Emerging Worldwide Destinations - Assignment Example

Emerging Worldwide destinations: The Significance of Tourism Introduction Tourism is one of the growing industries today and requires no significantexpenditure aside from maintenance, manpower and facilities for tourists. Tourism is related to leisure and these two comnce3pts seem to be tied to each other. Leisure is often seen as a measure of time and means time left after work, sleep, household chores and personal obligations have been completed (Boniface, 2001). Leisure often leads to recreation, which is the pursuit engaged upon during leisure time. Tourism is the temporary movement to destinations outside normal home and workplace, the activities undertaken during the stay, and the facilities created to cater for their needs (Boniface, 2001). There are several aspects we have to bear in mind when studying about tourism, and these are: spatial tourism, the geographical components of the tourism system and spatial interaction between the components of the tourist systems. In connection with these concepts, we are going to tackle several tourism destinations and comment on them as to their spatial scale, their geographical compo9nenets and their spatial interactions to the other tourism components. Let us analyze these key concepts one by one as we go along. Two Emerging Destinations: Germany and Italy Two of the emerging tourist destinations in the world today are located in Europe—Germany and Italy. Germany is a country whose terrain rises from northern coastal lowlands to belt of central uplands, complex and varied in form. To south of uplands, a high plain suddenly rises to Alps in countrys extreme south. Germany’s climate is cool, with abundant rainfall and long overcast season. Main crops are wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, and barley. Products in this country can be considered as highly specialized goods, including machine products of all varieties, chemicals, electrical products, construction, food and beverages, lignite, textiles, and petroleum and gas refining. Germany has 660 airports. Twelve civilian airports provide passenger and cargo service within country and to rest of world. It has several dozen large, well-equipped ocean and inland ports. Germany is a principal attraction for foreign tourists, and the Germans themselves are among the worlds most enthusiastic tourists. Although Germany attracts millions of foreign tourists, German tourists every year spend tens of billions of deutsche marks more than foreign tourists spend in Germany. In fact, tourism constitutes a major drain on German foreign exchange. The areas that attract the most tourists to Germany are the Alps, the Rhine and Moselle valleys, and several large cities, especially Berlin. But those are not the only attractions. Music festivals such as those at Bayreuth and Munich draw many tourists. So do some of the old German medieval cities like Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl. Because of the wealth of hiking and bicycle trails, many tourists come to the Black Forest and to other German woodlands and mountains. Since unification, tourists have increasingly visited the former East German states and especially the Baltic beaches and such cities as Leipzig and Dresden. Germany, according to the Tourism Area Lie Cycle, belongs to the developing stage. Unlike Austria or Spain, Germany does not regard tourism as a major source of foreign exchange. Hotel stays by foreign visitors to Germany do not rise above 15 percent of total occupancy, as opposed to the two-thirds levels that they reach in those countries. But as many as 1.5 million jobs in Germany are connected in one way or another to the tourist industry. The other emerging destination is Spain. Peninsular Spain covers 492,503 square kilometers. Spanish territory also encompasses the Balearic Islands (Spanish, Islas Baleares) in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands (Spanish, Canarias) in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the city enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa. Peninsular landmass is predominantly a vast highland plateau--the Meseta Central--surrounded and dissected by mountain ranges. Major lowland areas include narrow coastal plains, Andalusian Plain in southwest, and Ebro Basin in northeast. Spain has a predominantly continental climate with hot, dry summers and rather harsh, cold winters. Maritime climate prevails in northern part of country, characterized by relatively mild winters, warm but not hot summers, and generally abundant rainfall spread throughout year. Although historical sites and unique cultural features had always made Spain attractive to foreign visitors, the tourist boom that began in the mid-1950s was based primarily on the recreational assets of the Mediterranean seashore areas. The country had fewer than 1 million tourists in 1950, but the number rose steadily, reaching more than 34 million in 1973 and 50.5 million in 1987. The tourist boom had a significant, and not wholly beneficial, impact on the Spanish economy. Though it was a welcome source of foreign exchange and created new employment opportunities, it also diverted capital investment and construction efforts away from more stable economic activities to a sector subject to seasonal fluctuations, the whims of fashion, and worldwide economic conditions. Nonetheless, the importance of tourism to the Spanish economy was substantial. On a net basis, Spains tourist revenues were the highest in the world. The United States had higher gross revenues, but its tourist expenditures exceeded revenues by a considerable margin. The most popular resort areas were the Balearic Islands and the Mediterranean coastal areas. The Balearic Islands generally accounted for about 34 percent of the number of nights foreign tourists spent in Spain; the Costa Brava and the Costa Dorada, stretching from the French border through Barcelona to Tarragona, accounted for 22 percent; and the Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz, extending from Almeria on the southern--or Mediterranean-- coast to Ayamonte on the Atlantic coast at the Portuguese border, accounted for 12 percent. The distant Canary Islands attracted 13 percent of Spains foreign guests, and land-locked Madrid was host to 8 percent. Cultural festivals were instituted in Santander and Madrid in an effort to increase the attractiveness of these cities. The seaside resorts continued to dominate the tourist industry, however, despite considerable government effort to stimulate interest in visiting historical and cultural sites. Although areas on the northern coast facing the Bay of Biscay