Category: Tourism

Executive Summary

Tourism is believed to be one of the most influential and fastest growing industries across the world. Its growth over the recent years has been on a steady rise with numerous countries across the world witnessing an upward mobility in their tourism industries (Dabour, 2003, p. 25).

According to Sharpley and Telfer (2002, p. 1), both international and global tourism are estimated to be worth US$3.5 trillion.

This report is supported by Lindsay (2003) who states that “worldwide, tourism generates annual revenues of nearly 3 trillion US dollars and contributes nearly 11% of the global GNP (Gross National Product), making it the world’s largest industry.”

In a more recent documentation by UNWTO (2011), the industry of tourism is reported to generate estimated global revenue of US$919 billion just from its exports alone.

This clearly shows the immense value of tourism as a vital aspect in the development and planning of today’s business-oriented world.

Many studies conducted today attest to this fact—with a good number of them prospecting a better future for tourism in spite of being, admittedly, aware of the looming dangers prospected to come in the near future. One such scholar is Kim (2010, p. 1) who says that:

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts that the world tourism industry will grow at an annual rate of 4.1% by the year 2020 with international arrivals reaching nearly 1.56 billion by the year 2020 in Tourism 2020 Vision, its long-term forecast and assessment of the development of tourism.

In this paper, central focus is going to be on analyzing Marseille as a tourism destination—with special attention being paid on the current nature of tourism and the role of stakeholders in furthering Marseille’s tourism endeavors.

Introduction

In essence, tourism refers to the act of tourism is the act of travelling for purposes of leisure, recreation and business (Selby, 2004, p. 15-30). Its various categories include heritage tourism, ecotourism, wildlife tourism, religious tourism, cultural tourism, agri-tourism, among many others.

A stakeholder, on the other hand, is simply an individual, organization or groups that has interest in a particular institution and are affected, in one way or the other, by the actions of that particular organization.

Fundamentally, several factors contribute variably to the progress or advancement of tourism.

These factors include (but are not limited to): good management policies by the concerned tourism bodies and people, the availability of rich ecosystems which encourage visits, relative efficacy of financial institutions and viable cooperation among stakeholders (Lindsay, 2003).

However, based on the varying nature of development in countries; tourism development and planning (whether national, regional or international) occurs differently across the world.

According to Stuart and Nicoletta (2006, p. 150-152), stakeholders play the most important role in the success of tourism since most of the other factors cannot be effected without their authorization.

It is for this reason that most studies conducted today tend to focus on variant aspects of the stakeholders.

Needless to state, tourism, just like many other financially-oriented industry, has had its fair share of challenges and limitations including:

• terrorist attacks in countries, limited or total lack of cooperation amongst its stakeholders and shareholders,
• negative human activity on ecosystems (for example; over cultivation, poaching or even deforestation),
• internal and external wars in countries,
• the unchecked growth of technologies and related facets like globalization (Grimble & Chan, 1995; and Wall, 1997).

As a result, a good number of region, countries or cities have not been able to maximize their potentialities and achieve full efficacy in their tourism endeavors.

It is with all these in mind that, in assessing the nature of tourism in Marseille; all these factors will be relevantly keyed in so that the eminent challenges and limitations are avoided while the strengths and opportunities are proliferated.

Analysis of Tourism in Marseille

Marseille is one of the provinces in France and it has, over the years, been one of the busiest tourist attraction destinations in the world. In fact, it is actually one of the oldest cities in France founded at least 2600 years ago.

The city is one of the few cities that have developed and maintained their cultural heritage. Marseille has, over the years, evolved through various ages and economic challenges to become a revered tourism destination perfectly blended with antiquated and modern attractions.

Today, Marseille is laudably reported to be the second largest city in France located at the heart of the Provence.

In addition, it is a respected historical, cultural and business centre in Europe with its name reputed as being among the finest tourism hubbubs across the world and capital of the Mediterranean (France Guide, 2012).

Touristic Attractions in Marseille

According to France Guide (2012) and World-Guides (2012), the key attractions in Marseille include the following:

Basilique Notre Dame de La Garde

This was a religious catholic building on the heist point of the port of Vieux. One of the unique features on this structure is the enormous bell that measures approximately 2.5 meters / 8 feet in height while weighing 8,324Kgs.

The interior of this building is magnificent with marble decorations as well as murals. Visitors can access the facility free of charge no wander it is a prominent tourist destination in the Marseille.

Centre de la Vieille Charité

This is a cultural exhibition center housing Marseille’s Archaeological Museum and the Musée des Arts Africans, Océaniens and Amérindiens, just to mention but a few.

The centre is, reportedly, located in Panier District of Marseille and was constructed in the 17^th century. Other core attractions in this centre include is Italian styled chapel and the main courtyard.

La Cathedral de la Nouvelle Major

Built under Napoleon’s orders as early as in the 19th century, La Cathedral de la Nouvelle Major is yet another site that is prominently visited by Marseille’s tourists. It has a sea view and has a capacity holding of up to 3,000 people.

The interior decorations are a spectacular experience to view filled with the ornate sculptures and mosaics that enhance its beautiful appearance.

Château d’If

This 16^th century castle, which was later turned into a prison, is another major attraction in Marseille. It is famously known for the chiefly role in the renowned book The Count of Monte Cristo written by Alexandre Dumas.

The castle is located on an Island which gives a heavenly view of Marseille. The fact that it can only be accessed via a boat trip from Quai des Belges, Château d’If offers great thrill to boat-trip lovers.

Palais du Pharo

This is an impressive residence that was reportedly built as a waterfront residence for Napoleon III. Often, public exhibitions and receptions are held in this place with visitors being accorded the honor of viewing the building’s beautiful interior.

The magnificent view of Château d’If and the sea also makes it a worthwhile attraction.

See Appendix I for Photos of these famous cites.

Tourism Attractions at Marseille (Based Current Visitor Demand and Behavior)

According to Butler (2006, p. 59-62), a destination can be a city, a country, a hotel or any physical phenomenon that attracts tourist. Tourist Area Life Cycle is begins as small area of unknown state but eventually grows into a major cite of attraction.

This happens as the word goes round about the areas attraction and consequently settlement and development in terms of social amenities and infrastructure. Butler argues that every destination has a lifecycle use as many other products do (p. 59).

It is based on this model that other market attractions in Marseille (other than the specific ones earlier discussed) are embodied in the discussions given below.

Even as the city is acknowledged as the elected European Capital of Culture in 2013, Marseille is predominantly committed to its traditional customs, which it honored and upholds a fact seen with its 22 museums, its 17 theatres and performance house, and its 60,000-seat stadium.

The city is a focus for traditional and sporting occasions; bringing together a huge number of celebrations yearly.

Music such as jazz, classical music, dance, folk music and major sporting competitions are part of the activities that are carried out in the events. These are considered as great attractions by most tourists.

Again, in Marseille, there are a number of good hotels for visiting tourist to stay in, the top rated hotel being the Music hotel. The Music hotel provides clean rooms and competitive room services.

The second top rated is the Sofitel Marseille Vieux-Port with the Residence du Vieux Port at the third place. The Vieux Port is, in essence, the heart of attractions in Marseille. See Appendix II for an overview of Vieux Port.

Moreover, the seasonal weather in Marseille has always ensured a constant streaming of visitors throughout the year—with slight decrease in the number of tourists in cold seasons such as winter since it does not encourage outdoor activities.

Majority of the tourists visit Marseille for mostly leisure and luxury. This is influenced by the beaches and coasts that tourist find fun to rest and enjoy the natural breeze from the sea while sunbathing.

With 23 beaches, 14 marinas and 300 days of sunshine per year, Marseille is considered perfect destination for professional and amateur divers, sailors, or even canoeists.

With the bus tickets being very affordable, tourists are able to move around the city for sightseeing. Tickets are offered as one-day and three-day pass and they range to a pocket friendly cost of between 5 to 10.50 Euros which are sold at the ticket equipment at tram and Metro stations, or from a Tabaco (Butler, 2006, p. 11).

This pass allows a tourist to have unlimited access to bus services for the specified number of days as per the purchase plan. Sustainable water management policy has also been an area the city been keen to protect.

The issue of good water management is the reason Marseille is considered as having the best water management system in France.

The tourists in Marseille are said to be attracted to the ambient catering and retail facilities including restaurants and shopping malls.

Other mentionable attractions include: the amiable hospitality of the multicultural society in France, the unique mannerism and distinct culture of the French, the beauty, romance, dazzles, glamour and glitz of the fashion in Marseille among many others.

A map of all these centers and facilities in Marseille can be found in Appendix III.

Stakeholders and Tourism in Marseille

In order to know stakeholders’ roles in Marseille, were must preliminarily know their categories. Darowski et al. (2006) say that “these stakeholders are categorized into three groups: the primary, secondary, and tertiary stakeholders.”

Darowski et al. further advance these categories by saying that primary stakeholders basically consist of “managers, investors, customers, creditors, suppliers, wholesalers/retailers, employees and competitors.”

The secondary level of stakeholders consist of “the natives, local community, government, social activist and the media” while the tertiary stakeholders is comprised of the group formed by the merging of primary and secondary stakeholders.

Regardless of the category, Darowski et al., say that these stakeholders must all ensure that they play the roles that are assigned to them. These roles are as follows.

Elementally, stakeholders play the role of running organizations or rather facilitating the smooth running of various processes. This is what is normally known as sustainable tourism or ecotourism—which denote the vitality of an upward mobility in the tourism sector (Koeman, 2005).

In other words, it should generate economic benefits for the local people and help in improving their lifestyle and well-being while concurrently promoting good international efficacy of the tourism.

As a key note, it should also take into consideration the decisions of the local people on issues that affect their lives. Finally, it should contribute to natural and cultural heritage conservation while build local confidence and pride to the hosting communities.

Grimble (1998, p. 16-20) supports the above fundamental role by saying that stakeholders must ensure that they work hand-in-hand in planning, designing, managing and solving issues that pertain to tourism.

On top of that Swarbrooke (1999, p. 50-70) states that, in fulfilling their mandate, stakeholders must ensure that the level of tourism stays high both domestically and internationally so as to sustain the growth of tourism.

Nonetheless, he notes that this mandate is normally more pronounced on governmental officials and leaders who are answerable both to their offices and the public for responsibly doing that which they were elected for.

Selby (2004, p. 30-40) outlines that these publicly appointed officials have the specific role of creating rules and regulations that govern the tourism industry.

In doing so, they must ensure that they prioritize the needs of their country ahead while intermittently striving to be objective and ensure improvement of ecotourism.

As for other peripheral stakeholders like the private sectors and the general public, their role in the development of tourism is not out-rightly spelt out like the public officials. However, they still stand to be counted as stakeholders based on the huge role they play in augmenting efficacy.

For example, local communities should organize themselves in a way that they are able to welcome visitors and guide them rightfully during touring endeavors.

According to Chavez (1999), other key roles played by this latter group include: protecting tourist attractions (especially ecosystems which are the major global touristic attractions), reporting offenders like poachers and coordinating with the public officials in the creation of tourism laws and regulations.

As a candid rule that that is emphasized by most scholars, stakeholders must ensure that they cooperate with each other if at all they are to ensure that their roles are adequately played.

Without cooperation, then it becomes very difficult for their goals to be met effectively thus toning down the overall efficiency in the tourism industry.

Based on these insights on stakeholders, it can be said in summary that, indeed, Marseille has a good stakeholders system that has not only been able to help it progress but it has also created a viable environment for its tourists.

There is not much information available regarding the specifics of the nature of Marseille’s tourism stakeholder activities.

However, France Guide (2012) reports that a lot of cooperation has been witnessed between the primary, secondary and tertiary stakeholders in Marseille, to be specific, and France, in general.

A good example given by France Guide is the increased involvement of the government of France in promoting tourism endeavors in Marseille in terms of funding as well as creation of interregional rules and regulations that encourage efficacy in the tourism industry.

Difficulties/ Challenges of Stakeholder Cooperation in Marseille

In spite of witnessing good progress, there are a number of problems that are still being faced by stakeholders in Marseille at the primary, secondary and even tertiary levels.

It would be practically impossible to highlight all these challenges here. Nevertheless, a brief, yet inclusive, representation of these challenges is given below.

To begin with, tourism stakeholders in Marseille are faced with challenges such as the drastic changes in travel patterns and other logistical problems like poor communication and travel infrastructures.

This makes it very difficult for the stakeholders to co-operate in a unified way or conduct their operations effectively since they cannot easily travel or communicate with each other.

Another challenge is the volatile changes in the economic conditions. An example here is the 2008 economic crisis which devastatingly impacted many economies, including France, thus affecting various stakeholders (Chavez, 1999).

Moreover, Byrd and Cardenas (2009; p. 3-5) argue that the difference in ideologies, where people think differently over the same issue, makes it quite challenging for most stakeholders to make unilateral decisions as required.

This challenge has often been faced places like Marseille (France Guide, 2012). Again, the fact that people come from different multi-ethnic backgrounds often poses great challenges amongst stakeholders.

For instance, if a person of black origin visits a place that is entirely populated by whites, or vice-versa, nature has it that he/she might feel slightly uncomfortable (Fennell & Dowling, 2003, p. 34-42).

The fragmented HRM nature of tourism is also opined as another major challenge to stakeholders’ cooperation since implementation or even of policies becomes difficult.

A good example of the above dynamics of fragmentation is the sophisticated nature of tourism is the plurality of laws across countries whereby different people have different laws thus limiting unilateralism of stakeholder cooperation.

This high level of fragmentation tends encourage a sense of interdependence on other organizations thus making it hard for the stakeholders to create a strong cohesion among themselves.

This difference in laws, rules and regulations is not limited on the international arena, but its tentacles can also be traced at the grassroots of the society thus challenging the stakeholder cooperation even at this basic level.

Other noteworthy include:

• risks of visiting dangerous areas,
• ignorance and lack of sufficient knowledge on responsible tourism practices
• increased pollutions from industrial human activities,
• high cost of touring some sites and poor weather patterns,
• insecurity issues like mugging, rape, kidnapping, and conning of tourists, among others.

In essence, most of the problems highlighted above do not just apply to the stakeholders in Marseille but rather to the general public in Marseille which entails the natives and the visitors, as well.

It is based on this reason that the recommendations given below are both from a specific viewpoint (for the stakeholders) and general view (for the general public).

