Marijana Biondić: I believe in tourism that does not create scenery, but preserves what makes a place its own

Reason for conversation with Marijana Biondić, Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Crikvenica, was "My Little Kala", an event that won over the local population and numerous visitors with its authenticity and warmth.

But behind it lies much more than the idea of ​​another tourist event, there is a desire to bring life back to the old streets of Crikvenica, open the portuni, preserve stories and customs, and reconnect people.

"For me, tourism is not just statistics, the number of arrivals or overnight stays. These are important indicators of success, but behind them there must always be people. Tourism is an encounter. An opportunity for a guest to get to know a destination through its inhabitants, their stories, customs, gastronomy, music and way of life.", emphasizes Biondić.

This view of tourism has accompanied her throughout her professional journey. She grew up in a family where heritage, tradition, customs and the Čakavian language were part of everyday life, and she says that her parents instilled in her a love for the region, respect for the people who created it, and an awareness of the importance of preserving identity.

She has dedicated her entire working life to tourism. She was the director of the Vinodol Tourist Board, then the Senj Tourist Board, and since 2010 she has been the head of the Crikvenica Tourist Board. Over the years, she has designed and launched a series of projects and events that grew out of the identity of the places she worked in, many of which still live on today.

In Crikvenica, she created "Moja malu kala", "Na palade, kanat i štorije" and "Cesta plave ribe", as well as "Sretno Selce", dedicated to the identity of Selce. Although they are different in content, they all stem from the same development philosophy - they start from local people, their heritage, customs, language, gastronomy and stories.

"Nowadays, people are increasingly traveling to experience something, not just to see it. That's why I believe that the future of tourism belongs to destinations that have the courage to remain their own. Authenticity cannot be created in one season. It already exists - in the people, the language, the customs, the songs, the recipes and the everyday life. It is up to us to recognize it, preserve it and present it in an honest way.", he thinks.

We didn't want another demonstration.

It was from this kind of thinking that Biondić conceived of "My Little Kale." The idea, she says, was not born overnight, but rather matured over the years as she passed through the old town center of Crikvenica.

"Every time I walked through the old town center, I thought about how much wealth was hidden behind closed gates and how many stories remained untold. I knew that the greatest value of old Crikvenica was not just the stone houses and alleys, but the people who lived in them, who still live there today and preserve the memories of a way of life.

I didn't want to create another event. I wanted to bring life back to the old days - to hear conversation, songs and children's laughter again, to have people gather in front of their houses and to open their doors again. I believed that if the event was sincere and created together with the local community, it would naturally find its way to our guests.", he reveals.

The name "Moja mala kala" is also part of Crikvenica's heritage. It is a song from an album released in 1988 to celebrate the centenary of organized tourism in Crikvenica. The song was revived during the event by recording a video with all the musical groups that participated in the program, and a year later, the song "Od murve do svetog Antona".

By doing so, he explains, they wanted to show that heritage is not just what we can see. Heritage is also what we can hear, sing, and pass on to new generations.

The key to everything was trust.

Opening the doors of someone's home and private yard cannot be achieved through a tourist program. To do that, first and foremost, trust had to be built.

"From the beginning, we approached people with respect and made it clear that we did not want to create a show for tourists, but rather to tell the story of our city together. In the first year, there were many conversations and tours. Today, people contact us on their own, offer their yards, bring old photos, objects, recipes and memories, and suggest new content.", says Biondić, adding that this is the biggest confirmation that the event has become part of the community.

"My Little Street" is particularly emotional for older Crikvenica residents. Many said they felt like they used to, when the streets were a place of everyday life, socializing, and togetherness. Today, they are among the most important contributors to the event.

"We are not reviving the past out of nostalgia, but rather creating a bridge between generations so that what is valuable can continue to live on. Our older fellow citizens preserve knowledge, customs, songs, traditional skills, the Chakavian language and stories that we want to pass on to the younger generation.", he adds.

That's why they started developing year-round workshops for children and adults, in collaboration with schools, kindergartens, associations and the oldest citizens. The goal is for the story "My Little Kale" to live on not just for two days, but throughout the year.

A place to talk again

In a time when spontaneous encounters are becoming fewer and fewer, "My Little Kala" reminds us of a value that goes beyond tourism itself - togetherness.

"In the past, the streets were places of daily encounters. People talked, helped each other and lived more connected than they do today. The value of a place is not only its buildings or natural beauty, but also the people and the relationships they build with each other.", Biondić is convinced.

The visitor therefore does not observe "My Little Street" from the sidelines. He is invited to stop, walk along the narrow stone streets, pass through open gates, and step into courtyards that are not accessible to the public during the year.

There, they will be greeted by their hosts and their family memories, old photographs and objects that testify to life in the past, traditional crafts and skills, exhibitions and workshops, music, songs and the smells of local cuisine. They can taste Crikvenica rupice, batuda or puhanci prepared according to family recipes, listen to stories about how people used to live in the villages, peek into courtyards that otherwise remain hidden behind closed gates and meet people who do not represent local heritage - but live it.

This diversity is one of the special charms of "My Little Kale". While in one courtyard dishes are prepared according to old recipes, in another one can discover objects and photographs from family albums, somewhere old skills and customs are presented, and just a few steps away you can hear songs and music. For two days, Kale becomes what it once was - a space of life, encounters, conversations, smells and sounds.

