The Institute for Tourism celebrated 65 years since its establishment

On World Tourism Day, September 27, 2024, Institute of Tourism marked 65 years since its foundation.

The Institute for Tourism from Zagreb was founded in 1959 as a bureau for tourism and catering construction, and during its many years of activity it has grown into a leading institution in Croatia and the region that deals with research in the field of tourism. 

On the occasion of 65 years of activity, the Institute for Tourism organized a scientific and professional gathering at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb on the topic of 'The future of tourism in an age of uncertainty'. The goal of the meeting was to discuss the main challenges we face today  tourism faces today.

Geopolitical and health threats, climate change, demographic trends, migration and workforce issues in tourism, spatial and environmental management issues, and the impact of technological progress on tourism were discussed. The key speaker was Prof. Albert Postma, Ph.D. from the European Tourism Futures Institute, and Dr.Sc. participated in the panel. Ivan Guttler, director of the State Hydrometeorological Institute, Branimir Farkaš, writer and journalist of Croatian Radio and Television, Ph.D. Marina Perić Kaselj, director of the Migration Research Institute, architect Silvija Novak from the architectural office 3LHD and prof. Ph.D.Sc. Stjepan Bogdan, professor from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing. 

Tonči Glavina, Minister of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, pointed out that one of the reasons for the success in tourism is the strong support of the profession and science, as well as the long-term and constructive cooperation with the Institute for Tourism. "One of the examples of this cooperation is the Tourism Development Index, which helped MINTS in defining the focus of future tourism decentralized policies. The rules and guidelines that form the basis of the Tourism Act are another example of the mentioned cooperation, which will ultimately enable the operationalization of the Act and the changes that are necessary for healthy and sustainable tourism in Croatia. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that such sustainable tourism should not be based on growth, low prices, mass, but rather on the preservation of our space, our people and our quality of life." stated Glavina.

Nikolina Brnjac, a member of the EU Parliament, pointed out that the Institute and the Ministry have been working together for years on very important documents for the future of tourism, among which the TSSA stands out, which is being done for the first time both at the national and regional level, and thus Croatia is ranked first in the world in such an undertaking.

"The reform of legislation in tourism based on data is our joint venture for which we have received numerous praises from the UNWTO, the OECD and the European Commission, and for the first time we are responding to the challenges of the future on the basis of quality foundations. Only in this way will we be able to respond to the challenges before us and have resilient tourism." Brnjac added.

Nikola Mrvac, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture, stated that resistance to technology and knowledge has been constant throughout history, so we are still in a big dilemma about what AI brings us, but looking back at history, the peoples who sought the truth and the new made the most progress, so it is therefore, in tourism, it is necessary to strive towards the implementation of knowledge and technology for our further progress.

Damir Krešić, director of the Institute for Tourism, spoke about the history of the development of the Institute for Tourism, the characteristics and specifics of each decade of activity. He pointed out the research of the tourist market TOMAS, which has been carried out for almost 30 years. Furthermore, he emphasized the challenges of tourism recovery after the Homeland War and the role of strategies and plans in that process. From 1959 until today, the institute has created more than 1.500 projects of various professional and scientific projects. 

"From its foundation until today, the fundamental values ​​of the Institute are the quality of scientific and professional work, international recognition, independence and expert opinion." emphasized Krešić.

In the past 65 years, the Institute for Tourism has contributed to the various challenges of tourism development that time has brought - from the creation of the first planning documents, the creation of cooperation with relevant international institutions, research of the tourism market to the organization of international conferences. The key areas that the Tourism Institute deals with today are: the economic and economic effects of tourism, strategic planning in tourism, the impact of climate change on tourism, the development of indicators for measuring the sustainability of tourism and research on the tourism market.

The Institute's research team consists of 20 scientists from different fields -  economics, marketing, geography, transport, spatial planning, mathematics, statistics and others, which allows to  comprehensively perceives the phenomenon of tourism in all its complexity and integrity.

Photo: Institute for Tourism