Rijeka in 2026 confirms its status as one of the strongest urban destinations in Croatia
In the first three months of 2026, Rijeka continued the tourism growth that has been building in the city for several seasons, but is now becoming increasingly visible in the preseason as well, outside the usual summer peak. According to the latest data from the eVisitor system for the period from 1 January to 31 March 2026, the city recorded 33,145 arrivals and 82,137 overnight stays, which means a growth of 14 percent in arrivals and five percent in overnight stays compared with the same period last year. Such a result is important not only because of the figures, but also because it confirms Rijeka’s increasingly pronounced ability to attract tourists throughout the year, through a combination of urban identity, cultural offer, accessibility and increasingly diverse accommodation. At the same time, this is a continuation of the trend that official city and tourism announcements had already recorded at the beginning of the year, when Rijeka, according to data for the first two months of 2026, ranked among the ten most successful tourist destinations in Croatia. This makes the city increasingly clearly profiled as a place that is no longer just a transit or one-day point on the Kvarner map, but an independent destination for a short and content-rich stay.
Strong growth in domestic arrivals and stable international demand
Data for the first quarter show that Rijeka is simultaneously strengthening in both the domestic and foreign markets, which is an especially important indicator of stability for urban destinations. Domestic guests recorded 14,353 arrivals, or 19 percent more than in the same period last year, while foreign tourists recorded 18,792 arrivals, representing growth of 11 percent. In the overall arrival structure, foreign guests account for 57 percent and domestic guests for 43 percent, which points to balanced demand and reduces dependence on only one market segment. Such a relationship is particularly important in periods when the European and global tourism market is still reacting to changes in travel costs, airline connectivity dynamics and growing competition among city destinations. For Rijeka, it is important that the growth of domestic guests is not coming at the expense of foreign ones, but in parallel with their continuing interest, so it is possible to speak of an expansion of the visitor base rather than a mere replacement of one market by another. In practice, this means that the city is becoming attractive both to those who choose it for a short weekend trip from Croatia and to those who include it in a wider itinerary through the northern Adriatic and Central Europe.
For overnight stays, the picture is similar, but it reveals another important detail. Foreign tourists recorded 55,266 overnight stays, while domestic guests reached 26,871 overnight stays, with strong growth of 16 percent. In the total number of overnight stays, foreign guests account for 67 percent and domestic guests for 33 percent. Such a ratio shows that foreign visitors still stay longer on average than domestic ones, but also that the domestic market is no longer merely a supplement, but an important pillar of Rijeka’s tourist traffic. At a time when more and more cities are seeking a model of sustainable tourism outside the peak season, such a combination of domestic and international demand represents a major advantage. It enables the city to achieve better accommodation occupancy, greater business predictability for private renters and hotels, and greater resilience to seasonal fluctuations.
Younger travellers are increasingly changing the picture of Rijeka tourism
One of the most interesting indicators from the first quarter concerns the age structure of guests. The largest share of overnight stays is generated by visitors aged 19 to 30, accounting for 26.51 percent of total overnight stays. This is a figure that speaks strongly about Rijeka’s positioning in the urban travel market, because younger generations generally seek a different type of destination from the classic holiday model. What matters to them are the accessibility of facilities, the possibility of getting around on foot, an authentic city atmosphere, the cultural and music scene, more affordable forms of stay and the feeling that a great deal can be experienced in a short time. Rijeka is proving competitive precisely in this segment: the city offers a combination of industrial heritage, a lively centre, the Rijeka Korzo, Trsat, the museum and theatre scene, and increasingly recognisable gastronomic addresses.
This trend gains additional weight when placed in the broader context of official development documents. The Rijeka Tourist Board published plans and development documents for the period up to 2028 on its official website, and a destination management plan aligned with the calculation of carrying capacity was also presented publicly. This shows that the city does not want to rely on tourism growth exclusively on spontaneous market interest, but is trying to direct it toward a model that combines development, quality of life and sustainability. Within such a framework, the younger audience is not a случайна pojava, nego segment koji prirodno reagira na urbani identitet grada i na sadržaje koji su dostupni tijekom cijele godine. For readers planning an arrival and looking for
accommodation in Rijeka, this also means that the city is being shaped ever more clearly as a destination for short but intensive stays, without the need to tie the visit exclusively to the summer months.
Where guests come from and what the market structure says
Among foreign visitors, the highest number of overnight stays in the first quarter was recorded by guests from Italy, Austria, the United States of America, Slovenia, Germany and Spain. That list alone shows that Rijeka does not rely only on its immediate neighbourhood, although markets such as Italy, Austria and Slovenia are logically important because of geographical proximity and good transport connections. The presence of guests from the United States and Spain is particularly interesting, because it points to the expansion of the city’s visibility on more distant markets as well, which is an exceptionally valuable signal for an urban destination outside the main coastal centres. Such a market picture is usually not the result of a single factor, but of a combination of accessibility, digital presence, recommendations, events and the impression that the city offers an authentic experience that is not subordinate to mass tourism.
It is also important for Rijeka that such interest is not recorded only in theory or strategic documents, but also in concrete results. Official city announcements from March had already shown that Rijeka, according to traffic in the first two months of the year, was among the ten most successful tourist destinations in the country. When data for the entire first quarter are added to this, it becomes clearer that the growth is not a short-term jump, but a trend lasting through several consecutive months. This is precisely why market diversity gains additional importance: destinations that attract guests from several countries, while at the same time having strong domestic traffic, generally find it easier to maintain growth even in periods of uncertainty. For travellers considering an arrival and looking for
accommodation offers in Rijeka, such indicators also mean greater confidence that the city truly lives throughout the year, and not only during short seasonal peaks.
