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Tourism in Croatia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tourism in Croatia (Croatian: Turizam u Hrvatskoj) is a major industry and economic sector of Croatia and it's coastal inhabited islands along the Adriatic Sea. It has historically represented a large component the country's economic output (GDP), routinely reaching 10% to 15% of total GDP.[1][2] Croatia is deeply integrated with the European Union (EU), contributing to overall international tourism in Southeast Europe. Tourism is concentrated along the Adriatic coast and is strongly seasonal, peaking in July and August.[3] The most frequented cities are Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Zagreb, Split, Poreč, Umag, and Zadar, respectively.[4]
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The history of tourism in Croatia dates back to its time as part of Austria-Hungary when wealthy aristocrats would converge to the sea.[5] Tourism expanded throughout the 1960s to the 1980s before the independence of Croatia in 1990 curbed tourism until the late-1990s.[6] The 2000s saw a significant resurgence of Croatian tourism as it underwent nation-building with a particular emphasis on tourism revenue. By the late-2000s, Croatia became one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. A total of 20.2 million tourists visited Croatia in 2024.[7]
Eight areas in the country have been designated national parks and eleven as nature parks.[8] There are ten World Heritage Sites across the country.[9] Factors of tourist interest are mainly culture, cuisine, history, fashion, architecture, art, religious sites and routes, nature, maritime access, and nightlife. Tourism has been partially supported by the Croatian film and television industries due to on-location filming. Inflation and overtourism has led to increased travel regulations and tourist costs since 2024.[10] Eurostat estimated that nearly 55% of EU tourist accommodation is between Croatia (117,000) and neighboring Italy (230,000).[11] In 2025, Croatia was the ninth-most-visited state in the EU and third-most-visted in Southern Europe.[12]
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History
Since the late-1990s, Croatia has significantly expanded its tourism sector.[13] From 2012 to 2019, the number of annual tourist arrivals increased by 8 million.[14] Over 16 million foreign tourists – four times the country’s population – visited Croatia in 2018.[13] Economists argue that accession of Croatia in 2013 into the European Union, made them a more desirable tourist location due to reinvestment in their economy, open trade barriers, and looser customs control.[15][16]
Croatia maintains a 1,104-mile-long Mediterranean coastline plus 1,185 islands.[13] Only 15% of the coast, the main tourist destination in Croatia, is urbanized, and plans are in progress to further develop Croatia's coastline tourism sector.[17] The Croatian Tourism Development Strategy finances the construction luxury accommodations, including hotels and tourist services, along with renovating older ones.[17] Croatia has one of the UNWTO's Sustainable Tourism Observatories, part of the organization's International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). The observatory is considered a commitment to monitoring and building sustainable tourism.[18]
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Tourist regions
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Perspective
Tourism is largely concentrated on the coastal areas, which are shared among seven counties. Tourism has high level of seasonality.[13] The Croatian National Tourist Board has divided Croatia into six distinct tourist regions.
Istria
The west coast of the peninsula of Istria has several historical towns dating from Roman times, such as the city of Umag, which hosts the yearly Croatia Open ATP tennis tournament on clay courts.[19] The city of Poreč is known for the UNESCO-protected Euphrasian Basilica, which includes 6th-century mosaics depicting Byzantine art.[20] The city plan still shows the ancient Roman Castrum structure with main streets Decumanus and Cardo Maximus still preserved in their original forms. Marafor is a Roman square with two temples attached. One of them, erected in the 1st century, is dedicated to the Roman god Neptune.[21] Originally a Gothic Franciscan church built in the 13th century, the 'Dieta Istriana' hall was remodeled in the Baroque style in the 18th century.
The region's largest city Pula has one of the oldest amphitheatres in the world, which is still used for festivals and events. It is surrounded by hotel complexes, resorts, camps, and sports facilities. Nearby is Brijuni national park, formerly the summer residence of late Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito.[22] The coastal waters offer beaches, fishing, wreck dives to ancient Roman galleys and World War I warships, cliff diving, and sailing.[23] Pula is the end point of the EuroVelo 9 cycle route that runs from Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea through Poland, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia.
