The Changing Economic fortunes of mainland China has brought vast benefits to its people and the world in general. China has now become one of the major tourist source countries. Several companies are positioning themselves to take advantage of the surge in luxury travels by the Chinese. These include companies like Taimei group based in Hong Kong and the Ctrip.
A recent study revealed that there are close to 3 million people in China who have personal assets that are worth of 6 million yuan (approximately one million US dollars). Many of these people are taking part in luxury travels or have expressed the willingness to do so.
Taiwan needs to use a proper marketing mix to tap into the opportunities provided by China. The island already enjoys certain advantages such as being in close proximity to China and possessing a similar culture. The marketing mix to be adopted can consist of components such as pricing, promotion, product, place and programming.
Research indicates that Chinese travellers like viewing attractive sites and also prefer popular luxury accommodation facilities. Chinese luxury travellers also crave for safe destinations that offer quality shopping facilities. Taiwan has several tourist attractions and offers quality infrastructure that includes well known luxury hotels.
The country should however improve the services offered at most of its facilities to meet the quality expectations (Global Travel industry, 2012). The improvement should include proper employ training to ensure the provision of quality services. The country should also boost its image as a quality shopping destination to tap into the opportunities provided by China.
Taiwan is located in region prone to natural hazards and therefore should take the necessary steps to ensure safety measures are in place for Chinese luxury travellers.
Proper pricing is required to maximize revenue from the Chinese luxury market. Usually, luxury tourists demand quality and usually ready to pay higher fees to get the desired quality in terms of products and services. Taiwan should therefore adopt a premium pricing strategy that is backed with the desired quality to benefit from the growing Chinese millionaires (Global Travel industry, 2012).
“Place” is one of the most important components of a marketing mix (Mei, 2012). Chinese travellers often book their flights or accommodations through local agents and other professional websites. Taiwan should therefore liaise with such agents or website administrators to ensure that knowledge regarding the services they offer and tourist attraction sites is passed to the Chinese luxury traveller (Want China Times, 2012).
Proper packaging will also be an essential element in ensuring increased revenues from Chinese luxury travellers. Taiwan should package its tourism services in the most appealing manner. For instance, a tour package can consist of accommodation, park viewing, rafting and shopping in the neon lights night market (Understanding the Chinese Travel Market:Articles in Luxury Category, 2012).
Generally, a tourism package should consist of accommodation and a variety of leisure activities. In order to properly position itself as a luxury tourist destination, Taiwan should borrow a leaf from well established tourist destinations such as France.
In summary, the country should improve its services, put in place the necessary infrastructure and conduct aggressive marketing activities. Existing Taiwanese marketing organizations should aggressively seek to enter into partnerships with Chinese travel agents to successfully reach out to the Chinese luxury travellers (Understanding the Chinese Travel Market:Articles in Luxury Category, 2012).
“Constant shock syndrome” is one of the key challenges facing tourism industry. It is characterized by pandemics, global economic problems, natural disasters and terrorism. In order address these challenges the tourism business has employed the strategy of experience economy. Experience economy is a wide context in which tourism; sports, arts and events industries or sectors operate.
Experience economy offers more than mere products and services to increase visitors comfort and satisfaction. One of the practices is provision of sporting activities in tourism destinations. Experience in sports is one of the main reason visitors travel to a given destination. For example, a tourism destination can offer professional golf or tennis events. This experience attracts has sustained the tourism sector and has been used to address the “Constant shock syndrome” challenges.
The sporting activities are also accompanied by rich and diverse tourist experiences. In order to increase visitors comfort, tourism destinations have provided extra services in rooms like internet, automated teller machines to enhance withdrawing cash and high level of security and safety.
Provision of such services enhances comfort of visitors and improves the profile of the destination. It gives the place unique features. The practice has been widely employed to address the challenges tourism sector is facing.
Special events like cultural experiences, festival and business events can be used to boost tourism industry. Including unique arts and music in destinations increases the number of visitors.
Moreover, use of diverse cultural heritage in a given destination can be used to attract more visitors and ensure they are satisfied. These elements will ensure maximum consumer experience which will attract more visitors despite global economic crisis and terrorism threats.
Restaurant business is the tourism business to invest on. This business could be located in South Africa. Due to many tourists visiting the country, the business would do well because many visitors will be in need of food and drinks.
This type of business would offer a great opportunity to provide sporting activities and different forms of art considering that there are no restaurants with this provision. I would also explore the rich cultural experiences and provide them. As a result, the restaurant business could be successful.
Another reason is that South Africa is a strategic place for this business. Considering hygiene, safety and security are issues in South Africa; building a restaurant which has high standards of cleanliness and hygiene would be a great idea.
I would also ensure that the place is well secured for safety of visitors. As a result the visitors have a different kind of experience which is unusual. With provision of accommodation rooms, entertainment in the rooms and internet facilities to ensure comfort, the restaurant will serve convenience purposes.
South Africa is endowed with natural resources like beaches, diverse flora and fauna. This is a great source of attraction to the visitors. Building a restaurant a restaurant along these beaches will be a great idea. Visitors can relax after bout riding, swimming or sporting.
The country also has great national parks where provision of food and accommodation could a great idea. In addition, competition may be less stiff. A restaurant with great features can stand out compared to others. Such features like automated teller machines will increase the competitive advantage of the restaurant, thus increasing the business profits.
Fort Walton Beach is located in Okaloosa County in the state of Florida having a population of approximately 19,992 as per the population census of 2005. This city attracts many tourists especially during summer and the spring break where thousands of tourists flock to the beach. In the light of the above it is true to state that tourism in Fort Walton Beach becomes the primary driving force of the economy of this city (Moore 2007).
Reasons why people travel to Fort Walton Beach
As elaborated by Velton, Obolsky and Ellwood (2004), people travel to Fort Walton Beach for different reasons as this beach offers various activities that are fun to the tourists. The temperatures of the beach during the summer time and the spring break are very favorable.
The city climate is clammy, a characteristic of sub-stifling typical weather. Various fun activities that attract people to Fort Walton Beach include the activity of sailing the bay where the tourists get an opportunity to explore the coast and view the Dolphins.
Fishing activity also takes place in the Okaloosa fishing pier where the tourists get a chance to catch some fish, take photographs as well as enjoying the breeze from the gulf.
Kite surfing is also another major activity that takes place at the beach and lessons are usually offered to the starters thus making it fun to people who have never done this activity before.
The infrastructure that Fort Walton Beach has or doesn’t have.to support the current and future tourism
Franklin and Mikula (2009) points out that Fort Walton Beach has good infrastructure that enable the tourists to access the parts of the city effectively. The Northwest Florida Regional Airport is located in Fort Walton Beach.
In addition to that, it is the largest airport. The presence of this airport has enabled tourists from distant destinations to access the beach effectively. The city is served by various types of airlines such as the Delta Airline, the American eagle, continental express and Vision Airlines.
Various transits also exist within the city that provides the entry and exit of the people within the city in a more efficient manner.
A perfect example of transits is the Okaloosa County Transit that makes available transportation in the entire Fort Walton Beach. The main alighting station to this transit is the uptown station, lying on State Road 85.
Ways in which the plans for hotel and restaurant development will support the growth of tourism
The development of various hotels and restaurants within the Fort Walton Beach will greatly help in the growth of tourism in the area. The presence of many hotels and restaurants that provide good services for the clients will attract many tourists who will be interested in touring the city.
Many tourists are usually attracted to areas where there are good amenities therefore to ensure that tourists continue to visit the beach it is important that the hotels are made suit their needs for example the provision of wireless internet which will ensure that the tourists indulge in business while on vacation thus eliminating inconveniences.
These hotels should also be secure so as to ensure the visitors that they will be safe throughout their stay at the beach.
Unique facilities that will help in the attraction of more tourists to the beach include the provision of Jacuzzi’s, beach games, good food as well as ensuring that the tourists enjoy good food in these beach hotels (Butko & Butko 2007).
Propositions that Fort Walton Beach require to prepare for the future
The three main attractions that can be introduced in the Fort Walton beach to help in attracting more tourists to the beach include the increase in the number of the accommodation facilities in the city in order to accommodate the ever increasing number of the tourists that flock in to the city every year.
This will ensure that the tourist enjoy their stay during their vacation. The hotels should offer state of the art facilities like the indoor heated pool, hot tub, exercise room, entertainment as well as ensuring that the people get access to free wired or the provision of wireless internet.
