ITF Slovakiatour in Bratislava: Slovaks seeking more than sun and sea – rising interest in campsites, cycling, and “hidden” Croatian destinations
The Croatian tourist offer has once again strongly resonated on the Slovak market at the international tourism fair ITF Slovakiatour, held in Bratislava from January 29 to 31, 2026, alongside the gastronomic fair Danubius Gastro, one of the more important events for the hospitality and food industry in Slovakia. At the Croatian stand, organized by the Representative Office of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) in Slovakia, Slovak media, tour operators, and partners from the tourism sector gathered, with discussions revolving around expectations for the upcoming season, changes in traveler habits, and how Croatian destinations can respond to the growing demand for active and content-rich holidays.
Slovak guests mostly arrive in Croatia by road, making the short distance to the Adriatic one of the key competitive advantages over more distant Mediterranean destinations. Precisely because of this, at the fair, alongside content and accommodation, practical issues were often discussed: route planning, crowds during the peak season, possibilities for stays in the pre-season, and combining multiple regions in one trip.
Fair focus: travel planning, but also trends in gastronomy
ITF Slovakiatour in Bratislava is a traditional place where destinations, travel organizers, and the public meet, already planning their spring and summer in the winter months. This year's edition gained additional weight due to the parallel holding of the Danubius Gastro fair, so some visitors simultaneously sought travel inspiration and novelties from gastronomy. Such a combination, according to the organizer, allows for a visit with a single ticket and brings together an audience that increasingly perceives Croatia as a destination of experiences, not just swimming and sunbathing.
For Croatian exhibitors, this is an important framework: a traveler interested in gastronomy often simultaneously looks for local products, events, and authentic places, which fits into the growing interest in less famous destinations. In this sense, the fair appearance was not just a promotion of well-known locations, but also an opportunity to highlight the diversity of the offer – from campsites and cycle tourism to trips to the hinterland and experiences on the continent.
Croatian stand: media, tour operators, and meeting with Minister Rudolf Huliak
According to HTZ data, the Croatian exhibition space was visited by representatives of numerous Slovak media, and many tour operators participated in the event. Among the invitees were the secretary of the association of travel agencies SACKA Radoslav Oliver Košik and the representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Slovakia Mirko Boch. A brief working meeting was also held with Rudolf Huliak, the Slovak Minister of Tourism and Sport, which further highlighted the economic importance of tourism in bilateral relations and the exchange of experiences in managing tourism development.
Such meetings on the margins of fairs usually have a very specific goal: to maintain the visibility of the destination on the market and strengthen cooperation with key intermediaries in sales, but also in communication with the public. For Croatia, which has a strong circle of loyal guests in Central Europe, the continuity of presence at fairs like Slovakiatour in practice means more stable demand and better preparation for the season.
Slovak market at the top: 2025 as another record year
Director of the HTZ Representative Office for the Czech Republic and Slovakia Miodrag Mlačić emphasized that Croatia was the first choice for Slovaks in 2025 and that "another record year in a row" was achieved from that market. In HTZ, they estimate that positive trends continue in 2026, with Slovakia for years maintaining a stable position among the ten most important emitting markets for Croatian tourism.
In a broader context, Croatian tourism ended 2025 with more than 21.8 million arrivals and 110.1 million overnights, which, according to eVisitor system data, is the highest level so far. Such results give additional weight to estimates that demand from Central European markets, including Slovakia, will continue in 2026.
It is particularly important that communication towards markets like the Slovak one increasingly emphasizes year-round potential. If Croatia wants to maintain growth without excessive pressure on the most visited destinations in the peak season, the logical direction is to strengthen the offer outside of July and August, as well as stronger valorization of continental regions and experiences in the hinterland.
What Slovaks seek most: campsites, cycling, and less known places
Although the Adriatic remains the strongest magnet, the organizers of the appearance point out that fair visitors this year specifically sought information about campsites, cycling routes, and so-called off-the-beaten-path locations. This shift is not accidental: travel price, flexibility of accommodation, and the desire for an "authentic" experience are increasingly important motives when choosing a destination.
Campsites, meanwhile, are no longer synonymous exclusively with basic infrastructure. In the Croatian offer, the share of campsites with a higher level of service, mobile homes, facilities for families and active holidays, and concepts that combine nature and comfort is growing. In conversations at the fair, interest was particularly tied to camping near national parks, along the coast, but also in the interior, where the offer along rivers and lakes is developing.
