Croatia's tourism minister Tonči Glavina has publicly endorsed price caps on festive food and drink at this year's Advent markets, and several major cities have already put them in place. The idea is simple: keep a slice of the Christmas market menu affordable so locals actually turn up, and hope visitors follow.

Split is capping prices for the first time ever. Under the city's public call, issued through city company Žnjan, vendors must sell a portion of fritule (at least 150 grams) for no more than €4, while hot dogs and sausages (minimum 80 grams) top out at €3. A two-decilitre serving of mulled wine or hot chocolate cannot exceed €3, tea is capped at €2.50 and half a litre of water must stay under €2. The caps apply to these seven listed products only — not the whole stall — and, in another first, the city will now score applicants on the quality of their food and drink, not just how much rent they offer.

Pula has adopted a similar model. Fritule, pancakes and Christmas cookies cost at most €3 a portion, mulled wine, hot chocolate and cocoa are capped at €3, and hot dogs, hamburgers and bakalar at €5. Tea and water max out at €2. Unlike Split, vendors there only have to offer at least one product at the capped price and can set the rest themselves. Poreč has run this system for years and will keep it for the coming season.

Glavina's reasoning is that domestic spending is what makes or breaks an Advent market — locals are the backbone of revenue, atmosphere and hospitality, and they're price-sensitive. He also frames Advent as a key piece of Croatia's push toward year-round tourism, keeping December and January busy rather than dead. For the first time, the Croatian National Tourist Board is running a national campaign with the main Advent destinations aimed at Croatia's core inbound markets, and the minister expects visitor numbers this festive season could be the highest yet.

Split's Advent runs from 27 November to 6 January, with stalls on the Riva waterfront, at Prokurative, in Đardin and out in Stobreč.

Why it matters for travellers: winter city breaks in Croatia have crept up in price, and a coffee-and-fritule stop at a market stall can sting. These caps guarantee a baseline — you'll always find a reasonably priced drink or snack even if the rest of the menu is free-priced. If you've been put off by Zurich- or Vienna-level market prices, Croatia's Advent season just got a lot more approachable, and the Riva at dusk with a €3 cup of mulled wine is a solid deal.