Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) refers to a corporation or any other body tasked with increasing visitations to a country’s places of attractions or improving the public image of that country. DMOs are given the task of ensuring that every part of the country is promoted equally. In most cases, this generates conflict between states that feel their areas lacked proper representation. In a country like Australia, there have been numerous complaints from the Southern and Western part of the country claiming that the body tasked with promoting the country’s tourism puts too much emphasis on the icons of Sydney Opera House, the Gold Coast and Uluru. This has seen more tourists trooping to these areas at the expense of other areas in the country.
Main Discussion
Destination Marketing Organizations face numerous dilemmas in trying to market their country overseas while at the same time trying to maintain a fair representation of all states. Since not every area in a country has the same geographical features, some areas might be placed at an advantage owing to the natural features present in that area. This makes it easier for DMOs to market these areas as opposed to other areas that might lack natural tourist attractions. This puts DMOs in a dilemma since the areas lacking natural tourist attractions will naturally complain of unfair representation.
While trying to market their countries overseas, DMOs have to do with little cooperation from the industry members in different states. This poses a big challenge since it becomes hard to know the existing tourist destinations that might not be in the public domain in these areas. Unlike in the past where only the older generation was targeted as tourists, there has been a rise in the number of young people willing to take vacations in other countries. This has called for DMOs to target more young people in their campaigns. This might pose a big dilemma since it is not easy to reach young people in these campaigns.
Despite these challenges, DMOs can rise up and carry out a campaign that ensures that all areas receive full representation. In the case of some areas lacking natural tourist attractions, DMOs can alternatively promote the culture of the people living in those areas. One way that this can be achieved is by promoting the traditional music of the people living in the affected areas. The DMOs can also encourage the building of monuments that will serve as tourist attractions in these areas. On the issue of cooperation, it is important for DMOs to liaise with the central government to ensure that all states cooperate. This will ensure that all the players in the tourism industry come together to look for ways of creating tourist attractions for areas lacking natural ones. In trying to reach young people, DMOs can use social networks like Facebook and MySpace to carry out campaigns since these networks are popular among young people. DMOs can also encourage the provision of holiday visas for young people wishing to travel during the holidays.
Conclusion
DMOs face many challenges in trying to market their countries’ tourism abroad while at the same time ensuring that they are not accused of giving unfair representation to all the states and regions. DMOs should take advantage of the existing social networks to target more young people since they form the bulk of tourists visiting especially during the holidays. In most cases, these first time traveler’s form the bulk of repeat visitors. In their return visit, these tourists will want to visit a different place from their last visit. This ensures that every area gets a chance to receive a good share of tourists.
Some of the visitors in one of the five star hotels in Saudi Arabia experienced some lapse in service delivery due to cultural differences. They were unable to find food that was stable in their home country. My visitors being from east African country are accustomed to using a particular type of food for their daily needs. Some foods may be available in their own markets in their homeland but are not available in the Saudi Arabia market. East Africans rarely visit Saudi Arabia five star hotels thus their foods are not incorporated in the menus.
Sometimes, these foods have already become part of their lives that they find it hard to adjust to others that are made available in the Saudi Arabia five star hotels. However, several western culture foods were available in the five star hotels that responded immediately to the demands of my visitors. The western culture foods are common to them and they substituted their stable foods at times. The visitors had come to the holy city of Mecca for an annual visit by Muslim faith the holy area.
Operations Management in Five star hotels
Operations is an area of business that involves planning and organizing of operations for better management and profit realization in a hotel. In the event of quality management, the main elements put into consideration are the quality scheduling, quality control, quality assertion and quality enhancement. This is usually not only concerned with food standards but also looks at the ways towards the achievements. In the event of utilizing these different components of quality management, the five star hotels will be in a position to achieve availability and menu quality for all cultures during the visits to Mecca by Muslim faiths.
Since the case looks at the lack of stable foods for cultures in a five star hotel, the five star hotels finds it one of its issues for it prepare and serve some foods to visitors from east Africa cultures. They have a responsibility in this kind of case to look into the claims and complaints raised by visitors so that necessary action can be taken. This is done in the lieu to maintain its reputation on the hotel industry scene as the best for all cultures. This has to be done through quality and availability management that seeks to make changes in the quality of the foods served. The hotel has a social responsibility of ensuring the regulations set up to govern the marketing of its products are implemented and the necessary adjustments made. This is an application of quality planning and management. The hotel is charged with the duty of reviewing its marketing strategies.
Carrying out dialogues between the customer and hotel will serve a good purpose in the availing of best and acceptable menus. Its employees should as well be trained in the giving of the right information to customers that reduces on the confusion experienced. This follows the need for better leadership within the hotel.
At the time of the case still, the hotel should incorporate all the cultural diversity on the viewpoints held in the marketing and service arena. This will minimize on the clashes that arise in marketing and the menus served to the customers. Such is utilized as a business ethical strategy. However, this should involve food improvement as well it takes into consideration of the SWOT analysis.
Employee diversity in a five star hotel
Employee diversity will change the manner in which human resource sections in hotel carry out their operations. This is due to the increasing trend towards the aspect of diversity in the workforce. Therefore, hotels with international clientele have realized that in order achieve success, an atmosphere of fairness must be created in the process of admitting employees into the hotel. This is gradually translating into diverse workforces who have been touted as healthy and therefore, a trajectory to success. This trend has also been inspired by the enactment of several laws that regulate the employing processes. These laws contemplate the fair consideration of all sections of society during hiring as well as the humane treatment of workers. This involves remunerations, work state of affairs and dismissal. The visiting of various people to Mecca has pushed for the introduction of fairness in the processes of employment in the five star hotels.
The location of the hotel plays a significant role in the achievement of equality and better handling of staff. A five star hotels in Mecca have therefore, achieved a lot with regard to fairness especially by having diversity. Several acts that are relevant with the hospitality industry have been instrumental in the practice of fairness and equality in the sector. Most of the acts have programs that ensure the achievement of good care and treatment for the employees.
