Tourism in Manchester - Essay Example

?Chapter 4- Analysis of Results 4 Introduction Tourism, like many other economic activities has some useful as well as detrimental socio-economic affects that are irreversible in many cases. Tourists industry in Manchester has undergone huge development from the past few years and left an impact in social and environmental terms. This chapter discusses and analyses primary data collected from the interviews. It will give a detailed analysis of each and every aspect regarding tourism in Manchester highlighted by the respondents. The chapter begins by identifying the profile of the respondent, then a section regarding tourism helps in development, perceptions about the impact of tourism on the image of Manchester, feelings about tourists, impact on the environment and major social impact. 4.2 Aims and Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact that tourism industry has on social lives of people living in Manchester. The researcher therefore explored the concept of the development of tourism industry and the effect it has on people and society. 4.3 Results 4.3.1 Respondents’ profile Fifteen interviews were conducted with local residents of Manchester in order to evaluate their perception regarding social impact of tourism development in Manchester. Please refer to Appendix for interview questions. Interviewees were from different age groups (see chart1). Most of the respondents aged between 27 to 35 years. These were half of the total, while those who were aged between 19 and 26 were one fourth of the total. 17% of the respondents were aged between 36 and 45 years while just 8% of them were above 45 years of age. 5 of them belonged to middle income level, eight of them belonged to upper middle and two of the respondents belonged to higher income group. All of them were UK nationals. Three of them were living in Manchester for 5 years, whereas the rest of them were living there for 18 years. For the purpose of analyzing results, responses from all respondents will be included because all of them responded to the questions very well and cooperated a lot. Detailed analysis of results will be carried out for the purpose of deriving positive results from the information gathered from the interviewees. 4.3.2 Analysis of results Manchester’s beauty appealing tourists According to Wyke and Cock (2004), outsiders regard Manchester as the place of contrasts and a place of enormous wealth, meaning that it is a place that depicts the cultural heritage of different areas and tourists pay a huge amount of money for visiting these places. Similarly another historian wrote about Manchester that it is a place which has all the basic necessities of life worthy for a standard life style besides water, and among all this, beauty of Manchester is the one that is worth seeing Ritvo (2009). Asking from one of the respondents he replied “it is the boundless beauty, worth seeing places, availability of all facilities like spa, beauty salon, shopping malls, dining, water parks and much more makes Manchester famous for tourism among tourists”. This takes us to the point that makes Manchester eminent among outsiders is its interminable beauty, untainted environment and all the facilities that are available at the door step. Tourism places are always equipped with wonderful master pieces of architectural designs, museums, recreational places, and much more that not only enhance the real beauty of the respective place but attract different people from all parts of the world. As indicated by respondents they perceive that the factors responsible for increasing inclination of individuals towards the development of tourism industry are the never-ending beauty and availability of all the facilities at threshold. Thus, if we critically analyze this point we can see that the tourism industry in Manchester has undergone a huge development because of its infinite beauty that has always and still is attracting tourists from different parts of the world. Tourism helps development On asking whether tourism helps in development of Manchester, the respondents answered in favour of this. This demonstrates that Manchester is getting good benefit from tourism industry and its growth. There is an improvement due to this for the city. “I can see how fast the city’s public transport has improved since the past 2 decades and tourism is the main cause for it as per my knowledge”, was the statement by one of the respondent in an interview, thus demonstrating the benefits of tourism for growth and development of the city. According to Burns and Novelli (2008), development is quite an ambiguous term. Generally it is referred to as a process of how society, communities and a country as a whole moves from one position to another position. Why tourism development is important for a country is an important issue that needs to be addressed. Similarly Ellul (2000) argues that among some of the important steps the most lucrative policy of UK namely ‘Tourism Tomorrow’ accounts for that tourism in the UK and in its different parts should be the blue print of sustainable development. On asking from one of the respondents regarding development of tourism in Manchester he replied “that huge development has taken place from the past few years in tourism industry and this is one of the main reasons of earning high revenues every year from tourists because it offers something new every time to its visitors”. Thus, if we critically analyse this point we can say that Manchester, while promoting tourism, should not neglect developments necessary to be undertaken for the development of tourism and tourism industry. Development and building of beautiful and attractive places does not only attract tourists from all over the world, but also adds a lot towards the economic growth and development. In addition to this, responses by the respondents indicate that they consider Manchester’s beauty and tourism development as the back bone of the success of tourism. Therefore it is quite favourable for city to utilize tourism as the way to improve its infrastructure and attain better position in the global arena. 