Naslov
Image Redesign as a Tool for Safeguarding a Destination's Market Prosperity: The Case of Dubrovnik

Autori
Kunst, Ivo

Izvornik
Sociologija i prostor (1846-5226) 55 (2017), 1; 55-75

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, pregledni rad, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Dubrovnik, tourism development model, market prosperity, sustainability

Sažetak
The city of Dubrovnik, particularly its historical core protected by UNESCO and the space in its immediate vicinity, has for more than a decade been exposed to excessively growing tourist demand. This is especially true in the case of one-day transit visitors originating either from cruise ships or from organized tourist groups. As a consequence, the historic city centre has been experiencing growing tourist congestion. This has been accompanied by a constant decrease in the quality and structure of food and beverage and other tourism related services, which are adapting themselves increasingly to a less demanding transient tourism demand. The above developments not only severely undermine the local population's quality of life, but also have important implications for the long-term image of Dubrovnik on the tourism destinations market. Following a critical examination of Dubrovnik's prevailing tourism development policy and its viability, not only from its socio-economic perspective, but in the context of its long-term impact on the city's market prosperity as well, this paper, based on qualitative research insight, proposes changes in the City's unique selling proposition in order to decrease the problem of tourist congestion and sustain Dubrovnik’s competitiveness on the tourism destination market in the years to come.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

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