All five star hotels in Mecca and surrounding environs attempt to realize merit in their operations. However, only hotels that ultimately make use of the ability of racial and sexual diversity achieve their objectives. The diversity of the population provides for equal approach to hiring. Therefore, only hotels that consider the diversity of talent and society manage to navigate beyond normal performance. Furthermore, in order to compete favorably hotels have been forced to embrace equality in job opportunities at all stages. The job environments must conform to the standards of equality. The demographic inclinations that are responsible for changes in personnel stipulate the skill of managing diversity be cultivated in all levels of administration.
The demographic indicators predict an increase in diversity of the society in the future. Therefore, hotels must cultivate the aspect of managing diversity among the managers at all levels. This will ensure that the hotels continually carry out their operations in the future. Without an open approach to diversity, it will not be possible for five star hotels to operate. The indicators show that the majority of jobs in the future will arise from the service industry. Most of them will be about information. This shows that the jobs require intellectual prowess alone. As a result, gender, race and age will not be barriers. Hotels in Saudi Arabia must therefore, embrace cultural diversity since future jobs will be suitable for men and women as well as all races and groups. The rate of immigrants is going to increase. This means that the number of immigrant workers will increase. Organizations must put in place equality mechanisms to take advantage of the increase in potential workers. Only those corporations that will have adopted cultural diversity will benefit from the services of migrant workers.
Most five star hotels in Mecca should nurture a culture that offers an environment, which supports the growth and personal development of every one of its associates. The hotels should built reputations for having employed caring and reliable associates who are very high on ethics and trustworthiness. One of the most significant policies that can be followed at these hotels is culture and diversity management. They should ensures equal treatment and employment opportunities to all of its employees hailing from various cultures and diversities irrespective of their differences in terms of age, sex, race, color etc.
Customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is the best indicator for a five star hotel. The five star hotels have the best quality of foods but the availability of rare menus that is the only issue. All quality and availability are crucial in ensuring customer satisfaction and they ultimately lead to improved overall performance as indicated by an increased market share.
The integration of different beliefs and altitude from different individuals within an organization forms an environment, which can be termed as an organizational culture. Therefore, an organizational culture can be termed as a collection of particular norms and values or an organization’s personality. These particulars are shared by individuals who work in that organization thus controlling how they socialize among themselves, how they respond to the outside world or in simple terms customers, how they align to the corporate objective such as strategic issues for vision achievement. Different organizations have different cultures depending on the activities they involve in, level of departmentalization, channels of communication, kind of management among other factors.
External customer perceives the overall picture of the organization depending on how the internal customer (employees; comprising of strategic managers, tactical manager, and all members who participate in day-to-day activities) conduct themselves during service delivery. For instance in a customer care desk, a culture, which allows effective communication among employees, will result to a more satisfied customer in term of information he or she obtains after visiting the customer care personnel. Most organizations have organized seminars and training to educate employees on how to address and deal with a customer in a friendly manner as a means of customer satisfaction and retention for higher productivity.
The altitude portrayed by the employees toward the customer during service delivery is much contributed by the culture held within that organization. Depending on the mode of service delivery, it creates a customer satisfaction level. This level can dictate whether customer are retained or lost. Every organization main objective is to satisfy the customer needs. Bearing in mind that customers range from past customers, current customers and potential customers, the culture practiced within an organization can dictate the market share the organization can attain in the market. The increase in number of customers will result to a subsequent increase in the organizational return or in simple terms profit. There are various types of organizational culture, which exist in different organizations. Organizational culture types are though argued differently by many theorists. However, the most accepted types include; Process culture, collaborate or clan culture, to mention but a few.
Process culture- This is a form of culture that is adopted by public service organizations, which have a strong base of customer. The customers are less likely to move to other organizations. It is also called the bureaucracy culture and is not a superior culture to adopt. No feedbacks are required in such cultures and, every individual is highly preoccupied on how to do things basing on a protocol. This may result to complacency as well as deviation from the corporate mission and objectives.
Control culture- Every detail involves strict following of protocols or methods already stipulated via formal means. This form of an organizational culture is highly governed by the managers who coordinate the activities taking place within the organization. The organizational structure adopted by such organization should be accommodating to enhance a controlled flow of order or instructions to be adhered to by the employees or members as a whole. This form of culture does not allow free communication hence most of the groups likely to be found are formal groups. Knowledge dissemination is usually through formal means such as seminars, databases, trainings among others appropriate for knowledge management.
Collaborate culture- In this form of culture; there is a natural form of culture where openness and informal forms of interaction is practiced. Knowledge management and dissemination occur freely among the employees since, members live as an extended family. Both strategic and tactical managers act as guiders or instructors and not as dictators. This form of culture provides a cohesive environment for the members through teamwork practices, high involvement and group decision making. Every individual feels a member of the organization. However, it may result to the formation of informal groups, which may hamper smooth flow of organization practices resulting to complacency.
Other form of culture include, ‘bet your company’ a culture, which is practiced by many research organization. They make extensive and intensive forms of consultation and decision-making. However, their products or output may take years to be tangible or felt by the external customer.
However, it should be noted that prices of services such as hotel accommodation, and recreation are usually determined by demand and supply. The internal price arrangements of hotel, a lack of understanding of the price mechanism by many small providers of services, and the participation of a number of non-profit businesses, limit opportunities for diversified price policies and strategies in the hotel sector.
How organizational culture impacts productivity
A Hotel with strong desirable culture attracts employees with excellent talents and retains them as well. Employees can be referred as internal customers who when satisfied and motivated will offer their best to the hotel for the overall benefit of the hotel. Poor culture will result to high employee turnover with a subsequent loss of benefit due to high recruitment costs, negative perception of the hotel by the external customers, loss of potential customers among other associated repercussions.
A culture, which allows employees to be involved in resolution conception, as well as a culture which takes into consideration the issues rose by the customer, will have a subsequent increase in the hotel’s profitability. Such employees will feel appreciated and motivated since their views are incorporated in decision-making. Various motivation theories such as content theory and process theory indicate that employees who are involved in decision-making are more productive than those not involved are. This rotates all around motivation issue. The marketing manager has to collaborate with the finance manager, production manager and others who are involved in value creation in order to satisfy the customer/consumer. A culture that enables effective and efficient flow of information and knowledge among the employee provides a room for idea development and innovation. An increased variety of foods can be obtained through employing people of different culture.