Recommendations to the Betterment of Tourism in Marseille

• Increased educative programs on the relevance of ecotourism principles and practices being followed
• Increasing interagency and stakeholder cooperation
• The establishment of a special tourism branch that specifically oversees ecotourism activities in Marseille
• Establishment of stringent laws to punish violators of ecotourism principles.
• Encouraging more investments by both public and private individuals on tourism
• Encouraging vibrant playing of roles by all stakeholders.
• Security systems should be improved in Marseille. Members of the tourist community coming into tourism destinations should be thoroughly checked and frisked with the most modern detectors to reduce criminal activities.
• More hotels and places of accommodation should be provided more so during the tourists peak seasons so that they do not miss good places for leisure times.

Conclusion

From the documentations above, it is clear that tourism plays an important role in any country or region. A lot should therefore be done to improve this invaluable industry.

Commendably, much effort has been put in Marseille (and the world at large) to improve tourism, ecotourism and stakeholder involvement over the recent years.

However, there is still much more that needs to be done in order for tourism to ultimately find a way of strongly sustaining itself and staying devoid of its challenges.

This might seem like a long way to go; but if relevant positive steps are taken, this dream might just be turned into a reality sooner than we think or anticipate.

List of References

Butler, R 2006, The tourism area life cycle, Chanel view, London, UK.

Byrd, E. T., & Cardenas, D. A 2009, ‘Elements of stakeholders support for tourism in rural communities the case of Eastern Carolina’. Web.

Chavez, R. 1999, ‘Globalization and tourism: Deadly mix for indigenous peoples’. Web.

Dabour, N. 2003, ‘Problems and prospects of sustainable tourism development in the OIC countries: ecotourism’, Journal of Economic Cooperation, vol. 24 no. 1, pp. 24-62.

Darowski, L., Strilchuk, J., Sororchuk, J., & Provost, C 2006, ‘Negative Impact of Tourism on Hawaii Natives and Environment’, Lethbridge Undergraduate Research Journal, vol. 1 no. 2.

France Guide, 2012, ‘OTC de Marseille’. Web.

Fennell, D. A., & Dowling, R. K 2003, Ecotourism policy and planning, CABI: Wallingford.

Grimble, R., & Chan, M. K. 1995, ‘Stakeholder analysis for natural resource management in developing countries’, Natural Resources Forum, vol. 19 no. 2, pp. 113–124.

Kim, T. Y. 2010, ‘Establishment of a tourism network in the Korea-Japan strait’. Web.

Koeman, A. 1995, ‘Sustainable tourism and Ecotourism’. Web.

Lindsay, H. E. 2003, ‘Ecotourism: the promise and perils of environmentally-oriented travel’. Web.

Selby, M. 2004, Understanding urban tourism: image, culture and experience. Tauris, New York.

Sharpley, R., & Telfer, D. J. 2002, Tourism and development: concepts and issues, Channel View Publications, Bristol.

Stuart, P. C., & Nicoletta, C 2006, ‘Sustainable tourism development strategy in WWF pan parks: CASE OF a Swedish and Romanian national park’, Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, vol. 6 no. 2, p. 150-167.

Swarbrooke, J. 1999, Sustainable tourism management, CABI: Wallingford.

UNWTO, 2011, ‘UNWTO tourism highlights 2011 edition’. Web.

Wall, G 1997, ‘Is ecotourism sustainable?’, Environmental management, vol. 21, p. 483-491.

World-Guides, 2012, ‘Marseille tourist attractions and sightseeing (Marseille, Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur, France, FR)’. Web.

Appendices

Appendix I: Touristic Attractions in Marseille

Basilique Notre Dame de La Garde

Centre de la Vieille Charité

La Cathedral de la Nouvelle Major

Château d’If

Palais du Pharo

Appendix II: Different Views of Vieux Port

Appendix III: Marseille Tourist Map

Introduction

A myriad of people across the globe, yearn to visit Venice city in Italy due to a number of reasons. Venice is a small city that lies within 118 islands with 150 canals connected by over 400 bridges. It is located within the Venetian Lagoon in Italy. It has a moderate whether with humid summers and wet winters.

The art work and architectural design of images gives the city its uniqueness and beauty. The name Venice is derived from the Veneti people who settled in the region in the 10^th century. The city is divided into 6 sections; cannaregio, San Marco, Cas Venice, Tello, Santa Croce, San Polo and Dorsoduro.

It is also known as the ‘city of canals’,’ the floating city’ ‘the city of bridges’. Other scholars have also defined the city as the most romantic city within Europe. Its winding canals and traffic free, makes it easy to navigate and explore. It has many magnificent squares, churches and mosques cognate with beautiful and interesting shops parked with nice romantic goods. (Wilmer, 2009)

Venice is easily accessible by train at the Santa Lucia train station. A tourist can also fly, though the city has a small airport. From there, you can board a bus or a boat. While in Venice, the most common form of transportation is vaporetti boats. Gondolas and taxis also offer some of the most romantic and luxurious means of transport.

While in the city, there are a number of beautiful art works which can interest tourists. The Venetian glass from Murano, Carnival masks designed from souvenirs, marble paper, lace and watercolors of Venetian scenes completes the list. Venice is always in a celebratory mood with festivals such as the Carnevale celebration and Redentore Regatta toping the list. (Cucco & Umgiesser, 2006)

Finally, as the two couples prepare to Venice, some of the most attracting sites will include; Piazza San Marco, palazzo Ducale, Ponte Di Rialto, Canal Grande, Basilica Di san Marco and Galleria del’ Accademia. These magnificent sites have been reported by past tourists to be more appealing than others.

This paper will prepare a detailed itinerary for one week for the two couples who are visiting the city. The marketing Ps which is exploited is the place since it gives them the real experience of having a vacation. (Davey, 2006)

Accommodation

Couple A

Couple A will be booked in at Ca Mari Adele Hotel in Venice. The hotel which has been rated as one of the most romantic hotels in Venice, offers a very good view point to see some of the most magnificent places in Venice.

With the advent of technology and to capture the needs of the clients, the hotel was currently renovated to include some of the recent amenities which are required by our customers. Ca Mari Adele is decorated with dams’ chi, African wood furniture, Moresch, Swarovski crystals, and fur wall papers among other romantic decorations.

The mystical and romantic fascinations convince a number of lovers, that this is the hotel to stay. The rooms are designed in such a way that they are overlooking Grand Canal located in central Venice.

The rooms are fitted with flat screen TV, bathroom, DVD, internet access, concierge service, whirl pool and bath robe. The buffet meals are served in 24- hour round with the assistance of a multilingual staff working in the hotel. The rooms in the hotel go as cheap as 600.00 € for one night. (Simpson, 2007)

Pictures showing magnificent rooms within the hotel

Couple B

The second couple will be booked at Bauer Il Palazzo hotel. The hotel is one of the most luxurious places in the world with a presidential suit costing EUR 5000.00. It therefore meets the couple’s demand of luxurious visit. The hotel is more sophisticated than other hotels within the Venice city. The hotel reflects the Venetian opulence with lavish décor which is designed to suite the needs of the couple.

The hotel is situated just miles away from St. Mark’s square and is within the proximity of the finest Venice shops, museums and sites. Bauer Il Palazzo hotel has its own private boat dock and therefore guests arriving at received by sumptuous lobby.

The decorations within the hotels rooms and suites make the client have a real holiday’s hotel experience and impression. (Ninfo et al, 2009) explains that, many rooms within the hotels feature balcony and terraces that offers an opportunity for a spectacular view of the St. Marks basin and the Grand Canal.

The break fast is served at the terrace and lounge (Settimo Cielo) which offers a magnificent view of the lagoon and the entire Venice city. The buffet meals are served 24 hours while the bars foyer provides nice music that keeps the client’s entertained whole night.

The atmosphere is amazing at the Gran canal, especially with the live music that plays every evening. The hotel facilities include; fitness rooms for exercise and necessary therapies. The couples staying in the hotel cannot lack place to buy surprising gifts, as the Bauer Il Palazzo hotel has a fabulous boutique that is fitted with necessary customized services a client would require. (Grewal & Levy,2010),

Some of the magnificent rooms and view points in Bauer Il Palazzo hotel

Day 1

Couple A

Nothing has been so amazing to a number of tourists when they arrive and are taken round the entire Venice city just to have a preview of what is in the town. The most romantic way is to arrive in Venice at around sunset and then take a gondola to the hotel. The couples should avoid the day time gondola rides since during day time they are being used by other tourist.

A brief induction and orientation will be doe just to ensure that the clients are well acquainted with the hotel operations. Then, they will be shown their rooms. In the evening, the couples will serve their dinner at their own wish, after which they can move to the bar, where there is a live music daily performance.

The band in the bar offers quite nice and entertaining songs. The first night will be a long one for the couples as the hotel offers magnificent and romantic places that might call for a whole night awake. This, I convinced, will be more than a fantastic way for the couples to start their stay and enjoy their romance. (Wilmer, 2009)

Couple B

This is a different class of couple who are interested in having more of luxurious stay as opposed to more romance and Bauer Il Palazzo hotel offers nothing less than that. Davey, (2006 p97) on arrival, the couples can take a private chopper that will fly them into the hotel. The couple will then be signed in. Necessary staff introduction will be done, and hotel orientation.

The clients are expected to arrive at around mid day. Given that the hotel has a private boat, the couples can be taken around just to have a brief preview of the real Venice experience. They will also be walked around the hotel’s boutique which has very beautiful products one can be interested in.

Given that these are a bit aged people, they can join the fitness room for a massage thereafter they can join the bar for very nice live music.

Day 2

Couple A

In the morning, the couples can take the gondola tour for two. No trip in Venice can be accomplished without experiencing picturesque waterways. The trip shows the most intimate and relaxing trips along the beautiful city canals that helps explore the history. The couple can also enjoy the surreal scenery. This is an opportunity to see old buildings and the bridges in the city. (Grewal & Levy,2010),

The gondola tour (Venice by 2012)

After the ride experience, the couples can visit the Piazza San Marco (Saint Marks square). Although, the place is known of floods, the couple does not need to worry since it floods only came during winter. While here, the couples can visit several museums and the campanile.

The ever present pigeon flocks within the square makes the place so attractive. Inside the church is covered with Byzantine mosaics. From the church’s balcony, one can see a view of the Piazza. They will then move back to the hotel for an evening party. (Grewal & Levy, 2010)

Couple B

The couples can start their visit by touring the repository art. A visit of the Ca’ Rezzonico, Pieta, Scuola Grande Di San Rocco will give the couple a real experience by viewing the artistic work. The beautiful houses and the Medieval and Renaissance artifacts will be entertaining to the couple.

The couples can then explore the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro. The sites are as cool as the narrowing makes it appear like a village. They can then shop at alleys for some of the luxurious traditional goods. A boat ride back to the hotel in the evening will give a real meaning and experience of the hotel. (Simonis & Venice, 2007)

Day 3

Couple A

Boat ride tour of the island will be a super way to start the day. Just meters across the Venetian Lagoon, the couples can take a boat ride through the wonderful Burano’s street. While here, the couples can shop at ornaments and the colored glass of the Murano. After shopping, the couples can ride back to Campanile to have a bird’s eye view of the Venice.

The view is great with the Lido and the whole Lagoon and Dolomites from a far distance. This will be an opportunity for the couples to have some small rest. Being here will be an opportunity to have a view of the entire Venice since this is the tallest building within the city.

Simonis & Venice, (2006 p.61) explains that, the city has got well fitted lifts decorates with traditional mosaic work that gives it a different holiday experience lift.

The couples can the have an experiential sunset tour by a boat. It is an opportunity to live the adventure and explore romance within some of the most magnificent sceneries. The tour is an opportunity to unlock some of the myths and stereotypes on Venice.

Couple B

After a nice buffet break fast, the couple can set up to visit the Campanile. Simonis & Venice, (2006 p.81) The original campanile was built in 1902 and later renovated in 1912. The building has been visited by among other people Galileo in the 17^th century.

The couples can easily view Piazza, Doges place and St. Marks when they climb the top of the building. The couples can then move to Anta Adelaide to have a great taste of traditional dishes in Venice.

The experience of serving like Orca and the polpette gives areal taste of the traditional dishes in Venice. After the great dish, they can head to the Murano, which is an island known for great glass arts. The prices of these products are always at premium so saves a lot of time.

Day 4

Both Couples Fun Day

On the forth day of their stay, the couples can have a joint day as agreed by both of them. In the morning hours the couple can visit the Castello district which is one of the largest districts within Venice city. They can have an opportunity to view some of the appealing artistic products in the city. The beautiful churches that are also within the city are better reason to visit the place.

While here, the couples can visit the interior Venetian Arsenale. The place used to be an old shipyard is used to build some artistic machinery. The historic maritime museum is a great place to learn some of the history of Venice and nice artifacts such as gondolas, vast collection of model ships and the canons.

The two couples can then take a vaparetto to tour the great canals within the city. The pairs can visit the great Grand canal which winds through the Venice and is almost 3 Km. the canal is full of gondolas, water taxis, barges and the vaporetti.

A ride from Santa Lucia rail way station along the three bridges i.e. Scalzi, Accademia and the Rialto will be more fascinating to the couples than expected. (Ninfo et al, 2009)

After exploring the canals the couples can have move at the lagoon city to share a special lunch. The city offers fresh unique but safe sea foods. Some of the meals offered here require an open minded person who is ready to experiment.

After a very beautiful lunch, the pair can move to the Doge’s palace to see some of the most the nicest museums and palaces. Doge’s palace is also referred to as Palazzo Ducale. The palace was built in the 9^th century and later rebuilt late 12^th century then 14^th and 15^th century respectively.

Today, the palace is seen as a gothic masterpiece in marbles. When this palace was built it used to serve as a government seat, prison and centre for justice and democracy for the locals. When the couples get here, they will be in a position to see some beautiful decorations and paintings of the halls which symbolizes the great memory of the La Serenissima.

The works in this hall are done by some of the greatest artists such as Tintoretto and Veronese. A presence here will be an opportunity to see the bridge of sighs that can be seen from the canal.

The Doges Palace (Venice by 2012)

In the evening the couples can attend a live performance at the theatre la Fenice. The couples can use a water romantic water bus for four past the Grand Canal to the Santa Maria del Giglioo. The couple can get their seats in the gold fitted balconies as they watch live performances.

Day 5

Couple A

In the morning the couple moves to the Islands of the Lagoon. This is a bit outside Venice, but it is a place which is also connected by bridges which makes is so beautiful. The place is also known for manufacturing of glasses which started during the 12^th century. While here, the couple can see some of the most magnificent glasses which were manufactured during this period.

