Page 46 - World Heritage and Tourism Innovation

Vuk Tvrtko Opačić Tourism Valorisation of Croatian Intangible Cultural Heritage

The brochure titled The Town of Sinj: Tourist Guide the Cetinska Krajina Region. An Overview explains
offers tourists the most comprehensive presentation the Alka textually and pictorially using the Monu-
of town attractions; the alkar motif during the Alka ment to the alkars and the Sinjska Alka Museum as
is the only motif on the cover, and describes the Sinjs- the first two cultural heritage attractions in the Cetin-
ka Alka in the brochure as the first tourist attraction, ska Krajina Region and the Monument Three Genera-
along with photographs of the alka and alkars’ heritage tions, presented in a photograph in the second part of
on the inside rear cover, which undoubtedly confirms the brochure. In addition, the Monument to the alkars
that the Alka is the greatest tourist attraction and the is one of six photographs on the back covers.
primary motive for the tourism branding of Sinj as a An analysis of the images (photographs) in the
tourist destination. The same brochure describes and tourist brochures of Sinj and the Cetinska Krajina re-
presents the Sinjska Alka Museum as a tourist attrac- gion suggests that the Sinjska Alka and related tourist
tion. Though the pamphlet Miraculous Lady of Sinj is attractions (the Sinjska Alka Museum, alkars’ heritage,
thematically related to the Marian shrine that attracts monuments raised in honour of the alkars and the alka)
many visitors, pilgrims, and tourists, the Sinjska Alka is the most important among the tourist attractions of
is also textually and pictorially presented on two pag- Sinj and the Cetinska Krajina region and is justified in
es. The brochure Three Museums, One Gallery, and assuming the tourist identity and brand in promoting
the Town of Sinj describes the Sinjska Alka Museum this tourist destination on the tourist market.
and attached photographs as the third most impor- The Sinjska Alka is one of the most famous tradi-
tant, probably because it is open after the first two mu- tional Croatian events each year at the beginning of
seums: Archaeological Collection of the Franciscan August in Sinj and the Cetinska Krajina region, at-
Monastery in Sinj and the Cetinska Krajina Museum. tracting many tourists and one-day visitors. Though
The tourist guidebook Our Lady of Sinj Route: Tourist there is much interest in attending the Alka, due to
Guide is thematically related to the pilgrimage which seating capacity limits, the fact that the Alka Knights
takes place each year in the period leading to the Feast Society endeavours not overly to touristify this tradi-
of the Assumption of Our Lady. In the evening, from tional event and thereby lose its authenticity, the Alka
the 8th to the 15th of August, many pilgrims make is nonetheless attended by more than 6,000 visitors
the journey. The pages describing the Sinj shrine also each year, and all available seating is always full. Ac-
mention the Sinjska Alka in the first paragraph. cording to internal data from the Alka Knights Soci-
In contrast, the Monument Three Generations ety since 2018 on attendance at the Alka, the capacity
(three men from different generations holding the of the temporary grandstand assembled each year for
alka together) and the Monument to the alkars are in the Alka race is 5,170 seating places, and another ap-
the photographs. On The Town of Sinj: Tourist Map, prox. One thousand visitors follow the Alka event at
a photo of the altar procession from the Sinjska Alka the start and end locations of the racetrack (standing
Museum is found on the back covers, and the altar places only). Hence, in 2018 and 2019, the Alka was
tournament is on the inside page with short descrip- watched by 6,170 spectators. Between 2000 and 2018,
tions of tourist attractions and the described Alka the number of sites on the grandstand was slightly
taking the first position on the page. In The Cetinska less and amounted to 4,160 seats (Alka-Knights-So-
Krajina Region: Tourist Guide, Sinj takes first place ciety, 2022). The Alka was held during the COVID-19
among other tourist attractions and localities. The pandemic in 2019 and 2020, and permitted capaci-
Alka presents a synonym for the town of Sinj and the ties were significantly smaller due to epidemiological
Cetinska Krajina region as its most important attrac- measures; in 2020, there were 1,740 spectators 2020
tion. A photograph of the Monument to the alkars ac- and 2,650 in 2021.
companies the text. The Sinjska Alka Museum is one Given that the considerable public interest in
of the Sinj museums worth visiting. It presents texts watching the Sinjska Alka live cannot be satisfied, the
and photos from the brochure Cultural Heritage of tourism valorisation of the Alka, Sinj and Cetinska

42 | Proceedings of the 7th UNESCO UNITWIN Conference