Hotel culture, which promotes interaction and socialization among employees, will create a changed view of employees towards work. Commonly employees have a negative perception towards the job or task ahead of them. However, a culture, which promotes collectiveness and extensive interaction on work matters, will change the outlook initially held by such employees. Many customers get well satisfied when served well with a sense of engagement during service delivery since they feel as part of that organization. This promotes customer retention as well grasping some potential customers. This definitely increases market share with subsequent increase in returns.
Conclusion
To ensure higher indices of customer satisfaction, the five star hotels have to invest in operation management. Investing in effective data exchange systems has been a major challenge for most five star hotels. Although these may be expensive ventures, they will increase accessibility and effective communication with the target market. In addition, management must improve the service response logistics. This refers to the optimal control and management of processes to ensure that services are fulfilled in a customer-oriented manner.
To meet this end within the hotel industry, management is charged with the mandate of increasing menus and optimizing service and ensuring the delivery of services through the necessary channels. These measures ensure customer satisfaction by reducing rates of luggage losses, incidences of ticket over sales and ensuring high levels of punctuality. Improving customer satisfaction also includes implementing processes, which improve the actual service.
Travis Smith took a tour around Singapore and concluded that everything about tourism revolved around six categories. These are:
Learning something new
Eating something new
Seeing or watching something new
Buying something new
Physically doing something new
Meeting someone or something new
He used the diagram below to describe these categories
Fig 1. Categories of tourism
Every tourism activity falls under the six categories, with every possible activity costing money. The extent to which one is satisfied is determined by the amount of money one is willing to spend (Smith, 2007). Giving examples with his experience, he described sailing on a boat in Mazatlan as “doing”, viewing Mazatlan from the air as “seeing something new”, and training to sail the boat as “learning something new”.
However, the experience does not have to be good. For instance, seeing something awful, disaster tourism, or even eating something icky, or meeting something weird is also very possible. Therefore, when determining who can travel well together, it is necessary to put the different tastes into consideration (Smith 2007). For instance, a combination of someone who likes hiking, with another one who likes shopping can turn out to be disastrous.
Hans Magnus Enzensberger also tried to come up with a provocative approach to understanding the theory of tourism (Gemunden 2007). He describes tourism as a manifestation of modern culture, right from the early tourists of the nineteenth century to the present age. In the mid-1950s, tourism was influenced by the food wave, sex wave and also the post-war recovery.
Beyond the late 1950s and during the second half of the 20th century, tourism was not only regarded as a social activity but as an economic activity as well. Travelers of the earlier days have changed to modern tourists (Tourism theories, 2010). This organization tries to explain what is expected of tourists in order to fulfill a role in sustainable development, it also describes a tourist not just as another client, but as a fully-fetched partner. In this aspect, the relationship is established between the destination and the tourist, and also the reflexive approach towards tourism.
Reference List
Gemunden, G 2007, Introduction to Enzenbergs: A Theory of Tourism, Berlin, s.n.
Facility management (FM) is a broad term that encompasses a range of business areas where businesses operate (Drion, Melissen, & Wood, 2012). One of the core competencies of FM is hospitality management defined by Global Job Task Analysis, IFMA, which is mostly occupied with hotel business. The present report is aimed at defining and explaining the core aspects of hospitality facilities management in relation to Park Hyatt Sydney hotel.
Background
Park Hyatt Sydney is a luxury hotel owned by Hyatt hotels corporation. This company owns total 627 hotels functioning under 13 brand names and covers a variety of price ranges. Park Hyatt is listed in STR Global Chain Scales among luxury hotels, which defines its market positioning among the top-scale audience with above-average pay grade (STR Global, 2015). It represents one of the most successful brands in the industry. The company operates in 56 countries and employs around 110,000 people globally, which places it among the top players on the market. Above that, Hyatt corporation estimated profit for 2016 totals 4.4 billion dollars, which once again stresses the relevance of reviewing the experience of this representative of hospitality management segment (Hyatt Hotels Corporation, 2016).
The main brand was established in 1957 by Hyatt Robert von Dehn and Jack Dyer Crouch but was sold to Jay Pritzker. Park Hyatt was created in the 1980s to unite the company’s most exceptional hotels. It focuses mainly on building and managing average-sized hotels in popular destinations for the wealthy audience.
The hotel philosophy is in letting people enjoy themselves while the company handles all the service. Providing the top quality of care is essential to the brand, and each guest is welcomed and served in accordance with the highest standards in the industry. According to Laird (1994), the design is also an essential part of facilities management. The hotel exterior features modern-style minimalist architecture with the use of primarily natural elements such as wood and glass as it is shown in Figure 1. The same design approach is accommodated in the interior design with the same materials used for decoration of the walls and furniture as it is displayed in Figure 2. Sustainability is the key element that is stressed by the natural elements utilized in the design. As an exclusive feature, the hotel also offers a rooftop swimming pool demonstrated in Figure 3.
Figure 1. Park Hyatt Sydney Exterior (Park Hyatt Hotel, n.d.).Figure 2. Park Hyatt Sydney Reception Interior (Park Hyatt Hotel, n.d.)Figure 3. Park Hyatt Sydney Rooftop Swimming Pool (Park Hyatt Hotel, n.d.)
Aspects of Hospitality Facilities Management in Relation to Design
As Ransley and Ingram (2012) suggest, the design is an essential part of defining the organizational philosophy. A good designer needs to work closely with a management team to establish a balanced interdependence of the following features:
Image
Style
Customer Comfort
Operating efficiency
Technology (Ransley & Ingram, 2012, p. 44).
Image
The image is what the user of services holds in his or her mind as a dominant impression of the hotel. From the organization’s perspective, the image is a means of communication that enables owners to transfer their values to a client. According to the differentiated model elaborated by Hennigs, Wiedmann, Klarmann, and Behrens (2013), clients that often stay in luxury hotels value environmentally positive design as they are extremely concerned for the safety and health that is natural for ‘green’ products and is also represented by ‘green’ design. Above that, when people have satisfied their natural needs such as food, water, and shelter they are more prone to concern themselves with matters of environmental stability (Su, Hall & Ozanne, 2013; Kang, Stein, Heo, & Lee, 2012). Therefore, the use of safe, reusable, and environmentally friendly materials is often preferred in facilities that are oriented at caring for that social layer. Sustainability of design solutions seems to account for a significant part of a successful image making process. This partially explains why Park Hyatt decided to build its philosophy around natural exterior and interior materials, lighting, facility placement and other components.
