Category: Tourism

Introduction

Tourism refers to the scenario whereby individuals known as tourists travel and stay in places different from their usual environment for at least a day or at most o year for the purposes of recreation business New York is one of the states in the United States with a total of sixty two cities.

Each of these cities plays a significant role in the tourism industry in the New York State. New York was the origin of the tourism industry in the United States at around 1820, and it arrived in the United States at a surprising rapidity. Earlier on, most of the Americans spent their leisure time visiting tourist attraction sites in Europe (Gassan 2).

Tourism emerged in the United States from the Hudson River valley, north of New York City in the 1820’s. It was triggered by the confluence of historical accidents as well as the proximity of the valley to the New York City which was then one of the fastest growing cities financially and population wise in the United States. The valley also had remarkable scenery and a favorable geographic position since it connected the country’s most sought after destinations as a water way (Gassan 2).

The Role and Significance of Major Cities

Major cities inside and outside New York state plays a major role in the tourism industry in this region. Most of them are densely populated such that they are a source of the many tourists that visit the many tourist attraction sites in New York. Major cities in New York have significant tourist attraction sites that play a major role in the number of tourists that visit New York each year.

They also have good infrastructure mainly in the transport and communication system that makes it easier for tourist to operate from New York since they are able to move from one tourist site to the other at ease. Furthermore, these major cities have been developed with good housing and other facilities such as hotels that accommodate tourists in their stay during their vacations as they move around the state visiting tourist attraction sites.

Apart from being the largest city in New York State, New York city is the largest city in North America and it harbors ever 15 million people in its metropolitan area.

The city’s international profile rose drastically since the September 11, 2009 terrorist attack of the world trade center which left thousands of people dead and it since then entered the list of the world’s top ten most visited destinations (Boniface & Cooper 420). This scenario further promoted the tourism industry in New York since it has grown at a great percentage since 2001 as compared to the industry before then.

Economic and social implications of tourism

Tourism has been of major importance in both ht e economy and social life of New York since its presence has developed the nation’s economy n a positive sense (Hoffman 10). It has been generating over $25 billion annually and creating around 282 000 employment opportunities in the region.

Together with other industries, the tourism industry has contributed a lot in improving the face of the state making it the nation’s primary region in many aspects. For instance, it is the major centre for fashion and arts in USA and the leading financial centre and conference venue with more hotel beds than any other city in USA (Boniface & Cooper 420).

The revenue generated by the tourism industry has been used to improve other sectors of the economy. It has helped reduce the rate of poverty in the region through generation of employment opportunities and contributing to the revenue of the country that is further geared towards needy families. It has helped in the construction of good transportation system and other tourism facilities thus improving the general infrastructure of the region.

The expenditure spent on improving the tourism industry and the inflows of income are a major tool for regional development as well as their significant contribution towards the national income. The main factors that have led to the rapid growth of the tourism industry in New York are income and social changes in the developed nations, reduced air fares especially on non scheduled flights and improved management in the industry.

This has in turn provided income to the employees and suppliers working in the hotels, motels and government rest houses. There are also service charges obtained from all tourists and payments made for the supply of special tourist items in the restaurants. Furthermore, tourists provide income to the residents through purchase of items and provision of such services as tipping (Hoffman 10).

Cultural Factors

The cultural attraction sites in New York are world class, with the major one’s being metropolitan Opera House and Carnegie Hall. The cultural department in tourism is closely related to sports which is also a major tourist attraction in New York. Some of the major sports venues are Madison Square Garden, Shea Stadium and Flushing Meadows. Central park contains over 800 acres of cultural centers and recreational sites (Hudman & Jackson 70).

Climate and Topography

The combinations of the many landforms that make up New York have created adequate attractive topography of the region that has kept visitors coming to witness the wonders of nature. The areas mentioned below under the heading ‘major tourist attraction sites’ are just but a few landscapes that make up the topography of New York. There physical landscapes are mainly as a result of climate of this region, meaning that the region has a favourable climate that has been promoting the tourism industry.

The climate and the weather patterns in New York have been of great advantage in the tourism industry. It is composed of humid continental climate which is greatly influenced by the presence of large water bodies. Its average annual temperature is around 40^o c which ranges from -52^oc to 107⁰ through the year. Winters are long and cold but are usually moderated by the great lakes in the region. The summer temperatures go as high as 100⁰ but are also modified by the great water body masses (Anon 11).

Demographics

Apart from foreign tourism, there is a lot of local tourism taking place in New York City. This has been made possible by the high population in the region. For instance, Manhattan, a region in the New York State is one of the most densely populated regions in the Western World. It is further among the most cosmopolitan regions in the Western world alongside Brooklyn and Queens with diversified ethnic neighbourhoods and various probably unrivalled restaurants (Boniface & Cooper 420).

Major tourists attractions

New York harbours various tourist attraction sites that are regularly visited making the industry one of the best in the country. It was the origin of tourism industry in the USA. Tourism emerged in the United States from the Hudson River valley, north of New York City in the 1820’s.

It was triggered by the confluence of historical accidents as well as the proximity of the valley to the New York City which was then one of the fastest growing cities financially and population wise in the United States. The valley also had remarkable scenery and a favorable geographic position since it connected the country’s most sought after destinations as a water way (Gassan 2).

The historic waterfront of Manhattan Island is another major tourist attraction regenerating most tourists at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space museum and South Street Sea Port. Many other tourist attraction sites are mainly located to the east and south of Central park some of which include the ‘famous skyscrapers skyline of midtown at the empire State building, museum mile, the Broadway theatre district, and Fifth Avenue best set for shopping’. Central Park was designed in the 1860’s and it contains over 800 acres of recreational sites and cultural Centre (Hudmann & Downtown 70).

Downtown Manhattan which is the oldest part of New York has also been a major tourist attraction site due to some of its features like the ‘stock exchange, Chinatown, the artistic quarter of the Green which Village among others. Furthermore, the twin tower became a major tourist attraction site since the September 11 terrorism attack that left thousands of people fighting for their lives. The twin tower attraction site has since been renamed Ground Zero (Boniface & Cooper 420).

There has been a common slogan ‘I-Love-New-York’ which has been the theme in the tourism industry and it has contributed greatly in the rise of visitors in New York. However, New York has been a major destination for most visitors and an important city in the world.

The global importance which had remained unchanged by September 11, 2002 has been brought about its combination of financial manufacturing tad ultra roles. Other attraction sites in New York include Lincoln centre best for performing arts, Rockefeller Center best for its Radio city music hall, UN headquarters, Wall street’s, the statue of liberty national monument, Niagara falls, etc (Hudmann & Jackson 70).

Markets and competitive advantages and disadvantage

New York has been a major destination for most visitors in the world for a long time due to its combination of financial, marketing and cultural roles. It has maintained outstanding and quality oriented services in its tourism industry over its rivals thus enjoying the benefits of competitive advantage. However, its tourism industry reached a devastating point in 2001 after the terrorist attack of twin towers since most visitors lost confidence in the internal security of the city.

During the attack, not only the residents lost their lives but also many visitors who were having leisure in the twin tower , an incident that shook the whole world since it was one of the major attacks in history. It took the New York tourism industry a lot of effort and investment in advertising and marketing to bring back the industry in its normal position since the number of tourist visiting the state had dropped significantly and drastically (Hudmann & Jackson 70).

Most of the attraction sites in and around ground Zero were destroyed during the terrorist attack and were inaccessible to visitors. The drastic decline in the number of visitors around ground Zero and in the rest of New York was accompanied by serious financial problems.

Apart from advertising, the industry lowered its prices and with the help of the federal government, they insisted both nationally and internationally that avoiding New York would encourage terrorism. By 2002, the industry had begun re-establishing again (Hudmann & Jackson 70).

Existing tourist infrastructure

In any country, infrastructure plays a major role in the tourism industry. In New York, this has been promoted by historic role of the city as the major port of entry to the USA with deep water harbour and its access through Hudson River to the interior of North America. This has promoted the growth of the tourism industry at quite a high percentage (Boniface & Cooper 420).

New York has world class infrastructure that is composed of the transport system, communication system, hotels and other recreation facilities that ensures that all visitors enjoys their stay in New York and are likely to come back again. The good infrastructure is a tourist attraction in itself and makes it easier to access major destination in New York. New York has more hotel beds than any other place in the world and well maintained and world class infrastructure.

The role of the State Department of Tourism or National Tourism Organization

The State department of tourism in New York plays an important role in the tourism industry. It is responsible for the well being of the industry in the Nation. It employs staff in the national parks, game reserves and all other tourist attractions that protect the sites of human or any other kind of destruction.

This department carry out campaigns throughout the nation creating awareness on the need to preserve all the areas that attract tourists in New York. They also do advertising and marketing of the department urging both the locals and the foreigners to visit New York. They are the people who have maintained the global importance and the excellence of the tourism industry in New York making it a major destination in the world.

Recommendations

The tourism industry is highly dynamic and there is a need to ensure that if a region has to remain relevant in the tourism industry then there will be a need for sensitivity to details. It is important for the management to maintain their commitment in this industry in order to retain the confidence that the world has concerning the tourism industry in New York.

Being one of greatest generation of revenue to New York State, the tourism management of this state ought to ensure that all that is possible is accomplished to ensure that the elements which attract tourists are well advertised. Some of the ways that New York can use to attract more tourists include making us of the trade shows as forum of advertising. They should also find room for extension of the industry and find means of maintaining their competitive advantage globally.

In order to ensure that New York State even gets more tourists, it should engage in fierce media advertisements to create awareness of its tourism sectors. The State should also try to ensure that its tourism sites are blended well to display a multiracial theme. Lastly New York has a huge population and should be keen to encourage domestic tourism. I feel that domestic tourism if well ventured into will be more beneficial than international tourism as it reduces risks associated with international tourists.

Conclusion

The tourism industry in New York is one of the highest revenue generating industry in the region. New York has uncountable attraction sites ranging from the natural landscapes to manmade and more so, Ground Zero has really promoted the industry since the bombing of twin towers in 2001.

Even after the terrorism attack of the city in 2001 and its devastating effects thereafter, the management of the industry has been able to reinstate it and it has remained outstanding among other destinations in the world. It has maintained its global importance and has remained a major destination to most tourists in the world. This industry has had many economic and social benefits like job creation and contributing to the national income thus reducing the level of poverty in New York.

Works Cited

Anon. The Climate of New York. Google Documents, 2003. Web.

Boniface, Brian & Cooper, Chris. Worldwide destinations: the geography of travel and tourism. Burlington, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. Print.

Gassan, Richard. The birth of American tourism: New York, the Hudson Valley, and American... New York, University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. Print.

Hoffman, Norbert. A survey of tourism in West Malaysia and some socio-economic implications. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian, 1979. Print.

Hudman, Lloyd & Jackson, Richard. Geography of Tourism & Travel. New York: Cengage Learning, 2003. Print.

Introduction

Camping can be described as an outdoor recreational activity where by people, often referred to as campers leave their homes and spent time in a natural environment (Cole 10).

Campers around the world usually establish a campsite using tents, caravans, mobile homes or cabins where they stay for several nights before returning to their homes (Cole 10). Camping is less expensive compared to other recreational activities has increased in popularity during the last century. Camping provides people with the opportunity to break from their monotonous city lives and experience the natural environment.

There are several other reasons why people indulge in camping activities. Camping also impacts the society and the environment in a variety of ways that can be described as positive or negative. This paper seeks to conduct a cause and effect analysis of camping. Specifically, the paper will discuss why and how people engage in various camping activities. The paper will also identify the positive and negative impacts of camping.

