Audio design is a trend in the world, and the position of music in the destination is increasingly burdened by the problem of noise

Faculty of Management in Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka in cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board in the period from 2019 to 2021 pro ...

Author  Goran Rihelj

12. April 2022.

The Faculty of Management in Tourism and Hospitality Management of the University of Rijeka in cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board in the period from 2019 to 2021 implemented the project "Audio management in the function of sustainable development of Croatian tourism ".

Project leaders prof. dr. sc. Christian Stipanović and Associate Professor dr.sc Diana Grgurić have prepared a manual "Audio Management in Tourism" which aims to determine the importance of valorization of music and sound in the context of sustainable development and management of a tourist destination.

Audio management as an important tool for sound and music management in the destination.

The main goal is the implementation of audio management achieving a unique experience and new tourist experiences of the destination, in the process of reconcepting the offer and promotion based on sustainable development and indigenous values.

The manual offers the first insights on audio management in Croatian tourism and opens the topic of sound and music management in the offer and promotion with the aim of developing new experiential values. The analysis of audio management in Croatian tourism is based on research conducted in 2019 and 2020, with the aim of gaining insight into the current state of valorization of sound and music and the scenario of future development.

After the promotion and the round table, I talked to the authors - Project leaders prof. dr. sc. Christian Stipanović and Associate Professor dr.sc Diana Grguric, on the importance of audio management in the development of the destination, which, unfortunately, is practically unknown in Croatia. That is why the publication of the manual is of great importance in our tourism.

Associate Professor Diana Grgurić, PhD: The position of music in the destination is increasingly burdened by the problem of noise

New project 95
Associate Professor Diana Grgurić, PhD / Photo: Wendy Wei from Pexels/ Illustration: HrTurizam
 

Although the topic of audio management may seem like a side topic to some, in fact, sound is an important segment of every destination that surrounds us every day, without us even being aware of it.

The main goal of the implementation of audio management is to achieve a unique experience and new tourist experiences of the destination, in the process of reconcepting the offer and promotion based on sustainable development and indigenous values, says Assoc. dr.sc Diana Grgurić.

"Trends in the tourism market that encourage the development of audio management are: changing the paradigm of understanding tourism as an economy of visual experience and defining measures of travel experience as the total result of sensations of all human senses. 

Results of the study A study of the current state of sound and music management in Croatian tourism, which surveyed 195 representatives of tourist destination management, confirms that there is a world about the possibilities of sound and music in innovating supply and demand. inclusion of sound and music in the offer and promotion), but in conditions where there is insufficient knowledge about the implementation of audio management and available financial capital, the field of music and sound remains on the margins of qualitative transformation of offer and promotion at the destination and company levels. 

A prerequisite for implementation is the awareness that modern tourists in pandemic and post-pandemic conditions are looking for a unique experience tailored to all the senses where special interest is focused on traditional, indigenous and authentic content."Grguric points out. 

Through audio management we can and should talk about the strategic development of a destination, because if we are aware of the noise in the destination, then we can act. For example, traffic noise, targeted planting of certain plants to reduce noise, dislocation of parking or introduced traffic bans, defining the volume of noise in the destination, etc.… 

The position of music in the destination is increasingly burdened by the problem of noise, Grgurić emphasizes and adds that the problem of noise grows proportionally with the offer of both live music and recorded music. 

"Along with crowds, drug trafficking, degradation of cultural and bio ecology of space, noise is one of the prominent negative consequences not only of music tourism but of tourism in general. Noise is defined here as an undesirable, loud and indistinguishable sound that does not exist in itself, but as a relational product of a system. Noisy consequences arise from the concealment of reflected and direct sounds of human activities such as talking, movement, etc., which causes the reduction of the acoustic horizon and the substitution of information with anti-information - noise. Audio management based on the principles of acoustic ecology implies the valorization of sound and music in order to affirm the positive and annul the negative elements.”States Grgurić.

Also, sound or music defines the destination, from the choice of festivals, concerts to the use of a certain type of music in promotion - if all this is synergistically connected then we plan to create a recognizable brand of the destination? 

"In the development of the destination, it is necessary to invest in a new offer and promotion (the best product without adequate promotion can not succeed in the market as well as the best promotion can not hide the shortcomings of the offer in conditions of high awareness and information of tourists). 

Croatia is recognized as a highly competitive destination for quality music festivals (before the pandemic), positive examples of music offerings based on entrepreneurial activities of enthusiasts and visionaries  (example of the Sea Organ in Zadar) and rich traditional music and heritage, but unfortunately there is no system that would continuously, synergistically innovate the implementation of sound and music in the offer and promotion in conditions where acoustic elements can grow into a choice. 

