In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by the year 2030. The study’s main objective is to identify the necessary conditions and potential for ensuring both the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism in seaside and marine resorts located in or at coastal and marine protected areas on the example of Karklė (Lithuania). Based on the results of a benchmarking study of five South Baltic resorts using the Delphi technique, the survey team identified the main deficiencies of Karklė as a seaside and marine resort of an international scale. We address the deficiencies by applying a geographical information system as a decision-support tool for the Littoral Regional Park where Karklė is located. We conclude that for ensuring both the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism in seaside and marine resorts, it is expedient to combine the Delphi-based tourism benchmarking with integrated coastal management and maritime spatial planning, for which GIS is an indispensable tool.

Background/Objectives: International studies state that older adults are at an increased risk of mental health symptoms and disorders (depression, anxiety, and stress), especially elderly women aged >65 years. The literature on this topic is scarce, and there is a need for studies that investigate the associations between mental health issues and overall health in elderly women. This study aimed to investigate depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in elderly women in association with health status. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Klaipeda, Lithuania, in 2020. The survey included elderly women (n = 306) aged 65 to 80 years studying at the Third Age University in Klaipeda city. The DASS-21 and SHSQ-25 scales were used for the survey. Associations and correlations between both scale indicators were calculated. Results: Sociodemographic factors such as age, marital status, and place of residence were not statistically significant in terms of mental health, except for women living alone, who had slightly lower levels of depressive symptoms (p = 0.015). Mental health issues were quite common; almost half of the participants had higher than normal levels of anxiety (49.0%) and depression (48.4%), and one-third (29.8%) experienced stress. A strong positive correlation was observed between mental health symptoms and physical health, with anxiety having the greatest effect size on fatigue (Cohen’s d = 0.950, p < 0.001), cardiovascular symptoms (Cohen’s d = 0.757, p < 0.001), and mental status (Cohen’s d = 1.036, p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms had a large effect size on fatigue (Cohen’s d = 0.764, p < 0.001) and mental status (Cohen’s d = 0.816, p < 0.001), while stress had a moderate effect size on all health domains. Conclusions: The findings highlight that anxiety symptoms are a major contributor to mental health conditions and overall health in elderly women. This study’s results emphasise the need for targeted interventions to address mental health challenges in elderly women.

Background/Objectives: Seafarers are a particularly isolated workforce, as they are on-site only with their colleagues, both on and off duty. Long-term duties in the sea environment, irregular working hours, changing time zones, and lack of sleep are some of the many factors that negatively affect the physical and mental health of seafarers. This study aimed to explore the occupational stressors faced by seafarers in Lithuania using the HSE Management Standards Indicator Tool (HSE-MSIT). Methods: In 2023, a quantitative study, using a paper survey, of seafarers’ occupational stressors was conducted in Klaipeda city, Lithuania. A total of 385 Lithuanian seafarers participated in the study. Results: The greatest sources of stress at work were identified as changes at work, relationships, peer support, and management support. Role clarity, demands, and work control were not strong stressors for the seafarers. Analysis of perceived stress levels revealed notable differences between groups with different work experience and job positions. Analysis of years of service (0–11 years vs. 12+ years) found that seafarers with shorter service experienced more stress in terms of demands (p = 0.005), role clarity (p = 0.004), work control (p = 0.035), and relationships (p = 0.02). Based on job position (senior vs. junior), junior seafarers experienced significantly higher stress in the demands (p = 0.001) and role clarity (p = 0.009) subscales. The study revealed that job position and years of work had weak negative correlations with stress indicators at work. The Demands subscale was moderately positively correlated with relationships and change at work. The Relationships subscale was moderately positively correlated with peer support and change at work. Role clarity was moderately negatively correlated with change at work and relationships. Conclusions: Overall, changes at work, relationships, peer support, and management support in the working environment emerged as key factors of perceived stress among seafarers. Junior seafarers and seafarers with shorter years of service experienced higher stress at work. These findings may help in the development of targeted stress management and training strategies tailored to different profiles of seafarers.

Publisher: Klaipėdos universitetas, Journal: Tiltai, Title: Soft skills empowering for a successful career in tourism administration, Authors: Rasa Grigolienė, Raimonda Tamoševičienė, Vytė Kontautienė , Employers currently emphasise primarily the importance of the personal and social characteristics of employees, and focus less on their professional and business skills. Contrarily, employees often consider deep professional knowledge and skills to be their key strengths, and pay little attention to personal growth and the development of personal characteristics. The aim of the research is to compare the soft skills most frequently required by potential employers in job advertisements for the position of administrator to the employee soft skills predominantly identified by the students on the Tourism Administration course. A study designed to identify employer expectations was conducted in 2019 and 2021. In order to determine the opinions of students in 2021, a written questionnaire survey of higher education students on the Tourism Administration course was conducted. The analysis of the opinions of students, and an examination of employer expectations, demonstrate that employer expectations regarding the skills of potential employees, especially personal or soft skills, and student opinions, do not always match. The impact of the pandemic created a paradoxical situation in the labour market: before the pandemic, progressively more attention was being paid to employees’ soft skills; in the post-pandemic world and working in a hybrid way in the labour market, not all personal skills remain important.