A museum should also be established within the beach where the children can have fun in learning more about the aquatic animals and their characteristics. The establishment of the museum will be beneficial since it will be able to attract more people especially the school going children.
Another feature that can be introduced in the beach is the sport activities that can be done by different age groups like the beach volleyball, and football (Franklin & Mikula, 2009)
In conclusion, Fort Walton Beach is an important site in Florida that attracts many tourists every year thus boosting on the country’s economy.
Security is important in ensuring that the tourists feel secure and enjoy their vacation. Hotels that are present within the beach play a very crucial role in providing accommodation for the tourists.
Various activities such as kite surfing are very common in this beach but other activities such as beach volleyball can be introduced in order to increase fun at the beach.
References
Butko, B. & Butko, S. (2007). Roadside attractions: Cool cafés, souvenir stands, Route 66 relics, & other road trip fun. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
Franklin, P. M. & Mikula, N. (2009). Backroads of Florida: Your guide to great day trips & weekend getaways. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press.
Moore, M. (2007). Florida camping: The vomplete guide to tent and RV camping. Emeryville, California: Avalon Travel.
Velton, R., Obolsky, T. & Ellwood, M. (2004). The rough guide to Florida. New York: Rough Guides.
The tourism industry is one of the industries in the market. The industry is made of of key players such as hotels, and tourist attraction sites. The demand in the industry has increased because people need to travel and visit fascinating sites. Countries with attractive sites have experienced high growth in tourism.
The industry has high returns, and countries with good attraction sites gain a lot of foreign exchange from the industry. The industry experiences seasonal demand because the tourists visit during holidays. A few tourists visit during normal periods. Countries with attractive sites experience a large inflow of tourists during the holiday seasons (Das, 61).
The critical outputs (Q)
The outputs of the tourism industry include foreign exchange earnings that are paid by the tourists. In addition, the output includes the improved image of the countries which have attractive sites.
The critical inputs necessary to produce the output
The critical inputs include hotels, fascinating sites and and attractive cultural artifacts.
Identify technological processes involved
The tourism industry requires the use of online promotions to advertise tourist attraction sites. The use of e-marketing has been applied to attract tourists from the global market.
The appropriate market structure
The industry has a perfect competitive market structure. This is because there are few barriers of entry and exit, and homogenous products. The forces of demand and supply determine the market prices in the industry. This shows that the market equilibrium is determined by the forces of supply and demand (Ferrell, and Hartline, 238).
The shape of the demand curve
Source: Author
The critical factors influencing demand
The critical factors that influence demand in the market are security, attractive sites and the global image of the sites. In addition, security is an important factor that affects the demand of tourist attraction sites. Tourists fear places where there is a high crime rate or countries experiencing terrorism activities. The global image of a country with tourist attraction sites also determines the demand. There are countries which are famous for offering the best services, and they are preferred by most clients.
The shape of the supply curve
Source: Author
Firms in the industry set prices
The firms in the industry set their own prices. The prices are determined by the popularity of a certain tourist destination. The firms set prices depending on the level of demand.
There are no restrictions on setting prices in the industry. Customers in the industry are willing to pay a premium price for the firms offering the best quality services. The industry experiences seasonal demand, and prices are higher during the peak season. However, during the low season, the prices are lower.
Economic profits
Economic profits are made in the industry because all firms get customers. The firms operate above the production cost, and this indicates that economic profits are made.
Significant events that have recently impacted the market equilibrium, and their effect
International terrorism has affected the market equilibrium recently. Countries affected by terrorism activities experience a declining number of customers. The terrorists cause fear, and the demand decline.
The industry is very volatile because the demand depends on the willingness of people to visit tourist sites. If the people are not willing to visit the destinations, the demand declines. Terrorist attacks have affected many countries, and this has caused a tremendous decline in the number of tourists visiting countries experiencing such attacks.
Works Cited
Das, Gupta D. Tourism Marketing. Delhi: Pearson, 2011. Print.
Ferrell, O C, and Michael D. Hartline. Marketing Strategy. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Travel is a popular activity and involves visiting of variety of sites and participation in an assortment of activities. Due to the varied nature of terrain and risk involved with some activity it is essential to plan adequately prior to the excursion.
In line with this one of the most important activities to undertake prior to departure is to prepare an overview of the trip and highlight some of the expected activities (Stellin 2006). This is mainly important due to the fact that it helps in reaching the desired destination.
This overview and description requires that some research is undertaken by the organizer of the trip prior to making travel arrangements. In case the party is undecided on a destination it is necessary to consider the goals of the trip and visit websites which can be very helpful in identifying a suitable destination (Stellin 2006).
Important aspects to consider include weather patterns and peak seasons. This will play a major role in deciding on methods of travel and weighing potential losses or gains from alternatives (Stellin 2006).
Other necessary considerations include holidays and significant events within the locality. In addition to that high and low seasons are often accompanied with changes in prices and will have an influence on the budget and as such must be researched and mentioned in an overview.
In addition to the above points it has been mentioned that a glimpse at government sites may be helpful to see the authority’s position in regard to your proposed destination (Stellin 2006).
Information that may be gleaned from government include terror alerts, penalties for drug possession, medical requirements, traffic and road conditions, aviation standards and potentially useful information on banking and scams, etc. It is also crucial to provide information on age demographics in relation to the trip to ensure appropriate participants are sought.
Leadership
Before embarking on any outdoor activity it is essential to identify a leader for the proposed excursion. The main reason for this is due to the fact that should an emergency arise taking apposition of responsibility is potentially frightening. To avert such a situation it is best to select an effective, capable and trained individual to take on such a role beforehand (Barton 2007).
The leader will take charge during an emergency where a democratic approach to solving the problem may lead to catastrophe. For this reason it is clear that the leader must possess some qualifications suitable for the role.
The main role of the leader is to handle an emergency situation with as much concentration and focus as possible and avoid the distraction caused by panic (Barton 2007).
It is suggested that though hands on involvement is useful, whenever possible a leader should delegate duties and create a sense of involvement. This allows the leader to focus on their key responsibility which is making good decisions and avoiding bad choices.
It has been mentioned that the quality and experience of the leader can have major role to play in the safety and success of outdoor activity. The staff where available and leaders of outdoor activity are undoubtedly the most major influence on safety in any outdoor activity (Barton 2007). For this reason it is recommended that the leader is selected keeping these key traits in mind as opposed to the group disposition.
Trip Itineraries
In an outdoor activity the itinerary is the overall plan of how the activity will be carried out. It includes time for each activity, expected routes and a variety of information on the activity. The importance of the itinerary thus grows based on the duration for the proposed trip or activity (Redmond, Foran & Dwyer, 2010).
A short trip such as a day hike on a well marked trail may not require much work as everyone knows where they are going. However, for a longer excursion a detailed itinerary detailing the specifics such as the size of the party, departure time and return time is crucial to manage safety for larger parties on longer excursions.
Such an itinerary should include the number of people in the party, their expected time of departure and return. In addition to that the equipment taken for the activity and the persons in charge of this equipment may need to be logged as well (Redmond, Foran & Dwyer, 2010).
On completion of the trip any changes in the itinerary can be used to form queries that may be the solution to an emergency that had taken place earlier in the day. Maps and information about the region can be very useful and increase interest in the trip when included in the itinerary (See Appendix A & B).
It is advised to leave the itinerary with a responsible individual who can contact emergency services should there be a need for that (Redmond, Foran & Dwyer, 2010). For example if on an outdoor hiking trip the itinerary could be handed to the ranger in charge of the park or attendant in charge (Redmond, Foran & Dwyer, 2010).
This document is also useful in estimating aspects such as walking pace to maintain during the excursion. In addition to that it is useful in planning various sections of the trip such as rest stops where the group can catch their breath while the leader checks whether the party navigation is on track (See Appendix C).
Equipment
During the management of outdoor activities equipment is crucial to the success and even the completion of various activities. For this reason in planning an outdoor activity it is necessary to carry out a needs assessment to evaluate whet the program requires (Walker & Seidler, 1993).
This needs assessment involves an overview of the situation and makes considerations such as whether the program is new or existing. It is also crucial to consider if the activity is intended to be done for recreation or competitively (Walker & Seidler, 1993). This is evident due to the fact that the needs for an elementary school will vary greatly when compared with those of a college.
