THE ROLE OF CROATIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE IN CREATING A RECOGNIZABLE TOURIST BRAND – RESPONDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND PREFERENCES

The aim of this paper is to understand branding and the role of cultural heritage in the recognition of a tourist brand and its impact on perception among tourists. By analysing the concept of destination branding and the role of culture in this process, the paper highlights the importance of cultural heritage as a key resource in forming the identity of a tourist destination. 200 respondents in the Republic of Croatia participated in the research conducted via a questionnaire in August and September 2024. The research questions related to the influence of Croatian cultural heritage on the perception of the tourist brand, its use in tourism promotion, determining the differences in perception between tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and is there a potential for developing recognition and how? In accordance with the theoretical and methodological approach, the following hypotheses were set: H1: Tourists recognize Croatian cultural heritage as a tourism brand; H2: Tangible cultural heritage is more recognizable than intangible cultural heritage as a tourism brand; H3: Promotional activities of cultural heritage influence the development of a tourism brand. The collected data were processed using the SPSS software tool. The research results showed a high degree of recognition of Croatian cultural heritage, especially tangible heritage, which includes historical buildings and sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Intangible heritage, although less well known, has significant potential for development and can contribute to the diversification of the tourist offer with promotional activities and integration into the tourist offer with an emphasis on authentic experiences and participation in cultural events, which confirmed all three hypotheses. One of the recommendations highlighted the need for an integrated marketing approach in promoting intangible heritage and integration into the tourist offer.