Reasons for engaging in tourism activities

As identified in the introductory part, there are various reasons why people indulge in camping activities. Most people go for camping to enjoy the outdoors and the scenic beauty provided by natural environments (Cole 11). Many people lead very stressful fast lives in big cities and always yearn for an opportunity to escape these routines of their ordinary lives.

Camping provides a perfect answer for people who need to relax their minds, strengthen their bodies and reinstate their spirits. Camping has been incorporated in many youth programs around the globe such as the scouting movement and is important in the teaching of teamwork and self reliance skills (Cole 13).

The choice for camping as a recreational activity has been reinforced by the increase in leisure time by different people. Statistics indicate that about one quarter of the United States population engages in camping and hiking as a recreational activity. Camping is also favored due to its cost effective nature, and is sometimes used as a cost effective form of accommodation for people attending big open air events such as religious festivals and sports events (Cole 13).

Effects of camping

Camping primarily affects the local environment and the economic status of the parties who own and control the camping sites. There might be some effects on the society that comes as a result of mingling between the campers and members of the local community. Effects of camping can be categorized into positive and negative effects and also primary and secondary depending on the nature of the effect and the stage at which it occurs.

Effects on the environment

Camping can have both positive and negative effects on the environment and ecosystems. Primary positive effect of camping is that it provides an incentive for conservation of natural environments and ecosystems. Many governments and private companies conserve their parks to attract more campers and tourists. Thus the conservation reinforced by the fact that some revenue will be generated from the parks or campgrounds.

The negative environmental effects of camping are many and varied. The most obvious is the littering that results from the disposable items carried by campers. The solid wastes are a significant source of aesthetic degradation and they may also find their way into water bodies and cause pollution.

Camping activities such as lighting bonfires, launching of fireworks and cheering cause a lot of stress to animals and other organisms within the eco system. The noise and commotion created often results into a significant change in the behavioral patterns of animals (Cole 17).

Camping also negatively impacts the soil and vegetation on the travel routes, picnic sites, campsites and viewpoints (Cole 23). Trampling caused by campers usually results into abrasion of vegetation, compaction of soil and abrasion of organic soil horizons (Cole 23).

Plants are often damaged by trampling resulting into reduced plant height, stem width and the number of plants with flowering capabilities. The changes significantly affect the reproductive capacity of the plants. Trampling causes soil compaction resulting in reduced porosity (Cole 24).

The in turn reduces the capacity of the soil to hold water. Compacted soil has less water infiltration rates and this leads to increased chances of runoff and soil erosion (Cole 24). The loss of organic litter has a direct impact on the plant and animal populations as it destroys microbial habitats and plant germination substrates (Cole 25).

Economic effects

Camping sites are usually established in parks owned by the government or private companies. Campers are required to pay some fee in order to access these parks. Some campgrounds have high visitation levels and have been properly designed into reliable business ventures.

Members of the local community benefit from the camping activities as they are employed as guides or have a stake in the parks that are used as camping sites. Areas that are frequently visited by campers have other facilities such as supermarkets to provide essential needs. Therefore, camping, in one way or another impacts the economic status of the local community (Cole 37).

Social effects

Camping activities provide limited opportunities for cross cultural interaction due to the fact that camping sites are often in secluded areas that are usually far from human settlements. However, favorite camping destinations offer unique environments that give memorable camping experiences.

Such camping sites are frequented by campers to an extent that there is a significant level of interaction with the local community. The interaction with members of the local community provides campers with the opportunity to explore different cultures and draw comparisons with their own. Camping also strengthens the bonds of friends, family or any other group of people who often go camping together.

Conclusions and recommendations

This paper sought to conduct a cause effect analysis on camping. The paper has described the reasons why people engage in camping, it has also described the various positive and negative effects of camping. It has been established that people basically go for camping as a recreational activity.

The positive effects of camping are that it refreshes people, encourages conservation, and provide a source of income for people. The negative effects mainly touch on the environment, especially in regard to pollution, vegetation destruction and soil compaction. It’s imperative that camping activities take into account the importance of environmental conservation.

Therefore solid waste that results from camping should be appropriately disposed off to minimize the harm on the environment. Activities such as fireworks, singing or cheering should also be done away with or minimized as they cause stress to animals. The use of parks for camping activities should be spatial distributed to minimize the harm on vegetation and soil (Cole 27).

Works Cited

Cole, David. Ecotourism . Utah: Department of Agriculture, 2003.Print

Our visit to Qatar to explore and study the mangrove ecosystem was indeed very informative. It was the best learning opportunity for mangroves. From the outset during the visit, it was evident that the mangrove fields needed rehabilitation. Unless the mangroves are rehabilitated, the ecosystem within Qatar will also be equally affected. The neglect of this environmental feature is evident throughout the portions that we visited and studied.

It is also crucial to mention that mangroves are important carbon sinks when compared to natural inland forests. Mangroves play an important role of up taking pollutants channeled into the marine environment. After testing the gulf waters, the results indicated that they were highly saline. This is a major threat to the growth and development of mangroves. However, there are still myriads of opportunities to improve or boost the current level in the growth of mangroves.

For example, research and development can be initiated with the aim of establishing better methods of managing the mangroves. The youths in the Gulf region can be educated and made part and parcel of such research studies. Nevertheless, the success of restoring the mangrove vegetation purely relies on good project management practices. For example, the quality, reliability and endurance of university students are of utmost importance. Second, it is crucial to consider the aspects of project ownership and partnership. In order to record any degree of success, the latter ought to be rock-solid so as to avoid mis-understandings that can significantly derail the process of conservation.

As it stands now, mangroves are diminishing in terms of area coverage in several spots within the Gulf region. As already mentioned, Qatar is one of the affected regions. Adopting a Royal Decree is necessary to hasten the process of conservation. Awareness, management and conservation programs need to be put in place, in order to fast track the much- needed attention through the assistance of political organs in the country.

Limonium axillare in Al Khor are very common species within the mangroves of Qatar. They are generally known to be highly resistant to the saline Qatar waters. Therefore, they can survive better in this ecosystem. However, the aforementioned species do not exist alone. Other organisms such as Arthrocnemum macrostachyum are also dominant in the mangrove vegetation. The latter also assists in primary productivity of the mangroves and a good carbon storage reservoir. The Arthrocnemum roots are also clustered with the growth of Cistanche tubulosa. It is a well-known parasite within the mangrove environment. It was not easy to establish how the seeds find their way to the roots of the plant.

The biodiversity values of the salt marshes and the mangrove fields cannot also be underestimated. Throughout the field study, it was evident that the salt marshes and mangroves store significant amounts of carbon.

In regards to conservation, we noted that mangrove conservation in Qatar requires urgent attention of about ten sites. These sites are among the worst affected by expansion in agricultural and other human activities such as urbanization. If documentation and awareness can be given top priority in the entire conservation process of the mangroves, then it will a lot easier to expedite development prospects, bio-geography and ethno-botany of the entire ecosystem in Qatar. Needless to say, the overall and successful management of mangroves in Qatar demand both research and conservation in order to attain the desired results. The benefits of mangroves are numerous and hence, the need to promote the biodiversity.

Introduction

Sustainable tourism is defined as “satisfying current tourism and host community needs, while protecting and improving future opportunities” (Pineda & Brebbia 2004, p 34). The aim of sustainable tourism is to avoid or reduce negative effects on the economy, environment, as well as, the cultures of the local communities. Sustainability ensures that tourism facilitates development that is beneficial to the local communities, tourism firms and the tourists.

Sustainable tourism promotes effective management of resources in order to meet economic, social, as well as, aesthetic needs (Cohen 2002, pp. 267-276). Sustainability is achieved when these needs are met without interfering with the cultural integrity, ecological processes, as well as, biological diversity of the tourism destination. This can be achieved if best practices or sustainable tourism practices are adopted at all levels of tourism business management.

Best practices are corrective measures which ensure that tourism causes the least possible negative impact; the quality of tourism product is improved and tourism businesses become more efficient. In the last three decades, several initiatives have been implemented to promote best practices in tourism. However, best practice is yet to become the main focus in the tourism industry. This paper analyzes the extent to which disagreement among stakeholders on how to improve sustainability of tourism destinations hinders adoption of sustainable tourism practices.

The Need for Sustainable Practice

The rationale for adopting sustainable practices is demonstrated by the impacts of tourism on the environment and local communities. The impacts of tourism include the following. To begin with, tourism has negative impacts on the environment (Hunter & Shaw 2007, pp. 46-56). Over-consumption of resources such as water by tourists discourages sustainable development. Tourists compete with local communities for scarce resources such as food, and this can increase inequality and injustice.

Transport systems which support tourism leads to pollution through greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, tourism-related activities such as water sports and mountain hiking interfere with fragile ecosystems. Tourists are normally unaware of the impact of their behavior on the cultures of local communities. Thus, they often engage in inappropriate behaviors that may offend the locals. Finally, the economic benefits of tourism can only be sustained if best practices are adopted. The tourism industry contributes nearly 10 percent of the global GDP.

The industry also supports approximately ten percent of jobs in the world (Gossling, Hall & Weaver 2009, p. 78). On average, a tourist spends $ 700 in a tourism destination. These statistics indicate that tourism plays an important role in economic growth, and thus, it should be developed through adoption of sustainable practices. Many countries have recognized the need to promote sustainable practices in tourism. Hence, they have implemented several initiatives to encourage stakeholders in the tourism industry to adopt sustainable practices.

Initiatives to Promote Sustainable Practices

Sustainable practice initiatives have, traditionally, focused on three areas namely, the environment, social-cultural and economic aspects of the tourism destination. The initiatives to protect the environment include implementation of policies that encourage economical use of resources. Governments normally provide incentives to encourage firms to adopt technologies that promote efficient use of energy, and other resources (Saarinen 2006, pp. 1121-1140). Abatement actions such as recycling, reusing, emission fees and fines are used to reduce environmental degradation. The public and the private sector have partnered to protect endangered species by discouraging pouching.

In order to protect the cultures of local communities, cultural activities such as traditional dances and cultural artifacts have been accepted as part of tourism attractions. The government and private firms participate in the development of local communities (Gossling, Hall & Weaver 2009, p. 132). For instance, private firms often build schools for local communities while the government constructs infrastructure that promotes the economic activities of the local communities. Preservation of historical or cultural heritage has become a norm in every tourism destination. This helps in ensuring a steady growth in the number of tourists. It is also a way of respecting the beliefs associated with such cultural heritage.

In most destinations, the economic benefits of tourism are leveraged through laws and regulations that promote fair trade and protect the interests of the consumers. The laws define the expected tourism product quality and the accepted economic activities (Pineda & Brebbia 2004, p 64). Local communities are often given first priority in employment in order to improve their economic status. The design and construction of infrastructure such as roads and resorts is often done in a manner that minimizes interference with the economic activities of the local communities. Empirical studies reveal that nearly every tourism destination has a set of initiatives to promote sustainable tourism. However, the degree to which such initiatives have been adopted varies across the industry.

Extend to Which Sustainable Practices Have Been Adopted

A 2009 study conducted in Canada, US and Europe on best practice in tourism industry revealed that stakeholders have “a very strong pro-sustainability attitude” (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38). At least 81% of tourism companies believe that local governments or industry regulators should implement incentive programs to encourage businesses to focus on sustainability. Nearly 96% of businesses agree that their customers prefer firms that make some effort to achieve sustainability.

Empirical studies reveal that majority of businesses have adopted some initiatives or practices that promote sustainability. Practices that promote environmental sustainability are the most common among tourism companies (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38). The most common sustainability practices include recycling, hiring members of the local communities and obtaining supplies from local suppliers. Businesses avoid sustainability practices that require significant financial and human capital. Consequently, capital intensive practices such as using renewable energy, green certification and green building are hardly adopted by firms in the tourism industry. In general, a practice that promotes sustainability is likely to be adopted if it is associated with little financial and human capital.

