engleski

Valorisation of natural resources for the development of activity tourism

The concept of destination value and its placement was developed in the market as a result of the demand for integrated tourism products that have utilitarian value, which, in turn, has created the need to develop new ways of attracting tourists, gaining competitive advantage, etc. It is the responsibility of marketing managers to promote sustainable tourism destinations by exploring and listening closely to the needs of the tourism market and using the collected data to create an integrated tourism product that will meet those needs. The modern tourism market is characterized by increasingly sophisticated demands from holidaymakers on the one hand, and on the other by a growing number of travel destinations seeking to attract and maintain demand with various integrated tourism products. Today's tourists are better informed and more demanding ; they seek information and new experiences, and want to discover authentic and unique destination values that will meet their expectations. They want to learn more about the traditions, culture, and history of a destination, but also to have fun. Regardless of their travel motivations, today’s tourists seek a quality and experience-filled holiday. An active holiday has become almost a biological necessity in the last few decades, as tourists want to break away from mostly sedentary lifestyle, and, in doing something completely different, to take a break from the fast pace of everyday life. An increased awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the awareness of specific consumer needs in tourism suggest that there are strong links between tourism, i.e. sports and recreation activities, and taking care of one’s health. Customer wishes, needs and abilities are reflected in the way they spend their holidays during which they want to relax and recharge their batteries. Today's consumers need a break from everything and frequently want to engage in sports or recreational activities during their holidays. The needs of modern consumers in tourism have been shaped by their experience, education and lifestyle. Various sports and recreational activities tailored to customer needs, levels of ability, gender, and age should be planned to make the holiday in the chosen destination an eventful and memorable experience. The wealth of choice is what makes a tourism destination attractive to different groups of holiday-makers. A sustainable tourism destination should be synonymous with an active holiday and outdoor activities as they enable consumers to experience nature in a completely different way, to discover themselves and test their fitness. Sustainable tourism destinations should seek to offer the best possible conditions for engaging in recreational and sports activities in untouched nature, thereby adding a completely different dimension to its perceived quality. The concept of sustainable tourism, as an extremely popular trend in the tourism industry, requires that tourism activities, including recreational activities, be undertaken in a sustainable manner, which means that they should not endanger the ecological system and the indigenous qualities of the destination. The main functions of a sustainable tourism destination, i.e. protective, scientific, educational, and tourist-recreational, are closely linked with the surrounding area, i.e. the type of recreational activities that are sustainable in that destination. The development of increasingly popular forms of adventure tourism is directly linked to the development of various types of sports, including extreme sports. Protected areas seem to be the preferred locations for engaging in this kind of sports activities. Unfortunately, tourism-related activities often contribute to pollution and destruction of natural resources for unjustifiable reasons such as ignorance, neglect or irresponsibility. Problems mainly occur when objective development potential and conditions in the natural environment of the travel destination are disregarded. Often, the negative impact is the result of wanting to achieve rapid growth and financial benefit at any cost. The concept of sustainable development in tourism requires a balanced approach, i.e. people should strive for an optimum solution between the need for development and the need to preserve and protect resources necessary for improving local population’s quality of life and enhancing the experience of visitors whose motivations include engaging in active pursuits in order to maintain good health, compensate for the lack of physical activity, and take a temporary break from a fast-paced lifestyle. A sustainable tourism destination is an ideal place for contemporary tourists to engage in activities that can improve their health and well-being. Considering the above, the aim of this paper is to identify the factors and way of enhancing opportunities for tourists to engage in sports and recreational activities in a sustainable tourism destination in order to provide a high-quality activity holiday. The obtained results indicate a positive attitude of the respondents towards sports and recreational activities as part of a sustainable tourism product. The results of investigation into tourism resources, such as natural and cultural resources, climate, hotel and hospitality industry, sports and recreational activities in selected travel destinations in Croatia show that there is a need for resource management as a means to gain a competitive advantage in terms of providing activity holidays to visitors. Tourism destinations should be able to offer a wide range of activities for different groups of tourists, such as sports enthusiasts, families, people who want to learn new skills, senior citizens, etc.

sustainable development, tourist offer, natural resources, carrying capacity of natural systems, determinants of activity holidays

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