Attractive Tourist Destination Research Articles

Destination Marketing to Promote Tea Tourism Socio-Economic Approach on Community Development

IntroductionTravel & Tourism is one of the world's largest service sector industry where providing billions of employments for different sectors and regions as international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2015 to reach a total of 1,184 million in 2015 (UNWTO World Tourism Barometer). With the gradual development of the tourism sector, people willing to engage in new tourism experiences and concepts as niche tourism emerged as a new concept (Fernando, 2015; Fernando 2014). Where niche tourism refers to how a specific tourism product can be personalized to meet the needs of a particular tourist segment as tourism has been identified as one niche Tourism segment emerged. Tourism noticeably has the potential to enhance the brand image and marketing of tea-producing destinations as contemporary tourists seek out authentic and unique experiences related to the appreciation and consumption of the beverage. Tourism related to tea encourages both consumption and the development of relationships with potential customers as not harming the estates but provide double income ( Fernando et al.,2016). Ceylon Tea and Tourism are inseparable words as tea growing areas are undoubtedly the most beautiful places as well attractive tourism destinations within in Sri Lanka (Ceylon Land, 2013). is farmed in over 30 countries of the world including Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey although the India, China, and Sri Lanka work out 60% of the total production according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2012). Climatic and geographic conditions of Sri Lanka have formed appropriate possibility for tea cultivation as historical evidences proved that tea tree has a long history dated back to the late 19th Century. Further trails have been included in most of the tour packages offered by the travel agencies in their tour itineraries. Potentials for the development of the segment is enormous with the strengths as the tourism industry needs to push to strengthen tourism being practiced to day to reap the optimum results and benefits, particularly with regard to the focused marketing efforts aimed at the high spending visitors. a new paradigm need to be introduced to focus more on Tourism income rather to increase the tourists' arrivals as the set of post-war peaceful situation of the destination (Fernando,2015). Improving this Tourism niche market the steps could be taken for promotion and development Tourism as a novel avenue that ultimately improves the livelihood of the community.Research QuestionsTea is one of the main resources that can promote as niche tourism segment in Sri Lanka as the amount of tea plantations and world renowned brand Ceylon Tea. tourism is a type of tourism concept which can be promoted in Sri Lanka, Specially in Nuwaraeilya and Badulla as plantations are widely spread in both districts. Hence this paper highlights the impact on community from tourism.* How is the community participation in tea tourism?* What are the community opinions for future tea tourism?Research Objectives has been developed* To identify how is the community participation in tea tourism.* To identify community opinions for future tea tourism.Review of LiteratureThe offering of a cup of tea is a universal sign of hospitality, in either a home or commercial hospitality setting (Walton, 2001). Practitioners recognize that tea offered in the lodging setting is an and that the current evolution of tea into a trendy product is not a surprise. For hospitality, tea consequently serves as both a symbol and a resource with considerable potential for the provision of commercial hospitality as the tea culture in china revolves around creating a comfortable and positive experience for guests. has been a part of the history and economy of Sri Lanka since it was introduced in the late nineteenth century, after the failure of the coffee crop due to a fungus (Martin, 2007). …

