How has the Eiffel Tower dominate the Parisian landscape in the tourist business?

Tourism is one of the main financial backbones of many economies and it needs to be sustained. It is the most effective door, opening up the country for infrastructure development and expansion. Tourism promotes many positive aspects but may also have negative effects which should be controlled so that they will not affect the local host communities in the long run. The Eiffel Tower in Paris was built in 1889; the construction stands tall to this day, thanks to the architectural genius of Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel.

Although the Eiffel Tower on commission was meant to be a temporary structure, it has survived over the years to become, the biggest source of tourist trade in Paris, France. Tourism management should be at the forefront of any economy because, although it brings in economic gain, it can also bring in negative effects (Hall and Lew 12). It is important for any tourism venture to understand the different ethnic cultures of the worlds and respect the long held traditions.
Tourism promotes ethnic relations between the tourist taking the trip and the middleman who takes them round and introduces them to the new culture. The benefits of tourism are not only to the tourists seeking new lands to explore, but also to the state which earns foreign exchange for development.

According to Hall and Lew (17) it is vital to understand that host communities in the locality will have to deal with the new influx of people and they need to be educated appropriately. In situations where a state opens up a tourism establishment and just goes ahead to operate as if nothing will change, they will notice that the locals will have a very negative reaction.
The Eiffel Tower has its own unique story that relates deeply to the French speaking people and it is their heritage and pride. Every tourist visiting the country will most undoubtedly want to visit the famous Eiffel Tower and understand what all the fuss is about. The curiosity is borne of wanting to have a deeper understanding of the French culture and why the architect built this structure in the way that he did. It would be easy to contrast this with the Maasai of Kenya. Although the country is famed for her beautiful landscapes and wildlife, you will most often find that most tourists want to visit the Maasai villages. This is because they are unique, in the way they live, eat and relate to other people in their country.

The same is true of France, the local people have a deep cultural link with their past and hold their architecture in high regard. They have actually converted the Eiffel Tower into a museum and have guided walks to educate curious tourists of how it came about. The French way of life is unique from their dressing, food and the way they relate to each other. Paris is called the love capital of the world, and many people travel many miles just to propose to their future spouses at the top of the Eiffel Tower (Hall and Lew 56). Crazy one may think, but no, the deep rooted ethnic culture housed by the tower makes people want to connect with it and associate it with their dreams.

Every positive has its negative and it is important to look at both sides of a coin when assessing any situation. Tourism is affected greatly by many factors including wars, riots, fire and any other eventuality. The influx of people into one city causes a strain on the available resources. When towns were planned in ancient times, no room want left for tourism and the facilities were made with just the local people in mind.
Whenever the number of people increases, the systems may struggle to deal with them. There are also problems of wear and tear on properties and they need to be refurbished constantly. Any closure of tourist attractions will cost the country money and may be the difference between that new road and library. Towns rely on foreign exchange to supplement their incomes and any problems will have a ripple effect on the economy (Hall and Lew 22).

Tourism brings with it a lot of pollution, diseases and social evils. Not all tourists have positive ideas when they visit different countries. Many tourists have been arrested engaging themselves in banned sexual activities or throwing litter on the ground. The movement of people from one area to another also means transporting of diseases and other conditions. An outbreak of the Bird Flu in Europe is usually noticed in people who have travelled recently to a country that had the outbreak.
In conclusion, it is important to recognize tourist sites and landscapes that make long time changes on both the economy and the people. The Eiffel tower by itself has contributed largely to the economy of France. Countries need to maintain their tourist’s heritage not just for their future generations, but also for their own economic gains.

Work Cited
Hall, Michael and Lew, Alan. Understanding and Managing Tourism Impacts: An Integrated Approach. New York: Routledge, 2009.

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Students’ Perspective on New Zealand

Table of contents
Introduction 3
1.1.Study Background 3
Tourism……….. 3
1.2.Study Area 5
1.3.Research questions 5
1.4.Objectives 6
Literature Review 7
1.5.Overview of the themes 7
1.6.Destination image conceptualization 7
1.7.Measurement of destination image 9
1.8.International Students in New Zealand 10
2.DATA AND METHODS 11
2.1.Introduction 11
2.2.Data Used 11
2.3.Methods and techniques 12
2.3.1. A specific method 12
2.4.Ethical considerations 12
Conclusion 13
2.5.Justification of the study 13
2.6.Limitations 13
3. References 14

Students’ Perspective of New Zealand

Introduction

Study Background

Tourism

Tourism is the temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the facilities created to cater to their needs. Tourism has proved to be one of the major important parts of the general economy (Ferreira, Rial and Varela, 2009). Income increased to 642 billion Euros in 2008, an increase of 1.7% in relation to 2007. Nevertheless, the results of 2009 were not satisfactory because of the global crisis (Rial, Ferreira and Varela, 2009). Thus, every effort should be laid down to achieve sensible growth for tourism. In this situation, important notice has to be employed to the study, and assessment of brand image or destination image, because it is one of the major significant fundamental of a tourist purpose.
In previous few decades, tourism has turned out to be one of the major parts of the world’s economy, not only on grounds of its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of different nations, but also on the reason of employment opportunity it creates. From 2009, though, the outcome of tourism has been hindered greatly by the economic and financial disaster and it is now necessary to evaluate the main fundamentals of tourist consumer behavior. Tourism is a significant industry in New Zealand, which contribute NZ 15 billion (9%) GDP of the country in 2010. Tourism is also the largest export industry in New Zealand, with approximately 2.4 million international tourists every year providing 18% export erning of the country.
In this circumstance, the representation that a destination conveys to the market happens to be one of the essentials, which affects tourists greatly when selecting a rout. The writers, as a result, target to identify the major fundamental that attributes the image of a tourist destination, at the same time their effects on the managing of tourist destinations.
In spite of the rising significance of the subject matterth, there is still a low scientific production comparatively to the extent of images of cities, more than nations, at the same time the essential absence of relative studies between the images perceived by tourists and inhabitants of tourism destinations (Gallarza et al., 2002; Pike, 2002). As a result, the general purpose of the study is to evaluate the present image of Lagos as a destination, from the tourist and resident ways of perception, noting the major feature of agreement and disagreement. As recommended by the literature, it is meant to lay down a behavioral, affective, and cognitive ways in a holistic viewpoint.
For many students, the decision to study in New Zealand may be their own. For others, particularly dependents, their migration decisions are largely determined by their parents, who have themselves chosen New Zealand as a place to study, work, and live. This research highlights the diversity of New Zealand’s international student population on the one hand, but it also shows that there are similarities between students of particularly ages, nationalities, and other attributes. These factors, and others, such as English language proficiency, combine in ways that mean students with similar demographic characteristics often follow similar pathways from study to work and permanent residence.

Most students who transitioned to work or residence stayed on in New Zealand, while a relatively small proportion subsequently left New Zealand long term. Those, who gained residence, were more likely to stay on in the country compared to those, who transitioned to work (but not residence). Most work permit holders, who left long term, did so relatively quickly, the majority within two years of making the transition to work. For those, who left long term after gaining residence, only one-third did so within two years.
Study Area
The study will be conducted at Auckland in New Zealand. Auckland is a metropolitan area in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the largest and most populous urban area in the country. Auckland has an urban population around 1,397,000 and a metropolitan population approximately 1,508,000 that constitute 32% and 34% of the total population respectively. Auckland is now filled with Asians on the street, also it is now easy for Asians to buy their products as Asian markets are almost everywhere, so are Asian restaurants, such as Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean cuisine, and many more.
Research questions
What was the view of international students towards New Zealand before they came?
How did the international students hear about New Zealand?
What is the image of international students on New Zealand?
Why do they come to New Zealand?
Are international students surprised with the changes when they arrive in New Zealand?
Objectives
To determine the view of international students towards New Zealand
To find out how the international students heard about New Zealand
To find out why international students came to New Zealand
To determine if international students are surprised with the changes in New Zealand
At the end of this study, the researcher will try to find answers for all the research questions guiding this study. This researcher aims at achieving all the objective at the end of the study.
Literature Review
Overview of the themes
The objective of a behavior analysis model to travel studies is to gain knowledge of the psychological impacts that inspire individual tourists, affects the variety of tourism- similar decisions an individual made, and forces the level of contentment with a destination area. A couple of tourism and recreation scholars have studied the basis of why individuals travel; researched the tourist’s travel buying behavior; and highlighted on the tourist destination and opinion of an approach on the whole idea of tourists destination.

Destination image conceptualization

Destination image has been defined as an individual’s overall perception or total set of impression of a place. Imagery has been defined by psychologists as a distinct way of processing and storing multisensory information in working memory (Echtner & Ritchie, 2003).
In reality, the image acts as a significant role in the way tourists behave during the different moments, which entail their familiarity; in the decision process of selecting a destination, in the process of relating the outcome with experience, foregoing the state of contentment and perceived value (image in loco); in the process of revisiting and recommendations about the image to family and friends (a posteriori image) (Bosque, Martín, Collado & Salmones, 2009; Galí & Donaire, 2005). Tourism products are practical in nature, and carry the attributes of services. On the other hand, their services are intangible, and image is a significant feature, “in general as viewed on functional or expected benefits, attributes, and the symbolic interpretation or mental aspects related with a particular destination” (Govers and Go, 2003, p. 15).
Destination image is an evolving, varying construct. It relies on the tourist’s character, previous experience with a destination, as well as amount and quality of information received about a particular destination. A number of destination image formation models have been proposed in the last three decades that suggest that destination image is developed under the influence of different information sources, or agents, which can be divided into organic and induced categories. The destination image construct, therefore, can be considered from the aspect of how it is formed, i.e., has organic and induced components. The organic component is the knowledge acquired in the natural course of life, while the induced component is influenced by the marketing efforts of the destination and suppliers.
New Zealand is percieved overseas as a green, clean, adventure playground, with distinctive destination image being nature areas that include Abel Tasman Park, Milford Sound, and Tongariro Alpine Crossing among others, while activities like whale watching or bungee jumping demonstrate distinctive tourist attractions, which is often marketed chiefly to individual- travellers and small-group travellers through TV commerials, brocures and online advertisements.
The organizations responsible for the process of destinations management compete for the attention in a setting where substitutability is gaining grounds. The supply increases as well as the informational materials of destinations are becoming more varied and more numerous, making the choice by the tourists more complex (Pike & Ryan, 2004). There is widespread consensus on the importance of the role of image in the decision process of choosing a destination (Beerli & Martín, 2004). Several studies (Bosque & Martin, 2008) indicate destination image as a factor that influences the consumer behavior during the decision-making process of destination choice, during the visit, and post-visit. Thus, the process of image formation starts before the decision, but it can be changed during the visit, as well as after the return.

