Forty percent of Croatian citizens plan to spend their summer holidays in Croatia this year, while 32% are considering it, with 56% worried about price growth and inflation, shows the MasterIndex survey conducted by Mastercard in April, covering 1,000 respondents aged 18-55.

The survey shows that a majority of those who plan to vacation in Croatia this summer will do so on the coast and that 52% will opt for private accommodation.

One-third of those choosing private accommodation will stay in their own summer house or with relatives or friends, while 17% will stay in a hotel, most of whom (37%) with higher incomes. Six percent of respondents will stay in campsites.

For 60% of respondents, the accommodation price-quality ratio is the most important in choosing a destination, while 42% wish to spend their vacation in smaller destinations to avoid crowds.

The climate is important for 39% of respondents, transport connectivity for 36%, cuisine for 30% and culture for 26%.

Compared with 2022, the percentage of those who plan and think about spending their summer holidays in Croatia this year is similar at 72%, which is more than in 2020 and 2021.

Sixty-one percent of respondents book their accommodation online or via travel agencies, for which 53% pay by credit card and 41% in cash.

Besides price growth, financial insecurity constitutes a certain obstacle to going on holiday for 18% of respondents, down from 43% last year, but 21% said they could not afford it, up from 3% in 2022.

Among those who don’t plan to go on holiday this summer, 31% live on the coast. Men account for 18% and women for 6% of those don’t wish to go to the seaside.

Four percent of respondents plan to spend this summer abroad, mostly due to better prices.

Moreover, 90% of respondents plan to travel this year, including 77% in Croatia, while one in four would like to travel to a neighbouring country or elsewhere in Europe. Travel in Croatia is 6% less popular than in 2022, while there is a higher interest in visiting the countries in the region and 7% of respondents plan to visit another continent.