The role of intangible cultural heritage in differentiation of cultural tourism products - the case of Zagreb

Purpose - The paper aims to shed light on intangible cultural heritage (ICH) resources that enable a stronger differentiation of cultural tourism products in the city of Zagreb.Design - The paper identifies the existing ICH-based tourism products and systematizes them according to the UNWTO s classification; discusses current state of ICH-based tourism products in the city of Zagreb; and provides some policy recommendations for the improvement of tourism valorization of the ICH and better ICH-based tourism products differentiation in the city of Zagreb.Methodology - The study reviews the literature on heritage tourism, ICH and the practices of using ICH for tourism purposes and particularly for tourism product differentiation. The study relies on qualitative and quantitative analysis of data.Approach - The sample includes safeguarded ICH elements of the city of Zagreb inscribed in the Registry of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia and implemented into city ICH-based tourism products.Findings - The analysis determined several most prominent elements from each UNWTO category which enable tourism product differentiation based on the characteristics of ICH of the city of Zagreb. The research results revealed that ICH serves as one of the key aspects of tourism product differentiation, which enables better market segmentation and targeting.Originality of the research - The paper adds to the growing literature on heritage tourism studies, specifically in the under-researched interdisciplinary field of ICH and tourism. Additionally, it explores issues and challenges of using ICH for differentiation of cultural tourism product and for creation of the unique tourist experiences.