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556 QUTaCh and Practice
\J\J Journal Bulletin of Stavropol Region
UDK 338.48
Narkuniene R.
ANALYSIS OF TOURISM RESOURCES OF EASTERN AUKSTAITIJA REGION IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Abstract: Aim of this article - to prepare an analysis of Eastern Aukstaitija region's tourism resources in the context of sustainable development. The objectives are to perform an analysis of the tourism resources in theoretical terms in in the context of sustainable development and to perform the SWOT analysis of sustainable development of the Eastern Aukstaitija tourism region. Aim is achieving analyzing the scientific literature and document analysis performing the SWOT analysis. Tourism resources are treated differently in different districts - high tourist potential districts are Ignalina, Moletai and Zarasai districts,
medium tourist potential districts are Utena and Anyksciai districts. Assessing the complex, all the Eastern Aukstaitija region districts (Anyksciai, Ignalina, Molétai, Utena, Zarasai) fall into the middle of the tourist potential of the area. Eastern Aukstaitija region has all the assumptions to use the existing tourism resources and tourism services to compete successfully in the tourism market.
Key words: tourism resources, region, region competitiveness, sustainable development.
Narkuniene R.
Master of Recreation and Tourism Management.Utena
University of Applied Sciences,
Maironio str. 7, Utena, LT-28142 Lithuania
Tel.:+370 389 50337
E-mail: ramutenarkuniene@gmail.com
Tourism is one of the most promising and dynamic business in the world. It covers about 8 % of global investments, 7 % of the world's gross national product, accounts for about 400 million work places. According to tourism statistics, annually more and more tourists from all over the world visited Lithuania. Expenditure of foreign tourists and day visitors in Lithuania were 4.2 billion LTL in 2013 [9].
Relevance of the topic
Tourism resources are important for the development of tourism and tourism resources, is one of the main factors of tourism competitiveness. Tourist abundance and tourism business depends from tourism resources. Tourism development is not possible without sufficient high-quality and distinctive resources. Natural and cultural tourism resources create favourable conditions to develop attractive tourism products. Various objects of cultural heritage and natural resources are important for local and international tourism. Sustainable development of the region is very important because, according to M. Porter, regional competitiveness and strategic development opportunities depend on the development of resources and the environment, in which the company providing the competition. One of the most important tourism competitiveness factors is the development of tourism resources.
The research problem: tourism resources, status of tourism resources and attractiveness, attraction opportunities of tourist flows are often analysed in the scientific literature, feasibility studies and other documents, but has been forgotten the context of sustainable development.
Aim of this article: to prepare an analysis of Eastern Aukstaitija region's tourism resources analysis in the context of sustainable development.
The objectives of the article are:
1. Perform an analysis of the tourism resources in theoretical terms in the context of sustainable development;
2. Perform the SWOT analysis of sustainable development of the Eastern Aukstaitija tourism region.
Aim is achieving, analyzing the scientific literature and document analysis, performing the SWOT analysis.
Survey methodology:
1. Analysis of scientific literature. The article analyzes different Lithuanian and foreign scientific literature: Balezentis A., Zuromskaite B., Grecevicius P. et al., Vitkiene E., Porter M., Charles R. Goeldner J. R. Brent Ritchie, Cole S. author's books and articles;
2. SWOT analysis is a simple and highly effective tool for resource analysis carried out in the context of sustainable development.
It is also used statistical data analysis, comparison, synthesis and generalization.
1. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF TOURISM RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Tourism resources are named as objects or terrain with tourist interest. According to the Tourism Law of Lithuania Republictourism resources - interesting for tourism objects or areas, adapted for their using, and recreational resources - natural, cultur-
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al, environmental characteristics, suitable for organizing a full-fledged physical and spiritual relaxation for people[10].
