Category: Tourism

Introduction

Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world; several scholars and organizations have come up with different definitions of the term. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014) defines tourism as “an economic, social, and cultural occurrence that involves the movement of people to areas outside their usual environment for business or personal purposes for less than a year.” This industry has different sectors that handle the expansive services within it. The eight sectors in this industry include accommodation, travel trade, tourism services, attractions, transportation, food and beverage, events and conferences, and adventure tourism and recreation (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014).

Accommodation

This is one of the fastest developing sectors in tourism industry. Accommodation business entails hotels, resorts, guesthouses, inns, yachts, villas and bungalows, and campgrounds (Department of Tourism and Culture, 2013). Categories of job positions in this segment vary depending on the nature of enterprise. The careers are sales manager, housekeeper, maintenance personnel, financial comptroller, reservation clerk, front office manager, and general manager.

Travel Trade

This division does not only assist other segments in the industry through sales, but also through bookings. Tour operators prepare vacation packages, which the tourists buy from the travel agents (Department of Tourism and Culture, 2013). Vacation packages include accommodation, airline ticket, tours, meals etcetera. This sector employs reservation agents, sales promoters, tour operators, tour guides, travel counselors, and travel agents.

Tourism Services

This sector entails corporations, associations, establishments, and government agencies that address fundamental issues in the field of tourism. Tourism services are further divided into tourism educators, tourism trainers, consultants, information centers, BVI tourist board, and ministry of tourism. People working in this sector are custom and immigration officers, photographer, lecturer, travel writer, researchers, director of tourism and minister of tourism.

Tourism Attractions

Tourism attractions are things that entice visitors and bring about revenue. Attractions comprise of cultural attractions, heritage homes, museums, historic sites, art galleries, halls of fame, aquariums, water parks, zoo, amusement parks, casinos, and botanical gardens. The attractions do not only entertain, but also educate visitors. Careers in this sector are museum manager, visitor services manager, maintenance manager, park wardens, and retail sales clerk.

Transportation

Transportation sector provides comfort, movement, and safety of tourists. The services in this sector are dependent on the types of movement used by visitors, which include air, ground, rail, and water (Department of Tourism and Culture, 2013). Some types of transportation services are air carriers, ferry companies, marinas, cruise lines, water taxis personal vehicles, motor coach travel, taxicab operations, bike rentals, and vehicle rental companies. The different modes of travel provide job opportunities to yacht skippers, taxi drivers, rental agents, travel agents, airport managers, flight attendants, and pilots.

Food and Beverage

Food and beverage sector entails purchasing and storing food and beverages, preparing and serving food and beverages, and welcoming visitors. Establishments found in this sector are nightclubs, caterers, pubs, restaurants, and coffee shops. Most people especially the youths start their first job in this sector as chefs, waiters/waitresses, club managers, bartenders, and food and beverage managers (Department of Tourism and Culture, 2013).

Adventure Tourism and Recreation

There are instances when visitors request active activities and recreational experiences where they interact with the natural environment. Amenities for adventure tourism are parks, sports facilities, fishing facilities, water sports and marine facilities. Individuals work in this sector as water-sports managers, sports coaches, sailing instructors, sales clerks, and scuba diving instructors.

After giving an overview on the eight sectors in the tourism industry, the research will now focus on events and conferences sector, as well as its subsectors, which includes revenue sources, cost of operation, target audience, advertising methods, and how the barriers to travel affect this sector.

Events and Conferences

The knack to ably plan and execute an event or a conference is every company’s objective. This sector contributes largely to the economy of a given country since other sectors such as transport, food and beverages, and accommodation are involved. Notably, these sectors also have their own charges. Fairs, festivals, meetings, conferences, trade shows, and convections are various types of events and conferences. Job opportunities in this sector include translators, registration clerks, sales representative, special events coordinators, public relations managers, meeting planners, and exhibit designers.

Events and conferences sector plays an imperative role in the economy of any given country. During various functions, other sectors benefit as well. For instance, visitors may need to move to and from the conference or event place. In this situation, the transport sector comes in handy. They need to rest, eat, and be entertained. Therefore, sectors like the food and beverages and accommodation are involved.

Subsectors in Events and Conferences Sector

Subsectors in Events and Conferences entail special events, convections, meetings, trade shows, conferences, and incentive trips. Special events are emerging in large numbers and some of them have become famous and successful hence becoming attractions not only nationally, but also internationally. Events like the Calgary Stampede and Olympic Games are world known events, and require humble time of preparation and planning. Smaller events organized by different communities like sporting events, fundraisers, celebrating culture and ethnic roots may not require radical preparation.

Many companies send their employers to networking convections, sales meetings, and conferences for training, sharing ideas, solving problems, researching, and cultivating new strategies. Some corporations display their merchandises at such events like trade shows. An example of such a company is The Rimrock Resort Hotel found on Sulphur Mountain in Banff National Park, Alberta state, Canada. Rimrock does not only offers events and conferences services, but also offer hotel accommodation, food and beverages, dining and lounges, Spa services, and Banff activities.

Convection facilities

The Rimrock Resort Hotel has a Wildrose Ballroom that can comfortable accommodate six hundred visitors. The ballroom can be converted to three separate salons; therefore, it can handle more than one event at ago. Hawthorn is another function space that can be sectioned into three; the room is installed with audio-visual equipment and drop-down screens. In addition, they have an executive boardroom that accommodates 18 people. The boardroom has executive chairs and a drop down screen as well. Other meeting space available is Rosemary that caters for 12 people, Lobela that facilitates 8 people, Laurel for Children’s programs and, Yarrow that handles approximately 80 people.

Conference and Banquets

The Rimrock Resort Hotel has a well-trained workforce, with technical experience that gives initialed and specialized attention to every detail given by a client. This results in smooth planning and preparation of conference regardless of its complexity. The devotion to every customers detail has promoted the company’s name, and they now have annual customers from some finest companies in North America. Their exceptional performance and services has won them Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Award (The Rimrock Resort Hotel Official Site: Rimrock Wedding, 2014).

Conferences and banquet services offered by The Rimrock Resort Hotel include access to Wildrose Ballroom using automobile, fully equipped on-site audio-visual services plus internet and teleconferencing facilities, meetings rooms facing the beautiful mountains, splendid delivery and shipping amenities, well-trained special conference service managers that aid in planning and organization, as well as amenities to put up a registration desk.

Special events

The Rimrock Resort Hotel organizes special events, especially wedding ceremonies that must be accompanied with guestrooms and food and beverage with the exclusion of wedding cakes (The Rimrock Resort Hotel Official Site: Rimrock Wedding, 2014). They have a function room that entails black framed mirror centerpieces, glassware, votive candles, black or white linen napkins, tables, chairs, and black or white table linens. Coat rank, tissues, water stations, and mints are provided on request. Guest room services are available for visitors (tourists) who wish to spend a night before or after the wedding ceremony at reduced rates.

Additionally, they have an enthusiastic staff that arrange for comforting and pleasant atmosphere during rehearsal dinners. Rehearsal dinners can be held at Divas, Larkspur, Eden, and Primrose lounges. The Rimrock Resort Hotel has a room for children to relax after dinner. The room contains pillows, blankets, chairs, TV, and snacks. A recommended external company can offer children services upon request. The guests can also enjoy fresh bunch from the hotel the morning subsequent to the wedding before going home at affordable rates. Moreover, the Rimrock Spa has a distinctive deal for all treatments where the groom and bride are pampered before and after the wedding ceremony.

Sources of Revenue

The components of a budget constitute three primary elements, namely expenses, income and nets income or net loss. Revenue makeups the funds received into the business by substitution for products by an enterprise. For event organizers and conferencing, sources of revenue can be through various ways, some of which are discussed below.

The greatest generator of revenue to events and conferences are through ticketing, Registrations and Membership. Events and conferences generate income through sale of entrance tickets, registration for participation as well as membership charges. Where the event aims to attract audience, the event organizers generate their income from collection of entrance charge or by sale of entrance tickets. However, when the event does not call for audience, the event organizers generate income through registration by the participants. In certain instances, the events or conferences are strictly for members of a particular group; therefore, revenue is generated by the membership charges (Murphy, 2009).

Similarly, events and conferences can generate revenue through sponsorship. Most of the documented events and conferences collaborate with corporations as well as other organizations for mutual benefits. While these corporates may chip in to cater for expenses that the events are likely to incur, event organizers may create signs, booths, or other forms of display that promote the sponsors on reciprocation of the financial assistance accorded. Depending on the terms of agreement, the sponsors may fund the event to the tune that surpasses the operation cost, thereby generating revenue to the organizers (Greenwell, Danzey-Bussell, & Shonk, 2014).

Likewise, Rimrock Resort Hotel generates its revenue through sales of foods and beverages. While the hotel hosts various events, despite the routine sales of beverages and food, the attendance for a specific event may purchase concession for refreshment as they participate in their course (Murphy, 2009). Markedly, this creates an additional revenue scheme for Rimrock Resort Hotel.

Another outstanding revenue source to Rimrock Resort Hotel is corporate hospitality. Conglomerates and other prominent establishments at times direct concern in corporate hospitality, thus instructing hotels to allocate special space and seats for selected personnel plus their clienteles, spouse, families, and friends. These corporate hospitality packages boost the revenues for such hotels, thus forming a significant revenue source to this sector of tourism (Murphy, 2009).

Media rights are an additional source of revenue to event and conferences sector of tourism. It is obvious that not everyone can manage to attend events however much they might be interested. Therefore, most often, when the event appeals to a larger population, the admirer who cannot attend the live event may choose to watch the proceeding on television. For this reason, event planners may confer with a range of media channels, consequently substituting the privileges to air such contents. This could be done at an agreed cost. Accordingly, exchange of media rights is a source of revenue to this sector (Greenwell et al., 2014).

The Costs Associated With Operation

There are a number of costs associated with events and conferencing. Some of the common costs in this subsector are highlighted below.

Advertisement cost

While event organizers aim to maximize their gain out of their events, clearly the number of attendees is directly relative to the income generated. This is because the major income for this sector comes from the tickets, membership, or registration fees, which all depend on the number of attendees. Therefore, to raise the turnout, the organizers must increase the awareness of the event or conference. Logically, to increase awareness, there is need to advertise the event (Murphy, 2009).

Consequently, like other organizations, the Rimrock Resort Hotel also sustains advertisement expenses. Whereas corporate hospitality is identified as an income generator to the Rimrock Resort Hotel and other related firms, Murphy (2009) ascertains that special seats and space demands for extraordinary treatment. Therefore, whenever the firm gets an order for such events, they are obliged to hire specialized attendance.

In addition, such events may require additional packing space in order to satisfactorily appeal to their customers, the firm may pay for additional parking space as well as security to their customers’ vehicles. Moreover, to facilitate traffic flow, the firm may hire or engage new employees to direct traffic in order to help their visitors to the venue of the events. These are in addition to the regular service providers who are also an expense to the firm.

Target Audience

Even though tourism is a dynamic and complex market making it difficult to identify with and retain clients, McKee (2012) notes that the Global Tourism Watch study and EQ research have identified a few major targets of focus for Rimrock Resort Hotel namely learners, conferences, and enthusiastic indulgers. As a result, Rimrock Resort Hotels focus their advertisements in the regions where their brand leads and yields the maximum proceeds. In their customer segmentation, Rimrock Resort Hotel like most of the Canada tourist Resorts identify itself majorly with twelve countries globally. The countries that Rimrock Resort Hotel mostly identifies with are in Europe, America and a few in Asia and Australia. In specific, they include Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Australia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, the US, and the UK.

Rimrock Resort Hotel like most of the Canadian tourist sector advertises through a travel trade development by utilizing Canada Tourism Commission (CTC) that entails Canada Specialist Program and Brand Canada Creative Library. McKee (2012) points out that Canada Specialist Program is both an education program as well as a broad trade development incorporated with other marketing components. This includes stating specific goals that makes each resort outstanding. This program educates both travel agents and sales and tour guides, thus ensuring that customers are directed to areas of their relevance interest.

