Modern International Travel and Tourism - Essay Example

"Club 18-30" Introduction While travel itself is not new, modern international travel has changed travel into "tourism" which is a leisure time activity and relatively a new phenomenon. Over the last fifty years, the number of people travelling across nations has increased. The recent trend has been the higher frequency of trips and shorter stays. Tourism has a widespread appeal, and paints unique pictures of clear blue seas and skies, natural forests, wildlife and other attractions in our minds spurred on by colourful brochures, posters and picture postcards. This is now greatly supported by the various options available and the myriad deals offered by tour operators, airlines, hotel industry and travel agencies. Opening up of new routes by airlines and lesser restrictions to length of stay have further enhanced the capacity to travel. These have also made locations in developing nations more appealing due to the stretching of the currency of the developed nations being possible. International tourist arrivals in the year 1950 were 25 million. Figures from World Tourism Organization reported in July 2005 estimated that international tourism arrivals reached 763 million, an increase of 10% over 2003. The industry has created the drive for an insatiable need to travel and experience the unknown. The youth market is becoming more and more inclined to travel and being a very diverse community are willing to experiment in its holiday requirements. Forecasted to grow by 6% between 2000 and 2010, the 18-30 age groups has more disposable income than previous generations and are becoming more confident holidaymakers. The concept of a holiday has moved among this generation from "rest and relaxation" to "fun and frolic." As a new target segment, they are demanding more uniqueness in their holiday habits as well as more value for money as perceived by them. They want to enjoy a wider spectrum of activities while on holiday. With the growing proportion of youths, travelling independently and booking on-line, all the trends within the package market reflect these changes. The specialist youth brands are working hard to dispel the traditional aspects of this market and offer better standards of accommodation and more activities for this increasingly discerning group. The competition to tap this market segment is fierce often being necessary that the little extras may make the difference between the purchase of this package or the next. One of today's greatest challenges in customer experience management is to create and sustain a predictable and consistent level of service that is very important in the leisure and tourism industry. The advent of Club 18-30 Club 18-30 has been Britain's leading youth tour operator since 1965 and started life by taking 580 yuppies to the Costa Brava. Its original purpose when launched by the Horizon group was to fill unused night flight seats, and it did extremely well. Buoyed by its instant success, it was supported by the ILG group and during the 70's & 80's, established itself as being synonymous with youth holidays. When the parent company ILG succumbed to the Gulf War, it was re-established by a management buy out and re-launched as 'The Club'. It received tremendous support from the UK travel trade, overseas hoteliers, agents and representatives. In 1994, it reverted to its original name and sales soared from 20,000 at the re-launch to over 100,000 in just 8 years. Throughout the years, many different companies have owned Club 18-30 and in 1999, it became part on the Thomas Cook Group. Club 18-30 was first launched in Spain and in the United Kingdom in 1965. It has since then established a significant reputation under that trademark in the youth holiday market. In the year, 2001, turnover of goods and services provided internationally under the Club 18-30 mark was in excess of 30 million. Extensive advertising under that mark on television, at the cinema, on the radio and in national publications at a cost of over 1 million helped promote this concept. In 2002, Club 18-30 gained about 105,000 United Kingdom vacationers as customers, generating a turnover of some 35 million. An article in the Guardian newspaper on August 10, 2002, entitled "King of the Club Reps" reads: "In the holiday industry, Club 18-30 was one of the success stories of the 1990's ." and describes the business as Britain's most successful youth tour operator." Club 18-30's Unique selling proposition - "Club Reps" Club 18-30 seems to propagate the quality of their Overseas Representatives as a selling point. The Club 18-30 Rep is the focal point of any Club 18-30 holiday, and he/she is proclaimed as the customer's best friend and is on call more or less round the clock. The Club 18-30 Rep is a mixture of local expert, social catalyst and peer group leader. Strong on social skills, they also have to be competent in the extreme order to deal with everything from a lost passport, broken heart or even a death. There is no such thing as an average Club 18-30 Rep they come from all walks of life and are recruited on Confidence, Enthusiasm, Personality and Stamina. The company claims to train them rigorously, both before leaving the UK and ongoing in the resort they function