THE SIGNIFICANCE AND THE ROLE OF DESTINATION MANAGEMENT - The Opatija Tourist Destination Management Model

Sa？etak The quality and innovation of tourist products have become the decisive factors in the competitive game on the tourist market. In these circumstances, destination management gets a big chance, but also the responsibility for business activities of tourist organisations whose results are reflected in the development and improvement of tourist destinations. Recent literature does not define an ideal model of tourist destination management, but considering its complexity, especially its subsystems and level of tourism development, different management models can be applied. As a renowned tourist destination, the City of Opatija has reached the stage at which it needs a management shift, because its tourism will be influenced by many factors in the future, the most important of which will be technology and modern requirements of the demand, i.e. tourists. In the context of the future management of Opatija as a destination, the focus should be on the establishment of the DMO of the City of Opatija