The modern tourism and hospitality business is significantly being influenced by demography, and it is posited that it will characterize the future of the area. Current demographic patterns will influence the demand for tourism and the choice of the workforce, which will impact how the industry operates, is structured, and how it will develop in a sustainable manner.
Furthermore, the tourism sector has to know what, why, how, and when something will occur, the repercussions, and the strategies that should be employed to exploit the benefits and play down the risks that these changes will bring. Tourism is quickly gaining a global dimension as people have a higher purchasing power, allowing them to tour cross-border destinations.
The World Travel & Tourism Council report shows that there were one billion international tourists in 2012. It also found that the global tourism and travel industry earned $2.057 trillion in direct global contribution to the gross domestic product in the same year, and it is estimated that this figure will grow to $3.0 trillion in 2022 (Fuller, 2013).
The industry has as well shown remarkable growth in the United States, as it accounted for $438.6 billion of the gross domestic product in 2012, and expectations are that it will rise to $628.5 billion in 2023.
This growth is attributed to a considerable change in customer demographics with a rising population of baby boomers and middle-class segments who can afford to travel for leisure. Moreover, statistics show that Asians form a significant proportion of travelers in modern-day tourism.
These changes have necessitated the need to study trends in tourist demographics in order to anticipate a swing in client preferences and develop products that meet these tastes. This is a discussion of current and future trends of tourist demographics and the challenges and opportunities they present to the tourism industry.
Tourism Trends
Travel and leisure patterns have changed over the years in several ways. For example, international tourism is gaining popularity as people desire to see more than what their country has to offer.
Records show that most of the guests who visit the United States are from Western Europe and Asia as shown in 2007 documentations where, 45.6% of all the arrivals were from Western Europe, while 26.9% were from Far East Asia (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2007). Furthermore, it is reported that in the same year, the average age of male leisure travelers was 42 years while that of females was 38 years.
The proportion of visitors from Western Europe and Asia was 43.2% and 26.6% respectively in 2010, which illustrates that the number of European tourists fell while that of Asians rose over the three year period. In addition, the average age of male travelers was 42 years and that of females was 37 years (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2010).
The rise in the number of Asian guests is an indicator that these countries are significantly impacting the global tourism industry as countries like China and India record a strong middle class, which is estimated to be approximately 600 million people in 2015. Experts also predict that, by 2030, the middle-class population in China will have grown by about two billion people.
Indonesia also anticipates that about 60 million people will join this group in the next couple of years (Fuller, 2013). Consequently, it is believed that there will be a higher demand for leisure travel, as the middle class is considered a strong indicator of travel intent, ability, and desire.
Additionally, analysts argue that baby boomers will form a critical component of the tourism industry, as it is projected that they will have a higher disposable income, and will be more youthful and determined to travel than their predecessors (Boksberger, Sund, & Schuckert, 2009). The above statement is explained by the fact that it is estimated that this age group will own about 60% of the nation’s wealth in the United States by 2015.
In addition, they will account for 40% of total spending in the same period and it is assumed that they will spend a substantial amount of time traveling after retirement (Deloitte, 2010).
Though boomers are likely to catapult the travel sector, the younger populace aged between 20 and 50 years is also keen on traveling albeit on cheaper budgets. Moreover, players in the business should also focus on this market because it has shown a desire to tour and are flexible to participate in a range of fun activities.
Importance of Understanding Demographic Trends
It is apparent that demographic trends in the tourism industry in the United States and globally will change extensively in the next few years. This change means that service providers must develop product offerings that appeal to the changing clientele in order to attract repeat customers.
Consequently, it will be essential to understand the cultural differences that come with these changes and efforts made to ensure that visitors feel comfortable while on vacation.
Some of these efforts include sensitizing staff to tolerate the different cultures, offering meals from different parts of the world, and employing multi-lingual tour guides. Besides that, it is essential to make sure that the leisure activities provided are suitable for the diverse market segments. Additionally, it will be vital to develop sustainable strategies that help businesses attract and retain different groups.
Opportunities and Challenges
The current and future demographic trends of travelers present several opportunities for the hospitality industry for players who can package the products to take advantage of the expectations of the different segments. For instance, senior tourists are likely to be thrilled by cruise- related activities because they are, quiet, and are less risky.
In contrast, generation x and y may be more inclined to engage in precarious and social activities such as excursions. It is also imperative to consider the changing factors such as more holiday periods, intention to combine leisure travel with work, shorter vacations, preference for a participatory vacation and discretionary tourism, among other factors.
Secondly, younger travelers have access to information, which influences their choice of destinations and activities. They have become sophisticated clients who want value for money so they are deemed to be experience-oriented rather than destination-oriented. There is an opportunity to transform the market by offering customized holidays and providing personalized services, allowing visitors to take on a more active role during their trips.
All this information can be posted online to make it easily accessible and where possible allow for electronic booking, which has become a favorite travel option for the tech-savvy.
The shift in tourism demographics also creates prospects for forging alliances to derive synergy from each other. For instance, the middle class and affluent travelers would prefer to have an airport and hotel transfer services rather than having to arrange their own transport. Moreover, they would like tour operators to plan their itinerary and they are willing to pay a premium to avoid the inconveniences that come with self-planning for a vacation.
This new demand requires players to work together to ensure they deliver top-notch services to create delight and attract repeat business and referrals.
Unfortunately, the demographic changes have a downside. For example, the surge in baby boomer population comes with additional costs as this age group may require special treatment because of its fragile nature.
As a result, service providers with limited resources may opt to steer away from this market, and miss out on the returns that it can generate. On the other hand, a swell in the number of international visitors means that firms have to invest heavily in hiring and training multicultural staff to increase customer satisfaction. Lastly, there may be a need to forge partnerships to derive synergy; however, it is not easy to do so with competitors.
Facility Management
The process of management of a hospitality facility has multiple layers and very complicated infrastructure. Like any other type of business tourist business is oriented towards the maximization of revenue potential. This is done through the representation of new branches and services to the facility and exploring the range of benefits and activities the facility can provide for the customers.
This is why the statistical knowledge of the needs of potential clients is crucial. The success of the facility management lies in the accurate monitoring of the kinds of tourists using the services of the facility and the modern cost policy.
Contemporary customers have access to the information, which influences their expectations of the quality of services distributed by the facilities; this is why training a qualified staff is an important part of the management success.
Perspective
The modern world is tightly connected to the technologies and the Internet. This is why every contemporary hospitality facility has to be equipped with a powerful IT team and the best software needed to provide predictive management based on diagnostics and planning.
It is highly important to keep an eye on all the modern newly developed trends within the business and quickly adopt all the changes, because the potential customers are most likely to be interested in the most modern services, so their choices of the facilities will be based on their levels of preparation for the season and on their abilities to please even the most spoiled customers.
There are various types of people traveling, and they have various demands, yet the hospitality facilities have to offer certain types of services that will never stop being popular. Such services are good, comfortable and clean accommodations, diverse and fresh meals, and a broad range of beverages. These are the aspects of the facility management that need the most of attention.
Conclusion
The tourism and hospitality sector is growing at a remarkable rate locally and globally. Analysts attribute this growth to demographic changes such as a strong global middle class, a rise in the number of senior tourists, and a rise in the number of international travelers. This shift means that the sector needs to understand current patterns, anticipate future trends, and understand the opportunities and challenges that they present.
Nevertheless, the most important thing for tours and hotel operators is to formulate strategies and tactics that will grow their competitive advantage because only those that can foresee and plan for new trends will survive in the trade.
References
Boksberger, P., Sund, K., & Schuckert, M. (2009). Between Past, Present and Future – Implications of Socio-demographic Changes in Tourism, Trends and Issues in Global Tourism, 29-36. Web.
Deloitte. (2010). Hospitality 2015: Game Changers or Spectators? 1-26. Web.
Cruise industry is an international sector that is growing faster offering tourism, leisure activities, and travel services. There have been several important changes in the industry in order to offer facilities that are comfortable and affordable. Cruise companies are competitive in the world market through improved commercial strategies and investment in research in order to offer high quality services.
The industry is modern to serve customers through specialised services. These include small sized ships, vessels for sailing as well as yachts to access remote destinations where larger liners are prohibited. Cruise Industry began in the year 1970 with the first industry in North America.
Since then, it became popular offering tourism services and reaching many people all over the world. Cruise industry has many ports as well as destinations where personnel come from all continents (Berger, 2004).
Description of Cruise ship industry
Cruise ship industry has many large ships with the capability to offer facilities such as venues for celebrations, services for children, opportunities for enhancement, sports grounds and health facilities. The industry has improved designs for ships and provision of new ports.
The cruise operators have customised services where ships offer transport services to all customers as well as ensure that they increase income obtained through variety of services offered. There are challenges that Cruise Industry faces which include competition, increased capacity and failure of destinations to accommodate large ships.
Cruise industry attracts new customers to the sector as well as takes care of the demands of the existing ones. The industry continues to grow and expand the products offered and identify the needs of different customers.
There is a need to know the behaviour of customers as well as their expectations, what satisfies them and their motivations. The industry recruits skilled workforce for managing all the activities so that the services offered to the customers are of high quality (Berger, 2004).
The capacity of passengers has increased because of the large ships that increase the amount of revenue generated. This also increases a profit due to the economies of scale and the industry able to benefit. When new ships are designed, their sizes dictate the cruising routes to be followed because the big ones can only pass through the Mediterranean ponds.
The tall superstructures make them unsuitable in oceans that have strong winds such as the pacific. The sectors in the Cruise Ship Industry have increased number of passengers where it caters for all the classes in the market. Globalisation in the Cruise ship industry helps to internationalise ownership and reduce players who are involved in the business (Chin, 2008).
Overview of Two Major Cruise Corporations
Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation operates globally and is among the largest companies all over the world. The brands available are Holland America line, Seabourn, Carnival cruise, Costa Cruises as well as Princess. The brands offer products for vacation to customers according to the leisure time, languages spoken and cultures. The tour company called Princess Alaska and Yukon in Canada attracts more than ten millions people in one year.
The services offered to guests are of a high quality at an affordable rate, which enablesCarnival to make profit. The stock of Carnival trades in London and New York using symbol CCL.
Headquarter of Carnival is in Florida and London and operates one hundred ships with two hundred thousand guests, at least 277, 000 people who sail any time and 77, 000 employees to work in the ships. Carnival has eleven brands, which are controlled in a geographical location. The Corporation controls the operations in the United Kingdom and North America.
Ted Arison who was the pioneer of the industry begun Carnival Corporation in the year 1972. The corporation sold its shares in the year 1987, which were amounting to 20% of the total number of shares owned by the company. The capital generated helped the company expand through acquiring other companies.
The name was changed to Carnival Corporation in 1992 and expansion continued up to the year 2000. During the month of September 1997, Pan Am Corporation purchased Carnival Corporation, which later faced economic challenges due to the rapid expansion. It was declared bankrupt and the flights scheduled for February 1998 were postponed (Douglas, 2004).
Royal Caribbean Cruises
Royal Caribbean Cruises is a global company that offers vacation services with forty-one ships and six brands. There are services and onboard activities offered, which include sun decks, simulated surfing, and facilities for exercise, rock climbing and Royal Promenades. It operates mid-sized ships that have been updated according to the modern improved technology.
Royal Caribbean dinning places are flexible where people stay together to have lunch or breakfast and they can book the services in advance. The activities during the day include rock climbing, golf courses as well as fitness activities.
Evening entertainments are Vega-style shows that are impressive to all the people who enjoy them. There is music for entertainment in public rooms and ice show, which are a unique performance as well as street performers who are found only in this ship.
The accommodation includes ocean view cabins, suites, grand pianos and balcony cabins. The passengers are provided with private lounge, which is a privilege for those who are most frequent customers. The ships for Voyager class have promenade view and inhabitants use bird’s eye view to see the city.
Internet is available to all passengers at an affordable rate in the cafes where they are charged according to the amount of time spent. Royal Caribbean cruises were begun in 1960 where the owners wanted to expand rapidly in the United States of America. The company has introduced shipboards since the first ships because of innovations. In 1990, there was a challenge to design a ship that could be used everywhere.
The ships that were available could not be used for cruising all over the world. This led to change in 1995 when new ship was designed for the new era. The ship was for Sovereign class, small, bigger cabins, passengers enjoyed more space, open deck and most luxurious (Douglas, 2004).
There has been a development of new markets in order to reach many customers. In 1990, the company designed new ship to redefine the industry and make it Sovereign. Project Eagle was popular in the year 1999 among all the mega ships because many customers preferred to use it.
The facilities available were indoor promenades, which were designed using the new improved technology in order to cater for customers’ needs. When the new ships began to operate, the old ones were not efficient and eventually disposed. Royal Caribbean in the recent years has designed larger ships to accommodate many passengers. It enlarged its version in the year 2006 when it got the sea freedom.
The design of voyager-class had features such as amenities and Water Park. The ship could accommodate the highest number of passengers at that moment. The passengers who used Royal Caribbean were mostly from North America aged between thirty and fifty five years.
Most families preferred shorter cruises for seven-night especially when children in the United States of America were on vacation and the ships were always operating with many passengers on board.
One Cruise Line Described In Details
Holland America Line
Holland America Line ship is middle-sized and accommodates few guests compared to other lines of cruise with improved amenities for travellers. Two guests are served by one member of the staff, which guarantees quality services of the premium cruising. There are spacious decks, staterooms and the verandas are private.
The place where public rooms are located has comfortable furnishings and artwork of high quality for the guests. The dining area is enjoyable to suit different tastes of customers during the festive seasons.
This line has a long history of transport services and vacationers who use it throughout the year are satisfied. There is a continuous improvement of the design of the ship and onboard services that make loyal customers always come back for the services.
There are different destinations at Holland America line where it accesses seven continents and more that three hundred and twenty ports of all types worldwide. There are different classes of fleet with unique features that have helped customers to have stupendous experience.
Every ship has traditional dining and specialty dining where the restaurants available are significant to the customers. The accommodation available in every ship is modern as well as comfortable with entertainment and fitness services (Lester & Weeden, 2004).
The Holland American line has been used to transport many immigrants who travel to America from Holland. The company emphasises on transatlantic trade of passengers who are involved in vacation travel. In 1978, the headquarters of Holland America line were at Stamford and later changed to Seattle in order to work with Westours and consolidate its operations.
