News
Jelena Mušanović Participated in the 15th FEBST Conference
Our colleague Jelena Mušanović from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija participated in the 15th FEBST International Conference, held in Brela from May 21st to 23rd. The conference was organized by the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split.
She presented a scientific paper titled “Visitors' Preferences in Terrestrial Protected Areas: A Systematic Review of Situational Factors”, which is the result of research conducted in collaboration with Ana Perišić and Ivan Sever, as part of the BIASTOUR project funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ). The paper was presented within the special session “Environmental Responsibility and Sustainable Tourism.”

Collaboration with Krka National Park on the BIASTOUR Project
Krka National Park has actively joined the implementation of the scientific project „Cognitive Biases as a Source of Suboptimal Decisions in Tourism and (Un)Sustainability Problems: Understanding Biases for Better Management of Tourism (BIASTOUR)“, which is supported by the Croatian Science Foundation. The collaboration was formalized through the signing of an agreement on scientific and professional cooperation with the Institute for Tourism.
One of the main goals of the project is to identify effective interventions to trigger pro-environmental behavior among tourists. In this context, protected natural areas have been recognized as having exceptional potential to foster visitors’ preferences for experiences aligned with the principles of sustainable tourism development. Therefore, as part of the BIASTOUR project, a survey of visitors to Krka National Park will be conducted. The research focuses on examining visitor preferences toward various attributes of their visit to Krka National Park, with the aim of determining optimal programs for the spatial and/or temporal distribution of visitors and their segmentation, as well as encouraging pro-environmental behavior through incentives that could enhance their experience with the park.


Research Workshop Held on the BIASTOUR Project
On Friday, February 21, a research workshop was held at the Institute for Tourism as part of the scientific project "Cognitive biases as a source of suboptimal decisions in tourism and (un)sustainability problems: Understanding biases for better management of tourism (BIASTOUR)", supported by the Croatian Science Foundation. The workshop, aimed at developing the guidelines for upcoming primary research activities and providing a deeper insight into cognitive biases in the decisions of tourists and local residents that will be addressed by the project, was attended by all members of the research group and Zrinka Marušić from the Institute for Tourism. During the workshop, Assistant Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dominik-Borna Čepulić gave a lecture on cognitive biases in human decision-making, while linking them to pro-environmental and pro-social behaviors of tourists and local residents. The workshop concluded with the definition of guidelines for the development of the study protocols.
Kick-off Meeting of the BIASTOUR Project
On Friday, January 3rd, the kick-off meeting of the project "Cognitive biases as a source of suboptimal decisions in tourism and (un)sustainability problems: Understanding biases for better management of tourism (BIASTOUR)", funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, was held. The project is led by Dr. Ivan Sever from the Institute for Tourism. The meeting brought together six collaborators from six institutions, including the Institute for Tourism, the Faculty of Science in Split, the Polytechnic of Šibenik, the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, the Croatian Catholic University, and the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija. The project aims at providing a better understanding of decision-making mechanisms and cognitive biases in the perceptions and decisions of tourists and local residents, with the objective to increase the effectiveness of pro-environmental and pro-social interventions aimed at promoting sustainable tourism development. During the meeting, the research group discussed the planned primary research and the work plan for the first year of the project implementation, and agreed upon the upcoming research activities.