Over the past two decade, China has emerged as the most important emerging economy in the world. The economic development of the country has attracted significant attention to its many other attractions including its numerous tourist sites. Many people have come to discover that the country offers many fascinating views for the tourist.
The capital city of China is Beijing, a city that has a long and rich history. The city has many historical and cultural attractions that would appeal to the visitor. There are many fascinating sites that will impress a person including the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. Beijing is a crowded city and one can compare its heavy traffic flow to that of New York. However, it is easy to navigate around this city by use of the modern subway system. The Beijing subway offers a convenient and relatively cheap means of traveling while in the city. While moving around the city, you will encounter numerous stalls selling the delicious Beijing duck snacks. You should not leave the city without trying this enticing delicacy.
The two major sites that you must visit during your two-week vacation are the Great Wall and the Palace Museum. The Great Wall of China is arguably the country’s most famous tourist attraction. This imposing wall is located in the Northern part of the country and it stretches for an impressive 6,700 kilometers. The Chinese refer to it as the “10,000-li Great Wall” (Fang 13). Many tourists are intrigued by how the Ancient Chinese were able to construct this massive wall. Historians reveal that the wall has a history of about 2000 years and it was constructed by different dynasties between 7BC and 14AD (Fang 13). The wall has become a defining symbol of China’s proud history as well as its present strength. Visitors to the Great Wall are allowed to climb it at certain sections of the wall. There are staircases and passageways that make the climbing process easy and safe. From the top of the wall, one is able to enjoy the expansive natural scenery spread out below.
The other major site that one must visit is the famous Forbidden City, which is officially called the Palace Museum. This vast and impressive palace is located at the center of Beijing. The Forbidden City has a rich history, as it was the extravagant palace used as the official home to many Chinese Emperors. Emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties used this palace, which is the largest and most complete ancient wooden-structure building complex in the world. Knell documents that the Palace Museum houses a vast collection of imperial art treasures (150). The impressive imperial throne, which was the center of China’s administration in the monarchial era, can be seen in the Palace Museum.
In addition to these two major sites, you can also visit the Tiananmen Square, which is one of the largest city squares in the world. At this site, you can purchase kites and fly them in the square. You can also visit the Bird Nest, the name given to China’s impressive National Stadium. This stadium is regarded as an engineering marvel and it is the largest steel structure every constructed. The stadium is very colorful especially at night when its lights are turned on. One can enjoy the amazing architecture of the structure even as he/she walks around the stadium.
Taiwan is one of the most natural and fascinating destinations in Far East. Taiwan is mainly a mountainous Island with one of the best natural scenic features in the world.
Taipei, the capital, has one of the best scenery all over Asia. It is located in the West Pacific Ocean and has close links with the Mainland China. In fact, China considers it to be one of its territories. The countries closest to Taiwan are China, Japan and Philippines.
For a seven-day visit, Taipei the capital city should the best place to visit especially on a luxury trip like this one. The most convenient and efficient airline to Taiwan has to be China Airline which accounts for the highest number of passengers to Taiwan with world class services, and flies daily to the Island.
Taoyun airport is the most convenient landing site being only under an hour drive from Taipei. On arrival, the fleets of buses that operate daily are the best to take one to the hotels although taxis are also available. For a seven-day trip, summer is the best time for a visit as out door activities are more during this time of the year.
The main languages in Taiwan are Taiwanese and Mandarin. As for the main culture, multiculturalism has been endorsed as the age of globalization sets in.
In the past, the culture of Taiwan had been mainly influenced and formed by the process of imperialism. The main religions, these are: the traditional Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk religion which have greatly influenced the culture of the island. European and American cultures have also become very popular in Taiwan because of the global cooperation and collaborations (Ryan & Neo 66).
Taiwan has risen rapidly in industrialization and development and many people are flooding to the small Island for the experience, work, leisure, adventure and business.
Taipei should be the main destination for any one visiting for a seven-day trip. The city is located in the northern part, is the biggest city in the north, being the heart of Taiwan in terms of political, economic and social affairs. Due to the rapid expansion, the city has expanded rapidly making it the fastest growing city in Asia so it will be a memorable experience.
Some of the places and sites to visit and stay are:
Gloria Prince Hotel in Taipei is probably the most convenient for a seven-day luxurious trip. The hotel has 5-star services with fitness equipment, free internet and it is only fifty-minute drive from the intended airport of arrival, the Taoyun International Airport.
More to that, the hotel is only a short drive away from the most spellbinding tourist attractions like the famous and awesome Shilin Night Market.
The Shilin Market has all sorts of delicacies. The market has also many massage parlors, fortunetellers and temple for good luck. It is big shopping and almost all fashion trends can be purchased from here. For prior reservations, booking can be done online making it convenient, time and energy saving.
Transport can also be arranged with the hotel on request and collection at the airport can be provided if arranged for (Kelly & Brown 56).
Fried pork buns are very popular.
Taiwan has a wide a variety o foods to chose from and has one of the widest varieties of cuisines to offer in all over Asia. However, the Island has maintained a wide variety of Chinese food some of which are known to have been discovered thousand of years ago, making it a haven for traditional foods.
The foods are prepared with exemplary Chinese expertise that has passed from one generation to the other. The foods have been widely credited and have been recognized allover the world for their appealing color, flavor, spice and aroma making the food in Taiwan world class.
The wide variety of foods offered include the various varieties of meat, which have been cooked with great expertise. Some of the animal meats available include pork, beef, duck, chicken and lamb.
The meat could be roasted, smoked, barbecued or braised allowing a wide range to choose from; vegetables and black beans are also served in plenty. Seafoods are the mostly consumed dishes with one of the widest variety to choose from in the world found here. Almost all sea creatures are readily available and the various cuisines are made from this seafood’s diversity.
The island has green forest with amazingly beautiful mountains standing erect over the greenery. The people of Taiwan are regarded as the friendliest all over Asia and one need not worry about the kind of reception expected. Security is also well catered for with criminal activities reported being among the lowest in East Asia (Rubinstein 23).
The Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei will be must visit place for a nature lover. It has volcanic geography and numerous hot springs. The Park is a perfect summer resort owing to its breathtaking mountainous scenery and hospitable, comfortable weather. The park has some of the most peculiar animals, which would be enjoyable to catch a glimpse of. These include the Taiwan bandicoot, Formosan boar, and Formosan rock-monkey amongst many more.
The Chung Cheng Memorial is another of Taipei’s captivating scenery. The octagonal shaped historical monument rises seventy meters or so from the ground and the entrance door is more than a hundred feet tall making it an awe site of the traditional Chinese civilization (Fang 123).
Aniki Night Club is suitable for party lovers with a mix of contemporary urban and Taiwanese music dominating the airwaves. The club is also famous for the large Babylon Sauna (pictured) which has a large majestic pool, the steam room that attracts most of the revelers.
The club has a well-designed lounge for both Chinese and English speaking partygoers with large television screens. Private area and sex rooms are also provided. Stripper shows are also very famous which are very popular with people from the Western countries. The telephone number is 886.02.523.5898 and the address is B1, no. 20 Lane 353, Linsen North Road Taipei, Taiwan.
Taipei becomes the number one choice for a seven-day tour. Apart from the discussed features, Taiwan can also offer a passenger lift viewing of the city, which is over 500 meters from the ground. Dragon Mountain Temple offers a perfect reflection of Taiwanese religion as people of all faiths gather here to worship the so-called Goddess of mercy.
Fresh juices are also locally available and noodle soup. Various festivals are also held at different times of the year. These include the Buddha’s Birthday, Celebrating the moon, but for a festival lover, then the Lantern Festival is the biggest and most indulging. Basking in the hot spring could also be fan while having a trip to Taiwan (Faure 34).
Works Cited
Fang-Long Shih. Re- Writing Culture in Taiwan. Abingdon: Routledge, 2009.
Faure, David. Society. Hong Kong: Hong University Press, 1997.
Kelly, Robert, Brown Joshua. Taiwan. New York: Lonely Planet, 2007.
Rubinstein, Murray. Taiwan: a new history. New York: M. E. Sharpe, Inc. 2007.
The hospitality industry in Kenya is growing and businesses are still thriving despite the challenges facing them. Social media is a great tool for recruiting individuals into an organization. It allows one to share the job postings with an entire network and encourages two-way conversations. Even if people reached are not interested in the role a business is hiring for, it is likely they may recognize someone who is fit for the position. The Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa’s management has struggled in this aspect of business in the digital era. It can improve the situation by investing effort and resources into social media platforms, creating accounts and interacting with different users. Through sharing photos and videos of events held on the hotel, more people can have increased interest for working in the establishment. Additionally, through an application such as LinkedIn, it will become easy to locate potential employees.
The Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa in Mombasa is encountering a problem of retaining and finding talent and that of personalizing a customer’s experience. Maintaining a sufficient number of workers is critical and determines the level of success of a business in the sector. In 2016, fifteen thousand individuals were employed in the sector. The figure is projected to increase and as the industry continues to bulge, sustaining while also attracting top talents in the job market will become a priority. This is an issue that has already started affecting the hotel in discussion.
For it to edge out the competition, it has to ensure that it has top skills and retaining them is a major challenge. Statistics suggest that around one-third of employees quit their jobs after being there for only six months. Forty-five percent of them manage to stay for averagely two years. From waiters to stewards, individuals have not lasted long in the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa. The hotel’s management at the start of 2018 felt that since it was an issue affecting various businesses, it should not pay much attention to it. In 2020, the view was different as the organization realized that there are entrants in the market who could pose a threat to the share since they have the best trained people working for them. Therefore, it needed to develop strategies that will help to attract more candidates to submit their applications and find ways to keep the already-hired individuals happy. The management of the organization settled on two techniques to solve the issue; that is, using social media and implementing an employee referral program.
