Strategic Management of Cultural-Tourism Resources Daniela Gracan University of Rijeka Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality management Opatija, Croatia danielag@fthm.hr Zrinka Zadel University of Rijeka Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality management Opatija, Croatia zrinkas@fthm.hr Andreja Rudancic-Lugaric University of Rijeka Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality management Opatija, Croatia alugaric@fthm.hr Abstract Cultural tourism comprehends physical visit to a cultural institution and incorporates the dimension of social contact with local residents. Cultural tourists are in their traveling motivated by cultural-tourism resources including culture of a particular population and destination, their tradition, meeting different lifestyles, and visiting material cultural heritage ... Within cultural tourism, tourists search for authentic experiences affecting cultural-tourism resources. Cultural resources represent potential tourist resources. With transformation of cultural resources from potential into real ones, cultural resources become tourist resources, with positive and negative impact both of tourism and tourists. Therefore strategic management of cultural-tourism development is indispensable, as non-planed use can generate irreparable damages to cultural resources. This work emphasizes general characteristics of cultural tourists, their differences and motivations in visits to cultural locations and sights. The impact intensity effect of host-tourist relation is stated according to the economic development, social structure aspect, and cultural aspect of population. Key words: cultural tourism, cultural resources, sustainable development, strategic management 26 | Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 Académica Turística Discussions Introduction Culture has been recognized as the ideal means of leisure destination tourism offer differentiation in all countries, particularly in those rich in cultural resources. The key element of cultural tourism development can be observed in high demand grow in cultural contents during tourist traveling. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (unwto),1 37% of international traveling include some forms of cultural activities, with the annual growth of 15%. Furthermore, cultural tourism development encourages the growing interest in authentic cultural experiences both in domicile and in tourist's traveling. The very essence of cultural tourism consists in the growth of the key demand element - tourists that, inspired by culture, accumulate new adventures, experiences, and knowledge. The decline in mass tourism popularity by means of cultural tourism development promotes and intensifies the growth of individual traveling oriented towards selective tourism segments. 1 Impact of Cultural Tourism Development on Cultural-Tourism Resources In addition to the classical 3S (sun, sea & sand) model offered by mass tourism, cultural tourism enables successful implementation of the 3E (entertainment, excitement & education) model. Cultural tourism enables introduction of tourists to customs, tradition, gastronomy, i.e. to all cultural resources of local inhabitants. Various forms of cultural resources reflect one or more local inhabitants' lifestyles. Table 1: Typology of tourists and their impact on cultural-tourism resources Types of Cultural Tourists Cultural Tourists' Impact on Cultural-Tourism Resources General Strong Specialized Weak Source: author's individual elaboration 1 www.unwto.org , 06.12.2009. Cultural tourists' typology can comprehend both general cultural tourist and specialized cultural tourist.2 When characterizing the general cultural tourist, we could describe him/her as a type of tourist that visits various towns, geographic regions, and engages in various already mentioned forms of cultural experience within a tourist destination. With curious visits to particular forms of cultural life he becomes introduced to cultural heritage of a certain community. When visiting various sights, general cultural tourist compares already obtained experience and knowledge with formerly visited sights. Specialized cultural tourist is defined as the one that commits to and visits regularly the chosen sight or a cultural resource. Motivation for cultural tourists' visits to a culturally rich destination can also be differentiated. Casual or accidental cultural motivation of tourists occurs in cases his/ her visit to a destination is primarily motivated by other interest rather than culture and its resources. Culturally motivated tourist places cultural heritage of the destination in the centre of his primarily travelling motivation. Beside the already stated diversities of cultural tourists and their cultural motivation, they affect the destination with their arriving into, i.e. they "impact" either positively or negatively the cultural resources. Cultural tourism includes physical visit to a cultural institution and consists of a social contact dimension with