Review article

POSSIBILITIES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM IN CONTINENTAL CROATIA

Mato Bartoluci ; Faculty of Economics & Business University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Zvjezdana Hendija orcid.org/0000-0001-7390-5052 ; Faculty of Economics & Business University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Mateja Petračić ; Karlovac University of Applied Sciences, Karlovac, Croatia

Abstract

The goal of this paper was to analyse the current status of rural tourism in Croatia and to identify possibilities and guidelines of its sustanibale development. The research has shown that rural
tourism in Croatia falls behind the sun-and-beach holiday tourism in coastal Croatia and that numerous and diverse natural and social resources in continental Croatia are insuffi ciently employed. Past research of rural tourism in continental Croatia relied on individual entrepreneurial initiative and scarce funding resources, so that consequently a heterogenous and fragmented rural tourism offer, based on various tourism forms and special interest tourism types, has developed in an unorganised way. Since the area in question is ecologically preserved and its resources need to be protected for future generations, the issue of rural tourism development unequivocally introduces the concept of sustainable development. From these results the basic hypothesis of this paper is derived that long-term sustainable development of rural tourism in continental
Croatia may be provided only through integrated tourism offer of special interest tourism.

Keywords

tourism; special interest tourism; integrated tourism offer; continental Croatia

Hrčak ID:

154684

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/154684

Publication date:

1.12.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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