Potential Development Strategies on Marine and Beach Tourism

The focus of this study will dwell on the potential development of eco-tourism, marine and beach tourism. It will also cover the steps to determine the strategies necessary for this development to be executed. Apart from that, this study will examine the relationship between tourism and the tourists, and to perform a profound research on the dramatic increase of tourists coming to Thailand. In order to start with the process of doing this study, there are variables that are carefully considered to specify a scope that will enhance in the clarity and emphasis of the details in this study. The variables are product, attributes, management, satisfaction, tourist expenditures, and tourist demographics. These variables were tested with regard to its relationship with tourist satisfaction. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to perform the testing. The data were collected from a survey conducted to one hundred (100) tourists who had visited Phuket, particularly to experience the marine and beach destinations in that area. The contents of the survey were questions that were aligned with the above-mentioned variables, product, attributes, management, satisfaction, tourist expenditures, and demographics. In general, the method used in this study was mixed method, using both quantitative and qualitative. It can be observed from previous study to present that the international tourism is immensely competitive. Tourist destination experts and destination marketers are investing their time, money, and effort to place their tourist destination to be number or if not, one of the top choices. With this in consideration, this study will put emphasis on tourist satisfaction to make Thailand as the preferred choice of travellers in marine and beach destination. To support this, best strategies and methods were used to entice travellers to come to visit the marine and beach tourism of Thailand. Furthermore, for business benefits, this study will also provide information that will assist in the improvement of business plan for travelling by sea. The outcome of this study will not only help in line with planning, but also in the creation of strategy that will help in the business development of the marine and beach tourism. Moreover, the schemes of the marine and beach tourism model given in this study can assist in the public environmental policy-making process based mainly in the area that this study covered. After the study, the following results were concluded: (1) Tourist expenditures had a direct effect and had influenced satisfaction, (2) Tourist demographics had no effect nor had influenced satisfaction, (3) Tourist satisfaction had a direct effect and had influenced Product, (4) Tourist satisfaction had a direct effect and had influenced Attributes, and (5) Tourist satisfaction had a direct effect and had influenced Management. On the other hand, this study proposed that the private and government tourism sector will both work together to develop not only attractive tourism destinations but also to provide, improved amenities, better accessibility, appropriate image, inexpensive and reasonable prices. Finally, the outcome of this study should add to the already opened opportunities for furthering the marine and beach tourism in Thailand to be one of the best and to be competitive in the world market.

The Rise of the Sharing Economy in Tourism: Exploring Airbnb Attributes for the Veneto Region

In just a couple of years, the sharing economy grew out to become a significant segment of the holiday accommodation market. Online peer-to-peer marketplaces allow people to offer rooms or entire houses to tourists, with Airbnb being the biggest and most famous example. This paper aims to give an insight into explaining which factors and attributes influence the success of Airbnb accommodations in the Veneto Region, using occupancy as a proxy. We analysed characteristics of 19624 Airbnb accommodations. The logistic regression model identifies a number of influential attributes which can be divided between locational characteristics, being located in attractive tourism destinations, and accommodation characteristics, for example the price, rating, number of previous bookings and the status of the host. The quantitative analysis allows to create an attractiveness scale, which is analysed for geographic patterns.

Geographic information system application for improving Chiang Mai University tourism routes

Chiang Mai University (CMU) is ranked as an attractive destination for Chinese tourists. The university has launched a 'Visit CMU' project to serve the tourists with the electric-power vehicles for campus sightseeing. In addition, the tourism schedule has not satisfied the university's expectation including unattractive locations in a current route, therefore, an objective of this research is to study and propose an optimal tourism route in CMU. Travel time data of each point were collected and analysed by a statistical method. Attractive sightseeing places were selected from experts by using an interview. Lastly, all data were employed to generate a computer-simulated scenario by a geographic information system (GIS) program. The results of this research showed that the generated optimal tourism route in GIS by adopting operation times of each tourism electric power vehicles point which had different characteristics and experts' suggested tourism points reduced the travel time and distance.

Geographic information system application for improving Chiang Mai University tourism routes

Chiang Mai University (CMU) is ranked as an attractive destination for Chinese tourists. The university has launched a 'Visit CMU' project to serve the tourists with the electric-power vehicles for campus sightseeing. In addition, the tourism schedule has not satisfied the university's expectation including unattractive locations in a current route, therefore, an objective of this research is to study and propose an optimal tourism route in CMU. Travel time data of each point were collected and analysed by a statistical method. Attractive sightseeing places were selected from experts by using an interview. Lastly, all data were employed to generate a computer-simulated scenario by a geographic information system (GIS) program. The results of this research showed that the generated optimal tourism route in GIS by adopting operation times of each tourism electric power vehicles point which had different characteristics and experts' suggested tourism points reduced the travel time and distance.

