6. Conclusions

Research in the field of events brings about new challenges. Events can be observed from a theoretical, managerial, sociological, economic, socio-psychological, or anthropological perspective, as well as from a number of additional perspectives, among which this article particularly stresses ontology (as "a set of concepts and categories in a subject area or domain that shows their properties and the relations between them [9]") together with the approach to event management from the viewpoint of tourism destination management.

In their overview of the current state and critical analysis of these two themes, the authors of the present article have introduced their own views on key issues and challenges in the research field of cultural tourism and, more specifically, event tourism, pointing out to a certain "theoretical confusion," which is particularly noticeable when it comes to definitions, classifications, and terminology. The presence of numerous invaluable research studies in this field is commendable; however, the authors have here stressed their opinion that this research should somehow be put "in order": the conceptual framework needs to be defined with more precision, and so do the key categories and their logical levels of hierarchy (which of the categories are "subordinate" to others, i.e., which are "segments" of other categories), the context in which event tourism occurs requires a more precise definition, the mutual relationship between event tourism and the environment should be clarified, etc. In addition, the body of knowledge in the field of event management should be further expanded, and this is, according to Getz and Page, one of the key challenges for academics and professionals. To this effect, the authors have here focused on a recent praiseworthy study by Getz and Page, which to a certain extent presents an inventory of the most important research themes and directions for further research in the field of event tourism, thus providing a platform and guideline for researchers and outlining the directions they should take in the study of this extremely complex multidisciplinary phenomenon.

The authors have in this article presented a possible subanalytic model of the conceptual overview of music events, referring to the example of Istria, Croatia. The authors, namely, put forward the proposition that a generally accepted framework for event portfolios cannot possibly be completely defined, because it largely depends on individual localities and their particularities (space, sociocultural conditions, authentic elements of the community, etc.).

questions and research areas and issues, mainly those pertaining to the management of con-

In general terms, promoting additional education and organizing various creative workshops or team-building activities within the tourism destination would certainly contribute to the development of networking and synergy, and consequently improve the success of the destination. The first step, however, is to be rich, a higher level of awareness of the latent conflict in practice on these two fields, where it often lies without being openly spoken of, being explained away as an outcome of personal issues, or its cause being simply misunderstood. It is, therefore, right to ask: Is event management in a tourist destination battlefield or area of

Finally, the authors of the present article support the view that the field of event studies, reviewed by Getz [27, 28], depicts the expanding field of event management and the wider

Research in the field of events brings about new challenges. Events can be observed from a theoretical, managerial, sociological, economic, socio-psychological, or anthropological perspective, as well as from a number of additional perspectives, among which this article particularly stresses ontology (as "a set of concepts and categories in a subject area or domain that shows their properties and the relations between them [9]") together with the approach to

In their overview of the current state and critical analysis of these two themes, the authors of the present article have introduced their own views on key issues and challenges in the research field of cultural tourism and, more specifically, event tourism, pointing out to a certain "theoretical confusion," which is particularly noticeable when it comes to definitions, classifications, and terminology. The presence of numerous invaluable research studies in this field is commendable; however, the authors have here stressed their opinion that this research should somehow be put "in order": the conceptual framework needs to be defined with more precision, and so do the key categories and their logical levels of hierarchy (which of the categories are "subordinate" to others, i.e., which are "segments" of other categories), the context in which event tourism occurs requires a more precise definition, the mutual relationship between event tourism and the environment should be clarified, etc. In addition, the body of knowledge in the field of event management should be further expanded, and this is, according to Getz and Page, one of the key challenges for academics and professionals. To this effect, the authors have here focused on a recent praiseworthy study by Getz and Page, which to a certain extent presents an inventory of the most important research themes and directions for further research in the field of event tourism, thus providing a platform and guideline for researchers and outlining the directions they should take in the study of this extremely com-

flicts within the stakeholders' network in event management.

30 Mobilities, Tourism and Travel Behavior - Contexts and Boundaries

contribution of social sciences to this interdisciplinary area of study.

event management from the viewpoint of tourism destination management.

common interest?

6. Conclusions

plex multidisciplinary phenomenon.

Referring to the analyzed example of a tourism cluster, the authors have proved that defining an event portfolio requires consensus and strategic planning, as these improve event efficiency and generally allow for a better connection to be made between the event and the destination management system. The analyzed example shows that there are increasingly more initiatives in practical tourism to avoid ad hoc organization of events and approach the process in a serious, systematic, and methodical way.

The authors are of the opinion that the level of the organization and development of the event management system is largely defined by various factors such as, above all, the enthusiasm and willingness of stakeholders to take initiatives in this field, as well as the willingness to mediate between different and frequently antagonistic interests, which are generally characteristic of tourism destination management. The management of events — those that are very fluid, soft, "invisible," and therefore fragile elements of tourism — makes this latent conflict visible par excellence. Additionally, when it comes to coastal and rural tourism destinations, one of the key factors is participation of the local population (due to the ostensible presence of tourism in their surroundings and their lives). Other factors include the creation of events based on the authentic elements of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, as well as many others. The authors have here put forward their own proposition that the basic portfolio framework should be defined in accordance with the destination type. Namely, urban destinations (as a rule, metropolises) should resort to mega-events and "global type" events, and coastal destinations require a certain "mixture of global and local events" — for example, music festivals ranging from international jazz festivals to those of local traditional music, whereas rural destinations should primarily organize such events that are based on authentic cultural elements.

Event management and the related theory are still fraught with open questions, and it seems that every answer merely opens up further questions, especially in the era of rapid social, technological, political, and cultural changes. Some 30 years have passed since the term event was first mentioned in 1987 by the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department, and since that same year, Getz defined the framework for planning event tourism. At that time, the research went in line with the profound transformations the society was undergoing. Although theses have been proposed to the effect that event management cannot be a separate field of research or professional work, the increasing number of higher education courses in the fields of cultural tourism, event management, event tourism, etc., as well as of "event manager" positions, points toward a possibility for event management (or event tourism?) to be eventually singled out as a separate field of research (or management?), with a strong multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary component, which arises precisely from its interconnections with numerous academic fields, areas, and disciplines.

What remains to be seen is where the research and practice of tourism will lead us in investigating this extremely interesting field, in a world where the words event, happening, and experience have started to acquire new meanings. In the overall alienation characteristic of the world that is busy and overburdened with modern technologies, events will probably gain in importance, representing, as it is a new possibility of escape into a form of the ancient "counter-everydayness," which is nowadays acquiring new shapes and expressions. It will, therefore, be interesting to observe how the modern homoturisticus will move in the contemporary world of experience and at the same time to keep track of the accompanying scientific research and tourism practice.