The town of Rovinj contains coastal areas with a number of small bays hidden within dense vegetation, open to naturists. Although the beaches are not specified as naturist, naturists frequent them.[24] The interior is green and wooded, with small stone towns on hills, such as Motovun. On the other side of the river lies Motovun forest, an area of about 10 square kilometres in the valley of the river Mirna, of which 280 hectares (2.8 km2) are specially protected. This area differs not only from the nearby forests, but also from those of the entire surrounding karst region because of its wildlife, moist soil, and truffles (Tuber magnatum) that grow there. Since 1999, Motovun has hosted the international Motovun Film Festival for independent films from the U.S. and Europe.[25] Grožnjan, another hill town, hosts a three-week jazz festival every July.
Olive tourism is mainly centered around this region.[26] Olive oil is among the most important agricultural activities in Istria and this region has therefore received a large part of the nation's effort in rejuvenating the olive oil manufacturing that began around the turn of the new millennium. This includes renovating and renewing of olive groves[27] (18,683 ha of olive groves in Croatia in 2018,[28] most of it near the coast yielding 5,000 tonnes olive oil annually).[28][29] Introduction of modern technologies in the production and processing of olives, storage of olive oil also took place.[27][30] A 1,600 year-old olive tree sits on the island of Veli Brijun (Brijuni National Park).[31] Olive tourism is common in rural areas where it generates additional income for olive growers who market their produce directly to consumers;[32][33] it also has a multifaceted education value;[34] and it extends the seasonality of tourism – and of associated seasonal labour – into the Autumn season.[35]
Kvarner and Highlands
The Kvarner Gulf sits below tall mountains overlooking large islands in the sea. Opatija is the oldest tourist resort in Croatia, its tradition of tourism ranging from the 19th century.[36] The former Venetian island towns of Rab and Lošinj are tourist destinations. The island of Rab has many monuments.[37] With around 2,600 hours of sunshine a year, the island of Lošinj is a tourist destination for Slovenians, Italians, and Germans in the summer months. Average air humidity is 70%, and the average summer temperature is 24 °C (75 °F) and 7 °C (45 °F) during the winter.[38]
The interior regions Gorski Kotar, Velebit and Lika have mountain peaks, forests and fields, many animal species including bears, and the national parks of Risnjak and Plitvice Lakes. The Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Plitvice plateau which is surrounded by three mountains part of the Dinaric Alps: Plješivica (Gornja Plješevica peak 1,640 m), Mala Kapela (Seliški Vrh peak at 1,280 m), and Medveđak (884 m).[39] The national Park is underlain by karstic rock, mainly dolomite and limestone with associated lakes and caves, this has given rise to the most distinctive feature of its lakes. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 to 503 m (2,087 to 1,650 ft) over a distance of some eight km, aligned in a south–north direction.
The lakes collectively cover an area of about two square kilometers, with the water exiting from the lowest lake to form the Korana River. The lakes are divided into the 12 Upper Lakes (Gornja jezera) and the four Lower Lakes (Donja jezera):[40] Limestone caves are present as well. Fauna such as the European brown bear, wolf, eagle, owl, lynx, wild cat, and capercaillie can be found there, along with many more common species.
Dalmatia
Zadar
The Kornati National Park has hundreds of mostly uninhabited islands. Kornat, the biggest of the islands with a total area of 32,525,315 m2 (350,099,577 sq ft), comprises two-thirds of the park's land area. Although the island is 25.2 km long, it is no wider than 2.5 km.[41] The park is managed from the town of Murter, on the island of Murter, and is connected to the mainland by a drawbridge.
Zadar, the largest city in the region, gained its urban structure in Roman times; during the time of Julius Caesar and Augustus, the town was fortified and the city walls with towers and gates were built. On the western side of the town were the forum, the basilica and the temple, while outside the town were the amphitheatre and cemeteries. The aqueduct which supplied the town with water is partially preserved. Inside the ancient town, a medieval town had developed with a series of churches and monasteries being built.[42]
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The interior has mixed plains and mountains, with the Paklenica canyon as the main attraction.[43] The park area contains 150–200 km of trails and paths intended either for tourists or mountaineers. The island of Pag as well as the town of Novalja and Zrće have all-hours discothèques and beach bars operating during summer months.[44]
Šibenik
Based in this region is the Cathedral of St James, a UNESCO World Heritage site.[45] Several fortresses, remnants of the Renaissance era (which includes St. Nicholas Fortress) surround the city. The interior has the Krka National Park with waterfalls and religious monasteries.[46] Inside the park is the island of Visovac which was founded during the reign of Louis I of Hungary, home to the Roman Catholic Visovac Monastery founded by the Franciscans in 1445 near Miljevci village.[47] The park also includes the Serbian Orthodox Krka monastery founded in 1345.
