January 3 (SeeNews) - Croatia's tourism ministry said tourist arrivals are forecast to hit a new record of 20 million in 2018, while overnight stays are expected to reach 110 million.
Tourist arrivals in the country in 2017 are estimated at 18.5 million, while overnight stays are expected at 102 million, the tourism ministry said in a statement last week.
Total revenue from tourism is expected to surpass 12 billion euro ($14.4 billion) this year, compared to an estimated 11.5 billion euro last year.
Croatia's total revenue from foreign tourists should reach 10 billion euro in 2017, or some 1.5 billion euro more than in 2016.
With Croatia's tourism accommodation reaching its full capacity in the summer of 2017, this year the tourism ministry expects some 40 new hotels to open their doors, which will create room for further growth.
Investments in tourism in 2018 are seen at over 950 million euro, compared to some 850 million euro in 2017. Last year, most investments were private, the ministry noted, adding that a majority were made by hotel companies.
Tourism and travel industry contributed 10.7% of Croatia's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016, the World Travel&Tourism Council (WTTC) said earlier.
The WTTC said at the time it expects the country to attract 14.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2017. By 2027, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 26.03 million.
($=0.832372 euro)