In addition, Canada Specialist Program entails comprehensive modules of travel as well as itinerates that pertains the relevance advantageous one site have over the other. This criterion ensures that Rimrock Resort Hotel remains relevant to the advertisement process while, at the same time, differentiating it to other Canadian tourist resorts. Consequently, this advertisement expand the tourists knowledge about different resorts, and as a voluntary choice, the method remains relevant in this sector, hence proving effective for the case of Rimrock Resort Hotel that has several advantages over their competitors.

In addition to the traditional advertisement discussed above, Rimrock Resort Hotel as a firm that targets literate learners, as well as youthful generation, has installed an internet wireless connection in the premises – a tool that is common in the modern days. According to Dolniar (2002), use of social media is rapidly emerging as an invaluable marketing and advertisement tool. With the involvement of social media, Rimrock Resort Hotel identifies online audience that might be interested in travelling or holding conferences in Canada.

Through this platform, they can engage in conversations that might influence the choice of their destination. Consequently, the Rimrock Resort Hotel can improve where necessary, while at the same time, the company can embrace the strength it has over the competitors. Generally, personalized communication that social media embrace gives vacationer a richer picture of experience they can have at Rimrock Resort Hotel, thereby inspiring tourists to visit non other that Rimrock Resort Hotel. Evidently, this advertisement method is an effective means for Rimrock Resort Hotel.

Barriers to Travel That Affect This Sector

The cost of travelling could be a hindrance to many individuals; travelling could be their favorite hobbies. However, the expenses incurred to travel might be a challenge to many. In considering the Rimrock Resort Hotel, which is situated within the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park, the cost of reaching the place is extremely high, making it a key hindrance to its maximization of assets. Likewise, in relations to Rimrock Resort Hotel geographical location, time duration to reach the resort is a barrier that holds back many individuals from travelling to the site.

Similarly, Rimrock Resort Hotel as resort situated at the center of the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park, safety is an issue of concern to most of the tourist. In this, the fear of encountering danger such as meeting wild animals or involving in accident due to the tortuous terrain of the region holds back numerous possible customers from visiting this resort (Murphy, 2009). These barriers combined deprive the sector of an opportunity to expand and obtain extra revenues.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2014). Web.

Department of Tourism and Culture. (2013). Web.

Dolniar, S. (2002). Review of Data-Driven Market Segmentation in Tourism. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 12(1), 1-22.

Greenwell, T. C., Danzey-Bussell, L. A., and Shonk, D. (2014) Event organizers focus on revenue streams to maximize profitability. Web.

Mckee, C. D. (2012). Global Marketing and Sales Plan. Web.

Murphy, P. (2009). The Business of Resort Management. New York: Routledge.

The Rimrock Resort Hotel Official Site: Rimrock Wedding. (2014). Web.

Introduction

Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, located on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf; the city is only second to Abu Dhabi in terms of area. The city has a vibrant business atmosphere with revenue coming from various sources; these include tourism, the property industry and financial services (DHCC, 2000). Other sources are also available, however, the three mentioned rank as the most important. As such, the city attracts a large number of visitors; these flock the city for various reasons, including for recreation, business and seeking job opportunities.

Tourism in Dubai

Dubai is unique compared to other emirates of the UAE; this is due to the fact that only a small portion (about 6%) of the GDP is generated for the sale of fossil fuels; the rest comes from business and tourism activities. As such, the government of Dubai has adopted tourism as a major strategy for maintaining the flow of foreign currency into the economy of the emirate. Dubai has various attractions that form the basis for luring tourists from across the globe; this include ancient historical site, natural environment, man-made features and recreational activities; and shopping.

Natural Environment

As mentioned before, Dubai is a coastal city; therefore, the general elevation of most parts of the city is at sea level. The city lies in the Arabian Desert; this is made up mostly of sandy dune rather thanthan gravel common in other parts of the UAE [Aspinall]. Towards the coastline, the sand is mostly made up of crushed shell and coral; as such, the sand is mostly white and fine. Further inland, the sand dunes are much larger and have a red pigmentation conferred by iron oxide content of the sand in this region.

Running along the border between Dubai and Oman at Hatta are the Western Hajar Mountains that mark the end of the sandy desert towards this direction. The environment around these mountains is arid, and the landscape is rugged; points of the mountains rise as high as 1,300meters.

The Dubai creek is a natural inlet in a region that has no natural oases or rivers. Modifications have, however, been carried out on this creek. This includes dredging of the bed in order to allow large vessels to navigate deeper into the city from the coastline.

Some of the animal species that can be spotted in the Arabian Desert include the houbara bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcon, and Arabian Oryx. Additionally, during spring and autumn, Dubai lies in the path of migration of over 320 species of birds on transit between Africa, Europe and Asia. The warm waters of the Persian Gulf attract a large number of fish; more than 300 species have been recorded as being prevalent in the water of the Dubai coast.

The climate of Dubai is mostly hot; some parts of the year may be humid, however, the region is more or less dry through out the year. The episodes of rainfall, clustered around the three months of the year are usually short-lived and light. Rainfall may be heavy during these months; this however is not very common.

The Dubai Society

The society in Dubai is multicultural [Government of Dubai, 2006]; while the historical population of Dubai was homogeneous, various events led to the arrival of large numbers of immigrants for other parts of Asia and the world, resulting in the current diversity. The society however is largely Islamic; various practices and festivals are therefore a major event in the region’s calendar; such include the annual fast (Ramadan) and the end of the fast as marked by the Eid al Fitr.

As such, while visiting some of the sites, such as the Jumeirah Mosque, women are required to cover their arms, legs and heads in order to be allowed inside. This is in accordance to Islamic regulations regarding the dress code when entering the places of worship.

The Islamic society also influences the tourism industry; the month of Ramadan in particular affects the eating practices of even non-Muslims in the city during the time. For example, some of the catering establishments are closed during the day; others that are open have screened areas that allow non-Muslims to eat away from the sight of the fasting Muslims. As such, tourists are able to enjoy the cuisine with minimal effect of the fasting month. During this month, tourists are required to draw the curtains of the vehicles when eating and/or drinking during a period of transit from one venue to the other. While these are not official government sanctions, agencies handling tourists are urged to advise their clients accordingly so as to avoid clashes of culture between them and the local population.

Due to the large extent of development of financial services in the city, and the activities of the free port, Dubai is a relatively cosmopolitan destination; this has been augmented by widespread tourism activities. As such, activities that would be frowned upon or even restricted in other Islamic countries in the region are relatively acceptable in Dubai. For example, hotels are allowed to serve some alcoholic drinks.

Tourist Activities

Dubai as a destination has a wide range of activities that can fill the itinerary of the tourist. Such have been developed to suit mostly European and American tourists traveling either as a family, a couple or alone.

The Beach and Water sports

The round-the-year sunny weather experienced in Dubai puts it at a good position to attract tourists seeking to get away from a winter season back home. The emirate is also endowed with attractive beaches; additionally, major investment has been made to modify the beachhead through the creation of artificial waterways and islands.

Some of the water activities (other than swimming and sunbathing include the following: Scuba diving; the warm Persian Gulf water supports a wide range of tropical fish and corals. Sailing and windsurfing; most of the beachside establishment have personnel and equipment to train and/or facilitate enthusiasts of this hobbies. Water skiing is particularly popular for visitors to Dubai’s beaches. Another benefit of having a warm water ocean-front is the ability to fish in deep waters.

Apart from having very favorable water and weather conditions to support the need of a large number of tourists, Dubai also has the added advantage of being able to provide these amenities through out the year.

Investment has also been made to develop non-ocean water activities; this partly been spurred by the fact that other than the Dubai creek, there are no other inland waterways that may cater for the visitors who may want to have a wider range of such activities. A good example of such an investment is the Wild Wadi Wild Water Theme Park; located at a distance about twenty minutes drive for the city center, and between the Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach hotels, this facility offers wild water activities equivalent to natural formations elsewhere in the world. The park is built on a twelve-acre plot; boast of thirty rides of varying complexity.

Desert adventures

As mentioned before, Dubai is generally a desert country; a few kilometers from the beachside, the sandy dunes are the major feature on the landscape. Many companies offer a wide range of activities carried out under the desert sky. Such include romantic dinners on the sand dune, rough riding on the dunes on four-wheel-drive vehicles (commonly known as dune or wadi bashing) and recreational motorcycles (such as the quad bike) and camping out in Bedouin camps (including in-camp activities such as barbeque and cultural dancers); and trekking on the back of a camel. Another popular desert activity is falconry; this is a traditional Arabia sport involving displays by trained falcons.

The desert adventure is usually designed to contrast the city atmosphere in Dubai; this is evident in some of the formulation of some of the products offered in such activities; for example, living in a traditional Bedouin tent as opposed to a conventional or a luxury hotel. In the provision of such a unique product is facilitated by the fact that a complete transformation from the extensively developed Dubai city and the complete desert wilderness is made within one hour of driving.

The city experience

Apart from the beach and the desert, the city also has its attractions for the tourist; one of the most important of these activities is shopping. Dubbed “the shopping capital of the middle east”, Dubai attracts a large number of shoppers from around the world [Pilotguides.com]. A distinction should be made, however, between people who travel to Dubai particularly to do shopping and those that shop as part of leisure activities. The former group is attracted in particular by the Jebel Ali Free Zone, serviced by the Jebel Ali port; this port allows foreign firms unrestricted free trade and export. While such has contributed to the commercial development of Dubai, it is not the main focus of tourist shopping.

The souks or the business districts are the major venues of tourist shopping. In addition to this, there also are many modern shopping malls and boutiques. These offer a wide range of products both indigenous to the Persian Gulf and the major international brands; especially fashion items.

The souks and departmental stores also stock a wide range of electronic products also from the leading global brands. In the modern establishments such as electronic shops, the prices usually fixed (as would in such establishments in any other part of the world); on the contrary, the prices of the products offered in the souks is usually negotiable; in fact, haggling is considered to be part of the tourist experience of shopping in Dubai. Haggling is usually well taken and friendly.

Under the auspices of shopping, a festival is held every year; during this period the whole city is transformed into one big shopping venue. In addition to the increased volume of trade, the festival is also decorated by musical performances and art exhibitions [MySDF].

Apart from shopping, tourists can also engage in other activities that are offered side-to-side with the shopping venues. Such include discotheques, bars and entertainment venues. Investment in the city amenities is extensive (and a bit whimsical); a good example of a surprising activity is skiing. Manmade skiing slopes are available in the Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai. Such services include provision of cold weather and skiing gear (as it’s obvious that a visitor to Dubai would not be prepared to ski in the middle of the desert!).

Another such establishment is the already mentioned Wild Wadi water park. Golf is also another attraction offered in Dubai; the warm weather makes this a year-round activity, and Dubai has several world-class golf resorts. Additionally, many travel packages offer sessions of golfing as part of the activities of the visit. The importance of golf as a commodity is the highly competitive Dubai open golf tournament which attracts the world’s greatest golfers.

Traveling

Dubai is well serviced by the aviation industry; boasting one of the most advanced and busiest airports in the world in the form of the Dubai International Airport, more than 120 airline operators are able to operate flights to and from over 260 destinations in the world. Additionally, in 2008, the airport handled over 37 million passengers and moved over a million tons of cargo [AMEinfo, 2008]. As such, many world capitals have at least one airline running a regular flight to Dubai. Most major cities of the world have daily flights to Dubai; with some having multiple departures every day.

Additionally, Dubai is the base of operation of the national UAE carrier, Emirates Airline. The operator has a modern fleet of aircrafts; and has scheduled flights to and from over 100 destinations all over the world. The airport is under constant development and expansion; with each completion conferring additional capacity and efficiency.

The transport system within the city is faced with the challenge of congestion; however, the Dubai government is taking steps to mitigate this situation. One of these initiatives is the monorail that was commissioned earlier this year on the Palm Jumeirah. The common method of getting across the city is via abras; these are small boats that ferry passengers along the Dubai creek.

The road system in Dubai is highly advanced; however, the expansions over the years have not kept up with the increase in the number of vehicles per year, thus leading to the congestion. Dubai boast among the most extensive taxi services with over seven thousand cabs operated both by private companies and civil authorities. This remains the most widely used form of public transport around the emirate.

Cuisine and Dining

Being a tourist destination, the cuisine is geared towards two directions; one is the indigenous Arabic food for a person who wants to experience the local cuisine; and international cuisine for the one who wants to eat their normal food but in a different setting.

