QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

IN CROATIAN ECONOMY

THE CITY OF IBENIK AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT

IBENIK KAO KULTURNI DISTRIKT

Ivana Brati, prof.

mr.sc. Ivana Kardum Gole

Polytechnic of ibenik,
Trg Andrije Hebranga 11
22000 ibenik (bratic@vus.hr, ivanakg@vus.hr)

Abstract
The scope of this article is to present the idea of the city of ibenik as a cultural district following the
model of many other cultural centres in the world like for example the city of Louiswille in the USA or
the city of Linz in Austria to the cultural centres in the heart of Italy. The idea is to promote the
originality not just in terms of rediscovering the cultural and historical heritage, but also the
originality in terms of entrepreneurial ideas, cultural achievements and artistic work. A district of this
kind should be a framework through which culture, entrepreneurship, art and education should
intertwine to create a recognisable image towards the idea of economical sustainability through
tourism.

Key words: district, culture, long term sustainable development

1. INTRODUCTION
The scope of this article is to emphasise the idea that following the example of a cultural
district the city of ibenik can build its story as a successful tourist destination for the ever
changing and demanding modern tourist. It can be done by uniting the different factors of the
society; local authorities, entrepreneurs, cultural and educational institutions towards the
creation of excellent benchmark for future periods.

The authors will present the concept of cultural district and its difference from the industrial
one and they would present some of the issues that ibenik has been faced with and in which
way it may do efforts to continue its endeavour on the path of the identification through
cultural aspect.

2. THE GENERAL IDEA OF CULTURAL DISTRIC

Before taking into consideration the idea of cultural districts, it is important to first analyse
the concept of industrial districts which was born prior to this second one. The model of
industrial district was first introduced by the economist Alfred Marshall who explains its main
characteristics in his writings The Economics of Industry (1879) and Principles of Economics
(1890). In these two books he explains the idea that the advantages of production on a large
scale can be achieved either by grouping in a same district a large number of small enterprises
or by building a few large enterprises.

Cultural district does not represent a simple switch from the model of an industrial district to a
cultural one although some basic characteristics of an industrial district are still maintained.
The first difference is that the industrial district is based on an economical value while in the
case of cultural district it is the culture that lies on the basis of the whole concept.

The prominent Italian economist, Professor Giacomo Becattini elaborated Marshalls ideas
regarding the competitive advantages in so called industrial districts. He adds one more
character to Marshals idea of an industrial district and that is the social, cultural and
institutional character of a district. Beccatini stresses the close relationship of enterprises to
their territorial characteristics. A European example is Linz in Austria which transformed its
aspect from a steel giant to a multimedia authority with permanent cultural dimension.1 The

1
Becattini G., I sistemi locali nello sviluppo economico italiano e nella sua interpretazione, Sviluppo Locale,
2-3(2-3), 1995-96, 5-25.
district model offered by Italian economists in the 1980s (Becattini, 1987, 1989; Bellandi,
1982, Dei Ottati 1986, Brusco, 1989) stresses the importance of the existence of intangible
values and knowledge sharing as crucial factors for strengthening a competitiveness of all the
companies included in the local cluster.

Every geographical place or territory integrates certain specific characteristics whether

geographical, natural or social phenomena and processes.2 Although we can state that
globalization has been visible across the globe in a huge variety of aspects, identity of a place
is of crucial importance. Manuel Castells, a distinguished sociologist claims that identities are
built from history, geography, biology, productive and unproductive institutions, collective
memory, personal fantasies, power machines, religion.3 Identities are created by the process of
individualization. Hence, any identity is a social construction as much as an individual
creation.4

The idea of the supporting the development and promotion of a destination seen through a
prism of a cultural district has a long-term goal of encouraging the sustainable development of
the area which may be rich in its historical and cultural heritage, but requires more
collaboration of all stakeholders of the community towards one durable economic
development.

The concept of cultural district and cultural tourism is a phenomenon that is already
happening on the worlds global tourist market and that will grow even stronger in the near
future as tourists are becoming always more demanding and meticulous in terms of their
requirements over which destination to choose, what kind of accommodation to select. They
are in search of new cultural events and authentic destinations that may be connected to those
events; to some specific experience that would sign their journey by new emotions to take
with them on their way home.

