Ski – resort and regional development: profile of visitors ... - E-Journal

Ski - resort and regional development: profile of visitors and appraisal of demand in parnassos ski - resort
The sign of the coefficient of the independent variable agrees with economic theory and has
a significant value for this specific kind of research. The standard error of the dependent
variable demonstrated a much smaller value when compared to the average of values observed.
The standard errors of intercept and the coefficient of the dependent variable are relatively
small, as it can be seen by the values in parentheses. Both the intercept and the coefficient
are statistically significant. The Durbin - Watson test suggests that there is no autocorrelation
between the residuals of the model. The model shows that the duration of stay at Parnassos
ski-resort depends only on travel time. Therefore, long journeys can be a reason for limiting
length of stay to the resort.
5. CONCLUSIONS
Natural resources in mountainous areas are of great importance for tourism development.
Combined with other resources such human capital and infrastructure create the total regional
tourist attractiveness and affect the spatial distribution of tourist flows while determining the
types of tourism to be developed. Winter tourism, is a type of tourism which takes place in
mountainous regions and constitutes an important economic activity. This activity contributes
to the regional development in great extent, especially in less advantageous regions. In
particular, winter tourism development is directly connected to the ski-resort potential, the
level of provided services, the level of utilisation and the status of natural resources, as well
as the distances involved between the resort and visitors’ places of origin. The further
development of winter tourism through the enhancement and improvement of the existing
infrastructures should be a strategic development aim for mountainous regions.
More specifically, the great majority of Parnassos visitors expressed the desire to have been
able to visit the resort more frequently. They did not because of their limited free time as well
as their limited financial resources. Therefore, the factors that have a negative effect on skiing
are income issues, lack of available free time and the perception of skiing as a dangerous
sport.
The relatively high costs resulting from staying overnight in the ski-area highlight the
relationship between staying overnight and income. This is a major constraint for developing
further winter vacations in the area. According to the respondents, the main factors that affect
the attractiveness of a particular ski-resort are its proximity to the urban areas, the quality of
its facilities as well as the snow abundance. The frequency of visits is affected by the distance
which the visitor or tourist may travel, the journey -time, the cost of the visit, and the profession
of the visitor. Although the skiing infrastructure of the resort operates at a loss, the benefits
that generates for the region as a whole are considerable. Such benefits include job opportunities
for local residents, demand for overnight accommodation and more recreational opportunities
for people and facilities such as cafeterias, bars, restaurants, and taverns.
The increased numbers of visitors have a wider positive effect on the local economy not least
by increasing the demand for traditional, local goods and artifacts. For instance, Arachova’s
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