Category: Tourism

Introduction

The term “creative tourism” refers to a new wave of travel that incorporates both visitors and natives in the production of the vacation experience. This paper will explore the importance of creativity in tourism. Budapest is a great European city that has yet to be discovered by many tourists. This paper will provide an overview of the exciting areas a tourist may aspire to visit. The sources used in this study include the journal of Ghilardi on Culture and Creative Tourism content from an internet search with the Google search engine. This paper will have three main parts: tourism and creativity, the selected city, and a creative tourist trail.

Tourism and Creativity

To attract tourists, there is a need to promote creative industries to develop into creative cities. The invention has been used in place-making in tourist locations through various design concepts (Simon et al., 2019). The tourist sector includes creative and digital entrepreneurship, both of which have experienced recent growth (Jelincic, 2021). Climate change, rising tourist production, and growing tourism rivalry in the marketplace have all aided in developing new procedures for digital venture creation and innovative enterprises in the travel sector.

Digital technologies like big files and predictive analysis, portable devices, societal media, machine intellect, and cloud services have recently undergone rapid development, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Rusch et al., 2022). This has prompted new businesspersons to emphasize inventive industry ideas to revolutionize the digital free enterprise. Additionally, according to Boix-Domenech and Rausell-Köster (2018), the creative economy industries encompass activities relating to architecture, traditional culture, creative crafts, filmed internet, documentation, library services, publication festivals, music introduction, and radio (Varotsis, 2019). These sectors are currently seen as significant drivers of economic development and have recently drawn creative businesspersons.

Consequently, the fast adoption of digital innovations has sped up the development of cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in areas where technology predominates, luring businesspeople who invest in technology marketing as a form of innovation. Given its high levels of digital connectivity, cheap investment costs, and emphasis on enabling wealth creation, digital business growth in creative businesses is an alluring modernization area. After all, general management expertise predicts innovative entrepreneurship.

Creative Areas

One of the most challenging tasks for creative growth is to anchor and integrate creativity and artistic value in particular areas. It is not easy to ensure that the creative value sparked by a city also remains there because creativity is typically relatively unrestrained. Their innovative approach to tourism encourages other customers to follow their example by exploring new places and looking for novel experiences. Their research on the formation of new tourist venues also highlights the importance of creativity in luring specific sorts of tourists. People who want to live like a local tend to gravitate toward particular neighborhoods.

The cities that draw these visitors typically feature a lot of culture and creativity, as well as plug-and-play amenities for the contemporary global nomad, including significant mobile populations, effective communications, and an abundance of social places like bars, plazas, and gardens. These places of cultural significance are relational spaces rather than merely place to visit, where being there is equally as significant as the cultural substance itself. Numerous examples of how local innovation has been used in cities to promote and enhance tourism are provided in the tourist industry, culture, and regeneration volume.

With the emergence of “pop-up” cultural venues, places are also being imaginatively reinterpreted through temporary usage. A third space that transforms into an event has been added to urban space due to the pop-up phenomena. The pop-up also forges a new connection with audiences where the meeting, rather than cultural artifacts, matters. Such areas derive their significance from relational aesthetics. The visitors are more significant than the space’s artistic and cultural offerings.

The pop-up may be the ideal illustration of the experience economy since it consists of several discrete experiences that customers must connect with using their own stories. The emergence of “ruin bars” in abandoned buildings in Budapest is one illustration of the “pop-up” or “impermanent city” phenomenon that is closely related to tourism. As the informal character of transactions is tied to free time and social contact, tourism and leisure frequently serve as a necessary background to these locations. For instance, Lange looks at how entrepreneurs create scenes in Berlin where ideas are discussed and developed, information is shared, and creativity is encouraged (Tsolakidis et al., 2020). Although these “hot spots” may shift throughout the city regularly, these artistic “hot spots” are commonly pubs and clubs where leisure consumption is combined and changed into work. This embeds the creative network in a particular area.

Creative Industries

The market supply of industrial goods and high-value services are combined in the creative sectors. They include all of the unprecedented steps in an artistic process. The ability to provide an original solution or an invention built on the creator’s notion is a principal element in the operations of creative businesses. Innovation converts new ideas into innovative concepts in the creative fields, while creativity generates new ideas.

The creative industries are said to bring together a variety of fields that may not be connected, according to the definition of the word created for the British market. Architecture, layout, designer style, drawing and antiquities, performance and graphic arts, publication, handicrafts, software, recreational software, arts center, galleries, bookstores, learning, cinema, video, cinematography, musical, television, and radio sets are among them.

The artistic activities associated with creative activities concentrate on human innovativeness to generate knowledge and invention. The creative industry sectors’ institutional framework incorporates all managerial abilities and human creations that create revenue and job development by manipulating intellectual ownership and individual ingenuity. Individual creativity is also integrated into the cultural, artistic, and overall economy via the creative industries. The orange economy covers the entire process of turning an idea into a marketable product.

The cultural sector, one of the innovative subsectors, is frequently included when discussing the entertainment industry. The cultural sector concentrate on promoting primarily cultural and social value through cultural tourism, traditional culture, the activity industries of libraries and museums, cultural and athletic happenings, and operations that radiate an approach to life. The production of services and goods in the so-called beliefs and innovative business is primarily driven by human innovation (CCI).

Creative Tourism

To satisfy the expanding needs of travelers, the current fiercely competitive tourism sector necessitates delivering innovative and creative services. Innovations that sustain or boost tourists’ contentment with tourism services are now more critical than ever, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic (Bavik and Kuo, 2022). Vacation depends on the interaction between the producer and the consumer (tourist); hence the latter’s pleasure is reliant on the interpersonal connections made when the tourism services are being provided. In the fiercely competitive tourist sector, a creative supplier of exceptional and new services has a competitive edge (Prima Lita et al., 2020). The knowledge and stimuli acquired during a trip reflect the tourist experience connected to tourism.

The variety of services and products a visitor receives at a particular location and time, beneath their unique circumstances of discernment, are tied to their unique, life-changing experience. In cultural tourism, engaging with another culture provides knowledge. More than the total of generic tourist products and services are needed to make an experience distinctive. It may be done through co-creating a transformative tourist experience and by the distinctiveness of the human interactions that guide the travel provision (Jiang et al. 2021). The final is superior to a waning, short memory. Artistic tourism aims to offer customized, authentically one-of-a-kind experiences, as contrasted to tourist numbers provided through conventional tourist produce. A creative tourism commodity (tourist spot) for the community is produced by including the creative person and using the process to create creative actions using entirely new ways.

The Budapest City

The City of Budapest was selected for this study because the Danube River divides it into the two cities of Buda and Pest, which make up a sizable World Heritage Site. Although the city’s well-known geothermal springs draw many visitors, the capital offers much more. This area has several historical landmarks, with Heroes’ Square, the Millennium Underground Railway, and Buda Castle Quarter among the most visited. The young vibe of this city has long attracted artists; therefore, Budapest’s population is relatively laid-back and creative. Budapest offers a thriving nightlife, theatres, operas, museums, and much energy. Since 2009, more guests have been residing in Budapest’s hotels, getting almost 4.6 million people in 2019. Nearly four million of them were overseas guests. According to the most recent estimates, 3,141,576.0 people visited Hungary in the first quarter of 2022 (Randeraad, 2020). Hungary’s tourism industry generated 4.2 USD in revenue in December 2020, an increase of 65.0% from the prior year (Randeraad, 2020). The Castle District is the best region for sightseeing in Budapest. Turning a corner is all it takes to enjoy additional charming alleyways, vistas of the Danube, Gothic cathedrals, and world-class museums when touring the Castle District.

Starting with the Fisherman’s Bastion, moving across the square to Matthias Church, visiting Castle Hill, and finally arriving at the Royal Palace, where one could easily spend a whole day seeing the structures and museums, are all worthwhile stops. With 1.7 million residents, Budapest, the capital of Hungary, benefits from its creative fields, with a labor force participation rate rising by 18% yearly since 2000 (Randeraad, 2020). Creative tourism is the fastest-developing segment of the innovative industry, with a threefold rise in its additional gross value over the past ten years. It is regarded as an accelerator for start-ups in any city in the world.

Budapest has a broad design philosophy that is viewed as a catalyst for progressive urban growth. Although the city hosts several significant design-related events, including the Ajándék Terminál fair, it serves primarily as a testing ground for modernism, utilizing the scheme as a tool to raise the sentience of urbanity and enhance the standard of public areas. The three institutions that are most active in offering programs in this area are the Hungarian University of Creative Arts (MKE), The Design Port, and the Moholy-Nagy University of Arts (MOME). The city has recently started several mapping and research projects focused on the cultural industries. To promote a high standard of urban life, the city works closely with civil society. The “Your place, your success!” initiative, the “I will be back right” scheme, and the Culburbproject, among many other multi-stakeholder efforts, show the unique dynamic of the city concerning changing struggling suburbs and neighborhoods through standard amenities.

The capital of Hungary, which is also the most populated city, is Budapest. It comprises the three municipalities of Obuda, Pest, and Buda, which were amalgamated under the designation Budapest in 1875. Buda, the Hiller side of Budapest, is where tourists discover Buda Palace, but Pest, the city’s more level side, is where there exist many significant buildings, including the Hungarian Legislature and the Nation Concert Hall Hungary. This center region on both sides of the river Danube is recognized as a UNESCO Global Beauty Reserve. Tourists can spend most of their time there if they are first-time visitors to Hungary.

Creative Tourist Trail of Budapest

Budapest is a tourist’s dream and the ideal place to start a vacation, whether interested in hot spas, historical galleries, Neo-Gothic buildings, or medieval artworks. Like many other European locations, the ideal months to visit Budapest are April through May and September through October (Bosma et al., 2018). There are fewer people around this time, and it is warm outside. The city is more joyful throughout winter, and March offers fantastic sales. Traveling to Hungary is simple and reasonably priced. Budget carriers like Delta 2, Ryan air, and West jet offer numerous flights into Budapest from various European cities.

There are presently no nonstop planes from the United States to Budapest, but one may get there through London, Hamburg, Munich, Paris, or Rotterdam. A railroad into Hungary is a terrific choice for anyone touring the area since it has three global railway terminals with excellent links to Vienna and Budapest. A bus from one of the adjacent cities would be a more affordable alternative, or one could take a boat tour from Bratislava for everything unique. Budapest is a city that is easily navigated by walking, but there are still many public transportation choices. While 40 tram routes pass through the central district, the subway has five routes and is reasonably simple to use. It operates daily from 4.45 am to 11: pm at night. Tourists may travel beyond afield via buses, and cabs are also reasonably priced.

Balaton, the biggest lake in Central Europe, also known as the Hungarian Sea, has refreshing waters and fascinating tours. The adjacent wine-growing areas partake in boat tours that are easily accessible. The area’s North coast is renowned for being family-friendly and laid down, while those seeking a livelier lifestyle can visit the southern coastline and places like Siófok beaches. Many people often want to enjoy soaring and warm temperatures during summer. The main draw of Hungary and a fantastic incentive to travel there is its central city. Budapest provides a lot for everyone, from thriving and diverse entertainment to great retail and a wealth of historical sites.The capital of Hungary is relatively safe; however, it has petty burglary issues like any other large European metropolis, and thievery is the crime that poses the most risk to tourists. It is incorrect that many tourists regard it as more unsafe than cities like Santiago or Paris. This is caused mainly by the prevalence of underground crimes like drug use and smuggling.

Buda Castle

The first ruler to provide a house in the castle was King Béla IX. The Imperial Palace and the fortification (Buda Castle) were constructed on opposite sides of the Buda Mountain in the 13th century. Since then, Buda Castle has continued to grow. The empire’s holdings expanded under Sigismund, the king, and the fortress was regarded as the biggest in the latter Medieval Ages (Nowakowska, 2018). King Matthias oversaw the construction of the Golden age castle and the development of the British library Corinthian and other lovely grounds.