in. They are drivers of the holidays and are responsible for making the whole trip memorable for the travellers. Currently, it claims that there is a club-rep for every 40 youth while the ratio is one for every 200 youth where the other operators are concerned. Club18-30 has also been the subject of a nationally successful television program entitled "Club Reps", which attracted an audience of 4.7 million viewers for the first program in the latest series broadcast in January 2002, which added up to an audience share of 31%. Club 18-30's philosophy The approach of Club 18-30 to holidays is all about having fun. The company claims that the philosophy that has contributed to its immense market share in youth travel packages. Its no compromising or patronising positive attitude has built the company a reputation of definitive youth lifestyle brand. In keeping with its philosophy of people, image, attitude and differentiation it offers many perks like full English breakfasts, weekly BBQ's, fridges full of goodies and beach towels, to name a few. It also encourages "partying" and offers group discounts and other loyalty benefits when customers opt for more than one holiday a year. For people who pay up for "complete works" package beyond the standard package it supplies free spirits almost all through the day. Resorts Club 18-30 has arranged travel to quite a few resorts with its own unique character. Some of them include Ibiza, Faliraki, Rhodes, Mallorca, Tenerife, Cypress, Zante, etc. Typically, tourism influences tourist destinations on the following fronts Commoditisation: Tourism is often full of certain expectations and sometimes, local cultures are sadly turned into commodities when religious rituals, traditional ethnic rites and festivals are reduced to conform to tourist expectations, resulting in what has been called "reconstructed ethnicity." Standardization: Destinations gear up to receive tourists and cater to a specific level of facilities, thereby risk standardization in the process of satisfying tourists' desires for familiarity. Loss of authenticity and staged authenticity: Staging is inevitable since local cultures often are complex, but portrayed to tourists as simplistic glimpses of the local atmosphere or a quick glance at local life, without any knowledge or genuine interest. Adaptation to tourist demands: Products are now customized to cater to the tourists needs of souvenirs, arts, crafts, and cultural manifestations, and in many tourist destinations, artisans have responded to the growing demand. This has subtly altered the original crafts to bring them more in line with the current demands and tastes. Economic inequality: Many tourists come from societies with different consumption patterns and lifestyles than what is current at the destination, seeking pleasure, spending large amounts of money and sometimes behaving in ways that even they would not accept at home. One effect is that local people that encounter these tourists may develop a sort of copying behaviour, as they want to live and behave in the same way. This is often impossible due to the disparity in their incomes and this causes a lot of discontentment leading to economic clashes. Irritation due to tourist behaviour: Tourists often are carried away, out of ignorance or carelessness, and falter in their efforts to respect local customs and moral values among the locals. This causes a lot of unrest, since it upsets the balance of the society there, invading and irritating the lives of the locals. Crime generation: Crime rates typically increase with the growth and urbanization of an area, and growth of mass tourism is often accompanied by increased crime. The presence of a large number of tourists with a lot of money to spend, and often carrying valuables such as cameras and jewellery, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing. Prostitution and sex tourism: The commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women has paralleled the growth of tourism in many parts of the world. Though tourism is not the cause of sexual exploitation, it provides easy access to it. Tourism also brings consumerism to many parts of the world previously denied access to luxury commodities and services. Cultural deterioration: Respect for local heritage and cultural artefacts that make the place unique need to be understood and acknowledged. Damage to cultural resources may arise from vandalism, littering, pilferage and illegal removal of cultural heritage items. Conflicts with traditional land-uses: This occurs especially in intensely exploited areas such as coastal zones, which are popular for their beaches and islands. Valuable land is lost for development of tourist facilities or infrastructure and local traditional land-use. The local population of such destinations is frequently the loser in the contest for these resources as the economic value which tourism brings often counts for more. Often they also lose the usage of their own resources due to the proliferation of those areas by the tourist crowds. Resource use conflicts: Stress to local communities can also result from environmental degradation and increased infrastructure costs for the local community - for example, higher taxes to pay for improvements to the water supply or