Differences in patients motivating factors influence their attitudes towards the role and quality of tourism agents’ services. This paper identified three major components (treatment-related, economic and travel-related) that explain patients motivation to travel for treatment. The study can help medical tourism agents to refine their marketing strategies and suggest the proper incentives to encourage participation in medical tourism. The research was made on the basis of a critical analysis of scientific literature, surveys and analyses.
Henryk Arctowski Station, the research station of the Polish Academy of Science in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, West Antarctica, is one of the most heavily visited bases in Antarctica. Between the seasons 1991/92 and 1996/97, 12884 tourists were recorded. A specially designed tourist trail was marked to divert visitors toward alternative attractions, not only the station buildings. Tourist management goals include: environmental protection, minimising waste and pollution, respecting the rules relating to protected areas, and prohibition of collections and souveniring.
The aim of the study was to identify and present the set of activities undertaken to develop an innovative offer of medical treatments by the health resorts facilities Mineral Hotel Malinowy Raj with Baseny Mineralne (mineral pools) situated in a health resort Solec-Zdrój in the świętokrzyskie voivodeship. The research covered the years 2012-2017 and was based on an analysis of the current offers of the selected facilities and of the revitalisation programme for the gmina as well as on the observations and field inspection. It has shown that the resort is becoming multi-functional, offering various options for health improvement, leisure and relax, and developing innovative medical and tourist functions, the latter including sports and well-being. Inevitably, all these changes have their impact on the economic situation of Solec-Zdrój.
The aim of the paper is to identify trends in the development of health and active tourism. In order to meet the above mentioned objective, a method of critical analysis of desk research was implemented, mainly a synthetic analysis of relevant scientific publications and reports. Against the background of globalization, the development of tourism is determined by, among others, demographic, economic and technological factors. The microtrends referring to contemporary consumers are of the utmost importance. The lifestyle significantly reflects the need for pro-health services. Health and active tourism are an antidote against the worries of everyday life. That is why the tourism market needs a profiled product consisting of wellness, with particular emphasis on motor recreation, healthy food and the possibility of establishing/maintaining social and/or family relationships. Creating, refreshing or diversifying such a tourist product is not a simple task. It requires the use of expertise and experience of representatives of science and practitioners, taking into account the tourism potential of a given region/country.
The aim of the paper is to evaluate the development of the Geoeducation Center in Kielce and to define ways and stage of creating its tourist brand. It is a new tourist attraction in the Świętokrzyskie region, which also plays role of informal education. Every year, this object is visited by approximately 40,000. tourists. Research has shown that the Geoeducation Center from the beginning of its operation consistently creates all the elements that make up the brand equity: awareness, perceived quality, associations and loyalty.
The aim of the study is to present cycling as an active form of tourism in the context of the motivation of people cultivating it – in particular residents of the Municipality of Radom. The work indicates the essence and importance of cycling tourism, taking into account its types and infrastructure. Factors and trends influencing the development of cycling tourism – promoting a healthy lifestyle were discussed. Also presented are the results of research on the motivation of moving residents of the Municipality of Radom using the bike in individual age groups.
The purpose of the chapter is to verify the hypothesis that Świętokrzyskie Region can build its regional brand and competitive advantage based on the geotourism product. The following research questions were set: how the geological resources have been used to tourism product, has the brand sufficient product which supports the expected identity, is the tourism infrastructure coherent with core of the product. Content analysis (scientific literature, planning documents, websites, guide books) and observations during the field visits (11 days) have been used as research method. The above hypothesis has been fully confirmed; resources and interpretation infrastructure are strong enough to recognize that regional geotourism product already exists. More, it is unique on a national scale and therefore has competitive advantage. It is sufficient base to build its brand; first addressed to special interests tourists, second to attract general oriented clients but it will need considering to include industrial tourism components.
