Abstract
Strategic product development in the offer of specific forms of tourism takes place very dynamically and is an example of using the diversification strategy as the dominant development strategy. Once relatively inelastic market offers, it becomes more elastic and with the market demand realizes new forms of partnership based on meeting the demand of each tourists individually. A large number of tourist offer products are adjusted to a smaller segment of consumers, i.e. tourists. The life span of tourism products and services is relatively short. The research for this paper is of a scientific character; it is motivated by the applicative need and in that sense it is applicable. Within the framework of economic science, the basic goal of the paper is to establish and analyze elements in the market that determine the development of medical tourism. The aim is to explore the place and role of strategic management in the function of products and services distribution for medical tourism. The paper attempts to explore the relevance of the valorization potential of medical tourism in the continuous efforts to improve tourism in the Republic of Croatia. This is shown by an analysis of the implementation of the priority tourism policy measures defined by the Strategy for development of tourism of the Republic of Croatia to 2020, i.e. the implementation of the Action Plan for development of health tourism of the Republic of Croatia in relation to the anticipated dynamics of the implementation of the proposed programs. Regarding the programs, in order to increase the competitiveness of medical tourism, the paper discusses the improvement of quality offers in the field of medical tourism through the implementation of quality, accreditation and certification of health facilities. Also, activities carried out at the current moment in the field of medical tourism in the Republic of Croatia are also shown.
Highlights
Mass tourism has affected the development of many underdeveloped regions, but has caused a series of negative effects
The share of health tourism in total tourism income, that all the measures and activities defined in the Strategy for development of tourism of the Republic of Croatia until 2020, i.e. the Action Plan for development of health tourism of the Republic of Croatia were implemented have increased from 2% in 2013 to 15% in 2020 (Milas, 2015: 3)
Strategy for development of tourism of the Republic of Croatia until 2020 answered the question of what kind of tourism the Republic of Croatia should develop, and it identifies key tourism policy activities aimed at ensuring production, institutional, organizational and human conditions for improving the competitiveness of Croatian tourism and using the resource base on the responsible and sustainable development principles (Ibid.)
Summary
Mass tourism has affected the development of many underdeveloped regions, but has caused a series of negative effects. They are visible in the disruption of natural beauty, environmental pollution and in other environmental, social, cultural and economic changes. As a counterbalance to mass tourism first appeared the term “alternative”, this was later changed to the term sustainable. The term “selective tourism” appears in the scientific literature in early 1970s. That term was preceded by a similar term, and the primary. In theory and practice for specific forms of tourism, the following terms are used: individual, responsible, specific, tourism based on special interests, selective, thematic and alternative (Geić, 2011: 475)
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