Travel restrictions, border closures, quarantine regulations and the adoption of epidemiological measures in Croatia and around the world, in order to prevent the spread of the infection, had a negative impact on tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia in 2020.
A total of 2.2 million or 62.4% of the population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over did not go on private trips with overnight stays in 2020. The most common reason for not going on private trips with overnight stays, for the first time since the tourist activity of Croatian population has been continuously monitored (since 2007), was safety, that is, due to the COVID-19 pandemic (62.7%), while in previous years, the most common reasons for not going on trips were financial and health reasons.
In 2020, a total of 1.3 million persons or 37.6% of the population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over went on at least one private trip with overnight stays, which was a decrease of 30.8% compared to 2019.
A total of 2.8 million private trips with overnight stays were realised in 2020, which was a decrease of 45.6% compared to the previous year. Of the total realised private trips with overnight stays, the most were realised in the Republic of Croatia, 84.6%, and only 15.4% abroad. The most common international destinations were Bosnia and Herzegovina (28.2%), Germany (15.1%), Austria (13.2%), Slovenia (12.0%), Italy (5.9%), and Serbia (4.5%).
Compared to 2019, Croatian population went on 28.6% less private trips with overnights stays in Croatia and 76.4% less trips abroad.
The most common reasons for going on a private trip with overnight stays in 2020 were seaside vacation and visiting relatives and friends.
Croatian population aged 15 and over realised a total of 18.6 million nights on private trips with overnight stays in 2020, which was a decrease of 34.2% compared to the previous year. On private trips with overnight stays in the Republic of Croatia, 22.1% less nights were realised, while as much as 59.2% less nights were realised on private trips with overnight stays abroad. Despite the situation relating to the pandemic in Croatia and the world, more nights were realised per one private trip with overnight stays. An average of 6 nights were realised on trips in the Republic of Croatia, while for trips abroad the average amounted to 9 nights, which was 4 nights more than in 2019.
The total expenditure on private trips with overnight stays in the Republic of Croatia in 2020 amounted to 4.7 billion kuna, which was 49.9% less than in the previous year. Average travel expenditure per private trip in Croatia amounted to 1 356 kuna and per private trip abroad to 3 387 kuna.
A decrease was also recorded in business/professional trips with overnight stays in 2020. There were 62.4% less business/professional trips in the Republic of Croatia and 85.4% less business/professional trips abroad than in 2019.
In 2020, the population of the Republic of Croatia aged 15 and over realised 3.9 million same-day visits, which was a decrease of 51.7% compared to the previous year.
Additional information:
Tourist activity of the population of the Republic of Croatia, 2020