TRENDS%20AND%20SKILL%20NEEDS%20IN%20THE%20TOURISM%20SECTOR

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TRENDS AND SKILL NEEDS IN THE TOURISM SECTOR

• International Workshop 29 - 30 April, 2004
• Halle (Saale), Germany

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Research on tourism trends in Serbia and the
transfer into tourism education

• Jovan Popesku
• President, CenORT Centre for Responsible and
  Sustainable Tourism Development
• Professor, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel
  Management
• Belgrade, Serbia

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Republic of Serbia

• Population 9,779,000 (1991)
• Total area 88,361 km²
• Capital Belgrade 1,6 million inhabitants
• Part of Central, SE and CE Europe
• On the crossroads of Europe
• Main activities Industry and Agriculture,
  more than 55 of GDP
• Tourism 2,3 of GDP, 3 of total employees

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Serbia - Tourism Figures 1980-2003
1980 1985? 1990? 1993? 1999? 2003?
Arrivals [phone] 3949 881 2085 70 1444 64 1998 339
Overnights (000) 12028 13897 11647 1469 6868 183 5467 174 6685 792
Receipts (mn USD) / / 414 / 17,9 159,7
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Serbia - Tourism Development 1989-2000

• Decrease of total tourism arrivals 47.9,
  domestic 37.8, foreign 82.4,
• Decrease of foreign currency income 93.6
• Fall of the share in total investments (from
  2.3 to 0.5),
• Fall of the share in total foreign currency
  income from 5.8 to 1.7
• Average use of the total accommodation
  capacities 24.8

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Serbia - Tourism Figures

• 1990 116.500 beds, 37.700 in hotels
• 2000 91700 beds, 35000 in hotels
• In 2003 comparing to 1990 Serbia reached 37,2 of
  foreign tourism traffic
• According to the market research (September
  2003) only 15 of foreign visitors come to Serbia
  for leisure

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Tourism Product

• Strengths
• Diversity of the tourism product
• Richness of cultural heritage
• Unspoilt natural scenery
• Strategic location on the cross-road of Europe
  and Asia
• Hospitality of the people

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Tourism Product

• Weaknesses
• Lack of attraction development
• Highly concentrated accommodation supply
• Few professional operators
• Lack of general as well as of special tourism
  infrastructure, especially in the underdeveloped
  areas

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Tourism Product

• Opportunities
• Existence of the tourism products already
  experienced at the international tourism market
  (Belgrade, Kopaonik, monasteries)
• Rise of activity and special interest tourism
• Emergence of environmentally-conscious tourism
• Mixing unspoilt nature with highly developed
  activities/sports

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Tourism Product

• Threats
• lack of the appropriate national, regional and
  local structures dealing with development,
  management and promotion in the field of tourism
• Uncontrolled tourism facility development
• Lack of adequate infrastructure development to
  match tourism projections

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Tourism Marketing and
Promotion

• Strengths
• Proximity to the highly promoted destinations
  in the region
• Ease of packaging with other nearby
  destinations
• Growing interest by international hotel brands

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Tourism Marketing and
Promotion

• Weaknesses
• Negative image due to recent past (political
  turmoil, war)
• Under-funded marketing efforts
• Lack of an integrated national marketing and
  promotion plan

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Tourism Marketing and
Promotion

• Opportunities
• Development of a distinctively positioned
  Serbian tourism brand
• Joint marketing initiatives within region
• Threats
• Political positioning overshadowing tourism
  development
• Lack of adequate tourism product and
  infrastructure development before product is
  ready

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Product-group development

• Serbia is non-traditional tourist destination
• - Special interest tourism (ecotourism, rural
  tourism, natural and cultural heritage
  tourism-monasteries, adventurous tourism -
  mountain biking, diving, etc.)
• - City tours (Belgrade, Novi Sad, etc.)
• - Recreational Tourism (lakes, mountains, spas)
• - Pre- and Post- Commercial Tourism (business
  people short or longer stay)

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Human Resources

• Strengths
• Naturally friendly/helpful people
• Natural openness for foreigners and Western way
  of life
• Weaknesses
• Weak standard of service generally
• Lack of adequate training facilities

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SWOT Analysis Serbias Human Resources

• Opportunities
• Strengthen the local knowledge and pride in
  national heritage through integration of tourism
  into higher education
• Continue to develop craft and management skills
  among Serbian, working with international tourism
  companies to ensure best international standards
• Threats
• Discouraging image of tourism sector in Serbia
  
• Brain drain of skilled employees abroad

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Tourism education

• Education with tradition in Serbia
• Network of secondary schools (4), colleges (3)
  and faculties or departments (5)
• Lack of appropriate professional work during
  education (colleges and faculties)

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Service quality

• Training and education - crucial to achieve the
  desirable service quality improve knowledge and
  skills of the employed in the tourism industry
• Training should be in accordance with the
• expected trends in tourism
• Special target groups employees laid off during
  the process of privatization, current employees
  in traditional tourism, employees in the areas
  which can expect a rapid growth, entrepreneurs,
  newcomers and first-time job seekers

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Tourism quality seminars

• To support tourism development and its
  competitiveness
• To be planned and supported by Government
• For 2004 NTOS planned seminars for managers and
  employees of tourist boards on use of IT, study
  tours management of tourist destinations
• Training is particularly important for different
  types of special interest tourism
• Lack of specialized trainers for tourism

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Training main goals

• Main goals to be achieved by training as seen by
  European Union - attracting skilled labor to the
  sector, retaining and developing skilled labor in
  the sector supporting enterprises at regional
  and local level for improving competitiveness,
  which should be achieved through
• Permanent observatory on learning, employment and
  labor environment in the tourism sector
• 'Handbook for learning areas in the tourism
  industry' practical guide for action

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Role of the CenORT

• Research, development and promotion of tourism
  that supports responsible and sustainable use of
  resources, nature and environmental protection
  and the protection of cultural heritage and
  landscapes
• Creation of a partnership network in order to
  contribute to the creation of rural and
  ecotourism products, to its promotion and sale

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Role of the CenORT

• Education of stakeholders in rural and
  ecotourism
• Projects to develop supply, accommodation,
  attractions and activities, especially in rural
  tourism and ecotourism
• Member of European organizations ECEAT and
  EuroGites