Apart from that, the management has thrived in implementing an employee referral program. Capable and qualified individuals often make a habit of surrounding themselves with other highly trained professionals. Whereas many people may already be sharing open roles with great contacts in their networks, a well-designed referral program can encourage even more to refer the elite talent they know. The organization has provided bonuses for referrals and made it a contest so that it can create excitement on the issue among employees.
The second challenge that Sarova is facing is difficulty in personalizing a customer’s experience. Travelers have become accustomed to streamline as well as individual shopping experiences. This has also become a wake-up call for hotels such as the one in discussion. Providing clean and good design services is not applicable anymore. The digital era has steered an increased demand for more individualized traveling and lodging experiences. Taking advantage of the trend has been a major problem for the organization. The infrequency in travel has made it hard for the business to understand more concerning the clients. To deal with this matter, the management is offering peculiar designs and locally-sourced food and drinks in an attempt to create memories that will customers for another stay. Additionally, through social media, the brand has mobilized traffic to improve the experience.
Weaknesses facing the Organization
Failure by Management to Implement Competition Strategies
Every type of business in any sector experiences competition from other organizations. This can be good as it forces the businesses to grow and excel since they challenge one another. However, this could also be a problem for those that fail to implement capable strategies that will help in keeping up with competition in the market. For instance, the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa’s management has been realized to use plans and approaches that are outdated which means that they are unable to help in the current times. For instance, most organizations nowadays have established a competitive edge by having a great social media presence. To beat them, one has to be better at engaging consumers and potential clients online. The management has not realized this yet and thus, other 4-star hotels are getting more clients than them.
Lack of Experienced Managers
It is the responsibility of the management to forecast and put in place plans to encounter any financial constraints that may face the organization in future. However, at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa, most individuals working at the management level lack skills to accomplish that. This made it hard for the hotel to predict the losses it incurred during the pandemic period in 2020. If there were capable managers with adequate experience, upon the announcement of the first case, the resort would have established strategies to ensure they still remain at the top in the hospitality sector in Kenya.
Lack of Accountability Systems to Monitor the Personnel
One of the reasons most organizations have failed in the hospitality sector is due to the high corruption level in the management and lack of systems that can aid in reviewing their performance. Rather than focusing on how the business can grow and capture new market, individuals have focused on enriching themselves using the firm’s finances. People employed in managerial roles have been discovered to use their access to organizational resources to steal from Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa. Assessing how certain number of resources allocated to a particular individual and how they have utilized them will help to save much money that gets lost mysteriously from the hotel. If this is not the case, then the establishment is likely to become bankrupt in a few years.
Mistreatment of Suppliers by Management
A business in the hospitality industry is reliant on the goods from suppliers and has to ensure that the flow is reliable. Failure by the latter to deliver on time, means that the customers will be impacted. In the recent years, it has been discovered that most suppliers have withdrawn their services from the hotel since they are not being paid on time. That delay has discouraged many individuals from partnering with the organization. If no action is taken against the individuals responsible for this, the situation could lead to poor services for the clients which could lead to losses.
Less Tech-Savvy Individuals among the Staff
In the organization, very few staff members have knowledge of using new technological devices that would help transform the hotel’s operations. For instance, data entry is a part of welcoming guests at the resort. There are gadgets that help to achieve that easily but most employed individuals at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa do not have knowledge of doing this which delays entrance of clients.
Threats facing the Organization
Terrorism
Kenya, the country the resort is in, has faced much pressure from the terrorist group that is based in Somalia, the Al-Shabab. Previous attacks at Westgate Mall and others at the Coastal region has made many individuals from foreign nations to resist the urge to tour the place or settle at the hotels near in the area. One of the establishments is the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa which is at the threat of closing in the near future if the issue continues. People want to feel safe during their vacation and if this is not guaranteed then they choose other places whereby they can feel secure.
Airbnb
Another major threat to the business in discussion is the emergence of the Airbnb establishments in Kenya. Many individuals are investing in the business and attracting more people. Kenyans and others from other countries have been seen to prefer these apartments since they have special offers that can be found in a hotel such as Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa. The prices for staying in the rooms are also lower than the ones charged by the 4-star hotels in Kenya. In the event this trend continues then the latter would run out of business.
Politics
The political atmosphere in Kenya is not conducive and can be very discouraging for foreign visitors. The post-election violence in 2007 resulted in many people losing their lives. As the country is headed for another general election in August, some fear that the outcome might not be impressive to one party’s supporters and thus lead to violence. International visitors make up a significant percentage of individuals in the hotel and therefore this could cause the business losses.
Media
Media in the developing countries has been used by a few individuals to hurt others especially in business and politics. The lack of freedom has forced journalists and reporters to report false claims about certain organizations with the intention of leading them out of business. This is a technique that has led to many companies closing down their operations as the management officials are linked to scandalous events. For instance, in the hospitality sector, potential guests and visitors trust the media to understand the right places to visit on a holiday or vacation. If someone reads from a newspaper, hears or watches a statement from the television that a particular hotel has certain dysfunctions, it is difficult for them to go to those places. The lack of freedom and corruption whereby one business can pay for another’s name to be tarnished is a threat to the operations of Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa.
Reputation Management
One issue that is crucial in determining the success of a business in the hospitality sector is reputation. The image people have about the organization can determine whether one will have new or return visits. When customer service is poor, no individual will want to spend money for a night at the establishment. In the internet era, this could be disastrous as a person can share the information through the social media channels and instantly, it could become a trending topic online. Dealing with the repercussions could be a difficult task and could impact the future of the business.
Potential for Growth for The Organization
Opportunities
Technology
As much as technology offers a challenge and the hotel is still struggling to keep up with the latest trends in the sector, the management should take advantage of the situation. This can be done by not only developing an application for the organization but also improving the website. Such efforts will ensure that the establishment learns what the customers desire and whether or not they enjoy what they have to offer. For instance, in Google Analytics, one can be able to check the number of times the website has been visited by new or returning users. This is important as high number in both categories is positive as it reveals that the hotel has captured people’s attention. Integration of the latest technology into daily operations can aid in establishing a social media positioning strategy that will be helpful in gaining a competitive edge.
Apart from that, Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa can use the website to showcase photos and videos of the events that take place there. Quality images will attract guests from various places and thus boost the numbers. This is also a tactic that can steal clients from a rival business in the same industry. Additionally, a website is important since it shows that a brand is credible and can be trusted. It acts as a physical address or contact which clients search for when trying to check which organizations with whom to partner.
Real Estate
At a time when there is a threat to the business, entrepreneurs look for other strategies to continue gaining profit or even earning more than usual. For instance, during the pandemic, companies that had invested in real estate especially hotels started switching to office buildings. The reason for this is that people will not see it fit to spend much money for a single or two nights at a hotel room when the financial situation is unstable. The same individuals would be interested in acquiring a lease for an office since it is long-term. This is what Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa needs to do.
The current political situation in the country is not good and there is a chance that the hotel receives lowest numbers during this time. This has changed how the real estate industry operates at the moment. The situation gives the management an opportunity to invest in ventures such as office buildings. This would ensure that the organization still earns profits that will be important in supporting and helping them get back to normal operations after the general election in August. Many businesses in times of crisis fail and even close due to lack of planning. This is a perfect plan for the brand as many political aspirants are looking for places to set up as their offices.
Market Development
Betting has grown and become popular in Kenya very quickly, giving established businesses an opportunity to expand and grow. Companies from both locally and internationally have ventured into the business by investing large amount of resources. The firms have gained much profits from the investments as more and more people are interested in gambling. This is a chance for Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa. Instead of having its own betting platform, the hotel can integrate a casino into the establishment. Many individuals would be drawn there which means that they will get to see other services offered.
People have grown tired of viewing advertisements on televisions or even online. They want business owners to show them what else they have to offer. A casino is a great addition to a hotel since there are already resorts that provide the same services as the one in discussion. This is a feature that could distinguish Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa from other businesses in the hospitality sector especially at the Coastal region of the country. Differentiation is an important part of gaining more market share and thus, growth. The outcome would be more visits which means more profits and an opportunity to expand into other areas surrounding Mombasa.
Product Development
The standards in the market regarding the hospitality sector are changing and individuals want a different type of service every time they visit an establishment of their choice. A poll conducted on Twitter showed that Kenyans wish for new or improved services to be introduced by hotels. With product development, an organization can either introduce a new product or better the existing one. In this case, the hotel has an opportunity to enhance the customer care services as it would set it apart from other businesses in the hospitality industry. In the recent past, customers have become critical of the type of customer service they receive. Using the internet and social media pages, they have disgraced establishments that treated them poorly which have resulted in losses as clients boycotted those organizations.
It is the responsibility of the hotel’s management to look at the ways the business can improve. Product development is an issue that can help the growth of an organization. Most companies that have failed to do great in business or closed down ignored the reality of the matter that people’s wants change. As more brands enter into the market, individuals desire to explore various tastes and thus, it is essential to ensure that one’s brand remains adaptive and get better.
Vertical and Horizontal Diversification Using Acquisitions
In an attempt to grow and expand in terms of gaining more market share and generating more revenue, a business can indulge in acquisition. The hotel can acquire various establishments that are struggling financially in the sector and thus grow. In the Coastal areas in Kenya, where the resort is situated, there are many businesses that have been started due to the high number of tourists and visitors. All of them have their strengths and most of the time, the smaller brands in an attempt to grow, offer special delicacies that can only be prepared by the local people but still struggle financially. The main constraint they have is the insufficiency in resources which is something Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa has in abundance. By acquiring the various hotels, it can be a win-win situation for all of them. The brand in discussion grows while the others gain resources that can help them become better in the market. Additionally, during the acquisition, the smaller businesses can use Sarova’s name which would guarantee much more attention to the establishments.
