Destination Case Study: Croatia

Destination Marketing Plan to Rejuvenate Croatia’s Tourism Sector

The challenge

Croatia was suffering from low awareness and brand recognition, a concentration of tourists in coastal/island regions while the interior of the country needed more visitors, narrow seasonality, and low spend from visitors.

The context

Croatia as a tourist destination was facing multiple challenges:

Low brand recognition, awareness and understanding in key source markets, leading to a loss in potential visitors

High seasonality with tourism demand concentrated in peak summer months and an underuse of infrastructure during off months

Low tourist spend per day and short stays, impacting overall revenue and profitability in the sector

Geographic concentration on the island/coastal regions of the country, leaving interior wine regions, national parks, mountains, etc. empty of visitors

The methodology

To tackle these issues, Croatia developed a comprehensive strategic marketing plan, which included:

Analytical assessment: conducting an exhaustive analysis to identify key issues affecting Croatia's tourism.

Communication strategy: Redefining Croatia’s country identity to enhance its appeal and differentiation in the global market.

Operational marketing activities: Designing targeted campaigns aimed at diversifying tourism products and promoting year-round tourism to mitigate seasonality.

The new plan

Croatia is now positioned more competitively in the international tourism market and is enjoying sustainable growth.

This has principally been through an increase in brand awareness campaigns that elevate Croatia as a premier Mediterranean destination and in parallel attract higher-spending visitors.

These campaigns have also improved travel beyond traditional summer months, leading to more balanced distribution and higher spend throughout the year in the country’s interior away from beaches. 

*Project executed by a consortium including THR, Horwath HTL, and Millennium Promocija