2 respondents replied that Manchester is one of the tourists’ places that have undergone huge development in past few years and apart from its social impact on Manchester, tourism industry has continued its development with the aim of earning high revenues each year during vacations. Impact of tourism on the image of Manchester Any activity carried out in any country affects its economy in a positive or negative way depending upon the activity being carried out. Manchester’s economy got affected from tourism to a greater extent. According to Giaoutziand Nijkamp (2006), UK ranks fifth in the world to earn from tourism. Moreover, respondents also expressed a very positive attitude towards tourism. They stated that the image of Manchester improved as a result of tourism. The respondents consider tourism as helping in development of employment opportunities for the people. This further helps in economy and growth of the city. Manchester is the city in UK which is considered as one of the highest earning country from tourism. According to statistics, it received 128,000 visitors from Greece in 1992. Critically analyzing this aspect we can say that tourism does affect economic growth and development. As depicted from 2002 Commonwealth games hosted by Manchester, huge investments were made by the city that boosted its economic growth and development. However the economic effect of tourism does not need to be calculated only in statistical form, instead it needs dynamic approach. Fossati and Panella (2000) say that the economic development in Manchester cannot be only judged by statistical count but can also be seen in terms of new investments, new businesses, and strong economic structure which are fostered by cultural bonds with different nations. Thus, we can say that people from different parts of the world come to Manchester and enjoy their vacations and contribute a lot towards the development and growth of the economy. When inquired from one of the respondents he replied “Manchester is regarded as a country that fosters diverse cultures”. This is true in a way that when people from different backgrounds come and opt for different investment opportunities; they tend to contribute towards the economic growth and development of the country. Murphy (1988) cited by Samuel V. Lankford, Dennis R. Howar, (p.230) suggested that the development and promotion of tourism is viewed “as a source of new employment, revenues, additional taxes, foreign exchange, and an enhancement to community infrastructure that will in turn attract other industries.” Therefore, researcher shall note that the tourism is appreciable contributor to economy and well being of a good number of people in the city. One of the respondents said that, “me and my brother are planning to start our own venture after working as an employee in this tourism industry and I am sure that we are going to do a great deal here”. This shows the degree of potential that is there in the city. The exploration of tourism by these kinds of individuals would further act in increasing job opportunities in the city. Manchester feeding diverse cultures: According to Jayne (2006), western world is seeking to achieve competitiveness by introducing culture-led programs. He is of the view that cities in the western world should attract investments, jobs, and tourists from different cultural backgrounds for achieving economic competiveness. 2 of the respondents replied “we see people feeling very happy during their visit to this place as they enjoy every bit of their stay because we are quite hospitable and we welcome everyone no matter to which culture he or she belongs to”. This takes us to the point that one of the factors that made western world economically stable is their contribution towards feeding diverse cultures by promoting tourism. Thus, if we critically analyse this aspect from Manchester’s point of view, we can say that their special attention towards the construction of historical and culturally diverse museums and monuments made this place the most preferable one amongst tourists. Their respect towards other cultures and development of various art galleries shows that they promote diverse cultures by facilitating craftsmen to design and develop amazing master pieces depicting history, traditions, values, and beliefs of people belonging to diverse cultures. According to most of the respondents, this very aspect of Manchester makes it famous among people around the globe. Feelings about tourists: Nagle (1999) says that tourists are of extreme importance to Manchester’s economy and building of its infrastructure however, people of Manchester hold different point of view regarding tourists visiting this place. Respondent demonstrated a predominantly positive feeling towards tourists. The majority indicated that they tolerate tourists and the minor inconveniences they cause because they are good for the community. The respondent also considers that tourism provides them with positive opportunities to meets people who speak, think and lives differently, and allows for various forms of cultural exchange. 