Nevertheless, beginning in the fifteenth century, the fortress saw attacks and wars (Hartrich, 2019). Since its founding, several conflicts have been waged, the monarchs have changed, and army huts have supplanted the civilian sections on this hill. Old city regions have also fallen, and new areas are currently being constructed. Only at the latter end of the 21st century did things become calm. The medieval structures from the reign of King Sigismund were given new vitality during Buda Castle’s reconstruction with the assistance of historians. As a result, Budapest’s cityscape perspective is adorned with old and new castle structures.

The Neo-Baroque iron fence encloses the fortress. A massive statue of the Turul bird, which represents the Arpad’s royalty and carries a royal blade in its claws, is used to decorate the fence. As the castle holds priceless museum items, the interior spaces have been refurbished using the latest technological advancements. A magnificent bronze spring with a sculpture portraying a regal hunt led by King Matthias may be seen in the northeastern corner of Buda Palace. The Medieval Matthias Faith’s chapel, the aisles, and the Sailor’s Bastion’s Modernity towers can all be seen over the rooftops of the homes. The historic structures that line the small alleyways where people still reside today are surrounded by medieval strongholds. On the grounds of Buda Palace, there are the Royal Archives, the Historical Institute, and the Royal Portrait archive. The underground passageway that connects to the Sandor Castle at St. George Plaza constitutes one of the fortress’s most distinctive features.

One of the most prominent well-known structures in the world is Buda Castle. The fortress and royal residence of the Hungarian Monarchs, who formerly ruled all of Hungary, stood towering and firm in the town of Budapest. First, This lavish and royal castle, constructed in the glorious year 1265, is among the most well-known buildings, with Victoria Castle and other prominent strongholds (Wu, 2021). Buda House is no longer the fortress with the residential design and furnishings that it once was. It is home to two of Budapest’s most important institutions: the Budapest Historical Library, one of the country’s most well-known institutions, and the National Portrait Gallery of Hungary, a repository with some of the most renowned and significant works of architecture to have emerged from Hungary. Because it once served as the Imperial Family’s home, the vast structure was formerly known as the Grand Palace. Considering this location is probably the most well-known UNESCO Global Historic location globally, one can appreciate this fortress’s significance, size, and scope.

Buda Castle served as the monarch of Hungary’s old home. It was built in the 13th century and is located atop Castle Hill. The terrace of the fort provides an excellent view over Pest, the Hungarian Parliament, and the Hanging Link. A visit to the fortification is essential for anybody who appreciates art and civilization. The Széchenyi Registry, the British Galleries of Hungary, and the Farmhouse Exhibition are all located there. These organizations house an extensive collection of paintings, including ancient antiques.

The Chain Bridge

The 1550-foot-long bridge is a well-liked spot for walking, biking, and riding motorcycles. It is a famous footbridge that draws many visitors and makes an excellent backdrop for pictures. The overpass is quite lovely because of the nighttime lighting that lights it and its surroundings. The lighting projections on the Danube Water’s banks make the region more appealing. The Hungarian Congress and the Buda Royal are visible from the Cross Bridge. The Swinging Bridge is positioned close to bus and rail stations to benefit tourists.

This building, sometimes referred to as the Chain Bridge or Széchenyi in the Hungarian language, is one of Hungary’s most significant and historical icons. Since the Hungarian Rebellion of 1847, Buda and Vienna had not been united until a feat of architecture. Once separated by the Danube riverbank, Buda and Pest were eventually merged in 1849. The footbridge has a center span of more than 150 meters, a span of 375 yards, and a breadth of 17 meters. The eight crossings initially span Budapest’s Danube (Caruso et al., 2021). Before it was built, anyone who wished to traverse the river’s borders could do so on sailing ships, or if it were wintertime, they would stroll on the iced river’s surfaces if the temperature was low enough. Depending on rapid climatic fluctuations, these improvised ways made it simple to get caught on the opposite side of the Danube river. Since desperation is the parent of innovation, Count István started a charity to raise money for the building of a lasting overpass in 1825 when he could not traverse the river to witness his dad’s burial.

The massive stone bears defending both sides were created in 1851 by János Marschalkó. The construction was given to the English architect William Clark and was overseen by the Scottish Adams Clark. The lengthy heavy steel chains connecting the two buildings, which symbolize the unbreakable relationship between two situations and the commitment of two minds to fulfilling a crucial political function for the metropolis, gave rise to the name of the wooden bridge (Jelinčić, 2021). The Chain Gate was demolished by the Nazis during the Second World War, along with all other crossings in Budapest (Hammett, 2017). Still, it was rapidly repaired and restored in 1945, precisely 90 years after its original dedication (Boix-Domènech & Rausell-Köster, 2018). This magnificent structure is a source of immense national satisfaction for all Hungarians. It is a must-see performance that offers every tourist a lyrical vision of an enduring universe.

Hungarian Parliament Building

Every visitor to Budapest should see the Capitol Building, where the Hungarian Legislation still meets and which was a crucial construction in the movement in Budapest. The architecture of the building, the paintings and artwork that adorn the chamber, and the views of the Danube Riverbank are only a few of the tower’s appealing qualities. It is advisable to book seats for a special legislature tour since they tend to sell out fast. Several cafés and eateries beside the iconic buildings allow visitors to relax while sightseeing.

Regarding the house’s scale and design, the Baroque room plan, Gothic-inspired front, and Renaissance-inspired ceilings combine to create a cohesive whole. The structure’s broadest point is 125 meters, while the wing that runs along the River Danube is 268 meters long (Pertheban et al., 2019). The dome’s structure is 96 meters high. The Hall of Congress’s architecture is not by chance either, since every single component was built according to a thorough plan, and each one conveys significant political and cultural meanings (Myung and Jun 2020). As the Hungary Legislation Assembly was initially a multiparty body, the conspicuous dome in the center symbolizes the oneness of the legislative and served as the location of joint sessions of the lower and upper chambers. The basement and top house rooms are precisely identical in form on each side of the dome, symbolizing that the two buildings had similar privileges.

Cycling in the streets of Budapest

In Budapest, more people ride motorbikes to get around than cars or public transportation. The availability of bike infrastructure has led to an increase in cycling’s popularity in current times. Budapest’s streets are clogged with cyclists on Earth Day yearly, making it a hectic day. Every visitor attraction in the municipality has a selection of bike rental options. Whether traveling through the congested streets of Buda or Prague or along the Danube riverbank, they are viewing the metropolis on a motorcycle is a delightful adventure. Over the past ten years, Budapest has gotten more bike-friendly, increasing the proportion of people who use rear combinations as their primary mode of transportation. This is primarily a result of growing infrastructure improvements, with bike paths making it relatively simple for bicycles to navigate the city. It was tempting to make pedaling in Budapest a practical substitute for commuting or public transportation. From bicycle routes to road security, dos and don’ts, and more.

Budapest Warm Baths

Hungary has almost 1,000 hot swimming springs running underneath it, making taking a hot treatment one of the finest things to do when there. They offer therapeutic healing characteristics that are said to treat illnesses in addition to the pleasure of a geothermal bath. Budapest is known as the “City of Spas” since it has some top therapeutic spas. A premier medical spa with both interior and outdoor baths, the Széchenyi Warm Spa is located in Budapest’s Local Park. Even though it is accessible all month round, seeing it in winter is a fantastic encounter. Another well-known health spa in Hungary is Gellért Resort and Jacuzzi. Exquisite, complex features in the structure’s carvings make using the geothermal springs here a delightful pleasure.

Even though some of the saunas have a little worn-down appearance, they are clean, and the groundwater is consistently tested. Because of COVID-19 measures, many now also practice improved cleaning practices. Most baths include reasonable dining options or a cafeteria, so tourists can easily spend the entire day there (Britt-Smith, 2019). Based on the months’ time, different baths have different hours of operation, and many now stay open late on holidays. Tourists should state what activities they require at the door because many baths provide various therapies, including massage techniques. The cost of admission will change appropriately. Any treatments you need should be scheduled in advance.

Guests must take a bath before entering the hot water, and if they wear long hair, it should be wrapped back. The sound level within the baths must be kept to a minimum by visitors. Each tower’s heat is listed on signs, occasionally offering advice on how long you should stay within. Visitors are cautioned from bathing in lukewarm water for an extended period because they risk feeling dizzy (Sánchez & Salice, 2017). The only spa that offers single-sex experiences is Rudas Spas. One may substitute the accompanying apron-like clothing for swimwear on certain days. Any of the geothermal springs’ public sections are off-limits to nakedness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Budapest can be one of the best tourist destination areas. Budapest is a popular tourist attraction with unique attributes in regards to the tourism facilities at its availability and is one of the most financially advanced European cities. Human-induced appeals, a rich historical history, increased air travel, and a wide range of commercially produced tourist goods are crucial components of Budapest’s effective urban tourist industry growth. Budapest is a popular vacation spot with unique attributes in respect of the tourism assets at its command and is one of the most commercially advanced European cities. Human-induced features, a rich artistic history, increased air congestion, and a wide range of commercially produced vacation goods are crucial components of Budapest’s effective urban travel growth.

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Introduction

Dallen J. Timothy and Gyan P. Nyaupane, in their classical tourism book titled, “Cultural heritage and tourism in the developing world: a regional perspective” observe that every region in the world possess unique histories, cultures, political traditions, heritages, issues and problems and the methods that have been employed in solving the various different issues differ from one region to another¹.

Cultural heritage tourism, as it may be known has evolved from the understanding that heritage constitutes a fertile ground and area that people (tourists) can draw pleasure and learning experience. Therefore, this assignment is going to be an assessment of cultural heritage tourism particularly dwelling on tutankhamun heritage and exhibitions.

Factors that have contributed to tutankhamun mania

Tutankhamun exhibitions are constituted as part of National Geographic exhibition, which is run in several parts of Europe and America². Tutankhamun exhibitions rest on the tendency of National Geographic Society to showcase to the public the most prominent figures that guided and ruled the old Egypt in the last 3000 years ago³.

The paramount theme of the exhibitions has put more focus and emphasis on the 18th Dynasty, which is calculated to be about 250-year period when Egypt was characterized by dynasty rule and the society was at the peak of artistry⁴.

Tutankhamun mania can be seen to have resulted due to interplay of several factors. First, staging of tutankhamun exhibition around the world is seen to have being transformed with regard to management and the focus is gradually shifting as an academic venture to more of commercial activity⁵.

Commercialization of tutankhamun exhibition has been accompanied by massive advertisement and promotion an aspect that has ignited among many people desire to learn, know and even marvel at these Egyptian heritage.

Another aspect that is leading to tutankhamun mania in many parts of Europe and America has to do with the content and enrichment of tutankhamun artifacts⁶. Just imagine bringing live the history of around 3000 years ago in a more subtle and captivating way. This is what tutankhamun exhibition is achieving. More people are just excited to read Egypt’s long-time unique cultural heritage that is depicted in the tutankhamun exhibition.

Many people have developed curiosity to know and even see numerous copies of all the famous pieces of Tutankhamun tomb and history⁷. Moreover, curiosity for knowledge and contextualize what has been for a long time expressed in movies and books, constitute a reason why tutankhamun exhibition is becoming a mania.

Generally, for majority of people around the world, tutankhamun heritage has for a long time been expressed and explained through books, films, and movies with less real life experience⁸.

In this way, it can be deduced that educational and informative ‘thirst’ for Egyptian cultural heritage persists in many people. As a result, tutankhamun exhibition tend to play the role of bringing about the ‘real’ picture about the tutankhamun history, which in turn is receiving massive acceptance.

