Improving the tourist destination image with intangible cultural heritage: Montenegro as a case study

Abstract

As contemporary tourism moves increasingly towards adopting an experience economy, tourist experience based on intangible cultural heritage is becoming the important element of destination image, as a set of consumer perceptions about the destination. Sustainable tourist valorization of intangible cultural heritage may be particularly important for image of countries like Montenegro, with limited resources, including natural resources, capital and population of 620029 inhabitants (Monstat, 2011). Another reason is related to the country's tendency to diversify its tourism offer and attract new market segments who are motivated by cultural heritage, manifestations, ethnographic values, etc. In this paper, the authors evaluate current issues in Montenegrin tourism and the need for improving a tourist destination image based on safeguarding and promotion of intangible cultural heritage. Marketing respond on those issues may increase Montenegro's contribution to a common European identity and strengthen a sense of belonging the destination within a common European cultural space. The research in this paper is focused on desk research, induction, deduction, statistics, and analyzing the case studies.