The area around the city of Knin has medieval fortresses and archeological remains. The recently discovered Roman town Burnum is 18 km far from Knin in direction of Kistanje, which has the ruins of the biggest amphitheatre in Dalmatia built in 77 AD, which held 8,000 people, during the rule of Vespasian.[48] The nearby villages Biskupija and Kapitul are archaeological sites from the 10th century where remains of medieval Croatian culture are found including churches, graves, decorations, and epigraphs.[49]
Split
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The coastal city of Split is the second largest city in Croatia, and is known for its Roman heritage which includes UNESCO-protected Diocletian's Palace.[50] The city was built around a palace on the Croatian Adriatic coast. The Split Cathedral stems from the palace. The Makarska Riviera is a stretch of coastline. Makarska, Brela, Omiš, and Baška Voda are the most popular.
The large islands of this region, include the town of Hvar, known for its fishing and tourism industries. Hvar has a mild Mediterranean climate and Mediterranean vegetation. The island has over 2715 hours of sunlight in an average year.[51] Cultural and artistic events within the Hvar Summer Festival take place throughout the summer, from late June to late September.[52][53]
The Cathedral of St. Stephen and the Bishop's Palace have a Renaissance-baroque style, and a façade with three-cornered gable and a Renaissance Bell Tower in Romanesque style from the 16th century, created by Venetian artists.[54] Notable islands in the region include Brač, Čiovo, Šolta, and Vis.
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The old city of Trogir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains a mixture of influence from the Hellenistic period, Romans, and Venetians with its Greek architecture, Romanesque churches, Renaissance and Baroque buildings.[55] Trogir is a preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex in Central Europe. Trogir's medieval core, surrounded by walls, comprises a preserved castle and tower and a series of dwellings and palaces. The Cathedral of St. Lawrence is in this town, whose main west portal was constructed by Radovan. Another notable attraction is the Kamerlengo Castle.
Dubrovnik
The fortified city of Dubrovnik is a coastal area in Southern Croatia. The Sponza Palace is located here, which dates from the 16th century and is currently used to house the National Archives.[56] The Rector's Palace is a Gothic-Renaissance structure that now houses a museum.[57][58][59]
The St. Saviour Church is another remnant of the Renaissance period, next to the Franciscan Monastery.[60][61][62] Dubrovnik's is home to St Blaise's Church, built in the 18th century in honor of Dubrovnik's patron saint. Dubrovnik's baroque Cathedral houses relics of Saint Blaise. The city's Dominican Monastery resembles a fortress on the outside but the interior contains an art museum and a Gothic-Romanesque church.[63][64] The Dominican monastery is its library with over 220 incunabula, numerous illustrated manuscripts, an archive with manuscripts and documents and an extensive art collection.[65][66][67] A feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run 2 km around the city. The walls run from four to six metres thick on the landward side but are thinner on the seaward side. The system of turrets and towers were intended to protect the city.[68] Just off the coast of Dubrovnik is the forested island of Lokrum. The small island has a castle, a thousand-year-old Benedictine monastery, and a botanical garden initially started by Maximilian I of Mexico in the 19th century.
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The nearby islands include the historical island of Korčula. The Catholic inhabitants of Korčula demonstrate a weapon dance, the Moreška, dating back to the Middle Ages, during ceremonies.[69][70] The main town's historic sites include the central Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of St Mark (built from 1301 to 1806), the 15th-century Franciscan monastery with Venetian Gothic cloister, the civic council chambers, the palace of the former Venetian governors, grand 15th and 16th-century palaces of the local merchant nobles, and the city fortifications.
