For a person on holiday, a hotel is the next best thing to home. Taking into account the hassles related to traveling, the last thing a visitor to foreign place needs is to be overly concerned with the intricacies of security. The leaders in the hospitality industry take the issue under discourse as a major aspect of value addition.
Hotel security starts at the entrance. Porters must have authentic name tags, bearing the name of the hotel as well as the attendant’s, and current photographs. Several cases have been reported where a person with untoward motives masquerades as a porter in a bid to steal clients’ personal effects, and more importantly, credit card information. Some of these people double up as valets, making away with clients’ vehicles, and even worse, kidnapping unsuspecting patrons in a bid to extort astronomical ransoms for their release (MacGeey, 1998).
Concerning accommodation, individualized electronic cards would work well, activated based on the date of checking in and the length of stay. Using this method, only guests can access their rooms, eliminating the possibility of locks being picked. Moreover, as they operate on self-locking doors, this method does away with the cases of guests forgetting to remove keys from the keyholes. Solid doors are best, with peepholes for guests to identify people knocking on their doors before opening for them. Biometrics also ranks very high as an element of hotel security. Using a client’s unique physical features definitely, cuts reduces theft fourfold. Fingerprints and retina scans are the most commonly used. The traditional lock and key system will not wash in this day and age (Bernard, 2005).
A new trend sweeping through the hotel industry is the application of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, particularly at access points. This is a primary response to terrorist attacks, giving the relevant authorities round-the-clock surveillance of their premises.
Restaurants are no longer located in open lobbies or areas accessible at street level. This element ensures that only vetted staff and authentic guests can access such spaces. If this was not the case, a terrorist could waltz in at any time, under the guise of having a cup of tea before wreaking havoc. Owners of such establishments go a step further to provide safe transport between airport and hotel, effectively controlling who enters the parking lot. When it is a tad late and certain security elements have been breached, the relevant mitigation steps must be put in place. Well-defined fire escape routes are mandatory and so are alternative power sources for escape critical services lighting and ventilation. This also indicates the need for a high level of structural integrity and building strength (Bernard, 2005).
Even though hotel management must ensure the security of staff, patrons, and premises, the onus is on the patrons to have their wits about them in everything they do. It may be a threadbare cliché, but prevention is better than cure. Patrons must not divulge sensitive information without asking the relevant questions. After all, the customer is always right.
References
Bernard M. Tips on Hotel Safety Measure. New York: Prentice Hall 2005
MacGeey C. Hotel Motel Security. London: Oxford University Press 1998
Thailand will achieve Long term social, cultural and environmental development when sustainable tourism development is attained by the stakeholders in tourism industry. This can be realized through reducing or reversing negative impact of unplanned programmes and overdevelopment on tourism sites.
Sustainable development in tourism ensures that present needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to cater for their needs (Scripun, 2008).
This article will examine the steps that stakeholders in tourism industry are taking to ensure that sustainable development is achieved fast to enable all stakeholders to enjoy long term social, environmental, economic and cultural benefits.
Traditional mass tourism in Thailand can contribute less to sustainable tourism development. This is because it lacks necessary concern for socio-cultural environment. This objective can only be achieved when there is enough goodwill from the local community, the government and other stakeholders towards the initiation of sustainable tourism development.
Stakeholders in tourism industry can be divided into five categories that include the policy makers, locals, hospitality employees, owners and investors. Policy makers refer to individuals or state organs who formulate national policies, laws and regulations.
A good example of this would be the Tourism Authority of Thailand and government officials. Tourism in Thailand directly impacts on rural-urban migration, social dynamics and does cause some illegal activities such as drug abuse and sex tourism involving minors.
Hospitality employees or staffs get affected by tourist demands, compensation laws, policies etc. The final categories of stakeholders who directly interact with tourist are the investors and owners.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand or TAT undertook a joint initiative with three other key stakeholders namely Skal Thailand, Pacific Asia Travel Association or PATA and Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand or JFCCT to help establish a plan that will ensure sustainable development of tourism in Thailand (Ranee, 2007).
The details of this plan were thoroughly discussed at an interactive forum called “mapping the Future” that took place last year. The essence of this forum was to find ways of ensuring sustainable tourism development that will meet the needs of tourists, locals and the tourism industry in general.
The success of the joint forum is pegged on the level of stakeholder involvement in the implementation of the strategies that were discussed. The practitioners from the industry possess requisite experience that can help solve problems in Thai travel and tourism industry to ensure positive development and growth in future.
The stake holders who took part in “Mapping the Future” forum resolved to refurbish Thailand’s tourism marketing strategies (Nash, 1998). These included creating a better and stronger brand image for Thailand, managing reputation for the countries tourism, promoting sustainable tourism and promote extensive use of e-marketing and social media.
Due to increase in involvement of Chinese tourists in Thai tourism industry, the forum members suggested that TAT should accord the professor from China Tourism Academy Dr. Xu Chen an opportunity to provide crucial address on “The Role of Chinese Outbound Travelers in the Future of Thai Tourism and the Tourism Satisfaction Index” (Dearden, 1991).
Another stakeholder member Mr. Tim Riches, from Asia Pacific of Future Brand was charged with the mandate of handling the Brand Image of Thailand. The issue of e-marketing and Social Media was given to Mr. Tiwa York of Omnicom Media Group to handle.
The management of reputation was given to Dr David Beirman, a Sydney professor of tourism from the University of Technology. His work was to address issues arising in hospitality and tourism business given his background in crisis and issue management.
References
Dearden, P. (1991) Tourism and Sustainable Development in Northern Thailand. The Geographical review, 19(20), 5-9.
Nash, D. (I998). Tourism as a Form of Imperialism, in V.L. Smith (ed.). The Geographical Review, 11(13), 12-14.
Ranee, T. (2007). The Case for Government Involvement in human Resource Development: A study of the Thai Hotel Industry. Tourism Management, 9(40), 5-13.
Scripun, M., (2008).Total Quality Management and tourism and Hospitality Education. The Case Study of Thailand. 5(9), 7-11
Tourism is a key sector in the growth and development of a country as it is a major source of foreign income earner.
The tourism industry is vulnerable to adverse negative effects caused by political and other economic factors, and hence major stakeholders of the industry need to be at the forefront in the efforts aimed at protecting the industry. Among many forms of tourism, adventure tourism, is the major form of tourism carried out due to various forms of motivation, which this paper explores.
Introduction
Tourism is an important sector for the growth and development of an economy on top of being one of the major sources of foreign income earners in a country. Every country has attraction sites that are of interest to both local and foreign tourists into a country. Tourism also creates job opportunities in a country courtesy of the hospitality industry and the conservation of the attraction sites.
Both local citizens and the government are the major stakeholders in the conservation of the attraction sites. The government involves the local communities around such sites by considering them for job opportunities and other benefits such as the provision of social amenities such as the construction of basic facilities like schools, hospitals, and security facilities.
Hence, tourism causes social and economic development to a community around a tourists’ attraction site.
Adventure Tourism and its Motivating Factors
Adventure tourism is one of the major forms of tourism across the world. Tourists venture into it for both fun and exploration purposes (Bain, 2013). It involves travelling to different places in the world while aiming at learning new things concerning culture, landscapes, geographical, and creational features from the places of destinations around the world.
The many scholarly studies on tourism, such as Sindiga (2000) and others, consider adventure tourism as a major cause of discoveries around the world for discoverers left their homes yearning for adventure in other places and learned new things at the place of destination or along the way to such places.
Stakeholders
Adventure tourism is the most diverse form of tourism for tourists seek adventure for various reasons and thus they tour different places, which have different forms of stakeholders. For instance, a European tourist can decide to attend a business function in an African nation such as Kenya, which is a major tourist destination in East Africa due to its richness in wildlife, culture heritage, good climate, and geographical features.
Upon arrival into the country, the tourist may decide to visit a few tourist attraction sites for adventurous reasons. Hence, adventure tourism happens for various reasons and at times due to arising opportunities as opposed to an ultimate purpose as in the example above (Pineda &Brebbia, 2012).
Going by the afore mentioned example, adventure tourism has various forms of stakeholders, which include the government, tourists or consumers, the involved communities, industry enterprises, non-governmental organisations, and travelling agents.
Government as a Shareholder
Government plays a major role in the tourism industry by creating a conducive environment to attract both local and foreign tourists. From the Kenyan economic growth and development statistics, it is clear that the tourism sector contributes to more than 15 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Sindiga, 2000). Therefore, tourism is a major economic sector for growth and development of the economy of Kenya.
The Kenyan government plays a major role in the growth and development of the country’s tourism sector. It has the mandate of marketing the country’s richness in tourists’ attractions sites to the potential clients across the world. It does marketing over influential media houses such as the Cable News Network (CNN), and since the inception of the idea, the country has experienced a major growth of the sector in the last few years.
However, this idea came into being in the year 2008 after experiencing post-election violence in the year 2007-2008 that led to the country’s security being questioned. Hence, the government and other stakeholders opted for marketing through the Ministry of Tourism as an effort to assure tourists of a guaranteed security. Therefore, the government plays a major role in ensuring that the security of tourists is guaranteed.
The government also boosts the country’s tourism by providing taxation incentives to the imported goods intended for the growth of the tourism sector. In addition, it provides funds for infrastructural development of the sector. In Kenya, the roads that lead to the major tourists’ attraction sites are in good condition, which is an effort of the government to promote tourism in the country.
Moreover, the government is a major stakeholder in the conservation of the attraction sites across the country. In Kenya, the government conserves wildlife through the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which manages all wildlife conservations programs in the country (Sindiga, 2000).
In addition, the government conserves the culture and heritage of the Kenyan people through the Kenya Museum Services for both local and foreign tourisms. Hence, the government is a major stakeholder for conservation of tourist attraction sites.
Tourists as Stakeholders
Tourists, who are the consumers in the tourism sector, are major stakeholders in the tourism sector. They bring foreign income to the country of destination and hence the growth and development of the economy. Tourism creates job opportunities to the local citizens in the institutions that cater for the conservation of tourists’ attraction sites and the hospitality industry.
In addition, tourism causes infrastructural developments of areas that attract tourists such as good maintenance of roads, provision of electric power, and water services to such areas. Hence, tourists are key stakeholders in the tourism sector of an economy (Williams &Soutar, 2005).
Communities as Stakeholders
Communities also play a key role in the tourism sector. Communities are nearly equal to the government in the contribution towards the growth and development of the tourism sector in an economy. Communities around the tourists’ attraction sites play a major role in the conservation of the environment in those sites and security through community policing.
In addition, they carry out activities aimed at attracting tourists to such destinations, which include dancing, exhibiting their cultural heritage in marriages, dressing, and other cultural activities. In addition, communities living near the tourists’ attraction sites also play a major role in doing businesses with the tourists. They set up business shops around the attraction sites where they sell their local wares to the tourists.
For instance, visiting one of the worlds leading attraction sites such as the Pyramids of Egypt and the China’s Great Wall, one finds the local communities selling products to the tourists in some kiosks; in addition, the communities provide services such as hotel and restaurant, lodging facilities, and photo studio shops.
