Abstract

The article analyzes the tourist destination as an element of the tourist system. Approaches to the definition of a tourist destination are considered. The features of the tourist destination as a tool for the formation of competitive advantages of the region are revealed.

The formation of the modern tourism industry as a complex economic, social and ecological system is based on the interaction of its subjects, that is, tourists, and objects — tourist destinations. It is the tourist destination that acts as a key component of the tourism system, since it is formed by functionally related elements (tourist resources, tourist and general infrastructure of the territory, labor potential and management bodies) that are located in a certain territory, have information and communication structures to ensure the implementation of strategies and tactics of production and sale of a tourist product aimed at effective economic, social and environmental activities in it [1].

Translated from English, the word “destination”, that is, destination, translates as “location” or “destination”. In the mid-1980s, the Danish scientist N. Leiper introduced the term “tourist destination”. The author defines it as “a specific territory that a tourist chooses to visit and spends some time there, the territory where the main processes of interaction of a tourist with the tourist infrastructure take place” [7].

A tourist destination refers to a geographical area that differs from the permanent residence of a tourist, where tourist activities are carried out and tourist products are in demand. This area can be defined as a place of tourist consumption [10]. Such a destination is a “flexible, dynamic space, the boundaries of which are determined by the market itself, regardless of administrative restrictions”. A tourist destination can exist at various levels: national, regional and local. Each destination is an exchange territory in which demand and supply are constantly being met, their internal territory is represented by a market offering a variety of individual products and services designed to meet the needs of tourists [3].

Thus, a tourist destination is a certain territorial space that has attractive tourist resources, appropriate tourist infrastructure and services that can attract tourists and satisfy their tourist needs.

Since a tourist destination is focused on tourist demand or the tourist market, the ability to attract tourists and fully satisfy their tourist needs will determine whether any territory will become a tourist destination or not. It should combine various resources and create a specific tourist product that will be recognizable and competitive in the tourism market.

Despite the presence of numerous scientific works of domestic and foreign scientists on tourist destinations N.A. Goncharova [1], I.V. Zorin [2], E.N. Pavlova [4] and foreign scientists W. Althof [7], D. Buhalis [8], C. Iwashita [9], to the definition of “tourist destination” has not developed a unified approach. This problem is connected with the lack of a unified international conceptual apparatus, "tourist destination" is considered as a tourist center, product, industry or tourist region, which gives a wrong idea about the essence and purpose of tourist destinations. In legislative practice, this term is not actively used, as it is absent in the domestic regulatory framework. “Tourist destination” is a multifaceted and complex concept that needs to be studied both from the management side and from the side of science. Therefore, the study of scientific approaches to the essence, characteristics and management of a tourist destination is relevant.

“Destination” comes from Latin (“destino”) and translates as an address, destination or location [2]. In accordance with the existing definitions of various authors, it can be formulated that a “tourist destination” is a geographical area that has certain boundaries, has tourist potential (including: tourist products, such as ancillary services and attractions, as well as tourist resources) in the physical space of which the visitor spends at least one night.

According to theoretical studies, there are the following characteristics of a tourist destination.

A destination consists of a set of components such as attractions, tourist infrastructure and services, accessibility, human potential, image, price, tourist resources, the peculiarity is the continuity of the process of production and consumption of a country as a tourist product [8,9,10,11,12].

Thus, a tourist destination is one of the most important elements of the entire tourist system. This system includes two subsystems: the subject of tourist activity (tourists) and the object of tourist activity (tourist enterprises and organizations, tourist resources).

A tourist destination is a managed socio-economic territorial system that has a tourist resource potential, representing a competitive consumer value that steadily attracts tourist flows [5,6].

The most important elements of tourism (amenities, facilities, services for the needs of tourists) includes a tourist destination [3].

One of the most important is the region of the tourist destination, since tourist destinations, thanks to the created image, are attractive to tourists, form the motivation of travel, being a catalyst for the tourist system.

In spatial and economic relations, the geo-economics of tourism is important, destinations are involved in these relations in order to compete for the markets of consumers of a tourist product and increase income from the tourism sector.