Consumer experiences as a driver of contemporary brand and marketing management are taken up nowadays by many researchers and academics. It’s merely compelled by bored with generic products and services consumers who much more than ever look for intensive, personalized experiences. However, there is a significant gap in knowledge how to transfer these global changes to the needs of effective tourist product management. The article presents a brand-new approach called ‘the experience key’ for discovering, grouping and converting common, dedicated to a certain destination customers experiences into clear and desirable tourist offer with meaningful competitive impact. One of most important advantages of the methodology is its simplicity and ease-of-use for any professionals involved in destination product management by using well-know research methods and apparent applicability into the process of building and selling tourist offer of a place. The Experience Key can be regarded as a missing link between theoretical considerations led by academics and expectations of tourism industry representatives in the context of applying customer experience to place brand and product management.
Building a competitive offer is a process spread over many years, in which due to the complexity of market processes taking place both in the country and abroad, the interested entity should participate very actively. The world is changing and with it market conditions or external factors that determine the achievement of success. The efficiency and speed of operations, the flow of information between individual departments of the company, cooperation with regional offices and organizations to carry out joint campaigns or projects are becoming more and more important. However, all this without a permanent market research and observation of competitors’ actions, the company/clinic is getting harder to get or keep the level achieved for a moment. The article is an attempt to present important issues related to building an offer on the market of health and pro-health tourism in times of strong competition and an increasingly fierce fight for a potential client/patient.
The aim of the article is to present the role of tourism as a smart specialization, and in particular health tourism in strengthening regional development processes on the example of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The first part of the article presents the ideas of smart specialization as a concept of stimulating innovative development with a particular focus on tourism in regional innovation strategies. The second part of the article focuses on the uniqueness of natural resources in the context of the spa tourism development potential in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The third part presents quantitative data characterizing tourism in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. While the fourth part presents the effects of cooperation between entrepreneurs and expert and university employees who, while creating innovations, solve the problems of entrepreneurs, thus contributing to the development of tourism and the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. Finally, final conclusions and summary are presented.
The article deals with the issue of formation and functioning of rural tourism clusters in Ukraine. Here, formation of cluster structures in rural tourism is at its initial stage. Analysis of existing clusters resulted in their classification into groups based on the criterion of specialization: lodging and food (farmsteads), agritourist and local history tourism clusters. Analysis of the main research models for the creation and analysis of rural tourism clusters functioning has been performed. A multilevel universal model of the rural tourism clusters with basic structural levels (basic, affiliate and accompanying) has been proposed for scientific and practical purposes. This model was used to form two cluster initiatives in the ethnographic region of the Ukrainian Carpathians – in the Boykivshchyna. The need to use foreign experience in rural tourism cluster research has been emphasized.
The aim of the article was to determine the course of changes the urban space under the influence of tourism, on the example of selected areas in Cracow. A literature study, statistical data and field studies were used to explain the relationship between the growth of tourist movement and the development of the tourist space of this city. The impact of tourism on changes in public and private space use within Matejki Square and Pawia Street, in the neighbourhood of the historical zone (Old Town) and in the New Square at Kazimierz, was analysed. The conducted analysis showed three functional changes of the studied areas under the influence of the rapid tourist movement. They were transformed from residential-service to service-residential related to service of tourists (hotels, gastronomy, trade, entertainment). The urban space has been enriched with elements that increasing the tourist attractiveness of Cracow compared with other cities, for example, concerning spending free time (pubs, cafés, restaurants), and the new accommodation base near the city-centre. A lack of a zoning plan and development vision causes the helplessness of the local authorities in managing the tourist infrastructure development, which is reflected at the Kazimierz New Square.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the tourism and recreational space of Lubaczowski County in Poland. The evaluation was carried out by using a multidimensional comparative analysis while taking into account tourism assets, transportation accessibility, natural environmental protection, the level of tourism infrastructure development as well as the factors contributing to an opportunity for the development of tourism via investment attractiveness (the level of infrastructure development, population relations, or the financial situation of the communes). Moreover, a questionnaire survey was carried out among the inhabitants with the aim of learning of their opinions on tourism assets and tourism infrastructure development in the commune. The study is supplemented by a comparison of the analysis results with the results of a questionnaire survey conducted among the Lubaczowski County inhabitants, which concerned the county’s attractiveness to tourists. Based on the evaluation and the questionnaire survey results, it was found that urban communes of Lubaczów and Horyniec-Zdrój had the best conditions for tourism development. These communes took the first (0.701) and the second (0.492) position in the ranking, respectively. Both communes are characterised by well-developed accommodation and catering facilities, a wealth of natural assets, and good transportation accessibility. For the better development of tourism in the county, it is necessary to take appropriate measures aimed at eliminating limitations and highlighting the strengths. To this end, it will be necessary to incorporate measures aimed at enhancing the quality of tourism infrastructure development and establishing a marketing plan that will allow tourists to learn about the tourism assets of the commune into the strategy for commune development.