In making consideration on equipment to be used for the proposed activity it becomes important to consider the space available for this activity. This is because most equipment comes with directions on the space requirements for optimal operation. Lack of adherence to the considerations therefore renders the installation of such facilities unsafe (Walker & Seidler, 1993).
In addition to the above considerations it is clear that the desired activity will influence the selection and purchase of equipment. Alongside this comes the health and safety of participants involved. It goes without saying that the equipment chosen must first and foremost promote the safety of the participants for it to be considered suitable (Walker & Seidler, 1993).
Water Sources and Treatment
It has been reported that the presence of large volumes of water is often regarded a fundamental requirement for outdoor recreation (Jenkins & Pigram, 2003). This occurs for two reasons namely, the water acts as a medium for recreation or to enhance the appeal of the recreational setting. This position in relation to water lets us know that adequate consideration should be given to the water used in these settings.
The activities undertaken in water include diving, snorkeling and other deep sea activities as well as rafting, canoeing and fishing which are more common in river waters (Jenkins & Pigram, 2003).
Due to the widespread appeal of water for recreation there has been a surge in usage that has led to situation where water quality is lowered and thus unsuitable for outdoor activity. This is especially due to the fact that for activities such as fishing the quality and quantity of water play a major role in popularity (Jenkins & Pigram, 2003).
In addition to the above considerations it has been mentioned that in outdoor activities it is crucial to treat any water taken from unprotected sources (Muller, 2003). This arises due to the fact that such water which is available in these circumstances can cause illness and as such remedial action is necessary.
In addition to that it is advisable to practice proper hygiene in outdoor activities (Muller, 2003). Untreated water comes with potentially harmful micro organisms such as Giardia which if ingested can cause serious medical problems to an individual (Muller, 2003).
Such organisms are introduced to the water due to animal activity or sewerage that seeps into the water from nearby settlements. For this reason it is advisable to purchase pills used for water purification prior to visiting these areas.
Weather Related Information
It is important that during any outdoor activity the collection of information is carried out as an ongoing process (Dickson & Gray, 2012). Information such as predictions on weather patterns can be a major factor in relation to safety of outdoor activities.
For this reason it is essential to update the party in relation to most current weather prior to embarking on an excursion while taking time to consult on any expected changes in weather (Dickson & Gray, 2012).
In this regard it has been observed that the internet and mobile technology has played a significant role in averting potential crisis (Dickson & Gray, 2012).
Due to this technology it is now possible to view live radar images and examine river height gauges within minutes as opposed to hours in the past. Some information that may be relevant includes the expected temperatures, water levels in rivers and wind related information (See Appendix D).
However, despite the advances in technology it has been observed that communicating weather information may at times be difficult due to remoteness. In such instances it has been suggested that good knowledge of the locale may prove useful in the outdoor activity (Dickson & Gray, 2012).
Transportation
This aspect forms a significant part of the budget allocated for any outdoor activity (Harrison, 2012). For this reason a properly planned outdoor activity will require the analysis of various options for transportation.
In this regard some considerations to make will include the type of vehicles, whether to lease or outsource transport another company, among other considerations. The age demographics of the group also play a role in selection of appropriate mode of transport for the activity.
It is important to keep in mind that there are significant risks and legal implications to be considered in relation to transportation. The individual in charge must confirm efficiency and safety standards offered by any proposed contractor (Fulbrook, 2005).
The distribution of routes and scheduling of transport must also be carefully coordinated and any changes quickly communicated to other members of the transportation unit. This is believed to be a sure way to minimize disorder and lack of satisfaction during the activity.
Rules and Regulations
In many outdoor activities there is a significant degree of risk involved which with the guidance of an experienced guide can be overcome. However, in certain instances there may arise occasions when due to unforeseeable circumstances an injury or accident occurs.
It is reported that many times this occur due to lack of adherence to the laid down rules and regulations (Harrison, 2012). In order to avoid any subsequent legal actions that could come about it is considered wise to provide a document containing the rules and regulations that will govern the trip and potential risks involved.
In instances where such a document is produced and signed by participants, the organizer or individual in charge can be considered legally protected from legal action. This however does not imply that negligence is tolerated but acts as a barrier to protect the organizer from unfair legal actions (Harrison, 2012).
Risk Assessment and Management
In operating a successful outdoor program one of the major tasks is the evaluation and management of risks. The identification of risks involved can be achieved by using four specific categories namely field, operational, financial and strategic risks (Harrison, 2012). Field risks include environmental hazards such as flash floods.
Operational risks include poorly managed equipment and inappropriately trained staff. Financial risks include unexpected financial losses due to increased expenditure during seasonal changes. Strategic risks include issues that may arise due to lack of vision and foresight (Harrison, 2012).
Once all the potential risks have been identified it is important to categorize them based on their likelihood to provide a clear picture of issues that need to be tackled (See Appendix E). Based on the picture presented it becomes easier to identify strategies to counter these potentially risky situations (Harrison, 2012).
This process and the strategies identified form the organization’s risk management program and should be embraced within the organization as part of organizational culture (Harrison, 2012).
Among the important aspects that may be included in such a program include possible additional training that should be given to staff. In addition to that it is crucial to identify and prepare material that needs to be shared with participants prior to the activity.
Emergency Action Plan
It should be noted that an emergency action plan (EAP) is a very essential component of any outdoor activity. There is no standard EAP for all outdoor activities based on the fact that facilities, communities, resources and communication facilities available vary a great deal (Moffitt, 2011). In addition to that the plan should be distributed t relevant personnel and participants as an invisible EAP is worthless.
The EAP should include guidelines to be followed in various scenarios such as fires and other emergency situations. It must include guidelines on the evacuation routes and procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency (Moffitt, 2011). Such a plan should also include telephone numbers of hospitals and medical facilities close by to assist with casualties and other medical related issues (See Appendix F).
As is seen in the appendix the document is a detailed writing that categorizes risks and clearly defines response to the risks within the organization. It also provides information on the staff in charge in case of an emergency and the training received for the situation (CDC, 2004).
Contingencies
Just as with any activity there is a need for some preparatory actions made to handle unexpected situations in business. For example, a camping site may be prepared to accommodate twenty tents but due to circumstances be forced to deal with twenty five tents suggesting an unexpected increase in the size of the party.
These situations call for an alternative plan in place to handle such scenarios (Martin, 2006). In addition to such circumstances contingency planning should cater for activities that can be undertaken when weather interrupts or causes postponement of one activity in the itinerary. Such planning ensures participants are kept engaged and receive and experience worth their while.
Miscellaneous
In addition to all the above mentioned plans and guidelines there is still need to cater for additional requirements that may arise in the course of outdoor excursions. An example of this occurs where a member of the visiting party is accompanied by an aged person or a young infant.
In such cases the organization will need to have prepared or arranged to acquire some equipment such as safety seats for babies or wheel chairs to cater for senior citizens. To provide a memorable and efficient outdoor trip there is no limitation to the extent of preparation necessary. It is not uncommon to find that the more prepared organization attracts more clientele simply as a result of this.
References
Barton, B. (2007). Safety, risk and adventure in outdoor activities. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
Tourism is the “sum of activities and relationships between various parties, which arises from the travel and stay of non-residents of a certain location to new locations, as long as the movement does not involve an earning activity or permanent residency.”1 Environmental degradation is one of the major factors that threaten the existence of humankind. Tourism is one the factors that may have a negative impact on the environment.
Therefore, it is vital to ensure the sustainability of tourism activities. Sustainable tourism strives to reduce the impact of tourism on the environment while ensuring that tourism activities provide future benefits to the local people.
The major aspects of sustainable tourism are environmental, economic, and socio-cultural. Sustainable tourism strives to maximize the positive impacts of tourism while minimizing the negative impacts.2 Protection of the Amazon River basin is one of the major sustainable tourism initiatives. Whistler Resort and Kangaroo Island are some of the major sustainable tourism initiatives in Canada and South Australia respectively.
Whistler Resort
Whistler resort is the brainchild of a group of adventurers. The adventurers wanted the area to host the 1968 winter Olympics. They created the Girabaldi Park to enable the area host the winter Olympics. After the failure of the bid, they converted the valley into a huge ski resort. Whistler resort comprises of restaurants, 4 championship golf courses, skiing resorts, more than 200 shops, bars, accommodation and hiking spots. These features make Whistler Resort one of the best mountain resorts in North America.3
In the early 1990s, Whistler Resort introduced a program that monitored various indicators of environmental, social, and economic changes. This enabled the resort to conduct town hall meetings with the local community to discuss the growth of the community.