Approximately, 64% of tourism companies make the decision to adopt best practices on their own (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38). Once they make such decisions, they rely on internal resources and knowledge to implement the identified practices. Approximately 18% of businesses borrow ideas on sustainable practices from their peers. Such businesses have to modify the borrowed ideas to fit their needs.

Majority of businesses are motivated to adopt sustainable practices due to altruistic reasons. Such reasons include the company’s commitment or values about sustainability, as well as, the desire to protect natural resources. Approximately 30% of businesses are motivated to adopt sustainability practices due to business reasons (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38). Such reasons include improving the company’s brand image, reducing costs and attracting new customers or markets.

Research indicates that less than 2% of businesses are motivated by incentive programs to adopt sustainable practices. This is, perhaps, an indication that the incentives are ineffective or there is a disagreement on the type of incentives to be implemented. It is estimated that only 27% of firms are fully committed to sustainability (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38). Thus, even though most firms have adopted some sustainability practices, only a few of them are committed to pursuing such practices. This confirms the view that sustainable practices are yet to become the norm in the tourism industry.

Factors that Hinder Adoption of Sustainable Practice

The reluctance to adopt sustainable practices in the tourism industry can be attributed to several factors. Some scholars attribute the reluctance to the disagreements among stakeholders on how sustainability should be achieved. However, some stakeholders and scholars have identified factors such as financial constraints, lack of information, and technical capability as the main barriers to sustainable practices. The significance of each of these factors can be explained as follows.

Disagreements on how to Improve Sustainability

The disagreements among stakeholders on how to ensure sustainability in tourism destinations discourages adoption of best practice in the following ways. First, sustainable tourism is an evolving concept. Stakeholders agree that the main objectives of sustainability should be to protect the culture of the local people, discourage environmental degradation and promote economic growth (Liu 2003, pp. 459-475).

However, there has never been a consensus on which objective to give priority. Consequently, stakeholders often disagree on how to allocate resources in order to enhance sustainability in the industry. For instance, an initiative by the government to encourage hiring of locals will not be adopted if the businesses believe that the locals lack the required skills and competence. The interpretation of sustainability has also changed over time. Sustainable tourism has, traditionally, been associated with economic benefits such as market expansion and investments (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38).

The main ideology behind this perspective is that economic prosperity will make it easier to finance social programs, thereby improving community sustainability. However, recent studies consider the economic perspective of sustainability to be overly simplistic. Such studies emphasize the need to take into account the impacts of tourism on the local communities. Lack of consensus on what is ‘sustainable’, thus, impedes adoption of best practices. This is because a business will only embark on a practice that reflects its interpretation of sustainability.

Second, sustainable tourism is based on the principle of good governance. In this context, good governance refers to “the establishment of appropriate institutional arrangements to manage tourism and its positive and negative impacts” (Pineda & Brebbia 2004, p 87). The elements of good governance include accountability, efficiency, equity, and participation. It also includes transparency, and relationship management. These elements can be conceptualized as the ethical positions that inform the decisions made in regard to sustainable tourism. Good governance is shaped by the social, political, as well as, cultural norms of the community.

Thus, it is based on the values, ideas, as well as, the ethics associated with the community. Since values and norms vary across communities, there have been disagreements on the exact meaning of good governance. Failure to achieve consensus on the meaning of good governance can prevent adoption of sustainable practices in tourism. For instance, the government and tourism businesses may focus on efficiency, equity and accountability as the main tenets of good governance. The local community, on the other hand, might consider transparency and participation as the most important elements of good governance. In this case, the community can reject an initiative meant to promote efficiency simply because its members did not participate in the formulation of the initiative.

Third, disagreements limit the stakeholders’ ability to work together, negotiate and achieve positive change. Policy entrepreneurialism can only be achieved if the tourism industry stakeholders are able to work together in a constructive manner. Policy entrepreneurialism describes the approach used by stakeholders to articulate tourism problems and how solutions are developed through positive dialogue (Gossling, Hall & Weaver 2009, p. 165). Innovativeness and transformational thinking can not be achieved if stakeholders are not able to acknowledge each other’s ideas and opinions. Additionally, stakeholders will not be able to pursue multiple objectives in order to achieve a win-win solution if they can not agree on practices to be adopted.

Finally, disagreements among stakeholders impede effective planning for the adoption of sustainable practices (Hall & Lew 1998, p. 12). Formulation of sustainable practice policies has evolved in most tourism destinations. The industry regulator no longer has the sole responsibility of formulating best practice policies. It is now common practice to include representatives of the community, industry and the government in committees that formulate important tourism policies. Since the representatives have varied interests and opinions, consensus must be reached before any policy can be implemented. Besides, sustainable practices can only be uniformly adopted if the stakeholders agree to pursue common practices.

Financial Constraints

Adopting practices that promote sustainability can be very expensive, especially, in the short run. For instance, substituting fossil fuels with clean or renewable sources of energy may require huge financial investments. Similarly, hiring members of the local community might necessitate expensive training programs, especially, if the locals lack the required skills. The high costs discourage firms from adopting sustainable practices.

Additionally, investments in sustainable practices might not have immediate financial benefits to the firms (Gossling, Hall & Weaver 2009, p. 177). Thus, firms that are interested in immediate financial benefits are not likely to adopt expensive sustainable tourism practices. Financial incentives such as tax rebates often promote implementation of best practices which stakeholders consider to be expensive. However, financial incentives are not often available in most destinations. Thus, even if stakeholders agree on the practices to be adopted, lack of adequate financing can prevent implementation of the identified practices.

Lack of Information

Sustainable tourism practice is still a new concept in the tourism industry. Thus, not all firms have adequate information about it. Recent studies have revealed that tourism firms fail to adopt sustainable practices due to lack of adequate information on acceptable practices. In particular, some businesses are unaware of the benefits associated with sustainable tourism practices (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38). Since businesses are driven by the profit motive, they adopt only practices whose benefits are clearly defined. In some cases, businesses are unaware of the impact of their actions on the environment and the local community. Lack of effective communication among stakeholders is the main cause of inadequate information about sustainable tourism practices. In general, a practice that is not known to a majority of firms is less likely to be adopted.

Lack of Technical Capability

Adopting sustainable tourism practices requires innovation and creativity. Both product and process innovation can only be achieved through technologies that promote efficiency and sustainability (Nistoreanu, Roxana & Elena 2011, pp. 35-38). Thus, firms that intend to embark on innovation must be ready to invest in new technologies or talented employees who are able to use their creativity to promote best practice. In most countries, technological advancements and discoveries are protected through patents and copyrights. This limits access to new technologies and implementation of practices that promote sustainability.

Conclusion

The aim of this paper was to analyze the extent to which disagreements among stakeholders hinder adoption of sustainable practices in the tourism industry. Sustainable tourism practices are those that enhance economic prosperity, protect the environment and preserve the cultures of the local communities (Liu 2003, pp. 459-475). As stated earlier, most tourism businesses are willing to adopt sustainable tourism practices. Contrary to the popular belief, most businesses are engaged in at least one practice that is meant to enhance sustainability.

However, only a few of the businesses are fully committed to pursuing sustainable tourism practices. Thus, it is apparent that the numerous initiatives to promote sustainable tourism practices have born little results. Disagreement among stakeholders on how to improve the sustainability of tourism destinations is one of the main barriers to adoption of sustainable tourism practices. The other barriers include financial constraints, lack of information and technical capabilities. Disagreement among stakeholders is the main barrier to sustainability at the industry level. However, at the firm level, factors such as financial constraints are the main barriers to sustainable tourism practices.

References

Cohen, E 2002, ‘Authenticity, Equity and Sustainability in Tourism’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 10 no. 4, pp. 267-276.

Gossling, S, Hall, C & Weaver, D 2009, Sustainable Tourism Futures, Cengage Learning, New York.

Hall, C & Lew, A 1998, Sustainable Tourism, Addison Wesley Longman, Harlow.

Hunter, C & Shaw, J 2007, ‘The Ecological Footprint as a Key Indicator of Sustainable Tourism’, Tourism Management, vol. 28 no. 1, pp. 46-56.

Liu, Z 2003, ‘Sustainable Tourism Development: A Critique’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 11 no. 66, pp. 459-475.

Nistoreanu, P, Roxana, D & Elena, C 2011, ‘The Trilateral relationship Ecotourism-Sustainable Tourism’, Journal of Tourism, vol. 11 no. 11, pp. 35-38.

Pineda, F & Brebbia, A 2004, Sustainable Tourism, Sage, London.

Saarinen, J 2006, ‘Traditions of Sustainability in Tourism Studies, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 33 no. 4, pp. 1121-1140.

Introduction

The maintenance system under consideration will consist of various types of repairs. Some will be routine, others will preventive while others will be scheduled. In case of an emergency or breakdown then maintenance will still be necessary.

This system will consist of the staff needed to carry out maintenance and it will outline their respective schedules. It will also specify materials and equipment needed in order to carry them out and the criteria used to make those choices. Cost accounts, environmental concerns as well as future renovation projects will also be part of this system.

Types of maintenance

Leysin hotel will carry out scheduled maintenance as part of its general maintenance system. This will consist of all those repair and maintenance works that require long periods of time. It will involve immense planning of all tools and staff needed as such kinds of maintenance are interdisciplinary.

A typical example would be erecting a wall or getting rid of a ceiling and replacing it. The hotel will also need to prevent occurrence of certain dangers by carrying out preventive maintenance.

Here, the company will inspect and identify areas within the premises that require simple adjustments. The major aim of carrying this out will be to ensure that all hotel equipment lasts longer such that the company reaps maximum benefits from it.

This maintenance system will also involve room maintenance. In that process, staff will inspect guest rooms, identify and report potential problems. These deficiencies will then be corrected according to a time schedule. Normally, reports should be made during peak times such that the hotel can purchase all necessary material for the repairs.

Those activities ought to be carried out during the off peak season so as to minimise guest interruptions. Usually, room attendants are in charge of these activities. Despite all the care that the hotel can exercise, there may still be a possibility of a breakdown.

Some equipment can breakdown without detection and the firm needs to act quickly in order to correct this. It should then take note and keep watching those things that easily breakdown so as to prevent future incidences. Leysin will set some money aside for this purpose so as to ensure that they can be accountable for future challenges.

People involved and time schedule

An administrative assistant will be crucial in this maintenance system because he will be responsible for keeping records about repairs that have been detected. He will also order the parts that are needed in the repair after liaising with other members of the team. The administrative assistance will also be in charge of repair inventory and will deal with payroll for contracted maintenance experts.

The maintenance system will consist of a shift engineer. Such a person will be at the beck and call of the hotel as he will respond to the repair alerts made by housekeeping, guests or any other staff member at Leysin. Usually, these may occur on a daily basis.

However, there could be other scheduled ones that are not as urgent and maybe scheduled. There will also be general engineers who will be coming into the organisation from time to time in order to work on long repair and maintenance projects.

These individuals will be contracted from time to time. The system will also possess electricians who will be hired when they are needed. It will be essential to work with one or two key people who already understand the electrical system in the hotel.

Also, this team will be composed of a series of generalists who are proficient in some mechanical work, carpentry and plumbing. Such kinds of people are less expensive than specialists. Specialists may cost the company a lot of money yet they can only respond to a few challenges in their line of specialisation (Hirsh, 1995).