Windstar Cruises was bought in 1988, which was a sailing ship that was guided by a computer. Holland America is a cruise line now based in the United States of America but it has ties with Netherlands.
The ship accommodating 793 passengers was bought in the year 2002 but its original name was Royal Viking that later changed to Seabourn Sun. Holland America is known to cater for the needs of customers who are traditionally minded by having afternoon tea, tennis courts and ballroom dancing.
The younger generation is enticed through the new features provided such as the cafes where wireless internet is available, boutique as well as concierge service. The camp halls provided have been upgraded in order to care for the young families who travel with their children during summer.
The programs provided in the club halls are divided according to different age groups such as three to seven years, eight to twelve years and thirteen to seventeen years.
There are lounges for the teenagers, gaming stations, areas to hold conversations as well as computer zones for the parents who need them. The teenagers enjoy the areas with names such as the Oasis as well as the Loft because of the themes they have to match (Gibson, 2008).
Conclusion
The discussion above is on economic, social as well as environmental aspects that are involved in Cruise tourism industry. The industry faces challenges in its effort to expand when selecting and recruiting qualified employees as well as retaining them. It is significant to understand ways of motivating the passengers as well as their behaviour in order to have effective strategies for segmentation and succeed in future development.
The cruise tourism industry should have information on market diversification, increasing the number of passengers, knowing the expectations of customers and ensuring they are satisfied by the services offered.
It is significant to inform customers about Cruise Tourism industry through promotion to create awareness. The stakeholders of Cruise tourism industry benefit from the way communities appreciate interacting where they experience vacationing together because it increases the demand of the services offered.
The cruise tourism industry should not only be involved in sustainability but also benefit the stakeholders. The industry needs to motivate the staffs in order to offer quality services to cruise passengers because there are challenges involved while working, which requires individualistic approach since the employment is unique in nature.
Cruise industry has new and existing customers who need quality services in order to ensure growth of the market as well as have opportunities for product development. In addition, the industry should be competitive because the passengers need customised experiences and always look for improved products and services in the market.
The increasing number of ships may lead to operation pressures that require recruitment of skilled workforce to ensure they are maintained in good working condition (Chin, 2008).
References
Berger, A. (2004). Ocean travel and cruising: A cultural analysis. New York: Haworth Hospitality.
Chin, B. (2008). Cruising in the global economy: Profits, pleasure and work at sea. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
Douglas, N. (2004). The Cruise experience. Australia: Pearson Education.
Gibson, P. (2008). Cruising in the 21st century: Who works while others play? International Journal of Hospitality, 27, 42-52.
Lester, J., & Weeden, C. (2004). Stakeholders, the natural environment and the future of Caribbean cruise tourism. International Journal of Tourism Research, 6, 39-50.
Kenya forms part of the Eastern Africa countries. It borders Sudan to the northwest, Indian Ocean to the southeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west and Ethiopia to the north. Kenya’s tourism is a valuable asset to the economy because it is the second largest source of foreign exchange earning.
The touristic attractions in Kenya encompass wildlife, marine parks and reserves; historical buildings and monuments; the Great Rift Valley; snow-capped mountains; sports; cultures as well as sandy beaches along Indian Ocean.
Conservation of natural resources forms the backbone of Kenyan tourism. Wildlife tourism accounts for almost 60 percent of total tourism revenue. Other tourism attractions such as sports tourism have lagged behind. Kenya has great runners who have dominated internationally the long distance races since time immemorial.
Kenya has a reputation of producing award winning marathoners and steeplechase runners such as Moses Kiptanui, Kipchoge Keino, Tecla Loroupe, Catherine Ndereba and Samuel Wanjiru. These runners have dominated in global championships such as the Olympics competition, International Amarture Athletics Federation (IAAF), London Marathon, New York Marathon and so on.
The reason given to the outstanding performance by Kenyan runners in long distance races is the location of the country within the tropics coupled with high altitude training areas. This has attracted athletes from other countries to come and train within the country. However, authorities such as Kenya Tourist Board have not taken immediate measures to tap this opportunity as sports tourism.
The tourism authorities should earmark the high altitude areas used by local long distance athletes for sports facility development. The current facilities cannot adequately host international runners. Sports facilities should be fitted with state-of-the-art truck and field equipments; operated by properly trained management and meet proper dietary needs for athletes.
Kenya recieves hordes of international tourists attracted by the wildlife parks and reserves. There are 56 national parks and reserves in Kenya. The parks are remotely located. Moreover, the cultures of people living near these parks and reserves are rich and not eroded; very little has been done to incoporate them into the tourism circuits.
Kenya’s coastal towns of Mombasa and Lamu have cultural sites of Mijikenda tribe called the Kaya Shrines. The cultural sites spread throughout the coastal region. These coastal towns are famously known for their marine life. Other similar scenerios are the pastoral community of the Maasai living near the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Nchuri Njeke Cultural Council of the Ameru tribe found near the Meru National Park.
Making cultural tourism vibrant increases opportunities for tourists to spend more within the country. Furthermore, authorities running tourism activities should not assume that all tourists are merely attracted to wildlife parks and reserves. Tourist trends have shown that they are increasingly willing to stay longer within the country than before.
Take for instance, in 1985 the average tourist length of stay was arround 7 days but in 2000 it increased up to 13 days.The local people should be given an opportunity to showcase their cuisines, ceremonial rites, traditional knowledge, cultural dress codes et cetera.
In the 1990s, there were a number of cases reported of international tourists murdered within country. This hit the international scene causing the rate of international tourists visiting the country to decline. This meant that there was a security lapse for the tourists. The situation was worsened by the occcurence of violence after the controversial presidential election held in December, 2007.
This caused a decline in the number of tourists arriving in the country in 2008 by almost half, from over 273,000 in 2007. Conference tourism dropped by 87.4 percent compared to the figures of 2007. In addition to this, several countries issued travel advisories to tourists wishing to visit the country. This shows that the security guarantee for tourists is paramount.
A way of ensuring tourists feel save, and deploy a special arm of the police force is called tourist police. This arm of police should be dedicated to ensuring that tourists are free of threats such as terrorism, serial killers or thuggery. This means that they should receive special training to suit the hospitality industry. However, Kenya has already shown signs towards this direction by initiating the diplomatic police.
The diplomatic police mainly secure areas receiving international conference guests. One of the sites heavily guarded by diplomatic police is Gigiri, which is the international headquarters of United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
The diplomatic police have been successful in discharging duties since the international conference visitors have reported no major cases of insecurity. Tourist police would serve to secure Kenya’s coastal border towns of Lamu facing threats from Al shabaab Movement terorist gang from Somalia.
Kenya as a tourist destination rivals even developed countries. However, its marketting tools are weaker than those of developed countries are. For instance, developed countries have visual appealing, content rich and user-friendly tourism marketing online tools, which call for developing countries like Kenya to dedicate more investments to win more international tourists.
Hotel industry comprises one of the biggest areas of touristic business in Spain. PESTEL and trend analysis for the hotel industry in Spain reveals that though the severe financial crisis caused a temporary decline in this sector, hotel business quickly recovered from the crisis and is currently on the way to a new period of prosperity. Spanish political, economic, and legal conditions are rather advantageous for both employers and employees in the hotel industry and should encourage its extensive development in the nearest future.
Spain Political Analysis
Government Stability
According to the data collected by The World Bank (2013), the index for political stability in Spain is currently growing, though it was significantly under 0.00 index during 2006-2011 (par. 2). Therefore, the risks of destabilization of the government are higher than in other Western European countries but are not as critical as it was during the previous years (A. M. Best Company Inc., 2015, p. 3).
The lowered rates of government stability experienced by Spain during the recent years Spain influenced hotel industry by making the country less attractive to foreign investors. However, current government stability is favorable for foreign investors.
Taxation Policy
The Value Added Tax in Spain is due for any services sold in the country, including hotels and cultural events.
2013: The Spanish government increased hotel tax from eight to ten percent (Berman, 2012, par. 2).
The taxation policy significantly affects the hotel industry, as high hotel taxes decrease the rates of tourism. The two percent hike in hotel tax in Spain has not caused significant changes in the hotel industry, but further tax hike is not desirable.
Hotel Industry Specific Regulations
In Spain, hotels are obliged to communicate the rates they apply to the Local Tourism Authority and to place them in a visible place (CMS guide, 2008, p. 58).
Detailed regulations approved by the Ministry of Industry govern health and safety issues in the hotels, including the size of the room, disabled access, fire and escape plans, etc. (CMS guide, 2008, p. 59).
A hotel license from the Regional Tourism Authorities is required to commence trading.
The hotel industry regulations in Spain are highly effective in ensuring the safety of the customers and the fairness of charged fees.
Social Welfare Policy
Spain has a smaller welfare state than most central and Northern European countries.
The social services provided by the Spanish social security include protection in case of maternity, illness, unemployment, retirement, etc.
Healthcare and education are universal (Aguilar, Escobedo, & Montagut, 2013, p. 5).
The social welfare policy in Spain protects the employees and should promote the development of hotel industry by attracting new employees to this sector.
Employment Laws
40-hour working week.
Vacation of 21 business days.
Fifteen days (including weekends) for marriage.
Four months for maternity leave.
Employment laws in Spain are mostly similar to the laws of other Western Europe countries. However, the salaries in Spain are lower than in northern Europe, and, therefore, the Spanish hotel industry is not very competitive in terms of attracting expatriates and other foreign employees, though is competitive in attracting foreign investors.
Competitive Regulations
Fair competition is supposed to be ensured and controlled by the country’s antitrust authority – the Comisión Nacional de la Competencia (CNC) (Spain: Anniversary of the Spanish Competition Act, 2013, p. 1).
The competition law is enforced by the Competition Service (Servicio de Defensa de la Competencia) and the Competition Tribunal (Tribunal de Defensa de la Competencia) (Spain: Anniversary of the Spanish Competition Act, 2013, p. 1).
The competitive regulations in Spain create a fair environment for the competitors in the hotel industry and should promote its further development.
Spain Economic Analysis
Business Cycles
The severe economic crisis recently experienced by Spain has dramatically influenced the business cycles in the country. The great recession of 2008 has caused a significant decrease in the business activities.
The business cycle trough in the summer of 2013 was followed by the recovery period continuing till now (Global business cycle map, 2015, par. 1).
Though Spain experiences business cycle trough, the business in the country is supposed to witness the successful recovery and expansion during the nearest 10-20 years.
Interest Rates
The interest rate in Spain started declining in 2008. After a dramatic decrease, it continued a gradual falling up to 2015.
Spain’s benchmark interest rate is set by the European Central Bank and is currently at 0.05.
Spain Long Term Interest Rate is at 1.78% (European Central Bank, 2015, par. 1).
The decreased interest rate in Spain reflects its economic instability and presents a serious threat to all industries, as weak economic is not likely to attract investors.
Money Supply
Money supply in Spain continues to grow. Money Supply M1 in Spain is 663777 EUR Million while Money Supply M2 is 1032192 EUR Million (IEconomics, 2015, par. 1).
The increased money supply affects interest rates of the country. The expansionary monetary policy in Spain can lead to further decrease in interest rates.
Inflation
Hotels and restaurants comprise 11.5 percent of the consumer price index in Spain (Ernst & Young, 2013, p. 239).
After a drastic decrease in inflation in 2008-2009, it experienced a period of growth interrupted by repeated decrease starting in 2012.
Currently, consumer prices index in Spain continues to fall nearly 0.5 percent on a monthly basis (National Statistics Institute, 2015, par. 1).
The hotel industry significantly impacts the consumer price index in Spain, as hospitality is one of the main contributors to the wider economy. Therefore, the development of hotel industry should be one of the main priorities of the government.
Unemployment
Unemployment is one of the most vital problems in Spain. From 2008, the unemployment rates were growing and reached the all-time high of 27 percent. Currently, positive tendencies are witnessed, as the jobless rate is 21 percent now.
Spain’s hospitality sector supports a significant number of jobs equivalent to 12.4% of the total workforce (Ernst & Young, 2014, p. 239). Therefore, the government is likely to put much effort in promoting the development of hotel industry as it plays a crucial role in providing employment opportunities.
Disposable Income
Disposable Personal Income in Spain increased to “215100 EUR Million” this year and Spain Real Household Personal Disposable Income is at a current level of 98.80 (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 2015, par. 1).
There is a significant difference in the disposable income of the top and the bottom of the population of Spain
Spain’s lowered disposable income rates are likely to make the country attractive to foreign investors due to the lowered expenses needed for paying the local employees.
Exchange Rates
Spain’s Currency is Euro.
The exchange rate for Euro is nearly €0.77= $1.
The exchange rates in Spain totally depend on the general tendencies faced by Euro, as the country does not use its country-specific currency. Such situation leads to the high interest of the population of the European Union using the same currency to the tourism in Spain, which directly influences the hotel industry.
Spain Socio-Cultural Analysis
Demographics
As of July 1014, Spain had a total population of nearly 48 million (CIA, 2015, par. 1).
Nearly half of the population is aged 25-54 years, and the median age is 41 years (CIA, 2015, par. 2).
Urban population comprises nearly 77 percent of total population.
Roman Catholicism is the prevailing religion (94%) (CIA, 2015, par. 1).
Lifestyle Changes
Spain is known for a wide range of sports and leisure activities.
The country has a reputation for its delicious food being known as a representative of the Mediterranean diet.
The highly diverse landscape offers both beautiful beaches for summer holidays and amazing mountains for winter holidays.
The experienced financial crisis in Spain has influenced certain aspects of the Spanish lifestyle, but the country remains highly attractive for tourists willing to experience the famous advantages of the Spanish lifestyle.
Education Level
Nearly 99 percent of the population aged above 15 can read and write (CIA, 2015, par. 26).
The quality of education in Spain is considered lower than in other Western European countries.
Fifty-five percent of adult population has upper secondary education. This index is lower than the average percent for most of European Union countries.
Lowered level of education in Spain contributes to lowered wages, which can be an attractive factor for foreign investors.
Income Distribution
Spanish wealth gap is considered one of the biggest in the European region, as it the most unequal in Europe.
Top twenty percent of the society is approximately eight times richer than the bottom of the population.
The unequal income distribution in Spain affects the hotel industry, as it should create a high demand for low-paid jobs in the hospitality sector.
