Creating And Promoting a Regional Tourist Product – How to Build a Competitive Advantage? An Example of The Kashubia Region in Poland

Tourism products shape the interaction between the tourist and the provider who functions in a specific cultural environment. The tourism products of Kashubia can be considered a classic example of the above-mentioned relations: based on the wealth of natural and anthropogenic values, they stimulate tourists to express their emotions and feelings and they also “provoke” the local community to behave in a friendly manner towards s the tourist. The aim of the article is to show the need to conduct research aimed at assessing customer satisfaction for the effective promotion of tourism products. The following research problem has been formulated: how to improve the tourism product for higher customer satisfaction and effective promotion? There were formulated four research questions:

1. Does the tourism product need cultural components in its structure to attract tourists?
2. What kind of marketing activities are required to build tourists satisfaction and loyalty?
3. How to satisfy tourists when they complain about the service quality?
4. Is the Kashubian region competitive in terms of tourist attractiveness?

The following methods have been used in the study: analysis of the literature, active observation of the Kashubian tourism offer, visiting many places and towns to assess their attractiveness. The research shows that an easier marketing way – both in terms of organization and finance – is to improve promotion than to search for completely new marketing instruments; developing cultural products and events that will promote the Kashubian region.