Identifying new special interest tourism development opportunities in Croatia: a Generation Z perspective

The rapid growth of global tourism has sparked a wave of overtourism, driving destinations to reinvent themselves through more individualised tourist experiences and the concept of sustainability. This study examines the attitudes of Generation Z in Croatia toward emerging tourism products that reflect distinctive local peculiarities. Utilizing both secondary sources and primary data collected through an online questionnaire, this study explores the underlying drivers that enhance the appeal of novel, sustainability-oriented tourism experiences. The findings indicate that Generation Z exhibits distinct tourism preferences compared to previous generations, revealing opportunities to design more diverse and sustainable offerings that may reduce seasonality, alleviate overtourism, and strengthen local economies. The research addresses critical challenges associated with the development of innovative tourism products in Croatia, encompassing strategic alignment with competitive market trends, accurate forecasting of Generation Z demand patterns, comprehensive measurement of economic impacts, targeted education of future tourism professionals, and the optimization of product design to balance temporal and spatial dynamics and prevent overtourism. In conclusion, Generation Z represents a pivotal stakeholder group whose dual role, as future policymakers and market trendsetters, provides valuable insights into the potential for developing sustainable, motivation-based tourism products that reflect the shifting expectations of modern visitors, thereby creating guidelines for creating long-term development strategies and predicting future demand.