Social Mobility
Spain, along with other Southern European countries, appears to be rather social immobile.
In Spain, the influence of parental background on person’s educational and job opportunities is rather high (OECD, 2010, p. 185).
Attitudes to Work and Leisure
Work-life balance is one of the primary priorities of the Spanish population.
Spaniards are less likely to consider career the most important thing of their life than the population of Northern European countries.
Spanish people value leisure relatively high, which creates a great demand for hotels among the population of the country.
Consumerism
The level of satisfaction from purchasing for family and self in Spain is medium and is similar to other Western European countries.
The importance of other’s admiration of possessions is low while willingness to try new technologies is medium.
Most Spaniards tend to give much value to leisure time and consider gaining more time for family life as one of the biggest goals. Such situation is likely to promote the high demand for services provided by hospitality sector, including the hotel industry.
Spain Technological Analysis
New Inventions
Spain is known for its rich history of inventions, both in the old times and during the last centuries.
Spain occupies the ninth place in the rankings of world science, but the budget cuts caused by Spanish financial crisis significantly decreased the rates of new scientific discoveries
Rates of Obsolescence
Obsolescence rates in most industries in Spain are relatively low.
The low level of obsolescence in Spain attracts foreign tourists interested in using services based on the state-of-the-art technologies.
Government Spending on Research
Spanish system for science and technology heavily depends on the public sector, which makes it highly susceptible to any changes in the economic status of the country.
Though the government tends to spend much money for research, the Spanish financial crisis caused the deep budget cuts that significantly decreased the rates of new scientific discoveries.
Technology Transfers
The institutions working on improving existing and creating new technologies in Spain collaborate with industry representatives and transfer new technologies to the potential customers.
Spain Environmental Analysis
Geographical Location
Spain shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Such location gives to the country numerous stretches of coastline that are attractive sites for tourists.
Spain possesses the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, which are popular touristic destinations.
Spain is the most mountainous country in Europe.
The country’s unique advantageous geographical location is one of the most influential factors positively influencing the hotel industry.
Climate and Weather
The country’s big territory causes big variations in climate and weather across it. The climate is mostly mild, which is a great advantage for tourism-related industries, including hotel industry.
The coastal regions in the South and Eastern parts of Spain have the Mediterranean climate, which is highly beneficial for the tourism. These territories are perfect for visiting during the whole year.
The mild climate is likely to remain one of the primary benefits promoting the development of touristic services and the hotel industry.
Spain Legal Analysis
Competition Laws
1963: The first special Act in Spain prohibited anti-competitive practices.
1989: The second competition Act that introduced a modern system of competition law enforcement in the country as a result of Spain’s accession to the European Economic Community. This act provided SDC and TDC with bigger resources and more efficacious tools to carry out their duties (Spain: Anniversary of the Spanish Competition Act, 2013, p. 1).
2007: The third competition Act, which created the Comisión Nacional de la Competencia (CNC).
The competition laws in Spain are likely to be favorable for investors and positively influence the hotel industry.
Employment Law
The government has launched a package of incentives aimed at promoting job creation and private business
The minimum is set by the Government each year (currently nearly 650 Euros).
All employment contracts in Spain are registered at the employment offices though written contract of employment is not necessary.
The employment laws in Spain are aimed at protecting and being favorable to the employees.
Health and Safety
Occupational safety and health are ensured by the Ministry of Employment. The Ministry governs the National Institute of Safety and Hygiene at Work and the Labour Inspectorate, which are the bodies responsible for enforcing appropriate laws.
The regulatory framework of the main elements of occupational safety and health legislation in Spain is advantageous for the workers and strictly governs the employers in the hotel industry.
Product and Service Safety
1978: the enactment of the Spanish Constitution, which guides the defense of consumers.
2003: Royal Decree Number 1801/2003, which defines the health and personal safety standards applicable to any product or service (Gutierrez & Buigas, n.d., p. 5).
2007: The General Law on the Protection of Consumers and Users
Hotel industry provides services and products that are eligible to the mentioned regulations and should conform to the accepted standards of safety.
The Analysis of the Major Trends Attracting Tourism in Spain
After the Spanish financial crisis and subsequent decline in tourism in Spain, the positive tendencies started developing in 2014. There are several main tendencies contributing to the stabilization of tourism sector and attracting the visitors from all over the world to Spain.
One of the current positive trends in the Spanish tourism sector is the returning flow of investors, both local and foreign, eager to invest in the hotel business in Spain. The affordable assets and renewed trust in the Spanish economy encourage investors to consider hotel sector in Spain an attractive area of business.
Barcelona and Madrid are the main investment destinations, as Barcelona is one of the most popular recreational and cultural sights in Europe while Madrid is a destination for a large amount of business travel. Gulf companies comprise the largest group of foreign investors though European investors are also active. Such trends result in better services offered by Spanish hotels, and, therefore, contribute to higher numbers of international visitors.
The orientation to low-cost services is one of the evolving features of the touristic companies working in Spain. Such trend positively influences the number of visitors, as more people can afford a vacation in Spain nowadays than it was before the financial crisis. Many companies, including those operating within the hotel industry, modify their policies and services toward this growing trend to remain competitive and attract more customers (Euromonitor International, 2014, par. 3).
The Analysis of the Major Trends Attracting Holiday Tourism
Holiday travel is one of the main types of tourism in Europe, as many people are willing to spend the holidays in an unusual destination. Spain offers a wide variety of holiday travel services due to the warm climate and abundance of natural and cultural attractions. Several trends developing in touristic business in Spain attract tourists and contribute to the Spanish economy.
The popularization of Sun-and-Beach tourism in Mallorca is one of the most influential trends benefiting Spanish holiday tourism. The island has an abundance of historical and cultural sights. The largest group of holiday makers, who are attracted by picturesque beaches, warm climate, and exceptional touristic amenities, comes from Germany and the United Kingdom. The economy of the island is highly dependable on the tourism industry.
The quick expansion of the Internet services contributed to the popularization of Sun-and-Beach tourism in Mallorca, as World Wide Web enabled a large group of potential customers discover the opportunities of having a holiday in Mallorca. Online applications and sources provide the information about the holiday resort and give an opportunity to choose between numerous variants of housing options (Yusta, Monge, & Vega, 2008, p. 485).
The PESTEL and trend analysis for the hotel industry in Spain reveals that the industry has managed to recover from the decline caused by the Spanish financial crisis quickly. The country’s political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal framework is favorable for further development of hotel industry and promotes positive trends attracting tourists to Spain.
References
Aguilar, M., Escobedo, A., & Montagut, T. (2013). Local welfare policies in Spain: Employment, housing and child care. Web.
Yusta, A., Monge, E., & Vega, A. (2008). The adoption of the Internet as a new distribution channel for holiday tourism in Spain: The challenge of consumer perceived risk and consumer attitudes. Web.
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe remains one of the most attractive African destinations for tourists from all over the globe because of the area’s unique nature, landscapes and potential extreme activities. The purpose of this report is to analyse Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side in the context of a “spotlight on sporting activities” and to discuss a new segment of the market that can be attracted by this destination while also supplying a list of recommendations to apply.
This locality has the potential to be developed as an attractive hub for sporting activities because of the range of services provided for extreme sports and adventure tourism in the area.
A new segment selected for targeting includes travellers from Japan, China and South Korea (representative of Far Eastern countries). A focus on these tourists would be advantageous for marketing this location because travellers from these countries are interested in visiting destinations that present opportunities for sports activities. Practical implications for marketers who wish to promote Victoria Falls are associated with the necessity of improving the volume capacity for certain sporting activities, the quality of equipment, facilities for accommodation and other related services.
Introduction
Travellers typically choose certain destinations depending on their personal goals and expectations. Some tourists concentrate on the availability of leisure activities or pay much attention to the climate and infrastructure, and other travellers are interested in new sensations; the latter may choose their preferred destinations in the interest of the availability of sports activities (Cook, Hsu & Taylor 2017). This report is aimed at providing a description of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe as the destination selected for analysis in terms of a marketing strategy, exploring a new segment of potential travellers and providing recommendations for the marketers at this destination to improve their practice.
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
Introducing the Destination
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe has been selected for this report as a destination to discuss from the perspective of targeting and advertising for the wider public. This area is characteristic of exceptional picturesque landscapes and wildlife (Africa Albida Tourism 2018). According to Cook, Hsu and Taylor (2017), six categories may be used in determining a type of destination:
far from the crowd;
linked to the past;
related to seasonal delights;
appropriate for sporting activities;
year-round playgrounds and
related to city sights.
Victoria Falls is traditionally viewed in the context of seasonal delights because this destination is affected by seasonal factors and weather changes, and the area’s level of commercial development is comparably high.
However, for the purpose of this marketing-focused report, the destination shall be regarded in the context of another category: “spotlight on sporting activities” (Cook, Hsu & Taylor 2017, p. 244). The level of commercial development of this area in Zimbabwe has increased over the course of recent years, and more sporting activities are being made available for travellers today, demonstrating the potential for developing this segment of the market (Africa Albida Tourism 2018).
As a result, consumers’ motivation to visit Africa has changed, related to these alterations in the characterisation of popular tourist destinations (Dwyer et al. 2012; Stone 2016). Thus, while the development of Victoria Falls depends on specific seasonal weather patterns, an increasing amount of attention is being paid to adding more recreational activities to the list of services available for tourists.
The Current Marketing Approach
Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls is located in the south-central part of the African continent, a large territory surrounded by mostly undiscovered areas of wildlife. The natural resources found in these lands are unique, and thus, this destination is regarded as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Tourists are highly attracted to Victoria Falls itself, and the area has also been declared a World Heritage site (Africa Albida Tourism 2018; World Heritage Centre 2015).
Such aspects contribute to developing a marketing strategy for this destination based on creating an exceptional image and branding (Dolnicar, Lazarevski & Yanamandram 2013). The core of the destination’s branding and imagery strategy is therefore to focus on its identification as a natural wonder characterised by unique beauty.
Tourists are motivated to visit this site through the promotion of Victoria Falls’ location, wildlife, rainforests and brand awareness of the World Heritage label. In addition, these aspects contribute to developing the destination’s competitiveness in terms of significant pull factors to attract more visitors because of the climate, landscapes, activities and safety (Dube & Nhamo 2018; Kovačević et al. 2018; Prayag 2010). It is also important to note that Zimbabwean authorities have been inclined to combine their efforts with those of the authorities in Zambia to promote the destination more widely.
Although the current marketing approach for raising interest in Victoria Falls is based on the vision that this destination is related to seasonal delights, the initial steps have been completed towards making the site more appropriate for sporting activities having the possibility to attract more tourists. As a result, additional aspects of the marketing strategy for this destination can be viewed as important pull factors: a developed infrastructure, accommodation and support facilities, a developed hospitality industry, increased accessibility by automobiles, air and railway transport, safety of activities and availability of sports activities (Prayag 2010; Tichaawa & Mhlanga 2015).
Thus, Victoria Falls International Airport in Zimbabwe, which opened in 2016, has an annual capacity of 1.5 million passengers. The construction of this airport increased the number of visitors to the area by about 200,000 people per year, causing the number of tourists to rise by 11% in 2017 (Africa Albida Tourism 2018). This change in accessibility has led to associated changes in the hospitality industry, such as opening more rooms for tourists and improving the marketing strategy in terms of advertising Victoria Falls for a wider public from a global perspective because of the availability of new air routes.
Recently, the marketing strategy associated with promoting Victoria Falls has turned its focus to adding more sports activities as an approach to increase consumers’ motivation to visit the area as an additional means of attracting them to the destination. Popular sports activities promoted at Victoria Falls include rafting, canoeing, bungee jumping, boarding, surfing, flights, skydiving and abseiling, among others (Africa Albida Tourism 2018).
These activities have been added to the branding strategy and image of Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls to accentuate the suitability of this unique natural destination for extreme sports (Africa Albida Tourism 2018; Tichaawa & Mhlanga 2015).
Young people from all over the globe are interested in these sports. This segmentation allows for attracting not only such categories of tourists as young couples, families and groups of friends but also individuals interested in particular sports (Stone 2016). From this perspective, tourism at Victoria Falls is based on aspects such as exclusiveness of experience, access to a unique natural site and the availability of general and extreme sports activities, all of which have the potential to influence visitors’ motivation.
Visitors from the Far East as a New Segment
A New Segment Opportunity
A new segment that should be targeted by the marketers who are developing Victoria Falls includes tourists from the Far East with a specific focus on youthful visitors from China, Japan and South Korea. Chinese travellers in particular are interested in adventure tourism, and they often choose destinations with opportunities for bungee jumping, skiing, diving and other sports activities (Peltier 2015).
These tourists pay much attention to sites where they can participate in a variety of adventure or “adrenaline-related” activities, identifying these aspects as their key motivators for travelling abroad (Bao, Jin & Weaver 2018). However, as part of the process of selecting destinations for their sporting activities, Chinese travellers pay much attention to safety, and this factor influences their choice of location to visit.
In recent years, Chinese tourists have focused on visiting African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco and Tunisia, because of the natural destinations to be found there. It is important to take all these aspects into account while discussing the benefits of sports-oriented tourism at Victoria Falls (Kovačević et al. 2018; Yinglun 2018). The attractions that Victoria Falls offers to Chinese travellers include bungee jumping, jet boating, rafting, canoeing, skydiving and abseiling, among others.
Additionally, tourists are guaranteed safety and a developed infrastructure at this location (China Outbound Tourism Research Institute 2018; Hsu, Lin & Lee 2017). These factors are key motivators for Chinese tourists to choose a certain destination, and they contribute to attracting more travellers to this particular area.
Japanese tourists are mainly interested in travelling in Asian and European countries as well as the United States of America. While the African continent is not discussed as a primary choice for Japanese travellers, the sporting activities now available in the vicinity of Victoria Falls can be viewed as attractive to this group of tourists (What countries are the Japanese’ favorite travel destinations? 2015).
Japanese visitors tend to be oriented towards seeking out unique experiences not only associated with active sports, hiking or walking but also with staying in safe, comfortable hotels (Kamata & Misui 2015; Nishio et al. 2016). The area of Victoria Falls offers interest to Japanese travellers in terms of bike tours, canopy tours and microlight flights, among other sports activities, and more attention should be paid to improving the infrastructure and services for Japanese visitors to increase their numbers at this location.