Impacts of crises and communication media on place image: A case study of Chilas, Pakistan

Com-media can become part of the anthropogenic crises that some tourist destinations face. The positive practices of communication media are well rehearsed in social science research: however, the destructive impacts of communication media, specifically in destinations in crisis in less-developed countries, is less clear. This paper considers the role of communication media for tourism development in a remote area: Chilas, in the north of Pakistan. Chilas has many features – a dynamic historical, cultural and environmental background consisting, for example, of a unique landscape and ancient rock carvings – that make it an attractive tourist destination but it has yet to reach its full potential in this respect. The area has suffered from a number of natural and anthropogenic crises with many of the latter being on-going. This paper, which usies Chilas as an example, explores some of the issues with respect to the marketing of a destination that is in crisis, including, for example, the region being categorised as a seismic zone, suffering from such natural occurrences as landslides, poor infrastructure, including negligible emergency services and poor quality roads, and issues relating to terrorism. Comparisons are made with the neighbouring destinations of Gilgit, Chitral and the Hunza Valley, and the more positive media representations they receive. It will also consider the reasons why such geographically close areas should fare so differently in terms of marketing. The paper then goes on to make recommendations as to how to develop the image of a destination under crises while safeguarding the security of the destination, tourists and the local community.

SENTRA MEBEL SEBAGAI DESTINASI WISATA DENGAN PENDEKATAN ARSITEKTUR REGIONALISME DI JUWIRING, KLATEN

<p><em>The design background of Furniture Center at Juwiring is due to many of furniture craftmen that spread over in Juwiring. There is no center place to make furniture exhibition at Juwiring, it makes craftsmen have difficulty in marketing, and so do the consumer that have difficulty in search for information of furniture from Juwiring. The issue of design are: how to appear the image of a building that has a characteristic of Juwiring to be an attractive tourism destination at Juwiring. The method used is Defamiliarisasi method from Architectural Regionalism theory. The analysis design begins with gathering the potential of characteristic Juwiring, then decomposing to architectural building components. The result are design concept of furniture centers with facilities and infrastructure as a tourism destination. The concept of the building shows the characteristic of Juwiring which comes from the decomposition potential forms around Juwiring like joglo, pendhapa, Juwiring’s umbrella, and Prambanan.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><strong><em>Keywords</em></strong><em>: Appearance Building, Juwiring’s Characteristic, Furniture Craftsmen at Juwiring, Regionalism Architecture, Tourism Destination.</em></p>

Smart Specialization for Smart Spatial Development: Innovative Strategies for Building Competitive Advantages in Tourism in Slovakia

This paper's novelty is based on the theoretical and empirical interconnections it traces between competitive advantage, innovation, tourism and spatial development. The tourism sector plays an important role in many regional and national economies, as well as in the global economy. It is a dynamic sector with a high potential for creating new jobs and enterprises, and for making a significant contribution to spatial development.Both Slovakia and many other countries have the potential to become attractive tourist destinations. Realising this potential is a real challenge, but innovation, smart specialization and building ʽsmartʼ competitive advantage provide opportunities to create new tourist destinations. This paper synthesizes theoretical and empirical research focused on competitive advantage, innovation and tourism and highlights their positive impact on smart and sustainable spatial development. Using those results it proposes an innovative approach to building competitive advantage in tourism.

Transformacja granicy i jej oddziaływanie na region. Granica polsko-rosyjska jako stymulator rozwoju strefy przygranicznej w latach 2012–2014

