Strategic Approach to the Reconnection of Natural and Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Tourism: The Case of the Brač Island in Croatia

The rich cultural and natural heritage of the Brač Island in Croatia provides a strong basis for sustainable tourism development. However, it is not adequately valorized, interpreted and managed in the context of tourism development, lacking the appropriate value chains. The objective of this chapter is to analyse whether cultural and natural heritage can be reconnected for the development of sustainable tourism products. Analysis of the relevant strategic documents has been made; a questionnaire related to the analysis of the natural and cultural heritage has been sent to the local stakeholders alongside round tables organized with them, and a SWOT analysis was applied to organize the inputs received during this consultation process. The results showed that different strategic documents have some priorities, objectives and/or measures related to sustainable tourism based on cultural and natural heritage, but an integrated strategic framework is needed in order to establish sustainable tourism offers based on cultural and natural heritage. The main challenges lie in the insufficient valorization of cultural and natural heritage, insufficient promotion and visibility, its poor management or lack of recognition by the local community. While promotion and visibility-related challenges may be solved by way of adequate promotional campaigns, educational activities and awareness raising may take more time to achieve valorization and management enhancement.