Measurement of destination image

It has been asserted that tourism researchers encounter decisions of choosing suitable instruments for data collection, and this entails utilizing appropriate research designs, scaling techniques, and response plans. The challenge on precise measurement is not a new one. Nevertheless, not much is known empirically regarding the outcome of a variety of response design, in weighing destination image, especially on validity and reliability estimates.
Researchers who did destination image study have come up with semantic Likert-type scales, differential scale, or graphic positioning scales. The major format is known as a scaled questionnaire, and needs respondents to single out differently the rate each destination on the aspect of a given advantage generating characteristics. In the scaled questionnaire motivates the respondent to take into account the whole variety of characteristics for each destination and spontaneously puts emphasis on the destination. Other researchers carried a research similar to destination competitiveness, and they gave out a view that this construct can be assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Some researchers assert that following an augment of the internet, its convergence and the pressure on the de-basifications of the media, the tourism destination image have been progressively fragmenting and short-lived in nature. Research shows that image formation is no longer in one path “push” technique of mass communication, but the vibrant one of sharing, selecting, reflecting, and experiencing. Putting this into consideration, the use of unstructured instruments has been pointed followed by the content examination. More distinctively, researchers’ work deals with “phenomenographic way of measuring image, collectively with the subjective study of the entity, and it is regarded as a study of how individuals conceptualize, understand, perceive, apprehend, and experience a variety of phenomenon, being connected to phenomenology” (Govers et al. 2007, p. 980).
Echtner and Ritchie (2003) indicate that researchers have a sturdy fondness for structured methodologies while measuring tourism destination image, concentrating on the common, quality-based element of destination image in New Zealand, not addressing the unique and holistic components of a location. They contend that there is a need to employ unstructured techniques. This is what Martin et al. (2008, p.267) refer as the combination of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, because this combination appears to improve the quality, validity, reliability and accuracy of the data.

International Students in New Zealand

In New Zealand, the urban bias focuses on Auckland, the largest metropolitan area, where around 55% of students are enrolled; when Christchurch and Wellington are included the proportion of students rises to nearly 80% (Ministry of Education, 2009). New Zealand is a small player in the market for international students, accounting for less than 1.5% of HE international students globally.1 Nevertheless, given the small size of the population (4.3 million), the 32,623 tertiary-level international students in 2007 represented nearly eight percent of enrolments in public tertiary institutions(416,827).Research reveals that New Zealand is relatively winning in retaining and attracting international scholars. Most of the scholars who change to permanent citizens in New Zealand do so as business or skilled travelers. The study also reveals that the rout to work and residence can be sophisticated, and include many aspects of changeover. These changeover points give chances for government, learning institutions, and other service providers to make sure that in negotiating this change over, international scholars attain the best possible results for New Zealand and for themselves.
Research has revealed that many international scholars wish to work or get residence in New Zealand afte their study. Nevertheless, this study reveals that there are differences between reality and expectations, because the ratios of scholars who need to stay on are often higher than the ratio of those who really achieves this objective. Existing study reveals that students’ experiences in New Zealand have a significant task in their capacity to achieve their objective of transitioning to work or permanent residence.
DATA AND METHODS

Introduction

This chapter will deal with all systematic procedures used in this study to collect and analyse data. It is subdivided into research design, location of the study, target population, sampling techniques and sample size, construction of research techniques, data analysis and logistical and ethical considerations.
Data Used
This study will use primary data. Descriptive survey design will be used because it is appropriate for fact finding and yields a great deal of information, which is accurate. The researcher will compile the data individually.
Methods and techniques
Descriptive survey design will be chosen because it is appropriate for educational fact finding and yields a great deal of information, which is accurate. This choice of the design agrees with Orodho (2004) view concerning descriptive research, which is designed to assess pertinent information pertaining to current status of an issue and, if possible, draw conclusions from obtained facts.
A specific method
The instruments will be administered through personal visit to Auckland. The data will be collected using interview method. An interview is a series of questions a researcher addresses personally to respondents. The study will employ semi-structured interview technique in the process of interviewing. There are many reasons to use interviews for collecting data and using it as a research instrument. Gray (2004, p. 214) has given the following reasons:
There is a need to attain highly personalized data.
There are opportunities required for probing.
A good return rate is important.
Respondents are not fluent in the native language of the country, or where they have difficulties with written language.
Ethical considerations
Before instrument administered, the respondents consent will be sought. The researcher will assure the participants that the information given by the subjects will only be used for research purposes. The study findings will be presented honestly and objectively. The researcher will rely on the willingness of respondents to get information.

CONCLUSION

Justification of the study
The findings of this study may add value to the existing information on the view of international students towards New Zealand. This study will be helpful to education and tourism sectors in understanding the perception of international students towards destination image in New Zealand. The findings of this study can be used to make amendments where necessary, and also in decision-making by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Tourism of New Zealand.
Limitations
The generalizabilty of the findings of this research is limited because they will it generated in an investigative qualitative inquiry.
Identifying an international student could be a challenge since there is no college meant for international students only.
There is a likelyhood that some international student may not be willing to disclose their personal information that are vital to this study.

References

Beerli, A., & Martín J. (2004). Factors influencing destination image. Annals of Tourism Research, 31, 657-681.
Bosque, I., & Martín, H. (2008). Tourist satisfaction: A cognitive-affective model. Annals of Tourism Research, 35, 551-573.
Echtner, C. & Ritchie, J. R. (2003). The meaning and measurement of destination image. The Journal of Tourism Studies, Vol. 14 (1), 37-48.
Govers, R., & Frank M. (2003). Deconstructing destination image in the information age. Information Technology & Tourism. Vol. (6), 13 – 29.
Govers, R., Frank, M., & Kumar, K. (2007). Virtual destination image: a new measurement approach. Annals of Tourism Research. Vol. 34 (4), 977-997.
Gray, D. E. (2004). Doing Research in the Real World. London: SAGE Publications
Martin, H., & Ignacio, A. (2008). Exploring the cognitive affective nature of destination image and the role of psychological factors in its formation. Tourism Management. Vol. 29, 263 – 277.
Orodho, A. (2004). Techniques of writing research proposal and report in educational sciences. Nairobi. Mosala publishers
Pike, S., & Ryan, C. (2004). Destination positioning analysis through a comparison of cognitive, affective, and cognitive perceptions. Journal of Travel Research, 42, 333–342

STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE OF NEW ZEALAND 13

Managing the cities

The paper evaluates a case study on Paris by describing the emergence of destination development and an expression of sustainable/responsible tourism. In addition, it details various theories that will apply to Paris in explaining how the city relates to the destination. Paris is the capital city of France and its environment is surrounded by various structures that form a centre for tourist attraction. Due to the past centuries of cultural and political development, various museums, theatres, monuments and other architectural styles were established in the city.

The emergence of Paris as a destination describes various amalgams that appear in form of cultural appraisals. Considering the amalgam, Paris has the ability to pull visitors. The company has various amenities such as accommodation and goods, access through local transport and ancillary services. In addition, destinations are inseparable since tourism is produced only where it is consumed. Paris has monuments and various museums that cannot be separated from the city and, thus, many groups as well as tourists use the opportunity to visit them. Development planning, marketing and management form a part of sustainable managing the cities for Paris, which seeks to plan, market and manage the available tourism attraction resources. Thus, it helps to create a competitive tourism in Paris through the various components of destination management, which, in turn is an expression of sustainable/tourism development.
In relation to Paris expansion, the destination has created important tourists centres, including its architectural styles. Various components, such as natural resources, infrastructure, superstructure, transportation system, and hospitality of the hosts are necessary for the creation an efficient tourist mecca. These components helped Paris to become one of the renowned places to visit. Planning has significantly contributed to the growth of Paris as a city, and has contributed to its choice by many as a destination. Some of the factors considered in planning include market analysis, site assessment, financial studies, environmental impact, and social impact studies. These factors show how Paris as a city develops its strategic placement as a tourist development.

In reference to the potential opportunities for tourism, Paris uses various management of the cities strategies to deliver sustainable/responsible tourism growth. The growth of cities was in line with global trends as it provides the relevant approaches to tourism strategic planning. Various challenges may occur in creating constraints that affect the ideal of sustainability in Paris as a tourist attraction. Lack of cultural and government support in controlling all the resources that refer to tourism development may be viewed as the crucial constrains. In addition, the ability to manage cultural resources poses a major challenge in the aspects of sustainability. The challenges can be overcome through inclusive strategic planning process in managing the cities. This helps to manage challenges in the city growth strategies. As a result, the strategy of city developments provides better sustainable approaches in providing proper issues.
In conclusion, various aspects characterize the emergence of destination development and an expression of sustainable/responsible tourism. Sustainable managing the cities seeks to plan, market and manage the available tourism attraction resources in Paris. Aspects of city growth relate to Paris by planning on various aspects that help to promote destination of choice.
Draft
WeekMajor ThemesHow does this apply to your destination?1SustainabilitySustainability relates to Paris destination as it advocates for competitive tourism in the city. According to the aspects of sustainability, Paris should enhance its planning, marketing and management aspects. The destination should engage in strategic planning approaches that create formalized decision process. Therefore, Paris is able to create sustainability in its destination development.

2Responsible tourism

The response tourism can relate to Paris by the demands that are more than intellectual acceptance. The responsible approach guides life and career that forms a part of one’s belief systems and values. Paris should provide better places to live as well as better places for visitors. These demands form the basis for Paris as a tourist destination.3Lifecycle Model  The model relates to Paris as it helps to define various stages that affect the evolution of a tourist area. This includes the exploration, involvement, consolidation, stagnation and decline stages. This stage helps Paris to understand how to manage tourists.4Strategic Planning Process Paris relates to tourism development process of strategic planning by bringing a systematic planning on its own right. It helps to bring changes in other parts of city, being based on strategic and long-range planning.

5Tourism PlanningThis relates to Paris since it controls sustainable development in creating the proper understanding of tourism planning in the city.6Butler’s tourism area
The Butler’s tourism area relates to Paris that proposes that most tourists’ resorts go through six-stage model. This can be noticed through the increased numbers of people at the local areas in Paris.7Jarari’s Platform modelThis model relates to Paris as it offers an overview of four platforms that seeks to provide solutions in the Paris development. The platforms are advocacy platforms, cautionary platform, adaptancy platform and knowledge based approaches. Paris uses these platforms for an effective managing the cities.8International PlanningThe focus of Paris should be to develop relevant planning and policy at the international level. This comprises the international law and international trade organisations. Since, the binding rules and content of treaties affects the tourism policy. As a result, Paris has placed itself internationally in order to attract more people to the country due to its relevant international policies and treaties. Therefore, the international trade garrets and treaties with various organisations promote Paris as a destination of choice. These organisations include the WTTC, IMF and WHC among others.
9Competition and collaborationParis as it seeks to manage itself as a choice destination by visitors it must be in check of its competition and engage in various collaborations. The understanding of the competition in the international marketers help to set up in place competitive measures. This assists Paris in having better operations. In addition, collaborations help to come together with other nations in promoting their image in the international arena.

DESTINATION MANAGEMENT 4

Running head: DESTINATION MANAGEMENT 1

Tourism in Kenya

Kenya is among the global great destinations of tourism. It is recognized for its wildlife, culture, and diversity of landscape. It is known for its adversity in tourism features, quite from tropical beaches to sweeping savannahs and coral reef, enormous snow-capped mountains to dense equatorial forest and more (Busch, 45). Indeed, Kenya is the greatest Africa’s initial destination and attracts adventures, and explorers throughout.
The industry of tourism in the country has had huge growth in the last two years. This has been in terms of gains received and increased volume of tourist due to increased travel in the country. This has contributed close to 11% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. The industry currently employs about 18% of the workforce in Kenya. In addition, the airline industry faces increased competition that has led to efficiency and improved service. The country aspires to be one of the top ten destinations of tourists worldwide. It has started to enhance a suitable environment aimed at increasing international flights (Busch 47). In fact, air travel in the country, which is a major mode of travel, has been within reach to many international and local tourist. The increased growth of regional and local airline in the country would be a blessing to tourism industry in the country. Moreover, the government of Kenya is striving to make sure that the travel infrastructure is enhanced national wide. The latter will encourage tourists and citizens to visit and sample different fauna and flora in various parts of the country.