Style
Another attribute that is key to building appropriate design philosophy is style. The notion of style is elusive and temporary in itself. However, each epoch has its own unique appeal and taking ideas from the past without a sound concept may bring disastrous consequences in terms of profit. Although Douglas (1996) refers to image and style as inferior to building performance, Torres and Kline (2013) suggest that building facilities in accordance with set principles is the key to success. People that have the resources to surround themselves with luxury often do not want to abstain from such practices preferring their environment to have a polished look. Park Hyatt Sydney designer team followed the current trend for minimalism and implemented it both in the exterior and interior solutions. The usage of expensive wood species seems to underline the exquisite taste of its visitors. The lighting contributes to setting the mood, and the mood is central to client satisfaction, which is the ultimate goal proclaimed by Hyatt hotel executives (Hyatt Hotels Corporation, 2016). The experimental study conducted by Susskind (2014) evidenced that proper lighting contributes to enhancing customer experience.
Customer comfort
Customer comfort is another part of the design philosophy that is essential to generating positive experiences for clients and revenue for service providers. As suggested by Walls (2013), comfort ranks among the first items that influence the personal experience of the customers. Since the data in this research is mostly self-reported, it may be considered an expression of the customers’ will. Usually, hotel managers need to consider it in order to develop the organization and provide top-ranked services.
Operating Efficiency
Operating efficiency seems to be a result of effective client attraction and retention strategies (Wang, 2012). Apart from that, it is partially influenced by the client satisfaction, which, according to Assaf and Magnini (2012), correlates with the hotel’s profit. Atwal and Williams (2017), who emphasize the role of customer experience in the success of the hotel’s financial activity and popularity among the visitors, express similar ideas. The opinions of the plethora of researchers suggest that it can be safe to assume that hotels that prioritize client, respect their wishes and cares for delivery of the best experience is often successful and competitive. In relation to facility design, this means that solutions that address the client’s inner wishes and reflect their vision of reality contribute to gaining organizational profit.
Technology
The importance of technology in facility management is immense. The daily life of modern people is filled with digital devices and generates considerable amounts of information flow. The hotel needs to satisfy technological needs depending on the client’s purpose. Technology here includes devices, and means of communication. According to Law, Leung, Au, and Lee (2013). Modern IT technology reveals their relevance when it comes to usability and accessibility of the hotel’s services. Online booking as one of the features that a modern client seems to praise, needs to be present and organized in a way that requires minimum effort to use.
Online notifications are reported to be critical in the client-organization communication process (Law et al., 2013). When the booking status changes or managers need to relay critical information, it is of utmost importance not to disturb a client from his current occupation. Telecommunications in that regard are becoming outdated as fewer and fewer hotels use mobile phones to contact their customers (Law et al., 2013). Such trend could have possibly emerged from the shifting of communication trends towards the Internet as more effective and efficient communication environment. Additionally, it allows to preserve the client’s time as notifications are less intrusive in juxtaposition to phone calls that may disrupt some important activity and result in negativity towards the caller. On the other hand, the hotel needs to be available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to be able to always provide necessary information because frequent unavailability may result in lower satisfaction with the services.
Conclusion
With the emergence of many brands that claim to be offering luxury services, the competition in the hotel industry toughened. That forces service providers to continuously evolve, putting huge amounts of effort to uphold the status of a top brand. Park Hyatt Sydney represents one of such brands and has a strong identity and an emphasis on sustainability in its design solution. That, according to the many researchers, the findings of which were discussed in the present report constitutes one of the most significant parts of the image. All things considered, there is a considerable amount of factors that influence the success of the brand, including the following:
Sustainable material use
Lighting
Location
Modern style
Non-intrusive patterns of communication
Online availability of services
Satisfaction of technological needs
The list may continue further, but the idea is that it is the small things that often attract the eye, and attention to detail is often the key to the heart of the client.
References
Assaf, A. G., & Magnini, V. (2012). Accounting for customer satisfaction in measuring hotel efficiency: Evidence from the US hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), 642-647.
Atwal, G., & Williams, A. (2017). Luxury brand marketing–the experience is everything! Journal of Brand Management, (16), 338–346.
Douglas, J. (1996). Building performance and its relevance to facilities management. Facilities, 14(3/4), 23-32.
Drion, B., Melissen, F., & Wood, R. (2012). Facilities management: Lost, or regained? Facilities, 30(5/6), 254-261.
Hennigs, N., Wiedmann, K. P., Klarmann, C., & Behrens, S. (2013). Sustainability as part of the luxury essence: Delivering value through social and environmental excellence. The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, (52), 25-35.
Kang, K. H., Stein, L., Heo, C. Y., & Lee, S. (2012). Consumers’ willingness to pay for green initiatives of the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(2), 564-572.
Laird, S. (1994). Total facilities management. Facilities, 12(13), 25-26.
Law, R., Leung, D., Au, N., & Lee, H. A. (2013). Progress and development of information technology in the hospitality industry: Evidence from Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), 10-24.
Park Hyatt Sydney. (n.d.) Our hotel. Web.
Ransley, J., & Ingram, H. (2012). Developing hospitality properties and facilities. London, UK: Routledge.
STR Global. (2015). STR chain scales. Web.
Su, Y. P., Hall, C. M., & Ozanne, L. (2013). Hospitality industry responses to climate change: A benchmark study of Taiwanese tourist hotels. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(1-2), 92-107.
Susskind, A. M. (2014). Guests’ reactions to in-room sustainability initiatives: An experimental look at product performance and guest satisfaction. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 55(3), 228-238.
Torres, E. N., & Kline, S. (2013). From customer satisfaction to customer delight: Creating a new standard of service for the hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 25(5), 642–659.
Walls, A. R. (2013). A cross-sectional examination of hotel consumer experience and relative effects on consumer values. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32, 179-192.