The couples will have the opportunity to see the artisans at work which is one of the most attracting scenarios to the island. In some instances the factories are closed over the weekend and during some festival occasions, but still, the stores which sell the glass materials operate on a 24 hour basis.

The couple can then move to the Torcello Island to have a lazy lunch. Serving an idyllic meal at the Locanda Cipriani restaurant has been a place of choice for a number of tourists who find the place so romantic.

There is nothing sweet and romantic than having a sunset tour by a boat. It is an opportunity for the couple to escape from a reality through adventuring of some of the most romantic places around. This will be an opportunity to visit the places and dig unto the culture of the people.

Couple B

The couple can spend their day by visiting some of the known museums which they have not visited. The Guggenheim museum, Gallerie dell’ Accademia and the Teatro La Fenice offers an opportunity to see the artistic and traditional work in Venice. Guggenheim museum is packed with some art collections from Europe and America.

The museum which is located at the Palazzo Vanier Dei Leoni is one of the most visited sites in the city. The Accademia hosts some of the most talked about works of the Venetian artists. It is a very popular and therefore a number of tourists also visit it. It will be an opportunity to interact with other kind tourists from other places.

Within the museum is also a square called Campo Santa Margherita which has very nice bars and restaurants. The couple can have an opportunity to shop around here.

The Teatro La Fenice is known for a number of problems which it has faced. It is a gorgeous theatre and in the evening an opportunity to attend one of the live theatres around here. (Cucco & Umgiesser, 2006)

Day 6

Couple A

The sixth day will be an opportunity to visit the St. Marks square. The square is characterized by its unique canals and the square which offers beautiful places to visit. The couples will have an opportunity to see some great artistic work in Venice. The square also highlights some of the most historical and cultural living styles of the people who stayed here.

Simonis & Venice (2006 p.61)The couple will also get a chance to see the big fabulous market that offers them an opportunity to have a real romantic adventure. A visit here will be for sure memorable. The couple can walk round the market that has also very beautiful restaurants.

They can share nice traditional meals that are offered. The couple can then wonder at the domes of the Basilica San Marco. As the sun sets, wandering between the arcades in the square will be a memorable moment. They can have an opportunity to have tea on the terraces of the Caffe Florian before they set back to the hotels. Couple B.

Having a boat ride to the islands will be a best opportunity for the couples to begin their day. The couples can take a motor road, to the Venetian Lagoons. This will be a chance to see some of the beautiful glasses in Murano. They can then head to the Grand Canal which winds across Venice.

The couple will have an opportunity to see some beautiful bridges of Rialto, Accademia and the Scalzi. In the evening, the couple can ride back to the hotel; take a shower just after visiting the fitness room. The cool live songs as they share a bottle of wine will be relaxing, luxurious and more romantic to the couples. (Wind, 2009)

Day 7

Being the last day of their stay in Venice, the couple will have the only opportunity to see what they have not seen before. They have decided again to organize a half a day together then in the afternoon they go their ways. An opportunity to visit the Venetian art at the church of the Frari will be a perfect opportunity to end the tour together.

Campbell & Milner (2004 p.89) A stroll along the hidden alleyways will be an opportunity to strengthen the bond between the couples. In the afternoon couple A will follow the Casanovas foot steps. While here they will have an opportunity to sip wine together at the Spade bar which is near the Rialto spade.

Couple B will head back to the hotel’s shop to see some of the artistic work they need to buy. The hotels shop which offers a variety of art and glass work has always attracted buyers who are interested in purchasing luxurious goods.

Day 8

Being the last day, both couples will clear their room, so as to catch up with their, different slotted trips to London. They will have to check out and then be driven to the airport through the water bus. A great pictorial sessions and moments as they go is usually very common as they live Venice. (Simpson, 2007)

Conclusion

It is axiomatic to argue that a trip to Europe without visiting Venice is never complete. A visit in the city is of a real difference, and most of the clients will yearn to have more

Throughout this work, the major Ps the paper has exploited is the Place and price. The first couple is determined towards visiting some of the most romantic places within Venice while Couple B is interested in luxurious life. This is clearly differentiated by the hotels booked. Price is of concern to Couple A while to Couple B the most important thing is exploring the artistic work and the culture of the people of Venice.

References

Campbell S. & Milner S. 2004 Artistic exchange and cultural translation in the Italian renaissance city Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Cucco A. & Umgiesser G. 2006 Ecological Modelling: Modeling the Venice Lagoon residence time, vol. 193., pp. 21-51.

Davey S. 2006, Unforgettable places to see before you die, BBC Books, London

Grewal D. & Levy M 2010 Marketing, McGraw-Hill Irwin; Boston

Ninfo A., Fontana, A., Mozzi P. & Ferrarese F. 2009 Science, The Map of Altinum, Ancestor of Venice, vol. 325

Simonis, D. Venice 2006 Lonely Planet; Melbourne

Simpson, M. 2007, American Artists Paint the City: Katharine Kuh, the 1956 Venice Biennale, and New York’s Place in the Cold War Art World. American Studies, vol. 48, pp. 31-57 Venice by, a complete catalogue of hotels in Venice Web.

Wilmer, V. 2009 Prose Studies: History, Theory, Criticism, A Venetian Excursion — John Ruskin in Verona, vol. 31, pp. 93-101.

Wind J. 2009, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Rethinking marketing: Peter Drucker’s challenge, vol. 37, pp. 28-34.

Introduction

Background of the study

The tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in the world that drives the economies of many countries. Generally, the industry has largest economic output compared to the agricultural, forestry, fishing, mining, and the communication industries.

In this regard, it has the highest growth rates and relatively high volumes of foreign currency. It has also recorded growth in terms of fresh administration and enlightening experiences in the last few decades. All these changes have made the industry to contribute positively to the economic, cultural and social development of many countries.

This has been mostly experienced in western countries such as Austria, France, and Switzerland. Recent studies indicate that, the industry contributes to about 10% of the world’s revenue, besides employing one out of ten workers in the world (Dwyer et al. 2003, p. 1). Despite many countries tending to consider the positive aspects of the industry, many studies indicate that it has both positive and negative effects on the economy, society, culture and the environment.

The tourism industry has a range of economic effects. It has both primary and secondary benefits on many sectors. The primary effects of tourism are felt by the restaurants, lodgings, the retail trade, and the transportation sectors. On the other hand, the secondary effects affect the employment rates, incomes, and sales in many economic sectors of a country.

For instance, in the 2000/01 tourism economic impact analysis in Australia, it is indicated that the industry created $ 23.3 billion in revenues for the New South Wales State. Of the total incomes, $ 6.4 billion were from the international visitors. In the same state, the industry employs about 5.3% of workers, besides being larger than the agricultural, electricity, Government Administration, and recreational industries among many more (Dwyer et al. 2003, p. 1).

Generally, the industry leads to changes in prices, the quality and quantities of goods and services, and property taxes among other taxes. On the other hand, the negative economic effects of tourism are also numerous. Due to the economic interdependencies created by the industry, it influences the economic costs of the local communities in terms of tourism infrastructure, tourism businesses, congestion, and the increased taxes meant to generate more revenue for planning, growth and development of tourism.

As with the economic activities, the tourism industry exerts many cultural effects on many communities. The cultural benefits of tourism are dependent on the native communities because their perception of tourism development will impact the way a community values and sustain its cultural activities or otherwise (Dwyer et al. 2003, p. 3).

Tourism development should encourage the development of the community’s existing characteristics instead of striving to attain standards of other tourism destinations. In this way, the industry contributes to development of a sense of cultural pride when visitors tour the local communities; create an interface for cultural exchange both internationally and locally in addition to creating awareness and generating funds for preservation, conservation and transmission of the local traditions and cultural identity.

On the other hand, tourism can lead to unrestrained, untenable and massed activities that erode the cultural diversity of many communities. These include thrashing of privacy and interruption of the daily lives of the locals, which eventually lead to loss of cultural identities (Honey 2008, p. 23).

Further, tourism can influence the social activities and relations of many communities in different ways. The social benefits of tourism arise from those activities that promote understanding, appreciation, awareness, tolerance, and learning among other activities.

These activities include, promoting self-respect among the locals and visitors, limiting the cultural stereotypes and unconstructive perceptions amongst the two groups, and development of constructive attitudes towards one another, among other activities. However, tourism activities may give rise to many negative outcomes such as distrust, increased tension, and unfriendliness between the visitors and the local communities or between the local communities themselves (Honey 2008, p. 27).

Another relatively important aspect of tourism involves its impact on the environment. This is because the interaction between tourism and the environment can be very complex. The perceived benefits of tourism include construction of aesthetic constructions such as airports, resorts, restaurants, shops, hotels, and other general infrastructure.

On the other hand, tourism can affect the environment negatively when the level of environmental utilization exceeds its ability and sustainability. Therefore, the tourist activities can lead to pollution and depletion of natural resources such as water resources, energy, land, and food resources among others. However, with the emergence of ecotourism, there has been increased awareness on the importance of environmental conservation relative to tourism development (Buckley 2000, p.661).

Sustainable or Eco/nature tourism involves responsible tourist activities in destinations that are easily destroyable, untouched and preserved so as to lower the impact of traditional tourism (Buckley 2000, p. 661). Through Ecotourism, the tourists are educated on the importance of conserving the environment in addition to providing funds for conservation of the local tourist destinations.

This essay critically evaluates the emerging issues in sustainable tourism or eco/nature tourism in Sydney, Australia, which has proven to be one of the top ten most visited tourist destinations. It further looks at the problems facing the development of the tourism industry in addition to giving the most probable solutions to these problems. It also provides recommendations on the most probable ways of curtailing the rising barriers and issues in tourism development.

Sustainable Tourism or Ecotourism in Sydney, Australia

Sustainable tourism aims at promoting personal growth and education, local cultures, volunteering, and wilderness explorations through traveling to tourist destinations that are preserved and where the local heritage and cultures are the main focus of tourism development (Buckley 2000, p. 665). In this regard, sustainable tourism leads to reduction of the negative impacts of traditional tourism, conservation, and transmission of the cultural identity of the natives.

The initiatives of this form of tourism are undertaken by a variety of stakeholders notably, the hospitability providers, who are involved in the process of evaluating the ecological and cultural factors related to the tourism industry. In addition, the stakeholders are involved in other activities that are aimed at promoting waste recycling, energy efficiency in most of the tourism-related activities, and re-use of water (Barkin 2002, p. 245).

Further, the industry is centered at creating economic environments that sustain the financial needs of the local communities affected by the tourist activities. Formulation and implementation of the policies of ecotourism are undertaken by professionals from a variety of fields such as marine biology, environmental sciences, historians, wildlife management, archaeology, and oceanography among others.

Furthermore, the ecotourism sector is regarded as one of the most growing sectors within the tourism business making Sydney one of the fast growing green cities in the world. According to a study conducted by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), the ecotourism sector experiences a growth rate of 5% annually thereby, generating about 6% of the world revenues and about 11.4% of the total customer spending (Dwyer et al. 2003, p. 3).

The significance of Sustainable Tourism in Sydney, Australia

With the ever-changing and toughening environmental regulations and demands from both the government and the communities, there is the need to move from the conventional forms of tourism to a more sustainable form such as ecotourism.

Besides, there is the need for the tourism industry to provide its consumers with avenues where they can benefit from and discover the innate, chronological, and the artistic attributes of various exceptional destinations. In addition, the industry will need to safeguard the integrity of these unique destinations on top of promoting the economic growth and development of the local communities (Tuohino and Hynonen 2001, p. 21).

Through making such observations, the city council of Sydney and the Australian government has developed programs such as Tourism Australia (TA), Indigenous Tourism Australia (ITA), and Business Events Australia (BEA), which aim at providing guidance and ground-breaking strategies for the sustainable development of ecotourism. Implementation of these programs has made Sydney the first city in Australia to achieve carbon neutrality.

The programs draw professionals from many fields and sectors such as the tourism operators, state and government regulatory agencies, and the associations affiliated to the tourism industry. These professionals have come up with a strategic plan known as Sustainable Sydney 2030, which lays down the principles that should be enacted by the industry players in developing ecotourism, besides attracting huge numbers of foreign and local tourists (Discussion paper 2007, p. 1).

The strategic plan recognizes the uniqueness of the local communities’ connection with the land to be used for tourism development, the history, and culture of the local communities.

Therefore, there is the need to incorporate the city residents in planning for tourism development through involving them in mutual ventures, ownership of projects, and their active involvement in the implementation of policies (Discussion paper 2007, p. 2). This can be achieved through programs that encourage employment, training and involvement of the natives in the management of the tourism development projects.

In the same line, it was imperative that the plan provided avenues whereby the residents could observe promote and preserve their cultural uniqueness and legacy in order to diversify the city’s tourism practices. Through this program, the future of the city residents is brought to the present in that, those affected by the tourist activities are given the opportunity to establish expertise, industry appreciativeness, and industry capacities for future economic development (Discussion paper 2007, p. 4).

Furthermore, the plan is designed to provide equal benefits for the locals relative to visitors and other industry players. These benefits are considered in terms of social interactions meant to promote cross-cultural appreciation, tolerance and enlightenment.

Finally, through incorporation of the city residents, committed partnerships, NGOs, the government agencies, and other stakeholders in the tourism industry, the program is projected to bear numerous benefits, in terms of promoting the welfare of the residents and the city in general. Therefore, it is important that the tourism industry respects and upholds the cultural, land, and environmental attributes of the tourist sites before implementing any plans on tourism development.

Problems facing the Development of Ecotourism in Sydney, Australia

Despite that the sector of ecotourism promises a variety of long term cultural, environmental and economic benefits, a number of activities perceived to be problems affect the transformation from conventional tourism to ecotourism. For instance, the city of Sydney and most South Australian cities are facing numerous problems related to development and management of programs aimed at promoting the implementation of ecotourism policies among a host others.

Some of these problems are related to the divergence in perceptions of the whole program (Discussion Paper 2002, p. 1). Many environmentalists are of the idea that ecotourism should involve programs that are nature-oriented, managed sustainably, conservation-based and environmentally sensitive. On the other hand, the government and other industry players are focused at the end product of the implemented policies thereby, making ecotourism equivalent to any other form of tourism such as conventional tourism.

In that respect, ecotourism presents new negative effects relative to conventional tourism thereby slowing its development in many aspects. For instance, ecotourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry projecting a growth rate of about 10-15% per annum in most Australian cities (Discussion Paper 2002, p. 1).

The standards that define this sector include its advocacy for low impact tourist activities, education-oriented, cultural and ecological sensitivity, and the equal distribution of resources between all industry players. Many of these standards are not fulfilled or they are totally ignored in some cases.