Strengths
Well-Trained Workforce
Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa has well-trained management and staff that is devoted to working towards the company goals as well as personal ones. When an individual is dedicated, it means that they are motivated to perform their roles. This in turn suggests that the customers on the receiving end of the services are in good hands and thus their needs are met. The hotel has thrived in ensuring that this is the case by sending the employees to training programs on a regular basis. Additionally, members of the management teams are asked to attend seminars. This is where they meet others at their level but working for various organizations and share valuable information about how to endure the pressures of the 21st century client. While applying for a job position at the organization, one is needed to submit certificates that attest to their qualification.
Considers All Types of Visitors
For a hotel to accommodate every type of visitor, it has to ensure that the rooms are conducive for individual guests or a group of persons. At the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa, it is easy for someone with a family to find accommodation suitable for a stay of however duration. The only information needed while registering is who are the guests. For instance, the establishment identifies people under the age of seven as babies, those between 7 and 17 years as children and others as adults. This data is key it helps the staff understand the type of room for particular individuals. Apart from families, even those that are working or attending a business meeting can be accommodated at the resort as there are halls that cater for such needs.
Native Employees
In addition to a well-trained management and staff, the hotel has employees that have grew up in the Coastal areas and understand the various cultures of the people in the surrounding communities. When individuals visit the region, one of the attractions is learning about the different traditions present in the area. This cannot be taught unless by someone who is a native. By employing such people, the hotel is a position to offer more than accommodation services which sets it apart from its rivals. Individuals choose organizations that are willing to go an extra mile. This is important as the clients are usually charged when visiting various places to study the customs of the Coastal communities.
Good Ratings from Past Clients
The other strength of the organization is that it has always been associated with success. A poll conducted on Twitter asking about the satisfaction level of individuals after visiting the resort, confirmed that the business was ranked among the top in East Africa. When an organization has good ratings, clients are naturally drawn without having to invest as much on marketing as other brands. Despite the pandemic hit and other issues such as taxes and insecurity in the areas, the management has been able to ensure that the business operations run normally. People have seen the efforts the business is making towards improving. Once the market notices that a particular brand is not content at the level they are in and are constantly searching for ways to get better, they lean in towards them. This is a reason why people are willing to pay whatever it costs to be hosted at the hotel and another reason why the resort keeps growing.
Safe Accommodation
Previous visitors can attest to the fact that Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa offers secure abode that is away from their homes. No one can deny that it provides a safe accommodation for individuals, who are not only tourists but also businesspeople, when they are not close to their usual residences. The hotel itself boasts of many decent rooms that are of high standard. With a range of services and staff that is dedicated to deliver and cater for the desires of the customers, it is fitting to state that clients’ needs are met at the establishment. They provide every person a place to rest and relax from all the stress about daily life experiences and work. Without the hotel, vacations as well as road trips would not be possible or even safer.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Conclusion
The hospitality sector in East Africa and particularly in Kenya, is growing at a fast pace. Businesses are thriving in spite of the various challenges that continue to emerge due to the changing business and political environment. The Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa in Northern Coast of the country is encountering a problem of retaining and finding talent and that of personalizing a customer’s experience. The same can be said about other organizations in the same industry.
It is important to note that the growth and success of the hotel in discussion is highly dependent on the state of not only global economy but also the local. Additionally, having capable and adequate personnel guarantees success for the business in general. This means that recruiting and maintaining sufficient number of workers is critical. Five years ago, fifteen thousand individuals were employed in the hospitality industry. The figure is projected to increase and as the sector continues to bulge, sustaining while also attracting top talents in the job market will become even more of a priority for Sarova. Most brands are struggling with the issue which should not be the case in a country where unemployment is at an all-time high.
The paper shows a tactic that can be helpful in dealing with the matter mentioned above. Social media is a great tool for recruiting individuals into an organization. It has allowed many to share job postings with an entire network and encourage two-way conversations. Even if people reached are not interested in the role a company is hiring for, it is likely they know someone who is fit for the position. The Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa’s management has invested effort and resources into social media platforms, creating accounts and interacting with different users. Through sharing photos and videos of events held on the hotel, more people have gained more interest in working for the establishment. Additionally, through an application such as LinkedIn, it has become easier to locate potential employees.
Recommendations
Even though the hotel is making strides towards establishing itself as a huge player in the hospitality industry in East Africa, there are various ways it could still improve and beat the competition. For instance, in its marketing strategies, the management could become more active on social media and give them a better chance at attracting new market. In this era, very few people watch television for advertisements on places to visit. Most are using platforms such as Instagram or Facebook to see the photos of establishments they should tour. It is thus, the responsibility of the management to ensure that they develop a team of individuals who understand the type of content users online prefer.
Apart from marketing, the hotel can improve on its recruiting techniques. Even though there are many young unemployed people in Kenya, where the resort is established, this does not mean that it is easy to acquire the top talents in the job market. It as well does not suggest that retaining already-hired staff is an easy task. Using modern channels such as social media platforms and websites can ensure that one gets what they need. For instance, on a platform such as LinkedIn, employers meet candidates and this is where they can check on their qualifications. Through this, not only does that the hotel saves on time but on resources as well.
Lastly, it is important that Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa management understands carries out activities that help to promote the image of the company. Most establishments in the sector have found themselves in a bad position in the market since a competitor collaborated with a media station to damage their reputation. To avoid such problems, the hotel in discussion can get involved in charity events that aim to help the local communities.
According to Bourdain, “traveling” can be a compulsion. Traveling can be a privilege because it helps a person see the world’s colors and flavors. Trips can help many people examine the unique differences and similarities existing among human beings. Bourdain’s discussions can help a person remember all his or her important trips in life. This explains why I have remembered my first trip to a foreign country. I will always remember this “important” event because it gave me a new opportunity to explore the world. The trip was a rare experience because it gave me the chance to examine the world from a different perspective. The trip took place after completing high school. I had gone to a foreign country for my studies.
An Important Trip
To begin with, the trip was a turning point in my life. The trip helped me rediscover new skills and ideas. It became one of my “memorable” experiences because I had the opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds. I also acquainted myself with various cultural practices and behaviors. The trip was a wonderful experience because it helped me explore the world from a new dimension. I will always remember everything about this trip because of certain “occurrences”. To begin with, it was my first time to stay alone. The other memorable thing about my “trip” to a foreign country was the opportunity to see new landscapes and sceneries. It was my pleasure to enjoy the country’s “wonderful” climate. I also had the opportunity to see new plant species, animals, modern infrastructures, traditional costumes, and architectural designs.
During my stay in a foreign country, I interacted with many people from different cultural backgrounds. These people had various religious beliefs and traditional practices. Humans will always communicate amongst themselves because they are “social beings”. The trip allowed me to interact and exchange views with different people. This experience also widened my communication skills and problem-solving abilities. I also had the privilege to acquire new competencies and ideas from my friends and classmates.
The experience was also hard for me especially after arriving in a foreign country. I had always lived with my parents before visiting this new country. However, this time, I had to live alone. As Bourdain argues, “trips” will usually keep people away from their friends, relatives, and parents. I had to take care of everything without getting any help from my parents or relatives. Everything was extremely hard for me, especially at the beginning. This explains why it took me a few weeks before I got used to the situation. However, the trip was an important “experience” because it allowed me to interact with new people.
Conclusion
Finally, Bourdain’s writing is a masterpiece because it reminds me of this “wonderful” trip. This is the case because the author explains how trips can help people “rediscover” themselves whenever they travel to new locations. According to Bourdain, “Travel Writers” will always get the opportunity to admire new landscapes. As mentioned earlier, “traveling” can become a form of compulsion. Trips can be the best way to see the world with “inner” eyes and understand it much better. Bourdain’s work offers useful insights that can help travelers keep the best memories from their trips. In conclusion, I will always be willing to visit new places to view human life from a different angle.
A PESTLE analysis is an in depth assessment of the different factors that directly or indirectly affect the operations of a given industry and are usually external meaning that they are out of the corporations control. Furthermore, these factors are analyzed either as threats or opportunities.
Generally, there are variations of this kind of analysis but touching on the same basic components. A PESTLE analysis examines the political, economic, social, technological, legal and the environmental factors. The discussion below is an in-depth look at the factors affecting the hotel industry in China.
Political factors depend on the government controls and obligations imposed on an industry. The government of China has a policy of non interventionism on all businesses and believes in the operation of a free market system. This is both an opportunity and a threat as the prevailing conditions in the different regions of the massive Chinese frontier are different from place to place.
The government has a disjointed policy in the way that it affects tourism and the hotel industry as a whole since, the Hong Kong sector seems to be autonomous of the rest of mainland china. This has had a negative impact on the general growth of the industry since, while some areas are booming with high average room occupancies, some are experiencing slumps.
The Chinese economy is the second largest in the world and it is the fastest growing in the developed world at over 10% annually. This has been characterized by a high Gross Domestic Product to the benefit of the industry. Consumers therefore have a higher purchasing power but this has somewhat been curtailed by the global economic crisis experienced recently.
The unemployment rate in most of china is low and therefore, the cost of labor is moderate. However, the costs of operation in the hotel industry in china are very high in many areas especially in major cities like Hong Kong and Beijing.
