Approaches that Have Been Used to Make London One of the Most Competitive Destinations - Case Study Example

Destination Management Essay Student’s Name Institution Date Destination Management Essay Introduction Destination management is the formulation of policies meant to attract visitors to a particular city or region for economic and social benefits. This form of management has become important in the 21st century because many countries are interested in attracting visitors for different reasons. It is estimated that the number of visitors travelling to different destinations will increase by 30% by the year 2020. As a result, countries have to come up with structured systems to market and appeal to foreign as well as domestic visitors to tour different places that have various attractions. Destination management allows governments to partner with other private sector players to implement policies meant to increase the number of visitors that come to their countries (Bramwell & Lane, 2000, p. 76). For instance, a government needs to partner with tour companies, airlines, hotels, restaurants and local councils to offer integrated services that make visitors stay comfortably whenever they visit. This paper will discuss approaches that have been used to make London one of the most competitive destinations in the world. Stage of development London is one of them most popular cities in the world with a population of more than 8 million residents. It is the capital city of the United Kingdom which stands on the banks of River Thames. Historians argue that London has been in existence for about two thousand years. It expanded to become a large metropolis from an area estimated to be about 3 km squared; the medieval section of the city whose boundaries still exist. London is a mature metropolis which has managed to withstand the test of time. It has many buildings and landmarks which have a lot of cultural and historical significance (Bramwell & Lane, 2000, p. 81). Air, rail and road networks connect the city to other parts of the UK and Europe. The city is an important hub because many travellers going to different global destinations pass through Heathrow airport. Approach to Destination Management There are several strategies which have been put in place by the government to increase the number of visitors who come to London. It is estimated that 15 million visitors came to London in 2011, making it one the most visited places in the world. The government together with the private sector have joined hands to market the city domestically and abroad. The two parties have established a marketing fund for publicity drives intended to attract different types of visitors to the city. The government is working hard to improve transport, hospitality and immigration bottlenecks to make visitors enjoy their experience in the city (Heeley, 2011, p. 63). It has put in place effective plans to boost bed capacity to cater for different classes of visitors who come to the city. The city provides a lot of information to different prospective visitors to make them move around with ease in different places. Visitors are informed about hotel room rates, transport services, local laws, places to visit, restaurants and other important public amenities. The city has partnered with the national government to put in place a vision which assesses the impacts of tourism on its economy and benefits to be obtained from it (Heeley, 2011, p. 64). System of Governance Greater London has 32 boroughs together with the historic City of London. Many local government functions such as education, social services, waste management, fire prevention and local council tax collection are done by borough councils within their areas of jurisdiction. There is a second tier of administration that governs London known as the Greater London Authority. GLA administers the whole city of London together with its metropolitan sections, and it is headed by a mayor. The GLA coordinates with the 32 borough councils to ensure all functions are performed in an effective manner. The GLA monitors all transport, healthcare and other public service systems offered in the city to ensure they measure up to high standards. The mayor is responsible for implementing effective policies that determine land usage in the city, transport and building codes to be enforced in all boroughs. The mayor is responsible for appointing senior officers to serve in the Metropolitan Police Authority (G.L.A., 2012). Research Undertakings This paper will focus on published sources that uncover more information about London as a destination. The paper will look at the impact of visitor numbers on different aspects of life in the country such as social, economic and cultural lifestyles. This paper will focus on different types of visitors who come to London to find out which attractions interest them most. The paper will also focus on different factors that have made the city more attractive to foreign visitors. The paper will also compare the patterns of travel that are common in the city with other top destinations in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world (Mason, 2006, p. 97). The paper will look at the number of visitors to carry out an analysis on whether their numbers have been increasing or reducing. It will seek to find out more information about approaches that have been used by the Greater London Authority together with the British government to increase the number of visitors coming to the city. The paper will seek to establish other relevant details that show the way the city is managed as a destination and how it appeals to people from different parts of the world (Mason, 2006, p. 102). The paper will look at the number of visitors and the amount of money they spend while in the city to find out their contribution to the local economy. Partnerships between various stakeholders in the city will also be analysed to find out how they have contributed to its appeal as a major destination in the world. Tourism Policy and Planning The tourism policy and planning used to position London as a top global destination targets both domestic and international tourists as well as other visitors. For instance, in the past three years, London has attracted a lot of attention due to various events which have been held there which attracted a lot of global attention. Many countries in the world are members of the British Commonwealth because of their status as former British colonies. Cultural ties that exist between Britain and her former colonies attract many visitors who are familiar with the country’s history and achievements (Kyte, 2012, p. 24). The city has used various events to encourage visitors who are interested in