Croatia allows for small hospitality venues (under 50 square meters) to designate themselves as smoking areas, while larger ones can set up ventilated smoking zones. However, authorities are suddenly waging war on smoking on enclosed terraces. Since the start of this year, Croatian authorities have carried out 389 inspections in hospitality venues and leveled 181 violations for smoking on terraces.
For such an offense, businesses can be fined €19,908, putting extra pressure on an industry struggling to stay afloat.
“Why all these checks now, and why such steep fines?” said Željko Pojer, president of the Požega Craftsmen’s Association and a nightclub owner. “The nightlife in Croatia has been dying for a while. A total smoking ban would bring hospitality to its knees. If a full ban comes in, most of us will have to shut down and let our staff go.”
Last year, the European Commission floated the idea of banning smoking in outdoor spaces too, but hospitality and hotel sectors pushed back hard, and the proposal fizzled out. Pojer argues that the industry’s survival hinges on flexibility, not stricter rules.
“When we brought in our smoking ban years ago, everyone saw it wouldn’t work,” he said. “Businesses collapsed. That’s why we got these exceptions for smoking areas.”