Presentation "Family entrepreneurship in tourism: Italian experience", Dubrovnik, June 2003

For many years now, DESA - Dubrovnik has been active in initiating various projects aimed at development of local community. On Thursday, 12 June, at the International Centre of Croatian Universities, Don F. Bulica 6, beginning at 7 p. m., DESA has organized the presentation by Mrs. Lucia Bronzan, Milan, Italy, tourist marketing expert. 

This presentation has inaugurated the formal start of the pilot-project "Creation of sustainable development and ecological tourism center on the Adriatic" which is to be carried out in co-operation with Italian partners : COSPE association from Florence, Ascoli Piceno township from Marche Region as well as Dubrovnik - Neretva County and local communities (islands and coastal areas) as the sites of the project.

The fact that Italy is a leading force in tourism and our first Adriatic neighbour contributed to our selection of partners in this project, hoping that Italian experience can teach us, instead being a competitive threat.

Today, there are new formulas for alternative tourism, placed at the market. According to Iitalian experience, the most successful are: Bed&breakfast and Agroturism, enabling:

• relatively quick and easy valorization of otherwise underdeveloped areas
• efficient spread in tourist offer within already developed destinations
• preservation of urban and rural centres
• prevention odf depopulation

This presentation have been attended by some 30 persons, showing significant interests in displayed topics. We feel particularly enthusiastic about the fact that many of the attendants came from rural areas of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, interested in applying of the new tourist formulas for success.