Marina Šćiran Rizner, TZ Novalja: We have a recognizable tourist product that responds to the problem of seasonality

Vremenski Pag Outdoor extends the calendar season to at least eight months

Author  Goran Rihelj

19. October 2022.

There has been a lot of talk in Croatian tourism about the development of outdoor tourism for years, but apart from a few positive examples, until now we have not had a real well-rounded destination story as a positive destination example of the development of outdoor tourism besides Poreč. 

Because outdoor tourism is much more than a one-time event. In my opinion, the best outdoor tourism product in Croatia is Pag Outdoor, about which I have written many times since the very beginning. It is a meaningful and well-rounded destination story, which is and must be a positive example of destination development in Croatia.

I emphasize the destination product, because it is a project of the united Tourist Boards of the island of Pag (TZG Novalje, TZG Pag, TZO Kolan, TZO Povljana and TZM Stara Novalja) with the aim of developing the tourism product Pag Outdoor in early 2020.

Last week, Marina Šćiran Rizner, director of TZG Novalja and project manager and coordinator, presented Pag Outdoor as a positive example of destination development at the Croatian Sport&Health Tourism Expo in Osijek.

Well, there is no better reason to talk to Šćiran Rizner, to make a summary of the season and the Pag Outdoor project. 

Marina Šćiran Rizner, TZ Novalja: We have a recognizable tourist product that responds to the problem of seasonality

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Although we all run away from numbers and statistics, these are still important data and facts, which are a basic part of planning and analysis. After the summer season, which, despite all the global challenges, proved to be extremely successful, at least in terms of the number of arrivals and overnight stays, tourism workers in Novalja can be and are more than satisfied. 

"We can certainly be satisfied with the results and set this season as a benchmark against which we will compare future results, as so far everything has been compared with 2019. Novalja is a globally recognizable Croatian destination and in the first nine months the area of ​​the City of Novalja recorded 280.512 tourist arrivals , which is 6,5 percent more than in 2019. When we talk about the number of overnight stays, there were 1.823.825 overnight stays, i.e. 8,8 percent more. We are therefore talking about the best Novalja season and it is clear that we are extremely grateful for that. proud"

As long as there is tourism, there is talk of extending the tourist season. But when we don't have the sun and the sea, i.e. swimming as the primary reason for coming, we have to generate some other reason for coming. In Pag, they decided to develop outdoor tourism with the aim of extending the tourist season. And they weren't wrong. 

"After a two-year forced break, we successfully completed the summer season, but at the same time we capitalized on the results of new tourist products that we started and implemented before, but also during the pandemic. We want Zrće and party tourism as a recognized Croatian brand to be a recognized tourist product, but we are aware that the future of tourism in Novalja must be shaped according to the principles of sustainable development. Therefore, the preservation of natural resources, the satisfaction of local stakeholders and a better tourist offer are only some of the goals set before the City of Novalja and the Community, and the creative and innovative design of new tourist products is the product of joint efforts of all stakeholders.

Today's guest wants above all safety, new experience, experience and originality. Today they are young people on Zrć, tomorrow families with children who have completely different tourist affinities. The story of active vacation and hedonistic enjoyment is perfectly rounded off by the tastes and smells of Pag. It is precisely the diverse and rich offer in this off-season period that makes Pag one of the most desirable Croatian destinations for the growing number of outdoor fans who find all levels of excitement on the island - from family get-togethers in nature to very demanding adrenaline competitions. Visitors are increasingly interested in outdoor activities - tourists are turning to nature, engaging in cycling, trekking, mountaineering, climbing, rowing and similar activities, for which we have ideal conditions not only in Novalja, but also on the entire island."

In the most difficult moments for tourism, the island of Pag proved to be the leader of our tourism through synergy and proactivity, despite all the aggravating circumstances. At the very least, the same process is expected from other islands and regions, because the island is one destination and one brand. And tourism, nor the guests, do not know our invisible borders. 

"The success of the Pag Outdoor project is the result of the joint association of the island tourism communities of TZG Novalja, TZG Pag, TZO Kolan, TZO Povljana and TZM Stara Novalja on the development of the project, and the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports followed In projects like this, the synergy of all tourism stakeholders is extremely important. The Pag Outdoor project is a proof of this thesis because we have created a recognizable tourist product that responds to the problem of seasonality. The results are already visible and this is the direction we will certainly continue in."

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Logoi-Pag

An important formula for the success of this project is that it was not based on just one event, but a lot of effort and time was invested in infrastructure and education or the foundations of the project, without which it would never have been successful. This is how the routes were arranged, routed and maintained every year, brochures were made, as well as Bike standards and Bed&Bike accommodation, local guides for active tourism were trained... and the local DMC agency was involved in the whole project. 