This may be the point in which cultural district pervades with the idea of industrial district
since in order to create the economic benefit and sustainable development of a destination
these two categories should in a way coexist. New business initiatives should arise from that
coexistence. Education and information technologies should also make part of such a

2
Taken from Juraj- Bilten Drutva za ouvanje ibenske batine Juraj Dalmatinac, br.peti XII./2016., ISSN
1848-5812, p 50-51
3
Castells, M.: Informacijsko doba. Ekonomija, drutvo I kultura, svezak II. Mo identiteta, Golden marketing,
Zagreb, 2002. P 241
4
Orai Toli, D.: Muka moderna i enska postmoderna. Roenje virtualne kulture, Naklada Ljevak, Biblioteka
Razotkrivanja, Zagreb, 2005.
coexistence within a cultural district in order to create a long-term sustainability and therefore
an economic benefit for the whole community.

3. IBENIK AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT

The City of ibenik was faced with a challenge some 10-15 years ago when it was clear that
the old industrial heritage interwoven in the 20th century history was actually faced with its
end. However, the initial feeling of unpromising future was and still has been replaced with
something that ibenik has always had; its culture, and people who give life to art and create
art. Today, ibenik can be viewed in the light of a huge, although unexpected, success in
tourism. For experts, this is not surprising though. There are numerous reasons why this is so
but the authors believe that profoundly new rethinking of the town and the area has taken
place in the last five years. This rethinking could not have happened without the rich cultural
and artistic heritage that ibenik possesses. However, the cultural heritage with many artistic
monuments cannot be enough. How to manage cultural heritage and cultural projects is
essential because no cultural sector is self-sustained. This is the reason why management of
cultural sphere is not only a necessity but also an obligation. Different bodies are in charge of
cultural projects and we should stress the necessity to separate property from management.
Cultural heritage will then become more appealing for investment (foundations) and we will
be able to define our target and adjust our interventions and ideas. The strategy of
development is of vital importance.

Material and immaterial heritage must be preserved along with its natural environment
promotion and affirmation of young local artists. It would put new lights on old cultural and
historical links inside of this unique civilization circle through promotion of our culture and
art. However, can this new strategy be sustainable? This is the most difficult part of the
cultural planning because good ideas are not enough. The potential beneficiaries of this
initiative could be the whole area with modern tourists who want to experience the place to its
maximum, enterprises that will recognize the rewards coming from the added value of this
new tourist product, local community along with university institutions. Many experts claim
that guests, in our case tourists, want to experience a destination and this can be achieved
through synergy effect of everything we offer to them, everything they encounter, feel, buy. 5

5
Gardijan. P.: Izgradnja city Brenda, from brochure Upravljanje turistikom destinacijom grada ibenika kao
brendom, ibenik 2012, pp 5-12
According to global market trends all the gifts of a destination should be considered as
experience economy.

This economy should derive from operation and integration of processes between systems of
enterprise, culture and art, artistic world and local community, competences and traditions and
values represented in the territory by cultural, historical and ambient heritage. Systems of
interaction in a specific region are of vital importance and new management of small and
medium enterprises and evaluation of activities of local craftsman production can be utilized
as new tools of promotion of a territory. Institutions should strive to create cultural
interventions for greater social, cultural and artistic satisfaction. The experience that people
visiting ibenik should have can serve as a reference for integration, harmony and
reinterpretation in the field of cultural systems and local knowledge.

4. KEEP THE SAME PACE

The necessity of collaboration of all the stakeholders of the society in terms of a destination is
essential in the development of the city of ibenik as a cultural district. Educational
institutions should participate as active members for that kind of collaborations by stimulating
a thinking towards a creation of a community consciousness of the investment in the human
factor as well as in the creation of new authentic ideas and harmonious projects towards the
creation of an economic benefit for the community.

The city of ibenik with its great history and a unique geographical position in the central
part of the Adriatic coast, is easily reachable by tourists of central Europe, between two
important ports; Split and Zadar, having itself perfect conditions to grow even in that
direction.

It must though be recognised that in the past few years ibenik has outlined its direction
towards a cultural centre recognisable for its various cultural events and manifestations that
are already attracting its visitors giving them an extra reason for choosing this destinations
among many offered on a global worlds platform. The only problem is the seasonal character
of such manifestations that trouble local entrepreneurs and the economic character for a long
term sustainability of the whole community.