Some of the negative effects of ecotourism include the mass displacement of people from their native land without compensation, violation of human rights, and increased environmental degradation associated with the increased number of tourist activities.

A lot of capital and human resource is being wasted in the development of ecotourism, which has shown unsuccessful returns over the years. Additionally, other critics of the program have noted that a lot of public funds are being injected into campaigns meant to derail the general public from the negative outcomes and criticism linked to ecotourism (Wight 2009, p. 3).

Furthermore, ecotourism contributes to a variety of environmental effects directly. In many parts of Sydney and the world where the ecotourism programs have been implemented, the conservation ideals associated to its operations have failed to take effect. Many critics argue that the operations have been more of consumer-based rather than environment-oriented.

They further argue that the conservation claims are meant to encourage further economic gains (Discussion Paper 2002, p.2). Some of the problems cited in this case are those related to the increased number of visitors and activities that demand the expansion of the general infrastructure thereby leading to pollution and degradation of natural resources and population pressures.

The increased number of people also leaves behind large quantities of garbage, besides consuming large quantities of non-renewable energy resources in ferrying the ecotourists to various locations. The ecotourism activities also lead to disturbance of the flora and fauna of tourist sites in that the nature hikes created by the tourists are detrimental to the ecosystem. Therefore, Ecotourism just like conventional tourism leads to depletion of environmental resources, displacement of people, and disruption of cultures.

Furthermore, ecotourism has suffered low city resident’s support and mismanagement in Sydney and many South Australian cities. In a study conducted to measure the level of acceptance for tourism activities in Sydney, many residents felt that tourism development could only be accepted if it was genuine and if it mirrored the local people’s values.

The management of ecotourism is entrusted on the government, which like in any other environment-oriented projects has failed to implement the conservation ideals that are provided by the proponents and policies of ecotourism (Discussion Paper 2002, p. 3).

Solutions to the Problems facing the Development of Sustainable Tourism

Since the implementation of ecotourism policies by key industry players have failed to uphold environmental conservation standards, there is the need to create regulatory and accreditation bodies to check the activities of ecotourism companies.

The regulation and accreditation standards should be based on the need to categorize and discriminate companies on the basis of their commitment to sustaining and preserving the environment (Buckley 2000, p. 668). In this respect, the accreditation and regulatory agencies should be committed towards developing procedures that govern the regulatory process.

The bodies need to draw membership from different fields such as the government, travel agencies, airlines, tour guide agencies, and local authorities among others. The criterion for assessment of the company’s conformity with the standards should be based on the environmental management plan in place, the accrued economic benefits for the natives, the extent of community education and training, and the environmental impact created by the company.

Other solutions to the problems identified include provision of guidance and educational programs to ecotourists and the local community at large. This can be achieved through considering the root causes of their activities on the environment such as littering and nature hikes.

Finally, since most of the ecotourism projects are owned and run by large-scale international companies that cause many problems to the locals and the environment, there is the need to encourage development of small-scale, slow growth and local-based corporations to manage ecotourism activities (Barkin 2002, p. 248).

The Suitability of the Proposed Solutions

The above mentioned solutions and sustainability programs are suitable for addressing the existing problems. For instance, the accreditation and regulatory bodies will serve to control the level of activities of the global companies owning business interests on the land owned by the locals.

The education and guidance programs will in turn create awareness amongst the ecotourists on the importance of conserving the environments and sites that they visit in order to safeguard the interests of the local communities and the environment at large. Finally, through limitation of the activities of large-scale external or international corporations that engage in environmentally unsustainable activities, the local communities will be given an opportunity to safeguard their environment, besides obtaining benefits of tourism within their locales.

Recommendations

Ecotourism, as it can be noted from the above discussions is a crucial program/initiative that can benefit the local communities affected by tourist activities and the nation in general. However, it can lead to detrimental effects on the environment and the local communities if poorly implemented and mismanaged.

Therefore, in order to ensure positive benefits from the development of ecotourism, there is the need to develop and implement policies that work in line with the principles that underlie ecotourism. In line with the principles of ecotourism, it is hereby recommended that:

• The importance or the uniqueness of land and other natural resources to the local communities should come first in planning for ecotourism development projects.
• Project-planning should encourage the incorporation of the local communities in joint ventures, business ownership, and business management
• The local communities should be given the opportunity to establish their skills, industry know-how, and business opportunities relative to the development of ecotourism to allow for their future economic empowerment
• The importance of the environment to the natives and the nation should not be overlooked or ignored during the project-planning and implementation stages

Summary and Conclusions

The essay has provided an in-depth account of conventional tourism and its impact on the economy, culture, society and the environment. As noted from the above discussions, tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, accounting for most of the world revenues and employment when compared to other sectors such as agriculture, electricity, and mining.

The economic positive impacts of tourism can be divided into primary benefits and secondary benefits. The primary benefits are felt directly by the hotels, restaurants, retail businesses, travel agencies among others. On the other hand, the secondary benefits go to the governments, local authorities, and other regulatory agencies in terms of taxes.

However, tourism can also have negative impacts on the economy through increased taxes and costs that are incurred in developing businesses and general infrastructure to cater for the interests of tourists. The cultural impact of tourism can be both positive and negative in that it affects the culture of the local communities positively through preservation, conservation, and transmission of the cultural identity from one generation to another.

On the other hand, tourism affects culture negatively through activities meant to attain international standards of catering, which erode the local cultural attributes. Further, tourism affects the society both positively and negatively. The positive benefits of tourism on the society include promotion of cross-cultural interactions, tolerance and self-respect amongst the visitors and the natives.

However, tourism can also lead to hostility, aggression and distrust amongst the visitors and the natives. The environmental effects of tourism are numerous in that it contributes to construction of aesthetic general infrastructures, which also contributes to economic gains on one hand or negative effects on the other. The negative effects of tourism on the environment include pollution and degradation of the natural resources among others.

Furthermore, the essay looks at the emerging issues in sustainable tourism or ecotourism in the city of Sydney. Additionally, it looks at the significance of the sustainability of ecotourism in the city. Further discussions provide the barriers/problems that are facing the current development of ecotourism in Sydney and the world in general.

In the same line, the possible solutions to these problems are provided in addition to evaluating their suitability in dealing with the current problems. From the discussions, it can be noted that ecotourism is a fast growing sector in the tourism industry, with the aim of providing aesthetic cultural and environmental features to visitors, while preserving the environment and the cultural identity of the locals, besides giving back to the community the benefits accrued from tourist activities on their land.

Sydney has taken a foot forward in encouraging the sustainability of ecotourism through implementing strategic plans such as the Sustainable Sydney 2030, which is aimed at promoting and protecting local interests in tourism, in addition to ensuring that the greatest benefits obtained from tourist activities go to the city residents.

Reference List

Barkin, D. (2002) Ecotourism for sustainable regional development. Current Issues in Tourism, 5(3), 245-253.

Buckley, R. (2000) Research note: a framework for ecotourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 21(3), 661-669.

Dwyer et al. (2003) The New South Wales State tourism satellite account for 2000-01: University of NSW, Australia Website. [online]. Web.

Honey, M. (2008) Ecotourism and sustainable development: who owns paradise? 3^rd edition. Washington DC, Island Press.

Indigenous Tourism Australia. National Strategy for Indigenous Tourism 2007 – 2012. [online]. Indigenous Tourism Australia. Web.

South Australian Tourism Commission Resource Centre (2002) Sustainable tourism development in regional South Australia. [online]. South Australian Tourism Commission. Web.

Tuohino and Hynonen, A. (2001) Ecotourism-imagery and reality: reflections and Wight, practices in Finnish rural tourism. Nordia Geographical Publications, 30(4), 21-34.

Wright, P. A. (2009) Ecotourism, ethics or eco-sell. Journal of Travel Research, 31(3), 3-9.

Every time I come across the smell of carne guisada, my mind runs immediately back to my childhood, and some of the most vivid memories of my early life pop up, arousing a feeling of nostalgic joy. I was six years old when my parents announced that me, together with my sisters Ashley and Kayla, would have visited our great-grandparents in Puerto Rico during the summer holidays. Abuela, our grandmother, would have accompanied us.

The three following months were full of excitement, planning, and daydreams. Besides the official programming, led unequivocally by mom and grandmother, there was a lot of underground conspiracy among the three of us: one of our main concerns was how to smuggle a couple of puppets in the suitcase, and we spent hours fantasizing about adventurous meeting with the animals of the forest.

When the day of departure finally arrived, I realized that what I had always pretended to ignore would have become a reality for the following two weeks: mom would not have come with us! However, there was no time to recriminate, cry, or play up, as grandma took the lead, and in a blink of an eye, we found ourselves safely anchored to the seats of the aircraft. It was my first flight, and when the plane started to roll I was terrified, but during the take-off, grandma held my hand tight, and everything went right.

When the aircraft reached the optimal navigation altitude, it was pure bliss: Ashley, Kayla and I huddled on the window trying to guess where we were flying over. We were a bit loud too, and I suspect that the old couple sitting in front of got annoyed because of our chattering, screaming, and singing. After some hours, we landed safely at the international airport of Saint Juan, where our great-grandparents were waiting for us.

It was the first time I met with “Mima” and “Pipa,” and the impact was simply overwhelming. Granma and Mima could not stop hugging and crying; Pipa kept on shaking his head and smiling while he made us twirl through the air. For a moment, I felt even a bit embarrassed, but the whole airport was full of kids whirling in the air, and people were hugging, crying, and smiling all around us. I will never forget that first warm and chaotic picture of a country that I would have soon learned to love. Finally, Mima looked at us and said: “Bienvenidos a Puerto Rico, niñas.” The holiday had officially begun.

Our great-grandparents lived in a small village at about two hours by bus from the city, not so far from Guayanilla, a renowned seaside resort. The news of our arrival had already spread, and the whole village had gathered to welcome us, bringing cakes, candies, and fresh fruit juices. Indeed, it looked a Caribbean ideal of paradise, at least until grandma shouted that it was time for us to have a bath and some rest after the flight and the bus trip. Besides playing with the other kids and exploring the village, the days were marked by several farming activities, and we helped to take care of the garden and the animals. I loved to feed the chickens: it was a noisy and chaotic task, and the chickens were a bit clumsy and ridiculous.

At home, it was a lot of chattering between Mima and grandma, while Pipa was silent for most of the time. When he spoke, it was always to say something funny, though not always appreciated by Mima, who never missed a chance to reproach him. However, it looked as they were playing a used game, and the affection that united them was evident. My sisters and I discovered that we had flocks of first, second, and even third cousins. You might say that the village was a large family. I made friend with Ivelisse, the daughter of a second cousin of grandma. Together, we rode horses and went to the seaside almost every day. We are still in touch, and Ivelisse visited me two years ago.

Perhaps, the most exciting day of the whole holiday was the trip to El Yunque National Forest. El Yunque is a vast rain forest in the northeast of Puerto Rico. It took some hours by bus to reach the park, but the experience was rewarding from every perspective. The vegetation was luxuriant, and I could feel the energy coming from the depth of the forest. We could hear several verses of animals, and we were so lucky to see a couple of curious green parrots peeping from a tree. The goal of the visit was a waterfall in the middle of the forest, the Coca waterfall. Breathtaking is the only word I can use to describe the magnificence, the magic, and the dramatic beauty of that spot. Even today, if I close my eyes, I can still see the Coca waterfall in all its greatness, hear the pouring water, and the power of Mother Nature.

However, all things must pass, and our two-week holidays came to an end, and on one sunny day we made our way back to Saint Juan and flew back home. That trip to Puerto Rico was my first long journey, moreover without parents. I will always regard that small village near Guayanilla as a second home, where my sisters and I spent many happy days, pampered by the warmth of the ocean, the reassuring smell of the horses, and the unconditioned love of Mima and Pipa.

Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel

Even though Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel has a steep historical background, but it was officially opened in 2000. The Hotel offers a range of services including luxurious accommodation, conference facilities, library services, fitness facilities, bar and restaurant, sports services, wedding venues among others.

The hotel is strategically located at the centre of Queensland new world city and has over 400 elegant rooms, fitness centre, mouth-watering restaurant and bars, heated swimming pools and spa, and 11 conferencing rooms that can accommodate over 1000 individuals among other facilities (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011).

The hotel receives many visitors both locally and internationally. Among them are businessmen, tourists, and dignitaries. Accommodation is the largest part of the hotel and generates the most revenue. The hotel departments are pegged on the facilities available and different categories of staff.

The study will focus on housekeeping department and the challenges facing this department. Housekeeping department is in charge of cleaning and taking orders in the hotel. The personnel in this department include the room attendants/ maids, supervisors, senior attendants/maid and the head of the department (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011).

Housekeeping Department

Housekeeping department just like the front office normally works round the clock with three shifts per day. The number of times cleaning is performed per day depends on the status of the hotel. The high higher the status the more frequent a room is cleaned and vice versa.

This department is among the strictly regulated in the hotel industry. Each position has well defined instructions that have to be adhered to and it is the responsibility of the senior maid or supervisors to make sure that the instructions are followed. Cleanliness of hotel is a concept that is perceived in diverse ways in different nations.

Big hotels such as Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel have mastered cleaning technologies and are role models in the hotel industry. Some hotels such as Marriot chain dust in the room after cleaning is regarded as a violation. Meticulousness in the subject of cleanliness is a trademark of hotels in emerging and advanced economies. Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel has a pleasant ambience as a result of the spectacular color schemes, beautiful furnishing and efficient staff (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011; City Of Hotels, 2011).

Over half of the hotel’s revenue comes from room service and therefore, when a room is not sold the hotel looses a lot of money. Poor occupancy can cause loss of customers and this may be attributed to hygiene matters, cleanliness and outdated facilities. Hence, the main of objective of most hotels is to enhance the appeal of their rooms.

This is because guests do spent a lot of tine in their rooms than in any other part of the hotel, so matters of cleanliness are paramount in the hotel business since most customers are health conscious nowadays (Rutherford and O’ Fallon, 2007).

Sofitel Brisbane Central housekeeping department owns a Linen Operating System. Therefore, all of the linen used in the whole hotel such as towels, bed linen and pillow cases are washed, dried, and ironed on a daily basis by the housekeeping department. Linen operation requires a lot of work and therefore adequate staff is needed, but the hotel has not appointed enough staff on the linen operation.

Frequently the hotel usually runs out of the linen and towels and this means the room attendants spend a lot of time cleaning the rooms since linen and towels are needed to make a room. In such cases the workers in the housekeeping department do suffer a lot from too much working hours and labor (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011).