Tourist Industry Enterprises
Industry enterprises are major stakeholders in the tourist sector in an economy. The industry that benefits most from tourism is the hotel industry, which offers hospitality services to the tourists. The world’s most valuable hotels, viz. the five stars and seven stars, serve as the best accommodation facilities for tourists.
For instance, Miami’s Hilton Hotel is the best accommodation facility for tourists along the Miami Beach in the United States and it serves mainly as a tourists’ accommodation facility rather than any other business.
These enterprises are key elements of economic growth and development of a country as they provide job opportunities for local communities. In addition, they serve as tourists’ attraction facilities as a tourist considers the availability and nature of the hospitality facilities in a country of destination before embarking on adventure tourism.
For instance, a tourist who needs to go for an adventure in South Africa must look into the nature of available hotels and restaurants that are available at the area of destination before embarking on the ultimate trip.
The ultimate decision for travelling lies on the nature of the hotels available in such places, and upon finding that they are of poor quality, there is a high likelihood of not embarking on that trip. Hence, the hospitality industry is a key element in the tourism sector for it attracts tourists.
Non-Governmental Organisations as Stakeholders
Non-governmental organisations are important stakeholders in the tourism industry (Novelli, 2005). In most cases, non-governmental institutions attract tourists both directly and indirectly. Some non-governmental institutions carryout humanitarian activities such as rehabilitation of slums and other community based activities that attract tourists who contribute to the progress of such activities in a country.
The major non-governmental tourist attraction institutions fall under the United Nations (UN) and they include the World Health Organisation that caters for hygienic and health status of a community. Other organisations attract tourists indirectly through conservation of the environment and they include the Greenbelt Movement that conserves forests in Africa.
Upon conserving the African forests, the wildlife sector improves and thus serves as tourists’ attracting institution in a country. In addition, tourists go for adventure in areas where such institutions are practising and serve as volunteers or donors in the development of the affected communities.
Travelling Agents as Stakeholders
Travelling agents are key stakeholders in the world’s adventure tourism industry. Tourism promotes worlds transport industries in a great manner.
According to the majority of tourists, travelling is an adventure, and thus adventure tourism accompanied by adventurous travelling where a transport company plays a key role sums up the concept of adventure tourism(Smith, & Weiler, 2012). Some transport companies have specialised in the tourism industry, and thus their main work is to provide transport for tourists as they journey to the attraction sites in a country.
Motivating Factors to the Tourist
Among the major factors that motivate tourists is adventure in the case of adventure tourism. Adventure is good for knowledge acquaintance and soothing a person’s mind in the case of exploration and leisure respectively.
Adventure tourism is a pre-planned adventure that results from a personal desire to have a physical experience over something he or she has heard or learned about from different sources of information. For instance, an adventurous tourist may go to China to visit The Great-Wall of China for the sake of having a physical experience, but they are armed with knowledge of its existence and history (Shepard & Evans, 2005).
Products for Adventure Tourism
The most common types of products available for the adventurous tourism include wildlife, historical sites, geographical features, and cultural diversity. Wildlife is a major form of tourists’ attraction especially in the African Sub-Saharan regions of Kenya and Tanzania. Adventurous tourists visit such regions for the sake of wildlife adventures.
Historical sites attract adventurous tourists in the regions that have rich historical sites such as the Pyramids of Egypt and the Great-wall of China among others. Adventurous tourists visit those regions to have physical experience over the historical sites that are physically visible (Shapard, 2005).
Geographical features also attract adventurous tourists in a great way. For instance, adventurous tourists visit India’s Himalaya Mountainous regions just to have experience over the beautiful ranges. In addition, the East African region is home for the Great Rift Valley, which attracts adventurous tourists from all over the world.
Lastly, cultural diversity attracts adventurous tourists who need to have experience over different forms of culture. In some cases, adventurous tourists visit the Maasai community of Kenya just to experience their rich cultural heritage.
Impacts of the Development of Adventurous Tourism
There are both negative and positive impacts of adventurous tourism. On the positive impacts, adventurous tourism causes economic development of the beneficiary countries of tourists’ destinations. Secondly, tourists experience new culture that advances their knowledge and understanding of some world’s communities.
Thirdly, adventurous tourism provides job opportunities for local communities living around the tourists’ attraction sites. On the other hand, the major disadvantage of adventurous tourism is increasing misconceptions over the knowledge of some cultures and communities (McCool & Moisey, 2008).
Some adventurous tourists visit some regions to experience the cultural heritage of some communities with an assertion that that community is poor and marginalised as it has been the case with the Maasai community of Kenya and Tanzania.
Development in technology is negatively affecting adventurous tourism as tourists’ guiding is done online unlike in the past where tourist guides provided information to the tourists (Beard, Swarbrooke & Leckie, 2013). Hence, tourists’ guides are losing their jobs.
Future Challenges
As aforementioned, the development in technology is negatively affecting adventurous tourism for tourists’ guiding is done online unlike in the past where tourist guides would accompany tourists during their stay in a given place. Consequently, in the future, the role of tourists’ guides will become obsolete and thus cause unemployment in different countries.
Another major challenge to the future of adventure tourism is the increased cost of tourism due to the hiking in the cost of products across the world. Hence, tourism is slowly declining and people working in the tourism industry are losing their jobs (Pineda &Brebbia, 2012).
Recommendation
In the quests to sustain meaningful growth in adventure tourism, it would be necessary for governments and other stakeholders to work hard in ensuring the avoidance tourists’ exploitation rather they are encouraged to venture into both local and foreign tourism.
Many people perceive tourism as a luxurious venture, hence exploiting tourists by hiking the prices for basic products. Tourist shops such as African curio shops sell their products at exaggerated prices, which make such products unaffordable to the majority of both local and international tourists.
Summary of the Report Findings
The report found the adventure tourism as the major of tourism. Tourism industry has many stakeholders and the most influential being the government and the communities that live around the tourist attraction sites. However, it was found that, being a key sector in the economic development, tourism should be protected and governed by every individual for the betterment of the sector.
McCool, F& R Moisey, Tourism, Recreation, and Sustainability: Linking Culture and the Environment, CABI, West Berkshire, 2008.
Pineda, F& A Brebbia, Sustainable Tourism, WIT Press, Southampton, 2012.
Novelli, M, Niche tourism: contemporary issues, trends, and cases, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2005.
Shepard, G& S Evans, ‘Adventure Tourism: hard decisions, soft options and home for tea; adventure on the hoof’, in M Novelli (ed.), Niche Tourism: contemporary issues, trends, and cases, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2005, pp.109-146.
Sindiga, I, Tourism and African development: change and challenge of tourism in Kenya’, The Journal of Modern African Studies, vol. 38, no. 4, 2000, pp. 713-745.
Smith, G & B Weiler, ‘Relationships between place attachment, place satisfaction and pro-environmental behaviour in an Australian national park’, Journal of sustainable Tourism, vol. 21, no. 3, 2012, pp. 434-457.
Williams, P& G Soutar, ‘Close to the “Edge”: Critical Issues for Adventure Tourism Operators’, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, vol.10, no.3, 2005, pp. 247-261.
A case analysis on the Shangri-La Hotels: The world’s number 1 group in the Hotel industry and hospitality services.
Introduction
Shangri-la, a luxurious Asian-based hotel and resorts group recognized in Hong Kong was first established in 1971. The first among the hotels in this chain; The Shangri-La Hotel Singapore became the Flagship hotel. Giovanni Angelini is the CEO and Managing Director of this hotel group was recognized as the “2006 Corporate Hotelier of the World” (Shangri-La’s Giovanni Angelini named 2006 corporate hotelier of the world, 2006, para.1) by the worldwide magazine called the HOTELS. This group of hotels is rated among the 5-star deluxe groups of hotels. The hotel has a facility of more than 500 rooms. This runs city hotels as well as catering services. The adherence to high-quality service with a sharp focus and application of the latest business trends thereby attaining ample customer satisfaction made this group of hotels a big success.
This concept of Hotels originated from the Kuok Family of Malaysia and has now been established as a world-class brand in 5-star hotel groups. “The company, part of Malaysia’s Kuok Group, operates 45 hotels throughout Asia. In 2005, the company also began a drive into the European and North American markets, including the launch of construction on its first European hotel, in London, expected to be completed in 2009. The company also has opened its first hotel in the Middle East, in Dubai, and in the Maldives. Mainland China, however, forms the heart of the company’s empire, with more than 20 hotels in operation, and at least 15 more expected to open before 2010.” (Shangri-La Asia ltd, 2004, para.1). The group has also created a mark in organizing Gust-Loyalty Program. This program is organized and established in the name called The Golden Circle.
The Golden Circle is a new and vibrant award-winning concept focused on offering world-class hospitality services. According to the press release, “Established in 1997, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ Golden Circle is the group’s frequent guest recognition program. Golden Circle rewards members with a generous array of benefits and personalized amenities, including private check-in and check-out service, free spouse stays, and free local calls and calling card access.” (Golden circle – Shangri-La’s award-winning guest recognition program, 2004, para.1).
The promptness and foresight of the promoters of this group and the master brains behind the application of the latest business trends have supported the hotel group to come to the level of top competitors in this industry.
Key players in the case study and their roles
This case study is mainly focused on highlighting the latest concepts in the Hotel industry. It is done by focusing on the Shangri-La group- The top competitor offering 5-star services in the hotel and resorts chain. They also expand their business to vibrant sectors of this business by the application of innovative ideas. This concept of Hotels is in fact a big turning point in the history of hotel industries. This report also tries to focus on the level of customer satisfaction and its positive impacts in this industry. So, a greater level of concentration is given to the customer side to understand how they accept the latest concepts and how new concepts could be made acceptable for them.
The key players and the master brains behind the success of this great venture is a group of professionals having high exposure around the globe with more than two decades of experience in the hospitality management field. They include:
“Mr. Rao, Madhu – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Rao has more than 20 years’ experience with Shangri-La. He joined Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in 1988 as a group financial controller. Named chief financial officer in 1997, he also serves as an executive director and chief financial officer of the holding company, Shangri-La Asia Limited.
Named chief financial officer in 1997, he also serves as an executive director and chief financial officer of the holding company, Shangri-La Asia Limited.
Mr. Dogan, Greg – Chief Operating Officer
Before assuming his present position, Mr. Dogan was vice president and general manager of Makati Shangri-La, Manila. Prior to joining Shangri-La in 1997, Mr. Dogan held managerial positions at luxury hotels in Spain, Dubai and China.
Mr. Rao, Anand – Chief Information Officer
Mr. Rao has been chief information officer at Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts since 1989, except for a few years as chief executive officer of Kerry Technology Limited, the Kuok Group’s IT investment arm.” (Managing success, 2010, para.4).
The appropriate instance for the case data
A keen study of the achievements of this hotel group and its history and origin gives us an idea that it is a fast grown and in fact a widely expanding concept in the hotel industry. The organizers of this group were able to achieve this in a very short time by timely and trendy approach to the business. “Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, has been named Best Business Hotel Chain in Asia Pacific for the ninth consecutive year at this year’s prestigious Business Traveler Reader Awards (UK) in London.” (Shangri-La hotels and reports named best business hotel in Asia Pacific for Ninth consecutive year, 2004).
