Proceedings from the Second Sports Tourism Conference were published on July 12, 2018. at the Aspira University College in Zagreb. The white paper has been made publicly available for download and print, at the Aspira University College website and also the LUX Promocija agency website.
The Second Sports Tourism Conference took place at the Meteor Hotel in Makarska between November 11 and 12, 2016. The conference consisted of 40 discussions and 4 panels. The white paper encompasses 15 select works by 32 authors. The event was the effort of a 29-person team of scientists, while proceedings have been reviewed by eight of their peers. The Editor of the white paper is prof. Neven Šerić, PhD, of the University of Split School of Economics.
Sports Tourism – potential growth area in Croatia
Croatia does not have good name recognition on the global scale. The first associations that most people have with Croatia are: travel (Adriatic, the islands), then sports and the successes of famous athletes like Dražen Petrović, Toni Kukoč, Davor Šuker, Zvonimir Boban, Luka Modrić, Janica and Ivica Kostelić, Goran Ivanišević, the Croatian handball and water polo teams, rowers, athletes with disabilities and others. Croatian cuisine and organic food comes third, with nature apart from the Adriatic finishing last (this group would contain Plitvice and other National Parks.)
Sports and tourism present the strongest opportunities for economic development of Croatia. Croatian athletes have been a relentless force of support for the country across the world with their successes over the years. The fantastic final run at the Soccer World Cup in Russia, bringing home the silver medal, is only the latest proof for the strength of a country’s promotion by international-level sports. Hosting great sporting events such as the World Cup is big business with large revenues in store for sports governing bodies, cities and states hosting the events.
A link between sports and tourism existed as early as the ancient times, when various athletic competitions provided a reason to travel. The Olympic Games of ancient Greece, as well as gladiatorial combat of Rome, are important institutions in this regard. People still today travel to witness sporting events, as well as to participate in them, of course—however modern time have brought a desire to exercise during one’s vacation. When well-regulated and governed, sports can be a driving force in the travel industry, generating huge profits (such as in Austria for example.)
Major investment is needed before Croatian sports tourism can contribute significantly to the travel industry. This potential for growth has not yet been perceived by investors. A modern sports infrastructure is lacking, precluding Croatia from hosting major sporting events. Such an infrastructure is necessary also for the development of sports tourism, through off-season training for amateur as well as professional athletes, clubs and governing bodies.
The LUX Agency organizes Sports Tourism Conferences at which influential sporting experts and scientists educate the public through lectures and panel discussions about the advantages of involving sports in the travel industry and its direct influence on extending the travel season throughout the year across Croatia.
A special emphasis is placed on the careful selection of subjects and speakers at each Conference, with a view to helping the local population get the most from the insights learned, thus fostering a development of the entire country of Croatia as a sports tourism destination. The select proceedings white paper of the Second Sports Tourism conference is our contribution to the education of anyone interested in the development of sports tourism in Croatia.
Anyone interested can download their copy of Second Sports Tourism Conference White Paper.