Current issues affecting tourism in Kenya

Kenya has been facing different challenges in its tourism industry. Some of the current issues include;
Massive destruction of wildlife, this has been an issue of concern in Kenya because poachers in the country kill wild animals for trade as well as for meat. In fact, poachers sell some of their parts such as the horns of rhinoceros and ivory (Gatimu 56). More so, some of the politicians who rank highest in the country have been known to be involved in this kind of illegal business.
Inadequate capital to invest in the tourism industry, Kenya has been facing enormous challenges due to inadequate capital for investing in the tourism industry. For the country to invest in the industry, it needs to have capital like cash and other resources such as labour and land.in addition, poor government support has apparently been an issue to the country. The current government gives little support to the tourism industry in Kenya. It does not give enough support to tourism especially when it comes to allocating funds. More so, the government fails to encourage the citizens to invest in the tourism industry (Kimathi 56).
The country has poor infrastructure, poor roads that reduce accessibility to the areas with rich wildlife and other attractive sceneries face the country (Jones 65). It has been hard to develop the tourism industry in the country due to the latter. Moreover, political instability has been an issue and has greatly affected the industry for some time. The national election of 2007 led to massive violence. People were displaced and others killed from their homes. Up to now, international tourist has been scared by the act and the number of tourist who visits the country has reduced greatly.

According Martin, natural calamities like hurricane and flood in different tourist sites have also affected tourism in the country. This creates fear to the tourist who visits Kenya and has greatly affected Kenyan tourism industry making the country unfavourable destination for tourists. Tribal clashes and other insecurity issues have greatly affected the industry (Jones 65). For example, the recent threats from the Alshabaab attacks and threats have been a challenge to the tourism industry though the government is trying through thin and thick to curb the situation.
Another challenge has been the inadequate social services like sports, hospitals among other recreational facilities, which have been a challenge to the tourism industry. Many tourist sites are found in the remote areas of countries landscape and it is far from accessing this facilities. This makes it difficult for the tourism to access them and may discourage them from revisiting the country (Laws 43).
According to Country Report (45), Low levels of technology have also been another issue affecting the tourism industry in the country. Most of the tourist-covered areas are not covered fully by internet, mobile phone network among other networks such as television and radio networks. Tourists who visit from countries that are developed find it hard coping with such conditions. In fact, most of them take Kenya as unfavourable place for tourists.
Rapid increase in population is another issue that has apparently affected the tourism industry in Kenya. The increased population has led to human encroachment in the habitats of grasslands and forests. As a result, a conflict of human being and wildlife emerge and lead to movement of the animal species from their habitats to more vulnerable parts, where people kill them.

Work cited

Busch, Simon . “Mall attack another blow to Kenya’s tourism industry” CNN 24 sep 2013:
Country Report. “Travel and Tourism in Kenya” Travel and Tourism 22 Dec 2012: 44-47.
Gatimu, Simon N. N. . Tourism in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda: Grounded Theory Development. New Jersey: ProQuest, 2007.
Jones, Eleri , and Claire Haven-Tang. Tourism SMEs, Service Quality, and Destination Competitiveness. London: CABI, 2005.
Kimathi, Teddy . My personal critical Review concerning Slum Tourism in Kenya. London: GRIN Verlag, 2013.
Laws, Eric , Bruce Prideaux, , and K. S. Chon. Crisis Management in Tourism. New york: CABI, 2007.
Martin, Gill. “Wildlife, wonder and why tourism can help Kenya emerge from the shadow of terrorism Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2451320/Wildlife-wonder-tourism-help-Kenya-emerge-shadow-terrorism.html#ixzz2jgBLao5x Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook” Mail Online 14 oct 2013: .

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Museum of Contemporary Art: Biting the Hand that feeds it

The principal stakeholders in this conflict are the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and the Oliver Hoffman family. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) feels that it is owed $ 5, 000 000, which Hofmann pledged to it during his tenure as chairperson. Hoffman offered the pledge to the MCA as part of a fundraising campaign to raise funds for the building of a new home for the MCA. The pledge helped to attract other sources of funding that eventually helped to build the museum. The MCA feels that the pledge is a legitimate debt and Hoffman should pay up.
Hoffman on the other hand, feels that his honor is at stake. He differed with the MCA board over matters of principle and resigned from the board. He felt the board’s management of the MCA financial affairs was imprudent. He resigned and has not been a member of the board or attended the board’s meetings for some time. He feels that giving his hard-earned cash to an institution with suspect financial management skills is wrong (Collins, 2009).
The critical issue for the MCA is that, there is a debt Hoffman has to pay. That is why the MCA has gone to court to demand the payment of the debt. The MCA feels that a pledge made in good faith, and under no compulsion requires honoring. The MCA feels that pledges made by patrons are now part of legitimate income and default in honoring the pledge leads to legal action. The Financial Accounting and Standards Board (FASB) support this view. They made a ruling about recording of pledges as income, once made. Charitable organizations now feel that they have a duty to pursue the honoring of pledges to avoid loss of income. The MCA feels that it is its duty to ensure that Hoffman fulfills his pledge.

For Hoffman and other museum patrons, the critical issue is that the apparent strong-arm tactics of the MCA to recover a pledge is a violation of trust and invasion of privacy. A pledge is not a debt. There are no services or goods offered in exchange for a pledge. One offers a pledge freely, and the fulfilling of the same should be at the donor’s discretion. Removing this power from the donor is dangerous. Most donors will feel constrained to pledge if there is a threat of lawsuit down the line.
The approach the museum took is wrong. Hoffman is a known art lover and participated in the founding of the MCA. The only problem is the ideological differences between the board and Hoffman. Before resorting to the courts, seek a rapprochement between Hoffman and the board. Intermediaries, acceptable to the board, and Hoffman and help break the ice and resolve the misunderstanding between the two parties (Conflict resolution, 2013). The best alternative for the MCA is to get an intermediary to try to resolve the differences between the board and the Hoffman’s. This will avoid costly litigation and bring back on board a valuable member of the art community. The genesis of the problem is the fact that Hoffman is financially conservative. Now that the museum is running, that problem is no longer an issue, and it is better that Hoffman is co-opted back to the board.

References
Collins, D. (2009). Managing conflict and workplace relationships. 2nd ed. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Conflict resolution. 2013. Mind tools. Retrieved on 11 Nov 2013 from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_81.htm

MCA: BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS IT 4

Running head: MCA: BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS IT 1

Travel on April Vacation

A vacation tour offers the best opportunity for individual’s exploration and relaxation, which are part of human social life. It is therefore necessary to identify which part of the world offers the most prolific scenery for vacation. The world in its nature has an array of features that are tantalizing to view and feel. However, the choice of an April vacation depends completely on the motives of the explorer and the geographical make up of the native country. As a native of North Colorado, the Summer Aprils in Southern Europe would be the most entertaining climatic environment for a vacation.
During April the Southern parts of Europe start warming up giving way for various sport activities. With sport activities in mind like water skating and boating, the coast of Southern Europe offers the most appealing environment. In addition, the country at such periods offers the most needed conditions and opportunities for sunbathing. Finally, one would settle on the southern coasts of Europe for an April vacation because of the type of observable features along the coast as well as the kind of hospitality offered. The coastal beach has a combination of white sands and small islands that are good for viewing. With potency, these would be the most vital features one should look at while deciding on a place to relax the mind.
The validity of the choice made on an area for vacation will go along with the costs involved. As predetermined, from Colorado to Southern coasts of Europe may not be much expensive. Therefore, to help cut on the cost of travel into other far countries, the decision to settle on Southern Coasts of Europe would be a wise one.

Surname 1

Backpacking is a More Responsible Form of Tourism than Institutional, Mass Tourism

Introduction

Globally, tourism remains a very vital contributor of growth of the service sector in many nations. It has influenced many spheres of human life, which include cultural, social and economic factors. Basically, tourism entails traveling of people from one part of the world to another with the intention of having fun or for business. Evidently, touring acts as the impetus for growth of other services associated with it which includes travelling services, hotel industry, and also entertainment facilities. According to Wood (2002), backpacking tourism is one of the aspects of tourism which as expanded in the recent past with many tourists showing the characteristics that define a backpacker. By definition, a backpacker refers to a person or people who travel from one part of the world primarily to get the experience of a place or culture different from theirs. In most cases, backpackers stay for longer periods in their destinations, and they get involved in many active ties compared to ordinary tourists. The main motivating factors driving backpacking form of tourism is the need to get experience thus encouraging people to engage in various activities during their stay (Wood, 2002). Backpacking tourism is the most responsible form of tourism because it encourages sustainable use of resources and preserves the cultural practices of the hosting community.

Characteristics of backpacking tourism

There are typical distinctions that define a backpacker. The duration of time that a backpacker uses in his/her trip is longer compared to a normal tourist (Loker, 1993). Backpackers are very conscious in spending, and they tend to operate on a tight budget. Mostly, backpackers prefer cheap accommodation in their hostels, and they inquire for prices before they purchase so that they can have money to sustain a long stay. Curiosity always drives them to intermingle freely with other travelers and also with the locals. Essentially, social interaction will help to acquire friends and also to find information from travelers that might help them in their journey making backing tourism ethical form of tourism. It is morally correct when people interact freely with each other and make friends. Backpacking tourism is a very adventurous activity which involves touring many places and high participation in activities that accompany such events. Through such undertakings, the backpacker will definitely experience the culture of the host people. Despite coming from different cultures backpackers, usually show respect for the culture of the host nation and appreciate it the way it is. Prior to their visit, backpackers always gather information from many sources so that they understand the destination. However, they make very few bookings before they visit, which is opposite to what most tourists do. Backpackers prefer to do many things on their own because they want to experience what they are doing and since they are price conscious it provides a chance for bargaining cheap prices (Wood, 2002).

Motivating factors of backpacking

There are many things that a backpacker aims to learn in his trip, they are experience seekers hence they involve in various activities that give them the real picture of their destination. The backpacker is attracted by the experience while tourist prefers to travel for recreation. Some backpackers travel to with the intention of contributing or influencing something in their destination. They get involved in experience –seeking activities which motivate them to engage actively, and they also take the experience at once in a life time. Although they want to be viewed differently, backpackers also exhibit the charaster of a tourist which include; visiting historical sites, taking some walk, relaxing in hotels and restaurants and doing shopping.Backpackers engage in sporting activities and experiences that induce adrenaline.This shows that they participate actively and passively, giving them time to meditate and to discover oneself.Culture is the main motivating factor that among the backpackers, they find the experience of other cultures interesting which brings satisfaction.They usually appreciate the culture of their destination which motivates them to interact with the local community. As mentioned earlier, a backpacker is driven by travel experience hence the number of visits determine the level of experience he will have. Cultural difference is the motivating factor driving backpacking.