Housekeeping will also be a vital part of this system because if it was not for them, Leysin Hotel would not be clean or attractive. These individuals will play a vital role in ensuring that guests are comfortable and that everything is as expected. Here, they will carry out tasks such as turning the heating and lighting systems on and off, taking care of the kitchen equipment and many others.

In terms of time schedule, it will be imperative to carry out any regular maintenance in the afternoons. These activities need to be done on a need-to basis. On the other hand, scheduled maintenance will need to be done during the off peak season. Sometimes this can last for as long as three months so it should start as soon as that season begins.

Seamlessness will need to be the major goal in these operations. Afternoons were selected because most guests come back to their rooms in the evening hours.

Employees, guests and corporate purposes

Maintenance in this hotel will be imperative in order to ensure that facilities and equipment stay in their ideal state. Future breakdowns are either detected or prevented due to this. Essentially, it serves a crucial role for guests because it ensures that no service hitches occur.

It would be a pity if a guest tried to turn on the taps only to find no water or if he wanted to get his laundry done, he found that the machines are ruined. Such scenarios can tarnish Leysin’s name and destroy potential business in the future. Consequently, the company needs to know whether its facilities are in order so that it can serve the needs of consumers (Grattan, 1999).

Maintenance would also be quite useful for employees and the corporation. When Leysin is well maintained then chances are that employees can carry out each of their respective duties without having to worry about breakdowns.

They can also be protected from possible physical harm that would emanate from poorly maintained buildings. The company will be the greatest beneficiary in this maintenance system because it will get to save costs, it will operate in an environmentally efficient manner, provide high quality services to consumers and increase returns because of satisfied consumers.

Cost accounts

(Henderson & Home, 1992).

Hiring engineers and generalists may not cost the company too much because these individuals will only be called in during crises, scheduled maintenances (which are seasonal) or instances requiring minor adjustments. Their costs will not be as high as permanent staff such as shift engineers because permanent staff members are salaried.

Temporary labour will cost less than all the others because these individuals often come in small numbers and most will accept minimum wage payments. Renovations will be the second most expensive because they will require a lot of intense work.

Materials and equipment are definitely the most expensive because their costs are standardised. Most of the time, one must purchase materials depending on the size of the facility. Since this hotel will be quite expansive then plenty of material will be needed in order to carry out an annual renovation.

Breakdowns will require half a million pounds because they are likely to be small time and since preventive exercises will be done then chances are that future problems in the facility will be captured before they breakdown (Gibson, 1979).

When procuring the materials and equipment the hotel will rely on references by its generalists and electricians for suppliers. However, the company will always consider market prices. This information can be easily found across the internet or in property publications.

Leysin will always compare these prices before the supplies can be obtained. The shift engineer will need to liaise with the administrative assistant in order to come to the final price of the material or equipment under analysis. Final approval will be done by the manager under consideration so this will ensure accountability.

Future renovation projects

Renovation projects can involve a series of intricacies depending on the priorities of those concerned. Leysin will start with the roof work. Here, the company will need to work on replacing some of the materials on the roofs and this means that membranes, asphalt shingles and tiles will need to be worked on.

The roof also consists of chimneys which will need repair after a couple of years (Swallow & Chanter, 1996). Once again, every part of the hotel will be given proper attention annually. The company will work systematically from top to bottom. In the next year, the company will work on pipes and gutters. Here extensions, gutters and eaves will be repaired or cleaned so as to make sure that they function effectively. Thereafter, Leysin will renovate its exteriors.

These will consist of all the walls that require renovation. Such renovations will only occur once if it has been affirmed that they have problems. It will involve painting and wall trimming as well. After this, renovations will entail working on interiors such as windows and doors (Seeley, 1987).

This will be followed by outdoor renovations where the lawns will be examined. Some termite investigations will be done and followed by extermination. The company will then work on the plumbing. Investigations and repairs of laundry tubs, kitchen sinks, toilet seats, waste pump, bathroom renovations and others, toilet unclogging will be done in the subsequent year after external renovations.

Broken sewer lines, Jacuzzi tabs and pump tanks will be examined. In the last year of these projects, there will be electrical renovations (Zavadskas, 2006). These will involve checking and repairing light fixtures, switches, upgrading the breaker panels and dealing with the water system.

Here, pumps and other components dependent on water will be fixed. It should be noted that in certain years, very minimal renovations will be done as replacements or repairs can only be executed when a problem has been found or the material is too old.

Environment and the economy

This organisation will employ a series of strategies in the water and electrical sectors so as to minimise wastage and also for environmental concerns. First, the company will have a water recycling program for its irrigation system in the lawns and gardens; this will minimise water shortage (Ashurst, 1988).

That lawn will also possess plants that require less water than conventional ones. It will possess energy saving bulbs all over the building. This will definitely use less electricity. Housekeeping staff will always ensure that electric switches are switched off whenever someone else is not using them.

The same will apply for appliances that are not in use in the entire hotel. Leysin will also save on water usage by having a linen re use system. This will also save on the detergents or other cleaning agents.

As part of its green initiative, this firm will also start using green energy by employing solar power. Electricity generated from that source will be used for water heaters (Christer, 1984). The company can also save up to 50,000 pounds if the hotel reuses water from basins and baths for flushing (Cole, 1996).

It will therefore have such a scheme in place. Some of the toilet paper that is unused will be taken to staff washrooms instead of getting thrown away. This will save the company a lot on staff logistical costs. The company can also encourage a vast number of its guest to practise water saving by reminding them to switch off or to put towels back on racks so that they do not have to ask for different ones every time.

The company will put little posters such as “water is precious” in order to prompt guests to minimise wastage. Lastly, the company will keep monitoring water and electricity consumption in each department so that they can compare notes and determine which area is using less or more. This will cause them to work on improving aspects that have led to excessive use of resources in the past.

References

Ashurst, J. (1988). Practical building conservation. Ontario, BCIN.

Christer, A. (1984). Delay time models of industrial inspection maintenance problems. Journal of operational research society, 4(92), 56.

Cole, R. (1996). Life cycle energy use in office buildings. Building and environment journal, 7(5), 127.

Gibson, E. (1979). Developments in building maintenance. London, Applied science publishers.

Grattan, E. (1999). Maintenance and repair: too big to ignore. Mn, Citeseer.

Henderson, R. & Home, A. (1992). Inventory, cash, security and maintenance control. [online].

Hirsh, W. (1995). Contracting out by urban governments. Urban Affairs review, 58(4), 189-234.

Seeley, H. (1987). Building maintenance. London, McMillan.

Swallow, P. & Chanter, B. (1996). Building maintenance management. NY, Wiley.

Zavadskas, E. (2006). A multiple criteria of multifamily apartment block’s maintenance contractors. Building and environment, 14(3), 68.

Executive Summary

The study demonstrates potential of the tourism industry in Australia. According to findings, most facilities and attraction sites are not fully utilised. Therefore, ACT must adopt study findings to implement the demands of various international tourists. At the same time, the focus must also address the wanting areas of customer service satisfaction.

The research findings will address how the ACT intends to improve the level of satisfaction among diverse tourists from different parts of the world. As a tourism industry becomes competitive, there is a need for Canberra to adopt a vision of sustainable tourism development in its plan. This will address emerging challenges, and trends the industry is experiencing.

Incorporation of traditional media and new media to reach all market segments and global, targeted visitors ensures that communication and promotional strategies, will have effective results in driving the number of visitors to Canberra. Social media must incorporate all the necessary information an individual needs in order to make a decision. In fact, social media have become the cheapest and fastest way to reach a global audience effectively.

The tourism industry must address social, economic, environmental and competitive situations of the modern tourists. Tourists are most likely to demand high value for their money through customer services, products and activities they engage in while visiting. The ACT must put in place machineries in addressing challenges and encounters of different tourists such as setting up information centres, interpreters, reliable transport facilities, porters and guides.

Introduction

Canberra is Australia’s capital city. The native people have lived in Canberra for more than 20,000 years. Now Canberra is a leading tourist’s destination in Australia. The city has beautiful gardens and homes, parks, dining areas, accommodation and family fun parks.

The region has natural wonders, including the wineries. Tourists experience the culture, history, landscape and gourmet specialties. Australia provides swimming, paddling, playing and fishing in the major rivers of Australia across the Murrumbidgee River Corridor.

Australia also provides the natural grounds for playing in the snowy mountain where people walk and ski in the alpine flowers so as to access the highest peak. At the same, Canberra has long and natural beaches with wildlife, water sports, fishing grounds and fresh seafood on its coast. Natives and tourists live well and share their experiences through the love for land, art, food, wine and rural walks (Australian Capital Tourism, 2010).

Background to the research

The Australian Capital Tourism (ACT) has decided to promote and boost international tourism. Therefore, it has decided to have a better understanding of the needs, wants and satisfaction levels international visitors experience while visiting various attractions in Australia. The ACT knows that tourism is a leading contributor to the economy of Australia. The ACT has realised that tourists are constantly demanding value for their money, particular high quality attraction sites.

At the same time, the focus on customers’ satisfaction has also taken centre stage in the service sector. Past studies indicate that the level of satisfaction in Australia tourism sector depends on various situational variables such as resource settings, social settings and management settings.

At the same time, these situational variables depend upon the subjective evaluations of individual visitors according to their socioeconomic characteristics, cultural characteristics, preferences, attitude, norms and experiences (Solomon, 2006). Situational variables also take into account the basic overall atmosphere, reception facilities, quality of parking facilities, provisions of information and maps, resourceful tour guides and value for money in retail products.

In view of this, the ACT plans to better understand the nature of international tourism demands, with the aim of improving varieties of attraction sites and focusing on the international tourists’ satisfaction. Therefore, this research proposal shall critically evaluate and determine most appropriate methodology for this study.

The management decision problem

The ACT management main concerns are improving the level of international tourists’ satisfaction and offer varieties of attractions for tourists. Canberra and its surrounding regions have several attraction sites. These attractions include sighting seeing native wildlife in their natural environment, natural beaches and its attractions, visits to snowy mountains and skiing and walking in the alpine flowers to the mountain peak.

The promotion must also promote the beautiful city and Australian capital, Canberra with its gardens and homes. The ACT should build a strong brand in order to position Canberra as a destination that offers value for money, experiences of the unique culture, and varieties of experiences to visitors.

The marketing campaigns are visible across the globe through traditional means such as TV commercials, print advertisement, posters, brochures and billboards. The use of Australian celebrities to endorse and promote attraction sites in Canberra will also be effective. The local movie industry should promote the beautiful scenes of Canberra as shooting sites in order to draw tourists (Parker, 2007).

The ACT can dedicate websites to broadcasting the amazing and attraction sites of Canberra through YouTube with documentaries, Facebook, online brochures and books, iPhone applications for real-time updates and internet call centres for potential visitors to use via computers.

The research problem and key objectives

Australian tourism sector is experiencing stiff competition from other tourists’ destinations of the world. The ACT main concern is to appeal and increase the number of international visitors to Australia. Likewise, tourism being a service industry must always maintain a higher level of visitors’ satisfactions. Therefore, this research proposal seeks to address how to increase the number of international visitors and improve on visitors’ satisfaction in Australia through the following research objectives.

• To provide a systematic and comprehensive overview of the current status of Australia tourism, with emphasis on market position, competitiveness, environmental, economic and social impacts.
• To introduce the principles of sustainable tourism development for the tourism sector future in Australia.
• To identify options for tourism development with reference to the future scenarios and Australia vision for a tourism sector.
• To address different levels and categories of visitors’ satisfaction, with the future improvements in relation to the global, national and local growth in the tourism sector of Australia.

