Tourism Operations Management - Essay Example

Tourism Operations Management A Report CONTENTS Introduction Page 3 Tourism in UK Page 4 Buckingham Palace Page 5 Tourism Operations: Planning and Management Page 6 Conclusion Page 8 References Introduction Tourism is one of the world's major socio-economic activities and according to World Tourism Organisation (1998), "Sustainable Tourism Development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunities for the future" (pp. 21) with a view to preserve natural, historical, cultural and other tourist resources; to plan and management tourism development in a way that avoids ecological and socio-cultural problems; to preserve and improve the overall quality of the environment in the tourist region; to ensure that tourist destinations are commercially attractive and to ensure tourism benefits all members of society. For achieving the goals outlined, sustainable tourism needs to be planned. The basic tourism planning approaches (pp.42-43) outlined are: 'continuous and flexible approach' in response to the changing circumstances; 'comprehensive approach' covering all aspect of tourism development; 'integrated approach' with tourism integrated as a system in itself and with overall development policies and plans; 'environmental and sustainable approach' with 'tourism planned in an environmentally sensitive manner'; 'community-based approach' with maximum involvement of local communities; 'implementable approach' with tourism planned for realistic implementation and The 'strategic planning approach' with focus on identification and resolution of immediate issues. Each of the approaches is not mutually exclusive and is required to be used in combinations. However, the immediate tourism issues that need to be addressed, for sustainability (United Nations Environment Programme, 2003, pp. 22-25), include: Improvement in environmental planning and management in the destination including provision of environmental control measures and services such as monitoring and 'improving air and water quality, litter clearance, provision of waste recycling schemes, etc.'; Traffic and Transport Management; Conservation and Promotion of Natural and Cultural Heritage Resources; Sustaining tourism enterprises; Prioritising markets that strengthen economic returns; Promoting the use of local products and integration with other sectors; Spreading tourism benefits and opportunities throughout the communities and Strengthening communication with visitors and local residents. The report cites the case of Buckingham Palace, efforts in place and those desired to improve the quality of tourism. Tourism in UK Tourism is a key industry for UK with an annual turnover accounting for over 4% of GDP and with over 7% of the working population working in the sector. As per Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2004), UK is one amongst the top ten world tourism earners. More than 86% of England's tourism income comes from domestic visitors and the sectors that have contributed to the attractiveness of England for domestic tourists, and of Britain for overseas visitors include, transport, galleries, museums, theatres, heritage sites in public and private ownership, conference and exhibition venues, shops, pubs, clubs and restaurants. Positioning of UK as a important destinations rests on meeting and exceeding customers expectations. The priority areas identified by the Government are marketing and e-tourism, product quality, workforce skills, data and advocacy of the case for supporting the tourism industry. Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837, is a prime tourist attraction. Although many of the official events and receptions are held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are open to visitors on a regular basis. These include the State Rooms, open during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September, which during the 58 days of operation from 31 July to 26 September in 2004 attracted 294,000 visitors with an average of over 5,000 visitors per day. Visitors are taken on an audio tour, in English and five other languages, around the State Rooms. Some of the important attractions include displays at the Ball Room and the picture gallery. The Queen's Gallery was open for 329 days in 2004 - 05 and attracted 111,000 visitors. Reopened in 2002 to celebrate The Queen's Jubilee, the gallery shows works of art from the Royal Collection. Another important attraction in Buckingham Palace is the Royal Mews, one of the finest working stables, providing a unique opportunity to learn about the horses and carriages used for various ceremonies by The Queen. Open during March - October months, the Royal Mews attracted 119,000 visitors during the year 2004-05 (The Royal Collection Trust, 2005). Tourism Operations: Planning and Development Market research conducted among the visitors, by the Royal Collection Trust in 2004-05; highlight the nature of marketing and the areas for future development to improve the visitor experience. The study indicates improvement in the 'overall enjoyment' and the 'value for money' ratings. Strategies for improvement include updating and introduction of audio tours at Ball Supper Room; inclusion of audio tours in the admission charge; introduction of guided tours by the Royal Collection Staff in the Royal Mews; development of education resources such as 'expanded schools programme' at the Royal Mews with a popular 'Behind-the-Scenes' guided tour along with new Education Room for use by family groups over school holidays and weekends; making activities and resources available such as workshops, quizzes and thematic trails such as 'the new garden activity trail'; holding symposiums, workshops and lectures; publishing papers, guide books, exhibition catalogues on events organised from time to time; maintaining an e-Gallery on the Royal Collection's website and acquisition of new attractions such as artefacts. Apart from facilitating interpretation, the Royal Collection Trust is also involved in trading activities such as retail activities involving souvenirs and photographic services in terms of reproduction rights for use of images of works from the Royal Collection. Buckingham Palace has instituted the 'Garden Activity Trail' to understand the ecology of the attraction. The incorporated awareness on the part of the school children as well as the families and other visitors helps in maintenance of the environment. With regard to visitor management, the visitor flow is regulated in the form of admission fees, periods of visitations and timings. The turnover in terms of income and visitor numbers at Buckingham Palace for the year 2004 - 05 is indicated below: Table 1 Income and Admission Numbers Income (000) Admission Numbers (000) 2004-05 2003-04 2004-05 2003-04 Buckingham Palace Summer Opening Admissions 3,409 2,870 295 315 Shop Sales 1,745 1,992 The Queen's Gallery Admissions 738 761 111 159 Shop Sales 1,084 1,264 The Royal Mews Admissions 533 392 119 117 Shop Sales 659 653 (Source: The Royal Collection Trust, 2005) On comparison of data for 2004-05 and 2003-04, it may be seen that the lower number of admissions during Buckingham Palace Summer Opening, owing to lesser number of days, has not deterred visitors from spending more. The cost of admission has been a significant income generator. However, it may be seen that the there is reduction in shop sales. The reduction in retail activities has been attributed to the lower number of US visitors and the strength of the sterling against the dollar. Also, with the incidence of more number of school children, the shop sales have gone down. Strategies such as Online Marketing have been worked out to counter such a trend. With 86% of the total visitor market in England accounting for domestic tourism, market research may be initiated on the souvenir demands of the domestic visitor. With US market identified as a major contributor for visitor spending, there is need for exploring other markets as well. Conclusion Tourism is one of the world's biggest economic contributors and for sustaining the contribution for present as well as for the future, tourism needs to be planned strategically. Issues relating to environmental planning and management, traffic and transport management, conservation and promotion of natural and cultural heritage resources, promotion of local products, spreading benefits among the local communities and strengthening communication with the visitors and the local residents need to be addressed. The report cites the case of Buckingham Palace for strategic plan implementation and the challenges faced. The market survey done by the Royal Collection Trust has identified areas for improvement and investment such as interpretation. However, retail trade and the current target segment of visitors from US are a source of weakness. With 86% of the visitation happening from domestic visitors, the report recommends that a study be done identifying the souvenir needs to bolster shop sales and market research be done for other markets for visitation. References World Tourism Organisation. (1998). Guide for Local Authorities on Sustainable Developing Sustainable Tourism. Madrid: WTO. United Nations Environment Programme. (2003). Tourism and Local Agenda 21: The Role of Local Authorities in Sustainable Tourism. Paris: UNEP. Department of Culture, Media and Sport. (2004). Tommorrows Tourism Today. Retrieved December 1, 2005, from www.culture.gov.uk/global/publications. The Royal Collection Trust. (2005). The Royal Collection Trust: Annual Report 2005. Retrieved December 1, 2005, from www.royalcollection.org.uk. Read More