March the 11th, 2025 – Constant talk of high Croatian prices is pushing would-have-been nautical tourists with plans to sail in Croatian waters further south. Does nearby Greece stand to benefit?

As Morski writes, nautical tourism in Croatia has been recording increase after increase in both supply and arrivals every single year. In European models that pay special attention to the regional community, the nautical industry is the most stimulating economic development. For Croatia, nautical tourism’s importance can’t be quantified, and there are countless visitors who sail the coastline and the 1000+ islands each hot summer season. The constant talk of high Croatian prices as a result of extreme inflation, however, is putting sailors off.

One of the nautical tourism gems in Croatia is undoubtedly Punat marina on the island of Krk, which has had some excellent announcements for the nautical season this year. That season is rapidly approaching and due to kick off in April.

The 1,400 vessels who call Punat marina home have better infrastructure conditions with every passing season. The goal isn’t to increase capacities, but rather to keep on increasing overall quality, which discerning sailors really notice. As a result of ongoing improvements, nautical tourists keep on arriving there with larger and larger boats.

“My wife and I came by chance when we were on holiday over in Italy and immediately fell in love with this marina. We left Italy, and our boat has been here for six years. We’re very satisfied, all the services are impeccable; from service and boat supervision to excellent sailors,” stated Peter Beer, a long-time sailor from Germany, to HRT.

Peter doesn’t only spend a lot of time sailing the Croatian Adriatic with his family, he also actively participates in numerous regattas. He can’t wait, he says – for the upcoming Croatian sailing season.

“The announcements have been excellent so far, the demand is great. We’ve been monitoring the situation in our environment for many years and we know that we are, not only on the Croatian nautical scene, but also on a global level – leaders in the quality of the services we offer,” said Renata Marević, director of the Marina Punat group.

Thanks to the green and digital transition, Punat marina can now also boast of a new so-called “travel lift” with a capacity of 540 tonnes for boats wider than 16 metres. The marina is also currently developing an autonomous robot to offer all kinds of logistical support to sailors.

“It’s intended primarily for the transport of cold water or luggage. We’ll also use it for patrolling and monitoring vessels. There’s no such robot on the global scene yet, and it’s currently a development project,” revealed Marević.

“This year, we’re also launching a new scholarship project with which we want to attract young people and the local population. So far, we haven’t had to employ workers from third countries and we’re working to keep it that way,” said Ivona Žorić, head of human resources and quality manager at Marina Punat Group.

The president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Nautical Tourism Association, Sean Lisjak, says that preparations are currently in full swing, as they are around this time every single year.

“We hope for another good preparation for the upcoming nautical season. The season will be judged by the sailors themselves. The Croatian nautical tourism season will be a separate topic from the rest, and under a special magnifying glass,” warned Lisjak.

Despite all the good announcements and encouraging increases, numbers on the Croatian nautical tourism scene aren’t the only thing on the rise. Constant media attention being paid to sometimes staggeringly high Croatian prices seem to be putting would-have-been nautical tourists elsewhere, primarily down to Greece. The for last season also shows that Croatia recorded a definite drop in overnight stays.

“Unfortunately, the data we have for early bookings is on the track of having a slightly lower booking level. As one of our competing countries, Greece has swooped in and took a piece of that cake. It’s still too early to judge, of course, but we have to admit that Croatia is lagging behind in some things, and that is primarily in the charter segment,” he added.

Lisjak also said that “the perception of high Croatian prices and the overall expensiveness of the Adriatic and tourist services has taken its toll with regard to nautical tourists”. That’s why this year, Croatian prices will probably be one of the decisive factors when choosing a destination for nautical tourists, who may simply opt for a nearby destination further south, such as Albania or Greece.

“It’s still early, but we are monitoring the situation and we’ll need to be more careful than last year,” Lisjak noted, adding that despite general concerns, he isn’t worried about the continuity of the regular number of clients arriving, despite the fact that Greece will definitely be cheaper than Croatia this year.
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