In addition, the linen departments normally bear high cost of maintenance and frequent breakdowns. This not only makes costing unpredictable but also results in loss of revenue since rooms which are not maintained are not sold to the customers.

The machines and equipments used in the linen operations are relatively old and not advanced as in some of the five star hotels like Hilton and Marriot chain. Workers in the linen departments are responsible for many duties and thus are over burdened (Johnston, 1998; Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011).

The operational problem in the linen department is a very serious challenge for the hotel. Even though it has not necessarily affected the clients, but it does inconvenience them when the rooms are not sold because they are in bad condition.

In rare cases, guests are normally forced to reuse their line fabrics when the linen operating system fails or when the fabrics are not availed in time. Fortunately, most of these clients are regular customers or do understand the situation. But this is very risky for the hotel since some guests are very insensitive and might even sue the hotel for poor service (Wakefield and Blodgett, 1994).

Most hotels normally prefer to outsource such type of services to cleaning companies since owning a linen operating system is not only expensive but also necessitates hiring more staff which is uneconomical. In addition, outsourcing has numerous benefits for the hotel. For example outsourcing will enable the housekeeping department to concentrate on its core competencies by handing over the linen operations to the third party who specializes in that service and therefore enhances the hotel’s competitive position.

Outsourcing will also make sure that there is faster and high quality service and improved efficiency in linen operations. This is attributed to the fact that outsourcing companies normally operates in a large scale coupled with guarantee in the service level and increased operational efficiency (PMP Research, 2009).

Outsourcing also gives the hotel access to resources that are not available within, such as state-of-the-art technology and skilled manpower without necessarily acquiring them. It also gives the department more flexibility to respond promptly to the dynamic environment and increased competition.

Personnel who were working in the linen department can be relocated to other strategic tasks. Outsourcing enhances predictability of the costs since the operational costs are incurred by the third party. Lastly, outsourcing will help the hotel to deal with problems of globalization as it seeks expand its services globally (PMP Research, 2009).

Conclusion

Sofitel Brisbane Central Hotel is a five star hotel located in the heart of the city. The hotel offers numerous services but accommodation is the most important of them all since it generates the highest revenue. The hotel experiences operational problem in the housekeeping department.

The problem is attributed to the fact that it owns a linen operating system which has numerous shortcomings. The best solution for the problem is outsourcing this service to the company which specializes in it. In this case, the company will be saved of the operational costs associated with the linen operating system, improve efficiency and enhance its competitive advantage.

References

City of Hotels, 2011. Housekeeping Department. Web.

Johnston, R., 1998. Service Operations Management: Return to the roots. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 19 (2), pp.104-124.

PMP Research, 2009. Outsourcing is in. Web.

Rutherford, D.G. and O’ Fallon, M.J., (2007) Hotel Management and Operations. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc.

Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011. Hotel Sofitel Brisbane Central Services and Activities. Web.

Wakefield, K.L. and Blodgett, J.G., 1994. The importance of services capes in leisure service settings. Journal of Services Marketing, 8 (3), pp. 66-76.

Banquet Department

Banquet department combines the function of marketing, sales and food and beverage departments and entails relaying of information to the clients regarding the events and payment of bills. The front desk staff may possibly offer labor for the preparation of the routine announcement boards, listing of daily activities, and marquees.

Posting of each day events on the boards offers the clients and the staff with information on group activities. Marquee preparation includes congratulatory messages, sales promotion and other vital messages. In a number of hotels, staff in front office normally makes contact with the marketing and sales for important messages (Gray and Liguori, 2003).

The answer to success of a hotel business is the service which begins with the contact between the client and the staff of the front office. How the guests are welcomed and treated is very important since it gives the first impression of the hotel and conditions their perception of other services in the hotel.

If the guests are satisfied by the first impression of the hotel, this can mean a long lasting relationship. Many hotels have well equipped clean and comfortable rooms. However, quests do assess the hotel and its services based on the courteousness and efficiency of its staff (Roldan, 2004; Gray and Liguori, 2003).

The role played by the banquet department in enhancing excellent guest relations is self evident and cannot be overemphasized. Since banquet department offers the initial contact, it is also where the guest-related problems normally take place. Most guests are ready to pay any amount for the hotel service as long as they get their penny’s worth. As a result, the guests will always voice their discontent over rude staff or slow service and look forward to faster solution for their problem (Bardi, 2003).

Banquet regarded as the heart of the hotel business. Most of the staff-guest interactions take place in banquet department more than any other department. It sets the stage for satisfying and non-satisfying visit since it’s where the initial impression is formed.

Many guests are normally eager to start their vacation and business plans and therefore needs a lot of information regarding the hotel so as to enjoy as possible. The response to requested information or guest problems reflects how well the hotel has equipped the banquet department staff for this significant role (Roldan, 2004).

Sofitel Brisbane central hotel normally does welcome orientation to the new staff and briefly explains organizational management systems and rules, and the rules and duties of each staff. The rules and duties for the new staff are provided in a hand manual. These hand manuals are well instructed with pictorial representations to ensure easy understanding.

During the orientation the human resources manager comprehensively explains the manual to the new staff. These manuals are very reasonable since they are easily comprehendible, but most employees do not really have a deep look at the manual (Hughes, 2007).

These manuals are too general and are mostly focused on the external clients and ignore the internal clients (the staff). Therefore, for these manuals to be effective, they have to put emphasis on both quests and hotel employees at large. However, the hotel has no procedures relating to communication.

The finest hotel management practices require that hotels have rules regarding how the staff should communicate with the clients. The hotel’s manual only outlines the appropriate communication skills that can be of assistance when communicating with the clients. Therefore, it’s upon the staff to choose to use these communication skills or to ignore these skills (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011).

Sofitel Brisbane central hotel uses feedback card and suggestion box to establish customers’ response and to evaluate staff performance in all the departments. However, these cards are usually given to the customers only when they ask them. The hotel always provides the feedback cards before getting more feedbacks from the clients.

Nonetheless, from the responses got from the feedback cards most guests are satisfied with the manner in which the hotel staff welcomes and treats them and attend to their wake up calls. This is evident in the high number of loyal guests who revisits the hotel very frequently (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011).

Although the hotel has no set rules on the staff-guest communication, it is very strict on the way the staff handles the guests. Those who are found guilty of any form of misconduct or in violation of the hotel rules are either suspended, penalized or at the worst force out.

The staffs at the banquet department are naturally disciplined and very hospitable. This is because the hotel hires highly qualified personnel for this job and is expected to be very responsible in their work. The hotel demands high level of professionalism in this job (Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011).

Conclusion

The banquet department is central to the operation of the hotel. This department is where the majority of the staff-guest interactions take place more than in any other department. How the guests are welcomed and treated is very important since it gives the first impression of the hotel and conditions their perception of other services in the hotel.

If the guests are satisfied by the first impression of the hotel, this can mean a long lasting relationship. Sofitel Brisbane central hotel has not set rule regarding staff-guest communication, but has a brief outline of the suitable communication skills. Therefore, the hotel demands high level of professionalism for the staff working in the banquet department.

References

Bardi, J. A., 2003. Hotel front office management. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gray, W. S. & Liguori, S. C., (2003) Hotel and motel management and Operations. Singapore: Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd.

Hughes, B., 2007. Knowing your business means knowing your guests. Hotel and motel management, 222, pp. 38.

Roldan, A. S., 2004. Front office procedures and guest relations. Paranaque: AR Skills Development & Management Services.

Sofitel Luxury Hotels, 2011. Hotel Sofitel Brisbane Central Services and Activities. Web.

Abstract

After the analysis of the current property and all of its operational aspects the diagnosis is to refurbish The Stonington Beach Hotel to reflect a green and more luxurious environment. To do away with misconceptions about the Bermuda triangle and the declining traveling rates due to political reasons public relation-ing events like a hospitality management competition to take place. The hotel should also invest in cutting edge software to help manage the property as a whole and achieve better results and cater to customers efficiently. After implanting all the necessary changes the Stonington Beach Hotel should be able to successfully redeem lost tourists and knock out all competitors in the long term.

Introduction

The Stonington Beach Hotel started its first development phase in 1975 and finished the entire process by the early nineties. The hotel has a college campus for education in hospitality management. Bermuda’s two man industries are tourism and working in hotels so the integration of these two buildings is a logical decision. The industry standard for major refurbishments is long over due and to diagnose the current problems in the property a current analysis is necessary. A prognosis can only be given after properly analyzing all the buildings on the property, its counterparts, all employees, students, current marketing, environmental and political situations.

Body

Electricity is a big issue in the Hotel’s management decisions. “Electrical power is generated by a private utility company located on the north side of the capital city of Hamilton. It is distributed by overhead transmission lines. The company’s generators have proven to be sufficient to meet all of the island’s demands. Disruption in supply seldom occurs and is only really effected during hurricanes or serious storms.” (Conlin, 2004) Supplying energy through generators is an expensive task although it is more reliable than government sources since it prevents frequent power outages. Air conditioning uses a lot of electricity and adds a lot of expenses.

This is apparent in the Stonington Campus because to cut costs “in the construction of all the buildings, only parts of some buildings were air-conditioned.” (Conlin, 2004) To cut costs and be more energy efficient the hotel and campus should rely on natural light resources. In the refurbishment plan the windows should be placed in an efficient manner to consume the most natural light. The lobbies of the hotels should have glass roods installed to allow natural light to pour into the hotel.

“Being located by the Gulf Stream, Bermuda is blessed with very temperate weather. It never gets snow and seldom sees temperatures lower than F50º or higher than F90º.” (Conlin, 2004) Henceforth, the sun causing too much heat through the glass should not be a problem and the areas in the campus that are not air conditioned should be used a resource to indulge in a natural environment.

The hotel and campus both have kitchens catering to both students and customers. Kitchen facilities as a norm are usually boxed in cement with rarely any windows. The refurbishment plan should include adding windows to the all the kitchens so there is more sunlight and the surroundings feel more natural. Since the hotel is surrounded by palm trees the hotel should use them more efficiently for aesthetic purposes. Windows should be carefully placed where there is some greenery.

Adding windows and glass roofs in strategic places would be a great tactical measure which would offer great strategic benefits such as saving electricity in the future. Also the hotel should talk to the government about a daylight savings program if it isn’t already implemented. A daylight savings program would not only elongate the day but help conserve more electricity. Also people all over Bermuda would benefit from this and it would help boost the overall economy.

“The grounds around the Hotel were landscaped in the traditional Bermuda style with grass and planted palm trees.” (Conlin, 2004) Green is new pink, black, white and yellow. People are becoming more familiar with environmental issues and have started to prioritize on the “green” aspects of life. Being eco- friendly is a new trend these days and the Stonington hotel should capitalize on it. Hotel guests should be allowed to plant trees in designated spots of the hotel.

To implement the green philosophy each room should have postcard like flyer which gives them the option to plant a tree personally or have someone plant a tree on their behalf or a small fee that would go into preserving the green environment. People could also be given an option to name a tree, purchase or adopt a tree or a patch of greenery that they would promise to upkeep in maintenance and preservation. Due to the window plan the plants around the property will need upkeep and will require more attention by the staff and the monetary department. These donations by the guests of the hotel will help with the expansion of the greenery.

In the refurbishment process a door plan should be implanted with the window plan. The rooms on the ground floor that can be directly connected to the beach or an outdoor area should have an extra door built in. To capitalize in the green aspect on a maximum scale for environmental and aesthetic purposes each room/suite that is already surrounded by enough greenery should have windows placed in the bathroom. This should only be done in a few rooms where there would be no extra costs of strategically enhancing the green view. These rooms should have a door in the bathroom that would lead straight to the beach or in the secluded area plush with green.

Adding doors and windows in a few selected rooms would stop the revenue collections from those rooms for a little while but these costs will be recovered through premium pricing. When the installations are complete these rooms will turn into green suites and provide the value added benefits of premium pricing. Since the island has loyal visitors who can afford luxury people the demographics of the people renting these rooms is high.

“There was also a paved pathway from the central building leading to the four accommodation wings and down to Stonington Beach. The Beach was approximately 30 feet below the Hotel and its surrounding grounds and was often washed away during the winter season. In the spring, land crabs infested the coastal areas of the island, phenomena unique to Bermuda, but one which resulted in the Hotel grounds being riddled with holes dug by the crabs.” (Conlin, 2004) This could be an excellent opportunity for two reasons.

The washed away beach can act a sailing and fishing heaven and the crabs can be showcased as the natural environment of the hotel. To prevent holes dug by crabs the outside areas of the hotel grounds that become infested with crabs should be made out of cement. Cement is a cost effective tactical and strategic way of tackling this problem. Since the hotel is a luxury hotel cement floors might not always be appealing in each area of the hotel. Henceforth, small boundary walls should be constructed around the hotels which prevent the crabs coming in.

This would create a boundary that the crabs will be unable to cross and the tourists will be able to watch the crabs from a safe distance. Another good use of the crabs would be the live cooking of these crabs. Tourists should be given the option of picking their own crab and watch it being cooked live. To add to the activities of the hotel, the tourists could also help cook the crab in a designated open kitchen area.

“The Administration Building, the College Library and the Faculty Office Building incorporate elevators. All the other buildings on the Stonington Campus were single or two story structures and did not have elevators.” (Conlin, 2004) As long as the hotel has appropriate elevator systems each building should be okay with the use of stairs since it most structures are only two story’s tall. The main area concerning refurbishment should be updating the first impression people get as soon as they enter the surrounding area of the hotel.

“The main road into the Stonington Campus served both the academic buildings and the Hotel. As a result, the landscaping for the entire campus was a primary consideration. Hotel guests got their first impression of the resort from the academic buildings as they drove down toward the beach.” (Conlin, 2004) The appearance of the college should be updated along with the refurbishment as it is the first thing tourists see.

Currently the hotel has (Conlin, 2004):

• a 100 seat fine dining room
• a fully equipped commercial kitchen – supplies to dining room and serves as a training facility for senior culinary students
• a small guest Library with a wood burning fireplace
• a 20 seat Boardroom – used by staff and rented to public
• a freshwater pool and a patio

The Hotel Technology building has (Conlin, 2004):

• two training kitchens
• a student cafeteria
• fine dining restaurant open to the public
• six classrooms
• locker rooms with showers for males and females
• library
• departmental offices
• administration building
• The student centre which has a cafeteria and space for public meetings. This building is attached to the Hotel Technology building and the department’s training kitchens serve the college cafeteria.
• The Arts and Sciences Building which housed classrooms, a 120 seat auditorium, foreign language labs, and study halls used primarily by students enrolled in Arts and Sciences programs
• The Bermuda College Library
• The Faculty Office Building which provided office space for the College’s Deans and teaching faculty.

