Development concept and strategy for creative tourism of the Kvarner destination

Purpose – This paper explores the current condition and the possible development perspectives of creative tourism in the tourist destination of Kvarner. Design – The research starts with a broadened conceptual definition of creative tourism which denotes meeting the tourists’ needs within the development of a creative potential in the acquisition of knowledge and new experiences relating to the holiday destination. Based on the research of new creative tourism trends and the analysis of the current state of creative and cultural offer in the Kvarner destination, the paper aims to set the goals and define the means to innovate the operational strategies in order to reposition Kvarner as a creative tourism destination. Methodology – The research is based on an analysis of the current situation (surveys, focus groups, confronting attitudes of stakeholders) and the perception of the future, as well as the author's situational analysis and development scenario analysis. The subject has been insufficiently explored and represents a development of the Kvarner cultural tourism development concept and strategy. The main limitation of the research lies in the small sample of the surveyed management attitudes, due to a lack of creative tourism awareness, which in turn results in the lack of Kvarner creative tourism strategies and management. Findings – With the development of creative tourism, the Kvarner destination can become recognizable as a destination providing a new, differentiated offer on the market, based on authenticity and creativity all in accordance with the specific needs of contemporary tourists and new tourism market trends. Originality – The research both raises new questions and offers qualitative solutions with the goal of qualitative transformation of Kvarner tourism through a continuous improvement of all segments of creative tourism. It further raises the question of synergy of different microdestinations' offer in branding Kvarner as a destination of creative tourism. The originality of the work stems from theoretical determinants, the authors’ attitudes, and the results of tourists and management research.