Category: Tourism

Introduction

Across the world, tourism is a major economic activity, which contributes significantly to the economic growth of many countries that have tourist attractions. Since people are social beings, they like travelling to various tourism destinations as tourists.

Since routine schedules of workplace and businesses are boring, people use tourism as a means of rejuvenating, gaining motivation, and reflecting about their lives. Over the recent past, tourism has experienced outstanding changes in terms of consumers and their preferences.

One of the main entrants into the tourism and hospitality market is the set of consumers that comprise of families and young children.

As opposed to the past, where fathers made major decisions concerning holiday destinations, mothers and children are now active participants in decision-making and even have the power to influence the choice of destinations that families visit during holidays.

Therefore, the essay describes the families as potential consumers of tourism products and cites the influence that children have in choosing tourism destinations.

Influence of Children in Holiday Decision Making

Children are part of the family and make up an influential segment of decision makers in the family and thus they participate actively in decision-making. Remarkably, the number of families that visit tourist destinations and hospitality facilities has risen over the recent past to a significant level.

The rising demand for tourism and hospitality products that cater for the needs of families has led to shifts and adjustments in various establishments, which provide tourism and hospitality products in the quest to meet family expectations.

Some of the ways that children affect the decisions that families make on holiday destinations include their preferences, purchasing decision, buying behaviours, choice of locations, accommodations, activities, and influences from their peers.

According to Blichfeldt et al. (2010), children have varied preferences in terms of location and activities, as well as the types of products that they like consuming. These differences usually determine the holiday choices of parents since they have to consider the differences when making decision about holiday destinations.

Purchasing decisions and buying behaviours of children are different from that of adults. As opposed to adults, who do not engage in impulse buying, children tend to purchase various products irrespective of the holiday budget.

Additionally, children love products such as snacks and games, which may not be in the set of adult preferences. Due to the existing differences in buying patterns and behaviours, families decide holiday destinations to visit based on the differences.

Several hospitality and tourism establishments are currently aligning their services so that they can provide services that do not only meet requirements of adults, but also satisfy the needs of children (Kang, Hsu, & Wolfe 2003).

The alignment of services by hospitality and tourism facilities happens because children are currently among the major consumers of tourism products. The influence of children in families has compelled several families to visit those destinations that offer services, which match the desires of both adults and children.

Children influence the choice of locations, accommodation facilities, and the type of activities that families engage in during the holiday. The influence that children exert transpires because of the diverse tastes, likes, and dislikes of adults and children.

Families that are on holidays usually try to ensure that each individual in the family enjoys the holiday. Therefore, families prefer visiting a destination that has the facilities, which satisfy adult and child requirements.

Theme parks, arboretums and other tourism facilities and establishments, which offer services such as face painting and bouncing castles, make up the main types of destinations that families prefer visiting. Conversely, destinations that only meet requirements of adults receive several adults as opposed to families.

Philips, Canter, and Abbott (2011) argue that the numbers of hotels that provide family facilities are increasing in several tourism and hospitality establishments.

The power of children in families implies that they dictate the locations that families visit, the type of accommodation facilities, and the type of activities that families undertake during the holiday.

Peer influence is another factor that affects the choice of holidays among families, especially children. Since children are vulnerable to influences and coercions from their friends, they are likely to use the pressure from friends to determine holiday destination for families.

Children can compel a family to visit a destination that their colleagues visit, as they need the company of their friends and peers. As a result, children are currently dictating the choices that families make concerning the locations and places to visit during holidays (Marino 2003).

In some instances, families compromise their likes and preferences with a view of satisfying the needs and demands of their children. The compromise that parents make regarding their preferences and needs evidently outlines the force and power that children have on the holiday choices.

Probability of Common Decision Making

Due to the diverse perceptions, motives and interests towards tourism and hospitality establishments, parents and children often vary in terms of locations to visit.

The variance can lead to dissatisfaction among parties in the family, who feels oppressed or undermined in line with the choice of place or holiday destination (Boterhill & Haven 2003). However, there is a chance of families coming to a mutual agreement on the destination that they want to visit during the holiday.

Compromise, involvement, safety, and attractions are some of the factors that families can use to achieve a common decision on the place to visit.

Since it is impossible to satisfy the needs of all individuals in a family, parents can compromise and adjust their perceptions, likes, and preferences so that they ensure that their children enjoy their holiday and the choices they make.

Families can involve their children in the decision-making process as it enables them to understand various needs and expectations that their children have concerning the choice of place to visit during holidays.

Poor participation of children in families on aspects like holiday destinations results in assumptions from parents, who believe that a certain place is good for their children when children hold contrary opinions.

Therefore, it is very crucial to involve all the stakeholders in the family, which are the children and parents, in holiday decision-making. When all individuals in a family take part in the decision-making process and present their opinions, feelings of satisfaction and fulfilment develops in their minds.

The feelings develop because the individuals know that other people in the family respect and honour their points of view. According to Goh et al. (2010), every individual has diverse opinions and perspectives on the types of tourism products that they love consuming.

Therefore, child involvement in decision-making is very instrumental in achieving a common decision in the choice of place to visit during family holidays.

Safety is another factor that compels families to make a common decision as it overrides personal preferences and likes. Regardless of the tourism and hospitality products offered by a tourism attraction, insecurity renders the subject location unsuitable for tourism.

Children and parents in the family opt to visit destinations, which are safe and secure for the safety of their families is crucial factor that they cannot overlook. Onder, Yoldorom, and Ozdemir (2013) explain that safety is one of the major factors that determine consumer’s choices of tourism locations.

Presence of insecurity in a destination drives tourists away from the region because it is a push factor in tourism. Travel advisories, and embassies are very important in the passage of information to the society on safe locations to visit.

The common agreement is obtainable in the context of safety because parents and children believe in the importance of peace and tranquillity and loathe the outcomes orchestrated by insecurity.

External Factors that Prompt Holiday Decision-Making

Families just like other types of tourists respond in similar ways to externalities that affect other tourists in decision-making. Some of the externalities that affect families in deciding the locations to visit include induced image of a destination, push and pull factors, pricing, and flexibility of tourism and hospitality establishments.

Families are likely to visit regions or establishments that have good reputation and image. Good reputation and image emerge due to the services provided by the facilities to consumers, who market them through a word of mouth to other potential consumers (Bjork & Jansson 2008).

The marketing image that a destination receives from past consumers and the level of advertisement influence the willingness of consumers, especially families.

It is imperative to understand that the image of a destination is dependent on factors such as security, economy, and the interrelationships among countries that service providers cannot manipulate or change.

Push and pull factors are those factors that either drive tourists away from the tourist attraction or bring them to the attraction. Goodrich (2014) asserts that the push factors scare tourists away from the attraction, while the pull factors attract tourists to an attraction.

Insecurity and conflicts among countries, recession, language barriers, and the inflations are some of the push factors that increase unwillingness of families to visit certain tourist destinations.

On the other hand, good relationships among countries, economic balance, and good security are among the factors that increase the willingness and the tendency of families to visit and consume tourism products in subject regions.

Remarkably, push and pull factors are not within the control of service providers in the tourism and hospitality industry, and thus, they have no control or power over the factors.

Pricing determines the choice of destination that families choose to visit because families are among the types of tourists, who value their money and need effective utility.

As opposed to past consumers, who focussed on the quantity of products that facilities offered, modern consumers emphasise on the quality of the services in relation to their attached value (Marino 2003). In this regard, consumers often go for services that promise value for their money.

Costs associated with labour and raw materials determine the price charged on a good or service. The rise in cost of raw materials causes a corresponding increase in the cost of production (Ballantyne & Packer 2009). The increase compels service providers to increase the cost of services that they offer.

The fact that food prices and the prices of other tourist services like sightseeing and transport depend on the changes in the economy and global product prices implies that service providers have very little influence on the price.

Flexibility of service providers in the tourism and hospitality industry is one of the essential factors that influence families using certain facilities and consume the services offered.

If a facility is flexible, then it quickly adjusts to the prevailing consumer requirements and provides consumers with what they expect, and thus, satisfy them (Ballantyne & Packer 2009). Tourism destinations also need to be flexible so that they can deliver what is best for the consumers, who comprise of children and adults.

When families realise that a destination quickly adopts modern technologies and copes with their changing requirements, their willingness to visit the destination increases.

According to Fuller et al. (2007), consumers in the tourism and hospitality industries are very trendy and ever changing, therefore, service providers in the industry must be flexible and adaptive.

The need for flexibility in hospitality and tourism establishments is due to the changes that consumers portray in the industry, which are unstoppable, uncontrollable, and unpredictable.

Conclusion

In the recent past, a new type of tourism has developed in the field of tourism. The new type of tourism comprises of families, which are increasingly travelling to various destinations and consuming the services provided by the establishments of tourism and hospitality.

As a new entrant in the tourism and hospitality market, families pose a challenge to the industry since they require the creation of new facilities that cater for the requirements of children and adults.

Remarkably, children have also changed the choice of holiday destinations that families visit as they dictate the families to choose places that meet their needs and preferences.

References

Ballantyne, R, & Packer, J 2009, ‘Trends in Tourism Research’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 149-152.

Bjork, P, & Jansson, T 2008, ‘Travel Decision Making: The Role of Habit’, An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 11-34.

Blichfeldt, B, Johansen, A, Pederson, B, & Hansen, L 2010, ‘Teens and Vacation Decision Making’, Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-20.

Boterhill, D, & Haven, C 2003, ‘Virtual Learning Environment in Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism, and Sport’, Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport, and Tourism Education, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 75-92.

Fuller, D, Wilde, S, Henlon, J, Mason, S, & Armstrong, B 2007, ‘Destination Choice An Exploratory Examination of Visitor Behaviour in Coastal Tourism Destination on Australia’s East Coast’, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 45-52.

Goh, D, Ang, R, Lee, C, & Lee, K 2010, ‘Determining Services for the Mobile Tourists’, Journal of Computer Information Systems, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 31-40.

Goodrich, J 2014, ‘The Relationships between Preferences and Perceptions of Vacations, Destination: Application of a Choice Model’, Journal of Travel Research, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 8-13.

Kang, S, Hsu, C, & Wolfe, K 2003, ‘Family Traveller Segmentation by Vacation Decision Making Patterns’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 448-469.

Marino, E 2003, ‘The Strategic Dimension of a Destination Image. An Analysis from the Italian Tourists Perceptions’, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 47-67.

Onder, E, Yoldorom, B, & Ozdemir, M 2013, ‘Multi-Criteria Approach for Evaluating Tourism Destinations in Turkey’, Academic Journal of Tourism and Management Research, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-15.

Philips, W, Canter, D, & Abbott, J 2011, ‘Hospitality and Tourism Research Ranking’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 381-416.

Introduction

Different parts of the world are characterized by different economic activities. For example, some regions are famous for their agricultural activities while others rely on mining and fishing. Tourism is yet another leading economic activity in certain regions. A good example is the far north of Queensland, Australia.

The area contributes a certain degree of a nation’s total revenue which is in turn utilized in various ways for instance development or social responsibility. Tourism is a very critical sector of the economy and it entails the provision of various services to tourists who visit tourism attraction sites. Tourism in Australia is ranked among the most resourceful aspects of the country’s economy mainly as a result of the various potential tourism attraction sites (Cooper & Hall, 2007).

The essay endeavors to provide an in-depth discussion of the key issues that impact on the management of tourism in protected areas. A lot of emphasis has been placed on the far north of Queensland in Australia. Some of the issues to be discussed include the planning of the future landscapes in the wet topics which entails the social- ecological framework, the indigenous tourism in the wet tropics, the limits of number of visitors in the attraction sites, and the feral animal control.

Tourism management

Protected areas are the locations known for the values they hold for the society. This could be in the form of natural values, social values, economic value and ecological value. There are different laws and regulations that govern different categories of protected areas depending on a specific nation or other external bodies that could be responsible for governing or conserving the environment.

Marine protected areas form a significant constituent of the overall protected areas in any given nation. Protected areas form the basis for biodiversity conservation and management through the streamlining of conservation strategies (Kelleher, 1999).

Some of the notable tourism protected areas in far north Queensland include the Mamu rainforest walk way, the Green Island, the Skyrail rainforest and the Mossman gorge national park, among others. For the sake of this assignment I will look at the key issues influencing tourism management in these areas. The Green Island is located in the Great Barrier Reef.

It is both a heritage site and a protected area. It is very attractive with a unique reef and good environment surrounded by a rainforest and for this reason. It holds diversity for attraction (for instance, plant species and birds). The Skyrail rainforests is an intriguing natural area with a diversity of rich flora and fauna hence the attraction of tourists.

On the other hand, Mossman gorge national park has rich heritage in terms of the animals and other tourism aspects contained therein. It offers a good and accessible path to the tropical rainforest. Mamu rainforest walkway is an interesting walkway running through the world heritage rainforest’s canopy. It is a notable tourist attraction site in the wet tropics.

It is surrounded by numerous attractive features. From the above description of the protected areas, it is evident that they form a large pool of attractions. Proper management of this areas is however crucial in ensuring that the sites retain their value and hence do not lose their tourism essence.

Management of the protected areas is not an easy task as it is surrounded by a variety of challenges some of which are very difficult to eliminate. Here are the key issues associated with the above protected areas in Queensland. The challenges are also discussed and some ways of dealing with them highlighted (Lawrence and Woodley, 2002).

