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Научни трудове на Съюза на учените в България-Пловдив. Серия В. Техника и технологии, естествен ии хуманитарни науки, том XVI., Съюз на учените сесия "Международна конференция на младите учени" 13-15 юни 2013. Scientific research of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria-Plovdiv, series C. Natural Sciences and Humanities, Vol. XVI, ISSN 1311-9192, Union of Scientists, International Conference of Young Scientists, 13 - 15 June 2013, Plovdiv.
ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOURISTS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF BALCHIK, BULGARIA
Elena Petkova
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
АНАЛИЗ НА ПРОФИЛА НА ТУРИСТИТЕ В ОБЩИНА БАЛЧИК
Елена Петкова Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски"
Abstract: in this paper analysis of the characteristics of tourists in a specific municipality of Bulgaria - the Municipality of Balchik - is done. In this regard key characteristics of the tourists visiting the Municipality in 2011 are presented, specifically their demographic characteristics -nationality, gender and age - and some characteristics concerning the travel and stay - organizer of visit and length of stay.
Introduction
Tourism is a priority sector in the Municipality of Balchik. There is an abundance of resources and a longstanding tradition in the development of coastal mass tourism in the municipality. The municipality of Balchik borders the Black Sea. It is characterized by the vast areas of beaches. The total area of the coastline within the municipality is 457279 square meters. The area of the guarded beaches is 347894 square meters. The recreational capacity is characterized by the number of people it can accommodate, which is 31200 people.'In addition, the municipality has specific resources to develop specialized forms of tourism, such as spa, sports, business, conference, eco - and other forms of tourism. For example, the sport facilities of the resort of Albena include soccer fields, tennis courts, spa pools, beach volleyball fields, horse riding facilities, multi-sports hall, bowling hall, etc. Golf facilities, golf courses, spa centers and gyms, as well as marina, water sport facilities, sea station, etc. are available in the municipality. There are conference centers too. Forests, mineral waters and protected areas available at the municipality of Balchik are also valuable tourism resources. There are also a wealth of monuments dating back from the antiquity, the Middle Ages and the modern times. Many cultural events are organized at the municipality level too. However, there are some serious problems that hinder the tourism development, as some of the major ones are the landslides and the seasonality of tourism.2 To overcome the seasonality of tourism and to achieve sustainable use of the resources available on the territory of the municipality as efficiency is realized as the most revenue is generated with the minimal possible utilization of
1 Data from: Техническо задание за изработване на общ устройствен план на община Балчик и аналитична част
2 According to the data published in:
(а) План за развитие 2005-2013, община Балчик, Балчик, юни, 2005г;
(б) Техническо задание за изработване на общ устройствен план на община Балчик и аналитична част
resources, products most suited to the behaviors and preferences of the tourists should be offered. This in turn will increase the level of satisfaction of the tourists, which will lead to increase of the length of their stays, their returns to the municipality and their recommendations of the municipality of Balchik to their relatives and friends.
In this regard, the aim of the paper is an analysis of the profile of the tourists in a particular municipality of Bulgaria - the Municipality of Balchik - to be performed. For this purpose, key characteristics of the arrivals in the municipality in 2011 and in particular their demographic features (nationality, gender, age), and characteristics associated with their travel behavior (organizer (decision-maker) of the trip and length of stay) are analyzed.
Profile of arrivals in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011
There is a great variety of characteristics that are of interest in performing analysis of travelers. Usually the tourists are classified according to their specific characteristics in four main groups: (a) socio-demographic characteristics, such as nationality, residence, gender, age, marital status, education, occupation, income, etc.; (b) characteristics of the behavior of the tourists before the trip, such as needs, reason for travel, aim of travel, preferred type of vacation, informational sources used, preferred types of tourist destinations, expectations about the destination, previous visits to the destination, composition of the accompanying group, preferences about the way the trip is organized (individual or group travel, by the tourist himself/ herself or by tour operator, etc.), the time/ moment when the decision for travelling is taken, etc.; (c) characteristics of the travel behavior during the stay at the destination, such as length of stay, transport vehicles used, types of hotel establishments visited, practiced activities, visited places, visited attractions, facilities used, costs incurred during the stay, etc.; (d) characteristics of the behavior after the trip, such as overall satisfaction with the travel, satisfaction with the different services bought, the services the tourists are most and least satisfied with, intention to re-visit the place, intention for recommending the destination to other people, changes in the perception of the destination, etc.3
To sum up, the characteristics/ features of tourists that should be studied can be classified into two main groups: socio-demographic characteristics and specifics of the trip (that can be defined as characteristics before, during and after the travel/ stay in the tourist destination). The profile of arrivals (travelers that stay at least one night at the destination) in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011 according to the two groups - demographics and characteristics of travel - is presented below. In this regard some of the key characteristics of the tourists of the municipality are chosen and analyzed, namely: nationality, gender, age (which are demographic characteristics); and organizer of the trip and the length of stay (that are features associated with travel). The significance of these characteristics is determined by the fact that they provide important information about the structure of tourism demand, which is necessary for the tourism public and private organizations in order plans and programs for development of tourism activities to be provided and satisfaction of tourists who visit the municipality of Balchik to be achieved.
