CONTRIBUTION TO THE RESEARCH OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT IN THE EXAMPLE OF ISTRIA (CROATIA)

Abstract

Tourism is a phenomenon which affects the entire economic and social life, and the implications of its development can be observed in different spheres (economic, psychological, behavioral, and others). Taking into account the simplistic interpretation of the economic development of tourism on the one hand, and social development of tourism on the other hand, it is justified to highlight the problem of so-called “social costs of tourism” as the need for more precise determination of the character of the consequences of its development. In the field of “social costs of tourism” there is a need to the overall tourist development closer approaches and with increased responsibility. This tendency is particularly noticeable in the last decades of the 20th and the early 21st century, when tourism has entered a phase of maturity, which basically requires a change in its interpretation and treatment. The aim of this paper is to identify, evaluate and predict factors that support the sustainable development of tourism in Istria (Croatia). The research used comparative and SWOT analysis, and the results of the research will confirm the application elements of the concept of sustainable development in tourism of Istria, which is introduced with different intensity activities of all stakeholders in the surroundings.