Aboriginal tourism

Tourism management is a crucial aspect that should never be underemphasized under any circumstance. This is because it allows for all the activities and practices to be carried out in an effective manner by offering substantial benefits to a majority of people including the locals and the tourists for the longest period of time possible. Management of protected areas plays a key role in increasing tourism benefits.

It is an aspect that has been linked to increased tourism in terms of the number of visitors received and the expenditure they make which forms a large pool of revenue. Proper management also ensures that a good relationship is established between the locals and the visitors/tourists. This could be made possible by involvement of the local community in the various tourism activities for instance through provision of job opportunities.

This way, they feel well represented and learn to appreciate tourism and are even ready to undertake environment conservation-related activities in an effort to safeguard the environment as a way of achieving a sustainable environment and hence sustainable tourism. Management of the protected areas also avoids the risk of extinction of the endangered species through provision of safe and conducive environment that fosters their existence (Gubbay, 1995).

Some of the management practices undertaken in Australia include increasing or diversifying recreational opportunities. The protected areas in Queensland offer the most magnificent natural attractions that improve the image of Australia as a nation.

The expansion of the protected areas is therefore very essential for the purpose of providing an important resource in terms of recreation for the people as well as environmental education and tourism in particular. Apart from being a good guide in biodiversity conservation, the management of the protected areas also offers a competitive advantage in the extremely competitive domestic and international tourism markets.

The protected areas should be well maintained to ensure that their value does not deteriorate in any way. Indigenous protected areas in Australia entail areas which could either be dry land or sea whereby the initial owners to the places enter into a long-term agreement with the nation’s government and other responsible bodies to take part in active promotion of biodiversity and conservation of natural and cultural resources in the area.

Some of the examples include the Green Island, the Mamu rainforest walk way, the Skyrail rainforest and the Mossman gorge national park. There are usually some mutual benefits associated with the agreement. Although the indigenous protected areas are so significant and considered an integral part of the national reserve system, they are neither managed by the state government nor regulated by the Queensland legislation.

Very much has been put forth in regard to the management of the indigenous protected areas in Australia due to the benefits associated with them. It for example helps the local community to protect and safeguard important cultural attributes and values for the sake of the future generations. The wet tropics of Queensland are very rich in tourism attributes for instance waterfalls, rain forests, mountains and rivers.

They are a world heritage area and hence the need to be managed effectively (Edgar, Russ, and Babcock, 2007). Management practices in all the above named protected areas in Queensland have currently been enhanced and most of the tourism related problems have been dealt with effectively.

Planning of the future landscapes in the wet topics

Planning of the future landscapes in the wet topics which entails the social- ecological framework is another key issue when it comes to the management of protected areas in Queensland. It is argued that the main value of tourism in the protected areas does not come from the tourist activities and operations but rather from the benefits enjoyed by the local communities to an extent of having the desire to retain the tourists in the areas for the longest time possible.

Planning of the future landscape comes in to ensure that the tourism attributes do not lose their meaning with evolution of time which is in turn linked with changes in demand and needs for both the local community and the tourists. The planning should move at par with the changing needs for instance in the recreation activities.

To ensure that the future of the Mossman gorge national park, the Mamu rainforest walk way, the Green Island and the Skyrail rainforest is bright, some frameworks should be established and implemented. The Queensland tourism strategy which has been established based on market research and the trends forecasted provides a framework to ensure this (Kenchington, 1990).

Limit on the number of operators and visitors

Regulation of the number of visitors in the protected areas is also a crucial aspect in tourism management. In as much as tourists are considered to be essential elements to the tourists attraction sites, their number in the protected areas should be regulated to ensure that there is appropriate utilization of the resources therein.

This will in a way help in maintaining sustainable tourism. The tourism carrying capacity in a protected area should always be maintained under all circumstances. This entails the maximum number of individuals that can visit a protected area simultaneously without causing any harm to the area. The destruction could take different forms for instance social- cultural, economic as well as physical destruction.

Tourism in any area should not lead to its deterioration but rather the responsible individuals and bodies should ensure that the area retains its value for the sake of tomorrow. Various tools are utilized in an effort to manage the visitors in protected areas. They include group size limit which entails regulating the number of visitors visiting an area at a time in a group and pre-assignment of the protected areas which entails allocation of persons to particular areas far before the due time.

This is very beneficial as it allows for optimal utilization of the protected areas especially those with limited capacity but high demand. Protected area closure is also a strategy that has found significant application in various protected areas in Queensland as a way of limiting visitors in a particular location.

All these efforts are aimed at ensuring that the tourism attraction sites retain their natural value even after people visit them to ensure that they stay meaningful for a relatively long period of time. It is a way of fostering a sustainable tourism industry.

The number of operators in the protected areas should also be kept at a certain optimal size. This allows for a balance between the operators and the visitors. The number of operators should however be able to effectively offer the required support services needed by the visitors. This will allow for healthy utilization of resources in the protected areas without causing harm to the environment (Agardy et al., 2003).

Feral animal controls

Feral animal control is also a management measure that is emphasized in the protected areas in Australia. This can be seen in the Mossman gorge national park, the Mamu rainforest walk way, the Green Island and the Skyrail rainforest. Feral animals in these protected areas have various impacts on the native species for example through spreading of diseases, destroying habitats, increasing competition for food among others.

For this reason, there is need for their control to avoid pressure on the native spices. The feral animals could be controlled through various control methods such as convectional control tools like trapping and fencing and biological control methods which entail the control of biological elements like pests and other disease carrying organisms (Hughes, 1994).

There are various challenges related to the general management of protected areas in the far north Queensland in Australia (the Mossman gorge national park, the Mamu rainforest walk way, the Green Island and the Skyrail rainforest). The challenges are in regard to the relationship between the environment and local population and tourist and the particular ecosystems in a given region.

Most of the challenges are faced as a result of the presence of unpredictable issues connected with the environment and ecology which could in many instances get the people involved in the management of the areas unawares and hence they are unable to take appropriate actions. For this reason, it becomes crucial that each protected area have its specific guidelines for management depending on its needs and the factors that may threaten its existence and prosperity in one way or the other.

Another general challenge that could be faced in any given protected area includes the enforcement of boundaries along the protected areas. This is so because it is an expensive undertaking in terms of resources involved for instance time and finances. The issue becomes even worse when the procedure entails displacement of the local people in an effort to protect the natural resources thought to be at risk of extinction if proper action is not considered.

This step is often received negatively by the local community leading to an unhealthy relationship between them and those involved in the conservation procedures. This in turn brings about another threat where the local community may result to revenge activities for instance poaching as they see as if their rights are violated in the name of conserving the environment and the resources contained therein (Kenchington, 2003).

Another notable challenge associated with the management of the protected areas is the need to incorporate the societal needs in all the strategies associated with the protected areas. The issues is even more disturbing when the societal needs do not correspond with the conservation needs hence necessitating some form of compromise.

Effective management of the protected areas therefore entails combined efforts of the various people involved including the local community. Although this is a beneficial step, it is not easy and may take considerable amount of time before a consensus is reached at. All in all it is a procedure that is worth investing in (Tribe & Airey, 2007).

To ensure that the current and future of the Mossman gorge national park, the Mamu rainforest walk way, the Green Island and the Skyrail rainforest is bright, some strategies should be established and implemented. Some of them include considering different management frameworks for instance visitor impact management, limits of acceptable change and the recreation opportunity spectrum among others.

Conclusion

Tourism is a very crucial aspect in any economy and Australia in particular. It has been a major contributor of the country’s development through the various social as well as economic benefits associated with it. This factor has to a large extent been facilitated by the fact that the country especially the far north Queensland has the advantage of having a variety of tourist attraction sites each contributing a certain percentage of benefits to the country at large.

The protected areas in far north Queensland have been very essential in the maintenance of functional natural ecosystems, an aspect that is worth spending on for the sake of the current as well as the future generations. They act as safe locations to endangered species and help in maintaining ecological processes that would otherwise not prosper in other areas associated with various risks.

They have helped in the management of endangered species hence preventing their extinction. Management of tourism is a key concept more so when it comes to the protected areas. This ensures that all issues are kept at a balance for instance the inputs versus the outputs. Tourism management includes issues like conservation of the environment to ensure its sustainability for the sake of current as well as the future generations.

Reference List

Agardy, T. et al. (2003). Dangerous Targets? Unresolved Issues and Ideological Clashes around Marine Protected Areas. Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst, 13: 353-367.

Cooper, C., & Hall, M.C. (2007). Contemporary Tourism: An International Approach. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Edgar, G., Russ G., & Babcock R. (2007). Marine Protected Areas, in Marine Ecology by Connell S. and Gillanders B. (Eds) Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Gubbay, S. (1995). Marine Protected Areas – Past, Present and Future, in Marine Protected Areas by Gubbay S (Ed). Melbourne: Chapman and Hall.

Hughes T.P. (1994). Catastrophes, phase shifts, and large scale degradation of a Caribbean coral reef. Science, 265:1547-1551

Kenchington R. (1990). Managing Marine Environments. New York: Taylor and Francis.

Kenchington R.A. (2003). Managing Marine Environments: An Introduction to Issues of Sustainability, Conservation, Planning and Implementation in Conserving Marine Environments. Mosman, NSW Australia: Royal Zoological Society of NSW:

Lawrence D. R. K., & Woodley, S. (Eds) (2002). The Great Barrier Reef – Finding the Right Balance. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.

Kelleher, G. (1999). Guidelines for Marine Protected Areas. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

Tribe, J. & Airey, D. (2007). Developments in Tourism Research, Volume 7. New York: Elsevier.

Introduction

Families form a significant component of the global tourism industry. Schanzel and Yeoman (2012) assert that families have a significant influence on tourism demand. Nickerson and Jurowski (2000) define family tourism as a form of tourism, which involves the family unit.

According to a study conducted by Nickerson and Jurowski (2000), families accounted for 65% of the total domestic trips in the United States. Moreover, family expenditures averaged $1,087 in 1999, which represents a 58% growth compared to the previous year.

The study also showed that 31% of the families considered in the study indicated their intention to increase their spending on family vacations in the future. Schanzel and Yeoman (2012, p.2) opine that the ‘growing significance of this market should not be underestimated, despite the prevailing economic climate’.

Furthermore, recent research shows that most families are unwilling to forgo consumption of tourism products (Kang, Hsu & Wolfe 2009). Subsequently, firms in the tourism industry must recognise the significance of families and their changing makeup in their pursuit for sustainable growth.

Most studies on consumer behaviour have identified children as consumers (Berry 2000). Furthermore, an extensive body of knowledge on the decision-making process within the family have been undertaken.

However, researchers in the tourism industry have mainly concentrated on the role of husband and wife in the process of making decisions on holidays. Subsequently, there is a gap with regard to the role of children in the decision making process.

This paper offers a literature review on the family market and the power of children in the tourism industry. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the challenges faced by marketers in their quest to maximise their firms’ profitability.

Literature review

Consumer decision making

Consumers engage in a comprehensive decision-making process in their purchasing process. Wang, Hsieh, Yeh, and Tsai (2004) assert that the decision making process is influenced by different factors. One of these factors includes social influence by family, friends, and reference groups.

Previous researches have identified family as a critical component of the consumers’ decision-making process. However, most researches have concentrated on the role of husband and wife in purchase decision making.

Moreover, findings of most researchers show that husbands and wives make decisions jointly (Wang et al. 2004).

Children as influencers

Blichfeldt and Pedersen (2010) contend that children constitute a significant proportion of consumers, which marketers should target. This market segment is created as soon as children begin to make requests for products and services.

Studies show that the likelihood of children influencing purchase decisions on products that directly affect them is high. Moreover, studies have shown that children are less likely to influence purchase decisions related to products involving high costs and which the entire family consumes.

Therefore, parents take the responsibility of making decisions involving high-risk products. Thomson, Liang, and McKee (2007) assert that children have largely been ignored as influencers in the consumption decision-making process.

However, this trend has changed lately. Various children TV shows and magazines have reported an increase in the rate at which children are being integrated into the consumption decision-making process.

For example, a study conducted by JD Power Associates reveals that 69%of parents involve their children in making decisions on the type of vehicle to purchase (Blichfeldt & Pedersen 2010).

Role of children in vacation marketing

According to Nickerson and Jurowski (2000), family tourism is experiencing significant growth due to diverse work related issues. For example, parents are spending much of their time working in an effort to support their families financially.

This aspect has led to significant increment in their disposable income. However, this move has led to a significant reduction in the time spent with their children.

Previously, children were not considered in making decisions on vacation. Nickerson and Jurowski (2000) argue that their lack of inclusion is largely because most tourist firms did not consider children as a viable target audience.

Subsequently, firms in the tourism industry believed that children submit to their parents’ decisions. Currently, most families are considering family trips as a perfect way to reconnect with their children.

Additionally, parents are increasingly providing children with the responsibility of making decisions on holiday destinations. Subsequently, they are increasingly being considered as a critical component of the decision-making unit.

One of the critical steps in the consumer decision-making process entails information search. Boonlertvanich (2009) asserts that consumers search for information from diverse sources such as family, friends, reference groups, and the media.

Information search is motivated by the need to develop sufficient knowledge on the product. Liang (2013) argues that consumers undertake comprehensive pre-purchase information seeking in order to enhance their decision-making capability.

Information search increases the likelihood of attaining a high level of post-purchase satisfaction.

