Personalisation and Predictive Marketing in a Croatian Tourist Destination: Behavioural Strategies for Enhancing the Tourist Experience

Željka Zavišić, Mladen Pancić () and Hrvoje Serdarušić
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Željka Zavišić: Department of Marketing, Effectus University of Applied Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Mladen Pancić: Faculty of Economics in Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Hrvoje Serdarušić: Faculty of Economics in Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia

Tourism and Hospitality, 2025, vol. 6, issue 4, 1-28

Abstract: This paper explores the role of personalisation and predictive marketing in Croatian tourism and analyses how behavioural strategies can enhance the tourist experience and increase visitor loyalty. In today’s competitive tourism market, personalised marketing strategies have become a key factor in attracting and retaining tourists. Based on the theoretical framework and previous research, hypotheses were formulated on various aspects of behavioural marketing, such as the impact of personalisation on destination choice, the perception of marketing effectiveness by different demographic groups and the correlation between tourists’ satisfaction and their willingness to revisit a destination. The aim of this study was to test six hypotheses relating to the personalisation of marketing messages, demographic factors and their correlation with tourists’ willingness to revisit the destination. Using a quantitative methodology, a survey was conducted among 415 tourists who had visited the Croatian city of Vodice. A total of 257 questionnaires were completed. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression models to identify the most important factors influencing tourists’ behaviour and preferences. The results show that personalised marketing messages have a positive impact on tourists’ decision to visit the destination. In addition, this study shows that demographic factors such as gender, age and education significantly influence the perception of marketing effectiveness. Tourists who received predictive marketing messages expressed higher satisfaction with their stay and showed a greater willingness to visit the destination again than those who did not receive personalised offers. These results underline the importance of integrating behavioural strategies into marketing activities to build tourist loyalty and improve the overall tourism experience. Based on the research findings, further application of these marketing approaches is recommended to increase competitiveness and attract more loyal tourists.

Keywords: predictive marketing; tourist experience; behavioral strategies; Croatia; Vodice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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