Page 156 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(2) (2025)

not able to fully present and explain the com- lem, as access to place, knowledge, narratives,
plexity of archaeological processes or histori- and learning opportunities. In the following
cal change, and the upgrade and inclusion of parts of this article we will show that this prob-
new research insights is slow. This information- lem can be addressed through a strategic com-
al problem reflects a wider challenge in archae- bination of tourism policy, cultural program-
ology: translating research into acceptable forms ming, and digital heritage tools, especially the
to non-specialist publics. Without mediation, development of a digital twin of Osor, that can
archaeological remains appear as fragments de- transform and translate archaeological research
tached from everyday experience, so interpreta- data into an educational infrastructure capable
tion becomes interface between scientific knowl- of extending Osor’s reach from the island to the
edge and social meaning. Digital interpretation cloud.
tools, such as AR, 3D reconstructions, and in-
156 teractive narratives, address this gap by embed- Tourism and Policy Frameworks
ding explanation directly into spatial experience The development of heritage tourism in Osor
(De Bonis et al. 2022, 92–101). They also ena- must be contextualised within Croatia’s broader
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 2 / volume 13 (2025), number 2
ble multilingual access, adaptability to differ- tourism and cultural policy frameworks, which
ent age groups, and integration with education- increasingly prioritise sustainability, diversifica-
al curricula. The application of virtual reality in tion, and cultural value. The Sustainable Tour-
the interpretation of cultural heritage is at an ex- ism Development Strategy of the Republic of
ceptionally high level worldwide, while in Croa- Croatia to 2030 establishes sustainability as the
tia, it is still in development (Pleše 2024, 16–7). guiding principle for tourism growth, empha-
Simply including scientific information in digi- sizing quality over quantity, environmental re-
tal technology is not enough. It is necessary to sponsibility, and integration with local com-
develop diverse types of digital tools and inter- munities (Strategija razvoja održivog turizma
pretation levels to make content more accessi- do 2030. godine 2023). This strategy explicitly
ble and engaging for users, encouraging learning identifies cultural heritage as a resource for cre-
and exploration. Finally, accessibility raises sev- ating distinctive and resilient destinations, par-
eral questions: who controls heritage narratives, ticularly outside major urban and resort centres
who participates in interpretation, and who ben- (Cukrov 2010, 106; Nikolić 2021, 32). The im-
efits from tourism. A digitally based accessibil- portance of sustainable heritage protection is
ity strategy requires institutional integration: recognized in international policies (UNESCO,
shared data standards, cooperative content de- ICOMOS), necessitating national and regional
velopment, and joint responsibility for main- conservation and management plans (Rababeh,
tenance and updating. Such integration aligns et al. 2024, 2). For small heritage towns such
with contemporary models of participatory her- as Osor this is particularly relevant. Tradition-
itage management, where knowledge production al mass tourism models are neither feasible nor
and dissemination are collaborative (Čadovska desirable given the town’s spatial constraints and
2012, 23). fragile archaeological fabric. Instead, the nation-
Osor shows the contradiction faced by al strategy’s emphasis on thematic tourism, digi-
many small heritage towns: exceptional histori- tal innovation, and education-based experiences
cal depth combined with limited physical reach. provides a conceptual framework within which
Archaeological research depicts the town’s im- Osor can reposition itself as a site of knowledge,
portance as a maritime and cultural node in the learning, and cultural encounter rather than just
northern Adriatic, yet these findings remain un- as a sightseeing destination. The development
evenly translated for the public. Accessibility, of archaeological tourism requires the involve-
therefore, becomes the central analytical prob- ment of the local population and educational ac-