The Intersection of Commercial Fishing and Tourism: An Exploratory Research Project

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between traditional maritime culture; such as commercial fishing, and tourism in the Republic of Croatia. Its emphasis is on the effects of tourism development in the small towns and villages on the islands along the Dalmatian coastline. Through field interviews and observations, challenges and opportunities regarding the use of tourism as a means of sustaining the traditional maritime lifeways of Croatians are presented. Examples of "good heritage tourism" design and implementation are cited; as well as the identification of "change agents" that are leading the heritage tourism movement in the field. The findings documented in this report are applicable to other communities based upon natural resource extraction, but are now facing a loss of traditional skills, stories and knowledge due to the diminishing of those resources.