For more details about the various achievements and stages of development of this hospitality group refer the table listed below:
“The Company Milestones is listed as follows:
1971 – Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore opens
1979 – Shangri-La’s first resort opens – now Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa
1984 – First hotel in China opens, in Hangzhou
1989 – First Traders Hotel opens in Beijing
1991 – Island Shangri-La unveils 16-storey “Great Motherland of China” mural (named largest Chinese landscape painting by Guinness World Records)
1993 – Shangri-La goes public
1996 – “Shangri-La Care” customer service philosophy introduced
1997 – Golden Circle guest loyalty programme introduced
2003 – Shangri-La enters Australia market, Shangri-La enters in the Middle East market
2004 – Shangri-La Academy opens near Beijing, Shangri-La’s Western expansion announced with scheduled 2008 opening of Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver
2005 – First CHI, The Spa opens, in Bangkok , Tower 2 of Pudong Shangri-La opens, creating the largest luxury hotel in China and amongst the Shangri-La group
2006 – Shangri-La purchases historic palace in Paris – Shangri-La Hotel, Paris to be first luxury hotel in the city fully owned and operated by an Asian hotel group , “New generation” Traders Hotel opens in Kuala Lumpur
2007 – Shangri-La Spa Academy opens in Manila, Golden Circle membership tops one million
2008 – Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver – first Shangri-La hotel opens in North America
2009 – Shangri-La becomes the first international hotel group to offer every guest free internet access
Conclusion
This case study on Shangri-La Group of Hotels helped to identify the latest trends and the biggest competitors in the luxury hotel sectors. It also reveals the fact that, the application of latest trends in business focusing on customer satisfaction and timely actions will definitely bring out the best results in the industry.” (Company milestones, 2010, para.1)
Reference
Company milestones. (2010). Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. Web.
Golden circle – Shangri-La’s award-winning guest recognition program. (2004). Shangri-La. Web.
Managing success. (2010). Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. Web.
Shangri-La Asia ltd. (2004). Funding Universe. Web.
Shangri-La’s Giovanni Angelini named 2006 corporate hotelier of the world. (2006). ASIATraveltips.com. Web.
Shangri-La hotels and reports named best business hotel in Asia Pacific for Ninth consecutive year. (2004). Shangri-La. 2010. Web.
Natural phenomena have mystified people throughout history, and the northern lights (otherwise called aurora borealis) are one of them. The northern lights have been a source of curiosity for travelers and scientists alike, and they became the foundation for several legends. Today, a tourist can choose between many places to see this phenomenon, including on-foot hikes to the coldest regions of the planet, as well as leisure-based hotels and cruises.
Aurora Borealis
The northern lights occur every day, but they are still difficult to catch due to the unpredictability of the weather. This natural phenomenon occurs when sun particles meet the Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetic field (Waldek). At the particles are directed toward the planet’s poles, they turn into colorful waves. The name – Aurora Borealis – was given to it by Galileo Galilei, and it describes the nature of this occurrence. “Aurora” was a goddess of dawn, and “Boreas” was a god of the north wind (Waldek). Therefore, it becomes clear that the northern lights can be best seen near the North pole at night.
The Best Spots
As stated above, aurora borealis can be seen in the northern hemisphere, closer to the pole. A specific “auroral zone” includes a radius of approximately 1,5 thousand miles around the North Pole (Waldek). Several countries are located in this area, including Canada and the United States, Iceland, Greenland, and Norway (Bloom). Moreover, the closest spot where a person can view the northern lights is the North Pole, which is located on a group of islands that shift and move in the Arctic Ocean (Bloom). However, this location is for the most adventurous travelers as it requires much experience and courage to survive the cold temperatures and the lack of any urban life.
For those who wish to see this phenomenon without losing some level of comfort, the tourist industry has developed a number of opportunities. For example, several northern regions of Canada constitute about 80% of all territories in the “auroral zone” (Waldek). Such locations as Yellowknife in Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut have spas, chalets, hotels, and hot spring resorts (Bloom; Waldek). Alaska is another spot for viewing the northern lights that offer many travel options, as the state has made the viewing of aurora borealis a part of its tourism economy (“Alaska Wildlife Guide”). The northern coast of Norway and the south of Iceland are other options for traveling in Europe (White et al. 102739.). Overall, several continents offer the ability to see the northern lights, and one’s preferences and budget dictate the best spot.
The Best Time
Apart from picking the right location to see the aurora borealis, one also has to choose the best time. According to experienced guides and scientists, the northern lights are best seen in the night sky when it is dark and clear of clouds (Waldek). Therefore, winter is the preferable season when the chance to see the northern lights is the highest (Waldek). As northern winters are defined by long, extremely cold nights, they create the best environment for observing this natural phenomenon.
Conclusion
Aurora borealis continues to attract tourists from all parts of the world, and the modern tourism industry has adjusted to offer many tours and experiences. This natural phenomenon can be seen near the North Pole, in a special “auroral zone” covering Canada, Norway, Iceland, and more. Alaskan resorts offer one of the most exciting experiences, and visiting these destinations during winter months gives one the best chance to see the northern lights.
Tourism entails traveling for recreation, leisure, or business with the fundamental aim of having fun and relaxation. Tourism activities involve traveling and undertaking numerous activities outside a person’s accustomed dwelling place. According to Ritchie et al. (2011), tourism refers to a collection of industries, services, and activities that offer unique travel experiences such as eating, exploration, drinking, accommodation, and visiting entertainment zones. It creates harmony among diverse groups through the exchange of ideas and hospitality. It also offers an opportunity for others to learn and experience new cultures. Tourism could also refer to the host relationships and phenomena that occur because of the interactions of business practitioners, tourists, governments, communities, and other agencies bestowed with the duty of attracting both internal and external visitors (Ritchie, et al. 2011). Mass tourism is a phenomenon that is popular in the modern tourism industry. Key tourism areas include eco-tourism, educational tourism, health tourism, and activity or profession-based tourism.
According to Fortune & Schole (2007), it is crucial to be comfortable and live a self-fulfilling life. For real and cost-effective self-fulfillment, proper planning, good management of time, and strategic allocation of resources are essential. From both statistical and conceptual points of view, the philosophy of tourism is focused on the understanding that being extravagant in one’s spending habits and inconsiderate of other peoples’ feelings or ways of life while on a tourism expedition is against the core principles of the philosophy of tourism.
Why Tourism Is Important
Tourism has social, economic, political, and religious significance. Diverse aspects of tourism and their relevance to people are based on several factors, both personal and societal. For tourists, traveling should take place for a purpose that is different from the one that is enhanced by the place of visit. Since the factor of time is arguably a critical aspect of tourism, it is worthwhile to understand that tourism activities should be time-bound, lest they lose their intended meanings.
On the global scene, the most popular tourist destinations include France, Mexico, the United States, Malaysia, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Canada, Australia, and Turkey, among others (Lew, 2008). Paris, Bangkok, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Antalya, New York, and London are some of the most visited cities by tourists in the world (Lew, 2008). Mass tourists, adjectival tourists, and winter tourists all have unique features that help underline the value and significance of the tourism industry. The fact that most tourists have an overwhelming potential to nurture the values of truth, virtue, and beauty is an indicator of the fact that tourism plays a crucial role in enhancing the well-being of members of any given society. Tourists are normally upright and well-informed people with the ability to make proper decisions on issues that relate to their lives and the lives of other people in society. This means that the tourism industry aids in ensuring that people are mentally upright, socially active, and economically productive (Fortune & Schole, 2007).
Tourism helps to manage the problem of boredom due to the ever-increasing leisure time. To some extent, the ever-increasing rate of replacement of human labor with various computerized work systems also makes most people idle. Information revolution and advancement in technology have led to greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness at the workplaces thus leaving many people with a lot of time to spend on leisure. As a result, most people have turned to tourism as a way of spending their free time rather than misusing their free time by committing social and economic evils. It is essential to formulate relevant and sustainable tourism policies that safeguard the common good of people in the society and that effectively manage tourism activities.
As a source of national wellbeing, the philosophical concept of enabling people to navigate rather than just to live is best achieved through tourism. Ecotourism boosts healthy social interactions among people. Tourism is a philosophy of life in which people interact with their environment to boost their economic wellbeing. By interacting with people from different societies and ways of life, one gets to appreciate the discrepancies among people and the need to conserve the fauna and flora. Moreover, tourism has social and educational significance. By enhancing social values and allowing people to experience different cultures, tourism ensures that various customs and cultures are experienced.
The performance of the tourism industry is very difficult to measure and define because it is a fragmented and dynamic economic sector in the world. Travel, change of place, and voyages help to instill vigor in people’s minds and thus enable them to be more effective, reliable, healthy, and economically productive. Besides bringing delight to people, tourism activities generate revenue for major stakeholders in the industry. Most of the exotic tourist centers charge fees for visits, accommodation, food, refreshments, and recreational activities undertaken by tourists. As a noble occupation and an industry of private and public interests, revenue generated from tourism continues to be a key contributor to the economic development of most global economies. Domestic and international tourism boost economic efficiency, socio-cultural equity, environmental conservation, and development. In addition, it leads to the creation of national and international reputation, environmental conservation, safety, and equity in society, and encourages the economic development of complementary industries such as recreation and hospitality.
How I Hope To Influence People in the Tourism Industry
There are many challenges that face the tourism industry. In both the developed and the developing countries, the tension in the local communities, biological diversity, and investors in the tourism industries have been major issues of concern. I intend to ensure that local people are fully involved in the key decision-making processes that shape the manner in which the tourism industry is managed. My efforts will be focused on ensuring that all tourism activities and stakeholders have a courteous attitude to the indigenous people of a given tourist destination and their respective cultural undertakings. I shall ensure that all tourist attraction sites and activities are effectively nurtured and protected and that I influence the formulation of policies that would help achieve this goal. To avoid economic competition between the local communities and investors in tourism, I would endeavor to create an amicable agreement focused on enhancing the equitable distribution of tourism benefits.
Human and natural misfortunes such as increased costs of food, higher transportation costs, traveling costs, earthquakes, drought, floods, nuclear power crisis, and tsunamis continue to pose a lot of uncertainty and challenges in the tourism industry. These continue to make proper planning and projection of the future of the industry more difficult. Political undulations also contribute to the increased lack of proper direction of the industry. Such problems could have long-term effects on the industry. As a professional in the tourism industry, I would focus on enhancing the level of involvement of stakeholders by ensuring that all possible challenges are addressed and contingency measures put in place.
I would approach issues with an open mind by being creative and conversant with the different professions that affect the tourism industry. I would focus on expounding my knowledge of social, political, economic, weather, and climatic changes, religious, security, and technological aspects of tourism in order to effectively plan. This would ensure constancy in the revenue generation levels from tourism activities. I would also engage in dialogue with the government to ensure that the tourism sector is not taxed heavily, as is the case currently.
Research is the pillar of development in tourism. I would undertake research and come up with recommendations to handle and effectively address challenges such as high inflation rate, insecurity, and redundant regulatory issues. The research would also focus on enhancing the well-being of customers and employees and the need for tourism professionals to be trained and made to understand the new market trends, modern competitive strategies, and the seasonal character of the industry. This would also be crucial, as it would help to eliminate the indiscipline cases of tourists and tourism professions (Ritchie et al. 2011).
