Rijeka in Advent December 2025: a leap among the most visited and confirmation of year-round tourism
Rijeka ended December 2025 with results that position it among the most successful city destinations in Croatia outside the summer season. According to eVisitor system data processed by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) at the beginning of January, the city on the Rječina recorded 10.864 tourist arrivals and 27.346 overnight stays in the last month of the year. Such a December performance brought Rijeka eighth place among the leading city destinations in the country by number of overnight stays, in the company of traditionally strongest urban magnets and year-round hubs.
At a time when tourism in Croatia is increasingly measured through season extension and a more even distribution of traffic throughout the year, December is an especially sensitive test. In that context, Rijeka’s results are not merely a statistical note, but an indicator of broader trends: changing traveler habits, strengthening city-break demand, growth of the events offer, and an ever clearer orientation of Kvarner toward tourism that does not depend exclusively on July and August.
Numbers that pushed Rijeka to the top
Data for December 2025 point to two important messages. First, Rijeka achieved a stable volume of traffic in a month that is traditionally weaker for most Adriatic destinations. Second, the city maintained a balance between growth and sustainability: compared with December 2024, an increase in arrivals was recorded, while the level of overnight stays remained very close to last year’s, which suggests that the market is expanding without sudden oscillations that often accompany “one-off” event effects.
Comparison with other cities further clarifies the weight of the achieved result. In December, when traffic concentrates strongly in a few urban centers, Rijeka found itself immediately behind destinations that have had developed winter programs, a strong hotel base, and international recognition for years. Such a ranking is not only a matter of prestige, but also a concrete signal to event organizers, hoteliers, private renters, and restaurateurs that investments in the winter offer are paying back faster than was usual a decade ago.
Kvarner right behind Zagreb: a regional context that explains Rijeka’s growth
Rijeka’s result is not an “island” outcome separated from its surroundings, but part of a broader story about Kvarner. In December 2025, Kvarner recorded 69 thousand arrivals and 206 thousand overnight stays, with double-digit growth compared with the same month of the previous year. Such a jump – according to publicly available analyses of the tourism sector in the region – confirms that Kvarner is increasingly perceived less as an exclusively summer destination, and more as an area with an offer that can attract visitors in winter as well.
For Rijeka, this regional framework is important for at least three reasons. First, the city increasingly functions as an entry point to the wider area, from the Opatija Riviera to the islands and Gorski kotar. Second, some visitors combine multiple locations within the same trip, so a Rijeka arrival can spill over into a multi-day stay in Kvarner – and vice versa. Third, joint branding and coordination of December events have a multiplying effect: a traveler planning one Advent weekend often chooses the region first, and only then chooses the city.
In practice, this means that some guests will come for the atmosphere and program in Rijeka’s center, but during the same stay will also opt for an excursion, wellness, or gastronomy in the surroundings. Precisely for that reason, already in the trip-planning phase information about availability and prices is increasingly sought, as well as
accommodation offers in Rijeka that enable a flexible stay and easy movement.
Accommodation picture: Rijeka high in family accommodation, strong in hotels too
One of the most interesting indicators of December 2025 is Rijeka’s ranking in accommodation segments. According to HTZ data, in December Rijeka was
fourth in Croatia by number of overnight stays in family accommodation, with 8.979 overnight stays and 2.968 arrivals. In the same month, Rijeka also ranked among the ten leading destinations by hotel traffic, with 10.656 overnight stays and 5.493 arrivals in hotels. Such a “double” result is rare among cities: usually either the hotel segment dominates (business and city-break tourism) or private accommodation (weekend trips and visits to relatives), while in December Rijeka shows it can pull strongly in both.
In practice, this means the city attracts different types of guests. Hotels are typically tied to business arrivals, conferences, short city breaks, and organized groups, while family accommodation is often chosen by couples, smaller groups, and visitors who want greater autonomy or a more favorable price-to-content ratio. When these two segments rise high in the same month, the message to the market is clear: the destination is “alive” outside summer peaks as well, and the offer is diverse enough to cover different needs.
In December, the importance of location is also additionally evident. The most sought-after, according to the experience of the tourism market in cities, are accommodations that enable walking distance to the program and hospitality offer, especially during weekends. Therefore it is not surprising that during the Advent events period interest increases in
accommodation near Rijeka’s center, where visitors can combine walks, events, and an evening out without logistical complications.
Who comes to Rijeka and why: the domestic market as a backbone, foreign markets as growth
Rijeka’s December traffic shows that the domestic market remains a strong backbone. From HTZ data on destinations by domestic tourist traffic it is evident that Rijeka in December achieved 4.197 domestic arrivals and 7.818 domestic overnight stays. Relative to the total figures, this means domestic guests make up a large part of the December base – which is logical in a month when trips are often shorter, weekend-driven, and tied to holiday content.
At the same time, Rijeka does not remain closed within domestic frameworks. Although December data by emitting markets are not always equally detailed publicly at the level of each city, Rijeka’s tourism trends in recent years show a stable presence of guests from neighboring and nearby European countries. In annual statistical overviews of Rijeka’s tourist traffic, markets such as Italy and Austria stand out, which are traditionally among more important sources of arrivals and overnight stays. This pattern also fits into the broader Kvarner December, in which – according to publicly presented analyses of the tourism sector in the region – strong shifts were recorded in the markets of Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, and Germany, with domestic guests as the most numerous.