In the scientific literature and legislation are several types of recreational tourism resources: Balezentis A. and Zuromskaite B. distinguish natural (climate, landscape, ecosystems), cultural (urban heritage, arts, archaeological values, traditions, science values, folk crafts) and social (potential tourism developers with socio-demographic characteristics, abilities, financial capital, knowledge, health-environment-tourist security system, local community interests) tourism resources [1]. In Tourism Law of Lithuania Republicrecreational tourism resources include natural recreational resources, cultural heritage and social environmental effects of complex tourist attraction areas (resorts and resort areas, protected areas and other recreational territories), tourism and recreational infrastructure, natural health factors [10].
Tourism resources include a wide range of tangible and intangible resources. All of these resources are combined into a single system with the task to meet the needs of tourists. In Lithuania are very important natural and cultural resources, which facilitate the development of attractive tourism products. Natural-recreational resources are important because "it is the natural environmental features that create preconditions for full human physical and mental relaxation" [11].
There isn't a single administrative region in Lithuania, which does not have any distinctive, although small, be assessed natural recreational resources. It is important for the organization of local tourism. For natural complex of Lithuania are inhered decomposing, a large typological variety and wide range of possibilities. The country has 2,835 lakes, larger than 0.5 hectares and 758 rivers. The total length of rivers and streams about 60,000 km. Forests cover 28 % territory, 30 % of them - dry pine forests, which are particularly valued in the tourism sector.
Most unique natural features with high tourist attractions are in national and regional parks and resorts. The country has 194 parks and 353 natural monuments, protected by the state, 128 natural reserves. Operate 5 national and 30 regional parks. State parks and reserves include 5243 thousand ha area. However, natural recreational resources are unevenly distributed in Lithuania. Most of them are coastal, southeastern and eastern regions, in highlands of Zemaitija [10].
Cultural tourism resources include a wide range of public creative activity [10]: urban heritage, traditions and folk crafts, science values, archaeological values, technical, creative values.
Lithuanian heritage fund consists of 1817 history, 2175 archeology, 1190 architecture and 5631 art monument. 3400 of them has national and 7200 of them has local value. Tourist attractions are important in terms of its uniqueness and exclusivity. However, these values become tourism objects promoting them and dissemination of information about them, creating opportunities to visit them and to know about them. In Lithuania estimated more than
10 000 objects of cultural heritage, with monument status [2].
In summary, the natural and cultural tourism resources create favorable conditions for the creation of attractive tourism products. Various objects of cultural heritage and natural resources are important for both local and international tourism.
According to the World Tourism Organizationdefinition of "sustainable tourism development meets needs of today's tourists and host regions, at the same time protecting the needs and increasing their chances in the future. Sustainable tourism has to maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience for tourists, raising their awareness of sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices among them. Sustainable development is possible only when all the time maintaining a stable quantity and quality of tourism resources (natural, cultural and human) [3]. Management of sustainable tourism is concerned with controls of tourism resources, which have ensure same quality and not at lower resources self-sufficiency to future generations. Therefore, all stakeholders need to ensure that resources will be not wasted, tourists will not deceive and local residents - will not exploited.
Sustainable development of regions is a part of global sustainable development. Sustainable development - development of the society, providing the ability to achieve the welfare for present and future generations, combining environmental, economic and social objectives of the society and within the permissible limits of environmental impact. Sustainable development is one of the region's components of success [1].
According to M. Porter, the region's competitiveness and strategic development is dependent on the development of resources and the environment, in which competitive service providing companies. Natural resources, skilled labor force, financial resources and infrastructure are the most important tourism resources, determining development the tourism competitiveness [8].
In summary, the sustainable development of tourism is one of the factors of region's development and its competitiveness.
2. THE SWOT ANALYSIS OF TOURISM RESOURCES OF EASTERN AUKSTAITIJA REGION IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Eastern Aukstaitija region consists of Utena, Anyksciai, Ignalina, Moletai, and Zarasai districts. Regional center is the city of Utena. There are 1,002 lakes in region area. It is the highest number of lakes in comparison with other regions of the country. The region has many state-protected natural heritage objects - botanical, geological, hydrogeological, hy-drographical, hydrological.
Eastern Aukstaitija region has sufficient resources of natural and cultural heritage for tourism development.