Liang (2013) further asserts that children influence the decision-making process by acting as a significant source of information. According to Meyers (2008), children are increasingly becoming knowledgeable on different holiday destinations.

The growth in the level of knowledge arises from the high rate at which marketers are targeting children in their marketing process.

The emergence of diverse web-based marketing communication tools such as social media has provided marketers with an opportunity to interact with children. Subsequently, children have become a critical source of marketer-dominated information.

Previous studies further show that 75% of parents involve children in making decisions on holiday destinations by showing them different advertising mediums such as magazines and websites on holiday destinations (Meyers 2008).

Consequently, one can assert that children are proactively involved in making decisions on family trips by offering their suggestions and ideas about their preferred holiday destination. However, Meyers (2008) asserts that the degree of involvement in the holiday decision-making process depends on the children’s age.

Challenges facing marketers today

The above analysis shows that there is a high probability for family tourism market experiencing significant growth in the future. However, the extent to which firms in the tourism industry exploit the market opportunities will depend on the effectiveness with which they understand prevailing market challenges.

A study conducted by International Building Machine (IBM) involving 500 marketing managers from 15 different industries showed that marketers face a major challenge in their effort to create and sustain a high rate of organisational growth (Whitler 2013).

Forty two percent (42%) of the respondents interviewed argued that increasing the customer base is a major challenge while 36% of the respondents cited nurturing a high level of customer loyalty as a major challenge (Whitler 2013).

Changing market trends

Firms in different sectors are facing a challenge emanating from the prevailing market trends. For example, organisations are increasingly investing in research and development in an effort to develop products that satisfy the consumers’ needs and wants.

This aspect has improved the effectiveness with which organisations undertake continuous product improvement, hence their degree of competitiveness.

The family tourism market is characterised by the emergence of new products. This aspect presents a major challenge in organisations’ efforts to keep up with the prevailing market trends.

Furthermore, the family tourism market is not shielded from challenges emanating from the external business environment. One of these challenges relates to an increase in complexity of the family unit.

Schanzel and Yeoman (2012) cite the emergence of alternative families, increase in the consumers’ disposable income, the emergence of social media, and increase in the size of the aging population as some of the challenges facing firms in the family tourism industry.

These changes have complicated the consumers’ needs for tourism products.

Despite this aspect, firms in the hospitality industry have an obligation to ensure that customers are satisfied in order to achieve their profit maximisation objective.

One of the ways through which firms in the hospitality industry can enhance their profitability is by developing multi-generational products, which accommodate diverse family needs (Schanzel & Yeoman 2012).

Targeting

Marketers have an obligation to ensure that their organisations attain the profit maximisation objective. Consequently, marketers should adopt effective market targeting strategies.

Laroche, Bergeron, and Barbaro-Forleo (2001) define marketing targeting as the process of identifying the specific market segment that an organisation intends to market its products. Marketers can adopt different targeting approaches, which include the differentiated, undifferentiated, and the concentrated approach.

The undifferentiated approach entails developing a product that appeals the entire market while the differentiated approach entails identifying specific groups of customers, which are likely to become loyal to the firm’s product.

On the other hand, the concentrated approach entails selecting one specific customer group, which is likely to increase the likelihood of a firm attaining its profit maximisation objective.

Attaining effective marketing targeting is a major challenge to most organisations due to the complexity with regard to the consumers’ needs.

The situation is further complicated by change in consumer behaviour. Laroche, Bergeron, and Barbaro-Forleo (2001, p.503) argue that an ‘important challenge facing marketers is to identify which consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products’.

This assertion underscores the importance of marketers developing sufficient understanding of the consumers’ needs. Schanzel and Yeoman (2012) assert that understanding the target market’s specific needs enables organisational managers to formulate optimal product differentiation strategy.

Subsequently, targeting can enhance the likelihood of an organisation achieving long-term success. Furthermore, effective targeting enhances the effectiveness with which firms in the tourism industry achieve their consumer centric objective.

Budget constraints

Middleton and Clarke (2012) assert that firms are experiencing a significant increment in marketing cost while the costs of general management and manufacturing have been declining.

The increase in marketing cost has emanated from the need to create sufficient awareness by investing in diverse marketing communication mediums. Despite this aspect, corporate managers have an obligation to maximise their shareholders’ wealth.

Subsequently, managers are faced with the challenge of ensuring that their organisations attain operational efficiency under starved resources.

Weber (2002, p.705) points out that marketing ‘managers are being asked to provide a more convincing evidence that planned marketing strategies will indeed yield more value for the company and its shareholders’. Moreover, marketing managers are required to justify why the marketing budget should be increased.

Budget constraint is further complicated by economic changes such as the recent global economic crisis. The crisis has motivated organisations to cut the cost of their operation by adopting diverse cost management strategies such as downsizing.

Conclusion

The family tourism market has undergone significant growth over the past few decades. The growth has emanated from changes emanating from the external business environment. For example, parents are increasingly considering family trips as an avenue to compensate for the time lost.

Subsequently, family vacations are being considered as a strategy to connect with children. This paper has further identified consumer decision-making process as one of aspects that marketers should take into account in their marketing process.

Understanding the different actors in the consumer decision-making process increases the effectiveness with which marketers influence their purchase decision.

Despite the significance of children in the consumption process, most parents do not consider them in their decision-making process. However, this paper has identified children as critical influencers in the decision making process.

According to this paper, children are an important source of information on the various holiday destinations that a family should consider.

The study asserts that children are increasingly becoming knowledgeable on holiday destinations due to the high rate at which destination marketers are considering them as the target audience.

In a bid to improve their competitive advantage with regard to marketing, it is imperative for marketers to understand the prevailing market challenges.

Some of the major challenges that firms in the family tourism market face include changing market trends, targeting difficulties, and budget constraints. Taking into account these aspects will improve the effectiveness with which firms in the tourism market segment influence the family market segment.

Reference List

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Executive summary

Rural tourism concentrates on taking part in rural surroundings and entails both eco-tourism and agro-tourism. Rural tourism is mostly fitting in developing countries where land for farming activities now lies in fragments because of escalations in population. For instance, Malta comprises of an archipelago established at the middle of the Mediterranean.

With respect to land area, Malta sits on just more than 316 square kilometres making it rank amid the smallest countries in the world. Globally, both Cyprus and Malta stand out as tourist attraction centres with numerous tourist attraction sites with both boasting of more than a million tourists every year. Cyprus is an island nation at the East of Mediterranean Sea.

Cyprus takes the position of the third biggest island as well as third most inhabited country in the Mediterranean Sea. In this regard, Cyprus has a bigger land area than Malta. Considering local economic status, Cyprus seems to bear a wider collection of sectors than Malta where tourism sector captures a leading position after crowding out other sectors. Thus, Cyprus has a higher potential for success as most of its rural tourism endowments remain underutilized as compared to the case in Malta.

Introduction

Rural tourism centres on taking part in a rural setting. Rural tourism could be an alternative of ecotourism. Additionally, rural tourism could entail both agro-tourism as well as eco-tourism. Every village could be a tourist appeal for many villagers are extremely hospitable.

Since agriculture is exceedingly becoming mechanised, it entails less manual work, which generates economic pressure on a number of villages, and thus causes migration of young individuals to urban regions. Nevertheless, a section of urban residents is concerned with visiting the rural regions and comprehending their viewpoint.

This section has been swiftly rising in the last decade and has brought about an excellent business prospect for rural tourism (Markwick 2000). Rural tourism permits the formation of an optional supply of revenue in the non-agricultural industry for rural inhabitants. The affixed revenue from rural tourism could add to the resurgence of gone handiworks and folk art, which is a perfect and natural means of urban and rural economic trade (King & Thomson 2008).

Rural tourism is mainly appropriate in developing countries where farmland has been fragmented due to population escalation. The increased revenues that rural tourism presents to the underprivileged households embrace huge prospects for growth. This paper compares the development of rural tourism in Malta and Cyprus.

Comparative evaluation

The technique employed for the purposes of comparative evaluation in this paper includes both the SWOT investigation, as well as lesson drawing. SWOT is majorly employed for evaluating the internal and external environments in particular destinations in a bid to acquire a systematic support as well as move towards a judgement circumstance (Theobold 2005).

In addition, SWOT analysis centres on the weaknesses and strengths internal to a particular destination when considering external opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis can benefit policy formulation and establish future trends of progress in a destination. Nevertheless, SWOT analysis is restricted from the view of not being able to offer an extensive appraisal and thorough analysis of every specific aspect recognised coupled with evaluating judgement options in accordance with the given factors.

Lesson drawing is on its part a process that aims at assisting the interchange of experiences and practices from given destinations. Lesson drawing aims at identifying the situations and the degree to which successful practices in a given destination could be employed in another destination (Telfer & Sharpley 2007).

A specific setback to lesson drawing is the reality that some practices and experiences could be culture-specific to a given destination in a manner that they could be very appropriate in a particular destination, but be inappropriate in a different destination.

Regardless of this setback, when the “imitation” advance is applied in lesson drawing in a manner that experiences are obtained from a certain destination in a bid to adapt them to fit local circumstances in a different destination, lesson-drawing could be more valuable as compared to a blind use via the “duplicating” approach.

A blend of lesson drawing and SWOT analysis allows a detailed comparison of rural tourism in both Malta and Cyprus, which emphasises not just the common aspects, but also aspects distinctive to everyone of the destinations. Additionally, a detailed comparison also offers perceptiveness into the lessons, which a given destination would discover as useful from another destination from the view of policy for improvement (Smith & Hall 2006).

Nevertheless, making use of the lessons comes with several hurdles mainly due to differences in the environments in question with respect to ecological aspects, size, and constitution of the local economy. These difficulties could be tackled with the use emulation instead of the duplication approach.

Background of the countries

Malta

Malta, which is legitimately the Republic of Malta, “is a Southern European nation comprising of an archipelago located in the middle of the Mediterranean” (Bramwell 2003, p. 581). With respect to land area, Malta occupies just more than 316 square kilometres, which makes it rank among the smallest countries in the world. Malta is as well among the most heavily populated nations internationally.

Malta stands out conspicuously as a global tourist attraction centre with several recreational regions and chronological monuments, which comprise World Heritage Sites like the outstanding Megalithic Temples that are a number of the most ancient self-supporting structures worldwide. With respect to Malta as a renowned tourist region, it boasts of more than a million tourists each year.

The number of tourists that visit Malta is thrice that of its inhabitants (Coles & Hall 2005). Rural tourism in Malta has risen considerably in the last years and several first-rate hotels exist on this island even though overgrowth and the demolition of traditional shelters are pertinent areas of conflict.

In Malta, rural tourism is a significant sector and a vital support for the economic status of Malta for more than 40 years (Sharpley 2009). Rural tourism in Malta is accountable for 23 per cent (Bramwell 2003) of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as creating employment for 30 per cent of the entire population.

The constant attempt of Malta to battle on price has turned out to be a key propelling aspect behind the witnessed upsurge in the number of tourists. Nevertheless, the rural tourism sector in Malta cannot continue to anchor on price as tourists are getting more concerned with higher excellence experiences on tourism, especially cultural as well as natural sites.

In this regard, Malta ought to embark on value and excellence-based competition since many other nations are presenting cheaper and similar attractions. Being highly reliant on tourism and offering rural tourism, which is very responsive to climate, Malta cannot remain a target for mass tourism, as climate alterations are probable of robbing the predictable sun, sea, and sand holiday sites in the Mediterranean area.

With regard to robbed holiday sites, which are the key attractive factors, by 2030 Malta will be subject to increasing temperatures (Mowforth & Munt 2009). The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) suggests a more holistic policy, which concentrates more on core components like client contentment, exceptional excellence scheme, and a step up in standards of excellence.

Therefore, Malta ought to take up to the varying client feelings, demographics, and standards of living. Trends are demonstrating that people are touring mostly individually or in small groupings while at the same time getting more exploratory, more interested with ecological and safety matters coupled with progressively searching for new products and destinations devoid of negatively influencing the socio-cultural and ecological factors.

Cyprus

Cyprus, which is on record as the Republic of Cyprus, is an island nation at the East of Mediterranean Sea and south of Turkey. Cyprus is ranked as the third biggest island, as well as the third most inhabited in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, Cyprus is among the most renowned tourist destinations (Picard & Robinson 2006).

Cyprus measures about 240 kilometres in length from end to end. In Cyprus, rural tourism has been a manner of attaining social and economic growth and revival for a long time now. More distinctively, rural tourism in Cyprus has been broadly encouraged as a successful source of revenue and employment.

Nevertheless, in the recent past, several set up tourism destinations have resolved to rural tourism in a bid to expand their tourism markets as well as products to extend the advantages of tourism far from the resorts at the coast into the neighbourhoods.

By 1999, “the recorded number of tourists in Cyprus had hit a figure 2.4 million with an income of approximately CYd1, 022 million” (King & Thomson 2008, p.270). Currently, rural tourism plays a major function in the economic status of Cyprus with its contribution of roughly 20% of GDP, a quarter of entire employments, and 40% of exports (Katircioglu 2009).

Additionally, mainly due to rural tourism, Cypriots now take pleasure in the third highest lifestyle after France and Italy as compared to all Mediterranean nations (Shaw & Williams 2004). In Cyprus, rural tourism remains obstinately seasonal. More than 25% of all tourists turn up in the peak season of July and August whereas the summer season of between July and September accounts for about 40 per cent of the entire annual arrivals (Katircioglu 2009).