Further along the Adriatic are the forests of Mljet island. Over 72% of the island of 98.01 square kilometres (37.84 sq mi) is forest. Its geological structure consists of limestone and dolomite forming ridges, crests and slopes. A few depressions on the island of Mljet are below sea level and are known as blatine ("mud-lakes") or slatine ("salt-lakes"). During the rain seasons, all blatine are filled with water and turn to brackish during dry seasons.
Central and Northern Croatia
The northern part, with the hilly area of Zagorje and Međimurje, maintains castles and spas, and the old city of Varaždin. In Međimurje, there are mineral springs in Vučkovec and around Sveti Martin na Muri, both in the northern part of the county and near the Mura.
In Čakovec Castle, are the Međimurje County Museum and an art gallery. In the chapel of Sveta Jelena in Šenkovec, and in the Church of St Jerome in Štrigova, there are Baroque frescoes of Ivan Ranger dating between 1776 and 1786. Prelog is home to the Church of St James, built in 1761.
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Varaždin is in continental Croatia. The Varaždin Old Town (a fortress) is a medieval defensive building originating in the 14th century. Varaždin's Cathedral, a former Jesuit church, was built in 1647, 18th-century altar, and paintings.[71][72] Varaždin is the host of the "Radar festival", which hosts concerts at the end of summer.[73]
The Marian shrine of Marija Bistrica is the country's largest pilgrimage spot. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit the site every year where the 14th-century church has stood. The church is known for the statue known as Black Madonna with Child, dating to the Ottoman invasion in the 16th century when the statue was hidden in the church and then lost for decades until its discovery. Behind the church is the process of "the Way of the Cross", in which pilgrims begin the trek that leads to Calvary Hill. Pope John Paul II visited the site in 1998 in his second tour of Croatia.[74] Central Croatia has some natural highlights, such as the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park.
Slavonia
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The area of Baranja has the Kopački Rit National Park, a large swamp with a variety of fauna and birds. It is one of the largest intact wetlands in Europe, hosting about 260 various bird species such as wild geese and ducks, great white egret, white stork, black stork, white-tailed eagle, crows, Eurasian coot, gulls, terns, common kingfisher, and European green woodpecker.[75] The cultural center is the historical city of Osijek, with its baroque style buildings, such as the Church of St. Peter and Paul, a neo-Gothic structure with the second highest tower in Croatia after the Zagreb Cathedral.
The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Đakovo is the town of Đakovo's primary landmark and sacral object throughout the region of Slavonia. There are three major yearly events celebrating folklore in Slavonia and Baranja: Đakovački vezovi, Vinkovačke jeseni and Brodsko kolo.[76] They present traditional folk costumes, folklore dancing and singing groups, customs, with a parade of horses and wedding wagons. During the Đakovački vezovi, the Đakovo Cathedral hosts choirs, opera artists, and art exhibitions are organized in the exhibition salon. Ilok and the war-torn city of Vukovar are also points of interest in the area.
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia. It is the country's largest cultural center, with many museums and galleries. The historical part of the city to the north of Ban Jelačić Square is composed of the Gornji Grad and Kaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings, along with a major city symbol, the Zagreb Cathedral.
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Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections. The Archaeological Museum consists of nearly 400,000 varied artifacts and monuments, have been gathered over the years from many different sources.[77] The Croatian Natural History Museum holds a collection of Neanderthal remains found at one site.[78] These are the remains, stone weapons and tools of prehistoric "Krapina man". The holdings of the Croatian Natural History Museum comprise more than 250,000 specimens distributed among various different collections.
There are about 20 permanent or seasonal theaters and stages. The Croatian National Theater in Zagreb was built in 1895 and opened by Franz Joseph I of Austria. A concert hall, the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, named after the composer of the first Croatian opera, was built in 1973. Animafest, the World Festival of Animated Films, takes place every even-numbered year, and the Music Bienniale, the international festival of avant-garde music, every odd-numbered year. The Festival of the Zagreb Philharmonic and the flowers exhibition Floraart, the Old-timer Rally annual events. Zagreb is the host of Zagrebfest, the oldest Croatian pop-music festival, as well as of several traditional international sports events and tournaments. The Day of the City of Zagreb on 16 November is celebrated every year with special festivities, especially on the Jarun Lake near the southwestern part of the city.
