Back in the U.S.S.R. and Eastern Europe
1990; Public Relations Society of America; Volume: 46; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0033-3670
Autores Tópico(s)Cruise Tourism Development and Management
ResumoBACK IN THE U.S.S.R. AND EASTERN EUROPE For practitioners specializing in travel, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union represent intriguing destinations and opportunities Last year, the travel public relations firm of Karen Weiner Escalera surveyed international tourist directors about which region and nation would experience the greatest growth in tourism from the United States over the next decade. Given the thaw in relations between the United States and the U.S.S.R., they weren't particularly surprised to find that 36 percent named Eastern Europe as the number one growth region and the Soviet Union as the top growth country. But even travel practitioners have been surprised by just how much Eastern European tourism has snowballed since last year. Calls made in March of this year to various embassies in Washington revealed that twice as many Americans are applying for visas to the Soviet Union and certain Eastern European countries as applied in 1989. The embassy people say they can hardly keep up with the issuances. The U.S.S.R., the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and Czechoslovakia are all projecting nearly 100 percent increases in tourism over last year. Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia each have had 70 to 80 percent increases. Brave new world A travel destination is a rare opportunity for public relations practitioners specializing in travel. With a part of Europe largely dismissed by most American tourists for 40 years coming on line, new travel accounts beckon, as well as an opportunity to participate in international bridge-building. And, self-interest aside, practitioners point out that the countries in question have a great deal to gain from the increase in tourism. While United States citizens have by and large avoided this part of the world, many Eastern bloc countries have continued to enjoy a steady and sizeable stream of other tourists. Bulgaria has almost seven million visitors annually, only 20,000 of whom are from the United States. Czechoslovakia draws 17 million tourists, of which only 80,000 are American. And Hungary, a marvelous tourist country that has more visitors than population (10 million compared to 15 million), welcomes only about 120,000 American tourists each year. Other countries in the region report similar numbers. As of this year, that is clearly changing. The Eastern European countries and the Soviet Union may well see more American tourists this year than ever before. And as more hotels open and air service expands, their numbers will continue to grow. Some predict that 1991 will be an even better year than 1990. Four target groups Still, just how promising is this area for U.S. practitioners seeking to expand their client bases? To assess that, you need to look at what kinds of groups are visiting now, the status of the infrastructure in Eastern Europe and the U.S.S.R., the funding of tourism boards in these countries, and the special sales points that make the areas ripe for growth. In part, the situation is reminiscent of the early 1950s, when European travel demand, pent up during World War II, burst forth in a wave of American tourists. Now, with the breaking down of the Berlin Wall, Americans who have longed to visit friends and relatives in Eastern Europe can readily realize their dream. Although hard statistics about tourism in this rapidly changing destination area are still hard to obtain, the embassies say that it seems clear that these so-called ethnic are the largest single group accounting for the new influx. The second-largest and rapidly growing group consists of business travelers seeking opportunity in a region where business practices and markets are at last being liberalized. The simultaneous shredding of the Iron Curtain and the emerging European Economic Community offer a wealth of possibilities that need to be quickly assessed. …
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