The steady increase in the number of double income families has had an impact on the standards of living by increasing the size of the disposable income. This serves to increase consumer spending and has positively impacted the hotel industry (Cheverton 2004, p. 75).
The social context in china is also very stable as the society is very conservative and therefore trends are not likely to change as fast as they do in western societies. China has a very large number of unskilled laborers. This means that skilled labor in the country is expensive.
Technological factors refer to the need for people to upgrade their skills and for business to upgrade to newer platforms occasioned by advancements in technology. The major shift in the hotel industry has been the adoption of information and communication technology in undertakings.
This has been efficient in the processes of reservations and monitoring of guest expenditure within the hotel premises. There has also been the transfer of arrangements between two institutions in different countries and with collaboration with foreign investors all made possible by the presence of technology.
China has transformed its policy on travel and presently, there are very few restrictions for travel to china. Consequently, there have been a high number of visitors to china, most of who are business travelers and only make stopovers in china hence patronizing the hotel facilities available. The travel rules that had been imposed against the travel to and fro mainland china and Hong Kong have also been eased.
Additionally, hotels in china are subject to only 3% government tax. This means that there is more revenue that the hotel industry in the country saves as a result of the taxation structure in comparison to other developed countries worldwide.
The environmental factors that are characteristic to the hotel industry mainly involve the control of pollution in major Chinese cities and also the spread of diseases in the crowded areas of operation. The level of pollution is very high especially in Hong Kong and the government is taking key steps in an attempt to reduce it.
There was also a scare when the SARS outbreak was experience in china and many tourists and travelers to china canceled their trips (Normile and Enserink 2003, p.40). Although the virus has been contained, there is still sceptism on the capability of the government to detect outbreaks early and contain them given the size of the population.
Reflective Thinking
Reflective thinking is important in the running of any organization. The goal of this practice is to create meaning to different situation, to regulate behavior, to refine and redefine the values for which you stand for, to challenge any assumptions made in the course of action, to learn about who you really are and to assess your intuitions.
The major point to remember here is that the greatest hindrance for individual development lies within the individual himself. The initial step towards positive growth is by reflective thinking and in particular stoppage of ones habitual patterns and course of behavior and stand back to view things from a different perspective and in a different light.
Forrester (2011) states that the best decisions, insights, ideas, and outcomes result when we take sufficient time to think and reflect ”Only by carving out think time and reflection can we actually understand, in an entirely different context, the actions we take.”
Think time should be scattered within the normal activities and densely packed schedules. This should be applied for significant decisions that are still pending and whose initial effects might not be evident for some time.
Assumptions are considered, the effectiveness of past decisions is analyzed and the downside of the decisions yet to be made is factored in. however, an individual should consider think time as a luxury because in the normal working environment, there is no time to sit back and think.
In the heat of things, the leader does not fully see the task ahead and therefore, cannot weigh the impact a decision will have on his personal and organizational development. The purpose of reflection is therefore to equip oneself with the necessary skills that are needed to expand perspectives and in turn to present more valid options in decision making.
This is core to leadership and should entail the ability to visualize what others cannot and make them in turn see it. Although a luxury, leaders should always spare sometime to think and to create hypothetical situations in their minds that may be possibilities for future occurrences. In turn, they must visualize possible solutions to these problems when they occur.
The world we live in is insistent on narrower viewpoints as people become more specialized. This is useful for advancement of useful theories in diverse studies. However, as leaders, individuals should not confine themselves to narrow viewpoints demanded by their specialization.
On the contrary, they must widen the scope of their views to incorporate different scenarios that will occur in the organizations environment that may require snapshot decisions.
Therefore, leaders should teach themselves the value of being able to step back and analyze a given scenario critically and to conjure up a wide array of different solutions with different consequences and be able to make the best decision for the good of the organization in general.
Many organizations fail in their endeavors because they value immediacy and focus on the short term instead of reflection and seeking long term solutions to chronic problems. As a leader, one must continually to challenge oneself in different fields aided by reflective thinking in order to give viable guidance to those that look up to you for it. Thoughtful insights are not aspects that can be contained within a given time frame.
On the contrary, they may be realized sooner or may take time depending on the considerations to be made. The results of reflective thinking are not hinged on the amount of time that the person spends on his thoughts. Far from it, the real results are gotten by how the thought process is structured and utilized within the amount of time available, usually long moments that are disjointed.
A leader should consider allocating time for all of his staff members to be engulfed in their thoughts in order to be more effective. The popular method of achieving this is by having a no-internal-e-mail-day policy where technology does ceases to serve as a distraction.
Most of the support members in an organization concede that when they are over worked, they usually do not have time to think. A leader, however much he is worked, should never resign to being comfortable with the status quo and embracing it as a proven method of operation.
In summary, it is paramount to be aware that thinking creates reality. Reflection as controlled thinking is as a result of two vectors, namely the individual’s competence and his authenticity (Baldino 2011, pp. 2). This is a conglomeration of skills, specialty and know-how with individual identity, attitude and character which should make you into a better and more effective leader.
Motivation
Motivation entails the forces which compel individual to achieve their goals. To influence a person’ s motivation is getting the person to want to do what you as a leader knows must be done (U.S, Army Handbook 1973). Motivation is influenced by how strong a certain need is and the perception that a person has of the on the satisfaction of needs.
Motivational forces are many and range from beliefs to fears, from values to interests and even to worthiness of a cause.
Motivational factors can either be internal or external but neither is stronger than the other in absolute terms. While dealing with people, one must understand that there is no proven formula for motivating them and therefore, the specific nature of the person you are dealing with will determine what he/she responds best to.
To be effective as a leader, one must focus on the needs of the team and that of the organization and make sure that they are in sync. This means that the common motivators of people in every organization like promotions, raises, job security and approval from colleagues should form the basis on which the organization is built.
Furthermore, people working in the same industry, like hospitality, tend to have common internal ethics, morals and values as is demanded by the career choice. Staff members must be encouraged and trained to the specifications of the organization and must realize that their needs are tied to those of the organization.
The leader must ensure that his beliefs and those of the company are in tandem with those of individual team members as ultimately, the kind of values exercised will be the motivators of performance.
A good leader must be able to reward the best behavior within the group. There are different and effective ways of awarding. A simple thank you, a letter of commendation or a certificate may be equally efficient in motivating staff (Pardey 2007). In the hospitality industry, where service is the key source of business, interactions with people are inevitable.
Leaders should cite the best behaviors in dealing with guests and reward the specific behavior rather than a general message of gratitude. This serves as a blueprint for the repetition of the particular action and in turn serves as a perfect motivator.
The best motivator for staff members is the example they get out of their leader. Therefore, as a leader, one must always be the image of demure goodness in order for the same to rub off on the subordinates. An effective leader is always aware of the morale and esprit de corps in the organization.
This means that the environment within which the staff team members operate is conducive and does not cast the image of a place where people desire to get away from. Morale and the team spirit must always be high in order to guarantee the optimum performance of the employees (Achua and Lussier 2010).
This can be achieved by ensuring that there are enough amenities for staff, for example within a hotel setting, where they can relax during breaks and also after work hours and enjoy the same services as do the guests in their private areas at no profit to the organization. This way, they feel that the organization does have their best interests at heart and are motivated to work harder and better.
Good leaders are those that realize the potential within their team members and work to harness that to the benefit of the organization. Thus, they allow the team members to be part of the planning and problem solving process. This allows the members to feel as part of the solution and thus develop an ownership notion to the successful implementation of their decisions.
This investment in the processes is the greatest motivator as these ‘owners’ would not like their ideas to fail and thus work hard at making them come to fruition. After the idea has been successfully implemented and the desired effect is achieved, a leader should make sure that the deserved recognition is awarded. The motivational effect from such a gesture is invaluable.
It is in the nature of human beings to show and want concern therefore, a successful leader should be able to recognize this fact and ensure that his team members are aware that he looks out for them.
The things that a leader may view as insignificant may be of importance in the lives of the team members. It is paramount that the leader be sensitive and empathizes with them. In a nutshell, the leader should be able to feel with the rest of the team members as if he was in their shoes as is insinuated by the German word einfuhling.
Power
The main point to consider for a person aiming at advancing in the hospitality industry is that power is the reason why most people fail to succeed.
This is simply because power is not only exercised by those in authority but rather by those who understand how to get it and how to share it with others for the common good of the organization. The most important consideration for prospective leaders is that they need to learn the ways of skill empowerment, competence enhancement and energizing leadership power.
The initial step towards the realizing of the above considerations should be to invest in individual infrastructure. The most important point to consider here is that there must be a lot of investment in time and effort (Gill 2008). In order to be a good leader, one must first identify a person in a leadership position that inspires and is a role model.
Record the way the person carries out his activities and note all the desirable traits you would like to develop in yourself. Be eager to learn more by purchasing materials that appertain to leadership including books and journals and run the traits you read with those that you observe in the role model. By then you should start appreciating yourself and noting the traits you admire and those you aspire to change.
The next step is to make sure that you meet with other people with the same mindset with a view to improving abilities, skills and behaviors. Finally, in order to be a leader, one must be willing to serve and as such one should be involved in communal affairs or teaching that enhances and hones your leadership skills.
As a leader in the hospitality industry, one must create a conducive environment that enhances the transference of optimism, confidence and professionalism from yourself to your employees and eventually to the guests.
In order to have the right kind of power, a leader must learn to use the hope of the subordinates to inspire visionary ways. On the contrary, a leader can use worry and fear to inspire the same but the latter does not create the necessary aura needed for the employees to function independently and to the best of their abilities.
