Croatia vacation hot spot may ban alcohol sales during key hours in sweeping new crackdown

The nightlife in Croatia’s second-largest city could soon look quite a bit different for visitors on vacation getaways.

The city of Split is proposing a ban on the sale of alcohol between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. 

Licensed venues such as bars, restaurants and nightclubs would remain exempt.

Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar announced the plan Wednesday, which would amend the country’s Trade Act.

“This is primarily for the health of our citizens, especially children and young people, to preserve public order and protect the environment and cultural heritage,” said Šušnjar.

The minister also said he believes this solution provides a “better way” to manage tourist destinations, according to local outlet HRT.

The new measures could take effect this summer.

Croatia is a premier European destination for yacht party tourism, with hubs in Split, Dubrovnik and Makarska.

Split is also known for its Ultra Music Festival and many beach bars.

Croatia’s second-largest city, Split, is proposing a ban on the sale of alcohol between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.  nikkusha – stock.adobe.com

In 2024, 21.3 million people visited Croatia, according to government data. 

Last year, another European city implemented a ban in an attempt to curb tipsy tourists.

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, has enforced a ban on organized nighttime pub crawls, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar said the plan would “preserve public order and protect the environment and cultural heritage” in Split. Pavel Losevsky – stock.adobe.com

The popular activity of tour groups hopping from bar to bar has caused a stir among the city’s council board, with complaints of noise and safety concerns coming in.

“We don’t want to support [the] cheap alco-tourism that’s unfortunately still quite common in Prague,” Adam Zabranský, a member of the city’s council who drafted the proposal, told The Associated Press.

The ban applies to the hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with fines of up to 100,000 koruna (roughly $4,300) handed out to organizers of the crawls.