Research design

Type of research

A survey design gives numeric accounts of the subjects’ attitudes, trends and opinions through studying a section of the population. The researcher will use the sample results to give a general claim about the study of population. The basic plan for this study is to test the current level of tourism and tourists’ satisfaction in Canberra. The research will aim to get the general impacts visits to Canberra invoke in tourists. The outcome of the research will be essential in defining the country’s vision for future tourism development.

The survey design will introduce readers to purpose and rationale of the study. Therefore, it is necessary to begin designing the survey by presenting the purpose of the research and the rationale for selecting a given design for the study.

This study generalises from a section of the participants so that the researcher can make conclusions through grouping of tourism attitudes, behaviour, trends and characteristics of their visits. The researcher likes the use of questionnaires as a method of data gathering due to its simple design and quick turnaround time in gathering data.

This proposal shall adopt the use of qualitative technique to conduct the study. The researcher shall use qualitative technique to collect data about the activities, events, occurrences and behaviour, and to seek an understanding of actions, problems, and processes in the social context of tourism. According to Bryman and Burgess, social scientists consider qualitative approaches most appropriate in the mainstream study of social events. Therefore, it is not an adjunct to quantitative works (Hall, 2004).

Identifications and definitions of study variables are necessary in any research study. These enable the researcher to relate variables with particular questions in the questionnaire. This section enables readers to evaluate and make quick relations among variables, questions of the study, and content of the survey instruments.

It shows clearly how the researcher intends to use questionnaire items. There might be a plan to use tables that link the variables, hypotheses, questions, and a given survey questionnaire. This is useful where large number of participants take part in the study.

In tourism research, there is a progressive move to provide statistical insights into issues relating to market and movement trends, income generation, quantity of consumptions among others. However, quantitative study will provide us with the data relating to human dimensions of society, which in tourism include its social and cultural implications.

Qualitative study in tourism focus on subjects in their natural settings, interpret events in reference to meanings visitors bring to them, making the problem real and gaining the emic or insiders’ views on issues of tourism (Morgan, 2004).

Conversely, quantitative studies in tourism also provide the etic or outsiders’ perspective in social studies. It seeks to highlight, and then remedy the deficiencies of in other research methods.

Type of information

This research study seeks to collect various types of information from the sample population. Firstly, there are predetermined rigid research agendas. These will address issues concerning economics, marketing and management in the survey. The researcher has already shaped the nature of the study.

Research participants will only provide the information needed. Secondly, there will studies that seek to quantify qualitative data. Surveys will generate both quantitative and qualitative data. In tourism studies, the researcher puts emphasis on the quantitative dimension of the study or attempts to quantify qualitative data in order to present a positive interpretation of the findings. He can do this by introducing scales to measure attitude, knowledge among others.

Thirdly, the study will also aim at generating tourists typologies. It will aim to conceptualise tourist as international, domestic, business visitors, age, gender, race, class among other categories. The research also aims to at generating and stereotypes various categories of tourists in terms on hosts, guests and destinations.

Data collection method

Data collection method is an essential part of any research process. This research shall adopt the use of in-depth interviews as data gathering technique. Quantitative surveys will provide us with descriptive about tourists, which might be already available from previous studies.

For deep knowledge and understanding of tourists’ experiences, the researcher will use in-depth method. In-depth interviews enable the researcher to collect data related to experiences and meanings of tourism visits. Tourism research must focus on investigating the meaning of visits for individuals in order to get deep knowledge for various visit patterns, with the aim of understanding why and how different people view tourism (Faulkner, 2002).

In-depth interviews are the appropriate method to accomplish the aim of collecting qualitative, experiential data. Tourism scholars note that at the root of in-depth interview is an interest in understanding the experience of other people and the meaning people make of their experiences. Using in-depth interviews will also enable the researcher to adopt an inductive process in order to identify patterns in the collected data. This leads to development of grounded theory based on tourists’ actual experiences (Beall, 2010).

Sampling technique

The research sampling technique takes into account the target population and its key characteristics. Sampling technique will also identify sampling frame and justify the chosen technique, and make assumptions. This research shall adopt purposive sampling. The researcher already has a sample in mind. The researcher has a predefined group of tourists he is seeking to participate in the survey.

The first criterion is that the participant must meet the criteria of being an international tourist. Purposive sampling is vital in situations where the researcher must reach the targeted tourists quickly, and in situations whereby proportionality is not important part of the research concern. Purposive sampling will enable the researcher to get the opinions of the targeted tourists (Jupp, 2006).

The aim of this purposive sampling is to include all views and opinions of the participants. Therefore, the sampling method will be heterogeneity or diversity. The global approach in tourism studies makes the researcher focus more on ideas and disregard concerns for average or modal occurrences. At the same, the research interest is to sample ideas and not people. Therefore, in order to obtain broad categories of ideas and sets of data, the researcher must include all the diverse range of tourists to participate in the survey.

The survey intendeds to include youths ranging between the age of 15 years to 30 years old. This group will give their experience to cool tourists’ sites in Canberra, and to determine the effectiveness of social media in promotion of Canberra as the ultimate destination of tourist attraction.

The survey will also focus on families. Their views will enable the researcher to determine what scenes in Canberra families mostly visit. At the same time, they will also provide their experiences in relation to the level of services and satisfaction.

Canberra also positions itself as a business destination. Business tourists may have opportunities to give the experiences with the facilities, usage and comparisons to others in different parts of the world they have visited.

Another mandatory target population will involve tourists of all ages under the categories of things to do and see. Canberra boasts of amusement sites, food, wine, entertainment and nightlife, museums and galleries, natural attractions, outdoor and nature, precincts and shopping malls.

This category is important since it covers almost all the tourist destinations in Canberra and all manner of tourists. All these categories of target samples must take into account the background information such as age, economic activities, education, and employment status of tourist (Pearce, 2009).

Plan for data analysis

The progress of data collection in the study samples lead to identifications of various themes in the data, which are vital for developing theoretical sampling in the selection of the later participants.

The diversity of participants will result into a collection of data with the fascinating insights into varied ways in which tourists define and experience Canberra. This will further give the researcher many intriguing tourists’ experiences to illustrate the findings.

The researcher must put a plan of data analysis in place before deciding on research design. After the interview, the research will conduct verification of the collected data for accuracy and clean irrelevant data. There will also be constant comparison of data as a continuous process. The constant comparison of data works well with grounded theory.

The process begins during the interview stage whereby the researcher incorporates the emerging patterns into the later interviews in order to substantiate their relevance to other individuals. The concept aims at working towards theoretical saturation whereby the patterns in the data have all been explored so that any theory generated from the data is as comprehensive as possible.

Achievement of saturation leads to application of constant techniques to analyse the data. First, the researcher does the open coding, whereby he classifies the behaviour into broad categories, then the data analysis continues (Sapsford and Jupp, 2006). Further, the researcher will refine the categories by means of axial coding and selective coding.

The researcher uses manual coding to develop themes of open, axial, and selective coding. The initial stage involves brainstorming of ideas, and then compares and contrasts the themes. The value of this method lies in the collaborative work of data analysis taken simultaneously by two analysts. This gives room for comparison and contrast of themes that emerge from data collected, and acceptance or rejection of these ideas reflecting the experiences of tourists.

The researcher can develop different themes depending on the nature of the respondents selected. For instance, international tourists may exhibit cross-cultural differences with regard to their preferences. This will enable the researcher to identify, explore and develop a wide range of ideas during data analysis and interpretation. The researcher can identify the similarities and differences among various tourists from different parts of the world (Monippally, 2010).

Threats to validity

The researcher must take note of several threats to validity that affect the research outcome. Therefore, the researcher should identify threats to validity and connect them to the research design. Internal threats in tourism research include the experience of tourist participants that threaten the ability of the researcher to make accurate inferences using the data of the study.

Threats come from the use of irrelevant procedures such as adjusting questions during survey. Occasionally, participants may also cause a threat to validity. They may change their view during the study.

Researcher must also identify threats to external validity. The researcher may draw incorrect conclusion from the sample population, past and future trends of tourism development in Canberra. The researcher may generalise above the population under study to include other international tourists not interested in Canberra.

Likewise, there are also threats that may influence conclusion due to disregards of statistical processes, poor analysis, and use of inaccurate data. The researcher can avoid these threats through wide use of available literature.

The scientific rigour in the analysis of data must demonstrate and reflect true accounts of tourists and their experiences. This must ensure the credibility of the data collected. This method should allow the researcher to generate a grounded theory from the data collected rather than impose his own.

This helps to eliminate biases during data analysis. The nature of this method will allow the sign to make recommendations based on the actual accounts and experiences of tourists. The researcher may adopt the use of data analysis tools such as computer programmes e.g. SPSS and Excel depending on his level of expertise (Pallant, 2005). The use of SPSS will be appropriate since the research design will use a single-subject design.

There will be graphs and charts to provide presentation and analysis of target behaviour, treatment of observations, and units of trends and time tourists’ activities. There will also be tests of statistical significance, which the researcher will use to compare the mean, median and frequencies of the sample tourists.

Conclusions and recommendations

Tourism in Canberra is a major foreign earner in Australia. Therefore, the ACT must give tourism industry attention it deserves by addressing the dynamics of the global tourism trends and visitors’ satisfaction. Conducting a market research will give valuable insights, which ACT must incorporate in its future development of the tourism sector.

ACT should focus on the provision of quality but affordable services to tourists. Affordable services will ensure that Canberra is globally competitive in the tourism industry. ACT must provide better facilities particularly for visitors who may experience language difficulties through information centres. This is the first stage in attracting visitors from all over the world. Customers’ satisfaction must focus on both local and international tourists.

ACT should also pay close attention to emerging social media as a significant channel of communication to reach youth tourists. Better understanding the potential of this segment in tourism through what the studies say they want is improving their favourite places such as beaches, high-energy involving activities such as skiing, racing among other.

The research findings on the current status of Australia tourism with special attention to its position of competitiveness, economic, social and environmental impacts must be given priority. Modern customers have become environmental-conscious and would not like a country, which does not take measures to protect its environment. At the same time, results on social, economic and competitiveness impacts of global tourism must provide necessity to fill the gap for future improvements.

ACT must incorporate the principle of sustainable tourism development in its future plan to make the industry viable. This may cover a wide range of areas from the products and services Canberra offers its visitors to the utilisation of such products and services. Addressing the future of tourism in Canberra must take into the country’s vision for the tourism industry.

The authorities have not necessarily match the growth on the amount of tourism research by a concomitant increase in the quality of research in the field. While researchers have made progress over the last decade, many of the criticisms raised in terms of the degree of methodological sophistication and the lack of a strong theoretical base are still useful. There is a growing need to study tourism further as new issues and problems appear. The increasing significant of the sector enlarges its social, economical, environmental and political environment. However, there is a need to understand the phenomenon by addressing the quality of the research researchers’ conduct and how they can improve it.

Individual reflections

This course has satisfied my expectations and provided me with valuable knowledge in conducting market research to address the various challenges of the global markets. International issues and applications of various theories and practices to support different behaviour of diverse consumers help students to understand the behaviour of consumers toward certain products and services.

At the same time, the fundamental lessons the course has provided regarding cultural orientations and their influence on consumer behaviour form a basis for understanding cross-cultural markets.

Market research provides valuable knowledge in how to design and conduct market research. Likewise, the research expertise the students gain will enable students to apply it in a real world where such knowledge is useful in solving future emerging trends in marketing.

Reference List

Australian Capital Tourism, 2010. Visit Canberra. Web.

Beall, A. E., 2010. Strategic Market Research: A Guide to Conducting Research that Drives Businesses. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse Star Publishing.