It is important to emphasize that “who comes” is not only statistics, but a tool for planning the offer. If short stays prevail in December, then the program must be dense and substantial enough to justify a trip to the traveler. If the share of foreign guests grows, it is necessary to invest in communication, availability of information, and quality of service, because competition in winter city-break travel is extremely strong.
“Both old and young”: age structure and profile of December guests
The Advent month in Rijeka and on Kvarner is increasingly described as a period that attracts a wide range of generations. According to available analyses of tourism actors in the region, among the more pronounced groups stand out
younger adult guests, but also
middle-aged visitors who come because of a combination of gastronomy, culture, events, and rest outside the main season. Such age diversity has practical consequences: the program must offer both energy (concerts, open-air events, nightlife) and content that matches a calmer rhythm (cultural tours, museums, theatre, Advent fairs, themed walks).
In Rijeka’s case, an additional advantage is the city’s structure. The center is compact and walkable, which makes movement easier for all age groups. When the possibility of day trips or combining an urban stay with nature in the hinterland is added, Rijeka gains the profile of a destination that can satisfy different travel habits in the same weekend. That is why it is no coincidence that in December interest increases in
accommodation for Advent weekends in Rijeka, especially among guests who come for shorter, but content-intense stays.
Why December works: programs, atmosphere, and the “logistics” of a city break
Success in December in urban destinations most often hinges on three elements: the program, the atmosphere, and logistics. The program must be recognizable enough to prompt the traveler to step “out” of routine and come to the city, the atmosphere must confirm the expectation of a holiday experience, and logistics – from transport to accommodation – must be simple.
Rijeka in that sense uses several advantages. As a transport-accessible hub, the city is a natural choice for weekend trips within Croatia, but also for guests from neighboring countries. Furthermore, in recent years December in Rijeka has increasingly relied on a combination of public events, hospitality offer, and content that encourages staying in the city – from daytime sightseeing to evening outings. Finally, the diversity of accommodation makes it possible for different budgets to “attach” to the destination: from hotels for business guests and organized groups to private and family accommodation that is more flexible for couples and smaller groups.
When such a combination comes together, December stops being an “exception” and becomes part of a broader pattern of year-round tourism. Precisely this is the key difference between a one-off successful Advent and a systematically successful winter season.
Growth in demand for higher quality: a signal to investors and the city
A particularly interesting trend at the level of Kvarner is the growing interest in higher-category accommodation. According to publicly published analyses of the Kvarner Tourist Board, in December 2025 almost half of the traffic was realized in hotels, and the growth of overnight stays in four- and five-star properties was highlighted as one of the strongest signals of changing demand. Such a shift also has a Rijeka dimension: the fact that Rijeka entered among the leading hotel destinations by overnight stays in December, alongside a high fourth place in family accommodation, speaks of a market that is segmenting, but also growing.
For the city this opens two parallel tasks. On one hand, it is necessary to preserve accessibility and diversity of the offer so that Rijeka remains attractive to domestic guests and weekend travelers. On the other, growth in interest for higher quality requires standardization of service, investments in content, and sustainable development that will prevent short-term “exhaustion” of space. Tourism that expands outside the season is often an opportunity to relieve summer pressure, but only if planned thoughtfully.
What the December figures mean for the city economy
Behind every number of overnight stays and arrivals stand concrete effects: fuller restaurants, higher spending in shops, greater demand for taxis and transport, more work for cultural institutions and event organizers. December is specific because part of the spending comes in short “waves” – on weekends and around holidays – so the challenge is to adjust capacities. However, a successful December is also an opportunity to test models that can later be applied in pre-season and post-season as well: better event management, coordination of public services, planning of traffic and safety, and development of tourism products that do not depend on weather conditions.
For Rijeka, which alongside tourism also has a strong component of business arrivals, the December result additionally suggests that markets are increasingly overlapping. A business guest who comes for a meeting or conference can extend the stay because of the atmosphere in the city, while a tourist who comes for Advent can discover the city as a potential destination outside the holiday season as well.
The natural conclusion of the story: Rijeka as a destination that no longer “turns off the lights” after summer
December 2025 in Rijeka is therefore not only a good month on the calendar, but confirmation that the city is positioning itself ever more clearly as a year-round urban destination. Eighth place among the leading cities by number of overnight stays, high rankings in family accommodation and visible hotel traffic, along with strong regional momentum of Kvarner, indicate that Rijeka’s tourism has entered a phase in which success is not measured only by summer peaks. If the trends from December continue through pre-season and post-season, Rijeka could in the long term strengthen its status as a city that attracts visitors with program, content, and quality – regardless of what the calendar says.
Sources:- Croatian National Tourist Board (eVisitor) – monthly information on statistical indicators of tourist traffic for December 2025 and January–December 2025. link
- Novi list – overview of Kvarner results in December 2025, highlighting growth trends, traffic structure, and statements by regional actors link
- Jutarnji list (Novac) – analysis of Kvarner’s tourism results in December 2025, including data on growth and demand for higher-category accommodation link
- Tourist Board of the City of Rijeka (visitrijeka.hr) – statistical overview of tourist traffic as context for emitting markets and demand structure link
Find accommodation nearby
Creation time: 8 hours ago