Ministry of Tourism and Sports warns renters: the private “Tourism Register” is not an official registry

Ministry warns renters: registration in the private “Tourism Register” is not mandatory, and an official record already exists

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports published a warning to private renters on March 16 after invitations and payment slips for registration in the so-called “Tourism Register” began arriving at the addresses of some citizens. The state’s message is direct and leaves no room for doubt: this is not an official register of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry did not participate in sending the invitations or payment slips, and registration in such a record is not prescribed by law nor does it represent an obligation for accommodation providers. For renters, especially those operating within the household system and seasonally following several administrative obligations at the same time, such clarification is important because payment requests can be perceived as a formal demand of public authority. It is precisely on that possible confusion that the Ministry bases its warning, emphasizing that owners of accommodation capacities are not obliged to pay the requested amount or provide their data for registration in a private database. In practice, this means that anyone who has received such an offer can calmly refrain from any reaction, unless they independently and knowingly wish to use the commercial service of a private platform.

What exactly the Ministry published

In its official announcement, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports states that it did not issue, establish, or authorize the so-called “Tourism Register” referred to in the payment slips and letters sent to renters. It additionally emphasizes that no competent authority of the Republic of Croatia has established such a record as a mandatory register for private renters. This removed the key ambiguity that could have arisen among recipients of the mailings: the very name may sound official, especially because it relies on an expression associated with state administration and mandatory tourism records. However, according to the official position of the ministry, there is no legal basis under which renters would have to complete such a registration, pay a fee, or send personal and business data to that platform. The Ministry therefore expressly recommended that, in the event of receiving invitations or payment slips, citizens should not make any payment and should not provide data, precisely in order to avoid any confusion about what is a public obligation and what is a private business offer.

The platform is backed by a private company, not a state institution

In the same warning, the Ministry states that, by reviewing publicly available data and the content of the website itself, it was determined that the platform is operated by the private company Turist reg j.d.o.o. This information is important because it clearly separates two levels of the story: on one side there is state administration and its official registers, and on the other a private market entity offering a certain visibility or advertising service for tourist accommodation capacities. The problem arises when the form of communication toward citizens, the name of the service, or the visual impression may suggest that this is an obligation, even though it is in fact a private offer. The mere fact that a company operates legally and offers a service does not mean that the service is automatically also an official record, nor that there is a public-law obligation to join. That is precisely why the Ministry emphasizes that it is in no way connected with that company, thereby trying to prevent the private platform from being equated with the state system of supervision and registration in tourism.

What the “Tourism Register” website says about itself

Part of the confusion also stems from the fact that the platform itself states in its descriptions that it is not an official register of the competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia and that registration is not a legal obligation. On the “About us” page, the platform is described as a free platform for searching entities and accommodation capacities operating in tourism, while additional services, such as highlighting the availability calendar and multimedia content, can be separately contracted and charged. In other words, the website itself states in one place that it is not an official register, but in actual contact with renters there appear invitations for registration with a fee, which, in the Ministry’s assessment, may leave an impression of official status or obligation. In that difference between the formal disclaimer of official status and the actual effect of marketing communication lies the core of the problem. Even when certain information is stated in the terms of business or on subpages, the average recipient of a letter may first notice the name, the payment slip, and the call for registration, and only then the details revealing that it is an optional commercial service.

Why the issue of the name and impression is so important

In a market where a large number of small renters operate independently, without permanent legal or administrative support, any communication resembling an official form can easily cause uncertainty. This is especially sensitive in the period before the season, when some apartment, holiday house, and room owners are monitoring tax obligations, categorization, guest check-in and check-out, local fees, residence records, and other procedures related to business operations. In such an environment, an invitation to “register in a register” may sound like yet another administrative step that must be urgently completed in order for business operations to remain in order. That is why the Ministry’s warning has broader significance than just one private platform: it reminds citizens that the name of a service, a stamp, the design of a letter, or wording about “registration” are not in themselves proof that the message comes from the state. Only when there is a clear legal basis, a competent authority, and a prescribed obligation can one speak of a real official register in which someone is obliged to be entered.

Which are the actual official systems in tourism

Croatia already has official digital systems and registers in the tourism sector, and one of the key ones is TuRegistar, that is, the Central Register for Catering Activity and Tourism Services. On the Ministry’s official website, this system is described as a single electronic register that consolidates data on catering facilities, household facilities, facilities on family farms, travel agencies, nautical tourism vessels, and other entities connected with tourism activity. The Ministry explains that data are entered into this system on the basis of decisions issued by competent authorities, including the Ministry itself as well as administrative bodies in the counties and the City of Zagreb. This is an important difference compared with private platforms: an official register arises from legal and administrative acts, is managed by a public body, and is linked to the formal status of service providers. Private websites may offer advertising, search, and promotion, but they cannot by themselves replace the official state register or create new obligations for citizens.