sanitation facilities. Club 18-30 - Its impact on local tourism Club 18-30 has been at the centre of a number of adverse news items in recent years. There has been much controversy regarding the "fun all the way" philosophy its members have displayed and the impact of that on the reputation of the local tourist spots and the established business and families frequenting that area. Twelve nuns from a US convent were suspended after going on a Club 18-30 holiday - their excuse was that they wanted to 'experience sin' one last time. There was an instance of two young men from Glasgow were originally jailed for 6 months and later freed on appeal after shaving the head of a female; their behaviour, supposed to have been induced by simply by too much alcohol. Even when the entire tourism industry was whirling under the onslaught of the after effects of the September 11th tragedy, Club 18-30 did not suffer a substantial loss of customers. Around Christmas that year, a fly on the wall series, Club Reps, was telecast, followed by a showing of Club 18-30's young staff in a Greek resort, Faliraki, as they herded thousands of drink-fuelled, sexually charged young Britons on lewd nightly bar crawls. Moody resort manager Marie Slater, known as "Maz", became an instant tabloid star. Their bookings more than doubled. Club 18-30 has never shied of shocking the public through their advertising campaigns. Many of their ads border on the sleazy though the company claims it is in keeping with the image. While Club Reps inspired thousands of potential customers, it appalled moral commentators. MPs including Ann Widdecombe and Norman Baker voiced outrage at the youngsters' orgiastic behaviour, while "traditional values" groups such as Mediawatch and Family and Youth Concern expressed horror at the depravity of the "island of sin". Even the tabloids were shocked at the "sleazy sun and sex show" and a spate of drunken rapes fuelled fears that the programme's depiction of easy promiscuity was attracting predatory men. Other incidents have included lewd acts being enacted by Club 18-30 staff which has caused offence in Greece where Faliraki has become the centre of the 'yob culture' so beloved by the tabloid press. Greek authorities launched a heavy crackdown last week on the drunken antics of tourists in resorts such as Faliraki on Rhodes that have developed a reputation for violence and hard drinking. The decision to get tough was prompted by the death of teenager Paddy Doran, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, who was fatally stabbed during a bar brawl on August 12, 2003. Since then five holiday reps have been arrested in Faliraki for encouraging binge drinking by allegedly organising illicit pub-crawls in return from commissions from bar owners. The move angered some tour operators who claimed it had been an overreaction and that their staff had been detained illegally and in breach of their human rights. Matthew Maloney, from South Wales, who was sentenced to a year in jail after "mooning" in the street, was also free to leave the resort after his mother wired the money to him to pay his fine. Greek police officers were standing behind the 20-year-old as he pulled down his trousers on the first day of his Club 18-30 holiday. Greek travel agents have expressed concern over the fallout for Greek tourism from a series of incidents at Greek island resorts prompted by the extreme behaviour of young British tourists. The locals and established businesses have suffered. Due to the portrayal of the venue as scary, violent and sexually oriented in the media, family vacationers have shied way from the spot. The Britons in general are annoyed by the collective image "British are bad tourists" due to the lack of proper conduct by a select few. Locals are now reluctant to frequent the beaches now dominated by the raucous crowds and unacceptable public etiquettes. In order to cater to the tourists, the prices of essentials have been increased leading to a higher cost of living to the locals. Overall, there has been an undercurrent of dissatisfaction due to the proliferation of the tourists' in spite of the income obtained from the tourists. The locals lament that too much emphasis on partying and" having a good time" blinds them to the beauty of the place and sadly some of the vacationers leave the town without having visited a single tourist attraction or imbibing any of the local spirit. All they have seen seem to be bars and pubs. They seem to spend the night drinking and sleep away the day getting over their hangovers. Understanding, respecting and enjoying the local culture is an important aspect of tourism. In a statement, the Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents () said that the association had repeatedly emphasized the need for the Greek tourism sector to reorient itself towards "quality tourism" and forms of tourism that "respect, protect, and highlight the natural and cultural environment" of Greece. The association noted that foreign tour operators for adopting marketing methods that promote this type of holidays should not use the global crisis in the sector as an excuse. added that it had written to the Association of British Travel Agents () to express its discomfort at the tactics used by some British tour