Basic Features Of Inhabitants Of Dubrovnik In A Role Of Tourists

The aim of this study is to determine the following: whether the inhabitants of Dubrovnik travel as tourists, what is the profile of people going on a tourist trip, what are the traveling characteristics and motivational factors. Understanding the motivation and interest of potential tourists helps to better define the product and to satisfy the customer’s needs. The research was conducted in March and April 2009, on the sample of 150 participants. The results showed that in the area of Dubrovnik there is a significant and stable segment of population taking the trip several times a year, especially in winter. It also showed that the number of trips increases proportionally with income, age and educational level. Recreation, leisure, relaxation, new experiences, visiting relatives and friends, and skiing are the main motives for traveling. People mostly travel abroad, and the most visited destinations are Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and France. The findings confirmed a high level of activities of inhabitants of Dubrovnik, which indicates the need for more empirical studies on a larger sample. The information about tourist trips of the local population enables business entities and Croatian national tourist board to define the appropriate marketing strategies.