Performing Tourism in Venice - Case Study Example

Introduction Venice has such a great history with numerous tourist attractions. Sight seeing in Venice is not comparable to any other city globally and it offers a unique experience to its visitors with its major attractions being just a stroll away. The city is built in swamp lands and is surrounded by the sea and intricately laced with canals populated with beautiful Venetian Gondolas and is a great seduction to all its visitors (James, 2010). Therefore, you can be sure that your stay in Venice will give you value for your money and that you will always want to come back for even greater experiences. This report offers you a plan for your one week visit you intend to undertake in Venice. The report contains two one week visit plans. Plan one gives a one week detailed itinerary for our Young Optimism VALS segment which is intended for people aged between 20 and 30 years while plan two gives a detailed one week itinerary for our Visible Achievement VALS segment intended for people between 50 and 60 years of age. However, both the planes have been tailored to meet your specific needs such as the need for both couples to meet occasionally for meals. In addition, we have planned for two joint excursions during the one week tour of Venice. Note that we have also considered your budgetary allocations and the need to get value for your money in coming up with the plans. Who we are and the basis of planning The company involved in planning your one week tour of Venice is Ultimate tours and travel agency limited. The company is incorporated in Australia but has operations in fifty other nations of the world including Italy hence our involvement in planning your tour. Our experience in the Venetian tourism market dates back to 1985 when we first opened our office in Venice. We have been involved in planning of numerous visits by tourists of different backgrounds in Venice many of whom have been pleased by the way we handled their tour and their stay in Venice. Our website contains many testimonies by our past customers regarding our high class professionalism in handling visits. As such, you should be confident that you tour will be properly handled and that you will get value for your money. Plan A This plan is intended to provide to provide the young couple with a romantic experience in Venice while considering your budgetary constraint. As such, it will enable you to spend most of the time together while at the same time giving you the opportunity to see the numerous Venice tourist attraction sites and enjoy its tastes. The plan provides a detailed itinerary for each of the seven days and is expected to cost you approximately $ 5000 for the week which is in line with your budget. However, it is worth noting that the cost does not cover any meals or any purchases that you might do as a couple. In addition, any activities outside the plan such as attending a dance at a night club will also have to be catered for by the couple. The plan only covers the cost of accommodation, any charges that might be charged at the sites, the cost of transport from and to the hotels as well as the cost of the two tour guides that will be assigned to you. Where to stay/accommodation In choosing accommodation for the couple, we have carefully considered your need for a memorable romantic honeymoon in Venice as well as the need for privacy. In addition, we have put in mind the need to be close to the excursion sites that you will be visiting so as to enable you visit as many sites as possible while having a memorable stay in Venice. The following factors have been the basis of consideration in making decisions on the kind of accommodation to choose for the couple; a) product Provision of tour services is our core offering to our customers. As such, we endeavor to provide services that will greatly fulfill our customer’s needs. We also recognize that provision of quality accommodation services is partly our mandate as a tour agent. As such, we recognize that if this part of our product has some faults, the couple will consider their entire honey moon experience to have failed. As such, in choosing the hotels in which to accommodate you, we have made a careful comparison of the attributes of the services offered by the hotels vis avis those offered by their competitors. As such, the couple should experience a memorable experience in their one week stay in the two hotels chosen for them. b) price We recognize that the price of our services have a great impact on the level of satisfaction obtained by our customers. As such, we would want to offer services that maximize the value our customers receive. As such, we have chosen hotels that charge prices that are commensurate with their value offerings. Although the hotels are middle class hotels, we are sure that the couple will in no doubt get value for their money and will have memorable honeymoon experience in their one week stay. The hotels Based on the above factors, two middle class hotels have been chosen to accommodate the couple. The two hotels include hotel Valencia and hotel Excelsior Venice. i) The Hotel Valencia Located just near the airport, we consider the hotel as the perfect accommodation needs solution for couples undertaking their honeymoon in Venice. This is based on its convenient location in addition to its high class amenities. Furthermore, the hotel offers services of high standards which are an indication that customers do not have to compromise on comfort for cost (Baglain, 2004). The hotel will offer you with high class features including ensuite baths as well as high-tech appliances. In addition, the hotel Valencia is proximately located to Venice numerous