Strategic management of enterprises in the tourism industry. Features of strategic management on the example of a travel company CJSC "poezdka-tour" Strategic management in international tourism

17.01.2021

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Introduction

Why did I choose this topic? First of all, because of its relevance. The competitive tourism economy in Russia practically forces every hotel or tourism enterprise or institution to find its new own solutions. The scope and direction of goals and objectives can be definitely and convincingly proven. But management cannot always confidentially approve the framework in which the company's tourism product will go through its life cycle (its appeal). Even less can he predict the nature of competition or know in advance the vagaries of the current economic situation. Therefore, the business strategy must be prepared for change, and if necessary, for rapid change. When engaging in business, one must be a strategist and tactician, balancing flexibly with responses based on solid goals.

The life of a company is impossible without planning. When creating any enterprise, it is necessary to determine the goals and objectives of its activities, which determines long-term planning. Long-term planning defines medium-term and short-term planning, which are designed for a shorter period and therefore imply greater detail. The basis of planning is the sales plan, since production is focused primarily on what will be sold, that is, in demand in the market. The volume of sales determines the volume of production, which in turn determines the planning of all types of resources, including labor resources, raw stocks and stocks of materials. This necessitates financial planning, cost and profit planning. Planning should be carried out according to a rigid scheme, using calculations of many quantitative indicators.

Currently, strategic analysis is one of the fundamental disciplines that any manager needs to know. The strategic planning process includes a number of important operations: cost planning, production planning, sales planning and financial planning(profit planning). Strategic analysis, as a science, allows the entrepreneur to plan the company's activities in the short, medium and long periods in such a way as to ensure that the company receives the maximum possible profit from minimal cost in conditions of market volatility. Of course, this is associated with an inevitable financial risk, especially in modern Russian conditions, but properly conducted planning

olite to minimize the risk.

The purpose of the work is to show the importance of strategic analysis for a tourism enterprise.

The object of the study is the tourist enterprise Megatest LLC (Moscow). The subject of research is the strategic management of a travel company.

Tasks solved in the work:

Analyze the theoretical concepts of strategic planning, show the importance of this type of planning for modern business;

Consider the features of strategic planning in tourism;

characterize modern tendencies strategic management in tourism;

Consider the features of strategic management of the company under study;

Conduct a SWOT analysis of the company.

The work used literature on strategic and general management enterprises, publications from periodicals on the problem under consideration, materials of the company under study, openly published on the site.

1 Strategic planning

1.1 The concept and essence of strategic management.

Strategic planning is the process of formulating the mission and goals of an organization, selecting specific strategies to identify and obtain the necessary resources, and allocating them to ensure effective work organizations in the future. The strategic planning process is a tool that helps in making managerial decisions. Its task is to provide innovations and organizational changes in sufficient volume for an adequate response to changes in the external environment. Strategy planning does not end with any immediate action. It usually ends with the establishment of general directions, following which ensures the growth and strengthening of the organization's position.

Strategic planning is a set of actions and decisions taken by management that lead to the development of specific strategies designed to help the organization achieve its goals. The strategic planning process is a tool that helps in making managerial decisions. Its task is to provide innovations and changes in the organization to a sufficient extent. There are four main types of management activities within the strategic planning process:

Resource allocation

Adaptation to the external environment

Internal coordination

Organizational strategic foresight

Resource allocation.

This process involves the allocation of limited organizational resources such as funds, scarce managerial talent and technological expertise.

Adaptation to the external environment

Adaptation covers all actions of a strategic nature that improve the relationship of the enterprise with its environment. Enterprises need to adapt to both external opportunities and hazards, identify appropriate options, and ensure that strategy is effectively adapted to the environment.

Internal coordination

Includes the coordination of strategic activities to display the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise in order to achieve effective integration of internal operations.

Awareness of organizational strategies

This activity involves the implementation of a systematic development of the thinking of managers by forming an enterprise organization that can learn from past strategic decisions.

Strategic planning consists mainly in the choice of the main goals of the company and is focused on determining the intended final results, taking into account the means and methods for achieving the presented goals and providing the necessary resources. At the same time, new opportunities for the company are also developed, such as expanding production capacity by building new plants or acquiring equipment, changing the profile of an enterprise or radically changing technology. Strategic planning covers a period of 10-15 years, has long-term consequences, affects the functioning of the entire management system and is based on huge resources. Strategic planning aims to give a comprehensive scientific basis for the problems that the company may face in the coming period, and on this basis to develop indicators for the development of the company for the planning period.

The plan is based on:

Analysis of the prospects for the development of the company, clarification of the factors influencing the development of relevant trends;

Analysis of competitive positions, the task of which is to determine the competitiveness of the company's products in different markets and opportunities to improve performance in competitive areas in all types of activities;

Choosing a strategy based on an analysis of the company's prospects for various types of activities and determining priorities for specific types of activities in terms of its effectiveness and availability of resources;

Analysis of directions for diversification of activities, search for new more efficient activities and determination of expected results.

An appropriate service strategy addresses three main components of any service business:

1. customer need; 2. the company's ability to meet these needs; 3. long-term profitability of the company.

Many firms operate without formally adopted plans. In newly opened enterprises, managers are so busy that they simply do not have time to do planning. In mature firms, many managers claim that up to now they have gotten along just fine without formal planning, and therefore it cannot be essential. They don't want to take the time to prepare a plan in writing. The market is changing too fast for the plan to be of any use, they say, and it will end up sitting on a shelf. It is for these and a number of other reasons that many firms do not use formal planning.

But formal planning promises a lot of benefits for the manager:

1. Planning encourages leaders to constantly think ahead.2. It leads to a clearer coordination of efforts undertaken by the firm.3. It leads to the establishment of performance indicators for follow-up.4. It forces the firm to more clearly define its objectives and policies.5. It makes the firm more prepared for sudden changes.

1.2 Strategic planning in the tourism industry.

It is known that an effective direction of management can ensure the development of a tourism company faster than the growth of the overall economy, or the tourism sector, or even the production of goods and services related to tourism. What's more, growth-driven management can spark the development of whole new industries, such as delivery vehicles. The increased activity of both the tourism sector and the industrial sector, strengthening each other, interacting with each other, develop and strengthen the country's economy as a whole. Experience shows that any discussion about managerial alternatives to increase the growth of the national economy should be considered from the standpoint of:

what strategic growth is most appropriate for the management of a tourism company;
what management program can be adopted for new sphere activities of a travel company.

To reveal the practical scope of both approaches, it is important to first analyze the strategies used for the development of tourism activities in a number of foreign countries and in Russia, and then highlight specific specific measures that can be used as management methods.

