Category: Tourism

Introduction

Every hotel has a different guest demographic that they are targeting, with some catering to guests seeking affordability while others cater to guests seeking luxury. The main difference lies in what the hotel in question is actually capable of doing, in terms of available resources, operational capacity and type of services available.

Hotel chains such as the Marriott, Hilton and Shangri-la obviously have higher operational capacities and types of services available as such they cater to a higher class of consumer. Other smaller hotel chains do not have the same level of operational capacity and types of service available, as such; they usually cater to consumer demographics that desire affordability and convenience over services and luxury.

Such distinctions are important to take note of since how hotels attract customers is directly related to what their level of operations and services are capable of doing. While the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi is practically symbolic of the epitome of luxury within the city, the fact remains that it has a considerable degree of competition from similarly luxurious hotels within its general vicinity such as the Emirates Palace Hotel, the Rosewood Abu Dhabi, the Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri Abu Dhabi and many others.

It is based on this that an additional form of marketing is necessary in order to better entice consumers to utilize the Fairmont as compared to the other luxurious hotels within Abu Dhabi especially when taking into consideration the upcoming New Year which is sure to attract thousands of possible guests from around the region into the city.

Marketing Strategy Proposal

The concept of going green is based off the process of altering approaches towards the consumption and utilization of resources so as to ensure a more environmentally friendly method of using and consuming resources (Radwan, Jones & Minoli, 2012).

The basis behind this is the assumption that since the Earth is a closed off ecosystem with a finite amount of resources if nothing is done to conserve and ensure these resources stay replenishable in the long run there may come a time when the Earth will no longer be able to support human civilization.

Such an assumption is not without merit, as the human population continues to expand so too does the demand for resources increase. It must be noted though that the concept of going green is not a recent trend rather it has been going since the early 1970’s through the creation of various recycling programs and centers.

Despite this, it has only been within the past decade that the concept of environmental conservation has entered into popular culture. Various studies have shown that due to the growing trend in environmental conservation many consumers would be willing to spend money on products that indicate that they were created through environmentally beneficial practices rather than products that do not have such a distinction (Radwan, Jones & Minoli, 2012).

Such a strategy could be implemented by the Fairmont within the next few weeks leading up the New Year with the potential for the hotel marketing itself as Abu Dhabi’s “greenest” hotel in terms of the environmentally conscious practices it implements.

Necessity of Establishing a Level of Distinction

As mentioned earlier, within Abu Dhabi exists a variety of hotels that are comparable or exceed the level of distinction that the Fairmont has. This presents a rather unique competitive setup due to the fact that each hotel chain can be stated as offering roughly the same level of services, having the same level of operational capacity and also having the same level of international distinction.

While such a setup is advantageous for consumers it is quite the opposite for the hotel chains present since attempts at price reductions, special offers or extra services can also be done by competitors with the same level of operational capacity and financial resources. It would be another matter if it was a major international hotel chain competing against smaller locally based hotels but in this situation it is a case of international hotel chains competing against each other within a small confined location.

What must be understood is that, as a business, hotels try to achieve a certain level of profit in order to stay operational, as such in a situation where competition is high hotel chains concentrated within a certain area must find a way to distinguish themselves from their competition in a manner that is both profitable and results in a greater degree of guest patronage.

Reputation of Hotels

One factor that must be taken into consideration is the fact that the methods of operation of various hotel chains are considered wasteful and actually contribute to operational costs. While this varies from hotel to hotel wasteful costs such as excessive water and electricity use as well as continuously replacing soap, shampoo and sheets despite no inherent need actually drives up the cost operations.

Facility maintenance is actually one of the highest operational costs in the balance sheets of most hotels due to an apparent need to please guests which actually facilitates and even encourages wasteful practices which drive up the cost of operations. While there is nothing wrong with maintaining high quality standards at specific establishments there is a problem when such high standards promote an operational culture that encourages wastefulness.

As indicated through interviews with various hotel staff members in randomly selected hotels in Abu Dhabi (who wish to remain anonymous due to the nature of their comments), wastefulness is actually an inherent part of a hotel’s S.O.P (standard operating procedure) wherein in order to maintain a certain level of facility quality, areas are often times cleaned more than what is actually necessary (Erbaşı & Ünüvar, 2012).

While cleanliness is important to all living environments, cleaning a specific area that does not have a high concentration of guests several times within a given week using various cleansers, dusters and electronic washers makes little sense for the hotel staff. Not only that lights are kept on nearly 24 hours a day 7 days a week in various hotel areas that do not have hotel guests or staff at all.

Staff members have also observed that the hotel rarely puts up signs informing guests to conserve electricity or water and as a result this culture of wastefulness has resulted in air conditioning units being left on despite no one using the room, water being allowed to run freely from faucets despite no apparent need to do so and bathroom products such as soaps, shampoos and conditioners are often replaced daily despite them not being used at all.

Such practices not only drive up the cost of operation but are considered environmentally wasteful given the amount of resources utilized.

What does going green mean for a hotel?

For a hotel to adopt methods of environmental stewardship this means a radical change in the way it utilizes resources, namely:

a.) The reduction of hazardous products used in hotel maintenance (Manson, 2012).

b.) The use of more energy efficient equipment such as lights, heating, air conditioning and construction materials (Manson, 2012).

c.) Recycling of various waste products that come as a result of daily hotel operations (Manson, 2012).

d.) The use of energy efficient vehicles in hotel operations (Manson, 2012).

e.) Conservation of water and other natural resources (Manson, 2012).

Market Positioning

For this proposal, the product positioning used is the concept of going green wherein a hotel portrays itself as utilizing environmentally beneficial practices that do not waste resources. This of course is capitalizing on the current trend in consumer environmental awareness where individuals have started to adopt practices that promote environmentally sustainable methods of utilizing resources.

What must be understood is that product positioning is a method of defining who you are to a potential customer and utilizing what you have to offer to coincide with that particular consumer’s preferences. By targeting a particular consumer market and implementing a particular method of positioning a company is then able to attract consumers to utilize their particular product or service (Pereira-Moliner et al., 2012).

For the hotel industry that is being examined in this paper this means targeting environmentally conscious consumers that wish to stay in the general area for a short period of time, positioning the image of the company to coincide with their preferences for environmentally sustainable practices, setting a price range acceptable for both the hotel and the consumer and finally delivering on the chosen image by showing the green practices being done by the hotel.

Market Research

Aim

The aim of this market research is to investigate and determine the extent of hotels going “green” from the perspectives of guests within the Fairmont hotel in Abu Dhabi as well as others within the general vicinity.

Objective

The main objectives of this market research are the following:

1. To prove the importance for sustainable development in hospitality industry
2. To identify any generally accepted good practices to sustainable development for hotels
3. To ascertain factors for guest expectation of a green environment in the hospitality industry and whether these have been met in the context of 4- and 5-star hotels in Abu Dhabi.
4. To suggest the proper methodology in order to achieve the goal
5. To identify further study/research areas under the same subject

Research Plan/Design

Surveys will be carried out for this study with a focus on the staff members and customers of the randomly selected 4 to 5 star hotels in Abu Dhabi. The survey will be in a form of questionnaires with four major areas of focus:

1. how important the interviewee thinks sustainable development is for hospitality industry
2. what are the requirements and challenges that have been achieved or will be need to achieve the goal
3. what are the potential solutions the interviewees recommend to overcome these challenges
4. Other comments/suggestion regarding the sustainable development for hospitality industry.

Data from the surveys will be collected and filtered based on the pre-defined criteria. The data will then be categorized and analyzed accordingly to achieve the objectives for this study.

Questions:

Do you think hotels in the hospitality industry should take action in going green?

Would a hotel going green influence your choice of which hotel to stay at?

Do you think sustainable practices are important for the hospitality industry?

Would a green hotel be your first choice to stay at?

Would you prefer a hotel that is green when compared to other alternatives that are cheaper yet utilize wasteful practices?

Would you recommend a green hotel to a friend to stay at?

What is your general perception of a hotel that does go green?

In the upcoming New Year celebration, would you choose to stay at a hotel that you know implements sustainable practices of operation?

Scope and Limitations

This market study will primarily focus on the concept of sustainable development in the hotel industry and how guests perceive hotels using environmentally beneficial practices. As such information utilized will come primarily from recent sources that deal with consumer behavior, theories on consumer buying habits, processes that influence consumer decisions, the environmental movement and recent cases of hotels going green.

The overall focus of the study will be limited to randomly chosen hotels in Abu Dhabi. The reasoning behind this lies with the fact that a global study where the participants are collected from various hotel chains around the world is not feasible in terms of the available budget, the length of time needed to complete the study and the logistical complications that would ensue from a study of such magnitude.