Faulkner, B., 2002. Progressing Tourism Research. Toronto: Channel View Publications.

Hall, M., 2004. Qualitative Research in Tourism: Contemporary geographies of leisure, tourism and mobility. New York: Routledge.

Jupp, V., 2006. Social Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Monippally, M. M., 2010. Academic Writing: A Guide for Management Students and Researchers. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Morgan, C., 2004. Market Research in Practice. London: Kogan Page.

Pallant, J., 2005. SPSS Survival Manual. Sydney: Ligare.

Parker, P. M., 2007. Travel and Tourism Services in Australia: A Strategic Reference, 2006. New York: ICON Group International, Inc.

Pearce, P. L., 2009. Evolution of the backpacker market and the potential for Australian tourism. Queensland: CRC Press.

Sapsford, R. and Jupp, V., 2006. Data Collection and Analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Solomon, M., 2006. Consumer Behavior. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Europe.

Introduction

In the modern world of business, companies are forced to engage in stiff competition to survive in the market. Due to this, enterprises need to conduct a thorough analysis of the industry they are a part of to be able to adapt to the changing demands of the market and the challenges posed by their rivals. In this paper, a scrutiny of the external environment in the tourist industry in UAE will be conducted.

The analysis of the macro-environment and Porter’s five forces analysis will be carried out; a strategic group map for certain representatives of the industry will be drawn, and the key success factors will be named. Finally, the industry’s profile and attractiveness will be summarized. In the paper, it will be demonstrated that the tourist industry in UAE provides numerous opportunities and benefits to the players that already exist in it, but it may be difficult to enter for new enterprises.

Macro Environment Analysis

Political

UAE is comprised of seven emirates, each with its own Emir at the head; the Supreme Council of Emirs is the highest authority in UAE. There are no political parties. The political situation is rather stable and carries no threats to the tourist industry due to potential or ongoing conflicts (Santander Trade Portal, 2016).

Economic

The UAE’s economy is largely based on oil trade; the country contains vast reserves of crude oil. The tourism industry and the banking sector alleviate harm from falling oil prices (Santander Trade Portal, 2016). The country’s leadership favors the tourism industry and invests money into it (particularly, in Dubai).

Social

The country has quite a favorable social situation. Poverty rates are reported to be very low; the income of the population is among the highest in the world, but there exist differences between different emirates and between various social strata. Crime rates are reported to be very low (“PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis,” 2016). The literacy rates are nearly 95%; women are declared to have equal rights with men, and to more often enroll in post-secondary education institutions than males; the health care delivery system is stated to be undergoing improvements currently (Embassy of the UAE, 2015). The official state religion is Islam.

Technological

It is stated that the leadership of the UAE is concentrating on advancing the technological development of the country while preserving its natural environment (U.A.E. Trade & Commercial Office, 2014). The country is advancing research in technology and life sciences, and investing profoundly into the technological development; a good indicator of this is the fact that UAE is planning to launch its spacecraft to Mars in 2021 (The Official Portal of the UAE Government, n.d.).

Demographic

The UAE is a multiethnic society. The indigenous population of the country accounts for only ≈20% of the total population; the rest are immigrant workers, mostly male, mainly from Asia. The sex ratio is 2.19:1.0 (male:female, 2014 estimate). The population is nearly 5.6 million; it is highly urbanized (84.4%, 2011). The median age is 30.3 years; life expectancy is high (77.09 years, 2014 est.) (IndexMundi, n.d.). On the whole, the demographic situation is favorable.

Strategic implications

The above factors point to the fact that the Miral Company is going to benefit from a consistent increase in the number of customers. The political and economic environment of the UAE can be deemed as rather favorable for attracting tourists and, therefore, increasing the profit margins of the entrepreneurship. The technological advance of the state also serves as the premise for attracting tourists as the application of the latest technological advances will allow improving the quality of the services provided to a considerable extent.

The social context of the UAE can also be deemed as rather favorable for at the Miral Company as it provides the background for a positive experience and can be used to make people’s holidays pleasurable. Specifically, the diversity of the state can be viewed as an evident asset as it creates prerequisites for a safe environment and allows for a positive cross-cultural experience.

Porter’s Five Forces Analysis

The threat of new entrants

The hotel industry in the UAE has been growing and advancing for some time, and now, having entered “the stage of maturity,” it is rather established (“UAE Tourism Industry,” 2012). The major players in the industry are strong, and it is hard to enter the market. Similarly, other tourist attractions such as malls, beaches, and often parks, enjoy popularity as the places for tourists to frequent in the UAE.

The retail industry, which malls belong to, and the recreation industry, which parks and beaches factor in, have also reached the maturity stage, therefore, providing a plethora of opportunities for tourist attraction – as a recent report states, its profits have grown by 10% (UAE ranked eighth most attractive retail market globally, 2015).

The threat of substitute products or services

It might be hard for customers to find providers of substitute services in the industry because there are not many alternatives to hotels and resorts in principle; renting apartments is also costly. Thus, customers are probable to choose between different hotels. On the other hand, it is easier for clients to find substitutes for a particular amusement service.

Bargaining power of customers

The bargaining power of the clients in the tourist industry is not very high because there are many customers. For instance, it is stated that the UAE had the highest hotel occupancy rate in the Middle East in 2015 (Basit, 2016). Because of this, clients cannot drive the prices down, for there is an abundance of demand for tourist industry services. The same can be said about the retail industry. However, the high diversity rates weaken the bargaining power of buyers significantly. Therefore, the overall rates can be deemed as moderate.

Bargaining power of suppliers

The suppliers of the tourist industry include real estate building companies, interior designers and decorators, food suppliers, etc. There exist a large number of suppliers who can provide the members of the industry with the necessary goods, which means that the bargaining power of suppliers is relatively low, for the tourism businesses can easily switch to other suppliers if needed. Likewise, the retail industry and the recreation one feature a large variety of suppliers, who are ready to provide their services at a relatively low price.

The intensity of competitive rivalry

There is an intensive competitive rivalry in the industries because of the existence of a large number of service providers, and it is difficult to provide something which one’s rivals can’t currently offer or easily copy. For example, there are 534 hotels in Dubai alone (TripAdvisor, 2016). Besides, in the hotel industry, there exists a high level of customer loyalty, which is an advantage for the existing businesses and a challenge for the newcomers.

Strategic implications

Due to the high competitive rivalry and the difficulties with entering the market, it may be recommended to start a tourist business in the UAE by purchasing or merging with the existing business. It will also be difficult but important to offer products or services which explicitly stand alone from the alternatives present in the market. In other words, it is expected that the firm will have to face rather tough competition.

The fact that the company has not yet taken the position of a leader in the target environment may cause problems with the further adjustment to the environment of the target market and the rivalry rates in it. Therefore, it will be necessary to come up with a unique marketing strategy that will help set the company aside from a range of similar ones. The above goal can be achieved by designing a brand product and a brand image that will help make the entrepreneurship more recognizable and, therefore, target a larger population.

Strategic Group Map

A strategic group map for the hotel industry in UAE can be found in Appendix 1. It was drawn based on the data collected from a hotel’s website (“Hotels in the United Arab Emirates,” 2016). There is an abundance of hotels in the country, but only a manageable number of Emirati hotels have been chosen for this assignment.

The vertical axis of the strategic group map represents the minimal price of a stay at the hotels; at the time of the map’s creation, the minimal prices of the chosen hotels varied from $68 to $427. The horizontal axis represents the product-line breadth; in this case, the number of amenities listed in the hotels’ and malls’ web pages on the website was taken into account (“Hotels in the United Arab Emirates,” 2016). The chosen hotels were grouped according to their position on each of the axis; if some hotels were close on both axes, they were considered part of a single group.

Strategic implications

It is clear that not all the positions of the map are equally attractive (for instance, despite the low prices in Crown Palace Hotel, its position is less attractive than that of Centro Yas Island and Centro Sharjah). From the map, it can be seen that a new enterprise entering the market should try to provide clients with the number of amenities that are not less than the average; this should be done almost regardless of the price of the new hotel’s services.

The above information means that the Miral Company will have to struggle to be able to take the niche that has not yet been filled, i.e., providing high-quality services for moderate prices. Seeing that a range of firms already targets the specified area, Miral will have to be very creative with its quality management and service design strategies to succeed. The use of a strong TQM approach, particularly the adoption of the Six Sigma framework, should be viewed as an option.

Key Success Factors

A list of five key success factors (chosen from the list provided by Gamble, Peteraf, and Thompson (2014, p. 63)) can be found in Appendix 2. The importance of the first factor is determined by the abundance of businesses related to the tourist industry (hotels in particular) in UAE and the need to provide services that would stand alone from the rest. The second factor is essential because tourists usually wish to gain courteous service for the money they pay, and can easily switch to another provider if the service appears unsatisfactory from the courtesy.

The third factor is crucial because customers need to find information about the business in question in a situation when there is much supply of the services of this type in the market, and choose to purchase services from this business and not its numerous rivals. The fourth factor is paramount for many enterprises in the industry, primarily for hotels, because clients need to be able to book accommodation easily. Finally, the fifth factor matters because the customers will choose services that are located near places where they enjoy spending their time (for instance, a hotel should be located near the beach).

Strategic Implications

Both new companies and the existing business should focus on the named factors to successfully compete in the market. The fact that the tourists seek the services of the finest quality implies that, by creating a strong brand image and continuing its current quality management approach, the entrepreneurship is likely to increase its profit margins significantly. While it would be wrong to expect that the company will be able to compete with the UAE corporate giants, it is still reasonable to assume that it will be able to meet the customers’ demands successfully. Therefore, the firm will be able to take a very specific niche in the target environment.

Industry Profile and Attractiveness

To sum up, it should be noted that the tourist industry in the UAE is developing rapidly, and is enjoying numerous benefits thanks to the state authorities’ desire to diversify the economy. The macro-environment in UAE is favorable for the industry of the tourism; any business is likely to enjoy multiple benefits from it, including the abundance of clients, and perhaps even the support of the local and state authorities.

The industry is rather attractive to the incumbents because of several factors, the large numbers of tourists in the UAE being one of them. However, it might be hard for new firms to enter the industry as a result of the high competitive rivalry and the need to offer products that stand alone from the rest of what is supplied in the market. No significant challenges for the industry are apparent; even despite the world economic crisis, the hotel occupancy rates in UAE are extremely high. Therefore, the industry remains highly attractive for the current player’s thanks to the possibility to make high profits even despite a large number of rivals in the existing market but may be difficult to enter for new enterprises.

References

Basit, A. (2016). UAE hotels record highest occupancy rate in Mideast. Web.

Embassy of the UAE. (2015). Social and cultural. Web.

Gamble, J. E., Peteraf, M., & Thompson, A. Jr. (2014). Essentials of strategic management: The quest for competitive advantage (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Hotels in United Arab Emirates. (2016). Web.

IndexMundi. (n.d.). United Arab Emirates demographics profile 2014. Web.

PESTEL/PESTLE analysis of Dubai. (2016). Web.

Santander Trade Portal. (2016). United Arab Emirates: Economic and political outline. Web.

The Official Portal of the UAE Government. (n.d.). Science and technology. Web.

TripAdvisor. (2016). United Arab Emirates hotels. Web.

UAE ranked eighth most attractive retail market globally. (2015). Web.

UAE tourism industry. (2012). Web.

U.A.E. Trade & Commercial Office. (2014). Environmental technology and services. Web.

Appendix 1

Hotels in UAE: a strategic group map. Based on the data from a hotels website (“Hotels in United Arab Emirates,” 2016).

