ࡱ> 5@ 0fbjbj22 2XX8R R R R R R R f *;*;*;*;$N;f l@V<^<<<<===kkkkkkk$nRqkR F==FFkR R <<ElKKKF R <R <kKFkKpKKfdpR R zh<J< .m#*;IfDh[l0l:g@1rJj1rzhf f R R R R 1rR zh8=Q@KIBC===kkf f .*; K f f *;DEVELOPMENT OF CONGRESS TOURISM Branko Bla~evi, PhD, Professor, Romina Alkier Radni, MSc, Assistant Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka Summary A sudden rise in the number of business journeys can be noticed after World War II, when the exchange of knowledge and experience became an important factor of economic and social development., both at the particular regional level and at the global level. Intensive industrialization, automatization and urbanization changed the way of living, and emphasized the need for physical and mental relaxation. Tourism was becoming ever more a necessity of modern man, as well as of the participants in the different kinds of conventions. The tourist component in international conventions was gaining in importance, so there was a new form of selective tourism being created congress tourism. The Opatian Riviera has recognized the importance of developing congress tourism, particularly in resolving the inherent problems related to seasonal tourism. It is thus striving for a profile as a congress tourism destination. Key words: congress tourism, congress services market, development. Introduction The present-day concept of congress tourism was not formed until after World War II. Political circumstances, scientific and technological development, and a large increase in the volume of international exchange and the number of journeys influenced the need for organizing international meetings of all kinds. During the decades after World War II, these conferences have been developing and have become a common form of meeting where scientists, politicians, economists and other participants exchange their knowledge and experience. Today congress tourism plays a significant role on the international tourist market, and those in the business of tourist supply are becoming increasingly interested in it. Historical overview of congress tourism development The historical overview of conferences, particularly international ones, goes back to ancient history. It includes meetings of Celts and other nations, the pilgrimages of Christians, Church councils etc. But international meetings enter the sphere of tourism only when the requirements for it have been met. The development of traffic together with economic and social changes formed the basis for the development of congress tourism. The events occurring in the field of science, business, education, and regional and global cooperation after World War II were particularly favourable for its development. Today, modern business is unthinkable without business journeys. In the year 2002, over 18 million Europeans participated in business journeys. The number shows a trend towards faster and more dynamic growth, especially in the number of congress and incentive journeys. In 1999, the global congress market included 1.5 million national, and over 300,000 international, conferences attended by approximately 200 million people per year. During the same year, congress tourism earned 21 billion USD, with international meetings accounting for one third share in it. The analysis of the total number of congresses in the world held from 1996 till 2001 (table 1), shows an average yearly growth of 1.5 percentage points. Terrorist attacks in the year 2001 had an influence on the significant fall in the number of congresses against the previous year (-1.86%). But in the succeeding years, there has been a tendency of growth, so that in 2003 the recorded increase was 0.2% over 2002. Table  SEQ Table \* ARABIC 1: Number of congresses held from 1996 2001 by regions in % 1996.1997.1998.1999.2000.2001.Europe Asia Africa Australia N.America S.America+0,47 +0,91 +0,03 +0,73 +0,40 (0,40+0,56 +0,22 +0,69 +0,64 +0,32 +0,94+2,04 (0,22 (0,61 +0,58 +1,54 (0,36(0,42 (0,20 (0,06 (0,46 ( +0,25+0,56 +0,22 +0,69 +0,64 +0,32 +0,94+0,41 (0,52 +0,15 (0,35 (1,50 (0,03 +2,14+3,37+2,97(0,89+3,37(1,86Source: Authors' calculations based on the data from http://www.uio.org (February 5 2005) The majority of international conferences take place in Europe (58.3% in 2003) and North America (14.9%). The world's leading countries in conference organization are: USA (11.31% of the total number of conferences held in 2003), France (6.85%), Germany (5.16%), Italy (4.63%), Great Britain (4.45%), while among cities, the leading ones are Paris (2.88%), Vienna (1.99%), Geneva (1.99%), Brussels (1.99%) and London (1.52%). Table  SEQ Table \* ARABIC 2: Number of congresses held in 2003 by countries 1. SAD 232 2. panjolska 220 3. Velika Britanija 177 4. Njema ka 1615. Italija 146 Ostali 2.361Ukupno 3.297Source: Authors' calculations based on the data from http://www.icca.com (February 5, 2005) In the last decade, the development of congress tourism has followed the general trends of tourist development. It is lagging behind European tourism and it is not keeping pace with modern tourist trends, which results in a significant overall decline. Croatian congress supply, faced with requirements greater than those laid down before the classical tourist supply, does not satisfy the requirements of the fastidious international tourist market. It is orientated primarily to the domestic congress demand. There are only a small number of destinations capable of organizing congresses on a national level, the number being even smaller when it comes to congresses on the international level (Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Opatija). Development of congress tourism in the Opatian Riviera The Opatian Riviera has a 160-year-old tourist tradition, at first offering leisure and excursion tourism, with health and spa tourism appearing afterwards. In succeeding years, it built up its image with congress and nautical tourism. The congress potential, together with the available accommodation capacities, makes the Opatian Riviera potentially one of the leading congress destinations in Croatia. There are approximately 20 congress halls in hotel premises equipped with around 4,000 seats. The largest hall is in the newly-built Opatian 'Grand Hotel 4 opatijska cvijeta'. It is equipped with 1,000 seats and up-to-date technical equipment permitting the holding of demanding events, such as seminars, congresses, workshops, presentations etc. Other significant congress halls are in the Grand Hotel Adriatic, with a capacity of 600 seats, and in the Hotel Ambasador with 500 seats. The congress capacities of the Opatian Riviera are a sound argument for its diversification towards congress tourist supply. The attractiveness of the surroundings and a relatively good traffic accessibility also go in its favour. Nevertheless, the numerous comparative advantages Opatija has for a more intensive development of congress tourism are far from being utilized. Congress tourism development, expressed in absolute numbers of conferences and participants (table 3), shows a dynamic growth until the year 1999, followed by a significant stagnation and a downturn in the succeeding years. There have been several reasons for this; among them are the extensive construction activities carried out on hotel and utility premises, which reduced the possibilities of organizing congresses and accommodating guests. Furthermore, statistical data show that more than 50% of conferences are attended by fewer than 100 participants. That implies that this segment is a lucrative market even for the smaller hotels (which are currently a trend on the leisure tourism market), but on the assumption that they are equipped with meeting halls and are able to satisfy high-quality requirements. Table  SEQ Table \* ARABIC 3: Overview of congresses held in Opatija from 1996 to 2004 by months Congresses Year100 participants and less101-250 participants251 participants and moreTotalCongress duration in daysNumber of participantsNumber of overnights1996. 