Private accommodation and hotels carry the main share of traffic
The structure of overnight stays by accommodation type reveals a market that is both diverse and quite mature. The largest number of overnight stays was recorded in private accommodation, which accounts for 43.94 percent of total overnight stays, while hotels make up 40.41 percent. They are followed by non-commercial accommodation with 11.72 percent, hostels with 3.34 percent and lodging houses with 0.59 percent of total overnight stays. Such a distribution shows that Rijeka does not have only one dominant stay model. On the contrary, the city succeeds in simultaneously attracting guests who seek the standard of hotel service, those who prefer apartments and private units, and younger and more budget-sensitive travellers for whom hostel and similar forms of accommodation are important. It is precisely this combination that is often crucial for urban destinations that want to retain market breadth and avoid relying on one type of guest.
In the city area, 1,437 accommodation providers are registered, that is, 1,927 facilities with a total of 9,184 beds. This confirms that the accommodation offer continues to develop and that tourism growth has not remained without an operational basis. At the same time, the figures also open important questions about sustainability, infrastructure and destination management, which is why the fact that Rijeka has already presented a destination management plan and a calculation of carrying capacity is especially important. This sends the message that the goal is not merely to increase the number of beds or arrivals, but to develop tourism in a way that is aligned with city life, traffic, public space and service quality. For visitors, such an approach is also important in practical terms, because it means that with a greater choice it is easier to find
accommodation near the event venue, the city centre or individual cultural points, depending on the type of trip.
Short stays, but an increasingly content-rich motive for arrival
The average length of stay in the first quarter was 2.48 days. Foreign tourists stay 2.94 days on average, and domestic ones 1.87 days. At first glance, these are relatively short stays, but precisely such a pattern is characteristic of contemporary urban destinations. Rijeka, by all appearances, is increasingly positioning itself as a city break destination, that is, as a city where in two or three days it is possible to combine several different motives for arrival: cultural content, business or congress visits, a weekend escape, gastronomic enjoyment, a concert or festival, a sports event or simply exploring a city with a strong local identity. In such a model, success is not measured only by length of stay, but also by the quality of spending, the distribution of traffic throughout the year and the willingness of guests to return.
The official events calendar on the Visit Rijeka website further confirms that the city has a continuous offer of cultural, artistic, film, theatre and other programmes. During spring 2026, numerous contents were recorded in the calendar, from exhibitions and film screenings to performances and festivals, which is important precisely for guests who come for a shorter time and are looking for a concentrated experience. On the other hand, the gastronomic offer is no longer merely an incidental addition to the city experience. The Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project, which the Rijeka Tourist Board is implementing with partners, is presented on the official website as a branded framework that brings together dozens of hospitality establishments and specialised gastronomic titles. This means that food, too, is being used ever more clearly as part of the destination’s identity, and not merely as a service function for guests. Combined with a rich schedule of events, this creates reasons for arrival that go beyond a classic tourist tour.
Why Rijeka is increasingly standing out on Croatia’s tourism map
Rijeka’s result from the first quarter of 2026 is particularly interesting because it is being achieved in a period that is traditionally not the strongest part of the tourist year. While a large part of domestic tourism still relies heavily on summer, the sea and the peak season, Rijeka shows that cities can build serious traffic even in the preseason if they have enough reasons for arrival. This does not mean that the Rijeka model is without challenges. Short stays mean that the city must constantly prove itself with new contents, quality of public space, accommodation offer and transport functionality. However, this is precisely why the development documents that have already been put on the table and investments in events that, according to official announcements by the City of Rijeka and the Tourist Board, should contribute to growth in arrivals and the extension of the season are important.
Ultimately, the first quarter of 2026 suggests that Rijeka is no longer a tourism story in the making, but a destination that has begun to seriously capitalise on its urban character. Growth in arrivals, stable international demand, a strong domestic market, the dominance of younger guests, a diverse accommodation base and reliance on events and gastronomy create the image of a city that does not rely on one trump card, but on a more comprehensive experience. Precisely for that reason, Rijeka’s figures should not be read only as another successful quarter, but as an indicator of a broader change: the city on the Rječina River and the Kvarner Bay is increasingly clearly imposing itself as a year-round urban destination that has something to offer to both domestic guests and international visitors, whether they come for one extended weekend, several days of culture and gastronomy, or in search of a different face of Croatian tourism. Anyone planning such a stay can already count today on a sufficiently wide choice of both content and
accommodation for visitors in Rijeka, which was much harder to say with equal certainty just a few years ago.
Sources:- City of Rijeka – official announcement on strong tourism growth at the beginning of 2026 and data from the eVisitor system for the first two months of the year (link)- City of Rijeka – official announcement on the awarding of support to events and projects that contribute to the growth of arrivals and the extension of the tourist season in 2026 (link)- Visit Rijeka – plans of the Rijeka Tourist Board, including the Annual Work Programme for 2026, the Destination Management Plan and the Rijeka Tourism Development Plan until 2028 (link)- Visit Rijeka – official page on the destination management plan and the calculation of carrying capacity, aligned with the Rijeka Tourism Development Plan until 2028 (link)- Visit Rijeka – official events calendar with an overview of cultural, artistic and other programmes in the city during spring 2026 (link)- Visit Rijeka – official presentation of the Rijeka Gastronomic Ports project and the city’s gastronomic offer (link)- Croatian Bureau of Statistics – overview of statistical releases on tourist arrivals and overnight stays in Croatia during 2026, as a reference national statistical framework (link)
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