Fresh data from Croatia's biggest tourism survey shows visitors are opening their wallets wider than before, with the Adriatic coast and the inland regions now pulling in almost identical daily spend per person.
The TOMAS Croatia 2025/2026 study, run by the Institute for Tourism and presented at the Croatian National Tourist Board with tourism minister Tonči Glavina in attendance, surveyed 14,770 tourists across the country. On the coast, average daily spending hit €162 per person — up 15% on 2022. Continental Croatia, covering Zagreb and the inland regions, reached €164 per day, a steeper 21% rise. The gap between coast and interior has effectively closed.
One detail worth noting: a growing slice of coastal spending now goes on extras beyond accommodation and food — excursions, sports, cultural events, entertainment and local transport. For travellers, that reflects a Croatia offering more to do than beach-and-ice-cream holidays, and for the country it means each visitor is worth more than raw arrival numbers suggest.
The guest profile is shifting too. On the Adriatic, 74% of surveyed tourists reported household income above €4,000 a month, pointing to a wealthier coastal clientele. Croatia is also attracting newcomers: first-time foreign visitors jumped from 14% in 2022 to 22% in 2025, while 60% of foreign guests have been at least three times. New blood and loyal regulars, in other words.
Satisfaction scores remain strong. Adriatic visitors rated the natural beauty, safety and atmosphere highest, while those inland singled out personal safety, local hospitality, the overall stay and the cultural and artistic offer. A striking 69% of continental Croatia guests said they would almost certainly recommend their destination, against 58% on the coast.
Why should a traveller care? The numbers hint at where Croatia is heading. Higher-spending, more demanding guests usually push destinations to improve quality — better restaurants, more year-round events, richer cultural programming — especially inland, where the authorities are keen to spread business beyond the summer season. Continental Croatia is quietly becoming a serious short-break option rather than a place you pass through en route to the sea. And if you've never been, you're far from alone: the share of first-timers has risen sharply, so Croatia remains very welcoming to newcomers even though most guests are repeat visitors.
Minister Glavina framed the goal as creating more value from every arrival rather than simply chasing volume — longer stays, year-round tourism, and tighter links between accommodation, gastronomy, culture and sport. That strategy should translate into more to see and do outside peak July and August, which is exactly when savvy travellers might want to visit.
For anyone weighing a Croatian trip, the takeaway is simple: the country is performing well on the measures that matter to visitors — safety, hospitality, atmosphere and things to do — and the inland half is catching up with the famous coast.