Wang, X. L. (2012). Relationship or revenue: Potential management conflicts between customer relationship management and hotel revenue management. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), 864-874.
The Palm Tree Resort and Casino is the largest resort in the state of California with its area of 188,000 sq ft and more than 3000 slot machines. The casino has gained large popularity and earns several million dollars every year; the part of the sum is spent on the local towns’ development. The number of employees of the Palm Tree Casino and Resort is up to 4,100 people of managers and personnel. Visitors have a wonderful chance to get rest and spend money at the slot machines on the gaming floor; there is a wonderful luxurious hotel that offers 522 rooms. There are more than 130 table games including famous Black Jack, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, and many more (Valley, 2003). It has golf courses, field trips, and spa salons to offer a high quality service compared to all other businesses like that within their industry.
The company’s mission is to grant joy and happiness to the clients who resort to casino entertainment. Also, one of the missions is to support the Indian reservation’s economic growth as it has been funded by the Indian reservations’ capitals initially. Giving job opportunities to the local towns, the Palm Tree Resort and Casino happens to implement a very serious and important role – a state economy supplier with its annual profit of more than 33 million dollars while being the largest casino and resort in Southern California.
In order to get a closer insight into the area of casino management structure and objectives, it was a great chance to talk to casino CFO – Chief Financial Officer Julie Wiseman (Weiswasser, 2011). She is likely to outline the objectives and the actual management structure of the hotel and casino service at her work place. It is a great opportunity to interview Mrs. Wiseman as any casino CEO would say that financial department is the most important in this business. Therefore, an interview with a casino veteran Mrs. Wiseman who happens to have worked in one of Las Vegas casinos, as well, should unveil the internal management structure together with organizational development issues. Meeting at casino’s conference room would be a splendid chance to ask the following questions.
The first question will logically be about the property of the Palm Tree Resort and Casino. The Vice President of Finance will tell about the size of the land property itself and the most important feature of all the casinos – the gaming floor. It is essential to bring up the information about the number of slot machines and the capacity of the hotel. The second question: “Tell me about the Organizational Structure of the Palm Tree Casino and Resort. It is very intersecting how you delegate the tasks and what responsibilities does every department head have?” This way the interviewer makes it clear what the chart of internal organization management is. Third question: “Can you describe your day or the work schedule? And if there are any CFO assistants before the actual executive employees”. The CFO is going to tell about financial director and financial controller and the order in which they report to the higher positioned posts. Forth question: “What are the priorities of the department and, please, tell me do you have any challenges?” And the last question: “What are the prospects of the company and where do you see the future taking your casino?”
References
Valley, D. (2003). Jackpot Trail: Indian Gaming in Southern California. San Diego: Sunbelt Publications.
Weiswasser, M. (2011). What’s in a Title? Finance Department. Human Capital, 15(1), 22-23.
Tourism is believed to be one of the most influential and fastest growing industries across the world. Its growth over the recent years has been on a steady rise with numerous countries across the world witnessing an upward mobility in their tourism industries (Dabour, 2003, p.25). According to Sharpley and Telfer (2002, p.1), both international and global tourism are estimated to be worth US$3.5 trillion. This report is supported by Lindsay (2003) who states that “Worldwide, tourism generates annual revenues of nearly 3 trillion US dollars and contributes nearly 11% of the global GNP (Gross National Product), making it the world’s largest industry.”
In a more recent documentation by UNWTO (2011), the industry of tourism is reported to generate estimated global revenue of US$919 billion just from its exports alone. This clearly shows the immense value of tourism as a vital aspect in the development and planning of today’s business-oriented world.
Many studies conducted today attest to this fact—with a good number of them prospecting a better future for tourism in spite of being, admittedly, aware of the looming dangers prospected to come in the near future. One such scholar is Kim (2010, p.1) who says that:
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts that the world tourism industry will grow at an annual rate of 4.1% by the year 2020 with international arrivals reaching nearly 1.56 billion by the year 2020 in Tourism 2020 Vision, its long-term forecast and assessment of the development of tourism.
But before delving into such intricacies, what really does the term tourism mean? In essence, tourism generally refers to the act of travelling for purposes of leisure, recreation and business (Tezak et al., 2010, pp.202-212). Its categories include heritage tourism, ecotourism, wildlife tourism, religious tourism and cultural tourism.
Fundamentally, several factors contribute variably to the progress or advancement of tourism. These factors include (but are not limited to): good management policies by the concerned tourism bodies and people, the availability of rich ecosystems which encourage visits, relative efficacy of financial institutions and viable cooperation among stakeholders (Lindsay, 2003). However, based on the varying nature of development in countries; tourism development and planning (whether national, regional or international) occurs differently across the world. For example, in Southeast Asia and the Pacific which are reported as the fastest growing tourism regions; tourism development and planning tends to be more efficient as opposed to slow-growing regions like Africa (UNWTO, 2011).
Even more importantly, changes in needs and wants across regions have led to tourism development being regarded differently. As explicatively detailed in chapter 1 and 2 of the book Tourism and development: concepts and issues by Sharpley and Telfer, development in tourism is today viewed as self-actualization, economic growth, capitalism or socialism, structural change, cultural reliance or even autonomous industrialization; all at the same time. As a result, the tourism planning taken by people or organizations differs from one place to the other (Selby, 2004, pp.15-20).
On another note, the change in time has also brought its fair share of viewpoints in tourism development and planning. According to Sharpley and Telfer (2002, p.39), in the 1950s and 1960s, development and planning of tourism was mostly geared towards agendas such as modernization. However, as we moved in the 1970s and 1980s, the agendas changed into issues such as economic neoliberalism. These two interrelated, yet distinct, agendas brought by time are bound to have an effect on the nature of tourism development and planning. A succinct analysis of some of the four major development paradigms or characteristics presently used in tourism planning (including their merits and demerits) is given below.
Firstly, we have modernism. In this development paradigm, the major focus is on using modern tools as a way of advancing tourism. Often, we have the involvement of governing bodies like the state—which greatly helps in keeping development plans in perspective (Sharpley & Telfer, 2002, pp.39-41). On the downside, however, too much involvement of entities like the state can be easily subjected to manipulation by those in power thus reducing objectivity.