Where is the line between advertising and the impression of official status

The case of the so-called “Tourism Register” once again raises the old issue of the boundary between a permitted commercial offer and communication that may create a false impression of official status among part of the public. In digital and postal marketing, private companies have the right to offer their services, but it is crucial that the recipient clearly understands that this is a voluntary and commercial offer. When the name of the platform, the structure of the letter, or the manner of presentation too closely resemble a public record, the risk increases that some citizens will make the payment not because they want the product or service, but because they think they must. In its announcement, the Ministry does not go into a detailed legal assessment of the business model of the private company, but it clearly warns precisely about that possible false impression. For renters, this is a practical message that before every payment they should check who the sender is, whether there is a legal basis, whether it is a public body, and whether the official website of the competent ministry states the same obligation.

This is not the first time warnings have been issued

The current announcement of March 16, 2026 did not arise in a vacuum. Even earlier, according to an announcement related to the Pula area, the Ministry warned renters that this was not an official tourism register of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and that renters were not obliged to register or pay a fee. This shows that the problem is neither isolated nor one-off, but that it appears in waves and in different areas, depending on where the letters were sent and how much citizens began informing local tourist boards or state bodies about them. The repetition of warnings indicates that this is an issue requiring more lasting public information, especially among small renters who do not have daily contact with legal regulations. At the same time, it raises the question of whether the state’s official communication toward private renters should be even clearer, more frequent, and more visible before the main part of the tourist season, in order to reduce the room for confusion.

What renters can do when they receive a similar letter

In practical terms, the Ministry’s recommendation is simple: do not pay and do not send data if it is an invitation to register in the so-called “Tourism Register.” But for citizens, several additional cautionary steps are also useful. The first is to check the sender, that is, the company name, address, and internet domain from which the message was sent. The second is to check whether an identical notice exists on the websites of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the e-Citizens system, or other official state channels. The third is to read the fine print and terms of business, because it is precisely there that it is often revealed whether this is a voluntary marketing service, subscription, advertisement, or commercial record without official status. The fourth is a common-sense test: if an obligation comes with a request for payment and has never previously been mentioned in official decisions, laws, tourist boards, or the communication of competent authorities, it is very likely that it is not a real public obligation.

Broader consequences for trust in administration and the market

Such cases do not affect only those who may possibly pay a fee they did not have to pay. In the long term, they undermine trust in legitimate administrative procedures, because after similar experiences citizens find it increasingly difficult to distinguish what is a real public obligation and what is a private business offer. This is especially sensitive in tourism, a branch in which the state has strongly developed digital tools in recent years, from eVisitor to the eTurizam system and TuRegistar, in order to make administration more transparent and simpler. If, alongside such official tools, commercial invitations that sound official circulate in parallel, the risk of administrative fatigue and distrust toward every next notice grows. That is why the current warning by the Ministry is important also as a message about basic digital and consumer literacy: every request for payment, especially when linked to registration or entry, should be checked before money is paid or personal and business data are sent to an unknown recipient.

Message before the season: check official obligations only on state channels

Entering the main part of the tourist year regularly increases the number of administrative and commercial contacts toward renters, so it is especially important right now to distinguish what is an official obligation and what is an offer on the market. The current warning by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports should therefore be read as a very concrete preventive instruction: the so-called “Tourism Register” is not a state register, registration is not mandatory, and payment and submission of data do not need to be carried out. Anyone operating in tourism should check their obligations through official state systems and information from competent authorities, and not on the basis of a name that sounds formal or a mailing that appears administrative. At a time when the boundary between public information, commercial offer, and digital advertising is often blurred, checking the source is precisely the first and most important step of protection. For private renters, this is not only a matter of caution but also a matter of orderly business operations, because a true official record is not created by payment based on impression, but exclusively through prescribed procedures and competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia.

Sources:

• Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia – official announcement of March 16, 2026 warning renters that the so-called “Tourism Register” is not an official register and that registration is not mandatory (link)
• Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia – official description of the TuRegistar system as the central register for catering activity and tourism services (link)
• Tourism Register – “About us” page on which the platform states that it is not an official register of the competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia and that fees are not mandatory (link)
• Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia – earlier notice to renters in the Pula area that this is not an official register and that there is no obligation to pay a fee (link)