However, significant increase in the levels of “tourist flows, rising real estate development pressure and infrastructural costs, and emerging climate change impacts” necessitated Whistler to change its approach.4 These factors necessitated the development of a Comprehensive Sustainability Plan (CSP).
CSP incorporates the views of the community in devising a strategic plan that would increase Whistler’s sustainability. Local values and core sustainability principles guide the CSP. CSP provides an interconnection between the traditional values of sustainability and individual actions.
This holistic approach to sustainability provides a sustainability filter for all individual actions. The CSP has various sustainability program tasks that act as benchmarks for sustainability. CSP has several key performance indicators (KPI) that use three pillars of sustainability as their foundation. Whistler Resort, the municipal government and other partners monitor the CSP.5
One of the major strengths of Whistler’s CSP is that it incorporates the views of the local community. This helps in improving the welfare of the local community. However, members of the community do not understand most aspects of the sustainability rubric.6 Therefore, it is vital for the resort to use sustainability rubrics that the public can easily understand.
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is an island in the state of South Australia that is popular for its indigenous wildlife, beautiful scenery, and expansive beaches. The Island is home to more than 4,000 Australians. The island’s exotic features attract more than 100,000 tourists to the island annually.
Rapid expansion of tourism in Kangaroo Island necessitated the development of a tourism policy for the Island. In 1991, the government developed a tourism policy that divided the Island into 11 tourism zones. The policy helps in identifying the resources in each zone and outlining the potential future development of the tourism zones. To achieve the above objectives the government developed the Tourism Optimisation Management Model (TOMM). The program helps in monitoring sustainable tourism in Kangaroo Island.7
TOMM strives to make Kangaroo Island one of the world’s leading nature based tourist destinations. In addition, TOMM ensures that tourism improves the quality of life of residents of the island. The development strategy incorporates the views of the local community. Prior to the development of the strategy, residents of the island had to come to a consensus on the type of core data and monitoring programs that should be set up.8
At the local level, Kangaroo Island Council, Kangaroo Island Development board, and Tourism Kangaroo Island, are the major agencies that manage tourism on the island. At the state level, Department of Environment and Heritage, and the South Australia Tourism Commission are the agencies that manage tourism on the Island.
TOMM established benchmarks in the areas of “economic, market opportunity, environmental, experiential, infrastructure/development and socio-cultural.9 TOMM has KPI in each of the above benchmarks. Some KPI of the tourism development strategy include percentage of people who derive their income from tourism activities and the percentage growth of visitors in various tourism segments.10
TOMM helps in monitoring sustainable tourism in Kangaroo Island. Monitoring helps in determining whether tourism activities are within certain ranges. When the activities exceed the ranges, the government identifies the causes and effects of exceeding the ranges. This helps in formulating management activities that bring back the indicators to within the accepted ranges.11
One of the major strengths of this tourism management model is the fact it provides a holistic approach to tourism. It gives weight to various dimensions of tourism and the local community. However, TOMM is tourism-centric. It prioritises the development of tourism in Kangaroo Island.12 Therefore, it is vital for the model to shift its focus to the sustainable development of the island.
Conclusion
Both Kangaroo Island and Whistler Resort appreciate the need for having sustainable tourism. To formulate a holistic approach, it is vital to incorporate the views of the local community. This enables the sustainability efforts to be beneficial to both the tourist companies and the local community.
Bibliography
Beeton, S, Community development through tourism, Landlinks Press, Collingwood, 2006.
Buhalis, D & C Costa, Tourism management dynamics, Routledge, London, 2012.
McCool, SF & RN Moisey, Tourism, recreation, and sustainability: Linking culture and the environment, CABI, Oxfordshire, 2008.
Robinson, P, S Heitmann & PUC Dieke, Research themes for tourism, CABI, Oxfordshire, 2011.
Stephen Leacock Ulysses Travel Guides, Vancouver & Victoria travel guide, 5th Ed., Hunter Publishing, New York, 2006.
Most of travel agents in the United Kingdom (UK) are in the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).The ABTA membership comprises of miniature, professional tour operators in addition to independent travel agencies that cut across to publicly enrolled companies- from call points and online booking systems to high street businesses.
The Association of British Travel Agents has an interior management system – Consumer Affairs Department. In accordance with ABTA, the year 2004 was a predominantly taxing year for its affiliates because of global matters like violence and the persistent progression of fresh expertise.
Agents of ABTA represent about 80 percent of package holidays traded in the UK (Gilbert, & Hewlett 2003, pp. 166-182). The trade travel market in the UK is greatly aggressive given that more than 6000 trade travel agents have the affiliation to ABTA while more than 1000 other retail travel agents have affiliation to competing associations having own connecting system.
The high street travel agent was throughout several years seen as a significant component that increased worth to the allotment practice. Independent travel agents achieved roughly 90 percent of all sales more than twenty years ago until the chief operators chose that plans would be greatest carried out by controlling and owning every factor of the allotment path like airlines, travel agents, and hotels.
The result was that the majority of the independent travel transactions were reallocated to these perpendicularly amalgamated companies, and they progressively took charge over delivery and allotment (Buhalis, & Licata 2002, pp. 207-220). Effectively, this was the beginning of the disintermediation practice, which hastened with the rise of Internet as an economical distribution path.
Considerations against the travel agent
If customers maintain to network with holiday traders through the internet, then the prospect of travel agent seems tentative particularly when the operators have adequate market supremacy to decrease commission of the agent. Commission continues to be the livelihood of travel agents, as well as the sole principal cost for the dealer.
Several tour operators are anticipating slashing commission disbursed to travel agents as airlines did in the past few years. These tour operators are employing other inexpensive allotment channels like Internet to move straight to clients. Thomson Holidays, the leading tour operator in the United Kingdom has declared schemes to slice commission with the aim of competing on value with budget airlines.
British Airways (BA) became the earliest airline in the United Kingdom to slice commission to the trade operations (Gilbert, & Gao 2005, pp. 306-321). As stated, BA does not have the duty to render agents a livelihood. While identifying the worth of agents, there is consideration that their payment ought to be realized via service bills.
Numerous descriptions have recognized Internet to be the favourite path for creating travel exploration in addition to online holiday bookings. Nowadays, there exists a tight institution of the internet like a booking device for holidays. Of late, 19 percent of customers reserve package holidays through the internet.
This is about six times of the figure as at 2000. Though travel agents includes an advanced understanding and offers personal service, once clients have attempted employing online booking they will maintain to do it afterwards. There is consideration that package holidays via travel agents shall persist to decrease.
Package holiday trades are currently at the least degrees (Chen 2001, pp. 288-302). There is an expectation that the worth of separately booked holidays will augment by nearly 80 percent in a period of 5 years.
The augmented recognition of independent holidays attributes almost its every success to the internet, demonstrating that the larger use of the internet has made the whole practice easier for independent travellers. A different latent warning to travel agent is augmented figure of clients heading straight to tour operators.
This is because the customers consider either that they will obtain a well-considered charge or they will obtain better or additional knowledge. There is a threat in travel agents being booklet obtaining points more and more, particularly since the majority of tour operators currently publicize their telephone numbers and web address on the booklet.
This part has demonstrated that travel agents face the risk of the escalating propensity of clients booking holidays straight through tour operators (Forsyth 1995, pp. 210-231). There is yet another threat of customers organizing independent holidays instead of traditional package holidays.
Save for the subsequent decrease in the figures of holidays that the travel agents book, there is still the possibility of getting a smaller commission on every deal as the chief airlines along with tour operators fasten their girdles.
Considerations for the travel agent
Regardless of the encircling promotions of booking travels through the internet and the subsequent termination of travel agents, there is still a decrease in the figure of travel agency malfunctions for more than ten years.
In the year 2004, twenty-nine travel agencies closed their business weighed against thirty-one in the year 2003 in addition to thirty-seven in the year 2002. Substantial proof from the key players subsists to propose that high street travel agents have a future.
In spite of the shift towards online booking for holiday pacts, more than 70 percent of clients depend on high street travel agents over technology and could be ready to come back to them if there is provision of enhanced deals (Williams, Rattray, & Grimes 2006, pp. 59-73). When requested to state which means they employed in booking holidays, the results from the clients were as shown below (Smallman 2004, pp. 24):
77 percent via high street travel agents
39 percent online
25 percent direct with tour operators
14 percent teletext
Nine percent via call centres
Even if Preston Travel, a travel agency, can currently perform straight with clients through the internet, the company is nevertheless dedicated to travel agents for major supply of revenue. Travel agents are able to sway the operator they book therefore this ought to be a caution for tour operators considering reviewing commission policy of the agents.