The planning process:

So, the generally accepted process of strategic planning consists of the following components:

Definition of the mission of the company;

Analysis of the external environment;

Analysis of the internal capabilities of the company;

Study of strategic alternatives that contribute to the achievement of the set goals, and the choice of strategy;

Development of the organizational structure of the company, the basic principles of motivation and control;

Strategy implementation;

Operational planning and management;

Evaluation of the strategy (monitoring the progress of the implementation of the strategy and making appropriate adjustments to it, if necessary)

Fig.1.1 Stages of strategic planning.

1.2.1 Formation of development goals.

The first and perhaps the most significant decision in planning is the choice of enterprise goals.

The main overall goal of the enterprise - a clearly expressed reason for its existence - is designated as its mission. Goals are developed to carry out this mission.

The mission details the status of the enterprise and provides direction and benchmarks for setting goals and strategies at various organizational levels. The company's mission statement should include the following:

1. The task of the enterprise in terms of its main services or products, its main markets and main technologies

The main tasks of strategic planning are:

1. Planning for profit growth.

2. Planning the costs of the enterprise, and, as a result, their reduction.

3. Increase market share, increase sales share.

4. Improvement of the company's social policy.

Thus, the main task of planning is to maximize profit as a result of activities and the implementation of its most important functions: marketing planning, productivity, innovation, and more.

Goal-setting and strategy formulation are influenced by different external and internal groups (Fig. 1,2).

Fig.1.2. Groups acting in goal-setting and shaping the firm's strategy

2. The external environment in relation to the firm, which determines the working principles of the enterprise.

Goal setting is the process of converting a business purpose into a specific set of goals. At the same time, the necessary process of directing the efforts of each part of the organization in the appropriate direction begins. Goals are needed for each key result that the manager considers important for success. Specific key results may typically include size and rank in the industry, business growth, return on investment, dividend growth, market size, reputation for product quality and/or technology leadership, ability to operate in an unstable economy, degree of diversification, financial strength, customer service, ability to compete by cost.

Both long-term and short-term goals are required. Long-term goals have two purposes: firstly, they indicate what needs to be done today in order to achieve long-term goals, and secondly, the presence of such goals pushes the manager to make today's decisions, taking into account the long-term perspective.

Short-term goals consistently indicate what immediate and short-term results should be achieved. They show both the speed the organization needs to move along the chosen path and the required level of action ("how much and when" should be done).

The purpose and goals of the organization must be measurable. Companies whose managers set goals for each key result and then take aggressive action to achieve what needs to be achieved are better candidates for winning than companies whose managers operate with hopes, requests, and good intentions. Wordings should be excluded: "maximize profits", "reduce costs", "make more efficient", "increase sales".

For strategic thinking, the complex establishment of a hierarchy of goals at all levels of leadership from top to bottom is important. This ensures for all managers not only the clarity of tasks, but also the reality of their achievement (which is ensured by the participation of low-level managers in the process).

1.2.2 Analysis of the external environment

The external environment is considered as a combination of two relatively independent subsystems:

· · macro environment;· · immediate environment.

Macroenvironment (macroenvironment) creates general terms and Conditions location of the tourist enterprise. In most cases, the macro environment is not specific to a single firm. However, each of them is influenced by it and cannot control it.

Study of demographic factors The macro environment occupies an important place in the analysis of the market opportunities of a tourist enterprise. Marketing should consider issues related to the size of the population, its placement in individual countries and regions, the age structure with the allocation of the working population, students and pensioners. Thus, the tourism market for the elderly is currently the fastest growing. International tourism of 55-year-olds and older in the period from 1995 to 2000 increased by 35%, from 2001 to 2002. - by 41%, and by 2005 it is expected to increase by another 60%. in the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody 68% of the total number of tourists are travelers of mature age.

Urbanization is one of the main prerequisites for the development of mass forms of tourism, because the degree of departure of the population in tourist trips is directly proportional to the degree of urbanization. Moreover, the larger the city, the greater the number of its inhabitants goes on tourist trips.

Having collected data on trends in demographic processes, it is possible to analyze their possible impact on the activities of a travel company, determine the directions for applying the main efforts and predict the results of future work.

Economic factors are no less important than demographic ones. It is not enough to know how much a firm has potential clients. It is important to determine how many more and what services they want to purchase. The effective demand of the population is influenced by many factors, including the level of economic development of the country itself, and the size wages and inflation and unemployment. It is necessary to take into account the high dependence of demand for tourist services on the level of income.

It is also important to know the structure of income distribution between various groups population. The unevenness of such a distribution is a completely natural phenomenon. Therefore, when choosing to serve a particular market segment, the company must proceed from the financial situation of its potential customers.

Natural factors also affect the activities of the tourism enterprise. Natural factors (climate, topography, flora and fauna) are the most important element in encouraging customers to travel and attracting tourists to a particular region or country.

The most powerful are the established norms adopted in society, the systems of social rules, spiritual values, people's attitudes to nature, work, to each other and to themselves. company,

Scientific and technological progress brings great opportunities and no less serious threat to the company. Any innovation threatens to be crowded out, outdated technologies and methods of work, which is fraught with the most unpleasant consequences, if due attention is not paid to the study of factors of a scientific and technical nature.

An analysis of laws and other regulations that establish legal norms and frameworks for relations gives the tourism enterprise the opportunity to determine for itself the permissible limits of actions and acceptable methods for defending its interests.

http://www.z-r.biz/ The immediate environment is represented by those components of the external marketing environment with which the tourist enterprise is in direct interaction.

The first "among equals" in the immediate external environment of a travel company is, of course, consumers. Their study allows you to better understand what services will be most accepted by them, how much sales you can count on, how much you can increase the circle of potential customers.

The next most important component of the immediate external environment are competitors, involved in the ongoing competition for consumer preferences. The American marketing specialist J. Pildich in his book "The Way to the Buyer" emphasizes that knowing your competitors means, sparing no time and effort, scrupulously studying them. What is it for? And for the fact that it is competitors who set the criteria that the company has to achieve or surpass.

Almost no tourist company is able to independently organize a tour, provide customers with all the necessary vehicles, provide housing, organize meals, etc. For this, relevant enterprises and organizations ("allied partners") are usually involved, providing the missing links in the integrated service:

· accommodation facilities;· transport firms;· tour agencies and other firms providing services for escort and information support tourists;· intermediary tourist enterprises;· trade enterprises;· enterprises Catering etc.