The Trades Building has (Conlin, 2004):

• Classrooms
• Garages
• Workshops
• other facilities relevant to teaching and training in the trades

All three buildings and their counterparts pose a huge management challenge. Keeping track of all operations in the hotel and the campus buildings is a huge task to handle. Since the facilities have not been updated since their first launch an investment should be made into property management software. The company should invest in the “PAR Springer-Miller Systems’ ^SMS|Host Hospitality Management System.” According to the product website the benefits include (Host Hospitality Mgmt):

• Reservations
• Group Reservations
• Group Billing/Charge Routing
• Availability
• Forecasting
• Guest Accounting
• City Ledger
• Night Audit
• Suite Handling
• Travel Agency Accounting
• Housekeeping
• Hotel Operator
• Mailing List
• Correspondence
• Complete Reporting
• Guest History

The software allows the staff to sell services to the customers from anywhere in the hotel, ex: over the phone, at the front desk or by the pool side. The accounting aspect of the software helps produce accurate statements and automates the accounting process making it more efficient. Baggage handling is made easier with the system through its automated tracking system. Each time a member of the staff handles a baggage it is recorded in the software. When the customers asks for it to be moved or placed in a particular place the management will already have a record of its current location and will not have to bother the guests. (Host Hospitality Mgmt)

Most property management systems offer the ability to develop frequent stay guest programs. Many properties offer these programs in conjunction with frequent mile programs. Returning customers are able to use their frequent guest number when a new reservation or check an existing reservation. Once the guest has met a predefined number of stays, most systems enable ‘regular guest’ indicators to be displayed on check-in and arrival reports. Modern property management systems allow properties and chains to keep accurate and tidy quest histories in order to enhance their marketing functions. (Pizam, 2005, p. 295)

The Springer Miller property management software has this function and it can be used to boost the tourists coming into the hotel. When a SWOT type analysis is conducted it is easy to see that the weakness is the lowering rate of tourists coming in because people have now become more activity oriented instead of just being focused on complete luxury. The threat here is that the competing hotels can follow suit by mimicking activities hosted by the hotels and the customers wouldn’t only be drawn to the Stonington Beach Hotel.

To turn and opportunity to gain tourists into a strength a cutting edge software like the Springer Miller needs to be installed because it will help keep track of the customers wants and provide clear data in the tourism patterns. This tool can help with managing activities more efficiently and having the data collected about the customers serve as a tool for regaining and keeping old customers.

The retail point of sale aspect of the software allows the staff to store each item sold and each service rendered classified according to time, quantity and guest number. The software also enhances the options available to guests “throughout the restaurants and lounges” and “include[s] simple menu and item setup and configuration, unlimited menu items, unlimited checks, rooms, tables, automatic coursing of ordered items, time and attendance tracking, check splitting [and] online credit card authorizations.” (Touch Fine Dining) This would allow guests to have more options and minimize the use of staff that would usually have to conduct these operations manually.

During the refurbishment process the hotel should look into adding a Spa to the hotel. To compete with any large and luxurious hotel today a spa is vital to a hotel. Most people come to vacations to relax and get away from the daily life. A spa provides these people an environment of complete relaxations punctuated with the epitome of pampering. This is an expense that will have to be made in the hotel immediately. The construction should take place in low season for minimum disturbance to the hotel guests. Once the spa is completed the resort will have more appeal and marketing potential in gaining new customers.

The Springer Miller properties management software also comes with a Spa/Resort Scheduling aspect. It schedules appointments, makes reservations, and has the option of maintaining a guest profile along with other useful options. (Spa Management) The number one rule of providing service to guests is to satisfy all their needs, meet all their wants and enlighten them with services they didn’t even know existed. Basically, to be successful in a luxury business from the marketing aspect you must delight the customer. The Spa/Resort Scheduling allows the staff to make little notes on the system about customer preferences, likes and dislikes.

This can include a plethora of information from the kind of massages a customer enjoys, how long the customers want to be pampered at a time, what drink they want with their spa routine, and which consultants they prefer. All the little things add up to providing utter comfort and luxury for the customer and allow the staff to keep track of all their needs and wants and desires.

“Bermuda is also prone to being hit or skirted by many of the hurricanes occurring during the Atlantic Ocean’s storm season which runs from August through November. In the period 1980 through 1993, three hurricanes hit the island. While these storms did considerable property damage, there was no loss of life. They did disrupt the tourism sector for a period of time after each hit, most notably in the week following the storm.” (Conlin, 2004) special consideration should be taken into account while refurbishing the hotel by incorporating the damages the hurricanes can render. The tourists should know that they will be safe in the face of any natural calamities.

The Springer Miller system should be used to detect the forecast and sharing that information through the system networking. First aid kits should be available on each floor. The main aspect of hurricanes and tornadoes is the damage to property. In tactical measures the hotel should conduct all the recommended refurbishments and when the hotel is up to par with its regular tourism base and starts to excel the hotel should look into investing on the infrastructure of the hotel in the long run.

One huge fund raiser for the hotel can be hosting a competition at the hotel and campus. In the low seasons when the tourism is low the college should host a worldwide hospitality management competition. All over the United States there are competitions that start small and then the competing teams move up to the state and then national levels. The competition would include all the aspects of hospitality management. The categories will range from the culinary arts to the technical aspects.

In order to do this without employing more staff the senior students majoring in management of properties should be assigned a project in their second to last semester to organize a worldwide hospitality competition. The board of governors has members who have been affiliated with this trade for a long time and have many connections. The students should use their networking skills to contact other hospitality management schools and encourage them to hold competitions.

It might be hard to get a lot of countries to follow suit so as a first baby step the media should be made use of. All over the world there are many competitions that are aired on TV such as The Apprentice, Top Chef, and America’s Next Model. The goal of the students should be to first get big sponsorships that would be ready to fund the expenses incurred in running a competition like this.

The contestants would be American and the host country would be the Stonington Beach Hotel in Bermuda. Having an entire TV show being hosted in Bermuda would provide many tough challenges so students should aim at getting a reality competition show to have a segment that is hosted in the Hotel. This would create the much needed publicity for the hotel and aide in designing a student based competition in the hotel.

To begin with districts, states, and nationals as a pathway to the Bermuda competition as an initial step will result in chaos and unmet expectations since no major hospitality management competitions are held in the world. The Stonington Beach Hotel should conduct and invitational competition by asking hospitality management schools worldwide to participate. The competition should be judged by experienced and renowned hospitality management experts who are already a part of the board of governors to add prestige and authenticity to the competition. Each college or individual who chooses to participate in the competition must pay a fee to attend the competition and their accommodations for the 4 day span of the competition.

For people who would like to come to the competition and cannot afford to should seek scholarships within their institutions. The students should contact people in the hospitality management business that like to sponsor and fund students to come to a competition like this. The principles of marketing say that you must not only provide a service but also provide means to access the service. The sponsorships will help people who are interested in the coming to the competition and increase the number of participants.

Both ways the money raised will go to the hotel to host the competition and raise future funds for expanding the competition. This will put The Stonington Beach Hotel in the eyes of the public and create publicity. This competition will be held off season so the normal tourist routine does not get interrupted and will allow the hotel to earn revenue in low season by accommodating competition participants. The competition should be managed and run by the senior students who organize it by hosting the competition and taking care of their needs as the customers of the hotel. This would enhance the learning of the students at the Stonington College Campus and give them a rewarded experience.

The competitions will make use of all the facilities on campus such as the kitchens, classrooms and the auditoriums. During the competition the students will film the entire competition in a documentary style video which will be sent back with the competitors to their respective colleges to pique interest among their fellow students. The competition will create publicity, public awareness, provide students all over the world to a competition that caters to their field of study and keep revenues stable during low season.

The Bermuda Triangle has a history of being a man abductor. The goal of the hotel should be to remove this from a consumers mind when they decide on a tourist spot. A competition that is well publicized will add trust and remove misconceptions from the mind of future tourists. Also the documentaries sent out by the competition should tackle the issues of traveling after the Iraq war. Eventually when the competition grows in popularity and prestige it will become a huge asset for the hotel and college and knock out competitors.

The college students are Stonington Beach campus should be given first priority to be being hired at the Stonington Beach Hotel. This would create a loyal student base and guarantee that each investment made into the college now will pay back by improving hotel management tomorrow. Also the employees should be given discounts to stay at the hotels. Since hotels loose money if their rooms go empty employees should be given low rates so that they can rent out rooms for their vacations on a low cost.

From the human resource management perspective this creates a win-win situation because both the employees and the hotel benefit. The hotel does not loose revenue over empty hotel rooms and employees have an outlet to work out work related stress. The spa’s can cater to the employees at a low cost and relieve employee tension helping them be more efficient at the job. Employees should also be rewarded with free stays at the hotel and be allowed the use of all the facilities for free. Twelve times a year an employee of the month should be rewarded with a weekend getaway for him and his family. This would create an incentive to work efficiently and manage hotel property in better ways. All work and no play has never been a good philosophy.

The hotel and beach should also be safeguarded against diseases. “When Stuart Gaskill first took over the management of his cottage colony about 10 years earlier, he battled an outbreak of salmonella poisoning that almost killed several of his guests and took over six months to eradicate.” (Conlin, 2004) Before the induction of any new employee or student each candidate must go throw a procedural blood test or supply files with recent vaccinations and tests to show that they are free of any contagious viruses. Also a proper protocol should be used when cooking seafood to eradicate any possible diseases. The cooking hygiene and safety methods should be overlooked by a trained official or a government regulator to ensure that everything is in check.

Conclusion

After the analysis of the current property and all of its operational aspects the diagnosis is to refurbish The Stonington Beach Hotel to reflect a green and more luxurious environment. To do away with misconceptions about the Bermuda triangle and the declining traveling rates due to political reasons public relation-ing events like a hospitality management competition to take place. The hotel should also invest in cutting edge software to help manage the property as a whole and achieve better results and cater to customers efficiently. After implanting all the necessary changes the Stonington Beach Hotel should be able to successfully redeem lost tourists and knock out all competitors in the long term.

References

Host hospitality mgmt. Web.

Pizam, A. (2005). International encyclopedia of hospitality management. Boston, Mass: Elsevier.

Spa management. Web.

Touch fine dining. Web.

The evaluation of carrying capacity is applied to demonstrate the impact of tourism on space and the envi­ronment. It shows a significant element of planning spatial growth in tourism. It is also one of the techniques used to establish standards for sustainable tourism.

Essentially, carrying capacity of a destination is the maximum number of tourists that can stay in a tourism destination and utilize its resources in a manner that does not cause intolerable and irretrievable alteration in the structure of the destination. The structure of the destination is defined in terms of its environmental, social, economic and cultural characteristics. The carrying capacity does not decrease the quality of destination in terms of tourist’s experience.

Available research depicts that many researchers and institutions have studied the challenges concerning the carrying capacity of tourist destinations. Carrying capacity has been defined as the ability of an ecological unit to sustain and activate the growth of human activities adequately without negative impacts or consequences (FNNPE 1993, p.2). Three levels that are important for evaluation of carrying capacity have been identified.

These include socio-cultur­al, ecological and psychological (WTO 1997, p.1). A lot of studies on carrying capacity have been carried out in theoretical approach to the idea. This implies that the practical application some of these perceptions encounter a lot of challenges (Mitchell 1989, p.20). It is a common belief that the conception of carrying capacity is by itself significant and functional.

However, previous research has indicated that in daily practice it has been repeatedly neglected and replaced with other theories. Some concepts that have replaced carrying capacity include limited tolerable change in the tourism destination and techniques of tourist management (O’Reilly 1986, p.5).

Carrying capacity ought to include natural environment and changed human factors in addition to its practical application. A dominant relationship has been found to exist between the natural environments and the carrying capacity. The concept is characteristically an elusive subject that is still to be studied. Considering the challenge of sustainable growth, it is important to note that tourism causes various negative impacts that may risk long-term growth.

Carrying capacity is a significant structure for identifying and understanding notable challenges (O’Reilly 1986, p.7). Nevertheless, some studies are against this view; it has been suggested the application of alternative and more flexible framework. Some studies disagree with the interdependence between the concept of carrying capacity and the definition of sustainability of tourism growth.

These studies assert that if sustainable growth means respecting for the requirements of the present generation while protecting the requirements of subsequent generations then, instead of carrying capacity, the emphasis should be given to definition of the limits for the utilization of tourism destination before a major deterioration in the quality of tourism resources (Butler 1999, p13).

The enduring discussion on the conception of carrying capacity has focused to the necessity for comprehensible and clear-cut definition of tourism objectives and the assessment of the degree at which these objectives are realized. In essence, a tourist destination does not have a single, outside defined carrying capacity.

Capacity is a manifestation of objectives aimed for a definite tourist destination. This implies that the specification required is the nature of the experience of the tourist that can be achieved. Indentifying and realizing the objectives is actually dependent on factors such as accessible resources and administrative experience.

Carrying capacity is evaluated either at the tourist destination’s level as a complete entity including all related elements or at an individual’s level, definite services and services. In all cases, capacity is identified by physical, economic and social characteristics which are meas­urable. Capacity may be variable depending on the destination.

Variations depend­ on the natural-ecological features of a particular location, the approach of its application, and growth objectives to be realized. Capacities are characterized by a boundary of tolerance for a tourist destination. Such boundaries indicate a verge of change which, if exceeded, results to negative impacts in tourism. If boundaries are not passed, then the impacts of tourism can be termed as positive.

A considerable number of studies have attempted to come up with a procedure for calculating carrying capacity. The studies have focused on developing common formulae that would be applied for various types of tourist destinations. There is no proven formula that is scientifically validated to ascertain its application.

The outcome of various approaches is the principle mean area assigned to tourists, tourists’ activities and facilities. Many studies have applied different standards that are based on empirical evidence. Since experiences vary from one destination to another, the applied standards also differ (Laws 1995, p.25).

Every tourist destination has a capacity for physical, economic and social structures. Space allocation may interfere with space occupied by businesses, whose operations benefit the local population. Considering this, a perfect example is a remarkable ancient town in Britain whose mayor complained about the necessity of goods that were being sold by three important departmental stores.

According to the mayor, the stores were selling only sweets, none of the stores provided shoes to the locals (Webster 1999, p.21). This example illustrates the importance of considering the economic capacity that will indicate the extent of success of tourism. Tourism should not stop or negatively affect the important activities of the local population.