High street travel agents offer convenience to clients and an influential product can give guarantee, particularly against bookings through the internet where commonly safety is a major area of alarm for clients. High street travel businesses in addition offer geographic understanding brand identification.
It is noteworthy how an important percentage of bookings through the internet are for simple travel, for instance with inexpensive airlines; and customers yet choose services of high street travel agents for intricate bookings (Reinders, & Baker 1998, pp. 1-15).
A research done established that an agent takes on average fifteen minutes to find a package holiday against a standard one hundred and eleven minutes taken by clients hunting for online booking of the same package holiday (Klemm, & Parkinson 2001, pp. 367-375).
This confirms that high street travel agents nevertheless have a great opportunity to offer a lasting benefit to clients in matters regarding security, convenience, expertise, and variability via active packaging. In the course of client contact in person, they are in a sturdy situation to persuade preference of holiday of clients to their own pre-eminent benefit, in any case as much as the lesser tour operators are involved.
Discussion
The proof offered recommends that the success of travel agents can be found in an amalgamation of internet specialization and knowledge to give clients much benefit. Through the unloading of traditional package holiday brand by means of the latest expertise, high street travel agents could combine and equate a selection of dealers from lodgings to transportation.
They could then unite the mentioned elements into a single cost (Huxley 2004, p. 1). For instance, fresh expertise is currently available which permits high street travel agents to book inexpensive airlines and integrate them into manageable packages (Tapper 2001, pp. 351-366).
This scheme has the possibility of saving the customer funds and time used up on online searches, enhances the litheness of this offer in addition to providing better returns for the high street agent since it slices out the margin of the tour operator on the merchandise sold.
The utmost terror high street travel agent is disintermediation. This is the situation where the tour operators transact straight to clients and finally eliminates the travel agent. Online booking is equipping the chief tour operators and clients with chances of direct dealings.
High street travel agents can either stick by and observe this take place, or get actual vital accomplishment by investing in active packaging expertise and offering benefit services to chief client factions (Evans 2001, pp. 477-491).
The corporations, which have attained the excellent outcomes, are the companies that concentrate on the independent travel segment or those that have preferred a definite slot in which to concentrate, for instance, STA Travel, and Flight Centres.
Nevertheless, independent travel agents will require an advanced intensity of linking to adopt the chances of dynamic packaging. They will also require making considerable investment in expertise and advertising. Dynamic packaging offers an exciting opportunity for the travel agents; however, it is not the way out, as numerous people suppose.
Dynamic packaging should act as correspondence to trading package holidays since miniature independent travel agents will by no means have the buying supremacy of the perpendicularly incorporated operators who direct the convey and at other times lodgings and operations like overseas representation and transfers (Miller 2003, pp. 17-39).
Finally, independent agents must also deem working more jointly with the tour operators in order that both parties gain monetarily from the deal.
Conclusion
In universal with numerous other segments of the market, the internet emerges to be rather than substituting active business main concerns in the travel business. This study points out that dynamic packaging brands will develop at the cost of package holidays, even if the latter will also signify an important feature of the entire travel industry.
It is still apparent that the online booking will keep on growing as a travel knowledge foundation and that booking through the internet will augment as people continuers having ease access to swift internet connectivity (Morgan, Pritchard, & Abott 2001, pp. 110-124).
Closer teamwork between the niche tour operators and high street travel agents to give inventive and beneficial services via successful use of information expertise and staff proficiency is worth to avoid the clients going it by themselves.
References
Buhalis, D & Licata, M 2002, ‘The future e-Tourism intermediaries’, Tourism Management, vol. 23 no. 3, pp. 207-220.
Chen, S 2001, ‘Assessing the impact of the Internet on brands’, The Journal of Brand Management, vol. 8 no. 4, pp. 288-302.
Evans, N 2001, ‘The UK air inclusive-tour industry: a reassessment of the competitive positioning of the ‘independent’ sector’, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 3 no. 6, pp. 477-491.
Forsyth, T 1995, ‘Business attitudes to sustainable tourism: Self‐regulation in the UK outgoing tourism industry’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 3 no. 4, pp. 210-231.
Gilbert, D & Gao, Y 2005, ‘A failure of UK travel agencies to strengthen zones of Tolerance’, Tourism and hospitality research, vol. 5 no. 4, pp. 306-321.
Gilbert, D & Hewlett J 2003, ‘A method for the assessment of relative brand strength: a UK tour operator example’, The Service Industries Journal, vol. 23 no. 2, pp. 166-182.
Huxley, L 2004, ‘DIY boom is key to future growth’, Travel Trade Gazette, vol. 1 no. 1, p. 1.
Klemm, M & Parkinson, L 2001, ‘UK tour operator strategies: causes and consequences’, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 3 no. 5, pp. 367–375.
Miller, G 2003, ‘Consumerism in Sustainable Tourism: A Survey of UK Consumers’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 11 no. 1, pp. 17-39.
Morgan, N, Pritchard, A & Abott, S 2001, ‘Consumers, travel and technology: A bright future for the web or television shopping?’, Journal of vacation marketing, vol. 7 no. 2, pp. 110-124.
Reinders, J & Baker, M 1998, ‘The future for direct retailing of travel and tourism products: the influence of information technology’, Progress in Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 4 no. 1, pp. 1–15.
Smallman, C 2004, ‘Independent agents fear the pain of DIY’, Travel Trade Gazette, vol. 1 no. 1, p. 24.
Tapper, R 2001, ‘Tourism and socio-economic development: UK tour operators’ business approaches in the context of the new international agenda’, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 3 no. 5, pp. 351-366.
Williams, R, Rattray, R, & Grimes, A 2006, ‘Meeting the on-line needs of disabled tourists: an assessment of UK-based hotel websites’, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 8 no. 1, pp. 59-73.
According to research carried out by Mohammad et al, tourism and recreation represent some of the most valuable businesses across the world. The two practices are considered important forms of leisure activities. Tourism normally provides people with an opportunity to relax, however, people at times may become a threat to natural resources and cultural heritage.
In most cases, the idea of tourism is associated with beaches, hotels, visiting historic points and no links with religion at all (Mohammadiet al 220-223). When concepts of religion are combined with tourism, people tend to attach negativity to it especially from the church’s perspective. Religious tourism is, however, considered an important part of cultural phenomenon despite having numerous constituents.
A number of researches reveal that traditional religion is gradually fading due to destruction of traditional values within the society. However, modern religion is vital crucial since it plays an important role in the promotion of tourism. Most of tourist trips are usually made to places, buildings, events and objects that are associated with religion without any underlying spiritual motivation (Ministry of Culture and Tourism).
According to researchers, tourism and pilgrimage are closely related. Reasons for traveling as tourists and the nature of activities involved, are important areas of interest in the tourism industry. Religious tourism involves engagement of tourists in some kind of spiritual experience within the religious context.
This helps in defining a specific definition of religion and its role within the society. The experiences of tourists are likened to pilgrim behaviors since interactions are based on religion and travel destinations within various countries. Spiritual tourists have a unique aim of their traveling, in particular, to see the religious sites and get imbued with their atmosphere.
However, on the contrary, tourism aims at fulfilling some social and functional curiosity since most of tourism experiences involve sightseeing (Kreiner 259-270). Despite highlighted differences in meaning, some sense of commonality can be identified since tourists have almost similar experiences as pilgrims and vice versa.
Spiritual tourists are regular visitors to religious destinations and monuments in search for divine experiences. They differ from pilgrims in the way that their journeys are motivated from different religious backgrounds (Deloitte).
Spirituality and religiosity are represented through different modes within different contexts. Such context finds relevance in the field of tourism especially when considered in the perspective of pilgrimage. Differences occur in the motive behind many travels. However, at some point many tourists engage in the same activities as pilgrims or spiritual tourists.
Spiritual tourists emerge as a result of changes and uncertainties that appeared nowadays. The term is used to create a clear distinction between tourists and pilgrims, and at the same time define the place of religion in the field of tourism (Kreiner 259-270).
According to opinion on BBC news, the religious tourism has been on the rise in Wales due to frequent visits by tourists from all over the world to historic places, namely, churches of Wales. The news reveals that current generations have deep and renewed interest in holy sites (Bourne).