Economical budget of a backpacker

Backpackers are price conscious travelers who are always for cheap accommodation and other affordable facilities during their visit. They inquire the price of various hostels and make a comparison before making a decision. This is possible because a backpacker prefers to organize his or her accomodation after reaching the destination. Compared to other tourists, a backpacker spends more money during the visit because the duration of stay is longer. On average, the daily spending of a backpacker is less and cannot match that of a conventional tourist; simply because the packpacker wants to spread is money to cover the expenses the long stay.Backpackers are relatively young people, who have low average income hence they have to use their money in a conscious way. However, the average money spent in a trip increases as they grow older, probably the reason is that income rises with age. The destination will also determine the amount spent by a backpacker, because some places are costly and others are cheap. Although people view a backpacker as price conscious traveler, they do not percept themselves as sush. Backpackers say that they cannot spend on anything just because is cheap, they want also value for their money. They are not ignorant on how the host community benefit economically, something they are proud of because they feel that they are helping someone to get a decent life. People working in backpackers hostels, restaurants and tour guides benefit directly from the industry. Backpackers are proud that they are getting experience while making the life of others better. Backpackers are happy when their money benefit directly the host community; for example they buy directly from owners or producers of cultural products. They view this as fair treatment because they are sometimes exploited by middlemen who take away any meaningful gain from the products.

The culture of a backpacker

Backpackers usually do not like to be associated to conventional tourist, they like to have their own identity.However in some circumstances they behave like tourists or any other travelers.This condition clearly illustrates the tense relation of a tourist and a backpacker.The culture of a backpacker sometimes is full of hype, because of the clothing style and body decorations , such as tattoos, piercings and dreadlocks.Backpackers interact freely with the locals and they usually establish friendship with them, and through this, they get information of the destination as well as the experience of other travelers.In addition, social connection enhances social development, which make backpackers self- confident. They like to travel freely and experience things on their own. In some situations the backpackers restrict movement of their younger ones, which points out the contradictions surrounding his life. However, in most cases the local community, view as people who travel for sexual prostitution and that they are lazy, who never wash. Futhermore, the locals find them more courageous because they get involved in activities that are dangerous. Backpackers usually use drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes while relaxing, which makes them appear as drug addicts who only love pleasure. Looking at the route of backpackers, there is presents of trappings like video halls, drinking joints and restaurants. In other situations, the backpacker is seen as a person who is full of empathy and want to participate in solving the problems of the local community. Interaction with local community is highly valued by backpackers and it distinguishes them from other tourists. Backpackers want to be immersed into the culture of the host community, so that they can avoid wrong perceptions of the surrounding environment and culture of the local people. Backpackers’ perception of the local culture is usually diverse. In some cases, backpackers say that the some cultures are calm, simple and accomotive or friendly. They point out that there is wrong perception of local communities in western countries where they come, and what they perceive is totally contrary to reality. Although backpackers like to be immersed by the culture of the local community they say that it is difficult to achieve it because the host community view them as strangers alienating them from other members of the community. Also racial differences is another factor mentioned by backpackers: they say that racial alienation is common and they are treated differently making them feel as outsiders during the process of interaction. Backpackers arguet that their desire to freely socialize with local community is usually hampered by language: people can only interact and communicate to each if the language there using is clearly undertood by both parties.

Contribution of backpacking to environmental protection

Usually, backpacking involves few people who travel from one place to another with the intention of getting experience. Therefore, the activity is not done in a mass hence it reduces the pressure on the natural resources in the destination. Backpackers access natural sites by trekking thus conserving the natural state of flora and fauna, which is contrary in mass tourism which commonly use a tour vehicle to experience the site. Use of tour vehicle will encourage road construction that destroys the natural state of the site.
Backpackers like to experience natural sites in their pure natural state and they discourage modification. This has encouraged tour operators to come up with measures to preserve the environment. Backpackers love nature, thereby actively participate in local initiatives that target environmental protection. For instance, engaging in activities encourage the safe use of water and energy in a local community. Backpackers consider themselves as environmental friendly, because they follow same route and tracks hence reduce damage on natural plants and disturbance on wildlife. In most cases, backpackers use small portable stoves that use little fuel, and in this way they emit less green gases. Backpackers are proud of how they interact with other people: they view backpacking as sensitive to the welfare of other visitors because they respect them and understand that they too have a right to use the natural site. It is commonly for backpackers make fire in the wild to warm themselves at night. Making fire in the forest can be risky because it can result to forest fire, which is harmful to both plants and wild animals. Although the action is dangerous, backpackers argue that they use small fire and they extinguish it with water before leaving. They also say that their fire is environmental friendly because dead wood is used to make fire. Camping is fun but if done near rivers, they might pollute the environment. In defense of this practice, backpackers say that their camping activities are done away from streams and rivers to avoid any environmental pollution.

In summary, backpackers are travelers are who want to be viewed differently from other tourists. The backpacker prefers a budget accommodation and they are flexible in their decisions. In addition, they like organizing things on their own, for example, they discourage booking of accommodation and they favor doing by themselves. They find convenient because it provides the opportunity to check for the cheapest available options. Social contact is very more evident in the life of a backpacker, they easily interact with local people and other travelers, which enables them to exchange information of the destination. Although backpacker is price conscious, the economic implications it has to the destination is clearly present. Apart from that, the local culture is influenced by the behavior of the backpackers. If two cultures interact, cultural exchange must occur, which will further foster harmony between the backpackers and local community. The nature of backpacking enables the environment to be conserved, because they prefer to experience nature sites in their innate state.
Responsible tourism
Responsible tourism is a concept which covers many sectors of tourism. These are measures taken by industry players in tourism to ensure that sustainable development is achieved. Responsible tourism involves taking initiatives that make the environment better for locals and also improve the visiting sites (Maiero & Shen, 2004). The idea of responsible tourism simply covers a number of factors which include:
Reduction of negative effects that tourism brings to the economy, environment and other social segments.
Improve economic conditions of local people while enhancing good working environment in the sector
It should allow participation of local people in making decisions in matters that affect them.
Protection of natural resources and historical cultural heritage.
Facilitate effective connections that will enable tourists and local people enjoy their interactions and shade more information on the environment and the culture of the host communities.
Achieve mutual respect between the tourists and the locals resulting in pride and confidence. It also entails gathering the needs of special groups society.

Backpacking as a responsible form of tourism

According to Weaver and Lawton (1999), the owners of facilities will get revenue and at the same time creating employment to the local community. In comparison to mass tourism, backpacking tourism contributes less economic leakages. The reason is that the business is mostly owned by local people and the income generated remains in the country. Backpackers prefer using the locally available rail and road transport, where they can easily intermingle with the locals and other travelers. Through this, backpacker is benefiting the local businesses fostering good relationship. Backpackers do not like vocational packages because they are closed and they discourage interaction of people. For example, the use of self contained ship that provides everything needed in a trip. Facilities that render all inclusive services, usually import their equipment and as a result contributing to economical leakages.
Backpackers have a preference for cheap accommodation, which encourage fair prices of goods and services in the host community. Most of their finances are spread to cover the long period of stay. In this way the average income from this form of tourism is higher compared to that of institutional tourism (Sicroff, Alos & Shrestha, 2003).
Backpacking tourism supports the creation of facilities in the local community that might not have been developed, resulting to improved living standards . The commonly used sources of public transport by backpackers are: coaches, backpacker tours, train and air travels. Backpackers have greatly changed the operation of these forms of transport, probably to meet the unique features of a backpacker (Mowforth & Munt, 1998). Increased competition among transport providers has resulted to fair transport prices for both locals and the backpackers. Institutionalized tourism is not consciously sensitive to price. Price increase in the economy will make life difficult for citizens whose income is constant. Mass tourism leads to increase in demand for goods and services, which cause inflation. For example, demand for tourists’ facilities like hotels will result to demand increase in the real estate thus pushing up the prices of building material and cost of land. This will not only make life costly for local people but also makes foreigners dominate the sector hence any benefit that comes from the industry will go mainly to outsiders. Backpackers usually use the readily available Infrastructure and they do not encourage standardization hence the government of the hosting community may divert resources to other equally important sectors like education and health.
Since backpacking tourism involves interacting with the local community, it is possible for producers of cultural artifacts to benefit directly from the industry. Any economic value will benefit the producer and all intermediaries involved in the business (Sicroff et al., 2003).
Responsible tourism ensures that resources are used in a sustainable way. Backpacking tourism is very sensitive to the fact that people living near a resource are helpful in its conservation. Local communities should be allowed to own and run the businesses and take charge of the conservation initiatives (Sicroff et al., 2003). Local understanding of tourism attraction can be used with other wide models of ecotourism to achieve the desired end. When the local community is incorporated in the management of business it leads to a deep understanding of the environment. In addition to that, use of the local knowledge is definitely an opening for local people to enter tourism sector and also take control of their environment. Backpacking tourism contributes immensely to the conservation of the natural habitat. Part of the revenue from this business usually goes to protection of parks and museums. Indirect benefits coming from other sectors will enable the government get more revenue that secure resources for government expenditure (Shaw & Williams, 1994). Therefore, this sector is critical in providing income taxes required to manage the natural habitats. Tour operators in this sector should take more initiatives in achieving sustainability, that is not only for tourists but also for long term use (Willers, 1994).

Cooperation approach in managing the environment is very important . Business people in backpacking tourism mostly join hands with other stakeholders like the government and the local community who prefer sustainable use of resources. Sound management is only possible when people in the industry come together. Planning is very vital in ensuring that conflicting interest does not arise in the management of the environment. Furthermore it ensures that errors are avoided hence protecting the critical resources necessary for tourism growth (Loker-Murphy, & Pearce, 1995). The benefits of sustainable tourism are also crucial in preserving natural attractions in their natural form. Tourism acts as a catalyst for the protection of the natural heritage of the local community simply because people derive economic value from it hence they value them. It also makes locals proud of their heritage and increase interest in conservation. The involvement of locals will generally result in the responsible use of biodiversity. Responsible tourism not only benefit the host community but also ensures that visitors can enjoy undisturbed natural scenes , clean water and secure community with low levels of crime and preserved cultural practices and traditions (Butler, 1999)
Working with backpackers is very interesting to the local people because they provide information on how things are done in other cultures. They usually want to have experience of many things during their visits hence they make sure they actively participate in any undertaking. In some cases, they work long hours and not afraid to experiment difficult work challenges. It is easy to work in an environment involving backpackers because they are always eager and anxious to learn and are free to express their desires..
Backpacking form of tourism is more inclusive than institutional tourism. This is because it involves the local community in decision making and as a result local participation in the project is higher. Involving local communities in the project is important in identifying the negative impacts of tourism hence providing a platform for coming up with ways of minimizing them. When the community is brought on board, it is easy to combat anti social behavior which is insensitive to their culture and beliefs. On top of this, local residents will be refreshed and strengthened since they are no longer spectators but participants in tourism development (Sicroff et al., 2003).
Unlike mass tourism, backpacking is mindful of the interaction of cultures. When backpackers come into contact with locals, there are exchange of cultural practices, consequently developing mutual respect between the local community and outsiders. On top of this , backpacking form of tourism appreciate culture the way it is and discourage modification.
Tourism involves movement of people from one place to another leading to interaction of different cultures. When this happens, culture clash will emerge because different people have diverse values, lifestyle and religious beliefs. Local people may start showing negative feelings towards tourists due to the tension brought by differences in culture. Anti-tourism behavior will develop, thus negatively affecting the tourism industry. However, backpacking has minimal negative impacts on the culture of the local community (Epler, 1991). This is because backpackers try to fit more into the local community by living just like the locals hence less manifestation of foreign culture. Since backpacking fosters sustainability it educates people to understand each other in an objective way hence allowing cultural exchange between the tourist and the host. This ensures people understand and respect each other thus eliminating prejudice. On the contrary, mass tourism largely results to destruction of cultural heritage of the local community because the culture and demands of tourists will influence changes. Conflicts between locals may arise because there will be competition for natural resources like water, land and energy (Ballantyne, Packer & Falk, 2011).