Moreover, it can be deduced that tutankhamun mania has increased based on the argument that over-visiting monuments in Egypt is seen to pose damage to the monuments and as a result, visits in the country are regulated, that is to say, minimized⁹. To make it more difficult, authorities in Egypt have restricted access to the real Tomb of Tutankhamun and it is therefore unlikely for many visitors to see the heritage.

Therefore, the solution to satisfy this desire and curiosity has been directed to tutankhamun exhibitions hence drawing many people. Another factor has to do with cost and financial aspects that an individual would have to meet before accessing monuments in Egypt.

Given the large enthusiasm expressed by many people about the Egyptian cultural heritage, the government and monuments heritage management authorities have continuously increased fee fort the visiting tourists¹⁰. This may be at disadvantage of majority of people especially students and young people and therefore as a way of obeying the law of opportunity cost, they decide to fulfill their desire and curiosity in exhibitions.

Heritage tourism as oxymoron and the implications to Egypt

Tourism is perceived to have a long history, which at the same time has been fascinating¹¹. At the same time, tourism has maintained links with history where as time has elapsed, history has evolved to become one of the essential components that make up tourism industry. In most parts of the world, commercialization of history together with culture has become critical and part process of developing tourism products for sale¹².

At this point, it can be said that, today in many parts of the world there is apparent growing interest among tourists to manifest liking for historical, cultural, philosophical, and artistic aspects of other peoples’ cultures¹³. According to 19997 Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism, heritage tourism has been defined as “traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and peoples of the past”¹⁴.

As heritage tourism continue to grow, there is also growing concerns about the numerous impacts, constraints and management implications that this sector brings about in society¹⁵. For example, Dallen J.

Timothy observes that different societies are constructed differently and they manifest great differences in terms of politics, power, power and empowerment, conservation and preservation practices, social mores, cultural vitality, socio-economic disparity and legislative engagement¹⁶.

As heritage becomes a phenomenon that modern tourism is being build on, it is understood that three reasons exist that facilitate the concept of heritage: to protect the past; to create a unique identity; and to attract tourists¹⁷.

In this way, it can be evidenced that as more urbanization and economic developments take place in different countries, there is concern intertwined with conflict on how the idea of protection of the past can be achieved in order to avert more destruction.

Unfortunately, there has been twisting and manipulation that has characterized conservation process, which in turn has led to emergence of heritage designed largely to satisfy purposes that are different from conservation purposes¹⁸.

It should be remembered further that heritage in the modern world is gradually being commoditized as a commodity of the past for the present¹⁹.

Tourism in Egypt remains key aspect especially to the economy. Tourism contributes heavily to the GDP of the country and many opportunities have been created as a result of tourism²⁰. Heritage tourism is what Egypt is best known for given its vast heritage resources such as Pharaonic sites, Graeco-Roman Egypt attractions, and Museums²¹.

Due to these factors of cultural heritage combined with other modern ones, tourism sector in Egypt has experienced growth at a faster rate. Nevertheless, heritage tourism has accompanied itself with numerous complications that further have affected Egypt as a society and its cultural heritages. Heritage tourism is seen to consume not only natural and human resources but also consume cultural resources²².

As this takes place in the Egyptian society and context, it has to be remembered that cultural resources are finite and as a result have to be managed like any other scarce resource. The country has to move away from the previous tendency where majority of archaeological heritage were maximized in terms of revenue through opening up of more sites to visitors.

This led to massive advertisement and promotion and the eventual results was to witness exerted pressure on the country’s cultural and heritage sites as more tourist became unmanageable. Informed by this past reluctance to establish effective check mechanisms, the government has realized the need to establish and implement sustainable tourism development strategies²³.

In this way, it is anticipated that the government will be able to establish comprehensive tourist development plans; and tourist development plans should have both conservation and benefit aspects as part of the plan especially for heritage and cultural sites²⁴.

Dilemmas of Egyptian government in satisfying local and international visitors interested in viewing heritage artifacts

Tourism in Egypt has grown as it was highlighted earlier to a level that it has become one of the economy engines of the country. As fact heritage tourism in Egypt, continue to unprecedented growth thus bringing many benefits to local communities, regional authorities, and national government.

Nevertheless, even as the tourism in the country continues to grow more challenges emerge and this forces the government to sometimes make hard choices. As it was seen earlier tourism planning and development in the past has been ill managed in Egypt, a situation that led to overexploitation of cultural artifacts and sites without proper management²⁵.

Due to massive advertisement of heritage tourism, Egypt continue to experience influx of tourist and as the number grows, pressure exerted on these scarce resources is imminent leading to their destruction or misuse²⁶. Thus, more challenges can be observed from Egypt’s increasing tourist activities.

Some of the challenges include emergence of uncontrolled, unsustainable, and mass tourism growth; detraction of local people’s lives and this may be evidenced in aspects such as intrusion in their daily lives, loss of privacy, and a sense of crowding which makes them view the overall tourism as un-developed²⁷.

Exposure of local and cultural aspects to outsiders with little planning and management has exposed communities ‘secrets’ to outsiders, a situation that may cause discomfort among the people concerned²⁸.

All the above aspects have combined to make provision of tourism services by the Egyptian government a great challenge that sometimes turns into dilemma. Solving this dilemma and ensuring both local and foreigners experience some sort of satisfaction in consumption of tourism products, the government has to fulfill some roles and activities.

Marketing and promotion of tourism both domestically and in foreign countries need to be well planned, and the idea should rest on promoting sustainable tourism²⁹. In this way, as the government continue to advertise numerous cultural sites and heritage destinations to the outside world, concerted efforts should be directed at conservation of environment, social and cultural aspects.

With regard to tourist crowding and causing exerted pressure, the government should device appropriate check mechanisms that ensure positive and productive restrictions are complied with³⁰. Moreover, it is upon the government to only ensure that sites that are ready are the once selected for tourism development and this should involve local and community participation.

Furthermore, the government agencies involved in tourism should be at forefront in ensuring that travelers (tourists) receive accurate information and the destinations they are supposed to visit³¹. In this way, it is necessary for all government agencies to refrain from activities that may result in lack of information, false impression, misinformation, poor communication, and poor knowledge³².

How spirituality and the arts are represented in Egypt

Numerous literatures in form of history have been developed on the influence of Egypt’s art on religion and spirituality³³. Art in Egypt has greatly influenced and been influenced by religion and culture of the society which has characterize Egypt for a long time³⁴.

Egypt as a country that has a rich history and culture than any other country is perceived as the cradle of civilization and for a long time the country remained a land of all-pervasive magic³⁵. Art is associated with symbols and it is from these that Moshe Barasch (2000) observes that actual symbolism began in Egypt³⁶.

It is in Egypt that there is an elaboration of the symbolic art form and thus Egypt has been referred to as the country of symbol³⁷. In this way, the author observes that, “Egypt is a country which sets itself the spiritual task of the self-deciphering of the spirit, without actual attaining to the decipherment”³⁸.

Manifestation of religion in Egyptian can be constructed from Hegel’s argument where the author stress that Egyptians while practicing their religion did not project divine dignity onto real natural objects, nor did they consider actual creatures as themselves gods³⁹.

Thus among the Egyptian there was emphasis on congruence between the meaning invested in an object and the object itself⁴⁰. Given this demand for congruence, it can be said that in real life situation, certain incongruence prevails between nature and spirit.

As Egypt was in the process of discovering itself, it was caught up in a conflict: that on one hand there was overall sense of contrast between nature and spirit and on the other hand, people developed wish to make the spiritual manifest in the natural and material⁴¹. In addition, according to the author this was the beginning of visual arts.

The understanding of Egyptians was that in order to develop and ensure manifestation of spiritual in material object, one was supposed to move beyond finding the object in nature. Therefore, there was the immediate need to make the material object transparent, in that inward, the spiritual could shine through and this forced individuals to invent such an object.

Symbols (objects) thus were used to represent spirit, divine, the infinite, and so on and this had to be made (invented). It is in this sense that in Egypt both religion and art are seen to be dominated by the spirit’s striving for self-understanding and by man’s endeavor to explain his own misery⁴².

To Egyptian the process of understanding one’s self was achieved through building and from this, the Egyptian became masters in erecting huge cities of the dead, they constructed pyramids and shaped the sphinxes⁴³.

Defining and identifying authenticity of Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures exhibition

Since 1960s, the selected finds from Tutankhamun’s tomb have been on showcase in Europe and America countries⁴⁴. The exhibitions that for a long time continue to be characterized by huge number of people have become popular due to representation of an almost real picture of Tutankhamun tomb artifacts.

As they become popular, it has been noted in the last forty years numerous changes having been taking place in the staging of Tutankhamun and this has been manifested by the selection of materials to include in the exhibition. The exhibitions are as a result of excavation works of Howard Carter and Carnarvon on Tutankhamun’s tomb⁴⁵.

The exhibition is regarded big and the question of authenticity of the exhibition can be captured in many ways. First, Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures exhibition has become famous in showing the real replica of famous pieces like funerary shrines, all the three coffins, the sarcophagus, all the major furniture items, one fully-assembled chariot and hundreds of small items⁴⁶.

As a result, attention that has been paid to details in this replica is astounding and enriching making the exhibitions authenticity achieved. This can be observed from the words of the author who postulates that, “I tried to test and went around the exhibition looking for misunderstood or misinterpreted inscriptions and was unable to find more than a handful of errors of little significance”⁴⁷.

At the same time, the author constructs a picture of authenticity when he describes the overall organization and management of the exhibitions. For instance, it is observed that in the exhibitions, the tomb’s rooms are being shown, as they were found, with objects in situ, although there has been reduction in the scale of the objects.

Nevertheless, it has been identified that the exhibitions have largely performed the role real and actual museums with Tutankhamun artifacts in Egypt would have performed. This role is largely ingrained in the effort to inform visitors about Egypt’s geography, history, religion and other aspects of civilization⁴⁸.

Another aspect that makes the exhibitions more authentic has to do with the place of designing and subsequent make, where in this case happened in Egypt. The author states that, “all the items were made in Egypt by Fine Art Cairo, first in plaster and then finished in synthetic resin”⁴⁹.

Moreover, there has been inclusion of multiple researchers and specialists in the designing of the exhibitions, an aspect that has increased their authenticity.

What makes an authentic tourist and an authentic attitude to places?

Relph observes that something authentic is “genuine, unadulterated, without hypocrisy, and honest to itself, not just in terms of superficial characteristics, but at depth⁵⁰. As such this concept has been attributed to places and to people and in most cases it has been used to denote culture where in most instances questions arise as to whether cultural manifestations can be regarded to be authentic or not⁵¹.

In an attempt to provide more insight on the concept, Relph went ahead to discuss the authentic attitude of place. This, according to the author, is “a direct and genuine experience of the entire complex of the identity of places-not mediated and distorted through a series of quite arbitrary social and intellectual fashions about how that experience should be, not following stereotypical convections”⁵².

Some purviews of literatures have denoted that the concept of authenticity is a consequence of modernization during which people become separated from ‘reality’ or dis-embedded from space and time⁵³. Given this, tourists in modern world are seen to have quest for authenticity for the actual or real thing that is not part of their own every day life⁵⁴.

According to Ian Yeoman, observes that as economy matures in most societies, there is emergence of authenticity since many consumers are looking for real experiences instead of ‘products’ which are manufactured⁵⁵.

In this regard, it is becoming clear that there is growing desire among tourists to achieve experiences and products that have originality and are real, and are not contaminated by being un-original or impure⁵⁶. Wilmott and Nelson (2003) observes that, understanding authenticity involves understanding peoples desire in life and as consumerism become the idea in modern world, authenticity is likely to become subject in tourism⁵⁷.

Authenticity has been linked with to Maslow’s self-actualization concept, and today apart of having interest in tourism products, tourists are developing great interest in aspects such as environment, animal rights, poverty, and education⁵⁸.

