ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS FOR ECONOMIC AND TOURISM GROWTH: CASE OF CROATIA

Abstract

Purpose – Music tourism refers to attendance at music events such as concerts, festivals, and other music-related activities. This form of tourism can have a significant effect on the development of destinations hosting music events, and can also contribute to the promotion of a destination's cultural heritage and identity. Croatian destinations organize various music events and strive to become distinctive music-event destinations. In the process of diversification relative to the global, universal offering, the valorisation of traditional music plays an important role in creating a unique experience. The aim of the article is to analyse the attitudes of Generation Y tourists towards traditional-music events and the supplementary offering with a view to innovating music festivals and concerts, which can become the main motivation for visiting a destination. Methodology – The research of the music preferences of Generation Y in tourism is based on a questionnaire survey of 123 respondents in Croatia, who evaluated the offering of music festivals and traditional-music events in the overall offering of music events in the destination. Factor analysis was conducted to determine the factors that influence the behavioural intentions and selection of traditional-music festivals of Generation Y. Findings – The main results of the research are the identification of the most important characteristics for choosing a type of music event and their impact on a destination’s music offering and overall tourism offering. The results show that attendance at traditional-music events depends mainly on the respondents’ personal preferences and the quality of the event offerings, while a destination's supplementary facilities and services are not critical to the choice of a music event in tourism. The development of events to innovate a destination’s offering must focus on the quality of music events geared to the target segment and should be based on stakeholder synergy and the knowledge of musicologists. Contribution – This research is significant because no previous research results have been found on Generation Y in relation to the evaluation of traditional-music events and their role in the overall music offering of a destination. The results contribute to a better understanding of the needs and preferences of specific generations who attend music events, and of the supporting destination strategies in destination audio management.