them to visit. In 2011, the Royal wedding attracted a lot of attention from different parts of the world. In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond jubilee to mark her 60 year reign. The Olympic Games held in London in 2012 also attracted a lot of visitors from different parts of the world. The city has used these two events to gain global attention, because of their political, sporting and historical significance. The government together with the private sector has put in place plans to attract more than 4 million visitors to Britain in the next 4 years. It is estimated that these visits will bring in more than 2 billion pounds to the economy. The London Local government has implemented policies intended to encourage collaboration between various private sector players to use integrated marketing campaigns. These campaigns will market the whole city as a package making it possible to attract different types of visitors who seek to come there (Kyte, 2012, p. 32). Stakeholders There are different stakeholders in London who are included in policies used to market it as a destination. The first stakeholder is the city of London which stands to benefit economically from increased visits. As a result, the city has put in place various strategies which are intended to improve experiences visitors have whenever they come to the city. Tourism firms, hotels and other private sector players are also other stakeholders involved in making London an attractive destination to visitors. Tour companies have been encouraged to collaborate with hotels, airlines and other service providers to offer integrated destination packages to prospective visitors who are interested in coming to the city. This approach allows different private sector companies to merge their competencies to ensure they get more out of an integrated industry to boost their revenues (Maitland, & Ritchie, 2009, p. 65). The national government is also a major stakeholder interested in making tourism in the city as well as other parts of the country more competitive. It is involved in destination management by instituting appropriate immigration, security as well as residence policies that guide potential visitors on what to expect when they come to the city. The national government is also involved in plans to quantify visitors that come to the city and their contribution to its social, economic and cultural advancement. City residents are also stakeholders because they interact with different foreign as well as domestic visitors who come to the city. Their hospitable nature makes visitors to feel at home and stay longer in the city which contributes positively to the local economy (Maitland, & Ritchie, 2009, p. 71). They are also likely to benefit from any economic opportunities that are likely to result from an increase in the number of visitors coming to the city. Forms of Tourism There are different forms of tourism which attract visitors to London. Visitors come to tour its historic landmarks such as the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, Parliament and other major places that have a lot of cultural significance. Other major attractions in London include Buckingham Palace, London Tower and the British Museum (Williams, 2009, p. 54). Most tourists who come to London are interested in familiarising themselves with different aspects of its history to understand what has made it become one of the most popular cities in the world. There are also other business travellers who are interested in shopping activities who tour the West End and Oxford Street to purchase different consumer goods. Visitors purchase fashion items, electronics and other luxurious products. Foreign visitors mainly tours different places in the city with the help of tour guide companies. They mainly visit the city in seasonal patterns during spring and summer to enjoy the warm weather the city has during this period. The city also receives sports tourists who are interested in various sports events such as tennis, athletics, football, rugby and boat races. For instance, there are visitors who come every year to participate in the London Marathon which attracts athletes from all over the world. Other visitors come for the Wimbledon Tennis event that happens every year (Williams, 2009, p. 67). There are other medical tourists who visit London to get treatment for various medical conditions they are suffering from. Art, music and fashion lovers also visit the city to attend art exhibitions, music festivals at Glastonbury and fashion shows which showcase different fashion collections. Application of Sustainability Indicators It is estimated that the number of visits to London’s key attractions in 2011 went beyond 35 million. Museums, historic buildings, Houses of Parliament, galleries and parks have consistently recorded high visitor numbers. The London Eye receives the most paying visitors while the British Museum receives the largest number of non-paying visitors. Other attractions that receive a lot of visitors include Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Imperial War Museum, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park and the Tower of London. Some tourists visit these attractions either individually or as part of group guided tours (D.C.M.S., 2011, p. 33). It is estimated that the top ten tourist attractions in the UK are all based in London and this makes the city a premium destination. Oxford Street is a major shopping zone that houses designer fashion stores popular with many visitors. It is estimated that 25% of all London visitors tour this street to purchase different high fashion products. Other major shopping areas in the city include West End, Jermyn Street, Regent Street and Bond Street. Harrods located in Knightsbridge is a popular shopping destination for many tourists who visit the store to shop for different products. It is estimated that tourists spent more than 9.4 billion pounds in London in the year 2011. It is also estimated that several sports events bring in a lot of economic revenues to the city because of the global attention directed towards them (D.C.M.S., 2011, p. 40). The London Marathon and the Wimbledon tennis tournament contribute 25 million pounds and 30 million pounds respectively, to the city’s economy annually. All hotels are required to conform to high quality environmental standards to ensure their operations do not have a negative impact on the environment. It is estimated that by 2012, London had more than 100,000 hotel rooms providing accommodation to both domestic and international visitors. In 2010, it is estimated that all hotel rooms in the city registered an occupancy rate of more than 80%, where every visitor is estimated to