Interpretation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs then it can be concluded that movement to self-actualization is largely aimed at searching for deeper meaning and finding sense of worth beyond goods and services and to experience.

Ian Yeoman, further notes that certain trends in the modern world that can be evidenced are likely to likely going to shape people’s desire for an authentic experience. This is going to be so especially given that modern tourists appear to be more educated, more sophisticated, have traveled widely and they are concerned about the environment while at the same are looking for a better quality life⁵⁹.

As a result it can be seen that tourists in modern world are seeking and exhibit desire to have ‘real’ experiences rather than being subjected to something false. Authentic tourist developing an authentic attitude to places has been explained to be contributed by certain and specific factors that are becoming dominant in modern world.

Such factors include: global network; ethical consumption and volunteering; the affluent consumer and the desire for new experiences in faraway places; the educated consumer; the role of the media; individualism; time pressures and authenticity; busy lifestyles and getting away; and lastly, people’s affection for wildlife⁶⁰.

Conclusion

In its essence, cultural heritage tourism encompasses the typical ability to rely on living and built elements of different cultures whereby there is both use of tangible and intangible past as critical tourism resource⁶¹. Therefore, it is likely that within the broad perspective of cultural heritage tourism, an individual is likely to find key heritage elements that in one way or the other remains distinguished.

Some of the heritage elements in this broad sense may include immaterial elements such as language, music, artistic tradition, museums, historic monuments, archeological ruins, and so on⁶². Thus, an attempt to understand heritage tourism is welcome and highly enriching.

Bibliography

Anonymous. “Tourism in Egypt”. Web.

Anonymous. Ancient Egypt. 2010. (Attached notes).

Backhaus, Norman. Tourism and nature conservation in Malaysian National Parks. Berlin: LIT Verlag Munster, 2005. Web.

Barasch, Moshe. Theories of Art: From Winckelmann to Baudelaire. NY: Routledge, 2000. Web.

Burns, Peter M and Bibbings, Lyn. Tourism and Visual Culture: Methods and Cases. MA: CABI, 2010. Web.

Erman, Adolf and Tirard, Michael. Life in Ancient Egypt. NY: Kessinger Publishing, 2003.

Hoffman, Barbara T. Art and cultural heritage: law, policy, and practice. London: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Inwood, Michael. A Hegel dictionary. MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 1992.

Kaplan, Leslie C. Art and Religion in Ancient Egypt. NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2004.

MacDonald, Sally. Consuming ancient Egypt. NY: Routledge, 2003.

Morgan, Michael, Lugosi, Peter and Richie, Brent. The Tourism and Leisure Experience: Consumer and Managerial Perspectives. NY: Channel View Publications, 2010.

National Geographic Society. Tutankhamun and the golden age of the Pharaohs. Australia: National Geographic Society, 2011. Web.

Page, Stephen and Connell, Joanne. Tourism: a modern synthesis. OH: Cengage Learning EMEA. Web.

Preucel, Robert W. and Mrozowski, Stephen A. Contemporary Archaeology in Theory: The New Pragmatism. MA: John Wiley and Sons.

Smith, Melanie K. Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies. PA: Taylor & Francis, 2009. Web.

Stillman, William J. and Durand, John. The Crayon. W.J. Stillman & J. Durand Publishers, 1857.

Town of Gawler Handbook. Fact Sheet 5: Social and Cultural Impacts of Tourism. Web.

Timothy, Dallen J. Cultural heritage and tourism in the developing world: a regional perspective. PA: Taylor & Francis, 2009.

Wang, Shu-Yi and University of Colorado. Tradition, memory and the culture of place: Continuity and change in the ancient city of Pingyao, China. Mi: ProQuest LLC, 2008. Web.

Yeoman, Ian. Tomorrow’s Tourism: Scenarios and Trends. London: Elsevier Publishers, 2008. Web.

Footnotes

1. Dallen J. Timothy, Cultural heritage and tourism in the developing world: a regional perspective (PA: Taylor & Francis, 2009) p.3.
2. National Geography Society, “Tutankhamun and the golden age of the Pharaohs” (National Geographic Society, 2011) par.12.
3. National Geography Society, ibid.
4. National Geography Society, ibid, par.13.
5. Anonymous, Ancient Egypt (2010) p.38.
6. Anonymous, ibid, p.40.
7. Anonymous, ibid, p.40.
8. Anonymous, ibid, p.41.
9. Anonymous, ibid, p.41
10. Anonymous, ibid, p.42
11. Stephen Page and Joanne Connell, Tourism: a modern synthesis (OH: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2006) p.39.
12. Stephen Page and Joanne Connell, ibid.
13. Richard Rhone and Korey Neil, Heritage Tourism in Black River, Jamaica: A Case Study (Munro College, n.d).
14. Richard Rhone and Korey Neil, ibid.
15. Barbara T. Hoffman, Art and cultural heritage: law, policy, and practice (London: Cambridge University Press, 2006) p.226.
16. Dallen J. Timothy, Cultural heritage and tourism in the developing world: a regional perspective, (PA: Taylor & Francis, 2009), p.3.
17. Shu-Yi Wang and University of Colorado, Tradition, memory and the culture of place: Continuity and change in the ancient city of Pingyao, China, (MI: ProQuest LLC, 2008), p.28.
18. Shu-Yi Wang and University of Colorado, ibid.
19. Shu-Yi Wang and University of Colorado, ibid.
20. Anonymous, Tourism in Egypt (n.d) p.71.
21. Anonymous, ibid, p.72.
22. Anonymous, ibid, p.72.
23. Anonymous, ibid, p.75.
24. Anonymous, ibid.
25. Town of Gawler Handbook, Fact Sheet 5: Social and Cultural Impacts of Tourism (n.d) p.2.
26. Robert W. Preucel and Stephen A. Mrozowski, Contemporary Archaeology in Theory: The New Pragmatism (MA: John Wiley and Sons, 2010) p.513.
27. Town of Gawler Handbook, ibid.
28. Town of Gawler Handbook, ibid.
29. Town of Gawler Handbook, ibid, p.3
30. Melanie K. Smith, Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies (PA: Taylor & Francis, 2009) p.111.
31. Town of Gawler Handbook, ibid, p.3.
32. Town of Gawler Handbook, ibid.
33. William James Stillman and John Durand, The Cryon (W.J. Stillman & J. Durand Publishers, 1857) p.257.
34. Leslie C. Kaplan, Art and Religion in Ancient Egypt (NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2004) p.5.
35. William James Stillman and John Durand, ibid.
36. Moshe Barasch, Theories of Art: From Winckelmann to Baudelaire (NY: Routledge, 2000) p.185
37. Moshe Barasch, ibid.
38. Moshe Barasch, ibid.
39. Michael Inwood, A Hegel dictionary (MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 1992) p.42.
40. Adolf Erman and Michael Tirard, Life in Ancient Egypt (Kessinger Publishing, 2003) p.201.
41. Moshe Barasch, ibid.
42. Moshe Barasch, ibid, p.186
43. Moshe Barasch, ibid.
44. Sally MacDonald, Consuming ancient Egypt (NY: Routledge, 2003), p.93.
45. Anonymous, Ancient Egypt, p.40.
46. Anonymous, Ancient Egypt, ibid.
47. Anonymous, Ancient Egypt, ibid.
48. Anonymous, Ancient Egypt, ibid, p.41.
49. Anonymous, Ancient Egypt, ibid.
50. Norman Backhaus, Tourism and nature conservation in Malaysian National Parks (Germany: Lit Verlag Munster, 2005) p.43.
51. Peter M. Burns, Jo-Anne Lester and Lyn Bibbings, Tourism and visual culture: methods and cases (CABI, 2010) p.17.
52. Norman Backhaus, ibid.
53. Norman Backhaus, ibid.
54. Michael Morgan, Peter Lugosi and J. R. Brent Ritchie, The Tourism and Leisure Experience: Consumer and Managerial Perspectives (NY: Channel View Publications, 2010) p.15.
55. Ian Yeoman, Tomorrow’s tourist: scenarios and trends (London: Elsevier Publishers, 2008) p.168.
56. Ian Yeoman, ibid.
57. Ian Yeoman, ibid.
58. Ian Yeoman, ibid.
59. Ian Yeoman, ibid, p.169.
60. Ian Yeoman, ibid, p.170.
61. Dallen J. Timothy, ibid.
62. Dallen J. Timothy, ibid.

Executive Summary

Phuket is a major tourist destination situated on the western coastline in the southern part of Thailand in the Andaman Sea and the Indian Ocean. The province engulfs an area of around 590 square kilometers including 39 other tiny land masses. In addition to its well-known natural heritage sea, sand, sky, beach, forest, and world famous diving spots the zone also proffers its Sino-Portuguese architecture and affectionate warmth that leaves the travelers to the city contempt and delighted.

Phuket, as a major tourist destination, has gone through many ups and downs in its tourism life cycle. Presently, it is concentrating on consolidating its position and aspires to be one of the most prominent attractions of the Southeast Asian region. In order to achieve its vision of becoming a ‘World Class Destination’, the tourism industry has to undergo some major structural changes and has to promote ‘Sustainable Tourism’. This would increase tourism generated revenue which, in turn, would help to revive Thailand’s economy as a whole. Proper marketing, promotion and a strong product line is needed for its tourism sector to overcome the intense competition it faces from neighboring international tourist hotspots.

Introduction

Situated just about 862 kilometers towards the south of Bangkok is the region of Phuket, one of Thailand’s major islands, which is time and again hailed as the “pearl of the Andaman”, or else the “pearl of the south”. (Edelman, 2005) Its natural wealth- rock-strewn peninsular, limestone crags, fine white sand beaches, serene broad bays and tropical interior forests amalgamate all together to make it the Southeast’s most affluent, bustling, explored and admired isle and prefecture.

Located in the tropical zone off the west shoreline towards the southern region of Thailand in the Andaman Sea and the Indian Ocean, the expanse encompasses an area of around 590 square kilometers when the 39 other tiny land masses are included.

Apart from its renowned natural heritage sea, sand, sky, beach, forest, and world famous diving spots the province also proffers its Sino-Portuguese architecture and warm hospitality that leaves the travelers to the city spellbound. Additionally, accommodations starting from top-notch resorts to tropical-style cottages have cordially provided for the diverse requirements of tourists. All in all, these attributes have turned Phuket into a truly exclusive tourist destination. (Howie, 2003)

The Vision of the Destination

Vision

The prospects of the tourism industry of Phuket is immense. In this context, in order to make use of the advantages the province has, the idea is to acomplish a Thai distinctiveness of ‘World Class Destination’ both with regrds to services and environmental preservation; to establish a ‘Sustainable Tourism’ framework, wherein the private and public sector join hands so as to conserve travel resources; and to promote Phuket tourism sector as a First-Rate Destination.

Goals

After the phases of highs and lows in the Phuket tourism industry, it is finally approaching a phase of consolidation and stagnation. It order to rejuvenate the efficacy of the sector efforts need to be made which once again transforms Phuket into an Ultimate Tourist Destination, catering to a wide variety of customer base and enhancing the tourist influx in the region. This would revive the revenues earned by the tourism industry which in turn would revitalize the economy of the kingdom.

Objectives

The Phuket Province has of late started to develop into a transformed tourist attraction and has been drawing a diverse range of tourist segments. In order to sustain this trend, tourism in the region still needs to undergo a considerable amount of alteration. Value-addition is a key factor in this context. Promotion of eco-adventure tourism and health tourism are few examples. The objective of the Phuket tourism sector is to establish a framework which can uphold and enhance the tourist influx in and around the Phuket province. Building a sound tourism infrastructure and making constant efforts to regenerate tourism oriented revenue are the primary objectives of the industry at present.