2 of the respondents replied that “People belonging to different backgrounds visit this place and their approach towards respecting cultural heritage of Manchester varies a lot”. This refers to the fact that people, though feel happy while visiting this place, but the host country has to face little problems. Most of the people are certainly very nice and show respect towards people of Manchester, but few other cause serious problems for them. One of the respondents when inquired regarding inconveniences caused to them by the tourists reported that “bachelors who visit this place are sometimes involved in unethical concerns like gambling, hiring prostitutes, and etc. that results in increasing crime rates”. Thus, if we critically analyse this fact we reach the point that no cultural norms and traditions play an important role. While visiting any place for tourism, one does not only represent his/ her country, but their values and traditions as well. If they indulge in unethical activities, this not only causes inconvenience to the host country, but destroys the repute of the country to which respective person belongs. When inquired regarding sharing norms and traditions by the tourists, 2 of the respondents replied that “most of the people visiting this place share their values and beliefs and tend to transform and change the host country’s traditions and belief system and this is somewhat annoying”. If we analyse this point in detail we can say that different people visiting Manchester are free to practice their own beliefs and follow their traditions, but transforming host country’s traditions by incorporating a flavour of their traditions is somewhat unacceptable by the people welcoming tourists from different parts of the world. Environmental impact Most studies concentrate on the environmental costs, such as the alteration of the landscape, congestion in peak seasons, the detrimental effect on wildlife, air and water. According to Butler (1980), Prosser (1994), Ceballos-Lascurain (1996) and Glasson et al. (1995), “tourism contains the seeds of its own destruction; tourism can kill tourism, destroying the very environmental attractions which visitors come to a location to experience.” (cited Joseph E. Mbaiwa (2003) p.460) Pearce (1989) also is of the opinion that seasonal increases in population and population densities result in physical congestion experienced in many areas. Similarly according to Tisdell (2007), ecotourism is one of the aspects related to tourism that should not be neglected. Ecotourism basically refers to the phenomenon of taking care of environment for the purpose of tourism. However, when asked whether tourism has a negative impact on Manchester environment, it was found that respondents consider that the environmental impact of tourism in Manchester is associated with positive impact such as the increased infrastructure for whole communities. This finding support mason’s (2003, p.55) opinion that benefits environmental of tourism include factors such as: “The process of development and realisation of infrastructure; measures to protect the environment, landscape and wildlife; promote the establishment of national parks and wildlife reserves; promote the preservation of buildings/Monuments.” Two of the respondents when inquired regarding the environmental implications of tourism replied that “people while visiting Manchester do not value her beauty and are reluctant to conserve environment for better”. Critically analysing this issue we can say that places famous for tourism put their best effort for conserving environment and the beauty of the place so that it remains the most preferable place by the tourists. 2 of the respondents replied that “sometimes it happens that tourists’ places are so littered that it clearly demonstrates the manner less behaviour of the people visiting these places.” In addition to this, when inquired regarding the steps taken by the tourism authority one of the respondents replied” they are indifferent to the fact that building huge buildings for attracting tourists for the purpose of earning revenues creates serious environmental hazards by destroying its natural beauty”. This shows that higher officials should not neglect the importance of conserving natural beauty as the only source for attracting tourists from all over the world is the boundless and untainted beauty of the Manchester. Social impact Coming to the social impact of tourism one of the researches conducted by Brougham and Butler (1999) indicated that residents of the tourists places are of the view that language is one of the cultural elements that gets affected by the tourism. 