In 2023, residents of Croatia spent nearly €2.2 billion on multi-day trips within the country and abroad, and €387 million on day trips, according to data provided by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

The data also indicates that approximately 51 per cent of the population did not travel at all due to financial constraints.

Due to the absence of a direct comparison with the previous year (2022), the DZS clarifies that the 2023 data were estimated based on the results of the 2021 census, whereas previously published data were estimated from the 2011 census.

This discrepancy has resulted in a break in the time series data, making the 2023 data incomparable with previous years.

To compile these statistics for 2023, the DZS conducted four waves of research (quarterly) through computer-assisted telephone interviews on a representative sample of 22,000 Croatian residents aged 15 and older.

€1.7 billion spent on leisure travel, €458 million on business trips

According to the DZS data, Croatian residents spent an average of €386 per multi-day trip (both leisure and business) domestically and abroad in 2023, averaging about €68 per day.

Of a total of 5.7 million multi-day trips (with two or more overnight stays), five million were leisure trips, with residents spending a total of €1.7 billion. Of this amount, €921 million was spent on 3.2 million domestic trips, and €815 million on 1.7 million international trips, primarily to Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by Italy, Slovenia, Germany, and Austria.

For the 684,000 business trips in 2023, Croatian residents spent €458 million, with the majority of these trips also being domestic rather than international.

More than half of the population did not go on any multi-day trips

The DZS data indicate that over half of Croatia’s residents, about 51%, did not take any multi-day trips in 2023, primarily due to financial constraints.

Of the approximately 49% or 1.6 million people aged 15 and over who did take at least one multi-day trip last year, there were slightly more women (833,000) than men (797,000). The majority of these travellers were aged between 35 and 54 and most travelled by car.

Most of these trips, involving 1.3 million people, lasted four or more nights and took place mainly during the summer months. The most common reasons for travel were visiting family and friends and vacationing by the sea, with many staying with relatives and friends.

€387 million spent on 6.9 million one-day trips

In addition to multi-day trips, residents of Croatia took 6.9 million one-day trips in 2023, of which 6.5 million were leisure travel and 438,000 were business-related, spending approximately €387 million.

Most of the leisure trips (5.5 million) were within Croatia, with total expenditures amounting to €257 million. For one-day trips abroad, they spent €90 million.

Croatians spent €41 million on 438,000 business-related one-day trips, of which €29 million was spent on 344,000 trips within Croatia.