According to reports by Welsh government, there was an increased percentage of United Kingdom ‘staying tourists’ within the last two years in the country with an aim of visiting various places of interest, mostly places of worship.
People of all creed and denominations have been identified within St Winefride’s Holy well owing to their heritage or religious interests. Influx of visitors over the last decade has risen from thirty thousands to thirty six thousand as shown by 2011 statistics which is an indication of expanding market within religious tourism (Bourne).
Gladstone Library in Hawarden reported rise in tourists visiting the religious center known as theological station. Apart from the college, some of the places attracting interest in Wales include the statute of Lady of Penrhys, the holy well representing one of the oldest Christian sites in Rhondda.
People from all walks of life including those with no religious affiliations attend spiritual retreats at St Beuno’s Ignatian Spirituality Centre. At the same time, the majority have been seen making pilgrimages to well waters of St Dyfnog since it is believed to possess a curative power. The church of Wales has in the recent times declared 2012 as the year of pilgrimage since several events are anticipated in religious places including Rome and St David in Pembrokeshire (Bourne).
Many comparisons have been made in attempt to compare religious tourism with pilgrimage. Most publications define pilgrimage as the concept where masses travel to shrine for purposes of performing religious rites and rituals. Religious tourists at the same time are often motivated by cultural reasons where religious historic sites are the subject of interest.
In both cases the travelers prefer comfortable travel and accommodation despite at times rejecting aesthetic display in physical and natural resources (Egrest et al 64-77). Most of the pilgrimages get involved in activities considered the same as those of tourism since services provided are of the same quality.
Many of the pilgrimage places have been secularized by informal and formal sectors since such sites have been commercialized. In many instances, secular tourists are found at religious sites majority visiting places for education purposes while only some for personal or religious needs.
In the current society, only a fraction of travelers visits religious sites for sacred reasons; a bigger percentage is motivated by cultural and education reasons. The majority currently view religious tourism as a significant part of cultural tourism based on the experiences in the remote sites.
In broader terms, religious tourism also involves travelling for religious conferences and music concerts. Religious attractions can be distinguished in various ways.
These include pilgrimage shrines with strong religious affiliations hence there are less secular tourists expected than there are shrines open for both secular and religious tourists, and finally there are attractions from religious festivals. During such visits, the chances of religious tourists being involved in local activities within the target destinations are high (Egrest et al 64-77).
Tourism presents means through which individuals can enrich their social lives by appreciating diversities within culture and other resources. The kinds of recreation brought alongside tourism are utilized for the purposes of nourishing relationships amongst different cultures and individuals.
Various countries have considered of prime importance all developments within tourism sector based on the fact that the sector is the major source of revenue. However, in most instances several barriers are created with potential of restricting group of individuals such as those physically challenged and those without any religious affiliations from accessing crucial points.
However, current tourism industry considers religion as one of the major sectors capable of enriching tourism since most of the historical sites are associated with ancient religious cultures which were incorporated in design processes of buildings and heritage centres. A part of leisure activities in tourism is also enjoyed by religious masses since they help in enriching social life (Egrest et al 64-77).
Numerous benefits are realised from excellent management culture within tourism industry. Despite negative impacts within tourism, religious aspect of tourism carries less social evils compared to good ones. Religious historic sites enable individuals to think innovatively in the plight of encouraging transfer of knowledge from past to present within various groups of people.
Management of diverse cultural background proves beneficial in the process of restoring the diminishing societal values. At the same time, tourist destinations find it easy to market their various heritage centres through historic festivals and conferences organized by various religious groups (Tester).
Different religious backgrounds ensure availability of more people with diverse behaviours and societal beliefs. This calls for various governments to implement rules and regulations capable of accommodating people from different religions to avoid discriminative actions.
Managing cultural and religious diversity assists in knowledge transfer since tourists enjoy free interactions within such religious destinations and festivals (Tester). However, there is a need of creating commonality in language for the purposes of enriching communication amongst individuals.
This enables easier transfer of information as well as knowledge on various historical descriptions. Such scenario reduces the level of misunderstanding and misinterpretation brought by diverse religious backgrounds in the world, hence increased efficiency and productivity within tourism industry (Tester).
According to Tester, the tourism industry in China and Hong Kong has experienced a tremendous development within the last five decades. Destinations differ based on their strategic geographical locations and the kind of historical monuments, natural resources available for leisure.
China is known for its diverse religious background and at the same time operates based on open door policy which has created easy access channels to the country. This has assisted in the rise of inbound tourists within the last two decades. The industry has much been affected by recession experienced in the late 1990s and mid 2004 including outbreak of contagious diseases (Tester).
Conclusion
High growth within the tourist industry has led to an improved economy within various destination countries due to high foreign exchange earnings received from tourism and associated activities. Religious tourism has been promoted by low-cost air travels within the Southeast Asia, which encourages lots of pilgrimage travels.
Pilgrimage travels at certain times of the year have promoted further development of infrastructure such as well-established carriage ways capable of improving visitor experiences during frequent travels. Due to the mass numbers of pilgrimage, sometimes movement is made difficult within short-haul markets.
At the same time such destinations have introduced an individual visiting scheme for the purposes of minimizing congestion, hence, encouraging frequent visits by religious tourists. These arrangements are specially arranged to promote free movements and travels without visas.
Most tourist destinations promoting spiritual tourism such as Wales realized a high growth in income generating activities. Competition amongst tourist destinations seems stiff in the 21st century due to technological improvements across the world. Several concepts and theories have emerged towards the explanation on the role of tourism to environmental, social issues and religious issues.
A the same time countries and regions acting as tourist destinations have pledged an utmost vigilance on negative activities associated with tourism and only promote positive aspects. This should be given extensive consideration due to detrimental effects tourists have on the mental, moral, social and physical dimensions within the society.
Works Cited
Bourne, Nick. “Religious tourism on the rise, Says Church in Wales”. BBC News, 2012.
Deloitte 2010, Turkish Tourism Industry Report. Web.
Egrest, Istvan, Busra, Bayram, Kara, Fatih and Kesik, Ozan. “Unlocking the potential of Religious tourism in Turkey.”GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 9 (2012):64-77. Print.
Kreiner, Collins.“Current Jewish Pilgrimage Tourism: Modes and Models of Development,”Tourism:Preliminary Communication, 58 (2010): 259-270.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism 2012, Turkey: Tourism Statistics. Web.
Mohammadi, Mostafa, Zainab, Khalifa and Hasan, Hosseini. “Local People Perceptions Toward Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Tourism in Kermanshah, Iran.”Journal of Asian Social Science, 6 (2010):220-223. Print.
Dandegong Ranges in Victoria is one of Australia’s breathtaking tourist destination sites. It is located an approximately 38km from Melbourne. The whole park occupies an area of 3400ha (Bennett, 2003, p. 179). It is a haven full of lush green towering forests coupled with gardens of fern glades and an outstanding variety of eclectic villages. The site’s serene environment is ideal for retreats from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Location map
Destination analysis
Business environment
The legal environment requires that the management, Parks Victoria, prepares a plan on programs it has to implement every year under the Parks Victoria Act 1998. The management is required to prepare an annual report under the National Parks Act 1975 as well (Parks Victoria “Management Planning”, n.d). Under the Traditional Owners Act 2010, Park Victoria is considering a joint management with Aboriginal owners (Parks Victoria, “Aboriginal Joint Management”, n.d).
Ecological concerns require that all activities being conducted in the Ranges be conservative with the environment. Dandenong Ranges management takes into consideration social factors such as inclusion of Traditional Owners’ insight on management issues (Director of National Parks 2011).
The tourism industry in Australia is experiencing shortage of skilled workers, difficulty in securing funds, changes in exchange rates, and shortage in accommodation services (McCarthy 2012, para. 1). These have an impact in reducing international competitiveness. Dandenong Ranges exist in an industry experiencing local, and international competitive forces. It has to suit both market segments depending on variations of the seasons.
Competitiveness
Competitiveness on the local market considers other high ranking tourist attractions. These include Healesville Sanctuary, Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre, Scienceworks, Werribee Open Range Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, among others. These offer features that act like substitutes because they are not exactly similar to Dandenong Ranges natural vegetation.
Lysterfield Park
It is a public park offering facilities for recreational activities such as mountain biking, and has a 20km trail which gives riders an exciting course for riding. The course has been designed to suit all age brackets. There is also a lake where visitors can engage in canoeing, sailing, surf, skiing and paddle boating. In addition, there are also walking trails for those interested in taking part in nature walks. These include 3 trails which are linked to offer a two-hour-walk experience around the lake (Taylor, 1999, p. 130).