2 of the respondents when inquired regarding the social impact of tourism replied that “people of different culture that are second home users tend to live with the host participants for a longer period of time and due to this reason there occur serious impact on the language of local residents of Manchester”. Similarly another research conducted by Haley, Snaith and Miller (2004) focuses on the social impact of tourism in Bath, a city in UK. Bath is considered as one of the fashionable cities of UK. Negative social impact of tourism on Bath as indicated by researches and pointed out by Rothman (1978) cited in Haley, Snaith and Miller (2004) are noise, heavy litter, traffic, increased crime rate, overcrowding and tourism induced high prices of products offered to the local residents as well as to the visitors. However, positive impact was also reported and this includes improvement in local infrastructure, employment opportunities, and development of worth seeing tourism places. One of the respondents, resident of Florida, was inquired about the social impact of tourism, and he replied that “tourism has impacted Florida in social terms both positively and negatively. Positive impact is evident from increased employment opportunities, building of infrastructure however negative impact includes increase in crime rate”. Research conducted by Milman and Pizam (1988) also conforms to this fact that Florida over the past few years has attained the status of being one of the preferable places for tourism but it has some social implication as well. They reported the same reasons as highlighted by previous researches with special emphasis on increase in alcoholism. Another research conducted by King, Pizam and Milman (1993) points out that most of the local residents of tourists places are so friendly and hospitable that they welcome tourists who came to visit their place and their perception regarding social impact of tourism is positive. Thus, this analysis takes us to the point that tourism does have some social implications and that too are positive and negative. Perception of host country varies according to the situations they are exposed to and this is true for Manchester also. Summary This paper is meant to critically analyse the results that have been gathered from an interview conducted at UK where local residents were asked about the tourism affects in Manchester. The summary of critical analysis of results is as under: People of Manchester when inquired reported that boundless beauty, untainted environment and availability of all the facilities at threshold are some of the aspects that have made Manchester famous among tourists. People from different parts of the world with different backgrounds come and visit this place each year during their vacations and enjoy every bit of their stay in Manchester. Beautiful architectural designs, master pieces of art and design have made this place popular among people of different areas visiting this place. When inquired regarding whether they see tourism as a key to development many of the respondents replied that yeas, tourism feeds development. Any country in an attempt for attracting tourists from different parts of the world tend to make huge developments by building and improving infrastructure, introducing unique and innovative services that provide maximum satisfaction to the tourists. This not only enables people around the globe but also the local residents to enjoy beautiful sightseeing of Manchester. Coming to the image of the Manchester that has shaped a lot due to tourism is attributed to the beautiful places that are admired by tourists from all over the world. As Manchester houses everything that depicts cultural heritage of almost all the countries, people tend to enjoy this very aspect of Manchester. Moreover, with tourism development people reported that inclination of people towards enjoying their vacations in Manchester has increased significantly from the past few years. Coming to an important aspect that Manchester feeds diverse culture is true as it is reported by many local residents. They were of the view that Manchester believes in depicting everyone’s culture through the development of museums, art galleries and by designing master pieces of art and design. This very aspect of Manchester makes tourists to feel at home and feel like they are enjoying every bit of their past. This also provides a source of information to the generation that has not seen all those events and can add to their stock of information. Coming to the environmental aspect of tourism it was emphasized by many of the respondents that people visiting from different parts of the world do not take into account eco-tourism and do not put efforts for the conservation of environment and natural beauty. People tend to through litter everywhere that not only destroys the natural beauty of the place but also cause serious environmental hazards. Talking about social impact of tourism most of the respondents were of the view that that tourism has positive as well as negative social implications results indicate that people of different areas have different perception regarding the social impact of tourism in Manchester. Noise pollution, huge crowed, tourism induced high prices, increase crime rate and much more however, positive social impact include building of infrastructure, employment opportunities and development of beautiful tourism places. These are the aspects that made Manchester famous among visitors around the globe. Bibliography Broghum, J and Butler, R. 1999. A segmentation analysis of resident attitudes to the social impact of tourism. Annals of tourism research. Burns,P. Novelli, M. 2008. Tourism development: growth, myths, and inequalities., CABI., Ellu. A.2000.Tourism and the environment in European countries, Issues 18-116., Council of Europe Fossati, A  Panella, G. 2000. 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