Tourism marketing of C.E.I. countries - possibilities of cooperation in health tourism

Abstract

Central European Initiative as an international regional association includes fifteen member countries. Interests in cooperation in the field of tourism can be explained by the fact that the majority of Central European countries have significant natural and cultural resources which have not yet been put to sufficient or desired use in tourism. At the beginning of 1996. the Working Group for Tourism of the C.E.I. countries conducted a research study with the aim of determining basic indicators of the level of tourism development in member countries as well as basis for developing common tourism marketing strategy. Health tourism is among the most developed tourism types; majority of the countries also associate their image with natural beauties, unpolluted environment and spas. The level of development of health tourism varies across the C.E.I. countries therefore being the basis for cooperation in various aspects, for example in research, transferring know-how in technology, and marketing (designing the product, joint promotion etc.).