Role of Professionals in the Tourism Industry
The tourism industry is very broad and dynamic. The major groups in it include travel and tour guide services, the transport and communication sector, the recreation sector, and the food and beverage line of business. Professionals in the tourism industry include tour guides, game rangers, hotel managers, tourism ambassadors, receptionists, drivers, pilots, front desk agents, room attendants, housekeepers, concierges, sales and marketing professionals, accounting officers, chefs and cooks, hosts, and hostess, bar attendants, food and beverage servers, caterers, heritage interpreters, taxi drivers, and travel counselors among others (Fortune & Schole, 2007).
Unlike in the past where the role of tourism industry professionals was restricted to their specific line of duty, the information revolution and challenges that face the industry have compelled professionals in the industry to employ dynamic and very creative operational tactics. As a result, proper and timely planning is a critical role of tourism industry professionals. To enhance the philosophical aspects of tourism and a sense of refreshment and nourishment, professionals in the tourism industry should plan well and be willing to offer the best possible services to their clients.
Constant research, the creation of innovative tourism programs, and the establishment of new trends in the tourism industry is major component of the tourism industry. Ideally, this role should be undertaken by top-level managers in the industry and other independent researchers with the aim of enhancing customer experience through a renewed level of creativity and innovativeness. This role also entails keeping track of analytics and metrics that clearly outline the position of tourism sales agencies, marketing, and management strategies. These professionals have a huge role in portraying a positive image for the industry and boosting a rich customer experience. The professionals have a duty to share information, train customers, offer security, and collect and disseminate information to the clients in a timely, cost-effective, and user-friendly manner (Ritchie et al. 2011).
As a professional in the tourism industry, I would work towards ensuring that I boost domestic tourism. I would work towards ensuring that both in-bound and out-bound tourism activities are focused on ensuring strategic measures are formulated to enhance a greater level of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. I hope to achieve this focus by inducing a paradigm shift and rejecting the common perception of the limited role of tourism (Ritchie et al. 2011).
I hope to achieve a number of objectives as a manager in the tourism industry. To begin with, I intend to revamp the industry and steer it to greater levels of economic development. This would be achieved by focusing on research because of my understanding that research is critical to the growth and development of the tourism industry. Since travel continues to have a negative impact on the environment, I shall work with like-minded professionals in order to discover more eco-friendly means of traveling. As a result, I hope to employ the concept of geo-tourism and space tourism, which would in turn revamp the slow rate of overseas travel. Through the formulation and implementation of modernized tourism policies, I would endeavor to ensure that most tourism processes are computerized. This would ensure that a greater level of efficiency and progress is achieved (Lew, 2008).
To ensure ease of communication, I will integrate all relevant social media platforms into my organization’s communication system to ensure that clients are not restricted to using a specific mode of communication (Ritchie et al. 2011) I would also undertake to enhance a rich sense of customer experience. Because of the likely shift in the tourism landscape, I hope to achieve full integration of various artificial, virtual and manufactured tourist attraction assets. I would also streamline the decision-making processes in the tourism industry by lobbying for a lean management decision-making structure. Rather than undertaking market campaigns, I would encourage my team to support domestic tourism by devising online and roadshow marketing campaign platforms.
Above all, as a professional in tourism and through foresight and constant planning, I would hope to lead by example by ensuring that my team of employees and I live fulfilling lives and prepare ourselves for more challenging management tasks in the future. To achieve this, I would conduct training programs that encourage cross-functional networking, employee exchange programs, and seminars.
Values and Principles
My conviction is that all human beings have the right to freedom and that they should all freely interact and move around the globe. While financial and political constraints may undermine people’s ways of life, it would be crucial to ensure that these external factors do not give other society members an upper hand in deciding how who, and where to spend one’s free time. Financially, I would venture into lobbying for the existence of affordable and easily accessible high-standard tourist attraction centers.
The principle of constant learning would be critical in ensuring that I remain relevant and fully equipped with the necessary skills and expertise in the tourism industry. Additionally, adhering to the cardinal virtues, I would do this by ensuring that I achieve self-awareness before attempting to understand other people. This value is aligned closely to my tourism career as it ensures that only relevant and customer-friendly innovations are implemented and that redundant business processes are rooted out of the system (Fortune & Schole, 2007).
The following four cardinal virtues would be my guiding shield in my profession. Fortitude, temperance, prudence, and justice are virtues that would enable me to remain steadfast and focused on achieving my set goals. In the time of tribulations and turbulences in the tourism market, the four cardinal virtues would be my guiding principles in ensuring that I remain creative, innovative, and sensitive to the needs and demands of all major stakeholders in the tourism industry (Lew, 2008).
Another value and core principle that would guide me in my career is the concept of simplicity. Since tourism focuses mainly on enhancing customer experience, the principle of simplicity would enable me to embrace simple yet very creative tourist attraction strategies as well as be sober when faced with critical, sensitive, and challenging circumstances. This principle would also enable me to think differently but be sensitive to customer needs.
The principle of accountability is the final principle that would guide my future career endeavors. To ensure that I remain informed of the happenings in the industry and effectively respond to the needs of stakeholders, I would ensure that I not only remain accountable to the shareholders but also to customers and other stakeholders. This principle would also enable me to be efficient and effective when undertaking my duties and responsibilities in the tourism industry.
Conclusion
Based on the above discussion, it is evident that the philosophy of tourism is time-bound because only people that travel out of their normal dwelling places for a period of less than one year could be considered tourists. The philosophy of hard work, engagement in leisure activities, and living fulfilling lives constitute the values of tourism. Tourism is important to societies, governments, individuals, and contributes greatly towards achievements of personal fulfillments if conducted professionally.
References
Fortune, F. & Schole M. (2007). A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. MERLOT/Journal of Online Learning & Teaching, 2(1): 1-7.
Lew, A. (2008). Long Tail Tourism: New Geographies for Marketing Niche Tourism Products. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 25 (3-4): 409-419.
Ritchie, J. R. et al. (2011). Impacts of the World Recession and Economic Crisis on Tourism: North America. Journal of Travel Research, 49 (1): 5-15.
Over the years, we have seen the development of the hotel industry worldwide on a scale that has never been witnessed before. This came about as a result of exponential growth in the tourism sector earning all countries that are favorite tourist destinations billions of dollars.
The exponential growth in the tourism industry created the need for more hotels. Enterprising developers identified the need and responded with alacrity and within no time, magnificent hotels sprang up wherever there was a need for one thus meeting the increasing demand for hotels.
All this was done without considering the implications of relentless development of the hotels to the environment thus the thoughtless development of the hotel industry increased the amount of stress on the environment.
The unregulated development of the hospitality industry has led to environmental degradation on a grand scale to the extent that the various stakeholders were forced to pause and rethink the implications of their myopic practices.
It was not out of their own volition but because if no action was going to be taken, they would have to wind up their businesses and the natural resources that they relied on to run their businesses which were in short supply as a result of the unsustainable development practices that were being perpetrated by the developers (Green Hotels Association 2011).
Currently, ecotourism is tourism that is aligned with nature and environmentally focused is on the rise. Most tourists nowadays consider themselves to be eco-tourists. This represents a market that is gradually coming to the forefront in the tourism sector that is environmentally friendly.
Most hotels have come to the realization of how adversely their business practices impact the environment around them and action is being taken to alleviate those impacts. Environmentally responsible business practices go hand in hand with the newfound popularity of ecotourism.
The term green hotels refers to those hotels that have made environmentally friendly practices their priority through the efficient use of water, energy and materials while at the same time providing quality services to their customers.
The environmentally friendly practices consist of saving water by regulating the amount used, reducing the amount of energy used and reducing the amount of solid waste being produced by the hotels.
By adopting practices that are environmentally friendly, hotels can realize numerous benefits which are; a decline in expenses and elevated proceeds. The benefits that have been mentioned along with many others are attributed to have made green hotels become popular leading to more hotels becoming greener.
The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which hotels can become greener by implementing practices that are environmentally friendly.
The purpose of a hotel going green is to eliminate the adverse effects on the environment by reducing the use of natural resources to the bare minimum and adopting more eco-friendly practices that would allow for the waste one produces to be used as raw material by someone else.
We are going to start off by exploring how the reduction of the amount of waste that a hotel produces can go a long way towards reducing the operational cost of running a hotel, enhance efficiency in the provision of services and allow more resources to be available for utilization by a hotel.
It is recommended that hotels incorporate the strategy of keeping waste production to a minimal capacity in their plans of putting together policies that are in line with the green initiative. The term zero-waste in hotels does not literally mean the elimination of all by-products.
It means the using of resources efficiently, the use of renewable sources of energy in a way that if there will be by products generated and as a result it can be used elsewhere as a raw material for processing other finished products.
The waste that has been produced can be separated into organic and non-organic waste. Organic by-products refer to those that can be safely assimilated into the natural system through the help of bacteria either in soil or into water. The process of breaking down organic waste for it to be assimilated into the natural system is referred to as decomposition.
After decomposition has taken place, what is produced as a result comprises nutrients that are beneficial to the environment. Organic manure can be applied in gardens around the hotel and this reduces on the cost of purchasing fertilizer from the market to be applied on the hotel’s gardens.
Non-organic waste on the other hand can be recycled over and over thus increasing their value. The process of recycling can be made much easier by providing recycling bins both in public as well as private areas. This will enhance the efficiency with which waste is managed and in the long run, the amount of waste being produced by the hotel will reduce considerably.
The other area for consideration is energy efficiency. Accommodations for tourists are often associated with extremely high energy requirements often used for heating and cooling systems. However, there exist endless options for conserving energy. Some of the strategies used to promote the efficient use of energy include the designing of passive solar heating and cooling systems.
During the day, solar panels trap the energy being produced by the sun. This energy is subsequently used to heat up water, heat up different rooms when it is cold as well as different areas within the hotel when it has become unbearably cold.
Solar energy has been identified as a limitless source of energy in addition to it being a clean source of energy. Gas and oil are non-renewable sources of energy in addition to them emitting green house gases that pollute the atmosphere.
For instance, the Sanga bay hotel in Sweden installed solar panels that were used to heat the pool and the sauna. This resulted in the reduced use of energy in addition to saving on money that would have paid for that energy.
The hotelier has to find ways of coming up with creative ways of rewarding hotel guests for their effort by adopting sustainable practices that are in sync with that of the hotel’s green initiative. Crown Plaza is an ideal exemplar since ‘among its services, for every guest who produces ten watts of electricity on the gym bicycle he/she is given a free meal.
The lobby area of the hotel together with the bar and restaurant area are supposed to be lit by daylight for as much as possible during the day thus, if a hotelier feels that it is necessary and he can afford it, he may opt for the installation of sky lights.
The provision of good insulation also comes in handy in the bid for cutting back on energy consumption. Good insulation significantly reduces the amount of heat escaping or entering a given area thereby rendering the cooling and heating systems useless.
Simple measures such as changing the thermostat settings can considerably reduce the amount of energy being used in a hotel. Using fluorescent bulbs instead of using incandescent light bulbs as simple as it may sound can lead to one saving a lot with respect to energy.
