Oxford as a Significant Tourism Destination - Coursework Example

INTRODUCTION The aim of this paper is to analyse Oxford as a tourism destination. To this end, the paper analyses various elements and aspects of the City of Oxford with its components and units as a place where people from within and outside the United Kingdom will visit, partake in leisure activities and processes in order to meet their recreational needs. The paper analyses the elements and aspects of tourism in the city and the components of the city's tourism landscape. The paper moves further to identify the key determinants of demand in the historical-cultural tourism sub-sector of Oxford. This involves the critical analysis of the reasons why people visit Oxford to partake in tourism activities that relates to the history of the town and the culture of the town. What are the factors that bring these tourism activities to life and how do they drive the Oxford tourism industry? These fundamental questions will be answered in this section. The paper will undertake an in-depth and thorough analysis of how tourism organisations in Oxford's historical-cultural tourism sub-sector work together to respond to domestic and international tourism demand. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF DESTINATION ANALYSIS In order to analyse Oxford as a tourism destination, there is the need to evaluate and review the context within which tourism destinations are defined. Wang and Pizam (2013) identify that "most of tourism activities take place at destinations and destinations form a pillar in any modelling of tourism system and has emerged as the fundamental unit of analysis in tourism" (p1). This implies that tourism can be viewed and analysed conveniently by defining a geographical scope and concentrating on it. This enables a researcher in tourism to analyse the processes and systems within the geographical space and come up with conclusions. On this basis, Oxford as a tourism destination can be conceived as a city in southern England and this will involve the critical analysis of the tourism infrastructure and components of the city of Oxford which is the county town of Oxfordshire. To this end, the analysis of tourism in Oxford as a destination will involve reviewing and critically analysing the various activities, infrastructure and systems that have to do with tourism within the boundaries of the city of Oxford and other related infrastructure in nearby areas including Oxfordshire, which is a district of Britain. "Destination is a concentration of features and tourism activities in one place. It is a cluster or mixture of tangible and intangible products, services, and experiences and all the pull factors that the area has to offer for visitors" (Uysal et al, 2012: p530). Thus, the destination is the geographical area and the components that define the tourism landscape include the natural environmental features and processes, economic structures and economic development, social structures and organisations, political organisations, and elements of tourism development (Howie, 2013). Thus, to analyse tourism in Oxford, all these elements and structures need to be examined and critically reviewed in relation to the city. Vanhove (2012) on the other hand conceptualises destinations as including: 1. Attractions to consumer 2. The accommodation sector 3. Transport sector 4. Travel organiser sector and 5. Destination organiser sector. A tourism destination gives the impetus for the management of the resources and attendance in order to enhance tourism to the area or region (Geoldner and Ritchie, 2010). This is done by analysing the destination identity, destination philosophy and from there, a destination vision can be deduced (Ritchie and Crouch, 2010). OXFORD AS A TOURISM DESTINATION Oxford offers tourist attractions that have a world-class reputation. These include colleges, rivers, botanical gardens and other museums (Bowen and Clarke, 2009). Oxford also offers various activities including punting on rivers, wellbeing tours, theatres and other exciting events that tourist can partake in. The accommodation classes range from top world-class hotels to middle class to upper-middle guest houses, self catering premises and backpackers for younger tourists (Nagle, 2012). There are also services that are offered in the city which include currency exchange, bicycle hire and other hospitality units like restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes (Nagle, 2012). The history of Oxford goes back to the 11th Century and the city of Oxford is known more for its connection to academia and how this has affected different people around the English-speaking worked and the British Commonwealth. Oxford University has produced some of the world's greatest Nobel winners, top scholars and world leaders like Bill Clinton and Margaret Thatcher. It is indeed a melting point for history and creativity. The City of Oxford also has various botanical gardens and different world-class entities that have major global reputations (Nagle, 2012). There are museums that bring to light the long history of the city and its success and there are numerous aspects of the city's economy like car manufacturing plants, publishing industry and Blackwell's which are interesting things to see amongst more contemporary visitors (Nagle, 2012). Oxford made a conscious effort to attract tourists and keep them satisfied in a structured and respected way and manner and according to 2009 estimates, Oxford hosted over 9 million tourists from different parts of the world, this is almost three times the levels of 1996, when the city hosted only 3.5 million people (Nagle, 2012). This implies that the structured tourism system of the city has improved tremendously over the past two decades. Oxford has a policy of tourism management and this is a proactive approach of monitoring the city's tourism infrastructure and ensuring that they are up to the best and highest standards (Billingham, 2012). Oxford City Council has a duty and an obligation to ensure that the city's heritage sites and tourism facilities are protected and preserved. One of the topmost strategic goals of the City of Oxford is to reduce congestion in various facilities and promote easy movement of people around the city (Bosselman et al, 2010). This has led to various campaigns that have enabled managers of facilities around the city to formulate various controls and maintain and upgrade old buildings in order to meet health and safety standards as well as promote a certain level of aesthetic beauty (Bosselman et al, 2010). The Oxford City Council also represents the city officially in the government's national tourism strategy, which is modified once in every seven years (Reijnders, 2012). This implies that the city