Business Excellence, Vol. 2 No. 2, 2008.
Review article
POSIBILITIES OF FUTURES TRADING IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM
Ivo Šperanda
; Dubrovnik summer festival, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Abstract
The process of a company's involvement in international business has become inevitable and unstoppable. However, because of changes in international business factors, classic forms of business relations no longer respond to newly developed opportunities and relationships. Modern companies react to new dynamics of market relations and progressive degree of risk and instability by using strategies of insurance and risk-sharing.
This article tries to demonstrate the possibilities of minimizing, if not avoiding some risk elements to which tourist companies in Croatia are exposed. In other words, trading with futures contracts as a very sophisticated form of international trade is one of the most dynamic forms of exchange which has been in constant swing (regardless of occasional stumbles) since the beginning of the seventies of the last century. Using futures markets makes possible for different business entities to achieve numerous advantages, the most important ones being neutralization of both merchandise and financial risks in business. Unfortunately, futures markets do not exist in Croatia and very few Croatian companies take part in world stock exchanges with such a trade pattern.
On the other hand, tourism as a main driving force of our economy has two important features: exposure to various risks and low profitability which clearly indicate a high sensitivity of this branch. Sudden and unpredictable mutations of cross rates, fuel and transport prices etc. significantly affect fragile balance sheets of our (and not only our) tourist companies.
This paper briefly describes the main trading strategies at world futures markets. A hypothetical example of one tourist arrangement given in this paper shows all the advantages and benefits of hedging as a main risk protection strategy. Finally, this paper proposes that hedging should be a leading activity of our tourist companies on world futures markets.
Keywords
futures trading; tourism; techniques of futures trading; futures market; futures contracts
Hrčak ID:
38556
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2008.
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