Travellers from South Korea represent a new tourist segment for the marketers at Victoria Falls to target because the percentage of these visitors is relatively low. South Korean tourists are usually interested in visiting national and amusement parks, participating in extreme sports activities and other types of outdoor activities (Korea – travel and tourism 2018). They often choose to travel independently and with families (Park 2016; Seo, Park & Boo 2016).
From this perspective, Victoria Falls can potentially attract these visitors with a focus on providing opportunities for organising family and individual tours, flights and skydiving, among other activities. The key benefit the area offers is its developed infrastructure and the availability of comfortable, price-competitive rooms and houses for individual visitors and families.
Challenges for the Destination
Despite wide opportunities for Victoria Falls to attract visitors from countries in Eastern Asia, especially Japan, China and South Korea, challenges and weaknesses must also be considered in marketing this destination, especially in terms of its competitiveness in relation to Victoria Falls from the Zambian side, for example. One problem is the choice by Zimbabwean authorities to invest fewer resources in developing the destination, which can lead to its degradation (Africa Albida Tourism 2018).
Moreover, some of the available accommodations are not appropriate for large groups of tourists or a heavy flow of travellers during certain periods. Furthermore, it is necessary to improve the quality of provided sports equipment for tours, boating, diving and other activities to guarantee tourist safety (Kovačević et al. 2018; Stone 2016). Perhaps more important is the fact that the current volume capacity related to such promoted sports activity as helicopter flights, canoeing and a gorge swing is not enough to attract large groups of travellers.
Uncoordinated marketing efforts between Zimbabwe and Zambia in terms of the development of sports activities at Victoria Falls along with a lack of direct access to the destination from Asian countries, aspects that work as push factors, have been a deterrent to developing tourism in this region. To increase travellers’ motivation to visit the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls, it is thus important to advance services associated with both sporting activities and tourists’ leisure time (Africa Albida Tourism 2018; World Heritage Centre 2015). Therefore, such weak aspects as a lack of access to the Internet, a dearth of multi-lingual tour guides, and an absence of Japanese- and Chinese-speaking instructors should also be addressed.
A Practical Framework and Implications
Although the number of Japanese tourists who visited Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls totalled 31,742 in 2017, the number of visitors from China was significantly lower (5,359 individuals), and the number of tourists from South Korea was not reported (Figures 1-2; Africa Albida Tourism 2018).
These statistics serve to indicate the popularity of Victoria Falls among tourists from the Far Eastern region. However, the figures should not be considered in isolation but should be compared to the trends for visiting Zambia and Victoria Falls from the Zambian side. In 2017, 7,944 tourists from Japan and 26,562 tourists from China visited Zambia (Africa Albida Tourism 2018).
These figures can be used to explain the necessity of attracting more visitors from China to see Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side with reference to the potential for attracting about 20,000 Chinese people who could choose to go to Zambia instead of Zimbabwe. Moreover, it is also necessary to make Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls attractive to South Korean tourists and develop this specific segment.
Figure 1: Tourists from Japan, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (Africa Albida Tourism 2018, p. 5).Figure 2: Tourists from China, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (Africa Albida Tourism 2018, p. 5).
From this perspective, destination marketers ought to set certain goals with the aim of attracting more tourists from Asian countries. The first goal is to retain and even increase the number of tourists from Japan with a focus on sports activities. The second priority is increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe over the numbers in Zambia with reference to accentuating their interest in proposed sporting activities.
The next goal is to make the destination attractive to visitors from South Korea. A list of recommendations and practical implications should be formulated based on the evidence provided in the literature on the topic to improve the marketing approach that is currently followed by the authorities and marketers responsible for developing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe as a destination.
To maintain the number of tourists from Japan who annually visit Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls, it is necessary to provide additional information on available sports activities and infrastructure. Japanese tourists are usually interested in participating in such types of sporting activities as bike and canopy tours and microlight flights (Kamata & Misui 2015; Nishio et al. 2016). Therefore, destination marketers should take steps to target this specific audience.
First, it is necessary to invest in supporting the destination to avoid its degradation. Furthermore, accommodation facilities should be improved according to the needs of the target population, and access to the Internet and other technologies should be guaranteed. Additionally, multi-lingual tour guides should be provided for tourists from Japan. Sports activities aimed at promoting interest on the part of this group should include biking, diving and hiking and should include the availability of Japanese-speaking instructors (Africa Albida Tourism 2018). Moreover, safe, high-quality equipment should be provided to address Japanese tourists’ expectations regarding safety, comfort and the quality of any services.
To make Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls more attractive to tourists from China, it is necessary to ensure that the volume capacity of such activities as bungee jumping, jet boating, rafting, canoeing, skydiving, and abseiling is sufficiently high. Visitors from China are interested in extreme sports, but only a limited number of companies in Zimbabwe can provide such services to tourists, and as a result, tourists seeking these activities tend to choose Zambia (Africa Albida Tourism 2018; Bao, Jin & Weaver 2018).
To address this negative tendency, the volume capacity related to jet boating, helicopter flights, canoeing and a gorge swing should be increased, and these positive changes should be advertised online and on Chinese television.
Additionally, it is necessary to make sure that Chinese airlines make regular flights to Zimbabwe. Moreover, family sports activities represent a potential for developing the discussed destination, and additional resources should be spent on organising tours for family recreation with a focus on the Chinese public as well as offering efficient options for accommodation (Hsu, Lin & Lee 2017). Advertisements that target Chinese tourists should be oriented towards demonstrating opportunities for family sports activities at a comparably low price.
The South Korean segment of visitors has not been addressed by the marketers of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Therefore, the first step in promoting the destination should be based on developing an active advertising campaign.
Potential tourists from South Korea have limited knowledge regarding available sites and sporting activities at Victoria Falls, and advertisements should accentuate the destination as a wildlife resource where a visitor can be as close as possible to nature as well as having the opportunity for a unique experience when rafting, canoeing, bungee jumping, surfing, skydiving, and abseiling (Africa Albida Tourism 2018). Advertisements should target social media as well as such traditional media as the press and television.
It is important to guarantee that South Korean airlines have routes to Zimbabwe or Zambia as well as to other African countries. Additionally, visitors from South Korea should be attracted by information regarding camps and other accommodation facilities that accommodate participating in extreme sports while on tours of different duration (Park 2016; Seo, Park & Boo 2016). Another important step would be to organise press tours to South Korea to promote Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls to this newly targeted segment. For this public, it is also possible to develop a specific logo associated with Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe to influence their destination and brand awareness and increase loyalty.
Conclusion
The branding and marketing of such a destination as the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls can be based on the application of different strategies, depending on the primary purpose of the marketers involved. While discussing Victoria Falls as a perfect place for sports activities, including rafting, canoeing, bungee jumping, surfing, skydiving and abseiling, it is necessary to focus on approaches to promoting this destination among a new category of visitors.
For the purpose of this report, tourists from Japan, China and South Korea were selected as the target audience. To attract more tourists from these countries who are interested in participating in sports activities, it is necessary to improve advertisements, select new advertising channels and enhance the communication of this destination’s benefits as a natural wonder. It is also important to improve the availability of accommodation facilities and equipment and increase the number of companies providing services related to organising extreme sporting activities in the region.
Reference List
Africa Albida Tourism 2018, Victoria Falls: gateway to the most pristine and most diverse wildlife estate left on Earth, Africa Albida Tourism, Harare.
Bao, J, Jin, X & Weaver, D 2018, ‘Profiling the elite middle-age Chinese outbound travellers: a 3rd wave?’, Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 2, pp. 1-14.
China Outbound Tourism Research Institute 2018, China outbound latest. Web.
Cook, RA, Hsu, CHC & Taylor, LL 2017, Tourism: the business of hospitality and travel, 6th edn, Pearson Education, London.
Dolnicar, S, Lazarevski, K & Yanamandram, V 2013, ‘Quality of life and tourism: a conceptual framework and novel segmentation base’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 66, no. 6, pp. 724-729.
Dube, K & Nhamo, G 2018, ‘Climate change and potential impacts on tourism: evidence from the Zimbabwean side of the Victoria Falls’, Environment, Development and Sustainability, vol. 2, pp. 1-17.
Dwyer, L, Cvelbar, LK, Edwards, D & Mihalic, T 2012, ‘Fashioning a destination tourism future: the case of Slovenia’, Tourism Management, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 305-316.
Hsu, SC, Lin, CT & Lee, C 2017, ‘Measuring the effect of outbound Chinese tourists travel decision-making through tourism destination image and travel safety and security’, Journal of Information and Optimization Sciences, vol. 38, no. 3-4, pp. 559-584.
Kamata, H & Misui, Y 2015, ‘Why do they choose a spa destination? The case of Japanese tourists’, Tourism Economics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 283-305.
Korea – travel and tourism 2018. Web.
Kovačević, ND, Kovačević, L, Stankov, U, Dragićević, V & Miletić, A 2018, ‘Applying destination competitiveness model to strategic tourism development of small destinations: the case of South Banat district’, Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, vol. 8, pp. 114-124.
Nishio, T, Larke, R, Van Heerde, H & Melnyk, V 2016, ‘Analysing the motivations of Japanese international sports-fan tourists’, European Sport Management Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 487-501.
Park, YS 2016, ‘Determinants of Korean outbound tourism’, Journal of Economics, Business and Management, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 92-98.
Peltier, D 2015, The growing Chinese adventure travel market wants experiences beyond tourist traps. Web.
Prayag, G 2010, ‘Images as pull factors of a tourist destination: a factor-cluster segmentation analysis’, Tourism Analysis, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 213-226.
Seo, JH, Park, SY & Boo, S 2016, ‘Korea outbound tourism to seven countries: VAR model and granger causality test’, Travel and Tourism Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally, vol. 23, pp. 1-7.
Stone, MJ 2016, ‘Deciding not to choose: delegation to social surrogates in tourism decisions’, Tourism Management, vol. 57, pp. 168-179.
Tichaawa, TM & Mhlanga, O 2015, ‘Residents ‘perceptions towards the impacts of tourism development: the case of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe’, African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, vol. 4, no, 1, pp. 1-15.
What countries are the Japanese’ favorite travel destinations? 2015. Web.
Geography, Climate and the Socio-Political History of France
France is commonly officially known as the French Republic. The country is in the Western Europe with several territories and islands. France is sometimes referred to as the Hexagon because of the Hexagonal shape of its territory. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco and Spain and Andorra lie on its south.
It is connected to the United Kingdom via a Channel Tunnel which passes through English Channel. France is the largest country in West-European country with the second exclusive economic zone in the world. It covers 11,035,000 square kilometers (Dahl, 2006).
France is one of the worlds most populated country and also one of the world most developed nation. It is the country with the words’ highest life expectancy and one of the best in terms of health care facilities as listed by the World Health Organization. In terms of tourism, it is the worlds most visited country receiving 82 million tourists each year.
It’s the founding member of United Nations and a member of G8, G20 and NATO among other organizations. Two third of France is composed of mountains and hills. These include the Alps, Pyrenees and Vosges ranges. Mont Blanc in the Alps is the highest mountain in Europe. The capital city of he French Republic is Paris which is the world’s most beautiful city and a popular tourist area (McKenzie, 2007).
The French population has diverse origins. Many people have settled in France including Celts, Romans, Germans, Russians, Asians, Africans and North Americans. The population composition and size varies with region in France. Traditionally France used to be a rural based population but today about 75% live in cities and towns.
One of the most important parts of France is art and culture. Many famous artists are from France with several writers coming from France. Sports are Commonplace in France with soccer being the most common sport activity in France. France is located mid-way between the equator and the North Pole. This gives France a temperate climate with some areas at times becoming either extremely cold. The Mediterranean coast is washed by the warm Gulf Stream current that provide mild winter and hot dry summers.
In the mountainous regions of France, climate tends to be moderate with some considerable rain and snow (Dahl, 2006). The official language in France is French although in addition, there are more than seven officially recognized languages including Catalan, Gallo, and Tahitian among others. In addition, there are nine local French based languages which give up to 23 languages spoken in France.
The main religion is Roman Catholic with Muslim, Protestant and Jewish forming the minority. The education in France is composed of 10 years of compulsory education with literacy levels being 99%. The fact that France has access to the rest of the word places it strategically to reach different markets to sell finished products as well as get raw materials for its industries (Kabundi, 2004).
Dominant Economic Activity
France has many economic activities which it carries on to finance its economy. Key among the economic activities is trade. France mainly relies on exports which earns it a lot of revenue. The exports are wheat, poultry, dairy, beef, pork, wine and fruits especially grapes that are used to make wine. These economic activities are agriculturally based and are mainly practiced in those areas in France that have good climate that favors agriculture.
Tourism industry still remains one of the most important economic activities in France providing employment to many people. France, because of its moderate climate and a number of tourist attraction centers remain one of the most visited countries in the world. Every year travelers across the world come to France to have a look at the breath taking and interesting view of the landscapes and mountains.
They also come with an interest of checking the museums and monuments. Because of these reasons, tourism in France plays a very central role and it has gained a lot of importance in the country. The government has taken all steps necessary to promote tourism. France is deeply involved with word economic bodies like GATT and WTO which continue to shape the economic. These bodies have impacted positively on the face of economic policies.
These economic organizations have liberalized market and effects have created new avenues for trade which have promoted the position of France in the global market. In summary, the economic activities in France can be categorized into agriculture, industry, services, trade and exchange. Industries found in France include aircraft, electronics, transportation, textile, clothing and food processing. France is the founding member of NATO and has worked to adapt NATO internally and external (Kabundi, 2004).
The Effect of Globalization in France
Globalization is changing countries lifestyles with the pace of economic interdependence. This in other words is changing the lives as the pace of interdependence grows between developed and emerging countries.
France has reaped substantial benefits from globalization. The important question we need to ask ourselves is what efforts has France done to enable consumers, workers, companies and governments reaped the advantages of globalization which it continues to reap. On trade, globalization has enabled France to reap benefits from both imports and exports. France remains one of the most competitive trading entities in the world.
Globalization has enabled France to gain both in manufacturing and service trade which has benefited many companies and industries. Because of globalization, France continues to enjoy strong outflows and inflows. France has experienced net outflows because its one of the most attractive sites for multinationals. Multinationals are finding it particularly advantageous to invest in France given its economic policies which are sound and its strong as well as due to its political stability.
