Trends and Recent Development of Tourism in Istria

Prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Northern Adriatic, a space then shared by Yugoslavia and Italy, made headlines in European geopolitics and economy due to the new nation-states’ border issues. In the post-WW2 era, it sparked conflicts followed by co-operation between communist and democratic societies, became the chief economic gateway of East-Central Europe through the large inland ports (Trieste, Koper, Rijeka), and became a major Mediterranean tourist destination with numerous resorts. It was simultaneously a manufacturing site, trans-shipment area and tourist destination. In the second half of the 20th century, the growth of tourism set new goals for the region. Instead of competition and rivalry, complementarities, and natural and cultural protection on regional and nation-state levels were sought. In this paper, the structure and problems of tourism development in selected areas of the Northern Adriatic region, in particular the Istrian Peninsula, driven by market economy forces, will be discussed. Istria has a long history as a desired leisure destination. In the 19th and the early 20th centuries, nobility and intellectuals became acquainted with the geography of the peninsula, its Austrian and Venetian heritage, and its multi-national Romance, Slavic and Germanic environments. At the dawn of the 21st century, the development of tourism, tourist visits, and their impact on societies and cultural landscapes can be compared to those Costa Brava and other tourist areas of the Mediterranean.