Appendix 2: Yas Island Options

Appendix 3

Key success factors (Gamble et al., 2014, p. 63):

1. “Breadth of product line and product selection.”
2. “Courteous, personalized customer service.”
3. “Clever advertising.”
4. “Strong e-commerce capabilities.”
5. “Convenient location.”

Abstract

New York is a lively city and one that is constantly on the move. Apparently, the dynamic nature of the city has created a culture where residents are often fascinated by new things. For this reason, the business community has to keep coming up with new ways to package products and services. Products and services include accommodation facilities, clubs, food, transportation, and entertainment. When new attractions come into existence, they only excite residents for a short while.

Introduction

New York is a famous city and one that is characterized by constant change. According to Carroll (2012), New Yorkers are often fascinated by the dynamic nature of the city. Whenever new attractions such as clubs, restaurants or stores come into existence, they only excite people for a short while. Drawing from a study by Nee (2012), New York is not viewed as a city of ancient monuments and statues. However, New Yorkers still respect the older structures that have been around for ages.

This paper presents a discussion about my visit to New York and highlights some attractions and moments that fascinated me.

My Stay in New York

From my childhood days, I always admired and desired to visit New York someday. The opportunity finally came when I received an invitation from an old friend to visit. From my little knowledge of New York, I knew that I would have an exciting experience.

On arrival, the first thing I became aware of was how busy the city was. It appeared to me like there was no room for idlers in New York. Surprisingly, New York seemed even busier at night. As noted by Nee (2012), New York is a city that roars to life every day and stays alive past midnight.

A notable characteristic of New York is the existence of many fast food restaurants. According to Parker (2014), one only needs a pizza to survive in New York. This explains the reason for many restaurants in the city. Various means of transport can be found in New York including taxis, trains, and buses. For shorter distances, taxi is the most preferred means of transport. However, it is important to note that taxi drivers do not talk much (Parker, 2014). Personally, I enjoyed using buses to move from one part of the city to another. Unlike other cities where places for walking while crossing a road are clearly designated, no such thing exists in New York.

Visits to Famous Places

My friend had organized for me to visit a few places in New York. The first place to visit was the 9/11 memorial. The memorial serves to remind Americans about the incident that caused the death of so many people. According to Owen (2015), the 9/11 memorial carries a very powerful message of loss in the United States. However, Presser (2012) argues that the memorial is a tribute to all those who lost their lives during the attack and is thus an important symbol of hope and revitalization.

After the 9/11 memorial, the next place for me to visit was the Times Square. Times Square is regarded as one of the renowned entertainment locations in the world (Nee, 2012). The visit to Times Square was at night and the place was colorful, noisy, and very busy. In addition, there were so many people, including the police, students, and excited theatre funs all involved in different activities.

I also got a chance to visit Central Park. Located in the heart of the city, Central Park is among the world’s most famous green places. According to Kifer (2013), the park is huge and contains a number of natural features. It is very easy to get lost unless one is careful.

Conclusion

When I set out to visit New York, I expected to see so much and at the end of my visit, I was not disappointed. I enjoyed every single moment in New York and would not hesitate to visit again.

References

Carroll, M. (2012). New York City for dummies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Kifer, C. (2013). Tips for First-Time Travel to New York City. Web.

Nee, P. (2012). Top 10 Guide to New York City Sights. Boston, MA: Internationalist Publishing Company.

Owen, P. (2015). 10 of the best ways to enjoy New York … on a budget. Web.

Parker, L. (2014). 21 Things you learn the first time you visit NYC. Web.

Presser, B. (2012). Lonely Planet Pocket New York City. Australia: Lonely Planet.

Introduction

Background study

Casino is an Italian word which means a small villa specifically built for pleasure. Casinos trace their origin in Italy in 1638 with the first casino being located at Venice (Fun Casino Gaming 1). Casinos are a major component of the global gaming industry (Economy Watch 2). Some countries such as India and other Arab countries consider the industry to be illegal.

However, some countries such as Singapore are partially legalizing the industry (Economy Watch2). Over the years, casino industry has undergone a rampant growth (Persson 1). According to a report published in 2007 by PriceWaterHouseCoopers, the industry’s net worth averaged $101.6 billion. It is expected that the industry’s total net-worth will be $ 144 billion by 2011.

The projection was based on the annual industry growth rate which averages 7.2% (Onlinecasinotopic.com 3). The growth results from the high rate at which new casinos are built and also renovation of the old ones especially in the Pacific region and China.

On a global scale, the industry generates a substantial amount of revenue and offers a wide range of employment. The table below gives an illustration of the total revenue generated from the industry today from the various forms of employment.

Some countries have got a well developed casino industry compared to others. The table below gives an illustration of the countries with the largest number of casinos.

Aim

The report is aimed at analyzing the global casino industry

Scope

Various sections are included in the report. An outline of the top five casinos in the world and the performance of the industry in the past 5 years is illustrated in the first part. The effect of trade patterns on the industry is evaluated in the second section. The third section entails an analysis of the industry using the porter’s five forces.

An external analysis of the industry is conducted to identify the changes in the environment which will promote the growth of the industry. The firm which is expected to undergone significant growth and the factors which will contribute to the growth are also analyzed. Finally, a conclusion and a set of recommendations are given.

Top five casinos

The top five casinos in 2010 according to a recent rating by Hotel By City include;

• Foxwoods Resort Casino
• Tropicana Casino Resort
• The Peppermill
• The MGM Grand
• Macau

Over the past years, casino industry has witnessed a rampant growth on a global scale. The table below gives an illustration of the revenue generated for the period ranging from 2005-2010.

Change in Trade patterns

Trade patterns have had a significant effect on the industry (Walker 11). For example, as a result of the 2008 economic crisis, there was a general reduction in the consumers’ disposable income (Walker 11). The situation was worse in oil importing countries due to increase in oil prices. As a result of the trade patterns, the industry suffered due to a reduction in the level of consumer confidence.

There was a decline in revenue especially due to reduction the level of disposable income amongst in-state customers and out-of-state travelers (Walker 12). Most of the customers considered gambling as a luxury. Tourism is one of the economic sectors which contribute towards the growth of Casinos.

This arises from the fact that casinos enhance tourism by promoting other industries such as the hotel industry. As a result of the economic recession, there was a reduction in the volume of tourism across the globe. This culminated into a decline in the volume of foreign exchange received from the industry’s ‘exports’ (Seung & Harris 109).

Industry analysis

The casino industry has become very competitive as a result of changes in business environment. The table below gives a competitive analysis of the industry using the Porter’s Five Forces model.

External Analysis

There are a number of external factors which will influence casino industry (Cheong 2).

For example, various governments are legalizing operation of casinos. One of the countries which have legalized the industry includes Singapore (Cheong 2). However, there are strict regulations which are aimed at controlling operations of the firms.

The objective of the regulations is to ensure that the industry does not have a negative impact on the society. In addition, technological innovation is also contributing to growth of the industry. The 3 core technologies supporting the growth of the industry include;

• New gaming devices
• Customer data mining
• Surveillance systems

These technologies are aimed at attaining maximization of revenue and also to ensure that there is sufficient security (Schwartz 1). For example, it is expected that development of slot machines will contribute towards attraction of new customers (Knightly 4).

Marina Bay Sands Casino

The casino which is located in Singapore is expected to undergo a rampant growth in the next five years. The casino is undertaking a significant amount of investment to ensure the growth of the casino. The investment is aimed at improving the casinos infrastructure (Portmann 1). Construction of the casino is expected to generate an annual profit of $ 1 billion.

Various facilities will be incorporated in the casino so as to attract customers (Sign 9). Some of these facilities include night clubs, restaurants and shopping mall. The growth of the casino is also expected to arise from incorporation of the acquisition strategy (Sign 10). The firm is also diversifying its operation by not only focusing on foreign customers but also on the locals.

Focusing on the locus will increase the firm’s profitability potential considering the volatile nature of the tourism industry. This will further be enhanced by the company’s incorporation of corporate social responsibility which will improve the firm’s publicity (Marina Bay Sands 1).

Through corporate social responsibility, there is a high probability of a large number of Singaporeans patronizing the casino (Marina Bay Sands 1). Growth of the firm will further be enhanced by the fact that competition within the Singapore casino industry is minimal. This is evident in that only two firms are licensed by the Singapore government to conduct casino business.

Conclusion

From the analysis, it is evident that the casino industry is expected to undergo a significant growth. Some of the factors which will contribute to the growth include increased legalization of casinos as one of the major games, the high rate of technological innovation and change in consumer behavior.

Growth of the industry will contribute towards growth of the global economy. This arises from the fact that casino industry creates various jobs.

Recommendations

In order for casino industry to have a positive effect on the economy, it is vital for the following to be considered.

• The industry should be regulated to ensure that it does not influence the society negatively.
• Firms in the industry should incorporate emerging technologies such as e-commerce so as to attain a wide market share and at the same time increase their customer base.

Works Cited

Cheong, Simon. Competition, casinos and the city: an entrepreneurs’ perspective. Singapore: Singapore Institute of International Affairs, 2005.

Economy Watch. Casino industry.New York: Stanley St. Labs. 25 Oct. 2010. Web.

Fun Casino Gaming. History and origin of Casinos.2010. 26 Oct, 2010.

Hoyer, Wayne and Macinnis, Deborah. Consumer behavior. New York: Cengage, 2009.

Knightly, Arnold. Global gaming report: casino revenue forecast to increase. Ras- Vegas Review Journal. 3(2): 1-3, 2007. Web.

Marina Bay Sands. Marina Bay Sands launches youth inspirational internship program. 2010. 26 Oct. 2010. Web.

OnlinecasinonTopic.com.Casino industry to reach $144 billion in 2011, 25 July 2007. 26 Oct. 2010. Web.

Persson, Anna. Sustainable development in rapid developing casino: destination: The case of Macau. Hogskolan: University of Hogskolan, 2008. Print.

Portmann, Kai. Despite success, Singapore casinos face political risk. Cologne: Deutsch Press, 2010. Web.

Schwartz, Dave. Center for gaming research, 2010. 26 October 2010. Web.

Seung, Chang and Harris, Thomas. Impact of reduced gaming exports on the economy of Nevada. Review of Urban and Regional Development Studies. 12(2), 109-119, 2000. Web.

Sign. Marina Bay Sands: Singapore casino makes sure bet Harris digital signage. 4 Sept. 2010. 26 Oct. 2010. Web.

Walker, David. The economics of casinos gambling. Florence: Butterworth- Heinemann, 2007. Print.

Examples of the performance objectives of the London Eye from the point of view of the operational performance, for example, the customer requirements

London is a stunning city with varied architectural beauty suggestive of the ancient world. In addition to the architectural beauty of features like the Westminster Bridge in the backdrop and the Westminster Abbey, we have the London Eye. London Eye offers a breathtaking spectacle view and experience, which makes it a popular fixture in travel schedule to any person visiting the city of London (Hess, 2010, p. 66).

David Marks and Julia Barfield was the architect couple that pioneered the idea of London Eye. Their initial idea envisioned a Ferris wheel where persons could sit and take pleasure in a stunning view of London. The financial funding of the London Eye project was by British Airways and the Tassauds Group, which were also the managers from since then.

The project of London eye came to be by the contributions of other people and construction companies, which include steelwork contractor, Mace, consulting Engineers Tony Gee, & partners who had the responsibility of designing the foundations of the project. The designing and construction of the London Eye project took seven years to be completed having its formal opening on the December of 1999. The then Prime Minister Tony Blair overseen the opening ceremony, and it was later became open to the public in March 2000 (Paolo, 2010, p. 96).

