Tourism is present in our ancient and proud Zadar since the late 19th century. A group of tourists from Vienna visited Zadar in 1879. and they were thrilled with bauties of the capital of the Austrian Province of Dalmatia. The Beautification board of the City was founded in 1892. and operated until 1918. Since tourism was becoming more and more interesting economic branch in Zadar, in 1899. the Mountain and Tourist Association „Liburnija“ was founded.

Before the Homeland war, Zadar's tourist guides operated within the tourist agency "Liburnija". Unfortunately, during the Homeland War tourism was stopped. After the aggression on our country and the victorious Homeland War (1991-1995), tourism is gradually returning to the reconstructed Zadar. On the initiative of the first generation of post-war tourist guides who passed their exams at the Faculty of Philosophy of Zadar, in 2003., the Association of Tourist Guides Zadar-Donat was founded. The first post-war president was Zdenka Brković, followed by Nenad Marčina and Vjekoslav Valčić. From 2009. to 2017., President was Nenad Marcina. From 2017. to 2021. President was Vinko Bakija. Since 2021., the President is Ivica Škriljevečki.

The Association of tourist guides is a real incarnation of Zadar's cultural tourism whose members protect Zadar's and Croatian cultural identity in the global context of civilization mobility. Namely, tourist guidence is the competence and activity of creative intercultural communication with the aim of creating memorable and transformational experiences for tourists and visitors.
If tourism "mainstream" today is based on the „memorable experience“, then Zadar tourist guides are the best choice. Through their stories, interpretation and information they can reveal to our tourists and visitors the real and hidden soul of spatial-time phenomena and processes in Zadar County and Zadar.

It is also important to understand the outcomes of tourist guidence here. Namely, Zadar tourist guides, through their interpretation and information, provide the following outcomes: (1) bridging the cultural differences between visitors and the local culture of the visited destination, (2) education of visitors and tourists, (3) intercultural translation of symbols, meanings and values (4) creating respect and admiration towards the cultural and social identity of the local community in the destination, (5) creating a positive attitude towards cultural heritage, visited localities, regions and the country as well as domicile people, (6) facilitating the experience of cultural shock, (7) influence on the increase of products and services, and (8) creating motivation for extended stay in the destination and coming back to the destination and the country. It is evident that Zadar tourist guides are the inevitable and basic in the process of creating and satisfying tourist experience as well as the growth of tourist spending.

The guides gathered in the Association of Tourist guides of Zadar - Donat to our dear tourists offer the following:

• Sightseeing of the City of Zadar from one to three hours
• Sightseeing of museums an sacral art (SICU, St. Donat, MAS, Archaeological Museum, etc.)
• Specific and customized tours for individulas
• Sightseeing of the Zadar County (Nin, Pag, Biograd, Benkovac, Asseria etc.)
• Full day visits to national parks (Kornati, Plitvice Lakes, Krka waterfalls, Paklenica)
• Multi-day tours through Croatia

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