The estimated revenue from premium accommodation, which includes hotels, campsites, villas and marinas, in Croatia last year was 1.4 billion euros. This data comes from a study conducted by the 505 consulting agency for the Stories platform of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce on the potential of premium tourism in the global and domestic market. The study was presented at the anniversary of the founding of the Croatian Chamber of Economy’s premium tourism platform, Stories – Experience Premium Croatia.
“We were among the first to recognize the need to develop premium tourism and network stakeholders, so we are now celebrating one year of the Stories premium tourism platform. We bring together more than 150 stakeholders from all segments of premium tourism. Our goal is to position Croatia as a year-round and sustainable tourist destination with an emphasis on authenticity and excellence. I believe that with the help of Stories and the support of the relevant ministry, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other partners, we will succeed in this,” said the President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, Luka Burilović.
According to the analysis of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Croatia already offers 20 thousand premium hotel rooms (22%), around 10 thousand premium campsites (12%), almost 3 thousand higher and high category holiday homes (14%), and almost 9 thousand premium berths in marinas (39%). Out of a total of 92 restaurants included in the Michelin Guide recommendations for 2024 in Croatia, one restaurant has 2 Michelin stars, 10 restaurants have one Michelin star and three restaurants have a Michelin green star.
“The strategic goal of Croatian tourism is to position Croatia as a year-round destination of excellence, authenticity and sustainability, with an emphasis on the offer in the premium segment. Guided by this goal, the Government of the Republic of Croatia has secured record funds in the amount of 1.3 billion euros for projects to improve the quality of the tourist offer by 2030. In this context, the Stories platform is extremely important because it contributes to strengthening and building a recognizable and sustainable quality offer in Croatia, which directly increases the competitiveness and recognition of our country on the global tourist map,” said the Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina.
More than 6 thousand new 4- and 5-star hotel rooms will open in Croatia by 2027. This will improve the picture of accommodation capacities, as currently only about 9 percent are hotels. Of the total hotel capacities, more than half (52%) of them belong to the higher and high category segment.
“Premium tourism is on the rise, our research has shown that travelers are increasingly looking for authentic, personalized experiences and are willing to pay more for them. The long-term goal of the Stories platform is to position Croatia as a high-quality destination to the point where we have up to 20 percent of premium and luxury tourists in the arrivals structure. The challenges of seasonality and accommodation structure are present, but we are gradually overcoming them. Last year’s revenue from premium accommodation, as well as the planned increase in high-quality hotel capacities over the next two years, make us optimistic that Croatia is heading in the right direction,” said Andreja Vukojević, Director of the Tourism Sector at the Croatian Chamber of Economy.
Source: Croatian Chamber of Economy