London Eye as a tourist attraction tool in London city has several performance objectives from the point of view of the operational performance. Performance objectives refer to the ideology of carrying out things in the right way, which includes provision of error free services and goods, which will ensure customer satisfaction.

The customer satisfaction in terms of quality goods and services can come in different perspectives meaning that performance objectives come in five main dimensions. The London Eye is tourist attraction equipment in London and that effect; it has certain degrees of operational performance that it has to meet while serving its customers. Operational performance refers to the company’s performance evaluated against prescribed or standard indicators of efficiency, effectiveness, and environmental obligations like productivity, cycle time, regulatory compliance, and waste reduction (Kester, 2003, p. 81).

First, we look at the dimensions of performance objectives, which explore the customer satisfaction in terms of the goods, and services a company offers their customers. Customer satisfaction will come from the speed aspect, which refers to the responsibility of doings things fast to reduce the time between the availability of the product or service and the ordering of the product that gives the consumer of the product a speed advantage (Dowd, 2008, p. 73). In the case of London Eye, the performance objective dimension of speed is abundantly put to mind by having fixed schedules of the operations of the wheel.

The London Eye is open daily except on Christmas day from 10.00 in the morning to 9.30 in the night. This is mostly in the summers and during the winter season; the last slot is 5.30 to 6.30 pm. This fixed schedule ensures that customers are aware of the operations of the London eye and can, therefore, plan in relation to their travel. The management of the London eye has also made it possible for its customers to book online for the services of the wheel. These online bookings have made it possible for customers to know when their journey will take place, and since there is a fixed schedule, the customers receive their service at the right time. This fulfills the performance objective of speed, which calls for minimal time between the times the customers orders for the service and the delivery of the service (Lambot, 2002, p. 78).

The second dimension of a performance objective is dependability. This refers to carrying out things in the scheduled time for customers to obtain their services and goods when the management made the promise of delivery. When it comes to customers’ satisfaction, the management needs deliver the goods or services at the exact time it promised the customer. The London requires the customers who intent to board the wheel buy tickets in advance. On buying the tickets, the customer will have to queue and wait for the customer’s allocated time to board the wheel.

The management offers its customers with a sense of dependability because it is a known fact that the wheel takes thirty minutes to make one rotation. For instance, a customer will buy a ticket knowing how many people are before him or she and this will enable the customer to calculate the exact time they board the wheel. The defined time for the wheel to rotate offers the customers dependability on when they get their service. Dependability of the London eye is so high to the extent that customers queue for almost four hours waiting for their service, which is always on time. People come from far places of the world to experience the stunning London Eye, and this would not have been possible if the management did not offer any dependability. Dependability is a paramount element in customer satisfaction (Goel, 2008, p. 54).

There is the dimension of flexibility in the performance objectives of any company. Flexibility refers to the clear result of responding to a dynamic environment in the organization. This is the ability of the organization to transform their services and products or the way of business operations with the present environment. In the case, of London eye since its opening it has been flexible in that it does its business so at meet the objective of customer satisfaction in line with its services.

During the high season, which is, normally when the weather is exceptional, the wheel changes its closing time for the rotations to around 9.30 in the night, which allows for more sets of rotations. This is usually during the summer time where there are several people on holidays in London. During major holidays, the London eye has the flexibility by allowing its customers to have their ideas of fun carried on the wheel. For instance, during the Valentine’s Day the wheel lets its customers board the wheel as couples and offer romantic experiences for couples on this lover’s day (Tonchia & Luca, 2010, p. 41).

The flexibility objective is present in the London eye tourist-attraction tool by the activities that take place on the wheel. Among the other possibilities, the Eye can offer to its customers is the carrying out of momentous events on the wheel. This includes occasions like weddings, civil partnerships, and other functions.

Since its opening, the Eye has hosted 433 civil partnerships and weddings, in addition to the spectacular New, Years Eve fireworks, which is normally at a fee. Families and groups can also hire the private capsules to have their celebrations during the Christmas period. This flexibility has increased the popularity of the London eye among the tourists and other people visiting London. In addition, the London eye has arrangements for specific ticket holders like school bookings, flexible tickets, disabled tickets, flexible fast track tickets and many more (Steve & Marcus, 2007, p. 62).

One notable operations objective is cost, and this is where companies compete most. It is common evidence that low costs are a universal, attractive objective to customers. This objective is attainable by producing low cost goods, which can compete with other products in the market. This works well in situations that have many competing products in the market. The companies have the duty of producing low cost goods but of the same high quality so that customers do not end choosing the alternative products and services.

In the case of London Eye, it has customer friendly prices even though it is the only company with such services in the whole world. The customer turnover is an absolute indication that the prices of the services are low, and the customers get the worth of their money with the services they get. For customers to keep on coming back to the wheel, means that the services offered are at par, and the cost is worthwhile for the services. This in turn, ensures customers’ satisfaction as the services provided by the London eye match their costs.

All the above dimensions of performance objectives lead to a greater customer satisfaction, which is a requirement for all the operational objectives of any company. High quality or uniqueness of services of the London Eye means fewer errors or mistakes are made by each service offered to customers. Fewer mistakes or errors will mean the company will require less time to correct these mistakes, confusion, and customer irritation. High quality of services profoundly affects the customer satisfaction, which in turn leads to efficient and stable services by the company. On the other hand, speed of delivery of services supports the flexibility of the business services to the customers’ needs and demands.

What is the capacity of the London Eye?

The capacity of London eye refers to the number of people the eye can accommodate at a time. In this case, we look at the capacity of the eye in one complete rotation. The construction of the London eye saw the complete build up of thirty-two futuristic capsules with the capacity of each capsule accommodating twenty-five passengers. In total, the Eye can accommodate up to 800 passengers on board in one complete rotation. The rotation of the London eye takes about thirty minutes, and this means that, in a single day, the London eye can accommodate up to 10,000 people. Being the most popular paid-for tourist attraction in the UK, the London Eye reports visits of over 3.5 million people annually and this population includes people from all over the world.

The construction of the wheel that accommodates the observers took over a year and a half to be complete. The observation wheel used over 1700 tons of steel, and 3000 tons of concrete to lay the foundation. The capsules with a 25-passenger capacity were conveyed from France by train via the Chunnel. For the construction to accommodate twenty- five passengers, its shape is egg like being eight meters long with a weight of 500kgs. This makes the London eye accommodate approximately ten thousand people in a single day.

Given an annual number of 3.5million visitors what is the anticipated utilization?

Utilization of a product or service refers to the utility of the product. Utility is the economic life of service, product, which is normally, measured in line with the time the product, or service will be operating. Utility is the proportion of the available time that a piece of the machine or system is operating, and the utility is usually expressed as a percentage.

Formula for utilization is operating hours * 100 / available hours. The construction of the London eye involved the use of strong and durable material, which ensures the reliability of the wheel. The parts of the wheel have materials that can sustain its daily rotations, which are approximately over 30 rotations a day. The rim of the wheel has a diameter of 122 meters, which is about 200times the size of a bicycle wheel. It has eighty Spokes that connect the rim with the spindle to enable its rotation. These materials mean that the wheel has a long utility life for the machine is still in use more than ten years after its opening.

This prolonged utilization of the London eye has been made possible by the constant upgrade programs, which require about 12.5million Euros to install the repairs. In the program, there put will removal of each capsule, and a non-functional capsule in position until the repair of the last capsule. The constant use of the London eye requires these constant repairs to ensure there is no exposure of customers to any health hazards. It is, therefore, evident that the London eye has a lifetime economic life, because equipment has to serve people for an extraordinarily long time. It is a monumental investment by the London city.

Discuss ways in which this revenue/performance gap could be reduced

Performance/ Revenue gap refers to the trend, occurrence, or incident that indicates a company’s performance falls short of the expected presentation levels especially when the company’s management ignores growing technical evidence supporting other technical interventions or when the manager’s do not attain the benchmarked goals. This performance gap is usually present in most companies especially after the beginning of its operations.

The creation of a certain company comes with set targets and goals that the company needs to achieve and in most case it usually in set durations. These set targets and goals govern the manner in which the company will conduct its operations, the services it will provide, and the price or costs of its services or products. After the company goes in to operation, the management will have to carry out evaluations on the level to which the company is meeting its objectives whose consequence is the revealing of the performance gap.

Gap analysis is a tremendously helpful tool for helping the marketing managers of a company to decide upon marketing tactics and strategies. Gap analysis will enable the marketing managers to come up with ways in which the performance or revenue gap can be reduced. In the London Eye, case, there is a notable gap performance, as it has not met its expected revenue targets and there are ways in which the management can close the gap. Like any other product or service, the management will have to look at issue like the costs, the nature of the services and products offered the flexibility of operations, and other matters (Hawkes, 2000, p. 67).

The main way in which the management of London Eye can bridge the revenue gap is to reduce the costs of the services they offer. As seen in the above discussions, high costs of a product tend to push potential customers away as they seek other alternatives options. This will reduce the customer turnover because of the high costs that the company is putting to the market. London eye is a tourist attraction, and it is a spectacular tool in the economy of London.

This has made the management set high prices because it attracts many visitors from all over the world. This, in turn, will create a revenue gap because the tool will register low visitor turn up. To reduce the performance gap, the management of London eye offers friendly prices to its customers to enable more people to visit the wheel. The high customer visits will result in high revenues, which will reflect in the company meeting its set revenue objectives (Neely, 2002, p. 67).

Another method in which the company can bridge the performance or revenue gap is to explore alternative revenue streams. The London eye management can come with more ways in which it can collect revenue apart from the usual ways. This can be by introducing exceptional capsules, which persons can hire for their occasions like anniversaries, weddings, Valentine’s Day celebrations, and even researches.

These distinctive capsules can be for people who are willing to pay an extra coin for the service and enjoy their privacy while celebrating their unique occasions. The management can increase the time in which the wheel is to operate to late in the night as it offers an even better sight of the city. For a company to achieve its targets, it should explore ways in which it can improve its revenue collection or its performance levels.

We have the flexibility of the operations of the company as a way of bridging the gap in revenue. Flexibility in this sense means the capability of the company to offer other services from the usual or offering the usual services in a more attractive way. London eye can be flexible in its services by even offering services in the night or increasing the speed at which the wheel rotates.

The London Eye can increase the speed of its rotations from 30 minutes to a smaller period to increase the number of rotations in a day, which will in turn increase the revenue collected in a day. The decisions made in the initial stages of the operations do not have to stick for the rest of the economic life of the equipment. The management should be flexible in its decisions so that it can cater for any inevitable changes in the future life of the machine. With all the above methods, the London eye management will be in a position to reduce the gap in revenue/performance of the company.

Table of information on operations of London Eye

References

Dowd, S., 2008, The London Eye Mystery. New York: David Fickling Books.

Goel, T., 2008, Performance Appraisal and Compensation Management: A Modern Approach. New York: PHI Learning Pvt.

Hawkes, J., 2000, London 360:̊: views inspired by British airways London eye. London: HarperCollins Illustrated.

Hess, N., 2010, London Eye: Score & Parts. New York: Faber & Faber.

Kester, R., 2003, The essential eye. New York: HarperCollins.

Lambot, I., 2002, Reinventing the Wheel: The Construction of British Airways London Eye Conceived and Designed by Marks Barfield Architects. New York: Watermark.

Neely, A. D., 2002, Business performance measurement: theory and practice. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Paolo, T., 2010, Business Performance Measurement and Management: New Contexts, Themes and Challenges. London: Springer.

Steve, R., & Marcus, R., 2007, Eye: the story behind the London Eye. London: Black Dog.

Tonchia, S., & Luca, Q., 2010, Performance Measurement: Linking Balanced Scorecard to Business Intelligence. New York: Springer.