Guide Me Dalmatia Šibenik: The new digital guide presents the destination through the stories of locals

The Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board presented "Guide Me Dalmatia Šibenik“, new digital travel guide which gathers author's routes, recommendations and experiences of people living in the county in one place.

Instead of a classic list of sights and tourist attractions, the guide presents the destination through personal stories of local residents, their favorite locations and places that are often not part of the usual tourist routes.

The starting point of the project is the idea that the feeling and authenticity of a particular place cannot be conveyed solely through algorithms, tourist maps and generic recommendations. Local stories and experiences thus become one of the main tools for presenting a destination.

Digital guide based on recommendations from locals

Unlike classic tourist guides that are created once and then updated only occasionally, "Guide Me" is conceived as an open platform that will be continuously developed.

Every new recommendation, route and story becomes part of the common knowledge base created by the residents of Šibenik-Knin County.

"Guide Me Dalmatia Šibenik is not a static website or a classic tourist guide. It is a platform that grows thanks to the people who participate in it. The name of the guide also carries its essence - Guide Me, guide me. Through the exchange of knowledge, experiences and personal stories, we guide each other in rediscovering the values ​​of the region in which we live., emphasized the director of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board, Krešimir Šakić.

The destination is thus no longer represented only by official photos and descriptions of attractions, but also by the people who live there every day.

More than 250 localities through 15 thematic routes

The first version of the guide brings together more than 250 localities distributed throughout 15 thematic routesEach route has its own author, who brings his own perspective on the space in which he lives, works, or has been exploring for years.

Among the authors is a former Croatian basketball national team member Antonija Misura Sandric, who takes visitors to the places where she herself prefers to spend her free time with family and friends. Painter Branka Grubić Through her recommendations, she presents the Šibenik hinterland from the perspective of an artist, while archaeologist Željko Krnčević reveals lesser-known sites and historical stories that he has been researching for decades. Hiking guide Marina Skrapic leads along old paths once used by the inhabitants of this region, while photographer and researcher Mićo Samardžija narrates fifteen years of research into Dinara, Krčić, Zrmanja, Cetina and Velebit in the guide.

Young people from Knin are also involved in the project. Mihovil Budanko and Gracija Požar, who present the Dalmatian hinterland from the perspective of a new generation. Their recommendations are focused on outdoor tourism, new amenities, and an area that attracts more and more hikers, cyclists, nature lovers, and adventurers.

Their routes are not intended just as lists of sights, but as stories through which visitors can better understand the area and the people who live there.

"Guide Me was created from the belief that the future of tourism will not be determined by the quantity of information, but by the quality of the relationships we create. No one can replace the recommendation of a person who grew up by his river, mountain, or lives on an island all year round and knows where to drink your first morning coffee, which way to take to a hidden cove, or where the most beautiful view is hidden. We wanted to create a platform where our people become the authors of the destination, and their stories are turned into experiences that allow guests to get to know the place from the inside", said Sakic.

"Guide Me" is thus not intended only as a guide that guests will open before their trip, but as a digital platform that they will return to precisely because there is a real person behind each recommendation.

Open call to residents and tourism stakeholders

One of the project's unique features is the possibility of its further development through the involvement of the local community. The Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board has invited residents to get involved in content creation i become guide authors.

Hikers, fishermen, photographers, artists, craftsmen, winemakers, teachers and anyone else who knows their area and wants to share a specific recommendation, story or route can get involved.

The invitation is also extended to hotels, campsites, private rental companies, caterers, travel agencies, family farms, museums and other tourism stakeholders who want to offer their guests content beyond the classic tour of the destination.

"Guide Me" is not intended as a competition to the existing tourist offer, but as an upgrade to it and a kind of digital host that directs guests towards local and authentic experiences.

Anyone interested in joining the project can contact us at guideme@dalmatiasibenik.hr.