The Rovinj - Rovigno Tourist Board

The Rovinj Tourist Board is an organization operating through destination management, established for the purpose of promoting and developing tourism in the Republic of Croatia and economic interests of businesses and individuals providing hospitality and tourism services or engaging in any other activity directly associated with tourism by managing the destination on the level of the City of Rovinj.  

Purposes

According to the Tourist Boards and Promotion of Croatian Tourism Act (Croatian Official Gazette No 59/20), the purposes of a tourist board are as follows:

  1. Development and marketing of the destination by coordinating essential tourism development activities (planning and development of tourism products at the destination, financing, making and implementing decisions) in accordance with the documents defining the national tourism development strategy.
  2. Ensuring that specific local interests are fully represented by empowering local initiatives and connecting stakeholders on the local level to create internationally competitive tourist products.
  3. Improving the conditions of staying at the destination for tourists and raising awareness of the importance and economic, social and other impacts of tourism, as well as the need to preserve and enhance all components of a destination’s tourism resource base, in particular to protect the environment and natural and cultural heritage based on principles of sustainable development.  

Duties

Pursuant to Article 32 of the Act, a local tourist board, acting as a local destination management organization, shall have the following duties:

1. Product development

  • Participate in the planning and implementation of key public investment projects and key projects for improving the destination’s competitiveness.
  • Coordinate and communicate with private and public stakeholders at the destination.
  • Undertake development activities to combine different components of supply and create packages and products – incubators of innovative destination experiences and products.
  • Develop events at the destination, as well as other motives for individuals and groups to visit the destination.
  • Develop other components of tourism supply, focusing on year-round operation of the destination.
  • Monitor and apply for, independently or in collaboration with a local government unit or other public or private entities, tenders for the development of tourism supply and infrastructure through co-funding from national sources, European Union funds and other sources of funding.
  • Manage the quality of supply at the destination.
  • Provide for strategic and operating tourism or product development plans on the destination level and, if necessary, organize a visitor management system.
  • Participate in the preparation of tourism strategic and development plans for the destination.
  • Manage the public tourism infrastructure.
  • Participate in the implementation of strategic marketing projects defined by the Croatian National Tourist Board.

2. Information and research

  • Create and distribute informative materials.
  • Provide, maintain and regularly create contents on the destination’s website and in its social network accounts.
  • Establish, coordinate and manage tourist information centers (if any/if needed).
  • Collaborate with public and private entities at the destination to improve the quality of tourist board experience, functioning, availability and quality of public services, facilities and utility organizations on the territory of the tourist destination.
  • Design, produce, install and maintain a tourist signage system, independently and/or in collaboration with a local government unit.
  • Be operationally involved in the implementation of activities within the eVisitor system and other tourist information systems as instructed by the regional tourist board and the Croatian National Tourist Board, such as: single tourist information portal and recording of visitors and all forms of tourism supply.

3. Distribution Coordinate with the regional tourist board in the implementation of operational marketing activities.

  • Prepare and organize information about tourism supply available at the destination and send such information to the regional tourist board and the Croatian National Tourist Board.
  • Prepare destination marketing materials in accordance with the defined standards and submit them to the regional tourist board to be adjusted and approved.
  • Provide support in organizing tours for representatives of media and tour operators in collaboration with the regional tourist board and the Croatian National Tourist Board.
  • Perform other activities defined in this Act or any other applicable regulations.

In addition to these duties, a local tourist board that records over 1,000,000 overnights per year may also undertake the following marketing-related activities:

  1. Engage in PR activities.
  2. Provide, maintain and regularly create contents on its website and in its social network accounts.
  3. Define guidelines and standards for designing tourist promotional materials.
  4. Establish a marketing infrastructure based on information technologies.
  5. Undertake strategic and operational marketing activities (destination branding, online and offline activities, websites and social network accounts, tradeshows, press tours, presentations, partnerships, sponsorships, etc.).
  6. Coordinate and implement joint advertising on the local level. Perform other activities defined in this Act or any other applicable regulations.  

The local tourist board must ensure that its duties are carried out in accordance with the strategic marketing guidelines and instructions provided by the regional tourist board and the Croatian National Tourist Board.