In my view, backpacking tourism contributes to the development of social and economic aspects of many nations in the world. The benefits derived from this form tourism outweigh any negative impacts. However, the process of sustainability should be monitored so that it will touch all aspects of human development that is economical, social and ecological (Scheyvens, 2002). It is evident that involvement of the local community in the industry is important in many ways in achieving sustainability. Economic benefits from the backpacking tourism must go to the locals before anybody else because they are the ones that suffer the most in case of any negative impacts (Weaver, 2013). Therefore, natural resources must be used in responsible and sustainable way, which will benefit the present and future generations. Backpacking tourism preserve the local culture because it does not advocate for modification of culture. Respect to local culture is critical in ensuring that people interact without conflicts. Generally, backpacking is the most responsible form of tourism compared to the mass tourism. It reduces negative effects to the economy, the environment and the social aspects of the hosting community. It allows local participation in the business by involving them in decision making while enhancing a favorable environment for interaction to take place. Likewise, it protects the cultural heritage of the local community and encourages respect to the local culture. Therefore, backpacking form of tourism can enhance human development without destroying natural resources hence the best alternative form of tourism , which must be exploited.

References

Ballantyne, R., Packer, J. & Falk, J. (2011). Visitors’ learning for environmental sustainability: Testing short- and long-term impacts of wildlife tourism experiences using structured equation modeling. Tourism Management, 32, pp. 1243-1252.
Bramwell, B. & Lane, B. (1993). Sustainable Tourism: An Evolving Global Approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1(1), pp. 1–5.
Brown, D. O. (1998). In Search of an Appropriate Form of Tourism for Africa: Lessons from the Past and Suggestions for the Future. Tourism Management, 19:237–245
Butler R. (1999). Sustainable Tourism: A State-of-the-Art Review. Tourism Geographies 1(1), pp. 7–25.
Doorne, S. (1993). Expenditure Patterns of Backpackers. In Proceedings of the Seventeenth Conference of the New Zealand Geographical Society, Wellington: Victoria University.
Drake, S (1991). Local Participation in ecotourism project’ in Nature Tourism. Washington D.C.: Island Press.
Epler, W. (1991). Global Solutions: on ecotourism society’, in Nature Tourism. Washington D.C.: Island Press.
Maiero, M. & Shen, X. (2004). Commonalities between cultural and bio-diversity. ZEF Centre for Development Research. University of Bonn
Mowforth, M. & Munt, I. (1998). Tourism and Sustainability: New Tourism in the Third World. London: Routledge.
Loker, L. (1993). The Backpacker Phenomenon II: More Answers to Further Questions. North Queensland: James Cook University.
Loker-Murphy, L. & Pearce, L. (1995). Young Budget Travelers: Backpackers in Australia. Annals of Tourism Research 22, pp. 819–843.
Shaw, G. & Williams, A. (1994). Critical Issues in Tourism: A Geographical Perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.
Scheyvens, R. (2002). Backpacker Tourism and Third World Development. Annals of Tourism, 29(1), pp. 144-164. Retrieved November 27, 2013 http://thetact.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/backpackertourismthirdworld.pdf
Sicroff, S., Alos, E. & Shrestha, R. (2003). Independent Backpacker Tourism: Key To Sustainable Development In Remote Mountain Destinations. Retrieved November 27, 2013 http://www.mountainlegacy.org/661.pdf
Tisdell, C., & Wen, J. (1997). Why care is needed in applying indicators of the sustainability of tourism. Australian Journal of Hospitality Management, 4(1), pp. 1-6.
Warren, C. (2012). Positive connectedness: Encouraging pro-environmental behavior change in responsible accommodation. Progress in Responsible Tourism, 1(2), pp. 40-68
Wood, M. (2002). Ecotourism: Principles, Practices and Policies for Sustainability. Burlington: The International Ecotourism Society.
Weaver, D. (2013). Sustainable Mass Tourism: Toward Unequal Convergence of Paradigms and Scales. Retrieved November 27, 2013 from http://business.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/DWeaver_Curtin_Symposium_2013.pdf
Weaver, D. & Lawton, L. (1999). Sustainable Tourism: A Critical Analysis. Retrieved November 27, 2013 http://www.crctourism.com.au/wms/upload/resources/bookshop/Sustainable%20Tourism.pdf
Willers, B. (1994). Sustainable development: a new world deception. Conservation Biology, 8, pp. 1146-11.
Williams, A. & Shaw, G. (1996). Tourism, Leisure, Nature Protect ion and Agri-tourism: Principles, Partnerships and Practice. Brussels: European Partners for the Environment.

BACKPACKING TOURISM AS A RESPONSIBLE TOURISM 14

Running head: BACKPACKING TOURISM AS A RESPONSIBLE TOURISM 1

Backpacking Is a More Responsible Form of Tourism That Institutional, Mass Tourism

Introduction

Globally, tourism remains a very vital contributor of growth of the service sector in many nations. It has influenced many spheres of human life which include cultural, social and economic factors. Basically, tourism entails traveling of people from one part of the world to another with the intention of having fun or for business. Evidently, touring acts as the impetus for growth of other services associated with it which includes travelling services, hotel industry, and also entertainment facilities. According Wood (2002), backpacking tourism is one of the aspects of tourism which as expanded in the recent past with many tourists showing the characteristics that define a backpacker. By definition, a backpacker refers to a person or people who travel from one part of the world primarily to get the experience of a place or culture different from theirs. In most cases, backpackers stay for longer periods in their destinations and they get involved in many active ties compared to ordinary tourists. The main motivating factors driving backpacking form of tourism is the need to get experience thus encouraging people to engage in various activities during their stay (Wood, 2002). Backpacking tourism is the most responsible form of tourism because it encourages sustainable use of resources and preserves the cultural practices of the hosting community.
Characteristics of backpacking tourism

There are typical distinctions that define a backpacker. The duration of time that a backpacker uses in his/her trip is longer compared to a normal tourist (Loker, 1993). Backpackers are very conscious in spending and they tend to operate on a tight budget. Mostly, backpackers prefer cheap accommodation in their hostels, and they inquire for prices before they purchase so that they can remain with money to sustain a long stay. Curiosity always drives them to freely intermingle with other travelers and also with the locals. Essentially, social interaction will help to acquire friends and also to find information from travelers that might help them in their journey making backing tourism ethical form of tourism. It is morally correct when people interact freely with each other and make friends. Backpacking tourism is a very adventurous activity which involves touring many places and high participation in activities that accompany such events. Through such undertakings, the backpacker will definitely experience the culture of the host people. Despite coming from different cultures backpackers, usually show respect for the culture of the host nation and appreciate it the way it is. Prior to their visit, backpackers always gather information from many sources so that they understand the destination. However, they make very few bookings before they visit contrary to what most tourists do. Backpackers prefer to do many things on their own because they want to experience what they are doing and since they are price conscious it provides a chance for bargaining cheap prices (Wood, 2002).

Responsible tourism

Responsible tourism is a concept which covers many sectors of tourism. It can be defined as measures taken by industry players in tourism to ensure that sustainable development is achieved. Responsible tourism involves taking initiatives that make the environment better for locals and also improve the visiting sites (Maiero & Shen, 2004). The idea of responsible tourism simply covers a number of factors which include:
Reduction of negative effects that tourism brings to the economy, environment and other social segments.
Improve economic conditions of local people while enhancing good working environment in the sector
It should allow participation of local people in making decisions in matters that affect them.
Protection of natural resources and historical cultural heritage.
Facilitate effective connections that will enable tourists and local people enjoy their interactions and shade more information on the environment and the culture of the host communities.
Achieve mutual respect between the tourists and the locals resulting in pride and confidence. It also entails gathering the needs of special groups in the society.

Economical Effects of Backpacking as compared to Mass Tourism

Explicitly, the benefits of backpacking tourism are enormous indicating that its contribution to sustainable development is vital. Maximum benefits of this business can be achieved through improvements of facilitating infrastructure. In most cases backpackers prefer cheap hostels resulting in development of hostels designed to gather for their needs. According to Weaver and Lawton (1999), the owners of these facilities will get revenue and at the same time creating employment to the locals working in these hostels. In comparison to mass tourism backpacking tourism contributes less economic leakages. The reason is that the business is mostly owned by local people and the income generated usually remains in the country due to less involvement of overseas hotel groups. The nature of conventional tourism favors external drainage of revenue, in the form of tax payment, profit repatriation and import expenditure. It further demands standardization of facilities which the host country cannot supply and the only source is through importation. Import expenditure results to a leakage which goes to international companies. In addition, tourists prefer travelling by air, hence leading to more economical leakages because most airlines belong to different countries. The capitals of many international airlines are in their own countries thus any revue they generate will be taken back to the mother country. Backpackers on the other hand use the locally available rail and road transport where they can easily intermingle with the locals and other travelers. By using these modes of transport the backpackers will benefit the local businesses fostering good relationship. Backpackers do not like vocational packages because they are closed and they discourage interaction of people. For example use of a ship that is self contained that provides everything needed in a trip will lock out the host community from interacting with the backpacker. Facilities that render all inclusive services in most cases import their equipment and they hire fewer people and as a result contributing to leakages and creating few employment opportunities to locals.

