On Thursday, October 19, a promotion for the textbook “Management of tourist destinations,” written by Professors Ph.D. Mato Bartoluci and Ph.d Marija Nakić, took place at the Aspira University of Applied Sciences in Zagreb.
One of the reviewers, Professor Ph.D. Lovorka Galetić, attended the promotion along with the authors.
The presentation of the book was introduced by Alen Jerkunica, the dean of Aspira University of Applied Sciences.
– In Croatian professional and scientific circles, there is a significant need for professional literature in this field, and I feel that this was the inspiration behind the creation of this textbook. As Dean Alen Jerkunica noted, it is also meant for everyone who is interested in learning about the intricacy of tourism and its effects on the local community, the economy, the environment, and the atmosphere. The author and professor Mato Bartoluci, Ph.D., then took over.
– Today, the issue of managing a tourism destination is highly relevant, not just in Croatian tourism, but in all other tourist-friendly nations as well. There are various causes, but the main one is that visitors stay in the destination for the majority of their time. Bartoluci began by emphasizing the significance of the topic by stating that the arrival, visit, and stay at the location all contribute significantly to the satisfaction of tourists upon their return to their home country.
He went on to stress the significance of the visitor satisfaction.
– When evaluating their trip, tourists consider “value for money” and “overall satisfaction” in addition to the former. Tourists typically get this information by comparing their time spent in one location to previous stays in another location or by reading reviews left by their close friends and family members who have also visited the location. As a result, the destination becomes more competitive, which can be assessed using several metrics. From its appeal (natural, socio-cultural and other factors) to the price level and all other benefits that tourists have gained in a given destination. The destination advertises and offers travelers a “value chain” that makes up the so-called integrated tourism product, which is recognized to only be as powerful as its weakest link. In other words, this means that visitors may be happy with the transportation, lodging, dining, entertainment, and excursion services, but they may not feel completely secure with their belongings or have a place to park their automobile. This could diminish the overall perception or worth of the location. Their fundamental sense of experience—which may be a good or terrible experience—is most strongly articulated through word of mouth or media outlets. Therefore, managing a destination entails that all destination stakeholders (hotels, catering establishments, transporters, population, etc.) jointly shape the quality and competitiveness of the destination’s tourist product. This is why it is crucial to develop all segments that can have an impact on visitor satisfaction, as detailed to Bartoluci. The author spent several years researching the issue of destination management, which led to the creation of the textbook. For instance, Professor Bartoluci has served as a mentor for a dozen of scientists who have completed their doctoral work in the past 20 years exploring various aspects and regions of tourism destinations.
Based on these and other findings, the authors of this textbook have addressed a number of important chapters, including: characteristics of the development of modern tourism and changes in the way of destination management; policy and planning of sustainable development of destination tourism; functions and strategies of management of tourist destination; management of the development of specific forms of tourism in the destination; tourist destination management models; and crisis management in destination management, promotion and branding of the tourist destination, and public relations of the tourist destination.
The writers specifically stress the significance of using the ecological, sociocultural, technological, economic, and social or political principles of sustainable development of the destination while managing the growth of a tourism destination. From this, they draw the conclusion that the ultimate purpose of the goal, the sustainable development of the tourist destination, can be accomplished by making some compromises in the administration of the destination. This is especially true when it comes to ecological principles and making sure that all of the destination’s natural resources are protected and used in a way that is acceptable and consistent with the goals of the destination’s long-term development. The sustainable development paradigm, which begins with the legacy of “God-given” resources that current generations must conserve for future generations, imposes this. For instance, the Republic of Croatia’s recently issued Law on Maritime Assets produced some advances in resource management, but the maritime asset, which is the most important resource, is still a concern.
Local governments execute the idea of sustainable development, which should ensure the conservation and responsible use of all resources and prevent any unauthorized or unlawful constructions, usurpation of marine property, or unwarranted exploitation of historical or cultural heritage, among other things. The DMO and DMC models, which are both employed in Croatian tourist destinations, were covered by the writers in the section on tourist destination management models. The authors are deeply devoted to developing new models of tourism destination management because both models have strengths and flaws.
– Tourism is mainly concerned with the quality and sustainability of resources, but the issue of sustainable development affects the entire local population. All parties with an interest in the area should contribute to the costs of sustainable development. According to Professor Bartoluci, one fortunate occurrence is that Croatia has a lot of places that are protected by the government and UNESCO, like national parks and natural parks, reserves, and forest parks.
The book makes specific reference to the marketing and branding of the tourist attraction. In particular, each tourist site tends to develop its own distinctive visual and practical identity. Public relations, or PR for tourism locations, as well as other types of promotion, are crucial in this. The application of PR in destination development was discussed by the writers at the conclusion of this book using the example of Zadar County.
Additionally, the authors of this textbook provided examples of good practice in each chapter that might serve as a model for the growth of other Croatian tourist places.
– Not just Aspira University of Applied Sciences students, but also all Croatian polytechnic and university students, can benefit from this textbook. Professor Bartoluci added that it can also be helpful for tourist industry professionals.
