Radio in the Promotion of Croatian Tourism

Abstract

Radio is a traditionally popular medium that still has its continuous and stable listenership. The digital age has endowed it with new technical and technological possibilities and multimedia, including a big breakthrough of digital audio broadcasting (DAB+). The Republic of Croatia is one of the leading European road trip destinations. Most of the tourists reach Croatia by car, which allows them to use their own vehicles for excursions during their holidays. Almost half of the population of the European Union is still in the habit of listening to the radio while driving. Therefore, radio stations, particularly those based in Adriatic Croatia, should not be left out from the endeavours to achieve the best possible results in the sector of tourism. The paper presents the findings of a qualitative survey that was conducted during January and February 2021 at radio stations whose headquarters are in this area (N=49). The aim of the research was to determine the current engagement of radio in the production of content intended for domestic and foreign tourists, the modalities and dynamics of cooperation with tourism entities in the field of broadcasting and the potential use of radio in the post-Covid tourist season. Twenty-eight radio editors (56%) responded to the survey. All of them consider radio to be a good medium for tourist promotion, yet the findings indicate a lack of offer of news and promotional tourist content. The most common reasons are unfavourable financial and personnel circumstances. With the synergy between tourist entities and radio stations, radio could prove to be a reliable business partner.