The spicy Middle Eastern cuisine is very popular; and is available from the small diners known as shawarma to the high end restaurants common in many parts of the city. Additionally, due to the diversity of the inhabitants of the city, regional specialties such as Chinese and South Asians are also available alongside familiar European dishes.

Due to the cultural sensitivity in the consumption of some foods, there is control in how and where they are sold. For example, compared to other Islamic countries where the sale of pork is explicitly prohibited (and illegal), such can be sold in Dubai but under restrictions; pork can only be sold in certain areas and by non-Muslims [USDA, 2006]. Similarly, establishments are required to obtain a liquor license to sell any form of alcoholic beverage [NZT&E]; as such, bars are located within premises of large hotels rather than as independent establishments.

Tourism and Heritage

The economic strategy of Dubai and the emirates in general is to diversify their business away from oil generated revenues; tourism is set to be the biggest foreign exchange earner for the city. As such, the city has had to change some of their identity features so as to accommodate a cosmopolitan environment. Compared to other emirates, for example, the other emirates that make up the UAE, Dubai has arguably the least stringent rules as dictated by the Islamic culture, such as the sale of pork and alcohol within the territory.

This has also been necessitated by the endeavor by the government to create an environment that is conducive for international business. This has also been seen with the performance of various western artists, including Shakira, Celine Dion, Kylie Minogue and Coldplay. Such is restricted and/or prohibited in strictly Islamic countries. Dubai also has a renowned nightlife; and has been listed as a recommended venue for partying by the New York Times in 2008 [NYT, 2007].

Accommodation

Dubai is well endowed in terms of tourist accommodation; the city has a wide range of hotels, including a fair share of world-class hotels. All the major hotels chains are represented in the city, and they have put up world-class facilities to cater for the up market traveler. According to an article titled ‘Tourism in Dubai: Overcoming Barriers to destination Development’ in volume 8 of The International Journal of Tourism Research in 2006, Joan Henderson also draws to attention the perception that Dubai is an expensive place to visit. This is especially in terms of accommodation.

Recently, there has been a development where tourists opt to rent apartments or villas rather than put up in hotels [dubaishortstay.com]. These are self catering and apparently cheaper than hotels which offer the whole range of boarding services.

Factors Drawing Tourists to Dubai

Many factors are responsible for the influx of tourists to Dubai every year; some of this work independently while others work in conjunction.

Push factors

These are the factors that cause the tourist leave behind his home country in favor of a short stay in Dubai. These are constituted by the normal factors that affect the entire tourist. The most important however is the winter; visitor seeking to escape the cold seasons have a guarantee of year-round sun on Dubai beaches. Others include getting away from work, stressful conditions or monotonous life. Tourist also seeking the status they will get for being away on holiday on an exotic land on return.

Pull factors

These are the factors that attract tourist to Dubai as a destination. As mentioned before, an important pull factor is the warm weather. The city also offers an exotic but refined tourism experience. Tourists are also attracted to the wide range of activities that one can do during their stay; such range from hi-tech activities such as skiing on artificial slopes to exotic activities such as camping out in the desert.

Conclusion

The tourism industry in Dubai will no doubt continue to grow. This will be fuelled by both an increased popularity of the city as a destination of choice; and the positive portrayal through active promotion and/or positive stories as portrayed in the media. The government’s strategy to promote tourism as the ideal source of foreign earnings is also set to pay dividends.

References

Aspinall, Simon, ‘Environmental Development and Protection in the UAE’. 2009. Web.

Dubai Healthcare City, ‘An Economic Profile of Dubai’, 2000. Web.

Dubai Villas. 2009. Web.

“Dubai International – world’s fastest-growing airport in 2007”. AMEInfo. Web.

Government of Dubai. Statistical Center Dubai in Figures 2006. Web.

Henderson J. ‘Tourism in Dubai: Overcoming Barriers to destination Development’ The International Journal of Tourism Research 2006. Web.

New York Times, ‘Clubs Bloom in the Desert’, 2007. Web.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, ‘Welcome to Dubai’. Web.

Shopping in Dubai. Web.

United States Department of Agriculture, ‘Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards’ GAIN Report. Web.

Introduction

Niagara Falls is one of the most famous historic landmarks in the world. It consists of a group of waterfalls located at the border of the United States and Canada. It is a major tourist attraction site since the time in memorial. It is the second biggest waterfall in the world (Tieck 4). Irwin (3) describes Niagara Falls as an icon in the Canadian tourism sector as many people enter Canada to go and view the Niagara Falls. Therefore, it is considered a major contributor to the Canadian economy. Also, Niagara Falls is centrally located in several major cities both in the United States and in Canada making them easily accessible by tourists. Gromosiak and Christopher (8) assert that the falls are both heart-captivating and memorable to anybody who views it witnessing its endless strength and power even though its creation happened thousands of years ago. There has been a remarkable increase in the number of tourists to Niagara Falls each year since its discovery.

The main reason Niagara Falls stands out internationally is the outstanding gorge and the magnificent waterfalls. Besides, the Niagara River is an outlet to four largest fresh-water lakes in the world, in particular, Lake Erie, and flows into Lake Ontario. Another unique thing about the Niagara River is its short course. On the western side, the course measures 31.6 miles and 35.6 miles on the eastern side. Moreover, there is a large descent within the watercourse elevating at Buffalo and Fort Erie at a height of 575 feet and 250 feet at Fort Niagara (Tesmer and Jerold 1).

Niagara Falls has many unique features that its visitors enjoy. One of those features is the Niagara Whirlpool that is made by the Niagara River, which makes a right turn and the water rotates in a specific way. The Whirlpool measures about 1000 feet in width and 120 feet deep. Tourists who love hiking mostly visit this point and use the hidden path that is along the Niagara Riverbank. This path offers a safe descent to the Niagara gorge like a staircase. Although this place is a natural phenomenon, very few tourists have discovered it yet (Irwin 4).

Tieck (6) describes Niagara Falls as a very wide fall. The Niagara River gets its water from Lake Erie before falling over cliffs of shale and dolomite rocks and divides into three major sections namely Bridal Veil, Canadian Falls, and American Falls. Luna Island separates the American Falls that can be found near the Prospect Point Park and Bridal Veil Falls. These two falls measure nearly 176 feet in height and about 1060 feet wide. On the other hand, Canadian Falls is situated between Goat Island and Victoria Park and is the largest section of the Niagara Falls measuring about 2600 feet in width and 167 feet in height (7).

History of Niagara Falls

According to Gromosiak and Christopher (30), the geographical formation of Niagara Falls started at the Ice Age when the Niagara River appeared after the melting of ice releasing large torrents and then flowing. The water flowed over the Niagara Escarpment at a cliff where the present Lewiston, New York, can be found. As the water flowed, it wore away the rock layers and continuously flowed upstream up to the place where Niagara Falls currently is. This process of erosion is slow and continues up to the present time with a speed of 1 foot per year. The wearing of the rocks happens during the annual freezing in winter and the thawing of Niagara Falls is continuous in summer. However, the rate of wearing the rocks away is very slow presently due to modern influences like hydropower generation.

Many people who toured Niagara Falls desired to have the experience of crossing it. However, this was impossible because there was no means of crossing it. In this regard, two brothers built a bridge to Goat Island. Augustus Porter together with his brother owned the island. They built a wooden bridge in 1856. However, the building process turned out to be both time-consuming and laborious. In 1856, there was the second bridge to replace the first one. This was an iron bridge. It connected Bath Island and Goat Island. Both bridges measured 990 feet above Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls (Gromosiak and Christopher 30).

Documentation of Niagara Falls

The first reliable publication about Niagara Falls took place in France in 1683. There was a small number of visitors to Niagara Falls between the time of publication and the fall of Quebec in 1759. In the 1800s, the United Empire Loyalists started to settle to the west of Niagara River banks. This was during the American Revolutionary War. Moreover, small communities started to settle on the American side during the War of 1812. After this war, travelers began to come to the Niagara frontier to view the falls and surrounding scenery. The famous people who visited Niagara Falls in the nineteenth century recorded their reactions after viewing the scenery. These famous people included painters, scientists, and even writers. They wrote down their feelings since visiting Niagara Falls was both memorable and important. They wrote about their amusements, reactions, feelings, and observations. Therefore, there are several documents written in the nineteenth century that give a vague and intimate picture of their experience at Niagara Falls (McGreevy 8).

Samuel de Champlain was the first to write an account of Niagara Falls in 1604. However, other people had heard the torrents and the roar of Niagara Falls a hundred years earlier. Samuel was a geographer in France during the reign of Henry IV. He claimed that he was the first man to explore Lake Ontario. He also claimed that he met some Indians who told him tales about the great waterfall of Niagara. Therefore, it is clear that his reports were not personal observations but he based them on hearsay (Tesmer and Jerold 9).

According to Tesmer and Jerold, Gendron wrote about Niagara Falls between 1644 and 1645 (Tesmer and Jerold 9). Gendron was a missionary. He claimed that there was a large lake in the south of the Neuter Nation. The lake called Erie measured between 2.4 to 4.6 statute miles. He also said that Lake Erie formed after the increase of water level of the Fresh Water Sea (Lake Huron) which later fell from a terrible height (Niagara Falls) into yet another lake called Ontario. However, it is not clear whether Gendron saw Niagara Falls or not.

In 1669, another missionary by the name Rene Brehant de Galinee wrote about Niagara Falls. He had accompanied Casson and LaSalle on a visit to the Niagara area. He claimed that they discovered a river measuring an eighth of a league by width and extremely fast. According to him, the river was the outlet of Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. However, there were no indications that he saw the Niagara Falls (Tesmer and Jerold 10)

The first European to see Niagara Falls was Father Louis Hennepin in 1678. His memory, however, looked much exaggerated. He claimed that the height of the falls was about 600 feet and the water came from mountains he could see in a distance (Gromosiak and Christopher 9). Father Louis Hennepin was a recollect missionary accompanying LaSalle for an expedition in 1678. His records seem more trustworthy because he wrote extensively about the Niagara Falls (Tesmer and Jerold 10).

Niagara Falls as a tourist destination

Niagara Falls as a tourist destination receives millions of tourists annually. However, most visitors visit Niagara Falls during the summertime because the Falls look spectacular during the daytime and evening. Moreover, the weather at Niagara Falls is more favorable during the summer. Throughout summer Niagara Falls, one of the most remarkable sites, experiences cool humid weather. In this regard, the Canadian government lights the floodlights from its end for several hours after darkness mostly until midnight (Irwin 2).

When the number of people visiting Niagara Falls increased, there was a big need for social amenities. It was around the beginning of the 1820s when an urgent need to accommodate the visitors occurred. Besides, it was important to build up paths, footbridges, and stairways for easy access to the cataract. For a better view of the Niagara Falls, the Canadian government built a stone tower. Also, the investors decided to invest in hotels, museums, and other social amenities on both banks (McGreevy 7).

Irwin points out that at that particular time, development had to go hand in hand with increased tourism (Irwin 2). In the nineteenth century, there was a rise of the middle class who encouraged diversified tourism. Tourists became interested not only in the Niagara Falls but even in the American countryside. There was a remarkable improvement in the transportation sector in the European style, which in return opened up the American countryside for viewing. Moreover, the improvement of infrastructure and entertainment led to more tourists visiting Niagara Falls. The investors in Niagara also made sure that there was a good relationship between nature and civilization besides an aesthetic environment hence adding up artificial attractions above Niagara’s natural scenery.

Niagara is popular internationally as a honeymoon destination. Millions of romancing couples visit Niagara Falls every year. Approximately over 50, 000 people go to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon annually. Besides, it provides a good ground for team building after its good reputation as an adult playground. It comes in second as an adult playground after Las Vegas (McGreevy, p 8).

Niagara Falls has historical and cultural significance. The city administration seeks to conserve the history and traditions besides showing it off to the tourists. To conserve the culture, there are educational festivals and events, which are also fun-filled. There are several cultural sites and events in Niagara, which include Lundy’s Lane Historical Museum, the Shaw Festival, and the Battle of 1812. It is a memorable experience to visit both the Niagara Falls and Niagara’s cultural sites. Presently, there are events to include modern culture such as cuisine and winemaking (McGreevy, p 9).

