PROBLEMS IN

ACCOMODATION OF THE
MUNICIPALITY OF
SVETVINČENAT

Students: Leila Mujačić, Fabijana Hrženjak,

Sanja Lukač, Rachel Vrzić i Lorena Šafran
Course: Entrepreneurship
Study programme: MiP
Pula, 20th April 2021.
ACCOMODATION
 Since the Savičenta has been developing over time thanks to
various projects, the number of visitors has increased year after
year.

 With with the number of visitors the number of overnight stays has
also increased.

 According to the data of the Savičenta Tourist Board, foreign

guests make the largest number of arrivals and overnight stays.

 The most frequent private accommodation in Savičenta are

vacation homes, apartments and rooms.
PROBLEMS THAT OCCUR IN
ACCOMODATION

 In accordance with our research, we have concluded that there is

a certain problem when it comes to the accommodation capacities
of the destination.

 One of the biggest problems we have seen is the absence of

hotels, hostels and camps as accommodation facilities that could
additionally attract visitors and give them greater freedom to
choose between accommodation.

 Especially the lack of camps that would attract certain type of

visitors who are attracted to this type of accommodation.
PERSONS WE INTERVIEW WERE:

 Igor Macan
- Leader of development projects of Savičenta
- He primarily deals with EU funds and projects, programmes that
develop tourism of Savičente and involve the local community in
the development of the municipality.

 Andrea Vitas
- Sales manager at Istria Nouva: limited liability company for
tourism and catering.
 Istria Nouva complex

 Istria Nuova and its countryside Villas welcome elite travelers with an
uncompromising taste for excellence.
 Istria Nuova complex was opened in 2018. and it is located in village
Režanci southeast of Svetvinčenat.
 Istria Nuova offers world-class villas for family holidays, meetings and
celebrations, set in the forests and vineyards of this high-end
gastronomy region.
 The villas occupy a plot of over 11,000 m2.

 Each villa is located on its own surface of 2000 m2 and shares another
5000 m2 of forest and terrain, including a golf course for exercise, an
adventure park for children and swimming pools.
 A separate house,
just as far away from
each villa, has a
modernly equipped
gym and sauna.

 Three villas (Villa

Aqua, Villa Terra and
Villa Sole) can
accommodate up to
34 people. They can
be rented
individually or as a
group of two or 3
 Questions we asked Igor Macan

 1. Do you think that private landlords Savičenta promote the natural and
cultural heritage of the Istrian region, by creating the impression of a
cultivated household with traditional elements, preserving biodiversity
(diversity) of old varieties of fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamental, spicy
and medicinal plants or maybe preserving indigenous breeds?
 2. Do the accommodation facilities offer a sufficient number of additional
facilities such as terraces, gym, billiard room, barbecue, swimming pool,
facilities for children, a small playground with a swing, sandpit, bicycles,
etc.?
 3. The largest number of overnight stays is realized in the high season
June-August, how can the accommodation capacities in the pre- and
post-season be improved in addition to designing new attractions?
 4. Given that there is only one residence Stancija 1904 that operates
under the ECO DOMUS program, how popular is it among guests and
can more accommodation facilities be expected in the future that will
comply with global guidelines for sustainable development and guarantee
comprehensive environmental and health protection?
 5. Given the amount of private accommodation do you think pets are
allowed in most of them and is there a specific procedure in that regard?
 6. Are there any statistics on last year's drop / increase in overnight stays
given the virus situation and what is the forecast for this season?
 7. Given the amount of private renters, why are there no hotels, hostels
and campsites in the Savičenta area and do you think that is a handicap?
 8. How to solve the issue of accommodation of larger groups of guests
(100 beds) which would make it possible
accommodation of guests arriving by bus?
 9. Is the need for joint participation of tourism stakeholders in the market
visible and how could this problem be solved? How to solve the lack of
joint cooperation of stakeholders?
 10. Why is it possible to book accommodation only "from Saturday to
Saturday"?
 11. Given the large number of accommodation facilities, is it considered
that Savičenta should focus on family tourism, for example on people
who will spend more time in the Savičenta area, or does it want to attract
individuals or one-day visits?
 12. Do you think that over time there will be a decline in demand for
accommodation in rural areas?
 13. Through research, we came to the information that the construction
of a Boutique Hotel in Savičenta is also planned, if you can explain to us
a little bit what it is and how it will fit in Savičenta?
 14. When will the realization of the diffuse hotel "Morosini Grimani" be
planned and what kind of possibilities would that hotel offer?
 15. When will the realization of the Tourist-residential zone "Mandule" be
planned and what kind of accommodation capacities would be offered
there? Luxury with 4 or 5 stars, more family, camps, holiday homes,
hotels and what content will be offered?
 Summary of the interview with Igor Macan

