Petra Bartulović, TZ Omiš: Omiš Summer Frei showed that Omiš is much more than sun and sea

The first association for Omiš is the city of pirates and an active vacation destination.

Now it can already be said that a third association is being created on the market, it is certainly on a great way to be more and more recognized, and that as a content destination through a new concept Omis Summer Frei-and.

Namely, the Tourist Board of the City of Omiš launched the seasonal summer project "Omiš Summer Frei", under which name it is hidden, two years ago. 10 different thematic events for all generations - from free film screenings on the beach and interpretation tours to children's workshops and aqua aerobics on the beach.

Most programs are completely free (except museum tickets), and the program is live almost every day of the week, from June 3 until October 1, more precisely, it is about <p>3 days</p><p></p> of different contents in the destination.

All with the aim of differentiation from another city on the coast with a beach, as well as a focus on quality content in the destination.

What is different and special, and certainly worthy of attention, is that the Omiš Summer Frei concept is based on a clearly defined concept monthly program with exact hours of events, everything is known in advance, reservations and registrations are not necessary.

And that is a key element and one of the motives for the conversation with director of the Tourist Board City of Omiš, Petrom Bartulović, to give us an overview of the Omiš Summer Frei concept.

"In the summer, in Omiš, as in most cities on the coast, there are plenty of cultural and entertainment events, of various kinds plays to concerts, which often overlap or have the same or similar themes as neighboring cities", expires Petra Bartulović, director of the Tourist Board of the City of Omiš and adds that in thinking and planning the summer season, they realized that most of these events may not be so attractive to an average tourist, because they are usually in the Croatian language.

"We already tested the idea before, where we had certain events that were not connected to the project or individual manifestations, so we realized that they would have greater promotional power if they were united into one concept. We wanted a concept where every day of the week would have a an activity in the destination that would be easily accessible to tourists, so that tourists would not have to prepare or register, and in that way we would be able to promote the destination and our special features that we normally promote come to 10 activities per week, i.e. up to the Omiš concept Summer Frei. So, every day of the week we have some activity, some are early in the morning, some in the afternoon, and some in the evening." states Bartulović.

By the way, Omiš, like other cities, has recognizable manifestations, from the Dalmatian Klapa Festival to the Omiš Cultural Summer, but Omiš Summer Frei is not a one-day event, but a rich and varied program that lasts 100 days.

According to Bartulović, for the last four years in Omiš, they have not been able to do their famous event "The Pirate Battle in Omiš", because a new city port is being built on the area where the interpretation of the battle took place. For this reason, until the port is finished, this famous event cannot be organized in that area.

"Then, in this way, we bridged that period, started Omiš Summer Frei, and we also included pirate days as a reminder of our event, so that the story would continue to be current andyeah", states Bartulović and points out:  "As part of the entire project, we have one trip in June, July and August, Pirate Day, which is entirely dedicated to pirates. Children's sports fields, a Lego workshop on the theme of pirates, an interpretation expertbut guiding around the city and other activities related to pirates, because Omiš is known for them. As Summer Frei turned out to be an excellent project, it will certainly remain as our main summer concept, and I hope that we will again from next year to have all the splendor of our famous Pirate Battle in the newly renovated Omiš port."

As Omiš Summer Frei is being held for the third year this year, I was interested in how the whole concept was accepted by the guests, after two years of holding and experience since the beginning of this event.

"The concept really turned out to be a great idea. This year is the third year of the Omiš Summer Frei program and the reactions of the guests are extremely positive, both in direct contact with them, as well as with hoteliers and landlords who receive positive reactions to the program from the guests. Ultimately, the activities are visited a lot, which is the best indicator. It is actually a good communication channel with guests who want to discover more about the particularities of the destination. The biggest value of this project is that all our subcontractors are local with us they tell our Omiš story."

Interestingly, the program is designed for both domestic and foreign guests, which is an excellent example and effect that we want to achieve in the destination - a mix of domestic and foreign guests with the local population. This way, the guests get to know our culture and way of life, as well as we get to know them.