Globalization has had an effect on labor mobility in France. Because of globalization, there is now greater mobility of labor. Mobility of labor is the movement of labor from one point to another. This has enabled French firm meet their labor requirements. The immigrants have provided an offsetting factor to the declining population as well as France’s aging population (Adekola & Sergi, 2007).
Globalization has an effect on France in that inflation is lower. This has been brought about by more competition and lower cost of inputs. The source of these cheap inputs is from developing countries. It’s important to note that greater demand for food and energy has pushed prices up but despite that, inflation is lower than expected. There have been net gains in employment. Employment growth has slowed down.
There have been tougher labor regulations which pose a threat to employment creation in industries. The new rules on cross boarder trade will create more jobs. The other effect of globalization in France is in the issue of wages. Because of globalizations wages have gone up. The increase in wages is because of lower inflation, increase in competition and more product variety which has enhanced consumer choice.
Real GDP has grown. This has been brought about by more trade resulting from opened markets. There has been an effect on technology also. Because of globalization France has experienced technological diffusion. Greater technological know-how has helped to boost trade in services and has as well allowed companies in France to access more of global technology skills of developing countries which has worked well for France (Peng, 2008).
Tourism Industry In France
The industry I will discuss is France tourist industry. The tourism industry in France is well developed. Tourism industry is one of the most important industries in the economy of France. France is a major tourist destination in the world. Every year travelers across the world come to France to have a look at the breath taking and interesting view of the landscapes and mountains.
They also come with an interest of checking the museums and monuments. Because of these reasons, tourism in France plays a very central role and it has gained a lot of importance in the country. The government has taken all steps necessary to promote tourism. The numerous castles, mountain ranges, hills, landscapes, museums and other exiting attraction centers has led to rampant growth of tourism industry in France.
Tourist coming to France each year gets an opportunity to see the beauty of France as illustrated by snow capped Alps as well as the majestic Pyrenees. One is still offered the opportunity to trek to Mount Blanc which is the highest point in the country. Apart from the sceneries discussed above one is also able to check out ten coastlines along the Mediterranean Sea in the South and the Atlantic Ocean in the West. These spots offer a very suitable site for picnics and other types of holiday outings (Peng, 2008).
Tourism industry still remains one of the most important economic activities in France providing employment to many people. France, because of its moderate climate and a number of tourist attraction centers remain one of the most visited countries in the world.
While in France, tourist industry also offers one an opportunity to visit the beautiful cities in the country like for instance Paris which is the capital of the country and is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are many museums and monuments that can provide one with an opportunity to enjoy his visit in France. These include for instance Eiffel Tower, Cathedral of Notre dam, Arc de Triomphe, Chateau d’If among many others.
Tourism industry is important in France and plays a major role towards the economic growth and development of the country. About 6% of the country’s revenue is generated from tourism industry. Many international visitors visit France from time to time which adds revenue to the country. The growth of tourism industry has led to growth of other industries which are an integral part of the culture of French people. For example, the continued influx of visitors has led to the growth of the handicraft industry.
As people come to watch the scenery of France, they get a chance to buy traditional French articles and souvenirs. Despite the fact that France gets a lot of benefits from tourism it also has to deal with many disadvantages arising from Tourism. The first important disadvantage is alienation of culture whereby those visiting the country come with their mother countries’ cultural practices. When these cultural practices mix with the cultural practices of France, there is an erosion of Frances culture (Page, 2009).
Culture & Communication
Prevailing National Culture in France
French culture represents the diverse nature of the country. France is considered as the cultural centre for the world. Although the French culture has some elements of modernity, it also holds strong to the traditional values and practices. But in France, one is able to see majestic art work which all forms the beauty of French culture.
The culture of French has a position for the French music. According to Dahl (2006), “Basque, Corsica, Brittany are the most popular traditional types of music in France” (p.35). Also Classical music for example, French opera and Romanticism are important part of the culture.
Some dos and don’ts also form part of French culture. For instance one is not suppose to rest his feet on the table in France. In addition, one is not allowed to speak with food in his mouth. Also one is not expected to talk with his hands in the pocket. A person in France is not supposed to use tooth pick or a comb in public. There are several foods that form part of French culture and these include for instance sauces, soup, bread, crepes, cheese, and wine among others (Dahl, 2006).
According to Fons Trompenaars’ seven dimensions of culture, French culture is classifiable in seven dimensions. Under the Individualism vs. collectivism dimension France has asset of rules which govern the relationship of people with each other. The culture and value gives the do and don’ts. There are those things that you are not allowed to do by the cultural practices of French people.
In the Individualism vs. collectivism dimension French people prefer working in a group as opposed to doing duties individually. There is a sense of individual achievement among the French and each manager should be keen to use this to his advantage. Under Neutral vs. emotional dimension French people display emotions using various forms of communication these include verbal and non-verbal communication. There is use of gestures to give emotions.
There is need for one to understand these gestures well so as to understand the message in them. Under Specific vs. diffuse dimension, the French have a definite way in which they handle relationships. They see relationships as going on in a specific and predetermined way. Under achievement vs. ascription dimension, the French people like achieving status. They do this through hard work.
French people are organized and are also very concerned about their time and schedules. They like performance and they enjoy good results of hard work. Under Sequential vs. synchronic dimension French are sequential and very orderly people who believe that each time has its own activities to be done. Under Internal vs. external dimension the French believe in having total control of their environment. This is for example shown by the way they work so hard to maintain a healthy economic status (Dahl, 2006).
Analysis of Communication Practices in France
Communication in France is deep rooted in the culture of the French people. We have verbal and non-verbal communication in France. One of the first non-verbal communications is eye contact. Whenever eye contact is made, it implies impartiality in France. It’s not normally used by strangers because it can bring another meaning.
Eye contact is an indication of friendly relationship especially to a waiter in a hotel. Shaking hands is another form of non-verbal communication. Handshake is important in France because ones character can be judged by the handshake. The other form of none verbal communication is the double kiss. This is important especially for two close people who are parting. It’s also common among family members and even among the public.
French people also use gestures in their communication for instance, they count using their figures and when they are counting they begin with the thumb as number one then the index figure as number two and the middle figure as three. There is also a gesture of showing that somebody is lazy. This is done by holding one hand flat and then using the other to pull out as if you are pulling something growing on your palm as you say “Il a un poil dans la main”.
There is also a gesture to illustrate how delicious something is or how beautiful a thing is. This is done by holding your figures and kissing the figure tips. After which you open your hand and toss the figures in the air. To show that you have finished doing something, you can do that easily using a gesture. What you do is to cross the arms in front of your body with your palms out then you move them suddenly out. That means that you have finished doing something.
There is yet another gesture that shows that you want to sleep and to show that somebody is asleep here you put your palms together then you place your hands on the shoulder then rest your cheek on your hands. To add more weight or to stress that somebody is asleep you may close your eyes. There is yet “another sign that shows that one smells badly or even to show that something smells badly or is repugnant” (Dahl, 2006, p.40). This is done by holding your nose.
There is a gesture associated with swearing in which you put or place your hand on top of your head. This tells that you swear or promise what you have told somebody. When you want to mean nothing you can do that using a gesture. This is done by forming a circle with you figure and the thumb. To say that you are sorry, people cover their mouth by use of either one or both of your hands. This shows that you are sorry for your actions.
Light kissing is also regarded as a normal practice in this country. The number of kisses and the side of the cheek that kiss starts varies from one region to another. French shake hands when they meet somebody and this is common especially in the business circles. It’s not good to slap an open palm over a crossed fist because this is generally considered a vulgar gesture.
Cross Cultural Management
Cultural characteristics affect innovation in France. For an industry operating in France must realize that culture throughout France is varied and to ensure cross cultural management it’s important to mind to treat each person with equal respect. It’s safe to be formal and reserved in your behavior and expect your French colleagues will be the same.
Communication can be formal and informal depending on the relationship between you. The French culture emphasizes courtesy and a high degree of formality. The chief managers in the French companies come from a select group of Universities and share a similar background (Adler & Allison, 2008).
New managers in the French industries should carefully study the corporate culture of the companies they are coming to manage. This is because employees come from various cultural backgrounds. They therefore range between those who are open to the management to those who keep to themselves and those who believe it’s important to keep quiet and execute the orders of the management.
France culture allows for intellectual adaptability and readiness for change. France is considered to have minimum tolerance to change and risk. It’s therefore important for the management to introduce change gradually having considered the benefits of the change if it’s to be accepted by the people.
The fear of exposure and embarrassment brings aversion to risk. In France, failure causes long-tem loss of confidence by the individual as well as buys the others. This attitude in France is the one that the managers should look at keenly and also consider having intercultural sensitivity especially when conducting meetings and discussing the contributions done b y each individual (Punnett, 2010).
France is a country controlled by time culture and the adherence to schedules is very important. In France, missing a deadline shows poor management skills and inefficiency. This will affect people’s confidence. So it implies that effective cross cultural management will require that an individual have the ability to meet deadlines. When it comes to effective decisions making, the management also need to have in mind that the French have a strong cultural perceptions. Hierarchy is an important part of the French business culture.
In France rank has its privilege. Decisions making normally originates from top level sometimes without consultation. The French like working in a team and well coordinated groups. They value communication within the group to be quite collegial, albeit and somehow direct. French like it when the roles in the team are clearly defined (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2009). This helps people to take a greater responsibility for their specific tasks.
Successful cross cultural management will depend on the individual’s ability to harness the talent of the group and to capitalize on it. In the area of communications and negotiations, the French prefer courtesy and degree of formality. It’s important in France to wait to be told to sit because may be there is a protocol to be followed. During communications it’s important to try and avoid cross cultural misunderstandings.
French don’t like confrontational behavior or high pressure strategies to achieving goals. These need to be avoided. It’s also good to understand that the French are very keen to detail. French are happy about good debating skills that demonstrate an underlying intelligence. It’s not wise to be too friendly to the French because they mainly focus on their business and personal lives. In summary, in France the following points are important in cross cultural management.
Individual respect/demand for authority creates tension with strong belief in individualism
High tolerance of blunders on the part of management
Management system is elitist and autocratic, but not familial (there is a merit based element to it)
Organizations are highly centralized and hierarchical with decisions made at the top
Information is not allowed to filter down below certain levels of the organization
The president of a French company is not answerable to anyone and status is attributed on the grounds of family, age, education, and professional qualifications (Endy, 2004).
Leadership Style
The management style I would propose is the authoritarian style of leadership. This is where the manager tells the employees what is to be done and the employees in return do exactly that. Employees in this type of leadership style are not given room to decide how and when to perform their duties. The manager who is seen as the boss is the one who does that. I would propose this style of leadership based on the cultural perspectives of the French people. The organizations in France are highly centralized with decisions coming from the top. Also information is not allowed to come from the employees but instead comes from the management. Leadership style like democratic style may not work well given the culture and circumstance of French people (Endy, 2004).
Appropriate Motivation Techniques for Local Workers
The most important and effective means of motivating workers is providing incentive. The company can have award schemes for workers who do their work well. These incentives can take form of cash, bonus or even non-cash items.
Because the French value group works, I would recommend that the incentives be given to groups and teams as well as to the individuals who perform well. The reason I fell that incentive is the best way to motivate the employees is because French are keen to detail and pay keen to minute aspects. It’s therefore in that spirit that the organization should reward them with something that they can feel.
Also French have strong sense on individualism and therefore giving a reward to somebody reaches down to his personality. In addition to being given incentives, the France government can as well introduce promotional packs to the employees these promotional packs go along way to motivate the employees and feel part of the organization (Dahl, 2004).
Effect of Cultural Characteristics of France on Ethics
Cultural characteristics of France have an effect ethics. This is because ethics originate from values and cultures of the people concerned. For example, in a country where the culture values morals then it would be important for the industry in that country to have good ethics. In a country where culture dictates on the values then the industrial ethics must be a reflection of those values.
For instance, in France the culture has an element of courtesy it becomes important therefore for the business to have business ethics geared towards achieving high standards of courtesy. A variation in ethical issues especially those dealing with employee welfare can work well for the tourism industry in France.
This is where employees are let not just to implement policies but to generate policies as well. Culture governs ethics like you should not put your feet on the table, you should not also use tooth picks in public. Talking with hands in pockets is also not allowed. A fruit should be peeled with a knife and eaten with a fork. All hand should be kept on top of the table and one should not speak with food in his mouth (Kabundi, 2004).
Key Challenges for the Retention and Dissemination of Knowledge
The key challenge for the retention and dissemination of knowledge for a company operating within this country is first is the issue of dealing with employees from various cultures. Differences exist about what different people term as good or bad.
Also different gestures mean different things to different people. In communicating with such people it might be a challenge. There will also be a challenge in retention and dissemination of information owing to the unique nature of kind of the clients it handles.
Tourism industry handles unique clients from diverse parts of the word. Giving communication that has meaning to these people is a problem. The people come from different countries each with its own ways of communicating and passing message. Unifying all these people from different background to a common means and mode of communication is a challenge (Punnett, 2010).
Conclusion
France is a country of diverse culture and these diverse cultures have an effect on business ethics in the industries operating within France. Communication in France is deep rooted in the culture of the French people. We have verbal and non-verbal communication in France.
France culture allows for intellectual adaptability and readiness for change. France is considered to have minimum tolerance to change and risk. It’s therefore important for the management to introduce change gradually having considered the benefits of the change if it’s to be accepted by the people. The fear of exposure and embarrassment brings aversion to risk (Kabundi, 2004).
In France, failure causes long term loss of confidence by the individual as well as buys the others. Tourism industry in France is well developed with many visitors coming to the country throughout the year. Tourism is one of the main revenue earners. The reason why France receives many tourists is because of its fantastic landscape and excellent scenery.
France has taken advantage of globalization in that it has expanded its market reaches as well as supplying it with labor. Globalization has had an effect on labor mobility in France. Because of globalization, there is now greater mobility of labor. Mobility of labor is the movement of labor from one point to another. This has enabled French firm meet their labor requirements. The immigrants have provided an offsetting factor to the declining population as well as France’s aging population (Punnett, 2010).
