The Director of the Institute for Tourism, Dr. sc. Damir Krešić, moderated the discussion titled “Spatial Identity as the Foundation of Sustainable Tourism” as well as the panel discussion “Rural Tourism Stars – Transformation of Rural Space,” held within the 7th International Congress on Rural Tourism in Rab.
The keynote discussion featured academician Nikola Bašić, President of the Scientific Council for Tourism and Space of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. The panel discussion, in addition to Bašić, included Goran Morović, owner of the Villa Nai 3.3 hotel on Dugi Otok, Nina Dumančić, director of the Materra hotel in Čepin, Ana Blatančić, director of Terra Slavonica and manager of the Janković Castle in Suhopolje, and Jasna Hoffmann, director of the Museum of Bećarac in Pleternica.
The discussion focused on the role of spatial identity, architecture, cultural heritage, and authentic tourism products in the sustainable transformation of rural areas, emphasizing examples of good practice that demonstrate how spatial quality and the preservation of local identity can become the foundation for developing recognizable and competitive destinations.