INTEGRATED REPORTING AS A TREND AND CHALLENGE FOR BENCHMARKING AND COMPETITIVENESS OF THE CAMPING BUSINESS

Purpose - To respond to the challenges of contributing to campsite benchmarking and performance reporting, following the fact that academic research has placed relatively little attention on the economic aspect of the camping business and that relevant reporting standards are missing, why campsites are not included in the global benchmarking process which is important for performance comparison and competitiveness assessment. Research Question - How is it possible to improve the current level of information for the Croatian camping business in a way that it will become more successful in the global tourism market? Design, Methodology, Approach - Based on a representative sample of 24% campsites in Croatia, the performance benchmarking methodology is critically evaluated through the existing model, with the direction to improve the framework of integrated reporting. Findings - The research results indicate that the current information presented through the existing campsite benchmarking model are insufficient for long-term decision making, primarily regarding sustainability, and the way of its improvement is proposed. Originality of the research - The theoretical contribution of the campsites' benchmarking is recognized, as a part of the overall valorisation of the camping business performance, it also meets the expectations for the successful implementation of the research results in practice, as a basis for improving campsites' competitiveness on the tourism market.