It should cause unprecedented rise in costs of production and services that may negatively affect the locals. The limit of ecological and physical capacity should not be exceeded. This may cause damages to historical elements or water pollution due to lack of proper treatment of sewerage system.

Howie (2003) acknowledges that carrying capacity is not an objective but rather a strategy of achieving the objective. This cautions against perception of carrying capacity as a single and temporary limitation. It is rather a significant tool for developing a tourist destination. Alterations are unavoidable when tourist destina­tions are growing.

The use of the idea of carrying capac­ity ensures there is an effective assessment of the satisfactory level of alteration caused by tourism. It is principally the issue of managerial decision. The reliability and legitimacy of such a decision differ according to position and prospects of various stakeholders taking part in tourism activity. It is clear that reasonable tourism management decisions ought to be supported by sufficient logical inves­tigation.

The capacity of a tourist destination to balance the needs of tourists and the needs of a local community is determined by a number of sophisticated factors. The locals are likely to be irritated by the increased advent of tourists. Further, this irritation may be increased by longer accommodation of tourists and tourists’ engagement in activities that are not acceptable in the local community.

Limited participation or opportunities by local communities is likely to cause dissatisfaction. The levels of capacity and the resulting acceptance limit are dependent on two categories of factors. The first category is the characteristics of tourists and the other category is the characteristic of the destination and its local community (Weaver 2006, p.6).

The characteristics of tourists that hold consequences on carrying capacity include psychological socio-economic traits. These are characteristics that determine the behaviors of the tourists and include age, gender, purchasing power, perceptions, attitudes, race and ethnicity. These characteristic influence the way the locals relate or communicate with the tourists.

Others factors are the degree of usage which includes the number of tourists and their distribution across the destination. The length of stay which may be determined by the season and the activities of the tourists may dtermine the level of usage (Jovicic and Dragin 2008, p.6).

All mentioned characteristics have their own significance and therefore affect the extent of interaction. It is imperative to acknowledge that the degree of utilization is not only a factor of the number of tourists. This might bring a wrong perception of growth of tourism.

In most cases, the activities of tourists and potential conflicts among tourists with various requirements, interests and prospects are more pertinent measures of the utilization degree of a tourist destination. This observation is of absolute significance to the policy makers.

The nature of tourist destination can affect its carrying capacity. The natural geographical features including climatic, topographic and hydrograph­ic conditions can determine the amount of time spent at the destination by the tourists. The economic framework including the degree of economic growth, miscellany, investments and costs of services may determine the carrying capacity of a destination.

The social framework including the demographic features of the local community, the strength of the local culture, accessibility to social amenities and public services may determine the carrying capacity of a particular destination. Factors like religion, morals, gender roles, safety and language of the local communities fall under social framework.

Another important factor is the political structure since it determines the economical development of the destination. Other significant factors include the tourists’ attractions, participation by the locals, accommodation facilities, transport and other agencies including tour guide companies (Font and Tribe 2001, p.2).

A good example of a tourist destination where carrying capacity is a major factor is Isle of Puberk in United Kingdom. The carrying capacity in this island emphasize on the effects on natural resources such as water and waste disposal. Emphasis is given to the impact on local residents, the economy and production systems.

The coastline and the landscape of the Isle of Puberk island is being depleted by urbanization and infrastuture development (Coccossis 2001,p.5). Islands are considered among the most significant tourists destinations. Islands offer a unique opportunity for economical growth through income generation. Most income is generated from tourists who visit those islands.

It is important to note that tourism brings negative impacts tonislands’ natural environment, people and economy. Most islands have a delicate relationship between its economy and society. Intensive tourism growth rarely consider the capacity of an island; the result is deterioration of natural resources available in the island. Tourism development affects the natural habitat of plants and animals, and gravitates the landscape of an island (Coccossis 2001,p.31).

References

Butler, W 1999,The concept of carrying capacity for tourist destinations, Tourism Development, Toronto, John Wiley & Sons.

Coccossis, H 2001, Defining, Measuring and Evaluating Carrying Capacity in European Tourism Destinations. Athens, Environmental Planning Laboratory of the University of the Aegean, Greece.

FNNPE 1993, Loving Them to Death? Sustainable Tourism in Europe’s Nature and National Parks, Grafenau, Bavaria, Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe.

Font, X & Tribe, J 2001, Promoting green tourism: The future of environmental awards, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 2 no. 5, pp. 1-13.

Howie, F 2003, Managing the Tourist Destination, Cengage Learning, London, UK.

Jovicic, D & Dragin, A 2008, The Assessment of Carrying Capacity: A Crucial Tool for Managing Tourism Effects in Tourist Destinations,TURIZAM , Vol. 12 no 3,pp. 4-11.

Laws, E 1995,Tourist Destination Management, London, UK, Routledge Publishers.

Mitchell, B 1989, Geography and Resource Analysis, London, UK, Longman Publishers.

O’Reilly, M 1986, Tourism carrying capacity. Tourism Management ,Vol. 2 no 6, pp.254-258.

Weaver, D. (2006). Sustainable Tourism: Theory and Practice. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.

Webster, K 1999, Environmental Management in the Hospitality Industry: A Guide for Students and Managers, London,UK, Cengage Learning Business Press.

WTO 1997, What Tourism Managers Need to Know, Madrid, Spain, The World Tourism Organisation.

The rate at which organizations’ employees are lost whereas others are employed is referred to as labor turnover. The hospitality industry is among the leading commercial services in the business sector. In this industry, this has led to the need of a large workforce that has created many employment opportunities to the people in the nations.

The waiters, waitresses, suppliers, departmental managers, and chief executive officers of the restaurants and hotels are some of the employees who get jobs in the hospitality industry. This is an indication of how hospitality industry is an important sector in the economy.

First, it creates a lot of employment opportunities, which help in making majority of the population productive. Secondly, hotels are huge producers in the economy as illustrated by the volume of resources required by hotels to provide their services. This gives the economy a boost through incentives such as taxation.

The advantages that come along with this industry being wide are not only seen in the economy, but the benefits also reach the entrepreneurs who invest in this sector. In business, the bigger industries pose more challenges to the firms operating them. Essentially, the labor turnover is one of the most pertinent problems facing this industry.

The big workforce attached to this sector of the economy makes the hotel industry one of the sectors affected by high labor turnover rates. The employees in hotels and other firms in the hospitality industry are able to move from one organization to the other more quickly due to the many operating hotels.

This has led to the high ratio of labor turnover in hotels. Some problems have been experienced due to this condition, which has tried to solve some tough situations in the hotels as discussed in this paper.

Classification of Labor Turnover

It is important to highlight the major types of labor turnover experienced in the national economy in order to discuss the many problems that have come along with labor turnover in hotels. Labor turnover can be put into various groups depending on the area which the employees in question relocate, or according to the employees’ own wish to terminate their employment.

According to the area in which an employee changes his or her area of employment, labor turnover can be classified as either internal or external employee turnover. The internal labor turnover is the one in which the employees change the positions that they held initially within the same organization. In the case of hotels, one can move from being a manager at the finance department to the catering department.

On the other hand, there is also external labor turnover which entails employees moving from one organization to another. This type of employee turnover affects the operations of firms in terms of productivity and efficiency because it reduces the labor force of the company.

External labor turnover also takes away some of the best-qualified employees of the company. A waiter or waitress can move to another hotel where he/she believes there are better working policies.

In terms of employees’ wishes to terminate their employment, labor turnover can be categorized as voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary labor turnover is a case where the employees move out of the organization without being asked by the management of the company to leave the organization. In this case, the labor turnover is caused by issues such as dissatisfaction in payments or terms of work.

On the contrary, involuntary labor turnover is pushed by the organization itself. In this case, the employer asks the employee to leave the firm due to some faults in order to find someone else who can replace the labor force that has left. This shows the difference between labor layout and labor turnout. The former does not require replacement of the employees relieved of their duties.

Problems of Labor Turnover in Hotels

There are series of problems attached to the high rates of labor turnover experienced in the hotel companies. Some of these challenges are not too serious, especially those caused by internal employee layout.

These are problems such as delays in projects started in the organization and consistent restructuring of the management. However, there are greater problems brought by labor turnover in hotels, particularly the external and involuntary labor turnovers.

Disruption of Projects

The hotels are like any other business firm, and they are bound to have set projects that they work on to help the growth of the organization. When a lot of employees in the hotels leave the firm or they are shifted internally, the progress of projects is disrupted. This disruption appears because the labor force that was employed initially had a specific role to play in the development of the projects.

The going away of employees from the firm can imply that the project will be dragged behind or even paused for a while. For the hotel to keep working towards implementing the projects and initiatives it possesses, it is forced to get new employees or tries to make the existing workers adapt to more working activities and keep the project moving.

Deterioration of Performance over Sometime

With the high rate of labor turnovers in hotels, the performance of these firms has been interfered with for a period of time.

This is mostly at that time when the company has most of its employees leaving their organization because the hotel will have a shortage of workforce, which would impact on the productivity of the firm. In short, the production levels and performance of the hotels keep fluctuating because of the high employee turnover rates.

High Replacement Costs

The hotels are faced with the challenge of replacing the employees, which leaves their firms trying to avoid being understaffed. This puts the hotels in a tricky situation where they are forced to employ new workers quickly and at high costs in a bid to maintain the company’s level of productivity.

The price of getting new employees is quite expensive, especially when it involves a huge number of employees who are also expected to be professionals as in the case of hospitality industry. Therefore, the hotels must use a lot of capital to do the recruitment, selection and training of the new employees in order to ensure that the quality of services remains good.

Company’s Time Wasted

Labor turnover in hotels makes the hospitality industry to be held behind with repeated activities of getting the best labor in the market. First, a lot of time dedicated on training and equipping of the employees with necessary skills required in offering services in the hotels is believed to have been wasted when the employees leave the company.

Most of these hotels organize the training programs for their employees costing them a lot of time that would rather be used in other activities. What makes the problem worse is the fact that labor turnover would force these hotels to put their new employees in training programs that cost the organizations more time.

Workplace Efficiency Affected

Every workplace has some working code of conduct in which the employees must comply with to maintain efficiency in the organization. The issue of a higher ratio on labor turnover affects the efficiency of the workplace by interfering with how employees abide by the code of conduct present in their job areas.

The moment a hotel has new workers employed after a short period, it becomes hard to keep all the workers operating fully according to the norms of the firm. This impacts the efficiency of the workers altogether as some employees might end up failing to reach the standards they are set by the hotel management.

A lot of Resources Required

Labor turnover pushes the hotels to start most of their employee acquisition processes which require a lot of resources. The firms put many resources and utilize a lot of money in this process starting with advertisements that inform on job opportunities to the final stage of training the new employees. Once a hotel has new workers at the management level and the subordinate staffs, more resources must be spent on them.

For instance, the waiters and waitresses would need uniforms while the new managers would require stationery. During the training process of these new workers, a lot of resources are also required to enhance the learning process and equip them with skills.

This again becomes a problem to the hotels when the employees leave their firms as all the resources used in training would be considered as waste. In one way, this discourages the hotel managements from investing in equipping their workers with skills through training.

With all these challenges, one would consider labor turnover in hotels to be unproductive and risky to the hospitality industry. If it is indeed dangerous to the sector, it is good to know what causes the employee turnover.

Cause of Labor Turnover in Hotels

Low Pay and Poor Compensation

One of the main reasons why employees move from one hotel to another is dissatisfaction on the payment they receive in the organization they are working. The workers might find out that the quality of service they offer to the firm has more value compared to the payment they get.

This pushes the workers to seek somewhere else where they think their services would be appreciated more by higher payments. The employees also seek work places where they are given better compensation offers. This has been a force behind the high labor turnover rates in hotels.

Poor Working Terms

The inconsistency experienced in the labor force is also caused by poor working terms in some of the hotels. Some hotels put their employees in working conditions that are not favorable like working without breaks or not providing reliable security when they work late at night. Nowadays, the employees move from these uncaring hotels to those related to their working conditions.

Lack of Employee Training and Development

Hospitality industry is one sector where the firms usually engage in the development of their employees. The employees’ skills are improved and given further training related to the hotel industry in fields.

Unfortunately, it is not all hotels that engage in these activities. Due to these, the employees who land in companies that do not have employee development programs are usually on the unstable while seeking other hotels offering these trainings.

Lack of Satisfaction with the Job-scope

In the hotel industry, the majority of employees are mostly people who do not have specific careers like waiters and waitresses. This makes them fit in many different forms of work as long as it is to be paid. Recently, there have been a big number of employees moving out of the hotel industry due to dissatisfaction with the jobs they are given in the hotels. This has contributed to the high rate of labor turnover in the hotels.

Pressure at Work

Everyone is not able to work under high pressure and therefore some employees can prefer to lose their job because of the strains in the workplace. This is also the reason why labor turnover in hotels is a common issue.

In most cases, the hotels put their workers under great pressure to offer the customers whatever they need at any time without considering the capabilities of these employees and the time they have. Some of these hotel employees are forced to leave their job since they cannot withstand the pressure they have to deliver.

Better Career Opportunities in Other Places

In the world, many people want to work in organizations that help them improve their careers. This need is attributed to the fact that the labor market has become so competitive, and employers are looking for workers who are going to bring a big positive impact in their organization.

As a result, the employees look for companies that can boost their careers to the best position. Many employees also seek an opportunity to advance their careers in hotels. This has been a force behind the many cases of labor turnover recorded in hotels as workers move to companies that can improve their careers.

Labor Turnover as a Solution to Problems

Despite the fact that many problems have come into the hospitality industry due to labor turnover in hotels, this condition has also helped to solve some challenges faced in it. The following subtitles have some of the ways in which labor turnover has proved to provide solutions to the difficulties in the hospitality industry.

Acquisition of Skills among Workers

The process of equipping employees with improved skills to enhance quality services has been so expensive for many hotels. This process involves setting up of training programs which the employees experience.

In fact, it also entails trips to be attended by the trainees. When all these are put together, they requires a lot of finances and resources which some hotels may find unnecessary to spend in such activities while others might not be able to afford the expenses.

Therefore, a few employees working in the privileged hotels get the opportunity to enjoy the programs for acquisition of skills. However, the workers move to different hotels in regard to labor turnover where they acquire better skills and improve their careers.

Introduction of New Ideas and Better Qualities

Coming up with new and unique ways of doing things in the hotels has always been a challenge to the hotel managements. Therefore, operating in a new strategy is one of the ways that smart entrepreneurs use to remain at the top despite the stiff competition.