Secondly, we have Dependency. In this category, efficacy in tourism development is sustained by depending on those who are well-off. This gives the dependants some leverage in whatever developmental plans they have. The problem with dependency, however, is that the countries or regions people depend on can decide to place some limiting sanctions for their subjects (Sharpley & Telfer, 2002, p.42). Also, these subjects may be depending on organizations that are misguided. Problems from those who are depended upon, can be catastrophic if it spreads to the subjects (Todaro, 1994, pp.81-84).
Thirdly, there is the paradigm known as economic liberalism. Here, power is somewhat distributed liberally such that everyone is entitled to an equal opportunity for amassing economic strength through fair completion (Sharpley and Telfer, 2002, pp.39). However, as we know, at no point can we ever find equity and equality. In one way or another, the equilibriums voiced by neoliberalists is simply a mask meant to hide ugly truth of anomalies like controlled ,markets, privatization of public entities or even marginalization of the “have-nots” (Todaro, 1994, pp.83-85)
Fourthly and finally, we have the alternative development paradigm which is loused on the mindset that provision of basic needs to people is the major reason for any given development (Sharpley and Telfer, 2002, pp.39). Other endeavors such as power and profits which are normally emphasized in most development circles are given second priority. However, some people or organizations already have adequate systems that give them all the basic needs they need (Sharpley and Telfer, 2002, pp.45-47). To such masses, issues like self-actualization (as explained in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) come in quite handy.
As glimpsed above, all these paradigms influence the process of tourism development and planning differently. It is therefore vital that one knows the controlling paradigm or idea that is being used in a particular place before venturing into making any tourism development plans (Todaro, 1994, p.90-93).
Needless to state, even though the nature of tourism development and planning has commendably advanced over the recent times, it still faces a good number of challenges and limitations. These include: terrorist attacks, limited or total lack of cooperation among its stakeholders and shareholders, negative human activity on ecosystems (for example; over-cultivation, poaching or even deforestation), internal and external wars in countries, the unchecked growth of technologies and related facets like globalization and finally, unstable or poorly managed markets (Smeral, 2009, pp.32-36; Sharpley & Telfer, 2002, p.36; and Chavez, 1999).
In effect, tourism planners are bound to have a lot of hiccups in their sustainable tourism endeavors (Shunnaq et al., 2008, pp.1-14). This, therefore, necessitates the need for solutions to be found. And in order for us to find these solutions, more researches need to be done to help augment the studies that have already been done.
Remarkably, there is a good deal of theoretical solutions that have been brought to light. However, on the practical aspects, very little has so far been done. In the quest to finding solutions to the existing tourism challenges; Sharpley and Telfer (2002, pp.2-3) recommend that, more emphasis should be put in finding practical solutions and not just presenting impracticable theories.
Leading by example, (Sharpley and Telfer, 2002, pp.1-2) say that there has been an excessive obsession in getting profits from tourism agendas to the point that salient issues like creating sustainable tourism development plans are no longer given the attention it deserves. As a solution, the two scholars propose that more attention should be paid to objectives, influences and process of tourism-related development (p.1).
Additionally, Sharpley and Telfer (2002, p.35) lament that, in spite of the fact that development theory and tourism evolved along similar timelines, very little connection has been established between the two. Effectually, growth in tourism has been greatly limited. To solve these, the two scholars propose that the ideologies and strategies (which are the two basic components of the development theory) should be channeled such that they accentuate agendas of objective tourism (pp.37-38).
In conclusion, it is worth reiterating the sentiments of Sharpley and Telfer (2002, p.2) by saying that, just because tourism may be sustainable; it does not mean that it will accrue development or become beneficial. Similarly, the fact that people are profiting from tourism does not mean that it is sustainable. There are many discrepancies that exist in the business-oriented world we live in. In the bid to appear get profits, which is the main aim of any given business, some vital practices, laws or rules may be pushed aside thus deviating from the real objective of tourism. In order to solve this, it is needful for the concerned parties to ensure that there is a balance between profitability and sustainability when planning for tourism development agendas.
As clearly revealed in the discussions above, there is indeed a relationship between tourism and development—which needs to be continually nurtured to ultimate fruition. However, for there to be full fruition, there is need for the concerned parties to work together in adding the benefits while intermittently eliminating the challenges and limitations. It is only through this, that Sharpley and Teller’s dream of having an “all-rounded” tourism industry can be truly actualized.
List of References
Chavez, R., 1999. Globalization and tourism: deadly mix for indigenous peoples.
Kim, T. Y., 2010. Establishment of a tourism network in the Korea-Japan strait.
Lindsay, H. E., 2003. Ecotourism: the promise and perils of environmentally-oriented travel.
Selby, M., 2004. Understanding urban tourism: image, culture and experience. New York: Tauris.
Sharpley, R., & Telfer, D. J., 2002. Tourism and development: concepts and issues. Bristol: Channel View Publications.
Shunnaq, M., Schwab, W.A., & Reid, M. F., 2008. Community development using a sustainable tourism strategy: a case study of the Jordan River Valley tourist way. International Journal of Tourism Research, 10, pp.1-14.
Smeral, E., 2009. Impacts of the world recession and economic crisis on tourism: Forecasts and potential risks. Journal of Travel Research, 49 (1), pp.31-38.
Tezak, A., Sergo, Z., & Luk, N., 2010. Impact of economic crisis on motivations for selecting a tourist destination. Tourism & Hospitality Management 2010, Conference Proceedings, pp.202-212.
Todaro, M., 1994. Economic development (5th Ed.). New York: Longman
Q1. The population in Oman is slowly but steadily rising over the years with the influx of more expatriates into the country. As a result, there are more people in the streets from different backgrounds. The mixture of the various cultures can have a negative influence on the way people relate while driving. Certain people have a habit of driving fast and dangerous, Oman becomes a great stage for this as it has good road infrastructural networks, and this, in turn, creates a perfect recipe for disaster on the roads leading to an increase in the number of road accidents. Most people are working for longer hours, which means that they do not get enough sleep to relax and regain their energy. Being on the road in such, a state is a cause for road accidents. Distractions on the road while driving can also lead to accidents. People have developed the habit of driving while on the phone talking or texting, which distracts them from driving, this is the highest-rated cause of road accidents in Oman. Obstructions on the road create blind spots that may lead other drivers to miscalculate distances and end up causing accidents. Such offenses are easily avoidable thus the need for the authorities to step up the road safety campaigns to save lives on the roads of Oman.
