Often overshadowed by its Western European neighbors, Croatia is coming into to its own as a tourism destination, with international tourist arrivals increasing 13 percent in 2017 to more than 18 million international visitors over the prior year. Tourism officials expect this trend to continue into 2018, when visitor numbers are projected to increase another 5 percent.

The American market has contributed significantly to the country’s growth and is one of Croatia’s fastest-growing long-haul markets, in large part due to the strong U.S. economy and strength of the dollar, and to an increase in low-cost, long-haul carriers. Between 2011 and 2016, the number of visitor arrivals from the U.S. doubled, to 338,000, with further increases of 35 percent in American visitor arrivals and 34 percent in overnight stays by American travelers.

Approximately 80 percent of Americans are visiting the country between May and September, Croatia’s high season. “Americans seek safer destinations such as Croatia with customized local and active experiences and adventures in less explored destinations,” said Ina Rodin, director of the Croatian National Tourist Office in New York. “We aim to increase interest to boost travel during the shoulder seasons, early spring and fall, as well as visits to the capital city of Zagreb for the Christmas market, which was voted the best Christmas market in Europe for the past three consecutive years.”

Most Americans initially visit Croatia for the first time during cruises calling at Dubrovnik and other Dalmatian ports. “This whets their appetite to explore other parts of the country, and so they return to visit a new region or city year after year,” she said.

HBO’s hugely popular show “Game of Thrones” television series is another reason Croatia is rapidly gaining recognition among American travelers. The city known as King’s Landing on the show is actually Dubrovnik, and season 4 was filmed in Split, Klis, Zrnovnica and Baska Voda.

“The TV series has definitely had a positive impact on Croatian tourism,” Rodin said. “As more and more tourists recognize Dubrovnik and Split as key filming locations, tour agencies in these cities have developed specialized location tours to cater to the demand, which has helped to develop another tourism product for Croatia: film tourism.”

The country is also home to an appreciable number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including such cultural sites as the Old City of Dubrovnik and the historic city of Trogir, and natural sites like Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Plitvice Lakes is just one of Croatia’s eight national parks. Among the others to explore is Krka National Park, where seven travertine waterfalls are located along with a 15th-century Franciscan monastery.

Meanwhile, in 2017, 74 new hotels opened, 15 of which are four-star. Last year also marked the debut of Stories, a portfolio of 17 luxury hotels featuring unique heritage, location, design and service. Croatia’s roster of accommodations also includes family-run hotels and properties from such international brands as Hilton, Marriott and Relais & Chateaux.

On the air front, flying to Croatia requires connections from European hubs like Frankfurt, London or Amsterdam as there are no nonstop flights between it and the U.S. “Hopefully that will change in the next two to three years,” Rodin said.

In the final analysis, Croatia’s tourism future looks extraordinarily bright. By 2027, the country’s international tourism arrivals are expected to grow in excess of 26 million