council plays a central role in the administration and maintenance of vital infrastructure and ensuring that there is coordination and cooperation in the different units and components of the city's tourism system and structures. Aside Oxford's city authorities, there are numerous private organisations and groups with links to various tourism entities and authorities in the country who play various roles in coordinating affairs in different sectors. Thus, there are numerous units for travel, accommodation, strategic advertising of the city and other entities. These private entities work with different groups and different stakeholders to promote the city and other elements of accessing the city and moving within the city as well as accommodation and other things. The tourism industry is also promoted through various events and activities that are made popular throughout the country and beyond. These include conferences and other events that are organised periodically which attracts people into Oxford. Oxford's classical tourism sites are growing and they are preserved by various stakeholders in the community. However, Oxford is still a growing and sprawling city and there are numerous contemporary trends which include very modern facilities and options in tourism like night clubs and other contemporary systems that one will rather distance from a city as conservative as Oxford (Woolf, 2010). There is a strong and growing migrant population which provides a variety of religious options amongst others that visitors can benefit from and different cuisine that visitors can enjoy (Woolf, 2010). There are newer and modern aspects of the city and this diversifies the tourism base of the city and enhances the background of the tourist base from just conservative visitors who might want to see the ancient places of interest. The Oxford Tourism Council is the main body that is set up to undertake the review and redevelopment of Oxford's tourism facilities and infrastructure (Urgo and Abadie, 2013). They coordinate affairs relating to tourism and play various roles in dealing with the tourism needs of the people who visit Oxford. Oxford's accommodation service providers are clustered into a unique and distinct institution and organisation. These involve various information sharing drives and activities as well as projects and activities that affects Oxford's tourism industry. They provide various opportunities and options for the sharing of information and dealing with issues and matters. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF CULTURAL-HISTORICAL TOURISM Cultural-Historical Tourism involves an encounter in the historical context of a given tourist destination and connection with the cultural systems of the place as it remains of the historical activities of the place (Fletcher et al, 2013). This involves an attempt to study and analyse the history of a place by visiting the place and getting to see the real institutions that carried out certain processes in order to get an intimate contact with the history of the place (Fletcher et al, 2013). The earliest types of historical-cultural tourism involved various religious pilgrimages that people carried out in order to fulfil religious obligations (Page, 2011). These religious tourists typically sought to learn about a place and see the actual places where their religions were founded and how this affected things and how people live in the present (Page, 2011). This concept of historical-cultural tourism is to visit a place of significance, learn and understand today's settings and preserved settings as it relates to the past and historical matters. It involves visiting places of historical significance, analysing the current patterns and foundations of the past as it is preserved to this day (Tribe, 2011). It involves the linking of the past with the present to understand and appreciate important trends and processes in history (Nebrou, 2012). This involves the availability of infrastructure, heritage products, services and experiences and linking this to the actual community as it exists in a mental picture that satisfies the curiosity and leisure needs of the tourist (Wiles and Vander Stoep, 2012). DETERMINANTS OF DEMAND OF HISTORICAL-CULTURAL TOURISM IN OXFORD Oxford is a rich destination for historical-cultural tourism because it has a rich history that goes back to Roman colonial times (Hudman and Jackson, 2012). This involves the city's unique and distinct history that links it Oxford also has medieval structures, domes and other tour packages that links up to the history of Oxford University which has existed for almost a thousand years and has been a leading place of learning and scholarship (Hudman and Jackson, 2012). The ancient and medieval history of Oxford is presented by the city's landscape and significant architecture which survives to this day that has links and roots to the past centuries of interest of these historical-cultural tourists. The city of Oxford has a strong connection to the British Crown. The unique and distinct relationship and connection between Oxford and the British Crown and the impact on the British Empire is also pronounced and provides an opportunity for foreign tourists to view that as a complete theme (Hudman and Jackson, 2012). Thus, with many tourists from Southern Africa, the role of a figure like Cecil Rhodes who founded Rhodesia will be significant and s/he might want to see his college and how things were done. For tourists from the Middle East, the character of Lawrence of Arabia who is also an alumnus of Oxford will attract so much interest. Also, Oxford's history as a place of academic excellence and historical significance in educating the elite and most influential people and also educating major educators and presenting the best of books is important (Hudman and Jackson, 2012). This is because the university provides a major source of encouragement for people who home and desire to become major learners and also get inspiration from the achievement of the old students of Oxford. Finally, the role of Oxford in the two World Wars is significant. The sacrifices made by Oxford students and the role of the many Oxford students and citizens who dropped out of school and joined the war effort is significant and provide an important and significant interest to tourists. Additionally, the role of important players like Harold Macmillan and national leaders of nations around the world provides a major interest for foreign and local tourists alike and this makes Oxford a place of historical significance. Contemporary Oxford has also maintained a culture which still has strong linkages and connections with the history that the city has preserved for generations. These include the maintenance of the university as a place of modern