Croatia ranks high as the second most sought-after destination for this year's summer vacation

According to the results of the latest research "Summer vacation 2026", conducted by the Austrian Automobile Club ÖAMTC, Croatia this year also confirms the status one of the most preferred foreign tourist destinations among Austrians.

Croatia is in high second place among the most sought-after destinations for this year's summer vacation, right behind Italy, with 16 percent of respondents planning to spend their summer vacation in Croatia.

A survey conducted at the end of March 2026 on a sample of 1.000 respondents showed that as many as 94 percent of Austrians plan to travel during the summer, with 70 percent intending to travel abroad. In addition, as many as 40 percent of respondents have already booked their vacation, while 45 percent plan to book it in the upcoming period.

The results of the survey further confirm that, given the available budget, the safety of the destination is one of the key factors in choosing a trip, and Croatia is perceived by Austrians as a very safe, close and high-quality destination. The sea and a holiday on the coast remain the most important motive for travel, as 59 percent of respondents want to spend their summers by the sea, while almost 70 percent plan to travel by their own car. Although the survey shows that Austrians are increasingly paying attention to prices and value for money due to inflation and higher travel costs, interest in travel remains very strong, and the average budget for an annual vacation is 1.189 euros.

"These results confirm the continued attractiveness of Croatia on the Austrian market, which is one of the most important and traditionally most loyal source markets for Croatian tourism. This is also shown by tourist traffic data, according to which Austrians have spent over a million overnight stays in our country so far this year, which represents a 7 percent increase compared to the same period last year. They spent the most overnight stays in Istria and Kvarner, and they most often chose hotels and campsites for accommodation.", he said Branimir Tončinić, director of the HTZ Representative Office in Austria.