 In conversation with the leader of development projects Igorom

Macanom we concluded that private landlords don’t promote enough
cultural heritage of the Istrian region. Reason for that is because
promoting natural and cultural heritage isn't primary a concern for them.
It is listed as an additional or optional activity and landlords don't have
enough time to attend it.
 Accommodation capacities in the pre- and post-season can be improved
by promotion of the local community and what they offer and ultimately it
would lead to extending the season.
 Most accommodations allow pets to be precise, more than 50%. He
thinks it is a great advantage because other renters in competitive
sectors don’t allow pets
 It’s considered that the last season because of Covid19 was just fine, it
lacked a pre-season because it was impossible to travel before June.
After the 15th of August the Covid measures got stricter and therefore it
affected the postseason. However even with all that it still managed to
surpass expectations.
 There are no hotels, hostels and camps in Savičenta because for
landlords renting accommodation isn’t primary activity, it’s easier to rent
an apartment or private accommodation because renters can with no
problem do their primary job.
 Renovating Kaštel should solve the issue of accommodation of the larger
groups and that should motivate private renters to invest in that kind of
activity.
 The lack of joint participation of tourism stakeholders in the market can
be solved with the help of destination marketing, it has the independence
to connect all the elements in the destination and then to promote them.
 Accommodation can be booked only "from Saturday to
Saturday„ because it guarantees full capacity and because of the
cleaning, during the weekend it is the easiest to organize to clean the
rooms.
 One day visits worsen the reputation of Savičenta because one day
visitors would only see two or three attractions even though there are
many more. And because of that reason Savičenta wouldn't be promoted
enough as it should be.
 Over time there will be a decline in demand for accommodation in rural
areas because guests come and go and rural areas aren't well invested
financially.
 Diffuse hotel "Morosini Grimani„ will offer services such as
accommodation, a certain type of service towards customers and
activities they offer. Combining all of those services is what makes an
hotel a diffuse hotel.
 In Tourist-residential zone "Mandule" accommodation will be less
important than activities. Idea for Mandule residential zone is to be used
in activities such as weddings. It is still in a early development stage but
as such it would make a great addition to location such as Savičenta.
 Questions we asked Andrea Vitas

 1. Do you plan to expand your accommodation capacity to more than 3

existing villas in the future?
 2. How did you come up with the idea of making accommodation
available throughout the all seasons?
 3. Are all available beds filled during a single season or is it different in
winter for example?
 4. Given the number of people (33) you can accommodate, is there a
need for more beds?
 5. Do you receive more visits from domestic or foreign visitors and are
they more young couples, older couples, families, groups or individuals?
 6. For which events do most guests book accommodation facilities?

 7. Are pets allowed and are there special measures or services in that
case?
 8. Which method of promotion do you use the most and which has
proven to be the most effective?
 9. Are you somehow connected to the Tourist Bord of Savičente?

 10. Which of the 3 villas do guests prefer and which proved to be the
most rated?
 11. How many nights do guests usually book?

 12. How do you contribute to the Tourist Board of Savičenat?

 13. Do your facilities have some traditional elements of the Istrian

climate, for example old varieties of fruits, vegetables, flowers,
ornamental, spice and medicinal plants…
 14. Did you experience a sharp drop in visitors because of the
pandemic?
 Summary of the interview with Andrea Vitas

 The whole idea about this complex came up because it is a specific

situation that does not exist on the Croatian market, which they perfected
by designing and building designers so that Istria Nuova's complex can
live throughout the year.
 A new villa is already being made, which will be finished in 2022. and it
will increase capacity to 44 beds altogether.
 The whole vision off villas was made as part of the energy with Istria so it
has Mediterranean plants, Villa Terra was made with Istrian soil's energy,
vineyard, etc. In fact, every corner the designer created is with the
energy of Istria.
 The busiest season is season A.They want to achieve this for both the B
and C seasons through various promotional campaigns. They are also
the first in Croatia to sell long-term stay mostly because of the lockdown,
because people searched for houses or villas, which were separated and
isolated.
 To push through the B and C seasons or the non-attractive season is to
offer more arrangements like paying the most expensive arrangement
from their offer and stay all month in one of the villas.
 Since the end of the A season last year, they have had 100% of Croatian
visitors. Mostly from Zagreb County. In fact, visitors are a mix of
everything: families, younger couples, mostly an average of about 6
people.
 Anyone who wants to bring a pet must tell them in advance and that is an
extra fee of 100 euros per dog. Moreover, they must behave in the resort
according to some of house rules.
 When we are talking about events, the municipality went out so hard and
headed towards tourism that it introduced a lot, not only at the local level,
but also at the entire Istrian tourist community.
 They promote through their partners who deal exclusively with luxury
tourism, and there is Airbnb and Booking.com. They also promote their
selves through special marketing.
 The villas are connected with the promotion of the community, where at
some fairs they promote the municipality of Savičenta; the tourist
community is also promoted on the website of Istira Nouva every day.
 They have a really good connection with Tourist Board because they
complete them with luxury accommodations and the Tourist Board offers
them varioty of attractions.
 As a luxury tourism, the pandemic did a lot of good because all the
clients who were coming realized that it realy pays them a lot more to
take instead of a 5-star hotel, a five-star holiday house they offer.
 Conclusion

 We concluded that accommodation is not the main job of the renter, but
an additional activity, so there is no need for hotels or campsites.
 Catering and events are professional activities, accommodation is an
additional activity and it can serve the most in the term of promotion so
there can be collaboration of stakeholders with the help of destination
marketing.
 Although the number of overnight stays has fallen due to the pandemic,
many people are turning to luxury tourism because they are looking for a
holiday house or a villa that is isolated and separated from the
environment.
 With the construction of a diffuse hotel "Morosini Grimani" and the
Tourist-residential zone "Mandule", it is considered that the overall offer,
including in accommodation, will increase over time and that the
landlords of Savičente will realize its importance and that accommodation
will grow from additional activity into one of the main activities.
Thank you for attention!