Relations with contact audiences have a significant impact on the activities of a tourist enterprise. They are groups of persons, organizations, institutions, potentially or actually influencing the activities of the company. The potential impact can be expressed both in maintaining neutrality in relation to the firm, and in showing a certain attitude towards it.

The main contact audiences surrounding the travel company are:

· financial circles(banks, investment funds, financial, insurance companies and other financial and credit institutions); media(press, radio, television); public(consumer unions, public formations, as well as the population that does not act as any organized force, for example, residents of the resort area); company staff, on the opinion of which the attitude to work depends on the activities of his enterprise. In addition, a good image of the company in the eyes of its own employees has a beneficial effect on other contact audiences. Consequently, the management of a tourist enterprise is required to make efforts to increase the level of awareness of employees about the activities of the company, to take measures to stimulate their work, and to increase social guarantees.

The purpose of marketing research is to obtain information about the sentiments prevailing in contact audiences, anticipating the most likely actions against the firm, and also finding means to establish constructive cooperation with the public.

Thus, the tourist enterprise in the market does not operate in isolation, but in the environment and under the influence of various forces that make up the external marketing environment. The relations that develop between the subjects of the environment and the firm are diverse and, according to the nature of the impact on them from the side of the firm, they can be controlled and uncontrolled. The task of the enterprise is reduced to a minimum of uncontrolled environmental factors and finding opportunities for indirect influence on them.

Analysis of the external environment and internal capabilities of the company is also called SWOT analysis. This component of strategic planning is used by the widest range of Russian companies almost constantly, since even small businesses intuitively look for their market niches and are forced to measure business development plans with their resources.

However, the possibilities of using SWOT analysis in conditions of economic, financial and political instability are much wider. We will only mention the so-called scenario forecasts, which should be compiled by units responsible for strategic planning. Each of these forecasts is actually a company development strategy, developed on the basis of the application of all elements of strategic planning, which can be implemented under a certain variant (scenario) of the development of events. The development of alternative strategies for the development of the company takes a lot of time, but being prepared in advance, these forecasts enable the company to act according to a clearly drawn up plan in the event of the implementation of a particular scenario of events, which eliminates the possibility of making hasty impulsive decisions that put the company after their implementation. in a predicament.

Basic rules for conducting a SWOT analysis:

Rule 1 Carefully define the scope of each SWOT analysis. Companies often conduct a general analysis that covers their entire business. Most likely, it will be too general and useless for managers who are interested in opportunities in specific markets or segments. Focusing the SWOT analysis on, for example, a specific segment ensures that the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are most important to it are identified.

Rule 2 Understand the differences between SWOT elements: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal features of the company, therefore, under its control. Opportunities and threats are related to the characteristics of the market environment and are not subject to the influence of the organization.

Rule 3 Strengths and weaknesses can only be considered as such if they are perceived as such by buyers. Only the most relevant strengths and weaknesses should be included in the analysis. Remember that they must be determined in the light of competitors' offerings. A strong side will only be strong when the market sees it as such. For example, the quality of a product will only be a strength if it performs better than competitors' products. And finally, there can be a lot of such strengths and weaknesses, so you won’t understand which of them are the main ones. To avoid this, strengths and weaknesses should be ranked according to their importance in the eyes of buyers.

Rule 4 It is necessary to be objective and use versatile input information. Of course, it is not always possible to conduct an analysis based on the results of extensive marketing research, but, on the other hand, one cannot entrust it to one person, since it will not be as accurate and deep as an analysis carried out in the form of a group discussion and exchange of ideas. It is important to understand that a SWOT analysis is not just a list of managers' suspicions. It should be based as much as possible on objective facts and research data.

Rule 5 Avoid lengthy and ambiguous statements. Too often, SWOT analysis is weakened precisely because it includes such statements, which most likely mean nothing to most buyers. The more precise the formulations, the more useful the analysis will be.

1. Culture of the organization. What type of working climate exists within the enterprise?

The culture of an enterprise is made up of a set of norms, rules and values that guide it in its activities. Culture covers the system of relations between people existing at the enterprise, the distribution of power, management style, personnel issues, and the definition of development prospects. The achieved level of culture can help the enterprise to work competently, the lack of culture, on the contrary, will impede the normal implementation of its business behavior. Everything here matters - from the design of the office to the reaction of employees to this or that version of the marketing strategy. http://www.z-r.biz/

Since the culture of the enterprise does not have a pronounced manifestation, it is quite difficult to study it. However, there are a few persistent points that are important to clarify in order to try to point out the strengths and weaknesses that culture gives to the enterprise.

Firstly, businesses with a strong culture tend to emphasize the importance of the people who work for them. Such enterprises give great attention clarification of their corporate philosophy, promotion of their values.

Secondly, about The culture of an enterprise can be judged by how it builds relationships with competitors and treats its customers.

Thirdly, An insight into the culture of an enterprise comes from observing how employees work in their workplaces, how the career system is built, and what criteria are used to promote employees.

Fourth, understanding of culture is facilitated by the existence of stable commandments at the enterprise, unwritten norms of behavior, awareness of this by all employees and how seriously they take them. If employees are well aware of the history of the company, take the rules and symbols seriously and respectfully, then it is highly likely that the company has a strong culture.

The particular importance of analyzing the culture of an enterprise lies in the fact that it not only determines intra-company relationships, but also has a serious impact on how the enterprise builds its interaction with the external environment.

The management of the tourism company must demonstrate from the very beginning that development is not just a tribute to the hopes that are subject to discussion at the annual meetings, but also the leading task of association. This means the formation of development goals for each section of the company's activities, the required results and the rejection of solving ordinary problems. Almost without exception, the management of the powerful tourist associations of the world adhere to this tactic. This is reflected in their decisions, compensatory efforts, determinations to find financial resources, as well as in their assessment of the suitability of subsidiaries and structural management units.

Through its development philosophy, the company can achieve results, leaving its competitors behind. For example, two large travel companies selling tours from Russia to the US have had historically opposite results. The biggest difference between the two companies was that company A - the more successful one - had a very strict development policy. Company B did not have it. Company A's management team had an extraordinary "task: The company must grow faster than the country's tourism economy. They made it their mission to stick to this rule year after year, not only because the program, in their opinion, represented a sustainable business practice, but also to ensure the implementation of fresh alternatives that keep their organization alive.

Company A not only set itself the higher goal of returning the invested capital, unlike company B, but its management achieved revenue growth ranging from 4 to 12 percent for each section of the tourism business.

Company A deliberately invested 60 to 70 percent of its profits in businesses and projects that could offer alternative development above the average of the company as a whole. On the contrary, company B associated the capital assignment with cost reduction. In practice, this led to reinvestment in a number of sales systems, the deadening of the sales package offered for Russia and the company's withdrawal from the Russian market.