Analysis of socio-demographic characteristics of tourists who visited the municipality of Balchik
In 2011, 67% or about two-thirds of the arrivals at the municipality of Balchik are foreigners and the remaining 33% or about one-third are local people - Bulgarians. The foreigners are dominated by Romanians (21% of the overall arrivals in the municipality), followed by Russians (14%), Germans (9%), Poles (4%), Ukrainians (3%), Norwegians (3%), etc. The number of nights spent by foreigners is a little more than three quarters of the total number of the nights spent at the municipality (77%), and the rest - about a quarter - nights are spent by Bulgarians (23%). The majority of the nights are spent by foreigners of the following nationalities: Russians (22% of the total number of nights spent at the municipality), Romanians (15%), Germans (13%),
3 Наръчник на туристическия бизнес (Наръчник на предприемача за вътрешен туризъм). Как да привличаме и
обслужваме български туристи? София, 2008г.
Poles (5%), Ukrainians (3%), Norwegians (3%), etc. 4See Figure 1.
Although the Romanians in the municipality are more than the Russians, the number of nights spent by Russians is larger than the nights spent by Romanians. This shows that Russians usually stay longer at the municipality than Romanians. The average lengths of stay of the tourists from Russia (10,1 nights), Germany (8,9 nights) and Ukraine (8,3 nights) are significant.
Figure 1. Nationality of the arrivals in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011
□ Bulgarians
□ Foreigners
The share of women in the total number of tourists exceeds a little the share of men in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011. The share of the female arrivals in the Municipality is about 52% of the total number of the tourist arrivals and the males are about 48%. Accordingly, about 54% of the overnight stays in the municipality are made by women and about 46% - by men. See Figure 2. Figure 2. Gender of the arrivals in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011
□ Males
□ Females
Figure 3. Age of the arrivals in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011
□ Up to 12 years old
□ From 12 to 65 years old
□ Above 65 years old
The visitors at the age from 12 to 65 years old prevail in the municipality (71%), who correspondingly are responsible for approximately three-quarters (or 75%) of the total number of nights. Children aged up to 12 years old represent 21% of the total number of visitors and the nights spent by them are 18% of the total number of the nights spent in the municipality. The smallest is the shares of the arrivals at age above 65 years old (or 8%), who correspondingly spent 7% of the total number of the nights in the municipality of Balchik. See Figure 3.
Analysis of the characteristics associated with travel
The predominant types of tourism in the municipality of Balchik in 2011 are the middle-run
4 The data provided at: Информация за пренощувалите лица и реализираните нощувки по страни (за 2011г.)
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and the long-run ones, as 76% of the total arrivals spent 4 or more consecutive nights and the remaining 24% (or about a quarter) spent from 1 to 3 nights (or have short stay). See Figure 4.
Figure 4. Length of stay of the tourists in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011
□ From 1 to 3 nights
□ 4 and more nights
The majority of the visitors to the municipality of Balchik used the services of tour operators to make their reservations (about three-quarters or 75% of the total number of visitors). The rest (about 25%) did their reservations by themselves, with the help of friends or relatives or did not do preliminary reservations in the municipality before their arrivals.5 See figure 5.
Figure 5. Organizer of the trip of the tourists in the Municipality of Balchik in 2011
□ Tour operator
□ Other
Conclusion
Based on the analysis it can be concluded that the following groups of tourists prevailed in the municipality of Balchik in 2011: foreigners (the greatest shares had Romania and Russia); males and females (almost equal were the numbers of the two groups, as the women prevailed slightly); visitors aged from 12 to 65 years; tourists with middle-run or long-run length of stay (four or more consecutive nights); and tourists whose reservations are made by tour operators.
References:
Информация за пренощувалите лица и реализираните нощувки по страни (за 2011г.) (Information about the Arrivals and Nights Spent by Countries of Origin (2011)
Наръчник на туристическия бизнес (Наръчник на предприемача за вътрешен туризъм). Как да привличаме и обслужваме български туристи? София, 2008г. (A Handbook for Tourism Business (A Manual of the Entrepreneur about Domestic Tourism). How to Attract and Serve Bulgarian Tourists? Sofia, 2008)
План за развитие 2005-2013, община Балчик, Балчик, юни, 2005г. (Development Plan 2005-2013, the Municipality of Balchik, Balchik, June, 2005)
Справка за събрания туристически данък, пренощувалите лица и реализираните нощувки в община Балчик към 31.12.2011г. (Information about the Gathered Tourist Taxes,
5 Data from: Справка за събрания туристически данък, пренощувалите лица и реализираните нощувки в община
Балчик към 31.12.2011г
Arrivals and Nights Spent in the Municipality of Balchik on 31.12.2011)
Техническо задание за изработване на общ устройствен план на община Балчик и аналитична част (Technical Task about a Development of a Master Plan of the Municipality of Balchik and an Analytical Part)