"Our project includes and connects a number of stakeholders, both from the tourism sector, but also from city institutions with the advice and help of numerous external partners, where we should especially highlight top outdoor professionals such as Martin Čotar. The formed product, travel agencies that sell it through outdoor platforms, trained guides are just some of the crucial elements of the development process and the marketing of a tourist product. I emphasize again, synergy is key and is really not a platitude. Without all the above-mentioned stakeholders, this project would not have been completed today and is a textbook example of outdoor development."

Outdoor on the island of Pag connects 4 outdoor activities (bike, trail, climbing, kayaking), and for the needs of the entire project, the entire branding and visual communication was made, which is crucial for Pag Outdoor to be nationally, but also globally, recognizable. 

"The graphic design of the logo for each individual outdoor segment was necessary for the continuation of the promotion and branding of the Pag Outdoor project. In addition to the specific colors that are associated with the activities, there is also a strong emphasis on the unity of the islands within the project. The visual identity of the Pag Outdoor project showed all the peculiarities of the island with an emphasis on the rarity of Pag, respecting the standards of the Regional Tourist Boards. The fact that this is the only island located in two counties, the emphasis was on the peculiarities and identity of both counties, but also through all its colors to show how colorful and distinctive Pag is an island. What used to represent an obstacle in certain situations was turned into a comparative advantage in a graphically interesting and attractive way. The key to the success of the Pag Outdoor project was joining together and creating a unique destination for the entire island, which we are all very proud of."

As the icing on the cake or the final seal, the Pag Outdoor website was created - www.pag-outdoor.com, which precisely connects all activities and the entire outdoor offer of the island in one place. It is important to emphasize that the visual identity and website came only at the end, when the foundations were laid. And not the other way around, which is often the case. 

"Through interactive content, in just a few clicks, visitors get all the information about the entire outdoor offer of the island, accommodation facilities and current events. This website has become a key source of information that has been consolidated to make it easier for visitors to arrive at the destination and access numerous outdoor programs. With its modern design and interesting content, www.pag-outdoor.com is the starting point of one of the recognized and awarded outdoor stories, which is yet to be updated through the creation of joint brochures, maps and events.

We can conclude that the entire Pag Outdoor project is now being raised to a higher level - with excellent branding of the entire outdoor story of the island of Pag. It connects four outdoor activities (bike, trail, climbing, kayaking), but considering that it positions them in the absolutely unique environment of Pag's nature, they become one of the developmental moments where the tourism of this interestingly shaped island will develop in several directions.

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The weather project extends the calendar season to at least eight months, just as it will at the same time give additional meaningful impulses to the development of a number of activities on the island, especially those related to the hotel industry, gastronomy and specific agriculture."

Finally, Šćiran Rizner points out that Novalja and the island of Pag host an increasing number of events; sporting, gastronomic, cultural, entertainment. and which additionally gives the entire destination attractiveness through diverse, yet connected content. And what is extremely important includes the participation of the local population, who often find themselves in the role of competitors. This tells us how important the process of transformation from observer to participant is, because only when the resident population embraces a new tourism product, it becomes part of it, implements it in business, communicates the same and is a positive example to other stakeholders. A modern way of life creates new trends, and it is up to us to listen to them and offer them to our guests almost before they even want them.

"When planning events, especially sports ones, you must always take care to connect a quality catering offer in cooperation with local producers and OPGs, an offer of accommodation capacities, especially hotels, equipped with all the facilities important for the development of sports tourism (swimming pools, wellness, gyms, sports accompanying It can be seen that from the field of sports, investors who recognize Pag as an ideal destination for sports tourism often come to our island, as well as many Croatian athletes such as Dejan Lovren, Zlatko Dalić, who recognize Novalja as their second home and often one of our most famous tourist ambassadors." concludes Marina Šćiran Rizner.

As the icing on the cake, the 3rd edition of the cycling race Granfondo PAG - Cycling on the Moon was held in Novalja last weekend. These kind of races, i.e. weekend manifestations, come as a complement to the entire outdoor product and branding of the destination. But they come on excellent foundations, and not as a one-time event. And there is the additional branding of Pag as the "Island of the Moon" through the visuals of the race and the communication of the organizers.

An active holiday with an excellent gastronomic scene, superb accommodation, autochthonous stories such as Pag cheese, lamb, the plant diversity of the island of Pag, Zrće through festival tourism, the recognizability of the island of the moon make this attractive, authentic and dynamic destination that rounds all the elements into one superb and recognizable tourism product.

Photo: Luka Labinjan / Illustration: hrTurizam.hr

Author  Goran Rihelj

19. October 2022.