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Love it or hate it, Croatia is a success story like no other.
From war-ravaged in the 90s, to Europe’s hottest summer destination, it is shattering every record in sight: in 2024, it recorded over 21.3 million arrivals, a 4 percent increase over an already-historic preceding year, and it’s expected to grow further in 2025.
According to Croatia Week, April alone saw a double-digit growth in guests, and if the early predictions materialize, the small Adriatic country could soon claim a spot alongside France, Italy, and Spain as one of Europe’s tourism giants.
So why is Croatia suddenly so trendy to visit, and most importantly, why are Americans in particular flying there in droves? It’s high time we took a look at 10 of the main reasons:
That Post-COVID Love Is Real
Listen, we know COVID is already half a decade old, but the trauma was real. Having covered travel news extensively during the pandemic, we do remember vividly how fond the average American was of the handful of countries that did not shut their doors to them—Croatia included.
Croatia had been rising steadily in popularity across the pond since it featured on the greatest TV show of all time, Game of Thrones, but its decision to keep the borders open, and welcome U.S. citizens with very few, if any requirements whatsoever, did the trick.
Ever since then, it’s been on the radar of most Americans, and it certainly helps that, on the other side of the Adriatic Sea, the neighboring country seems to have exhausted its novelty factor:
Italy Fatigue
Don’t get us wrong: Italy is still one of Europe’s most popular summer destinations, with cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice drawing in millions of tourists each year. However, in a way, it feels like ‘yesterday’s news,’ while Croatia is the exciting new kid on the block.
There’s not a single major destination in Italy that’s not overwhelmed by visitors at this point, and between the jam-packed streets, the rising cost of accommodation, and the overpriced restaurants, it’s no wonder tourists are now looking eastward.
After all, Croatia does feel in many ways like an extension of Italy, with its stone-built towns lining turquoise seas, Mediterranean cuisine, and ancient heritage:
Jet-Setting Destinations
Of course, there’s no talking about Croatia’s soaring popularity without bringing up Dubrovnik and Game of Thrones:
A fairytale fortified port on the shores of the Adriatic, the real-life ‘King’s Landing’ is a maze of pedestrianized alleys lined by cozy trattorias and centuries-old houses. Whether you’re here for the Old World allure or the relaxed coastal atmosphere, you’re in for a treat.
Formerly a hidden gem, Dubrovnik is now as trendy as can be, with tourists lining up to get pictures at the Jesuit Steps (or, as you might know, the Walk of Shame) and walk the sea ramparts. It’s definitely one of those places that is worth all the hype.
Dubrovnik often steals all the limelight, but it is not Croatia’s only jet-setting destination:
There’s Split, an ancient city born out of a 3rd-century Roman palace, home to a postcard-ready Old Town and a palm-tree-lined waterfront.
Further up the coast, Zadar is a walled town peppered with Romanesque churches and criss-crossed by cobbled alleys, and over in Istria, you’ll find a plethora of colorful seaside villages and well-preserved Roman monuments.
In Pula, there’s even a well-preserved ‘Colosseum’ that still hosts live events and music festivals.
Certain Towns In Croatia Have Smaller Crowds & Cheaper Prices
Beyond Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and the like, part of Croatia’s appeal compared to other heavily-visited European countries is the plethora of lesser-known coastal spots that offer smaller crowds and cheaper prices.
For instance, there’s a gorgeous Makarska, straddling a sand-and-pebble beach, where sitting down for some pasta and wine in a local restaurant will set you back €8–€12 (or $9.10–$13.70).
Not far from Dubrovnik, there’s Ston, a charming town laying claim to the European Great Wall: it’s definitely not as extensive as China, but it does run for 3.4 miles along the Pelješac Penisnula, and the views from the top are worth every cent of the €10 fee.
If you’re asking us, our personal favorite has to be Rovinj, a Venice look-alike (without the canals), with equally-beautiful, colorful skinny houses, and a prominent campanile—and in the nearby Kuvi Beach, you’re even welcome to bare it all and swim starkers.
Croatia’s An Island-Hopping Paradise
Speaking of beaches, Croatia has over 1,200 paradisaical islands characterized by their rugged coastlines, secret coves, and idyllic pebbly beaches.