W związku z wstąpieniem Polski w struktury Unii Europejskiej granica polsko-rosyjska stała się zewnętrzną granicą Wspólnoty, pełniącą ważne funkcje obronne dla wszystkich państw stowarzyszonych. Od 2003 roku na granicy polsko-rosyjskiej obowiązuje ruch wizowy, który przyczynił się do spadku aktywności transgranicznej. W 2012 roku w celu ułatwienia przekraczania granicy polsko-rosyjskiej, wprowadzono umowę o ruchu bezwizowym, która spowodowała gwałtowny wzrost jej przekroczeń. Porozumienie o małym ruchu granicznym stanowi element znoszenia ruchu wizowego na granicach unijno-rosyjskich. Jest zaledwie elementem dużego projektu, ale jego znaczenie dla funkcjonowanie granicy i pogranicza polsko-rosyjskiego, a także relacji Bruksela – Moskwa okazało się większe niż oczekiwano.<br />Celem artykułu jest zobrazowanie zmienności funkcji granic i ich oddziaływania na pogranicza. W opracowaniu przedstawiono przekształcenia granicy polsko-rosyjskiej po wejściu w życie umowy o ruchu bezwizowym i jej wpływu na rozwój stref przygranicznych i aktywność transgraniczną mieszkańców objętych porozumieniem. W pracy zwrócono szczególną uwagę na zmieniającą się rolę granicy i jej wpływ na życie lokalnych społeczności.

The main trends, challenges and success factors in the Russian hospitality and tourism market

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the main trends, opportunities, challenges and success factors in the Russian hospitality and tourism market.Design/methodology/approachThe study sets the tone for the theme by evaluating the overall economic situation in Russia and the prospects of the tourism and hospitality market by taking into account the existing institutional environment, as well as the natural resources and cultural heritage of Russia. The articles in this theme issue are drawn both from academia and industry.FindingsThis paper sheds light on the key trends and challenges with respect to leveraging the cultural and economic potential of the Russian hospitality and tourism market. The opportunities for Russia’s hospitality and tourism market are reviewed, and the success factors relating to the Russian hospitality and tourism market are explained.Practical implicationsThis study identifies a number of implications for practitioners and policymakers that will allow Russia to leverage its huge but greatly under-rated and untapped potential as an attractive tourist destination. This requires a clear understanding that networking is crucial in the experience economy era to ensure that the aspirations and concerns of all key stakeholders are taken into account given that a lot of different resources and competencies are needed to provide tourists with a combination of experiences, and thus to make a destination attractive for target audiences. It will help Russian practitioners to understand better which factors are crucial for gaining competitiveness in the experience economy era and to find new ways of business improvement. It will also assist practitioners from other countries to understand local environment and find new perspectives of doing business in Russia. Whilst not all key stakeholder voices are represented in this theme issue, the discussions and implications that are drawn out are of importance to all stakeholder groups.Originality/valueThis is the first time a journal issue has focused on the challenges and prospects of the Russian tourism and hospitality market. The research through this theme issue contributes to the literature on BRICS markets by highlighting the specifics of the Russian market. It also provides an understanding of the ways in which Russian cultural heritage and natural resources can be deployed effectively for a positive impact on inbound and domestic tourism and hospitality and on the prosperity of Russian regions and local communities.

PENGARUH BRAND POSITIONING WONDERFUL INDONESIA TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN WISATAWAN MANCANEGARA UNTUK BERKUNJUNG KE INDONESIA (Survei Terhadap Wisatawan Mancanegara Asal Singapore, Malaysia dan Australia)

In the current era of the world globalization, tourism is one of the sectors that contributed substantially in the development and growth of each country, including Indonesia. Indonesia is a country that is very rich in natural and cultural resources. That was one factor Indonesia became the one of attractive destinations for tourists, especially foreign tourists. In increasing the number of tourist arrivals to come to Indonesia, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy as a government agency in the field of tourism using a variety of strategies, and the which one is branding. This is done to strengthen the image of Indonesian tourism minds of the tourists, particularly in promoting the growth and the number of tourist arrivals in accordance with the targets to be achieved. Brand Positioning became one planned strategy associated with the repositioning of the brand Visit Indonesia Year to be Wonderful Indonesia. This is done for brand dissemination Wonderful Indonesia be easily attached to the minds of the desired target market, especially foreign tourists who’s coming to Indonesia. Brand positioning is a way to demonstrate the superiority of a brand and how it differs from other competitors. There are five dimensions that can diigunakan to see the positioning of the brand by AB Susanto and Hilmawan W (2004:154), namely the value, uniqueness, credibility, sustainability, and suitability. This study aims to determine the implementation of brand positioning and influence the decision of foreign tourist to make decision to visit. Objects in this study is represented by foreign tourists from top three countries in the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia, namely Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. The independent variable in this study is the brand positioning (X). The dependent variable in this study is the decision to visit (Y). The method used in this research is descriptive and verificative methods. The method used is explanatory survey and cross sectional approach. Samples taken were 100 respondents were divided into three categories namely 39 respondents origin Singapore, 33 respondents from Malaysia and 28 respondents from Australia with sample technique used is stratified random sampling. While the data analysis techniques used are simple linear regression analysis using SPSS 17.0 for Windows. The results showed that the brand positioning has a significant influence on the decision of foreign tourists to visit Indonesia. As for suggestions for Kemparekraf is optimizing and developing marketing brand Wonderful Indonesia to be more widely known and more deeply so as to motivate more and more foreign tourists to come to Indonesia.