The visions that a leader projects based on the hopes and faith of team members should be positive and vivid. In attempting to do this, one should consider the methods applied by Nobel Peace Laureate, Dr. Martin, Luther King, Jr. who was very famous for inspiring hope in the struggle against supremacists (Bell, Hilb and White 2004).
In order to successfully exercise power, a leader must not only be visionary but must also be strategic. There should be a laid out plan of action with a goal that it is meant to achieve in the end. In doing this, one will need to pool the right resources, constantly reevaluate the strategy, informed by recent occurrences and observations and measuring the effectiveness the execution of the strategy has achieved.
Power is wielded in many ways and the most common tool is by word of mouth. Therefore, a leader must ensure that the words and instructions to team members aim at speaking to their hearts and are encouraging and inspirational. The leader’s sentiments must reflect appreciation for the contributions, commitments and uniqueness of the team members.
Words have the power to inspire or destroy confidence, depending on the choice and the context in which they are used. Leaders must always be aware of the effect their words will have on people and be able to determine whether it is the right one well in advance.
People’s opinions, ideas and dreams are always expressed in words, so are their reservations, biases and any other ill feelings they harbor. As such, the choice of words is aimed at communicating these sentiments and therefore, a leader should always be aware of the sentiments he wishes to convey.
Effective leaders are those that are congruent, cooperative and consistent. The actions of such a leader are in line with his words, his attitudes rhyme with his conversations and his values are linked to his behavior.
Additionally, this type of leader applies the same standards to everyone he is involved with, makes decisions only when he has all the facts available and always follows the same course when faced with a recurrent problem. Finally, this kind of leader realizes that in order to enlist the cooperation of his team members, he must respect, value and work with their desires, decisions and differences.
This involves asking for their opinions, listening to their thoughts and always factor in their inputs so that whenever something happens, “we” takes credit over “I” (Thomas 2004, pp. 5).
Decision making
Critical decision making is perhaps the most important factor in the development of a leader (Megginson and Whiaker 2007). This is because the consequence of reflective thinking, motivation and exercise of power is the decision making component. Decision making is a result of a leader’s self-awareness, skills and competence.
The most fundamental principle in making important decisions is self confidence. The confidence one has in his mental capabilities ultimately determines how he envisions the world around him and in turn the analysis of a situation. Self confidence is not only beneficial to the leader but it also rubs off on the other team members that look for guidance from him. This can therefore be the difference between success and failure in an organization.
A leader has to be analytical. The facts that he perceives from a given situation should be what informs him to act in a given manner. An analysis of a situation for a leader should be able to yield multiple courses of action that have different implications.
The leader thus considers all the facts that he can conjure up and makes a decision based on them. In considering this aspect of a leader, there is a glaring need for him to be critical in analysis in order to get on the right track straight from the get go.
Understanding the value of research is key in determining what course of action a leader takes. This is because decision making is dependant of having the right facts concerning a different situation. The leader should thus be a person appreciative of the value that research has in the determination of the components of a given scenario and consequently the determination of the course of action that is preferred (Proctor 1999).
In the hospitality industry, there are many occurrences happening simultaneously. A leader can never purport to be in keeping with all of them. Therefore, anything that happens warranting his attention can only be solved by gathering facts. This is closely related to the need for skills in conflict management.
Managing conflict is a major determinant of how an organization will run. Conflicts can either be between team members or between team members and the work environment including tools and other resources (Deutsch and Coleman 2000). A leader should be very keen on how he manages such a crisis as it will influence the actions of the concerned parties.
An amicable resolution of a conflict leads to motivation of team members involved. However, if a leader does not resolve a conflict in an amicable manner, it will only serve to add frustrations to the affected party and can have a negative impact on the morale and attitude of the aggrieved party.
Leaders do not have to overwhelm themselves by attempting to make all decisions in an organization. Decentralizing the decision making process can aid in relieving a leader of the excess baggage in order to focus on the long-term future of an organization (Novak 1997, 24). This also acts as a motivator of team members charged with the responsibility of making some critical decisions.
It also challenges team members to develop solutions and thus can generate new ideas and concepts that can de fundamental in charting the course for future action. However, this does not insinuate that a leader abdicates his duties. On the contrary, he should be the one that takes responsibility for any decisions made by his support staff and should vet these decisions in order to eradicate conflicts caused by inconsistent actions.
Tichy (1998) compares good leadership to good parenting and asserts that there should be a considerable investment in time for both scenarios. There is also what he refers to as a “teachable point of view” whose main focus is on nurturing the team members so that they also ultimately become good decision makers.
Furthermore, a leader should have the courage to make decisions and in turn take risks that he thinks will pay off in the end often in the face of opposition.
Critical decision making is the difference between a bad situation and a good one. Leaders should be people capable of making positives out of negative occurrences like down-sizing, budget restraints and increase in workloads.
A person who wants to transform into an effective leader should visualize this setbacks as opportunities to learn. One should look towards the negatives in order to gain experience in dealing with them. Ultimately, this strengthens the leader and fosters growth.
The skies were clear except for an occasional cloud which appeared and vanished just as quickly. I made my way towards the park as I feasted my eyes on the picturesque scenes that were in my line of view.
I could make out the Chillon Castle and the Montreux Palace which is said to span as far back as the 17th century. However, the main attraction still remained to be Lake Geneva; Western Europe’s largest body of water whose crescent shape gives it an almost mystical look. The Lake lay calmly surrounded by the snow-capped Alps that only added to its allure.
Today was my personal day and I had decided to spend the day along the shores of Lake Leman and probably take a trip into the lake if I got the opportunity to. Even as I approached the lake from the South Westerly direction, I couldn’t help but think that the colorful brochures offered by travel agencies to tourists describing the lake as “a scenic attraction of unrivaled proportions that you will fall in love with” were not too much of an exaggeration.
Out in the distance, I could see pleasure boats sailing up and down the lake under the backdrop of Mont Blanc. My thoughts were jolted back to the present as an eager sailor shoved me to the side as he made his way to the docks, his shoulders laden with a heavy looking back and a long fishing rod sticking out like a flag.
The steady traffic of people into the park reached its peak at about noon as locals and foreigners alike, all ready to unwind during the weekend, streamed into the park. Owing to the pleasant weather conditions, most of the people were lightly dressed in colorful cloths; probably a reflection of their inner feelings of warmth and light-heartedness. Only the elderly forks donned heavy overcoats and expressed some reservation about the almost perfect weather conditions.
Most of the families settled on to the park benches or set out their picnic baskets on the ground while enjoying the scenic view provided by the lake with the crystal face and the ice-capped mountains in the distance. The younger generation could not resist the temptation in the form of the ice-cream and chocolate shops whose servings were as world renowned as the lake itself.
I found myself drifting to one of the chocolate vendors as though drawn there by a mysterious force that I knew nothing of. With my bar of chocolate in hand, I made my way to the lake shore. The cool breeze that blew from Lake Leman almost emitted some energy of its own and as it washed over me, I felt my burdened thoughts ease off to be replaced by a tranquility that only the lake could give. Looking at the blue skies reflected on the clear water, I felt enveloped by a calmness that I seldom experienced.
After a moment of staring in awe at some mountaineers, I decided that they were getting more than their fair share of attention from the other awe-struck admirers from the park. I therefore decided to walk along the edge of the lake and as my feet sunk slightly into the warm sand and a tickling feeling rushed through me, I heard a somewhat familiar voice calling my name.
Looking around it was my friend John standing next to his luxurious boat which he uses to take tourists for a sail. John was in a relaxed manner, sporting his trademark enchanting smile even as he engaged in lively banter with his new customers.
I approached him apprehensively because he was in the company of a group of tourists and I am rather shy when in the company of strangers. He saluted me and announced that he was just about to take the group of tourists out on the lake. At his insistence, I joined the entourage.
A forlorn looking girl was part of the group and she snapped pictures of the lake at such a fast pace and I could only imagine she was a professional journalist of some sort. The intensity with which she took every single picture was captivating and all one could do was look at her in awe; none wanting to break the atmosphere she had created around herself. It was heavenly, distant and majestic.
This reminded me of a project I had been postponing for months now; buying myself a good camera and perhaps even trying my hand at photography. While my phone did have the inbuilt camera that are now standard for most phones, I did not hold any illusions that this was a far cry from the sophisticated apparatus that was in the hands of the girl who still continued to captivate the entire crew.
I closed my eyes and the calmness of the lake, the freshness of the air, the chirping of the birds flying across the lake and the slight breeze made me forget all the hustle and bustle that had characterized my week. The expression “one with nature” flirted with my mind and for once I could concur with this cliché. I took in a huge breath of air and I could almost hear my lungs shouting with joy as if to say this is the air that they should be given and not the musky air of the city.
I let out my breath slowly cherishing every second. All my troubles vanished and I could, for the time I was here, imagine that I was royalty. I opened my eyes and was not surprised at observing that most of the other passengers had the same delightful expressions as I did which suggested that they were all having the magical experience I had just had.
I hadn’t noticed it but John had skillfully turned the boat and we were now headed to one of the docks. I couldn’t help feeling some sense of loss but I remembered that I could come back and re-experience the lake anytime I felt like.
A series of dark clouds had also appeared in the distance tainting the expansive fields of blue that were once the skies. As we stepped off the boat I couldn’t help myself. I had to see the photos the girl had taken. Seeing the pictures took me a few minutes back in time as she had so beautifully captured the emotion of the lake.
As though the chilly winds were not bad enough, rain started falling in steady torrents thus turning the once warm and comfortable park into a damp and wet scenario. I ran off to one of the cafes and sought refuge by the verandas since the insides were full of people seeking shelter from the rains. Only the elderly patrons of the park smiled to themselves albeit secretly as they congratulated themselves on their foresight in dressing up warmly and keeping to the relatively warm cafes.