In search for a path of development, some communities face internal factors deeply influencing the choice of development strategy. Such factor would be an environmental protection of the territory, as it may crucially limit industrial activity. Narol community, located in southeastern Poland, near the Ukrainian border (Podkarpackie Voivodeship), has landscape protection of several levels covering 100% of the territory, so the possible development could not consist on industrial investments. On the other hand the concerned region, Roztocze, is a recognized touristic area, but Narol was always rather out of its main tourists trails. Nevertheless its assets (nature reserves, landscape and monuments), would predestine Narol for a touristic destination. But, considering strong competition in the region, the distinguishing feature would be of importance. The municipality had recognized cultural tourism as a way Narol could adopt, and has started several activities aiming to transform Narol into a cultural centre of the region. This paper presents the study case of Narol municipality’s activities in the context of transferring neglected heritage into an activated agent of development – resulting in social and economic growth. Its’ aim is to research (based on the Narol example) a place of local heritage assets in development process: if, and how they can be used to increase community’s sustainable growth.
In 1981, Polish canoeists (members of the Bystrze Academic Travel Club) made the first journey along the waters of the River Colca in the section located in Arequipa Province (Peru), along which the waters flow in a deep canyon. Information on this sporting achievement – and a description of the Canyon and its surrounding area filled the Peruvian press and tourist publications around the world, ensuring that the Colca Canyon became one of the most important goals for tourists anywhere in Peru from that time on. However, mass infl uxes of tourists, noisy trips, the development of hotel infrastructure and other items required in tourism have generated permanent change in the character of the Colca Valley, and done much to influence the lives of its inhabitants.
The article describes the problem of formation of the national rural green tourism brand of Ukraine during more than 20 years. The main stages of its formation were identified: introduction, formation and active development. The article analyzed the basic factors (regulatory-legal, informative, communicative, public-entrepreneurial) and tools of the national brand formation. It emphasized the important role of NGO Union of Rural Green Tourism of Ukraine in ensuring the functioning of the brand of the same name. On the basis of statistics, results of various sociological surveys of tourists and monitoring of rural tourism entities, the degree of formation and expressiveness of certain elements of brand equity by consumers and producers was estimated. The article describes the practice of functioning of the regional Carpathian sub-brand as the most recognizable and attractive for domestic and foreign clients. It considers modern problems related to the support and management of the national rural green tourism brand. The strategy for further development of the brand focuses on improving communication with consumers, expanding the range of products and services and actively supporting rural tourism entities in promoting the brand in the national and international services market.
The last decade has witnessed the development of a growing phenomenon, the expulsion of European Union (EU) citizens from a host Member State. While the EU encourages its citizens to use their fun-damental right of freedom of movement, citizens moving to other Member States continue to encounter legal obstacles, in some cases leading to expulsion. Recently, there has even been strong political pressure in some Member States to reconsider the benefits of the principle of free movement, which has been built progressively since the foundation of the European Community. This restrictive ap-proach has arisen against the background of the global economic crisis, which occurred just after the enlargement of the EU to economically poorer countries of Central and Eastern Europe, leading to more nationalistic and protectionist measures, which have legal consequences for EU citizens on the move. This article analyses the legal grounds for expulsion under EU law and the safeguards that pro-tect EU citizens residing in host Member States. Examples of expulsions from Member States in recent years are noted, and possible ways of overcoming current issues are proposed.