academic excellence which maintains the highest standards on the planet to-date (Sidhu, 2013). Thus, tourists can potentially get a feel of the way things were done in the past and how things continue to happen to the 21st Century and our own time by visiting Oxford. Educational materials and processes are still available and people can make purchases and acquire souvenirs that they can keep as a token of their trip to Oxford (Eliot, 2013). These include the process of undertaking promotional activities and providing a feel of students' life by providing students accommodation for visitors in students' rooms in Oxford (Sidhu, 2013). HOW SUB-SECTORS' WORK TO RESPOND TO HISTORICAL-CULTURAL TOURISM DEMAND There are different sub-sectors that work together with the tourism service providers of Oxford and this involves various activities and processes that ensure that tourism thrives in the city and there is interest generated in Oxford's tourism processes. This includes various activities and stakeholders. In this section, there will be an analysis of such institutions in providing historical-cultural tourism services. Attracting Tourists There are various specialised service providers who seek tourists both locally and internationally into the city of Oxford (Monetti and O'Suillivan, 2013). These involve various industry-sponsored entities and other public sector entities that specialise in developing tourism and promoting Oxford as a competitive city. Locally, the main theme that is used by the tourism agencies in promoting the city of Oxford include the advertising of various prospects in the media and focusing on the strategic strengths of Oxford (Graham, 2012). For the London 2012 Olympic Games, Oxford's authorities focused on the distance and the closeness of the city to every part of the UK (Graham, 2012). This became the slogan afterwards. This was spread throughout the websites and the media adverts organised by the city authorities, tourism agencies and industry-sponsored entities who sought to promote tourism. For foreign tourists, the city of Oxford's process involves attracting people from a specific niche of potential visitors through various online adverts and other media systems (Crane and Weber, 2013). This enables the city to attract and promote tourists to become involved in Oxford and visit and see things for themselves. Accommodation Accommodation involves various forms of accommodations that are highly stratified and it ranges from overnight accommodation of £30 in backpackers and other university on-campus accommodation and high end hotels that charge huge amounts of money (Buckley, 2012). This enables people interested in historical-cultural tourism of all backgrounds to get places to sleep and see the city. Transportation Services There are numerous forms of transportation that one can use to get into Oxford. This involves almost all the forms of public transportation like train and buses (Skeates et al, 2012). Within the city, efforts to promote sustainable tourism involves the promotion of the use of bicycles, hence there are bicycle hiring services as well as other forms of bus transportation systems that are promoted to enhance the tourism posture of the city (Skeates et al, 2012). The transportation system allows the members of the society to enjoy their sights in Oxford in order to see all the major historical-cultural tourist attractions. Travel and Tours There are numerous holiday agencies that offer specialised tourism arrangements and most of them are registered with the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and other organisations to boost their credibility and competitive profile (Koffman and MacDonald, 2012). This involves various tour operators and large entities that focus on local as well as foreign tourists and bring them in and sell packages to them which are specialised and meet specific needs of small groups of people (Muller et al, 2012). Authorities The City of Oxford and other authorities in the city are aware of the fact that historical-cultural tourism is the central source of tourism to Oxford. Therefore, they take steps to modify and improve their systems with the view of enhancing their services and upgrading their processes in order to deal with various needs of potential tourists. CONCLUSION Oxford is a major tourism destination and the tourism destination of Oxford encompasses the location within the city and around Oxfordshire. The central processes involve the various infrastructure, architecture and unique system that have roots to the congregation of scholars in the city to acquire knowledge. Oxford as a destination to tourist is strongly supported by the city authorities who link the city's unique needs to the national tourism strategy. They therefore develop infrastructure and ensure that Oxford is presented as a competitive city. Oxford has various stakeholders, mainly private entities that seek to use various ways and means to promote and enhance their services and processes by way of making the city competitive. A central aspect of tourism in Oxford is the historical-cultural tourism. This involves a tourism that links Oxford's unique history and how it dates back to Roman times to Medieval times and then to the British Crown and the British Empire. Remnants of these processes and activities are preserved in the form of architecture and culture of the current populace. And this presents a distinct unique to people who have interests in these areas of tourism. The main stakeholders in the industry include the various tour agencies set up through cooperation of entities in the industry as well as the city authorities. Oxford as a historical-cultural tourism destination is enhanced by the fact that the city is accessible to many people in many ways. Travel and tours provide specialised historical-cultural tour packages that are sold to consumers in specific niches. Also, accommodation is highly stratified to cater for all persons and a wide variety of tastes in historical-cultural tourism. REFERENCES Billingham, J. K. (2012) City of Oxford: Planning Handbook London: Horne Publishers Bosselman, F., Peterson, C. and McCarthy, C. (2010) Managing Tourism Growth Washington, DC: Island Press. Bowen, D. and Clarke. J. (2009) Contemporary Tourism Wallingford: CABI Brind, R. K. (2011) A Guide of the CS Lewis Tour in Oxford London: Janus Publishing Company Buckley, R. (2012) Advanced Tourism Management London: Routledge Clarke, P. (2013) The Oxford Handbook of Cities in Modern History Oxford: Oxford University Press. Crane, R. and Weber, R. (2013) The Oxford Handbook of Urban Planning Oxford: Oxford University Press. Eliot, S. (2013) History of Oxford University Press Oxford: Oxford University Press. 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