Destination management is necessary, first of all, for its competitiveness and sustainability. Competitive advantage can be defined as the ability of the destination management to develop and fully combine the derived and natural elements of the tourist offer. The competitiveness of a tourist destination is the ability to increase tourist consumption, attract tourists on a larger scale and offer them unforgettable experiences, while bringing profit and benefiting future generations [2]. Thus, in order to be competitive in the global tourism market, a tourist destination must be innovative and constantly look for new sources of comparative advantages [6].

The success of a destination on the world market depends on the overall quality of the tourist offer and the available products [6]. The destination can be managed through organizations that should join the tourist community: agencies, transport companies, hotels, restaurants, merchants and other providers of tourist services [2].

The management of tourist destinations is a long-term process that should ensure the achievement of long-term goals that contain components such as:

1. Optimal economic development of the destination;

2. Higher quality of life of the local population;

3. Conservation of ecology;

4. Preservation of cultural and historical heritage and use of heritage in economic and general growth [2]

For successful competition and increasing income from the tourism sector, the most important place is occupied by the methodological foundations of the doctrine of destinations, structured and developed in the German-speaking scientific space by T. Bieger [7].

According to this doctrine, a destination is a commercial object and a subject that forms competition, and on the other hand, it is part of a socio-economic geosystem consisting of interrelated elements of a tourist complex. This concept is hierarchical, so the following types of destinations are distinguished: continents, international regions, countries, tourist regions, tourist centers (localities) and attraction points.

It is possible to single out the competitiveness of a tourist destination as the ability of a destination to create a high-quality, demand-satisfying tourist product, and the ability to implement it to increase the economic potential of local communities, local businesses, increase local budget revenues and outstrip rivals in winning and strengthening existing positions in the markets.

Thus, tourist destinations are places of satisfaction of tourist demand, and intermediaries (transport and sellers) ensure their connection with consumers (centers of tourist demand). The tourist system is open and interacts with external social, political, economic, environmental and technological systems.

Maintaining, strengthening and shaping the competitiveness of tourist destinations is associated with a number of specific factors, since destinations differ from markets with classic companies and products. Since the product itself differs in the market of tourist destinations, the basis of the destination is the impressions (emotions, feelings, sensations) that the destination can offer to the tourist, which are achieved thanks to the high-quality work of all elements of the tourist system.

The following factors can provide a qualitative competitive advantage of regional tourist destinations:

1. Natural and geographical resources. They are an important component in the formation of the competitiveness of the destination. Uniqueness, diversity, accessibility, attractiveness of natural landscapes, natural zones, natural physical elements: mountains, rivers, seas, deserts. The geographical location of the destination, its climate, in comparison with other regions-suppliers of tourists play an important role in the attractiveness of the destination;

2. Historical and cultural resources. These include both tangible resources (museums, galleries, monuments, various buildings) and intangible (language, traditions, values, lifestyle, etc.);

3. Human resources. These are the qualifications of tourism industry workers, the hospitality of residents, their attitude to tourists and tourist resources of the region;

4. Financial resources. Availability of the necessary financial potential (investment capital) in the tourist destination;

5. Infrastructure. Refers to the created resources of a tourist destination (includes: road system, transport infrastructure, electricity, water supply, healthcare, restaurants, etc.).

In addition to attractive tourist resources, an important factor for attracting tourists is effective marketing tools for promoting the tourist product of a regional tourist destination. A destination with even less rich tourist resources may be more attractive to tourists due to the proper promotion of the territory, the creation of a positive image.

Tourist resources can be divided into those that do not depend on the development of a tourist destination (natural-geographical, historical, cultural) and created in the process of development and functioning of the destination, they include various attractions (amusement parks, museums, enterprises as motivators of business tourism). Important for the development of a tourist destination are local residents, who, as carriers of culture and ethnicity, can become a factor for the development of ethnographic tourism.

Thus, the availability of attractive tourist resources is not the main factor in the formation of competitive advantages of a regional tourist destination. The competitive advantages of a destination relate to subjective factors and depend on the effective management of a tourist destination.

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