Theoretical Framework: Theory of Consumer Behavior

The theory of consumer behavior revolves around the concept of the perceived value or satisfaction that a consumer derives from the consumption/ use of a particular commodity.

Sources and types of information

Population and Sample

The population for this particular study will consist of six 4 to 5 star ranked hotels selected at random in Abu Dhabi. For each individual hotel, 5-10 staff members and 20-30 customers will be selected to participate in the survey. That gives a total of 150-240 potential participants.

The reason this particular type of population was used for this study is due to the experience and expertise staff members have with the hotel industry and the fact that hotel guests are the primary source of information needed in order to determine whether a hotel going green is considered to be a positive development or merely inconsequential.

Duration of Study

The total duration of the study will last only one month; the collection of the survey results, creating the appropriate graphs, and the overall period of investigation does not entail anything particularly time consuming as such one month has been determined as being more than enough time to complete the study and present the needed results.

Procedures and techniques used for collecting and analyzing data

The data to be utilized in this study will gathered using surveys consisting of questions that will enable this study to determine what the opinion of hotel workers and guests are towards the concept of a hotel going green. The data will be collected and analyzed using the online survey tool Surveymonkey.com which has a free online survey maker as well as a data analysis tool that should be more than sufficient in properly analyzing the data from the surveys.

To make sure this study attempted a minor test of the operational capacity of the site by making a small survey campaign using online social networking to get several known acquaintances of the researcher input their data on their favorite movies. After one week the data was examined and analyzed using the online tools of the website and the result was more than satisfactory in terms of data clarity and accuracy of the results.

Cost budget for the research

The overall cost of the study itself was negligible; utilizing the online free survey tool Surveymonkey.com removed the need to print 200 copies of the survey questionnaire. This greatly facilitated the collection of survey results which resulted in the only cost for the study being the cost of transportation to and from the various hotels chosen as samples to be used.

Weekly Schedule

IMC within the past 3 years

Current Consumer Segments Being Targeted by the Fairmont

An examination of the market segmentation strategy that the Fairmont hotel utilizes reveals that at the present there are two particular consumer groups that it has been targeting, namely: wealthy foreign tourists and wealthy local patrons. What must be understood is that the construction boom that occurred in Abu Dhabi over a decade was a direct result of plans to turn it into a financial and tourist center in order to secure its future when the supply of oil within the region begins to decline (Lee, Bai & Murphy, 2012).

As such the Fairmont hotel capitalized on this vision by implanting a strategy where it constructed hotels and resorts to cater to the predicted influx of wealthy tourists to the region as well as wealthy locals. While such a strategy has worked for the past several years the unprecedented nature of the current financial recession creates the necessity of a new strategy in order to ensure that the Fairmont hotel continues to survive.

Methods Utilized to Reach their Target Market

First and foremost what must be understood is that marketing objectives are considered achieved if the proper consumer segment has been targeted, greater awareness regarding a particular product has been developed all of which results in more consumers patronizing a particular product or service.

Taking this into consideration it can be thought of that promotional activity whether in the form of advertisements, discounts or special offerings are a way in which the average consumer gets “excited” (Pereira-Moliner et al., 2012). By either advertising or using a discount this creates a certain degree of “hype” for a particular product which increases overall consumer interest resulting in greater sales or patronage.

In the case of the Fairmont hotel, what occurs is that through their own promotional activities (i.e. TV advertisements, discounts etc.) this causes more consumers to develop interest for their hotels resulting in a higher guest rate. Furthermore, what must be understood is that since the main goal of marketing is to sell a product or service, by using promotional activities the hotel chain is able to meet its marketing objectives which result in higher guest turnouts.

Regional promotion

In the case of local patrons, one method utilized by the hotel is to create special offers for rooms that would otherwise be outside the price range of the lower tier of the elite within U.A.E. society. For example, hotels such as the Burj Al Arab cost roughly 3,000 to 5,000 dirham’s a day, while such an amount is not necessarily that high the fact remains that with the current financial crisis more people within the area are getting more reluctant to spend money due to economic uncertainties.

As such one way of encouraging more guests to try the facilities was to lower the price range to 2,000 dirham’s or less per night and promote going to the hotel in various areas such as Qatar, Oman and other Middle Eastern countries in order to capitalize on some of them being curious as to what it is like to stay at the Fairmont. Other methods of local promotion could include television advertisements specifically targeting the areas stated as well as utilizing various TV promos and limited offerings through various travel agencies as well.

International Promotion

Other markets where the Fairmont hotel actively advertises itself are the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guang-zou, the reason for the selection of these particular cities is due to the fact that as a direct result of global outsourcing initiatives China has now become one of the largest manufacturing centers in the world with numerous cities within China holding the distinction of being areas where various Fortune 500 companies have set up their off shored factories.

This trend in outsourcing has actually resulted in the creation of a new Chinese upper class who, due to their increased wealth, have now started to spend on a variety of luxurious items, homes and vacations.

By advertising the various luxurious amenities available and by appealing to the Chinese sense of vanity, the Fairmont hotel in Abu Dhabi has been able to get more than just a few Chinese guests. As such, one method of promotion they utilize is the use of various translated television commercials and Chinese celebrity endorsements in order to entice the newly rich Chinese segment of the population to patronize the Fairmont hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Tools Employed by the Hotel to Reach its Target Market

Direct Marketing

One of the primary methods the hotel utilizes in order to reach its target market is through the utilization of direct market techniques in the form of its online website, its commercials within the U.A.E as well as various direct promotional trips to various international locations such as Japan, China and Singapore in order to generate significant degrees of awareness of the hotel in such locations.

It is often the case that teams of individuals directly promote the hotel in malls and shopping centers by distributing fliers and having special booths with presentations showing the amenities of the hotel and the advantages of staying there. Such displays can often be seen in the Mall of Dubai as well as in several malls within Abu Dhabi. It should also be noted that the company does utilize Google Ads as a part of its online marketing strategy in order to generate online awareness and to increase traffic to their website.

Public Relations

Another tool often utilized by the Fairmont comes in the form of public relations strategies wherein it often freely hosts various events, symposiums, seminars and business forums in order to generate a significant degree of positive public perception regarding the hotel. It is often the case that utilizing such a strategy creates the impression that the Fairmont hotel is best location to hold an event and, as such, this often generates significant degrees of income for the hotel due to a greater degree of popularity.

It should be noted though that such a strategy is used sparingly due to the inherent costs necessary in hosting a free event at the hotel. Other forms of public relations often utilized by the Fairmont comes in the form of various sponsorship agreements for television and radio programs resulting in more people knowing about the hotel through association with such forms of popular entertainment.

Sales Promotions

The last method often utilized by the Fairmont to gain consumers is through various sales promotions at business conferences and exhibits. It is often the case that the Fairmont hotel helps to co-sponsor a particular event in exchange for having a booth inside in order to promote the hotel. Not only that, a raffle draw is sometimes held for participants of the fair wherein they get to have a few days and nights of free lodging at the hotel.

Audience

The main consumers that this marketing plan is intended to encapsulate are business men/women from within the Middle East and abroad that take an active interest in natural resource conservation. As such, it is intended to encapsulate individuals who are between 23 to 65 years old in age and possess moderate to high income streams.

As such, these people need to possess the desire to note only patronize high quality hotels but must also have the inherent desire to conserve natural resources. Given the current popularity of the “green movement” within the Middle East and various countries abroad, it is will not be surprising that the intended demographic will encompass a large percentage of visitors that arrive within the Abu Dhabi.

IMC Objectives

The IMC objectives that this paper will attempt to address consists of the following:

a.) Determining the marketability of the Fairmont hotel becoming “green”

b.) Examine what specific methods can be effectively utilized to market the Fairmont hotel as a “green hotel”

c.) Conduct an analysis of the current market whether other hotels have adopted a similar strategy and whether it has been successful

d.) Develop a method of examining the effectiveness of the marketing strategy of the hotel under the new “green” initiative that is to be implemented

Reference List

Erbaşı, A., & Ünüvar, Ş. (2012). The Levels of Using Strategic Management Tools and Satisfaction with Them: A Case of Five-Star Hotels in Turkey. International Journal Of Business & Management, 7(20), 71-80.

Lee, S., Bai, B., & Murphy, K. (2012). The Role Demographics Have on Customer Involvement in Obtaining a Hotel Discount and Implications for Hotel Revenue Management Strategy. Journal Of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 21(5), 569-588.

Manson, E. (2012). SMALL STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY. Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 202(4710), 28-31.

Pereira-Moliner, J., Claver-Cortés, E., Molina-Azorín, J. F., & José Tarí, J. (2012).

Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: direct and mediating effects in the hotel industry. Journal Of Cleaner Production, 3782- 92

Radwan, H. I., Jones, E., & Minoli, D. (2012). Solid waste management in small hotels: a comparison of green and non-green small hotels in Wales. Journal Of Sustainable Tourism, 20(4), 533-550.

Introduction

Luxury hotel consumers are conscientious spenders. They put a lot of thought into the hotel-selection process, so it is crucial to understand recent social patterns affecting their decisions. Tourists’ need to access value, speed and status influence most of their choices in this industry.

Social factors driving the luxury hotel industry

Today, travelers desire to connect with their acquaintances, friends or family in the fastest way possible. Through the use of the internet, luxury hotels are tapping into this social factor in a big way. For instance, several companies have listed their hotels in global booking platforms such as hotels.com or zuji.com.

The strategy allows individuals to secure accommodation easily and conveniently without having to depend on third parties. The need to connect with others has also enhanced the luxury hotel business through social media. It is now possible to engage with one’s customers directly and create a transparent relationship with them. Additionally, companies can learn about their weaknesses through social networking platforms.

Twitter and facebook are the websites of choice for the internet-savvy luxury market. The growing need to use ICT has proliferated into the management of hotels as most companies use them for product package selection, order tracking, payment and other aspects of supply chain management.

Most of the biggest source markets for luxury hotels are aging. This implies that companies must alter their facilities in order to meet the needs of a senior population (ILO 35). For instance, they require more first aid facilities or may require platforms for socializing with their peers. Companies are also training their staff members on how to meet the needs of the aging population.

Even marketing approaches are changing so as to include this demographic group. On the flipside, family travelers are increasing in number, in luxury hotels. Consequently hotel owners must modify their practices to accommodate the needs of these divergent guests.

One way of achieving this objective is offering a larger variety of food items for breakfast, instead of the standardized packages for two. Additionally, some luxury hotels are changing the design of their rooms (Education Bureau 20). Many of them now offer facilities that they have standardized. For instance, they may possess lower beds or may have brighter lighting and even walk-in showers to suit the needs of almost all demographic groups.

New countries are becoming promising source markets for luxury hotels; Japan, China and India have experienced a rise in the number of outbound travelers. These trends stem from the relaxation of policies governing foreign travel as well higher incomes. Between 2009 and 2010 the number of tourists from China grew by 15% (ILO 38).

Many of these visitors target other developing countries like Malaysia. Therefore, luxury hotel owners in the Asian continent are increasing their market reach to neighboring countries in order to foster repeat business and tap into new consumer segments. Regional growth is a force to reckon with in the hotel business.

Sustainability concerns are becoming quite common among users of luxury hotels. Stakeholders expect these facilities to engage in environmentally sustainable business practices. Consequently, a number of them are willing to pay a premium for incorporation of green practices in a luxury hotel’s operations or will specifically select an organization that engages in those practices if prices are similar.

Therefore, ecologically responsible practices have become a new source of competitive advantage. Luxury hotels are reducing their carbon footprint by changing their water-cooling and heating systems, as well as their space heating policies. Even new luxury hotel buildings are furthering these themes by incorporating them into the development of the system. Aside from the direct benefit of having a larger client base, most hotels now enjoy costs savings due to these measures (ILO 45).

Luxury hotel customers from western markets are now want unconventional places to visit. Many of them have already tried facilities in their own countries. Consequently, they want new experiences from distant countries like Iceland or even Scandinavia. If a luxury hotel is in an unfamiliar location, such as Bhutan, then chances are that it will have a greater number of visitors.

The latter location is under the Himalayas territory. Several luxury hotels like Aman have built facilities there in order to tap into this new demand. In 2012 alone, 50 hotels are working on establishing their presence there (Fitzsimmons 4).

Additionally, places like Russia, Colombia and Cambodia are also unconventional, so they are witnessing an increase in luxury hotel proliferation. The need for unconventionality implies that some travelers will be willing to forego loyalty concerns about a certain luxury brand in order to access exceptional services. Therefore, concerned entrepreneurs need not bank on customer loyalty as their marketing strong point.

Travelers in their twenties and thirties are especially fond of this practice. Furthermore, many of them will consider the packages and perks they can enjoy in a hotel before they look at its brand. Therefore, newer organizations have an equal platform in which to compete with their older counterparts.

In line with the need to visit unconventional places, many customers now expect to enjoy unconventional services from luxury hoteliers. For instance, those looking for adventure may want easy access to certain activities that they enjoy. They want to do river cruising so it would make sense for hoteliers to locate their premises near such activities or collaborate with providers of such services (Fitzsimmons 2).

Cultural diversity is becoming a principal factor that tourists look for when visiting a certain location. This is especially in light of concerns about homogenization. Some travelers believe that homogenization leads to knowledge expansion as well as multidimensionality.

In addition, if visitors perceive destinations to be too similar to their home countries, then chances are that they will lose interest in visiting the location. As a result, many luxury hotels are flourishing in areas that are culturally rich. Some of them can be found near rural communities, such that guests may have an opportunity to interact with locals or at least see the local culture.

Emigration by individuals back to their home countries is providing a new market for luxury hotel owners. Some residents may come back to their home countries to visit their family, and a large number of them use luxury hotels. Therefore, hotel owners need to keep their needs in mind when making room or overall design arrangements (Education Bureau 27).

Conclusion

The main social trends affecting luxury hotels include the use of fast communication methods like the internet. This affects marketing and booking activities. Aging populations, emigrant homecomings, environmental concerns, cultural diversity preference and emerging markets are also shaping the luxury hotel industry. These facilities must alter their services in order to meet the needs of their customers and to gain a competitive edge.

Works Cited

Education Bureau. Trends and issues in the tourism and hospitality industry. 2012. Web.

Fitzsimmons, Annie. 6 luxury travel trends to know now. 2012. Web.

ILO. Developments and challenges in the hospitality and tourism sector. 2010. Web.

Introduction

The hospitality industry is categorized as a service industry that includes tourism industry, lodging facilities and catering units. Travel and tourism industry comprises of areas of tourism, transportation services, food and beverage services and other small retail stores. The places that offer hospitality services include hotels, restaurants, arts and craft shops, airplanes, bars and motels.

Hospitality services extend to include activities such as recreation, educational trips and tours, festivals, sports and gaming events (Brooks & Kasavana, 2007). This paper explains about hospitality service trends in Asia and specifically focuses on Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Thailand.

Hospitality service trends in Asia

Hospitality services are those services and consultancies that are mainly in a hotel, restaurant, gaming industries, and leisure and entertainment industries. The current trends and issues affecting the hospitality industry in Asia include globalization, changing lifestyles, socio-demographic changes, technology, legislations, physiological and psychological factors.

These factors affect hospitality services such as accommodation, tourism, foods and beverages. The following is a discussion on the current hospitality service trends in Asia especially Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand.

Previously most tourists visited France, the United States of Americas and Spain but lately there have been more people visiting Asian Countries especially China, Japan, Singapore and Korea. The rise in the international tourism in Asian countries attributes to the technological development. Two factors facilitating globalization in Singapore include the establishment of the transport technology and development of the internet technology. Tiger Airways in Singapore makes movement from one place to another fast and less expensive.

The cost and time of moving have been reduced tremendously due to the development of transport technology that facilitates globalization and hence the tourism sector has improved. The rapid internet development enables tourists to communicate easily at the comfort of their homes. In addition, hotel booking and flight tickets that are done online improve the efficiency of the tourism and hospitality industry (Cowen, 2012).

Hotel industry in Macau faces the challenge of labor shortage as depicted by Lam Lei of the University of Nevada in his master’s thesis. The government information bureau of Macau recorded in 2004 that because of the liberalization of the hotel industry in 2002, hotel industry is growing at an alarming rate.

This attributes to increased investors from other countries who venture in the hospitality industry. The complexity of the businesses in Macau leads to the need of employing more personnel that are skilled to serve the customers. Macau government places strict restrictions to the incoming foreigners and as a result, there has been a greater shortage of labor in Macau (Lei, 2011).

In the hospitality industry, a good customer service plays an important role in ensuring the success of the business. In Hong Kong China, customer service drops as educational level increases in the hotel industry. The heart of the business revolves around hospitality and customer service.

Currently, with the generation Y employees working at the hospitality industry, the quality of customer service has dropped because of their desire to have a learning-oriented relationship with the supervisors, lack of commitment and the high rate of labor turnover (Wan, 2011).

Thailand receives the greatest number of tourists in South East Asia after Malaysia. The country receives about 7 million tourists every year. In Thailand, the four Ss of tourism stand for sun, sand, sea and sex. Recently, the country has faced the competition from other countries majoring on other tourists’ attractions like cultural attractions, natural resources and other forms of entertainment and leisure activities (Kontogeorgopoulos, 2008).

