The first joint campaign by HTZ and Booking.com generated over 500 bookings and eight million impressions, but some holders of the 'Your Host' label believe it was launched too late to have a significant impact on this year's occupancy.
The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) and Booking.com have expressed satisfaction with their first joint promotional campaign dedicated exclusively to family accommodation, but opinions among hosts carrying the 'Your Host' (Local Host) label are divided. While institutions highlight concrete numbers, some renters claim the campaign was launched too late and did not significantly affect their bookings.
The campaign, titled 'Experience Real Croatia,' ran during June and July 2026 in five key markets: Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. According to data from HTZ's press release, it generated over eight million impressions and nearly 500 confirmed bookings. HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić did not hide his enthusiasm.
"We are extremely satisfied with the results of the first Local Host label campaign on Booking.com, as well as the overall impact of promotional activities focused on this label so far," Staničić stated.
The project has so far gathered more than 3,570 properties with over 21,170 beds. Most are located in Istria, Kvarner, and Split-Dalmatia County, with Crikvenica, Dubrovnik, Pula, Rovinj, and Medulin leading among destinations.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina emphasized that initial results are already visible through a six percent improvement in occupancy for properties in the program. "For the first time, we conducted a national promotional campaign dedicated exclusively to family accommodation, and the initial results are already visible through a six percent increase in occupancy, confirming that the market recognizes the value of authentic hosting," Glavina said.
However, Olinka Gjigaš, director of the Križevci Tourist Board and a holder of the 'Your Host' label in the Kalnik Municipality, reports a completely different experience. She claims the campaign had no impact on her property because it ran at the height of the season when her capacity was already booked.
"I can't say there were any changes because the campaign came quite late. By the time the promotion was filmed, I already had 90 percent of my dates booked. I saw that the minister mentioned six percent growth, which surprised me; I wonder how that was calculated," Gjigaš said.
Beyond the timing of the campaign, some in the family accommodation sector are also questioning the criteria for obtaining the label itself. Ante Glavaš, vice president of the Croatian Association of Family Accommodation (HUOS), explained that the label aims to distinguish between hosts who are genuinely present and those who rent remotely, where guests only receive a key code. However, he warned of inconsistencies in the system.
"For example, if you rent a vacation home in Šibenik-Knin County but live in Split, you won't be able to get the label, regardless of your availability to guests at that property. The reason is that your address of residence isn't in the municipality or city where the property is located. Clearly, there's still room for refinement here," Glavaš said, adding: "However, some who have received these labels in apartment buildings have also appeared. We don't understand the principle behind that."
HTZ, in turn, highlighted in its press release that the Local Host program delivers measurable results. Properties in the program in 2025 saw an occupancy increase of 5.74 percent compared to the previous year, while properties outside the program saw only 0.6 percent growth. In the first five months of 2026, occupancy for labeled properties also remains higher than for those without the label.
The debate over Local Host comes at a time when Croatian tourism is recording positive numbers. According to data from the eVisitor and eCrew systems, from the start of the year to the end of July, there were 12.4 million arrivals and 59.1 million overnight stays, one percent more than in the same period last year. The Adriatic recorded 56.1 million overnight stays (a 0.5 percent increase), while the continent, including Zagreb, surpassed three million overnight stays with a one percent increase.
In July alone, there were 4.7 million arrivals and 29.6 million overnight stays, with arrivals up 2.5 percent and overnight stays up one percent compared to July last year. Istria retained its leading position with 16.7 million overnight stays in the first seven months, followed by Split-Dalmatia County with 11.1 million and Kvarner with 9.7 million overnight stays. Among destinations, Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Poreč, Split, and Umag lead.
HTZ announces the continuation of promotional activities. A new wave of the Local Host campaign in the domestic market is planned from mid-August to the end of October 2026.
