Zadar Hospitality Sector Earns €5.8 Million More
Tax Administration data on fiscalized receipts for July 2026 shows growth in both hospitality and accommodation in Zadar County, despite surveys indicating a decline.
Tax Administration data on fiscalized receipts for July 2026 shows growth in both hospitality and accommodation in Zadar County, despite surveys indicating a decline.
Despite poor forecasts and surveys predicting a drop in turnover, official data from the Tax Administration on fiscalized receipts shows that hospitality businesses in Zadar generated €5.8 million more in revenue during July 2026 than in the same month last year. The accommodation sector fared even better, with an increase of as much as €12 million compared to July 2025, as reported by Zadarski list.
In the hospitality sector in Zadar County, fiscalized receipts totaled €85.9 million, while in July last year that figure stood at €80.1 million. This represents a turnover growth of 7.2 percent. The average value of fiscalized receipts rose from €15.99 to €16.35.
The accommodation sector, which includes hotels, campsites, and private rentals, saw even stronger growth. During July, 668,301 receipts were issued with a total value of nearly €64.5 million. The number of receipts issued in July was 56,000 higher than in the same month last year, marking an increase of 9.1 percent, while the total amount rose by 23.1 percent.
The average receipt value in accommodation increased from €86 to €96. In hospitality, just under 5.3 million receipts were fiscalized, an increase of 245,000 receipts or 4.9 percent compared to July 2025.
Interestingly, in a survey by the Glas poduzetnika association, hospitality businesses along the coast complained of a turnover decline of 20 to 40 percent. However, Tax Administration data shows the opposite, with a 7.2 percent growth in hospitality. The sources, therefore, disagree: the survey records a decline, while official data shows growth.
After a weaker June, with a 6.6 percent drop in tourist arrivals and a 6.1 percent drop in overnight stays nationally according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, July brought improvement. Compared to July last year, there was a 2.5 percent increase in arrivals and a 1 percent increase in overnight stays.
Vladimir Dedić, vice-president of the Hospitality and Tourism Guild of the Zadar County Chamber of Trades and Crafts, assesses that the season is comparable to last year, even though it may seem there are fewer guests. "Some hospitality businesses are more satisfied, others less; it's all individual, with location on one hand and the offer itself on the other playing a crucial role," Dedić told Zadarski list.
Dedić, who sells products from his own family farm in his hospitality establishment in Maslenica, notes that guests have become more demanding in recent years. "It's a fact that mass tourism is increasingly out of trend each year, and guests are looking for a higher level of service and quality. Trends are changing, and those who don't keep up with innovations simply lose the business race," Dedić concludes.
In rural parts of the county, such as Maslenica, turnover is less dependent on arrivals and overnight stays in commercial accommodation due to weekenders. Prices there are 15 to 20 percent lower than in cities, but more must be offered to motivate guests to travel 30 or 40 kilometers for lunch or dinner.