local residents. Early in the 70s both socio-cultural benefits and damages were accentuated and anticipated by various authors (Table 2.). Every form of tourism economic development collides with their influence on social aspects of structural and cultural population aspects. The consequences of the host-tourist contacts result both in social and cultural changes. The importance of direct socio-cultural impact associated to the cultural tourism development will be also determined by the difference in socio-cultural characteristics between residents and guests. Intensity impact mutual activities host- tourist, according to Inskeep, depends on their socio-cultural differences, which are reflected in the following aspects.3 2 Jelincic, D. A., (2008): Abeceda kulturnog turizma, Meandar, Zagreb, p.47 3 Magas, D., Menadzment turisticke organizacije i destinacije, Sveuciliste u Rijeci, Fakultet za turisticki i hotelski menadzment Opatija, Adamic, Rijeka, 2003 Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 | 27 Discussions Académica Turística Table 2: Socio-cultural tourism benefits and damages Socio-Cultural Benefits Damages - growth in general educational level - promotion of peace and understanding Abolishes: - language bearers - socio-cultural bearers - class differences - lack of understanding and conflicts - generates stereotypes - xenophobia - social pollution - culture, religion, and art commercialization - demonstrational effects - brakes families - prostitution, conflicts, criminal - race prejudice - political differences - religious differences - sexual differences Promotes: - protection of heritage and tradition - value of proper and other cultures Source: Jokic, B., Turizam u sociokulturološkojperspektivi: čitanka s izborom tekstova, Mikrorad d.o.o., Zagreb 1997, p. 26 • basic values and logical system • religiosity • custom lifestyle • behaviour patterns • dressing modes • free-time use • attitude towards strangers. The greater the socio-cultural tourist-host differences, the higher become the possibilities of impacts on cultural resources of local inhabitants. The positive socio-cultural impact comprehends the preservation of antique monuments, historical sights and structures, and can, if cultural heritage of the destination is appreciated by tourists, result in more developed local community activities for better relations regarding its heritage. On the contrary, negative socio-cultural impact can result as the consequence of incorrect strategic managing of the destination cultural tourism development.4 Along with socio-cultural differences, tourist impact on local inhabitants largely depends on the number of tourists present within the destination, and on tourism seasonality. The greater the number of tourist within the destination, the greater becomes their impact on local inhabitants, culminating during the high season when their pressure on the chosen destination becomes 4 Author's elaboration according to ibidem, p.38 greatest which all increases the danger of demonstration effect.5 Effect of demonstration is resulting from close interaction of persons from different cultures, which, consequently, brings to various changes in social values. In order to avoid social value disturbances, the number of tourists must not surmount the tolerance level of each particular destination. In this context the capacity limit for any particular area must be established. Capacity limit represents the level of tourist presence with positive impacts on domicile inhabitants, surroundings, economy and tourists, and is also sustainable in the future.6 It should be taken into account the length of stay and the characteristics of tourists, geographical concentration of visitors, and level of sensibility. When two different cultures meet, conflicts emerge easily. The following typology of conflicts is differentiated by Robinson:7 1. tourist - host conflict 2. international tourism operators - receptive country conflict 3. conflict emerging from false marketing 5 Lickorish, L. J. and Jenkins, C. L., Uvod u turizam, Ekokon, Split, 2006, p. 108 6 Magaš, D., Management turističke organizacije i destinacije, Sveučilište u Rijeci, Fakultet za turistički i hotelski menadžment Opatija, Adamič, 2003, p 32 7 Jelinčič, D. A., Turizam vs. identitet - Globalizacija i tradicija, Etnološka istraživanja, Vol. 1, No. 11, Etnografski muzej Zagreb, Zagreb, January 2006, p. 162 18 I Year 3, No. i-2, July 2oio Académica Turística Discussions 4. conflict between different receptive country sectors. The most significant among them is the conflict between the tourist and his host, as it depends on various factors: number of tourists, length of stay within the destination, willingness of tourists to adopt to the lifestyle of local inhabitants, as well as on the development level of the tourism destination, as the more developed tourist destination is prepared to accept tourists more willingly and with less resistance. Conflict originating in contacts of tourists with their hosts was originally measured in 1975 