The Tourist Board of the City of Kaštela has launched a study on important tourism issues in the destination. With this aim, a working meeting was organized this Wednesday at Villa Nika, and the results collected during this process will serve as a basis for planning tourism development, creating marketing plans, implementing measures and making decisions important for the tourism system and its management.
The purpose of the research is to collect direct data on the challenges and opportunities that economic entities recognize in the context of sustainable development and sustainable destination management. With this goal in mind, a working meeting of tourism stakeholders was held on Wednesday at Villa Nika in Kaštel Stari. The meeting was conceived as a focus group, and included filling out a pre-prepared questionnaire according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Tourism.
Last year, the tourist board selected a contractor to develop a Destination Management Plan, a strategic document whose primary purpose is to steer the development of Kaštela towards sustainability. The plan is adopted by the tourist board and is linked to spatial plans, cultural heritage management plans and other applicable regulations.
As the Tourist Board points out, surveys are being conducted throughout the summer - from business entities to the guests themselves. In this way, the aim is to get the broadest possible picture of the opinions and suggestions of all stakeholders in tourism. The Association of Craftsmen of Kaštela has expressed interest in participating, while mandatory participants, according to the instructions of the Ministry of Tourism, are entities in the accommodation, catering and agency business sectors.
"We want to achieve quality for all stakeholders in tourism"
Silvana Oruč-Ivoš from the Fabula promocija agency, which is in charge of developing the plan, pointed out that the goal of the research is not just branding the destination or identifying problems:
- This is a destination management plan where we don't just want to brand the destination or highlight the best or only the problems, but we want to achieve quality for all stakeholders in tourism through this research. Both the people who live from tourism, as well as the tourists themselves, but also the residents - she said.
She added that the research monitors broader parameters: - We want to see what the profitability is, what the consumption is - for example, how much water or other resources are consumed in the peak season, and how profitable it is at the end of the year in relation to all parameters. So, these are complex studies and are conducted exclusively on the instructions of the Ministry of Tourism, according to their guidelines, which were fully published at the end of June.
The workshop was organized as a focus group in which different tourism sectors had the opportunity to express their views: - They will try to highlight what bothers them - from family accommodation renters to tourism agencies. We also hope for feedback from their guests, as well as comments from citizens in Kaštela. In addition to the focus group, an online survey was also conducted according to the Ministry's guidelines - added Oruč-Ivoš.
"We are heading in the right direction, but challenges exist"
The director of the Kaštela Tourist Board, Nada Maršić, pointed out that significant progress has already been made in the destination:
- I must say that our situation is getting better year after year. We have exceptionally clean seas, well-maintained beaches, clean streets and parks, and waste disposal is handled in a very high-quality manner. Waste sorting has also become established. We are heading in the right direction - emphasized Maršić.
However, she did not leave out the problems: - There are also things that are difficult to solve, such as the lack of parking spaces. I think this will be one of the biggest challenges, both for the City and the city administration, and for all of us who work in tourism. More and more people are coming by car, and our fellow citizens often have one, two or more cars, which makes this challenge significant.
When asked about the role of the tourist board in strengthening the connection between economic entities and the local community, Maršić emphasized the importance of authenticity: - Our activities are aimed at encouraging associations, crafts and all others involved in tourism to make it as authentic as possible. We tell the story of the Kaštela crljenak, of Miljenko and Dobrila, and we encourage such stories that contribute to the development of various branches of tourism.
A view from the perspective of private renters
The example of private landlord Marina from Kaštel Kambelovac proves that the challenges are not the same for everyone. He offers two apartments in his family house with a capacity for 11 people:
- First of all, I would like to point out that guests most often come because of Split, and Kaštela is just an additional destination for them. We want to explain to them that they can move around Kaštela and, as the owners of the facility, offer them information about various activities in the area. Also, human resources and communication with guests are key to providing a pleasant vacation - he emphasized.
Marin also has ideas on how the tourist board could support the work of private rental companies and suggests better information: - I think it would be useful to establish regular communication so that we can be informed about events in Kaštela. If we know the activity plan in advance, at least half a year in advance, then we can better organize and offer content to tourists.
The results of this focus group will be known only after the research is fully conducted. Only then will it be possible to draw clearer conclusions about the priorities and guidelines for the sustainable development of tourism in Kaštela.
Photo: Ivana Topic
