Liburnia Association and the Beginnings of Zadar Tourism in the 19th Century

The phenomenon of tourism and tourist attraction of Zadar is not an occurrence that we associate with the modern age, or the especial tourist development of the city since the 1970s. Because of its ancient past, cultural and artistic richness and the environment with national and nature parks, Zadar has been attractive to visitors since the end of the 19^th century, when the first tourist association was founded. Thus, the Liburnia Mountaineering Tourist Association was founded with the purpose of exploring the natural beauties of the Kingdom of Dalmatia (Austrian crown land Königreich Dalmatien). It was founded on 24^th July 1899 by the eminent citizens of Zadar of the time, Alfons Prince Borelli, Dr Luka Jelić, Petar Androić, Lavoslav Golf, Osvald Battali, Kosta Neumayer, Rikard Kodolić, Ludovik Hočevar, Ferdinand Tepper and Marko Nizeteo. Just ten days before the founding assembly, the Austrian authorities approved of rules stating that research and promotion of natural beauties of Dalmatia should be done, in order to make them accessible to foreign visitors. Occasionally, this special task was performed by foreign guests of Zadar, sometimes by word of mouth, and sometimes by reporting from the city itself.

In the beginning, the Association had about sixty members, because the Zadar dignitaries who founded it were immediately joined by many other Zadar citizens, such as Hubert Borelli, Kazimir Abelić, Dr Radoslav Papafava, Josip Pedišić and Emanuel Nikolić. Only eight years later, Liburnia had as many as two hundred members, an enviable number that only increased over time. The main activity of Liburnia was promotional, or as they would call it today - tourism marketing, with excursions as well, and arrangement of mountain lodges such as the ones on the islands of Pašman and Ugljan. As early as the beginning of the 20^th century, the Liburnia Mountaineering Tourist Association began issuing publications in several European languages for promotional purposes, and thanks to the help of the Austrian Governor in Dalmatia, Nicola Nardelli, the Association managed to encourage the creation of the Provincial Association for the Promotion of Tourist Flow in the Kingdom of Dalmatia.