Cycling is the second topic that imposed itself as the "key word" of the conversation. The Slovak market is traditionally inclined towards road and recreational cycling, and Croatia in that segment has the advantage of a diverse relief – from easier coastal routes to more demanding climbs in the hinterland. At the same time, information about marked trails, service points, bike-friendly accommodation, and possibilities for combining cycling with gastronomy and local culture are increasingly sought.
The third category of interest relates to less known places. In practice, this means that part of the guests want to avoid the most burdened points at the peak of the season and find destinations that offer a calmer pace, local events, natural attractions, and experiences outside standard itineraries. In such inquiries, specific recommendations for shorter trips, car routes, plans for multi-day stays, and content that can be combined with swimming, but do not depend exclusively on it, are often sought.
Why the demand structure is changing
The change in the interest of fair visitors fits into a broader European trend. After years in which the emphasis was on a classic "summer holiday", more and more travelers are looking for an active, thematic, or experiential holiday. An additional incentive is also the climatic conditions: part of the tourists distribute their travels to the pre-season and post-season, when the conditions are more pleasant for movement, sports, and staying in nature.
For Croatia, this opens the question of more even regional development of tourism. If part of the demand shifts from the peak season to periods outside July and August, and if interest spreads towards continental areas and less known coastal locations, then space increases for a better distribution of income and relief of the most visited destinations. In practice, this requires investments in infrastructure, public transport, trail maintenance, standards in campsites, and visitor flow management.
Additionally, markets like the Slovak one are often sensitive to the price-quality ratio. That is why the message about the diversity of the offer is important: for a guest arriving by car and planning a longer stay, it is not irrelevant whether they get content outside the beach, whether they can experience local gastronomy, whether the destination is equipped for cyclists and hikers, and whether there are options for family or "pet-friendly" holidays.
The role of tour operators and media: from selling packages to shaping expectations
The participation of tour operators and media at the Croatian stand shows that the Slovak market does not rely only on individual bookings. Although online sales are strong, part of the travelers still prefer the security of an organized trip, especially when combining multiple destinations or traveling outside the main season.
Media in this process have a dual role: on the one hand, they inform about news, safety, and logistical issues, and on the other hand, they shape the perception of the destination through stories about experiences, "hidden" locations, and trends like cycling or camping. Precisely for this reason, appearances like this one in Bratislava often have an effect that goes beyond the fair days themselves – topics and content spill over into features, guides, and recommendations that the audience uses when planning trips.
In a practical sense, tour operators at fairs collect information about new hotels and campsites, sales conditions, availability of content, and possibilities for cooperation with local partners. When media visibility is added to this, a combination arises that can stimulate earlier bookings, but also change the structure of demand: for example, redirecting part of the guests to the pre-season or to active products that reduce dependence on the short summer peak.
What can be expected in 2026: maintaining interest and expanding the offer
Messages from ITF Slovakiatour point to the continuation of strong interest in Croatia, but also to a change in the priorities of a part of the travelers. If the trends are confirmed, a greater emphasis is expected on packages that include an active holiday, higher category campsites, thematic routes, and content outside the main season. For Croatian destinations, this means an opportunity to expand, alongside the sea and still strong offer, with quality products in the interior, on islands outside the main flows, and in the hinterland that can offer nature, culture, and gastronomy.
At the same time, public institutions and the tourism sector are faced with the challenge of sustainability: the growth of demand should be followed by the preservation of space, control of pressure on infrastructure, and clear quality standards. Success at the fair in Bratislava is therefore not just a marketing result, but also a reminder that competitiveness is increasingly built through a year-round offer, smart destination management, and products that correspond to the new habits of travelers.
Sources:- Croatian National Tourist Board – press release on the appearance at ITF Slovakiatour in Bratislava and interest in campsites, cycling and less known locations (link)
- Incheba Expo Bratislava – official page of the ITF SLOVAKIATOUR & DANUBIUS GASTRO 2026 fair with holding dates (link)
- Croatian National Tourist Board – official results of the tourist year 2025 (eVisitor) (link)
- Croatian National Tourist Board – announcement on the results of the Slovak market and numbers of arrivals/overnights in 2025 (until the end of November) (link)
- Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the SR – official information on ministry leadership (link)
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