In modern business, on the tourism market, promotion and marketing are gaining increasing importance in advancing the development of tourist destinations. In order to be effective, promotion should be a result of joint actions of all promotional activities. Promotion never is and can not be a goal for it self. It is always in function of marketing policies.
The problem of effectiveness of promotion and marketing in tourism is constantly present, and is particularly evident in the circumstances of contemporary changes on tourist market. Experiences in overcoming these obstacles have revealed that effective promotion in conjunction with other marketing activities is the key to successful management and development of tourist destinations. What tasks will promotion have, will also depend on the objectives set by the holder of the tourism marketing.
Speaking of marketing in tourism we are not talking about a new “tourism marketing”, different from all, but on the application of known strategies and methods of marketing actions on the specific conditions in which relationships among the entities of the market are being formed. Marketing in tourism always appears as the sum of individual marketing activities that are characterized by the object on which the entire marketing effort is directed, and that is the customer (tourist).
In order for tourist destinations and companies that participate on the tourist market, to achieve an appropriate result, it is necessary to recognise the behaviour of consumers, and in particular to discover the reactions of consumers (tourists) to different marketing elements which they used.
The task of promotion in tourism is to bring the customer (tourist) in the place of sale of the tourism product and to present the products that can be used there. Prominent role in promoting national tourism offer in the foreign markets have so called tourist offices.
The tasks of promoting Croatia on the tourist market is with the Croatian National Tourist Board. Promotion and marketing activities carried out by the Croatian National Tourist Board are aimed primarily at creating a strong image of the Croatia, promoting the identity and reputation of Croatian tourism and proper positioning of Croatia in the global tourism market.
As well as in the planning and implementation of joint strategy and conception of its promotion, proposing and implementing promotional activities at home and abroad is of common interest to all entities in the tourism industry, the extension of the tourist season, actively encouraging the creation of creative, authentic and special products that are not only related to the sun and the sea, as well as further strengthening of cooperation between all stakeholders in the tourism industry and creating better communication, and thereby strengthen unity and creating a positive atmosphere directed towards the realization of the goals set by the Strategy of Development of Croatian tourism by 2020.
The basic positioning strategy on the global tourist market is the implementation of the concept of promoting Croatia as a Mediterranean country which preserved the legacy of ancestors and authenticity, which is sublimated through the message “Croatia – The Mediterranean as it once was.” Croatian National Tourist Board promotes the beauty of Croatia by issuing promotional and souvenir materials, makes promotional films and videos, organizing business workshops and trips for representatives of foreign media and agents in the country and in the world, as well as inspection trips to Croatian destinations.