engleski

Promotion in function of strengthening competitive advantages and sustainable development of rural Istria

Promotion of a tourist product of rural areas represents the direct contact of a rural tourism agent with a tourist market. Creating active and well designed promotion, and using modern marketing tools in forming marketing mix of rural tourism of a certain area will enable successful (re)positioning of a tourist offer and revitalisation of rural areas on the tourist market as ecologicaly preserved areas which enable potential users direct contact with nature and tradition. The Republic of Croatia has great potential in rural tourism development, which is unsufficiently used and tourist valorised, which is going to be changed through application of active and directed promotion and compliant marketing mix on the level of a whole tourist offer of a country. Since Istrian county was the first on the area of the Republic of Croatia to develop offer of rural tourism, further promotion guidelines of rural tourism of Istria as a leading rural tourist region will be given in the paper, which will help economic and socio- demographic renewal of rural areas of Croatia and Istria. Promotion has to be created in the way to present to the potential guests all the advantages of a rural tourist destination of Croatia and Istria compared to the global competition. Promotional activities have to be organised in the manner which ensures economic cost-effectiveness of a rural tourist destination's product. All interested parties in a rural tourist destination local community, managers, politicians, experts) need to be included in the creation and promotion of a tourist product. A possible project of marketing repositioning of rural Istria will be presented in the paper, as the most successful region of rural tourism of Croatia and the Mediterranean. The same will be based on SWOT analysis of all factors which have direct influence on the development of a successful tourist product. Mentioned proposition of the project Istria-Green Heart of Croatia will have for a goal to promote Istria as a tourist destination of sustainable tourism, excellence, originality and ecological awareness of all participants in tourist destinations of rural Istria. The purpose of creating previously mentioned project is to enable strengthening and directing all promotion activities of management in the destination towards activities which will ensure strengthening of total comparative advantages of rural Istria in relation to the global tourist competition and ensure permanent sustainable development of rural areas, which positive influences will be presented in the Porter´s Diamond of competitive advantages, and through display of possible implementation activities.

promotion ; rural area ; rural tourism of the Republic of Croatia ; Istrian County ; sustainble development

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