There was slow development around the cataract although Niagara Falls was very famous. One of the main reasons for slow development resulted from Britain’s influence. In 1780, the British government declared the land on the Northern side of the Niagara Falls set apart as the Crown’s military reserve. They, therefore, prohibited any form of private development. A few months later, the British soldiers built a shanty tower to enable the full view of Niagara Falls after clearing the land. By the 1790s, there were more towers after lopping off trees and bushes (Irwin 5).

Before the Civil War, the rich mainly toured Niagara Falls. However, after the war, the area was open for people of all social classes. This was after the building of a railroad hence making it easier for the middle class to get into the area. Introduction of the automobile in the twentieth century diversified tourism in Niagara Falls. Presently, the approximate number of tourists visiting Niagara Falls annually stands at 15 million (McGreevy 7).

Another major boost to the development in the Niagara area was aesthetic. It was amusing for the early visitors to enjoy viewing the rapture and terror at Niagara Falls. In the early nineteenth century, the travelers named the experience as “sublime” (McGreevy 10).

Economic benefits of Niagara Falls

The Niagara River has many economic benefits not only for Canada but also for the United States. Approximately 1 million people depend on this river for livelihoods. The water from the Niagara River is used for fishing, industrial and domestic purposes, municipal and industrial effluents. Also, the tourists use water of the Niagara River for recreation purposes including swimming, boating, and fun fishing (Irwin 4). At the Niagara Whirlpool, the visitors can comfortably enjoy white rafting since the use of whirlpool jet boats is still under negotiation.

Tieck ( 5) points out that Niagara Falls is a significant natural resource for Canada and the United States. The water from the Niagara River produces power. Besides, Irwin ( 4) confirms that Hydropower generated from the Niagara River provides electricity to parts of Canada and the United States. The main stations along the Niagara River are New York State Power Authority and Sir Adam Beck Station. The main challenge facing these two stations is the volume of water flowing over the Niagara Falls. The speed of water flow is 100,000 cubic feet per second. The joint board regulates the flow before cutting it back in the evenings and during the low visitors’ season. The stations produce approximately 4.4 gigawatts (4.4 billion watts) of electricity annually. The Niagara River has its water diverted through huge tunnels, and it passes through the turbines hence generating hydropower for the two countries.

Tieck ( 5) asserts that the amount of water used for hydropower generation mainly depends on the time of the year and the time of the day. The flow is the greatest during summer. Coincidentally, the summertime is also the peak season for visitors. The flow is also large during daytime compared to the night. Consequently, during the peak tourists’ season, there is little hydropower generation. In 1950, the United States and Canada decided to conserve Niagara Falls’ natural beauty. They signed a treaty, which stated that during peak tourists’ seasons the hydropower generation diverts to nights when fewer visitors are viewing Niagara Falls. During the winter months, there would be more power generation because it is a low tourist season. All these initiatives’ main purpose is to conserve the amount of water in the Niagara River.

Niagara Falls provides revenues, which greatly contribute to the economy of Canada. Annually, about 15 million people visit Niagara Falls and spend over 2 billion dollars. This money generated contributes to the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 76 percent of the GDP was from the international tourists visiting Niagara Falls (Tieck 6).

Also, the tourist destination employs the locals. The estimates state that Niagara Falls provides 26% of the country’s total workforce. This is about 30, 000 jobs. Some work in resorts and restaurants, however, most locals work as photographers to capture tourists’ memorable moments. Also, some work as guides answering many questions from tourists (Tieck 6).

Niagara Falls as a tourist destination has led to improved infrastructure in Canada. There has been remarkable infrastructure development. An improved road and rail network made the transportation of tourists easy. The towns and cities neighboring Niagara Falls have seen the rise of new restaurants and resorts to cater to increased accommodation needs of visitors.

Conclusion

Niagara Falls is a natural phenomenon located at the border of the United States and Canada. It is the second-largest waterfall in the world. It is a major tourist destination in the world. It has an outstanding gorge and magnificent waterfalls. The Niagara River is an outlet of the Lake Erie and pours into Lake Ontario. It has three sections namely Bride Veil, American Falls, and Canadian Falls. Canadian Falls are the largest. Niagara Falls is about 12,000 years old. It formed during the Ice Age. The Niagara River formed after the melting of ice had released large torrents. The water flowed over the Niagara Escarpment at a cliff where nowadays Lewiston, New York, is situated. As the water flow, it wore away the rock layers.

The first publication about Niagara Falls was in 1683 but from then until the 1800s, minimal tourists were visiting the place hence no more writing about it. In the 1800s, people started settling around the Niagara Frontier. Among the first people to write about the falls were Samuel de Champlain, Gendron, and Rene Brehant de Galilee. However, their reports are not reliable because there are fears that they never saw the Niagara Falls. The first reliable report was by Father Louis Hennepin.

The number of those visiting the Falls rose drastically after the Civil War that saw the rise of a middle class. Besides, there was improved transport means hence many middle class could afford to get to Niagara Falls by road. This also came about with the development of other infrastructures, as there was a need for more facilities to accommodate the rising number of tourists. About 50,000 romancing couples visit the Falls annually for their honeymoon. Approximately 1 million people depend on the Niagara River for their livelihoods.

Also, the United States and Canada generate about 4.4 billion watts of hydropower from the water of the river using two major stations. Niagara Falls provides about 30,000 people with employment, which is 26% of the country’s workforce. Besides, Niagara Falls generates about 2 billion dollars annually.

Works Cited

Gromosiak, Paul, and Christopher Stoianoff. Niagara Falls: 1850-2000: Images of America, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2012. Print.

Irwin, William. The New Niagara: Tourism, Technology, and the Landscape of Niagara Falls, 1776-1917, Pennsylvania: Penn State Press, 1996. Print

McGreevy, Patrick. Imagining Niagara: The Meaning and Making of Niagara Falls, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press, 2009. Print.

Tesmer, Irving H., and Jerold C. Bastedo. Colossal Cataract: The Geologic History of Niagara Falls, New York: SUNY Press, 1981. Print.

Tieck, Sarah. Niagara Falls: All Aboard America Set 3 Series, Minneapolis: ABDO, 2010. Print.

Introduction

Tourism is the movement of people from their normal places of work and residence to places they are not familiar with as well as the activities they carry out during the time they stay in such activities.In addition the activities they carry out are for fun to them.

Other definitions of tourism have also been given (Mathieson and Wall 4). Bhatia (5) says that tourism is travelling for enjoyment, business functions and recreational purposes. The people who engage in this are known as tourist.

Tourists can either be local or international tourists. Local tourists travel in their own countries and enjoy the beautiful scenes. International tourists, on the other hand, come from other places for tourism purposes.

In the modern day tourism has become a major activity in the world as compared in the previous years. There has been tremendous percentages increase in international travels by the tourists over the years.

For instance, in the year 2011 there were more than 980 million tourists in the world. This represented a 4.6% increase as compared to the previous years. Tourism is an important aspect to different countries.

It affects all aspects of life, that is, education, culture, economics and social aspects. One of the major contributions of the tourism is to ensure inflow of income to the country in which the tourists visits (Mathieson and Wall 20).

Tourism is also a major source of employment to the citizens of the country either directly or indirectly. For example in the transport sectors, hotel industry and entertainment places (Holloway 3)

Balance of payments is records on all monetary engagements between a specific country and all outside countries. The engagement occurs in form of exchange of goods and services that are at issue. The balance of payments is recorded in form of account which records the exports as inflows and the imports as outflows.

Goods received are positive gains while imports results to funds outflow. A balance of payment would be experiences if what is imported is more than what the country sells outside its territories.

Conversely, if the country is exporting more than what is importing, the country is experiencing a surplus in terms of the balance of payments (Mathieson and Wall 26)

Relationship between Tourism and the balance of payments

Bhatia (10) says that imbalances are always possible in the different accounts of the balance of payments for example in the current and capital account.

Continued existence of the deficit balance of payments will result to the country becoming highly indebted while imbalances as result of surplus will result to the country accumulating more wealth and hence growth in the economy.

The central bank of any country is a major participant in the balanced of payment of any country. There is a great interrelationship between the tourism sector and the balance of payments. Most countries have started to develop measures to deal with the balance of payments through the use of the tourism sector.

A good example is the countries in the Far East as their economy depend on the tourism activities. Bhatia (11) explains most of these countries could be experiencing weak balance of payment, if they were not relying on international tourism.

In other word, tourism is major contributor in a country having a strong balance of payments. These counties could have been forced to reduce the amount of import to other countries.

The main source of information on the income gained from the tourism sector is indicated in the balance of payment account. The travel part of the balance of payment account indicates the receipts in amount obtained from the tourism industry.

This account also shows the position of the total inflows and outflows in terms of the income from the tourism industry. The balance of payments obtained from the tourism sector is known as the invisible balance of payments. This is because tourism is an invisible service (Nowak and Sgro 17).

This mean that the exports of goods and services are put against exports and imports from foreign tourism to come up with the balance of payments. At the same time the income spent by the foreign tourists visiting the country is also compared with the expenditures the local tourist spends on the foreign countries.

This will result to net balance of payments. In more simple terms, there is a difference between a country visible and invisible balance of payments. The visible one comes from the export and imports of visible goods.

The one for invisible balance of payment is the one which results from the services industry with tourism, banking and investments sectors. Tourism balance of payment is term which has developed in the modern days.

It refers to a country inflows and outflows. These inflows are the expenditures by foreign tourists in the country while the outflows are the tourism expenditures by the people of such country abroad (Nowak and Sgro18)

According to Mathieson and Wall (14), income from the tourism can assist the economy of the country to balance national balance of payment. Historically, tourism is known to have affected the balance of payments in two major ways.

The effect can be within the country or internationally. This will help determine the foreign income which is then compared with the costs incurred to earn such revenues. Broadly, the effects of tourism can be divided into three: the primary, secondary effects and tertiary effects.

Primary effects are direct and can be measured easily while the secondary effects indirect and not easy to measure. The primary effect deals with the actual use of foreign tourists in the country and consumption of the country citizens abroad.

The effect happens when the international borders are crossed. Secondary effects are either direct, indirect or induced effects. Direct effects include imports, agents’ commissions and dividend payments.

Indirect effects include expenditure by the tourists while the induced secondary effects include expatriate labor remitted back to the country.

Tertiary effects are the effects that are not directly initiated by the income from the tourism. These include the products that are exported back to the country as well as the investment opportunities that come up with tourism (Bhatia 16).

Mathieson and Wall (20) explains that the expenditure by tourists and those of the citizen abroad are taken as travel balance and this is considered together with the tourism balance to determine the largest net effect on the balance of payment.

A country balance of payment whether tourism or not plays an important role. It ensures the currency of the specific country maintain value as compared to other foreign currencies.

If there is continued tourism imbalance of payments, this results to an existence of an imbalance in the supply of international currencies as compared to demands. Consequently, there will be a disparity between the two currencies making the weakening of the host county currency.

The same case will also apply if the demand of foreign currency is high and the supply is low, the local currency will be strengthened. The two scenarios can be of advantage or disadvantage to the country. A weakening currency of nay country will result to imports becoming more expensive while the exports become cheaper.

Domestic price rise, that is, inflationary effects. A strong currency will make the domestic prices goes down to the advantage of the local people. The inflationary effects of the currency can be reduced by increasing the interest rates.

However, these fluctuations will result to negative effects to the economy of the country and more specifically to the tourism sectors. These fluctuations will reduce the number of tourists visiting the country as well as those going abroad.

Depreciation of the currency of a country increases the cost of foreign tourism. It also lowers the foreign currency price of the tourists coming to any specific country. One method that can be used to deal with the problem of balance of payments is through development of the tourism sector as an invisible export (Nowak and Sgro 12).

However, it is dependent on the low requirement of the imports used in the tourism sector as well as the prospected economic development. According to Bhatia (10), there are different major components of tourism balance of payments.

These include international tourism receipts in form of credits which include payments to national carriers, international fare credits, international tourism expenditure and international fare expenditures.

The effect of tourism in the economy is divided into four categories: on income, employment, balance of payments as well as investment income.

