Ecological vegetable production and tourism - Case study for Croatia

Author: Milan Oplanić ¹, Dean Ban ¹, Desimir Bošković ¹, Vjekoslav Par ² and Dragan Žnidarčič ^3*

Received 19 May 2009, accepted 6 October 2009.

Abstract

Ecologically produced food has a rising trend of demand in the markets of the touristically developed countries, among which is also Croatia. The aim of this study is to determine the possibilities and characteristics of the availability of ecological agricultural produce (using the example of vegetables) on the tourist market, provided that the production of these provisions is economically and financially viable. The research results show that 70% of the surveyed tourists want to consume ecologically produced food and are prepared to pay a higher price for it. The ecological production will be cost effective for farms provided the market prices of such products are higher by 10-50% more than the price of conventional agricultural products. These facts should be an incentive for an increase in the production of ecological products and to the proliferation of the tourist offer directly at farms, as well as by hoteliers, tourist agencies, retailers and provision distributors.