Alongside domestic visitors, the highest number of arrivals came from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, and Austria. In terms of overnight stays, the top five foreign markets were Germany, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, and Slovenia.
The Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, Dr. Martina Bienenfeld, commented on the results: “We are delighted with the successful conclusion of Advent Zagreb and with the tourism figures achieved throughout the year, both of which delivered record-breaking results. These indicators were significantly driven by the Zagreb Tourist Board’s targeted promotional activities, which in November and December alone generated more than 4.7 million online impressions, further strengthening Zagreb’s visibility across key source markets.”
“At the same time, on a full-year basis in 2025, we recorded a 3% increase in overnight stays and a 1% increase in arrivals, amounting to a total of 2,772,434 overnight stays and 1,446,080 arrivals. This once again positioned Zagreb as the leading destination in Croatia by number of arrivals. In the context of international promotion, the outstanding success of our promotional film ‘Zagreb – All Inclusive’ added additional value. In 2025, the film was ranked among the world’s top five tourism promotional films in the City Promotion category, according to CIFFT – the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals.”
A strong impetus for the growth of the local economy
Building on Advent-related visitor spending, the Zagreb Tourist Board, in cooperation with the Institute for Tourism, prepared the “Assessment of total expenditure by guests at the Advent Zagreb in the 2024/2025 season.” According to the study, the economic impact of Advent Zagreb in the 2016/2017 season amounted to approximately €52–58 million, while in the 2024/2025 season it is estimated at between €96.3 million and €127.2 million. This represents newly generated spending that is a direct result of the Advent Zagreb programme—expenditure that would not have occurred without the event itself.
It should be noted that average visitor spending varies by visitor profile and includes expenditures on accommodation, food and beverages, shopping, culture, entertainment, local transport, and other services. Day visitors from Croatia and abroad spent an average of around €70 per day. At the same time, the highest spending levels were recorded among guests staying in private or hotel accommodation, ranging from €125 to €152 per day. Although the research is not conducted annually, the results may be considered relevant for the current season as well, with a slight increase expected in line with the achieved tourism performance indicators.
Source: Poslovni turizam
