Innovation of Business Culture with the Aim of Developing Croatian Tourism – Case Study of Valamar Hotels & Resorts

Croatian tourism must apply a new concept of development in order to transform natural resources (comparative advantages) into a competitive tourism offer based on innovation. The ultimate goal of this is to multiply profit and sustainable growth. The main impetus for development is the intellectual capital and new system of values based on knowledge and an individual approach to each customer. The education of a new generation of managers is the prerequisite for the development of tourism on the macro and micro level. The new managers should be able to anticipate and actively design the future and bring about changes. It no longer suffices to be up to date with the demand and follow the competition. Instead, one should introduce new content in order to achieve a leading position. Employees must aim towards self-realisation in order to make their company more competitive. It is necessary to constantly educate employees, introduce cross training techniques, authorisation in order to establish an organisation which is able to learn and thus advance. The importance of business culture is shown in this paper using the positive example of the development of the Croatian hospitality management company (Valamar Hotels & Resorts) based on management of knowledge and learning culture.