Zeszyt naukowy - całość - Wydział ZarzÄ dzania i Ekonomiki Usług

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Agita Donina
better marketing possibilities for region,
positive effects on territorial economy.
The main idea, defining the potential benefits, is that it should be based on
potential strength of the region. Then cluster should be identified and effort must be
made to promote this cluster. Therefore region will benefit from being economically
active and developed.
3. Tourism clusters in Latvia
The concept of clusters, and particularly, the mutual network and characteristics,
related to it, encourage author to analyze possible tourism clusters in Latvia
and potential benefit from this. So far in Latvia such research has been made only
by A. Klepers 26 who in his research determines tourism clusters geographically. As
the case study he used research about tourism cluster in Sigulda and it’s surrounding,
identifying the spatial structure of the tourism sector in this region. In his research
the geographical concentration as well as cooperation between cluster’s
firms and organizations as main characteristic were used.
There are two main starting points in a cluster identification study: 1) a case
study approach, with a prior cluster suspicion or 2) a general approach, without any
prior judgment regarding any agglomeration 27 . Author for future research plans to
use first approach – investigates already set up cluster in Sigulda. The research’s
aim is to study internal structure, forms and efficiency of cooperation within cluster
and in the following studies to fortify the advantages of clusters and to explore its
possible use in management of enterprises. Within this study author has explored
definitions and determination of tourism clusters as well as identify what information
is necessary for further research and what methods should be used.
As main characteristics should be researched to determine clusters competitive
advantages are:
26
A. Klepers, M. Rozīte, The Regional Development of Tourism and the Emergence of
Clusters in Latvia: The Example of Sigulda, „Research Papers of the Latvian Geographical
Society” 2009.
27
C. Santos, A. Almeida, A. Teixeira, op.cit., pp. 1–38.