Another major impact of the tourism industry on the economy is the creation of job opportunity and the generation of foreign income. Income generated is a key factor in the national balance of payments. The multiplier effect on the economy is the factor that is used to determine the amount of benefit obtained from the tourism sector.

This multiplier effects have an economic dimension as explained by Bhatia. Bhatia (7) states that the money paid by the tourists is used to cater for different costs they incur for instance goods and services they use and the salaries and wages of the staff.

The recipient of the money will in the process use the money to cater for their financial needs. Through a continued flow of the funds, they stimulate different sectors of the economy (Rowe and Borein 31). In the process of transfers, leakages occur.

Leakages can occur in three different methods: through remitting of the income to foreign parties, direct or indirect taxation by the government as well as savings by the workers outside the tourism industry. This in turn stimulates the balance of payments. The income from the tourism sector can be divided into smaller factors.

This income has both direct and indirect economic benefits to the country. These incomes are used to pay for the wages of the staffs of the tourism related industry hence creating wealth. The money is in circulation but leakages occur.

When such leakages occur the income is taxed by the government. This taxes acts as incomes to the country. As a result, tourism sector plays an important role in ensuring the economy of the country experience a surplus balance of payment which is healthy for the country (Mathieson and Wall 26).

Works Cited

Bhatia, Sujata. International Tourism Management, New Delhi, India: Sterling Publishers Ltd, 2001. Print.

Bhatia, Sujata, Tourism development. New Delhi, India: Sterling Publishers Ltd, 2002. Print.

Holloway, John, The Business of Tourism, Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 1998. Print.

Mathieson Well and G. Wall, Tourism, Economic, Physical and Social Impacts, Essex: Wesley Longman Limited, 1992. Print.

Nowak, Sahli and P. Sgro. Tourism, Trade and Domestic Welfare: Pacific Economic Review. New Jersey: Wiley Blackwell, 2003. Print.

Rowe, Anne and F. Borein. Travel and tourism. London: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print.

Background

On a global scale, the economic sector experiencing expedited growth is tourism. In the developing world, tourism industry exhibits great success as a chief foreign exchange earner, stimulating cross cultural understanding and providing employment. This may not be a uniform case in Africa. In Zanzibar Tanzania, for instance, the economic gain of tourism is yet to be fully realized. This has been occasioned by a major tourism management problem of insecurity.

Threats to safety and security of the tourism sector in Zanzibar has affected the growth of tourism industry and subsequently impacted the environment, the economy and the social fabric at large. As such, foreigners who visit this destination to enjoy the beautiful sceneries become easy prey to criminals. Besides, the opportunities to economically benefits that would have been experienced from tourism have thwarted due to insecurity (Rosenbaum, 2011, March 13).

However, these problems facing tourism sector can be given an appropriate approach, proper strategies and careful thinking to reach a solution. This essay will explore the issue of insecurity resulting from as a problem facing tourism in Zanzibar, and suggest possible solutions.

Tourism Planning and management problem in Zanzibar

Zanzibar attractions

Zanzibar Island also referred to as Unguja is an interesting and enchanting island that links the past history when explorers interacted with the coastal people and the present bliss of beach holidays (Sifuna, 2010). It blends the way of life of travelers from the West and the Far East who come to enjoy wildlife safari, with the fascinating life of the local people.

One of the most important attractions is the Stone Town located on the west coast of Zanzibar. Apart from being an awesome town, it bears the history and diverse cultures of the people of Unguja, museums which were formerly palaces, an Omani fortress built in the 18^th century and many other attractions (Foottit, 1995, January).

Additionally, tourists who visit the south coast are treated to other attractions such as viewing and swimming with Dolphins during Dolphin tours, the coral reefs and large sandy Indian Ocean coastline with offshore locations such as mafia and Pemba. Also, the island has the sleepy fishing community, a variety of wildlife, salt-tolerant grassland, Casuarinas and coconut palm trees, mangroves, ever-green thicket and swamp forests (Amanda, 2009, March 29).

Moreover, it has beautiful beaches such as Matemwe, Pwani Mchangani, Kiwengwa, Pongwe, Uroa and Chwaka where many activities take place including snorkeling, water sports, sailing and reef walks (Amanda, 2009, March 29).

To begin with, one important threat to the security of tourism in Zanzibar is fear of terrorist’s attacks. In 1998, Tanzania suffered a severe blow from bombing of US embassy in the country.

As such, the number of tourist visiting tourist sites in Zanzibar and other areas in the region sharply declined. It is important to underscore the fact that tourists’ develop confidence in a region depending on the level of security. As such, the tourism sector in the region has continued to face the difficult challenge posed by threats of insecurity.

Even though security officials and the Zanzibar police officers have continued to issue alerts and offer protection to citizens, tourists and the tourism sector continues to fear for safety of imminent attacks from terror groups. Importantly, acts of terrorism results into destructions whose impacts weighs heavily on the environment and economy of the land as well as tourism

Additionally, tourism industry in Zanzibar is faced with the problem of offering security to tourists from indiscriminate attacks coming from locals. Reports have indicated that local residents have developed a habit of invading areas where tourist have gathered with ulterior motives.

Also, tourists face danger of attack while travelling to tourist destinations or even when they attend political rallies. Other similar attacks come from demonstrators who attract violence and this may spread to areas where tourists are visiting. The tourism sector lacks proper security vigilance and measures to protect tourists and the environment from such attacks.

Another important issue that threatens the security of tourism industry is the traditional values held buy the locals that don’t agree with that of the foreigners. It is important to observe that a greater percentage of people in Zanzibar are Muslims. The laws followed by the Muslims don’t allow immodest dressing among the women.

Tourist visiting the area faces a security threat of harassment by the locals if immodestly dressed. Accordingly, the tourist management body faces a challenge of protecting its image as well as that of tourists. It endeavors to inform tourists not to be intemperate in their way of dressing and conduct.

In Tanzania, Zanzibar has its own border controls in its main islands of Unguja and Pemba, a parliament and a decentralized status. Its developed tourist’s attractions attract over 90% of tourists and this drives up the economy of that land. However, Zanzibar has seen a drop in the number of visits by the tourists in the past decade due to political conflicts (Mills et al., 2006).

Widespread instability has been triggered by political conflicts raging in the island and these have delayed investments as investors have been forced to wait and watch until there is stability. The burgeoning tourist trade that has been thriving in Zanzibar faces the challenge of getting damaged due to post election violence and eventual political stand-offs (Gettleman, 2010, November 1).

The process of easing political tensions through peace agreements in Zanzibar State House between political leaders of CCM and CUF have been carried out and sometimes failed to achieve results (Kaur et al., 2011). Some of the issues that cause political instability are election irregularities, slow count of votes, a poor electoral system and unequal media coverage to all political parties (Kaur et al., 2011).

Being a young democracy and dependant on tourism to gain economic stability, the insecurity political wrangles pose on tourism industry lowers the potential of the industry by scaring away tourists and investors (Foottit, 1995, January).

Issues of insecurity stemming from political instability and violence during general elections realized in areas such as Pemba and Zanzibar lead to fall in numbers of arrival of tourists in the region.

The insecurity that was caused following terrorist attack on US embassy in the country resulted in a sharp decline in tourist arrivals due to less confidence tourist had for the regions’ security (Amanda, 2009, March 29). Additionally, another factor that played a role in reducing the figures is the adjustments in terms of calculations on the number of tourists to visit the country that the government had made.

This was done by the president who thought that a huge number of tourists would pose security threats to the country. These adjustments were done in the year 2000 and so weakened the strength of flow of tourists in the country than it had experienced earlier (Foottit, 1995, January).

On the issue of tourism and economy, the industry provides the economy with revenue which is much needed (Rosenbaum, 2011, March 13). It is important to note that the economy of this country relies on agriculture. However, the failure of agriculture and its production to earn enough foreign exchange and speed up the growth of the economy puts the serious issue of the need to improve tourism sector in the country as a priority (Gettleman, 2010, November 1; Sifuna, 2010; Jowit, 2010, September 21).

Insecurity in the region affects the tourism sector which depends on over 90% of tourists who visit and earn them foreign exchange, and the growing of spices which make Zanzibar the second largest exporters of spices in the world (Rosenbaum, 2011, March 13; Gettleman, 2010, November 1).

Planning and management solutions

The tourism sector in this country needs to make some planning and development improvements to realize the potential in the industry and achieve its goals. Some of the findings that are necessary for planning and management require techniques encompassed in a conceptual scope which to the concept of tourism does a phenomenological research (Mills et al., 2006).

The solution to mentioned management and planning problem of tourism in Zanzibar can be tackled through a strategy set to cultivate and integrate peace, security and understanding in the region.

To begin with, there is a need to reinvigorate in Zanzibar the establishment of a new strategy for development, security, and peace (Foottit, 1995, January). Tourism, which is a sector that drives the economy of the region, can be saved through creation of conflict prevention mechanism that will resolve conflicts through management, planning and resolution actions (Rosenbaum, 2011, March 13).

There is need for the government and other tourism agencies in Zanzibar to create integration among leaders of the different parties, promote cooperation, create awareness on the importance of respect for human rights, better democratic governance and a desirable political culture that fosters peace and development (Mills et al., 2006).

For greater good and development of tourism industry, the tourism industry in Zanzibar should seek high security for the tourists. Tourist visiting the beaches along the coasts of that region should be offered adequate security escort to curb instances of armed bandit attacks (Mills et al., 2006). Additionally, tourist management should come up with methods and ways of informing the tourists the need to exercise caution and protect themselves against indiscriminate attacks.

Moreover, to deal with issues related to culture and traditions of the Muslims, the management should plan to integrate the western culture with the local way of life so as to create a balance and to minimize instances of rebellion and violence resulting from intemperate behaviors (Mills et al., 2006; Amanda, 2009, March 29). The significant act of offering security will build the confidence of investors and tourist who visit the region (Amanda, 2009, March 29).

Also, proper marketing strategy to attract tourists from other nations should be fostered to counter sharp decline in the flow of tourists in the region due to political problems affecting peace in Tanzania evidenced by the violent clashes in Zanzibar as a result of disputed elections, and the repercussions of terrorists’ bombings (Amanda, 2009, March 29; Sifuna, 2010). Tourists should be guaranteed efficient security and the government should play its role of ensuring peace (Hudson & Lee, 2010; Mills et al., 2006).

Accordingly, a strategy should be made by the tourism sector management and the government to increase the immense potential and strength and gains of tourism in Zanzibar through good governance, creativity, inclusiveness, tolerance and harmony (Mills et al., 2006; Amanda, 2009, March 29).

Besides, equipped with the idea that peace is not mere absence of war, they should foster peace and security through determination and resilience, fair utilization of resources and transparency (Jackman, 2010, November 6; Rosenbaum, 2011, March 13).

References

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Foottit, C. (1995, January). Tanzania goes for quality. African Business, (195), 40. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global.

Gettleman, J. (2010, November 1). Splitting the wilderness in two: Plan for road in Serengeti pits Tanzanian officials against conservationists. International Herald Tribune,2. Retrieved from ProQuest Newsstand.

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This essay shows that there are initiatives which aim at promoting sustainability in tourism destinations. However, these initiatives do not work due to the diverse nature of the tourism industry. The essay demonstrates this through various approaches to tourism sustainability and methods that stakeholders have applied in their attempts to enhance sustainability of tourism destinations.

We can define sustainability as a growth that does not experience any threats from feedback. Here, feedback refers to social unrest, pollution, or depletion of resources. We can relate this to the development of tourism destination. In tourism, sustainability would be “that level of development which does not exceed the carrying capacity of the destination and thus cause serious or irreversible changes to the destination” (Tribe, 2005). This is what we call a growth that can sustain itself over time.

It is hard for a nation or a sector to use effective plans for sustainable tourism development with clear agenda. The UNWTO provides policy guidelines for such purposes. The UNWTO refers sustainable tourism with regard to sustainability assumption as “the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions its long-term sustainability” (UNWTO, 1995).

Sustainability in tourism destination must ensure optimal use of resources that are sources of tourism development, their maintenance, and conservation of biodiversity and natural heritage (Liu, 2003). The project must also “adhere to socio-cultural existences of host communities, conserve their cultural heritage and enhance cultural understanding and tolerance” (Swarbrooke, 1999).