The funds allocated by the management of company A to compensate for the costs of each individual indicator ensured that both positions were satisfied: the return on investment and the development goal.

1.3 Development strategies and factors that determine them.

There are a lot of these factors. A simple model of the primary factors that must be taken into account and essentially determine the strategy is shown in Figure 7. The interaction of these factors is usually complex and has specific differences for the industry and the company.

As a rule, the strategy does not ensure success if the boundary between the internal and external situation is not drawn, the acquisition of significant competitive advantage and the performance of the company has not been improved.

Fig.1.3. Factors that determine the strategic choice of a company

In this way. strategic plans should be designed not only to remain cohesive over long periods of time, but also to be flexible enough to be modified and refocused as needed. The overall strategic plan should be seen as a program that guides the firm's activities over an extended period of time, recognizing that a conflicting and ever-changing business and social environment makes constant adjustments inevitable.

2. Strategic planning on the example of Megatest

2.1. General features of strategic management in tourism

2. development of an existing product in the established areas of tourism; 3. expanding the geography of travel and sales through new areas of tourist destination;4. the introduction of counter areas of tourism activities, including through the creation of new companies.

Development of tourism based on an established market. The most striking example of a tourist company that has developed due to the strengthening of tourism in Russia can be called the Sputnik International Youth Tourism Bureau, whose branches exist throughout Russia. From 1958 to 1998 Sputnik maintains an almost constant growth in tourist sales and offers. For the period from 1969 to 1985. this company increased its capacity by 15 percent a year, far outpacing the growth rate of most other companies in the country. Until 1992, Sputnik was virtually the only manufacturer showing diversified growth and managed to approach a level of sustainable sales. tourism product in all regions of the former USSR and Russian Federation, even in the face of its own decentralization.

R development through new tourism products based on the established industry. Only a few companies can grow their business year after year with only one product on the market. The success of many enterprises was achieved by a different strategy - the creation of a new product in their activities. So, the travel company "Academservice" used this method to hack the existing one through new tours and markets. tourism business, annually expanding the market of its tourist offer.

In contrast to Sputnik, since 1993 Academservice has been developing through the systematic introduction of new routes and tours, as well as new types of stay programs. An essential element of this strategy is the conscious encouragement of a specific market completeness. For example, "Academservice" developed not only new tour packages, but also corresponding programs for clients with different needs. This company has specialists, sales managers and programmers who, with the help of computers and information systems have developed their own system of sales and tourism activities to automatism. New tours and services, combined with the demand market, allowed the corporation to expand its market in certain regions and achieve remarkable performance in the development of the company.

Development of new activities. Some large companies have achieved decent development through the use of the third type of strategy - they have entered new areas of activity or business. For almost 10 years, the Turkish company Troika, which has a specific interest in the system of development and implementation of tourism programs and transportation, realized that interest and skills alone would not provide her with a corresponding development of income and profit growth. The company's management decided to invest in construction, transportation and tourism related to Russia. And today Troika has become the most representative company in Russia's tourist infrastructure. The economic growth of the company - dozens of percent annually - became possible as a result of the transfer of capital from an established business with Western Europe into a new alternative field of activity in Russia. Despite the pressure of competition in the Russian tourist market, as well as individual difficulties, the firm is successfully expanding its business in construction, cargo transportation and tourism with Russia.

Lanta Tour is another example of a company that has used a similar strategy. Initially, tourism was subordinated to the promotion of tours in the United States, but then there was an investment in the development of trips to France and Spain. The next step is the accelerated development of routes and tours to the countries of North Africa and the Benelux. Within 5 years, the company achieved significant growth in sales and revenues.

In choosing an appropriate strategy, it must be borne in mind that the approaches outlined above may overlap quite a bit. In fact, most companies often combine different types of strategy to develop development programs over several years.

However, the business strategy must change and, if necessary, change rapidly to reflect emerging economic circumstances and changes in tourism demand. Early in the development of a product (concept and innovation) can be an important decision point. In the second stage, skillful marketing and effective control of the distribution network become more important elements. At the final stage, control over current costs becomes vital. The company must be sure that at each stage of development nothing goes beyond its specific scope. However, the timely awareness of the need for changes in the undertaken strategy is essential in maintaining the tourist circulation.

2.2. Features of the Megatest company

Company " Megatest"was established in 1990. According to the results of previous years, it is one of the leading travel agencies in Russia. It specializes in tours in Russia: sightseeing and adventure tours.

Main destinations: Karelia, Kamchatka, Baikal, Elbrus, Altai, Ladoga, Solovetsky Islands, etc.

The subject of activity of the Megatest company is:

organization and provision of services of guides-translators, provision of meeting-seeing-off, excursion service, theatrical, entertainment and other events, transport and other services to tourists;

organization of services for foreign tourists in the Russian Federation, and sale of trips to foreign tourists on a commercial basis, development and implementation of new tourism routes;

implementation on a contractual basis of booking transport, hotel and other services and ensuring the provision on the territory of the Russian Federation of services agreed and paid for by tourists;

implementation of measures to improve economic efficiency, quality and competitiveness of services provided at the lowest cost;

sale of equipment;

organization of the work of commercial stores, the sale of purchased equipment;

work in the field of public catering (operation of restaurants, cafes and canteens).

Company mission:

Provide active recreation and acquaintance with the sights of the country.

Goal Formulation:

The purpose of "Megatest" is to increase profits in 2004 by 20% through the organization of new activities, including the organization of tours for foreign and Russian citizens to the Caucasus, the Urals;

Increase in equipment sales by 30% due to the offer of winter sports equipment (alpine skiing, snowboarding, and related products;

5. Creation of own shop for tailoring of tents and tourist clothes.

External environment:

On the Russian market In active tourism, there is a narrow circle of travel agencies, each of which seeks to occupy a certain niche in it, for example, specializing only in certain types of travel, or limiting activities to "their" region. There are few such active operators in each region, one or two, and several travel agents who help them sell tours. For example, such a large region as Altai is divided mainly between two operators - the Novosibirsk company "Brothers Govor and K" and the Barnaul company "Turimpex". The agencies "Neva-Tour" and "Kopis" successfully work in St. Petersburg, realizing active tours along the Karelian Isthmus. In Nizhny Novgorod, the firm "Team Gorky" has been operating for more than five years, specializing in water tourism.