A preponderance of rural tourists that take a trip to Cyprus does this on comprehensive-tour (package) plans. Particularly, 80 per cent of the United Kingdom market and 100 per cent of the Scandinavian market are normally on package vacations to Cyprus (Weaver 2006). This scenario has not just restricted the possibility to extend the more rewarding independent market, but as well allowing the Cyprus Island to become progressively reliant on a minute number of the main tour operators abroad.

Successive plans and strategies seek to realise a more balanced advance to rural tourism with the aim of slowing the development in tourism, better and expand the tourism brand, draw higher-expending tourists, decrease the influences of season changes, and extend the advantages of tourism across the island.

Agro-tourism holds the characteristic socio-economic objectives of rural tourism improvement (Yasarata, Altinay, Burns & Okumus 2010). Instead of being determined as an option to customary rural professions or standards of living, it is seen as supplementary revenue enabling daily practices although it includes the broader aim of relocating rural tourism in the island.

Comparison of rural tourism development in Malta and Cyprus

Main demand trends and characteristics of supply

Earlier suggestions indicate that rural tourists do not exist as a homogenous mass, but as a heterogeneous sector having diverse requirements and features. In this regard, both Malta and Cyprus are endowed with a diverse supply to take into account the requirements of the different segments (Fleischer & Tchetchik 2005).

Both Cyprus and Malta have an exceptional Built Heritage in terms of historic construction, as well as distinctive networks of supporting canals. Moreover, both Cyprus and Malta are preferred destinations for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation Heritage.

In terms of scenery, Malta consists of a funny impression of towns since it is fundamentally an enormous city constituted of numerous small municipalities. For instance, difficulty exists in realising where Bugibba ends and Qawra town begins. In Malta, streets are meandering and slender with houses being even narrower, thus presenting a strong sensation of dependability.

Additionally, houses bear painted walls and balconies with statues of Jesus and his mother Mary painted on streets. On the other hand, towns in Cyprus appear attractive also, but when compared to those in Malta, they seem more up to date with steel as well as glass buildings adorning the streets (Hall, Smith & Marcisewska 2006).

Potential for market success

Even though both Malta and Cyprus are within the Mediterranean region, the 2011 Human development Index by the United Nations Development Programme places Malta on a higher rank at 0.83, than Cyprus, which is at 0.84. The GDP per capita revenue is as well higher in Malta than in Cyprus (Agarwal & Shaw 2007).

Moreover, Cyprus is significantly bigger in land area than Malta; nevertheless, Malta’s rural tourism with the concentration of major cultural tourist attractions is higher as compared to that of Cyprus. With regard to the organisation of local economic status in both Cyprus and Malta, Cyprus seems to bear a wider selection of sectors than Malta where tourism sector captures a leading position after having successfully crowded out other sectors.

Cyprus has therefore a greater potential for success as most of its rural tourism endowments remains unexploited as compared to the case in Malta. It is worth to note that the total number and percentage of visiting tourists to the indigenous population of Cyprus is much higher as compared to that of Malta with respect to the smaller land area of Malta (Fleischer & Tchetchik 2005).

Malta as well encounters exceptional hardships by the manner of its demographic constitution, which is measured in support of older people and a fast decrease of its local population that is directly associated with the trouble of rural tourism improvement, which differs from the case of Cyprus.

The Likely social and rural impacts

With respect to the rural landscape, Malta does not actually have villages because it looks like a collection of small towns while Cyprus takes pride in charming villages; for instance, the villages of Akamas peninsula and those in Troodos Mountains. The villages in Cyprus make the most attractive scenery of the entire island.

Increased development of villages in Cyprus could negatively affect the local population in urban centres due to a shift in command of the rural areas. Moreover, increased development of these villages could affect economic activities in the urban places, as the rural areas will be all encompassing.

Given that Malta is not well endowed with several natural resources like Cyprus; for instance, in terms of waterfalls, mountains, long sandy beaches, and forests, agriculture plays a key role in rural tourism. Increased quest for resources in rural tourism other than agro-tourism as well as changing climate could adversely affect demand for rural tourism in Malta (Bramwell 2004a).

Agro-tourism can take on different forms and could include the following:

• Camping sites
• Educational trips
• Farm housing
• Farm trips
• Field days
• Horse rides
• Markets for farmers
• Organic farms
• Petting farms
• Rural museums.

Ecotourism is greatly practised in both Malta and Cyprus. Ecotourism falls into two categories, viz. passive and active ecotourism (Bramwell 2004b). Passive ecotourism ensures safety of the natural environment as well as the host societies whereas active ecotourism entails a real conduct/ lifestyle modification in support of tourists and has to chip in to the interests of the environment.

Future view projections

Whereas Cyprus presently has the better opportunities for prosperity in rural tourism, Malta is rich with more unused prospective for development (Okomus 2009). The following are some of the factors that might influence the growth of the rural tourism in both Malta and Cyprus.

It is essentially a summary of advantages and disadvantages.

• Development position, life cycle- Malta has an internal saturation of rural tourism development as compared to Cyprus but both have potential for international development.
• External and internal impacts- some of the external and internal impacts on rural tourism in Malta include changing climate and strategies aimed at improved marketing while the external and internal impacts in Cyprus include natural calamities and the internal market command.
• Marketing and communications- in Malta, the strategies are directed towards growth of global marketing as well as packaging while the strategies in Cyprus are directed towards growth of global product offers where promotions are directed to gourmets.
• Negative factors- the lack of a good definition for rural tourism in Malta could affect its growth while westernization is likely to affect the growth of rural tourism in Cyprus as it does not support a sturdy culture as the one maintained in Cyprus.
• Resources- Malta suffer decreasing resources as a result of increasing population and a small land capacity while Cyprus has stable resources with opportunities for increase. Therefore, unlike Malta, Cyprus has sustainable development.

Conclusion

Rural tourism is concerned with rural surroundings and involves both eco-tourism and agro-tourism. Globally, both Malta and Cyprus are reputable tourist attractions with numerous tourist attraction sites. Like Cyprus, Malta boasts of more than a million tourists annually (Katircioglu 2009). In Cyprus, rural tourism has been a manner of attaining social and economic growth and revival.

More characteristically, rural tourism in Cyprus has been largely encouraged as a triumphant source of revenue and employment. Nonetheless, some recent tourism destinations have resolved to rural tourism with the intention of expanding their tourism markets as well as products in an attempt to extend the advantages of tourism far from the resorts at the coast into the vicinities. Cyprus has a notably bigger land area than Malta.

Cyprus could unconstructively affect the local population in urban centres due to the shift in domination of the rural areas. Additionally, increased development of villages in Cyprus could affect economic activities in the urban places, as the rural areas will be all-inclusive. Increased pursuit of resources in rural tourism other than agro-tourism as well as changing climate could unfavourably influence demand for rural tourism in Malta.

Reference List

Agarwal, S & Shaw, G 2007, Managing coastal tourism resorts: a global perspective (Vol. 34), Channel View Books, Bristol.

Bramwell, B 2003, ‘Maltese responses to tourism’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 30 no. 3, pp. 581-605.

Bramwell, B 2004a, ‘Mass tourism, diversification and sustainability in Southern Europe’s coastal regions’, Coastal mass tourism: Diversification and sustainable development in Southern Europe, vol. 12 no. 1, pp. 234-256.

Bramwell, B 2004b, Coastal mass tourism: Diversification and sustainable development in Southern Europe (Vol. 12), Channel View Publications, Bristol.

Coles, T & Hall, D 2005, ‘Tourism and European Union enlargement. Plus çachange?’ International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 7 no. 2, pp. 51-61.

European commission: Economic and Financial affairs 2013. Web.

Fleischer, A & Tchetchik, A 2005, ‘Does rural tourism benefit from agriculture?’ Tourism Management, vol. 26 no. 4, pp. 493-501.

Hall, D, Smith, M & Marcisewska, B 2006, Tourism in the new Europe: The challenges and opportunities of EU enlargement, CABI, Wallingford.

Katircioglu, S 2009, ‘Tourism, trade and growth: the case of Cyprus’, Applied Economics, vol. 41 no. 21, pp. 2741-2750.

King, R & Thomson, M 2008, ‘The Southern European model of immigration: do the cases of Malta, Cyprus and Slovenia fit?’ Journal of Southern Europe & the Balkans, vol. 10 no. 3, pp. 265-291.

Markwick, M 2000, ‘Golf tourism development, stakeholders, differing discourses and alternative agendas: the case of Malta’, Tourism Management, vol. 21 no. 5, pp. 515-524.

Mowforth, M & Munt, I 2009, Tourism and sustainability: development, globalisation and new tourism in the Third World, Routledge, London.

Okomus, F 2009, Strategic Management for Hospitality & Tourism, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Picard, D & Robinson, M 2006, Festivals, tourism and social change: remaking worlds, Channel View, Clevedon.

Sharpley, R 2009, Tourism development and the environment: Beyond sustainability? Earthscan, London.

Shaw, G & Williams A 2004, Tourism and Tourism Spaces, SAGE Publications, London.

Smith, M & Hall, D 2006, ‘Enlargement implications for European tourism’, Tourism in the New Europe: The Challenges and Opportunities of EU Enlargement, vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 32-43.

Telfer, D & Sharpley, R 2007, Tourism and development in the developing world, Routledge, London.

Theobold, W 2005, Global Tourism, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Weaver, D 2006, Sustainable Tourism: theory and practice, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.

Yasarata, M, Altinay, L, Burns, P & Okumus, F 2010, ‘Politics and sustainable tourism development–Can they co-exist? Voices from North Cyprus’, Tourism Management, vol. 31 no. 3, pp. 345-356.

Appendix 1: Combined SWOT analysis

In Spain, the Andalusian region provides both local and international visitors with unrivalled tourist attractions. However, the awareness of these attractions depends on successful tourism marketing strategies. It is worth noting that tourism involves selling services. Therefore, a well-crafted services marketing plan is crucial to the long-term success of Andalusian Heritage tours.

Market segmentation, positioning and service quality are some of the marketing strategies that can be used to promote Andalusian Heritage tours. Market segmentation divides Andalusian Heritage’s visitors into manageable groups.

On the other hand, market positioning and service quality enhances visitors’ perception of this wonderful attraction. This paper provides insights into how market segmentation, positioning and service quality can be used to market the Andalusian Heritage tours in Spain and abroad.

Market segmentation is a process through which customers are classified into divergent groups or subgroups. In other words, consumers are divided into subsets with similar characteristics or needs. For that reason, the various segments of Andalusian Heritage tours’ visitors require different products and services. Andalusian Heritage tours’ market can be segmented based on demographic and behavioral patterns of the visitors.

Therefore, visitors should be targeted based on their home region and preferences. Moreover, these tours are mainly visited by people who come from the Andalusian region, the rest of Spain and abroad. Consequently, Spain’s tourism board must target locals and international visitors using different marketing methods. Domestic tourism plays a pivotal role in upholding the status of flourishing tourist destinations.

For that reason, the Andalusian Heritage program must endeavor to promote its tours to the local Spaniards. Domestic tourism creates a situation where the local population is able to enjoy what the surroundings offer. Accordingly, the Andalusian Heritage program must create experiences and attractions that are affordable and interesting to the Spanish people.

On the other hand, attractions for international visitors must guarantee satisfaction. Therefore, the Andalusian Heritage program must come up with innovative ways of competing for international tourists. Some of the most effective methods of attracting international tourists include creating multi-seasonal experiences, focusing on adventure travel and giving online promotional tools a global outlook.

For instance, the Andalusian Heritage Program’s website should not be in English alone. Another way of segmenting these tours’ market is through preferences.

Some of the visitors have an interest in culture, shopping, nature and touring the region via specific itineraries offered by the Andalusian Heritage program. Therefore, different experiences should be created to ensure that all visitors leave the Andalusian region satisfied.

A business embarks on market positioning when it develops a brand image or a product in a client’s mind. Market positioning, therefore, improves a customer’s belief in a certain product. Excellent promotional activities and the right business mix are some of the ways through which the Andalusian Heritage can be positioned as a global brand in the tourism sector.

Furthermore, Andalusian Heritage tours’ overseas and local visitors must be followed up. Follow-up ensures that visitors are not left on the cold. Conversely, lack of follow-up disintegrates the bond between the locals and the tourists. Consequently, only a few visitors make return visits to an attraction.

Emails and other online methods are cheap and quick ways of doing follow ups. Furthermore, traditional methods, such as direct mails are suitable ways of complementing or substituting the online methods.

Service quality is one of the factors credited with repeat customers in any business venture. In addition, providing unrivalled services helps a business in gaining a sustainable competitive advantage over its rivals. There is a positive correlation between service quality and behavioral intentions of a consumer. Accordingly, a range of attributes in a service contribute to a customer’s intention to purchase it.

Service quality, therefore, dictates the overall impression of the Andalusian Heritage Program. Producing and delivering high quality services is the most effective way of ensuring that Andalusian Heritage tours stands out from other tourist attractions in the world. However, tourism marketing is different from other types of services marketing. Firstly, tourism services are mainly recreational and hospitable in nature.

Secondly, unlike other service industries, customer must travel to the area where the products are being offered. Lastly, the recreational and friendly experiences dictate whether or not a visitor will visit an attraction. Consequently, tourism products must be marketed differently from conventional products.

