One Third of Croats Will Travel Abroad for Vacation This Year

As many as 35 percent of respondents from Croatia intend to spend their upcoming annual vacation abroad, with Italy being the most popular destination, revealed Visa’s ‘Central Eastern Europe Visa CEE Travel and Payment Intentions Study 2025’.

According to the study, Croats are exceptionally skilled at managing finances while traveling and are embracing digital tools. As many as 87 percent report that their travel expenses align with planned amounts, while one in four uses digital wallets for payments abroad. The research also shows that consumers expect banks to provide solutions that enhance their travel experience and are willing to pay for such services.

Visa’s latest research, conducted in seven Central and Eastern European countries, including Croatia, reveals both general and very specific attitudes of the region’s residents towards travel. Croats plan this year’s vacation in various ways. Almost half consider themselves ‘experience explorers‘ who prioritize new discoveries and stepping out of their comfort zone. One in five enjoys the planning process itself and takes a leading role to ensure everything goes smoothly.

‘Bargain hunters’ make up 17 percent, while more than a quarter of Croats admit they love good deals but will not compromise on comfort, safety, or food.

Planned spending of 760 euros per person

Croats plan to spend an average of 760 euros per person during their trips abroad, primarily on food, excursions, and entertainment. While 16 percent admit to adjusting expenses based on the company they are traveling with, even if it means exceeding their budget, nearly half carefully plan their expenditures before departure.

This discipline continues while traveling, where almost every second tourist from Croatia tracks expenses through digital banking. The result? Among those who plan their expenses in advance, an impressive 87 percent say their actual expenditures at the destination align with their pre-set budget.

Visa’s research also shows that Croatian consumers expect banks to provide solutions that enhance their travel experience and are willing to pay for such services. Currently, they most frequently use currency exchange services (22 percent) and foreign currency accounts (20 percent). They would also like to have access to loyalty programs, larger discounts on airline tickets, and hotel accommodations.

– Our research shows that Croats are eager to use additional banking services related to travel and are willing to spend an average of 2.1 euros per month on them, while nine percent are willing to spend more than five euros. This highlights the importance of continuously monitoring their needs to meet them and facilitate daily life and travel – stated Renata Vujasinović, Director of Visa in the Republic of Croatia.

Digital habits of Croatian tourists

Visa’s research reveals that digital payments are becoming the standard both at home and abroad, as nearly four out of five Croatian tourists will pay with a card, smartphone, or smartwatch at their destination.

One in four Croats chooses mobile wallets as their preferred payment method while abroad. With Visa cards, fast and secure payments are available at over 150 million merchant locations in more than 200 countries and territories, in over 180 currencies. Travelers from the CEE region particularly highlight convenience (64 percent), speed (61 percent), and security (55 percent) as the main advantages of card payments abroad.

Croats are already skilled at budgeting while traveling, but the research also shows what additional services would help them manage costs. In addition to multi-currency accounts/cards with access to real-time exchange rates, there are mobile banking apps that display spending in real-time with automatic categorization or price comparison search engines for tourist services with the option to pay directly from the app. Therefore, the development of personalized services in this segment is crucial for attracting, engaging, and retaining customers.

On average, we plan to vacation for more than 7 days abroad

This year, the most respondents from Croatia are going to Italy, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria. Most will organize their trip independently, while two out of five will choose a package deal. In both cases, they most often choose online channels for purchasing and opt for digital payment. Independent planning and reservations are particularly popular among Hungarians and Bulgarians.

– Our research confirms that Croats, whether in the planning phase or during their vacation, are eager to use mobile wallets based on Visa systems and technologies. The key technology here is tokenization, which provides an additional layer of security and gives travelers more peace of mind when making payments – adds Vujasinović.

In addition to general plans, Visa also explored what travelers from the CEE region consider the most frustrating problems while traveling. These are often unexpected issues such as flight delays or cancellations, lost luggage, overcrowded destinations, or fears of fraud and pickpockets.

And while this may not be among the top three regional problems, one in six Croats admits they were surprised abroad by the unavailability of preferred payment methods when their usual payment methods were not available or did not work as they do at home.