Strategy

In order to meet the goals and objectives as aforementioned, an efficient and healthy tourism policy must be adhered to. This includes building up a strong product line for the travelers, enhancing the transportation infrastructure and providing a safe and secure environment for the tourists. Integration of administrative and private tourism agency processes in order to achieve a complete synergy in the sector is very important in this regard. Only a successful implementation of such a sound policy can facilitate the realization of Phuket’s aspiration to emerge as a better and superior ‘World Class Destination’. (Crompton & McKay, 2007)

Competitive Positioning and Branding

Competitive Positioning

The East Asian Seas, engulfing Australia, Cambodia, The People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam is the home to a surplus of one-thirds of the entire coral reefs present in the world. Given the extensive coral reef biodiversity in the region, and adding to it the serene beauty of the sea encompassed terrain and the tranquility of tropical forest reserves has transformed the region into a major tourist destination with several travelers visiting these countries each year to enjoy a pleasurable holiday experience.

These natural reserves in the Southeast Asian region serve as imperative reserves for the source of income for coastal inhabitants and the emergent tourism industry. The prospective economic worth of tourism, projected at US$4.8 billion, exemplifies the high reliance of Southeast Asian nations on tourism related returns for the development of their economy. (Fletcher, 2005)

Thailand’s tropical paradise – the Phuket Province proves to be a major player and continues to surpass its Asian competitors in the stiff competition in the tourism industry with the demand of comfortable and first-grade accommodation being administered by some of the world’s leading hotel chains. This, in sequence, has encouraged substantial degrees of investor awareness in the destination’s increasingly growing real estate market and greater than before interest from global hotel organizations who seek new ventures along the Andaman seaboard.

As indicated by researches, tourist influx in Phuket stood at a staggering 4.7 million in 2006, which generated tourism-oriented revenues of US$1.7 billion, an upbeat 87% compared to 2005. Projections indicate that the influx would rise to 5.2 million tourists with the revenues going up to US$2 billion during their period of stay on the island. However, some degree of mismanagement in water supply, waste management and infrastructure provision has proved to be the shortcomings of the island on which the neighboring tourist destinations capitalize. (Kar, 2006)

Branding

All tourist centers across the globe have a specific “brand image” through which it is marketed. If generated with awareness the brand image facilitates the differentiation of a destination in comparison to competing destinations. The natural and picturesque tranquility of the province has earned Phuket the repute of being “exotic, fun and friendly”. Renowned for its authentic traditions, fabulous beaches and worth mentioning nightlife, Phuket emerges as one of the most reasonably priced destinations across the planet when compared to other exotic tourist hotspots. Thus the notion of “value for money” is often associated with it.

Niche tourism, for example health tourism along with eco-adventure tourism is also promoted as presenting new choices. Phuket is being presented as the world’s leading “Health and Wellness Destination”. Business tourism is also aggressively pursued and has enhanced the travel and tourism industry, with the national administration and trade organizations adopting policies to promote business travel. New corporate arrangements and unique packages have been launched with complete leisure experiences for business tourists. These business packages often include golfing experiences and spa treatments. Thus Phuket is bargaining hard to prove itself as a complete experience destination in the world tourism arena. (Crompton & McKay, 2007)

Target Markets and Product Portfolio

Target Markets

Phuket is known for its scenic beauty, natural reserves in the form of beautiful beaches, calm tropical forests and an extensive expanse of stunning biodiversity in the coral reefs it possesses. This has spurred the interest of both governmental and private tourism organization and in the recent years has turned their attention to region. Extensive projects have been under taken by them to build a solid tourism infrastructure drawing in more and more customers from around the world.

Phuket targets the domestic tourism markets extensively. The positive development in domestic tourism has been one of the policies to facilitate the enhancing of the Thai economy and thus Thais are encouraged to undertake tours within the state. This eases the pressure on the tourism operators in the province, and provides some relief from stiff international competition. Various promotions and marketing packages were constantly initiated for Thais to experience Phuket’s splendor. As such, domestic tourism markets have been targeted with considerable success and the boom is expected to continue in the future.

Apart from domestic markets, Phuket tourism industry promotes its products to the international markets at length. Foreign travel to Phuket’s premiere destinations have been declining in the past with only people from neighboring countries opting to travel to Phuket. However, new packages offering way more amenities to the traveler have been launched to attract the tourists from all over the world. The travel costs have been brought down to invite tourist looking for holidays at reasonable costs. In addition, extravagant packages have also been reinstated to draw tourists seeking a luxurious and plush holiday experience.

Furthermore, business travel markets are being paid attention to so as to increase the revenues from this section of the market. Recent efforts have also encompassed the health travel market providing an excellent framework for medical services. (King, 2006)

Product Portfolio

Tourists around the world seek a comprehensive travel experience. In order to meet varying demands of different categories of travelers the Phuket tourism industry has equipped itself with a wide range of products which are better suited to the requirements of the clients. The most important products that Phuket’s recreation and tourism enterprise provides are recreational experience and hospitality. This includes an all encompassing capability of providing accommodation, food, traveling to sites, engaging in recreational activities and providing a sense of a complete experience.

Phuket boasts of an authentic cultural presence and the various traditional festivals are often special attractions for the tourists. A sound transportation framework is in place which allows the tourists to move around easily and obtain access to the splendor of Phuket. Accommodation is always a priority with tourists and the Phuket tourism sector takes care of that. A wide variety of options ranging from Luxurious Hotels owned by renowned hotel chain establishments to typical tropical resorts are made available to the tourists. Recreational activities include scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing and yachting and many more.

Adventure sports have also increasingly come up as an important aspect in this sector. More recently, with the intention of promoting Phuket as a “Health and Wellness Destination”, the medical infrastructure has been strengthened significantly. Phuket has emerged as a major hub for spas and medicine in the recent past. (Crompton & McKay, 2007)

Critical success factors and capabilities required in pursuit of positioning and target markets

Critical Success Factors

Over the years the tourism sector in Phuket as well as the whole of Thailand has undergone several highs and also experienced some lows. It has already put itself on the world map as a renowned tourist destination. It has nearly reached a phase of consolidation and stagnation. Thus to ensure sustained growth there are some issues that need to be attended to and a sense of innovation is much needed.

With the growth of tourism water supply and waste management issues have proved to be an important issue which needs immediate attention. The industry needs to invest considerably in this aspect so as to ensure a sustained growth in tourism. The political unrest in south Thailand has also hit the tourism industry hard. Safety issues and insulation from political turmoil is essential for continued growth in this sector. Phuket is also dropping back in the enhancement of tourism infrastructure in contrast to other Asian competitors who are value-adding to their basic packages. Thus this aspect also needs to be looked at. (Sen, 2001)

Required Capabilities

One of the most critical aspects facing the Phuket tourism industry is that even though the tourist facilities have increased, air carrier capacity is constant. Thus better air transportation framework is required. Along with that better and more efficient facilities at airports must also be provided in order to promote greater tourist influx. Road transportation facilities also need to be enhanced. For example, fuel subsides must be provided to travel agencies with their own transportation infrastructure.

A framework for sustainable tourism must be developed. Many well heeled foreign travelers and tour operators stipulate investments on conscientious, sustainable resorts, tour operators and airlines that are environmentally licensed. Thus, schemes and proposals which facilitate the generation of carbon-free, renewable energy solutions for transport, air-conditioning and hotel waste management must be promoted. Furthermore, value-added services need to be launched in order to increase the influx of tourists. (Lamb, 2004)

Implementation Plan

In order to ensure that Phuket achieves its aspiration to become a world class tourist destination some efficient policies must be adopted and must be implemented effectively.

1. Natural Attractions and Thai culture has to be promoted through tourism marketing.
2. It has to be ensured that there is a sustained preservation and conservation of the environment physically, collectively and visually.
3. Tourism infrastructure has to be enhanced in a manner which meets global norms.
4. Businesses and services involved in the sector must be encouraged to comply with international practices.
5. Human resource development initiatives must be carried out within the industry.
6. The help of academic institutions and experts in the field must be obtained at every level.
7. Eco-tourism has to be promoted through marketing programs.
8. Cultural and Historical Tourism must be preserved to a greater extent.
9. A tourist information structure needs to be set up.
10. Human Rights and individual liberty has to be enhanced.
11. Finally, a safe and secure tourism environment has to be created and promoted in order to develop the tourism status of Phuket. (Crompton & McKay, 2007)

References

Crompton, J., and McKay, S. (2007). Motives of Visitors Attending Festival Events. Annals of Tourism Research, 24(7), 425–439.

Edelman, S. (2005); Evaluation Techniques in International Business Management; Bloemfontein: ABP Ltd.

Fletcher, R. (2005). Principals: Beliefs and Knowledge; Believing and Knowing. Dunedin: Howard & Price.

Howie, F. (2003). Managing the Tourist Destination; NY: Thomson Learning, EMEA.

Kar, P. (2006). Tourism Economics and Related Applications; Kolkata: Dasgupta & Chatterjee.

King, H. (2006). Tourism Management Principals Today; Auckland: HBT & Brooks Ltd.

Lamb, D. (2004). Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization. Wellington: National Book Trust.

Sen, S. (2001). Difference between Thinking and Acting in Global Economics. Bloemfontein: ABP Ltd.

Executive Summary

The benefits of tourism can only be sustained if efforts are put in place to manage the environmental aspects that are involved. Several annual sporting events are held in Australia which attract huge numbers of tourists, both from international circles and locally, to witness the events.

Sustainability programmes are required to be implemented in order to take good care of the welfare of these events and their fans in the future. This will also ensure safety and security for the players who participate in the events.

Sustainability measures in this regard include programmes aimed at mitigating on the effects of environmental pollution and degradation, which mainly increase during the event duration.

Fans living within cities where these events are hosted travel to and from event venues using aircrafts, trains, vehicles, and motorcycles, all of which pollute the air through the emission of carbon dioxide. Increased volumes of waste dumping are also witnessed during such events, which is also hazardous to the environment.

Examples of such sporting events with huge interest and following from the world include the Australian Open tennis championships held in Melbourne, and the Australian Grand Prix Formula One championships held at the Albert Park, also in Melbourne.

The respective event organisers should introduce programs which address these effects, like devising alternative transport ways that will have limited effects. Other pollution effects caused by noise and waste material, including waste bottles, also need to be properly managed.

Policy Planning for a Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Introduction

There have been concerted efforts in the recent past for proper management of the environment which supports mankind’s daily life and activities. Efforts have also been put into place to create public awareness on the significance of understanding and incorporating sustainability measures in order to limit on the effects of environmental degradation.

Big international sporting events have particularly been the focus of these efforts as they generate significant amounts of waste, both solid and gaseous, which are potentially harmful to the event goers and the communities living around event venues.

This paper makes reference to two major sporting events which grace the international calendar, and which are both hosted in Australia.

The Australian Open Tennis Championship which is held every year in the month of January at the Melbourne Park in Australia, and the Australian Grand Prix Formula One Championships which are also held in Melbourne at the Albert Park during the month of March¹.

Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the adoption of strategies as well as activities which target to fulfill the enterprise’s need effectively, together with that of its stakeholders. The sustainability further protects and enhances natural and human resources needed in the future, to further maintain the resources even into the future.

Part of the sustainability effort in as far as the tennis competition is involved includes managing the environment such that aspects like water, air pollution, and waste management can be catered for effectively.

The Australian Open Tennis Championship

The Australian Open tennis championship is an annual event that is hosted at the Melbourne Park in Australia during the month of January. The event is listed among the four Grand Slam events of the sport, and it brings together hundreds of leading global tennis personalities and tens of thousands of tennis fans from around the world.

As one of the leading Grand Slams event in the whole world, the Australian Open is the second biggest in magnitude after the US Open. Given its global magnitude, the event has a huge impact in terms of financial contribution to the Australian economy, as well as other social and cultural impacts.