Fluorescent bulbs last up to ten times longer than the incandescent light bulbs in addition to that, they use 75% less energy and the long run, and this translates to saving of energy on a grand scale.
Hoteliers are charged with the onus of ensuring that they raise the awareness of their staff with respect to the basics of conserving energy. There might be things that staff members due to ignorance that contributes to an increase in the consumption of energy.
Such eventualities can be avoided through the simple process of educating the hotel staff. Simple things such as turning down heating or air conditioning when rooms are unoccupied, closing drapes during summer months to keep out heat can go a long way in terms of conserving energy.
The use of sensors and timers in areas that are not frequently used such as rooms contribute to the saving of energy. Hotels all over the world have come up with ways that will ensure efficient use of energy.
For instance, The Hyatt Regency International Hotel in New eland found out that their guests often left electric appliances, heating and cooling systems on whenever they were out of their rooms. The hotel developed a project that linked room occupancy with energy use.
Currently when a guest leaves the room all appliances that use power shut down with the exception of the refrigerator, alarm clock and other essential appliances. This measure has led to the hotel saving on the consumption of energy (Environmental leader 2008).
The other area of concern when it comes to keeping in line with the green initiative is water conservation. Water efficient practices use improved technology that provide the same or even better services using less water. Hotels are supposed to address how water is being used with respect to both the technical and human side of the water management issues.
It has been predicted that by the year 2011, the water used in high luxury facilities rooms will increase to approximately 475 gallons per day.
Such extravagant use of water will not only cost a hotel in terms of money, it will also impact the water supply of locals who reside close to the hotel. This goes to show that water consumption by hotels has far reaching effects that not only affect the hotel itself but also the community around it.
In most cases, water conservation can be a matter of purchasing proper systems and tools which if used efficiently will result in the reduction of the amount of water consumed and furthermore the operational cost with respect to water will go down as well.
Managers who are charged with the responsibility of running hotels should ensure that they purchase standardized equipment that is replaceable for the optimum performance in the long run.
Factors to be considered when choosing water sources include; the benefits one is going to derive from it, how renewable the water source is and the potential impact to the environment.
Thus, when potential hotel developers want to develop hotels, they should consider areas that have abundant supply of water. This way, the usage of water however much it is it will have minimal adverse effects on the surrounding environment.
Some of the measures that hotels can adopt in a bid to reduce the consumption of water include; the use of low-flow showerheads and faucets aerators. It is estimated that the payback period for their use can range between three to four years depending on the lifetime of the project.
In one documented case, the San Antonio based La Quinta Inn made an observation and found out that they used close to a billion gallons per year. The management of the Inn decided to install low-flow shower heads and aerating faucets in each room.
One year after the installations, the management of the Inn was delighted to discover that they had saved 180,000 gallons of water during that year.
In many institutions, it is found out that urinals and toilets consume a great amount of water. The THC Rotoura Hotel in New Zealand had urinals that flushed automatically every nine minutes. Each flush consumed 10 liters of water adding up to 66 liters per hour regardless of whether or not it was being used.
The management of the hotel installed sensors that detected when someone was using the urinal that allowed flushing at a specified time after use. This resulted in the reduction of water consumption from 66 liters to 40 liters during the day and 20 in the evening.
In order to reduce consumption, hotels should consider using toilets that have low flush volumes. There are also systems available in the market that is able to separate solids from fluids allowing for the consumption of decreased amount of water while flushing.
Hoteliers can also switch to drought resistant plants that are native to that area. Instead of having lawns that will require constant watering, they should plant hardy grass that needs minimum water to thrive. By adopting such practices that may seem inconsequential on the surface, the hotel is going to considerably cut back on its consumption of water in the long run.
There are other measures that when implemented by hotels can considerably contribute to the reduction of water consumption and enhance the efforts of water conservation. Hotels should consider serving water on request only in restaurants. This might seem trivial but the annual saving figures are immense.
Hotels might also consider the option of comprehensive rain water harvesting system. It is considerably cheaper to install relative to the other forms of water conservation but has proven to be a foolproof way of water conservation. All one needs are storage tanks together with the gutters.
There is also the option of collecting waste water and treating it through in house ETP. After all this has been done, the same is recycled. The constant upgrading of water consumption equipment is necessary to ensuring optimal utilization of water resources.
Solid waste management in hotels has got many components. They comprise of paper, metals, plastic, aluminum and glass. The implementation of a solid waste reduction program in a hotel can result in significant cost savings on the part of the hotel in waste collection fees at the same time contributing to the creation of a hotel that is more environmentally friendly.
Solid waste when left to accumulate over long periods of time hampers the environment. Heaps of garbage emit foul smells that contributes to the pollution of the environment not to mention the land fill fees that accumulate over time.
Most hotels are reluctant to develop and implement comprehensive policies that seek to address the issue of solid waste due to the lack of cooperation and coordination among management, employees and guests. This should not be the case though.
The management of the hotel is supposed to take the lead role in formulating and elaborating policies that are to inform their guests as well as the staff on how to proceed on the issue of solid waste management.
The management should find ways of making its staff to see cost benefit as an incentive. They should also formulate a system of rewarding staff members who have shown an initiative towards the management of solid waste.
There are hotels that have successfully implemented solid waste reduction programs and are reaping the benefits of their initiative. One such hotel is the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel. The hotel implemented its recycling program in 1994.
The hotel practices waste reducing measures such as purchasing of products whose contents can be recycled. In addition it provides environmental education to its employees. It also donates food to local food banks and is involved in the recycling of paper, aluminum and plastics.
The hotel has received accolades for its waste reducing efforts and it also mobilizes other hotels that are interested in the green initiative.
New Orleans Intercontinental commenced a recycling program in a bid to curb the increase in waste being churned by the hotel. It enlisted the services of staff whose work was to exclusively separate materials that had been disposed as trash by the hotel.
The management was amazed to discover in excess of $1000 of hotel property retrieved from the trash. Items ranging from napkins, towels, spoons and all kinds of cutlery had found its way to the trash bins. This, if done for a little longer would save the hotel considerably. The Chicago Hyatt also had the same experience.
The disposing of garbage accounts for huge expenses for hotels a factor that can be greatly minimized by recycling of wasteful packaged goods. Hoteliers can request their suppliers to deliver products with as little wrappings as possible or better yet they can ask them to deliver products and come for the packaging at a later date.
Another important aspect of the solid waste reduction program is addressing the issue of food waste. Wasted food forms a large part of all the waste that hotels and lodgings produce. Over prepared food, under prepared food, left over plate scrapings cooking losses and packaging failures result to accumulation of food waste.
Spoiled food and leftovers can be composted. Many hotels have come to the realization that it is better to compost food compared to having it hauled by trucks to landfills. This is because composting is a better way of putting to good use organic materials such as food.
The developing of a food waste reduction program is the only way that can adequately address the issue of solid waste. It involves several steps. ThunderBird Hotel in Bloomington Minnesota embarked on a comprehensive food waste reduction program.
The head chef was required to keep an eye on the food inventory, the amount of food per meal and the percentage of waste per every meal. This did not result into the reduction of food wastage entirely but it considerably reduced the quantity of food that went to waste.
The head chef did not stop at that but he went further and started to check the amount and type of food that would end up in the dustbin. After a while, the head chef could accurately tell which kind of foods were re-usable and came up with a plan on what adjustments were required when it came to the procedures of preparing food in order to reduce the quantity of food that went to waste (Howard 2008).
There are numerous other measures that when put in place can result in the general reduction in the use of either energy, water and the quantity of waste produced by the hotel. These practices comprise of discounts being offered to ecological institutions that intend to accommodate your hotel as well as hold seminars in it.
When replacing major mechanical equipment, it is advisable that one consults a specialist in that area. In most cases this gives individuals ideologies to either downsize or decrease the initial capital and expenses. Hotel developers should also consider using sustainable materials when they are in the process of constructing their hotels.
Material such as wood that are not renewable should ne given a wide berth. The forest cover as it is way below the recommended forest cover. It would be foolhardy for one to perpetrate the destruction of the forest cover instead of making an effort of trying to salvage whatever little that there is.
It is not easy for a hotel or any other institution for that matter to alter its way of doing things and adopt new practices. It will take considerable effort and time on the part of any hotel’s management to discard old habits in favor of novel ones.
The management of any hotel that is interested in going green needs to exercise goodwill through raising awareness of its staff on the importance of adopting sustainable practices that are aligned with the green initiative. It is not going to be all smooth sailing in the light of the fact that it is natural for human beings to resist change.
Some of the hotel’s staff might resist the envisioned changes but this should not deter the management from carrying on with its plans given the prospect of deriving benefits as a result of implementing and adopting sustainable practices.
The process of implementing policies that are in line with the green initiative does not necessarily need to be radical. A hotel can start gradually allowing everyone within the hotel to get the feel of the sustainable practices. Within no time, almost everyone will have gotten used to the now not so new practices and will be comfortable if more changes are made on the mode of operation.
A hotel can begin its green hotel process through the implementation of simple practices such as placing recycling bins around the hotel or asking its guests to turn off the lights after leaving the rooms. The said steps may appear to be simple but they will go a long way in making the difference and assisting in the development of a green hotel.
They are also less costly compared to other green approaches. A very vital fact in the quest to becoming a green hotel is the realization that while some steps may seem simple on the surface, none are inconsequential. They all contribute to the hotel becoming green.
Another consideration in the quest of a hotel becoming green is the installation of monitoring systems and standards for each area of the hotel. The systems are used for monitoring solid waste, water and energy areas.
This is very important as it will give an indication of the areas that are consuming the most energy, water and generating most solid waste. The moment the cause of the problem has been identified, the problem is as good as solved. The management of the hotel will promptly take decisive actions in an effort to address the problematic issues.
The setting of goals and goals and targets are potent tools for monitoring ones progress with respect to water and energy use as well as the generation of solid waste. This will assist a great deal in the quest of the hotel to cut back on the operational costs and will save a lot as a result.
One might wonder why environmental conservation has become such an important issue in today’s world and why almost everyone is going to great lengths in the pursuit of environmental conservation practices. There are countless reasons as to why environmental conservation has become such a pertinent issue nowadays.
Every institution worth its salt has come to the realization that if they continue with the traditional unsustainable practices while going about their business, they might as well close shop because soon there will be no one to provide services to as a result of environmental degradation that will lead to the decimation of the whole of mankind.
We are living in an age where the battle for the salvaging the environment has become a priority for everybody. The world as it is experiencing a climate crisis that is the root of our socio-economic problems. Climate change is a reality that is here with us.
It can be attributed to the unsustainable practices by human beings as they go on with their daily activities. Attention now has been shifted to finding ways of mitigating the environmental crisis that we find ourselves in. Some are of the opinion that it is a lost cause; damage has already been done and there is little that we can do to reverse the outcome.
On the other hand, there are those who strongly feel that we are not inextricably linked to the effects of climate change. They are of the opinion that something can be done to extricate ourselves out of the mess that we find ourselves in.