The Andalusian Heritage program must, thus, ensure that services offered along all routes are of good quality. For instance, trip planning packages, such as food, lodging and maps must be of unrivalled quality. In addition, these services must be offered in a timely, prompt and reliable manner.

Andalusian Heritage tours should be promoted ruthlessly to Spanish and overseas visitors. A successful services marketing strategy will ensure that these attractions stand out from other wonderful tourist destinations in the world.

In addition, market segmentation, market position and service quality can ensure that all Andalusian Heritage routes’ visitors are reached and their needs fully catered for. These marketing strategies are also a sure way of positioning the Andalus Heritage as an unrivalled tourist destination.

Introduction

Many researchers say the hospitality industry experiences high employee turnovers than most sectors of the economy (Davidson & Wany 2011). Albeit this fact is widely undisputed, it is important to understand what researchers mean by “employee turnover.” Davidson & Wany (2011) say employee turnover denotes the rate at which a company gains and loses its workforce.

Companies that have a high rate of employee turnover tend to lose and gain their employees quickly, while companies that have a low employee turnover do not lose their employees often. Besides understanding the definition of employee turnover, it is also crucial to understand the hospitality industry and its subsections. Davis (2010) says the scope of jobs in the hospitality industry is wide.

Indeed, this industry includes several sectors (like restaurant and accommodation sectors). Simply, PROTEL (2013) says most jobs that involve hotels and resorts (or similar establishments) fall within the hospitality industry.

This paper identifies four key issues that emerge in the assessment of high employee turnovers in the hospitality industry.

They include high rates of employment turnovers (as a global phenomenon that affects accommodation and restaurant sectors), factors that cause high employee turnovers and the effectiveness of government and industry responses to this issue, implications of high employee turnovers in the hospitality industry, and recommendations that could address high employee turnovers in this sector.

However, this paper focuses on conducting a literature review that explores the first issue, by explaining the high rate of employee turnover as an age-old problem in the hospitality industry and its prevalence in certain sections of the sector.

Literature Review

Willie & Jayawardena (2008) say the high employee turnovers in the hospitality industry mirror the poor strategies of hoteliers (and similar entities) in motivating and retaining their employees. These strategies are however region-specific because different hoteliers adopt different managerial styles. This difference explains why different countries have varying rates of employee turnover.

The Australian hospitality sector is an example of this analysis. The Australian hospitality industry is an important sector of the Australian economy. Indeed, the sector accounts for about 8.7% of the total gross domestic product (GDP) and generates about 6% of the total jobs in the Australian economy (Griffith University 2006). The importance of the Australian tourism industry stems from its growth trajectory.

Griffith University (2006) says the sector’s employment potential has increased by about 8% (between 1997 and 2005). Despite the importance of the hospitality industry to the Australian economy, the figure below shows that it posts the highest rate of employee turnover in the economy

A report by the Australia and the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre showed that the annual turnover of operational employees in the accommodation industry was about 50.74% (Griffith University 2006).

The findings especially singled out the “Restaurant/Bar, Housekeeping, Kitchen, and Front Office departments” (Griffith University 2006, p. 4) as the highest contributors of the high turnover rate. Besides operational employees, the rate of turnover for departmental managers, general managers, and top-level executives was about 39% (higher than the global average).

Through the comparison of high turnover rates for low-level and top-level managers, Poulston (2008) explains that both groups of employees share the same experiences in the industry. For example, he said that both groups of employees look for better terms of employment and new opportunities to advance their careers (Poulston 2008).

However, Tanke (2001) believes that top-level managers are mainly motivated to change their jobs because of better terms of work and better working hours. From the identification of the above reasons for the high turnover rate in Australia, Griffith University (2006) suggests, “higher wages and better working hours (whether less hours or more flexible or suitable hours) are the major drivers for managerial employees to leave.

Similarly, operational staffs seek better wages, better working hours, and improved career opportunities” (p. 4).

The high turnover rate in the Australian tourism industry has a huge cost to several hoteliers. Most of these costs trace to the amount of money spent to replace the employees. Griffith University (2006) says that most hotels incur about $109,000 to replace top-level executives alone.

In fact, Griffith University (2006) estimates (from a survey of about 64 hotels in Australia) that the cost of replacing top-level managers/executives could be as high as $7 million (for all the 64 hotels surveyed). Before the publication of the above findings, Griffith University (2006) also reported that the average cost of replacing one low-level employee was close to $10,000.

The study also established that the total cost of replacing all low-level employees, for the surveyed hotels, would be $42 million (these figures only relate to transaction costs and not costs that may associate with the loss of valuable skills, gaps in the decision-making process, and loss of business acumen).

Tanke (2001) says the high rate of turnover for the hospitality industry is a serious issue for most hotels. To affirm the seriousness of this issue, Griffith University (2006) shows that the total cost of the high turnover rate (for the hotels surveyed) was $49 million.

If we extrapolate this figure to the entire Australian hospitality industry, it may increase to hundreds of millions. Based on the seriousness of this issue, it is important to say that the high turnover rate for the industry is unsustainable.

Comparatively, the impact of high employee turnovers in the hospitality industry emerged in a recent report, by McGregor (2013), which highlighted a demonstration of fast-food restaurant staff in more than 50 cities in the United States (to raise public awareness regarding the plight of workers in the restaurant sector).

Uniquely, the protesting employees did not emerge from one company because they associated through a common plight of low wages and high employee turnovers across the hospitality sector. Many of them also felt that since they work for individual franchises, a change needed to occur at the national level (federal level), as opposed to the organisational level (McGregor 2013).

In part, some of the employees believed that the high employee turnover rate that has characterised the hospitality industry (for decades) has created little attention at the organisational level. Therefore, very few managers express the need to mitigate this worrying trend.

Studies by Deery (2008) have investigated the rates of employee turnover in the hospitality industry by categorising the phenomenon in two distinct categories – large firms and small firms. The researcher says the rate of employee turnover in a large firm is lower than the rate of employee turnover in small and medium enterprises (Deery 2008).

The differences between these turnovers stem from the adoption of employee-friendly human resource practices in large firms, compared to small firms. To explore this idea further, Deery (2008) says that large firms perceive their employees in a professional trajectory that small and medium enterprises do not.

Stated differently, there is a possibility that most employees who work in large firms may have prospects of advancing their careers, while employees in small and medium enterprises may lack this opportunity.

The accommodation and restaurant sectors post the highest levels of employee turnover in the hospitality industry. Researchers have advanced several reasons to explain this fact, but little pay (close to minimum wage) and intensive work schedules emerge as the main reasons for the high employee turnover in the accommodation and restaurant sectors (Deery 2008).

Moreover, the accommodation and restaurant sectors require their staff to be highly helpful to customers. This situation requires the staff to be highly enthusiastic and helpful, always. Certainly, since the accommodation and restaurant sectors are service-oriented, employees are required to have many emotional investments in their jobs, to keep the customers happy.

The lack of unionisation in the hospitality industry does not help to alleviate this situation because the workers do not have a reliable platform where they can bargain for better terms and conditions of work. The poor economic conditions that have characterised most global economies in recent decades have also aggravated this situation because many hoteliers have reported declining profitability (Deery 2008).

The reduced profitability has led to the absence of permanent jobs for workers in the accommodation and restaurant sectors. Most employers therefore hire their workers on a temporary basis and when the business is not doing well, they lay them off.

This situation explains why the restaurant and accommodation sectors report the highest rates of employee turnover. Furthermore, since these conditions are unfavourable to the workers, most of them have to depend on their clients for tips to supplement their incomes.

Recommendations

This paper shows that high employee turnover rate in the hospitality industry is a serious issue for the Australian economy. The need for mitigating this issue is therefore an important prerequisite for the success of the industry. However, mitigating this problem is a multifaceted issue.

This paper proposes that most hotels and companies that experience this high rate of turnover should start with the basics of hiring the right employees, as an effective and inexpensive strategy of reducing employee turnover rates. Many experts affirm this measure as being the first line of defence against high turnover rates (Tanke, 2001).

Stated differently, companies should not only interview potential employees to ascertain their skill levels, but also to understand how well they fit within the organisational culture. This way, they would be sure that whomever they employ feels comfortable to work in the organisation (employee satisfaction).

Since this paper shows that most employees leave their job for better salaries and better terms of work, it is also important to underscore the importance of companies to set the right pay standards for their employees.

Here, companies should use their human resource departments to come up with innovative ways on how they can introduce more flexibility to employee work schedules and how they can improve their employee pay frameworks – this process should however occur periodically (at least annually).

Hoteliers should also understand that they should accord a lot of sensitivity to the personal needs of employees (bolster employee engagements). In sum, managers should not overlook the importance of providing employees with a comfortable and satisfactory work environment to operate.

Indeed, as Tanke (2001) argues, employees appreciate a comfortable work environment where they feel appreciated and compensated for their contributions to the company.

Conclusion

Even though the high rate employee turnover in the hospitality industry is undesirable, many observers fear that this trend may persist in the future (Willie & Jayawardena 2008). Through this understanding, most analysts deem it is wise for players in the hospitality industry to formulate efficient strategic plans that would mitigate this problem (Willie & Jayawardena 2008).

The success of such plans may include the interventions of governments and industry players in this issue. From this understanding, it is inevitable to mention that the success of the hospitality industry depends on putting the interests of the employee first, in the same way as most organisations have strived to put the interests of their customers first.

References

Davidson, M & Wany, Y 2011, ‘Sustainable Labour Practices? Hotel Human Resources Managers Views on Turnover and Skills Shortages’, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, vol. 10 no. 1, pp. 235-253.

Davis, G 2010, Why the staff turnover is so high in the hospitality industry. Web.

Deery, M 2008, ‘Talent management, work-life balance and retention strategies’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 20 no. 7, pp. 792 – 806.

Griffith University 2006, Labour Turnover & Costs in the Australian Accommodation Industry. Web.

McGregor, J 2013, Fast food workers are staying longer on the job–and wanting more. Web.

Poulston, J 2008, ‘Hospitality workplace problems and poor training: a close relationship’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 20 no. 4, pp. 412 – 427.

PROTEL 2013, High employee fluctuation in the hospitality industry. Web.

Tanke, M 2001, Human Resources Management for the Hospitality Industry, Cengage Learning, London.

Willie, P & Jayawardena, C 2008, ‘Attracting and retaining quality human resources for Niagara’s hospitality industry’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 20 no. 3, pp. 293 – 302.

Tourism has become one of the most attractive sectors of economy as more and more tourists leave their homes to obtain new experiences in different countries or in other states of their homeland.

This segment of economy is developing very fast but it is still rather unclear what pushes tourists to come to this or that country, and, what is more important, what makes them go to a place several times. Melbourne is becoming one of the busiest touristic destinations (O’Toole 2011). Therefore, the city attracts attention of researchers as well.

For instance, Campo-Martínez, Garau-Vadell and Martínez-Ruiz (2009) concentrate on the revisit intention. The researchers note that the group composition plays an important role in formation of tourists’ intention to come back.

However, the researchers also point out that negative experiences have a greater impact on tourists than positive experiences. Thus, the researchers make a valuable contribution noting that managerial errors can negatively affect the development of tourism. On the contrary, proper management and marketing strategies make tourists motivated to come back.

Interestingly, Prayag and Ryan (2011) looked into the correlation between nationality and motivational aspects between repeat and first-time travellers. For instance, German and South African travellers tend to strive for new experiences.

Thus, it is essential to develop certain strategies to provide such tourists with services and experiences they long for. Melbourne is a place where people can obtain a variety of experiences. This city has a high livability index and travellers pay a lot of attention to attributes included in this measurement.

Frost et al. (2010) provide valuable insights into the strategies aimed at developing proper image of touristic destinations. Thus, the authors claim that Australia (and Melbourne, in particular) has developed proper image that attracts travellers.

The researchers note that Melbourne is characterised by major attributes of liveability (e.g. stability, healthcare, culture, environment, infrastructure, education), but it is possible to focus on a specific attribute to attract more visitors (Frost et al. 2010). Coffee traditions and development of the café traditions have made a considerable contribution to the development of tourism in the area.

Richards and Palmer (2012) consider numerous strategies aimed at attracting travellers. The researchers stress that Melbourne is becoming a centre of numerous events which are potentially interesting to numerous groups of people (Richards & Palmer 2012).

Sport events are excessively used to attract travellers. This is one of the most effective strategies to attract tourists to the city. Music and a variety of art festivals also attract lots of tourists to the area. The researchers note that the events are held annually, which contributes to creation of revisit intention in travellers.

O’Toole (2011) focuses on various strategies developed and claims that conceptual methodologies used have proved to be effective. The researcher notes that convergence sampling technique, which is used in the field, is also very effective and helpful in revealing peculiarities of traveller’s motivation.

The researcher also emphasizes that launching numerous events enables marketing managers to attract travellers from different countries. These events include business, sport, and art events.

In a nutshell, it is possible to note that the major focus of researchers is measuring tourists’ satisfaction and development of strategies to attract travellers. It is necessary to note that there are still numerous gaps to be filled and further research is necessary. It is still unclear what destination attributes attract visitors and make them return.

Notably, though the major attributes of liveability have been analysed in detail, their influence on tourists’ choices is still unclear. It is important to understand which liveability attributes attract first-time tourists and repeat visitors to be able to develop proper strategies applicable for the two groups of travellers.

