METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH AND MODEL ANALYSIS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF TOURIST TRENDS

Abstract

The draw and diversity of the destination’s offer is an antecedent of the tourism visits growth. The destination supply differentiation is carried through new, specialised tourism products. The usual approach consists of forming specialised tourism products in accordance with the existing tourism destination image. Another approach, prevalent in practice of developed tourism destinations is based on innovating the destination supply through accordance with the global tourism trends. For this particular purpose, it is advisable to choose a monitoring and analysis method of tourism trends. The goal is to determine actual trends governing target markets, differentiating whims from trends during the tourism preseason. When considering the return on investment, modifying the destination’s tourism offer on the basis of a tourism whim is a risky endeavour, indeed. Adapting the destination’s supply to tourism whims can result in a shifted image, one that is unable to ensure a long term interest and tourist vacation growth.

With regard to tourism trend research and based on the research conducted, an advisable model for evaluating tourism phenomena is proposed, one that determines whether tourism phenomena is a tourism trend or a tourism whim.