After an hour of relentless rains and chilly winds, nature finally decided to be more benevolent and rays of sun pierced through the darkened skies. I decided to call it a day for it would soon be dark and I had to get home. And so my day at the lake came to an end. A day that had ended on a gloomy and unenthusiastic mood; an absolute contrast to the warm and cheerful manner in which it had begun.
National tourism organizations have a very important role to play in the selling of a country globally. The first ever National Tourism Organization was founded in New Zealand in the year 1901. Although New Zealand is a small country, it has the biggest ideas in developing and maintaining tourist attraction.
More NTO‘s were founded after the first NTO with far reaching success. This led to the formation of NTO‘s in almost all other countries of the world with the sole objective of making those countries known better as tourist destinations.
These organizations are important because tourism is a very vital sector in most economies of the world. It is actually to some countries the biggest income earner. NTO’s in their function of promoting a countries tourism sector perform many functions. First, they have to create a brand image for their country.
Lately, the term ’brand’ has been internationally accepted in the field of Tourism. It is that enduring image of a country in the travelers mind, acquired both from knowledge and from personal emotions (Lennon, 2000).
Knowledge comes from reading, information from friends or even the internet. Through national brand creation campaigns, National Tourism Boards have a responsibility to create a positive, attractive and informative education to the world about their respective countries.
This is possible through aggressive advertising campaigns through international TV and Radio channels mostly using the latest technology (Beaver, 2002).
Feelings come from human experiences and things that we are exposed to in the environment. NTOs have the responsibility of creating a national image for their countries that will be associated with positive emotions by the prospective tourists to their countries.
NTOs in countries that have been war torn such as Somalia or Syria for example have to embark on a campaign to reconstruct the image of their countries in the global tourist market.
They, therefore, have to create impressions and images that the billions of the world population will associate with those countries. This positive image will serve to replace the unsafe and war torn knowledge and emotions of fear in the minds of tourists (Wilkerson, 2003).
NTOs have also the function of developing and maintaining tourism infrastructure in their countries. These entail tourist attraction sites such as National Parks, animal orphanages, great structures, artistic architectural designs and natural resources. This function is most important because no tourists would visit a destination if they will not experience or see anything special (Cooper et al 2005).
They also undertake to create tourist attraction facilities especially where none or little exist. Such sites could include camping sites, theatres, cinema halls, picnic areas and amusement sites. By bringing up these structures, the NTOs also improve the brand strength of their countries. Those tourists who visit the countries will also speak positively about them.
When tourists visit a country, they expect to be received warmly and with kind-heartedness. It is therefore, the responsibility of National Tourist Boards to train and instruct potential tourist officials or personnel. This is important because when one is dissatisfied with services from a country, they will badmouth it to more people than when they are satisfied, thereby, damaging the country’s image (Wurzburger et al 2009).
Conclusion
NTOs have a very crucial role to keep their country known to the world. This is done through publications such as national journals. With the evolution of the internet this century, it is the role of NTOs to develop and maintain a national web site for their countries and also on social networking sites such as face book and twitter.
Their websites would give such information about a country’s History, Culture, Language, Foods and Tourist destinations. It is, therefore, evident that National Tourism Organizations play an important role in ‘selling’ their countries and contribute greatly to National income (Theobald, 1998).
References
Beaver, A. (2002). A Dictionary of Travel and Tourism Terminology. Wallingford: CAB International.
Cooper, C. et al (2005). Tourism: Principles and Practice. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Lennon, J. (2000). Dark Tourism. London: Continuum.
Theobald, W. F. (1998). Global Tourism. Oxford (England): Butterworth–Heinemann.
Wilkerson, C. (2003). Travel and Tourism: An Overlooked Industry in the U.S. and Tenth District. Economic Review, 88: 45–72.
Wurzburger, R. et al (2009). Creative Tourism: A Global Conversation: How to Provide Unique Creative Experiences for Travelers Worldwide. New Mexico, USA: Sunstone Press.
The intensive development of tourism within countries can influence the national economies significantly. The development of tourism depends on the progress of different global trends, and the focus on gastronomy can be discussed as one of these trends (Everett & Aitchison, 2008, p. 153; Chrzan, 2006, p. 41; Sakolnakorn, Naipinit, & Kroeksakul, 2013, p. 78).
From this point, gastronomy can be discussed as the specific segment of the tourism sphere which can be used effectively to influence the general progress of tourism as the economic sector. Today, the focus on gastronomy tourism should be discussed as the result of the intensive economic and social development with references to the increases in the living standards and people’s possibilities to travel.
That is why, it is important to concentrate on the role of gastronomy for tourism development with references to various cases and global examples. To determine the context for the research question and to identify the perspectives for the topic discussion, it is necessary to conduct the literature review on the theme of gastronomy’s role for tourism.
Having examined the existing literature on the problem, it is possible to determine such important themes as the progress of gastronomy tourism as the new sector of the field and the economic advantages of accentuating gastronomy in tourism development.
The Progress of Gastronomy Tourism
Gastronomy was always closely connected with tourism because visiting new places, people also paid much attention to the local culinary habits and traditions of the population. The situation has changed, and gastronomy became in focus as the main goal of tourists to visit certain countries and cities.
If gastronomy was the additional sphere for the development of tourism decades ago, it is the separate and specific segment of the industry today. From this perspective, gastronomy can not only to affect the tourists’ impressions and expectations but also to become the main goal of their activities (Everett & Aitchison, 2008, p. 152).
Nowadays, tourists leave their places to find new experiences and emotions while eating and cooking in Italy or Austria, and tourism operators are ready to provide them with a lot of different tours on the topic because the popularity of gastronomy tourism grows, and this segment becomes an important profitable sector of the industry (Elsby, 2012, p. 22; Sakolnakorn, Naipinit, & Kroeksakul, 2013, p. 77).
The progress of this tendency depends on the increased status of cuisines in the world which is closely associated with the processes of, for instance, stating the status of the French cuisine as classical and luxurious (Rao, Monin, & Durand, 2003, p. 798).
The similar processes are characteristic for defining the Italian cuisine or the Asian culinary traditions as attractive for tourists because of the opportunities to develop cross-cultural eating as the approach to establish the cross-cultural ties and receive exotic impressions (Chez, 2011, p. 235).
Restaurants as Destinations
The role of gastronomy is important for tourism development because experiences of eating the local food are traditionally associated with the places visited. Thus, focusing on food as ‘a cultural reference point’, it is possible to combine the efforts of producers and tour operators in order to contribute to the regional development and tourism progress at the territories (Montanari & Staniscia, 2009, p. 1465).
Tourism and consumption in their combination should be based on tourists’ strong associations and links between the tastes of food and definite places. That is why, tour operators focus on gastronomy to promote regional flavors and tastes as well as associations with cultures and places (Elsby, 2012, p. 23). As a result, restaurants located in countries where the famous cuisines originated can become the destinations for tourists.
It is found that tourism is more developed in those cities where the role of restaurants is high and consumption is connected with the gastronomic tastes of tourists. In this case, the cities can become ‘gastronomic oases’ and contribute to tourism development (Neal, 2006, p. 2).
According to Chrzan, “our minds often link places with food, especially when a place is a popular destination, since most travel involves eating some of the local cuisine” (Chrzan, 2007, p. 21).
Stanonis develops the ideas of Neal and states that many cities have the reputation of culinary capitals that is why the numbers of people coming there to visit restaurants where the famous persons ate popular dishes are great, and this trend can be used by tourism managers effectively (Stanonis, 2009, p. 146).
From this point, the emphasis on restaurants as the destinations for tourists was typical for the industry’s development during the decades, but today this trend develops according to new approaches because not only restaurants are discussed as destinations but also the opportunity to learn more about the local gastronomy is considered as the attractive perspective for tourists.
If Neal and Chrzan discuss the traditional approach to the ties between gastronomy and tourism, Cousins, O’Gorman, and Stierand focus on the opportunities provided by the innovative approaches and changes in the field of gastronomy as effective ones to influence tourism positively.
Much attention should be paid to molecular gastronomy as the new wave in the field of gastronomy which is rather revolutionary and can influence the tourism industry significantly. The new conceptualised restaurants are organised to respond to the trend, and these new experiences also affect tourism (Cousins, O’Gorman, & Stierand, 2010, p. 119).
Economic Advantages of Focusing on Gastronomy for Tourism Development
Researchers pay attention to different perspectives with references to which gastronomy can influence the development of tourism industry. One of the perspectives is the connection of gastronomy as the important tourism segment with the national and local agricultural sectors (Sims, 2009, p. 324).
Focusing on development of the agricultural sector in Cornwall, South West England, Everett and Aitchison state that gastronomy tourism contributes much to the progress of agricultural diversification in the region and to the intensification of the production and consumption processes (Everett & Aitchison, 2008, p. 151).
In their research, Everett and Aitchison concentrate on the general aspects of the question when Sims pays more attention to the creation of the ‘alternative’ food networks in order to promote the growth of the agricultural sector in relation to tourism. This approach is important for increasing the economic sustainability in the region and for improving the local tourism (Sims, 2009, p. 323).
The discussion of tourism as advantageous for economy of the country is often based on the approaches used by tour operators and authorities in order to develop the process and stimulate the people’s interest in gastronomy and visiting restaurants as destinations.
Chrzan pays attention to the fact that “returning travellers tell of new foods eaten, new habits learned, and sometimes, in the case of spa and cooking-school vacations, of travel specifically for the food” (Chrzan, 2006, p. 40).
