The Potential of Croatia as an Attractive Tourist Destination for Senior Tourists

Abstract

Purpose -The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the current supply of composite tourist products in Croatia in relation to the needs of older people's needs with a focus on the European market and to identify all shortcomings and disparities in order to make recommendations for a more efficient development of tourism products within Croatia in function of the extension of the tourist season. Methodology -The results were obtained by using a mixed methodology by combining quantitative (TOMAS research from 2017 and TOURage project from 2014) and qualitative (semistructured interviews with relevant tourism industry subjects) data processing methods using comparative analysis within the match model. Findings -Findings show that the quality of the landscape, security, general services, hotel accommodation and transport according to the rating of all segments of tourists who visited Croatia above the quality expected of senior tourists when choosing their travel destination. Particular attention should be paid to the safety, accommodation comfort, medical accessibility, specific cultural and less challenging adventure experiences within the flexible packages offered on the dominant EU markets of Germany, France, the UK and Scandinavia. Croatia as a tourist destination, with certain improvements and adjustments of the tourist product components, has a predisposition for a stronger market penetration that covers the segment of the senior tourists.