"It's a combination of local people and tourists. The cinema on the beach is the best proof, where there will be a lot of local people, as well as tourists, and it will be the same on Children's Day. The films are originally in English, and they are subtitled in Croatian, so everyone i can watch filmove and cartoons, while all performances and children's days are adapted for all language groups - from art workshops to puppet shows", adds Bartulović.

We can say that in Omiš they included animation in tourism at the destination level. Since I just had my first business contact with tourism as a tourism animator, I personally think that the Omiš Summer Frei concept is an excellent example and move for Omiš itself as a destination.

Of course, this is only one part of the overall program, while other various manifestations and contents are held during the summer, but Omiš Summer Frei is specific as a permanent program of the destination.

The key element of the entire program is that this way it is much easier to communicate, promote and organize the entire project, both according to the markets and within the destination. We have one program, one visual and a specific offer, ultimately, for tourists.

Omiš is not only sun and beach, but also interesting and varied content for everyone. This is where we create differentiation compared to other destinations or an additional element of the motive of arrival. Especially if we are talking about family tourism, which dominates in the summer months.

Thus, Omiš Summer Frei becomes one of the main elements of communication and branding on the market. From promotion and communication to foreign markets, appearances at fairs and agencies as well as on social networks. More simply, it's about the content in the destination, not just the beach and the sun.

In the end, everyone through communication, from TZ to hoteliers, renters and agencies, markets pictures and video stories about Omiš through content, not just pictures of beautiful nature and beaches.

"It's certainly easier to communicate. Both tourists and local residents are already used to the schedule and program. They know that there is a cinema on Mondays, children's day is on Wednesdays... so the guests already know what time it is. We communicate the entire program via social networks, but it is more important that we have brochures and posters in the destination. I don't think that every year, tourists who come to Omiš will go on a tour with a guide, but they will definitely go through it at least once, while all the long entertainment content will be consumed by more or less everyone, especially children. Our goal was for guests to experience Omiš, not only through the vacation segment, but also to get to know our historical story, culture and lifestyle."

How do you communicate within the destination?

It is often a big challenge in destinations, both because of the crowds and because of communication difficulties, to present what the destination has to offer, so that the guests who are at the destination are informed about all the programs.

"We use central places in Omiš where people move, we put up posters, we marked certain points as meeting points, for example on the beach where the cinema is located or location of children's animation. We also distribute a booklet with the program at the level of the month, and of course we also use social networks as one of the channels of communication and other promotional activities. We also cooperate with hotels, camps and renters."

This synergy and cooperation between the tourist board and accommodation facilities is certainly commendable. Although this is logical and natural, there is often a lack of cooperation in destinations, especially in the context of content distribution, because in the end the bed is not the reason for coming, but rather the destination. That's why it must always be for all of us, that the guest sees and experiences as much as possible, because his overall experience of the destination will be better. And that's a win win for everyone, because the guest will come back and be our ambassador.

Bartulović also points out that the challenge is to offer something new, and the greatest value of the project is that it is fully adapted to tourists.

"It is certainly a challenge to promote it even more strongly, mostly financially. Neshthe fact that it lasts 100 days, and is of high quality, requires a financial cost both for promotion and for the realization of the entire program. Often, my colleagues in tourist associations do not have an easy task, because they have to organize and complete the program for locals and tourists themselves. We saw an opportunity in the fact that our Center for Culture organizes Omiš cultural summer, which primarily covers the cultural segment (performances, Ostinato chamber music festival, exhibitions and the like). So we we don't do that segment, of course we complement each other and do everything together in cooperation, but we have taken on the role of exclusively concentrating on content for guests", says Bartulović, adding that they do not plan to change the program in the future, but will focus on raising the quality and stronger promotion of the entire program.

Finally, Bartulović points out that Summer Frei Omiš is their comparative advantage.

"The message is that we are not just another town on the coast, see what else we have. From klapas on Thursdays, interpretations with a guide who introduce guests to the history of the town and tell the story of how we have existed since ancient times... these activities are not an end in themselves, rather, the goal is to convey to tourists š through these activitiesthat is Omiš and that spirit of the city. All these people who participate in the project are proud ambassadors of the entire project, they all do it with love and a full heart for our Omiš."

See the entire program and concept of Omiš Summer Frei at LINK.

Photo source: Tourist Board of the City of Omiš