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Table 1 - The SWOT analysis of tourism recourses of Eastern Aukstaitija region in the context
of sustainable development
Strength Weaknesses
• Identified the most important recreational areas; • The rich natural environment of the region resources (forests, rivers, lakes) and high density and ecological resilience, scenic landscape; • The region has plenty of natural and cultural heritages objects, adapted for recreational and tourism needs; • One National Park (Aukstaitija National park) and five regional parks (Anyksciai, Asveja, Grazute, Labanoras and Sartai regional parks) operate and the region. • Dominating the natural environment, a small degree of urbanization; • Health resources (in Ignalina district). • Resources are unevenly distributed, which makes assumptions for tourist flows to concentrate in certain areas; • Poorly used recreational and health resources. • A significant part of natural and cultural heritage is not integrated into the tourism sector; • Objects of the cultural heritage are not insufficiently prepared and made available to tourists visits; • The part of cultural-historical heritage objects is in poor condition.
Opportunities Threats
• The potential diversity of new tourism forms, related with sustainable development; • Better use of tourism resources; • Using of the region's natural resources, developing tourism products for individual experiences; • Growing of eco-tourism demand in the world and in the country and the available natural resources makes possibility for development all forms of recreation and tourism trends in the region. • Insufficient funding to promote the development of the tourism sector; • Using of not rational investment for tourism; • Due to poor tourist flows regulation may decline the quality of the environment; • Low (passive) tourism marketing.
SWOT analysis of Eastern Aukstaitija region's tourism resources in the context of sustainable development (Table 1) was performed, based on the Facilities Study of direction investment in tourism development in the Eastern Aukstaitija region (5) and the districts development plans and studies.
In summary by SWOT analysis, Eastern Aukstaitija region has all the assumptions to take advantage of the available tourism resources and compete successfully in the tourism market. According to the principles of integration of sus-tainability into tourism policies, natural and cultural resources must be used efficiently and effectively. Consumption of resources does not exceed the rate of growth. Sustainable tourism has the optimal use of environmental resources, which is a major guarantor of tourist development, essential ecological processes, and maintenance of natural resources and biodiversity conservation.
Sustainable tourism in Eastern Aukstaitija region implemented in protected areas. Much of the natural heritage areas in Eastern Aukstaitija region (5) is maintained and nurtured in Aukstaitija National Park and five regional parks. The region is the state of protected areas in abundance - the protected area consists of 147 345,73 ha. It holds 20.46 % of the region's territory. The region covers an area of major national parks: Aukstaitija National Park, Anyksciai, Labanoras, Grazuté, Sartai and Asveja regional parks.
In summary, the Eastern Aukstaitija region has all the assumptions to take advantage of the available tourism resources and compete successfully in the tourism market. According to the principles of integration of sustainability into tourism policies, natural and cultural resources must be used efficiently and effectively.
Conclusions
1. The natural and cultural tourism resources facilitates the development of attractive tourism products. Tourism resources are having a financial interest for the tourism industry. They are also the abundance of tourists and tourism business, sustainable tourism has a considerable influence on the development of the region and its competitiveness.
2. Eastern Aukstaitija region has sufficient natural and cultural resources for tourism development. The region attracts visitors and has the potential to attract more tourists flows. Tourism resources are treated differently in different districts - high tourist potential districts are Ignalina, Moletai and Zarasai districts, medium tourist potential districts are Utena and Anyksciai districts. Assessing the complex, all the districts of Eastern Aukstaitija region (Anyksciai, Ignalina, Moletai, Utena, Zarasai) fall into the middle of the tourist potential of the area.Eastern Aukstaitija region has all the assumptions to use the existing tourism resources and tourism services to compete successfully in the tourism market. According to the integration of sustainability principles in tourism policies, natural and cultural resources must be used efficiently and effectively. Resource consumption does not exceed the rate of growth. Sustainable tourism should make optimum use of environmental resources, which is a major tourist development, essential ecological processes and support natural resources and biodiversity conservation guarantor.
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