But the largest sector of the market is Moscow. The main tour operators for active tourism are concentrated here. The most famous among them are the companies "Alpindustriya", "Alfprofsport", "Association of Travelers", "Vertical", "Active Rest". Each of the Moscow operators has its own rather narrow specialization. So, the main directions of work of the Alpindustriya agency are travel in the mountains and the sale of tourist equipment through own store. According to the deputy director of the agency Alexander Elkov, most in demand Caucasian routes are used, and the main clientele are foreigners. Another company, Alfprofsport, created on the basis of the Department of Alpine Camps, in the recent past has well arranged trips for small groups of tourists to the Himalayas. In the diversified travel agency "Association of Travelers", in addition to outbound and domestic departments, a sector of adventure tourism has been created. As Tatiana Kulikova, head of the sector, notes, the company mainly develops original travel programs in such exotic countries as Nepal, Kenya, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. As for domestic routes, here preference is given to cooperation with regional operators. The comparatively young company "Vertical" is also well known in Moscow. The main directions of its activity are mountain and equestrian tours. According to the company's general manager Ivan Vvedensky, in 1998 about 400 people were served only on mountain routes in Central Asia. According to the company's director Alexander Smychkovich, in the 2003 season, inexpensive kayaking trips along the rivers of Karelia and programs in the Baikal region are in greatest demand. "A feature of this year is a decrease in applications from foreign tourists and a certain rise against this background in demand for active recreation by Russians."

The clientele of the well-known Moscow firm "Active rest", which offers various routes throughout Russia (Karelia, Altai, Baikal, Kamchatka), is also dominated by Russians. The emphasis in its developments "Active rest" is on promising combined programs: hiking + rafting, kayaking + excursions, mountain climbing + rafting. Developing original programs, the company "Collection of Adventures" is trying to find its niche. A new mountain-walking route "Rope Course" has been prepared for the current summer season. Equestrian tourism in Moscow is represented by numerous small firms. One of them, the "International Club of Equestrian and Sports Tourism", was able to unite horse riding enthusiasts and corporate clients around itself. According to Natalya Polikarpova, head of the International Club's domestic tourism department, demand for horse riding routes is constantly increasing, and "in the near future this type of recreation may become dominant in adventure tourism." The main regions of horse routes are Altai, central Russia (Kostroma, Ryazan), Moscow region, Ural region.

The potential range of adventure tourism clients is very small. For example, capacity tourism market in Moscow and nearby regions is estimated by experts at only 3-4 thousand people. Moreover, until recently, the most frequent buyers of active tours in Russia (mountaineering, fishing, hunting) were foreigners. IN Lately the proportion of demand began to gradually change in favor of the Russians.

This sector of the market is developing quite dynamically. Many, mostly low-cost programs of tour operators are built on a regular basis and are implemented not by separate segments, as was previously practiced, but by complete tour packages, including travel, transfers, meals, active part, guide services, rental of necessary equipment and personal equipment.

Among the most promising types of active tourism in the future, experts name water, walking, horse and combined (cruise + walking part, excursions + active part, walking + car part, mountain-water, foot-horse, water-horse) routes.

Routes of active tourism are divided into hiking, mountain or trekking, water, ski, horseback, bicycle and automobile. Additionally, routes are classified by difficulty - from the 1st to the 6th category. As a rule, the complexity of commercial active tours does not exceed the 3rd category.

Supporters of outdoor activities represent a very specific clientele - as a rule, families and groups turn to travel agencies. The growth in sales of sports tours stimulates the professionalism of tour operators - an “active” tourist cannot get rid of a simple description of the hotel, beach and transfer - he needs accurate information about the route schedule, the complexity of obstacles, data on the types of tents, rafts, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc.

Another trend of the upcoming season reflects a change in the geographical nature of demand - almost all tour operators note a significantly increased popularity of tours to the Altai, including rafting on the Katun and Chuya, holidays on Lake Teletskoye, trekking routes in the area of Belukha Mountain, etc.

There is a growing popularity (albeit slowly - due to the high cost of air tickets) of various routes - from walking and water to cycling - around Lake Baikal. A distinctive feature of the demand for Baikal tours is the predominance of groups of foreign tourists.

Speaking about the demand for active recreation of foreign tourists, it should be noted that there is a pronounced predominance of demand for routes in mountainous (Pamir, Tien Shan, Altai) and exotic (Baikal, Kamchatka, the North Pole, etc.) regions.

The firm "Megatest" has developed and tested on foreign groups a new exotic tour to the North Pole on skis, starting from the 89th parallel.

Routes in the North-West (primarily Karelia) are still popular with a fairly large category of poor clients.

Equestrian routes in Central Russia are steadily in demand. Active recreation on Lake Seliger and inexpensive routes in the Moscow region and neighboring regions, such as rafting on the Osetr River near Moscow, are in stable demand.

In general, according to Moscow and non-Moscow tour operators, in the current and future seasons, we can expect a dynamic growth in demand for “active” routes, which should be prepared not only for travel companies, but also for manufacturers of tourist equipment.

2.3. SWOT analysis (analysis of internal capabilities and external environment).

SWOT analysis (SWOT is an abbreviation of the words strong (strong), worth (weak), opportinities (opportunities), threat (fear).)

First, we will conduct a SWOT analysis for the main activity - the provision of tourism services .

Strengths of the firm:

2. Ability to compete professionally. .3. Full use of technological and marketing economies of scale.4. The presence of several permanent partners in cities in the main areas, which allows, in case of unforeseen circumstances, one partner to turn to another.5. Effective advertising.

6. The presence of a need for the company's services in the consumer market.

7. Provision of equipment for rent.

Weaknesses of the company:

1. Lack of a clear strategy.2. The seasonality factor of the service provided (increase in demand in summer due to the vacation period and decrease in winter).3. Lack of own buses for excursions around Moscow.

Company Capabilities:

1. Servicing additional consumer groups, access to new market, product line expansion.

2. Growing interest in outdoor activities.3. The predominance of the population with an average income.4. Excess of supply over demand in the service market in Moscow.

Threats to the company:

1. Entry into the market of a strong competitor.

2. Increasing effective demand for outbound tours.3. Increase in transport costs.4. Changes in consumer tastes.5. Deterioration of the ecological situation in the country.

SWOT-analysis of the activities of Megatest as a seller of tourist equipment.

Strengths of the firm:

1. Availability of necessary financial resources.

3. The presence of permanent equipment suppliers with whom long-term contracts are concluded.

4. The presence of a need for the services of the company in the consumer market.

5. Efficient management and logistics, allowing you to track the stock of goods in the warehouse necessary for continuous operation.

