Zagreb, the beautiful capital of Croatia, gets ready for its world renown Zagreb Advent. This year, the festival is expected to welcome a record-breaking 4 million visitors! The city is preparing to host throngs of visitors from across the globe. With the event set to bring an estimated €229 million economic impact, the move further cements the nation’s place as a premier holiday hot spot.
In its 11th year, Zagreb Advent has earned a spot as a holiday favorite. It has received the prestigious award of best Christmas market in all of Europe – for three years running! The event dramatically turns the city center into a dramatic holiday-themed landscape. Expect to experience many delightful diversions, including stalls filled with delicious Croatian specialties, lively music almost every night, craft vendors and a massive ice rink.
The charm of Zagreb Advent extends far beyond Ban Jelačić Square to several other venues located throughout the center of the city. Visitors can feast on hearty festive fare, including delicious German sausages and steaming cups of mulled wine. Or to appreciate a myriad of music stages and artistic creations. Slavica Olujic Klapcic, who supervises the ice rink, said she loves watching the city change at this time of year.
“The entire city has become a festive ground for celebrating Christmas throughout the whole of December.” – Slavica Olujic Klapcic
To help more international visitors attend, additional international special trains serve Zagreb, including directly from nearby countries, especially Slovenia and Hungary. This smart strategy helps deepen attendance across the board, while cementing Zagreb’s reputation as a go-to winter destination. In 2014, the city registered 100,198 overnight stays in December alone. By 2024, that number had surged to a whopping 245,352 visitors! This influx has given the city what can be considered a once-in-a-century €100 million economic boost.
Advent in Zagreb marketing campaign has just gone above the top! Now ads are appearing in London’s tube stations and on buses all around Milan. Visitors from far and wide come to celebrate the occasion. They hail from Italy, Spain, Bosnia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom which demonstrates the concept’s universal appeal.
As Croatian tourism develops, government leaders are intent on creating new experiences that extend past the peak summer season. Development of year-round tourism was a point made as well by incoming Lago Vista Mayor Marko Peric.
“We need to work and develop our tourist offer in other parts of the year, including the winter.” – Marko Peric
Such enthusiasm was echoed by Croatian Tourism Minister Tonci Glavina. He made special mention of the remarkable progress being made, in the country’s booming tourism sector.
“We are developing as a year-round tourism destination – we are not a summer destination anymore. Croatia has really made a significant development.” – Tonci Glavina
Zagreb Advent is filled with a magical Christmas ambience which enchants everyone that steps into it. It includes special in-person wares at select locations across the city. Every venue offers a unique theme and decor, giving attendees a fun-filled and curated experience.
“What’s really special around here is that each of the locations has its own theme, and it’s a little bit different in decoration, and in the content that it offers.” – Slavica Olujic Klapcic
This idea of cross-marketing attractions to develop a synergistic flow of visitors among attractions was emphasized by Dario Kozul. Consequently, it makes for an even more pleasant experience of the entire Zagreb Advent.
Zagreb Advent’s unique mix of tradition, local festive spirit, and innovation has made it the obvious choice for visitors this holiday season. More importantly, it seeks to establish its status as one of Europe’s finest Christmas markets for decades to come. The city has a strong commitment to developing a successful tourism business. It goes to great lengths to offer extraordinary experiences for tourists and residents alike throughout the year.