The recent trends in the tourism industry, as well as the attention paid by scholars, practitioners, and institutions, show the relevance of natural tourism as a lever for local development (United Nations World Tourism Organization -UNWTO-, 2005). In this scenario, the business of oleotourism, namely, a form of domestic tourism based on activities related to olive oil production, its tasting, and some connected rural experiences such as harvesting, is continuously—albeit slowly—growing in Europe and especially in the Mediterranean area. Scholars agree that oleotourism plays a key role for multiple reasons, due to its relations to local territories, firms, resources, and other forms of tourism, also favoring sustainable development. Due to the interplay with the local context, the authors plan to combine and compare the evidence from three Mediterranean countries offering examples of tourism initiatives based on olive oil, namely, Spain, Italy, and Croatia. The similarities and differences emerging from the comparison will expand the understanding of this phenomenon and lead to the highlighting of key features and choices in favoring its development in the coming years. Therefore, this research, through the analysis of both theoretical and practical evidences and data from the local contexts, aims to identify additional knowledge for scholars, managers, and policy-makers. The results of the analysis allow the authors to conclude that, although each of the three countries is in a different stage of development, they all have elements that seem to be common to this type of tourism. Finally, it is concluded that oleotourism can be characterized as a form of sustainable tourism, given the preservation of local customs and landscapes, the participation of the resident community, or the development of quality and food safety labels.

Purpose – Oleotourism is becoming increasingly important as Special Interest Tourism (SIT), especially among researchers who seek to propose an individual tourist experience related to the Mediterranean and olive oil production. This paper examines the profile of visitors to olive farms and olive mills to determine their motives. Design – Purposive sampling was used as the method of data collection. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire during the mid-summer season and the post-summer season 2019 in Istria County (Croatia). Methodology – In total, 263 adequately completed questionnaires were used for data analysis. Approach – Twenty-five items of push and pull motivation are analysed with exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by cluster analysis on identified factor dimensions. Findings – After EFA the questionnaire consisted of twenty-two motivational items. Five factor dimensions are identified after EFA and labelled: (1) Socialising and experience, (2) Exterior farm features, (3) Relax with family, (4) Surroundings, and (5) Olive oil and recognition. Cluster analysis revealed 2 different clusters, labelled: Involved olive visitors as the dominant cluster and Inconsequential as the smaller set. Originality of the research – Market segmentation by motivation is key for understanding visitor behaviour in SIT such as oleotourism. This paper explores motivation through push and pull motives and provides a solid basis for further research as well as guidelines for tourism firms dealing with this flourishing business.

Changes in temperature, precipitation, and the occurrence of extreme weather events are increasingly present. Due to climate change, the Mediterranean Basin (the focus of this study is on Adriatic Croatia as part of the Mediterranean Basin) is more affected by production and economic losses compared to other parts of Europe. Policymakers are important individuals involved in shaping public policies. The main objective of this study was to assess the opinion of policymakers at regional and national levels in Adriatic Croatia regarding climate change adaptation strategies. The aims are (i) to rank the importance of adaptation measures, (ii) to examine measures that have already been implemented, and (iii) to examine future measures that need to be implemented at regional and national levels. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives of sectoral agencies, the national government, and the regional government to answer the study questions. The main conclusions show that policymakers consider irrigation, organic agriculture, crop crossbreeding and optimization of agrotechnical practices, and agricultural insurance as the most important strategies. Currently and in the future, the most important actions of policymakers are the provision of education, agricultural extension, and information exchange.

Selling agro-food products via the Internet is becoming an increasingly frequent means of sale. The importance of the Internet as a sales channel has been particularly pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been characterised by the use of digital technologies in all spheres of human life. The paper presents an analysis of the Web farmer's market application (WFMA) over a 5-year period. WFMA is used by local producers in Istria County (Croatia) and online customers. The analysis was carried out in several steps using primary and secondary data sources. Primary data were collected by two online surveys on a farmers sample (N=89) and WFMA users (farmers) (N=53) and later analysed running x2 test and T-test. Secondary data was collected mainly from the WFMA administration and from other available reliable sources.

Modern agriculture faces many challenges. At the same time, it is necessary to provide healthy and sustainable food for humanity in growing conditions that are facing numerous problems, including climate change. Different strategies can be applied to deal with climate change, such as using different crop technologies. In this context, the application of wild–edible plants as a source of biodiversity, vitamins, and minerals for the human diet is interesting. Consumers’ behaviour toward wild–edible plants is a relatively new topic in marketing research, so this paper investigated the impact of certain psychological factors on consumers’ willingness to purchase wild–edible plants and food products. The study was performed on a sample of consumers of produce from farmers’ markets in Istria County, Croatia, and the data were collected via a questionnaire. The univariate and multivariate analyses provided evidence that consumers’ purchase intentions are determined mainly by their positive attitudes regarding trying new and unfamiliar foods. Furthermore, customers’ intentions to purchase food products containing wild–edible plants were determined by their attitudes regarding wild–edible plants and their subjective knowledge.

To ensure food security and mitigate environmental degradation caused by conventional farming, the adoption of sustainable production systems or practices is essential. Despite the availability of diverse sustainable agricultural practices, their widespread adoption remains limited. Thus, this study aimed to assess the importance of socioeconomic and socio-demographic characteristics of farmers, as well as farm characteristics, on their interest in transitioning to Sustainable Production Systems (SPS) or adopting Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAP). Additionally, the study evaluated the motivational factors affecting farmers' WTA for some of the SPS or SAP in Istria County, Croatia. A survey was conducted on 172 farms in Istria County. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA to identify statistical differences, and chi-square tests to determine associations between variables. The results indicate that nearly half of the respondents were interested in transitioning to SAS or adopting SAP. Higher education levels significantly correlate with a greater interest in adopting SAS or SAP. When farmers were offered benefits such as financial support during the trial period, sales assistance, and product marketing, the WTA was significantly higher. Applying Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, the study highlights the importance of perceived relative advantage, compatibility, and trialability in adoption decisions. Despite the several limitations of this study, the findings underscore the need for integrated approaches combining education, financial incentives, and technical support to achieve widespread adoption of sustainable agriculture.