The Development of Tourism in Istria

• Main Author: Anton Gosar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Euro-Mediterranean University 2014-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies
• Subjects: tourism; Istria; Slovenia; Croatia
• Online Access: http://www.emuni.si/press/ISSN/1855-3362/7_155-174.pdf

Ahead of the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Northern Adriatic, the area then shared by Yugoslavia and Italy, made headlines in European geopolitics and economy. In the post-w w2 era, it sparked conflicts followed by a co-operation between communistic and democratic societies, became the main economic gateway of East Central Europe through the wide inland ports (Trieste, Koper and Rijeka), and became a major Mediterranean tourist destination with numerous resorts. Thus, it is a manufacturing site, transshipment area and playground at the same time. In the second half of the 20th century, tourism growth set new goals for the region. Instead of competition and rivalry, complementarities and natural and cultural protection on regional and nation-state levels are sought. In this paper, the structure and problems of tourism development in selected areas of the Northern Adriatic region, in particular the Istrian Peninsula, driven by market economy forces, will be discussed. Istria has a long history as a desired destination of leisure. In the 19th and the early 20th centuries, nobility and intellectuals became acquainted with the geography of the peninsula, the Austrian and Venetian heritage, and the multinational Romance, Slavic and Germanic environments. At the dawn of the 21st century, development of tourism, tourist visits, and their impact on societies and cultural landscapes can be compared to Costa Brava and other tourist areas of the Mediterranean.