1997. 1998. 1999. 2000. 2001. 2002. 2003. 2004. Indeks 2004./03.51 106 110 288 69 64 37 32 46 14333 34 39 39 24 38 21 34 26 76,514 28 18 24 26 23 14 17 19 11,898 168 167 351 119 125 72 83 91 109,6252 477 443 539 365 346 243 252 299 118,715 230 24 283 22 565 24 724 17 480 20 365 9 991 15 892 15 342 96,542 645 70 597 51 345 25 185 34 930 39 720 23 945 36 994 34 235 92,5Source: Authors' calculations based on the City of Opatija Tourist Office data There has been a fall in the number of tourist overnights per participant from 2.9 in 1997 to 2.2. The share of congress tourists' overnights in the total number of overnights on the Opatian Riviera remains a merely symbolic one. Congress tourists made the largest share in the number of tourist overnights in 1997 (9.0%), while in 2004 their share was a mere 4%. Table  SEQ Table \* ARABIC 4: Number of overnights made on the Opatian Riviera in thousands u '000 YearOvernights congress guestsTotalShare of congress guests in total1996. 1997. 1998. 1999. 2000. 2001. 2002. 2003. 2004.43 71 51 25 35 40 30 37 34632 788 752 655 852 910 904 897 8436,8 9,0 6,8 3,8 4,1 4,4 3,3 4,1 4,0Source: Authors' calculations based on the City of Opatija Tourist Office data In contrast to leisure tourism, which is primarily concentrated in a period of 2 to 4 summer months, the majority of congress tourism activities take place outside the main tourist season. Congress tourism development thus contributes to alleviating or even resolving problematic seasonal oscillations in resort destinations by positively influencing the utilization of accommodation capacities and extending the duration of the tourist season. Hotel managers in Opatija seek to effectively use this convenience by arranging the season's meetings time-table as evenly as possible. The experience of Opatija hotel managers and conference organizers show that the congress season on the Opatian Riviera actually lasts 10 months, excluding July and August (table 5). Table  SEQ Table \* ARABIC 5: Overview of congresses held in Opatija in 2004 by months Number of congressesPercentage shareParticipantsPercentage shareOvernightsPercentage shareI II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII5 6 6 5 10 4 0 0 13 28 12 25,5 6,6 6,6 5,5 11,0 4,4 0 0 14,3 30,7 13,2 2,2900 1 440 730 1 120 2 190 570 0 0 635 4 402 3 255 1005,9 9,4 4,8 7,3 14,3 3,7 0 0 4,1 28,7 21,2 0,61 110 3 580 1 180 2 540 5 050 1 485 0 0 1 260 11 570 6 460 03,2 10,5 3,4 7,4 14,8 4,3 0 0 3,8 33,8 18,9 0Ukupno91100,015 342100,034 235100,0Source: Authors' calculations based on the City of Opatija Tourist Office data The general tourist policy of differentiated prices for half-board and full-board services implemented in the Opatian Riviera during the 6 winter months (November April) has had a stimulative effect on the demand for congress tourism services (and also on leisure tourism services). Furthermore, interest has been shown in congresses due in May and October, as these 2 months have a 50% share in the total number of congress overnights in 2004. The above-mentioned facts confirm Opatija's comparative advantages as a congress tourism destination. Sophisticated hotel accommodation (the 4 and 5 star hotels that the Opatian Riviera aims at), natural and social attractiveness, traffic accessibility and 'value for money' are only a few of the comparative advantages that will make this destination competitive in the future. Furthermore, competitiveness implies: inclusion of every person participating in the Opatian Riviera tourist offer in the enrichment of the supply of congress services, the preparation of an animation programme, and a better presentation on the