References
Adekola, A. & Sergi, B. (2007). Global business management: a cross-cultural perspective. Washington, DC: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Adler, N. J. & Allison, G. (2008). International dimensions of organizational behavior.5 Edn. London: Thompson.
Dahl, M. (2006). France. Paris: Capstone Press.
Endy, C. (2004). Cold War holidays: American tourism in France. Paris: UNC Press Books.
Goeldner, C. & Ritchie, B. (2009). Tourism: Principles, practices and philosophies. London: John Wiley and Sons.
Kabundi, A. (2004). Estimation of economic growth in France using business survey data. London: International Monetary Fund.
McKenzie, B. (2007). Remaking France: Americanization, public diplomacy, and the Marshall plan. Paris: Berghahn Books.
Page, S. (2009). Tourism management: Managing for change. Munich: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Peng, M. W. (2008). Global business. New Jersey, NJ: Cengage Learning.
Punnett, B. J. (2010). Experiencing international business and management: Exercises, projects, and cases. London: M.E. Sharpe.
In every country the issue of attracting tourists has remained paramount regardless of the security situation in such a nation. As a result the government through the relevant ministries and department has tried to allow the private investors to put up hotels and resort that the tourists will use when they visit the country.
However owing to economic depression in the last two years, Faulk (2000)points out that many hotels and resorts have recorded low bookings and to minimize their losses they have reduced the prices in order to attract local people in their rooms.
He has noted that with lowering of prices, the hotels have managed to record a significant increase in their collected revenue.
According to Croce (2009) a hotel is place where people can have their meals, drinks and above all can spend their night there. On the other hand Wilkins (2004) contends that resorts are places that have been made to provide a chance for the people to relax besides offering all the other services offered in a hotel.
In addition Bardi (2007) contends that hotels are usually found in places popular to a large number of people, for example in the towns, airports, or even in railway station. Resorts on the other hand are mostly located in those places that seems separated from the other parts for example the parks.
Causin (2010) argues that hotels and resort have for a long time been contributing immensely to government revenue. He has noted that every time tourists from another country visit such hotels and resorts a certain percentage of the amount charged on them goes to the treasury.
In return he argues that the government takes the responsibility of providing ample security to them. Through the ministry of finance, the government has been tasked with collecting all the levies charged on the hotels and resorts (Tanke, 2001).
He further contends that the government should be responsible for marketing the country to the outside world. To him the marketing strategy adopted by the government plays a significant role in determining the number of tourists from abroad who will visit the advertised country.
This way the hotel and resort owners will be the main beneficiaries of this program by the government as they are the ones tasked with providing accommodations to the tourists every time they visit the country.
This paper attempts to look into some of the current issues that the hotel and the hospitality industry are facing in trying to achieve some of their set goals. I will in addition try to look into some of the achievement as well as the challenges faced by the hotel owners and administrators as they endeavor to attract more customers.
Some of the achievements as will be discussed are as a result of innovations taken by some of the hotels while some of the challenges are as a result of government failure to put in place measures to cushion the hotel owners. For example poor economic management that results in low bookings in these hotels.
Current issues in the hotel and resort management and management
McDaniel (1997) contends that in the contemporary world the issues in everyone’s lips is how to maintain our environment as a result of the global warming brought about by the destruction of the ozone layer. Therefore, this issue has not escaped the concern of the hotel and resort owners.
He notes that without taking this into consideration their business would likely halts its operation in the long run as a result of unbearable weather conditions as well as polluted environment whether air, water or soil pollution.
Blum (1997) states that to demonstrate they are conscious about the environment issues, hotel and resort owners have held a meeting in Phoenix that was dabbed; Going Green: Environmentally Profitable Hotel.
This conference was aimed at looking at some of the challenges that face the hotel industry in its attempt to remain strong business wise.
He point out that in taking into account people, the environment, as well as the profits, hoteliers can sustain a friendly environment that in the long run might become viable for economic purposes as well as be beneficial to both the people and the environment.
According to Palakurthi (2006) the other issue concerning the hotel and resorts is on how to reduce their expenses especially in labor. He has noted that the cost of labor has increased rapidly with no increase in revenue.
He has noted that most of their employees have been registered as members of a trade union irrespective of the country of their origin. Therefore, the employees’ demands are usually addressed to every time they feel that the management is on their necks.
In some countries, he contends that the constitution allows the employees to go on strike as long as they adhere to the rules and regulations in labor laws. In regard to this, he says that the management of these hotels and resorts are usually left with no option other than to comply and increase the employees’ wages.
In regard to this, O’Neil (2006) agrees that this puts pressure on the hotels normal functioning and as a result this may force the hotel or the resort to reduce the number of their employees. He notes that this may further complicate matters as some of the employees may move to court or use their union to oppose such attempt to retrench them.
To provide a solution to this, he underscores the importance of hiring employees on a fixed contract so that when the contract lapses the management is left with a sole decision to renew or cancel the contract altogether (Nightingale, 1985). That way the management would be able to control the number of employees it needs at any given time.
The issue of dealing with people from diverse cultures has also been a concern to the hotel and resort owners. According to Robert (2011) some of the hotels are located in different parts of the world. He gives an example of Hilton Hotel, Sarova Hotel and the Norfolk.
He says that these hotels have been established in places where people have varying cultures. Therefore, we find that most of the employees in the hotels are the indigenous people who may have little or no understanding of the foods being cooked and served there.
He argues that the management of such hotels has to undertake extra expenses by way of training such people on how to prepare and serve these foods. Watson (2008) agrees that this process may be costly to the company because after training the employee can decide to go and work for another similar hotel that is offering a competitive salary and other benefits.
In addition he states that these hotels usually receives guest from all over the world that have different cultures.
He says that if an Asian visits an African country and resides in one of these hotels or resorts he might come into conflict with the person serving him or her because the employee is not able to understand what the guest likes and don’t like.
In the long run what follows is developing a negative attitude towards that hotel if he did not receive a warmly treatment when in that hotel or resort.
Furthermore, Lew (2004) contends that there is lack of enough qualified and experienced personnel in the hotel and resort management. Therefore he says that the existing as well as the upcoming hotels and resorts are competing to hire as well as retain their staff.
He notes that the new hotels are luring these employees by promising them good salary and other benefits if they agree to work for them. These kinds of competition he says are only good for the employee as he or she is in a better position to negotiate the pay package.
As a result hotels that cannot offer such amounts are left struggling because they got to hire a new crop of staff that has to take some time before they can fit in their system.
Lucasa (2000) has noted that this competition for members of staff can be very detrimental to some o the hotels to a point in which some can even collapse by failure of having an effective manpower to drive its operations.
Marketing strategy has become an issue of concern to both the hotel and resort management team. According to Hoque (1999) there are so many hotels and resorts that have sprung up following the liberalization of the market. As a result he says that marketing strategies have changed in order to win many clients.
Previously some hotels would advertise their business in strategic positions from where potential customers could see them. He however, notes that with change in times new and better methods had to be invented in order to reach as many people as possible.
This therefore gave rise to internet advertising. He says that many people today spend a considerable time surfing the internet and therefore placing an advertisement in the internet gives people around the world a chance of viewing it.
Use of sites like Google and Yahoo provides a platform where a big number of people in the world will access it and if interested might decide to make a booking in such a hotel when they visit the country.
Lucas (2002) has noted that most of the hotels are trying to invent new ways in which they can reduce their operating costs without compromising the quality of the service that they are offering to their customers.
He points out that the cost of running a hotel has almost doubled as a result of increase in some of the primary materials that are used in the hotel. He notes that the hotel administrators fear the repercussions that may befall their hotels once the customers realize that they have hiked the cost of their services.
Since some of these hotels and resorts are small they may loose many customers because of an increase in the cost of their services. He recommends that the government should protect them as well as other consumers from high prices of primary goods. This way he argues that the government will have leveled the playing field between the small and the big hotel and resort owners.
Michael (2011) says that unlike in the past, today customers have become more complicated and sophisticated in manner in which they want to be treated while in the hotel or a resort. He point out that customer would like to be in a hotel or resort that offers recreational facilities at a cheaper cost.
As a result the hotel and resort owners feel stretched especially if their businesses are small and thus not able to provide such services to their clients. He says that those who benefit from these are the large hotels as they are in a position to meet the demands of the customers at a very competitive rate.
In the long run, the small hotels are likely to realize a decrease in the number of bookings and if the situation persists then the business may collapse if no immediate measures are initiated to address such an issue.
To avert such a crisis Beland (2002) notes that the management team should convene an urgent meeting in order to brain storm on what actions to be taken.
He underscores the importance of small hotels merging with the bigger ones in order to enjoy the economies of scale. That way he argues that the hotel will remain relevant in the business and chances of halting its operation will have gone down by far and possibility of people losing jobs will also become water under the bridge.
Use of the modern technology is also an issue of concern to these business people. According to Price (1994) some hotels have embraced the technological innovations of the 21st century to attract customers in their business. Through the use of the internet customers have been able to book for a room from the convenience of their home.
Marzuki (2008) says that a customer in the United States of America can for example pay and make a booking for a room in Egypt without living their houses.
As a result he notes that the customer is able to save time. On the other hand if the hotel has not gone online the customers might go to others hotels thus denying it revenue that it would have earned by making bookings possible in the internet.
In addition to that he points out that in the United States of America alone 20 percent of all hotel bookings are made online and that the bookings have been on the rise year in year out. If a booking is not made online then he says that it would be made in the competitors’ website.
McGunnigle (2000) has noted that today, hotels and resort are competing with one another on how to make their guests feel at home. He says that with technological advances hotels have now introduced an opportunity for their customers to accumulate points every time they spend their time in their hotels.
He says that once the clients accumulate certain number of points he is entitled to redeem them and therefore spend a certain specified duration of time in that hotel for free. With the introduction of this kind of a program he says that customers are likely to shift to that kind of a hotel at the expense of others who are yet to initiate such a program.
He notes that this program goes a long way in helping the hotel or a resort establish and retain its own customers. That is, every time a customer visits a certain country for example he or she already knows which hotel he or she is going to spend the night. He refers to this system as the loyalty program where loyal customers are rewarded.
Worsford (1999) point out that that a number of hotels and resorts have introduced the so called yield management. Under this system the hotel administrators are able to know when to place the cost of the rooms high and low. In doing so the hotel is able to operate at a profit all the times.
He says that under this system, the costs of the rooms goes high during the high season particularly in the month of December and goes down during the low season around the month of February and March. This issue if not properly addressed can cause the hotel loose a lot of guests either because compared to other hotels they might be expensive especially during the low season period (Cho & Wong, 2001).
According to Ogbonna (2002) there have been a significant number of changes that have been taking place in the hospitality industry that have calling for a change also in the hotel and resort management.
He says that the curriculum offered in these institutions are rapidly changing and therefore the hotel and other hospitality fields where majority of the graduates are absorbed need to respond by adapting to these changes.
He contends that the institution of higher learning are not only preparing their students to be employed but also to be self reliance as a way of helping steer the economic growth of their country to greater heights.
Therefore, Wang (2009) points out that with the assistance of financial institutions like banks, the graduating students stand a better chance of putting up a hotel or a resort that will win a significant number of customers at the expense of the earlier established ones.
He says this is possible because by the time a student is graduating from his or her college, they already have had an experience on how to operate and run a hotel.
Another current issue that seems to be a concern to the hoteliers is on how they can avoid dependency on their country’s economy. Harris (2002) has noted that majority of the big hotels particularly the three, four, and the five star hotels have a strong dependence on the nations economy.
Johan (2005) contends that when the economy of a country is growing well, then the number of visitors in these hotels usually increases. He says that this is usually the case with both the foreign and local people.
On the other hand he argues that if the economy is growing very slow or has stagnated then the number of people in the hotels is very low and this goes a long way in affecting the day to day running of these hotels because revenue decreases.
Therefore, hotel owners have been brain storming for a while in order to look for a solution to these problems which hurts their business a lot. Unless a proper and sustainable solution is found he has stated that this problem is likely to be there for a long period of time.
According to Jafar (2005) the advancement in technology has come as beneficial as well as detrimental to the hotel industry. He says that today, we are living in a global village where one can follow up the events taking place in another country very far away.
To him political instability in a country is likely to affect the day to day running of a hotel or a resort. This is because that situation is likely to spread like bush fire to other countries whose citizens were willing and able to come to visit the affected country.
So this issue calls for the parties concerned, that is, the government and the hotel owners to make sure that the country’s image outside the boarders is marketed in such a way that it creates a situation of a peaceful nation.
Alan (2003) has also raised the issue of a new management to run the affairs of a hotel and the resort. He says that if the hotel or the resort fails to realize its goals at the end of the financial year, the owners of these hotels and resorts put all the blame on the senior managers who have been mandated to realize this.
As a result, the managing director who is in charge of all the operations in the hotel may be sent packing in order establish if it was in deed him or her responsible for the hotel’s failure to hit its target (Schechter, 1994).
If the situation persist the hotel owners may decide to over whole the entire management team and bring in a new crop of administrators who he or she believes are in a position to perform better than their predecessors.
Conclusion
In every country the presence of big hotels and resorts is not only good and beneficial to their owners but also to the country at large. This is because it is from them that government collects its revenue. As a result, it is the duty of any legitimate government to provide good environment where investors can come in and put up their business.
As Allard (2005) argues lack of proper guidelines on how people should put up a business may deny many potential investors a chance to do so and hence a loss to the government since it loses revenue in the process.
In addition Marcus (2007) notes that the government should establish a proper policy in order to protect the new as well as small entrepreneurs from a probable exploitation from the large hotel owners. This should happen by a way of subsidizing goods used in these hotels so that they become affordable to the consumers.
On the other hand hotel owners have been accused of paying peanuts to their members of staff in spite of raking in millions of money per month. Therefore, they should try and improve the welfare o their staff by offering them attractive salary in exchange of a better service.
When this happens Lesley (2005) agrees that the employees as well as the managing team are going to enjoy good working relationship and hence the hotel will move forward in terms of achieving the goal of customer satisfaction.