More so, Melbourne as one of the most attractive destinations of the present-day travellers should be a topic of further research. Thus, it is crucial to look into the impact Melbourne’s liveability attributes have on the choices made by first time and repeat visitors.

Reference List

Campo-Martínez, S, Garau-Vadell, JB & Martínez-Ruiz, MP 2009, ‘Factors influencing repeat visits to a destination: the influence of group composition’, Tourism Management, vol. xxx, pp. 1-9.

Frost, W, Laing, J, Wheeler, F & Reeves, K 2010, ‘Coffee culture, heritage and destination image: Melbourne and the Italian model’, in Jolliffe, L (ed), Coffee culture, destinations and tourism, Channel View Publications, Bristol, UK, pp. 89-99.

O’Toole, W 2011, Events feasibility and development: from strategy to operations, Routledge, Oxford, UK.

Prayag, G & Ryan, C 2011, ‘The relationship between the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors of a tourist destination: the role of nationality – an analytical qualitative research approach’, Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 14. no.2, pp. 121-143.

Richards, G & Palmer, R 2012, Eventful cities, Routledge, Oxford, UK.

Introduction

The economic development of the Mediterranean region is strongly dependent on the inflow of tourist. In various countries such as Italy, Egypt, Spain, Turkey, or Greece, many people are employed in organizations that are directly or indirectly dependent on the flow on the degree to which a certain destination is attractive to travelers.

At present, governmental organizations and private companies attempt to find ways of attracting people from foreign countries. In turn, this study will be aimed at examining the way in which tourist destinations in the Mediterranean region can be economically affected by the power of travel agencies.

This question has practical applications. In particular, by understanding the role of travel agencies, the managers of other hospitality institutions can better attract clients.

Rationale

There are several rationales for conducting this study. First of all, the power of travel agencies has not been fully examined. For example, researchers focus on the ways in which the popularity of a certain tourist destination can be increased. Numerous studies have been aimed at examining the factors that affect the development of tourist industry (Izquierdo-Yusta & Martınez-Ruiz, 2011, p. 77).

Much attention is usually paid to infrastructure, the presence of natural or cultural websites, the development of tourist industry and other factors. However, the role of travel agencies has not been fully examined. For instance, there are studies which show why a certain place can attract the attention of travel agencies.

Nevertheless, there are no data which can show how these organizations can shape the development of a tourist destination. Therefore, there is some knowledge that should be bridged. Additionally, this issue has significant practical implications. At present, many policy-makers and managers of hospitality institutions attempt to increase international awareness about different tourist site.

Definition and terms

First of all, one should provide the definition of a travel agency because in this way, one can gain a better understanding of the functions that such an organization performs.

Overall, travel agency can be described as a service company that act as an intermediary between tourists and other hospitality institutions such as hotels, airlines, restaurants, or cruise liners. Additionally, these organizations provide information to clients about a particular tourist detonation.

It is also important to mention such a term of destination branding. This notion can be understood as the development and communication of the value that a certain tourist destination can bring to a client.

Additionally, this process involves the positioning of a certain country, region or resort in the tourist market (Del Chiappa & Bregoli, 2012, p. 52). For instance, some tourist sites are oriented toward middle-income people while others are more suitable for prosperous clients. In turn, travel agencies also take part in the process of destination branding.

Literature review

The main goal of this literature review is to examine academic sources which throw light on the functioning of travel agencies. It is vital to focus on the studies which can demonstrate that these organizations can influence the economic performance of tourist destinations. Apart from that, this literature review should demonstrate the importance of these service companies for the Mediterranean region.

Finally, much attention should be paid to the methodology that can be used for the future study. Therefore, it is critical to examine the research articles that can show how dependent and independent variables can be examined and measured. To a great extent, the research will be based on the notion of destination branding (Jalilvand, Esfahani & Samiei, 2010, p. 235-236).

As it has been said in the previous section, this notion can be described as the communication of value that a tourist site can bring to customers (Gil-Saura, Molina & Berenguer-Contri, 2012, p. 315). To some degree, travel agencies take part in the formation of clients’ perceptions and attitudes toward a certain tourist site. In many cases, buyers pay attention to the reputation of a travel agency (Ferencová, 2012, p. 309).

Therefore, they can significantly increase the popularity of a destination. In turn, it is possible to say that their involvement can affect economic performance of various countries. In particular, one can speak about such indicators as book reservations in hotels, employment, investment, the profitability of airlines, and other economic indicators. These are the main issues that should be examined more closely.

On the whole, travel agencies pay attention to various characteristics while selecting which tourist destination should be promoted. In particular, they focus on the presence of natural or cultural sites, climate, service industry in a particular region, infrastructure, and security (Prebežac & Mikulić, 2008, p. 170; Blázquez, Molina, & Esteban, 2012, p. 167).

In other words, they are particular interested in those locations that can offer various opportunities to clients. This is one of the main issues that can be identified. Apart from that, the governments of developing countries are extremely concerned about the attitudes of travel agencies since they can influence the decisions of customers (Mariutti, de Moura Engracia Giraldi & Crescitelli, 2013, p. 17).

In this way, they attempt to boost the economic development of various regions. One should take into consideration that travel agencies help clients learn more about various characteristics of a tourist destination. This is one of the main points that can be made.

The study carried out by Iris Mihajlović (2012, p. 153) suggests that travel agencies can profoundly affect the choices of consumers by highlighting the advantages of going to a particular country, region, or resort. Secondly, they can provide an evaluation of the service industry in a certain destination as well as its most popular attractions.

In other words, these organizations can be viewed as the major intermediaries between a customer and service providers. Furthermore, customers are more likely to put trust in the recommendations or assessments offered by travel agencies. This is why the role of these companies should not be overlooked. This issue is particular important for entrepreneurs and policy-makers.

Moreover, one can look at the research conducted by Dimitrios Buhalist (2000). This scholar shows that the performance of many hospitality organizations is affected by the distribution channels, especially travel agencies (Buhalist, 2000, p. 114). This study suggests that the hospitality organizations, which are based on the Mediterranean region, have to accept the power of travel agencies.

It should be kept in mind that they can reduce the perceived risk that can be experienced by clients (Buhalist, 2000, p. 115). Moreover, they can facilitate the communication between customers and eventual suppliers of service (Buhalist, 2000, p. 115). Provided that this link is absent, a client is not likely to go to a tourist destination.

Apart from that, travel agencies offer many supplementary services related to insurance or obtaining visas. This assistance is of critical importance to many people. Overall, findings of researchers indicate that the competitive position of a hotel depends on its cooperation with tour operators (Buhalist, 2000, p. 136).

The role of travel agencies becomes more important at the time when information technology becomes more and more developed. In particular, many consumers rely on Internet when they search for information about various resorts, tourist sites, or airlines (Mihajlović, 2012, pp. 153-156). Very often, they use the website of travel agencies. This example indicates that travel agencies are critical for attracting clients.

Overall, there are other studies that are aimed at determining the choices of customers who want to travel to the Mediterranean resorts. For instance, Izquierdo-Yusta and Martınez-Ruiz (2011, p. 78) note that travel agencies facilitate customers’ search for information. They help customers and suppliers to establish mutual trust (Izquierdo-Yusta & Martınez-Ruiz, 2011, p. 80).

In turn, tourist destinations are not likely to enjoy popularity among people provided that travel agents do not pay attention to them. Furthermore, these organizations can demonstrate that a certain resort is suitable for various types of clients who can differ in terms of income level, marital status, interest, values, and so forth. This is one of the main issues that should be singled out.

Therefore, it is possible to say that travel agencies can significantly increase the profitability of airlines or hotels that can be based in a particular tourist destination. As it has been noted before, these organizations interact with various types of companies that are located in a particular tourist destination. These organizations can bring several economic benefits to a particular region or country.

First of all, they can increase international awareness about a certain tourist destination. In turn, it will lead to the greater inflow of travelers, growing number of room reservation, increasing investment into infrastructure, and creation of jobs. Furthermore, the increasing inflow of tourists can stimulate the demand for food, beverages, and many other products that travelers can purchase.

Thus, these organizations can strengthen various industries. In contrast, the absence of their participation can eventually result in the downturn of economic activities in this particular destination. There are several negative challenges that can be compared. First of all, one should speak about decreasing awareness about a certain country place or region.

Moreover, one can speak about the declining passenger turnover in a country and diminishing demand for various products and services. This argument is particularly relevant to different companies like airlines, restaurants, supermarkets and many others.

Thus, this process can affect businesses that represent different industries. Therefore, a country in which tourism plays an important part can be adversely influenced by travel agencies. This is the main argument that can be put forward.

There are various studies which highlight the importance of travel agencies. For example, the study carried out by Martina Ferencová (2012) indicate that in various European countries, at least 20 percent of the population rely on travel agencies while selecting a place for holidays (Ferencová, 2012, p. 311). This situation can be observed in other European countries. This is why the role of travel agencies should not be overlooked.

Additionally, there are several examples suggesting that the development of tourism in a country is directly dependent on the degree to which tour operators are aware about a tourist destination. For instance, there are many natural and cultural sites in the Balkans; however, these sites do not attract a great number of tourist foreign tour operators and travel agents are not familiar about them (Mulec & Wise, 2012, pp. 182-183).

This is one of the main problems that policy-makers in this country attempt to overcome. Thus, one can say that some policy-makers and researchers accept the idea that travel agencies can shape the economic performance of a tourist destination.

It should be taken into account that various Mediterranean countries compete with one another in effort to increase their market share (Patsouratis, Frangouli & Anastasopoulos, 2005, p. 1865). One should not suppose that the performance of tourist destination is affected only by travel agencies. Researchers argue the exchange rate can be a powerful factor that shapes the purchasing decisions of clients (Patsouratis et al. 2005, p. 1865).

Furthermore, the competiveness of the tourist industry depends on its ability of various companies to make use of information technology (Burgess et al., 2011, p. 221). Additionally, one should not forget about the environmental policies of the government (Selwyn, 2008, p. 93). These factors also play an important role. These are the main limitations that can be identified.

They indicate that the development of tourist industry can be viewed as a combination of various external and internal factors that are related to political system, economic stability, or cultural heritage. Therefore, it is not reasonable to disregard opposing views according to which travel agencies play only the role of facilitators. This is one of the main limitations that should be considered.

Overall, this problem can be examined in both qualitative and quantitative way. First of all, it is critical to study the way in which travel agencies can present information about various tourist sites in the Mediterranean region. Overall, one should concentrate on the efforts of these organizations to promote a particular city, country or region as place that can attract travelers.

This will be the independent variable of research. In turn, there are specific characteristics which can be used to evaluate the competitiveness of a particular destination. It is necessary to focus on tourism participation index, the number of tourists, the financial performance of airlines, or hotels (Navickas & Malakauskait ,2009, p. 41).

In turn, the practices of travel agencies and other companies can be examined with the help of qualitative research methods, such as a semi-structured interview (Milman, 2001, p. 66). This strategy can help a researcher examine the opinions of respondents and understand various nuances of their practices. These are the main dependent variables that should be examined.

To a great extent, this literature review suggests that travel agencies have the capacity to influence tourist destinations. Nevertheless, it is critical to focus on the particular region and the role that travel agencies play in it. Furthermore, it is gather valid empirical evidence that can substantiate the hypothesis postulated in this study. These are the main tasks that should be addressed.

Research methodology

Theoretical Framework

This study will be based on the model of value chain which is widely used in different economic and marketing studies. According to this concept, different agents work on the development of products and services, and in this way, they increase the perceived value of goods for clients.

Similar principles can be applied to tourist destinations. As it has been shown in the literature review, travel agencies can increase or diminish the perceived value of a tourist site for clients. Provided that they do not act as a part of value chain, the attractiveness of a country, region, or city can decline.

Research design

This study will include a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. First of all, in the course of this project, I will interview a wide range of professionals who are related to the tourist industry.

This step is necessary to analyze the activities of travel agencies and their interactions with other businesses. Furthermore, the research will involve the examination of statistical information that can throw light on the economic performance of different tourist destinations.

Method

The qualitative information will be collected with the help of semi-structured interviews. This technique will be used to derive the responses of various professionals related to tourism industry. This method is beneficial because it enables a researcher to elicit clear and detailed answers.

These answers are crucial for understanding the strategies of travel agencies and their interactions with other companies. Additionally, it is critical to analyze statistical data related to the economic performance of tourist destination in the Mediterranean region.

Population and Sampling

In the course of this study, I will interview hotel managers, educators, and experts who can explain the functioning of travel agencies. The sample of this study will be from 50 to 100 respondents. The size of this sample is sufficient enough for understanding the trends in the tourism industry.

I will rely on non-random sampling, and this approach implies that the participants should be selected according to certain criteria. In this case, the main criterion will be the expertise of respondent and his/her work experience. This approach is suitable when it is necessary to understand the trends emerging in a certain industry (Black, 2009, p. 222).

Data Collection Instruments

In this study, I will develop a questionnaire that will be used during the interviews. It will contain open-ended questions that will prompt the participants to discuss the practices of travel agencies and their impact on tourist destinations in the Mediterranean region.

Role of the Researcher

I will attempt to act as a facilitator who will try to clarify the responses of the participants. It is necessary to make sure that the interviewees can calmly elaborate their views on the economic power of travel agencies.

Data analysis technique

While analyzing the qualitative data, I will have to identify the main themes that are of great concern to scholars. The first step is to codify the data and single out the main topics examined during the interviews. Furthermore, it will be critical to identify the main arguments of these professionals.

