March the 19th, 2025 – The German economy is continuing to find itself in hardship, but will it have a knock on effect on the Croatian 2025 season?
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, among the four hundred million tourists who choose Mediterranean countries for their summer break each year, German nationals dominate in many countries. The world’s biggest travellers are also traditionally the number one guests in Croatia.
In addition to being the most numerous, German tourists are also among the most loyal to the Croatian coastline, but also among the most popular with locals, as a survey showed several years ago. Croatian hosts love their German guests because they’re modest, tidy, and take care of everything as if it were their own. Since then, the number of German guests on holiday in this country has only grown, except for during the pandemic-dominated period, as reported by Večernji list.
The only thing that has changed is that the formerly extremely strong German economy has run into difficulties.
Romeo Draghicchio, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board’s (HTZ) Frankfurt office, revealed more about what this will mean for German travel and the Croatian 2025 tourist season. He also touched on whether the Adriatic coast’s price increases from last year and 2023 have spoiled the prospects for a successful Croatian 2025 season.
The season of the main tourist fairs in Germany has now drawn to a close. is it now clearer how much and where Germans plan to travel this year?
After the end of the period of increased demand for tourist packages, which was accompanied by discounts until the end of February, trends can be observed that will characterise the demand of German consumers for the Croatian 2025 tourist season. The main conclusion is that the situation on the German market will be stable by then and shouldn’t differ significantly from last year. That means that the number of trips by German nationals is estimated to be around 69 million. For now, that means we can conclude that certain economic developments won’t have a strong impact on tourist flows into Croatia from the German market.
Will Croatia remain in the top ten when it comes to summer holidays?
Last year, Croatia ranked in sixth place among foreign destinations. It was in the same position back in 2019, but the market share in 2024 was almost one percentage point higher than it was in 2019. This means that, although it’s in the same position, Croatia’s market share last year was significantly higher than before the coronavirus pandemic and that Croatia’s position is more favourable overall.
2025 will see germany the most burdened by the recession and price increases at home, and then higher prices in tourist destinations. will we have a repeat of the record of 3.4 million arrivals in Croatia from 2022?
Despite challenges with the German economy and price increases, German tourists continue to show a very high interest in travelling, especially to destinations that offer good value for money. The results from 2022, when Croatia achieved 3.4 million arrivals and 25 million overnight stays by German tourists, were excellent.
Back during the 2022 season, some competing destinations hadn’t yet fully recovered from the COVID-19 crisis nor had they organised themselves to attract a larger number of German tourists. Airlines also posed a major problem, which is why a significant part of tourist traffic from Germany was redirected to destinations easily accessible by road. Croatia as a destination ranked excellently here and therefore achieved very good results. Last year, Croatia achieved around 3.2 million arrivals from Germans alone, which is actually better than the results from the pre-pandemic period.
Last summer and in summer 2023, German guests complained a lot about price increases along the Adriatic. Is this issue still in focus?
The topic of price increases on the Adriatic coast was very relevant and prominent last year. It of course still exists, but it isn’t as pronounced. The price increases don’t solely apply to Croatian tourism, as they’re also noticeable in other destinations. It’s certain that the market itself is increasingly accepting the fact that the value of the Croatian tourism brand is growing. However, in all these circumstances, the most important thing is that as a destination, Croatia continues being recognised for having a top quality offer. A good value for money ratio is key.
Croatia is no longer a low-budget tourist destination. Will this and the coming years see a shift in guests; from Germans with a more modest budget to more affluent ones?
Croatia is increasingly being profiled as a destination for tourists with greater purchasing power, but it still offers a diverse offer that can satisfy different budgets. It’s expected that this trend will continue in the coming years. In accordance with the offer of individual destinations, Croatia is visited by different profiles of guests from Germany – from those with higher to those with medium purchasing power. At the same time, guests with medium purchasing power hold a larger market share. Looking at the situation in absolute numbers, Germans make up a significant part of those guests who book more expensive packages in Croatia.
What remains the main Croatian tourist asset on the German market?
Croatia’s main assets on the German market remain totally unchanged: a beautiful coastline, rich cultural heritage, an amazing gastronomic offer and opportunities for active and sustainable tourism. In addition to all of that, the proximity of the destination, the hospitality of locals and the safety levels are Croatia’s comparative advantages.