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Dubai is a modern city with mega malls, the tallest buildings, and artificial islands. The scenic site has perfect beach weather between November and January; a scorching experience is expected during summer (Heyes and Nadkarni, 2020). The incredible destination is the world’s leading tourism center; therefore, tourism is the primary source of revenue. The main attraction sites include; Dubai’s old culture and economic development (Anthonisz and Mason, 2019). Based on culture, Dubai can be split into two halves – Bur Dubai and Deira. In Bur Dubai, there are building linings that largely preserve the echoes of the old city. Historical Dubai is represented by the Heritage Village, with some old preserved buildings, whereas the Diving Village provides a pearl diving site and fishing points (Farooq, Seraphim, and Medhekar, 2021). Numerous tourists visit the city, and the statistics are provided in Figure 1 (GMI Blogger, 2022).
Figure 1: Dubai annual visitors
Location on Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) Model
Tourism area life cycle (TALC) provides a conceptual basis through which a destination analysis can be done to show that they solely follow a relatively consistent development process as well as a cycle that can be recognized (George, 2021). In addition, the model assumes that a threshold is achieved either sooner or later. Such a tourist attraction site is perceived to have depreciated in desirability. Furthermore, the model suggests that the gradual development of a destination brings about a change in physical and socio-cultural environments that impact the host community’s attitudes (Gore et al., 2022). TALC has various stages: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, decline, and rejuvenation (An and Jang, 2020). The TALC model can be instrumental in determining and indicating the state of Dubai’s long-term sustainability, and it is shown in Figure 2 (Sharma, Stranjančević, and Kleber, 2019).
Figure 2: TALC model for tourism in Dubai
Based on TALC analysis, Dubai is currently in the consolidation stage. In the consolidation phase, tourism constitutes most of the local economy (Singh, 2021). Regardless of how the rate of tourists has declined, the statistics show a favorable rate, such that the number of tourists exceeds the number of permanent residents. One common characteristic of the consolidation phase is the deterioration of the quality of life and the negative impact felt by the residents due to tourism; Dubai is not an exception (Kiliç and Seçilmiş, 2022). There are various negative impacts developed due to tourism activities, and they constitute environmental, socio-cultural, and economic impacts. In the consolidation stage, the negative attitudes among the residents are more substantial than in the other stages (Scarpi, Confente, and Russo, 2022). Commonly, the negative attitudes range from annoyance to resentment and then antagonism. The negative impacts in Dubai are not favorable and safe for the residents and visitors.
Marketing and advertisements tend to be stimuli to visitors from other continents, and the negative impacts imposed on previous visitations do not matter (George, 2021). About Dubai, among visitor management methods, one can consider not only the analysis of annual tourism indicators but also the perception among the local population. In some instances, the number of tourists and provisions may cause opposition and discontentment from the permanent residents who are not concerned with the tourist industry (Heye and Nadkarni, 2020). According to Sharma, Stranjančević, and Kleber (2019), there are chances of a rejuvenation occurrence. This is due to the results and contributions of tourism that may have a long-lasting negative impact on socio-cultural and environmental conditions within Dubai (Khudhair and Mardani, 2021). A large tourist flow eradicates the city’s unique features, which is losing its identity under the influence of Western trends, and over time, the decline of a peculiar image has become a consequence of this. However, there is a high growth rate in the economic status of Dubai, and seamlessly, it will contain itself and maintain its paramount tourist attraction reputation in the Middle East.
Current Sustainability Position of the Destination
Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) mainly focuses on contributing to the broader clean energy and aiming at sustainable development. DST embeds sustainability principles into all tourism-related aspects. In addition, the organ combines all the economic stakeholders, especially those involved in the tourism industry. The efforts of developing DST are a holistic approach with a common goal of achieving the long-term sustainability of the economy. Analogously, the initiative’s strategic plan has four main targets: energy efficiency, environmental conservation and protection, education and awareness, and finally, engaging all sectors, both the tourist-related industries and those that are not (Heyes and Nadkarni, 2020). The sustainability targets listed are suitable and universal as they embody socio-cultural development, environmental conservation, and economic development, through which tourism in Dubai will be impactful by mitigating climate change and promoting sustainability.
Tourism Impacts
Tourism has imposed various impacts on Dubai, which are caused by different factors. For instance, the behaviors of the visitors and their use of facilities have resulted in many impacts, especially environmental pollution. The increased number of tourists per year has increased the use of fuels leading to air, land, and sea pollution due to the means of transport used (Panagopoulos and Haralambous, 2020). The severity of these causes is that they lead to airborne diseases, and poisonous gas of chlorofluorocarbons may lead to ozone layer deformation hence global warming.
Economic
Economic sustainability may be defined as the practices developed to support long-term economic growth by conserving natural and financial resources for economic stability without negatively affecting the community environmentally, socially, or culturally. Economic sustainability mainly involves balancing economic growth and profit generation with environmental impacts and people (Khudhair and Mardani, 2021). Due to its importance, economic sustainability is also integrated into the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which tend to provide a manual for creating stable growth and sustainability for governments and countries worldwide.
The tourism industry has been designated as a growth sector for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to its capabilities in economic diversification. For instance, in 2015, the tourism industry contributed approximately US$36.43 billion to the country’s total GDP, which is about 8.7% of the total GDP (Saleh, Bassil, and Safari, 2022, p. 1629). Based on the data provided by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2016, there was a 4.4% growth rate, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government received approximately US$64 from the tourism industry (Ozdemir, Ar, and Erol, 2020, p. 1552). It is expected that the figure will have doubled by 2026 (Ozdemir, Ar, and Erol, 2020).
The growth of the tourist industry generates many job opportunities for international and local citizens. The key beneficiaries of these opportunities are the hotels, airlines, and other transportation sectors. According to WTTC, in 2015, the industry supported approximately 300 000 jobs (up to 5.7% of total employment in the country), and in 2016, the job opportunities rose by 3.8% (Ozdemir, Ar, and Erol, 2020, p. 1553). It is projected that by 2026, there will be 500,000 job opportunities (Ozdemir, Ar, and Erol, 2020). In 2015, 557,000 job opportunities were generated from the tourism industry, which accounts for 9.6% of the total UAE workforce (Katranis, 2021, p. 28). The total workforce in 2016 rose by 3.8%, 578,000 jobs, and it is projected that in 2026, the number will have risen to 12.4% of the total, which approximates 800,000 jobs (Saleh, Bassil, and Safari, 2022, p. 1631).
According to the Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC), the number of visitors has been rising at an average of 8.7% per annum (Chapter 4, 2018, p. 58). This means that the authorities of Dubai need to be proactive in evaluating ways to expand tourism opportunities, which comes at a financial cost. Furthermore, according to WTTC, there is an indication that by 2026, the growth trajectory will have shot up further, thus making the industry more impactful to the growth of the UAE (Safari et al., 2022, p. 1630). Recent reports say that new developments and mega projects are underway, which translates to growth forecasts and predictions of the sector being conservative (Chapter 4, 2018). When the projects that are underway are completed, the number of tourists visiting Dubai will increase. This outcome will have a positive impact on the city’s budget, but on the other hand, the work to strengthen the tourism infrastructure is associated with expenses, including for locals. Taxes and the costs of living may rise, but more jobs are a welcome outcome.
Socio-Cultural
Social responsibility is a process through which sustainable and prosperous platforms are created to promote individuals’ well-being by understanding their needs from their workplaces and homes. The occurrence of social sustainability is said to exist when both formal and informal processes, distinct structures, systems, and relationships support the survival of individuals in the current and future generations (Schönborn et al., 2019). Cultural sustainability revolves around maintaining cultural beliefs, practices, and heritage conservations, namely objects of culture, religious beliefs, communication aspects, and some other factors. The importance of cultural sustainability can be viewed within the limits of influential power and beliefs that heavily measure societal decisions.
Social ramifications from economic expansion through increased tourism activities are conspicuous. Economic modernization and financial improvements in Dubai have led to an acceleration in population. On the other hand, tourism leading to developmental prosperity has brought significant social and cultural impacts (Szromek, Kruczek, and Walas, 2019). Some impacts include housing, urbanization, cultural and heritage erosion, and employment—furthermore, the negative impacts resulting from conflicts between the permanent residents and the tourists. However, the impacts are mainly brought up by the tourists, which causes resentment to the host communities. Increased crime, such as robbery, theft, street prostitution, drug abuse, and illegal gambling, are among the negative social impacts resulting from criminal gangs whose primary intention is moving into the region to exploit tourists.
The features of migrant housing patterns in the Gulf regions reveal the social ramifications of the increased population due to urbanization and economic liberalization (Maxim, 2020). Among the characteristics include temporary construction workers residing in camps at the periphery of the city, single rooms that several people share are shared by either the unskilled migrants or the semi-skilled ones, these rooms owned by indigenous individuals, increase in suburb villas and residential buildings, older houses serving as homes for the lower middle-class individuals and secure and well-built houses for the expatriate communities.
There is a rise of social distinctions that results in ethnicity and discrimination of the poor by the expatriate communities who are well-off. In addition, by a more significant factor, tourism cemented ethnicity in terms of Western and non-Western communities (Alipour and Galal Ahmed, 2021). Neo-colonialism has taken the mantle in various places in Dubai, such as recreational facilities and sports, where they represent civic characteristics (Zaidan, 2019). Analogously, the social stratification system between the permanent residents and the tourists is not cohesive, resulting in skewed perceptions of the visitors, and hatred may quickly come through this state.
Culturally, Dubai is an Islamic zone, just like other Middle East cities; tourism has impacted this through the rise of modernization and urbanization. Historical cities and local heritage have faced constant threats from developing nations. However, some proactive initiatives are underway to revive the culture, especially in the aesthetically conducive parts that can further attract tourists. These efforts, however, are being challenged by the need for more local life and social continuity, which tend to create a disconnection from Emirati cultural life. In an attempt to restore some parts of Dubai, approximately 2500 historical buildings have been destroyed, with only 300 out of the total surviving (Ricca, 2018).
Environmental
Environmental sustainability is defined as the proactive process of preserving natural resources and conserving ecosystems to promote health and support human health in the present and future. Environmental regulations are essential to sustainability; tangible standards for quality water and air should be set to achieve long-lasting environmental sustainability (Elgaali, Ziadat, and Alzyoud, 2019). Threats to environmental wellness are all over, and almost every industry is a suspect of environmental misconduct. Multinational companies have shown efforts to limit emissions and effluents that threaten the environment effectively. Nevertheless, these codes of conduct associated with care for the environment and respect for the locality mainly concern countries with strict regulations, whereas, in those with lenient guidelines, emissions are not controlled.
Rapid economic development in Dubai has contributed to severe environmental challenges due to the population increase. The rise in population is directly proportional to the increased demand for air, energy, and water. In addition, a high population leads to a fast-paced urban development that induces high levels of effluent gas emissions (Elgaali, Ziadat, and Alzyoud, 2019). Dubai’s high ecological footprint means that sustainability within that region needs to be balanced by using natural resources such as air and water per capita.
Tourism in Dubai has caused land degradation and desertification through manufactured factors such as an increased population. Increased human activities decrease soil quality and degrade land utility through consumption systems. On the other hand, desertification is promoted by drought and the over-exploitation of scarce natural resources (Elgaali, Ziadat, and Alzyoud, 2019). As seen earlier, tourism leads to the development of urban encroachment that directly exerts pressure on natural resources and contributes to soil deterioration. Dubai is in desert-like land, and excessive manipulation by human activities leads to the drought that threatens the lives of millions; sustainable development is highly affected, as there are increased instances of poverty, poor health, food insecurity, decrease in biodiversity, and scarcity of water among other catastrophic issues.
Current Management Plans and Which Impacts They Alleviate
The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, also called DTCM, promotes projects to increase the carrying capacity of tourists by initiating various strategies, for instance, to prevent congestion, new hotels and attraction sites are being developed. The construction of new sites will reduce overpopulation in certain areas, even though many consequences will be experienced. Operational, tactical, and strategic plans are underway for tourist management, for instance, to curb insecurity due to the rising number of threats from those individuals doing crime (Anthonisz and Mason, 2019). Residents have had skewed perceptions and attitudes towards tourists for their misconduct. As a result, DTCM has defined rules and regulations by which tourists should conduct themselves (Anthonisz and Mason, 2019). By so doing, social evils such as prostitution of thefts will decrease.
Dubai has pledged to be proactive in reaching a net zero carbon emission shortly. Specifically, its authorities have announced that by 2050, carbon emissions will have ended (Anthonisz and Mason, 2019). An investment of approximately $163 billion has been put in place to develop clean and renewable energy, among other zero-carbon emission technologies (Anthonisz and Mason, 2019). Significant progress in urban infrastructure is aimed at diversification and change from a hydrocarbon-focused economy to a green-energy-based economy (Panagopoulos and Haralambous, 2020). To curb Dubai’s per capita water consumption, bearing in mind that there is water scarcity, there are plans underway to utilize desalinated seawater to meet the high water demand.
Role of Stakeholders in Tourism Development and Management
Sustainable tourism is dependent on all stakeholder’s efforts and discipline involvement. Stakeholders in the tourism industry include all individuals and groups that are either influenced or influence the achievement of the tourism sector. They are tourists, entrepreneurs providing goods and services, and the government (Yas et al., 2020). The government is the host and is entitled to develop regulations to protect its visitors and outline key codes of conduct and rules that need to be adhered to by both permanent communities and entrepreneurs.
Further Management Strategies
Cleantech and environmental technologies need further research, and management strategies are required. Despite a gratifying and promising future with an integrated form of energy, significant losses may be a potential outcome, especially in the case of mismanagement. Waste-to-energy projects underway need ultimate managerial strategies considering this new technology is on trial. Waste-to-energy power plants are aimed at reducing landfills due to waste generation and decreasing carbon (IV) oxide emissions. One waste-to-energy power plant is expected to process approximately 950,000 metric tons of landfills, a power that is sufficient for more than 30,000 homes (Yas et al., 2020).
Conclusion
Tourism in Dubai is an excellent asset for economic growth and expansion, positioning the city among the most developed cities in the world. Urbanization due to an increased population has been experienced and is expected to rise according to the 2026 projects. However, tourism has some negative socio-cultural and environmental factors that lead to suffering for tourists and permanent residents. High population growth, increased crimes, prostitution, robbery, and theft are potential negative socio-cultural impacts. Culturally, tourism has led to the erosion of Emirati culture, an essential aspect of their heritage. Analogously, the negative environmental impacts of tourism in Dubai have led to human life being endangered by all forms of pollution, from water to air pollution. Currently, mitigation measures that are being developed and others that are already operational are timely and perfect, and they are expected to improve the environmental risks and pollution. However, security challenges remain, which may reduce the flow of loyal tourists. Dubai authorities need to develop adequate methods to safeguard visitors and guarantee the protection of foreigners, including from a legislative perspective.
