The impact of geographical position on the recent tourism development of Pelješac Peninsula and the coastal area along Klek-Neum Bay

The aim of this research is to determine the impact of changes in the transport-geographical and political-geographical position of Pelješac Peninsula and the coastal area along Klek-Neum Bay on local tourism development following three significant recent events: a) the opening of the main road (M 17.3) Stolac–Neum (June 30, 2022); b) the opening of the Pelješac Bridge (July 26, 2022); and c) Croatia’s entry into the Schengen Area (January 1, 2023). The study area is defined by the boundaries of the municipalities of Janjina, Orebić, Slivno, Ston, and Trpanj in Croatia, and Neum in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Methodologically, the research is based on a combination of analysis of official transport and tourism statistics following the three aforementioned events, and the interpretation of in-depth interviews with representatives of all six municipal tourism boards within the study area. It can be concluded that the change in geographical position has had a more positive impact on tourism development on Pelješac than a negative effect on the tourism development of the coastal area along Klek-Neum Bay.