It is mainly because of this that everyone is rooting for the cultivation of healthy environmental idealism rooted in reality for us to stop the degradation of the environment that contributes to climate change.
The going green initiative in the hotel industry was designed to reduce the rate at which the environment is being degraded to the barest minimum. This can be achieved through the development and implementation of codes of practice that will ensure sustainable production and protection of the environment.
Practices such as the use of renewable energy, cutting back on the consumption of water and energy together with the reduction of the quantity of solid waste that is produced by hotels will assist in the conservation of the environment.
Another cause of concern for the stakeholders in the hotel industry is the contraction of the global economy occasioned by unsustainable traditional practices that are being used in the day to day activities of mankind. The continued use of non-renewable energy sources leads to their depletion. When these sources of energy are in short supply, their prices will inevitably sky rocket as per the law of demand and supply.
This will mean that in order for the daily activities of any hotel to run normally, they will have to part with more money to pay for the energy that they require. This translates to an increase in the cost of production that will be borne by the hotel. The hotel will have no other choice other than passing it on to its customers making the prices of its goods and services expensive.
Customers are always looking for a bargain so the hotelier will be sure to lose some of his customers who simply cannot afford the prices of that hotel. Indirectly, the use of non-renewable energy sources has contributed to the erosion of the buying power of the consumer.
Such is the scale of the effects of continually using unsustainable practices. The dependence on non-renewable sources of energy has to be reduced by hoteliers who want save on the cost of doing business. They will have also played their role in the much nobler cause of environmental conservation (Stipanuk 2006).
Consumers are expressing interests in associating themselves with institutions that are in support of the green initiative. Hoteliers therefore should consider aligning their practices in such a way that they become environmentally friendly, even if they do not get the gist of it, but for the sake of retaining their customers.
Finally, any hotelier who wants to be on the right side of history should take it upon themselves to mobilize the whole of the hospitality industry in a collective effort to adopt sustainable practices that will ensure the reduction of the carbon footprint and by extension conserve the environment for future generations.
Stipanuk, D. (2006). Hospitality facilities management and design (3 ed.). Lansing, Michigan: Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
The hospitality industry is a sector that has received plenty of attention in the recent past, and that more research is also being carried out in order to ascertain the needs of this lucrative industry. Businesses in this industry have fetched a lot of revenue and foreign exchange because of the needs of humankind at the moment that center mostly on leisure, food, and accommodation. More people are moving around the world in search of education, to set up their companies through globalization, to study, for tourism purposes, etc. hence the need to tap the money used for such requirements through the hospitality industry is evident. One of the ways of taping these proceeds is through the development of good restaurants for both leisure and accommodation purposes. In the UK, for example, there are many restaurants promoting various cultures and providing the necessities of different nationals visiting the UK for varied reasons. One of them is the Mortloch Hotel, situated on 30,000 acres of mature gardens and woodlands with splendid views of the surrounding hills; it provides accommodation, conference facilities, among other services. (Powers, 1995).
Research indicates that this hotel has failed in its business operations whereby we find that its employees are said to be demoralized, the hotel is said to have employed more than five managers, its facilities and equipment are terrible, the customers are reported to be complaining about the hotel’s operations, we also find that this hotel is reported to have a lot of debts which if not handled the hotel will probably run to bankruptcy. As a result of these challenges, the owner has decided to put the Hotel on sale. As a result of the need for diversification, the PDR Hotels & Resorts has developed an interest in purchasing the Mortloch hotel; the management of PDR Hotels & Resorts believes that investing in the hotel can be made perfectly by ensuring excellence in product and performance, therefore by committing themselves in purchasing the hotel they should always consider their reputation in the market place since it is regarded as the highly successful international luxury hotel & resort group, specializing in the premium end of the market.
Therefore for PDR Hotels &Resorts to revive the Mortloch hotel and ensure that its customers are served with good quality beverages, excellent entertainment, music, live bands, comfortable seats (chairs, sofa, and room tables), good customer service, and other great client services so as to place the hotel at a global perspective since the PDR Hotels & Resorts is already a global company with branches all over Europe, America, and Asia. Its management should ensure that the following factors are considered and adhered to:
Structure and organization
The organizational structure for the hotel should be such that there is a board of directors at the top of the management with a chairman as its head and various departmental head to head sections such as the human resource managers, supervisors, customer care representatives, financial controllers, sales executives, apprentice, and secretaries. All these people should be made to obey some form of command style in which the communication starts with junior officials to the senior officers and finally to the board of directors.
Products, services, and facilities
The PDR Hotels &Resorts should ensure that the Mortloch hotel engages itself in the provision of various services and products such as hotel rooms, various delicacies, entertainment, bars, refreshments and drinks, a modern GYM, conferences facilities, and a boxing arena. The hotel should be made to comfortably accommodate more than 500 visitors at ago making it one of the largest hotels in the UK. (Laursen K and Foss, 2003)
Image and atmosphere
The hotel should be able to create a positive image with many of its clients and the members of the public at large. In this case, the hotel should be able to successfully employ a diverse workforce who has mastered the art, culture, and food preparation for the existing population. This will make it possible the fact that more and more nationals will begin to acquire meals and other services at the hotel. (Allen, 1997).
Customer base, needs, wants, and expectations
Being a stylish hotel, Mortloch should be put in a position of attracting and maintaining a huge customer base ranging from 200 to more than 500 people per day depending on the time of the day. The main reasons for this will include; the blending of various cultural food and drinks with those in Europe, good advertising techniques, proper promotion, and excellent customer service, among other things.
Human resource management
There are some sets of human resource practices that are essential for any company, and that if they are not implemented well and in a proper manner, they will lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and general failure of the company. Recent research has suggested that HRM practices play important roles in the development of any organization. Therefore the Mortloch hotel should embrace this reality and come up with strategies for employee recruitment, planning, selection, evaluation, and dismissal by the management. This is because the Mortloch hotel management did not realize that there exists a distinctive link between the human resource management practices and systems that should be employed by the hotel and its overall productivity.
The PDR Hotels &Resorts should ensure that the Mortloch hotel has a good human resource department that gathers for the needs of its employees. It, however, needs to have some improvements to make in terms of formulating corporate strategies that incorporate systematic scrutiny and elucidation of the Hotel’s management avowal. The PDR Hotels &Resorts should ensure that the Mortloch hotel human resource department should also offer strategic plans to the rest of the administration when considering how the Hotel services should develop and in what ways the restaurant should propel for its success with regard to its future developments.
Despite all setbacks, PDR Hotels &Resorts should be able to foster an environment of growth and development in the next few years. The hotel also needs to be recognized with a superior corporate forecast whose object is to improve in general the assimilation of development schemes within the hotel, such as the improvement of human resource practices that should incorporate both tactical and strategic development agendas. (Allen, 1997).
Promotion and marketing
Marketing can be illustrated as a set of processes that are undertaken by an organization in order to construct, adapt and sell its products and services that the restaurant or any other organization for that matter engage in. One of the main objectives of marketing is to create consciousness and association between the company and the customers in a manner that will benefit the organization. Selling and marketing can therefore be described as any activity of any company that entails bringing more clients to the hotel in this case. Inventiveness in marketing is very important and indispensable today because it helps a company to come up with appropriate marketing techniques that are relevant to the market needs. In addition, it makes the company save on costs that could have otherwise been wasted. Every company requires an efficient marketing and promotional strategy in order to remain competitive. Therefore the PDR Hotels &Resorts should ensure that the Mortloch hotel utilizes telemarketing as a strategy to meet with its prospective customers. (Aviad, 2007)
The figure below describes the functions that the Mortloch hotel should employ in order to satisfy the needs of the government, environmental concerns, and customer needs, e.g., security.
The PDR Hotels &Resorts should ensure that the Mortloch hotel is able to engage itself in promotional activities such as the cultural festivals in the UK, and significant results should be achieved because consumers will definitely respond well in the process of making the company a cultural site for meetings, occasions and a center of attraction. the Mortloch hotel should also employ vigorous advertising campaigns through print media and billboards and which will attract a large number of customers to enjoy its products and use the services available there. (Davidoff, 1994).
Pricing
Pricing is one of the techniques of marketing which gives the organization the revenue it requires. When an organization overprices or underprices its products and services, there will automatically be a problem. There are various factors that are being undertaken in the hospitality industry before a pricing industry is adopted. With reference to Mortloch hotel, the factors that should be taken into considerations are; competition, market share, product identity, the income of prospective customers, season of the year, and government issues. The Mortlock should focus on producing quality products at a premium price which will help the restaurant meet its external costs.
Despite the fact that services and products from the company seem to be having an elevated price and cost, it can be attributed to the quality of the services being offered. This hotel should therefore adopt the following pricing methods; premium pricing, penetration pricing, and unit pricing to enable products and services to reach their marketing levels. (Aviad, 2007).
Hygiene and sanitation methods
Reviewing the current hygiene practices in this hotel shows that the practices are not excellent. First of all, the management in Mortloch hotel does not ensure that all the employees that handle food are in good health; since the employees of the hotel are unhygienic, this clearly indicates that the food being sold is always contaminated. Therefore to regain its reputation, the PDR Hotels &Resorts should ensure that Proper sanitation measures are ensured during food handling. This includes maintaining a high standard of cleanliness by washing utensils and cooking facilities well. The Mortlock hotel should have employees in charge of this sector who will ensure that all utensils are well cleaned after use. It should also ensure that the hotel has the necessary machinery that helps in the cleaning process.
Food storage in Mortloch hotel has not been taken seriously. To solve this issue, the PDR Hotels &Resorts should ensure that there are various storage facilities therein, including freezers which should be used to store the food that can easily go bad. There should also be food storage cabinets that will help to store foods separately to avoid the issue of food poisoning. The management should also keep in mind that food stored in containers is well labeled. This helps to minimize the problem of cooks confusing one to another. Front office house cleaning in Mortloch hotel should be done on a daily basis. This cleaning should be carried out by the auxiliary staff that will ensure that all the surfaces are clean. Dusting and wiping should be done with disinfectants. There should be vacuum cleaners which will aid in cleaning the restaurant. Various sanitation methods should be used, and this will ensure that sanitation is maintained in the hotel. (Powers, 1995).
Micro-Environment Analysis
PESTLE analysis
This kind of analysis is very crucial for any business because it gives an overview of how the company will perform given specific conditions in the host country, such as the UK in the case of the PDR Hotels &Resorts. In an effort to expand its market share, the PDR Hotels &Resorts has been able to utilize this concept and come up with factors that may either hinder or improve Mortloch’s hotel market share in society. The first one is the political factors, and since this is a hotel in the UK, it works under the laws and regulations of the country and which may not favor the operations of the restaurant. A lot of taxing, laws and other political systems have in one way or another interfered with the running, growth, and development of the company. In general, the business-political linkage for this hotel in the UK has been good, and there is minimum political prying that may hinder its growth in the future. (Hurst, 2007).
The other factor that affects the business environment is the economic factors that deal with the financial forces affecting the restaurant. There have been noticeable complaints regarding the adoption of a single currency such as the Euro, balance of payments, counter trades, fiscal policies, inflation, and monetary policies that may affect the growth of the hotel. Being a business that utilizes hospitality strategies to market its products, the social, cultural issue is very important here. Forces within the society, including social structures, family, education, and religion, may impact negatively or positively on the company’s performance. Societal aspects that affect our feelings, opinion, attitude, and interests on the way people view the populations’ culture, food, clothing, religion, and integration in the UK plays a role in the development of the Hotel.
