Tourism Development and Stagnation of Korcula Island in the Model of the Tourism Area Life Cycle

The paper analyses the life cycle of Korcula Island in the 1964-2012 period using Butler's (1980) model, according to Lundtorp and Wanhil (2001) criteria. Tourism development was analysed within two separate life cycles, in respect of different factors, segmentation of tourist offer, forms of tourism and spatial pioccsscs. The first cycle was based on the classical tourist product, Sun and Sea, and caused the take-over of the whole island by tourism and ended with decline, due to loss of attractiveness and competitiveness of the classical tourist product in the late 1980s and the Homeland War. The present cycle was initiated by rejuvenation of coastal tourism after the war, but the island entered into a stagnation phase again in the mid-2000s. Therefore, great efforts are being put into development of a complex tourist offer and forms of tourism, emphasising heritage and active holidays.