Development of the tourism sector in Lithuania : a focus on the 50 + sector

With the looming fact of aging population, market for seniors must use adapta- tion strategies to off er products and services. Th e tourism market is not an exception in Lithuania. Th e paper aims at disclosing the SWOT analysis for potential seniors' tourism development in Lithuania. Th e authors defi ne the following tasks for research following the research logic: 1) to present the growing tendency of aging society, tak- ing the example of most developed countries, such the USA, Australia, the UK, Italy, Germany and Japan; 2) to defi ne the senior traveller and his/her major types and main characteristics; 3) to outline the criteria with the SWOT analysis tool for the major internal and external developments of the 50+ market in Lithuanian tourism.

Th e article defi nes the development opportunities of seniors' tourism market in Lithuania.Th ere is no unanimously accepted defi nition of senior people in the scientifi c literature.Th is market segment has diff erent names: silver market, grey market, mature market.Th ese adjectives have associations with grey hair, maturity and experience.Some authors describe this segment and highlight the age factor: a) elderly market, or b) over fi fties.Th ere is no unanimous opinion, as researched in European studies and research papers, what age people become senior at, but the term "50+" will be used here.Usually, the start of seniors' age varies from fi fty to sixty years (see, Table 1).Th e age is one of the most important criteria of the market segmentation.Th e biological age is diff erent from the cognitive age (Barak, Gould, Schiff man, 1981); and travel decisions depend on both criteria.Th e seniors' market is really the specifi c one.Seniors travel seasonally, elderly people cannot travel for a longer time than usual, they need more rest and they can aff ord a little bit more because of the savings.Seniors, who continue their work get higher income, have less expense and there is no need to take care of children.Moreover, the society gets older because of a few reasons (Wall, Mathieson, 2006;Chaston, 2009;Čepinskis, Kanišauskaitė, 2010): a longer life expectancy, particular habits of life cycle, a better healthcare, a medicine breakthrough, a diff erent family model, the most important thing probably would be a decreasing birth-rate.
Th ere are eff orts to make seniors' tourism more popular in Lithuania too.Unfortunately, this market segment has not much of research attention yet.According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), the stream of tourists from 2008 decreased in Europe. In Lithuania, this problem appeared in 2009-2011.It is predictive that in 2012 markets might have of at all a slow recovery and due to this economic trend, tourism organizations in Lithuania need to know how to meet expectations of elderly people and prepare for the changes.
Every market is eff ected by macro-environmental factors, such as economy, culture, policy-making, fi nance, sociodemographics, technology, ecology and law (Gonza'lez et al., 2009).Also, increasing social contacts, easier access to information, frequency of travel, changes of entry restrictions in some countries are positive factors aff ecting the tourism sector.
Th e aim of the article is to fi nd main reasons for diff erent developments in the tourism market, which stimulate out/incoming seniors' tourism in Lithuania.
Th ere are several ways how tourism product could be presented for seniors' tourism.Most existing tourism products are modifi ed for older people or youth market is eliminated.Sometimes it is the same product only presented in diff erent way or new products are created especially for seniors.Th erefore, solution should be sought for marketing specialists to lure a new segment of seniors into the incoming and outgoing tour-ism fl ows, presenting opportunities for Lithuanian citizens in cruising (a port in Klaipeda) or in countryside relax (a vast region in the Lake District).

RATIONALE OF SEGMENTING FOR 50+ MARKET IN THE TOURISM MARKET
It has been noted that the tourism market took momentum after the World War II.Weaver and Lawton (2006) made an eff ort to present the stages of tourism market development, as follows: from the start (1950)(1951)(1952)(1953)(1954)(1955)(1956)(1957)(1958)(1959)(1960) the tourism sector was considered as one big mass market; on the step of 70's this market gets segmented, and the most visible segments are being established a) the senior market and b) the young couple market (Weavere, Bruce, 2006).After a decade (in 80's) these two segments are being further broken down, following the trend of multi-criteria segmentation, taken into account travellers' income, place of residence and other features.Such approach beings in new segments of rich seniors and young Asian couples.In 90's the niche tourism markets appear: unidentifi ed travellers by the name "John Doe" travellers identifi ed by residence and ZIP codes (Weavere, Bruce, 2006).
When dividing the tourism market into the smallest segments, there is an opportunity to get tourists interested into particular travelling off ers: to communicate the message to a target group, to off er a travel product corresponding with individual needs and expectations.

