is not?

#### Strengths:

1. This represents a good platform for further development of tourism events, which is partly completed. 2. Strategic planning in tourism is still present, but there is a question of knowing and including the guidelines of the master plan as defined by all stakeholders, as well as the monitoring of achievements at all levels.

#### Weaknesses:

1. Not completed. Certain types of events do not systematically follow the key historical periods of the tourist destination history.

2. Partially completed. Event-portfolios partially observe the autochthonous elements but not in a systematic manner, with a questionable degree of consulting with field experts. 3. Completed. The cluster has defined that the key target group of the cluster should be the middle to a higher purchasing power level. This should also be reflected in the event portfolio, but it is still not sufficiently tailored to the target market (e.g., the music noise from terraces during the night affects negatively a "more sensitive" type of tourist). 4. Partially completed. The tourist season is prolonged, with this cluster predominating in Istria. Local experts believe that one of the reasons for these improved results is a more systematic approach to event management, especially for the pre- and postseason.

5. Not completed in a systematic manner. Despite the existence of high-quality national-level monitoring of tourist expenditure in a destination (TOMAS survey), the data have not been sufficiently analyzed for lower levels. 6. It has been greatly improved and organized in a systematic way, from the regional level (Istria) to middle level (Tourism cluster) to the lower levels (municipalities and cities).

7. Partially completed by merging smaller units into clusters. 8. This co-operation has intensified, but there are still strong political interests, as well as the interests of large hotel companies in relation to small stakeholders, which reflects on the event portfolio and event tourism in general. 9. Not completed. The population is poorly involved in organizing or following the events.

10. Not completed. Innovations and decisions relating to the events and event-portfolios are still determined by a narrow circle of people.

11. Partially completed. There are high-school programs and institutions that educate managers in cultural tourism, but the "market" does not recognize them sufficiently.

12. Not completed. There are no systematic programs of education about the historic heritage of a local area. The responsibility about the decision on additional education is shifted toward cultural institutions and individuals desiring to participate in such lectures.

13. The development of technology has allowed improvements in this regard, but there are no systematic connections between event portfolios and other basic and additional elements of the tourist offer, with some exceptions (tourist boards).

14. Although there are numerous ideas for innovations and the creation of new types and forms of events, the impression is


\* For the purpose of this paper, only a few selected topics relating to this research field are being presented, while keeping in mind its complexity and the need for a much deeper analysis.

board.

except for representatives of tourist agencies in the tourist

Source: Research conducted by the authors based on a stakeholder workshop on a Tourism cluster level (2008), Tourism cluster of the northwestern Istria, Croatia.

Table 1. Comparative SWOT (Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of basic assumptions for the development and for the achieved level of development event tourism in tourist destinations of the northwestern tourist cluster in Istria–selected topics\* .

organizational culture in a cluster on the development of a tourist destination [20]. As a microarea, the tourist cluster of the northwestern Istria is being observed, together with the organization of stakeholders and tourist communities, which has the most developed strategic approach to managing event tourism in Croatia. By comparing the presented periods, a conclusion can be made about the progress in the field of event management, as well as cultural tourism in general in this area. The cluster consists of tourist communities of the town of Umag, Buje and Novigrad, as well as the Brtonigla municipality. As a separate methodological approach, the professional experience of both authors within institutions and organizations dealing with the managing of tourist events in the explored area, especially in the cities of Umag and Novigrad, is also being emphasized at the time of the observation (the base years within the research).

Situation in 2007/2008 Situation in 2016/2017: What has been done and what

Opportunities:

excellent platform for events

which consists of different elements.

in the organization of the events.

indigenous elements.

tourism.

Threats:

\*

1. A rich cultural and historical heritage provides an

2. It is necessary to create a "cultural story" for destination 3. The identity of the destination should be based on

26 Mobilities, Tourism and Travel Behavior - Contexts and Boundaries

4. The possibility of "integrated" cultural-tourist products,

5. The possibility for the clusters to train "internal" local tourist guides (in addition to the general knowledge gained through "official" seminars) who would receive certificates and as such would contribute significantly to cultural

6. A greater inclusion of children and primary school pupils

7. The formation of a Council for Cultural Tourism in the cluster composed of members of different professions.

3. The antiquated concept of tourist communities as key organizers of events. The process should be transferred to the Destination Management Organization (DMO). 4. Conflicts between the tourism community and tourist agencies, which can also reflect on cultural tourism.

in mind its complexity and the need for a much deeper analysis.

.