6. Proximity of stores and warehouse to each other.

7. Flexible system of discounts for regular customers.

Weaknesses of the company:

1. Lack of a clear strategy.

2. Seasonality factor of the service provided (increase in demand in summer due to the vacation period and decrease in winter).

3. Due to the short duration of our own production of equipment, relations with suppliers of materials are not stable enough.

Company Capabilities:

1. Existence of demand for inexpensive equipment.2. Growing interest in outdoor activities.

Threats to the company:

1. Rapid growth in this market can lead to a significant excess of supply over demand and the appearance of unclaimed goods in the warehouse.

Alternative strategies of the travel company Megatest

1. Activities in selected areas without expanding the geography of the main areas, for example, by increasing customers as a result of a more effective advertising campaign. Attracting new clients by improving the quality of services provided, for example, accompanying a group with a medical doctor, can attract the attention of people who suffer from some kind of ailment, but prefer active recreation. It is also possible to improve the quality of the service by offering travel in groups differentiated by age and, accordingly, by physical abilities, family groups can be created separately.2. Expansion of the geography of directions, development of new routes, tours. For example, recent interest in traveling to the Caucasus. It can be walking, horseback, water routes. Besides, this direction can be interesting as it will allow to overcome the seasonality of the services provided. In these areas, it is possible to work with ski resorts, although, for now, most of all this type of service will, of course, attract Russian clients.3. Next strategy"Megatest" is characteristic, which is connected with the specifics of the services provided - the expansion of the sale of equipment through the sale of equipment for skiing.4. In addition, it is possible to expand the production of equipment in our own workshops by creating new workshops or increasing production capacity and space in existing workshops.

Thus, Megatest can not only choose one strategy, but combine several of them. On the this moment Megatest will choose 2, 3, 4 strategies.

Conclusion.

Currently, strategic analysis is one of the fundamental disciplines that any manager needs to know. Strategic planning allows you to plan the activities of the company in such a way in the short, medium and long periods, in order to ensure that the company receives the maximum possible profit with minimal costs in the face of market volatility. Of course, this is associated with an inevitable financial risk, especially in today's Russian conditions, but proper planning will minimize the risk.

The analysis shows that companies that successfully compete in the tourism sector are guided by three strategic methods, applied both separately and in combination:

Development of an existing product in the established areas of tourism; - expansion of the geography of travel and sales through new areas of tourist destination; - the introduction of counter areas of tourism activities, including through the creation of new companies.

However, the business strategy must change and, if necessary, change rapidly to reflect emerging economic circumstances and changes in tourism demand. In this way. strategic plans should be designed not only to remain cohesive over long periods of time, but also to be flexible enough to be modified and refocused as needed. The overall strategic plan should be seen as a program that guides the firm's activities over an extended period of time, recognizing that a conflicting and ever-changing business and social environment makes constant adjustments inevitable.

The results of the strategic analysis of the company under study led to the conclusion that in order to overcome external threats and internal problems LLC "Megatest" can not only choose one strategy, but combine several of them. Strategies have been proposed to attract new customers without expanding the geography of routes with the help of marketing moves, expanding the geography of routes, expanding the sale of equipment through the sale of equipment for skiing, increasing the sale of ski equipment, increasing the production of equipment own production- Expansion of the production capacity of the production division of the company.

Of course, one should also say about one’s opinion about the prospects for strategic planning - in modern conditions its implementation is not so simple - the external environment and management requirements are constantly changing, there is no stability in the Russian market - this is the reason that strategic management in most Russian companies is in its infancy.