Trends in the tourism industry in Thailand have taken four dimensions as identified by Cohen. First is massification of the industry caused by the increased number of tourists in the recent years due to the improved and upgraded accommodation facilities, improved transportation and communication networks and development of the tourism-based services.

The second dimension is the dispersion of tourists from the central Bangkok to other parts of the country like Chiang Mai in the North and Phuket in the South. The third dimension involves the heterogeneity of the tourism sector due to varied attractions sites and diverse range of quality services to the tourists. Lastly, tourism sector in Thailand lately experiences regionalization.

Tourism Authority of Thailand and private companies’ attempts to extend the network to the neighboring countries like Burma and Vietnam has led to the expanded market for the tourism sector in Thailand (Kontogeorgopoulos, 2008).

Socio-demographic changes influence tourism in different aspects. Such factors include age, population, migrations, gender, and educational differences. For example, the population increase in Japan and Italy has led to increased demand for the holydays resulting to the increased turn over for the country from tourism (Kapiki, 2012)

Conclusion

From the above current trends in hospitality services in Asia, it is correct to say that there is a paradigm shift in the industrial sector among the Asians. Tourism sector is the most affected area in Hong Kong, Thailand, Macau and Singapore. These service trends continue to be experienced and the current events project the changes in the future especially in the hospitality industry.

References

Brooks, R & Kasavana, M. (2007). Managing front office operations. Michigan: Educational Institute.

Cowen, T. (2012). Trends and issues in the tourism and hospitality industry. Alexandra: Education Bureau.

Kapiki, S. (2012). Current and future trends in tourism and hospitality. International Journal of Economic Practices and Theories, 2 (1), pp. 2247-7225.

Kontogeorgopoulos, N. (2008). Tourism in Thailand: Patterns, trends and limitations. Cognizant Communication Corporation, 2, pp. 225-238.

Lei, L. (2011). The challenges of the labor shortage in Macau’s hotel industry. Las Vegas: University of Nevada.

Wan, J. (2011). Customer service: Trends and challenges. Hong Kong: Chinese university of Hong Kong.

Introduction

Cultural heritage and the achievements of the ancestors of a country are considered to be one of the most influential factors of the tourism industry development.

For a long period of time, the tourism industry is regarded as a considerable part of business life in UK. Taking into consideration the idea that many various factors and people are involved in the sphere of tourism, it is not very easy to provide this particular industry with a clear definition and comprehend how the development of tourism policy and planning processes may be organized.

In this paper, the evaluation of tourism policy and planning will be offered to define what achievements have been made during the last several years, what priorities have been identified, and what factors may influence the development of the chosen industry.

Political and even environmental instability dictate their own rules which have to be followed by the representatives of the tourism industry. A number of cultural and social aspects may also predetermine the developments of tourists’ activities. And finally, economic challenges deprive the tourism industry of the possibilities to develop to its full extent.

This paper will present several strong evidences in order to prove the need for tourism planning in any destination. Tourism policies and planning are considered to be crucial points in the development of the industry due to the possibilities to evaluate the situation, to forecast possible troubles, to identify tourism destinations, and to respond a number of calamities which have natural roots or depend on human activities.

Evaluation of Tourism in UK, Its Policy, and Planning Processes

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is one of the richest countries in the whole world with its traditions, people, abilities, potentials, and resources. In spite of the fact that some misunderstandings with different countries like the United States of America, France, and Germany, took place, the country realized that the necessity of cultural integration and a kind of exchange of the experience.

This is why the British government supported the idea to develop the industry of tourism as “the processes, activities, and outcomes arising from the relationships and the interactions among tourists, tourism suppliers, host governments, host communities, and surrounding environments that are involved in the attracting and hosting the visitors” (Goeldner & Ritchie 2006, p.5).

To succeed in the defined activities, it is very important to choose an appropriate policy that could look at special political processes and public support in order to meet the demands of the government and a number of public interests. Only in this case, tourism policy will be identified as a “vehicle for a government to direct and stimulate the tourism industry” (Edgell et al. 2008, p. 13).

In fact, some researchers admit that such terms as tourism policy and tourism planning may be interchangeable due to the fact that both of them are based on the political factors which promote successful decision-making processes and the evaluation of the possible outcomes.

For example, Harry Clark (2001) admits that UK tourism policy is based on the two questions posed: “When do markets fail and when is government intervention called for?” (p. 408). This is why tourism should be regarded as the industry the success of which is crucial for the country as it is considered to be the main source of “income for many groups” of people (Welford & Ytterhus 2004, p. 410).

Urgency of Tourism Policy and Planning in Regard to the Conditions People Have to Live Under

The process of tourism development plays a very important role in the sphere of business. The way of how people are able to organize their tourism activities define the way of how the country may develop the relations with other countries. The representatives of UK government try to take as many effective steps as possible to evaluate the situation and introduce some appropriate ideas and support.

Gilmore et al. (2008) underline the fact that the sphere of tourism is properly established in Europe, still, some countries require more financial support as they are “only now emerging as modern tourist destinations” (113), and one of these countries is Northern Ireland.

This country is regarded to be a considerable part of the UK; this is why it is necessary to evaluate the factors which may predetermine tourism development and the effectiveness of tourism policy and planning. There are several factors which may influence this kind of development: economic, technological, socio-cultural, and environmental.

To understand the need for tourism policy in regard to a particular destination, the United Kingdom, it is better to evaluate the factors and define how urgent this policy and planning processes may be. It does not actually matter what kind of tourism is supported by the country (whether it is eco-tourism, heritage tourism, or some kind of adventure tourism), the importance of the factors is observed.

In case the UK government takes into consideration all the factors from social to environmental perspectives and apply them during the tourism planning process, the vast majority of goals can be met. The most integral goals in tourism are: promotion of visitors’ satisfaction, appropriate use of sustainable resources, abilities to respond market failures, and in-time integration of tourism into the particular community.

The idea of tourism planning may be approached in a variety of ways, and in this paper, the attention to economic, social, cultural, environmental, and technological benefits is paid to promote appropriate development of society. The economic approach helps to comprehend that tourism has to be equal to the rest of industries because this sphere promotes the development of job places, increase of revenue, and improvements of regional items.

And government, as an integral part of policy-making process should be able to perform the functions of a successful coordinator, planner, and legal regulator. Now, evaluation of factors which determine the necessity of tourism planning will be developed.

The Influence of Environmental Factors on Tourism Policy And Planning

It is universally known that the Planet is in danger because of the natural pollution. All the countries of the world try to protect the environment and to support different policies directed at the problem. The environmental factor influences the tourism policy and planning greatly. The protection and conservation of the nature is one of the main objectives of the tourism industry as it is one of the main reasons for tourism development.

While planning tourism objects and developing new sights for tourists in the United Kingdom, the government should pay attention to the condition of the environment in those regions. One of the main reason people want to travel is to have a rest and enjoy the nature. The view with landfills is not going to attract those. Thus, to spend money and afford on the environment protection on the state of tourism planning, the government of the UK will be able to get more profit in the future.

At the same time the environment protection section in the tourism policy may create a number of difficulties which may become a real hazard for people. Thus, there are some jobs which may contradict to the tourism policy in the question of the environment protection. In this case, the UK government should understand what they need more, the creation of the workplaces or the environment protection necessary for the increase of the tourism potential of the country (Dodds & Butler 2010, p. 42).

For example, while creating a tourism policy, the “integration into public and private sector development, policies plans and programs” should be provided (Dodds & Butler 2010, p. 38). One of the examples of such policies is the local environmental plans. The tourism should be related to those policies as it may be helpful while planning new places of recreation.

Moreover, the local environmental plans and tourism policy plans may be directed at one and t same region that may increase the productivity of the results and nature conservation in that region.

The Influence of Technological Factors on Tourism Policy And Planning

The technological innovations have already affected all parts of human life. Tourism is not an exception. The influence of different innovations in t technological sphere is great. Thus, according to the research conducted by Formica & Kothari (2008) “innovation and advancement of technology” impact the increase of “digital divide for consumers and businesses” and the growth of “hardware and software expenditures” (p. 363).

The work is provided from home what increases the productivity and customer service quality, the products and services become more personalized, and “leisure behavior more dependent on technology” (Formica & Kothari 2008, p. 363). Us, the customers and the tourism policy makers state only on the positive features which became available with the appearance of the innovative technologies.

Moreover, there is an opportunity to be at the place of destination within several hours that was impossible several years ago. Planning tourism industry, the United Kingdom may be sure that people should not spend days or even weeks on the voyage to its coasts. The convenience and time saving are the main facilities which should be considered while planning the tourism in the UK. The location of t country on the island does not make it less available for people in other countries. This should be remembered while planning tourism.