local as well as on the foreign congress services market. Another priority is to build a congress hall outside hotel premises. The training of personnel for provision of congress tourism services in accordance with current trends on the tourist market is also of great importance. The targets for congress tourism development ought to be: better utilization of favorable competitive circumstances, an increase in average spending per tourist, and attracting new tourist segments, particularly foreign guests. At the same time, the formation of a congress center with the role of coordinating and initiating joint congress supply and a congress office representing an independent organization to deal with location sales and organizing conferences would enable new assumptions for the Opatian Rivieras breakthrough onto the congress services market to be made. Conclusion Although the dimensions of congress tourism are difficult to define numerically, as there is no world-wide common statistical evidence for its unique coverage, it can be suggested with certainty that this form of diversified tourism is taking an ever more important position in tourist movements. There are a number of reasons for this, resulting from the specific nature of congress tourism. The development of congress tourism in Croatia in earlier periods has followed the general trends of tourist development, which meant that it has lagged behind trends present on the tourist market of congress services. Improving the quality of products offered by Croatian congress destinations such as Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Opatija, as well as expanding to other destinations, could produce a significant turnaround in Croatian tourism. Literature Bla~evi, B. (2004). Ocjena turisti ke ponude Opatije. Tourism and Hospitali@V X f j e g I L U W X Tfg,0IOUƽƴƴ뙎uuju`\hB9hB9aJmH sH hB9mHnHsH ujhB9UmH sH hB95@ \mH sH hB95\mH sH hB9@ mH sH hB9@mH sH  hB95\hB96@ ]hB96@] hB96]hB956@ \]hB956\]hB9@ aJhB9mH sH hB95CJ\mH sH $@BV X j g L fg/017= $$Ifa$$If$a$%dh$d&dNPdh7$8$''$a$f=CIOU $7$8$If $$Ifa$UV]  d$Ifkd$$Ifl4    ֞ ~H!X t0    64 l / af4UV  12=>IJOPUV]^pq|}z2o p q (((((((ĹĹhB95@ \mH sH hB9aJmH sH hB9mHnHsH ujhB9UmH sH hB9aJmH sH hn^mH sH  j-hB9mH sH hB95\mH sH hB9mH sH <]bis}$d$If]^a$ d$If  %+17=CIOU\$d$If]^a$\]^,# d$Ifkd'$$Ifl4    ֞ ~H!X t0    64 laf4^djpv|$d$If]^a$,$"%$dha$kd($$Ifl4    ֞ ~H!X t0    64 laf4 @Z\ovkd)$$Ifl4    0!` t0    64 laf4 xd$If]$a$% \^xz2p q !%(1)xpnllnnig%1$%$dha$vkd$$Ifl4    0!  t0    64 laf4 xd$If] ((0)2)**d*v*****+-......./$/n/o//[3\3q3r3s3t3v33344,4/484U5\55԰ԖtttttthB95\mH sH hB9mHnHsH ujhB9UmH sH hB9CJmH sH  hB9CJhB9CJ^JaJ hB95CJ\^JaJmH sH $hB95CJOJQJ\^JmH sH hB95CJ\mH sH hB9mH sH hB9aJmH sH hB96]aJmH sH *1)2)@)A)F)`)$*X*d*v**** (($7$8$If $(($Ifa$$If $$Ifa$ **kd$$If    ִA Hh!U8 !\ t0    "    4  / a** ++"+.+:+F+R+^+n+++++++++++++++++$d$If]^a$ d$If++++++,,, ,,,,,,, ,!,&,),-,1,5,9,=,@,C,F,$d$If]^a$F,G,M,Q,U,Y,],a,e,i,m,q,r,x,,,,,,,,,,,,,$d$If]^a$$d$If]^a$,,,,,,,,,,-$d$If]^a$ --Q- & Fkd$$If    ִA Hh!U8 !\ t0    "    4 aQ-../$/)/F/L/n/ $(($Ifa$$If%$a$%n/o/u/{////////e[[[[[[[[[ $Ifkd%$$Ifl4\ !0    t%064 laf4 ///////////////////////$)$If])^a$$)$If])a$$)$If])^a$///000 0X0T3PKI% & Fkd$$Ifl4\ !0    t%064 laf4$)$If])^a$T3U3333333344 $(($Ifa$$If% 4444,## d$Ifkd $$Ifl4    ֞U !0Q t/0    g"64 laf4444 4#4'4,4/4144484:4<4>4@4C4E4G4I4L4O4R4T4X4\4`4$'?d$If]'^?a$ d$If d$If`4d4i4m4o4q4v4{444444444444444444444$'?d$If]'^?a$444444444455 55555$5&5*5/53575<5@5B5D5H5$'?d$If]'^?a$H5M5R5T5$'?d$If]'^?a$T5U5\5,# d$IfkdZ $$Ifl4    ֞U !0Q t/0    g"64 laf4\5_5e5l5r5y55$'?d$If]'^?a$5555," %  !kd $$Ifl4    ֞U !0Q t/0    g"64 laf455/777]=^=i=PARAhAAB !v?@JKlrt " ԑ$&8XZfѦ궘 j-hB96]mH sH  hB9>* j-hB9mH sH hB96]mH sH  j-hB9U hB96]hB9hB95\mH sH hB9@mH sH hB9mH sH hB9@OJQJmH sH 257]=^=i=PARAhA!mN܏ f' & F hh^h'%ty Management, 10(2), pp. 41(50. 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