This is also a technique of taking over the market which many companies use to gain monopoly power. The introduction of these new ideas after a short period is almost impossible as it requires a lot of investments and innovations which is so expensive.

However, the labor turnover has managed to help different hotels to get ideas that they had never tried before. As new employees come on board, they bring new strategies from the companies or hotels they used to work in. This shows how labor turnover gives managers a solution to what they might think is too expensive.

Increased Morale among Employees

Employers who want the best out of their workers try all means of getting the employees deliver quality goods and services for the business. One way of attaining this is through increasing the morale of the employees to work towards achieving the organization’s objectives and goals.

The morale of the employees can be boosted in many ways, which are preceded by appreciating the workers who do their best through things such as promotions and appraisals. The promotions can be made on salaries and working categories where the payments are either increased or an individual is given other roles in the hotel. In other cases, awards can be given to motivate the competitive workers.

Internal labor turnover helps the management to boost the workers’ morale as the employees can be moved from one department in an organization to another department at higher positions.

This gives the workers morale to do their best while working as there is an appreciation of quality work done. Therefore, labor turnover in hotels can make the employees work towards giving quality services as their morale may have been boosted. It also pushes the workers into working towards getting better work positions.

Conclusion

Generally, there are a lot of challenges brought by labor turnover in hotels, which is a solution to some problems at times. Initiating strategies to retain and identify the experienced workforce is paramount to the hospitality industry. This might lead to high achievements in terms of quality of services from these employees. However, some hotels make their projects disrupted, and record poor performance due to this.

Moreover, the employee turnover also gives the hotel managers a hard financial time due to the high costs of replacing the employees. A lot of resources are again used in the process, which proves how expensive and problematic labor turnover can turn out. However, there are also some few challenges that get their solutions from labor turnover in the hotel industry.

For instance, employees are able to acquire better and important skills from different hotel companies due to their ability in moving from one employer to another within the industry. Labor turnover has also helped managers get new ideas from the workers they employ. Therefore, it is true and precise to state that labor turnover in hotels is both a problem and a solution.

References

Davis, G. (2010). Staff Turnover in Hospitality. Inside Business360. Web.

Goff, L. M. (2013). How is Labor Turnover a Problem in the Hospitality Industry? A case study on international hotels into the aspects of labor turnover. HospitalityEducators. Web.

Mehta, A. (2005). Knowledge Flight: The Challenge of Hotel Employee Turnover. Hospitality Net. Web.

Introduction

Any organization set up for the purpose of exploiting the interests of people with regard to recreation, arts, culture, and other related fields should be designed in such a way as to attract the persons interested in those fields. The growth in the tourism and entertainment sectors has necessitated the development of a specialized discipline called visitor attraction management. Unless the organization has a concept that has the ability to attract visitors or the administrative and marketing processes in that organization has the resources to manage them, visitors will stop coming to the place. In other words, the above-mentioned factors are crucial in the success of any ideas aimed at making profits through visits and the resulting income from the visitors. This paper is a study of a failure in visitor attraction management and will focus on the failed concept of the National Centre for Popular Music (NCPM) in Sheffield, UK.

Brief Background of the case: The NCPM was a bold and innovative venture thought by the Sheffield County Board in order to prop up its failing economy that was once dominated by steel mills. The center which developed as a museum for pop music failed to attract even half the optimistic estimate of visitors. People have primarily blamed the consultants for the concept, by estimating improbable visitor estimates in order to obtain large funding from organizations in the country. Whatever may be the reason, visits did not even match the most conservative figures (as per the opinion of the board members) and the center had to ultimately close down to lack of operational income.

Visitor attractions management: The common definition used in the UK of what constitutes visitor attraction is explained here at first. The place to which visitors are attracted should be a permanent structure and should be to allow public access to entertainment, education, or other interests. The center should not be primarily used as “a retail outlet or venue for sporting, theatrical or film performances.” (Fyall, Garrod & Leask, 2003, p.10). Visitors should also be able to visit the place without prior booking and the center must get its income directly from the visitors. Even though the authors of this book state that this definition is a bit outdated, the NCPM satisfies all the above-mentioned parameters and hence can be considered to be visitor attractive center. But it had obviously failed in some areas of visitor attraction and management and this will be reviewed in the coming sections of the paper.

Factors and requirements in visitor attraction management: In order to attract visitors, a center should have something that should be attractive to people to prompt them to see the place. An ideal visitor attraction center should have the following characteristics in order to attract new visitors and also get repeat visits. “A visitor attraction is a feature in an area that is a place, venue or focus of activities and does the following things.” (Swarbrooke, 2002).

Enjoyment and fun: The center should have exhibits and facilities that can provide fun/enjoyment to its visitors. The atmosphere should be such that visitors can have a pleasurable experience while they while away their leisure time.

Cater to the needs and wants of visitors: The attraction should be so designed that it will satisfy the needs of the visitors it was designed to attract. For example, the NCPM should be able to satisfy the needs and wants of popular music lovers.

Enticing people to visit: The attractions should be such that they will entice people to visit the place. It is not enough that the organizers of the center put in some attractions that they feel will be attractive to others. Proper study and planning have to be done to see what type of attractions will interest people.

Purpose and benefits of visitor attraction centers: The primary requirements that a center is designed to attract visitors have already been mentioned above. But apart from attracting visitors and earning money, most such centers serve a broader secondary purpose. This is especially true in the case of the NCPM. “Attractions are also a major draw for many visits, especially in areas where the regeneration strategies by public and private sector agencies have underpinned future tourism development around such a hub of activity.” (Page, 2003, p.220).

This secondary purpose or benefit is represented in the following diagram.

(Page, 2003, p.221). Had the NCPM succeeded in attracting visitors, the above cycle would have taken place. The area would have developed in general through ht increasing number of visitors. Once the center becomes well-known, growth and maturity will follow. In the process, a whole section of the society like residents, other businesses (mainly ancillary units to the center), and investors in the center will benefit from its growth. The place will have a new image and will become well-known as a music lovers destination. It is possible that at one stage after maturity, the center may begin to decline in popularity. This could be due to outdated attractions. At that time a new infusion of life through additional funding, public-private partnerships, and introduction of relevant attractions can be done. The NCPM was in fact set up with such an objective of community development in mind. (Kam, 2004, p.170).

Challenges in a visitor attraction industry: The visitor attraction industry can be considered to be part of the service sector, and hence faces all the challenges that occur in such an area of activity. (Leask & Yeoman, 2002, p.32). So, the NCPM can be considered to be a part of the service industry. Since it is a showcase of pop history, it can also be categorized under the label heritage industry. Customer or in this case, visitor satisfaction is essential in the success of any such venture. In other words, “Understanding the visitor experience is a key factor in determining the success of a visitor attraction.” (Page, 2003, p.236). There are other factors that are important for customer satisfaction like service quality, behavior towards visitors, cleanliness, and ambiance. But the case study has not mentioned these as issues that led to the closure of the NCPM. Moreover, the venture was practically a non-starter and the main issue that had come up was a lack of customer interest.

Issues that led to the closure of the NCPM

It can be seen that there are three reasons, two major, and the other not of great importance, that led to the closure of this much-hyped project. The major issue was that the visitors were just not excited by the offerings of the center. This is even though the center had been able to attract adequate funding, purchase property, and build stylish buildings for this purpose. The concept also gained wide publicity in the press even before it started its operations and was considered to be a unique one, not tried anywhere in the world before. The main drawback was the lack of customer satisfaction. The center did not deliver what was promised by not being able to exhibit original pieces of rock paraphernalia. The center had also promised interaction with musical instruments which also proved to be disappointing to visitors. “The center’s ‘hands-on’ approach, which encourages visitors to pick up instruments or make their own pop videos, was said to be ‘limited’.” (Entertainment Debts rock pop museum, 1999). Visitors have reported the whole experience to be boring and unexciting. The second was that the estimated number of visitors was exaggerated to the tune of four times the actual number. This exaggerated figure led to the availability of huge funds which went into the purchase of property and construction of designer buildings. The lack of visitors led to the inability of the center to pay back its debts. The minor factor was that the location was not seen as favorable to many people.

Conclusion

One of the most important factors in the success of a visitor attraction center is customer satisfaction or customer experience. The NCPM failed miserably in this regard even though it had very impressive premises and buildings. None of these factors could save it from bankruptcy. The lesson to be learned here is that customer experience is the most important feature in the success of such ventures. The investment could have been paid off if the center had at least half of its estimated visitors.

References

Entertainment Debts rock pop museum. (1999). BBC News. (2009). Web.

Fyall, Alan., Garrod, Brian., & Leask, Anna. (2003). Defining visitor attractions. Managing Visitor Attractions. 10. (2009). Web.

Kam, Jacqueline. (2004). The rise and fall of NCPM. Success in Failure: The National Centre for Popular Music, Prometheus, 22 (2), 170. Taylor & Francis Ltd. (Provided by student).

Leask, Anna., & Yeoman, Ian. (2002). Challenges to management. Heritage Visitor Attractions. 32. (2009). Web.

Page, Stephen. (2003). Introduction. Tourism Management. 220. (2009). Web.

Page, Stephen. (2003). Tourism and regeneration. Tourism Management. 221. (2009). Web.

Page, Stephen. (2003). Visitor attractions and product life cycle. Tourism Management. 236. (2009). Web.

Swarbrooke, John. (2002). Definitions. The Development and Management of Visitor Attractions. (2009). Web.

Factors Affecting the Demand and Supply for Tourism Industry

International tourism has become a significant industry, affecting the development of many countries. Traditional destinations such as European countries still dominate the market, but new locations are becoming competitive rivals that may soon establish new trends. Various factors have an impact on supply and demand in the area of tourism. It is possible to use PESTLE analysis to consider the central factors.

Political factors that affect the demand and (to a larger extent) supply for international travel include governments’ efforts to further develop an industry (for example, existing infrastructure) that has become profitable for countries’ budgets. Major economic factors having negative effects on demand (as well as supply) include recessions, financial crises (especially international crises), and inflation in countries that are tourist generators.

Growth in GDP, an increase in individual income, and a rise in population (those having a high income) can positively affect demand and supply for tourism. Social factors such as the trend toward an active lifestyle and openness to new experiences contribute to an increase in tourism as the number of tourists grows. Technological factors include the evolution of aircraft, as well as the development of tools and devices that make travel easier (for example, smartphones with maps and descriptions of major destinations and attractions).

Legal factors affecting the supply and demand for tourism are associated with various regulations and laws that favor the development of tourism (for example, tax reduction for hospitality companies). Environmental factors can impose diverse effects as some destinations see a significant increase in visitors while other destinations experience low demand due to unfavorable conditions (extreme temperatures, natural disasters, and so on).

The Growth of Demand in International Tourism

As seen from figure 1, the demand for international tourism has increased significantly since 1950, reaching unprecedented levels. However, the growth was not steady; it was more rapid between 1950 and 1980, compared to the period between 1980 and 2000.

During the earlier period, demand grew by a factor of ten, while during the later period it only tripled (see fig. 2). This difference in growth can be explained by the economic and political situation in the world. The economies of Western countries were booming after the Second World War, allowing more and more tourists to travel between the 1950s and the 1980s. However, the oil crisis of the 1970s led to a significant recession that hit tourist-generating countries.

The Gulf War that started in the 1990s also had a considerable adverse effect on the development of international tourism. Finally, the 9/11 terrorist attack made international (especially air) travel less popular. Although the industry managed to recover fairly quickly, it still did not show the unprecedented growth seen in the period after the Second World War.

It is also important to note that the distribution of tourist arrivals has not been even; European countries have dominated the market since the middle of the 20th century (see fig. 3). However, such events as the Chornobyl incident, terrorist attacks on major US and European cities, and financial crises led to a shift in demand for tourism that made Asian countries more attractive tourist destinations (due to good infrastructure and low prices). At the same time, changes in the number of international tourism arrivals related to particular destinations have happened quickly.

Forecast of Growth in International Tourists

It can be relatively difficult to forecast changes in international tourists as various factors may affect willingness to travel (including natural disasters, wars, terrorist attacks, financial crises, and more). However, the number of international tourist arrivals is likely to grow due to increasing world population as well as the growth of emerging markets. International travel has recovered quite rapidly from various adverse effects and has shown continuous growth.

Thus, after analysis of the growth in international tourist arrivals between 1950 and 2010, it is possible to predict that the number of international tourist arrivals will be around 1,560–1,580 million in 2021 and 2022. Nevertheless, the figures are likely to be very different in the 2030s. It is possible to expect 2.5–3 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide in that later time frame. The forecast is mainly based on the trend apparent in 2000–2010, in which the number of international arrivals almost doubled between 2000 and 2010.

Growth in Receipts from Tourists over Time in 2020, 2021, and 2022

It can be difficult to predict the changes in receipts from tourists as important variables (the financial and political situation in different countries, environmental conditions, and so on) cannot be known ahead of time. However, based on the numbers available, it is possible to forecast growth up to one billion US dollars. National income will increase along with the population of the planet (including those who can afford to travel).

Furthermore, the inflation rate will increase considerably, and the gross percentage of GDP will remain the same. The financial development of countries is one major variable affecting the number of tourists. Therefore, in a relatively unfavorable financial situation in the world, the growth of receipts will not be dramatic, although it will still be substantial as national income will be high. The market will also invariably adjust to new conditions and manage to address major challenges.

“Top Ten” Tourist Generators and the Ten Leading Tourism Destinations

The top ten tourist generators include Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Brazil, and South Korea. The majority of these countries are representatives of the Western world (simultaneously developed countries). Developed countries are major generators as their citizens can afford international travel. The economies of these countries are strong, and people have funds to spend on international flights.

In addition, the list includes several emerging economies, pointing to the existing trend. It is likely that these emerging economies will reach higher positions on the list as their population becomes more well-off and willing to travel. It is also important to add that existing trends in the societies of developed countries as well as emerging markets are associated with the culture of travel, gaining new experiences, becoming open, and so on. Such cultures also are resulting in the growth of the number of tourists.

The leading tourist destinations include France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the USA, the UK, China, Turkey, Malaysia, and Mexico. Interest in visiting European countries is still high for a number of reasons. For instance, these countries have a rich history and high-quality tourist infrastructure. These destinations have also been highly publicized through media. For example, France (Paris) is still regarded as the capital of romance and one of the most romantic places in the world. However, South Asia is becoming an attractive tourist destination because it is exotic (for those from the major tourist generators), the tourist infrastructure is constantly improving, and prices are still low compared to European or US tourist destinations.