In addition to the workforce problem, the tourism sector has had a major problem in recent years in finding middle and high management personnel. That is why it is a great honor and privilege for me to announce a new guest on the Homo Turisticus podcast, a young manager, i.e. director of Terme Sveti Martin, Igor Nekić.
"The reason a guest comes when someone chooses is not where the best room or hotel is, but rather they type in the destination they are interested in. We have to fight at the destination level to attract the guest. Then when they choose a destination, they will choose the accommodation that suits them. And that is where I see mistakes, we all fight to emphasize that we are the best and so on. Every hotel by categorization must have a room, but at the destination level we all have to fight to attract the guest, to come to us and then it is up to the guest to choose the accommodation according to their preferences", emphasizes Nekić.
By the way, Terme Sveti Martin was among the first to start with short supply chains.

/// Example of good practice: Terme Sveti Martin as a guide to what tourism in Croatia should look like
"Over 70% of our buffet table is from local suppliers and OPGs. For example, at our breakfast we don't have juices from a juice machine, but from OPG Hažić, cheeses are from OPG Krnjak, vegetables from OPG Zeleni Vrt, eggs and honey from OPG Medvede, etc. These are all products from local suppliers, which is why we, through the development of tourism in Sveti Martin na Muri, have encouraged farmers, businessmen and OPGs to expand and grow with us. For example, last year, a female owner of an OPG came to a meeting and asked: What should we plant, what will we need and in what quantities, so that I can plan production immediately and that harvest can be placed on our guests' tables immediately. And here we have a guarantee of quality, fresh and local ingredients", says Nekić.
In fact, they have gone a step further through a unique project in Croatia, and beyond. From Toplica Sveti Martin they encourage their employees who have registered OPGs to sell their products at market prices to the hotel itself. That's tourism.
If there is one thing you must "read" or listen to this week, it is the phenomenally loud thinking of Igor Nekić, who has repeatedly hit upon the very essence or definition(s) of tourism. This must be required reading for all tourism management students.
Enjoy!
Listen to the entire conversation in podcast format. How to listen to a podcast? When you walk and run, when you drive in a car, in the morning when you prepare for work, when you do some chores around the house, or just lie down or sit down and relax. Everyone has their own habits and ways, I personally listen to the podcast even when mowing the lawn and landscaping the yard.
You can listen to the podcast HERE, as well as on Amazon Music, Google Podcast, Spotify or over Apple podcasts