Economic Facts and It Connection with Tourism Planning and Tourism

Each economy is striving to augment incomes and employment rates and tourism is one of evident sources for promoting this sphere. Strong economic infrastructure, diligent level for employment, and government revenues serve as a solid underpinning for developing tourism. In its turn, properly-defined tourism policies and planning can greatly contribute to the growth of economy.

It can raise the employment rates, increase the governmental budget, and strengthen other sectors of economy making them more sustainable and mature. More importantly, the need for tourism policy and planning offers many other great benefits.

It should also be stressed that economic growth and tourism are closely intertwined with regard to global trends, interest rates and exchange rates. In this regard, tourism is considered to be as linking chain to the international market allowing the government to keep pace with recent shifts in the world economy.

The problem is that public authorities fail to recognize tourism as one of the chief economic stimulator. In this regard, UK government should realize an urgent need for tourism planning and development because “tourism taxes will be used to fund education and other unrelated services that rely heavily on public financial support” (Formica and Kothari 2009, p. 360).

A new course of tourism planning, thus, can lead to a considerable improvement of other sectors, such as education, marketing, commerce at domestic and international level. Moreover, it will expand and strengthen international cooperation and involve foreign businesses to the countries.

Impact of Tourism on Socio-Cultural Environment

The fact that tourism affects social and cultural dimensions of development is undeniable because this sphere is closely connected with cross-cultural communication between nations and communities. Along with planning and expanding tourism sector, the country provides much space for community advancement and international communication. What is more important is that a favourable socio-cultural environment can fulfil cultural diversity gaps and present the peculiarities of local culture in its full extent.

Tourism policies and planning is also predetermined by the necessity to enhance and protect of local cultural amenities and introduce regulations that would “protect local cultures and natural areas, as well as provide economic incentives to local communities to act in an ecologically responsive manner” (Formica and Kothari 2009, p.). In addition to this, intensive development of tourism in the UK will advance the sphere of education and will provide more recreational opportunities for people.

Taking a course on consistent development of tourism policy and planning is a brilliant opportunity to introduce the world with rich history, culture, and traditions of the country. In this regard, the government should provide diligent funding of museums and other non-profit organizations that support the development and preservation of cultural heritage.

Conclusion

In general, the development of tourism industry is considered to be an integral part of society’s life. People are in need of fast-developing activities which may bring a lot of benefits. This is why the process of tourism policy and planning cannot be stopped. It is similar to decisions which are made by different people: they cannot stop making them, still, they have a variety of opportunities to approve and implement them accordingly.

Tourism development depends considerably on a number of social, environmental, technological, and cultural concerns. To avoid various barriers and failures, it is better to evaluate the factors and their possible outcomes and consider the effectiveness of the plan provided.

Taking into account the evaluations offered in this paper, it is possible to conclude that the need of tourism policies and planning is evident. There are a number of countries which demonstrate how this process may be developed: success of American or Mexican tourism should encourage the representatives from other countries be similar or, at least, try to be such.

Under the conditions people have to develop tourism business, it is possible to find various improvements and ideas on how to succeed in tourism policy and introduce successful planning processes. Implementation of the policies should certain help to achieve high tourism goals and impress the tourists with high quality services.

Reference List

Clark, H 2001, ‘The Economics of Tourism’, Economics Record, vol. 77, no. 239, p. 407.

Dodds, R, & Butler, R 2010, ‘Barriers to Implementing Sustainable Tourism Policy in Mass Tourism Destinations’, Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, vol. 5, no.1, pp. 35-53.

Edgell, DL, Allen, MD, Smith, G, & Swanson, J 2008, Tourism Policy and Planning: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Elsevier, Burlington.

Formica, S, & Kothari, TH 2008, ‘Strategic Destination Planning: Analyzing the Future of Tourism’, Journal of Travel Research, vol. 46, pp. 355-367.

Gilmore, A, Carson, D, Ascencao, M, & Fawcett, L 2008, ‘Managing ‘Balance’ in a Tourism Context’, Irish Journal of Management, vol. 29, no.1, p. 113.

Goeldner, CR & Ritchie, RB 2006, Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken.

Ytterhus, B 2004, ‘Sustainable Development and Tourism Destination Management: A Case Study of the Lillehammer Region, Norway’, International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, vol. 11, no. 4, p. 410.

Prevention and appropriate response strategies are some of the measures that can be taken to deal with loss of data or electronic devices. However, there are other tools and safety mechanisms that can be applied. It is important to be aware of some of the dangers that people are exposed to when they travel and how they can avoid losing data and devices. Some of these risks have been brought about by the rapid technological developments. It is easy for travelers to lose their electronic devices lost or even having them stolen while they travel.

Theft cases of traveller’s luggages at the airports have increased in the recent past. Other portable devices such as laptops, phones, cameras and tablets have also been targeted by thieves. Their small size makes it easy for thieves to pick them either from bags or the owners. In addition, they return quick money for thieves and store sensitive and confidential information.

For example, it is likely for smartphones to contain apps like notes or email apps that carry information about passwords and other services or log-in data. If thieves gain access to such information and a credit card, then they can steal money from the account of the victim. They can also use the information to steal one’s identity. It would be unbelievable for individuals to travel to a different country without information that they cannot enter into the country because their identity has been stolen.

It is surprising that the identity of an individual can be stolen so easily by people with bad intentions. The procedure is not necessarily stealing information from the electronic devices. They could be cases of fake booking sites, keystroke readers in cyber cafes and risky WI-FI.

Thieves can access private and confidential details in different ways. Individuals should not be afraid of hardcore criminals only in terms of data security. They should also be careful enough to identify suspicious individuals who might gain access to their private information. Sensitive information should always be kept private (Mickaiel 4).

Loss of data and communication devices is an important concern in Information Systems Profession. This is because the profession focuses on electronic data storage and transfer. Data security therefore becomes an important concern. With the advent of technology, methods of data storage have changed significantly. This implies that professionals in the field of Information Systems must look for ways of preventing loss of data and portable electronic devices.

In addition, they should come up with ways of recovering data in case of loss. One of the most effective ways of ensuring that data loss does not lead to adverse effects is to have data back ups. When travelers carry files with sensitive information as they travel, they should create back ups of the same files and store them in different places. In case of loss or theft, the back ups can be used to retrieve crucial information.

In addition, cloud data services may be of great use to travelers. Different companies offer free services such as Dropbox and Google Drive among others that can benefit travelers (Newman 3). Although cloud service may not be the most appropriate method of storing confidential information, it is convenient when storing documents used frequently.

They are also not restricted in terms of access and can be accessed from different places via the internet. Travel tech security is important in Information Systems Profession because data security is paramount in the profession.

Works Cited

Mickaiel, Irene. 2012. Travel tech security tips. Web.

Newman, Jared. 2012. Microsoft to build its own Windows Phone, reports say. Web.

Neo-colonialism refers to contemporary manifestations of the older colonial system which saw powerful nation states in control of the affairs of less powerful, less technologically and economically advanced nations in order to exploit the resources of the less powerful nation and improve the position of the colonial power. Under neo-colonialism, former colonial powers use international laws, property rights and economic supremacy to retain economic and political influence over former dependent territories. This involves a reliance upon Western manufactured goods and services which thwarts indigenous development efforts, a deteriorisation of the terms trade for new independent countries, and a continuation of cultural Westernisation guaranteeing markets for the West elsewhere in the world.

The power relationship between coloniser and colonised involved the assumption of cultural and moral superiority by the colonising power. The colonised people are generally viewed as ‘other’ by the coloniser and therefore superior. Ponting, McDonald and Wearing (2005) suggest that contemporary surfing tourism represents a form of neo-colonialism. Do you agree? If so, what are the neo colonial features of the relationship? If not, why not?

When examining the case of the Mentawai archipelago and the development of the local tourism industry through the promotion of the area as a surfing venue, it can be seen that instead of developing its own tourism industry by encouraging local entrepreneurship the local government in effect gave away the capacity for local resorts to flourish in order to encourage foreign investment.

This was done through legislation aimed at encouraging foreign investment through the privatization of capacity control which would see charter numbers limited, up market resorts favored with capacity linked exclusion zones, and small-scale local operations deemed unlawful (Ponting, McDonald, And Wearing 2005, p. 12).

This limited capacity for local entry is similar to the case of the core and periphery system which is a predominant feature of neo-colonialism wherein the ability of former colonies to compete in the international market is hampered through their relegation into being resource suppliers instead of being end product manufacturers like their colonial power counterparts.

While neo-colonialism does this through international laws, property rights and economic supremacy, in the case of the Mentawi archipelago this accomplished through local laws and legislation which was ironically pushed forth by the local government itself.