Sustainable tourism project must also provide socio-economic benefits, long-term economic availability, stable employment, poverty reduction, social services, and generation of income to the host community and all stakeholders.

First, regulations are forms of ensuring sustainability of tourism destinations. Stakeholders can introduce permissions and permits as forms of preventative control. Permits and permissions aim at preventing damages by requiring stakeholders to get permissions so as to engage in possible harmful activities. For instance, we can have planning permits to stop developments that do not meet planning guidelines and larger environmental matters and effects.

Second, regulation also involves environmental impact assessment. Some projects which may have severe impacts on the environment; thus the authorities must review an environmental consequences of such projects. It may use a cost-benefit approach that covers the all costs and advantages to stakeholders. For a development to be socially acceptable, its benefits to society must exceed its cost to society.

Third, controls and laws are also effective means of providing and controlling environmental pollutant targets. Occasionally, policymakers may introduce these laws and controls after an event that cause harm to the environment has started. Such laws may cover restrictions to aircraft and other forms of pollution and the quality standards of water for consumption. Litter laws and their subsequent fines are also part of this regulation.

Fourth, there are also special designation areas. Most countries have sites that have special status as a way of promoting conservation and controlling development. These designations have varying degrees of statutory backing. For example, the UK has designated Sites of Special Scientific Interests (SSSIs) and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauties (AONBs). The UK considers SSSIs sites as “areas of special interest because of flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features” (National Park Service, 1990).

The Countryside Commission designates AONBs areas for the purpose protecting places with natural beauty. The IUCN (the World Conservation Union) has also classified protected places, with an idea of enhancing international conservation efforts and providing the benchmark for protection. Special designation areas may include nature reserve, national parks, natural monuments, and protected landscape or seascape among others.

Fifth, most countries now have laws to ensure that large organisations devote sections of their resources to corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR now extends to include the environment apart from other issues of organisations. Private organisations are focusing on the environment by creating their environmental management teams, creating environmental guidelines and carrying out environmental evaluations and required actions for purposes of conserving the environment.

The WTTC and WTO are responsible for the provision of leadership and guidelines in environmental conservation. Most guidelines in this area focus on noise, emissions, waste, congestion, tourism and conservation (Deloitte and Oxford Economics, 2010).

Some forms of these regulations are difficult to implement. Still, the industry may find them difficult to follow. There are cases where private developers and environmental authorities engage in lawsuits. Such issues hinder regulations as attempts to enhance sustainability in tourism destinations.

Market methods highlight “manipulation of prices as a method of achieving environmental goals through adjustment of market prices in an attempt to reflect the environmental costs, and benefits of activities” (Tribe, 2005). The sole purpose is for the manufactures and their customers change their behaviours with regard to new prices. This ensures that individuals’ efforts in environmental conservation are worthwhile (Middleton and Hawkins, 1998).

The first concept is ownership. People tend to overuse free resources and areas of free access. Thus, policymakers advocate privatisation of such natural resources. For instance, ownership of a lake is an incentive to enforce property rights. Thus, people may pay for the use of resources such as lakes and oceans as dumping sinks.

Firms will strive to maximise their gains and satisfy their shareholders expectations. Thus, policymakers advocate for public ownership to enhance environmental management. In principle, a public organisation has an “incentive to consider social costs and benefits to the country” (Cohen, 2002).

Policymakers can use taxes and increasing prices to reduce the use of products with negative environmental consequences, and subsidies that can reduce prices and promote the use of products that have positive effects on the environmental. Taxation has worked since it adoption by OECD in 1972 as a way of passing the cost to polluters (OECD, 2001).

On carbon dioxide emissions, Curtis argues that we can make moderate emissions reductions by “way of increased energy efficiency but that excess emissions by luxury hotels and resorts need further action” (Curtis, 2002).

Transport has been a main source of concern in this area. National Parks authorities of the UK have emphasised necessities of transport systems to countryside tourism and recreation. They note that about 90 percent of visitors used cars to parks. Consequently, most environmentalists have called for raised taxations on car and air travels so as to reflect their environmental costs (National Park Service, 1990).

Finland has taxes on none-returnable beverage containers to promote the consumption of returnable parks in attempts to eliminate the level of such parks left as litters. Landfill taxes apply charges on waste management firms that utilise landfill areas for burying solid waste.

Some governments may give grants for people who wish to buy electric cars to reduce carbon pollution. There are projects underway to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. These include the planned “planting of forests to capture carbon naturally as well as the artificial capture of carbon and its storage in underground reservoirs” (Mules, 2001).

Deposit-refund schemes work by encouraging consumers to return containers from the vendors or dispose them in a manner favourable to the environment. Customers who return their containers get their deposits. This scheme is effective in the local outlets and can work well on a national scale if well implemented (Gee, 1997).

In order to reduce pollution, some countries have introduced charges on products and services they offer the public. These include car parking charges to encourage usage of “public vehicles, road pricing for motorway usages in some EU countries such as France and Spain” (Priestley, Edwards and Coccossis, 1996).

Market approaches to sustainability in developing tourism destinations have been effective in EU zones. Still, the idea to provide subsidies for environmental friendly products such as vehicles is gaining recognition among tourism stakeholders. However, most consumers do not favour the idea of price increases.

Tribe notes that soft tools are “voluntary by nature and attempt to change behaviours sometimes through improved information, advice, persuasion and sometimes by forming specific networks” (Tribe, 2005).

Tourism eco-labelling approach to sustainability focuses on tourists. Leisure and tourism consumers themselves have the ability to transform the consequences of products they consume on the environmental and switch to products with minimal environmental effects. This approach aims at giving the users the “additional environmental information to enable them make informed decisions in their buying patterns” (Cater and Lowman, 1994).

There are also certification and award schemes to enhance sustainability in tourism destination. They authenticate and provide endorsement to environmental attributions made by firms and offer marks such as the Blue Flag that a consumer can recognise (Becken and Hay, 2007).

The Blue Flag goes to beaches that have acquired recognisable levels for water quality and facilities, safety, environmental education and management. This is also an environmental marketing device for tourists who are environmental conscious. The scheme attempts to offer opportunities for beach local stakeholders to increase their environmental concerns (Coccossis and Nijkamp, 1995).

Many organisations such as the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe (FNNPE) have produced guidelines and treaties for environmental management and sustainability (FNNPE, 1993).

Citizenship, education and advertising can also enhance sustainability when individuals act in the role of consumers or workers or opinion makers (Cooper, Fletcher, Gilbert and Wanhill, 2008). Consumers need information to enable them purchase green products and contribute towards environmental sustainability.

Thus, the focus should be on an environmental education as a way of creating awareness among consumers and encourage others to adopt favourable products in environmental conservation and sustainability (Gratton and Kokolakakis, 2003).

Tribe notes “voluntary schemes exist to allow consumers mitigate the impacts of any environmental damages they may cause” (Tribe, 2005). The most common is carbon offset schemes in airline to passengers (McNeill, 1997).

Ecotourism as a form of tourism stresses the sound ecological principles (UNEPTIE, 2007). Thus, ecotourism attempts to minimise negative impacts on the environment, create environmental and cultural awareness, offer financial services to empower host communities, and raise sensitive issues of concern to host communities (Saarinen, 2006). Therefore, promoting ecotourism is a form of minimising negative external impacts of tourism and maximising the positive external impacts of tourism. However, industry observers note “ecotourism will always remain a minor form of tourism” (Mowforth and Munt, 2009). Consequently, it is not the main approach for achieving sustainable tourism.

Soft tools rarely achieve their desired effects as such approaches depend on the willingness of participants for effectiveness. However, soft tools are the best approaches for enhancing sustainability of tourism destinations.

Getz, Crouch, and Ritchie share the idea that tourism planners have recognised the need for creating common goals in tourism planning (Getz, 1995; Crouch and Ritchie, 1999). However, the problem is that there are no empirical studies to support common goals, or what factors are essential in creating shared goals in developing sustainable tourism destinations to cater for various needs of stakeholders.

To this end, most tourism organisations have no concrete industry standards as these depend on a given country’s tourism policies. Thus, creating common goals for sustainability in the tourism sector will remain a challenge.

Therefore, organisations should strive to create a solid tourism industry shared goals common among all stakeholders (Burns and Holden, 1995). These goals must come from common publications, stakeholders’ opinions, and academic journals among others. We have to recognise that the industry can create sustainable tourism destinations based on competitive interests and shared resources affected by same factors (Butler, 2006). This will ensure that stakeholders have motivation to achieve a common and collective goal.

However, these shared goals cannot remain constant as the industry experiences growth (Hall and Lew, 1998). Thus, continuous research, studies and development are necessary to reflect the changing trends in the industry such environmental concerns, infrastructures, and marketing principles.

This approach will ensure that the industry has a sense of direction supported by strategies and practical and achievable goals. Medeiros and Bramwell noted that countries such as Brazil have attempted to implement shared vision but with minimal outcomes due to uncertainty in the industry (Medeiros and Bramwell, 2002).

The challenge has been to get information where stakeholders need it for developing sustainable tourism policies. Thus, the industry must enhance information flow among its small stakeholders. This must also apply to feedback. However, generating useful information for the industry means continuous learning due to the dynamic nature of tourism. Application of information systems can assist in reflecting, evaluating, delivering, processing, and improving information flow in the tourism industry for sustainability destinations.

Most stakeholders blame poor research cultures in the tourism industry as a basis for lack of sustainability in developing tourism destinations. This is responsible for the rift in utilisation of the available research findings. De Lacy and Boyd note that there are considerable efforts in Australia to reduce such barriers through “the use of the Australian Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) model for cross-sectoral research collaboration to enhance the sustainability of tourism” (De Lacy and Boyd, 2000).

The approach aims at highlighting the importance of the industry collaboration to enhance the effectiveness and benefits of research findings through technology transfers, usages and commercialisation.

Organisations have relationships that exist among them. These can be in forms of partnerships, co-operation, co-ordination, and collaboration. Researchers have concentrated on these areas so as to eliminate problems that have affected tourism development for decades.

Jamal and Getz concur that enhancing the industry identity and common goals can enhance co-operation among the main players as these stakeholders recognise the need to work as a team (Jamal and Getz, 1995). However, the challenge is that no major studies exist to prove the importance of co-operation to tourism destination development. Still, a closer look at the relationship that exists in the industry reveals that real sustainability in the tourism industry can only become reality if there is co-operation.

Occasionally, some problems result due to lack of information. Therefore, co-operation will minimise incidences of miscommunication and difficulties due to lack of collaboration among the industry stakeholders (Inskeep, 1997). This approach to sustainability is not effective due to challenges related to accessing information in a timely fashion.

One of the aims of ecotourism is the need for cultural exchange among the stakeholders. There is a need for mutual acceptance and accommodation of different cultural belief, and world views to enhance development of sustainability in tourism destinations (Davidson and Maitland, 1997). It is necessary that stakeholders of diverse views and beliefs promote dialogue and exchanges in tourism destinations, acceptance of the locals, conservation of the cultural diversity, and eradicate negative impacts of tourism.

We can use Senge’s system thinking to promote a common language that helps stakeholders who have differences in belief systems (Senge, 1990). The industry covers almost all cultures of the global. Thus, cultural exchange has limitations in relations to accommodation, acceptance, diversity, and eradication of negative stereotypes.

Sustainability of tourism destinations needs consultative approach on decision-making processes. The processes must involve all stakeholders including host communities. Sharman noted some issues that influenced participation of stakeholders in planning as poor representation, low participation and poor outcomes of the process among the participants (Sharman, 1999).

Power issues influenced the outcomes of all consultative processes. The industry can develop models which aim at creating power balance for accommodation of different point of views (Douglas and Butler, 2001). This approach helps in facilitating understanding, strategic planning and increasing stakeholders’ participation.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of tourism industry impacts decision-making process. Stakeholders are not willing to engage in long-term decisions without knowing their consequences. Participants should base their decisions on sound policies and welcome open discussions so that they can identity issues of common concerns and provide alternatives or solutions (Jamieson, 2001).