Another factor is technology, and technology has changed the way this hotel operates markets and even promotes its business. As it plans to advance and go global, this is the major factor that will help boost its growth. The UK, for example, has well-defined technological systems, including ICT, that help company doing business in the country to improve. The rule of law and legal factors summarizes this analysis and, therefore, the way Mortloch Hotel functions in terms of operating rules of law, for instance, how it copes with the legal rules in the UK, is more imperative since it shuns legal fights and conflicts. (Hurst, 2007).
Decision-making process
The most critical factor is that of the inability of senior managers to provide the necessary support for the accomplishment of organizations’ goals in Mortloch hotel that supports change management. It is evidenced that the behavior of many senior managers has contributed immensely to the poor success of the organization. This is explicitly witnessed in the decision-making process. Senior managers have adopted the behavior of self-centeredness, and they always think that they are the only one who makes viable decisions in relation to goals being attained. This has resulted in lower-level managers and employees not performing quality work because they are always not motivated when carrying out their respective duties. No matter how well the organization’s values and culture are drafted, it requires the will of senior managers to maintain such values and cultures. The senior managers can change the attitude of their employees if only they can by example, which will lead to good motivation and thus successful attainment of set objectives. Human resource is the most vital asset in any organization, including Mortloch hotel and its senior staff has to enhance management efforts in their staff development in order to boost their morale and thus increase productivity (Schon and Allan, 1995).
Capital investment appraisal (Return on Investment)
The hotel should also use the capital investment appraisal, which is commonly referred to as capital budgeting which is regarded as the planning procedure that is meant to establish whether an organization will benefit from its long-term investments, for instance, various developments such as new machines. The hotel may do this by applying the Return on Investment which is actually the measure of the benefits in the monetary value obtained by an organization within a specified time. These benefits are normally for specific investments in a business transaction. In simple terms, ROI is the extent to which outputs exceed the inputs. In other words, the benefits accrued from the business surpass the costs. This process cannot be used single-handedly as a measure of the success of an organization. It can be used to evaluate the extent to which the desired return was achieved and also to justify a planned investment. There are also promotional costs that have to be considered in ROI. This is because many business organizations such as the PDR Hotels &Resorts make efforts in promoting their training programs. (Baumol, William, and Alan, 2006).
In this case of investing in the Mortlock hotel, the management should ensure that the days of promotional activity have to be considered and also costs incurred in external agencies. This also includes other direct costs of promotion like the use of brochures and posters. Administration costs are also included in ROI. This includes the time taken by the administration in organizing the entire promotional activities of the hotel. This includes direct administration costs in relation to an employee, for that matter. In calculated ROI, one has to include the cost of facilities. These could be external or internal. Facilities, in this case, include equipment used, open learning or self-study rooms, and training rooms. Student costs have to be included in the evaluation. This especially includes the productive work time that is used by employees. This is because organizations normally have to pay for employee’s payroll costs when employees undergo training during work time. Evaluation costs are also part and parcel of this exercise. This includes the time that is spent in evaluating the promotion. This system should actually be implemented in order to compare the profitability of the hotel; this should be done with the object of comparing different projects in order to come up with the best project that proves to be profitable. (Worren and Moore, 1999).
Conclusion
PDR Hotels &Resorts in the UK is one of the operations of the hospitality industry that has adopted principles and values for its services and products from other sectors of the economy. It has been able to boost the various culture, traditions, food, and religion in the UK, thus meeting the objectives and aims of any hospitality industry. PDR Hotels &Resorts has also been able to utilize effective marketing, promotion, and pricing strategies that utilize conventional ideologies to meet the needs of its customers. Due to the cut-throat competition being observed in the hospitality industry and, more specifically, the restaurant business, PDR Hotels &Resorts has to come up with marketing strategies that can make Mortloch Hotel maintain its market share. As many observers put it, consumers in this industry have become more informed and require more information on buying and spending in these restaurants or the entertainment center as such.
The HR department should formulate corporate strategies that incorporate thorough analysis and clarification of the corporation’s mission statement. The department should also offer guidelines to the rest of the management when considering how business should develop and in what direction it should be directed. In this line, the HR department should clearly ensure that strategies developed in the organization should be the ones that direct efforts towards accomplishing the organizational basic mission or purpose (Jeffrey, 2000). In order to enhance the activities of the corporation, the HR department should redesign the following areas in order to remain competitive in the marketplace and to respond to any changes in the marketplace. (Powers, 1995).
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The Australian tourism and hospitality industry is facing considerable challenges. Economic uncertainty, labour market issues, natural disasters, and other problems have profound negative implications for the development of the entire sector. Because the hospitality industry is labour-intensive, the quality of Human Resource Management approaches predetermines the successes and failures within hospitality businesses.
At present, hospitality managers and leaders are free to choose between the hard and soft approaches to HRM. The former relates to the importance of strategic control, whereas the latter is essentially about motivation through commitment. Senior leaders working in the modern hospitality industry in Australia must adopt a new set of soft HRM skills to ensure the rapid development of sustainable competitive advantage.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Australia
In Australia, the tourism and hospitality industry is rightly considered as one of the major sources of revenues and profits, as well as a unique provider of vast employment opportunities.
However, the past several years were not easy for the hospitality businesses in Australia. Back in 2011, Australia had to deal with a series of natural disasters, including Queensland floods, which caused the shutting of large industry parts for a long period of time.
However, even natural disasters were not as damaging to the hospitality sector as the changes in the labour and industry conjunctures. At present, the tourism sector is being pressured by the mining industry, which has become extremely strong and draws workers from hospitality. In addition, continued recession in Europe reduces the number of travellers, who are willing to visit Australia.
Nevertheless, the prospects of industry growth in Australian hospitality are quite promising. The sector is responsible for at least 15 percent of the national GDP and currently employs approximately 500,000 workers. The growth of the new Asian economies, including China and India, promises to increase the number of international visitor arrivals in the nearest time.
Outbound travels by Australians will also increase, outpacing the growing frequency of international arrivals. What the hospitality industry needs is to emphasise the quality and relevance of its labour force, since the presence of high calibre workers is a vital prerequisite for the industry’s survival.
HRM within Organisations
The role of HRM in organisations has been abundantly explored. Moreover, in the recent years, researchers have become particularly attentive to the way HRM influences organisations’ performance. Earlier, the role of HRM was that of training, rewarding, and monitoring workplace performance. Today, the role of HRM has transformed, turning it into a vital driver of firms’ competitive advantage.
Present-day firms have abandoned the systemic view of HRM, which treats human resources as a distinct set of various practices related to personnel management. HRM has become strategy-oriented, and the appropriateness of its practices is reconsidered in light of the appropriateness and effectiveness of firms’ competitive strategies. As a result, the focus of HRM in the hospitality and other industries is on “adopting a new strategic role concerned with developing the organization and the capabilities of its managers.”
Current HR Practices in the Hospitality Industry
Given the unique specificity of the hospitality industry, it is possible to assume that the way HRM operates within the sector differs greatly from the way it works in other sectors. Generally, the hospitality industry is characterized by the high numbers of young, unskilled and low-skilled, low-paid casual workers, whose turnover rates are also high. According to Lucas, the hospitality workplace is highly individualistic, while the majority of HR practices are carried out by general managers.
HR managers and general managers in the hospitality industry do not rely on teamwork, while the instances of recruitment are much more frequent than in other industries. Statistically, at least 63 percent of all employees surveyed by Lucas came to the hospitality industry within the year prior to the study.
Recruitment methods used in hospitality are more informal and, at times, personal recommendations are enough to provide employment. However, the structure of rewards and benefits in the hospitality industry, as well as the historically “low-status” image of the tourism sector, exemplify serious barriers to hiring and retaining quality staff. The hospitality industry is well-known for its low pay and poor conditions of work. As a result, it comes as no surprise that most hospitality businesses experience the lack of professional workers.
Two Approaches within HRM: “Hard” and “Soft”
Generally, two different approaches can be distinguished within HRM. They are usually referred to as “hard” and “soft” approaches. The “hard” version of HRM is inseparable from tight strategic control. “Hard” HRM is quantitative and calculative; it is rational in everything that comes to business and organisational performance. In “hard” HRM, human resource practices and policies should be closely related to the organization’s strategic mission.
It is possible to say that, in the word combination “human resource”, “hard” HRM places emphasis on “resource”, while “soft” HRM is more “human”. In “soft” HRM, human relations, commitments and talents shape the basis for developing a sustained competitive advantage. This model of HRM is synonymous to high commitment work systems.
The basic intent of “soft” HRM is to generate workplace commitment through rewards and recognition of talents rather than external pressures and strict control. “Soft” approaches to HRM rely on communication and interaction. They emphasise collaboration and teamwork. “Soft” HRM facilitates the development of the employee development environment. Unlike the “hard” approach that is unilateral, autocratic, low-skilled and hierarchical, the “soft” approach is pluralistic, participative, demonstrative, and responsibility-devolved.
“Soft” HRM and the Development of Sustainable Competitive Advantage
The debate on how hospitality firms can develop a sustained competitive advantage is ongoing. Undoubtedly, employees and customers in the hospitality and tourism industry have become much more demanding. The centrality of HRM in driving firms’ competitiveness cannot be ignored.
The “soft” HRM approach is often claimed to be best suited for driving sustained competitive advantage in firms. This assumption relies on the premise that “soft” HRM drives competitive advantage by means of workplace commitment and inimitability of human resources. It is not difficult to imagine that people, who are strongly committed to their work and enjoy the workplace environment under the “soft” HRM model, will be much more likely to work for the benefit of the organisation and drive its performance in the long run.
Surprisingly, the current research says little about the relationship between “soft” HRM and sustainable competitive advantage. Generally, the concept of sustainable competitive advantage implies that the firm has a superior strategy that helps the firm resist its competitors’ advantage in a long-term perspective.
However, since sustainable competitive advantage is impossible without skills, it is “soft” HRM that emphasizes talents, commitments, teamwork and skills and that can also give hospitality firms a unique chance to sustain their competitive advantage over a prolonged period of time.
Enabling “Soft” HRM in Hospitality
One of the main questions is how managers in the hospitality industry can enable the implementation of “soft” HRM approaches. Basically, engagement and coaching represent the two most essential aspects of “soft” HRM hospitality businesses can adopt in their striving to improve business performance. More specifically, such firms will have to invest considerable resources in the development of their talents and skills.
They should pursue communication, openness and, therefore, trust in the relationships between employees and managers. The most essential enabling factors of “soft” HRM also include flexible work designs, teamwork, decision making involvement, participation and professional development, training, and pay-for-performance. The principles of control should be delegated and devolved.
Challenges to the Organizations Taking the “Soft” Approach
Excessive reliance on “soft” approaches in HRM is likely to raise a number of challenges, chief among them being misuse of responsibility and high investment turnover. In hospitality firms that do not know how to manage devolved responsibility, the consequences of “softness” in HRM may become devastating. However, the biggest problem is that the rhetoric of “soft” HRM does not always match the organisational reality.
