Synthesis - Research Paper Example

Tourist’ Advice Tourism is a phenomenon resulting out of human curiosity to visit non-native places in order to observe geographical, cultural and social differences that exist on this vast planet. Tourism not only enriches one’s perception of the world as it’s exists but also stimulates and refreshes the mind, giving a new meaning to life. Vast chasms exist in lifestyles, political structure and professions between the European, Asian, African, American and Australian continents which can be experienced only by visiting different countries.

This forms the basis of modern tourism which has assumed the status of an industry. There are scores of websites promising lucrative packages to destinations around the world. However, international political differences of opinion and conflicts make some of these destinations unsafe for citizens of a particular country. For example, tourists’ from the United States are best advised not to visit Iraq in the near future due to recent conflict between the two countries as public sentiment in Iraq might be hostile for an average American citizen.

Although a tourist does not carry a placard proclaiming his or her citizenship, native populace can easily identify a foreign person due to the peculiarities associated with specific cultures. French, German, Asian, Japanese or Chinese tourists are easily identifiable by their physical features, speech, mannerisms, the currency they carry, and numerous other identifiable characteristics. Individual countries therefore issue advisories for their citizens from time to time to avoid specific countries while undertaking business or pleasure tours.

One of the eminent websites describing tourism and its various nuances is www.tourismeconomics.com. The website claims to be an ‘Oxford Economics Company’ with its preamble being to study tourism in the real world in relationship to economics. This seems to be a valid and well directed effort as economics shapes the manner in which the world exists and is run in present times. For a country to be the preferred tourist destination, it should have well developed hotel and transportation industries, sites of tourist interest and investment opportunists for the business tourist.

This particular website has a well designed home page which provides hyperlinks to important matters concerned directly with tourism. Primarily the website claims to employ economic tools to study the ‘important questions facing destinations, strategic planners, and investors’ (website). It offers its clients’ services to plan and execute their tours according to individual requirements and the positive feedback of an individual client is quoted prominently on the top right corner of the home page.

The website primarily handles tourism economics based upon the ‘Oxford Global Economic Model’ which it claims has been developed by Oxford University’s business college, and has been successfully used by premier international organizations and blue chip companies. The organization has business offices in prominent cities of Europe and the United States of America. On its website, this particular organization offers services which have been enlisted under seven prominent categories covering all aspects in relation to tourism in minute detail.

It offers analysis, forecasting, marketing, feasibility studies and matrices of the tourism decision making process. When one clicks individually on the hyperlinks associated with the seven categories of services offered by the website, descriptive and graphical details have been provided about each aspect which answers most of the questions of an inquisitive business tourist, allowing him or her to make an appropriate decision. The website has links to a flash video which describes its services and their impact which the owners claim to have spread to 175 countries worldwide.

The home page is also updated with important recent, ongoing and future activities in relation to various economic and other aspects of tourism. Three case studies marked as ‘Destination Strategy’, ‘Economic Impact of Tourism’ and ‘Tourism Market Strategy’, are displayed prominently on the right panel of the home page. Clicking individually on these case studies takes one to elaborate examples readable in Adobe Acrobat pdf format and show the depth and insight of the contributors.

The website offers an interested visitor a totally free trial of its consultation in the field of tourism economics. Besides the unique and interest based decision of an individual tourist, who might be seeking an exclusively pleasure or curiosity based tour to a far off destination, the above website shows the importance and soundness of making a tourist destination decision based upon economic research. This is especially relevant for the business tourist who wishes to explore the possibility of making its company’s presence permanent in a totally new and unexplored territory.

An economic feasibility study does not deal solely with the financial angle, but also explores aspects such as social, cultural and geographical environment, which may or may not be conducive for a venture into another country or territory. It is therefore wise to assume that some destinations may not be suitable for tourists or investors of one country as compared to another. It might be outright dangerous to visit countries which have radically conflicting political beliefs and social norms as compared to one’s native country.

Reference Tourism Economics, website accessed May 15, 2011 at http://www.tourismeconomics.com/index.php