The local community, together with its governance, stakeholders; institutions, tourist boards,
local entrepreneurs, higher educational institutions, cultural bodies, should in a very near
future design the framework of extending that seasonal character as much as possible towards
low seasons to achieve the possibility of creating the working environment throughout the
whole year. This can be done by creating a whole range of events that should over time grow
into common annual appointments.

Although the tourist board of the City of ibenik, together with the help of few local agencies,
has been taking different measures to encourage the maintenance of activities and work
throughout the whole year and has also worked on the revival of cultural events, the problem
arises when in the low season the old town of the city, gets abandoned, emptied from the
major part of commercial activities that finish their work because there are no preconditions
that would guarantee their economic interest.

In order to connect these two aspects; the cultural one on one side and economic aspect on the
other, more efforts should be done on that entrepreneurial level so that everyone could keep
the same pace.

And what can therefore be done? How can the potential visitors be stimulated to come to the
City of ibenik, or in the homonymous county even in autumn, spring or in winter? What is
there that could attract them and make of their stay a memorable experience?

Before in this article the authors mentioned that the designing and creation of different events
and manifestations was crucial for the development of annual appointments. By that term they
pointed on the creation of activities that could be repeated every year with a scope to turn it
over time into a tradition.
It is also true that this kind of reflection is not completely new, because ibenik already has a
half century old traditional appointment that unites the human factor, culture, creativity with
the movement of people within the old city centre, an important tourist factor, and it is the
International Children's Festival which takes place in the last week of June and the first week
of July. Another, recently launched appointment is Medieval Fair which takes place in the
first part of September and unites tradition, history, old crafts, gastronomy and is of cheerful
character. These are the two recognisable ones that the authors intended to point out as they
already make part of ibeniks tradition and attract many local and foreign visitors creating
thus an economic benefit, a precondition for sustainable development.
ibenik should concentrate always more on the creation of that kind of offer towards its
definition of a cultural district. It could follow the example of the central Italian regions
Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia Romagna in organising different feasts or sagre
connected to simple but original local traditions; to seasonal food, local dishes or seasonal
specialities, with predetermined dates thorough the whole year. Regarding this issue, ibenik
could for instance organise a number of events connected to its wine and olive traditions
which lately have been flourishing, like the paths of wine and oil, by organising even some
kind of educational aspect in order to attract different target groups. The same can be done
with local products, local antique, medieval games that would unite culture, originality,
education towards a rediscovering of such a diversified product and the economic factor that
would give sense to such activities and would prolong the season, reactivate the community in
its economical aspect helping it to keep the same pace with all its stakeholders.

5. CONCLUSION

The authors of this article had an intention to introduce the concept of a cultural district in the
area of the City of ibenik as a model through which its diversified and rich cultural heritage
could be recognised and valorised as a quality tourist product. The authors state that the
culture and historical heritage is not self-sustained and that is the reason why management of
cultural sphere is not only a necessity but an obligation. All the stakeholders of a society
should collaborate in order to create a framework that would lay basis for economic growth
and consequently for a long term sustainable development.

Saetak

IBENIK KAO KULTURNI DISTRIKT

Cilj ovog lanka je predstaviti viziju razvoja grada ibenika kao kulturalnog distrikta po modelu
monogih drugih kulturanih centara u svijetu kao na primjeru grada Louisvilla u SAD-u ili Linza u
Austriji pa do mnogih kulturnih centara u srcu Italije. Cilj je da se promovira originalnost ne samo u
smislu otkrivanja kulturnog i povijesnog nasljea, ve u smislu originalnih poduzetnikih ideja,
kulturnih postignuai umjetnikog stvaralatva. Ideja je da bi se kroz district trebala stvoriti jedna
mrea kroz koju bi se proimala kultura, poduzetnitvo, umjetnost i obrazovanje s ciljem stvaranja
jednog prepoznatljivog imida koji bi doprinio stvaranju ideje ekonomske odrivosti kroz turizam.

Kljune rijei: district, kultura, dugoroni odrivi razvoj

REFERENTIAL LITERATURE
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Journals

1. Juraj- Bilten Drutva za ouvanje ibenske batine Juraj Dalmatinac, br.peti XII./2016., ISSN
1848-5812
2. Gardijan. P.: Izgradnja city Brenda, from brochure Upravljanje turistikom destinacijom grada
ibenika kao brendom, ibenik 2012

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