Use of Cluster Analysis for Classication of Tourism Potential

Abstract

The aim of the research was to prove the methods of the cluster analysis, which have already been used by a number of scientific disciplines, are usable also in tourism. The cluster analysis is a mathematical statistical method which allows a set of objects of input data matrix to be divided into several clusters. Measures of distance are used to evaluate similarity of the objects. Euclidean distance can be used for quantitative variables. Tourism potential has been studied by a number of authors here and abroad, see bibliography. A district (Czech: okres) has been chosen as basic spatial unit in our research. The advantage of this approach is the possibility of using a public database of CZSO (Czech Statistical Office) which is the most important source of input data. Furthermore the data published by the Institute for Spatial Development in Brno have been used, the tourism potential of individual districts has been specified by the methods of cluster analysis, and the districts have been divided into six groups. Conformity of these groups with reality proves the appropriateness of the method used.