by Doxey, who developed the scale of following relation indexes:8 1. euphoria level resulting from tourism development and in welcoming tourists 2. apathy level originating when tourists are taken for granted, and only as the source of income 3. irritation level growing out of a number of tourists which exceeds the point of saturation and burdens their hosts 4. antagonism level resulting from hosts regarding tourists as the carriers of everything bad 5. final level originating as the result of tourism development resulting in all former levels. In order to avoid the conflict between tourists and hosts, or at least to reduce it to the minimal possible level, tourists must be informed and educated. In this context, in year 1988 A Code of Ethics for Tourist (Table 2) was proclaimed by Ecumenical Coalition for Third World Tourism (ectwt), consisting of 11 rules of behavior, in order to get acquainted with different cultures during traveling but consequently not to interfere with local inhabitants and not to reduce cultural value different from their. With adequate tourists' behavior within a specific tourist destination, which includes implicitly introduction of local inhabitants' culture, together with adaptation to and consideration of their ways of life, the possibility of host-guest conflicts will diminish, and therefore the impact of tourists' behavior on the overall culture will minimize. 8 Cooper, C., Fletcher, J., Fyall, A., Gilbert, D., Wanhill, S., Ekonomija turizma: nacela i praksa, Ekokon d.o.o., Split, 2008, p. 179 Table 3: A Code of Ethics for Tourists A Code of Ethics for Tourists ; 1. Travel in the spirit of humiliti and with a genuine j desire to learn more about people of your host country. j Be sensitively aware of the feelings of other people, j i thus preventing what might be offensive behavior on j ; your part. This applies very much to photography. ; ; 2. Cultivate the habit of listening and observing, rather j than merely hearing and seeing. ; 3. Realize than often the people in the country you visit ; ; have time concepts and thought patterns different ; i from your own. This does not make them inferior, j only different. ■ 4. Instead of looking for that "beach paradise", dis- j cover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life, j through other eyes. ; 5. Acquaint yourself with local customs. What is courte- ; ous in one country may be quite the reverse in another j - people will be happy to help you. Í 6. Instead of the Western practice of "knowing all the j answers", cultivate the habit of asking questions. ; i 7. Remember that you are only one of thousands of tour- j ; ists visiting this country and do not expect special j privileges. ; 8. If you really want your experience to be a "home away j j from home", it is foolish to waste money on travelling. j ■ 9. When you are shopping, remember that the "bargain" j Í you obtained was only because of the low wages paid j to the maker. Í 10. Do not make promise to the people in your host coun- ; try unless you can carry them through. Í 11. Spend time reflecting on your daily experience in an j ; attempt to deepen your understanding. It has been said j that "what enriches you may rob and violate others". Source: Weiler, B. and Hall, C. M., Sopecial Interest tourism, Halsted Press, Great Britain, 1992, p. 89. Various impacts on cultural resources are almost impossible to avoid, but with strategic planning of cultural-tourism development the most can be made of its positive impacts, while negative ones can be avoided or reduced to a minimum. It is of utmost importance for negative impacts to be detected in time, which is much more difficult for socio-cultural impacts and requests a longer period of time, in distinction from the measurable economic effects. Therefore cultural tourism development strategy must indispensably be Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 | 27 Discussions Académica Turística defined, as unplanned development which slips out of control can cause incorrigible damage to cultural resources. 2 Priciples of Sustainable Development Designed to Preserve non-Renewable Cultural Resources In order to accentuate cultural tourism of a tourism destination rich in cultural heritage, tourists' preferences must originally be established by research of cultural tourism market, after which the cultural tourism product can be shaped according to their needs. Therefore, it could be point out that cultural tourism market consists of cultural-tourism supply and of cultural-tourism demand. In order to obtain the offer-demand balance, cultural-tourism supply stakeholders must respond to various tourists' demands and whishes. In order to form the cultural-tourism product in proportion with the tourist needs, their preferences must be established by cultural-tourism market research. On the supply side, it is necessary to create such a cultural-tourism product that will satisfy tourists, but with strict adherence to the principles of sustainable tourism in order to avoid negative effects of impact