Croatia recorded 20.5 million tourists and 106.6 million overnight stays from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, a 3-percent increase in arrivals and a 1-percent rise in overnight stays compared to last year, Croatian Minister of Tourism and Sport Tonci Glavina said on Saturday.
October alone saw 1.2 million arrivals and 3.9 million overnight stays, an 8-percent year-on-year growth in both metrics, Glavina said.
The minister said that the strong tourism figures in the off-season indicate Croatia’s appeal as a year-round destination. “We are actively working on a comprehensive reform to ensure similar success in the future,” he added.
Data from Croatia’s eVisitor system showed that the largest number of overnight stays came from tourists from Germany (22.2 million), Croatia (12.6 million), and Slovenia (10.7 million).
Croatia’s tourism revenue, which accounts for one-fifth of the national economy, is expected to reach a record 15.2 billion euros (about 16.54 billion U.S. dollars) this year, according to the Croatian National Bank. ■