Preliminary communication

COMPETITIVENESS OF THE CROATIAN HOTEL INDUSTRY

Sanja Čižmar ; Horwath Consulting Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Although Croatia is a leading tourism country of South East Europe, its hotel industry - as a base of the tourism industry and a driver of various interlinked industries - is exposed to numerous external and internal challenges. This paper is focused on the analysis of a development pattern of hotel industry in Croatia in a transitional and post-transitional periods. The starting point is the thesis that the intense transitional changes through which the Croatian hotel industry has passed in the 199O's, have re-established the first phase of life cycle - the introductory phase, which is characterised
by the high growth of investments as well as of market and business indicators. The success in the increase of Croatian hotel industry competitiveness level on international market is primarily linked
with intensified development of innovation of the hotel product and with upgraded quality of human resources in hotel management and operation. These are the key success factors tor implementation
of high-value strategy and focus strategy, as the basic strategies which should substitute formerly prevailing low cost strategies. The basic purpose of this turnaround in business strategy implementation
in hotel industry in Croatia is the increase of competitiveness level on the intemational market.

Keywords

hotel industry; Croatia; development; competitiveness; operational efficiency; investments

Hrčak ID:

76326

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/76326

Publication date:

1.12.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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