In 2018 Croatia recorded a total of 19.7 million tourist arrivals and more than 106 million bed nights, which was respectively up by 6.5 percent and 4 percent compared to 2017 and represents record highs in both categories.

The data was presented by the director of the national tourist board, Kristjan Stanicic, in the northern Adriatic resort town of Opatija on Tuesday.

Stanicic added that the national tourist board would continue promoting Croatia’s tourism in markets from which large numbers of tourists usually come to Croatia.

The largest share of Croatia’s visitors traditionally come from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Italy, and the tourist industry accounts for nearly 20 percent of the country’s GDP.

He added that investments in Croatia’s tourism sector in 2018 amounted to €1 billion, which is expected to remain unchanged in 2019.

Earlier this year, Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said that most of the investments in Croatia’s tourism sector in 2018 would be in building and upgrading its 4- and 5-star hotels, in an attempt to increase the industry’s revenue amid increasing competition from other Mediterranean countries.

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