From this point, to make this segment of the industry more profitable, it is necessary to refer to the latest tendencies and changes within gastronomy tourism in order to determine the specific directions for the development and further connections of gastronomy, tourism, consumption, growth of the agricultural sector, and development of the national cuisine.
Conclusion
Having examined the literature on the role of gastronomy for the development of tourism, it is possible to conclude that the discussion of gastronomy as the advantageous sphere for promoting the national and global tourism is developed during the recent years with references to the new approaches to the question. Thus, gastronomy plays an important role in influencing tourists’ impressions related to places visited.
Moreover, today people choose to travel round the globe with the main purpose to taste the local food or to visit cooking seminars and trainings. As a result, gastronomy becomes the main focus for the definite category of tourists.
While combining this tendency with the traditional approach to tourism in its relation to gastronomy, it is possible to gain significant benefits and to contribute to the improvement of the local and national economies.
That is why, gastronomy as the new tourism segment plays an extremely significant role in forming the tourism industry today and in contributing to its intensive progress in association with such sectors of economy as agriculture and marketing.
References
Chez, K. (2011). Popular ethnic food guides as auto/ethnographic project. Journal of American Culture, 34(3), 234-246.
Chrzan, J. (2007). Dreaming of Tuscany – pursuing the anthropology of culinary tourism. Expedition, 49(2), 21-27.
Chrzan, J. (2006). Why study culinary tourism? Expedition, 48(1), 40-41.
Cousins, J., O’Gorman, K., & Stierand, M. (2010). Molecular gastronomy: cuisine innovation or modern day alchemy? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 22(3), 118-124.
Elsby, C. (2012). Homeward bound. Alternatives Journal, 38(4), 22-23.
Everett, S., & Aitchison, C. (2008). The role of food tourism in sustaining regional identity: A case study of Cornwall, South West England. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(2), 150-167.
Neal, Z. (2006). Culinary deserts, gastronomic oases: A classification of US cities. Urban Studies, 43(1), 1–21.
Montanari, A., & Staniscia, B. (2009). Culinary tourism as a tool for regional re-equilibrium. European Planning Studies, 17(10), 1463-1483.
Rao, H., Monin, P., & Durand, R. (2003). Institutional change in Toque Ville: Nouvelle cuisine as an identity movement in French gastronomy. AJS, 108(4), 795–843.
Sakolnakorn, T., Naipinit, A., & Kroeksakul, P. (2013). Sustainable tourism development and management in the Phuket Province, Thailand. Asian Social Science, 9(7), 75-84.
Sims, R. (2009). Food, place and authenticity: local food and the sustainable tourism experience. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 17(3), 321-336.
Stanonis, A. (2009). The triumph of Epicure: A global history of New Orleans culinary tourism. Southern Quarterly, 46(3), 145-161.
Hospitality Industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. Mainly incorporating—in a blend of services—cafes, restaurants, accommodation, clubs, hotels, bars, etc., this is a high-opportunity job market for the highly mobile and youthful workforce as a chef, cook, kitchen-hand, restaurant, and catering manager, cleaner, or a bar attendant. As an equal opportunity employer, it hires women in an agreeable manner as men (SafeWork SA 2007).
Service-wise generally divided into two major types, Hospitality Industry has entertainment and accommodation. Entertainment includes clubs and bars, restaurants serving fast foods, and nightclubs. Accommodation means public houses, resorts, inns, campgrounds, hotels, hostels, serviced apartments, and motels.
However, in this industry, there are certainly more risks involved than any other field, which accounts for the fourth highest workers compensation claims.
In the workforce, the industry faces some challenges coming in different shapes (United States Department of Labor 2006):
Image: Like other service sectors, this is hard to maintain a high image. Due to low-wage usually at entry-level employment, there is little opportunity for advancement of career.
Recruitment: Employment of youth in this industry for intense work challenges demands new strategies by employers to provide incentives and other benefits.
Retention: High turnover is always a challenging issue for this industry. Retaining skilled employees for a longer duration means devising new plans and strategies as per the economic and social problems of the current period.
Language skills: English sometimes becomes an issue when workers skilled in services are unable to communicate with tourists or guests. In that case, special training programs are planned to increase the communication skills of the employees.
Employability/Soft Skills: Along with the technical knowledge and experience in the field of the Hospitality Industry, service providers need to have a cluster of personality traits, social graces, facility with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism to please the customers and make quality performance.
Consistent training models and skills certifications: Not dissimilar to other service sectors, entry-level employees are not trained according to a set model consistently, which every time arises the issue of bringing modification in the training mode and increasing investment in devising skill programs for certification and further training.
In Hospitality Industry, tourism especially is more open to changing cultural and social values, presented in the material form of arts, music, or crafts. However, in this fast-changing world with unprecedented advances in technology and easy communication and transportation, cultural influences on tourist behavior and tourist decision-making are studied in isolation and not in the background of cross-cultural issues (Reisinger 2008, p. 22). For the last two years, this cultural effect on the industry of tourism has become more prominent in an international scenario with changing the style of international behavior and cross-cultural issues.
Also, as compared to other industries, it has a tendency to react more strongly to economic fluctuations (EconomyWatch). According to World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism surpassed other industries like autos, steel, electronics, and agriculture in a high revenue-generating context. Furthermore, as it was mentioned earlier, the industry is highly responsive to social and cultural changes in any part of the world; in the olden days, small boarding houses and other services of hospitality were offered on small scale, which has by the passage of time grown enormously to include offering services on the Internet, in flights and other traveling facilities to accommodate more tourists and to cater to their diverse needs and desires of comfort and traveling and recreational pursuits.
In a study at Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research, it was found that customers enjoy innovations in new technologies to provide better services (Dixon, Kimes & Verma 2009). Among eleven technologies, they found preferably virtual menus with nutritional information highly agreeable, and then online reservations and pagers to order services. However, researchers found that customers are hesitant in using new technologies for better availability of services. Once after using some innovation in technology in Hospitality Industry, they stick to that and avoid trying new modes, a sort of catch-22 situation for service providers. The study was conducted on 1,737 US residents by getting survey responses from a broad-based national database. Dixon, one of the researchers and a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, said: “Based on our study, we recommend that restaurants encourage customers to try new technologies. But restaurants should avoid forcing technology use and implement new technologies with considerable support and demonstrations. I should note that our respondents were more likely to use pagers and online reservations than the other technologies we tested. On the other hand, they were not supportive of payment technologies involving cell phones or smart cards.”
It was also found that technology users more frequently visited restaurants than others. Furthermore, young people more used technologies than older ones although there was not found significant difference according to gender.
Mark Wynne Smith, the European CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, is of the view that the European growth rate for Hospitality Industry will remain slow in the coming years. However, the tourism industry is going to flourish with new visitors from economically growing ‘BRIC’ countries—Brazil, Russia, India, and China (An Uncertain Future – Hotel Management 2007)
Hudson Crossing is a strategic advisory firm in the USA which helps business owners raise travel, tourism, and hospitality assets by providing consultation. Michael W. McCormick, Managing Partner, Hudson Crossing, believes there is a marked drop in the economic turnover of the Hospitality Industry which will continue in the second quarter of this year due to the economic recession observed all over the world (Hospitality Trends 2009). In a report “Q2 2009 Travel Industry Insight” currently issued, McCormick, however, hopes big adjustments are being made and more creative solutions are planned to enhance revenue-generating options for the 3rd and last quarter of the year. He made a few predictions regarding the future of the industry in this year:
The decline in business travel will see another phase of continued persistence till the new budget cycle by the end of the year 2009.
Business owners in the industry will issue loyalty programs and aggressively priced packages for the consumers to attract them.
Online booking fees for traveling will not be charged by booking agencies such as Obitz.com and Travelocity to lure international travelers.
Dixon, MJ, Kimes, SE & Verma, R 2009, Customer Preferences for Restaurant Technology Innovations, Hospitality Trends, Web.
Reisinger, Y 2008, International Tourism: Cultures and Behavior, Butterworth-Heinemann, Philadelphia.
SafeWork SA 2007, Hospitality Industry, Government of South Australia, Web.
United States Department of Labor 2006, Innovative Workforce Solutions to Help the Hospitality Industry Address Hiring, Training, and Retention Challenges, US Department of Labor, Washington DC, Web.
As the sources of income become limited and human being needs become insatiable, man has looked for alternatives for making sure that he is able to fulfill his needs. One such need has been the need to enjoy the aesthetic value which our environment offers.
This has resulted in engaging in different activities as he tries to fulfill these aesthetic needs. Several activities which man has engaged in include mountain climbing, beach rallying, and watching wildlife and so on.
With globalization and the ability of people to move freely from one place to the other without many barriers a different kind of tourism has gained momentum with the number of tourists increasing day in day out: The cruise tourism industry.
The gains from the industry have been increasing, however as the industry grows issues of major concerns have risen concerning the contribution of the cruise tourism industry to unsustainable development with proposals of the sustainable development strategies emerging and the authorities insisting on the need for their implementation.
In this essay, we shall discuss the environmental impacts the cruise tourism industry has had on the environment and then propose mitigation measures which need to be observed to promote sustainable development of the industry.
Cruise Tourism
Any trip taken through the sea with the sole purpose being for leisure is usually defined as a cruise. A cruise involves stopping at several stop points which are usually defined as destinations with in the coast line during the expedition (Dowling, 2006).
It is on this basis that a cruise tourist is thereby defined as a person who travels in such a ship (cruise) enjoying visiting the various destinations as well as the journey itself. A cruise ship is different from your ordinary ships since it is aided by the weather and the sea conditions.
