engleski

Eco-health tourism offering in regional development

Competitiveness is a combination of assets, processes and advantage including human resources, physical resources, knowledge resources, capital resources, infrastructure and tourism superstructure, historical and cultural resources, size of economy and resource augmentation and depletion. An examination of today’s competitive universe reveals that changes in its components have radically altered its structure. The more traditional reviews of competitiveness have focused primarily on the economic dimensions of region strength and performance, but today it is seeing as only one of dimension. What truly makes a tourism region competitive? Is its ability to increase tourism expenditure, to increasingly attracting visitors while providing them with satisfying, memorable experiences, and to do so in a profitable way, while enhancing the well- being of residents and preserving the natural capital of the region for future generations. Given the multidimensional (economic, social, cultural, political, technological, environmental) nature of tourism regions strength, it is useful to briefly review, how the competitive nature of the world has evolved along each of these dimensions and, more importantly, how this multidimensional evolution has affected the overall competitiveness of region. The environmental dimension of region performance and competitiveness is slowly but surely growing in importance in both practical and moral terms. Visitors are not oriented to regions, which have undergone visual degradation, through general over development or poor resource stewardship. Region with unique, relatively pristine environments can now build competitiveness, by positioning themselves as “environmental” region. Its offer is a part of ecotourism, responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. The aim of this research is to analyse the factors that determine the motivation and behaviour of potential tourists in choosing a region, with particular emphasis on the role played by region image in the case of Kvarner tourism region, (Primorsko-goranska county, Croatia). On questionnaire-based survey, it has been estimated the quality level achieved in the crucial components and the quality of the Kvarner’s tourism offering, as approach of balanced (sustainable) tourism development scenario for the Kvarner tourism region and to reinforce activities in restructuring and repositioning in way, to be competitive eco-health tourism region. Based on the analysis of research results (grades 1-7), the category “area, resources, environment” had the highest score ( 5, 32) resulting from the individual scores that tourist, residents and tourism management attributed to the items: climate, landscape, the preserved environment, and seawater quality. It follow the category “residents, employees (4, 96), as a set of elements used to rate of the friendliness of residents, the hospitality and the foreign language skills of tourism staff. “Destination management and destination organisation” (4, 53) is ranked third, and in this category was included road7rail transport links, local traffic, parking spaces, urban design and planning, walking lanes and promenades, parks, the maintenance and cleanliness of beaches, the working hours of catering and other services (banks, shops…)and shopping opportunities. Pre-arrival communication, user- friendly tourist landmarks in the region, the souvenir offering, and a feeling of safety and security, are items belonging to the category of “identity, security, information” (4, 46), which ranked fourth according to the attitudes of respondents. The category “facilities and services” (4, 21) was ranked last, an alarming result considering that they are the starting point in designing a competitive region tourism product. This makes it essential for tourism destination managers to undertake efforts to improve the current level and quality of the overall tourism offering, especially health tourism offering ( 3, 80). In pursuit of this examination, special attention will be focused on assessment of the achieved level of development of health tourism in Kvarner tourism region, Primorsko-goranska County, Croatia. It will be considered as part of contemporary demand and offer in the world, connected with the individuals and social motives of tourist to be involved in health tourism offer (medical tourism, wellness tourism, spa tourism…). Some emphasis will be directed to their behaviour in tourist region and to the most important standards, which has to be evaluated on level of competitive eco-health tourism regions. Theoretical assumptions, regulations, standards and the best practices will be observed in the context of the possibility that the tourist region Kvarner, achieving the title “eco-health tourism region”, to be competitive on demanding tourism market, because it has all relevant requirements, which unfortunately so far have not been adequately used.

eco-health tourism; tourism destination; product; regional development

nije evidentirano