Furthermore, the “dependence factor” seen in the case of neo-colonialism where former colonies are dependent on the manufactured goods of the colonial powers can similarly be seen wherein the local tourism industry is dependent on foreign companies and their chartered boat fleets, tour packages, and international promotional activities to bring tourists to the island albeit to foreign controlled resorts and establishments.

How does the term ‘tragedy of the commons’ relate to surfing tourism?

The term ‘tragedy of the commons’ applies to the Mentawai surfing industry through the exclusion of locals from being able to fully reap the benefits of their natural resources. Similar to what is seen in the case of the core and periphery system of neo-colonialism, Mentawi becomes a resource supplier instead of being an end product maker. The product in this particular instance takes the form of a locally owned tourism industry.

Despite the richness and beauty of the local landscape and its ideal conditions for surfing, locals find it difficult if not impossible to sufficiently penetrate the local tourism industry due to the predominance of foreign owned resorts and establishments as well as local legislation which prevents small operations from flourishing.

List what you consider to be the two most important impacts of surfing tourism upon destination regions and communities and briefly discuss potential methods or strategies for avoiding or ameliorating these impacts.

1. Promotion of the local destination to international consumers resulting in an influx of foreign income through the purchase of local products and the hiring of local workers
2. Development of numerous resorts resulting in more job opportunities for local construction firms and construction workers

Solution:

The main problem with the two factors that were listed is that while they do benefit locals they benefit the foreign owners of the resorts even more since a majority of the foreign income that comes from tourists goes directly to the resort owners. To prevent such an issue in the case of the Mentawai archipelago, limitations on foreign ownership should be implemented.

This can be seen in the case of the Philippines wherein they adopted a 60/40 ownership scheme for joint ventures wherein the largest percentage of ownership would go to a local. This ensures that more foreign capital can flow into the local economy which would greatly benefit the Mentawai archipelago resulting in a better economic situation for everyone concerned instead of to just the foreign owners as seen in the current case.

Reference List

Ponting, J., McDonald, M. and Wearing, S. 2005, ‘Deconstructing Wonderland: Surfing Tourism in Indonesia’, Society and Leisure, vol. 28. No. 1, pp. 141 – 162.

This essay provides a critical analysis of the major developments that guide the future growth of tour and travel industry. It forms a discussion of the major factors affecting future of the tourism industry in United Kingdom, through study of factors that cause current effects.

The research problem is an analysis of prospective effects and developments on future tourism particularly in United Kingdom, in relation to various international tourism industries. The study is significant due to the reason that there are various dynamic global approaches towards tourism and recently embraced technologies.

The analysis also covers issue of economical impact of tourism practices to United Kingdom. This calls for an examination of what determines future outcomes and anticipatable changes. Lastly, the research topic addresses the issue of new and anticipated strategies to secure the future of the industry. This means that the main purpose of this study is to evaluate various effects on future of tourism industry in United Kingdom.

Some of the issues emerging from the study involve responsibility and conservation care accorded to natural and cultural heritage at various destinations. Secondly, the research will analyse aviation practices and effects on culture and ecology. Lastly, the study forms a critic on decisions and visions of tourism industry.

People especially in the U.K. lack rationale or reason for visiting a chosen destiny. This is a major concern to future tourism because there is poor promotion of excellent local destinies. According to Urry (2002, p.59) and Theobald (1998, p.22), Tourism Council surveys indicates that most UK tourists do not considering possible personal gains or benefits of local visits.

Availability of resources often determines travelling plans and choices. In line with Urry’s analysis (2002, p.59), tourists are willing to venture deeper into meaning and discover foreign cultural experiences. The new trend is thus a possible prediction for appreciation and support for distinctive local cultures considering the major commercial industries in UK.

People lack rationale for local tourism. As Whittingdale predicts (2007, p.36), analysis of tourism trends in the UK shows that people are forced into ‘geo-local’ tourism due to high economic costs.

Ability to take into account purpose before travel would thus increase local travel. Low local tourism cause despair, but future predictions, shows that number of local visitors is increasing steadily. Haven-Tang and Jones’ view on tourism SMEs in UK (2005, p.293) and Appiah-Adu et al study (2000, p.96) presents purpose of quality service delivery and competition in the industry.

Predicted local tourism is a major boost to alternative means of travel. As stated by Lumsdon and Page, (2004, p.100), the escalating costs of travel calls for alternative and cheaper means. If people can appreciate their locally available tourist destinations, then increased use of cheaper means of transport such as trains would emerge.

Forsyth (1995, p.210) Burns and Novelli’s literature (2007, p.212), indicate that the future of tourism industry in UK depends on sustainability measures. Local tourism will definitely foster future support for better investments for alternative low-costs means of transport.

Today, climate and ecosystem changes have devastating impact on the tourism industry. Current analysis indicates that UK travellers are concern with comfort, security and alternatives means (Cooper, 2005, p.14). This is a great threat to the future of tourism. There is negligence over the issue of managing tourists. If environmental costs exceed the economical gain, then in future, administrators need to place more focus on types of tourism practices for maximum economical, social and environmental gains.

There are high hopes that the future of tourism will be sustainable and cultural ideal. Current major threat involves lack of enough support for local uniqueness and distinctiveness. Utopia destiny is a collection of ideas for a sustainable future. According to Cooper (2005, p.14), “ideal tourist destiny sparks ideas that are more creative and inspiring.”

References

Appiah-Adu, K., Fyall, A., & Singh, S. April 2000. Marketing Culture and Customer Retention in the Tourism Industry. [Online] The Service Industries Journal, Volume 20, Issue 2, pages 95 – 113. Web.

Burns, P., & Novelli, M. 2007. Tourism and politics: global frameworks and local realities. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Ltd.

Cooper, C.P. et al. 2005. Tourism: Principles and Practice. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Forsyth, T. 1995. Business attitudes to sustainable tourism: Self-regulation in the UK outgoing tourism industry. Web. London, UK Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Volume 3, Issue 4 1995 , pages 210 – 231. Web.

Haven-Tang, C., & Jones E. 2005. Tourism SMEs, service quality, and destination competitiveness. Oxford, UK: CABI Publishers.

Lumsdon, L., And Page, S. (2004). Tourism and transport: Issues and Agenda for the new millennium. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Publishers.

Theobald, W. (998). Global Tourism. (Second Ed). Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann Publishers.

Urry, J. (2002) The Tourist Gaze (2^nd Ed). London: Sage.

Whittingdale, J. (October 23, 2007). Tourism: Report, together with formal minutes, House of Commons, Media and Sports Committee. Vol 2. London: The Stationery Office.

Introduction

As a discourse, hospitality has enabled me to understand a personal experience in my life. Moreover, it has reinforced my belief that, as a discipline and a social reality, hospitality is one of the most fundamental societal concepts of our time.

As our modern day societies become more individualistic, I feel that a large number of persons in our societies are abandoned to experience the world and life in lonely and lonesome contexts. This phenomenon is due to the increasing negation of the long held beliefs of offering hospitality to friends, relatives, and even strangers; a notion that originated from our medieval societies (Selwyn 2000, p.14; Lomaine 2005, p.17; Heal 1990, p.7).

As I was studying the course, the social/cultural domain of hospitality struck a chord with me, and reinforced my belief that modern day society’s abandonment of the culture of hospitality has contributed to the overall decay in moral and behavioural levels within our societies (Lashley 2008, p.70).

The study of hospitality as a discourse brought to mind an act that our entire family engaged in during my childhood. There used to be a certain boy who walked around our neighbourhood mostly on weekends, and whose unkempt and dishevelled appearance earned him scorn and few friends. He mostly begged for food, and during the winter, he would ask to stay in various homes for warmth with little success. Our family, with the urging and initiative of my mother, resolved to take him in, and within a few years, our family adopted him.

Hospitality

In the course of studying hospitality as a discourse, the various definitions of appeared to vindicate my belief that, modern society is lacking a tremendously vital and noble principle. By negating social/cultural hospitality at the expense of individualism, and self-centred approaches to communal issues, the modern society missed the mark.

Our modern societies no longer take in guests as a matter of social duty, and many times guests, even family, are viewed as a bother. The generous reception of strangers into our homes is virtually nonexistent.

The Modern Society: A picture

One of the prices that modern society has to pay for the abandonment of a culture and spirit of hospitality is that more children end up in foster homes. These children, lacking parental love and care that families can offer, mostly end up being socially mal-adjusted adults, and many more engage in crime and other social vices due to a lack of proper upbringing (Richardson, Foster, & McAdams 1998, p.410; Curran 2008, p.430). The results are higher crime rates for our societies (Burman & Naude 1991, p.373).

