MANAGEMENT OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS - CASE STUDY: DONJA KUPČINA, CROATIA

Donja Kupčina, the largest settlement in the Municipality of Pisarovina, has been losing its importance in recent years, suffering the negative consequences of demographic collapse caused by the aging population and emigration, as well as unfavorable economic conditions, especially as a result of the war events at the end of the last century. Tourism and family farms, of which there are 109 in the settlement of Donja Kupčina, can be determined as the backbone of future economic development, and which, by enriching their offer with catering and tourist programs, can significantly contribute to the preservation of heritage and identity, as well as the economic prosperity of the settlement and sociodemographic renewal.

Results have shown that residents of the settlement of Donja Kupčina expressed a low level of satisfaction with local infrastructure and economic development, in contrast to a high level of satisfaction with the rich and preserved resource base. Residents are not satisfied with the inclusion of the settlement in the tourism product of the Municipality of Pisarovina and believe that they do not have enough information about it. Based on the conducted research, the paper presents a proposal for the development of rural tourism in the settlement of Donja Kupčina, a CroRural model, which aims to improve the general economic, social and demographic picture of the settlement while ensuring the preservation of resources and the growth of the living standard of the population. The above model is applicable, with certain modifications, to all rural areas in the Republic of Croatia.