MOTIVES BEHIND TRAVELLING IN THE 50+ SEGMENT
In general, when travelling, a person seeks to satisfy not just one need or wish (Svetikienė, 2002).It has been identifi ed that the reasons and motives behind travelling are various (Svetikienė, 2002), i.e.: physiological (in order to improve one's health), security, social (to fi nd a friend/acquaintance) and psychological (to seek/demonstrate prestige) motives.
M.C.Sellick (2004) in Australia performed target research showed that travellers who are 50+ are motivated to travel due to the following reasons: a) a wish to have mutual social life and leisure; b) to learn and get cognitive knowledge; c) to discover something new; d) to satisfy their nostalgia; e) to realise the feeling of travelling or simply non-travelling.According to travelling motives, individuals can be grouped into four groups (Sellick, 2004): -Th e enthusiastic connectors constitute 20% of the respondents.Th ey are willing to learn and communicate; they are more socially and physically active, eager to share their discoveries with others, to seek self-respect and to relax.-Seekers for discovery and self-enhancement take 26% of the travellers' market.Th is type of travellers really looking for something undiscovered and unseen, mainly motivated by personal discoveries.-Nostalgic travellers pertain 29% of the tourism market.Th eir major drive to visit nostalgic places with memories and good feelings.Travelling is their way of life.-Reluctant travellers take a quarter of the market, which express no wish to move around their secured residence.Th e study found that diff erentiation of the seniors' market has more signifi cant dependence on a health condition, education and income than sex, marital status or trade -as it was previously thought.In addition, the respondents expressed the view about care.For this segment it is very important that the caretaker should be at least ten years younger than they are.Th us shows the need to consider how to diff erentiate seniors by age: chronological age or by cognitive age (Weavere, Bruce, 2006).Th ere are few reasons which determine why older people are interested in tourism (Svetikienė, 2002): 1. the growth of the welfare of society; 2. live age expectancy and retirement age shortening; 3. psychological approach to the aging process of change; 4. tourists' habits of today's seniors were formed during the beginning of mass tourism development period (1950-1960).All these reasons led older people fi nd their interest not only in tourism but also began to travel.Many of them became active supporters of leisure.
Th e tourism market can be vulnerable.It is advisable to have a regularly monitoring and analyze changes in the market also develop a strategy to overcome diffi culties.Emergency actions in case of crisis may help us to reach better survival (Sausmarez, 2007).Seniors' tourism market is also not an exception.Seniors' tourism can be reduced due to the adverse economic conditions, insuffi cient social guarantees, physical mobility problems, etc. (Rudawska, 2010;Sarkiunaite et al., 2012).
Older tourists are looking not only for a new creative experience but also personal challenges.And similarly they are seeking a diff erent way of spending their leisure time.Seniors want to be wise and knowledgeable consumers who in return pay for the received benefi ts (Weavere, Bruce, 2006).

MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW FOR 50+ MARKET IN LITHUANIA
Increasingly social contacts, easier access to information, frequency of travelling and changes in entry restrictions in some countries gives a positive aff ect for the tourism sector.Senior tourism development is stimulated of the aging population and because of older people (usually foreigners) desire to travel actively.More over access to information and social connections is also an important reason for this sector (see Table 2).Lithuania appears to thrive on tourism more and more favourable conditions: the expansion of hotel chains, increasing the variety of tourism services: popular leisure resorts or rural tourism.

