Boris Šuljić: Life must deliver values, in order for these values ​​to have touristic meaning. Everything else is nonsense

In a pleasant environment and good company on the island of Pag, we recorded a new video series - Loud thinking with Goran Rihelja, owner and editor-in-chief of the HrTurizam.hr portal.

As we announced, hrturism is expanding to video production through three video formats: espresso as a short format, thinking out loud (interviews, presentation of tourist services and products, video clips from events) and thematic destination documentary story in a longer format.

"The market trends are short formats, as short as possible or TikTok format, with a mandatory "good hook" at the beginning of the video, as stated by all the tips, insert subtitles, a mountain of effects, etc... but it's simply not a format for me. That's not me, nor hrturism I personally like and have always strived for a longer format because it gives the opportunity to say something more meaningful and through a wider dimension, practice or life, focus on the content and thinking aloud of people. Because we all learn every day, and for me they are the best "school". have always been people. Every day I learn from news, books, podcasts (and hrturizm podcast was a longer format) and primarily people. Their thoughts, narrative, views on tourism development... is a "good hook" or content for me and focus on the person who speaks and gives the context. That's why we travel, record, learn from others and share thoughts out loud." points out Rihelj and adds that the concept is simple, without a strict program and pressing, but with the aim that when something interesting is recorded, it will also be published. 

The first guest of Loud Thinking by hrturizam is primarily a tourism ambassador and institution, and only then the owner of the hotel, winery and restaurant Boškinac from Novalja on the island of Pag - Boris Šuljić.

hrturism: Thinking aloud with Boris Šuljić, Boškinac

It was difficult to cover all topics in 45 minutes, but we focused on three topics that complement each other.

What is the reason for tourists coming to Croatia? Sustainable tourism? How to extend the season? How to raise the quality of tourism? - multiple dimensions explained in just one sentence. The answer is very simple: Let's be who we are - we could sum up Šuljić's thinking as a summary of everything.

Too simple? This includes the "Catch 22". The whole paradigm actually rests more on psychology than on business processes. The focus is on the community and society, not on the individual. The question is how? - is only imposed if we know why?

In order to achieve this, they would actually have to look within themselves, their future, community, culture and customs, family, identity... or as Šuljić says: 

"We must not lose our life. The second danger is that we must not lose our way of life. At the same time, I don't think that we have to wear whips made of wool and sing all day around Novalja. Because people do not travel from Hamburg to feel like they are in Hamburg. They travel to see you, your way of life, how you behave, walk, how you shop at the market, how you gesture, what and how you sing, what kind of food you practice. For people, this journey is made up of many different experiences, and one of the experiences is certainly to see a place where living people live who have real lives. And now, if these lives are "confectionery", everyone looks like each other, we all behave the same, then the question arises, why should we travel", says Šuljić.

Otherwise, Boškinac Winery it was built in 2000, and in the same year, a vineyard with an area of ​​5 hectares was planted in the immediate vicinity of the winery. Because for thousands of years people have been fed, strengthened and healed by wine, there is an inscription with Hippocrates' saying on the wall of the attractive winery "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food".

In Boškinac, therefore, what people have known since time immemorial is applied - that in moderate quantities, wine, especially red, really benefits health and spirit. The fundamental mission of the wine cellar is preservation and care autochthonous variety Gegić. This is only one part of Boris Šuljić's touristic mosaic. 

/ / / MarsOvca - another skillful branding of the Island of the Moon while raising the quality of gastronomy based on authentic food

Today, Boškinac is a phenomenal representation from practice of careful thinking about tourism, in which tradition, family, household, excellence and an example of tourism that we must strive for are woven. 

It is fascinating how the whole concept is arranged in Boškinac: from a small luxury boutique hotel with 10 rooms, a fine dining restaurant with a MICHELIN star, a tavern, a winery and a bar. Each segment can function independently, yet perfectly in harmony together. 

The space was defined, but the vision and the whole concept developed over the years. Step by step, intervention by intervention that today forms a perfect mosaic. From my point of view - it is a perfect harmony and a picture as if it was painted by one of the most famous artists. In the end, it is, because Boris Šuljić is certainly a passionate artist, a person who lives tourism - homotouristicus and ambassador of tourism, a family man who creates value through wine, food, space, ambience and overall experience.

Boris Šuljić, Bosnian: Life must deliver values, so that these values ​​have touristic meaning. Everything else is nonsense.

The weekend is upon us. Grab a glass of premium wine or make yourself a coffee and relax in Thinking aloud with Boris Šuljić. 

Share your thoughts on the entire narrative in the comments on social media, because two heads are always smarter than one. It is through such interactions that we learn and develop the most as individuals and as a society - through constructive conversation, examples from practice and the best books - those books that experience and life write. 

PS hrtourism espresso: what is sustainable tourism?