Choice of types and forms of music offer as a unique element or part of the integral offer of the destination  in synergy with innovative solutions for the inclusion of sound and music in the promotion can create a new added value of Croatian tourism and an innovative brand in the function of repositioning and differentiating from the unified globalized offer.”Concludes Grgurić.

prof. dr. sc. Christian Stipanović: Audio design is a trend in the world, known for the highest technological, artistic and aesthetic requirements and enters the exclusive design

New project 96
prof. Ph.D. Christian Stipanović Photo: Bob Clark, Pexel

From the above, we can certainly conclude that Audiodizajn is one of the extremely important components of every brand, ie the brand of a tourist destination as a model of business management. 

Music and sound have thus taken over not only the function of enhancing the experience but also representing the identity and value of the destination through an increasingly widespread promotional form - a sound trademark - an audio brand, he emphasizes. Stipanovic adds that Audio design is a trend in the world, known for the highest technological, artistic and aesthetic requirements and enters into exclusive design. 

"It's about creating the sound of a space with the aim of personalizing it, which is aligned with its basic function. ​Audio design is one of the more recent practices, which satisfies the aspiration to create experiential values ​​in which the sound medium is the only medium or one of the mediums in (multi)sensory (multisensory) engagement". pointed out Stipanović.

When asked about a positive example of a destination that can be like a "lighthouse" for us on which way to go, Stipanović states that there are many positive examples, but a lighthouse is built according to one's own wishes and possibilities. "For example, Liverpool as a LUNESCO City of Music, famous for the four Beatles guys who changed the world of music forever, has made it so that no tourist can leave Liverpool without making a trip to The Beatles Story at the Albert Dock, where they get to know the fascinating memorabilia of these musicians.

There is also an interesting example of Cuba, ie Havana, which branded its Latin music, and Vienna, which built an interactive music museum and thus significantly strengthened the brand of the city (music) culture. We have all this, in terms of rich and interesting cultural and musical heritage, but the fact is that we do not use it enough for the purpose of branding our tourism.. ” says Stipanovic.

The results of the analysis of audio management on the example of 195 Croatian micro-destinations show that there are no strategic documents on the development of music and sound, and that there is no coordination in creating music offer both within the destination and between destinations.

This is a big problem, especially if we know how Croatia is a destination for music festivals and how much they mean for our tourism?

The results of the analysis of audio management in a sample of 195 Croatian micro-destinations reveal that as many as 97,4% of surveyed tourist boards do not have a multi-year plan for music development in the offer and destination as an independent document used for the annual plan. 63,1% of surveyed tourist boards have a strategic document for tourism development), Stipanović states the results of the research and emphasizes that the field of audio management is not included in the key strategic document of Croatian tourism or strategic documents at destination and micro destinations (except in isolated cases). 

"There is insufficient coordination between the management of neighboring micro-destinations even in defining the terms of key overlapping events, and especially no communication on systematic models of sound and music valorisation (emphasis on traditional music) and their transformation into recognizable forms of offer (music festivals). The priority of music offer and promotion development is synergistic connection of all stakeholders including the domicile population as a presenter of local culture and music, but also tourists as co-creators of the offer in creating new value with concrete benefits for stakeholders, tourists and tourist destinations."Said Stipanovic.

What would be the key problems in the valorization of sound and music in the offer and promotion of Croatian tourism - in accordance with your research and communication with the field? Education or awareness development as the first prerequisite for understanding the importance of Audio Design for every tourist destination? This is the greatest value of audio management in tourism? 

Based on the analysis of audio management on the example of 195 representatives of destination management, various problems in the valorization of sound and music in the offer and promotion of Croatian tourism were defined. 

Stipanović states that valorization is based on separate initiatives, development takes place spontaneously, depending on the need and the moment, and that there is no coordination in creating music offer both within the destination and between destinations and there are no strategic documents on music and sound development. 

“Key management problems are: lack of knowledge about ways and possibilities of valorization of music and sound, insufficient strategic thinking, inconsistency of music programs and lack of connection with the offer and image of the destination, lack of private initiative, lack of finances and insufficient monitoring and control. In the implementation of audio management, the primary awareness of the possibilities of sound and music in the qualitative transformation of Croatian tourism is upgraded to continuous education where music management should be approached based on continuous acquisition of specific knowledge and market research, but also on synergistic connection of all stakeholders. at all levels", Concludes Stipanović.

The manual is published in an interactive e-format, and you can study and download it HERE: AUDI MANAGEMENT IN THE FUNCTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF CROATIAN TOURISM

Author  Goran Rihelj

12. April 2022.