THE YACHTING CHARTER TOURISM SWOT: A BASIC ANALYSIS TO DESIGN MARKETING STRATEGIES

Abstract

The Balearics’ economy is heavily dependent on tourism, generating revenue and employment; nevertheless, nowadays the archipelago is considered a traditional destination that could be currently reaching its mature stage. In this context, the new marketing guidelines for tourism adopted by the Balearic Government in recent years are based on promoting the development of different tourism products. The aim of this new strategy is to promote high value added products, such as the yachting charter tourism, to explore new market segments and to improve the image of the destination according to the consumer behaviour.This paper identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the yacht charter sector, using empirical evidence on the demand and supply side. The results will be very useful for this sector to design and launch successfully new marketing and promotion strategies and policies in order to maintain tourism activity, increase tourist average expenditure, lengthen the tourist season and change the image of the islands.