on the local population, natural and cultural resources. According to the World Commission on Environmental and Development Report, also known as the Burtland Report, sustainable tourism implies development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.9 Cultural tourism sustainable development is indispensable in order to preserve non-restorable cultural resources. When transforming cultural attractions into cultural-tourism attractions, we must not forget that cultural resources represent local inhabitants' heritage, which should not be disturbed by their tourism valorization 9 Weaver, D., Sustainable Tourism: Theory and Practice, Elsevier Ltd., UK, 2006, p.10 in order to obtain higher economic benefits but, on the contrary, based on the principles of sustainable development cultural-historical heritage must be preserved for the future generations. In order to secure cultural tourism sustainable development on the side of tourism supply, the following principles must be respected: • inclusion of all cultural tourism supply stakeholders on all levels (local, regional, and state) • obtaining the co-ordination between cultural and tourism sectors • inclusion of local inhabitants • informing and notifying local inhabitants • education of tourism workers • preservation of cultural resources • elaboration and coordination of the strategic plan concept on all levels. Every tourism destination must first evaluate profitability of its possible cultural tourism development, after which strategic development goals should be set and prerogatives shaped consequently for cultural tourism development. Standard conditions enabling tourism accessibility and tourism utilization of cultural resources must be created. Tourism and cultural sectors and local inhabitants must all be integrated into cultural tourism sustainable development. The demand side consists of tourists which whish to satisfy their need for culture. By their arrival into the destination, tourists leave their real identities behind and temporarily take over strange an identity, which is called "transformed frame of mind" by J. Jafari.10 Tourists are most often compared to carnival part-takers, hiding their identities behind strange new ones. This allows tourists to rest and forget their every-day life. This "new identity" within the destination they are strange to everyone allows them different and unshackled behaviour influencing both environment and destination they are staying in. Consequently, by forming such cultural-tourism product which can satisfy the tourism market demands 10 Jelinčič, D. A., Turizam vs. identitet - Globalizacija i tradicija, Etnološka istraživanja, Vol. 1, No. 11, Etnografski muzej Zagreb, Zagreb, January 2006, pp. 161-207 28 | Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 Académica Turística Discussions by optimal use of cultural resources with strict adherence to sustainable development principle, the competitive product will be formed on the supply side by which the competitive advantages and the satisfaction of guests will be realized. By informing and advising tourists on the destination they have chosen, timely education of tourists on local inhabitants' culture will be enabled, in order for them not to disturb the balance of their destination and reduce their impact on local inhabitants and on their culture to the least possible measure. In such a way both supply and demand sides will enable cultural tourism sustainable development and preservation of cultural resources. 3 Sustainability of Cultural-Tourism Resources Based on Strategic Planing Sustainability represents a complex concept which is not easily inserted into tourism development. Cultural-tourism resource sustainability represents "wise" use of cultural resources in a way of satisfying guests on one hand, and in obtaining economic profit with no damage to cultural resources on the other hand. Within this context, Müller presented the following definition stressing natural resources, but attaching importance to cultural resources as well: "under sustainable development growth in life quality is intended - i.e. economic prosperity and subjective good feeling - obtainable by lower investments of non-restorable natural resources and by even less encumbrance of environment and persons, aiming at no restricting options for the future generations."11 His tourism development was represented by the "magic pentagonal pyramid", which with its five peak development points brings to the economic wellbeing: economic prosperity, subjective good feeling, and satisfied guests, protection of environment and resources, and cultural diversity (Picture 1.). Starting from the first peak development point, economic wellbeing refers to individual income, creation of value and disparity. Subjective good feeling is 11 Müller, H.,Turizam i ekologija, Masmedia, Zagreb 2004, p. 44 Picture 1: Magical pentagonal pyramid of sustainable tourism development Source: Müller, H.,Turizam i ekologija, Masmedia, Zagreb 2004, p. 45 reflected in identity, freedom, cultural