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIONS FOR THE 50+ MARKET IN LITHUANIA
I. Svetikienė (2002) distinguishes the product development trends (Table 3) based on the tourism product and market.While searching for the best market (existing and new markets or other resources) and the combination of products the best market coverage strategy for the tourism company can be found (Svetikienė, 2002).Tourism product in the broad meaning is a set of services and goods (services set), which is used in creating the travel package (tour).Th e complex consists of tourism resources (natural, cultural, architectural and etc.) and prevalence of tourism industry companies (Svetikienė, 2002).
Th ere are three main market segments, which are polarised to the Lithuanian tourism product (Svetikienė, 2002): -tourists, whose purpose is business or professional needs; -tourists, whose purpose is recreation, vacations and entertainment; -tourists who come to the country to visit relatives.According to the authors indicated market segments (into which Lithuania orients), as well as seniors should have the following objectives of the travel to Lithuania.Most seniors prefer sightseeing, wellness and cultural tours (Lietuvos Turizmo komunikacijos ir rinkodaros strategija.Available at http://www.tourism.lt/upload/Turizmo_rinkodaros_strategija-galutinis_dokumentas.doc): -Cognitive travels for seniors Seniors often prefer sightseeing instead of recreational trips because of desire to have a suffi cient active leisure also experience new things and new impressions.Usually senior people are educated, they have suffi cient funds to cover their needs, their need security and minimum organizational problems, so frequently they choose a group tour by bus.Moreover, new itineraries and cultural heritage of countries are important for senior citizen.
-Health/recreational/wellness travels for seniors Th erapeutic procedures are required for older people.What is more, these procedures may be included as one of the activities while traveling, so health/recreational/wellness travels are popular among the seniors .
-Cultural travels for seniors Older people have want not only to see and to learn more about their own country and other destinations, but they also to experience the culture, visit the cultural objects and sites (Grundey et al., 2008).
Tourism services are service types with a highly variable quality.Quality of tourism services depends on the following reasons (Svetikienė, 2002;Aivaz and Vancea, 2009): the company's internal rules, the service staff and customer's education which the service is provided, also standard of service and other factors.Th us, the quality of tourism services depends on the internal resources of the company and the tourist.
Tourism resources such as architectural and historical monuments, events organized by cultural institutions and scenic landscapes increases Lithuanian tourist attractiveness, but this potential are insuffi ciently explored.In order to preserve cultural value cultural heritage should be the objects of tourism, also cities old towns should be developed as a tourism and tourist attraction areas (Turizmo plėtotės strategija.Available at www.ukmin.lt/lt/.../13.%20turizmo%20pletotes%20strategija.doc).
One of the most important steps is to choose market segment.Th e tourism sector is divided into internal, inbound and outbound tourism.First of all, the market is segmented.Secondly, selected target segment is positioned.Th irdly, knowing what the target market is it is important to analyze threats and opportunities (SWOT).
To determine the senior tourism market development, it is important to evaluate the Lithuanian tourism market strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.Tourism market SWOT analysis (Table 4) performed for the preparation of Lithuanian tourism marketing strategy for 2009-2013.
As one of the strengths of the Lithuanian Tourism released a favourable geographical position, important transportation corridors, a multiplicity of recreational, therapeutic, and other resources.It is important that a number of tourism resources included in the UNESCO Heritage List, which attracts foreign tourists .
According to the SWOT analysis the Lithuanian Presidency of the European Union Council in 2013 was carried out by identifi ed major opportunity for market development.Th is important position will be drawn wide public attention.It is also important enhancing international relations, world-class public cultural infrastructure projects, realize rail component of the project "Rail Baltica".It is necessary to explore the advantages and provided opportunities properly.

CONCLUSIONS
1. Th ere is no settled defi nition of the elderly people in the scientifi c literature.To describe the older people segment usually few adjectives are used, such as silver market, grey market, mature market, which associate with signs of old age grey hair, maturity and experience.Some of the authors defi ne seniors' segment with emphasis on agemore than 50 years, "50+" or elderly.2. Th e development of "50+" market leads to the tourism elements of the environment: social, political, environmental, technological and economic.3. Th ere are four ways how product for seniors market can be presented: a. to modify an existing product that it will be suitable for all age groups in the markets; b. for seniors market to off er products, which were created for youth market -just change the product delivery; c. to off er tourism products only for seniors market and exclude from the youth market; d. to create new products exclusively for seniors market.Use the product life cycle strategy, market leadership strategy, market challenger strategy, market follower strategy or market niche strategy.Tourism organizations can choose to develop the market for concentrated or diff erentiated and for undiff erentiated marketing strategy.4. Quality of tourism services depends on to the following reasons: the company's internal rules, service staff and customer education, which the service is provided, standard of service and other factors.

Table 2
Lithuanian Tourism Marketing Projections for the Future

Table 3
Tourism Product Development Trends

Table 4
Lithuanian Tourism Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Th reats