Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
private houses with restaurants and private
rooms. The supply dominance of small tourism
firms challenged the assumption that '3S' mass
tourism facilitated only large-scale projects that
displaced local communities.
The first decline after 30 years of continu-
ous growth was registered in 1989 (from 68m
nights in 1988, down to 62m), signalling difficult
times to come (Radni
c
and Ivani
c
, 1999).
Weber (1998, p. 40) argued that the develop-
ment cycle of the Croatian tourism product
from 1960 to 1990 was 'almost a textbook
example of trends in a life cycle curve'. A homo-
geneous market (seasonal, summer tourism and
uniformity of motives for visiting) and product
(seaside passive recreation at favourable prices),
formed the ingredients for the occurrence and
identification of stagnation and decline. This
conclusion was further strengthened by the
notion of declining value for money, tour opera-
tor withdrawals, and uncoordinated promotion
(Weber, 1998).
the development of a new tourism identity;
quality upgrading and removal of the image of
mass and low-budget tourism; an updating of
the sun/sea product; priority for projects with
benefits for the resident population; creation of
regional identities; inclusion of cultural identity;
and to present Croatia as a 'green' country with
large protected areas, clean coastal waters and
without overcrowded beaches (Jordan, 2000).
Unfortunately, the early implementation of these
strategies was not successful (e.g. Dragi
E
evi
c
et al
., 1998).
Radni
c
and Ivani
c
(1999) estimated the
loss from unrealized tourism consumption dur-
ing the conflicts at a minimum of US$14bn
(1998 rates), excluding the physical damage
to accommodation facilities. Recovery began
slowly in 1997 and 1998 recorded 31.2m over-
night stays (Institut za Turizam, 2005). By 2004,
figures of 8.6m tourists and 46.7m overnight
stays suggest that Croatia was on the road to
recovery (see Fig. 22.2).
In this process of crisis and subsequent
recovery, the changing structure of inter-
national tourism markets paints an interesting
picture (Table 22.1). Early tourist growth was
experienced from CEE, particularly the Czech
Republic, Hungary and Poland. Indeed, Czechs,
who have a tradition of spending vacations on
theCroatiancoastgoingbacktothelate19th
century, and who did not neglect it during the
Communist era, notably helped to fill the gaps
created by the absence of Western tourists
in the most critical years of Croatian tourism
(Jordan, 2000). In 1994 they accounted for
the largest number of foreign overnight stays
(DZzS, 1995).
Subsequent diversification of markets has
not necessarily helped the repositioning of the
Croatian tourism product, as current demand
reflects characteristics typically associated with
early stages of the Western consumption of the
'3S' product in the 1960s and 1970s (Smeral,
1993). It is also interesting to observe that the
most significant growth occurred in the early
post-conflict years. In the desperation to attract
any form of tourist income, Croatia reduced
prices significantly in the mid-1990s and turned
to what was perceived to be the inexperienced
and lower end of the market (Weber, 1998).
Yet, Table 22.2 suggests that the more recent
years have shown a trend of declining visits from
From Crisis to New Horizons?
The impact of conflict from 1991 to 1995 and
the subsequent Bosnian and Kosovo crises, sig-
nificantly reduced international tourist demand
to Croatia to around 10m nights and 2m visitors
in 1992 (see Fig. 22.2). The newly independent
state of Croatia faced many challenges and
losses.
The authorities took energetic steps to
renovate tourism, which they regarded as the
highest economic priority alongside agriculture,
and as the potential motor of the Croatian eco-
nomy (Jordan, 2000). The Ministry of Tourism,
Chamber of Commerce, and the Croatian Cen-
tre of Tourism developed top-down approaches
for subsidiary and regional structures, initiated
a profound reform of legislation and tried to
internationalize management training. The
Ministry and the Institute of Tourism in Zagreb
produced 'Development Strategies of Croatian
Tourism' (Ministarstvo Turizma and Institut za
Turizam, 1993), and the Austrian consultants
Horwath provided a tourism master plan,
co-financed by the Austrian government
(Horwarth Consulting and Institut za Turizam,
1993). These documents proposed: a holistic
renewal and protection of all tourist attractions;
