The cluster approach as a tool for enhancing the competitiveness of tourism destinations

Abstract

The article deals with various scientific approaches to the definition of the concept of «tourist destination» of foreign and Russian theory and practice of management, conceptual issues of tourist destination development. The characteristic features of destinations as a subject of competition in the tourist market are analyzed and highlighted. The key factors that provide the necessary level of competitiveness and the result of the formation of the tourist product of the destination are identified . It is proved that the most important prerequisites for ensuring a particular level of competitiveness of tourist destinations are the region’s endowment with factors of production, as well as the quality, cost and level of use of the latter. At the same time, the factors of production themselves are divided into two groups of different importance – basic or data from nature (land, climate, mineral resources, recreational resources, population, etc.) and developed, formed as a result of human activity (capital, technology, skilled labor, etc.). Moreover, factors related to technological and organizational innovations and the availability of highly qualified employees are becoming increasingly important. A model of using the cluster approach in the development of the destination is proposed, the basic elements of the tourist cluster, such as: the core of the cluster, suppliers of tourist services, enterprises of the necessary additional service, the main and accompanying infrastructure, promotion networks, business climate. The composition of the cluster allows you to determine the necessary measures to stimulate development at the level of the destination, in accordance with the economic specifics and available resources, while the determining factor will be the tourist specialization, and the composition of other components can be changed in the process of functioning.

Keywords

• destination
• competitiveness
• competition in the tourist market
• tourist product
• strategic development of the destination
• tourist cluster