Croatian tourism is looking set to benefit from general fears of distant travel as the American and Israeli attacks on Iran disrupt the sector for many countries closer to the fallout.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Edita Vlahovic Zuvela writes, the ongoing war in the Middle East and fears of a new wave of energy and travel price hikes have loomed over the world. Despite those woes, Croatian tourism is entering the 2026 season with more optimism than panic. While the global tourism market is recovering faster than previously predicted, Croatian tourism has a real chance not only to match, but also to exceed last year’s results as people are abandoning more distant travel plans.
“It’s still too premature to draw any real conclusions regarding this year’s tourism results, especially in the context of the situation unfolding across the Middle East. However, so far this year, bookings for Croatia in most markets, especially European ones, are either at last year’s level or slightly better. We must also take into account the impact of last-minute bookings because, given the security and economic circumstances, travellers will make their final travel decisions just before their trip,” Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), explained.
According to projections by the World Tourism Organisation, international tourism is expected to grow by between 3 and 4% in 2026, provided that global economic conditions remain favourable, service prices continue to correct downwards, and geopolitical conflicts do not continue to seriously escalate.
Croatia is one of several countries likely to benefit from global woes
“It’s to be expected that some European travellers will replace distant destinations with trips to closer and more accessible countries. This is also indicated by data from the European Travel Commission, according to which European travellers will redirect their trips to destinations like Croatia, Italy, Spain and Malta,” said Staničić. The European Travel Commission also predicts that international arrivals to Europe will increase by around 6% in 2026.
Croatia is entering 2026 with an upward trend in tourism – 2025 exceeded the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the number of overnight stays was 3.9% higher than before the pandemic, and the season has measurably extended, according to analyses by Goran Buturac More
