Author(s):
1. Neven Seric, 2. Ivana Zilic, Croatia

Abstract:
Cross-border cooperation is becoming an imperative in the management of sustainable tourism development of the border area. Developing specialized tourist products in two or more interconnected countries, synergistic contributes in improving competitiveness and recognition of the tourist offer at the border area. An interesting linking contributes in strengthening cooperation in the cross border area. Expanding the cooperation encourages development of new business ideas, and also creates a simulative entrepreneur environment, and strengthens business area. Economy consolidation and growth, according the appearance of new ideas, companies, products, and services contributes in creating a new image of the cross-border area. The new economic facilities enhance identity, and broadly spread the potential of creating a recognizable brand of border area. The strengthening of interregional cooperation in Europe confirms the affirmative attitude of the European Union according to those projects, which is the assumption for obtaining fund assets from EU funds. According to the fact that Republic of Croatia strategically is orientated on tourism, it should be initiator in establishing cross-border cooperation. But also, the cross border cooperation establishment contributes to greater propulsion of transit travel corridors in the border areas. Concerning that, the marketing potential stands in co-branding of the national tourist offer in countries of border areas. Therefore, the contribution is mutual. Designing recognizable and competitive tourist brand is consisted of the resource diversity - usable for the tourist valorization, and also for climatic changes at the particular cross- border areas in the former Yugoslavia. According to data from the earlier studies, conducted by various authors from Southeast Slovenia and Karlovac County, was representing an additional impulse in selecting this topic. On the other hand, studies on the management of cross-border cooperation, in order to create a recognizable tourist brand of cross border area are still rare on the territory of former Yugoslavia. That is why those areas are not sufficiently encouraged on the institutional and national level. According to conducted and researched studies about the tourist cross border potentials of Slovenia and Croatia (Southeast Slovenia and Karlovac County), we are offering a guidelines of responsible and sustainable management model on the available tourist resources. Establishing a model of resource management, in the border areas, assumes adequate cross-border cooperation and synergy between tourism developments. Realization of such synergy of tourism development is a platform for creating a recognizable brand of cross-border tourist areas. In that context the contribution of this paper reflects in the creation of guidelines for designing the model of cross-border areas, on the area of former Yugoslavia. An additional research challenge can be focused on repercussions in political and economic sense, especially in the tourist (and economic) that are modestly evaluated on the continental territory of former Yugoslavia. Besides the economic benefits of this research and possibility of the future cooperation on the cross border areas, contributions are evident in the additional interest of the linking with different people. Thereby it contributes to the political stability of the wider region as well as strengthening the regional identity preserving, revitalizing, and efficient asset management, in border areas. Managing these resources assumes on their evaluation. Conducted analyzes are relevant in the categorization of potential components in future tourism brand of the border area. The contribution of such, comprehensive, approach is synergetic effected on the economy of the entire border area, and it is even touristic developed of the wider tourist zone. Key words: cross-border cooperation, tourism, brand, identity.

Key words:
cross-border cooperation, tourism, brand, identity

Thematic field:
Tourism - sustainable development, regional develo

Date of abstract submission:
31.05.2012.

Number of visits:
495

Conference:
REDETE 2012