Nautical tourism is a multifunctional tourism activity with a solid maritime component, where the primary activity is the reception of boats and other vessels. As one of the selective forms of tourism, it is an essential factor in the tourism offer of the Republic of Croatia. With the exceptionally indented coastline, numerous islands, and clean seas, Croatia has established itself as one of Europe's most attractive nautical destinations. Therefore, the analysis of supply and demand for nautical tourism in Croatia becomes crucial to understand better the dynamics of this sector, its strengths and challenges, and to find an optimal strategy for its further development. In this context, this paper aims to theoretically explain the concepts of tourist supply an d demand in nautical tourism and analyze indicators of the structure of tourist supply and demand and the level of development achieved in nautical tourism in the Republic of Croatia. Nautical tourism in Croatia is still in the early stages of tapping into its full potential compared to countries with a long tradition of nautical tourism and already developed nautical tourism offerings. Despite the wealth of natural and anthropogenic resources, a diverse coastline, a favourable climate, and other advantages, Croatia has a solid foundation for directing nautical tourism towards elite status. However, although the basics are present, the country is still not competitive enough regarding the quality of nautical infrastructure, especially marinas dedicated to nautical tourism.