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Strategy is a system of management decisions that determine the promising directions for the development of an organization.
In the field of tourism business, the strategy includes three main components:
¦ needs of clients;
¦ the company's ability to meet these needs;
¦ long-term profit of the company.
Strategic management of a tourism company is defined in the literature as a management technology in conditions of increased instability of environmental factors and their uncertainty over time.
An analysis of the causes of uncertainty shows that its main source is scientific and technological progress, which has led to the acceleration of economic processes and the emergence of innovations: both radical (creation of goods, technologies that are more competitive and efficient compared to existing analogues) and improving (gradual improvement of the parameters of existing goods, technologies). Improving innovations make it possible to relatively evenly increase the productivity and efficiency of technology.
Strategic planning is a set of such actions and decisions taken by management that lead to the development of specific strategies to help the organization achieve its objectives. The annual strategic plan is combined with the annual financial plan.
The strategy is formulated and developed by top management and ensures the implementation of the mission of the organization and the achievement of its goals, but their implementation involves the participation of all levels of management.
Strategic management cycle travel company has five main stages.
1. Defining the business and mission of the organization.
2. Development of long-term and short-term goals.
3. Strategy development.
4. Implementation of the strategy.
5. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the strategy, correction of the previous stages. The strategic management process begins with defining the business and mission of the organization. The definition of the business (field of activity) of the organization involves:
¦ determination of the satisfied need;
¦ identification of consumers;
¦ determining how to meet the needs of identified consumers.
The entire field of activity of the company, which ensures its existence, is divided into strategic business areas in which the company currently operates or will continue to operate in the future, while functioning not only in one, but also in several business areas. The strategic business area includes services (products) united according to one common feature: the nature of the needs satisfied; technology; types of consumers; geographical distribution areas, etc.
The following indicators reveal each strategic business area:
¦ the size of the market, determined by the total volume of sales of services and products by all manufacturers, including competitors;
¦ the share of the enterprise in the market volume;
¦ stage of the life cycle (market deployment, growth, competitive turbulence, maturity, decline);
¦ the competitive position of the enterprise (strong, medium, weak) in this area. At a specific point in time (in the past, present or future), the enterprise periodically evaluates strategic areas of business in order to optimize, since changes always occur in the external and internal environment of the enterprise, in the main goals and methods for achieving them.
For doing business in a specific strategic area, the structural unit of the company (department, branch, project team or one employee) is responsible, which has some organizational and economic autonomy. Based on the business areas of the company, its mission is formed. The mission reflects the philosophy of business, worldview, unites individuals, helps employees to unambiguously perceive events and interact with each other.
The mission of the enterprise is formulated by the strategic manager on the basis of three groups of factors:
1) the values of the leaders of the enterprise, actively implemented by them (spiritual development, prestige, recognition, altruism, the rise of well-being, the growth of the quality of life, etc.);
2) organizational priorities embodied in the organizational culture of the enterprise (traditions, rituals, beliefs, public opinion, ethical norms, values \u200b\u200bpriorities accepted in the organization - stability and innovation, initiative and entrepreneurial spirit, diligence and discipline);
3) the goals of society (raising the standard of living, protecting the health of citizens, ensuring security, etc.).
Responsibility for the formulation and future position of the enterprise lies with the top management.
The mission of this production is to make a profit and develop the enterprise itself (achieving self-sufficiency). To develop an appropriate mission, the management of travel companies must constantly ask themselves the questions: “Who are our customers?”, “What needs can we satisfy?” and “Who are we, what are we doing, where are we going?”.
An analysis of the financial performance of an enterprise benefits the organization and contributes to the effectiveness of the strategic planning process. The benefits of constantly monitoring the financial position, strengths and capabilities helps to identify the existing and potential weaknesses of the organization, as well as the organization's position in the circle of competitors.
In strategic management, there are four levels of strategy in an organization.
The first level - corporate - is present in companies operating in several business areas (concerns and conglomerates). Here decisions are made on purchases, sales, liquidations, re-profiling of certain business areas; strategic correspondences between separate
other areas of business; diversification plans are being developed; global management of financial resources is carried out.
The second level - business areas - the level of top managers of non-diversified organizations (corporate strategy, which involves the inclusion in the organization of new business areas that are consistent with existing ones), which are part of diversified or completely independent ones, responsible for developing and implementing the strategy of the business area. At this level, a strategy is developed and implemented based on the corporate strategic plan, the main purpose of which is to increase the competitiveness of the organization and its competitive potential.
The third level - functional - is typical for managers of functional areas: finance, marketing, development of new products and services, production, personnel management, etc.
The fourth level - linear - the level of heads of departments of the organization or its geographically remote parts, such as representative offices, branches.
The task of the company is to achieve the goals for which it was created. However, under the influence of rapidly changing consumer demand, scientific and technological progress and other factors, the nature of the goals and the ways to achieve them may change. Therefore, the control system must be flexible. The flexibility of the strategy makes great demands on the organizational structure.
Organizational structure. The process of managing and providing services in the tourism industry is carried out within the organizational structure of a travel company, hotel, restaurant or other tourism enterprise. The organizational structure is the relatively stable links established between the elements of the organization, the channels of power and communication between various administrative services, as well as the information transmitted through these channels. The organizational structure of the management of many travel companies is provided by the flexibility of production, the need for which may be due to a change in the level of demand or the actions of competitors: price reduction, falling market share of the company, the direct success of a new type of product. The organizational structure of tourism enterprise management is a logical relationship between management levels and functional services that, with the help of management, achieve the strategic goals of a travel company. The organizational structure of an enterprise determines not only its economic efficiency but also the moral and labor satisfaction of the staff. Managers need to constantly monitor its impact on the behavior and activities of employees, as well as the impact on them of work organization methods. The organizational structure inextricably links the management process and the behavior of people in the workplace. Employees, services and other links of the administrative apparatus are its elements, and relations between them are maintained through links that have a horizontal or vertical orientation.
There are no universal recommendations for building management structures for tourism enterprises. The theory and practice of management offer a variety of types organizational structures in tourism: linear, functional, linear-functional, regional, innovative.
The line structure is one of the simplest control structures. It is characterized by the fact that at the head of each structural unit there is a leader, endowed with all powers, exercising sole leadership of subordinates and concentrating all management functions in his hands. As a rule, such an organizational structure is presented in small organizations or in structural divisions of a large organization. With linear management, each link and each subordinate has one leader through whom all management commands pass. Since in a linear structure decisions are passed along the “top-down” chain, and the head of the lower level of management is subordinate to the head of more high level, a hierarchy of leaders of the organization is formed. In this case, the principle of unity of command applies, the essence of which is that subordinates carry out the orders of only one leader. The higher management body does not have the right to give orders to the performers bypassing their immediate superior. For a private enterprise in the form of individual entrepreneurship, such a structure is simplified as much as possible. Quite often, as we have already mentioned, the "owner" of the enterprise performs the function of a tour operator and tour agent. In connection with the simplified procedure for accounting and reporting in small enterprises, you can use the services of an accountant involved. The implementation of the tour is carried out by hired (under labor contracts) guides, guides who are not “in the staff. Thus, the whole structure consists of one link in the face of the manufacturer and distributor of the tourist product.
The linear organizational structure has its advantages and disadvantages (Table 31.1).
Table 31.1
Advantages and disadvantages of linear structures

Advantages	disadvantages
1. A clear hierarchy and coordination of the actions of performers gt;	1. High requirements for the leader (comprehensive preparedness, providing effective leadership in all management functions)
2. Easy to manage (one communication channel)	2. Information overload, many contacts with subordinates
3. Clearly expressed responsibility and efficiency in decision-making	3. Disunity of horizontal connections; with a large number of management levels, the process of making and implementing management decisions is lengthened
4. Personal responsibility of the head for the final results of the activities of the subordinate unit	4. The possibility of excessive cruelty in management

The structure of the linear management of a medium-sized travel company is shown in fig. 31.5.
So the disadvantages linear structure are quite serious, but to a certain extent they can be leveled by the functional structure.

Rice. 31.5. The structure of the linear management of a medium-sized travel agency
The functional management structure is typical for divisions engaged in general labor activity and small firms. The performance of individual functions is assigned to specialists who are united in specialized structural units (departments) (for example, the marketing department, accounting department, planning department, etc.). Functional management is carried out by a set of departments specializing in the performance of specific types of work necessary for decision-making in the linear management system. Functional management exists along with linear management, which creates double subordination for performers. The advantages and disadvantages of the functional structure are listed in Table. 31.2. Figure 1 characterizes the management structure of a medium-sized travel agency. 31.6.
Table 31.2
Advantages and disadvantages of functional structures

Advantages	disadvantages
1. Efficiency through specialization of activities and the release of line managers from dealing with some special issues	1. Difficulty in coordinating various functional units and promoting the narrow specialization of units
2. Greatest suitability for organizations operating in the same business area, differentiation and delegation of authority	2. High probability of competition and conflicts between departments and a long decision-making procedure
3. High quality of operations management in relatively stable (routine) business areas, elimination of duplication in the performance of managerial functions	3. Excessive specialization and narrowness of managerial thinking and a relatively frozen organizational form that hardly reacts to changes
4 . Opportunity to achieve economies of scale and development based on functional divisions	4. Delegation of the main responsibility for efficiency to the head of the executive branch and the emergence of tendencies of excessive centralization
5. Top management focuses on strategic issues	5. Narrowly functional myopia of the structure hinders innovation, opportunities for manager development are limited

The shortcomings of both linear and functional management structures are largely eliminated by linear-functional structures.
The linear-functional structure provides a connection between organizational structures according to the functions of power and responsibility. The essence of combinations of linear and functional relationships in the organization is that in the system of general management each employee reports to only one leader. Functional managers are given the right to directly address issues that fall exclusively within their competence. In this regard, with such a management structure, the line manager who heads a certain team assumes full power. The main task of line managers is to coordinate the existing functional services and direct them in line with the general interests of the organization. Such leaders implement their decisions either through the chief leader, or (within their powers) directly through the relevant heads of executing services. The linear-functional structure is inherent in branches of large firms, where there is a need for specialist managers.
The linear-functional control structure is shown in fig. 31.7. In table. 31.3 shows its advantages and disadvantages.