The two principles of cultural and social hospitality are that the relationship of the host and guest is a natural one, and the second principle states that hospitality is noble.

Natural Nature of Social Cultural Hospitality

The study of hospitality has helped me understand the actions of my mother in her quest to accept, and later adopt that homeless child who is now my brother.

The study of social cultural hospitality has enabled me understand that her actions were born out of natural maternal instincts. It was only natural for her to desire to offer a home and maternal love to the child. Therefore, the advent of industrialism and the subsequent emergence of our individualistic societies have not necessarily distinguished the natural fire of hospitality that comes naturally to human beings.

Through the personal experience of having adopted a ‘stranger’ into our home, the study of cultural hospitality has enabled me to understand and celebrate that experience. True to medieval expectations of the blessings that hosting a guest, (similar to adopting our brother), brings blessings, as a family we are always grateful of the warmth, love, and insight our adopted brother has brought to our lives.

Noble Nature of Social Cultural Hospitality

The second principle of social cultural hospitality states that the act of hospitality, that of hosting a guest or stranger in one’s home, is a noble act. The study of social cultural hospitality has enabled me to redefine my beliefs and priorities in life. Previously, I believed that noble acts were mostly concerned with doing what was best for oneself; moreover, I thought by achieving goals that satisfied my inner cravings, I would have done a noble act.

However, the study of social cultural nobility has enabled me to set goals that focus and take cognizance of the well-being of other persons in society. Therefore, by taking in my brother, I now believe that my family was engaged in the noblest act of our times. The culture of opening our doors, our homes and our lives to others should be encouraged even in the face of increased individualistic tendencies of our times.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study of hospitality, and in particular socio-cultural hospitality, has given me a better understanding of my personal experience that involved our family adopting a child who has become a brother and friend to me.

In a larger context, I believe that our modern societies should re-adopt the principles and spirit of socio-cultural hospitality that existed in earlier agrarian societies. Not only is such a culture natural and noble, but in the end, such a culture will help reduce incidences of crime, foster communal well-being, and create holistic and healthy societies.

References

Burman, S., & Naude, M., 1991. Bearing a bastard: The social consequences of Illegitimacy in Cape Town, 1896-1939. Journal of Southern African Studies, 17(3), pp.371-74.

Curran, L., 2008. Longing to “belong”: foster children in mid-century Philadelphia (1946-1963). Journal of Social History, 42(2), pp. 425-445.

Heal, F., 1990. Hospitality in Early Modern England. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lashley, C., 2008. Studying Hospitality: Insights from Social Sciences. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 8(1), pp. 69–84.

Lomaine, A., 2005. Histories of Tourism. Cleveland: Channel View Publications.

Richardson, B., Foster, V., & McAdams, C., 1998. Parenting Attitudes and Moral Development of Treatment Foster Parents: Implications for Training and Supervision. Child & Youth Care Forum, 27(6), pp. 409-431.

Selwyn, T., 2000. An anthropology of hospitality. In: C. Lashley & A. Morrison (Eds.), In Search of Hospitality: Theoretical Perspectives and Debates (pp. 10-21). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

In recent years when life is busy and schedules are hectic, tourists or travelers are choosing destinations, which are Eco friendly and has ordinary attractions for their annual, weekends or fortnight holidays. Pollution is one of the biggest issues these days, so as part of the world citizen people along with their partners and children want to witness the natural way of life in the form of Agritourism.

Most of the tourist’s typical holiday attractions are high ways, sky scrapers, visiting museums and urban way of life. However, to get unique and life time experience, Agritourism is the good offer for a change. Agritourism is the combination of a farm way of life education, adventure, typical or traditional culinary and an experience for those who are homesick and stuck in city life.

The commercial enterprise of a vineyard, ranch or any farm is Agritourism. It not only generates the income for farmers but also educates the visitors, but it does provide enjoyment as well (Agritourism N.D).

In any working farm Agritourism not only helps farmers to earn extra money, but it provides a suitable and appropriate way of ranch life, and increase vineyard or farm supplement income. It can be earning from farm stays, classes, fairs and festivals organized by local farmers, farms, which grow Christmas tree, patches of pumpkin, fishing, etc. to get money (Agritourism n.d).

Agritourism is completely different from fast city life. It is comparatively slower and contains leisure time activities. It’s not only help people to enjoy the farm life, but to appreciate and understand the farmer’s way of life. Like, enjoyable and fresh air long walk at vineyards, and then get the opportunity to taste the wine as well. Visitors can ride horses, walk through rivers, take a hay rides, sleigh ride, picking apples and other seasonal fruits and taste honey.

Rural tourism is a segment, which is referred as nature, recreation or ecotourism based tourism. If we check the Ecotourism and Agritourism, then we will find that it has many aspects, which are overlapping each other. Sometimes those aspects occur or happen at the same time. The term Ecotourism is protected the low scale areas and fragile responsible to travel. On the other hand, Agritourism is described as, it involves activities, which are based on agricultural, which invites or attracts visitors to the ranch or farm.

When we use the name Agritourism then there are many people who may think like some educated or sophisticated class of people are paying to do ranch or farm work, stay at their farms and also buy their home made products. The other picture will be some kind of a reality show which encourages people to participate in these kinds of activities.

However, many tourists jump in the opportunity to stay in rural areas and get the experience. The tourists who want to spend their vacation in Agritourism style, then they can visit California to pick grapes, Tuscany farm, which grows olive and can buy oranges from roadside stalls. Agritourism is very helpful to attract visitors to the areas which are agricultural to increase their education regarding a rural or past way of life and give them the general idea for a fresh atmosphere and foods.

Many farmers started to make changes in livestock industries and farming worldwide especially the small farm owners. They are trying to get new ways and opportunities to increase their income. When visitors visit the farms, they not only understand the origin of farming, but also the breeding or rising of livestock (Lamb n.d).

Travel industry recent fastest or advance growing trend is Agritourism. It not only combines products, settings and services of agriculture, but provides a unique experience of tourism. Agritourism is a popular industry or destination for the tourist in North America and in Europe it is a very valuable business. People who want a relief and enjoyment look forward to the Agritourism type of vacation. It’s not necessary that they will take a month vacation it may be a day or a weekend trip with family or individual.

This type of vacation helps them to be fresh up their minds and relief from daily tensions. A large number of activities are provided by Agritourism like seasonal festivals’; pick your own outdoor adventures. Agritourism business gives a wide verity of services and products available at farms, extra income and helpful hand to farmer’s family (Sheridan 2006).

Agritourism growing industry one good example to provide benefits and enjoyment is San Diego. Agritourism has a momentous benefit for the agricultural urban communities and farmers on metropolitan counties and San Diego. Agritourism gives a splendid impact on local economies, miscellaneous opportunities for farmers and promotes the development in finances. This change in finances makes changes in farmer’s life to lead them in a better atmosphere.

A number of researches or study show that agricultural tourism makes a big difference in every aspect in every county that is providing or promoting Agritourism. As the time is passing the demands and trends are getting change in Tourism. Currently, the trends show the new experiments to get different style and ways of Agritourism methods to attract visitors.

The agricultural development trend has extended because of the increase in attractions of farm based activities. This change in agricultural tourism leads them to Agritourism and became an important factor in San Diego and other counties. The conventional or historical way of tourism industry in the agricultural sector is increasing.

The better marketing for the awareness and substantial benefits is a different segment and want extra efforts in a tourism department for the local agricultural benefits.

Those extra efforts include activities and number of facilities such as visits, demonstration and tours of farms, agricultural festivals, accommodation, nursery trails, museums and wineries.

To increase the visits 20 certified farmers markets are working in San Diego only that operates counties integrated communities. The tourism industry combines the individuality and local agricultural varieties to offer various opportunities for farmers to modify their revenues and operations. There are little basic potential for local agricultural benefits in Agritourism.

Number one is, Agritourism generates opportunities to increase the revenues of local farmers or growers. Number two is, Agritourism educates visitors or tourists about the importance of agricultural county quality, economy and contribution to our daily life.

Number three is, Agritourism reduces friction, incentives in economics and help in preserve the agricultural county land. Last, but not least is, Agritourism helps to enhance efforts in regional marketing, increase the demands for local products, direct and value marketing in the agricultural sector (Lobo et al. 1999).

The United States department for Agricultural in 2003 report suggests a living of an acre term for the farmers or growers to enhance the visitors or tourists to promote Agritourism. They suggest that to increase the number of visitors and promote Agritourism, they can provide a living on the farm or give their tree on rent to make tourists interested and use it as their way of enjoyment.

For example, customer selects a tree and pays for it, then the farmer will look after that tree for the whole year or if seasonal then throughout the season. It will be done via contract with the farmer by customer for any selected fruit or vegetable to harvest. Agritourism is based on various ideas and the promotional methods are not limited. The major thing to understand the way, harvested fruit or vegetables, character of farm, goals and values which they want to achieve (Walker 2009).