famous tourist attraction sites. For instance, the Santa Lucia railway station as well as Grand Canal is in close proximity while the world famous Piazza San Marco is just a 20 minute walk from the hotel. The hotel also offers a hearty breakfast buffet which you can enjoy before heading for your excursions. Note that the breakfast buffet is included in its $173 per couple per night charge. In fact, our choosing the hotel was largely based on price as we felt that the hotel though charging relatively low price offers high quality services. Bearing in mind your budgetary constraint, we settled on this hotel as one of the places you will stay. Due to the fact that the hotel is relatively cheap, it is intended that you will spend the first four days of the trip in the hotel. ii) The Hotel Excelsior Venice This hotel was chosen for its potential to offer a romantic and memorable honey moon experience in Venice. The Hotel Excelsior Venice is a seasonal resort that operates from April to October and it overlooks the famous exclusive Lido beaches. It has three Venetian restaurants ranging from regional to international dishes. The hotel has 178 stylish and modern guest rooms, wired internet services, bicycle rental, bar, airport shuttle and all day front desk. In addition, guests can relax in its swimming pool and six clay tennis courts after a full day excursion. Note that the Venice lido within which the hotel is located is the narrow strip separating the central part of Venetian lagoon from Adriatic Sea which is in itself a tourist attraction site. As such, we felt that a stay in the hotel will give you a romantic memorable stay in Venice. Note that the hotel is famous for beach holidays. The hotel also provides the only golf course in Venice which the couple can enjoy during their stay. This is in addition to being located in the only island that allows cars and mopeds. Staying in the hotel will also enable the couple to enjoy the scenic trails for hiking, biking and many water sports. All this memorable experience will only come at $250 per night which is why we didn’t consider the price to be too high considering the experience the couple will get in their stay there. However, due to its relatively high cost, the couple will spend only the last three days of their tour in the hotel. Day one 30th August – Driving through Venice It is expected that you will arrive at Venice airport at 2.30 p.m on the 30th of August. As such, you may not have a lot of time to go for site seeing bearing in mind that you have to unpack and take an early night rest in preparation for a busy 2nd day. As such, we have organized with the tour guides assigned to you to drive you through Venice in a package we call ‘getting lost in Venice’. Getting lost in Venice is a very cheap activity as it costs only $40 per person for the four hours. By this, we imply wandering aimlessly in Venice through the streets and alleys. This is done before engaging in any site seeing as it is a familiarization tour of Venice and is considered critical to your enjoying the Venice tour. This will enable you find many charming and empty streets and squares which will go a long way in helping you appreciate Venice. This is expected to take around four hours after which you will head straight to The Hotel Valencia to unpack and to take an early rest in preparation for your second day. Day two 31st August: visiting sites in San Marco District This is the main event of the day and is expected to consume most of the day after which the couple will be allowed to have their private time at the hotel after which the couple can enjoy nightlife at Harry’s bar. Being your first time to visit Venice, you will find it interesting to visit St Mark’s square since it hosts many major monuments. You will in no doubt find Piazza San Macro fascinating and it will leave you spell bound owing to its beauty and elegance. St. Mark’s square is described as the most beautiful dining room in Europe and you might want to experience this beauty. In fact, it is the only true square in Venice as it is dominated by Byzantine Basilica of St .arks and is a unique masterpiece which is 175.5m wide whose form closes on one side of the square (Barret, 2008). You will be able to see the Campanile bell tower of St Mark’s square that has existed since medieval times. The stone bell tower built in 1549 was designed by the great Venice architect called Sansovino and is 98.6m high. Also found in St Mark’s square is Torre Dell’Orologio or the clock tower built in 1499. There are other numerous sites including La Liberia Sansoviniana built in 1588 which houses 900 volumes left to the city by cardinal Bessarione in 1468. During the visit, you will also be able to see procuratie vechie. This is where powerful Venetian prosecutors lived. It also houses the corer museum which you will in no doubt enjoy exploring. Finally, you will enjoy sitting in the Piazza San Marco’s cafes in the splendor of the finest drawing room in the world. Here, you will enjoy entertainment by orchestras. The tour of the district will be in no doubt a memorable one and is expected to end at 3pm after which we go back to our hotel. This experience will only cost you $300 as a couple. Day Three 1st September: visiting the sites in Dorsoduro district This will be a joint excursion activity between couple A and couple B and will involve visiting Dorsoduro district. After the excursion, the couples will have a common meal at Hotel Kette after which each couple will retire to their respective hotels. Dorsoduro district is relatively central of Venice and is located on the opposite side of the Grand Canal and offers tourists an opportunity to explore a delightful part of Venice