Backpackers have a preference for budget accommodation. Whilst they prefer cheap hostels, backpackers are also looking for value for their money. Preference for cheap accommodation will encourage fair prices making the host community benefit from lower prices of goods and services. Most of their finances are spread to cover the long period of stay. In this way the average income from this form of tourism is higher compared to institutional tourism (Sicroff, Alos & Shrestha, 2003).
Backpacking tourism supports the creation of facilities in the local community that might not have been developed, resulting to improved living standards in their destinations. The commonly used sources of public transport by backpackers are: coaches, backpacker tours, train and air travels. Backpackers have greatly changed the operation of these forms of transport, probably to meet the unique features of a backpacker (Mowforth & Munt, 1998). Increased competition among transport providers has resulted to fair transport prices for both locals and the backpackers. Institutionalized tourism is not price conscious. Price increase in the economy will make life difficult for citizens whose income is constant. Mass tourism usually leads to increase in demand for goods and services hence leading to inflation. For example, demand for tourists’ facilities like hotels will result to demand increase in the real estate thus pushing up the prices of building material and cost of land. This will not only make life costly for local people but also makes foreigners dominate the sector hence any benefit that comes from the industry will go mainly to outsiders. Backpackers usually use the readily available Infrastructure and they do not encourage standardization hence the government of the hosting community may divert resources to other equally important sectors like education and health.
Although, mass tourism is crucial in generating income for local communities, it may make an economy dependent on tourism, which is very risk especially when the industry is faced with challenges such as terrorism, political instability and natural hazards. Since backpacking tourism involves interacting with the local community, it is possible for producers of cultural artifacts to directly benefit from the industry. Any economic value will benefit the producer and all intermediaries involved in the business (Sicroff et al., 2003).
Protection of natural environment
Responsible tourism ensures that resources are used in a sustainable way. Backpacking tourism is very sensitive to the fact that people living near a resource are helpful in its conservation. Local communities should be allowed to own and run the businesses and take charge of the conservation initiatives (Sicroff et al., 2003). Local understanding of tourism attraction can be used with other wide models of ecotourism to achieve the desired end. When the local community is incorporated in the management of business it leads to deep understanding of the environment. In addition to that, use of the local knowledge is definitely an opening for local people to enter tourism sector and also take control of their environment. Backpacking tourism contributes immensely to the conservation of the natural habitat. Part of the revenue from this business usually goes to protection of parks and museums. Indirect benefits coming from other sectors will enable the government get more revenue hence securing resources for government expenditure (Shaw & Williams, 1994). Therefore, this sector is critical in providing income taxes required to manage the natural habitats. Tour operators in this sector should take more initiatives in achieving sustainability, not only for tourists but also for long term use (Willers, 1994).

Cooperation approach in managing the environment is very important .Business people in backpacking tourism mostly join hands with other stakeholders like the government and the local community who prefer sustainable use of resources. For instance, engage in safe use of water and energy and supporting the welfare of the local community. Sound management is only possible when people in the industry come together. Planning is very vital in ensuring that conflicting interest does not arise in the management of the environment. Furthermore it ensures that errors are avoided hence protecting the critical resources necessary for tourism growth (Loker-Murphy, & Pearce, 1995). The benefits of sustainable tourism are also crucial in preserving natural attractions in their natural form. Tourism acts as catalyst for the protection of the natural heritage of the local community simply because people derive economical value from it hence they value them. It also makes locals proud of their heritage and increase interest in conservation. The involvement of locals will generally result in the responsible use of biodiversity. Responsible tourism not only benefit the host community but also ensures that visitors can enjoy undisturbed natural scenes , clean water and secure community with low levels of crime and preserved cultural practices and traditions (Butler, 1999).
Backpacking protection of cultural heritage
Working with backpackers is very interesting to the local people because they provide information on how things are done in other cultures. Motivation factors driving backpackers are evident in the work environment. They usually want to have experience of many things during their visits hence they make sure they actively participate in any undertaking. In some cases, they work long hours and not afraid to experiment difficult work challenges. It is easy to work in an environment involving backpackers because they are always eager and anxious to learn and are free to express their desires..
Backpacking form of tourism is more inclusive than institutional tourism. This is because it involves the local community in decision making and as a result local participation in the project is higher. Involving local communities in the project is important in identifying the negative impacts of tourism hence providing a platform for coming up with ways of minimizing them. When the community is brought on board, it is easy to combat anti social behavior which is insensitive to their culture and beliefs. On top of this, local residents will be refreshed and strengthened since they are no longer spectators but participants in tourism development. Jobs created due to backpacking tourism reduce rural –urban migration in local communities because resources are brought closer (Sicroff et al., 2003).
Unlike mass tourism, backpacking is mindful of the interaction of cultures. When backpackers come into contact with locals, there is an exchange of cultural practices, consequently developing mutual respect between the local community and outsiders. Conventional tourism on the other hand contributes to the erosion of local culture due to many factors involved in this sector as explained below:
The culture of the host community is commercialized. This situation happens when local customs and religious beliefs are taken as commodities for trade and finally changing them to meet the needs and demands of tourists as suggested by Willers (1994). Backpacking form of tourism appreciates culture the way it is and does not encourage modification.
In the process of meeting the needs of a tourist, destinations may result to standardization. Despite the desire to make products new, tour operators should ensure that their destinations are not very strange because it may not be attractive to tourist Backpackers want to experience the attraction sites in their natural state. Therefore, they are against any changes to meet the desires of travelers (Willers, 1994).
Adaptation to tourist demands can easily lead to culture erosion. In trying to satisfy the needs of tourists, people will change many things including the design of their products to meet the new market hence loosing originality (Williams & Shaw, 1996).
Tourism involves movement of people from one place to another leading to interaction of different cultures. When this happens, culture clash will emerge because different people have diverse values, lifestyle and religious beliefs. Local people may start showing negative feelings towards tourists due to the tension brought by differences in culture. Anti-tourism behavior will develop, thus negatively affecting the tourism industry. However, backpacking has minimal negative impacts on the culture of the local community (Epler, 1991). This is because backpackers try to fit into the local community by living just like the locals hence less manifestation of foreign culture. Since backpacking fosters sustainability it educates people to understand each other in an objective way hence allowing cultural exchange between the tourist and the host. This ensures people understand and respect each other thus eliminating prejudice. On the contrary, mass tourism largely results to destruction of cultural heritage of the local community because the culture and demands of tourists will influence changes. Conflicts between locals may arise because there will be competition for natural resources like water, land and energy. For example, demand for land is high because investors need land for building hotels and other recreational facilities for tourists. Consequently, this leads to competition for land with the locals. Apart from that, mass tourism is not a responsible form of tourism because it leads to erosion of morals (Ballantyne, Packer & Falk, 2011).

The growth of tourism will significantly result to urbanization, and crime thrives more in an urbanized setting because criminals will be attracted to tourist who have a lot of money and carry with them other valuables like jewelry. Although tourism is not a direct cause of prostitution, it provides a favorable environment for it to grow. Tourism has also influenced fashion and way of dressing in the local community. People copy their way of dressing resulting to low regard to local clothing styles (Ballantyne, Packer & Falk, 2011).
Relationship between backpacking and responsible tourism
All in all, backpacking tourism contributes to the development of social and economical aspects of many nations in the world. The benefits derived from this form tourism outweigh any negative impacts that may come along with because it is a responsible way of tourism. However, the process of sustainability should be monitored so that it will touch all aspects of human development that is economical, social and ecological (Scheyvens, 2002). It is evident that involvement of the local community in the industry is important in many ways in achieving sustainability. Economical benefits from the backpacking tourism sector always go to the locals before anybody else because they are the ones that suffer the most in case of any negative impacts (Weaver, 2013). Therefore, it ensures that natural resources are used in responsible and sustainable way which will also benefit the future generations. Backpacking tourism preserve the local culture because it does not advocate for modification of culture. Respect to local culture is critical in ensuring that people interact in without conflicts. It should be noted that backing tourism will not lead to overdependence on the sector like in the case of mass tourism. Overdependence of an economy on mass tourism can sometimes have adverse effects during low season or during calamities. Tourism is highly sensitive industry and it can hurt the economy if distraction occurs .Diversified economy is a key in achieving stable growth because they complement each other while maintaining consistent growth during recession in the tourism sector.
Responsible Marketing in backpacking tourism
Researching more on the business is helpful in getting insight of the sector thus coming up with suitable management systems. Communication should not be taken to be an easy concept. It should be pointed out that good communication is the tool used in marketing the destination. Therefore communication is the link between the backpacker and the tour operator. Effective communication creates a good picture of the destination hence the traveler is well informed. To achieve this proper training on the topic should be done comprehensively (Weaver, D. & Lawton, 1999).

A planning process in tourism management must integrate marketing policies that are sensitive to sustainable tourism. This means that market strategies should cover all the aspects of society, which are social and economic spheres. Marketing policies should conserve the environment and at the same time provide a product that meets the standard demanded by tourists. Therefore responsible marketing should be eco-friendly and morally correct. Lack of proper coordination and good communication among stakeholders in backpacking tourism can lead to failure of the business. Movement patterns of backpackers in a place and their behavior during the stay is well monitored by marketers so they can understand the dynamics of the business (Bramwell & Lane, 1993). Furthermore, backpacking has resulted to cooperative marketing and packaging development that entails identification of tourist attractions and then promoting it as a package. The prices of these packages are cheap to attract backpackers who prefer relatively low prices. Cooperative marketing among players in the sector will definitely increase tourist experience and also result to economies of scale in marketing and promotional cost (Wood, 2002).
Research is very critical in determining wants and needs of a backpacker and also the suitable means to promote attraction material. Backpacking has eventually influenced the following promotional methods:

Guidebooks

This is very common to backpackers because it provides information concerning of places of destination. It is important to give good impression on the guidebooks to attract the backpackers. Therefore business people in this industry should not ignore these guides.
(b) Backpacker publications
These are publications that are distributed in places that backpackers visit. They are meant to help in marketing the product through advertising. They are cost effective and information can be kept for further reference reducing wastage.
(c) Use of leaflets and posters
They are less costly and portable making it possible for backpackers to carry and keep them for future use. They allow promotion in form of images, which includes pictures of the environment and the attraction being advertised (Brown, 1998).
(d) Internet promotion
Backpackers are relatively well educated and young hence they are conversant with information technology like the internet. Promotions should be done through the internet because it reaches many backpackers. Use of the internet minimizes the destruction of the environment because it does not involve the use of paper (Warren, 2012).
Conclusion
Generally, backpacking is the most responsible form of tourism compared to mass to tourism. It reduces negative effects to the economy, the environment and the social aspects of the hosting community. It allows local participation in the business by involving them in decision making while enhancing a favorable environment for interaction to take place. Likewise, it protects the cultural heritage of the local community and encourages respect to the local culture. The characteristics of a backpacker have also influenced responsible marketing making marketers to come up with strategies that are efficient and less costly.