It is difficult for the tourism industry to have a single body to coordinate all decision-making processes that fit all the tourism destinations of the world. Tourism decisions depend on national policies regulating the industry.

The concept of adaptive management can help in improving sustainability of tourism destinations. Adaptive approaches can help the industry tackle emerging challenges that hamper growth (Knowles and Egan, 2000). Adaptive management enables the industry reacts to changes in a timely fashion.

The idea of adaptive management finds support in studies and ideas of Reeds (Reed, 2000). Adaptive management requires continuous studies, testing and developing adaptive models (Eaton, 1996). Adaptive management has been effective in enhance management of the tourism industry.

Given the reviewed literature, this research supports the view that despite the existence of many initiatives, sustainable tourism practices have not spread across the industry because the stakeholders of tourism are still divided on how to improve the sustainability of tourist destinations. These initiatives exist, but tourism has diverse components that vary from country to country. Thus, putting these together to enhance sustainability of the environment has remained a challenge across the industry.

Approaches to tourism destination sustainability such as regulations, market approaches, and soft tools may not work in every tourism situation. Still, attempts at developing sustainability of tourism destinations may not achieve the desired outcome due to minimal participation in processes such as sharing information, goals, co-operation and co-ordination, cultural exchanges, consultative decision-making and planning, and adaptive management.

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Africa is a lovely continent with humble people who love tourists and guests. My greatest adventure was a trip to the Masai Mara in Kenya, Africa, to witness the September Wildebeest migration across the river Mara. This trip was not planned, since things just happened and I found myself on a one week holiday in Kenya. One of my elder sisters is a co-founder of one child home in Kenya that handles the welfare of children in conflict. My parents received word that the wildebeest migration was about to start, and they decided to pay my sister a visit while exploring the country.

The trip to Kenya was a rather long one, going through the UK and Egypt before landing in Kenya. Our sister received us at the airport and directed us to a hotel where we would be staying for the duration of our visit. Being in a different country felt exciting, and I could immediately note the differences between the two countries. We arrived at night, around 10 pm. The road to our place of accommodation was smooth. Vehicles were moving on the left-hand side, and the driver’s seat was on the right of the vehicles.

On the first day of our visit to Kenya, we booked a tour guide to the Mara in the morning and spent the afternoon with children at the children’s home, playing and hanging out with them. The children were warm and receptive to us, probably because they were used to being visited by many different people. The children’s home was located in a town called Thika, 40 Km from the capital, Nairobi. Most of the buildings were less than ten story’s high, and the people were unusually friendly, which made it easy for us to adjust. On the second day, our tour vehicle came for us at the hotel where we were staying, and the exciting adventure started.

The trip included a tour of the Great Rift Valley as we made our way to the Masai Mara, where we would set up tents for two nights. The brochures promised us a thrilling adventure that would see us explore a diverse wilderness comprising acacia trees and a variety of wildlife, including giraffes, zebras, lions, rhinos, antelopes, and baboons, among others. The climax of the trip would be the wildebeest crossing the Mara River, a phenomenon that was identified as the eighth wonder of the world.

Our first stop was in a place called Mai Mahiu, where we enjoyed the lovely scenery of the Rift Valley Escarpment and various mountains, including Mt. Longonot. We then proceeded to Nakuru town, a four-hour drive from Nairobi town. We stopped at the lake Nakuru national park, which is a leading bird sanctuary with an abundance of flamingoes and home to the Rothschild giraffe. There were other tourists at the place, most of whom had booked accommodation in Nakuru town.

The national language in Kenya is Swahili; therefore, I had with me a Swahili-English dictionary so that I could catch on to Swahili words faster. For instance, words like “Jambo” and “Habari yako” were commonly used as a salutation, meaning “hallo” with the response being “mauri Sana,” meaning “fine.” Other wildlife at the Nakuru national park included waterbucks and rhinos. We spent the night in Nakuru, before proceeding the next day to Kisumu town, the birth town for the US president’s, Barack Obama, father.

There were several stops to enjoy the beautiful scenery comprising mainly of tea plantations in Kericho. We also made a stopover at a famous village town known as Kogelo, where we enjoyed a delicious meal of tilapia fish. Afterward, we proceeded to the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve. We arrived in time to enjoy an evening drive in reserve. There were many animals, including elephants, giraffes, lions, buffaloes, gazelles, impala, ostrich, and wildebeest. We also met the Masai community, one of the many Kenyan tribes who live inside the reserve.

The highlight of our safari was witnessing the famous annual migration. In the migration, there were thousands of wildebeests and zebras crossing the Mara River as they escape dry conditions in western Serengeti, Tanzania. This was quite a spectacle as hundreds of animals were captured by hungry crocodiles in the river. The Mara River had strong currents, and some animals, especially the young ones, were carried away by the river, giving the crocodiles easy prey. This was quite exciting, as we took pictures and shot videos of the spectacle.

While the migration provided a breathtaking scenery, the entire Mara game reserve was beautiful, with a variety of animals, including the big five, namely the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and elephant. During our short tour of the Mara, we did not manage to see a predator kill an animal, but we witnessed several chases, which were terribly exciting. On the fourth and last day of our tour, we took an early morning tour of the game reserve in order to take amusing photos of the wildlife and scenery.

The highlight of our African safari was witnessing the wildebeest migration as the zebras and wildebeest crossing the Mara River from Tanzania into the greener Mara game reserve. It was also exciting to see the predators prey on antelopes and even bigger animals. We were not allowed to leave our tour vehicles for safety measures but enjoyed every bit of the trip. The Mara was certainly a case of saving the best for last.

On our way back to Nairobi, there were fewer stops as we reminisced on our fun-filled safari. I was almost sad that our trip to the country had come to an end, but at least we had some photos and videos to remind us of the fun we had. It was certainly enjoyable to see wild animals in their natural habitat, as opposed to seeing them in an orphanage. It was during the safari that I made sense of the meaning of natural selection and adaptation for survival.

There are obviously a lot more fun-filled adventures for young people like me, like kayaking, hiking, mountain climbing, and flying in balloons, among others that I would like to explore in the future. I would also recommend to my friends a visit to the game reserves in Africa. The safaris are a great way for people to interact with nature and to understand why we need to conserve our environment. The next adventure that I embark on will probably involve a sport like kayaking or sky diving for some adrenaline rush.

Dubai is a land steeped in history, traditions and starling beauty; it is located at the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a small nation and a home to some of the most unbelievable wonders in the world. Dubai is among the fastest growing cities in the world; it is well known to travelers worldwide and it is the most popular travel destination.

Dubai has about 1.2 million people and out of this population, 13% are locals while the rest comes from other parts of the world. The most spoken language in this city is Arabic however Hindi, Urdu and English are also popular languages.

One of the reasons as to why Dubai has become a popular travelers’ destination is due to the presence of some of fine hotels found in this city. These hotels are among the finest hotels in the world and tourists enjoy residing in them when they are visiting Dubai. This reputation is sent back to all corners of the world giving this city popularity of its own kind.

Burj Al Arab is a landmark in Dubai; it is 321 meters high hotel and constructed in shape of a sailing ship which makes every one marvel at its beauty. It is a seven star hotel; the only of its kind in the world. The rooms in this hotel are well-decorated and also well-equipped with modern facilities.

Dubai city is well known for housing some the best restaurants in the world; these restaurants include Al Mahara and Muntaha. Al Mahara is among the ten best restaurants in the whole world, it offers delicious sea food hence becoming one of the tourists’ most popular attractions in the city.

The city is a top tourist destination for all people from all over the world; the Dubai government has done a lot in construction of a plethora of tourist attractions in the city.

It is a wonderful place for tourists due to the recreation hot spots, resorts and luxurious hotels available. Dubai has two strong pillars of its economy: tourism and Dubai real estate. The entertainment sports available in Dubai city include zoos, parks, museums, beaches, deserts, libraries, hotels and shopping malls.

The tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, is found in Dubai and it attracts millions of tourists each year; it is about 828 meters high tower. This building is at the centre of the city and it is the world’s finest shopping, dinning and entertainment center to the world’s elite.

There is a fountain system just outside Burj Khalifa illuminated by almost 6600 lights and it has a capacity of shooting water up to 150m up in the air.

Dubai is a home to most fantastic jewelry in the world; most of those people who deal with diamond have relocated to this area. In this city, there is also gold that attracts many tourist as these metals are valued and treasured throughout the world. Dubai mall is a huge shopping mall and is part of Barj Khalifa, it provide some entertainment facilities such as Dubai Aquarium and underwater zoo where people can view water animals besides shopping.

Dubai has two championship golf courses: the Dubai Creek Golf and the Yacht Club, and the emirates Golf Club both offering extraordinary golfing in warm sunshine. The emirates golf club is well known as the home to European PGA desert classic; it was the first grass golf club course in the entire of Middle East. These golf clubs attract people to visit them since they are available at a convenient and conducive environment.

The city also offers a great job market that attracts talented professionals and also skilled workers from all over the world. Dubai’s work force represents all the five continents and more than 100 countries. Tax free earning is among the reasons that attract individuals to Dubai.

Career opportunities for talented professionals are available in Dubai and this attracts many young professionals. It attracts those professionals looking to expand their practice and explore new markets and those looking to take on new career paths. Many multi-national companies are establishing Middle East control centers and offshore locations in Dubai hence more people are flowing in.

Dubai land global village is one of the first choices for tourists since it provides the greatest entertainment and tourism venue with unique theatre, food, art and diverse cultures in a single location. This global village was launched in 1996 and it has been one of the best tourists’ attraction with events on the world culture stage such as beach Adrenaline and Jet Ski show.

Ski Dubai is known for its large size, fourteen- screen multiplex, gaming arena, and stores. It is located in The Mall of Emirates and it is the biggest indoor snow park in the whole world. It is near a restaurant and one can easily view slopes and real snow.

People from all nations find themselves fully contented in Dubai due to the familiarity they get. There are many different nationalities represented in Dubai’s society of residents and the tourists due to its diverse economy. Having reviewed what makes Dubai city to be one of the travelers’ destinations, I have no doubt that it is a city that each person would like to be or even live in to enjoy all the wonders in this city.

A number of milestones have been recorded in the development of tourism particularly in the United Kingdom. Tourism became more popular in the UK way back in 1936 when Butlin Billy initiated his first holiday camp in Skegness. In 1938, the UK government introduced the holiday with pay act that enabled UK citizens to earn their salaries even when on holiday.

In 1946, a British national Pontin Fred initiated his first ever holiday at a place near Weston Super Mare. Four years later, the first air package holiday was convened by Horizon (BTEC National Travel and Tourism 2012, p.1). In 1952, the tourism sector received a boost with the development of the first passenger airline service.

Because of the passenger jets, in 1960, domestic holidays taken in exceeded 30 million in history and the number of foreign holidays rose to 3.5 million. In early 1960s, America Airlines developed the first distribution systems in the world (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2009, p.3).

According to the History UK (2012, p.1), in 1968, Britain passed the countryside act that allowed for the creation of national parks and the British countryside was designated as tourist destination because of the availability of enough space. The same argument is expressed by the Wales Audit Office (2006, p.2). In 1969, the tourism act was adopted (Eagles et al. 2002, p. 43).

The tourism industry is the biggest sector contributing to the economic growth in Britain through creating jobs and a source of foreign exchange to the country. Tourists are categorized according to their purpose of visit. For instance, we have business tourists, domestic tourists, inbound tourists, leisure tourists and those visiting friends and relatives.

Business tourists travel to different places for a conference, meeting or any events that are related with business. Leisure tourists are those that travel because they are either taking a short break or they are on holiday. Finally, there are those tourists who are said to be visiting friends and relatives as they do not use the accommodation facilities as they are accommodated by their family members and relatives (Eagles & Hillel 2008, p.77).

The tourism industry is characterized by various features. To begin with, majority of businesses in the tourism industry are small although the industry also has few large companies. These companies have high market shares and also have other retail travel business. Majority of organizations in travel and tourism industry are privately owned businesses. The private ownerships range from sole trader to public limited companies.

The tourism industry comprises of five sectors. The accommodation sector includes guesthouses, holiday centers, exhibition centers, hotels/motels, camping sites. The second is the attraction sector that includes national parks, gardens, sports centers, theme parks, heritage sites and centers museums and galleries.

