Croatia: Hotel prices rise drastically - vacationers are frustrated!

Croatia: Hotel prices rise drastically - vacationers are frustrated!

The current holiday season shows a mixed picture in Croatia that is characterized by rising prices and falling visitor numbers. Compared to the previous year, the hotels raised the prices of an average of 4.6 percent, which coincides with developments in other EU Middle Middle countries such as France, Italy and Spain. These price adjustments are particularly due to the severely increased operating costs, which are not least caused by the labor costs, which have increased by 11.7 percent. According to merkur have been working costs in hotel and gestures in the past four years Croatia even rose in two digits.

But what does that mean for the vacationer? Many of them complain about high costs when booking hotels, food in restaurants and beach service. The consequence: In May 2025 there was a decline in hotel accommodation by 14 percent compared to the previous year. This tendency is accompanied by the high prices and an oversupply of accommodations, which also heats up the competition in the tourism sector. kroati.de reports of a decline in the number of tourists in the pre-season 2024, especially in May and June.

A look back at the challenges

The challenges for the tourism industry in Croatia are diverse. In addition to rising prices, there are also difficulties such as an acute shortage of skilled workers that currently affect 10,000 workers. Almost 25,000 new beds in private accommodation are created annually, but demand drops due to the economic situation and high inflation in Germany, which detered many potential holidaymakers. At the same time, Croatia has 9.5 percent the lowest proportion of hotel accommodation in the entire Mediterranean.

The countries of origin of tourists also show an interesting development. While the number of tourists from the roof room are in the decline, vacationers from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are enjoying an increase of 15 percent. In the ranking of countries of origin, Germany (17 percent) and Slovenia (11 percent) show the front places.

The economic aspects

The financial aspects are also not to be neglected. Between 2015 and 2024, prices in the entire tourism sector rose by an estimated 70 percent, and in May 2024 the price increase in restaurants and hotels reached 10.7 percent. Here you ask yourself: Can travelers still afford it? The answer is clear, many seems to have become too expensive, especially if you look at the 20 to 50 percent decline in sales in the catering trade.

If you look at the expenses of the tourists, they spent an average of around 833 euros per person in 2022, while Croatians spend a little more abroad with around 1,047 euros annually. According to the data used, these numbers have been extensively developed to ensure international comparability.

This remains to be seen how Croatia will position itself as a holiday country. The next steps could be crucial for whether the country will remain a popular travel destination or whether the tourists fail.