This paper contributes to the debate about the relationships among tourism experience co-creation, satisfaction with vacation experience, satisfaction with the impact of vacation on overall life, life satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Th...

Purpose – Tourism demand for destinations, services and facilities is changing rapidly and only the destinations with high adaptability can expect to survive. Tourists prefer destinations with strong brands that guarantee a high level of service quality and are prepared to pay for it. Design – This study designs to determine that destination has to recognize the importance of tourism, but, as a brand, Kvarner is not distinctive enough. Based on its natural beauty, rich heritage and its vicinity and accessibility to a large part of Europe, it has the potential of becoming a leading destination. Methodology – Research was carried out in accordance with the Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness based on 85 indicators. Various statistical methods like T-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test and Shapiro-Wilk test were used. Approach – The research was conducted using a questionnaire, through a dissemination of emails and personal interviews with tourist officials and people involved in the development of tourism in the Kvarner area. Findings – This study finds that destination management is the weak point of destination competitiveness and hypotheses that resources strongly support the overall competitiveness of destination Kvarner, than the elements of destination management and that destination brand is not sufficiently distinctive are confirmed. Originality of the research – This study provides valuable information and comparable data about competitiveness of Kvarner destination and points at brand influence on destination competitiveness.

Coastal tourism benefits the sustainability of destinations and includes a wide range of experiences related to sun and sand, culture, nature, and social interactions. This study aimed to (i) identify the motivations driving tourists to coastal destinations, (ii) determine the tourist segments in these destinations, and (iii) examine the relationship between these tourist segments and satisfaction and loyalty. The research was conducted in Montañita, Ecuador, a renowned surfing and water sports destination frequented by both national and international tourists. The sample consisted of 380 valid questionnaires, analyzed using factor analysis, K-means clustering, and Pearson’s chi-square test. The findings revealed five motivational dimensions: Culture and Nature, Novelty and Social Interaction, Sun and Beach, Sports, and Entertainment. Two distinct tourist segments were also identified: Multiple Motives tourists and Sun and Beach tourists. Among these, the Multiple Motives group exhibited higher levels of satisfaction and loyalty. These insights are valuable for destination managers and tourism service providers, offering practical applications for enhancing visitor experiences. Additionally, this study contributes to the existing academic literature on coastal tourism.

Specialized tourists offer in the post covid time is an important reason in choosing the destination to travel to. A new perception of this offer puts new challenges to those who design such offers. Most specialized offers are the result of entrepreneurial initiative and intuition. Authors have dealt with the creation of such offers as an important destination concurrent factor in their own cross-border cooperation. Based on their findings, they have developed a model of creating specialized tourism products for post covid time by linking core, additional, and expanded contents with brand creation and the marketing strategy. In this paper authors continue their research by testing that model through two platforms: desk research of the latest cognitions related to the repercussions of Covid-19 on tourist mind, and on a convenient sample of connoisseurs. The testing of the model is connected with one case study in which authors cooperate in practice. The findings have been tested through a survey on a sample of experts (representatives of travel agencies) related to their experiences in sales for 2020 and 2021.They have also found important changes in tourist perception of specialized tourist product. The findings offer the answers as to why the basic contents of the specialized tourist offer is no longer sufficient, as well as a way for developing additional and expanded contents, on which the brand and brand management activities in the post corona period should be primarily based, i.e. on what to base the marketing strategies in the post covid time.