identity and adaptability. Satisfaction of guests deals with optimal satisfaction of their various needs, i.e. with guest segmentation. Protection of nature and its resources form part of biological diversity and protection of natural resources, and cultural diversities concentrated by sustainable development on, for instance, cultural creation, nursing of local culture, protection of cultural heritage and goods.12 Within cultural tourism, cultural resources represent quite vulnerable resource, with incorrigible damages easily inflicted. Tourists are mostly directed by satisfaction of their own needs, which means responsibility lies with the tourism supply stakeholders. Within this frame the cultural tourism sustainable development is centered on three key questions:13 1. control of tourism experience obtained by control of tourists' activities 2. consideration of tourist potential localities and management of plans within already existing cultural-tourism environments 3. unobtrusiveness of tourism to local community. In destinations rich with cultural sights, the unfavourable tourism impacts on cultural heritage must be, as the means of sustainable development implementation, constrained through the control of tourists. In 12 Author's elaboration according to: Müller, H.,Turizam i ekologija, Masmedia, Zagreb, 2004, p. 46 13 Jelincic, D. A., Abeceda kulturnog turizma, Meandar, Zagreb 2008, pp. 38-39 Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 | 27 Discussions Académica Turística cultural resources control of tourists is mostly obtained through standardization, adaptation, and commodi-fication of experience.14 Consequently, the controlled movement of tourists through the cultural location is obtained and also the maximal benefits for tourists within the offered experience. Even culturally aware tourists wish for experience based on standardization and modification, thus participating in protection of cultural resources in the best possible way, while in the second segment standardization provides them high-level services based od sustainable development. Shaping of cultural-tourism product must be led by tourists' desired experience. In such way tourists will be offered what they wish for, and their activities will be "controllable". The impact of tourist's activity on the destination can be established by analyzing the destination before and after the tourist's activity. In order to fulfill their needs, tourist can leave negative consequence on cultural resources. Similarly, it must be established weather certain locality represents tourism potential transformable into cultural-tourism product, which will, on one hand, correspond to market wishes, and, on the other hand, assessments must be carried out weather the locality, i.e. the local community can be benefited or damaged by such product. Instead of imposing tourism to the local community, one of the ways to minimize negative tourism impact consists in pursuing the local community to share the sense of ownership of cultural resources. The development of cultural tourism should not represent the burden to the local community. In order to avoid it, local community must be informed and engaged in such a development, with their every-day activities transformed into specific cultural-tourism product. Both measurements of and impact assessments on local community and their culture are much more difficult to evaluate, as complicated measurable variables must be taken into account within the longer time period. World Tourism Organization (wto) suggested supplementary measures for particular areas, with special review for cultural areas and traditional communities in order to effect the tourism impact calculation (Table 4.). Table 4: Sample wto supplementary indicators of sustainable tourism for selected environments Environment Indicator Suggest measures Coastal zones Level of beach erosion Beach use intensity % of beach eroded Persons per metre of accessible beach Mountains Extent of erosion caused by tourists % of surface in eroded state Managed wildlife parks Human population in park and surrounding area Level of poaching in park Number of people within 10 km of boundary Urban environments Air pollution measurements Use intensity Number of days exceeding specified pollutant standards Traffic congestion Cultural sites Restoration costs Measures of disruptive behaviour Estimated costs of maintain/restore site per annum Traffic vibration, number of vandalism incidents per year Unique ecological sites Changes in flora mix and concentration Primary flora species as a % of total plant cover Traditional communities Social impacts Average net income of tourists/average net income of loca population Small islands Measures of capital flight Fresh water availability % of exchange leakage from total tourism revenues Volume of water used by tourists/volume used by local population on a per capita basis Source: Weaver, D., Sustainable Tourism: Theory and Practice, Elsevier Ltd., uk, 2006, p. 30 14 ibidem 28 | Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 Académica Turística Discussions Every local community has its own specific cultural resources, which aggravate the forming of standard indicators in calculating the cultural tourism development impact on cultural resources. To establish the impacts is therefore essential, as not all cultural resources can simultaneously become tourism resources if incorrigible damages are caused by tourism valorization. Cultural tourism of a specific destination must be developed according to the long-term strategic plan based on analysis comprehending all possible advantages and damages, based on sustainable development principle as the only possible option in protecting cultural resources. Only the strategy based on sustainable development will succeed in protecting cultural resources. This plan must encircle all cultural specific qualities of a particular destination, and decide on which cultural resources to use in tourism valorization. The elaboration process of the cultural-tourism plan based on sustainable, integral, and implemented approach can be defined as the procedure implemented in several steps. Inskeep15 advocates the following steps: preparation, determination of goals, and analysis of all elements, analysis and synthesis, plan and policy formulation, formulation of other recommendations, implementation, monitoring, and implementation control. Sustainable development application is particularly important for cultural tourism, as it development depends mostly on activities associated with natural surroundings, cultural and historical heritage. One of the distinguished benefits of cultural tourism development is that, if properly developed and respecting the sustainable development concept, it can help obtain the means for preservation of cultural resources which contrarily could not be provided by the local community. Two aspects in cultural tourism and sustainable development planing must be particularly emphesized:16 • aspect pointed towards the local community • quality concept in tourism. 15 Author's elaboration according to: Magas, D., Management turisticke organizacije i destinacije, Sveuciliste u Rijeci, Fakultet za turisticki i hotelski menadzment Opatija, Adamic, 2003, p.106-107 16 ibidem, p. 104 Local community must be engaged in the proces of planing and developing its cultural resources. Local inhabitants as co-stakeholders of a cultural supply must be informed and engaged, and their educaton ensured. Development of cultural tourism must ensure local community their normal, eveery-day life. The quality concept of cultural tourism implies successful develp-ment from the marketing aspect, which favoures local inhabitants and cultural resources based on sustainable development. Quality tourism does not necessarily imply expensive tourism, but good "value for money" ratio, preservation, care, and respect for the destination rich in cultural heritage. 4 An Example of Managing Sustainable Development of Cultural-Tourism Resources by Revitalization of Historical Towns Considerable growth in demands for inducement and development of cultural tourism, together with the corresponding attention paid to the development and promotion of cultural heritage has been shown in formed decades. This aspect of tourism demand has been recognized as the tourism development potential within formerly less known localities. Cultural tourism affects rapidly the revitalization of, for isntance, urban environments and image forming of towns as cultural tourism destinations. Contemporary social trends condition the engagement of one or more cultural contents within the tourism arrangement structure. In further work an example (Chart 1.) is presented on sustainability and on development of new and adequate benefits by developing the cultural heritage of historical towns. The increased growth exists in rich adventure experiences, offered by package-arrangements as visits to various national and thematic parks, historic localities, etc. In order to develop various and high-quality cultural-tourism offers, historical towns must incorporate integrated strategy which includes sustainable development. In their positioning in the tourism market, historical towns should take into consideration Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 | 27 Discussions Académica Turística Chart 1: An example of sustainable development managing by revitalization of historical towns Source: http://www.histurban.net, 06.10.2009. the existing competition and the strategy of sustainable development, thus forming their own brand as the product based on various experience values important to tourists, with exclusive implementation of sustainable development strategy. This is equally important for tourists interested in culture and for the potential investors, which can help revitalize and profit from the particular cultural resource, with implementation of sustainable development. Of course, properly maintained cultural heritage buildings represent a crucial point of the historical town, and