Reliability and Validity

This study will have a limited external validity because it can be applicable mostly to the tourist destination located in the Mediterranean region.

However, its internal validity will be strong because it will be based on the evidence provided by professionals who are directly familiar with the functioning of travel agencies in this region.

In turn, the reliability of this research can be increased by asking various follow-up questions that can increase the clarity of respondents’ answers. Moreover, it is necessary to use a tape-recorder to make sure that the words of interviewees are not misinterpreted.

Reference List

Black, K. (2009). Business Statistics: Contemporary Decision Making. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Blázquez, J., Molina, A., & Esteban, Á. (2012). Key quality attributes according to the tourist product. European Journal Of Tourism Research, 5(2), 166-170.

Buhalist, D. (2000). Relationships in the Distribution Channel of Tourism: Conflicts Between Hoteliers and Tour Operators in the Mediterranean Region. Global Alliances In Tourism & Hospitality Management, 1(1), 113-139.

Burgess, S., Sellitto, C., Cox, C., & Buultjens, J. (2011). Trust perceptions of online

travel information by different content creators: Some social and legal implications. Information Systems Frontiers, 13(2), 221-235.

Del Chiappa, G. & Bregoli, I. (2012). Destination Branding Development: Linking Supply-Side and Demand-Side Perspectives. In R. Tsiotsou & R. Goldsmith (Eds.), Strategic Marketing in Tourism Services (pp. 51-63). New York, NY: Emerald Group Publishing.

Ferencová, M. (2012). Travel Agency and its Image — Factor Influencing the Attitude

of Tourism Client towards the Choice of a Holiday Package. International Journal Of Business & Social Science, 3(19), 309-316.

Gil-Saura, I., Molina, M.E. & Berenguer-Contri, G. (2012). Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism: A Comparison for Travel Agents. In R. Tsiotsou & R. Goldsmith (Eds.), Strategic Marketing in Tourism Services (pp. 299-321). New York, NY: Emerald Group Publishing.

Izquierdo-Yusta, A., & Martınez-Ruiz, M. (2011). Assessing the consumer’s choice of purchase channel in the tourism sector: Evidence from Spain. EuroMed Journal of Business, 6 (1), 77-99.

Jalilvand, M., Esfahani, S., & Samiei, N. (2010). Destination Branding and Tourists’ Attitudes (The Case of Isfahan as a Tourism Destination in Iran). International Journal Of Marketing Studies, 2(2), 235-244.

Mariutti, F., de Moura Engracia Giraldi, J., & Crescitelli, E. (2013). The Image of Brazil as a Tourism Destination: An Exploratory Study of the American Market. International Journal Of Business Administration, 4(1), 13-22.

Mihajlović, I. (2012). The Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a Key Factor of Tourism Development on the Role of Croatian Travel Agencies. International Journal Of Business & Social Science, 3(24), 151-159.

Milman, A. (2001). Hospitality and Tourism Curriculum Development: A Qualitative Case-Study Approach. Journal Of Teaching In Travel & Tourism, 1(4), 65-76.

Mulec, I., & Wise, N. (2012). Foreign Tour Operators and Travel Agents Knowledge of a Potential Tourism Destination: The Vojvodina Region of Serbia. Managing Global Transitions: International Research Journal, 10(2), 171-187.

Navickas, V., & Malakauskaite, A. (2009). The Possibilities for the Identification and Evaluation of Tourism Sector Competitiveness Factors. Engineering Economics, 61(1), 37-44.

Patsouratis, V., Frangouli, Z., & Anastasopoulos, G. (2005). Competition in Tourism among the Mediterranean Countries. Applied Economics, 37(16), 1865-1870.

Prebežac, D., & Mikulić, J. (2008). Destination image and key drivers of perceived destination attractiveness. Market, 20(2), 163-178.

Selwyn, T. (2008). Tourism and the Environment in the Mediterranean. Suomen Antropologi: Journal Of The Finnish Anthropological Society, 33(4), 91-95.

Introduction

Greening is a calculated effort by hoteliers to engage in environmentally friendly and energy saving actions. Going green is a global phenomenon. Many organizations are making sustained efforts towards this. In the hotel industry, stakeholders are engaged in a mental and attitude paradigm shift to engage the goodwill of its customers in helping it go green.

Some of the efforts include reusing some of the hotel products such as linens, minimal lighting in hotel rooms, minimal usage of water, reduction of food wastages through ordering ‘just enough’, among others.

All these have a cost reducing effect and enable the hoteliers to participate in the noble practice to save the planet. This paper will discuss the concept of Greening Hotels, its effect on the various stakeholders including the customers, the significance of this concept, what the future holds for the development and growth of this noble concept in other industries and within this industry (Buildings, 2012).

Origin of Greening of Hotels

Environmentalists coined the term Global Warming over two decades ago. In that time and beyond, there has been in-depth research dedicated towards establishing the effect of global warming on the planet. Global warming according to experts will continuously and gradually erode the ‘naturalness’ in the world and bring with it catastrophic consequences (Top Canadian, 2012).

About two decades ago, a nonprofit organization was established in the United States to foster a self-regulation in terms of consumption of resources in the hotel industry particularly (Top Canadian, 2012). These resources did not necessarily have the direct effect of reducing costs.

However, the self-regulation by all stakeholders involved would go a long way in reducing wastages and hence curtailing a growing trend in the depletion of the scarce naturally found resources (Buildings, 2012).

Green Hotels Association’s aim was to bring together major hoteliers in the world in a common agenda. The association established some of the most contentious facets of day-today hotel operations that touched on resource probity. Green Hotels Association came up with a Catalog of Environmental Products for the Lodging Industry that enumerated some of the best ways to have a sustainable way of using resources.

This association was the pioneer institution to instill environmental sense in the hotel industry (Top Canadian, 2012). Others that came later formed their basis of operation on the foundation of Green Hotels Association. They include the Four Seasons’ 10 Million Trees Initiative, Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative among others (Top Canadian, 2012).

Most of these initiatives are organized and managed by members. The members environmental good will ambassadors who also find it important to jump into the bandwagon of environmental conservation (Singer, 2012).

Examples of Practices of Greening

Greening of Hotels is an all round initiative whose noble aim is to ensure that the naturally found resources are preserved and conserved for future usage. Although greening may appear as a fashion charade by hoteliers and others, it is an effort towards saving the planet and the players need to take it seriously. The following are some of the ways in which greening is been applied to the hotel industry (Singer, 2012).

Re-usage

The hotels have made a sustained effort to urge its guests to embrace the concept of reusing some of the materials in the hotel. These include linens, towels, and sheets. This way the cost involved in replacing these materials is reduced radically. Although this is not forced, the hoteliers have developed a way in which they let the customers inform them if they are okay non-replacements on particular days.

The performance of the hotel industry is very difficult to measure and define because it is a fragmented and dynamic economic sector in the world. Travel, change of place, and voyages help to instill vigor to people’s minds and thus enable them to be more effective, reliable, healthy, and economically productive. Besides bringing delight to people, tourism activities generate revenue to major stakeholders in the industry.

Most of the exotic tourist centers charge fees for visits, accommodation, food, refreshments, and recreational activities undertaken by tourists. As a noble occupation and an industry of private and public interests, revenue generated from tourism continues to be a key contributor to economic development of most global economies.

Domestic and international tourism boost economic efficiency, socio-cultural equity, environmental conservation, and development. In addition, it leads to creation of national and international reputation, environmental conservation, safety, and equity in society, and encourage economic development of complementary industries such as recreation and hospitality (Buildings, 2012).

Saving

In this area, unnecessary costs may also be meted. In an effort to ensure that they have value for money, customers engage in frantic spending. This spills down the path of misuse and may be deemed unnecessary at times. Hoteliers having realized this and in an effort to salvage the environment and cut costs have continuously instilled upon the clients to practice probity.

This includes using the necessary amounts of water and ensuring all water taps are closed. The other area is ensuring that customers do not waste food by ordering the correct amounts (Top Canadian, 2012). Saving also extends to electricity usage.

In this area, hoteliers have made efforts to install energy saving bulbs. In the same breadth, hoteliers have instructed their visitors to turn off unnecessary lighting while visiting their premises. This culture has gone a long way to ensure that energy is saved (Top Canadian, 2012).

Shift towards Green Products

The hotel industry is quickly shifting towards perceivably or factually green products. For instance, hotels are shifting towards using cleaning detergents with non-toxic ingredients and thus environmentally friendly. The water and laundry machines are been replaced with models that save detergents and water at the same time.

Third, the hoteliers are affecting the psychology of visitors by providing them with walking maps and bicycle riding route maps. This way, visitors feel the urge to walk and do not consume fuel and the potential of releasing hazardous fumes to the environment is hugely curtailed (Pittaway, Carmouche & Chell, 1998).

The hotels have also improved their lighting and radically changed some procedures. It is also crucial to note that the hotels are urging clients to use stairs instead of lifts.

Innovation

Hoteliers are increasing coming up with innovative solutions to the problem of global warming. It is common to find tinted glasses in some of the renowned hotels across the world. This is especially true in Canada. This is meant to provide heating and to ensure that electricity is not used for that purpose.

This is also coupled with solar water heating systems that go a long way in curtailing electricity use within the guest rooms (Top Canadian, 2012). The other innovative product that ensures that electricity is not necessarily used is installations of energy thermostats and air conditioning regulators. These are necessary to reduce unnecessary energy consumption in rooms and to ensure there is self-regulation in energy use (Singer, 2012).

Education

It is paramount to ensure that every staff member is aware of the organizational effort to go green. This effort should emanate from the top and spiral downwards to the rest of the organization. To ensure this is the case so that the effort to go green is successful, there should be a sustained educational effort towards employees.

This effort is meant to ensure that all staff members contribute towards making the organization green (Top Canadian, 2012). The nongovernmental organizations with a need to ensure that going green is a reality have come up with training manual for staff members (Top Canadian, 2012). They have also detailed areas of interest where the organizations should concentrate their effort in making this a reality.

This is the biggest and most profound effort an organization engages in regarding the need to go green. Some of the innovations and procedural shifts require the employees to change their ways of operations and thinking radically. It also requires a psychological shift to ensure this is a success (Singer, 2012).

However, it is critical to note that each organization will have a specific approach to the concept of greening. Hence, a two-way approach requires both organizational and standard approach to be successful in implementation.

Business Practices

The hotel industry is shifting its business to suppliers and players with a sense for environment. This is because governments, clients and other stakeholders are stressing this noble idea. Hence, an hotelier that chooses to disregard it is at peril of losing future business. This is creating a spiraling effect the world over with companies in developing countries quickly following suit albeit at a slower pace (Top Canadian, 2012).

It is crucial to remember that the world is interconnected with the integration of internet. Businesses are striving to bring together and manage interconnected supply chains and other business functions. With this in mind, failure to adhere to emergent business practices spells doom for a business (Top Canadian, 2012). This has resulted in growth of green hotels. This discussion is illustrated by the industry comparisons below.

Industry Comparisons

GSK’s Corporate Social Responsibility

GSK’s vision is to help the less privileged members of the society. In 2009, it announced plans to cut drug prices in at least 50 of the poorest nations, invest part of its profits from the undeveloped nations in improving medical infrastructure, and encourage new drug development in those nations.

During the same period, the company acquired an Argentine pharmaceuticals company Laboratories Phoenix. This centre specializes in the development and sales of generic products.

GSK has outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. According to the company’s CEO, GSK plans to get rid of a disease that has been afflicting humanity for centuries. Hence, the company plans to donate Albendazole drugs, as much as needed. GSK has been short-listed for the Worldaware Award.

It received this award because of its efforts to eradicate malaria in Kenya. Apart from this achievement, UK Corporate Citizenship Index ranked the company as a leading donator in 2006 (Our Mission and Strategy, n. d.). GSK, notably, endeavors to give back part of its profits to the society.

Toyota’s Corporate Social Responsibility

CSR obligation surpasses what the law requires a firm to do. It is the responsibility an organization takes upon itself to better the social lives of both the workforce and society. Currently, this is a worldwide trend.

This is because of the pressure from society and governments for organizations to feel more responsible for the sources of their resources. The members of society are also more sophisticated than sometime back. The competitive environment is also cutthroat with more companies joining the framework.

Corporate Social Responsibility at Toyota has greatly affected society in different areas of life. Among the greatest beneficiaries is the environment. Toyota has taken up the challenge of conserving the environment, as it is becoming a necessity for the whole of the business fraternity in the world to engage in environmental conservation activities.

Consequently, the world’s society is gaining from Toyota’s efforts, for instance increase in rainfall around the world, reduced global warming etc. The company is producing environmentally friendly cars such as Prius and actively engaging environmental conservation efforts at the corporate level such as planting trees.

Significance of Greening Hotels

Greening of hotels has numerous advantages. However, some of the advantages, as experts and stakeholders argue, are not immediately realizable. In fact, the threats of global warming are yet to have the full scientific verification to be construed as real.

However, everyone is aware of the fact that the resources used in the hotel industry are majorly natural resources. It is important to be aware of the fact that natural resources are depleted. It is this cardinal knowledge that leads environmentalists on the path of sustenance (Buildings, 2012).

One of the reasons for engaging in the effort to go green in the hotel industry is energy saving. Energy is one of the most expensive resources globally. Of the amount of energy produced, a significantly small part of the world has access to energy.

