Organised travels were limited in 2021 and, despite aid schemes and measures to retain jobs, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia and around the world still had a direct impact on tourist activity and the operation of Croatian travel agencies.
In 2021, Croatian travel agencies organised trips with overnight stays inside Croatia for 280 thousand domestic tourists, who realised 1.1 million tourist nights, which was 74.5% more domestic tourists and 75.1% more tourist nights compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, it was a decrease of 26.2% in the number of domestic tourists and of 22.1% in the number of tourist nights.
The number of domestic tourists who travelled abroad amounted to 44 thousand, who realised 172 thousand nights. Compared to 2020, the number of domestic tourists who travelled abroad decreased by 15.6% and they realised 16.3% less nights. Compared to 2019, the number of domestic tourists who travelled abroad decreased by 87.0% and they realised 86.2% less nights.
Most of domestic tourists who travelled abroad visited Italy (14.1%). Those were followed by travels to Turkey (9.1%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (8.5%), Hungary (6.0%), Slovenia (5.4%), France and Germany (4.7% each), Austria (3.0%), the United Arab Emirates (2.7%), and the USA (2.4%).
In 2021, the number of domestic same-day visitors whose trips were organised by Croatian travel agencies amounted to 100 thousand. Compared to 2020, the number of domestic same-day visitors in Croatia increased by 125.7%, while their number on trips abroad increased by 11.2%. Domestic same-day visitors whose trips abroad were organised by Croatian travel agencies travelled mostly to Bosnia and Herzegovina (41.4%). Compared to 2019, the number of domestic same-day visitors on trips inside Croatia decreased by 64.8%, while their number on trips abroad decreased by 92.8%.
In 2021, Croatian travel agencies arranged trips with overnight stays inside Croatia for 1.2 million foreign tourists, who realised 8.1 million tourist nights, which was an increase of 100.5% in the number of foreign tourists and of 99.5% in the number of nights compared to 2020. Despite that, compared to 2019, foreign tourists realised 54.9% less arrivals and 49.9% less nights.
Traditionally, the largest number of nights realised by foreign tourists in Croatia who travelled through the mediation of Croatian travel agencies were realised by tourists from Germany (39.6%). Those were followed by nights realised by tourists from Austria (8.0%), Poland (7.5%), Slovenia (7.4%), the Czech Republic (7.0%) and the United Kingdom (6.2%). The number of nights realised by tourists from all of these countries increased in 2021 compared to 2020.
Hotels include: hotels, heritage hotels, all-suite hotels, integral hotels, spa hotels and special-standard hotels.
Camping sites include: camping sites, small camps, quickstop camping, Robinson-type quickstop camping in which accommodation services were rendered by hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs (legal entity or natural person), households and private family farms as well as organised off-site camping sites.
Rooms, apartments, studio-type sites and summer houses include: rooms, apartments, studio-type suites, summer houses in which accommodation services were rendered by hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs (legal entity or natural person), households and private family farms.
Other accommodation includes: hostels, mountain and hunting lodges and accommodation on vessels on cruise.