References

Ballantyne, R., Packer, J. & Falk, J. (2011). Visitors’ learning for environmental sustainability: Testing short- and long-term impacts of wildlife tourism experiences using structured equation modeling. Tourism Management, 32, pp. 1243-1252.
Bramwell, B. & Lane, B. (1993). Sustainable Tourism: An Evolving Global Approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1(1), pp. 1–5.
Brown, D. O. (1998). In Search of an Appropriate Form of Tourism for Africa: Lessons from the Past and Suggestions for the Future. Tourism Management, 19:237–245
Butler R. (1999). Sustainable Tourism: A State-of-the-Art Review. Tourism Geographies 1(1), pp. 7–25.
Doorne, S. (1993). Expenditure Patterns of Backpackers. In Proceedings of the Seventeenth Conference of the New Zealand Geographical Society, Wellington: Victoria University.
Drake, S (1991). Local Participation in ecotourism project’ in Nature Tourism. Washington D.C.: Island Press.
Epler, W. (1991). Global Solutions: on ecotourism society’, in Nature Tourism. Washington D.C.: Island Press.
Maiero, M. & Shen, X. (2004). Commonalities between cultural and bio-diversity. ZEF Centre for Development Research. University of Bonn
Mowforth, M. & Munt, I. (1998). Tourism and Sustainability: New Tourism in the Third World. London: Routledge.
Loker, L. (1993). The Backpacker Phenomenon II: More Answers to Further Questions. North Queensland: James Cook University.
Loker-Murphy, L. & Pearce, L. (1995). Young Budget Travelers: Backpackers in Australia. Annals of Tourism Research 22, pp. 819–843.
Shaw, G. & Williams, A. (1994). Critical Issues in Tourism: A Geographical Perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.
Scheyvens, R. (2002). Backpacker Tourism and Third World Development. Annals of Tourism, 29(1), pp. 144-164. Retrieved November 27, 2013 http://thetact.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/backpackertourismthirdworld.pdf
Sicroff, S., Alos, E. & Shrestha, R. (2003). Independent Backpacker Tourism: Key To Sustainable Development In Remote Mountain Destinations. Retrieved November 27, 2013 http://www.mountainlegacy.org/661.pdf
Tisdell, C., & Wen, J. (1997). Why care is needed in applying indicators of the sustainability of tourism. Australian Journal of Hospitality Management, 4(1), pp. 1-6.
Warren, C. (2012). Positive connectedness: Encouraging pro-environmental behavior change in responsible accommodation. Progress in Responsible Tourism, 1(2), pp. 40-68
Wood, M. (2002). Ecotourism: Principles, Practices and Policies for Sustainability. Burlington: The International Ecotourism Society.
Weaver, D. (2013). Sustainable Mass Tourism: Toward Unequal Convergence of Paradigms and Scales. Retrieved November 27, 2013 from http://business.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/DWeaver_Curtin_Symposium_2013.pdf
Weaver, D. & Lawton, L. (1999). Sustainable Tourism: A Critical Analysis. Retrieved November 27, 2013 http://www.crctourism.com.au/wms/upload/resources/bookshop/Sustainable%20Tourism.pdf
Willers, B. (1994). Sustainable development: a new world deception. Conservation Biology, 8, pp. 1146-11.
Williams, A. & Shaw, G. (1996). Tourism, Leisure, Nature Protect ion and Agri-tourism: Principles, Partnerships and Practice. Brussels: European Partners for the Environment.

BACKPACKING TOURISM AS A RESPONSIBLE TOURISM 16

Running head: BACKPACKING TOURISM AS A RESPONSIBLE TOURISM 1

A Blueberry Project for Culinary Tourism

Introduction

Culinary tourism is defined as tourism that is inspired by food and beverages. Culinary tourism is also known by many names such as tasting tourism, food tourism, and gastronomic tourism (Boniface, 2003). The International Culinary Tourism Association defines culinary tourism as the pursuit of distinctive and unforgettable eating and drinking experiences. This indicates that there are populations of tourists who will spend their money to travel in different parts of the world to sample and experience original cuisines that have been identified as having a cultural significance in particular regions of the world. Food has been identified as having a heavy influence on holidaymakers. This implies that culinary tourism has been one of the most promising tourism sectors in different parts of the world, as Murray observes (Murray, 2004). Many travelers have considered food when making their destination decisions. This is evident in the observation that many people have found food to be relevant in the activities in which they indulge during the course of their vacations and holidays (Murray, 2004).
Significance of a Food Project in Tourism

Despite the fact that food has been very critical in the decision making process of the holidaymakers, it has received little attention both in the local perspective and the international perspective. Research indicates that food has a profound potential of sustaining the tourism industry of any economy in the world. Food has been found to create authenticity of different destinations in the world. This has the effect of strengthening the economy of the region. Food also offers an environmentally friendly infrastructure, which is critical for the growth of the tourism industry in the region. Food has also been identified to hold a prominent place in the ‘think globally, act locally’ debate (Boniface, 2003). Some tourists are keen on supporting the regional economy and at the same time protect the environment. These kinds of tourists favor local foods over foods that have been transported over long distances (Boniface, 2003).
Campaigns concerned with destination marketing have proved that there is a direct connection between culinary and tourism. The empirical evidence of tourists preferring destinations with enormous culinary potential enhances the belief by many industrial players that gastronomy is one of the key drivers in the tourism industry. However, this has not been supported by empirical evidence on the basis on such aspects as the existence of a segment of food tourism, or whether the experiences of tourists are enhanced by the destination’s culinary, or whether culinary characteristics of a particular destination contributes to the return of customers (Hashimoto, 2006).
Despite this setback in evidence, research indicates that culinary tourism is a key element in domestic tourism, with people travelling to place to enjoy specific foods. The International Culinary Tourism Association has forecasted that culinary tourism will improve over time (Hall, 2006. The popularity development of some ethnic foods such as Chinese, Mexican, African, Indian, and Thai cuisines in the developed countries is a positive indicator of the growth that should be expected on the culinary tourism. There have also been food and drink festivals that have been positive indicators of the development of culinary tourism in different parts of the world (Molz, 2007).

Product Identification

One of the products that have been identified as being a primary product of New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada is the blueberry. This can be used to come up with different products that can be used to entice culinary tourists from different parts of the world. It is also critical to note that domestic tourists are essential in the tourism industry. This implies that the products that will be unique and that will attract even the local people who have access to blueberries in abundance. Below is a list of blueberry-related menu items that can be applicable in promoting the culinary tourism of New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada.
Blueberry Pie – This product can be used as a main dish. Pies have been identified as some of the most popular food products in many parts of the world. Many regions make pies using readily available materials. The blueberry pie can be seen as a formidable competitor to the popular American apple pie or the British meat pie. The blueberry pie would introduce a new type of pie that has the potential of attracting culinary tourists from both the domestic and international regions.
Blueberry Flax Pancakes – These are good breakfast products that could play a critical role in ensuring that tourist are attracted to the region. Pancakes are popular dishes in many developed countries around the world. Their recipes have been altered to incorporate the cultural aspects of a given region. The inclusion of the blueberry pie in the in the culinary tourism products line could lead to increased tourist activities in the region.

Blueberry cobbler – cobblers are very popular in United Kingdom and United States. This implies that the inclusion of these products in the culinary tourism will have a vital role in attracting international visitors to the region. This can be attributed to the verity that getting wind of the fact that there is a new kind of cobbler whose recipe includes blueberries will have an appealing effect on target population in the United States and United Kingdom.
Blueberry sauce – sauce is a very popular addition to various types of foods. Regions in different parts of the world have come up with sauces that are derived from readily available products, and reflect heavily on their cultural backgrounds. It is in this respect that introducing a blueberry sauce would have a positive effect in ensuring that other people from different parts of the world would be interested in visiting the region to sample this type of soup.
These products can have a positive impact on the culinary tourism of the region. However, it is critical to make potential tourists aware of the existence of the products. It is also crucial to put in mind that the promotion should target both the international tourists and the domestic tourists. This implies that the institutions and companies that operate within the tourism industry should organize something that will play a critical role in ensuring that potential populations are informed of the existence of the new blueberry products.
Product Proposal
The product proposed constitutes the the New Brunswick Wild Blueberry Festival where people will be informed of the existence of the wild blueberry products that have been highlighted as products that will enhance the culinary tourism of New Brunswick. The festival will be designed to appeal to both domestic and international tourists who are inclined towards culinary tourism. The festival will be primarily targeting people who have been identified to be heavily influenced by local cuisines when making their holiday and vacation destination decisions. The organizers will have to invite high profile guests such as politicians, celebrities, renowned destination critics, renowned environmentalists and cultural activists (Hall, 2006).

Market Segmentation

The target market will incorporate both the international tourists and the local tourists. This implies that the organizers will have to identify the decision making process of the target market population. Because of the nature of the festival, it is critical to ensure that the marketing process will be characterized by an emphasis towards the cuisine and food. The blueberry products that have been highlighted have been identified as being inclined towards people who have tendencies of favoring vegetarian dishes. However, it is critical to incorporate all people; hence, the marketing will also highlight other foods that are not inclined towards vegetarian dishes. It is also critical to note that the organizers will need to incorporate a marketing strategy that will be attractive to people who can afford to make trips solely for culinary tourism. For instance, marketing strategies that will attract teenagers may fail to enhance the success because teenagers are not at a position of making major spending decisions like vacation and holiday destination. This implies that working people and the retired will be the primary target for the marketing models that will be used by the organization (Smith, 2009).

Feasibility

The Brunswick Wild Blueberry Festival can be a turning point for many culinary tourists to make positive decisions about the destination. Although the festival may consume a lot of resources at the inception, the long-term effects to the economy of the region may be worth the costs incurred at the festival. The project is also feasible based on the fact that many people are interested in using wild products for food, which they assume to be healthy than the foods processed in the local farms and manufacturing factories. This implies that the organizers have the added advantage of attracting many people to attend the festival. Wild products have been touted as having health and medicinal qualities that many people would like to be involved in the product inception and the related activities that will promote the usage of the product in the region. The other feasibility advantage about the project is the fact that culinary tourists have been noted to try something new that is considered to be indigenous to a particular region. This implies that many cuisine enthusiasts will be attracted by the festival, and will have added benefits of influencing other people to come to the region and try out the products.
Marketing Strategy
The marketing of the festival will have the primary objective of attracting people and influencing them to make decisions to come to the region for as their culinary destination of choice. This implies that the organizers will target working people and retired people who can afford the trips and be independent in their decision making process. The marketing strategies that will best work these target populations include television advertisement and internet advertisement. This can be attributed to the fact that many working people spend their free time on television and during the day, the spend most of the time surfing the internet. The internet has been viewed as a credible source of information of many people. This includes people who are looking for vacation destinations. Many of these people will be heard saying that they need to Google something on the internet. Placing internet adverts will be critical in ensuring that many working people are informed of the festival and its location. Television is also another aspect that will be very critical for the success of the organization. Many people of all ages have been engaged in the process of watching television programs looking for information about the best destinations that suit their tastes and lifestyles. Food programs that highlight different cuisines have been identified as being very influential in the decision making process of people in different countries. It is also critical to put into mind that many of the working people and the retired people have been identified as some of the most prolific viewers of television in different parts of the world. This indicates that the organizers will need to use the internet and television advertisements.

The best approach to this marketing strategy is ensuring that they commission television programs that will highlight the importance of trying out the festival. This program should be aired in different parts of the world. Since the target population is of the people who are working and who can afford these trips and who are located in different parts of the world, satellite television is the best choice of the organizers. Such television channels as Food Channel and BBC Knowledge have been identified as having the capability of reaching many people across the globe. The organizers should also invest in a highly interactive website for the internet audience. This can be attributed to the verity that most people who are looking for destinations are likely to look for information through the internet. This will play a critical role in ensuring that the target population is aware of the food products that are being offered. The rationale behind using a highly interactive website is that the target population will likely need more information. This implies that the website should be manned by people who will be at hand to answer any questions to the people who might be interested in further insights of the festival (Hashimoto, 2006).

