August the 19th, 2025 – Poland is certainly far cooler than Croatia during the summer, and it has definitely found its place on the European tourist map in more recent years, but do Czech tourists prefer it?
DW has claimed that Poland is the new Croatia for Czech tourists, who are traditionally otherwise very faithful to their Croatian summers. While that country is certainly very interesting for a multitude of reasons, we don’t quite believe that the Baltic coast has quite the same pull as the Adriatic yet. Is it lower prices or a far more comfortable summer climate that drives this apparent trend, and just how true is it?
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Czech tourists have been faithfully spending their summers in destinations along the glorious Croatian coastline for decades now. It seems that Poland’s Baltic coast has grabbed their attention however, in a trend that apparently initially began last year. That trend has continued to grow, and the numbers speak for themselves.
According to the Polish Tourist Board in the Czech Republic, more than 410,000 overnight stays by Czech tourists in Poland were recorded last year. Forecasts for this year suggest as many as 800,000 visitors, which, if true, would mean that Poland has somehow become more popular than Croatia among Czech tourists for the first time.
There are still plenty of Czech tourists holidaying across Croatia, but is this cause for concern? The constant talk of insufferable heat waves and hefty price tags in Croatia is bound to put people off, and the Czechs are known for being savvy financially. There are several reasons why Czechs appear to be turning to the Polish coastline.
“For many Czechs, it’s simply much easier to travel to Poland, and it’s a country where there is almost no language barrier. Polish prices are affordable, and in some cases even cheaper than in Croatia,” explained Jan Papež, vice president of the Association of Czech Travel Agencies, Fenix Magazine reports.
The change of destination is also being heavily influenced by the climate, as Croatia has become so hot that many simply cannot cope with it at the height of summer. Piotr Piwowarczyk, president of the Tourist Board of Świnoujście, points out that many Czech tourists “appreciate cooler temperatures and less aggressive heat” in northern Europe.
In addition to favourable prices and climate, Polish tourism is also benefiting from better infrastructure. The construction of the S3 expressway made it possible to travel from the Czech Republic to the Polish coastline in less than five hours, and the new Baltic Express high-speed train now connects Prague with Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia an enviable four times a day.
According to Hanna Mojsiuk, president of the Northern Chamber of Commerce from Szczecin, tourist waves between the Czech Republic and Poland strengthen mutual relations between the two countries, deepening their overall relationship and level of cooperation in other areas.
“Many Poles like to go and visit Prague on weekends, and Czech tourists are increasingly coming to spend time on Poland’s beaches. This exchange shows how much more potential the two nations have in terms of regional cooperation.”
Although Croatia remains an incredibly attractive destination not only to Czech tourists but to all, especially due to is stunning sea and Mediterranean climate, data and trends show that the Polish coast has become serious competition, at least when it comes to Czech tourists. If this development continues and nothing is done to correct it, Croatia could lose even more of a market share in the coming years.
While Croatia can hardly correct the soaring summer temperatures or turn down the dial on the Dalmatian sun’s thermometer in July and August, prices are a factor that definitely can be altered. It’s also something everyone, including Croats who live here, are growing thoroughly tired of.
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