free from the crowds of San macro district. In Dorsoduro, both the couples will enjoy seeing a variety of tourists’ attraction. One of the most notable attractions will be the academia gallery which gives the most complete overview of Venetian history of arts since times immemorial. The exhibition includes works by Giorgione, Bellini, Tiepolo, titian and Tintoretto. The museum was designed by Palladio. Another notable site will be the Peggy Guggenheim museum which has an extensive exhibition of 19th century as well as modern art works the gardens which are set on the banks of the Grand Canal enjoy a delightful view of the main street of Venice and are in no doubt an interesting site to visit. You will also see the Santa Della church which stands at the Grand Canal’s entrance. The church was built in commemoration of end of plague that almost wiped the entire Venetian population. It is during this visit that the couples will be able to enjoy meals at the famous Cipriani hotel. Finally, you will see Ca’ Rezzonico which has been restored recently and which preserves the delightful frescoes by Tiepolo as well as one of the last remaining Gondola workshops in Venice. This experience will be offered to both the couples at a total cost of $500. The excursion is expected to end at 5pm after which the couples will have a joint supper at the Hotel Kette before retiring to their respective hotels. Day four 2nd September: The tour of castello district The fourth day will see the couple tour the sites in one of the oldest parts of Venice known as Castello district. One of the most notable attractions that you will see is the church of San Pietro De Castello that was the main Venetian church before the construction of St. Marks Basilica. The church has an interior that boasts of a beautiful chapel covered with priceless marble as well as baroque statutes and remarkable altarpiece. The couple will also be able to see the arsenale or the ship building yards of Venetian fleet. The visit to castello will also give the couple the chance to relax privately in tree shades in a present park setting since castello has the biggest public gardens in Venice. The visit to castello district will also see the couple visit Sant’Elena fishing village where they can enjoy fishing. This will also bring them to Venice’s soccer stadium. The visit to Castello is expected to take the whole day so as to allow the couple relax privately before going back to their hotel. The visit is expected to cost $250 to the couple. Day five 3rd September: The visit of Cannaregio district sites The fifth day will see the couple visit Cannaregio district sites. Here, they will have the chance to visit some of its numerous restaurants and enjoy some of the best cuisine offered in Venice at reasonable prices. The district has its canals remarkably straight and well organized. The couple will also enjoy sweeping views of the northern lagoon as well as the islands of Murano and San Michele. It is here that the couple will get the opportunity to visit Tintoretto’s house as well as the Madonna Dell’Orto church that stores his works of art. In addition, the couple will visit other famous churches in the district which detail out famous works of art buy famous Venice artists. Day six 4th September: visiting sites in the San Polo District of Venice Due to its importance as the second most important historical site of Venice, the tour to San Polo district will be undertaken by both the couples on their sixth day in Venice. Some of the sites to be visited in the district include the Frari church which houses three precious artworks by Bellini’s Madonna, Titians Assumption and Canova’s funeral monument. The couple will also visit the Rialto market which was historically the center of trade in Venice. The Scoula Grande Di S.Rocco a 16th century renaissance building that is dedicated to St Rotch who was the protector of the sick and plague stricken people is another site that the couples will visit. The couples will also get to see Campo San Polo which is one of the largest squares of Venice and experience the Venice film festival. Finally the couples will get to experience some of Venice culture in the district in addition to enjoying some of the traditional Venetian cuisine. At the end of the day, the couples will head to The Hotel Excelsior Venice for a common supper after enjoying some water sports. The experience will cost the couples a total of $450 only. Day seven 5th September: visiting the Venetian lagoon, islands and beaches The day will start with a visit to the Doge’s palace. Here, the couple will get a chance to see the rooms that were occupied by Venice executive, judicial and legislative branches. The couple will also go on the secret itineraries tour that will include accessing the torture chambers, prison as well as the bridge of sighs. The couple will then undertake a visit to the Venetian lagoon, islands and beaches (Ann, 2011). This will include excursion to Murano, Torcello and Burano where they will have the opportunity to watch crafts men make their widely known glassworks before returning to the Venice Lido that has numerous strips of beautiful beaches. This being the last day of the visit, the couple will return to the hotel early so as to arrange for their departure as well as have a joint supper with couple B. The entire experience will cost the couple $300. Day eight 6th September: The Gondola Ride The visit to Venice can never be considered complete and romantic without taking a joint Gondola ride. The couple will hence undertake a gondola ride as their last activity in Venice before embarking on their departure from Venice. The couple will take a Gondola Ride through Venice’s numerous