ANALYSIS OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF GOLF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN CONTINENTAL CROATIA

According to the number of registered players, golf has become one of the most popular sports in the world - over 60 million players playing golf on more than 30 000 golf courses. Starting from the fact that golf travels motivated by tourism take up a large part of the emissive tourist markets around the world and the growing number of tourists interested in this type of tourist arrangement, the paper analyses the needs and possibilities of sustainable development of golf tourism in the destinations of continental Croatia. Golf as a type of tourism is very little explored in domestic literature, and the possibilities of golf integration have not been explored in the tourist offer of continental Croatia. For this reason, it is necessary to analyse the development of golf tourism and to explore the possibility of implementing golf offers in the tourist product of destination in continental Croatia. When it comes to continental Croatia as a tourist destination it is necessary to point out the proximity of the broadcasting market, natural beauty and the favourable climate conditions that allow playing golf most of the year. The aim of this paper is to analyse the current development of golf tourism and to establish guidelines for the sustainable development of golf tourism in the destinations of continental Croatia. There are certain scientific methods of research which have been used in this paper: -Desk research method for collecting and analysing secondary data sources in accordance with the purpose of the research -Methods of descriptive statistics for data processing and analysis. The results of this research will address the needs and opportunities of sustainable development of golf tourism in Croatia and give some guidance and vision for its sustainable development.