The third is the transport sector that includes railways, coach operators, airlines, ferries, car rental operators. Destination organization sector which includes local tourist offices, tourist associations, regional tourist offices and national tourist offices. The travel organizers comprise of the retail travel agents, conference organizers, booking agencies, tour brokers and incentive travel organizers.

Factors that have led to the Development of the Tourism Industry

The use of new technology: the tourism industry makes use of modern technology that links tour operators to travel agencies through terminals thereby allowing travel agents to make bookings through the system. Most firms in the tourism industry use computer reservations systems.

They use global distribution systems to link up different computer reservations systems with travel agents. Currently, they use the internet as a means of booking flights and holidays. Tour operators and travel agencies also use the internet to present their services and products and also accept bookings online (Font & Carey 2005, p.22).

Examples of new technology used in tourism industry include self-check in at airports, online check in for airlines, online brochures. Similarly, the use of new technology like the internet has made consumers to be self-reliant and make their own holiday plans and travel arrangements.

Technological developments have resulted in new transport products like the scheduled airline service and charter airline service. Advancements in technology for instance databases, networking, electronic marketing and data processing are significant in attracting more tourists.

The introduction of information technology systems improves services and products in the tourism sector thereby promoting the development of the industry. Tourist industry makes use of information technology system in aspects of accommodation, transportation, package tours and services.

The use of ICT in the tourist industry contributes to the innovation in the sector. Consumers seek industries, which are familiar with the use of ICT in order to make tourist arrangements. The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (2008, p.23), suggests that tourist industries can only take advantage of ICT if they re-engineer the market process of the industry.

Internet technology enables consumers to carry out on-line direct business. It also improves on the quality, flexibility and efficiency in the distribution and selling of tourism services and products. It also provides the consumer with current information on the destination. It is reported that by 1998, approximately 1.4 million people had purchased travel tickets over the internet (EUHOFA, IH&RA & UNEP 2001, p. 55).

Increased disposable income: disposable income refers to remaining income after deducting pension contributions, tax and national insurance. Increase in disposable income leads to a rise in the expenditure on leisure. With increased disposable income, individuals have high expectations of tourism and travel.

Better levels of education contribute to high levels of tourism (Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa 2008, p.1). If individuals are highly educated, they will be curious about several languages and cultures and eager to experience them. Economic theory suggests that as an individuals income increases, preference for leisure increases (Certification for Sustainable Tourism 2008, p.56).

Improved mobility: this is through car ownership and use, speed trains and modern airplanes. There has been a lot of technological advancement that has improved human mobility over the past 100 years. This has promoted tourism, as it is longer difficult to move from one destination to the other.

For instance, car ownership has increased over the past few decades. In 1961, it is reported that up to 60 percent of household in the UK had a car and by 1989, ownership of private cars hit the 20 million mark. By 1997, car ownership in the UK had reached 70 percent of the total population. This has a great effect on tourism and travel.

Demographic changes: according to Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (2012, p. 32), demographic factors to a large extent have shaped the modern consumer behavior in most parts of European countries. There are two important demographic trends for instance a rising life expectancy of an older growing society.

Second, there is a decrease in the number of children due to a decrease in fertility in many countries. Other demographic trends include a changing role of women in society, a colorful society due to migration and a rising educational level. It is evident that changes in peoples travel behavior because they have retired or they turn 60 or 65.

In most times people stick to their holiday patterns which make it easier for the tourist industry to predict the tourist behavior for the next generations. There is a difference in travel behavior in new senior citizens. Research indicates that the new senior generations are likely to surpass the senior travelers when it comes to travel behavior.

For instance, it is expected that the number of holiday tourists between the ages of 70-80 will increase by more than 50% within 15 years to come. In Germany, there is stability in the number of children who go for holiday trips. People aged 50 years and above made 11.5% of family trips and the tourism industry expects that there will be a further increase in family holiday trips.

This information portrays a specific pattern of tourist behavior for instance when compared to other family holiday trips you find that there is high spending, lower seasonality, longer stays and other choices of the destinations.

The economic environment has a strong effect on travel and tourism industry. A strong economy can invest in tourism and travel industry in terms of supporting the industry through the public sector, availing new infrastructure. A strong economy supports the local currency in terms of its value.

This means that tourists who want to travel to foreign locals will use less of their income/wealth to tour those places as compared to a country with a weak currency. It makes tourism more affordable to the population.

An increase in labor time available to many individuals as early as 1983, British workers had at least 4- 5 weeks of holiday in a year. An increase in wages and salaries increases disposable income which also increases income to be spent on leisure. In Britain and most parts of Europe, an individual should work for only 48 hours in a week, which gives them sufficient time to attain work life balance.

Cizmar and Lisjak (2007, p.48) argue that in North America witnessed an increase in leisure time as a result of a decrease in the number of hours required at work this led to an increase in the length of the annual holiday. The increase in access to recreational facilities was accompanied by a drastic increase in car ownership particularly in Western Europe in 1950’s and 1960’s and in North America in 1950’s.

During this period, there was a great improvement in motorway and road system. At this time, a good number of tourists did not rely on privately or publicly owned transport organizations but they planned for their own trips. By 1987, foreign holidays exceeded 20 million, the first time in history. In 1992, the European Union issued a directive on packaged holidays.

Fostering new services and innovative tourist products: tourist’s products are different from other industrial products for instance it involves large capital assets like car rental firms. The development of the tourist industry has seen the rise of new services and products. This has not only increased the industrys profitability but has equally promoted competition within the industry (Craigwell 2007, p.6).

Firms that are unable to offer quality services and products are driven out of the market while those that provide customer experience continue with business. Similarly, the rise of seaside resorts, package holidays, and holiday camps, all weather attractions and long haul destinations have been developed to meet the rising demand for travel and tourism products and services.

List of References

BTEC National Travel and Tourism 2012, Historical development, BTEC. Web.

Certification for Sustainable Tourism 2008, The importance of certification for sustainable tourism, Certification for Sustainable Tourism. Web.

Cizmar, S Lisjak, S 2007, Tourism master plans: An effective tourism destination management tool in SEE. South East European Journal of Economics & Business, 2 (1): 48-57.

Craigwell, R 2007, Tourism competitiveness in Small Island developing states, UNU-WIDER Research Paper No. 2007/19.

Eagles, P & Hillel, O 2008, Improving protected area finance through tourism in Protected areas in today’s world: their values and benefits for the welfare of the planet. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Technical Series no. 36: p 77-86. Web.

Eagles, P et al. 2002, Sustainable tourism in protected areas: guidelines for planning and management, Switzerland and Cambridge Publisher, London.

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa 2008, Making tourism more responsible and more rewarding,: Annual Report 2007-2008. Web.

Font, X & Carey, B 2005, Marketing sustainable tourism products, United Nations Environment Programme and Regione Tuscana. Web.

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria 2012, tourism, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, History UK 2012, History of British tourism. Web.

EUHOFA, IH&RA & UNEP 2001, Sowing the seeds of change: an environmental and sustainable tourism teaching pack for the hospitality industry, UNEP. Web.

Wales Audit Office, 2006, Public access to the countryside, Wales. Web.

World Travel and Tourism Council 2009, Travel and tourism economic impact, Caribbean. Web.

Introduction

The first image that comes to mind when talking about the most attractive place on earth is, of course, the image of the Austrian Alps. It was the perfect place for my summer vacation. Landscapes here are charming, captivating, and unforgettable. The greatness of the Alps makes the heart beat faster, binds the body and the mind. Their snow-covered slopes fascinate with their power, the melodic sound of crystal clear Alpine stream caresses the ear. The Alpine air smells fresh and cool, and breathing it deeply, you feel like every single cell of your body is filling. Silent noble mountains rise majestically above the cold narrow stream reflecting the clearness of the June sky.

Main body

First timid sun rays are splashing playfully in the dark glistening water; the birds are singing tunefully flying around their vast property high in the sky. As if they try to awaken the Alps from the eternal dream. They are so beautiful in their desperate impulse, but mountains are standing proudly and indifferently. Their puckered slopes shine in the sun creating a great variety of colors. White fluffy clouds gently hug the mountain tops with their enormous snowy wings. Milky islands of snow cover the coarse mountainsides everywhere. Narrow sinuous paths indented the mountains creating unique fantastic patterns and ornaments. Honeyed and subtle vanilla odor fills the fresh mountain air. The sickly sweet scent of beautiful mountain flowers spreads over the Alpine valleys. The succulent emerald grass is covered with tiny transparent sparkling droplets of the morning dew. The air is tinged with the fresh smell of the thick virgin forest. The meadows are spangled with beautiful odoriferous flowers. They are like colorful jewels on the bright green canvas. Their rich pleasant perfume saturates the air with pleasant morning coolness. Grizzled mountain peaks pierce the blue sky with their sharp snow-covered edges. Vast Alpine expanses give a sense of unconstrained freedom, lend wings and inspire. Deep green downy fir trees peek out from behind the mountains cautiously. They seem to be afraid of breaking the silent serenity of the mountains with their presence. Suddenly, birds fell silent, the wind dropped, the trees straightened up as if time stood still, enjoying the picturesque scenery. Gradually, the silence becomes intense and the taste of danger appears on the lips. But with a new breath of the wind, the forest emits delicate rustles and sonorous chirping of the birds. Mountain forest smells spicy, Alpine herbs exhale fine aroma of young juicy grass and blooming flowers. Grey mountain ranges frame the lake as mighty giants. The smooth lake surface reflects the boundless tender blue sky with its snow-white soft clouds. This crystal clear lake seems to be the heart of the mountains; every single breath of fresh air makes it beat more and more frequently. It embodies the purity and integrity of the Alpine mountains. Later, this lake will reflect the flame-colored sunset, the huge orange circle of the sun setting over the horizon line will flood the mountain with its hot flaming light. Scorching rays of the sun will warm the icy tops of the Alpine mountains, melt blond clouds, and light translucent haze will appear above the drowsy lake. Alpine meadows will be covered with thick orange sunlight. It will create a wide palette of colors and shades, from light yellow to deep red. Evening glow will paint green Alpine valleys scarlet shading off into a fiery red. The Austrian Alps are especially beautiful at night, starlight plays with light patches of blinding white snow on the rough slopes. They are like small shining diamonds between rugged ash-grey rocks. Night evokes the flight of fancy allowing the imagination to create the most unbelievable images of this magnificent landscape. Ringing silence soothes and pleases the soul with its humbleness. The wrinkled mountains look quiet and conciliated. The almost inaudible sound of rustling leaves dilutes night stillness. The air is cool and crisp. It has a light mint taste and breezy sweet flavor. Long breath fills the lungs with the icy chill. Thick dark Alpine forest smells of pine needles and dry branches, rough brushy treetops are swaying rhythmically with the wind. A faint tincture of Alpine fragrant herbs leaves a bitter taste on the lips. The new moon is hanging tranquility over the trees. Black silken Alpine lake distorts its reflection under the breath of the wind. Mountain stream composes its soft hypnotizing lullaby to the Alps. Sleepy mountains echo back every sound of its melodic harmonious song. A cooling breeze joins in this tuneful singing. The night air is full of a pleasant flowery smell. Vivid twinkling stars appear on high one by one. Those white tiny sparks illuminate the borderless night Alpine sky. Thick grey clouds are floating through their flickering dim light. A cold shiver runs down the spine of this fabulous scenery.

Conclusion

The picturesqueness and virginity of local nature attract tourists from every corner of the globe. Perhaps, there is no more diverse, mysterious, and enigmatic beauty than the beauty of the Austrian Alps.

Works Cited

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Carlson, Allen. Nature And Landscape. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009. Print.

Hammett, Nigel. Place, Nature And Spirit – A Lake District Experience. Raleigh, NC: Lulu. com, 2012. Print.

Kaltenbrunner, Gerlinde, Karin Steinbach Tarnutzer, and Billi Bierling. Mountains In My Heart. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2014. Print.

Messner, Reinhold. Free Spirit (Legends & Lore). Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2014. Print.

Stahr, Alexander, and Ewald Langenscheidt. Landforms Of High Mountains. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 2015. Print.