receipts by 3.6%, clearly demonstrating higher guest spending.
The greatest growth was recorded in the pre-season, with a 5% increase in arrivals and 4% more overnight stays in the spring alone – meaning over 260,000 arrivals and more than one million additional overnights. This shows that growth is no longer tied exclusively to the summer months, which is one of our strategic goals.
What are your priorities and activities in the last quarter of the year to further strengthen tourist traffic and maintain the continuity of visits outside the summer season?
Our priority in the final quarter of the year is to further strengthen the positive trend in the post-season, not only in terms of arrivals and overnight stays, but also by continuously enhancing the quality and value of our offer. We are intensifying promotional activities with highly targeted campaigns on key markets and supporting initiatives that position Croatia as an attractive destination in the autumn and winter months, ensuring continuity of visits beyond the summer season. We expect this post-season to maintain the same positive growth trend, further confirming that Croatia is becoming a true year-round destination. At the same time, we are already preparing for 2026 with an even stronger focus on sustainability, quality, and value-added tourism.
What would you personally recommend as a must-see destination or experience in your country? And what would you highlight as worth visiting in the countries of the region?
In Croatia, I would recommend exploring our UNESCO-listed heritage and combining it with eno-gastronomic experiences – from Istrian truffles and Dalmatian wines to authentic inland cuisine. Among our national jewels, the Adriatic islands stand out, each offering unique natural beauty, cultural heritage, and Mediterranean charm. Sailing along our coast remains an unforgettable experience. At the same time, I would highlight continental Croatia, which in the post-season is especially attractive with its rich offer of wellness and health tourism, cultural events, and authentic local traditions.
Do you see an opportunity somewhere for joint promotion and linking of offers?
Absolutely. Regional cooperation in tourism is essential, and we are already implementing concrete joint activities through the Croatian National Tourist Board. Our key campaigns on international markets include ‘Get to know me’, the ‘Just a booking away’ early booking campaign, and the ‘Local Host’ campaign on Booking.com, which targets markets across Europe. In addition, we cooperate with major travel platforms such as Expedia and the Nautical Channel, ensuring stronger visibility on global markets.
What I would especially highlight is our promotional cooperation with Slovenia. For example, this September, we are jointly organizing a Sell Croatia workshop in Tokyo, alongside other international activities. Such cooperation allows us to exchange best practices, particularly in the field of sustainable tourism, and to jointly present ourselves in distant markets. These initiatives confirm that regional partnerships not only strengthen our competitiveness but also bring added value to visitors, who experience our countries as part of one connected destination.
What are the main strategic goals of your tourism policy, and in which tourism segments are you currently investing the most?
Our strategic goals are sustainability, year-round tourism, and balanced regional development. We are investing heavily in the green and digital transition, upgrading tourism infrastructure and accommodation capacity, and encouraging higher-value hotel and camping projects, which are already growing, while private accommodation is gradually decreasing. This structural change shows that reforms are working in practice – bringing greater quality, added value, and less pressure on destinations. At the same time, reforms in the “triangle of tax, spatial, and tourism policy” provide a strong framework for long-term management.
Our strategic goals are sustainability, year-round tourism, and balanced regional development.
What is the current contribution of tourism to the gross domestic product of your country, and what trends do you expect in the coming period?
Tourism currently contributes around one-fifth of Croatia’s GDP. With record foreign tourism revenues and record employment and wages in the sector, tourism is strongly supporting our overall economy. Looking forward, the trend is clear – less focus on sheer numbers, more on value. We expect higher spending per guest, longer stays throughout the year, and further growth in the pre- and post-season, ensuring that tourism remains one of the main drivers of development.
Tourism currently contributes around one-fifth of Croatia’s GDP.
Where do you see the greatest chances for the further development of tourism in your country and region, and in which fields do you still need to work intensively to improve the offer and increase competitiveness?
The greatest chances lie in further strengthening sustainable, authentic, and year-round tourism, especially in cultural, active, health, and eno-gastronomic segments. At the same time, we must keep improving infrastructure, digitalization, workforce skills, and destination management. Importantly, we are achieving visible results – for the first time, clear indicators show that we are moving away from seasonality, achieving growth throughout the year. This is proof that our strategic documents – from the Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy to the National Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development – are not just on paper, but delivering concrete results.
To mark World Tourism Day on September 27th, Internationalis secured exclusive, high-level interviews with Ministers from the region, including the perspectives of Matjaž Han, Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia, and Nasiha Pozder, Minister of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
