Croatia struggles to get travellers to return and has now announced better UK flights, a new ferry route and a raft of hotel openings to trigger an influx of holidaymakers
One EU country is determined to establish itself as a frontrunner for 2025 holiday travel by is ramping up its tourism focus to better entice incoming travellers.
Croatia was 10th on Google’s list of most searched travel destinations in 2024. Last year, the country also recorded a 4% increase in tourist arrivals, denoting an upward trend in travel interest. The push for shoulder season travel gave Croatia a distinct advantage. The country has distinguished itself as a destination for winter tourism, with winter season airline capacity from the UK up 15%. However, according to a report by the European Travel Commission, a non-profit group that includes 36 national tourism organisations, of the 73% of Europeans that plan to travel before March 2025, only 4.1% of respondents indicated Croatia as their preferred destination.
Despite high interest rankings, Croatia has limited success when it comes to tourists making return trips. A reality that is shaping how Croatia adapts for the new travel season.
So how is Croatia travel changing in 2025?
Expect to see a whole new host of hotels, flights, festivals, culinary and sporting events on offer. New Jet2 flights from Birmingham, London Stansted and Manchester to Pula and the Istrian Coast will begin in May and extend right through to October 18, 2025—an indication that there has been strong reaction to the initial offering.
The additional flights are:
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Birmingham – twice weekly flights (Monday and Friday) added between 6th and 17th October 2025.
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Manchester – twice weekly flights (Monday and Thursday) added between 6th and 16th October 2025.
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London Stansted – weekly Saturday flights added on 11th and 18th October 2025.
A new twice-weekly easyJet route from Liverpool to Split is also set to launch on June 9, 2025 to help bring UK travellers to central Dalmatia.
Additionally, 2025 will see a renewal of a decades-long dormant ferry service in June, connecting the Italian port city of Trieste with Poreč, Rovinj, and Mali Lošinj. These affordable new gateways will open new actress to Istria and the neighbouring Kvarner region.
New hotel options
The new Heritage & Resort Hotel Monumenti in Pula which will feature seaside views from all four sides is set to open by spring, marking the final phase of the Sv. Katarina-Monumenti project. The hotel was constructed with an investment of €35 million. Additionally, the Marriott Isolano hotel which is situated on the Cres Island in the northern Adriatic Sea is set to open in March. The opening marks the Marriott group’s first venture into Croatia.
For those interested in luxury accommodation, the Hilton Hotel Preko located on Ugljan Island in the Zadar archipelago is set to open in May. As well, the five-star Hyatt Regency Zadar opened last year. Both exceptional properties offer stunning views of the Adriatic Sea.
Events and experiences – the diary
March 19 – March 23: Festival of Lights in Zagreb
March 29: Life on Mars Trail , unveiling moon-like landscapes of the island of Pag
April 1-30: Asparagus Festival in Lovran
April 11 – April 13: Weekend Food Festival in Rovinj
May 16 – May 18: Black Sheep dedicated to treasured traditions on Krk island
June 6 – June 8: Highlander Medvednica
September 9 – September 14: Highlander Velebit
October 17 – October 19: Prosciutto Fair in the heart of Istria
With all these new events, flights and accommodations, Croatia is projected to outperform last year’s 9% growth in UK arrivals.
Dubrovnik even ranked 10th among the 2025 Top 10 Hottest Travel Destinations in a recent report by Yahoo Finance. The data was pulled from millions of searches analyzed by Kayak (the travel search engine) and ranked cities across the globe. Dubrovnik experienced a 6% year-over-year increase in interest, solidifying its status as a bucket list destination.
