Cultural Tourism as a Part of the Tourist Offer in the Republic of Croatia

Kulturni turizam jedan je od posebnih oblika turizma. Smatra se turizmom specijalnih interesa tj. selektivnim oblikom turizma. Turisti specijalnih interesa postaju značajan segment turističkog tržišta koji je namijenjen turistima koji za vrijeme svog odmora žele zadovoljiti svoje interese koje ih zanimaju. Kulturni turizam ima veliku značajnost u Republici Hrvatskoj. Kultura, umjetnost i povijest su uvijek činile dio hrvatske turističke ponude, ne samo za lokalno tržište nego i za strano tržište. Turizam i kultura su povezani, oni se međusobno upotpunjuju. Spajanjem kulture i turizma potiče se lokalna, odnosno regionalna potražnja te se tako otvaraju mogućnosti razvoja novih tržišnih segmenata. Dolazi do proširenja tržišta i stvaraju se novi interesi posjetitelja, omogućuje se bolja kontrola nad korištenjem kulturnih potencijala. Kulturni turizam postao je jedinstven čimbenik društvenih i ekonomskih promjena u Europi. Europska kulturna baština je jedna od najvažnijih i najstarijih generatora turizma. Ona je zadržala svoju glavnu ulogu u europskom turizmu sve do danas. Tržište kulturnog turizma sve više raste, osuvremenjuje se te se njegov fokus jako brzo mijenja. Potražnja kulturnog turizma više nije fokusirana na “ozbiljne““ posjete uglednim kulturnim destinacijama, ona je postala dio atmosfere destinacije, temelji se na potrazi i sudjelovanjem u novim kulturnim iskustvima.Cultural tourism is one of the special forms of tourism. It is considered special interest tourism, ie a selective form of tourism. Tourists of special interests are becoming a significant segment of the tourist market that is intended for tourists who during their vacation want to satisfy their interests that interest them. Cultural tourism is of great importance in Croatia. Culture, art and history have always been part of the Croatian tourist offer, not only for the domestic market but also for the foreign market. Tourism and culture are connected, they complement each other. By merging culture and tourism, local or regional demand is stimulated, thus opening up opportunities for the development of new market segments. There is an expansion of the market and new interests of visitors are created, better control over the use of cultural potentials is enabled. Cultural tourism has become a unique factor in social and economic change in Europe. European cultural heritage is one of the most important and oldest generators of tourism. It has retained its leading role in European tourism to this day. The market of cultural tourism is growing more and more, it is modernizing and its focus is changing very quickly. Demand for cultural tourism is no longer focused on "serious" visits to reputable cultural destinations, it has become part of the destination's atmosphere, based on seeking and participating in new cultural experiences