M38 - Marketing and Advertising: Government Policy and RegulationReturn

Tourism is characterized by constant spatial expansion and diversification. It is one of the fastest growing global economic sectors. Local economic fluctuations undoubtedly have a significant influence on the development of tourism. The aim of this study is to highlight the crucial importance particularly of stimulating and realisation presumptions, which greatly influence the demand for tourist activities on a global scale in recent years with implications for the Czech Republic. The theoretical base of the paper consists of an overview of concepts of market performance, and multi-criteria competitiveness of tourism destinations is introduced here. The analytical part of the study examines major shifts in the distribution of tourism on a global scale and the impact of changing assumptions of development and determinants, such as information technology, transport, political factors, environmental factors, demographic factors and the degree of urbanisation, travel security, as well as a whole range of social and economic impacts. A special emphasis is devoted to the consistence of the tourism industry with economic fluctuations and recessions. Global trends are then applied to the tourism sector in the Czech Republic.

The article deals with the effectiveness of current regulation and self-regulation of food advertising targeted to children. The objective of the article is to examine the degree of functionality and efficiency of the current status to ensure meaningful regulation on food advertising aimed at children in the Czech Republic as one of the possible causes of rising obesity and overweight. To better understand the relations between all the institutions involved in regulatory and self-regulatory process in the Czech Republic, we have developed model of these relations. We also studied the impact of European institutions that influence the Czech model. In conclusion, we propose changes that could in the short term contribute to the effectiveness of the current system.

The paper deals with quality management in the sector of Tourist Information Centres (TIC) in the Czech Republic and the development of the quality management systems in the sector as part of the national quality management system in tourism. Since the TICs perform a prominent role in destination marketing management, the quality of their services seems to be of high importance. To set the particular quality criteria and to include the TIC segment in the national quality management system, an analysis and extensive research among visitors to TICs, employees and founders of TICs in the Czech Republic has been accomplished. Another analysis focused on twelve selected national quality management systems abroad using secondary research and on-line interviews with selected specialists on TIC quality. The analysis abroad comprised personal consultations with TIC specialists in England. The observed results implied the conclusion to use the SERVQUAL model and to integrate quality management systems in TICs into the national system based on the principles of the three-level Swiss quality management system.