Over 120 foreign cities will benefit from air connectivity with Croatia in summer 2025, according to airport data released the Croatian National Tourist Board, with flight numbers that are expected to boost the southeastern European nation’s passenger operations by two per cent year-on-year.
Around 485 domestic and international flights will be “back on track” the press release said. Travellers hailing from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria will have the most and the most frequent options, from London, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Vienna, though the board said its most important source markets also include France, Italy and Poland.
Meanwhile in Croatia, it is Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik that are set to see the greatest number of operations.
40 new unique connections
Overall around 40 “new unique connections” are also part of the equation, officials said. Kristjan Staničić, the board’s director emphasised in a statement that “the goal is to improve air connectivity with foreign countries every year. This is especially important for our southern destinations, [that are]more reliant on air transport.” To that end, the tourist board country has allocated more than three million euros for strategic partnerships, including cooperation with airlines, this year alone, producing what the board described as “record” results.
The summer season will see 54 different airlines flying to and from Croatia, with the skies dominated by Croatia Airlines, Ryanair, Easyjet, Eurowings and Lufthansa. In terms of direct routes, 42 will be available “mainly from Europe” the agency announced, adding that “connections with destinations on other continents are planned, for example, for the USA, Canada, Korea, Qatar, UAE.”
Expanding the season to improve accessibility
Interestingly, as well as a mission to “actively encourage launch of new unique connections” the tourist board noted a strategy to “ensure an earlier start” since, in the words of Staničić, “air connectivity is extremely important outside the peak season because of the better accessibility of our destinations.”
The board director may have been referring to the fact that stunning medieval cities such as Dubrovnik, that offer limited access due to their coastal position, walled fortifications, and narrow Old Town streets, tend to dominate the tourist imagination, resulting in summer crowding. That’s despite the wealth of other attractions Croatia can offer both sunseekers and active holidaymakers thanks to its pristine Adriatic coastline, over 1,000 idyllic islands, plus hiking in its forests and national parks.
