Ivana Jurić: Experience shows that customers still prefer paper editions

Destination magazine - Via Slavonia and Baranja.

Author  Goran Rihelj

January 18, 2025

This year, the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board became one of the few destinations in Croatia to launch a destination magazine - Via Slavonia and Baranja.

The new destination magazine was launched at the end of May this year and is intended to inform guests who have come to the destination itself and are no longer looking for accommodation services, but rather for the activities offered at the destination. 

"The idea arose after visiting an Austrian wine-Danube destination, because every trip is an opportunity to absorb good practices", he points out Ivana Jurić Director of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board and adds that, based on examples from other countries and regions, easy-to-read seasonal printed material has been prepared and can be found in accommodation facilities so that guests can be informed while resting and preparing for a tour of the destination. 

"Experience in the sector shows that guests still prefer paper editions. What is important to note is that the magazine is part of the overall brand communication platform of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board “HeadOnEast Croatia, Visit Slavonia Baranja”, which has been visually and communicatively integrated since 2019/2020, so “Via Slavonia Baranja” has also been the name of the destination’s promotional campaign for two years, accompanied by the slogan “Hedonism is in the East”. The texts accompanying the campaigns, on the other hand, define what hedonism is in Slavonia and Baranja, and contrary to all stereotypes – it is not just about food and drinks.", Jurić pointed out.

Via slavonija baranja presentation of the new number iii

In early December, he also came out second issue of the magazine which covers the season from December to May 2025.

In addition to being available in print in Croatian and English, the magazine is also available in digital format. The magazine is distributed to accommodation facilities and tourist boards in the county and is used at fair appearances. 

/ / / The second issue of the Osijek-Baranja County destination magazine was presented

What is key from customer journey aspect is that the destination magazine targets guests who have already come to the destination itself and are looking for the activities offered. Texts from the magazine are part of promotional campaigns that invite visitors to visit the destination and can be found individually on the website visitslavoniabaranja.com.

The magazine is here to inspire guests, so you can find articles about top experiences offered by Osijek, Đakovo, Našice, Baranja or the Erdut Danube trio, as well as the secrets of preparing a good fish stew or perkelt, purchasing the best brandy or kulen, and activities for the family on sunny, rainy or colder days. The new issue mostly talks about people who create special experiences in the destination, and it is precisely communication with local people that guests of Slavonia and Baranja highlight as the best thing that the destination has to offer.

An interesting element is how this Slavonian County Tourist Board magazine works independently in collaboration with local journalists, tourist guides, photographers. This is important because we, as the destination, know the destination best and with targeted thematic content we can control the narrative and fulfill the strategic promotional goals we have set for ourselves. 

"The truth is that we know the destination best where we (happily!) live, we have internal resources - some of us have experience in management, some in communication and promotion, and together we know the market we are addressing. We also have a different perspective than an external agency, but also local journalists, because we are addressing a guest who does not know or knows the destination less than the locals. Therefore, our leadership and the work of a team made up of local journalists and guides brings a different and more authentic result. There is the inevitable top design signed by Marko Jovanovac, Studio Symbol. The editor of the magazine and our professional support is Ivana Rab-Guljaš, editor of the city section of Glas Slavonije", Jurić emphasizes.

Photo by Ivan 2

It should always be emphasized that the tourism product offered by the continent and the Osijek-Baranja County as a part of it is completely different from the experience offered by the coast. The motives for coming are different, there is a greater focus on content, there is greater tourist spending, we target different guest profiles and, crucially, we have four seasons, i.e. year-round tourism. 

"Here the spatial scope is much larger, the guest actively explores the area and it is not unusual for them to travel 80 to 100 kilometers a day. Getting to know local customs, but also the way locals live, not only in rural but also in urban areas, festivals, visiting wineries, green markets, culinary workshops... In short, the guest actively explores the destination. There is no passive vacation, because the guest most often comes from September to June when short, city-break vacations of 3-4 days are practiced. There are not many "incoming agencies" or organized local tours for individual guests on the market, because there are no mass arrivals, and the destination is alive all year round. That is why a guide in the form of seasonal magazines is a good signpost. There has been a lot of talk about sustainability in the last few years, and tourism here has naturally developed on these premises from the beginning." points out the director of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board.

There is also an important segment of guests who come to the destination for business or to a conference for the first time, and the magazine motivates them to visit the destination for a second time as a tourist destination.

Last year, the Economic Center was opened in Osijek, a modular space for economic events, fairs and congress events, which, with 2.500 square meters of indoor and 8.000 square meters of outdoor exhibition space, plays a key role as the driving force behind the current development of tourism.

"Osijek, as the center of the region, has the most business overnight stays and our goal is to bring such guests back to the destination in a private arrangement. There are many stereotypes about Slavonia that are distorted and most often during their first visit, guests are pleasantly surprised and even taken aback by the quality of the offer, value for money and the overall attention they receive. We have heard countless times "There is so much to see here!", and people leave the strongest impression because they are naturally hospitable," Jurić notes.

The number of beds increased in the first 11 months - we now have 7.366 beds

Screenshots 2025 01 18 at 16

This county has been recording an increase in arrivals and overnight stays for years. On the other hand, Osijek, as the capital, has been developing rapidly in the last four years, with a lot of investment in new and renovation of old infrastructure, especially in the modernization of roads and the revitalization of cultural and historical sites.

In parallel with infrastructure investments, Osijek is positioning itself as an attractive destination for tourism, business and life, encouraging the development of the IT sector, improving educational and health capacities, and strengthening the gastronomic and cultural offer.

All of this contributes to creating the image of Osijek as a dynamic and modern city, ready to respond to the needs of its citizens, but also to attract new visitors and investors.

"We are growing year after year - both in terms of the number of overnight stays (3.5% to 8%), and in terms of all the capacities and experiences that the destination offers. The community recognizes this growth and participates in it in various ways. The number of beds is growing, so last year we counted 6123, and in the first 11 months of this year 7366 beds. Public infrastructure follows private sector investments and vice versa - there is the renovation of the Osijek Fortress, the Economic Center, the Tikveš Interpretation Center in the Kopački rit Nature Reserve, the renovation of the Pejačević Castle in Našice, the Materra Hotel and the Priora Polyclinic of the Žito Group, the Nexe Group's investments in wine tourism, the new Osijek stadium, and over the next two years other investments in larger hotel capacities in the Osijek area and the surrounding area will be completed. A lot is being invested in targeted promotion to make all of this visible on the market." our interviewee concludes. 

The first and second editions of the destination magazine can be read at “Via Slavonia and Baranja”

*The article was originally published in the hrturizam newspaper. Would you like to receive the hrturizam newspaper? Become part of the hrturizam family. 

 

Author  Goran Rihelj

January 18, 2025