Grampians National Park
This park offers tranquil walking track facilities where visitors can view wildlife, wildflowers, and experience fresh air on a mountain-top. Visitors can also enjoy gentle strolls through the park in order to experience a firsthand wilderness adventure. There are also sports for outdoor activities such as rock climbing and hiking, kayaking and canoeing along rivers, and mountain lakes (Uden, 2005, p. 317).
International competitiveness
Compared to U.S.A., Australia is more price competitive, but it is less competitive than Thailand. Dwyer, Forsyth, & Dwyer (2010, p. 779) consider that “price competitive indices are estimated from the perspective of tourists from the UK, Japan and Singapore assuming they would purchase the same bundle of goods in Australia, USA, and Thailand.” Price competitiveness are also affected by changes in exchange rates. Strengthening of the Australian dollar reduces international competitiveness.
SWOT analysis
Strengths
Dandenong Park is about an-hour-drive from Melbourne. This makes it a preferable choice for those people who do not want to take a long time preparing for long journeys. City residents can visit for weekend retreats as there is no need for proper preparations. The cost of transport and time spent on roads is greatly reduced compared to further sites.
It has perfect spots for holding picnics, fitness walks and exploring the natural scenery. There are plenty of facilities for visitors such as restaurants, cafes, galleries, and curio shops. The park is relatively large and visitors have a wide range of natural sceneries, wildlife and features to sample. The park is well maintained and secure.
Weaknesses
The park has a long and bad history with feral animals, and as a result a cat curfew is in place to protect the natural wildlife such as lyrebirds. The mountain range has been invaded by Melbourne’s TV and radio transmission masts which create a want for visitors to soar their sight resulting in interference with the serene environment. Due to poor fencing especially along the main road, vehicles can enter the park illegally.
The Australian dollar has strengthened over major world currencies reducing the price competitiveness of the destination. Being close to the city, and the presence of locally based tourists hedges out international tourists. There are several attractions near the city such as museums which act like substitutes. The Dandenong Ranges suitability relies on variations of seasons such that in winter it is covered by snow. It relies on spring and summer seasons.
Opportunities
The management of Dandenong Ranges can partner with corporate groups that want to shoot promotional videos of their products at the site. This will augment the marketing efforts from both sides. Targeting large groups such as families, colleges, schools, and organizations that seek a retreat or team building can increase the number of visitors by a big margin.
The Australian tourism industry relies on domestic as well as on the foreign market. Tourist arriving in Australia were estimated to be 5.53 million in 2010. Revenues from the tourism industry amounted to US$31.75 billion, and U$33.63 in 2011. There are projections that the revenues will increase to US$46.12 by 2015. This provides space for expansion. It may also encourage long-term investments in the Australian tourism Industry (Research and Markets “Australia tourism Report Q1 2011”).
Threats
Forest fires are a threat in the tourism industry where vegetation cover is the main attraction. In the past 10 years, Australia has experienced three major catastrophic bush fires. The Black Saturday Fires/Victorian Bush Fires of 7th Feb, 2009, the Canberra Urban fires of 8th Jan, 2003, and the Black Sunday Fire, Perth, of 5th Feb, 2011. The Victorian Bush Fire destroyed 4,500 sq.km of forest cover (Armitage et al. 2011, p. 24). If bush fires occur, they may reduce quality of vegetation and the area on which tourism may occur.
Key features to be promoted
The main features of the Dandenong Ranges are the colorful natural vegetation, and the wide area in which it spreads. The Dandenong Ranges glamour is observable in the springs and summer seasons. As noted in Plan Book Travel, the environment is “colorful, inviting and cool, especially in summer, the Dandenongs are popular for day trips” (para. 2).
Justification for their inclusion
The panoramic view of the city and its suburbs is something that only the Mount Dandenong which stands at 633metres above sea level can provide close to Melbourne. The serene colorful natural environment is what creates a distinction with its competitors.
Evaluation of promotional materials
Promotional materials are categorized under elegant accommodation services, and the beautiful scenery. Parks Victoria runs a website by the title “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” as its brand. Many promotions emphasize the abundance of natural colors in the environment. Accommodation services distinguish themselves as luxurious. While accommodation services may portray relevance to those who want to stay overnight or longer, daytime trips are also marketed to the city residents.
Parks Victoria supports a website that holds a 2.35-minute promotion of the plant and bird species found on Dandenong Ranges (Parks Victoria “Dandenong Ranges Promo”). The cafes that can be used by daytime tourists. The promotion mentions the site as a favorite for walks, family gatherings, and picnics being only an-hour-drive from the city.
Cloudehill Nursery, Gardens and café as presented on the website visitvictoria.
Lysterfield Park is also marketed as “home of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Mountain Bike Event”. The video for the Anaconda Enduro Series-Round 2 Lysterfield (Part 1) shows visitors who are ready to enter the biking competition. It has records on participants’ views (Joetutt 2011). Lysterfield Park is mainly marketed as a biking destination.
Other attractions at the site include “forest settings, hill tops and northern fringes of the Lake that offer solitude, close-to-nature experiences and good views” (Parks Victoria 2009, p. 15). Lysterfield Park received an annual visit of about 120,000 people during the 1996-1997 period.
Grampians Park
Grampians Park is portrayed as a wide area with rocks of different types and shape. The culture of ancient Aborigines has been described by the carvings, and the marks they left in caves and on rocks. As described on a promotional video on “YouTube”, it is a site fit for bush-walking, romantic dinners, weddings, soul-searching among others. Its main features are the rock-piles, waterfalls, and wildflowers (Toshtwenty 2009).
Mckenzie Falls on Grampians National Park
Grampians National Park “attracts more than 800,000 visitors each year” (Grampians Community Health n.d., para 2). It is a long distance from Melbourne about 258 kilometers.
Yarra Ranges National Park
It is located 92km from Melbourne on the east and well protected by authorities since it is the catchment area for Melbourne’s water. The park has a variety of wildlife species including the Leadbeater’s Possum which falls under the list of endangered species. It is home to more than hundred and twenty bird species and forty mammal species (Taylor 1999, p. 84).
Target market for Dandenong Ranges
Daytime visitors are estimated to be the highest among tourists who visit Dandenong. It is noted that “international visitors and overnight visitors form a small percentage of visitors to the area” (Yarra Ranges council 2011, p. 5) According to Yarra Ranges Council, SkyHigh receives 640,000 visitors annually. Grants Picnic Ground, and Puffing Billy receive 560,000 and 260,000 respectively. The estimated value from “tourism expenditure is $196 million annually and a gross regional output of $354 million” (Yarra Ranges Council 2011, p. 4).
Branding
Branding refers to the process of creating value association, meaning and an invisible spirit to a product, service or even a destination. The brand is made to exist in the mind of the customer (Baker, 2007, p. 23). Branding will be aimed at marketing the unique features of the destination. This will trigger the target market to have an experience of this destination (Cai et al, 2009, p.101). The slogans to be used will include “Spring of life”, “Paint your heart with your favorite color”, “Accept nature’s generosity” or “vastness of nature’s flamboyance”.
Branding image
This image is good for a brand image because it portrays an array of colors, and water birds. Colorful plants, and bird species are the key features for Dandenong promotion.
Conclusion
To substantially increase the number of visitors, promotional materials should target group functions such as corporate team building exercises, and family get-together. The vastness of the park’s area makes it more competitive than its substitute destinations. The international visitors to the site should not be considered negligible.
References
Armitage, L. et al. 2011, Resilience in Urban Design, 4th International Urban Design Conference, 21st– 23rd September, AST Management, Nerang, Australia. Web.
Baker, B. 2007, Destination Branding for Small Cities: The Essentials for Successful Place branding, Creative Leap Books, Oregon.
Bennett, A. 2003, Linkages In The Landscape: The Role Of Corridors And Connectivity In wildlife conservation, IUCN, Gland.
Cai, L., Gartner, W. & Munar, A. 2009, Tourism Branding: Communities in Action, Emerald Group publishing, Bingley.
Director of National Parks 2011, Parks Australia Sustainable tourism overview 2011-2016, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
Dwyer, L., Forsyth P., & Dwyer D. 2010, Tourism Economics and Policy, Channel View Publications, Bristol.
