Tourism research - Essay Example

Paper METHODOLOGY The first component of a tourism research methodology is the functioning of the objective of the research. A research that lacks this component will be imprecise and will not be respected by other people. The researcher must give reason for the project as valuable and original in an academic background. Tourism contributes 4.4 percent of the worlds GDP. It provides employment to about 200million people worldwide. In tourism research, there are regularly agreed-upon essentials that must be described by the methodology in order for research or survey to be taken acutely.

In the end, every tourism research has its own exceptional methodology, as defined by the supervisors and researchers overseeing the research. This report was conducted because of the turn down of visitors to regional parks. It seeks to obtain information that will enable park managers to improve park attractions and service quality. Since the relevant information obtained through visitor surveys can help assess the visitor’s behavior and their expectations of national parks, the supervisors and researchers decided to conduct a quantitative survey through a self completion questionnaire.

The research review was centered mainly on visitors to regional parks. According to Balalia and Petrescu (2011), in order to motivate visitors to visit regional parks, park managers and supervisors had to understand the aspirations, needs and behaviors of the visitors. The research methodology also required interpretation and communication of the aims, park values and goals with the aim of improving visitor experiences and support. A questionnaire was developed with relevant questions posted to a sample of the visitor population.

The survey asked questions on frequency, awareness and purpose in areas where potential issues exist. The questions about the participants themselves included gender, place of residence, age group as well as the highest level of education completed. Other questions included the main mode of transportation when visiting a regional park, frequency of visits, who accompanies the participants to the park as well as type of events that would attract them to the park. The questionnaire method was chosen because it is less expensive and the questions were few to answer hence, less time consuming.

The answers that were obtained were analyzed carefully to be able to understand the information about visitors. The participants were requested to fill in the questionnaire during two weeks of 1st August to 14th August 2011. The sample of participants selected was chosen at random, and the survey was conducted in different places so as to include various views from people of different backgrounds. A total of 900 surveys were obtained, and the participants can be clearly divided into three basic groups such as Canadians, Americans and the internationals who can be the locals, interstate or international visitors.

Some of the notable exclusions to the survey are that the research was visitor centered and the source of the decline in the number of guests to the park may as well not be originating from the visitor, but the park management and service delivery concerns. In such a case, the research would be irrelevant and have no impact on the visitors visiting the park. Reference: Balalia, A. & Petrescu, R. M. (2011). The involvement of the public and private sector - elements with influence on travel & tourism demand during the crisis period.

Tourism and Hospitality Management, 17(2), 216-229. Curto, J. (2006). Resident perceptions of tourism in a rapidly growing mountain tourism destination. University of Waterloo (Canada). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Paul, F. (2004). Trends Affecting Tourism in Protected Areas: Recreation and Leisure Studies. Ontario, University of Waterloo press.