PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVING THE GOVERNANCE OF TOURISM IN LITHUANIA: INTERACTION OF THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS

Abstract

Although much emphasis is placed on the discussion of tourism governance issues, this topic remains relevant for many countries and there are still several open questions. There are still no clear governance borderlines between activity areas of different institutions in Lithuania, the functions often overlap and co-ordination is weak. The article, therefore, addresses two problematic issues – what factors impact the interaction of the national and municipal levels of tourism governance and how to improve the interaction and synergy of the national and municipal levels of tourism governance? Purpose of the article – disclose the interaction of the Lithuanian tourism governance at the national and municipal levels identifying the prospects for improving the Lithuanian tourism governance. In the article the literature interpreting the issues of tourism governance and the prerequisites for its interaction and synergy has been reviewed and systematised, the factors hindering and enabling the development of tourism on the national and municipal levels have been identified, the improvement model of tourism governance has been provided. The improvement scheme of the Lithuanian tourism governance based on the on the new public governance principles and on the interaction between the national and municipal levels has been provided and the prospects for improving the Lithuanian tourism governance for the period up to 2020 have been proposed. JEL codes: H83, L83, Q57.