Recommendations

There are a number of recommendations that the organizers should incorporate in order to make the festival a success and ensure that the festival is successful in improving the culinary tourism in the country. Below are the recommendations:
The organizers should also incorporate other food products that have been identified as having a cultural significance to the New Brunswick community. The blueberry products have been noted to have an appealing effect to different populations. However, it is critical to note that meat and fish lovers may feel left out. This implies that in the menus that will be highlight some culinary aspects that will include fish and meat dishes that will play a critical role in ensuring that the client base of culinary tourists is expanded to include the meat and fish lovers. For instance, such dishes as poutines rapees, fricot a la poule chicken, and Bay of Fundy lobster.
The marketing strategy should not be limited to the populations found in the developed countries. It is critical to note that many people in the emerging and developing markets have been able to access information that they use. The fact that their economies are improving and growing at very rapid rates indicates that these people have money to spend on such aspects as vacation and holidays. These markets may be very influential in the development of the culinary tourism in New Brunswick.
The festival should not be a onetime festival but there should be the organization of other festivals in the future. This will be critical in making certain that more people are informed of the opportunities offered by New Brunswick as a culinary destination. It is important to note that the target population keeps increasing over time and if the organizers do not come up with the right procedures of creating awareness, the new market target population may not be aware of the opportunities that New Brunswick has for culinary tourists.
The organizers should in the future incorporate other food products that are considered to be culturally significant to the region. For instance, the province is known for its abundances of blue mussels, clams, crab, sole, trout, haddock, salmon, and arctic char. These products have the potential of attracting many people into the region for culinary tourism. The inclusion of these products will be beneficial to the organizers both in the short-term and long-term benefits of culinary tourism in the region.
There is also a need to be innovative in the designing of the festival and products. For instance, culinary experts in the region could be given incentives of incorporating wild blueberries in their food products such as meat foods that have elements of the wild blue berry. This will be critical in ensuring that the region is viewed as a world leader in introducing new cuisines that are marked with innovation and invention. This could lead to increased numbers of people who visit the religion as culinary tourists.

References

Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Boniface, P. (2003). Tasting tourism: Travelling for food and drink. Burlington, VT: Ashgate.
Hall, C. M. (2006). Introduction: Culinary Tourism and Regional Development: From Slow Food to Slow Tourism?. Tourism Review International, 9(4), 303-305.
Hashimoto, A., & Telfer, D. J. (2006). Selling Canadian culinary tourism: Branding the global and the regional product. Tourism Geographies, 8(1), 31-55.
Molz, J. G. (2007). Eating Difference The Cosmopolitan Mobilities of Culinary Tourism. Space and Culture, 10(1), 77-93.
Murray, I., & Haraldsdottir, L. (2004). Developing a rural culinary tourism product: Considerations and resources for success. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Quebec City, Quebec.
Smith, S., & Costello, C. (2009). Culinary tourism: Satisfaction with a culinary event utilizing importance-performance grid analysis. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 15(2), 99-110.

CULINARY TOURISM 11

Running head: CULINARY TOURISM 1

Maintaining a Workforce within the Tourism & Hospitality Industry

Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Maintaining a motivated and satisfied workforce 4
Empowerment 4
Communication 5
Continuous Training 6
Wages and Salaries 7
Fringe Benefits 7
Appreciation and Recognition 8
Conclusion 9
Works Cited 10

Maintaining a Workforce within the Tourism & Hospitality Industry

Introduction

The most important assets for any company are its people. Therefore, when these people become unmotivated, unhappy or feel removed from the general workings within their organization, the entire company suffers from low morale, low productivity as well as high employee turnover (Lawler & Mohrman 3). For the purposes of facing the challenges and the competitiveness in the current business world, many institutions have taken steps to enhance the efficiency of their employees to increase productivity. In normal circumstances, an organization expects its employees perform at a high level. Equally important is their loyalty, dedication, commitment, patriotism and hard work. However, employees’ job performance is indeed the product of their ability and motivation.
An employee’s ability and skills are acquired through training. An employer will always confirm these during the recruitment process. After employment, motivation becomes the key factor of performance. A highly motivated workforce is the true asset for any organization because it tends to be more productive, energetic and they are always eager to take additional responsibilities extending beyond their official duties. Furthermore, their motivation will increase their job satisfaction levels, thereby enhancing their commitment and dedication. An organization with such employees will generate impressive results (Joshi 1947). Therefore, it is the desire of every company to have such a workforce. This paper discusses the key concepts of maintaining a motivated and satisfied workforce within hospitality and tourism organizations.
Maintaining a motivated and satisfied workforce

Empowerment

Employee empowerment is normally considered to be the degree of authority given to a subordinate. In essence, it entails giving employees the power, guidance and resources to make choices within a preferred boundary (Kuo 25). For example, they may participate in setting goals, solving problems, making decisions, designing and executing organizational changes. Quality control circles and the formation of self management teams are commonly used practices of granting empowerment to the workforce. Personnel that are empowered develop a sense of responsibility and ownership. They also revel in satisfaction over accomplishments and have power on how and what things are done. The recognition that their ideas are appreciated and that they are important to the organization makes them extremely motivated to perform even at a higher level. In the past, scholars have distinguished between two key approaches to empowerment: the psychological approach and the structural approach. The psychological method focuses on the attitudes or perspectives of workers regarding their duties and roles within the organization. The structural approach focuses largely on the authority and delegation bestowed upon the employees (O’Brien 478).
The hospitality and tourism sectors have been growing over the past decades. Meanwhile, customers’ expectations pertaining to quality service are increasing. Their tastes are also varying owing to the ongoing globalization. Since both the hospitality and tourism sectors are in the service industry, their success depends on the employees, both at the front line and back line, who have direct contact with the customers. To thrive in the competitive environment, organizations have to offer faster, leaner, more efficient and better service quality. Therefore, an empowered and proactive workforce is essential in this industry since it will provide outstanding customer service through proper management of customer needs without having to pass through multiple referrals and approvals. By empowering their workforce, tourism and hospitality sector managers will highlight the efforts and talents of their personnel. They will thus be motivated to offer better service, leading to customer satisfaction and thus more profits (Kusluvan 16).

Communication

Within a service-based organization, communication is vital for passing across information between individuals, departments or groups. Communication can be in terms of verbal, nonverbal or written. Whenever there is a gap in the communication channel, there tends to be a breakdown of relations that lead to low productivity, employee dissatisfaction and poor service delivery. The success of organizations is determined by the jobs their workforce does. Since contented and motivated employees are more productive, it is the responsibility of managers to gain an interest in finding out what makes their staff motivated and then provide the necessary conditions. However, this cannot be achieved without proper communication.
Within an organization, communication is of three kinds: downward, upward and lateral. Downward communication occurs from higher levels to lower levels. In most cases, this is directive or information. This may take the form of policy manuals, newsletters, employee handbooks, memoranda or magazines. Upward communication comes from the lower levels to the top executives such as from employees to supervisors. Lateral communication refers to the interchange of ideas and information among all departments or persons at the same level.
Within a tourism and hospitality organization, communication is of utmost importance. For example, managers need to inform their employees what is expected of them. For example, their roles and responsibilities have to be precisely defined. Performance expectations as well as their conduct while relating to customers have to be explained. When these are communicated to employees, they will be aware of their duties within the organization. A clear definition of responsibilities will help them provide better service. In addition, upward communication ensures that employees can make their complaints, make suggestions on how the organization should run and participate in making key decisions. This will make them feel valued, thereby increasing their satisfaction and motivation levels (Lee-Ross & Lashley 801). Effective lateral communication is an essential element for teamwork, an important factor of organizational success.

Continuous Training

Training augments the on-the-job skills, information and experiences that help employees become more proficient in their tasks. Fundamentally, training enables employees to offer better services. In the same breath, a well-trained workforce should result in a reduction in costs, turnover and absenteeism. With additional skills, employees will increase their efficiency leading to enhanced customer satisfaction. As a consequence, they will be more contented with their work. In the current age, training is vital because of the ever-changing market demographics and technology (Mathur & Agarwal 2277). This calls for all managers and employees to update their skills and abilities regularly.
Training programs can be carried out as classroom lectures, interactive role plays and problem solving case analysis. In this way, employees will expand their knowledge and improve their conduct. Within a service-based organization, training is essential since it will ensure that employees learn how to deal with customers from different cultures, use the latest technology and know the latest tourism and hospitality trends. With training, the value and knowledge set of employees will increase, which will lead to improvement in many aspects of their professional and personal lives. As a result, they will be motivated.

Wages and Salaries

In the past, scholars have indicated that vital work related variables contributing to employee job satisfaction and motivation include interesting job assignments, challenging work, competent supervision, rewarding careers and equitable rewards. However, it is very unlikely that employees would continue providing their services were it not for the salaries and wages they earn for their efforts. Normally, a workforce desire salary system that they consider as being just and proportionate to their skills and expectations (Bohlander & Snell 396). Therefore, pay is a basic consideration for human resource managers since it provides employees with a concrete reward for their services.
In general, people tend to be motivated by money for a wide variety of reasons. For example, money enables people to purchase basic necessities for survival. A person with a good income will be able to buy food, clothing and find a place to call home. Some people believe that money is an instrument for fulfilling noneconomic needs status, power and associations with desired groups. Whatever the motivation, money is a symbol of achievement and success (Bhattacharyya 170). For this reason, any organization that offers an attractive salary package will have satisfied and motivated employees.

Fringe Benefits

These act as complements to wages at the workplace. In service-based organizations, fringe benefits help by promoting a positive and motivating atmosphere while increasing productivity, profitability, cost control, and service delivery. While salaries are important motivation factors, fringe benefits are just as important. Thus, managers have to understand and enable conditions that will ensure their employees perform at an optimal level. A good program should be developed following input from employees. Using surveys or interviews, organizations should ask employees the kind of benefits they prefer. Managers should then offer the popular benefits. However, these programs should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they meet the needs of the workforce.
A typical tourism and hospitality organization can offer several fringe benefits. However, the most common one is health insurance. With the cost of healthcare increasing, accessing medical care has been a challenge to many people. Therefore, an organization that offer this insurance will have a motivated workforce since it will know that they will have no problem receiving medical attention whenever they fall ill. Other benefits include vacations with pay, pension and free meals.
Appreciation and Recognition
Appreciation from senior managers is a vital motivational tool for all employees since it recognizes their achievements and positive behaviors in their work. Appreciation is also one way of telling them that they are doing a good job and that their efforts are highly valued. While attractive salary packages are important motivators, most employees would love to receive a pat on the back from their managers, receive certifications or trophies for a job well done. Others would love to be named the best behaved or the most productive employee. Such acts give employees an emotional payoff.
Recognition normally comes in terms of rewards for exceptional service delivery or conduct. For example, an employee who meets targets may be given a bonus for his/her actions. Whenever an organization fulfills its objectives for a given period, it is advisable that it shares its profits with employees (Perry 509). This will motivate them to perform even better in the subsequent period.

Conclusion

A highly motivated workforce is the true asset for any organization because it tends to be more productive, energetic and they are always eager to take additional responsibilities extending beyond their official duties. This will result in higher productivity and increased profits for the organization. Therefore, it is essential that all organizations find ways of motivating their employees. These include empowerment, effective communication, attractive salary and wages, continuous training, appreciation, fringe benefits and appreciation/recognition.

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Works Cited

Bhattacharyya, Dipak K. Performance Management Systems and Strategies. New Delhi: Pearson, 2011. Print.
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O’Brien, Janice,L. “Relationships among Structural Empowerment, Psychological Empowerment, and Burnout in Registered Staff Nurses Working in Outpatient Dialysis Centers.” Nephrology Nursing Journal 38.6 (2011): 475-81; quiz 482.
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