On beginnings…
My first job in the tourism industry, as it was for many 16-year-olds, was waiting tables. Since then, I have been fascinated by the reasons why people travel, why they pick certain meals of drinks, or why they visit certain places… I find tourists endlessly interesting. The older I get, the more I get to travel and the more I am interested in the destinations themselves. Today, I am primarily interested in understanding how a destination meets the needs of tourists and in understanding what can various destinations offer to tourists. I feel as though travelling is my life-long project. I learn something new wherever I go.
Tourism in the future
Tourism is going through numerous changes today. Many destinations that were popular in the last 20 years, like Northern Africa, Turkey, the Middle East, Jordan, etc., are now facing problems due to political conflicts, terrorism and so on. Many new destinations will appear in the next ten to twenty years. Some of those will obviously be located on the Adriatic coast. These areas offer security and high quality tourism products, especially Croatia, which enjoys a very good reputation. I think that the focus of the tourism industry will shift to Europe, especially Southeast Europe. This is an area that will experience an expansion of tourism in the next few years. Furthermore, destinations in South America will become more attractive to European tourists with the development of new means of transportation.
The pros and cons of Croatia as a tourist destination
Accessibility is a problem. I think that it is still fairly difficult to visit Croatia outside of the tourist season. Most flights are not direct ones and some rural areas are not connected by public transport, making it quite difficult to tour the country. It is easy to reach cities like Split or Zagreb, but it is difficult to experience the rest of Croatia. The biggest challenge is to improve public transport in smaller communities where it is underdeveloped.
Hospitality in Croatia is excellent. I think that the local people, restaurants and companies are very hospitable to tourists. Croatia is a destination that has been involved in tourism for the past fifty years and has a tradition of hospitality, in terms of which it is very close to Greece or Italy. Having a history of tourism is a great advantage to Croatia in comparison to Serbia or Montenegro, countries that do not have such a long tradition. The unbelievable coastal tourism is another great advantage. The challenge faced by Croatian tourism is to move from the coast to other areas. This is the same challenge with which various destinations (like Spain) have been dealing with for the past fifty years. Therefore, there are many examples from which Croatia can learn.
What do you like about Aspira?
I like how you and your students are focused on the labour market. I know you put a lot of effort into getting your students employed and in providing internships for them, not just getting them to graduate. Employers are involved from the beginning of their education. They meet your students and talk to them. This is very important because, despite the fact that there is a lot of important scientific work and research involved in tourism, everything must ultimately be applied to the labour market. I think your students will be ready for the labour market the moment they graduate. I really like being in the classroom with them. I think they are fun, active, they have an excellent command of the English language, and are true ambassadors of your university college.
What were your impressions of the classes?
I always make the effort to explain to the students that everything I teach is useful. I don’t impart knowledge to students so that they would think I’m very smart or that I’m someone really important, to impress them. I always try to explain to them how to apply their knowledge in practice. I try to get them to focus on purposeful learning. Many of them are thinking about how to get a job after graduating. Many will get entry-level jobs, so it is important for them to be focused on their employment and the development of their career. I hope that in a few years everything they learned here will become useful to them in practice. Many of them want to start their own businesses, they want to become entrepreneurs, and I think that is fantastic.
What would be the most important message to the students after these two days of classes?
On the first day, the most important thing was to define tourism, the various kinds of tourism, and the tourists themselves. And not because this was very important academically, but because it is important for the people in the industry to realise what kinds of customers they are dealing with. The second day of my classes was more focused on the sustainability and development of tourism. On how we can develop tourism in a way for it to be acceptable to everyone, as well as economically and socially sustainable. Students are always coming up with ideas about new theme parks or about brining hundreds and hundreds of new tourists who want to play golf. It is my wish to teach them how to do this in a sustainable way.
What are the differences between the students here and the ones in England?
Everyone wants to talk a lot – when they should and when I would like them not to, but that is how it is with students everywhere. They are full of enthusiasm, they want to start developing their careers. The students here are a bit more serious, they take a more serious approach to their education and their future careers than our students. They are investing their time and money, and are truly thirsty for knowledge.
What are the differences between the students attending this year and those who attended last year?
There are more students this year, which helps me as a lecturer. A bigger class enables better group work and more interaction. You can create a very noisy and exciting atmosphere. Furthermore, Gastronomy students are also involved, which is great because they have many innovative ideas for product development. This is good for the class as it changes the dynamics and introduces new things.
What are the differences between teaching here and teaching in England?
The difference is that we never hold five classes in a row. We hold one or two classes, which is good as I can keep the students focused better and there is no need for taking breaks. Teaching in a greater block of classes here means to get more work done with the students. For example, the students can hold a presentation they prepared together as a group. We could never do this at Greenwich, as we don’t have enough time. Greater blocks of classes provide the opportunity for various activities with students.
A message for our students?
Read! There is an abundance of professional information all around, and not just in books, but also on the Internet, in reports, newspapers, etc. You won’t have as much time for such things when you graduate. Absorb information like a sponge while you have time to learn. Even than smallest thing you have read at some point will in some way help you in your future career.