The majority of the population or generations of any country are far away from the farm way life or having no idea about it. When the families want to educate their children regarding farming or rural lifestyle they look or want to have vacation in farms. Agritourism helps those types of interested people the vast verities of farm staying and benefits to educate them along with their families. They see how does a farmer work and see the production of the food or dairy products and the experience the rural lifestyle.

To get those, visitors need to pay to the farms, and that income provides a way to the farmer to enhance their way of life. Agritourism helps farmers to promote their products, handmade stuff, dairy products or livestock to get better amount.

The ratio of people who take vacation every year is high. Some people take vacations for family togetherness. Few of them take holidays to get relaxation from the stress. Few take to visit family and friends once in the year. Few want to get new experience and excitement for their memorable events of life. These types of vacation provide the physical type of activities to the tourist who helps them in their fitness (What is Agritourism? N.D).

Tourism plays an important role in many countries of the world, this includes Agritourism as well. Tourism is the Arkansas largest industry to enhance income and New York second largest. The most appreciated rural tourism components or factors are events organized by agriculture sector, small scale business and regional promotion.

Few of the states promote methods of direct marketing to promote the Agritourism and direct sale of farm products. They use garlic, Asian pears and crops when they are flowering to sell within Agritourism domain. Agritourism will grow more when government works to appreciate and motivate their farmers to work on the methods to increase their income.

They can help farmers to organize the festival, extension of their business and seasonal farm markets to attract visitors. If we take the example of New York then federal government funded 500 mile seaway trail to support Agritourism along Lake Ontario side to promote agricultural tourism to enhance business.

To attract tourists or visitors in Agritourism, farmers need to make something for them to see, do and buy. To know how to implement any method is successful then the number of visitors will be a biggest help. Large number of visitors to any farm or ranch or vineyard gives the idea of how successful that is (Adam 2004).

Agritourism main task is to promote rural life, enhance the conditions of the farms, but supporting them from acknowledging visitors to visit there and the development of the rural areas. It also helps farmers to get extra help in the form of visitors and enhance income by selling goods available at their farms.

The Agritourism other additional benefits are an expenditure of tourists and rural lifestyle preservation. Basically, the rural lifestyle is based on culturally and historically based agriculture and it’s also works to natural landscape conservation and the rundown property’s renovation.

Agritourism is well managed and coordinate to get positive impact and result in the regard to enhance the local agriculture farm economy. The farms can appoint their agents to get the visitors and promote their farms. Agritourism is available and workable in many sectors as a sector of tourism. It can be workable as unlimited benefits and methods, but still faces the limited recognition.

The big reason of limited recognition is, it’s often work as supplementary hobby and activity business, which is organized by practitioner owners. For that reason, it is the deal as a part of the tourism sectors other parts, but not individually.

Agritourism seems like a category which is independent it the tourism sector and currently offers sophisticated marketing, different techniques of management and experience development in agriculture tourism.

Now the visitors don’t need to physically visit for the farms for the booking, they can book their farm residence, duration and food choice online. The food item, chefs and drinks come in culinary Agritourism. When the visitors are selecting farms, vineyard or ranch, they can also choose the packages or farms which offer beer tourism, wine tourism and spa tourism.

The rural tourism sectors also known as a low quality and budget sector, which provides vacation and enjoyment in comparatively low prices. Agritourism is a low budget, but need focused on quality marketing, educational growth of visitors and branding for the Agritourism development. After the development and improvement in Agritourism sector, the interest and varieties of the agriculture sector are increased. It is now known as an enduring and advance trend in the tourism sector (Indrayant 2010).

If we check the status of the development in tourism industry during last few years, then we can see a vast change in developing countries in the area of Agritourism sector and it has been recognized by the respective governments and their practitioners.

Many developing countries are trying various methods to attract a tourist of every class, color and nation to visit their rural agricultural areas and trying to promote local farm business. These methods and techniques developed a unique position of their countries in Agritourism. It also considered a niche tourism growth in many countries.

Agriculture is not new at any part of the world. If we check the status or the income sector of many countries than agriculture is playing an important role their economy. To get the better a result, we need to promote Agritourism and should work on the factors to develop interest and promote rural lifestyle.

It will help to learn and educate ourselves not only in rural lifestyle, but as our education as well. Institutes from the help of a tourism department or by online booking can organize biological trips of different colleges and schools to visit farms. It will help them the live experience of their biological experiments practical.

Agritourism can be transformed as the major factor in economic growth of any countries agricultural sector. A study of various countries shows the development in Agritourism sector. In Taiwan, 173 farms were registered for tourism, and it created a huge impact on other parts of the world. In Kenya, coffee, tea, beer keeping farms organized the visits and created the attractions to increase tourist, and it leaves a good impact in the economy. These ideas can be used in any developing countries to get a business and promote Agritourism.

The major issue in visiting or taking holidays in the rural area is accommodation and other facilities.

To increase the factors of attractions for the tourist, governments need to educate growers or farmers, help them build accommodation at their farms, make the attractive list of excitement, offer physical exercises and give them the choice to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, live stock, homemade jam and other handmade stuff.

Agritourism can be played as the key to the safe environment and increase the number of awareness to understand the rural lifestyle. It is a factor to understand the past way of life, their way of developing things and to understand nature closely.

A proper planning can increase the local farm owner’s income and getting extra help at their farms. Our way of life is become fast and living standards are getting higher. Agritourism gives us the opportunity to work in agricultural sectors in our leisure time and share the workload of farmers.

It is not only helping the farmers to get extra hands in their daily hard work routine, but it’s also provides visitors the best way to exercise and relaxation. Agritourism also gives the opportunity to the parents to introduce a rural life their children who are completely different from city standards.

References

Adam, KL 2004, Entertainment Farming and Agri-Tourism. Web.

Agritourism. Web.

Indrayant, L. 2010, An enduring tourism trend; nature-based tourism and agritourism. Web.

Lamb, R., How Agritourism Works. Web.

Lobo, R. E., Goldman, G. E., Jolly, D. A., Wallace, B. D., Schrader, W. L. & Parker, S. A. 1999, Agricultural Tourism. Web.

Sheridan, B. 2006, 5 Ways to Make Money in Agritourism. Web.

Walker, MA 2009, Agritourism: Ideas and Resources.

What is Agritourism? Web.

Introduction

Looking at the modern industry of hospitality, the hotel ratings seem too strange and unreliable. Having visited many hotels, I may say that there are a lot of those which do not correspond to the real estate of things. Having read two articles about hotel ratings, I should say that the modern system of hotel ratings is too poor and does not nave any reliable grounds.

Neither the rating which is given by the credible magazine which tries to follow the international standards nor the one presented by those who have visited the place can be trusted as most of the comments are left by the professional writers who are paid for a rating to make people believe that the place is good enough. There is also no guarantee that a hotel rating presented by a reliable company which is responsible for creating the rating is objective as all people do in the modern world are subjected to business relations.

Body

Hotel business is one of the most important ones as accommodation is the central aspect in the global political and economical relations in the world. Each company tries to be responsible for the ranks it gives, however, being based on the business relations there is no guarantee that the hotel is ranked adequately and no business relations are involved. Looking at the present situation in the accommodation business, the following aspects are to be considered.

First, hotels want to get as many customers as possible, therefore, the marketing and promotion strategy is usually on the high level. The hotels create websites where people seem to express their opinion. However, in most cases professional writers leave comments. Of course, people are able to do it as well. One may come across several negative feedbacks, but a clever client would think that they are just the personal opinion of those who are always unsatisfied with everything as the vast majority of the feedbacks are going to be positive.

Second, there are many companies which guarantee to provide hotel ranking services having compared and contrasted the hotel’s services with the standards and to draw the conclusions. However, the absence of any internationally accepted standards makes it possible for the companies to vary in their opinions. The business relations are based on the financial grounds, therefore, the companies get money and give a hotel rating it wants.

Finally, hotel business is very competitive. The Internet has become the most important means of advertising. Many people in the world use the Internet for all needs and the information search is one of the main functions the Internet performs. Having understood this idea, many hotel promotion programs became to be oriented on the customers’ feedback.

Conclusion

Therefore, it should be concluded that hotel ratings in the modern world are created just with business purposes and some of the hotels do not correspond to the level they are ranked with. Being positioned as 5 star hotels, most of the accommodation services are not that perfect as they are to be.

It is impossible to get to know about a hotel the whole truth before staying in that hotel. The websites which seem to express client’s opinion are served by the professionals, the feedbacks are created to attract more customers and the ranking system is used just for marketing services as there are no international standards.