Logistics in providing private accommodation services in Primorsko-goranska county

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to find a concept for optimizing cost and revenue from providing private accommodation services. The aim is to display how linking all participants who provide private accommodation services into a logistics network will result in better and higher quality service for the guest and in reduced cost for the private accommodation provider. Design – This study researches private accommodation providers in the Primorsko - Goranska County. Primorsko - Goranska County has great potential for providing private accommodation services, but it does not have a well-organized system which could improve the quality of the provided services. Methodology – To prove the study’s thesis, scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, methods of induction and deduction, as well as historic and statistical methods have been employed. Furthermore, it includes data from the Department of Tourism, Office of the Croatian Government in Rijeka, as well as data obtained from the local Association of Private Accommodation HGK – PGŽ (Croatian Chamber of Economy in the Primorsko – Goranska County), data from the statistical yearbook, Institute for tourism as well as data from the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and other scientific and professional literature. Approach – The authors aim to prove that by linking all participants in the process of providing private accommodation into a logistics network would increase the quality of the service and simultaneously optimize the costs. The logistic solution which will be proposed in the “Results” section will provide answers to the suggestion whether private accommodation providers should enter into a system with its business surroundings, i.e. travel agencies, local administration community systems, tourist boards, commercial service associations, state institutions, etc. Findings – This research has reached the conclusion that private accommodation providers do not satisfy the principles of the logistic concept and that other participants in the process of providing private accommodation services (institutions) do not adequately support them. The logistic concept is not the final solution, but a foundation for further research. Originality of the research – This paper represents a valuable contribution to research into private accommodation as a phenomenon in the accommodation structure and accommodation services at the level of the Primorsko – Goranska County as well as the Republic of Croatia as a whole. A logistic concept is provided which could solve the problem of poor organization that many private accommodation owners face and it could also possibly have a practical effect on both private accommodation owners and managers. The paper also enriches the overall amount of scientific literature in the field of logistics, organization and management in tourism.