Forshaw, J. 2010, Parrots of the World, CSIRO, Collingwood.
Grampians Community Health, Grampians National Park. Web.
Huybers, T., Rutherford, A., & Bennet, J. W. 1997, Environmental Regulations and the International Competitiveness of Australia’s Tourism Industry- A Case Study of Far North Queensland. Web.
Joetutt M. 201,1Lysterfield Mountain Bike Area Video. Web.
McCarthy, J. 2012, Australian tourism industry is in trouble, claims new study by Tourism and Transport Forum, Herald Sun. Web.
Parks Victoria, Aboriginal Joint Management. Web.
Parks Victoria 2012, Dandenong Ranges Promo. Web.
Parks Victoria, Management Planning. Web.
Park Victoria 2009, Churchill National Park and Lysterfield Park Management Plan, Narre Warren North. Web.
Plan Book Travel 2012, Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. Web.
Research and Markets, Australia Tourism Report Q1 2011, 2012. Web.
Shaikh, S. 2010, Business Environment, Dorling Kindersley, New Delhi.
Taylor, R. 1999, Wild Places of Greater Melbourne, Collingwood. Web.
Challenges involved in managing a restaurant operation in New York City (NYC)
Having been described as the “restaurant capital of the world”, New York City (NYC) is no doubt a good investment location for people seeking to set businesses in the food and beverage industry (The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, 2005, p. 14). Among factors that make NYC a good investment location for restaurants include the huge resident population, the tourists who visit the city, and rapidly growing Manhattan among other things.
However, managing a restaurant in NYC has its own fair of challenges. Most specifically, managing a hotel to long-term profitability requires investors and the management teams they entrust with the day-to-day running of the restaurants to overcome regulatory, social (the diverse tastes and preferences), competitive, and geographical challenges in the city.
Among the regulatory challenges that the restaurant sector in NYC face include adhering to stringent requirements set by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Such requirements include facility design, personal hygiene, food protection, food sources, and food temperatures (EHA Consulting Group Inc., 2012).
To ensure that the restaurants adhere to set requirements, DOHMH inspects them every 150 to 210 days and grades them based on the HACCP score sheet. A poor score for three consecutive inspections leads to the closure of the restaurant (EHA Consulting Group Inc., 2012).
Socially, restaurants in NYC have to contend with a wide range of consumer demands, which are driven by diverse tastes and preferences from each customer. As such, ensuring that each consumer demands are met is a challenging task especially when consumers demand for customized services.
Another social challenge faced by NYC restaurants relates to the quality of employment it creates. While the restaurant sector is touted as continuously creating hundreds of thousands of jobs annually in the city, most of such jobs are low-paying, and in 2005, restaurants were depicted as the lowest paying employers in NYC’s private sector (The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, 2005).
To worsen matters, it has been noted that restaurants contravene laws such as just pay for work by refusing to pay workers for the extra time worked, and failure to provide workers with workplace benefits such as vacation days, paid sick days, and healthcare insurance coverage (The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, 2005).
In spite of the huge population in NYC, competitive pressures further pose challenges to players in the restaurant sector. Except for restaurants that offer niche cuisines, the rest offer similar foods and drinks hence meaning that the diversity among competitors is minimal.
Additionally, the concentration of competitors mainly in the Manhattan means that the competitive pressure especially for new market entrants is stiff. As Parnell (2003) observes, when there is no differentiation among competitors, there is low switching costs among consumers and this then means that they (consumers) do not develop loyalty towards a specific products or services.
Another challenge faced by the restaurant sector in NYC relates to geographic issues, and most especially accessibility. Like every other place, the strategic investment locations in NYC attract premium costs and hence only wealthy investors can afford to invest therein. Other investors have to do with investment locations that are less exposed to the food and drinks-consuming population hence meaning that they have to put in extra efforts to market their restaurant establishments.
The impact of computerization on food service and lodging operations in NYC
Generally, computerizing food service and lodging operations in NYC and elsewhere has contributed to three outcomes namely: enhanced employee efficiency; enhanced customer satisfaction; and enhanced accounting systems (Brewer et al., 2008).
Employee efficiency has been improved since computerization has enabled them to streamline customer check-in, in-room and check-out processes. Consequently, customers in NYC restaurants where computerization in different customer service departments has been done are largely a satisfied lot.
Such satisfaction enhances the customer experience and possibly accounts for repeat customers in future. In relation to revenue generation and accounting for the same, the computerized systems reduce loopholes that may jeopardize optimal revenue collection from the business.
Computerization of the food and lodging operations in NYC has also reduced the relative risk of burglary especially since some hospitality service providers have adopted a cashless payment system where point of sales systems are now used to process debit or credit cards to settle transactions (Brewer et al., 2008).
The quality of technology in different restaurants in NYC is by no means communal; as such, different restaurants and hospitality service providers have different quality technologies, something that contributes to their competitiveness or lack thereof. Such differences therefore make it hard to generalize the quality of technology in New York food service and lodging service providers.
The aforementioned notwithstanding, it must be noted that NYC food and lodging service locations are highly computerized, and this could partly be as a result of consumer demand hence meaning that visitors to the city or resident customers are equally high technology users.
The Interdependence of food service, lodging, and meeting segments of the hospitality industry
Food and lodging services are interdependent segments in the hospitality industry owing to the logic that a visitor (or even a resident) who needs use the food and drinks services may also need lodging facilities and services for the night and vice versa.
While food and lodging services can be availed to individuals or groups, meeting services are usually availed to groups, and often translate into a bigger business for the hospitality service providers.
Usually, the meeting participants need food and drinks, and may even need accommodation for one or more nights. While individuals or groups can attain food and beverage, lodging, and meeting services separately from different providers, convenience often calls for a centralized service provider who can give group customers a full package at an agreed price.
This then means that pricing the food, lodging, and meeting package needs the input of managers/supervisors in the different segments.
Improving synergy among the food, lodging and meeting segments
Usually, the hospitality service providers need to enhance service provision in the entire food, lodging and meeting services, since failures in one segment may cause customer dissatisfaction hence negating other quality service provisions in other segments. For such service packaging to be attained, managers/supervisors in the different segments may need to work together and lead their teams towards identified collective objectives.
Specifically, it is recommendable that the segments: I) enhance communication amongst themselves in order to improve inter-segment work relationships; and II) enhance team work among the three segments in order to ensure that the collective objectives of enhancing customer satisfaction is attained.
The likely consequences of the introduction of gaming entertainment in NYC
According to Cline (2012) the introduction of gaming entertainment often impacts the hospitality industry by “creating new development and investment opportunities for hotel projects” (n.pag.). NYC is no different and it would be expected that an introduction of gaming entertainment would create new investment opportunities while drawing game lovers into the industry.
By so doing, it would be expected that the gaming entertainment will attract more customers who in addition to gaming, will probably use other services such as food, beverage and lodging. Notably, for the gaming entertainment to make economic sense, players in the hospitality industry will need “to create operational structure designed to deliver an economically viable product” (Cline, 2012, n.pag.).
Indirectly, gaming entertainment may act as a marketing tool since gamers who attend specific hospitality providers may notice other facilities such as conference or meeting facilities and may therefore recommend the same to others in future.
Overall, and as noted by Cline (2012), gaming entertainment will stop the economic flight that happens whenever New York residents go to game in other States because gaming is illegal in the city. When such capital flight is curtailed, the monies that New York residents spend in entertainment, food and lodging will remain in the State and will therefore aid in the development of the hospitality industry in the state and other sectors as well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the hospitality industry is booming, something that has been aided by the growth of the Manhattan over the years, the expanding population, and the diversity of the same population. As noted herein however, the restaurant sector has its fair share of challenges which include competition, strict regulation, geographic factors, and the diverse customer tastes and preferences.
Such challenges notwithstanding, it is worth noting that gaming could still open new opportunities for the hospitality industry in NYC, something which could enhance the industry’s economic contribution to the city and the larger state.
References
Brewer, P., Kim, J., Schrier, T. R., & Farrish, J. (2008). Current and future technology use in the hospitality industry. Web.
Cline, R. S. (2012). US gaming — an economic force—Industry takes stock after rapid growth. Hotel Online- Ideas & Trends. Web.
Parnell, J. A. (2003). Strategic Management: Theory and practice. New Delhi: Dreamtech Press.
The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York. (2005). Behind the kitchen door: pervasive inequality in New York’s city’s thriving restaurant industry. Web.