It is also one of the most controversial resources globally. Sometimes, it results in wars un-matched carnage. Therefore is it paramount to save the least possible amount of energy to feel as if you are playing a part in the global effort towards conservation.

The second most important and significant reason for engaging in greening is saving costs. Hotels are dogged by rising costs of energy and other inputs such as water and toiletries. Earlier in the paper, the author mentioned a shift toward bringing some sanity in the costs regime in hotels.

Certain efforts are paying off well. For example the shift towards ensuring that guests do not misuse their toiletries, the need for recycling of some of the resources such as towels and linens, the culture of innovation that brings solutions to pertinent areas of consumption among others (Stipanuk, 2006).

The tourism industry is very broad and dynamic. The major groups in it include travel and tour guide services, the transport and communication sector, recreation sector, and the food and beverage line of business.

Professionals in the tourism industry include tour guides, game rangers, hotel managers, tourism ambassadors, receptionists, drivers, pilots, front desk agents, room attendants, housekeepers, concierges, sales and marketing professionals, accounting officers, chefs and cooks, hosts and hostess, bar attendants, food and beverage servers, caterers, heritage interpreters, taxi drivers, and travel counselors among others.

Unlike in the past where the role of tourism industry professionals was restricted to their specific line of duty, information revolution and challenges that face the industry have compelled professionals in the industry to employ dynamic and very creative operational tactics.

As a result, proper and timely planning is a critical role of the tourism industry professionals. To enhance the philosophical aspects of tourism and a sense of refreshment and nourishment, professionals in the tourism industry should plan well and be willing to offer the best possible services to their clients (Stipanuk, 2006).

Constant research, creation of innovative tourism programs and establishment of new trends in the tourism industry is a major component of the tourism industry. Ideally, this role should be undertaken by top-level managers in the industry and other independent researchers with the aim of enhancing customer experience through a renewed level of creativity and innovativeness.

This role also entails keeping track of analytics and metrics that clearly outline the position of tourism sales agencies, marketing, and management strategies. These professionals have a huge role of portraying a positive image for the industry and boosting a rich customer experience.

The professionals have a duty to share information, train customers, offer security, and collect and disseminate information to the clients in a timely, cost effective, and user-friendly manner (Fortune & Schole, 2007).

As a professional in the tourism industry, I would work towards ensuring that I boost domestic tourism. I would work towards ensuring that both in-bound and out-bound tourism activities are focused on ensuring strategic measures are formulated to enhance a greater level of efficiency and cost effectiveness.

I hope to achieve this focus by inducing a paradigm shift and rejecting the common perception of the limited role of tourism (Fortune & Schole, 2007).

I hope to achieve a number of objectives as a manager in the tourism industry. To begin with, I intend to revamp the industry and steer it to greater levels of economic development. This would be achieved by focusing on research because of my understanding that research is critical to the growth and development of the tourism industry.

Since travel continues to have a negative impact on environment, I shall work with like-minded professionals in order to discover more eco-friendly means of traveling. As a result, I hope to employ the concept of geo-tourism and space tourism, which would in turn revamp the slow rate of overseas travel.

Through the formulation and implementation of modernized tourism policies, I would endeavor to ensure that most tourism processes are computerized. This would ensure that a greater level of efficiency and progress is achieved (Fortune & Schole, 2007).

To ensure ease of communication, I will integrate all relevant social media platforms into my organization’s communication system to ensure that clients are not restricted to using a specific mode of communication. I would also undertake to enhance a rich sense of customer experience.

Because of the likely shift in the tourism landscape, I hope to achieve a full integration of various artificial, virtual, and manufactured tourist attraction assets. I would also streamline the decision-making processes in the tourism industry by lobbying for a lean management decision-making structure (Stipanuk, 2006).

Rather than undertaking market campaigns, I would encourage my team to support domestic tourism by devising online and road show marketing campaign platforms. Above all, as a professional in tourism and through foresight and constant planning, I would hope to lead by example by ensuring that my team of employees and I live fulfilling lives and prepare ourselves to more challenging management tasks in future.

To achieve this, I would conduct training programs that encourage cross-functional networking, employee exchange programs, and seminars (Fortune & Schole, 2007).

Conclusion

Going green is quickly gaining traction in various parts of the world. In the emerging markets, the concept is still quite nascent and organizations feel financially obligated to perform this function. Normally, the organizations hinge this with corporate social responsibility.

However, it is crucial to understand that going green does not increase budgets. Rather, in the long term, going green has a tremendous positive effect on the bottom line (Top Canadian, 2012). The concept, which has been around for close to three decades now has seen improved innovations aimed at greening.

In the hotel industry, the concept is quite robust with immense innovations that cut across energy conservation, consumer probity, hotelier involvement, and overall checks. While it is crucial to understand the financial aspect of this noble effort, it is also paramount to look at the positives.

The concept of greening is quickly being emblazoned in the minds of consumers and so it will be hard for any hotel chain to attract clients if it plays by same old game of flagrant disregard for the environment. The hotel industry is just a player in a global effort that is directed at ensuring that the next generations do not find a depleted world in terms of resources (Top Canadian, 2012).

References

Buildings. (2012). Greening Your Hotel. Web.

Fortune, F. & Schole M. (2007). A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. MERLOT/Journal of Online Learning & Teaching, 2(1): 1-7.

Pittaway, L., Carmouche, R. & Chell, E. (1998). The Way Forward: Leadership Research in the Hospitality Industry. Hospitality Management, 17(1): 407-426.

Singer, M. (2012). Staying Green: Hotels Step Up Their Sustainability Initiatives. Web.

Stipanuk, D. (2006). Hospitality Facilities Management and Design. Lansing, Michigan: Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Top Canadian. (2012). What is a Green Hotel? Web.

Aims and objectives

The future study will be aimed at examining the influence of travel agencies on various tourist destinations in the Mediterranean region. It is vital to achieve several objectives. First of all, one should demonstrate how and why travel agencies choose to promote certain regions or countries.

Secondly, much attention should be paid to the exact mechanisms through which these organizations can influence tourist destinations. It is critical to focus on the economic performance of various companies that represent the tourist industry in a specific country or region. Finally, one should study the positive and negative impacts of this influence. These are the main issues that should be examined.

Research question

How are tourist destinations in the Mediterranean region affected by the power of travel agencies?

Literature review

The main goal of this literature review is to examine academic sources which throw light on the functioning of travel agencies. It is vital to focus on the studies which can demonstrate that these organizations can influence the economic performance of tourist destinations. Apart from that, this literature review should demonstrate the importance of these service companies for the Mediterranean region.

Finally, much attention should be paid to the methodology that should be used for the future study. To a great extent, the research will be based on the notion of destination branding (Jalilvand, Esfahani & Samiei, 2010).

To some degree, travel agencies take part in the formation of clients’ perceptions and attitudes toward a certain tourist site. In many cases, they pay attention to the reputation of a travel agency (Ferencová, 2012). Therefore, they can significantly increase the popularity of a destination.

On the whole, travel agencies pay attention to various characteristics while selecting which tourist destination should be promoted. In particular, they focus on the presence of natural and cultural sites, climate, and service industry in a particular region, infrastructure, and security (Prebežac & Mikulić, 2008, p. 170; Blázquez, Molina, & Esteban, 2012).

This is one of the main issues that can be identified. Apart from that, the governments of developing countries are extremely concerned about the attitudes of travel agencies since they can influence the decisions of customers (Mariutti, de Moura Engracia Giraldi & Crescitelli, 2013, p. 17).

In this way, they attempt to boost the economic development of various regions. One should take into consideration that travel agencies help clients learn more about various characteristics of a tourist destination. This is one of the main points that can be made.

The study carried out by Iris Mihajlović (2012) suggests that travel agencies can profoundly affect the choices of consumers by highlighting the advantages of going to a particular country, region, or resort. Secondly, they can provide an evaluation of the service industry in a certain destination as well as its most popular attractions.

In other words, these organizations can be viewed as the major intermediaries between a customer and service providers. Furthermore, customers are more likely to put trust in the recommendations or assessments offered by travel agencies. This is why the role of these companies should not be overlooked.

Moreover, one can look at the research conducted by Dimitrios Buhalist (2000). This scholar shows that the performance of many hospitality organizations is affected by the distribution channels, especially travel agencies. This study suggests that the hospitality organizations, which are based on the Mediterranean region, have to accept the power of travel agencies.

It should be kept in mind that they can reduce the perceived risk that can be experienced by clients (Buhalist, 2000, p. 115). Moreover, they can facilitate the communication between customers and eventual suppliers of service (Buhalist, 2000, p. 115). Provided that this link is absent, a client is not likely to go to a tourist destination.

Apart from that, travel agencies offer many supplementary services related to insurance or obtaining visas. This assistance is of critical importance to many people. Overall, findings of researchers indicate that the competitive position of a hotel depends on its cooperation with tour operators (Buhalist, 2000, p. 136).

Overall, there are other studies that are aimed at determining the choices of customers who want to travel to the Mediterranean resorts. For instance, Izquierdo-Yusta and Martınez-Ruiz (2011) note that travel agencies facilitate customers’ search for information. They help customers and suppliers to establish mutual trust (Izquierdo-Yusta & Martınez-Ruiz, 2011, p. 80).

In turn, tourist destinations are not likely to enjoy popularity among people provided that travel agents do not pay attention to them. Furthermore, these organizations can demonstrate that a certain resort is suitable for various types of clients who can differ in terms of income level, marital status, interest, values, and so forth. This is one of the main issues that should be singled out.

Therefore, it is possible to say that travel agencies can significantly increase the profitability of airlines or hotels that can be based in a particular tourist destination. In contrast, the absence of their participation can eventually result in the downturn of economic activities in this particular destination. This is the main argument that can be put forward.

It should be taken into account that various Mediterranean countries compete with one another in effort to increase their market share (Patsouratis, Frangouli & Anastasopoulos, 2005). One should not suppose that the performance of tourist destination is affected only by travel agencies. Researchers argue the exchange rate can be a powerful factor that shapes the purchasing decisions of clients (Patsouratis et al. 2005, p. 1865).

Furthermore, the competiveness of the tourist industry depends on its ability of various companies to make use of information technology (Burgess et al., 2011). Additionally, one should not forget about the environmental policies of the government (Selwyn, 2008). These factors also play an important role.

Overall, this problem can be examined in both qualitative and quantitative way. First of all, it is critical to study the way in which travel agencies can present information about various tourist sites in the Mediterranean region. Overall, one should concentrate on the efforts of these organizations to promote a particular city, country or region as place that can attract travelers. This will be the independent variable of research.

In turn, there are specific characteristics which can be used to evaluate the competitiveness of a particular destination. It is necessary to focus on tourism participation index, the number of tourists, the financial performance of airlines, or hotels (Navickas & Malakauskait ,2009). These are the main dependent variables that should be examined.

To a great extent, this literature review suggests that travel agencies have the capacity to influence tourist destination. Nevertheless, it is critical to focus on the particular region. These are the main tasks that should be addressed.

Reference List

Blázquez, J., Molina, A., & Esteban, Á. (2012). Key quality attributes according to the tourist product. European Journal Of Tourism Research, 5(2), 166-170.

Buhalist, D. (2000). Relationships in the Distribution Channel of Tourism: Conflicts Between Hoteliers and Tour Operators in the Mediterranean Region. Global Alliances In Tourism & Hospitality Management, 1(1), 113-139.

Burgess, S., Sellitto, C., Cox, C., & Buultjens, J. (2011). Trust perceptions of online travel information by different content creators: Some social and legal implications. Information Systems Frontiers, 13(2), 221-235.

Ferencová, M. (2012). Travel Agency and its Image — Factor Influencing the Attitude of Tourism Client towards the Choice of a Holiday Package. International Journal Of Business & Social Science, 3(19), 309-316.

Izquierdo-Yusta, A., & Martınez-Ruiz, M. (2011). Assessing the consumer’s choice of purchase channel in the tourism sector: Evidence from Spain. EuroMed Journal of Business, 6 (1), 1450-2194.

Jalilvand, M., Esfahani, S., & Samiei, N. (2010). Destination Branding and Tourists’ Attitudes (The Case of Isfahan as a Tourism Destination in Iran). International Journal Of Marketing Studies, 2(2), 235-244.

Mariutti, F., de Moura Engracia Giraldi, J., & Crescitelli, E. (2013). The Image of Brazil as a Tourism Destination: An Exploratory Study of the American Market. International Journal Of Business Administration, 4(1), 13-22.

Mihajlović, I. (2012). The Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a Key Factor of Tourism Development on the Role of Croatian Travel Agencies. International Journal Of Business & Social Science, 3(24), 151-159.

Navickas, V., & Malakauskaite, A. (2009). The Possibilities for the Identification and Evaluation of Tourism Sector Competitiveness Factors. Engineering Economics, 61(1), 37-44.

Patsouratis, V., Frangouli, Z., & Anastasopoulos, G. (2005). Competition in Tourism among the Mediterranean Countries. Applied Economics, 37(16), 1865-1870.

Prebežac, D., & Mikulić, J. (2008). Destination image and key drivers of perceived destination attractiveness. Market, 20(2), 163-178.

Selwyn, T. (2008). Tourism and the Environment in the Mediterranean. Suomen Antropologi: Journal Of The Finnish Anthropological Society, 33(4), 91-95.