Environmental Sustainability

Water

There are several environmental effects that result from the Australian Open event. More regions in Australia are continuously experiencing drought situations mainly due to the irregular climate changes and the increasing population size in the country².

In pursuing to conserve water, efforts should also be harnessed to address the resultant climate change impact that occur as a result of the pumping, treatment of the water, as well as delivery of the water for consumption purposes.

These activities require a considerable amount of energy which in turn also emits greenhouse gas, GHG. To address some of the raised issues, the organisers of the Australian Open Tennis competition need to recognise how critical water is in the initial planning stages of the tournament.

Two big drains of storm water run underneath the Melbourne Park. Underground tanks have been installed to tap into this source to harvest water for use at the premises. Rainwater is harvested for consumption on the site with the possibility of netting in a total of 23 mega litres from the entire rooftop area and space covering the facilities³.

The venue has been fitted with waterless urinals, low flow toilets, and flow showerheads as an effort to conserve water. Temporary sinks in bathroom stalls are supposed to be equipped with push buttons in order to minimise water leakage.

Event sponsors and vendors constructing water features like ponds and fountains in their displays are required to buy recycled water from a local company dealing in recycled water⁴.

All aboveground sprinklers at the park have retrofitted underground irrigation system to reduce consumption of water and evaporation related losses. Plexicushion Prestige System has been used to replace the Rebound Ace surface on all the courts since 2008. This minimises water used to maintain the surface due to its property of retaining less heat⁵.

Waste

The event organisers have teamed up with other partners, Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust, MOPT, and Delaware North Australia, among others to operate a recycling system for all the waste bottles realised⁶.

The latest waste recycling practices are being used in order to limit the negative implications of the waste recycling process impacting on the environment.

The event organisers, sponsors and other partners have implemented waste recycling that intends to clean products which are non toxic as well as those that are biodegradable⁷.

Air Pollution

Fans travel in their hundreds of thousands in vehicles, locomotives, and aircrafts to come and witness the event live, creating significant air pollution in the long run. The consequent release of Carbon Dioxide gas into the atmosphere causes global warming, which also ends up affecting climate patterns in general.

The event organisers have partly sought to address these implications by offering free transport for all ticket holders for the entire two weeks. This reduces pollution because fans can leave their individual vehicles and opt for public transport systems which carry large numbers of people.

The traffic grid lock that would result from event goers attempting to reach the venue of the tournament in their vehicles would, in turn, cause considerably large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. The graph below indicates the overall attendance numbers into tennis events in Australia between 2009 and 2010.

Source: ABS data

Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix is an annual event hosted at the Albert Park in Melbourne. The circuit forms part of the World Championship calendar organised by the Federation of International Autosport, FIA, for Formula One.

Source: The Guardian

Carbon Reduction

The Australian Grand Prix contributes a significant volume of carbon emission into the atmosphere as a result of the combustion of the fossil fuels. The event organizers, The Australian Formula 1 ING Grand Prix Corporation, AGCP, have undertaken measures to reduce the amount of carbon emitted during the race.

The AGCP works in collaboration with Cleavenent, an organisation which specialises in waste recycling and environmental packaging, to limit the effects of the carbon emissions. The two bodies plant trees in Victoria for the main purposes of absorbing the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere⁸.

Water and Waste Management

The Australian Grand Prix event causes immense pollution to water every year the event is hosted in the Albert Park. The event organisers, the AGPC, have also harnessed efforts in order to conserve the water and reduce the resultant negative effects.

Working together with Cleanevent body, the AGPC conserves water through recycling which is then used for track surrounds.

Sorted waste within and around the Albert Park is also collected and later on-processed in order that they may be effectively recycled into raw materials that can be reused.

Community Disruption

The noise created during the event is enormous and consequently creates a lot of disruptions to the residents. Hosting of the Grand Prix calls for the erection and dismantling of infrastructure, a move that necessitates regulations and thus are perceived to infringe upon the civil liberties of Melbourne residents

The event is also comparatively expensive to attend for all motor sport fans who would wish to take part. Thus, many local residents in Melbourne feel they have been denied the opportunity to enjoy an event that is hosted in their own backyard. Most residents are in agreement that the funds used to organise and host the event needs to be channelled elsewhere⁹.

The Albert Park can be fit with noise proof materials within the entire facility so as to limit the effects of noise that created by fans while cheering their teams. Winning the local resident’s faith regarding the event could also be significant in sustaining it into the future.

Ticket sales can be lowered and public awareness created among event goers to enlighten them on the benefits of participating in sustainable management programmes¹⁰.

Social Sustainability

Tourism Victoria has initiated programmes and strategies which aim at preparing and dispatching guidance notes to both event organisers on how to effectively manage and utilise resources.

Additionally, the dispatches to the event organisers also elaborate on efficient ways through which carbon footprints can be measured with a view of putting checks and balances in place. The State Government funding programmes open to the events organisers are also targeted at encouraging more sustainability through sustainability criteria.

Tourism Victoria has also introduced sustainability programmes specially referred to as ‘Carbon Down’ and ‘Grow Me the Money’ which generally seek to incorporate information on tourism practices and activities that focus on sustainability.

The information is availed to the AGPC body through Tourism Victoria’s Tourism Excellence Program to enhance its overall performance and initiative in as far as sustainability is involved.

In 2010, Tourism Victoria initiated yet another initiative on sustainability which sought to incorporate all sustainable tourism practices, including those adopted by the Australian Grand Prix organisers, so as to be featured in a new framework for tourism accreditation.

The new system was specially referred to as the Tourism Accreditation Framework and aimed at evaluating initiatives by event organisers, including AGPC, for purposes of enhancing overall performance and optimising on the benefits¹¹.

Conclusion and Recommendation

The major sporting events in the world have their numerous benefits to societies and communities which, in one way or the other, get involved in the events. These benefits come mainly in the form of financial and economic benefits.

However, such events also have their negative impacts which require elaborate sustainability programmes in order to provide hope for the future health and continuity of the events. The Australian Open tennis championship and the Australian Grand Prix are two major examples of such sporting events.

The Australian Open Tennis championship is hosted in Melbourne Park, Australia, each year and attracts huge numbers of interested fans and event goers. The Grand Prix is an international motor race championship hosted at the Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia and equally attracts large numbers of fans and event goers.

Both events are responsible for environmental degradation, including air pollution through excessive combustion of fossil fuels, noise pollution mainly from fans’ cheering, as well as excessive dumping of waste materials.

The event organisers have put in place measures to curb the menace, including conserving water through harnessing and harvesting of rainfall, water recycling, and use of highly-efficient water conservation methods.

These measures may not be effective in some other instances, particularly with the Grand Prix event where the communities feel the noise pollution is too much. There is need for the event organisers to optimise on their sustainability efforts in order to ensure a healthy event in the future for the fans and participants.

The Grand Prix event organisers need to create harmony with the neighbouring societies and community by lowering their ticket values to affordable rates, as well as involve each of the residents in the sustainability efforts and programmes.

Bibliography

Australian Bureau of Statistics, A Serve of All Things Tennis Wimbledon, 2011. Web.

Australian Open Tournament Information 2009, Melbourne, Tennis Australia, 2009.

Davey, B., Personal communication, Formal interview, Site Operations Manager, Tennis Australia, Melbourne, Australia, 2010.

Fredline, L., Deery, M., & Jago, L., Host Community Perceptions of the Impact of Events. Web.

Hinch, T. & J. Higham, Sport tourism development, Channel View Publications, Bristol, 2011.

Kattan, K., Raising big smiling tennis kids: A complete roadmap for every parent and coach, Mansion Grove House, Austin: TX, 2006.

Mavi, H. S., & G. J. Tupper, Agrometeorology: Principles and applications of climate studies in agriculture, Food Products Press, Binghamton: NY, 2004.

Tennis Australia, Annual Report, 2009. Web.

The Guardian, F1: The Australian Grand Prix, 2012. Web.

Tiley, C., Personal communication, Formal interview, Tournament Director, Tennis Australia, Melbourne, Australia, 2010.

Tourism Victoria, Environmentally Sustainable Tourism Strategic Plan, 2008. Web.

Footnotes

¹ T Hinch & J Higham, Sport tourism development, Channel View Publications, Bristol, 2011, p. 92.

² HS Mavi & GJ Tupper, Agrometeorology: Principles and applications of climate studies in agriculture, Food Products Press, Binghamton: NY, 2004, p. 91.

³ Tennis Australia, Annual Report, 2009.

⁴ B Davey, Personal communication, Formal interview, Site Operations Manager, Tennis Australia, Melbourne, Australia, 2010.

⁵ C Tiley, Personal communication, Formal interview, Tournament Director, Tennis Australia, Melbourne, Australia, 2010.

⁶ Tennis Australia, Annual Report, 2009.

⁷Australian Open Tournament Information 2009, Melbourne, Tennis Australia, 2009.

⁸ Tourism Victoria, Environmentally Sustainable Tourism Strategic Plan, 2008.

⁹ Deery Fredline L. M, & Jago, L, Host Community Perceptions of the Impact of Events.

¹⁰ Australian Bureau of Statistics, A Serve of All Things Tennis Wimbledon 2011.

¹¹ Tourism Victoria, Environmentally Sustainable Tourism Strategic Plan, 2008.

When expanding to the global market, Starwood should adopt an integrated brand management/ market entry strategy; when using the plan, the company will concentrate on using brand extension strategy and adoption of a global brand.

When using brand extension strategy, the management will be dwelling on the strength of its current brand; the same brands should be tested with some minor adjustments in Dubai, Doha, and Jordan. The marketing team should also understand that its captures the demands of the market; this will happen through developing new products and service delivery strategies.

When expanding to the global market, the Starwood Hotels has the option of using local partnership strategies or direct investments. Looking at the nature and current trends in the global hospitality industry, it would be advisable for the company to use local partners’ method.

The main advantage of using the method is that they will get into partnership with companies that are already established in the markets; such companies will offer the management quality advises and recommendations on how they can improve their sales. Existing companies understand the market situations, thus when using them for expansion, the management will not incur much on ground breaking costs.

When engaging in domestic or international partnership or joint venture business, there are always some challenges that organizations must cover.

The main challenge that the business styles have is how to manage their diverse nature; people from different areas have different understanding of issues; for instance Starwood Hotels have their management styles that it must fit with its partner company. Some areas that might be challenging to rhyme yet they are important in the management of the company involve organizational culture, and human resources management policies.

When a company has developed new products, the initial stage involves aggressive marketing, sales and promotions. The target or the main focus is on ensuring that consumers get to learn of the existence of the products. With that notion, the management should first not expand the new unique products; focus should first be on creating awareness. With the limited expansion, the management can use different channeling methods.

To be competitive, organizations are required to differentiate their products from those offered by competitors; with the realization, the company has to devise mechanisms that will make their products outstand in the market. One of the most effective methods that Starwood Hotels should embark is innovating and inventing of new consumer focused products.

With products that address the needs of either global or domestic consumers, the company will be outstanding. Some of the best methods of differentiation that can be adopted by a hospitality industry company include improving service deliver, ensuring that products offered are of high quality and they have different and outstanding tastes than those offered by other companies.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Program should be expanded with the company; it an innovative move by the company thus it is likely to offer satisfactory results in global and international market. The uniqueness of the product is likely to assist the company attract much business in the domestic and international markets.

When diversifying to international markets, organizations need to adopt effective management policies that address international issues. Some of the main areas that company should look into include supply chain management, international human resources, value creation, and cost minimization strategies.

This paper is aimed at discussing the positive aspects of tourism in Iraq. Overall, it is possible to argue that the architectural monuments located in this country, represent the different historic period, and they can appeal to visitors. Furthermore, there are many natural sites that can be of some interest to people who like active tourism. The main issue is that many people do not know much about the history of Iraq and its culture. These are the main questions that should be examined in more detail.