PENGARUH BRAND POSITIONING WONDERFUL INDONESIA TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN WISATAWAN MANCANEGARA UNTUK BERKUNJUNG KE INDONESIA (Survei Terhadap Wisatawan Mancanegara Asal Singapore, Malaysia dan Australia)

In the current era of the world globalization, tourism is one of the sectors that contributed substantially in the development and growth of each country, including Indonesia. Indonesia is a country that is very rich in natural and cultural resources. That was one factor Indonesia became the one of attractive destinations for tourists, especially foreign tourists. In increasing the number of tourist arrivals to come to Indonesia, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy as a government agency in the field of tourism using a variety of strategies, and the which one is branding. This is done to strengthen the image of Indonesian tourism minds of the tourists, particularly in promoting the growth and the number of tourist arrivals in accordance with the targets to be achieved. Brand Positioning became one planned strategy associated with the repositioning of the brand Visit Indonesia Year to be Wonderful Indonesia. This is done for brand dissemination Wonderful Indonesia be easily attached to the minds of the desired target market, especially foreign tourists who’s coming to Indonesia. Brand positioning is a way to demonstrate the superiority of a brand and how it differs from other competitors. There are five dimensions that can diigunakan to see the positioning of the brand by AB Susanto and Hilmawan W (2004:154), namely the value, uniqueness, credibility, sustainability, and suitability. This study aims to determine the implementation of brand positioning and influence the decision of foreign tourist to make decision to visit. Objects in this study is represented by foreign tourists from top three countries in the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia, namely Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. The independent variable in this study is the brand positioning (X). The dependent variable in this study is the decision to visit (Y). The method used in this research is descriptive and verificative methods. The method used is explanatory survey and cross sectional approach. Samples taken were 100 respondents were divided into three categories namely 39 respondents origin Singapore, 33 respondents from Malaysia and 28 respondents from Australia with sample technique used is stratified random sampling. While the data analysis techniques used are simple linear regression analysis using SPSS 17.0 for Windows. The results showed that the brand positioning has a significant influence on the decision of foreign tourists to visit Indonesia. As for suggestions for Kemparekraf is optimizing and developing marketing brand Wonderful Indonesia to be more widely known and more deeply so as to motivate more and more foreign tourists to come to Indonesia.

Attractiveness of Poland as a tourist destination in the eyes of Czech students of primary schools

This study summarizes the analysis of perception of Poland as a tourist destination in the eyes of students of primary schools located in Prague and was created as part of a larger survey of the attractiveness of Poland for the people of the Czech Republic. The data are based on a questionnaire survey done in April 2009. As a result, the author managed to receive 242 questionnaires filled out by students of seventh to ninth grade of primary schools. The students were to answer 29 mostly close-ended questions and six questions regarding their family background and sex. Analysis of the questionnaires confirmed the thesis that Poland is not perceived as an attractive tourist destination and the majority of the involved students have very little knowledge about the country. Students emphasized the absence of promotion of Poland by the governmental organizations and the students actually recommended this as a major potential for an improvement for the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland. Author of this article believes that a thorough analysis of this kind can be a useful source of information about the opinion of the Czech students (and also their parents) about Poland as a tourist destination and can serve as a basis for a modification of the syllabus that substantially lacks behind in this respect.

