Passenger Traffic at Croatia Airports Soars by Seven Percent Last Year, With Zagreb Leading Growth: What New Updates You Need to Know

Air passenger traffic at Croatian airports increased by 7% in 2025 to over 13.99 million passengers. This data, provided by the national statistics office, shows an increase from approximately 13.1 million passengers in 2024. This growth continues to reflect the recovery of tourism in Croatia as the country remains a sought-after travel destination in Europe.

The increase in passenger traffic has also been reflected in the country’s primary intake, Zagreb. With Zagreb airport increasing to 4.7 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 9.2% from 2024, this growth of over 4 million passengers shows the central role Zagreb airport plays in the country’s travel sector, making it the largest airport in the country.

The National Growth of Split and Dubrovnik Airports

In addition to the rapid growth of Zagreb airport, Split airport and Dubrovnik airports also received more passengers, establishing the three as pivotal travel airports in Croatia. Split airport had 3.8 million passengers in 2025, and Dubrovnik airport had 3.1 million passengers in the same year. These three airports—Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb—serve as the coastal area of Croatia, a region that is able to serve as a point of entry for both foreign and local travelers.

Zagreb had the highest number of passengers handled, while Split and Dubrovnik play important roles in connecting Croatia with Europe and beyond, especially in the summer peak travel months. Their development shows that Croatia’s popularity as a Mediterranean tourist destination remains strong.

December – Stronger-than-Expected Growth

In December 2025, Croatia’s airports handled 6.6% more passengers than in December 2024. The end-of-year spike in traffic is a strong signal of leisure and business travel demand, and the December traffic spike in Croatia reinforces the country’s popularity as a winter travel destination.

The increase in December was consistent with the growth seen in other months throughout the year. This strong demand for travel in December is evident throughout the European Union, further affirming Croatia’s status as a year-round destination.

Effect of International Travel and Regional Connectivity

The increasing volumes of travelers at Croatian airports are indicative of its stronger links to key markets in Europe. As a new European Union member state, Croatia has seen the introduction of more direct flights from various European destinations in the peak summer travel months, as well as increased European traveler access to the airports. With flights to Croatia, travelers can now experience the cultural and natural splendor of the country, including its historic cities, beautiful coastline, and vibrant urban centers.

Air traffic to Croatia increased as tourism in Europe recovers, particularly for sun, culture, and adventure in southern Europe. With local government and airline support, Croatian airports can build on these positive trends.

Performance of Croatian Airports Compared to Preceding Years

Croatian airports recorded a remarkable 16% annual increase in the number of passengers for 2024. 2024 set a high standard for passenger growth, and given the global economic climate, 2025’s 7% growth is particularly noteworthy. The consistent growth of Croatian airports assures continued success.

The predicted growth rate for 2025 is slightly less compared to 2024 growth rate predictions. This is still an indicator of a positive trend for Croatian airports. Given current global economic conditions and post-pandemic travel patterns, a decrease in growth rate is understandable. As passenger traffic increases, Croatia is positively affected in terms of the tourism sector.

The Croatian Aviation Sector Also Faces Challenges

Passenger numbers may be increasing; however, the Croatian Aviation Sector has struggled in some areas. Operational activity has increased, as indicated by a 4.4% increase in the number of take-offs and landings at Croatian airports in 2025. In contrast to this, global supply chain changes have resulted in a 12% decrease in cargo. Given recent history, this is especially concerning for the sector, as the industry has only just started to recover financially.

As cargo volume decreases, the airport’s revenue can also decline as they rely on freight services in addition to passenger services. However, since passenger traffic continues to increase, the optimism for Croatian airports remains high. Therefore, they are focusing on the expansion of services and improvements in infrastructure to keep pace with the increasing number of passengers.

The post Passenger Traffic at Croatia Airports Soars by Seven Percent Last Year, With Zagreb Leading Growth: What New Updates You Need to Know appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

Audi holds 4.9% of the Croatian market in January.

The Croatian new car market suffers in January at -11.5% year-on-year to 3,946 units. Skoda (-2.6%) and Volkswagen (-6.2%) both improve their share and are separated by only one sale. Toyota (+13.8%) defies the negative context at #3 like last month, followed by Suzuki (-25%) and Opel (-26.9%) both cratering. Audi (+9.7%) is the only gainer in the remainder of the Top 10, reaching a record 6th place (previous best: #7 in March 2025). Renault (-50.6%), Dacia (-49%), Ford (-30.7%) and Hyundai (-25%) are hit particularly hard below. MG (+120%), Forthing (+106.7%) and Volvo (+24.2%) shine.