It is aided by the weather and the sea condition in the aspect that, cruise tourists only use the cruise ship when visiting a certain area which is assumed to be having a nice weather (usually sunny) and the sea condition which makes the cruising enjoyable (Stonehouse& Snyder, 2010).
Most of the people who engage in cruise tourism does it for leisure purposes more than for stopping over the several destinations which they have to visit (sometimes the cruising is more enjoyable than the destinations). They are appalled to the cruise tourism due to the facilities the industry offers its customers.
Some of these privileges which cruise ships offer include rooms which are usually self-contained and the opportunities by the passengers to visit different places, the food is also of high quality and it is served in a stylish manner.
These among other lucrative offers that cruise ships offer remain a major attraction to tourists (Quartermaine& Peter, 2006).
The origin of the cruise tourism can be traced back in the 1920s when cruising by sea was one of the most preferred ways of travelling. However, with the emergence and acceptance of air crafts as being safer and faster, cruise ships lost some of their customers (Rensburg, nd).
However, in the last few years, the industry has seen a turn around in its growth with more people willing to cruise.
Companies in the cruise industry have been marketing their services to the different existing market segments aggressively especially to the young people who love leisure and travelling and have got money to spend.
As a result of all these positive results, the cruise tourism industry has seen an increased growth in demand, and the prices which the customers have to pay have also increased.
Environmental considerations
Despite the success and the benefits which people receive from the cruise tourism industry, when it comes to assessing its sustainability difficulties arise especially when it comes to quantifying and costing the environmental costs in the same way we quantify the economic benefits of the industry.
An example like how one can quantify the Sulfur released by the cruise ships to the air around and above the oceans?
As a result of the challenges faced, most experts have been using the Life Cycle Analysis to quantify how much pollution can be apportioned to the cruise industry and at which sections so as to propose the necessary mitigation measures (Johnson, 2002).
When using the Life Cycle Analysis method, sustainability of the cruise industry is traced back from the time the cruise ship was made (infrastructure) to the terminus in which the tourists have to alight.
The changes which the coastline undergoes in the modification of making it a suitable destination (losses of sediments) is recognized as destruction of the habitat and thus to achieve sustainable development in cruise tourism industry, everything involved to make it a success must be assessed and quantified (Neto, 2003).
The way ships are operated also leads to the raising of environmental issues due to the high energy they use, water and the air they pollute.
Other environmental issues which also arise and which need to be checked to ensure that cruise tourism is run in a sustainable manner include issues which deal with the impacts which are brought about by the tourists and the environmental carrying capacities where these tourists visit.
If people are many or overcrowded in one place several problems which might arise include: the resources available are negatively affected by the high demand, increased use of chemicals such as detergents during the washing process, cruise tourists can also impact negatively on the wildlife by disturbing them, littering the places where they are, some may be used as gifts leading to their death being killed by tourists.
Other environmental in the cruise tourism industry arise when assessing the costs to the environment of the wastes released by the cruise ships such as oil, garbage being used by the tourists, wastes which might require adequate water reception for them to be treated, how the wastes are usually handled and disposed (Diedrich, 2010).
Discussion
There are projections or expectations that the business of cruise tourism is going to continue growing exponentially as people desire to discover new places and adventures increase.
As a result, due to the above environmental considerations which we have indicated, we shall discuss several strategies and management decisions which both people who run the cruise ships (operators) and the destinations (places where people visit) can employ to fulfill the guidelines and requirements of sustainable development in the cruise tourism industry.
Operators
Operators are people who run the cruise tourism industry. To ensure that the tourism industry is operated in a suitable manner, the following are a number of strategies which they can use and implement to ensure sustainable development in the industry is achieved.
The strategies are many and the include: varying the itineraries so as to ensure there is no single time the ship or the destination accommodates more than its carrying capacity, ensure that ships only carry the required number of passengers, rehabilitation of the destinations, need to adapt modern technologies, reward those people who follow the sustainable criteria in order to encourage the others and finally initiate education initiatives (Creel, 2003).
To begin with, varying the itineraries or the order of activities to prevent exceeding carrying capacity is one of the major strategies operators can use: studies show that cruise lines are aware that their activities have negative impacts on the destinations where the cruise tourists stop (Kaulbars, 2007).
Instances of environmental degradation as a result of overcrowding in popular destinations such as the Caribbean have been reported in the past.
Overcrowding in these destinations has led to degradation of the floor of the sea, the destruction of the coral reef habitat; there have also been concerns that sometimes when these destinations are over crowded the health of users is overlooked whereas the dangers are very imminent especially from the excess wastes.
To ensure that the cruise industry follows sustainability goals, there is a need to check on the numbers (Chin, 2008).
The numbers of passengers in a cruise ship also need to be checked and maintained at the normal levels. With the advancement in technologies, there has been the construction of mass cruise ships which are able to carry higher number of passengers compared to earlier cruise ships.
These ships have all the facilities required and sometimes they are claimed to offer better holidays for the tourists than the destination themselves.
As the number of tourists increase per cruise ship increase, passengers should be made to pay more in some form of taxes may be the green taxes to cater for the increased number of emissions these ships make. These taxes should be used in the maintenance of the environment (Klein, 2005).
To promote sustainable development in the cruise tourism industry, operators should also take initiatives to conserve as well as rehabilitate destinations. This plays major role since it ensures that ecosystems remain almost similar as it was originally.
While in the past some there have been efforts by the operators to conserve and rehabilitate destinations (for example the rehabilitation of the Cayman coral reef), only a fraction of the restored coral reef survived and thus more efforts need to be geared towards rehabilitating most of these destinations which have been destroyed by tourists since the start of cruise tourism (Davies& Cahill, 2000).
Currently, it is a responsibility of each and every industry to ensure that the methods they use are only those which comply with sustainable development criteria as a result, they have had to undergo screening, auditing before they can be allowed to operate.
To ensure that cruise tourism remains sustainable, the industry should adopt similar environment management standards (Lester& Weden, 2004).
Waste management in the cruise tourism industry is a major issue of debate with most of the people arguing that rather than direct disposal of these wastes to the sea, the cruise tourism industry should find ways of recycling some of the wastes where there is possibility of recycling to reduce the volume of wastes often released into the environment.
Among the suggestions which experts have put forward as possible adoptions which the operators should take include: zero releases of hazardous material, installation of devices which can be able to separate oil from water, better treatment methods of water and finally the installation of on board waste management systems within the ships (Honey, 2008).
With advancement in technologies, there has been the invention of efficient machines operations. In the cruise industry, this has been experienced with the introduction of the Azipod Azimuthing electronic propulsion systems.
The benefits of using such modern technologies have included the reduced redundancy, fuel efficient; they are also fitted with air cleaning devices (Adnanes, 2003).
If adopted by everyone in the industry, these strategies would save the company some extra costs which are incurred and in the same lead to sustainable development of the industry.
Rewarding of those who observe and practice sustainable development in the cruise industry is also another way through which sustainable development can be achieved in the cruising tourism industry.
Destinations
Apart from the operators, there is also a need to observe some sustainability strategies in the destination where most of these tourists alight to enjoy themselves.
For the destinations to manage the impacts of cruise tourism, several things need to be put in place and they include verifying that all ships comply with the international standards, such as being fuel efficient and realizing less emissions to the air (Copeland, 2008).
While in the past the ocean had the assimilative capacity of absorbing all the wastes from the small ships, with the creation of mass cruise ships, there is a need to operate only those which have efficient waste management receptors to reduce the volumes of wastes released to the environment.
To ensure that there is sustainable development when it comes to cruise industry, destinations also have to limit the number of tourists at any one given time only to the levels which they can hold without pressure if sustainable development is ever to be achieved.
This would aid in optimal usage of the available resources without stressing the environment (Manning, 2006).
To promote sustainable development, imposing penalties to destinations which destroy their environment is also another option which can be used. Penalties ensure that destruction is minimized as the more you destroy the more you pay (Butt, 2007).
The fee collected should then be used to rehabilitate and conserve the destination. Though quantifying of environment degradation is difficulty and some companies might claim that they were overly fined, there should be established standards which would be used when imposing penalties.
The institutions charged with ensuring that all the environment standards are followed should also increase their vigilance by monitoring as well as devising new regulations which need to be followed as new problems arise (Klein, 2009).
Finally, campaigning and sensitizing the need to practice and follow sustainable development practices in the cruise industry can also be achieved by using low impact messages which try and influence how the visitors are likely to behave during their visit to the destination.
For example on arrival to a destination, visitors can be given small notes or brochures explaining the code of conduct which is expected from them during their time in the destination and also the importance of following those rules and regulation (Caribbean Environmental Network, 1996)
Observing all these will lead to sustainable development in the cruise tourism industry.
Conclusion
Achieving sustainability in the cruise tourism industry has been an issue of major contention and from the above discussion; we can conclude that operators need to observe the laid environment guidelines if sustainable development is ever to be achieved.
There is a need to make the tourists pay for the negative impacts they bring to the environment by hiking the prices for their tickets. The extra money included in the ticket should then be used in the conservation and rehabilitation of destinations.
To ensure that the operators in the cruise industries observe the laid guidelines, authorities should introduce penalties or fines for any one who breaks the laid environmental guidelines.
This could play a great role in ensuring that the established laws and guidelines are followed. Controlling the number of passengers in the cruise ships as well as visitors in a certain destination is another way which sustainable development in the cruise tourism industry can be promoted.
Reference List
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Stonehouse, B., & Snyder, J. (2010). Polar tourism: An environmental perspective. Clevedon, United Kingdom: Channel View Publications.