1. Inadequate recognition of tourist destinations 2. Inadequate educational level (knowledge of foreign languages, knowledge of cultural and historical heritage,

etc.) of key stakeholders for cultural tourism.

cluster of the northwestern Istria, Croatia.

cluster in Istria–selected topics\*

is not?

level collaboration.

traditional heritage.

to autochthonous elements.

5. Not completed.

7. Not completed.

Threats:

board.

For the purpose of this paper, only a few selected topics relating to this research field are being presented, while keeping

Source: Research conducted by the authors based on a stakeholder workshop on a Tourism cluster level (2008), Tourism

Table 1. Comparative SWOT (Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of basic assumptions for the development and for the achieved level of development event tourism in tourist destinations of the northwestern tourist

products are not exhausted yet.

Opportunities:

that only small steps are being taken in this regard and that this depends largely on the great enthusiasm of individual (mostly

15. Completed. This cluster is just a good example of linking coastal and rural elements to a unified whole and an integrated product, where some key events are organized in a cluster-

16. Not entirely completed because of unfavorable legal regulations that do not encourage sponsorship. Sponsorship of events mostly includes large local hotel companies that they consider to be key events for a specific tourist destination. 17. Much has been done about the so-called gourmet events, but there is a lack of an adequate valorization of other elements of

1. Certain types of today's events based on a cultural heritage that did not exist before were created. 2. Not fully completed. No "all-round cultural story" has been defined for each destination individually. 3. The identity of the destination is not fully built on the autochthonous elements. Small stakeholders are ahead of big companies, by "guarding" the indigenous elements more adequately. It seems that accordingly, "smaller" events are more suitable than "mega" events when it comes

4. Almost every event consists of several elements, but the possibilities for such "interconnected" cultural-tourist

6. Partially completed for certain individual events. The

1. Completed. A fully agreed-upon position on the new visual identity of the cluster that is being systematically constructed. 2. Partially completed. There is no systematic verification of these types of knowledge. Despite the education of tourist guides (they need to obtain a certificate after their education), it is questionable whether all of them present the cultural heritage in an adequate manner. Event managers often lack sufficient education or knowledge about management or culture. The knowledge about the cultural heritage of tourist

3. Not completed. Changes in the legal regulations for the establishment of DMOs and DMCs are being planned. 4. There are no systematic forms of this type of cooperation, except for representatives of tourist agencies in the tourist

issue is not approached in a systematic way

representatives can also be questioned.

cultural) institutions and individuals.

Generally, it can be concluded that significant progress has been made in the field of event management in the tourism cluster of the northwestern Istria, which is manifested primarily in the systematic and strategic orientation of tourism development planning, as well as event tourism, based on the cooperation of key stakeholders. This is probably the key reason for the achieved tourism results: increased tourist traffic in the pre- and postseason, a trend headed by the cluster in Istria. However, already from this short analysis, it is obvious that there are still numerous additional opportunities for improving and developing event tourism in general, in this cluster, region and beyond, which proves that the development of tourism events is a difficult and complex process. It should be emphasized that within the presented cluster, a general consensus has been established with the event portfolios planned out in advance, and that they are based on the Tourism Development Master Plan of the entire region, and that the cluster conforms to the interests of several groups of stakeholders (in particular, tourist communities, large hotel chains, small stakeholders, local politics), while the key events of the cluster are being defined and structured according to their importance, as well as the participation of individual tourist communities in their funding. Although this model needs to be further developed and perfected, it can serve as a good example to others, as it has been proven that it has already achieved the desired effects, most of all an increase in tourist traffic within the cluster that uses this approach in relation to the other, while also increasing the strength and recognition factor of the cluster.

Some research shows that such efforts to achieve this type of consensus (workshops, strategic conferences, etc.) contribute to the development of additional cohesion among the stakeholders [20, 21]. One of the main thesis of the previously described principle and system Integrated Quality Management (IQM) has also been mentioned, with the directives recommending a stakeholders' approach and a strategic planning of tourism as a platform for a sustainable tourism development in tourist destinations and the construction of an integral tourism product, whose event is its integral part, connected to the "tissue" of the destination itself, especially for those in the coastal and rural areas.

It is of great importance to consider the distinction of specificities, according to the already mentioned classification of urban, coastal, and rural tourist destinations. This can also serve as a guide to the possible designing of joint events (coastal-rural), which has already been partially done as presented in the example of the addressed cluster. Similarly, this should be taken into account when doing scientific research since the event portfolio, the planning of the events and their organization, is significantly different for urban destinations (big cities, metropolises) than it is for smaller urban and social contexts: the coastal and rural tourist destinations.
