Behavioural sciences in the function of tourism management with the aim of sustainable development (BIHEVTUR)

News

As part of the project “BIHEVTUR – Behavioural Sciences in the Service of Tourism Management for Sustainable Development”, two focus groups were held in April on the topic “Problematic Tourist Behaviours in Croatian Destinations”. The focus groups included stakeholders from four cities – Dubrovnik, Split, Šibenik, and Zadar. Participants included directors of local tourist boards and representatives of municipal services from city administrations. The aim of the focus groups was to identify the most prevalent issues in tourist behaviour and shed light on their possible causes from the perspective of those who deal with such behaviours on a daily basis.

The main objectives were to:

• Identify key problematic tourist behaviours that threaten the sustainability of local communities and the quality of life of residents;
• Explore the causes of such behaviours through the lens of the COM-B model, with a focus on motivation, capability, and opportunity to engage in sustainable practices;
• Map existing strategies aimed at encouraging behavioural change among tourists visiting Croatian destinations;
• Analyse modes of communication between stakeholders regarding tourism-related problems and possibilities for improving collaboration;
• Identify positive tourist behaviours that contribute to the local community and the sustainable development of the destination.

Although the destinations differed in terms of the types and intensity of the problems they face, the most commonly highlighted issues included: inappropriate clothing and the violation of cultural dignity in public spaces; improper parking of campervans and illegal camping; damage to cultural heritage due to inappropriate use; noise and disturbance in public areas and historic city centres; consumption of alcohol in public places; and public urination.

The 3rd meeting was held, where proposals for the selection of destinations were presented, as well as the concept of further research (focus groups in which stakeholders from the private and public sectors in tourism will participate). The conclusions of the meeting include the following decisions:

• an external collaborator (agency) will be hired to conduct the focus groups,
• in-depth interviews will be conducted by team members,
• the destinations where the research will be conducted (focus groups and in-depth interviews) are Zadar and Dubrovnik.

The 2nd meeting was held in which all members of the Behavioural Sciences in The Function of Tourism Management with The Aim of Sustainable Development. 

The direction of further work on the project was determined, as well as the tasks: conducting focus groups and in-depth interviews. Project members gave their proposals related to defining problems, destinations and stakeholders in focus groups, and the task was to prepare proposals and questions by the next meeting

A meeting was held with Andrijan Mušura Gabor, Ph.D. regarding potential cooperation in the domain of consumer behavior research in tourism.

Participation of Snježana Boranić Živoder and Nora Mustać at the scientific conference in Breda (Netherlands) "Transforming Tourism Through More Sustainable Consumer Behaviour" and presentation of the scientific research paper "Transforming Tourism Through More Sustainable Consumer Behaviour" created within the project.

A live meeting and introduction was held with Matea Senkić, an associate on the project who is employed as an assistant and doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh. She presented her area of ​​research and work to the members of the project team. A further work plan and her research contribution within the BIHEVTUR project were agreed upon.

A kick-off meeting of the working team on the project 'Behavioural sciences in the function of tourism management with the aim of sustainable development' was held on January 25, 2004. The main idea and goals of the project were discussed at the meeting, as well as the activities planned for the first year. An introductory presentation was held on the connection between behavioural sciences and tourism.