TURIZMO SEKTORIAUS RAIŠKOS PAGRINDIMAS: VADYBINIO IR EKONOMINIO KONCEPTO PAIEŠKOS
JUSTIFICATION OF THE TOURISM SECTOR MANIFESTATION: SEARCHING FOR MANAGERIAL AND ECONOMIC CONCEPT

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with the development and trends of the tourism sector as a branch of economy. The managerial and economic concept of the sector's expression is revealed. The authors of the article refer to the theoretical insight, which conceptualises the concepts of hospitality and hospitality business, in support of the managerial aspect of the tourism sector. When discussing the economic aspect of the tourism sector, it was based on the method of secondary statistical data: analysis of strategic documents regulating the intensive development of tourism in Europe and Lithuania, taking into account Lithuania social and economic development tendencies. According to data provided by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), the tourism sector was exported in 2016. Revenues of USD 1.393 trillion were earned, while tourism accounted for 30% worldwide exports of services. It is noted that 1 out of 10 people in the world work in the tourism sector in particular. A similar tendency is also observed in our country, which helps to ensure competitive economic growth. The geographic and geopolitical situation in Lithuania, the well-organized organization of tourism services and the tourism marketing strategy provide excellent prospects for the promotion and expansion of not only local, but also inbound tourism in the country.It should be noted that the issues of development of the Lithuanian tourism sector are being discussed, taking into account global tourism development tendencies. The recommendations of the European Commission were emphasized and stressed that in order to increase the competitiveness of the European tourism sector, it is necessary in our country: to offer various tourism services, to use innovations in tourism, to improve professional skills and competences of staff, to extend the tourism season, to promote cross-border tourism initiatives (routes, bicycle routes, etc.), to promote the development of sustainable and high quality of tourism. According to the Strategy of Lithuanian Tourism Marketing 2010-2016, the main factors influencing the changes in the behavior of tourism services users are distinguished: the increasing number of experienced travelers, when the number of experienced tourists who are aware of their rights in obtaining quality services and wanting the quality of tourism services to correspond to the price ratio ; The ever-changing lifestyle of people also influences changes in the behavior of tourism services users. It is expected that the demand for organized group tours will decrease, which will result in the emergence of personalized service providers on the market. Price sensitivity is an important aspect. The European countries have faced an economic crisis and ended a period of high consumption. Traveling people do not want to overpay for travel costs, so social networking platforms are becoming increasingly popular with people sharing information about services and their prices. Europeans who care for health also travel greatly to their health, which has a huge influence on the direction of travel, with priority being given to areas that do not cause harm to health. Therefore, the spa and wellness centers provide services. There is a growing need for responsible and sustainable tourism, where the priority is given to nature conservation.According to the head of the Department of Tourism Development of the Lithuania Tourism Department, it can be highlighted, that he coherent marketing of tourism is focused on the priority incoming tourism markets, i.e. target (Italy, United Kingdom, Norway, France, Sweden, Germany), distant (Israel, Japan, USA, China). The following statistical data demonstrate the economic benefits to the development of the Lithuanian tourism sector: in the first half of the 2017 foreign tourists in Lithuania (travel services exports) amounted to 0.63 billion. EUR - 9.7% more than 2016 the first half of the year; one-day visitors (import of travel services) abroad in 2017 amounted to 0.55 billion. EUR and compared to 2016 the first half-year increased by 6.5%. Travel balance in the first half of the 2017 it was positive and amounted to 0.078 billion EUR (+39.5%).Seeking to reveal the content of tourism as a branch of the economy, it can be noted that tourism is diversified, including accommodation, catering, transport, leisure and recreation, etc.The revealed management and economic concept of the tourism sector has allowed expanding the field of social phenomenon analysis. The management concept was highlighted in the discussion of the tourism sector, in which two values of the concept of hospitality as a branch of tourism were revealed. In the first case, the most prominent aspect of the tourism sector is that of hospitality, presented as a provision or feature that is expressed by the generous, friendly and benevolent acceptance (accommodation) of guests, visitors or clients and catering to all the wishes and wishes of their guests, ensuring that guests would be satisfied, feel good and would like to come back. This concept reflects the competencies of people working in the tourism sector and the main factors determining the changes in the behavior of tourism services users. In the second case, it has been established that hospitality in the tourism sector appears as a business area in which professional activities are directed towards participants of the tourism sector as users of hospitality services - for tourists, for the local population. It should be noted that both of these concepts are based on qualitative criteria for the services provided in the tourism sector. It can be argued that in interpreting the economic concept of tourism as a segment of the economy it is necessary to assess the socio-economic conditions of globalization. In recent years, the ever-changing tendencies of economic, political, demographic, social, technological, and cultural development in the world have been observed: growing population of people, changing lifestyles, improving livelihoods, technological advances contributes to the competitiveness of the development of the tourism sector and investment prospects in the market. It has been determined that methodologically, based on the hospitality management paradigm and the analysis of the methodology of strategic documents regulating tourism, the trends of development and expression of the tourism sector as a branch of economy are revealed in Lithuania. An overview of strategic documents, which presents the objectives focused on the expression of the tourism sector, developing both the management (professional development of employee competence, etc.), both macro and micro economic (aspects of a competitive environment, search for new markets, etc.).

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