Lorena Bašan

PROMOTION OF HEALTH TOURISM IN THE KVARNER REGION

That well-conceived promotion can yield good results in a very short time is evident in the case of Croatia, which was listed among the ten most desirable destinations in the world in 2010. The successful promotion of any destination is reflected in the number of its tourist arrivals and the volume of tourist spending, as well as in the demand for diverse segments. This paper deals with a particular segment of tourism, specifically health tourism. By keeping abreast of trends on the European and world tourist market and in response to the growing demand for health- related services and facilities in tourism, Croatia has adopted new strategies and has designed health tourism and wellness tourism offerings. This paper looks at the current situation of and results achieved in health tourism in Croatia, as well as the trends in and performance of the tourism offering. The performance of health tourism in the Kvarner region is examined. The main body of the paper deals with the promotion of health tourism in the Kvarner region and the way in which health tourism is incorporated in the destination’s tourism product. The last part of the paper puts forward proposals and suggests measures aimed at further improving the promotion of health tourism in the Kvarner destination.