Organisational behaviour may change little or not change at all, even when the organisation has all prerequisites for developing and implementing “soft” HRM models. The “soft HRM rhetoric communicates an attractive image of people trusting each other, sharing risks and rewards, and united by a strong feeling of identity, but it gives little sense of the impersonal economic rationalism that characterises management thinking in the real world.”
In other words, “soft” HRM approaches may lead hospitality firms into the darkness of irrationalism and unreasonable trust, thus losing the grip of the rational economic choices that are bound to profitability goals and strategic objectives.
“Soft” HRM and Senior Leaders
The use of “soft” HRM in the hospitality industry demands that senior leaders adjust their skills and decision making styles to match the requirements of the “soft” model. It goes without saying, that changes in HRM approaches invariably impact senior leaders. A senior leader who is trying to comply with the principles of “soft” HRM will first have to adopt a vision that differs from everything everyone else has been doing.
This vision should be clear to everyone, and the leader must ensure that it makes sense to everyone within the organisation. In addition, the leader must create a team of people, who support the vision, understand it, and show commitment to it. Such leader will have to provide continuous support through education and training, praise followers for their achievements, create employment conditions that foster and encourage personal development, and motivate followers to improve their skills and refine their talents on an everyday basis.
In the hospitality industry, many of these tasks are likely to be challenging. The reason is that leadership and HRM responsibilities are often imposed on general managers. They may simply be unable to combine their numerous tasks and obligations and bring the hospitality business towards its strategic goal. This is why the modern hospitality and tourism industry in Australia demands the creation of new leaders, who are aware of the benefits and challenges of “soft” HRM.
Discussion
The current state of the hospitality and tourism industry in Australia has enough resources to pursue continued growth but, at the same time, faces a number of challenges. Today’s hospitality managers are being torn between the “soft” and “hard” approaches to HRM. The former emphasises workplace commitment and talent development, while the latter is about strict compliance and workplace control.
Senior leaders in the Australian hospitality industry have different skills and talents to develop sustainable competitive advantage through “soft” HRM, from professional development and training to communication and employee engagement. However, the challenges posed by the use of “soft” HRM models should not be ignored.
Therefore, and taking into account the economic, labour, and social problems in the hospitality industry, senior leaders should find an appropriate balance of soft and hard approaches, which will motivate employees to work better while making them more responsible in their workplace obligations.
Conclusion
The vital role of HRM in driving firms’ competitive advantage has been abundantly explored. Today’s hospitality and tourism industry in Australia can use the growth potentials of HRM to meet its long-term sustainability objectives. The current research suggests that “soft” HRM holds a strong promise to develop and sustain firms’ competitive advantage in the long run.
This can happen, if senior leaders in the hospitality industry promote personal development and encourage their followers to participate in workplace decision, as well as create flexible work designs and facilitate teamwork.
However, given the limitations of “soft” HRM, senior leaders should find an optimal balance of the “soft” and “hard” approaches, to ensure that hospitality workers operate in favourable workplace conditions that foster their development and career growth, while also monitoring their compliance with the rules of the workplace game.
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The tourism industry is a major part of the global economy and in some areas, it can be the primary or even only source of income for the local economies. However, due to its reliance on the natural environment, conditions, and weather at the destination, this industry is especially vulnerable to natural disasters. They can cause significant harm by directly damaging the properties and infrastructure, but also indirectly by causing social and economic disruptions. Furthermore, since a tourist destination’s attractiveness depends on its image as a safe and reliable place, a disaster can leave a lasting impact on it by creating feelings of danger and uncertainty.
As the tourism industry expands and develops, current research and policy-making exist that focus on minimizing the damage a natural disaster can cause, or accelerating recovery after one. Other policies seek to involve the local community in recovery efforts (Torrentira Jr, M.C. et al., 2019). Certification and accreditation standards have a significant effect in improving businesses’ performance (The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [UNISDR], 2015). Finally, natural disasters create an opportunity for businesses that cater to a specific kind of tourist that is interested in observing these disasters first-hand.
Industry overview
The tourism industry is one of the major global industries. It represents over half of service exports in certain countries as well as “covering more than 3% of global GDP” (Popescu, Nicolae and Pavel, 2015, p. 1). It is also growing rapidly, with the number of international tourists doubling between 1995 and 2013 (Tsai et al., 2016). In some areas, tourism is the primary, if not the only, source of income (Seraphin, 2018). This represents the significance of the industry as a necessary part of both local and global economies. However, the industry is heavily reliant on the natural environment and weather (Tsai et al., 2016).
Tourists’ choice of destination is heavily dependant on the local conditions at said destination. Although some of these conditions can be maintained by the local authorities and industries, others, such as weather, are unpredictable.
A major area of risk in this industry
Natural disasters are unpredictable, dangerous, and can have devastating effects on economy in general and the tourism industry specifically. As one example, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland in 2010 led to £80 million in losses due to cancellations by airports alone (Kim and Macrouiller, 2015, p. 946). Certain areas, like the coastal regions of the U.S., tropical regions, or small island states, are more vulnerable to disasters such as hurricanes (Becken and Khazai, 2017; Kim and Macrouiller, 2015).
These events are going to become more common and potentially damaging due to the predicted effects of climate change (Kim and Macrouiller, 2015). As they are capable of causing significant damage and losses, mitigating the consequences of natural disasters is a critical part of the tourism industry in areas that are vulnerable to them.
The tourism industry is particularly vulnerable to disasters because of several factors. Becken and Khazai (2017) establish four reasons for this: its more disaster-prone location, the industry’s lack of knowledge and preparedness, poor assessment of vulnerability, and its “limited integration with national disaster management systems” (p. 97). Although the first reason is unavoidable, others present broad areas of improvement through research, funding and policy-making. Currently, the adoption of non-structural strategies for mitigating the consequences of natural disasters within the industry is limited (Nguyen, Imamura, and Iuchi, 2016).
Therefore, understanding the impact of natural disasters on businesses in the tourism industry and working to prevent and mitigate the possible damage is a critical part of decision-making in these businesses.
Natural disasters affect the tourism industry not only by directly damaging its infrastructure and property. They also disrupt the local labor market and fluctuations in tourism-related stock prices (Kim and Macrouiller, 2015). A region suffering from a natural disaster can also hurt its reputation and image as a tourist destination by inspiring fear and uncertainty, lowering its attractiveness (Tsai et al., 2016). This points to the importance of dedicating resources to minimizing the possible damage of natural disasters, as well as maintaining a destination’s image.
As the tourism industry grows, response to natural disasters will become even more important. The effect of natural disasters will likely increase “as tourism becomes increasingly hypermobile and the global economy even more interconnected” (Hall, 2010, cited in Kim and Macrouiller, 2015). Furthermore, the ongoing climate change, or global warming, can greatly and permanently affect the attractiveness of tourist destinations. An obvious example is ski-based tourist destinations suffering from the warmer weather, where businesses are forced to close or invest in snow-making technology (Tsai et al., 2016). Similarly, a natural disaster can devastate an unprepared tourist destination and render it inoperable either through direct damage or a loss in attractiveness.
Standards relating to the identified risk area
Depending on a destination’s location and vulnerability to particular natural disasters, it can benefit from different certifications and standards. The ASEAN Tourism Standard is focused on general security and disaster preparedness; Tsunami Ready is a standard coordinated by Indonesia’s Bali Hotels Association and certifies hotels prepared for tsunami and earthquakes (UNISDR, 2015).
Other standards include the Cristal International Standards, which are tailored to individual hotels and involve crisis management aimed at preparedness to natural disasters (UNISDR 2015). Hotel Resilient is an initiative to create an international set of standards to ensure that hotels are prepared for natural or technological disasters (UNISDR 2015). These standards help ensure that tourist destinations can deal with natural disasters that are likely to affect them, as well as guide their general safety and security.
Developments in dealing with the identified risk area in this industry
Modern developments regarding the tourism industry’s response to natural disasters focus primarily on resilience, preventing damage from natural disasters and reducing the time it takes to recover from them. This ability to quickly adapt to external disturbances is critical in the tourism sector (Orchiston, Prayag and Brown, 2016). The measures aimed at improving these areas can include “proactive policymaking, planning and implementation of disaster risk reduction” (Becken and Khazai, 2017, p. 97). To this end, policies are being developed that would require tourism structures to receive certain engineering certifications as a pre-condition for loans or insurance (Becken and Khazai, 2017). Certifications such as these can be important in ensuring the safety, resilience, and attractiveness of tourist destinations.
Since natural disasters affect entire regions and communities, and tourism can be a significant part of the local economy, local communities are naturally involved in the recovery efforts. Various community-based disaster management (CBDM) and community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) approaches exist, aiming to minimize costs and external involvement in natural disaster management and recovery (Lestari, Paripurno and Nugroho, 2018). Although these approaches do not necessarily target the tourism industry itself, they benefit it by improving the recovery speed and overall image and attractiveness of the area.
In addition to their negative effects, natural disasters can present a unique opportunity for tourism. There is a growing field of businesses catering to people interested in directly observing hurricanes and severe thunderstorms (Seraphin, 2018). Additionally, an increase in tourism has been triggered in the aftermath of some natural disasters as the recovery efforts themselves became an attraction (Tucker, Sheldon, and Bae, 2016). These examples show that natural disasters can leave an opportunity for growth in the tourist industry if the businesses can adapt to the change.
Reference List
Becken, S., and Khazai, B. (2017). ‘Resilience, tourism and disasters. In Slocum, S.L., and Kline, K. (eds.) Tourism and Resilience. Wallingford: CABI, pp. 96-104.
Kim, H., and Marcouiller, D.W. (2015). ‘Considering disaster vulnerability and resiliency: the case of hurricane effects on tourism-based economies’. The Annals of Regional Science, 54(3), pp. 945-971. Web.
Lestari, P., Paripurno, E.T. and Nugroho, A.R.B., 2018. ‘Disaster risk reduction based on community through a contingency plan for mount Sinabung’. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, 21(3), pp. 231-245.
Nguyen, D., Imamura, F., & Iuchi, K. (2016). Disaster management in coastal tourism destinations: the case for transactive planning and social learning. International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, 4(2), pp. 3-17. Web.
Orchiston, C., Prayag, G., & Brown, C. (2016). ‘Organizational resilience in the tourism sector’. Annals of Tourism Research, 56, pp. 145-148. Web.
Seraphin, H. (2018). ‘Natural disaster and destination management: the case of the Caribbean and hurricane Irma’. Current Issues in Tourism, pp. 1-8. Web.
Torrentira Jr, M.C. et al. (2019). ‘Dimensions of citizens’participation in disaster response in Davao City, Philippines’. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Educational Sciences, 7(10), pp. 117-129.
Tsai, C.-H. et al. (2016). ‘Perceptions of tourism impacts and community resilience to natural disasters’. Tourism Geographies, 18(2), pp. 152-173. Web.
Tucker, H., Shelton, E.J., & Bae, H. (2016). Post-disaster tourism: Towards a tourism of transition. Tourist Studies. Web.