were accessible to the rest of Europe and had good weather in the summer, when most Europeans and Americans took their vacations, their share of the tourist trade was only about 3 percent. San Sebastian was the center of the tourist industry on the Bay of Biscay, and nearby towns were also popular, but their allure was limited by tourist apprehensions over continuing political turbulence and violence in the Basque region. Tourist centers farther to the west, on the Cantabrian coast and in Galicia, were not so commercially developed as the better known Basque or Mediterranean resorts. Accordingly, their appeal to tourists was their traditional Spanish flavor. They also provided visitors with less elaborate, but also less expensive, accommodations. Like most nations dependent on tourist trade, Spain was concerned about the underutilization, and sometimes overutilization, of facilities that was caused by seasonal variation in weather. These variations caused marked differentials in monthly tourist revenues and international trade receipts. July and August were the most active months; February was the least active. Efforts were made to develop winter sports facilities in order to increase the number of tourists visiting Spain during the colder months; however, competition from France, Switzerland, and Austria, where snow conditions were more reliable, constituted a formidable obstacle to success in this area. Tourism was recognized, even before World War II, as an important economic activity worthy of government support. A chain of official hotels, known as tourist inns (paradores), was initiated at historical sites in the 1920s during the Primo de Rivera regime, and it was extended during the postwar years. Tourist promotion was a function of the Ministry of Interior until 1951, when the Ministry of Information and Tourism was created. In the late 1980s, the Ministry of Transportation, Tourism, and Communications took on this responsibility. The National Tourist Company, a state-owned enterprise, was engaged in the construction of hotels and tourist complexes. Tourist promotion encompassed such routine activities as advertising and distributing maps, information folders, and lists of accommodations and shops. In addition, tourist offices were maintained in major foreign cities in order to encourage, to advise, and to assist people planning visits to Spain. Within the country, tourist assistance was provided by a network of more than seventy local tourist information offices found in all major cities and sites of interest. Although most tourist accommodations were privately owned and operated, there was considerable government supervision of the industry. All restaurants and hotels were inspected, classified, and controlled by the Ministry of Transportation, Tourism, and Communications. Prices for meals and accommodations were controlled, and establishments catering to tourists were required to maintain complaint books which were intended to help the ministrys inspectors identify any shortcomings. In addition, the government operated a number of accommodations. These establishments included the above-mentioned paradores, many of which were converted castles, palaces, or other buildings of historical or cultural interest. Government-operated inns (albergues) were maintained on highways away from larger cities and towns, and many areas had hostels (hosterias), which were government-operated restaurants featuring traditional regional dishes. The ministry also maintained a number of mountain lodges (refugios). Spain is presently in the consolidating state in the TALC model. Two tourism destinations which match Puja’s market segment in India The main elements of destination positioning concept are facilities, accessibility, quality of service, overall affordability, location image, climate and environment, and attractiveness. Market segmentation can be defined as the process through which people are grouped together so that a tourism organization can use greater precision in serving and communicating with these groups. There are associated benefits of segmentation (e.g. identifying partnerships to promote networking and guiding research and development) but the bottom line is that it enables better marketing decisions, and promotes more viable operations. Both private and public sectors in India are competing to make India the future international hub of medical tourism care. For the last decade, India has been known throughout the world for their expertise in information technology, software, outsourcing, and business services. Next up is sure to be medical tourism. India, with its extensive labor pool and extremely educated population is an excellent destination for world-class medical treatment. Thus the search is on for those nations which are similar to India in terms of market. For this reason, we have chosen to tackle two countries—Thailand and Jordan. Both of these countries are developing in terms of medical and religious tourism, similar to the present state of India in terms of tourism. Thailand’ s chief topographic features include central plain dominated by Mae Nam (river) Chao Phraya and its tributaries. To northeast rises dry, undulating Khorat Plateau is bordered on east by Mekong River. Mountains along northern and western borders with Burma extend south into narrow, largely rain-forested Malay Peninsula. Network of rivers and canals associated with northern mountains and central plain drain, via Chao Phraya, into Gulf of Thailand. Mae Nam Mun and other northeastern streams drain via Mekong into South China Sea. Soils vary. Topography and drainage define four regions: North, Northeast, Center, and South. Mixed economy includes both strong private sector and state enterprises; government assumes responsibility for general infrastructure development. Agricultural commodities accounted for some 60 percent of export values in late 1980s. Major crops included rice, maize, cassava, rubber sugarcane, coconuts, cotton, kenaf, and tobacco. Major exports are primary and processed agricultural products, tin, clothing, and other manufactured consumer goods. Major imports are capital goods, intermediate products, and raw materials; petroleum products are the largest single import by monetary value since mid-1970s. Theravada Buddhism, the form of Buddhism practiced in Sri Lanka, Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, was the religion of more than 80 percent of the Thai people. Buddhisms place in Thai society was by no means defined solely by its relation to the state. By Asian standards, the level of public health in Thailand was relatively good. Health and related social welfare services received an allocation of 10.3 percent of the total 1984 budget. Of this amount, about 50 percent was assigned to public health activities; the remainder went to social security and welfare, housing, and community services. Although a disproportionate number of health care facilities were concentrated in the Bangkok area, Western-style medical treatment was provided throughout the country by a network of hospitals, regional health centers, and other clinics. Throughout Thailand, but especially in Bangkok, the traditional skyline with its Buddhist temples was becoming overshadowed by Western-style buildings and skyscrapers. The government responded to the increase in health-related problems by placing new emphasis on meeting basic social needs in its economic and social development planning. There are many tourists who seek Thailand’s alternative medicine practices and Buddhist influence. The second country we have chosen is Jordan. Jordan consists of arid desert. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on surface of earth (more than 400 meters below sea level). More than 90 percent of Jordanians adhered to Sunni Islam. Although observance was not always orthodox, devotion to and identification with the faith was high. Islam was the established religion, and as such its institutions received government support. The number of health care personnel increased so that by the mid-1980s Jordan had a surplus of physicians. In 1987 the Ministry of Health and the Jordan Medical Association, concerned about high unemployment among physicians, put forth various suggestions. These included opening more clinics in rural areas and assigning physicians to schools, colleges, and large industrial concerns. Other health care professions showed moderate increases; the number of government-employed dentists, for example, increased from 75 to 110. Pharmacists, a profession increasingly entered by women, nearly tripled in number. Jordan has thirty-five hospitals, of which about 40 percent were state run. A number of other health facilities scattered throughout the country included health centers, village clinics, maternal and child care centers, tuberculosis centers, and school health services. Medical care services were distributed more evenly than in the past. Previously most health professionals, hospitals, and technologically advanced medical equipment were located in major urban areas, such as Amman, Irbid, Ar Ramtha, Az Zarqa, and As Salt. People in smaller villages and remote rural areas had limited access to professional medical care. With the focus on primary health care in the 1980s, the WHO commented that treatment for common diseases was available within an hours walk or travel for about 80 percent of the population. The expense and inconvenience of traveling to major urban areas did, however, hinder rural people from seeking more technologically sophisticated medical care. These current destinations address the needs and preferences of parents of Asian tourists. First of all, it is because these countries are similar to customs and practices of their country of origin. The emphasis or focus is also the same. Operational recommendations regarding positioning of one or two destinations to parents of Asian students studying in UK What is important to consider is the fact that preferences regarding tourism by an individual is based on cultural preferences, geographical location, climate and the benefits one can get from the experience. Thus there should be effective recommendation and planning application to assist vacationists on the organization of a leisure and tourist agenda. First, a recommender system offers the user a list of the city places that are likely of interest to the user. This list takes into account the user demographic classification, the user likes in former trips and the preferences for the current visit. Second, a planning module schedules the list of recommended places according to their temporal characteristics as well as the user restrictions; that is the planning system determines how and when to perform the recommended activities. This is a very relevant feature that most recommender systems lack as it allows the user to have the list of recommended activities organized as an agenda, i.e. to have a totally executable plan. Tourism is one of the major sources of income for many countries. Therefore, providing efficient, real-time service for tourists is a crucial competitive asset which needs to be enhanced using major technological advances. The current research has the objective of integrating technological innovation into an information system, in order to build a better user experience for the tourist. The principal strength of the approach is the fusion of context-aware pervasive systems, GIS systems, social networks and semantics. All these should be created to help the vacationist plan for his tour. References: 1. Abidi, Aqil. Jordan: A Political Study, 1948-57. London:Asia Publishing House, 1965. 2. Abu Jaber, Kamel S. "The Economy of Jordan: A Current Assessment,"American-Arab Affairs, 9, Summer 1984, 106-16. 3. Allan, Tony. Spain. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1987. 4. Allen, Richard. A Short Introduction to the History and Politics of Southeast Asia. New York: Oxford University Press, 1970. 5. Arango, E. Ramon. Spain: From Repression to Renewal. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1985. 6. Bastin, John, and Harry J. Benda. A History of Modern Southeast Asia: Colonialism, Nationalism, and Decolonization. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:Prentice-Hall, 1968. 7. Beaver, Allan. A dictionary of travel and tourism terminology, pg. 313 8. Berghahn, Volker Rolf. Modern Germany: Society, Economy, and Politics in the Twentieth Century. 2d ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987. 9. Boniface, Brian G. Worldwide destinations : the geography of travel and tourism. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 2001. 10. Buhalis, D., 1994, Adviser to: Boers, H., and Bosch, M., The earth as a holiday resort: An introduction to tourism and the environment, Institute for Environmental Communication and Netherlands Institute of Tourism and Transport Studies, Ultrecht, Holland 11. Carr, Raymond. Modern Spain, 1875-1980. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980. 12. Craig, Gordon A. Germany, 1866-1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978. 13. Treverton, George F. America, Germany, and the Future of Europe. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992. 14. Theobald, William F. (1998). Global Tourism (2nd ed.). Oxford [England]: Butterworth–Heinemann. Read More