have spent an average of 123 pounds on a daily basis. For every available room, average earnings were 101 pounds in London compared to 45 pounds in other parts of England. On average, London recorded the second highest occupancy rates when compared with other major European cities (Travis, 2011, p. 43). Competition and Collaboration London competes with other European cities which are popular with visitors from different parts of the world such as Paris, Rome, Brussels, Zurich, Madrid, Amsterdam and Milan. Paris, Istanbul, Rome and Zurich have higher average daily room rates than London because they attract high income visitors. These destinations are considered top notch destinations which attract high net worth individuals who go there for various reasons. Occupancy rates in London are normally higher in July and the number goes down in August as autumn approaches. Internationally, London competes with cities such as Hong Kong, New York, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. These cities receive a lot of visitors and they compete with London because they are located in major transit routes characterised by intense air and sea traffic (Travis, 2011, p. 55). London has a lot of collaboration with Paris because the two cities are connected by efficient road, air and sea transport. Destination Marketing Visitors to Paris find it convenient to travel to London because of the city’s proximity which allows them to cross over the channel in a short period of time. There are also connections with other cities such as New York, Washington DC, Dubai, Amsterdam and Sao Paulo where visitors to these destinations are offered transit visas when passing through London. A large majority of visitors who come to London come from North America and Europe. It is estimated that more than two thirds of visitors who come to London originate from these two regions. It is estimated that in the future, the total expenditure of tourists from these regions is likely to decline. The number of Chinese travellers has been increasing steadily and the city has put in place plans to attract high net worth Chinese tourists (Lu, 2013). Tourism Trends There was a dramatic reduction in visitor numbers in 2008 and 2009 because of problems brought about by the global financial crisis. There has been an increase in the number of visitors who tour cities located in continental Europe which are London’s competitors. The single visa rule enforced EU member states has enabled more visitors to tour different cities in France, Germany, Italy and Denmark. Chinese consumers are also spending more on their shopping trips in London and Paris and it is estimated that more Chinese citizens will be travelling to destinations far away from home by 2020 (Lu, 2013). Summary London needs to do more to market itself as a destination in other countries to increase the number of visitors that come there. The focus should be on visitors from emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Malaysia and the Middle East to increase the amount of revenues which are obtained from tourism. In the year 2000, visitors from the US accounted for more than 25% of total visitor expenditures in London. However, the number of American visitors coming to London has been declining since the economic crisis that was witnessed in 2009 (Jamal & Robinson, 2009, p. 76). As a result, policy makers who have the responsibility of marketing London as a competitive destination need to review their plans to increase the number of visitors that come to the city. The city needs to look beyond its traditional markets to attract new visitors who are willing to spend more money and time to sample different attractions. The Greater London Authority together with the national government should streamline different processes to make it easy for visitors to come to the city. Visa laws need to be reviewed to enable more visitors in other parts of the world to come and visit the city to sample what it has to offer. The number of Chinese visitors who spend a lot of money while touring Paris and other destinations in continental Europe has been steadily on the rise (Lu, 2013). As a result, the government needs to work harder to attract these tourists to ensure that they stay longer and spend more money which can be used to stimulate the city’s economy. It is estimated that the average Chinese traveller spends more than 1600 pounds on short trips, which shows that with proper marketing strategies, these visitors can spend more money on their visits to the country. Since many European and North American visitors are experiencing declines in their income, the city needs to focus on high net worth individuals from emerging economies to increase the number of visitors. The city also needs to work on multi destination tours to encourage different visitors to come from and go to various places in continental Europe with fewer restrictions. This will encourage more visitors to come to the city, a factor that will boost its profile internationally. Conclusion London needs to go beyond its traditional tourist markets to attract new visitors from other parts of the world. The government needs to target high net worth individuals to encourage them to visit the city to tour different attractions. The British government also needs to streamline its visa policies to encourage more visitors who visit different locations in continental Europe to come to the city on multi-destination tours. References Bramwell, B. & Lane, B. (2000). Tourism collaboration and partnerships: Politics, practice and sustainability. London: Channel View Publications. D.C.M.S. (2011). Government Tourism Policy, March 2011. London, UK: Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Britain. G.L.A. (2012). London government. Politics.co.uk. Retrieved from http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/london-government Heeley, J. (2011). Inside city tourism: A European perspective. London: Channel View Publications. Jamal, T., & Robinson, M. (2009). The Sage handbook of tourism studies. London, UK: Sage. Kyte, S. (2012). Working paper 53: Tourism in London. London, UK: Greater London Authority. Lu, C. (2013, Jul. 11). How can London catch up in attracting Chinese tourists? Skift Newsletter. Retrieved from http://skift.com/2013/07/11/how-can-london-catch-up-in-attracting-chinese-tourists/ Maitland R., & Ritchie, B.W. (2009). City tourism: National capital perspectives. Oxford: Cab International. Mason, P. (2006). London. London: Evans Brothers. Travis, A.S. (2011). Planning for tourism, leisure and sustainability: International case studies. Oxford: Cab International.  Williams, S. (2009). Tourism geography: A new synthesis. New York, NY: Routledge. Read More