The event brings together numerous associations, craftsmen, artists, musicians and individuals who preserve local heritage with their knowledge, skills and stories. Through exhibitions, creative and traditional workshops, presentations of old skills, interpretation of customs, gastronomy and a musical program, each of them brings a part of the story of Crikvenica.

The visitor is not just an observer, he can talk, taste, listen, learn something new and become part of the atmosphere that is created precisely through direct encounters between people. Children have a special place. They are not just the audience, but active participants in the event - they take part in creative and traditional workshops, make handicrafts, present their works and through play they learn about the customs and values ​​that we want to preserve.

For the director of TZ Crikvenica, the greatest value of "My Little Kale" is not individual programs.

"It is important to us that 'My Little Kala' is an experience for all generations. We want everyone to find something that will stop them, interest them or perhaps remind them of a memory of their own. And I am especially happy when I see children with our oldest fellow citizens, because it is precisely in these meetings that what we want to achieve happens - that stories, knowledge and customs are not only shown, but also naturally passed on. That is why I like to say that on 'My Little Kala' you don't just tour the old town centre, you get to know the soul of Crikvenica.", he emphasizes.

Authenticity doesn't create scenery

As the event grows, one of the biggest challenges is to preserve the intimacy and sincerity that made it special.

"From day one, we have had a simple rule - all content must belong to the old city center and its people. We don't want a program that could be held anywhere, but an event that makes sense right here.", he points out.

That's why when preparing new content, it's not just how attractive something will be that matters, but whether it fits into the character of the event and the values ​​it wants to preserve.

"I would rather give up on an idea than lose what makes 'My Little Kala' special. Authenticity doesn't create a backdrop. It doesn't fake the life of a destination, it shows it as it is.", she says. She is convinced that guests easily recognize sincerity and it is precisely such experiences that they remember the longest.

Different projects, same author's handwriting

"My Little Kala" is not the only project that Biondić has designed based on the identity of the destination. Behind the projects "On palade, kanat and štorije", "The Road of the Blue Fish" and "Happy Selce" is the same development philosophy - not to invent a new story for the destination, but to recognize the one that already belongs to it and enable it to live.

"Every destination must find what makes it unique. When I design a project, I always start from the people, the heritage and the uniqueness of the place. I don't want to create content that could exist anywhere, but rather content that comes from the lives of our people.", he reveals.

Thus, "My Little Kala" speaks about the community and life of the old town core of Crikvenica, "Na palade, kanat i štorije" preserves the Chakavian word and musical heritage, "Cesta plave ribe" grew out of the fishing tradition and gastronomy, while "Sretno Selce" nurtures the identity of Selce through its people, customs and stories.

"At first glance, these are different projects, but they are connected by the same idea - to preserve the identity of our places and enable guests to get to know the Crikvenica Riviera through what is authentic and unique. For me, this is exactly the meaning of tourism development: not to create something artificial for the sake of the guest, but to recognize the value of what we have and, together with the local community, turn it into an experience.", our interviewee describes.

Why the end of June?

The next edition of "Moje male kale" will be held at the end of June. Over the years, the event has become recognizable and in itself a reason to come to Crikvenica, so by holding it during this period, we want to further enrich the offer and encourage tourist traffic outside the peak summer season. At the same time, it is important for us to preserve the very atmosphere that makes "Moje mala kale" special.

"We are pleased that 'My Little Kala' has become the reason why people come to Crikvenica on purpose and we believe that such events can be a strong motivation for coming even outside the main season. On the other hand, our goal is not to create too many crowds in the Kala, because then part of the experience we want to provide is lost. We want visitors to have space and time to stop, open the door, enter the yard, talk to the hosts, listen to their stories and experience everything we have prepared. It is precisely in this balance that our goal is - for the event to contribute to tourist traffic and the extension of the season, while maintaining its intimacy, warmth and immediacy.", explains Biondić.

When "Mine" becomes "Our Little Kala"

The greatest proof of success is not just the numbers or the number of visitors. Every year, more and more families, associations, craftsmen and individuals who want to be part of the event get involved. Guests often point out that it was through "Moja malu kala" that they got to know a different Crikvenica - a city rich in history and tradition, but above all, warm and hospitable people. Biondić remembers one moment in particular.

"What touched me the most was when I first heard that people were no longer saying 'My little kala', but 'Our little kala'. That's when I realized that this was no longer a project of the Tourist Board, but a project of the entire community. For me, this is its greatest success.", he says emotionally.

Therefore, he would like to especially thank the people of Crikvenica who opened their yards, shared their stories and woven a part of themselves into the event, as well as the associations, schools, kindergartens, institutions, partners, the City of Crikvenica and his entire team at the Crikvenica Tourist Board.

"Without them, this story would not be possible. We do not preserve our heritage for tourists. We preserve it for ourselves, our children and the generations to come. When we live it sincerely and share it with pride, it becomes the most valuable thing we can offer to our guests.", he adds. This is exactly what he sees as the future of tourism - in people, identity and a sense of belonging.

"In the end, a destination is not just about the places we can show a guest, but also about the people who give it its soul. If we manage to preserve our stories, customs, and sense of community, we will have something to pass on to our children, but also something to sincerely share with those who come to us. Perhaps 'My Little Cala' is the best proof of this - we opened the gates to show guests a part of our Crikvenica, and in the end we found ourselves behind them again.", concludes Marijana Biondić.