A Study on Heritage Preservation and Tourism Development at a Prehistoric Site in Kerala Through Community Engagement

Wayanad is a beautiful hill station nestled in the lap of Western Ghats. Once branded as the most backward district in Kerala, it emerged as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the recent years. Scenic beauty, bio-diversity, weather, indigenous people etc. attract tourists to Wayanad. The District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) Wayanad play a key role in promoting the destination and creating basic amenities at various tourist sites. Edakkal Caves, located on the crest of a prominent hill is one of the best examples of heritage preservation in Kerala. The walls of the caves contain several carvings, designs and some scripts, all made on the rough surface of the caves. These prehistoric rock engravings were studied by several historians to assess the period of it making and decipher meaning of the engravings. An early description of the rock engravings was mentioned by William Logan, a British Administrator of this region in Malabar Mannual (1886). F. Fawcett & R C Temple conducted a study on the engravings in detail in 1901. Several studies were conducted post-independence about the historicity of this place and trace the inhabitants who were instrumental in leaving the footprints of history to the future generation. At present, Edakkal is not just a historical place, but it is developed as an important tourist attraction of the state of Kerala. Tourism development changed the heritage value of this place and the consistent effort of the administration to protect the heritage resources resulted in identification of several sites connected to the caves in many ways. The present study explores the coexistence of tourism and heritage preservation in Edakkal Caves through community participation. It attempts to explain the interactions of tourism, heritage and governance in protecting our heritage resources. Telephonic interviews have been used to collect required information for the study. The findings of the study suggest the applicability of heritage tourism opportunity spectrum (HTOS).

Assessment of Reservoir Water Quality Using Multivariate Statistical Techniques: A Case Study of Qiandao Lake, China

Qiandao Lake (Xin’an Jiang reservoir) plays a significant role in drinking water supply for eastern China, and it is an attractive tourist destination. Three multivariate statistical methods were comprehensively applied to assess the spatial and temporal variations in water quality as well as potential pollution sources in Qiandao Lake. Data sets of nine parameters from 12 monitoring sites during 2010–2013 were obtained for analysis. Cluster analysis (CA) was applied to classify the 12 sampling sites into three groups (Groups A, B and C) and the 12 monitoring months into two clusters (April-July, and the remaining months). Discriminant analysis (DA) identified Secchi disc depth, dissolved oxygen, permanganate index and total phosphorus as the significant variables for distinguishing variations of different years, with 79.9% correct assignments. Dissolved oxygen, pH and chlorophyll-a were determined to discriminate between the two sampling periods classified by CA, with 87.8% correct assignments. For spatial variation, DA identified Secchi disc depth and ammonia nitrogen as the significant discriminating parameters, with 81.6% correct assignments. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified organic pollution, nutrient pollution, domestic sewage, and agricultural and surface runoff as the primary pollution sources, explaining 84.58%, 81.61% and 78.68% of the total variance in Groups A, B and C, respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of integrated use of CA, DA and PCA for reservoir water quality evaluation and could assist managers in improving water resources management.

Pengembangan Desa Wisata Jatimalang Berbasis Industri Kreatif

<p>The purpose of this activity is to develop tourism village Jatimalang to improve community empowerment in the management of tourism potential. Community service activities through the Field Work Experience Learning Community Empowerment (KKN PPM) develop coastal resorts Jatimalang become an attractive tourist destination area and able to empower the local community-based development of creative economy. KKN PPM using the method of Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD) is one method of community service oriented problem solving in the community. EfSD method emphasizes the three pillars, namely economic, ecological or environmental, and social. Program development activities carried out in outline included the development of tourist attractions, accessibility, amenitas, and tourism activities.</p>

