FACTORS OF DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN CROATIA

International tourism is gaining increasing influence on the country’s competitiveness in the world markets. The article is dedicated to Croatia, one of the most successful countries in the former Yugoslav republic. Its disintegration became one of the world’s national conflicts, where many human bloods were shed, by the way, it is similar to that which Ukraine is going through today. The Croats managed to put an end to the separatist conflict, embark on a plan for economic stability and enter the European Union. It was investigated that tourism was one of the priority development areas that the country focused on. It is determined that Croatia is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean region, and the tourism industry is developing successfully and generating a stable income. The article considers the system of factors which became the prerequisite for the development of the tourist industry in Croatia. Their role in the development of the modern tourism industry in Croatia has been characterized. The main natural-geographical factors are investigated – relief, climate, water factor and nature reserve fund. It is determined that the advantage of Croatia is not only the clean and warm Adriatic sea but also the availability of thermal waters and mineral springs, as well as a unique natural reserve fund. The significance of human-geographical factors – socio-geographical position, historical-geographical, demographic, cultural-historical, level of socio-economic development, material and technical base and transport factors are revealed. Interestingly, the accession of Croatia to the EU was not prevented either by the territorial problems that the country had with Slovenia, nor the restrained attitude of the population towards European integration, nor the external debt of the country, which exceeded the crisis mark for the European Union. An analysis of the level of economic development in Croatia showed that Croatia had become one of the poorest countries of the EU at the time of its accession to this organization. The analysis of the main indicators of socio-economic development of the country in 2017 showed that today Croatia has become a very attractive European country, which tourists are willing to visit. The basis of Croatia’s economy is the service sector, whose share in the country’s GDP is 70.8%, of which direct revenue from tourism is 10.9%. The key factor in the development of tourism in Croatia is the material and technical base. In particular, the system of accommodation of Croatia for quality and service is not inferior to other European countries. Roads are the most modern and safe in Europe. The importance of tourism development in Croatia for the ecological and geographical factor is analyzed. It has been determined that an effective system of governance has been created in Croatia for the protection of the environment. Effective state tourism policy contributes to improving the attractiveness of Croatia in the tourist market and accelerates integration processes in the world economy.