Purpose -The purpose of the paper is to explore the possibilities for improvement of the existing tourist offer of Varaždin on the example of Špancirfest as one of the fastest growing tourist events in Croatia through stronger inclusion of the elements of material and non-material heritage. Methodology -The empirical research was conducted during the Špancirfest in 2016 by using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted with the use of SPSS 21 statistical package. Mann-Whitney U Test and Pearson Coefficient of Correlation, Kruskal-Wallis Test were used in order to determine the influence of observed parametres of the analysis on the value of the observed categories. Other scientific methods that were used are historical method, method of induction and deduction, method of conclusion, desk-research and others. Findings -In order to improve the existing offer of Špancirfest, it is necessary to determine the habits, desires and satisfaction of visitors of Špancirfest, and based on them to form a new developmental and marketing strategy of Varaždin and North-West Croatia. Contribution -Based on studying the relevant scientific literature, secondary statistical indicators and conducted empirical research, the developmental guidelines were created with a goal of further improvement of event intended to all destination stakeholders with a particular accent on the need of stronger inclusion of heritage elements into the current tourist product with a goal of its preservation and strengthening recognizability and uniqueness of event on the tourist market.

Purpose – The accelerated lifestyle has led to changes in the way of traveling. The development of technology and the internet has created the opportunity for online contact with people from all over the world, so we can say that traveling has not been this easy and affordable so far. People choose shorter trips, meet the locals, learn about their culture and customs. The paper looks for the benefits of using the Couchsurfing network and its aim is to present the motivation of respondents from former Yugoslav countries to use the network during travel, as well as to host travelers at home. Methodology – The questions for the questionnaire were acquired from the research done by Liu (2012), while the authors entered the offered answers based on a review of the Couchsurfing.com site. Couchsurfing users received online questionnaires via private message and through groups. The questionnaire was also sent through Facebook private messages and posted in private groups. Findings – Based on the results, it is concluded that the dominant motive for using Couchsurfing during the trip is to get to know the local population, culture and customs, as well as hosting and keeping company to travelers visiting this region. Contribution – The social contribution of this paper emphasizes the motives of the Couchsurfing users from the former Yugoslav countries for traveling and hosting travelers. New research can be expanded to the level of Europe or separated for the mentioned countries.