Op-Ed: Croatian tourism — Perceptions of Croatia should be the priority

Croatian tourism officially had a record year in 2011, and yet the season is still very short. A new survey reveals perceptions of the country from Europeans who have never visited.

A beautiful coastline, beaches, sea, Yugoslavia and war - these were the most common responses in a recent survey about perceptions of Croatia, according to a report on Tportal.hr, according to a report in the Croatian Times on January 25, 2012. The survey of 2,574 people from Germany, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Spain, was overseen by Sinisa Horak from the Institution for Tourism, which asked its target sample what came into their head when the word 'Croatia' was mentioned. None of the respondents had been to Croatia, and approximately 20% replied that they could associate nothing with the country. The survey was instructive, as it gave an insight into how Croatia was perceived internationally, with perceptions varying from country to country. Poles, Germans and Swedes made the association between Croatia and a beautiful coast, beaches and sea, as did the Spaniards, who also had a sense of history and culture, while the Danes and British the first association is war. The survey aligned Croatia more as an ex-Yugoslav state than an imminent EU member. The results are not surprising, but they do point to an area where the Croatian tourist board should be promoting its efforts - on improving awareness of Croatia and its tourist attractions internationally. Alan Mandic, owner of boutique travel agency, Secret Dalmatia, agrees, as he said in a recent interview with Digital Journal: "My clients come from late March to mid November so I am quite pleased with the length of "my" tourist season. The solution is easy: get Croatia on the map. No matter how easy, it requires a serious investment and dedication from our government/ministry in terms of continuous promotion and focusing on opinion-making targets to maximize the results. Just an example would be to have Croatia featured, or at least mentioned, in most popular US shows and newspapers that are globally distributed." The task of the Croatian tourist board to brand the country's tourism in the wake of the devastating war in the region was immense, and it deserves great credit in the highly effective campaign under the slogan The Mediterranean as it Once Was, as a new generation of tourist came to discover a new country with great beaches and nightlife. Prior to the break-up of former Yugoslavia, tourism to Croatia was booming, with more than 440,000 Brits coming to former Yugoslavia every year, the second most popular destination after Spain, with most coming on packages with Yugotours. Back then the geography was simple, but the re-drawing of the map in Eastern Europe has caused confusion, and there is a need to educate on the new reality. One of the common errors for example, is to mix up Slovenia, an EU member and part of former Yugoslavia, with Slovakia, also in the EU. Gaffes such as the recent placing of Bulgaria in former Yugoslavia by Fox News do little to help. The break-up of Yugoslavia causes confusion among an older generation who visited the area before the war, as was evidenced by some of the responses I received in a forum survey for another online writing site, earlier in the year. Asked about perceptions of Croatia, one respondent answered: "Before the war, when I was living in Europe I used to go to former Yugoslavia quite often. It was the ideal holiday place. I think the Adriatic coast is among the most beautiful in the world. But now I feel ignorant because I don't know where the new boundaries are and even which country I would be visiting. Is Istria in the same country as Dubrovnik? I would have to do some research. I think the war has indeed put people off, though it might just be me. So if you could help people get over their preconceived ideas or, worse, ignorance, you would be doing a great job." The message of non-EU recognition has obviously hit home, as the 2012 promotional material from the Croatian tourist board has changed to Croatia: The New Tourism Star of the EU (see video above), material which has moved the focus of the country's tourism away from the coast and more into inland tourism. The challenge for the tourist board is how to promote brand awareness, as well as promoting the diverse nature of Croatian tourism, which has much more to offer than beaches and pretty coastline. The island of Hvar for example, is an internationally renowned destination, and was indeed named by Lonely Planet as its number 5 destination for 2012, but the perception of the island is beaches, nightlife and celebrity draw (an image enhanced by Prince Harry's swimming pool antics this summer). The island has so much more to offer than this, including some of the best wines in Croatia, (including the country's only Grand Cru); a stunning gastronomic offer (its chefs are currently in Belgrade hosting a 3-week food festival); a natural paradise whose festivals celebrate lavender and whose healthy climate for the basis of the oldest organised tourism in Europe with the founding of the Hvar Health Society in 1868; a UNESCO heritage including a world heritage site and 500 year-old religious procession and cultural heritage including the oldest municipal theatre in Europe, which celebrates 400 years this year, all of which is supported by some internationally acclaimed hotels from the Suncani Hvar group, at least one of which is open year round. The challenge is to get the message out to the tourism markets in Europe, North America and beyond, which takes time, money and a concerted effort. One man who has succeeded more than most is Mandic, whose tourism offer is more specialised, offering tourists a boutique experience of the real Dalmatia which bears little resemblance to the stereotypes of Croatian tourism. Choosing his promotional efforts with care, Mandic has managed to build a reputation within Croatia (his agency won the "Simply the Best 2011" award from Association of Croatian Agencies) and internationally with an impressive client base which has enabled him to break through the limited summer season of 2-3 months, to a business which encompasses most of the year.