HTZ President Kristjan Staničić confirmed excellent season results with over 1.1 million tourists in the country, but warns that the habit of booking at the last minute is putting enormous pressure on small rental owners.
The president of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), Kristjan Staničić, assessed the current course of the tourist season as very good. In an interview with HTV's Dnevnik on Monday, August 10, 2026, he emphasized that high occupancy is expected in the continuation of the peak season, but also an increasingly pronounced trend of last-minute reservations that brings a great deal of uncertainty.
"We can be satisfied with the tourist results so far. In the continuation of the tourist peak, we expect very good occupancy; these days, over 1.1 million tourists are staying in Croatian accommodation capacities. We expect a continuation of positive tourist traffic. What will happen in the post-season remains to be seen; this year is marked by a pronounced 'last minute' trend," Staničić stated.
Staničić described in detail how guest behavior has dramatically changed the dynamics of business in tourism. The once established rhythm of Saturday arrivals is increasingly giving way to arrivals at the beginning of the week. "It's a game of nerves; you need to be patient and have all the tools at your disposal to be effective in the 'last minute' segment. Monday, for example, is becoming increasingly prominent in terms of travel, compared to Saturday, which used to be the main day for guest turnover," he explained.
As key factors driving guests to make last-minute decisions, the HTZ president cited prices, accommodation availability, safety, and the overall quality of the offer. He emphasized that the perception of value for money is crucial: "Regarding 'last minute', guests choose destinations at the last moment. Several factors influence this: prices, availability, safety, as well as the quality of the tourist offer. 'Value for money' is important," he said.
Optimism is further supported by financial indicators. Staničić confirmed an 18 percent increase in the amount of fiscalized receipts in July compared to the same period last year, noting that a larger number of receipts was also issued. As additional positive signals, he highlighted increased traffic on highways and a higher number of passengers in ferry ports, although he stressed that the final picture of the season will only be known after the post-season ends.
Regarding the structure of guests, Staničić particularly highlighted the return of Czech tourists and the continued growth of arrivals from Hungary and Poland. Croatia maintains a good position in the extremely important German market, while the number of American guests has been growing for several consecutive years. "A diverse structure of guests provides a good foundation for the continuation of the positive trend," he assessed.
Commenting on the discontent of some small rental owners regarding the increase in lump-sum taxes, Staničić said he does not expect a significant decline in the supply of private accommodation. He asserted that the decisions of the Government and the relevant ministry are, in the long run, in favor of that segment.
"I believe that all the decisions made by the Government and the relevant ministry are, in the long run, in favor of small rental owners," said Staničić.
The announced amendments to the Catering Act, according to him, aim to regulate the private accommodation market, especially regarding non-commercial capacities. "Through the amendment of the Catering Act, we are moving towards regulating the market in the private accommodation segment. We have a significant portion of non-commercial accommodation where things need to be put in order. Tourism is a 'long-distance marathon'; that's how we should view the decisions made today, which will have positive effects in due time," Staničić concluded.