operators. The statement added that would continue its efforts aimed at fostering the development of "quality tourism." Revamping of club 18-30 Club 18-30, seems to be trying to reflect that changing market. Although it does not want to lose its image completely, it is trying to tone it down, bending to the wishes of its local community. In 2004, it announced it was not encouraging bar crawls and wet T-shirt competitions. It also dropped Benidorm from its list of resorts as it was becoming too much like 'Blackpool on the Med' and not the sort of thing it's more sophisticated market segment wanted out of a holiday. Thomas Cook is planning to introduce new activities on its Club 18-30 holidays including scuba diving, paint balling and golf. It believes that it has to respond to a changing market and suggests that the youth market at which it is aiming is becoming more sophisticated in what it wants from a holiday. It has employed Saatchi and Saatchi to spearhead a new 1.5 million marketing campaign starting in February and plans to boost sales by 10% during 2005. Club 18-30 unveiled details of its latest marketing campaign created by Saatchi & Saatchi on January 25th, 2005 signalling a change in strategy for the market leading youth brand. Designed to adopt a simple yet clever approach and developed to emphasise Club 18-30's core strengths and reputation as organising great events and facilitating an amazing time, with the ability to meet the demands of a wider customer base than ever before. The trend has seen Club 18-30's early bookings for summer 2006 increase by over 35 per cent year on year, with many customers taking advantage of a generous "two weeks for the price of one" offer. Tourism as an educator The current market trends show that the 18-30 years travel a lot and have more disposable income to spend. The demand for sun and sand holidays are never going to diminish. Many of those who undertake these holidays may be influenced to widen their horizons and follow up their interests and hobbies with their experiences. The tour operators while catering to the fun aspect of it can also try to inculcate respect for the local community and ecosystem by establishing standards. A combination of a great deal package with some worldly knowledge thrown in will make an ideal getaway for the youth. The value of the different cultures and cultural diversity cannot be emphasised enough. Travel is a great educator, and extraordinarily complements textbooks and lectures. Travel changes people, and when people change for the better, that is the ideal form of travel. Conclusion While the incidents in the local tourist destinations are definitely to be condemned, blaming Club 18-30 entirely for the happenings would be unjust. Commercially, in a competitive world of tour operators, Club 18-30 is employing an organised methodology, to lure that target segment who just wants to go and have a good time. It makes sound business sense and that is what keeps the momentum going and their customer base increasing. Obviously, it has hit on the right strategy for the right segment and its ever-increasing customer base has proved this. Ethically, though, it is a whole other equation altogether. We all have a moral responsibility towards preserving tourist attractions with their own charm and uniqueness. With its enormous influence and marketing capabilities, it could definitely adopt a more proactive role in trying to build more respect for the local culture and cultural diversity, nurturing the tourist locales and instilling a spirit of dignity and decorum while in the public areas. Its club reps that seem to represent the company seem to wield a lot of influence on the vulnerable youth, who have just ventured into the world of travel. They can be groomed to be better role models who conduct themselves appropriately and prove that clean, healthy fun can reside alongside mutual respect and dignity for the people and community. Sources Travel - Get Away! [On-line] http://www.ukonline.co.uk/travel/art=getaway&sso_auth=0, 16 Nov 2005 David Perkins, Sole Panellist 19 Nov 2002 WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre [On-line] http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2002/d2002-0882.html, 16 Nov 2005 The Club 18-30 website home page [On-line] http://www.club18-30.biz/sitemap.asp, 16 Nov 2005 In the News: Branding [On-line] 27 Jan 2005 http://www.bized.ac.uk/dataserv/chron/news/2279.htm, 16 Nov 2005 The Club 18-30 company information [On-line] http://www.club18-30.biz/history.asp, 16 Nov 2005 Guardian Newspaper Tour Firms Seek Greek Truce [On-line] 20 Aug 2003 http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/8-20-2003-44440.asp, 16 Nov 2005 Andrew Clark, The Guardian 10 Aug 2002 King of the club reps: Interview with Andy Tidy, managing director of Club 18-30 [On-line] http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,3604,772092,00.html, 16 Nov 2005 Corp. opens tourism training school in northern Greece [On-line] Sep 2003 http://www.travelling.gr/hellenic-travelling/arc8-2003.html, 16 Nov 2005 NEGATIVE SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS FROM TOURISM [On-line] 9 Oct 2001 http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/sust-tourism/soc-drawbacks.htm, 16 Nov 2005 Read More