Top Croatian destinations for business events - how to quickly find and book the ideal venue
According to data from the Zagreb Tourist Board (TZGZ), during the Advent and New Year events in Zagreb, there were 163,763 arrivals and 310,361 overnight stays, representing a 3% increase in arrivals and 2% in overnight stays compared to the same period in 2024. In addition to domestic guests, the highest number of arrivals came from visitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, and Austria, while among foreign guests, the top five by overnight stays were from Germany, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, and Slovenia.
Director of TZGZ, Dr. Martina Bienenfeld, stated on that occasion: "We are extremely satisfied with the successful conclusion of Advent Zagreb and the tourism figures for the entire year, both of which achieved record results. These indicators were significantly driven by targeted promotional activities of TZGZ, which, in November and December alone, resulted in over 4.7 million online views, further enhancing Zagreb's visibility on key source markets.
At the same time, for the entire year, in 2025, we recorded a 3% increase in overnight stays and 1% in arrivals, totalling 2,772,434 overnight stays and 1,446,080 arrivals, positioning Zagreb first in Croatia by number of arrivals once again. In the context of international promotion, additional value to these results comes from the outstanding success of our promotional film 'Zagreb – All Inclusive'. Namely, in 2025, the film was ranked among the five best tourist promotional films in the world in the City Promotion category, according to CIFFT - the International Association of Tourist Film Festivals.
On this occasion, I thank and congratulate the entire tourism industry on the excellent tourism results, and especially on the success achieved during Advent, which, like the entire Zagreb tourism year, was marked by record figures."
Economic Impact of Advent Zagreb: Strong Boost for City and National Economy
Following up on Advent spending, TZGZ, in collaboration with the Institute for Tourism, prepared the "Estimate of Total Spending Generated by Advent Zagreb in the 2024/2025 Season." According to the research results, the economic impact of Advent Zagreb in the 2016/2017 season was approximately 52 to 58 million euros, while for the 2024/2025 season, it ranges from 96.3 million euros to 127.2 million euros. This refers to new spending that is a direct result of the Advent Zagreb offer, i.e., spending that would not have occurred without the event.
Director of the Institute for Tourism, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Damir Krešić, stated: "Over the past decade, Advent Zagreb has profiled itself as one of the most recognisable and successful tourism products in Croatia, with exceptionally strong economic and social impacts. Its significance long exceeds the city's boundaries and has a visible influence on tourism development outside the main season at the national level.
Namely, spurred by the success of Advent in Zagreb, Advent events have expanded to other parts of Croatia in recent years—developing a new type of tourism offer where Advent is no longer just a accompanying event but an independent reason to visit. It is particularly important to highlight that for many smaller places, Advent events have enabled the development of tourism offerings in the winter, distinctly off-season period, when tourist demand is otherwise minimal or almost non-existent.
In conclusion, Zagreb's Advent clearly demonstrates how an innovatively designed, well-managed, and authentic tourism product can generate strong economic and social benefits, especially when based on content quality, local identity, and active involvement of the local community."
Senior research associate at the Institute for Tourism, Dr. Neven Ivandić, added: "The City of Zagreb is a good example of a tourist destination where the number of overnight stays does not fully reflect the true economic significance of tourism. Although Zagreb accounts for a relatively smaller share of total tourist overnight stays in Croatia, its contribution to the tourism economy is significantly larger, with visible positive effects at the national level. In this context, Advent Zagreb, where 65% of spending was by domestic and foreign visitors, stands out as an important generator of tourism and economic activities—not only for the City of Zagreb but also for the broader Croatian economy—in a period traditionally marked by lower tourist demand."
We emphasise that the average visitor spending varies depending on their profile and includes spending on accommodation, food and drink, shopping, culture, entertainment, local transport, and other services. Day visitors from Croatia and abroad averaged around 70 euros per day, while the highest spending levels were recorded by guests in private or hotel accommodation, ranging from 125 to 152 euros per day. Although the research is not conducted every year, the obtained results can be considered relevant for the current season, with an expected slight increase in line with the achieved tourism indicators.