Employment Without a Passport
Q2. People who leave their native countries to go and work in other countries like Oman are adults. this is because they must have attained adulthood to gain access to work in Oman. It had been a common practice in the past to hold the passports of employees from other countries once they clear at the airport. Employers have argued that this happens in the best interest of the employees since the passports are stored for safekeeping. Over the years, there have been numerous cases of people allegedly facing forced labor while being threatened by employers who hold their passports. The practice has escalated into being one of the greatest violations of human rights possible, this is because withholding someone’s passport makes them stay at your mercy since they cannot travel when they want to. It also denies them the necessary document that they can use for identification as they are in a foreign land. In any case, if one is an adult they must be allowed to keep their passport with them whenever they want to since it is a necessary document, especially in another country. Because this practice is demeaning and violates human rights, it must desist immediately and especially within the Gulf countries like Oman which have kept up the practice.
Foreigners in Oman
Q3. One fundamental human right gives everyone the right to expression. The Gulf countries have been very cautious and controlling of all the foreigners who get into their countries. Since the numbers of expatriates have swelled over the years, some of the rules have been changed in favor of the foreigners. Gulf countries are all Muslim territories and it would be unfair to deny other groups of people a chance to enjoy their native music and sounds especially when they are away and in a completely new environment. Hindus have been working in Oman for years now and their numbers have soared. However, Omani authorities still deny them the chance to have a Hindi-speaking radio channel. It would be a good chance to reach the over 700,000 Hindi expatriates living in Oman. Besides, a large populace of Omanis does speak Hindi thus it would be a win-win situation for all parties concerned. The Hindi radio station would also be a great medium for the Omani authorities to relay new rules and regulations to the large Hindu-speaking population that does not speak either English or Arabic. The Indian consulate in Oman would also have a platform to interact with its citizens. Most importantly, having a Hindi FM station the Indian population in Oman would get a chance to enjoy a taste of home while away from home uplifting their quality of life in a foreign land.
Tourism in Oman
Q4. Traffic congestion caused by an increase in the number of cars and other motor vehicles on the roads is a problem in Muscat. At the time of construction, the roads were wide and big enough to carry the traffic at that time comfortably. With an increase in the number of expatriates residing and working within Muscat, the road infrastructure stretches to its limits. The solution is to expand the existing motorways to allow for the flow of more traffic, this is under the supervision of the municipal council of Muscat. A third lane implemented on the Sultan Qaboos Road will ease traffic. Another project of the Muscat Municipality is the construction of underpasses and a flyover on the Darsait-Wadi Kabir road. When combined with the remodeling of the road’s intersection will ease the traffic congestion in Ruwi tremendously. Another project is the conversion of the Wadi Kabir roundabout into a four-lane intersection with an underpass. An additional footbridge for the pedestrians will be an added advantage on the busy road. All intersections face revamping and will feature separate roads from Wadi Kabir to Muttrah. To ease traffic congestion and to spread the traffic to other roads leading in and out of the city of Muscat.
Q5.Tourism in Oman has continued to grow over the years. Oman has one of the most diverse arrays of tourist attractions within the Gulf States. The country has enjoyed an influx of tourists coming in to sample a taste of the rich cultural history that the country has. Muscat as the country’s capital led a vote as the second-best city to travel to in the world this year. It adds to its attraction and signifies the fact that it truly is a magical city to visit. Muscat is the capital of Arab tourism in 2012 as voted by fellow Gulf nations. The two leading votes will go a long way in attracting more people and convincing them that the city of Muscat and Oman as a country is worth a visit. It in turn is good tidings for the country since it will enjoy an influx of tourists throughout the year. The country prides itself on its rich cultural heritage and it uses this to market itself around the world. The country is rather peaceful in comparison to other Arab countries adding to its attraction as a tourist haven. All one requires is a single visa that is easily attained thus easing travel into Oman. It is clear that Oman’s tourism sector continues to thrive with time and the country will be reaping from the tourism boom for years to come if the state of calm and peace remains.
Travelling has always been a matter of personal approach, different tastes and perceptions. On this very reason, people express the most diversified opinions concerning travelling including travelling around the world. Nowadays, the argument concerning the opinion that international travelling is over-rated appears to be rather heated. A great number of varied attitudes can be subdivided into the two categories of those who agree that international travelling is really over-rated, and those who oppose such statement. In the following paper, an effort to observe the two above-mentioned points of view on international travelling and to evaluate the situation occurring in this field will be made. Overall, after the evaluating the facts, it appears that those who support the idea concerning international travelling being over-rated seem to be right.
People’s perceptions concerning travelling in general
First of all, speaking about international travelling and its value, people’s attitudes to travelling in general is to be examined. The main point to be addressed with regards to this topic is the very fact that people percept different situations in different way. In addition, people may face different situations in the same place which will shape their way of thinking in different ways as time and case are important pointers affecting people’s minds and hearts. Travelers have different attitudes to different things shaped on the basis of their cultural background, family values, goals in life, personal preferences, and even the level of their mental power. One more serious field of concerns is related to the fact the world is getting very homogeneous on the reason of the process of globalization. In our globalized reality, countries and cities with their buildings, transportation system, services, local food and a whole bunch of the other parameters look more and more similar. People’s cultures also have an unfrequented tendency to assimilate.
The position of the proponents of the idea that international traveling is over-rated
Next, evaluating the position of the proponents of the idea that international travelling is over-rated it seems that the main reason for their attitudes is the quality of services offered. Many people supporting this party of the argument personally faced with the cases of utterly bad service along with the cases of artificial raising the prices for the goods and services which are of much lower level than it is expected. Among such people frequent are the stories describing terrible service in transport, hotels and air-ports.
The position of the opponents of the idea that international travelling is over-rated
Further, with regards to the position of the opponents of the idea that international travelling is over-rated, it appears that people belonging to this party in the argument really enjoy what they see during their international trips. The people belonging to this category are the excited visitors of varied destinations who have the most positive feedbacks on what they saw, how much they paid for the offered goods and services, and the impressions which are related to the level of hospitality shown by the local people.