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Primary destinations
North Croatia
- Trakošćan Castle is a castle built in the 13th century atop a hill in Trakošćan.[79]
Central Croatia
- Plitvice Lakes National Park is a forest reserve with terraced lakes connected by waterfalls.[80]
South Croatia
- Paklenica is a national park in Starigrad featuring the karst river canyon.[81]
- Walls of Dubrovnik are defensive historic walls lining the city of Dubrovnik.[82]
- St. Blaise's Church is a Baroque church in Dubrovnik dedicated to the patron saint of Dubrovnik.[83]
Secondary destinations
North Croatia
- St Mark's Church is a 13th-century styled church in Zagreb with medieval architecture.[84]
- Museum of Broken Relationships is an exhibit located in a baroque palace in Zagreb showcasing objects of former couples.[85]
- Mimara Museum is an art museum in Zagreb.[86]
- Croatian Museum of Naïve Art is an art museum in Zagreb showcasing pieces in the naïve art style.[87]
Central Croatia
- Pula Arena is a Roman amphitheatre in the city of Pula
- Euphrasian Basilica is a cathedral in Poreč.[88]
South Croatia
- Krka National Park is a national park along the Krka River with travertine waterfalls.[89]
- Ivan Meštrović Gallery is an art museum in Split showcasing the work of Ivan Meštrović.[90]
- Diocletian's Palace is a ruin from Roman emperor Diocletian located in the city of Split.[91]
- Cathedral of Saint Domnius is a Catholic cathedral in Split built from a Roman mausoleum and with a bell tower.[92]
- Lovrijenac is a 16th-century fortress and theater along the Walls of Dubrovnik.[93]
- Rector's Palace is a palace built in the Gothic style in Dubrovnik.[94]
- War Photo Limited is a gallery in Dubrovnik dedicated to pictures depicting war.[95]
- Dubrovnik Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral. It is the seat of the Diocese of Dubrovnik.[96]
- Dominican Monastery is a religious complex founded in 1225 in Dubrovnik.[97]
- Trsteno Arboretum is a 15th-century arboretum in Trsteno.[98]
- Zlatni Rat is a spit of land near the city of Bol.
- Blue Grotto is a water logged sea cave.[99]
- Telašćica is a nature park on the Dugi Otok island.[100]
- Church of St Donatus is a church in Zadar constructed in the 9th century.[101]
- Šibenik Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Šibenik.[102]
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World Heritage Sites
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Perspective
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has included the following 10 Croatian sites on its World Heritage List:
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Overtourism in Dubrovnik
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Perspective
Overtourism is a substantial issue in Dubrovnik Old Town. The city is reported to be the most touristed in Europe – more so than Venice and Barcelona – receiving 36 overnight tourists per resident per year. [113] In 2019, the city received almost 1.5 million overnight tourists against a population of just 41,000 people. Excessive visitors damage infrastructure and heritage sites, cause traffic jams and pollution, price out residents, and change neighborhood dynamics.[114]
The HBO series Game of Thrones, for which Dubrovnik was a major filming location, has attracted around 60,000 people to the city per year according to the Zagreb Institute of Economics.[115] In 2017, the city received 742,000 cruise tourists from 538 ships – and the rise during the 2010s of European low-cost flights and related Airbnb listings.[116]
In response to overcrowding concerns, in 2016, UNESCO threatened to remove Dubrovnik Old Town’s World Heritage status unless it started to curb tourism numbers.[117] In 2018 in an attempt to solve the overtourism problem, the city introduced staggered arrivals for cruise ships – allowing only two to be in dock at one time – and limiting cruise arrivals into the historic core of the city to 4,000 per day, half the number recommended by UNESCO.[118] Measures to limit overcrowding introduced in 2018 included cutting 80% of souvenir stands and reducing outdoor seating at restaurants by 20%.[119]
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Tourism statistics
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Perspective
Arrivals by country
Most visitors arriving to Croatia on short-term basis were from the following countries of nationality:
Tourist arrivals to Croatia in the 2020s
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See also
References
External links
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