Klaipėdos universitetas

The development process of any area is anfractuous. It is a multi-stage process. It starts with the area’s attractiveness, attractingresources, which are necessary for its development and ensures their preservation and retention for the area. When using theseresources optimally, efficiently and productively, area’s competitive advantages are achieved and, the area becomes competitive.Competitiveness is driving force and potential of growth of the territory. Growth facilitates quantitative changes of the resources,i.e. accumulation and development of resources, leading to state of development of the territory. The purpose of the process of territorialdevelopment is qualitative distribution and management of these resources aiming at achieving the concrete result – state ofdevelopment of the territory. In this article, the author structures stages of the territory development process in a definite sequencetaking into account earlier developed theoretical findings in this sphere, as well as she completes the layout of these stages with herown scientific view concerning the final aim of the territorial development to be achieved in the process of the development of theterritory. This aim is the territory’s state of development, which can be measured and compared, when considering success of theprocess of territorial development.

The global tourism marketwitnesses the increasingly intensifying processes of altering competition andcustomer needs. Competition is taking place not only among tourism serviceproviders, but also among other participants in the leisure services market –entertainment business organizations, trade and leisure centres. Within the European tourismsystem the highest potential to increase the market share currently belongs tothe Central and Eastern European states, which include Lithuania as well. Seeking to makeuse of these opportunities, it is indispensable not only to create tourisminfrastructure, but also to search for other ways of representing uniquetourism services. World Tourism Organization experts carried out a number ofsurveys, the goal of which was to determine the aims and presumptions of atouristic travel. It was established that even in the presence of changingleisure and holiday habits and fashions, one of the most important factors forchoosing a target travel destination remains the touristic attractiveness ofplaces of interest.

Changes caused by globalization changed consumer behaviour. It is passed from the era of items to the era of services causingemotions. On the other hand, it’s still a speculation, whether globalization affects the behaviour of Lithuanian people in choosingtourism. The research found that the Lithuanian residents still live in the era of items. For them is most important material safetyand image through items. To meet these needs Lithuanian residents prefer traveling abroad. Outbound tourism is attractive for thepopulation of Lithuania, but they frequently travel in Lithuanian territory. Lithuanian tourists are planning travel usually by themselves;this process is combined with rational. Economic, demographic and cultural factors have the greatest influence on the choiceof Lithuanians to make trips. Social, psychological and situational factors in the marketing mix have less impact.