Great interest in public lecture by Novalja Tourist Board director: Examples of good practice in destination management inspired students
Yesterday, an invited public lecture by the Director of the Novalja Tourist Board, Marina Šćiran, was held at the Nikola Tesla Polytechnic in Gospić, as part of the graduate study program Entrepreneurship in Tourism. The lecture aroused exceptional interest among students and other stakeholders in the tourism sector due to its concrete, practical and strategic dimension in the approach to destination management.
Director Šćiran presented Novalja as a destination where tourism flows are managed in a planned and thoughtful manner, as well as the image that the destination communicates to its target markets. She placed particular emphasis on the importance of sustainable development, the involvement of the local community, and the necessity of cooperation between all stakeholders in tourism – from the private sector, local government, and the citizens themselves.
“Destination management is not just about managing content and promotion, but also actively listening to the needs of the local population and integrating those needs into tourism development,” Šćiran pointed out.
In her presentation, she clearly distinguished the roles and tasks of tourist boards and tourist agencies, which is often a source of misunderstanding and false expectations among the public. She was joined in this by Mr. Mile Milković, a member of the Polytechnic’s Advisory Council and owner of a tourist agency, who further shed light on the topic through an interactive approach.
Milković used the app to allow students to express their views and thoughts on travel agencies, highlighting how often the public confuses the functions of agencies and communities. Through practical examples from his agency’s daily operations, he pointed out the complexity and importance of mutual understanding within the tourism sector.
The students evaluated the lecture as extremely useful and inspiring, especially because of the concrete tools and strategies that were presented, which can be applied in other tourist environments as well.
Such guest lectures strongly contribute to connecting theory and practice in the education of future tourism experts, and director Marina Šćiran once again confirmed that Novalja can be an example of successful, sustainable and smart destination management.
