Caversham Wildlife Park - a Tourist Attraction Site - Essay Example

Caversham Wildlife Park - a Tourist Attraction Site Introduction Although there lacks a universally accepted definition of tourism as a concept, a more acceptable definition shows that it is the travel that individuals undertake for such purposes as recreation and leisure and which usually takes short durations (less than an year) (Marcjanna, 1998). Despite a common notion that it involves travelling across the borders, it is to be acknowledged that it also involves travelling within the boundaries but for such purposes as outlined above. Accordingly, the WTO (world tourism organization) defines it as the practice in which persons travel to different environments as against their usual environs for such reasons as business, leisure as well as recreation among other purposes. The tourism that involves travelling within one’s country is called the domestic type of tourism while that which involves travelling across borders is the international type. Methods This paper adopts an investigative research format in studying the tourism within Caversham Wildlife Park in Western Australia. The research adopts a qualitative approach in applying the SWOT analysis in the study with an overall objective of understanding tourism in breadth within the country. Other aims guiding the study is the presentation of own experience and findings concerning the tourism industry in the Western Australia with particular attention on Caversham wildlife park in the region. The primary data presented is collected through a field trip by the researcher and has the importance of presenting comparative data that would be useful to other researchers within the field of tourism. The study applies general systems theory in the analysis and will depend wholly on the available literature in order to understand the framework in operation within the park while compared to general tourism industry. It is however to be noted that this study takes a dimension of a field report as regards to Tourism at Caversham Wildlife Park. The main data in use is that collected from the field through a field trip and data collection by personal experience, reflection as well as experiential methods. Evaluation and analysis of the data collected will involve comparison of own experience and data collected from the field with the literature available by other writers and research studies on tourism within the same destination or within other destinations in the world. Results In understanding tourism from the system theory, one acknowledges that there are particular set of elements that stand distinctively but which interrelate with and among themselves as well as the environment within which they interplay. A tourism system therefore comprise of various parts which work together for common purpose. The tourism model therefore effectively explains the tourism system which brings together such parties as the government, individual investors within such service industry as the hotels and travel as well as the individual persons hereby referred to as tourists. As illustrated in the picture model below, tourism system comprises of various components which show destination, marketing, the demand as well as travel (Carlsen, 1999). Other elements that count on the tourism system model are the social political frameworks, technological environments and the services and facilities on offer within the tourism industry at large within a destination. For instance, the ‘Caversham Wildlife Park’ located within the Western part of Australia has numerous services and attractions including animals, plants, diversity in cultural orientations of the natives as well as being situated near an urban set-up (swanvalley.com, 2011). Besides, the management of the park as a key tourism attraction site within the country counts on the local authorities and relies on such other subsidiary service industries as the transport, hotel and security. This in general shows that the park as is used in studying tourism would be effective in showing the system theory and the interaction of various components in the system for the common goal of facilitating memorable experiences with the tourists. (Venema, 2011) Personal trip findings from the park: The peak season for the tourists is during summer (between December and February) and decreases through autumn (between March and May) while the lowest recordings are noted within the winter (between June and August). The period between September and December record gradual increase in the number of the tourists towards the peak season as noted earlier. International tourism is the main type of tourism that is noted within the park with relatively few locals visiting the park often. However, the larger segment of such locals who visit the park (though few in number) are the school going persons often through school trips during school holidays. The main mode of supportive industry towards tourism within the park is the transport industry and through the trip, the researcher established that the public means n transportation of persons to and from the park is well elaborated. It therefore plays a critical role in facilitation of the tourism industry in general within the region. Besides, the park is located only a few kilometers from the min city of Perth (approximately 30 minutes drive) hence the ease of access by both locals and the international visitors. Discussion Understanding the tourism industry within Caversham Park is wholly dependent on personal experience and data collected through field trip as well as application of theoretical frameworks that apply within tourism as an industry across the globe. In particular, this study establishes that success in tourism industry is dependent on interrelations by players within the industry which include the hotel service providers, players within transport industry, the government (as the custodian and manager of the recreational sites and the resources like the wildlife and plants, social cultural structures as well as the tourists themselves. The interplay of the various systems outlined enables tourism to be practiced with economic gains to then locals and the government while the tourists realize pleasure as intended in the recreational expedition. Changing times and advancement in technology necessitates facilitation of tourism through technology which enhances the experiences and appreciation of personal resources used for such a leisure expedition. However, as illustrated from the findings recorded during a personal visit to the park, tourism is dependent on seasons and the nature of customers being targeted. Increase and or decrease in recordings of persons visiting the park depend on such seasons although on average, the park receives a substantial number of visitors. It is also noted that the park is strategic in the number of attractions that it offers which include a wide variety of wildlife with animals and plants of different species. Convenience in location as regards means of transport and accessibility also presents a major strength that the park enjoys. Being thirty minutes away from an urban set-up presents a major advantage to the ark. Besides, the region enjoy good transport infrastructure, which facilitates ease of travel to and from the park. Nevertheless, the park faces a major challenge in receiving very few local tourists, which presents a major way through which the ark loses lots of revenues as would be realized. Besides, from the tourism model illustrated above, marketing efficiency would play an important role in mobilizing locals for the tourism industry. The main opportunities that are notable for improved tourism within the park are on increased mobilization of school trips to visit the park as this would contribute to higher numbers of locals visiting the park. Besides, adoption of technology for marketing the services on offer within the offer has the capacity to contribute towards increase in number of visitors visiting the park both the locals and the international tourists. However, change in weather patterns as is influenced by global warming presents a major threat towards tourism within the park as the discussion above shows that the number of visitors to the park is dependent on the prevailing season. Besides, with uncontrolled human encroachment to the natural habitats within the park has the potential risk in reducing the number of animals and natural plants that form the main tourist attraction within the park. Recommendations In order to increase the number of visitors frequenting the park, this study proposes a number of strategies that would include subsidizing on charges for local tourists and especially on school trips. Besides, such subsidies would be directed even to foreign visitors in low seasons such as in the winters in order to have more visitors being recorded. Besides, strict legal frameworks should be formulated and imposed by the government in order to have improved conservation for environment by all. It is also the position of this paper that higher efforts in marketing would lead to increased number of visitors being recorded across the seasons. Conclusion Caversham Wildlife Park in the western part of Australia is a phenomena tourist attraction site within the country. Much of tourism activity within the park is influenced by changes in seasons as well as with the interplay of such factors as the resource endowment of the park, supportive services as well as the social cultural factors at pay. This therefore supports the system theorem and its application within the tourism industry. The analysis of the park has been done through a SWOT procedure while data used has been as collected by the researcher from the field through a field trip to the park. The main recommendations from the study revolve around boosting tourist visits especially during the winter season which often present the lowest season in visits records. References Carlsen, J. (1999). A systems approach to island tourism destination management. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 16(4), 321-327. Marcjanna, M. A. (1998). The road to quality enhancement in tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 10(4), 145-158. swanvalley.com, (2011). Caversham Wildlife Park. Retrieved from: http://www.swanvalley.com.au/Lists/Business/Caversham_Wildlife_Park Venema, M. (2011). Ann introduction to the tourism system. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/magielsr/t1-tourism-system-presentation-948850 Read More