Croatia has smashed its way into Europe’s tourism charts once again – and this time, it’s the big leagues. New Eurostat data shows that between July and September 2025, travellers racked up a staggering 398.1 million overnight stays across the EU via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and other platforms. But the real star of the show? The Croatian Adriatic, which officially became one of Europe’s most sought-after regions for short-term rentals.
While Spain’s Andalucia topped the list with 13.3 million guest nights, Croatia muscled its way into second place with 9.6 million overnight stays along the country’s shimmering Adriatic coast – beating France’s powerhouse region Île-de-France, which logged 9 million. Not bad for a country of just four million people.
Across the EU, holiday rental stays jumped 8.7% year-on-year, with July proving the busiest month, surging a whopping 10% compared with the previous summer. August and September remained strong too, each posting an 8% rise – proof that Europe’s summer season is stretching further than ever.
And Croatia is riding that wave better than almost anyone.
The Eurostat report confirms that Europe’s 20 most popular tourist regions are concentrated in just five countries – but Croatia is the only newcomer in a sea of giants like Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. Once again, the Dalmatian coast is punching far above its weight.
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