ATRIBUT DESTINASI YANG MEMPENGARUHI LOYALITAS WISATAWAN BERKUNJUNG KE KAWASAN SANUR

Sanur is one of the most attractive and renowned beach tourist destinations in Bali. However, there is no particular study so far to determine the influential attributes on Sanur, as well as the factors which affecting tourist’ opinion to visit this area. The purposes of this research are to determine the dominant attributes to determine visitors’ perception toward tourism attributes, to determine tourist loyalty on visiting Sanur area. This research was conducted by interviewing 100 domestic and foreign visitors who reside in the area at the time of research by accidental sampling method. Information regarding the trend of the visitors was gathered from ten respondents including business owners and local touristauthority by purposive sampling method. The research found that factors which dominantly influent tourist’ perception are ambience,beauty of scenery and accessibility. The ambience as the highest mean score, while the value of sport and outdoor activities is the lowest. The interest of both domestic and international tourist has been constantly high, where recommendation commitment is more preferable compared to other dimension (repurchasing and branding commitment).

Ocular and cutaneous manifestation of leptospirosis acquired in Albania: A retrospective analysis with implications for travel medicine.

Albania is an attractive tourism destination with an increasing volume of travel. As a Mediterranean country some tropical infectious diseases are present in certain areas of Albania, including leptospirosis, which is a zoonotic infectious disease prevalent around the world. The goal of this retrospective study is to describe the ocular and cutaneous manifestations of leptospirosis in Albanian patients and raise awareness to travelers travelling in and out of the country. We retrospectively studied 107 cases of leptospirosis, treated at "Mother Teresa" University Hospital Center, in Tirana, Albania between January 2009 and December 2014. All cases included in the analysis had a clinical and epidemiological presentation suggestive of leptospirosis, confirmed with ELISA (enzyme linked immunoassay) positive for IgM antibodies against Leptospira. There were 89.7% males (n=96) and 10.2% females (n=11). Mean age at the time of diagnoses was 43.7±17.8 years old (range 17-78). All patients were native and residents of Albania. Conjunctival suffusion was present in 81.3% of the cases, whereas subconjunctival hemorrhage was seen in 12 patients (11.2%). Uveitis was seen in 38.3% of the cases and all patients with uveitis presented a severe systemic disease. A cutaneous rash was present in 58.8% of patients. Other cutaneous manifestations include jaundice in 62.6% and intense pruritus in 5.6% of cases. Ocular and cutaneous involvement happens more frequently in patients with Leptospirosis, than it was thought to be. Therefore the clinician should be more careful in his systemic evaluation of the disease.

Towards Sustainable Tourism Development in Urban Areas: Case Study on Bucharest as Tourist Destination

The issues of tourism sustainability and urban development have become major priorities for public policy makers across the globe. Today, maybe more than ever, there is a need for managing sustainable tourism development, and this cannot be attained without taking into account environmental problems and their global dimension. Various problems and requirements of society and of the development of urban areas may be solved by transforming the cities into attractive tourist destinations. Therefore, this study explores how sustainable tourism development in urban areas can be basically achieved and managed. The paper discloses some success factors for managing sustainable tourism development in urban areas and emphasizes a case study regarding Bucharest, the capital of Romania, as a tourist destination. The originality and value of this study consist of identifying the main ways of developing sustainable tourism in Bucharest based upon empirical research conducted with the aid of a survey. The findings of this study may be helpful for upcoming research in the area of managing sustainable urban tourism development.

The Image of Poland as a Tourist Destination in the Country’s Main Economic Partners

The aim of the study is to determine the current image of Poland in the countries covered by the research of the Ministry of Economy that are important from an economic point of view. To achieve the article’s aim, we used Poland’s image studies, carried out by public and private research institutions. Poland is now a country without a clear and coherent image. The country is hospitable, cheap, with good cuisine, traditions, but still not an attractive tourist destination. The condition for the recovery of tourism is to develop and implement a strategy for the development of tourism from 2016 which would take into account the exchange of information and coherence in activities of the institutions responsible for the promotion of Poland abroad.