Summer holidays: Why travellers are swapping the Riviera for the Balkans

Easter whitethorn present beryllium down us, but galore Europeans are already rushing to publication their summertime 2026 getaways.

From Portugal to Greece for those seeking the sun, to Ireland for those chasing cooler days, the continent is packed with imagination destinations.

But 1 portion is rising supra them each — and no, it's not the accustomed heavyweights Spain, France oregon Italy.

Croatia's Adriatic region, oregon Jadranska Hrvatska, is the astir fashionable destination successful the EU for holidaymakers, according to Eurostat information analysed by Europe successful Motion.

Between June and the extremity of September 2025, it clocked the highest fig of edifice bookings of immoderate portion successful the EU: 34 cardinal nights reserved crossed Airbnb, Booking and Expedia.

And it's not hard to spot why.

What makes Croatia's seashore special?

The Adriatic coast's earthy beauty, lukewarm upwind and past look to beryllium the main propulsion factors for those coming from elsewhere successful Europe and beyond.

Tourists are drawn to the region's agelong long of coastline, which is dotted with charming seaside towns, and faces a scattering of tiny islands washed by crystal-clear waters.

It's besides known for its taste country and vibrant nightlife, making it fashionable for those connected a one-week roadworthy trip.

The metropolis of Split is simply a premier example, allowing tourists to bask humanities sites specified arsenic the Roman palace of Emperor Diocletian alongside swims astatine the secluded Kasjuni beach.

Additionally, conscionable an hour-long ferry thrust distant from Split is the land of Hvar, which prides itself connected snorkelling spots similar Jerolim and Marinkovac. Fans of windsurfing besides predominant the land of Brač, conscionable adjacent to Hvar.

In the Makarska region, the Biokovo Skywalk has emerged arsenic a superior draw. Situated astatine an elevation of astir 1,200 metres, the glass-bottomed horseshoe pier offers panoramic views of the Adriatic, attracting some casual sightseers and seasoned hikers consenting to navigate the Biokovo Range's rugged terrain.

Further south, Dubrovnik remains the region's astir high-profile destination. Industry analysts property its sustained popularity to its presumption arsenic a UNESCO World Heritage tract and its planetary designation arsenic the filming determination for "King's Landing" successful the Game of Thrones franchise.

Activities specified arsenic perimeter partition tours and sunset kayaking person go staples of the section tourism economy.

However, the portion is prone to overcrowding successful the summer, prompting galore to caput to the coastal cities of Zadar oregon Sibenik for a much relaxed vibe.

Which different European regions diagnostic successful the apical 10?

Croatia's Adriatic seashore whitethorn beryllium apical successful the fig of bookings for bully reason, but the remainder of the apical 10 — astatine the determination level — is simply a Franco-Spanish duopoly, with Andalusia, Provence, the Valencian Community, Catalonia, Occitania, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the Paris region, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Canary Islands making it into the apical spots.

The lone objection to that is the Greek macro-region of Crete and the Aegean Islands successful 5th place.

Can Europe's steadfast tourism assemblage spot disconnected an unstable 2026?

There's besides a flimsy leaderboard reshuffle astatine the state level.

France takes golden with 108 cardinal nights booked successful summertime 2025, portion Spain claims metallic with 91 million, followed by Italy astatine 75 million.

Overall, the tourism assemblage continues to look highly healthy, according to Eurostat.

Looking astatine 2025 arsenic a whole, tourists spent astir 950 cardinal nights successful short-stay accommodations booked online, marking an 11.4% summation from 2024 and a 32.4% leap from 2023.

However, there's a large caveat looming implicit 2026.

The warfare successful Iran has already triggered a spike successful lipid and jet-fuel costs, which whitethorn unit immoderate airlines to cut flights and enactment up fares to header with proviso disruptions.