Table 31.3
Advantages and disadvantages of linear-functional structures
The regional structure can be used by large companies doing business in regions remote from each other and forced to adapt to the specifics of specific territories. Figure 1 characterizes the management system of the regional structure of the organization. 31.8. The advantages and disadvantages of regional structures are given in Table. 31.4.

Of particular interest in tourism management are innovative structures focused on finding something new. The main principle of their activity is that the current production and sale of assimilated profitable tourism products are combined into a group current production, and the development of new services and technologies - to the search group. The search team is responsible for the project until its commercial feasibility is established, Pilot production is established in the search team, which tests New Product(tour, service) in the market. After the profitability of the production of this product is established, the project is transferred to the current production group, where it will be handled by the appropriate department. According to this scheme, travel companies-leaders work. The innovation-oriented structure provides operational agility, strategy flexibility and the effect of scaling up in the group. However, the economic effect is somewhat reduced due to duplication of resources in both groups.

Relevance of the topic. Experience of transition to market economy showed the need for strategic management in Ukrainian enterprises. The actions of organizations and their leaders cannot be reduced to simply responding to the changes that are taking place. A modern tool for managing the development of an organization in the face of increasing changes in the external environment is the methodology of strategic management and the choice of a market strategy.

Setting goals and objectives. The purpose of writing the work is to consider the strategic management of enterprises in the tourism industry.

Research objectives:

Studying the main stages of the cycle of strategic management of a travel agency;
- consideration of the components of strategic planning as the basis of strategic management;
- definition of features of strategic management.

In the context of economic changes, a modern travel company, like any enterprise that produces goods or services, faces many problems. Sources of increased complexity of management are:

High degree of uncertainty in the market situation,
- seasonal instability of demand for tourist services,
- tougher competition in the tourism business,
- lack of financial resources, etc.

In such conditions, the company cannot be limited only to the current planning and operational management of its activities. There was a need for strategic thinking, which should be embodied in an action program that clarifies the goals and means of implementing the chosen development path.

Strategic Management can be defined as such management of an organization, which relies on human potential as the basis of the organization, orients production activities to the demands of consumers, implements flexible regulation and timely changes in the organization that meet the challenge of the environment, and allow the organization to survive in the long term.

The cycle of strategic management of a travel agency consists of five main stages (Fig. 1):

Defining the business and mission of the organization;
- development of long-term and short-term goals;
- strategy Development;
- implementation of the strategy;
- assessment of the effectiveness of the strategy and correction of the previous stages.

Rice. 1. The main stages of the strategic management cycle

The strategic management process begins with defining the business and mission of the organization. Further, the setting of strategic goals for four levels of management is carried out. The strategy development stage consists of several sub-stages. First sub-stage- competition analysis, second sub-stage- analysis of the internal environment of the organization, third sub-stage- formation of a portfolio of strategies. The strategy implementation stage includes two sub-stages: first- adaptation (formation) of the organization structure to the requirements of the strategic plan, second- adapting the culture to the requirements of the strategic plan. Since the process of strategic management is continuous, its cycle is closed. At the last stage, the achieved results are compared with the planned ones and the previous stages are corrected.

Strategy development at each level ends with the creation of a strategic plan.

Strategic planning serves as the basis for strategic management and covers:

Strict formation of the goals of the organization, its structural divisions and personal goals of each member of the team;
- establishment of the main goal of the development of the organization and goals that reflect the process of its adaptation to the environment, i.e. elimination (mitigation) of threats and development of opportunities, taking into account the existing potential or the potential that can be achieved;
- assessment of the potential of the organization and the possibility of its increase in the future (including personnel and intra-organizational relations);
- assessment of the external and internal socio-economic environment in which the organization operates, its possible changes and the resulting requirements for the functioning and development of enterprises;
- organizing and stimulating the activities of the personnel of the enterprise to achieve strategies;
- the main directions, methods and tools for achieving the set goals with existing opportunities and in emerging situations;
- ensuring reliable implementation of the set goals and objectives with the necessary resources;
- accounting, control and analysis of the achievement of strategic planning goals, their assessment and conclusions.

The benefits of strategic planning can be expressed as follows:

Planning encourages leaders to think ahead;
- it leads to a clearer coordination of the efforts undertaken by the firm;
- strategic planning leads to the establishment of indicators for follow-up;
- it forces the firm to more clearly define its objectives and policies;
- it makes the firm more prepared for sudden changes;
- it more clearly demonstrates the relationship of management and the responsibilities of all officials.

However, the possibilities of strategic management are not unlimited. The main features of strategic management include:

1. Strategic management cannot give an accurate and detailed description of the state of the firm and its position in the business environment. Rather, it is a set of qualitative characteristics relating to the future state of the company, its position in a competitive environment, the potential necessary for survival.
2. The strategic management system is a certain philosophy or ideology of business and management, which should not be reduced to a set of formalized rules, procedures and schemes. When developing a strategy, it is necessary to combine intuition and art, high professionalism and creativity of managers and the involvement of all employees in the implementation of the strategy.
3. To implement a strategic management system in an organization requires a lot of time and resources, it is also necessary to create a special unit that will be responsible for all issues related to strategic analysis and constant monitoring of the external environment, development and implementation of the strategy.
4. In market conditions, mistakes in choosing a strategy cannot be corrected by any effective methods of operational management, which leads to defeat in the competition.

Thus, in the course of writing the work, the following conclusions were drawn:

1. In the current conditions of economic changes, a modern tourism company needs to apply strategic management of activities, which covers an action program to determine specific goals and means of implementing the chosen development path.
2. Strategic management is based on strategic planning, which covers many issues and makes it possible to present a picture of the future development of the production of goods and services, promising projects, personnel and financial activities of the company on a planned basis.
3. The criterion for the effectiveness of strategic management in an organization is the extent to which it has become "self-learning", i.e. satisfying two conditions: a steady increase in the competence of employees through their continuous training; continuous accumulation, processing and application of work experience in conditions of instability and uncertainty in the external and internal environment.