particularly considering cultural tourism. If the revitalization of the historical nucleus is carried out correctly and with implementation of sustainable development, such localities have multiple values encircling historical characteristics, architectural particularities, etc. Historical towns should aim at obtaining the "slow town" char- acteristics, with pronounced life quality and local specificity enabling the "escape" from monotony and mass attendance induced by mass tourism. Within the strategies of historical towns such hotel development should be encouraged which would be ecologically oriented, yet poses particular charm and attraction. A good example is set by Scandic Hotel, which works on the principles of sustainability and environmental preservation. Furthermore, creative interpretation of regional gastronomy should be encouraged, focused on quality use of local and seasonal ingredients and hospitality. Key events as festivals which strengthen long-lasting development and position within the tourism market, must stress the importance and reflect the sustainable development aspect location decided upon. With use of information and communication technology (ict) and Internet which will improve layout and 28 | Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 Académica Turística Discussions attraction of the town, historical town will obtain competitive advantage. Cultural resource accessibility by web portals and web-sights ads a new dimension to the locality image, and, with help of such media, brings to faster incorporation of messages on contents dealing with emphasizing the sustainable development strategy and regional culture events. Accessibility and engagement of creative, ecologically conscious highly-qualified persons, can contribute to easier and quicker revitalization of the historical nucleus with accent on sustainability as the prerogative of competitiveness and innovations. The previously stated examples of historical towns must be observed in their development strategy of cultural districts. This calls for integration, support, and encouragement of synergy between various cultural institutions and small and middle size businesses on local levels, with use of sustainable development strategy in town areas, which can result in attractive and dynamic bland of cultural institutions. Help in revitalization and promotion of old historical nuclei can be facilitated by products inspired in regional cultural heritage, i.e. ecological products, color, material, etc. Thus shaped products can be branded as historical nucleus product brands, and help protect from cheap imported frequently sold products. Conclusion Cultural tourism of any particular destination must be developed on long-term strategic plan based on the analysis enclosing all possible benefits and damages, and on sustainable development principles as the only possible option. Plan adoption must include all cultural-tourism supply stakeholders and the local community. By mutual efforts of both cultural and tourism sectors the use rather than taking advantage of cultural resources must be ensured. In order to direct its development and thus avoid unfavourable impacts which can leave irreparable damages on cultural resources, cultural tourism development must be monitored and controlled constantly. The presented example indicates the need for integration of several areas of activities combined into the sustainable development strategy for historical towns. Such integrated approach brings benefits to local inhabitants, to local economic subjects, and, naturally, to the sight visitors. The stated example cannot represent the ideal solution for each particular historical town to be valorized in tourism, as specific characteristics of each town must be taken into consideration. However, cultural resources can be protected only if the strategy based on sustainable development is applied, which will enable sustainable development of the tourism destination cultural tourism. References: Cooper, C., Fletcher, J., Fyall, A., Gilbert, D., Wanhill, S., (2008): Ekonomija turizma: načela i praksa, Ekokon d.o.o., Split Jelinčič, D. A., (2008): Abeceda kulturnog turizma, Meandar, Zagreb Jelinčič, D. A., (2008): Turizam vs. identitet - Globalizacija i tradicija, Etnološka istraživanja, Vol. 1, No. 11, pp. 161 - 207 Jokič, B., (1997): Turizam u sociokulturološkoj perspektivi: čitanka s izborom tekstova, Mikrorad d.o.o., Zagreb Lickorish, L. J., Jenkins, C. L., (2006): Uvod u turizam, Ekokon d.o.o., Split Magaš, D., (2003): Menadžment turističke organizacije i destinacije, Sveučilište u Rijeci, Fakultet za turistički i hotelski menadžment, Adamič, Rijeka Müller, H., (2004); Turizam i ekologija, Masmedia, Zagreb Pančič Kombo, T., (2000): Selektivni turizam - Uvod u management prirodnih i kulturnih resursa, tmcp Sagena, Matulji Weaver, D., (2006): Sustainable Tourism: Theory and Practice, Elsevier Ltd., uk Weiler, B., Hall, C. M., (1992): Special interest tourism, Halted Press, Great Britain Year 3, No. 1-2, July 2010 | 27