The busiest of them, Hvar has drawn comparisons to Ibiza due to its vibrant nightlife and plethora of boutique hotels, though if you’re looking for a more laid-back alternative, you should try the neighboring Brač:
Some of its main features include Zlatni Rat Beach, a pebble spit jutting out into a crystal-clear Adriatic that changes shape depending on the wind, Bol, a picturesque medieval harbor town, and Vidova Gora, the highest peak in the Adriatic Islands.
Other must-see islands in Croatia include Korčula, which plays host to the wall-protected Korčula Town, often dubbed the ‘Little Dubrovnik‘, Lastovo, a natural oasis dominated by a lush Mediterranean forest, and Šolta, within easy reach from Split, offering small, scenic bays for swimming and hiking trails.
No Borders Traveling From Most European Countries
This is where we get a little more technical, but don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple: irrelevant as it may be to most Americans, Croatia’s Schengen and Eurozone accession have undoubtedly contributed to its overall popularity.
We’re sure you’ve heard of Schengen at some point, but in case you aren’t fully familiar with the concept, it refers to Europe’s (now) 29-country-strong border-free zone, that includes Croatia.
There are definitely cons when a country joins Schengen, which we’ve covered in depth here, but essentially, since 2023, tourists have not been subject to strict border checks, or any passport control whatsoever, traveling between Croatia and 28 other European countries.
This means you can drive from Italy straight to Croatia (via Slovenia), and not be stopped a single time by border officers, or fly from France to Croatia and back without undergoing any border-related procedures.
Croatia Now Uses The Euro!
Regarding the euro, which Croatia adopted around the same time, tourists familiar with using the common European currency across most countries will no longer need to worry about exchange rates when visiting Croatia.
Although Croatia joined the European Union in 2013, it kept its own currency, the kuna, until 2023. This often meant dealing with complicated conversions and euro-to-kuna fees, especially when withdrawing cash.
Now, that’s all behind us: if you have leftover euros from your trip to Austria, Slovenia, or other eurozone nations, you can still use them seamlessly in Croatia.
No Longer Cheap, But Still Cheaper
This leads us into the next point: Croatia had always been sold as the ‘budget’ alternative to Italy, with a similar architectural heritage, culture, and gastronomy, but cheaper prices.
Historically, it was where middle-income Poles, Czechs, Serbs, and Hungarians, and even less-affluent German families went on vacation, but now that it’s gone mainstream, good luck trying to find a 4-bedroom seaside villa for $80-a-night.
The truth is, Croatia has got progressively expensive since 2013, when it joined the EU, and more recently, Schengen and the Eurozone, and that’s expected if a country leaves the ‘developing’ limbo and achieves high-income status.
That being said, it remains a cheaper alternative than Italy or France, for the most part.
According to Budget Your Trip, tourists spend €96 per day in Croatia, versus €166 in Italy, and if you’re traveling on a strict budget, you can always resort to eating cheap—a ćevapi can cost as little as €4—and opting to stay in inexpensive B&Bs (€50 to €100-a-night).
Those Transatlantic Flights Have Certainly Helped
It’s not a secret that Americans love the convenience of nonstop flights, and as well-connected as Croatia has always been, it lacked a Transatlantic connection.
For five summers now, United Airlines has offered flights from their Newark (EWR) hub to Dubrovnik (DBV), and this year, their increasing the frequency from 4 flights per week to a daily service.
The service also resumed a little earlier, on May 2, and it’s set to run through September 25, 2025, signalling a strong increase in demand among U.S. travelers.
In case you’re wondering, roundtrip fares start from around $800 in Economy.
Croatia Is As Safe As Can Be
Finally, Croatia is a perfectly safe European destination for risk-averse travelers in 2025.
We know this is no longer the low-risk Europe we used to know and love, between the damning migrant crisis, that has led to all sorts of problems on a continental scale, and the Russo-Ukrainian War, but you’ll be glad to know Croatia is (largely) protected from both of those issues.
Tolerance towards undocumented migrants is low, and the level is multiculturalism is, hem, mild compared to Western Europe.
Needless to say, Croatia maintains relatively strict border controls compared to some neighboring countries, and crime rates are low overall.
Oh, and if the war is a primary concern for you, there are several countries, and a whole Dinaric Mountain range between Croatia and Europe’s battlefront, and on an international stage, it’s not like Croatia is mediating talks, or a major military power, much less on the Kremlin’s firing shot.
In sum, it just couldn’t be safer if it tried.
Vinicius Costa
Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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