JAPANESE TOURISTS IN TRANSITION COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL-EUROPE - PRESENTBEHAVIOR AND FUTURE-TRENDS

After 1989, tourist hows to and from the 'transition' countries of Cen tral Europe increased significantly. A rapidly growing trade with dist ant countries, including Japan, indicate that this region has increasi ngly been incorporated into the world economy and its tourism markets. The total numbers of Japanese tourists travelling to the region, howe ver, was low and lagged behind the numbers reported by the EU countrie s. By 1996, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary and Poland were no t able to penetrate the Japanese market in the same way as the develop ed countries of Western Europe and America, The research, based upon m arketing surveys and statistical data from national and international sources, indicate that there is considerable potential for congress to urism, cultural and incentive travel and business trips. More sophisti cated tourism policies can help remove some of the basic obstacles lik e visa barriers and a low awareness of the Central European countries by Japanese tourists. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.