Reference List
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Anthonisz, A. and Mason, G. (2019) ‘Reinventing tourism: the Dubai phenomenon’, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 11(5), pp. 279-286.
Elgaali, E., Ziadat, A.H. and Alzyoud, S. (2019) ‘Environmental effects of new developments in the coastal zones of Dubai.’ In 2019 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET), pp. 1-4. IEEE.
Farooq, H. A. Q., Seraphim, J. and Medhekar, A. (2021) ‘Branding heritage tourism in Dubai: a qualitative study’, Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR), 9(2), pp. 243-267.
George, R. (2021) ‘Marketing tourism destinations’, In Marketing Tourism and Hospitality, pp. 447-484. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Gore, S. et al. (2022) ‘A structured literature review of the tourism area life cycle concept’, Journal of Tourism, Sustainability, and Wellbeing, 10(1), pp. 1-20.
Heyes, A. and Nadkarni, S. (2020) ‘Brand Dubai: Sustaining its luxury image’, In Sustainable destination branding and marketing: strategies for tourism development, pp. 1-11. CABI: Wallingford UK.
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Few places are as endearing and alluring to a traveler as the city of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Prague boasts over ten centuries of history filled to the brim with events and personalities. The city managed to survive the Second World War almost untouched, and carried over its medieval charm, beauty, and traditions into modern times, without sacrificing any of the modern energy and vibrancy.
Prague is the ideal two-week destination for me. The city offers plenty to see, from its bridges, fairy-tale-like towers, and cathedrals, cobbled streets, to its exceptional culture, art, music, cuisine, and various events.
Preparation for the Trip
Since the Czech Republic is a member of the European Union and the Schengen zone, American tourists can stay in Prague for up to 90 days without requiring a visa. The passport would be the principal travel document and needs to be valid for at least six months after the trip is arranged. The local currency is Czech Koruna, and cash provisions need to be made in advance. A Debit or a Credit card would also prove useful. It is also advisable to have one’s private health care details and travel insurance. All of the accommodation needs to be prearranged, as this information might need to be provided. During my stay in Prague, I would require a power adapter and a power transformer to use and charge my devices.
Finally, before the flight, it would be a good idea to locate my country’s embassy in case I need to find it, as well as look up what objects are forbidden in the airports and on planes. Hand luggage and bags must be weighted to avoid problems with the customs.
Arriving in Prague
Since finances would not be a concern, there is an incentive to purchase flight tickets in first class. The Lufthansa has a history of impeccable service and is a solid airline choice. The flight needs to be booked ahead of time, to avoid problems with overbooked flights. Also, the it’s important to arrive in the airport early, and to confirm the departure Gate ahead of time.
The first class flight to Prague, as well as the return flight, lasts eight to twelve hours with a stop in Munich and range in price from 8 to 10 thousand dollars total. This means being prepared for quite a long time spent in one’s seat (Prague Travel Checklist, n.d.).
After landing in the Václav Havel Airport Prague, we would need to catch a taxi to the city centre, which is half an hour away. While there are a lot of luxurious hotels in and around the city centre, I would prefer to stay at boat hotel, or ‘botel,’ as they are commonly called. Since a lot of them are well placed, they offer gorgeous views of the city and are often walking distance away from interesting historical monuments.
It is worth mentioning that pickpockets are as prevalent in Prague, as in any other tourist city, so it is important to be vigilant.
Enjoying Prague
While tram and metro services in Prague have fair prices and high-quality service, the city’s cobbled streets are known for being perfect walking locations, and a great chance to see the city and take pictures. Alternatively, it is a good idea to join a bike tour (like the Prague by E-Bike Sightseeing Tours), or rent a bike to traverse the city.
The first week would be dedicated to covering as many sights as possible. As part of a walking tour, it would be interesting to visit the Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town and Josefov. Old Town is the historical center of Prague, with such architectural marvels as the Astronomical Clock. Josefov is the location of the Jewish ghetto, with numerous synagogues drawing the tourist’s eye. New Town and Lesser Town were built around the Old Town and along the Vltava River, and also offer beautiful streets and medieval churches. There are also numerous museums that might be of interest, such as the Czech National Gallery and Czech National Museum. Buying a tourist card is a must to avoid worrying about the fees. I would finish the week by visiting the Vyšehrad Castle and the Prague castles, the latter being in the Guinness World Records for being the biggest of the ancient castles (Prague, n.d.)
The second week I would dedicate to activities available to tourists. Mountains to the North are perfect for skiing, and could provide several exciting days. After that, there are a lot of real-life games in the city, such as Escape Room Challenges, where the players need to find a way out of the room in an hour by searching it for keys and clues, and solving puzzles. Cryptex (Cryptex – The Best Escape Game in Prague, n.d.), Puzzle Room Prague and Breakout Prague are the most acclaimed Escape Challenges. Each May is marked by the Prague Spring Festival, which is the most famous festival of classical music in the country (Prague Spring 2016, n.d.).
Cafes and restaurants are ubiquitous in the city center. There are also expensive places like Café Imperial or the Alcron restaurant that provide some of the best Czech meals in Prague.
Return
I would spend the last day preparing for the return journey, packing bags and making an itinerary of items that might be of interest to the Customs Office. All the same issues that were considered on the flight to Prague need to be considered on the return flight. Again, I would secure a taxi to get to the airport about two hours in advance.
After that, the return ticket is already paid for, and it would be time for the trip back.
References
Cryptex – The Best Escape Game in Prague. (n.d.). Web.
Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, developed a theory related to human needs that have become popularly known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. The needs were associated with the human environment in society. Maslow conducted thorough research on the study of human psychology and motivation. Consequently, his investigation led to him coming up with the hierarchy of needs theory. While propounding the hierarchy of needs, Maslow stated that five levels of needs drive people psychological needs, safety needs, belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs (Aruma & Hanachor, 2017). In the hierarchy of human needs, Maslow viewed human nature as based on internal and universal predispositions. Under the physiological category in the Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow categorized food, water, shelter, clothing, comfort, rest, reproduction, and procreation. Moreover, in safety needs category, he argued that people should be protected from dangerous physical and social situations.
Furthermore, the category of social needs addressed the need for love and support of a group. Esteem and prestige need to address self-worth, respect, status, recognition, reputation, and confidence, and finally, self-actualization addresses the need to develop inborn talent, potential resources, and accomplishment. This paper provides insights on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, its relation to the hospitality industry, especially the bartender job, and the effects if not implemented.
The application of the hierarchy of needs has been of great importance in enhancing human culture and meeting their needs, especially in an organization setup. The hierarchy of needs is applied at workplaces to provide for employee motivation and confidence at work. The application of self-actualization in most businesses has criticized the leaders who fail to help deliver a purposeful employee mindset. Furthermore, the managers can account for the safety of the employees by ensuring favorable working conditions. The managers are also given the responsibility to ensure employee satisfaction through secure compensation of employees and providing proper means of salary pay and job safety, which is the essential need of employees.
The hospitality industry has a broad category of fields under the service industry, including; lodgings, event planning, bartender, and transportation industries. The hospitality industry has a broad relationship with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs as it correlates psychological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and actualization because the needs are obtained from other people. In the bartender’s job, the need for self-actualization enables them to understand the customer’s desire by assessing its importance and how it affects them. The physiological needs are often met even before the bartender meets their guest, as it is achieved by the bar’s attractive outlook. The physiological needs are, therefore, the significant needs offered by the bar. Some bars also offer reproductive leisure services hence contributing to satisfying the psychological needs of the clients. While the clients are at the bar, the friendly interaction between the bartender and the customer enables the satisfaction of love.
Love that makes a person want to belong to a group, including family group, peer group, and friendship group, is most satisfied in the bar. The job as a bartender includes creating a serene environment for the guest by first welcoming the guest via a friendly conversation. This helps in bringing the client closer by making him feel like a part of the community. The conversation might go on as the client still thinks of what recipe he will take, therefore, enhancing the understanding of needs. The job as a bartender leads to the creation of peer groups. The customer, therefore, will feel like returning to the bar as he might feel part of it. Understanding needs through love shows a significant correlation between Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the bartender job in the hospitality industry.
Furthermore, the hierarchy of needs has been used to develop a unified community in contemporary society. The understanding of community development describes an effort of the members of the participating communities initiated by those in the general authority to create a favorable environment for the satisfaction of human desires. A bar does that by uniting people with various needs, including shelter, food, and group love, by putting the bartender as the link to the diverse needs required by the guest.
Self-actualization in the hospitality industry enables a bartender to add some structures to the operational study goals. These structures might include ensuring the guests get a good night’s sleep before investing time in loyalty to the client. The self-actualization in the bartender job involves the self-devotion to serving the clients despite what circumstances. In this case, the bartender should respond quickly and positively to all the clients’ questions. This makes the guest feel much welcomed and part of that community hence enabling future attraction of the customers.
Esteem and prestige stated in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs correlate with the bartender job. In this case, the client is to be accorded some degree of respect and recognition. The respect paid to guests makes them feel like superiors and that the bartenders are at their service such that everything they want is laid before them as fast as possible (Chalakova & Ferreira, 2018).
Respect creates a bond with the customers, therefore, improving the business sales. The guest might also desire that the bartender recognize their status hence building self-esteem.
Moreover, recognition is an essential element in the bartender’s job during client serving. This enables the bartender to identify a new client and serve him with respect and love. In some cases, the bar might be full, and some customers might be left unattended. Thus, the lack of attention makes the customer feel highly unwelcome. Admiration in self-esteem needs positively correlates with the bartender business. In this case, when a new guest enters the bar, he wants to be admired, leaving the bartender responsible for fulfilling that need.
Despite satisfying the hierarchical needs of guests in the bar, the bartenders also have some desires while working. The essential need that the bartenders highly admire is safety needs. Most bar environments contain people who have psychological issues, and hence they can create violence at any time, which might endanger the employees. Some other dangers might originate from social situations like anxiety, depression, and stress, which might be due interaction of the bartenders with rude and abusive employees, who might cause harassment to the employees. Such action might lower the self-esteem and respect of the bartender. Security of personal information is also crucial at the point of work, especially as a bartender. This is because some clients might decide to expose the bartender’s confidential information when drunk. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, safety and security needs include shelter, health, and a safe environment. Most bartenders often work for more than two shifts a day which might lead to health deterioration of the bartender. Lack of sleep might lead to depression in the bartender, which causes a low work rate.
As indicated in the hierarchy of needs, a safe environment under safety needs is an essential factor provided to the bartender. For confidence at work, the bartender should not be afraid of environmental safety if the manager provides them with physical security, for example, guards. In most scenarios, bartenders often leave work late at night, making them victims of harassment; therefore, employee safety is essential in this position. While enhancing work safety for bartenders, there ought to be the maintenance of law and order in the environs of the workplace. Employers often employ security guards to ensure the environment is safe for both the employee and the customer.
The bartenders are also people; hence, they develop psychological needs such as food, shelter, and comfort, especially at work. They achieve those needs by providing housing allowances to the bartenders, especially for houses located close to the bar. Furthermore, the bartender should be given a work break to find food, or food should be offered at the workplace for those working long shifts. For the bartenders to effectively achieve such needs, their salaries must be enough to meet them.
For bartenders, love and belonging needs are pretty essential in the workplace. In the work environment, bartenders, in general, should link together and form a group friendships. The bartender’s job involves the interconnection of activities in which one possesses a partner’s duty. Therefore, without love and belonging among the employees, the execution of some responsibilities will be delayed (Tikkanen, 2007). Self-actualization is also an essential need that enables bartenders to develop their inborn talent, potential, resources, and accomplishments. Self-actualization need motivates the bartenders as they are granted the free will to practice what they know best. Therefore, the bartenders with the ability to convince customers are granted the opportunity to do so, while those with serving skills are given the ability to do so; this enhances group unity. The need for self-esteem and prestige is also essential for bartenders as it enables reputation, recognition, and respect between the bartenders and the managers, allowing them to navigate the bars’ harsh environment.
The failure to adopt Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs might negatively affect the organization’s activities and success. The organization’s flexibility will be affected due to a lack of self-actualization, enabling the employees to stabilize their talents and abilities, leading to low productivity in the business. The abandoning of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs will undermine love and belonging, enabling the employees to engage in teamwork; therefore, there will be slow services provision without collaboration, especially in the bar; hence, the bar might lose its customers. Productivity depends on the workers to continuously concentrate at work without being destructed. When there is poor security in the working environment, the employees will develop fear at work. Consequently, the general productivity will be affected as the employees will not be at their best at work.
On the other hand, the failure to adapt Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs will also lead to low employee turnover. With the employees not unified or demoralized by the working conditions, their work rate might reduce from the initial rate, causing a reduction in productivity. A decrease in productivity will therefore lead to a decline in the business’s income. Lack of employee self-esteem will lead to customer disrespect which can push away customers; hence the company’s sales will reduce, leading to a low company turnover. Some other factors like poor security standards might lead to the loss of goods due to theft; hence the companies’ sales might reduce. Furthermore, when a company faces insecurity issues, customers tend to restrain from purchasing the company products and services, affecting the turnover rate by declining sales.
Understanding employee needs is essential for organizational success. Both productivity and turnover depend on this factor. Poor understanding of employee needs might lead to the disunity of the employees as they might fail to adhere to the job instructions, which in turn lowers productivity and hence low rates of turnover. Disunity will deter skill development, therefore, affecting the aesthetic human environment. A favorable working business environment often guides employee morals. Lack of recognition in the workplace might cause the demoralization of the employees, which, in turn, leads to them reducing their workforce. Lack of employee security might lead to a negative attitude towards work. Employees will spend most of their time enhancing their safety if the poor shelter and lack of proper clothing affect their work perspectives.
References
Aruma, D. E., & Hanachor, &. D. (2017). Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and assessment of needs. International journal of development and economic sustainability, 5(7), 15-27.
Chalakova, v., & Ferreira, &. P. (2018). A hospitality value perception model based on. Master in innovation and technological entrepreneurship, 1-77.