First, it should be noted that the history of Iraq dates back to the second or even third millennium before the Common Era (Hollingsworth 33). There are many attractions in this country, for instance, the Ziggurat of Ur, the ancient city of Hatra, or the gate of Ishtar (Hollingsworth 33). Furthermore, Iraqi can be a destination for Muslim pilgrims from all over the world, because they may visit such mosques as the Great Mosque of Samarra and Al-Askari (Dabrowska and Geoff 239). Overall, these monuments may produce a long-lasting impression on viewers, even those people who have visited many countries or cities.

Additionally, there are many natural sites in Iraq. For instance, one can mention the Al-Tharthar Lake or the mountain areas of the Iraqi Kurdistan. These places can be of great interest to people who like mountaineering or kayaking. Furthermore, the guests of Baghdad may consider visiting the zoo located in this city. Thus, when speaking about tourist attractions in Iraq, people should not focus only on architectural monuments. Furthermore, one should bear in mind that Iraqi cuisine can satisfy the needs of vegetarians and non-vegetarians (Edelstein 543). Thus, Iraq can offer many things to tourists.

Certainly, the country was strongly affected by the war that broke out in 2001. There is no point in denying the detrimental impacts of this military conflict. However, since that time, the infrastructure of the country began to be rebuilt. Moreover, the government understood the importance of investing in tourism. They realized the importance of tourism as a means of boosting the economic life of Iraq. Thus, in the future, the tourist infrastructure of the country can be improved.

Overall, Iraq can greatly surprise many tourists who may come from Western and non-Western countries. Provided that people learn more about the country, they will be fascinated with its history and nature. If the development of the country will not be impaired by economic or political factors, it may soon become an important tourist destination for many people.

Works Cited

Dabrowska. Karen, and H. Geoff. Iraq: Then & Now, New York: Guide, 2008. Print.

Edelstein, Sari. Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality and Nutrition Professionals, London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2010. Print.

Hollingsworth, Mary. Art in World History, New York: Giunti Editore, 2004. Print.

Introduction

Jumeirah is one of the most profitable companies in the hospitality industry with restaurant divisions, event management and serviced residences, among others. Its success is attributed to human capital investment that is facilitated by special management committees.

The report demonstrates the need for HCI within the hospitality sector in Dubai, UAE. The success of Jumeirah will be used as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of HCI in improving value and competitiveness.

Literature Review

Companies in the hospitality industry have realized the benefits of a talented workforce in increasing value and productivity. Baron (2011) observed that Dubai is experiencing a high voluntary dysfunctional turnover. The hospitality industry has been focusing on a casual workforce without investing in long-term employee retention programs.

However, the organizations with management training programs were found to have lower turnover rates compared to those relying on a casual workforce. According to Kim and Jogaratnam (2010), HCI enhances the chances of employee retention.

In fact, the study found a significant correlation between employee empowerment and a reduction in turnover rate.

Organizations invest time and financial resources to recruit the best workforce by creating HR teams to spearhead recruitment and training.

HR teams report the challenges, resource gaps, and investment needs to the executive board.

The return on investment is evaluated in terms of employee retention rate and satisfaction levels.

Budgetary allocations are calculated as a percentage of annual expenditure.

HCI enhances the value of an organization by increasing productivity and competitiveness. It is important to employees because it addresses their career goals by enhancing personal and professional skills. One of the disadvantages of HCI is the cost of implementation. Additionally, it exposes employees to talent poachers.

Methodology

The research interviewed one director involved in recruitment and improvement of employee skills. Five open-ended questions were drafted that focused on initiating HCI programs in the company.

Findings

The director stated that the company was under stiff competition from other hotels and restaurants. Jumeriah has a strong HCI strategy that provides employees with a firm-specific learning and development program to enhance their skills and creativity.

Additionally, they provide basic computer skills, career and self-development courses, and supervisory development. Junior managers are trained best management development practices that include coaching, selection and appraisal, and management change.

The company evaluates the return on investment by comparing the profit margins and employee retention rates with the HCI.

It has a budget of $500,000 for training and development every year.

Discussion

The interview highlighted some of the best practices adopted to enhance its productivity. There was a significant correlation between the increased value of the company and HCI. Jumeirah’s success shows that there is a need to initiate in HCI practices in the hospitality sector.

The research shows a significant benefit of HCI in improving employee skills, increasing the retention rate and improving the value of a company (Frye & Mount, 2007).

Recommendations

Knowledge and talent management are also important in enhancing the values of employees and an organization (Baron, 2011). Talent management empowers employees with skills while providing an organization with innovative and creative workforce.

References

Baron, A. (2011). Measuring human capital. Strategic HR Review, 10(2), 30-35.

Frye, W. D., & Mount, D. J. (2007). An examination of job satisfaction of general managers based on hotel size and service type. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 6(2), 109-134.

Kim, K., & Jogaratnam, G. (2010). Effects of individual and organizational factors on job satisfaction and intent to stay in the hotel and restaurant industry. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 9(3), 318-339.

Marketing management trends

Global marketing defines the market share of a hotel in the hotel industry. According to Galicic (2014), global marketing is the most important for a hotel because it expands the geographical presence, improves global branding, and increases market share.

The forecast shows that global marketing grows in the hotel industry because of globalization, which increases movement of people for leisure and business purposes. Fundamentally, global marketing enables hotels to enhance their target market by reaching out to customers in diverse geographical regions and to improve awareness of the services that exist in the hotel industry.

Provision of standardized services and amenities with customization to meet the unique needs of customers in a certain locality is a global trend and a driving force in the hotel industry. Whitla, Walters, and Davies (2007) assert that the hotel industry must provide standardized services that meet unique needs of customers emanating from diverse geographical regions globally.

The forecast of the evolution indicates that standardization of services is inevitable because customers are frequent travelers, who require services that meet certain standards based on their travel experiences and expectations. In essence, the services that the hotel industry offers must meet specific minimum standards.

The incorporation of information technology promotes the competitive advantage of a hotel in the hotel industry. Koutroumanis (2011) recommends hotels to use information technology in receiving orders, accepting payments, scheduling labor, forecasting production, engineering menu, formulating prices, and keeping inventories.

The information technology automates systems and processes in the hotel industry, and thus, it reduces errors and improves the quality of services. The forecast indicates that information technology is rapidly evolving and transforming the hotel industry because the global economy is gradually embracing e-commerce.

Social networking is an integral trend and driving force of marketing in the hotel industry because it enables customers to interact with hotels, provide feedback, and refer to their friends. Zeng and Gerritsen (2014) hold that social media is a powerful network marketing tool that is effective in the promotion and marketing of the hotel industry.

Koutroumanis (2011) states that hotel industry should embrace social networking sites, for example, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and YouTube, because they promote marketing and customer loyalty. Given the increasing number of people in the social media, the forecast shows marketers in the hotel industry increasingly rely on it in marketing and educating customers. Hence, hotels should take advantage of the social media in advertising because most customers use social sites in searching for hotels with positive reviews and appealing services.

The adoption of new business models and marketing strategies is essential to reduce operation costs and improve sales. Gustavo (2013) holds that new business models, such as joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, promote expansion of hotel chains, development of brands, and improvement of sales in the competitive hotel industry.

In the period of global economic challenges, these business models coupled with effective marketing strategies boost the competitiveness of hotels. As hotels are unable to satisfy unique needs of customers in various geographical regions, the forecast indicates that the aforementioned business models enable hotels to use their concerted efforts for improving competitive advantage and satisfying diverse customer needs.

Safety and security comprise a global trend and driving force in the hotel industry because customers consider them while choosing their travel destinations. Singh (2015) recommends that hotels should offer physical security, personal security, and the information system security for customers to feel safe in their amenities.

The physical security entails security infrastructure such as a secure fence, proper lighting, the presence of fire equipment, and installation of closed circuit TV cameras amongst other pertinent equipment. The personal security comprises security measures provided in guest rooms and precautions of hotel employees to protect guests from possible dangers and loss of property.

The information system security includes security of information technology systems that customers and hotels use for making payments and keeping personal details. In the wake of terrorism and advancement of technology, the forecast of trend indicates that safety and security will be the major factor that customers consider in choosing hotels.

The provision of health and wellness services is a new trend in the hotel industry. Rao (2014) argues that hotels should provide health and wellness services such as gymnasiums, swimming pools, sports, and healthcare centers so that customer can improve their wellness during their stay in a hotel.

Moreover, food and beverages should reflect health and wellness needs of customers. The forecast of the trend of services shows that customers have become conscious about their health and wellness, and thus, they choose hotels based on the nature of health and wellness programs they offer. From this point of view, hotels need to keep in tandem with the increasing demand for health and wellness services among customers.

The political environment is a major factor that influences hotel industry because it determines the movement of travelers. Ingram, Tabari, and Wattanakhomprathip (2013) state that terrorism and upheavals make governments limit movement of travelers and impose a curfew on certain regions.

Furthermore, governments offer travel advisories to their citizens, which influence the movement people across the globe. Thus, the political environment has a marked influence on the market trends in the hotel industry. The growth of hotel industry indicates that travelers prefer visiting destinations with a stable political environment and favorable legislations.

The Most Competitive and Successful Trends in Scotland

The use of information technology is the most competitive and successful trend in Scotland because it allows customers and hotels to interact on the Internet, as in the case of Gleneagles. Law and Jogaratnam (2005) assert that the hotel industry faces a technology-based revolution, which will determine the competitiveness of a hotel.

Online booking and payment systems are some of the trendy uses of information technology in Scotland. Hotels in Scotland such as Gleneagles should employ social networking in its marketing strategy. Hamid, Akhir, and Cheng (2013) hold that social media offers viral marketing among the young customers, who constitute a significant proportion of customers in the hotel industry.

Given that customers in the hotel industry emanate from diverse countries, global marketing is integral to the promotion of hotels in Scotland. Naidoo and Munhurrum (2011) assert that global marketing significantly determine market share of a hotel.

The hotel industry in Scotland should focus on providing health and wellness services. The promotion of health by World Health Organization has increased awareness among customers to change their lives by choosing healthy lifestyles (Koncul, 2012). Global trends indicate that health and wellness service is the current trend in the hotel industry, and thus, hotels in Scotland need to incorporate in their services.

Owing to the threat of terrorism, hotels in Scotland should improve safety and security of their amenities and customers. Henderson, Shufen, Huifen, and Xiang (2010) state that safety and security of customers is a major factor that determines their choices of travel destinations and hotels.

To expand their services globally, hotels in Scotland need to adopt new business models, such as strategic partnerships, mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. Gustavo (2013) states that these business models enable hotels to thrive in the competitive hotel industry and overcome effects of global economic recessions.

References

Galicic, V. (2014). Internal marketing in the hotel industry. Tourism and Hospitality Industry, 1(1), 297-312.

Gustavo, N. (2013). Marketing management trends in tourism and hospitality industry: Facing the 21^st century environment. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 5(3), 13-25.

Hamid, N., Akhir, R., & Cheng, A. (2013). Social media: an emerging dimension of marketing communication. Journal of Management & Marketing Research, 3(12), 1-7.

Henderson, J., Shufen, C., Huifen, L., & Xiang, L. (2010). Tourism and terrorism: A hotel industry perspective. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality, & Culinary Arts, 4(1), 33-46.

Ingram, H., Tabari, S., & Wattanakhomprathip, W. (2013). The impact of political instability on tourism: case of Thailand. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 5(1), 92-103

Koncul, N. (2012). Wellness: A new mode of tourism. Economic Research, 25(2), 525- 534.

Koutroumanis, D. (2011). Technology’s effects on hotels and restaurants: Building a strategic competitive advantage. Journal of Applied Business and Economics 12(1), 72-80.

