Household Logistics in Tourism Supply Chain

Abstract

The tourism supply chain (TSC) consists of different participants: suppliers, tour operators and customers; in TSC, numerous physical and information flows to end customers are realized. Efficient realization of flows is enabled by logistics systems and technologies. In this way, logistics contribute to the competitiveness of tourism products. TSC participants can be trade, production, catering, logistics companies, travel agencies, but also households, primarily in rural areas. Households can play a role at all levels of TSC (suppliers of goods, materials and services, tour operators, travel agencies, end customers) and in various forms of tourism, but they play the most important role in rural and agritourism. Logistics is important in the optimization of logistics flows of households in TSC, having in mind imperatives of quality of goods, services, or complete tourism products that they can supply customers with. Therefore, in this paper, the role, significance and basic characteristics of subsystems of household logistics in TSC are analyzed.