January the 17th, 2026 – The advent celebrations in Rovinj have resulted in excellent tourist numbers for off-season Istria which is otherwise very quiet indeed outside of summer.
As Sinisa Malus/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Rovinj enjoyed an exceptionally successful and record-breaking tourist year in 2025, with a very strong end to the season marked by a record-breaking Advent festivities. According to the Rovinj Tourist Board, during the Christmas and New Year holidays, from December the 24th, 2025 to January the 4th, 2026, 29,548 overnight stays were recorded across Rovinj, which is three percent more than in the same period last year.
The most numerous guests in that period were Austrians and guests from elsewhere in Croatia (23 percent each), followed by Slovenians (17 percent), Germans (11 percent) and guests from Serbia (5 percent). This year’s Advent in Rovinj, which took place from December the 12th, 2025 to January the 10th, 2026, was rated as one of the most successful and most visited so far. The programme was designed for all generations and took place at several city locations, with the main Advent centre taking place on Marshal Tito Square.
“A special festive atmosphere was marked by the return of a real ice rink, which after many years has once again become a gathering place for citizens and visitors alike. The Batana Ecomuseum also played an important role in the Advent in Rovinj offer in 2025, which further emphasised the authentic identity of Rovinj with its rich gastronomic and cultural offer, musical programmes, children’s workshops and popular carousel. On the last day of the year, Marshal Tito Square was filled with visitors of all generations. The youngest welcomed the New Year at noon with fireworks, while the evening reception was marked by a great atmosphere with a performance by the Grooversi group, after which the audience was entertained by the Blue Orchestra,” they stated from the Rovinj Tourist Board.
For the entire year, Rovinj achieved 4,376,910 overnight stays and 770,840 arrivals in 2025, which are record results, with a four percent increase in overnight stays and five percent in arrivals compared to the previous year. This encouraging data confirms Rovinj as one of the most successful tourist destinations in Croatia.
The largest share of the total number of overnight stays in Rovinj was achieved by guests from Germany (32 percent), followed by Austrians (14 percent), domestic guests (6 percent), Italians (6 percent) and Slovenians (5 percent), with domestic and Slovenian guests recording particularly strong growth.
Looking at the situation based on the type of accommodation chosen, the most overnight stays were achieved in campsites (45 percent), which confirms Rovinj’s strong position in the outdoor and sustainable tourism segment. This was closely followed by private accommodation (22 percent), hotels (21 percent) and tourist resorts (10 percent).
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