Model-wise, the VW T-Cross (-27.8%) is the best-seller like one year ago but sees its sales plunge. The Skoda Octavia (-11.4%) follows the market at #2 while the Suzuki Vitara (-29.8%) is in trouble at #3. In contrast, the VW Tiguan (+37.3%), Skoda Kamiq (+25%) and Suzuki S-Cross (+16.7%) all deliver excellent performances. The MG ZS (+142.9%), Toyota Yaris (+121.7%) and Skoda Karoq (+97.1%) all impress.

Previous post: Croatia Full Year 2025: Skoda Octavia and VW T-Cross lead again, Opel Mokka up to #5 in record market

One year ago: Croatia January 2025: VW T-Cross hits record share

Full January 2026 Top 44 All brands and Top 20 models below.

Croatia January 2026 – brands:

Pos	Brand	Jan-26	%	/25	Dec
1	Skoda	515	13.1%	– 2.6%	1
2	Volkswagen	514	13.0%	– 6.2%	2
3	Toyota	306	7.8%	+ 13.8%	3
4	Suzuki	258	6.5%	– 25.0%	5
5	Opel	209	5.3%	– 26.9%	6
6	Audi	193	4.9%	+ 9.7%	10
7	Kia	193	4.9%	– 16.1%	12
8	Hyundai	189	4.8%	– 25.0%	8
9	BMW	170	4.3%	– 10.1%	18
10	Dacia	157	4.0%	– 49.0%	7
11	Ford	122	3.1%	– 30.7%	4
12	Renault	118	3.0%	– 50.6%	9
13	Mazda	98	2.5%	– 10.1%	16
14	Mercedes	94	2.4%	+ 3.3%	13
15	Peugeot	89	2.3%	– 23.3%	14
16	Volvo	82	2.1%	+ 24.2%	23
17	Citroen	68	1.7%	– 32.7%	11
18	MG	66	1.7%	+ 120.0%	25
19	BYD	64	1.6%	new	19
20	Cupra	55	1.4%	– 8.3%	21
21	Omoda	54	1.4%	new	20
22	Nissan	39	1.0%	– 33.9%	22
23	Geely	32	0.8%	– 30.4%	24
24	Seat	31	0.8%	+ 14.8%	26
25	Forthing	31	0.8%	+ 106.7%	29
26	Porsche	31	0.8%	– 34.0%	30
27	Jaecoo	27	0.7%	+ 2600.0%	15
28	Tesla	19	0.5%	+ 171.4%	17
29	Mini	19	0.5%	+ 58.3%	37
30	Mitsubishi	15	0.4%	+ 1400.0%	33
31	Lexus	14	0.4%	– 30.0%	27
32	Honda	12	0.3%	+ 33.3%	34
33	SsangYong	9	0.2%	– 10.0%	28
34	Land Rover	9	0.2%	– 72.7%	32
35	Subaru	8	0.2%	+ 100.0%	35
36	DS	7	0.2%	+ 133.3%	41
37	Alfa Romeo	7	0.2%	+ 16.7%	44
38	Jeep	6	0.2%	– 71.4%	36
39	Fiat	5	0.1%	+ 25.0%	31
40	Lynk & Co	4	0.1%	– 60.0%	38
41	Leapmotor	2	0.1%	new	39
42	Bentley	2	0.1%	– 33.3%	45
43	Aston Martin	2	0.1%	n/a	–
44	Morgan	1	0.0%	n/a	–

Croatia January 2026 – models:

Pos	Model	Jan-26	%	/24	Dec
1	VW T-Cross	190	4.8%	– 27.8%	1
2	Skoda Octavia	163	4.1%	– 11.4%	4
3	Suzuki Vitara	132	3.3%	– 29.8%	6
4	Suzuki SX4 S-Cross	112	2.8%	+ 16.7%	11
5	VW Tiguan	92	2.3%	+ 37.3%	8
6	Skoda Kamiq	90	2.3%	+ 25.0%	14
7	Hyundai Tucson	83	2.1%	– 26.5%	7
8	Skoda Kodiaq	81	2.1%	– 37.2%	2
9	Opel Corsa	77	2.0%	– 59.0%	9
10	Kia Stonic	69	1.7%	– 4.2%	n/a
11	Skoda Karoq	67	1.7%	+ 97.1%	n/a
12	Dacia Duster	63	1.6%	– 45.2%	n/a
13	Kia Sportage	62	1.6%	– 12.7%	n/a
14	VW T-Roc	61	1.5%	+ 5.2%	n/a
15	Ford Kuga	59	1.5%	– 45.9%	n/a
16	Dacia Sandero	57	1.4%	– 54.8%	5
17	Toyota Yaris Cross	55	1.4%	+ 22.2%	16
18	MG ZS	51	1.3%	+ 142.9%	n/a
19	Opel Frontera	51	1.3%	new	n/a
20	Toyota Yaris	51	1.3%	+ 121.7%	n/a

Source: Promocija Plus