New statistical data is here: 2019 was the record tourism season for Croatia. To be honest I was not surprised when I saw the latest results by Croatian central bureau of statistics that 2019 was the record tourism season. From year to year, I see more investments in Croatian tourism, especially in Istria, and this should start to pay off.

According to official data published on their site, during summer months, June – September, there were 14,13 million tourists. This is 4,5% more compared to the previous year. There were in total 76,68 million overnight stays, which is an increase of 2,2 % compared to 2018.

The most popular destinations are unchanged during the last couple of years. Dubrovnik was always Croatian top-destination and being King´s Landing in Game of Thrones made it one of the top destinations worldwide. Record tourism season was also reached thanks to the cities in Istria like Rovinj, Porec, and Medulin. Those cities are year by year in the most visited places in Croatia.

Here we should also not forget about continental tourism. Although Croatia is always perceived as a Mediterranean country, it can also offer amazing experiences if you decide to wander along the continental part. From rocky Gorski Kotar, over the capital of Zagreb and all the way till the eastern part of Slavonija and Baranja.

Where I also see big improvements are the increase in overnight stays during the off-season. Somehow in Croatia season was always considered to last from the end of June till the end of August, but May, and especially September were somehow always considered as not that attractive months. If you are looking for still warm enough sea, but with less, sometimes difficult to handle crowds of tourists, trust me, those months are a time to come, you have our full recommendation.