My opinion concerning the issue under consideration
Finally, reflecting on the position expressed by the two parties in this argument, I would support the position by the proponents of the idea that international travelling is over-rated. I’d rather agree with them on the reason of what is stated by numerous people who complain about their utterly negative experiences in the air-ports, on the roads, and in the hotels. It is much easier to find feedbacks by people who faced some significant problems in varied areas related to international traveling than those who enjoyed them to the full extent. In addition, the process of constant and universal globalization which results into making different lands with their culture, traditions and services very similar to each other makes the situation even more obvious. In this vein, the expectations by a certain traveler who dreams to see different countries and enjoy warm and unusual mentality of its population come to see that the local people are also very much adherent to the global western culture, and do not differ from those fellow citizens of the person in his/her home-town and home-country.
Conclusion
Concluding on all the information related above, it should be stated that the issue of whether international traveling is over-rated or not is rather complicated and ambiguous one. This tendency can be explained by the fact that people have different tastes, opinions and perceptions. This, in turn, often causes the situations in which one person may feel that everything is going great, and the other may feel that things are getting worse than it can be possibly expected. Still, the cases when international travelling became a real source of discouragement and unhappiness by travelers are very frequent. It results into the situation when people begin to think that it was a better idea for them to stay home or to travel around their own country rather than going abroad. The other important point is in the process of constant and universal globalization which results into making different lands with their culture, traditions and services very similar to each other. In this vein, the expectations by a certain traveler who dreams to see different countries and enjoy their unusual atmosphere are not put into reality.
A mysterious place in southeastern Europe, Romania has some unusual locations for a curious tourist. From the magnificent Carpathians to the silent Danube river, it astonishes a visitor with striking sceneries, impressive castles, and great historical spots.
Among many surprising moments about Romania, I would stop at the unique untouched landscapes. The Bucegi National Park is an example of the real wild nature, not intruded by humans. It suggests an opportunity for green tourism, where one is sure to find spectacular views, and rare examples of flora and fauna. This is the first place I would like to visit.
One more place worth mentioning is the Danube Delta. It is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a surprising place. 2200 square miles of lakes, rivers, and canals are the home for hundreds of species of birds and fish, and a wonderland for nature observers. One can take a little boat and float along this city of water.
It was not only the Romanian nature that surprised me, but also the historical heritage of this land. When it comes to the castles of Romania, everyone would remember the mysterious story of Count Dracula, who used to live in Transylvania. The Bran Castle is believed to be the home of the famous vampire, and it is a successful example of a tourist attraction. I was also curious about Saxon communities, especially the town of Sighisoara. It is the best-retained fortress town of that time which has never been defeated. It is a precious stone for researchers and tourists, for it preserves the unique spirit of the time due to its churches, towers, and houses.
The last but not the least astonishing fact about Romania is its cultural traditions. They are preserved the way they used to be centuries ago and make Romania an exceptional place. It is about ecologically friendly methods of farming, using the power of nature for daily routines, like making flour without any machines. It is of interest to tourists, but not easy for the local population.
One day global modernization may touch those remarkable places. It will probably make the life of the people easier but can ruin the spirit of the country. All that is left to do is to hope that the people will preserve the pure nature, the unique history and the soul of this country for the future.
In the nearest future, the touristic industry will experience considerable decline in general due to the complicated economic and political situation in the world (Discussing the future of tourism, 2009). The global analysts claim that this state of affairs will affect the European market to the greatest degree since it is characterized by high prices and underdeveloped infrastructure (Free, 2010). In this vein, the shift in popularity is observed in the direction of Asian resorts as they offer moderate charges in combination with grate service. Thus, there are reasons to expect the fallen rates of popularity of Paris as a famous tourist stronghold.
Accessibility
Another reason to expect negative phenomena in touristic industry in Paris is accessibility of the city and its popular tourist destinations. The transportation infrastructure both in Paris and France needs allocation of considerable funds for modernization (Connected World Transforming Travel, Transportation and Supply Chains, 2013; International task force on sustainable tourism development, n. d.). The poor prognosis in the field of transportation accessibility explains why the general touristic perspectives of the city in 2025 are negative (Insight into the future of tourism, 2012; Swayne & Dodds, 2011).
Competitiveness
In the latest period of time, there have been observed significant decline in the level of the competitiveness of French touristic destinations including Paris (Dung & Reijnders, 2013). Such situation is explained by the fact that the new leaders in the industry have occupied the most advantageous positions at the market. Traditionally, Paris is seen as the best option for romantic trips, honeymoons, etc. However, today these sectors are successfully occupied by Vietnamese and Philippine resorts due to better pricing policy and the welcoming exotics (Tourism leaders plan future, 2012).
Safety and Security Issues
According to Free (2010), safety and security is one of the most important variables that affect consumers’ choices in the area of tourism. In Paris, the level of protection leaves much to desire. People are concerned on the reason of growing criminality. The areas of special concern are the growing rates of thefts and robbery, racket, and frauds of varied kinds. The situation is estimated to become even worse in the future decade since the population of France along with its numerous immigrants experiences huge economic problems.
The environmental situation
The worsening environmental situation is Paris is the cause of more problems in the industry of tourism in the city. A special reason for concern is the condition of water in the local rivers. The water is being extremely polluted, which harms the general atmosphere in the city including the quality of air. Tourists visiting Paris in the latest period admit that this unwanted circumstance nullifies all the pleasant experiences of travelling around the city. The environmental specialists claim that the condition of water in the Seine River will only deteriorate in the nearest decade (Dung & Reijnders, 2013).
Architectural deterioration
The problem of ruining the architectural sites in Paris is one of the central anxieties of the city authorities. The scale of the situation is so big that the state budget is not able to finance the annual program of monuments and buildings renovation. Thus, Paris loses its most attractive characteristics, which will undeniably lessen the future flow of tourists (Consumer-generated web-based tourism marketing, 2008; Insight into the future of tourism, 2012).
References
Connected World Transforming Travel, Transportation and Supply Chains. (2013). Web.
