Using SWOT analysis to substantiate marketing strategies for balneo-tourism

Abstract

Given its social, economic and environmental impact, together with its history and tradition, balneo-tourism counts among the most important forms of tourism practiced in Romania, thus being useful to constantly identify, analyse and develop ways of supporting its positive evolution on a long term. The purpose of this article is to present, along with theoretical references regarding the importance of substantiating marketing strategies in balneo-tourism marketing planning, the results of a SWOT analysis developed in order to create better-adapted marketing strategies for balneo-tourism in Romania. The SWOT analysis is based on a qualitative research, conducted among several Romanian experts directly involved in the field of balneo-tourism. Therefore, the results obtained and the conclusions drawn can be used to substantiate marketing strategies for balneo-tourism in Romania, emphasising the main strengths and opportunities, such as the various, high quality, natural resources and the positive dynamic of the tourism market, and improving or limiting the impact of the weaknesses and threats, such as the insufficient specialised human resources and the lack of financial resources. The paper presents a series of recommendations regarding the addressed matter and offers a comprehensive point of view upon relevant aspects that should be dealt with in order to support more efficiently the Romanian balneo-tourism evolution.
 Keywords: Tourism, SWOT analysis, marketing strategy, qualitative research.