Law, R., & Jogaratnam, G. (2005). A study of hotel information technology applications. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 17(2), 170-180.

Naidoo, P., & Munhurrum, P. (2011). Marketing the hotel sector in economic crisis evidence from Mauritius. Global Journal of Business Research, 5(2), 1-12

Rao, S. (2014). Emerging trends in hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Research, 1(1), 1-8.

Singh, J. (2015). Safety and security concerns in hospitality industry. International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 2(2), 1-5.

Whitla, P., Walters, P., & Davies, H. (2007). Global strategies in the international hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 26(1), 777-792.

Zeng, B., & Gerritsen, R. (2014). What do we know about social media in tourism? A review. Tourism Management Perspectives, 10(1), 27-36.

Introduction

Camping is one of the common outdoor activities that usually take place at a camp site. Participants, commonly known as campers, leave the comfort of their homes or regions to spend one or several nights outdoors (Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook 195).

The art of camping may involve the use of tents, cabins, and may require primitive structures. Other times the campers may choose to use no shelter at all. Besides students and the youth, camping is also common with people engaged in sporting events and team building activities.

Camping As an Activity

Camping is an activity that can be undertaken virtually anybody. In 1998 alone, more than 29 million Americans were able to at least go for a camp. This is through the efforts that they undertook to visit a local national park (Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook 95).

The purpose of camping is to ensure that people are exposed to the outdoor more than they are to the indoors, being that they tend to spend most of their daily lives confined in the interior of their homes or their surroundings. It is through their quest to get a greater sense of exposure that they decide to go out and explore the environment, probably in places that they are not very well familiar with.

Reasons for Camping

Some of the reasons why students love to go camping is because they get exposed to the physical challenges in the surroundings and thus, the experience of ‘roughing’ up to them is basically exhilarating. In other cases, they may decide to go camping as a way of exploring the wildlife present in the area.

They may also choose to explore the scenery of the location or just for purposes of seeking an adventure (Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook 196). At times, it helps to get away from their busy daily lives and helps to give a sense of relaxation.

Possible Camping Areas

Possible areas that one could visit for purposes of camping include the local national parks, various recreational centers that have been designed solely for this purpose, in the state and country parks, and also in local park forests. It is not necessary that one be exposed to various outdoors activities to be good campers. It is also not necessary that one is an athlete to be a successful camper, and neither do they require a lot of money.

Rationale for Camping

The rationale behind camping is to maximize safety and to have fun. Important lessons derived from camping include how to maintain utmost safety, how to approach various life experiences and how to ensure that one does not get hurt (Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook 195). One of the ways through which people going for a camp can maintain their safety is by the use of travel guides or outfitters.

This way, the people and the students can be able to enjoy various outdoor activities that may involve the climbing of rocks, fishing and caving (Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook 195). The job of an outfitter is to run trips in the various parts of the country and even throughout the world.

The organized trips can either be easy or strenuous in nature. Alternatively, camping organizations can also arrange for various outdoor experiences and activities. Some of these groups like the Sierra club aim to promote the environment and the natural use of treasures.

Types of Camping

There are four types of camping, namely, back packing, canoe camping, sail camping and bicycle touring (Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook 200).

In back packing, campers pack light weight luggage in their camping bags and move with them from one place to another. Most of the luggage carried along is camping equipment. The reason why some people may desire to engage in this type of camping is to experience the true nature of the wild.

Canoe camping, though similar to back packing, involves the use of canoes as the means of transport. Since campers do not usually carry luggage, they use canoes to do so. This type of camping is common in North America.

Sail camping is a type of camping that is mostly common with people who love to sail. Most of the times, people that indulge in this type of camping are sailors that may require or may desire to have a break from the waters.

Bicycle touring is common among ardent bicycle riders. In this form of camping, more distance can be covered and most of the camping gear, though light in weight, can also be carried by bike. There a small number of bike-in sites in various camps that are only meant for mountain biking.

Recommendations before Embarking On a Camp

Before one can embark on a camping trip, it is necessary that they make adequate plans to ensure that the camp is successful. Some of the necessary questions to ask include: what experience is desired through the camp? The clothes required? The equipment required for the camp? The food required? (Leisure Market Research Handbook 175).

This is very essential in order to ensure that one is well oriented for the camp and that they are not taken by surprise in the course of any events that may come up. One of the essential elements to consider is the weather and the season (Leisure Market Research Handbook 175). This way, adequate safety plans can be instigated as well.

Additionally, contacting the park officials or the camp center that you intend to visit is essential, as the camp official will be able to advice you on the necessary precautions and preparations before the commencement of the camp. It is further necessary that the price of the equipment required to be analyzed and evaluated to determine whether it matches with the set budget. This is one way to ensure that the camp is not overly expensive for the campers and that they are adequately prepared.

The last consideration before going for a camp would be the camping grounds. It is necessary that the various factors, such as location of the camp site, and the security of the location, among others, are evaluated (Leisure Market Research Handbook 175). This way, the campers will be able to be well oriented and familiar with what they are to expect on site. This way, they may also go ahead to orient themselves with the rules and regulations of the site.

Conclusion

While most camps are mainly organized for students and the youth, camping is actually an activity that is meant to engage every age group, from children to adults. It is an activity that can be done to break away from the daily struggles of life, in team building and for recreation. It is necessary that before people embark on a camp, they carry out preparations to maximize their safety and to orient themselves with the camp site.

Works Cited

Leisure Market Research Handbook. “46: Hiking & Camping.” Business Source Complete. New York: Richard K. Miller & Associates, 2012. Print.

Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook. “Camping.” Source Complete. London: Sage, 2013. Print.

Introduction

Virtual tour operators offer online tourism services while traditional tour operators use other mode of services but not online services. Lastminute.Com is one of the leading online tourism operators offering variety of online travel services.

The company headquarter is located in London and it is currently performing well in the London stock exchange. The company was founded in 1998 with an aim of providing online deals for late holiday booking.

It had about 500,000 regular users by 2000, and it has continued to improve its services to include gifts, entertainment, and travel. The company has also continued to charge lower prices for their services, which have continued to attract more and more customers.

The company offers all its services online and customers can see and choose the services they would like and charges for the services. As Campo and Yague (2008) argue, perceived price quality and satisfaction is very important to the consumers (p.20).

Moreover, “The choice of tourist destination depends so much on their finances” (Schetzina, 2010, p.28). For instance, the company offers prices for their travel services to different destinations and their respective prices.

Lastminute.Com Company also offers variety of services in the UK and Ireland. The hotels offer quality services and at the same time charge rates that are affordable.

The company also offers theater services at very affordable rates that have attracted customers from all parts of UK and Ireland. Thus, this company has continued to excel in the virtual tourism operations.

On the other hand, Kuoni.Com has continued to use traditional tourism services in the UK. Kuoni.Com is a tourism company owned by the Kuoni group of companies and offers variety of services for tourists.

The travels services include travel services, hotel services search as venues for retreat and honeymoon, and medical services to the tourists among other services.

The company provides its services using traditional tour operations where customers have to visit their offices or those of their agencies in order to book for their services. People have chosen the two companies because of their different mode of operations.

Business model in tourism

According to Rachman and Richins, “tour operators are very important for they facilitate services for tourists” (1997, p.78). The two companies have continued to use different marketing strategies as well as offering quality services as way of attracting and retaining their customers.

Customers of tourism services would like to have a tourism agency that is offering a variety of services that will meet their expectations. In tourism industries, quality services and lower charges are important requirements from the customers.

Tourists will give a priority to a tourism company that offers services at lower charges without compromising quality when they are selecting their agencies. These two companies have continued to offer different discount rates for different services as a way of attracting and retaining their customers (Broadus, 2003, p.45).

For instance, Lastminute.Com Company gives its customers 5 percent discount for different travel destinations and this has made many tourists to choose their travel services just because of the fair prices.

The two companies have also continued to give quality services and this has satisfied their customers making them come back repeatedly. Kapoor and Quinby (2009) note that, “Online travel agencies have continued to outperform the traditional agencies” (p.15).

For instance, they offer medical services to their customers when they are traveling. They also give different beverages to their customers when they are using their services. These factors have enabled the companies to develop and build loyal customers who will always choose their services.

These strategies underscore distributing channels, which are very important in tourism (Williams and Richter, 2002, p.404).

However, the traditional mode of tourism has been seriously affected by the new technology (Sangpikul, 2010, p.110) but Machlouzarides observes that traditional modes of business are still used to govern operations of tourism and travels, (2010, p.161).

Last Minute.Com Company has continued to use online services as way of reaching more customers. All the potential customers in all the parts of the world easily access online services at any time they want them.

Through online services, the two companies advertise all their services and carry out all the booking services with their customers at very low charges. Khare and Anshuman (2010) argue that use of technology has improved online transactions.

Traditional tour operations took place through agencies, which took a lot of time before they were completed. Customers had to apply for these services earlier enough before the actual date, which was costly in terms of time. However, online booking services are very fast and customers can book even in the last minute.

Hailin, and Dong (2009), observe that it is very easy to buy air ticket online (p.203).

These services do not require customers to book a few days before the actual date of services; they just need to place their order one day before or even a few hours before the actual time for using the services, which has brought convenience on the side of customers especially those who like to book at the last minute.

Again, online booking services are very efficient based on the installation of all the customers’ requirements in the system. Mistakes and errors that made by traditional system are not common with online booking and this has made many customers to prefer online services as compared to traditional services.

These companies have also used online services as a marketing strategy where the operators place all the information about services offered on the internet. Customers are informed about different offers such as discounts offered by different travel companies as well as other services on offer.

As noted by Javanbakht, Alipour and Hajaliakbari (2009), “tourism and internet is the same thing” (p.267). Kim, Chung, and Lee (2009), support this argument by observing that online tourism services are very important for success tourism industry (p.256).

Criteria for evaluating website for travel agency

Evaluation of the website for travel agency involves determining whether the website is meeting its objectives for which it was established. The main aim of this website is to reach the potential customers and giving them all the information they require about the services offered by the agency.

First, the website must have the right authority as a way of authenticating information provided.

Secondly, the agency ought to provide different services to its customers.

Thirdly, it also needs to provide the prices charged for these services.

Fourthly, it needs further to provide other services offered to the customers such as help services.

Fifthly, the information provided over the website should meet the needs of the customers. According to Chaiprasit, Jariangprasert, Chomphunut, Naparat, and Jaturapataraporn (2010), quality of information is very important on travel agencies website (p.45).

Company Evaluation

The websites of the two companies are different given that, one of them is virtual tour operator and the other is traditional tour operator. Though the two companies’ websites are meeting their objectives, virtual tour operator is doing it better than the traditional tour operator is.

Lastminute.Com Company meets almost all the aforementioned criteria since it has provided all the information about their products in its websites. The company displays different discount rates in the website in a way that will capture the attention of the customers.

According to Park and Jemieson, (2009), a good monitoring system is important in tourism (p.46). On the other hand, the Website of Kuoni.com Company does not have all the necessary information about their services.

It also lacks online booking facilities that are very important to the customers. Therefore, it is important to evaluate online services in order to ensure their quality (Tsang, Lai, & Law, 2009, p.306).

Conclusion

The two modes of tour operations are very different. Virtual tour operator employs modern tourism services while traditional tour operators still use the traditional modes of operation. From this research, it is evident that virtual modes of tour operations are better than traditional tour operations.

Use of technology in the virtual tour operations has improved the efficiency of this model where customers can do all their booking without any physical movement.

The virtual tour operations are very convenient to the customers since they will not be required to prepare or do their bookings many days before the actual events. Use of online services has also improved marketing services in the tourism industry. I would therefore like to work for Lastminute.Com because of its efficiency.

References

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