canals and will be a good way of discovering some of the city’s famous bridges and buildings. After the Gondola ride, the couple will head to the airport for their departure. Accommodation Just like for couple A, we have considered the products being offered by the hotels as well as their pricing and the ability to offer value for the couple’s money in choosing accommodation for them. Consequently, two hotels have been chosen. The hotels include; a) Hotel Excelsior Venice This is where the couple will spend its first four days of the Venice trip. The hotel is in a quiet place and offers high class services just for $250 per night. There is no doubt that the couple will find their stay in the hotel a memorable experience and they will realize value for their money due to the high class services offered at the hotel. b) hotel continental Venice Situated in cannaregio district, the hotel offers first class services to its customers at reasonable price of $200 per night for a couple. The hotel is beautifully positioned in the most authentic part of Venice-the Jewish Ghetto (Ronald, 2010). The hotel provides guests with the opportunity to sleep in a charming historic building that was a home for a Venetian family once. Its enviable position will in no doubt make exploring the city even more exciting for the couple. Many Venetian tourist sights are within its easy reach. In addition, the hotel offers superior services and facilities and has every element that would make a memorable and enjoyable stay in a superior three star hotel. It’s at the hotel where the couple will spend its last three nights of the Venice tour. Day one 30th August –driving through Venice This usually characterize the first day of our clients’ visit in Venice as it gives them a feel of what Venice has to offer. However, this event will be undertaken independently from couple A. Day two 31st August-. The Grand Canal tour and watching glass blowing at Murano Island The second day will see the couple take a ride on Venice’s water buses which they will find a fun transport method. The buses known as vaporetto are slow and run the length of the Grand Canal and are comparable to a tour of the city by bus (Jane, 2007). The two guides assigned to the couple will be of great help in assisting the couple pick the sights as they move along. The couple will certainly enjoy the ride and it will be a memorable moment. The afternoon will see the couple head to Murano Island for a glass blowing viewing session. This will not only be entertaining but also an educational tour. In addition, this will give them the chance to visit the Murano Island on the Venice lagoon. After the Murano island visit, the couple will retire to their hotel for some sea sport activities. Day Three 1st September: visiting the sites in Dorsoduro district This will be a joint excursion undertaken together with couple A. after the Dorsoduro district tour, the couple will have a common supper before heading for the day’s rest at their hotel. Day four 2nd September: Touring St Mark’s Basilica and campanile The fourth day will see the couple tour St. Mark’s basilica that was built with an intention of housing the reliquary of St Mark and his tomb. The basilica has several of its elements contributed from Romanesque, arabesque or Byzantine architecture styles which gives a pleasant and harmonious presentation. The couple will see the various chapels, the museo and the treasury. They will also have the chance to climb the top of the campanile to get a nice view of the pizza, and St Marks. This visit will also take the couple to Doge’s palace before retiring to their hotel Day five 3rd September: the visit to various ancient churches and the Jewish ghetto. The couple will visit the various old churches situated in various districts of Venice in a bid to discover history and culture of Venice. This will be followed by a visit to the Jewish ghetto. Day six 4th September: Joint visit to the San Polo District of Venice The two couples will undertake a joint tour of the sites in the San polo district of Venice before having a joint hike and supper. Day seven 5th September: touring of various museums to view artworks by famous artists. This will involve the tour of academia gallery that houses various Venetian artworks including the works of Giorgione, Bellini and Tiepolo. Other museums to be visited include Peggy Guggenheim, naval museum, museo Civico Correr as well as the glass Museum at Murano. Day eight 6th September: The Gondola Ride The couple will take a Gondola Ride through Venice’s numerous canals and will be a good way of discovering some of the city’s famous bridges and buildings. After the Gondola ride, the couple will head to the airport for their departure. Conclusion The choice of all the above excursions for the couples was informed by the need to give the couples a memorable experience in Venice. This was informed by the need to promote our establishment with the belief that when we give a superior service, the customers are likely to make return purchases. Other factors considered included the kind of products offered by the various sights as well as the pricing based on the customers’ budgetary allocations. It is hoped that the plans chosen for the couples in Venice will give them an experience worth remembering. References: James, K2010, performing tourism in Venice, Tourism and hospitality, vol.23, pp.24-36. Ann, N2011, The famous historical sites of Venice, Journal of Hospitality management . and tourism, vol.12, no.2, pp56-75. Baglain, M2004, The ecological footprint analysis for the province of Venice and the relevance of tourism in the province, Ecological economics, vol.21, no.12, pp123- 132. Barret, J2008, Tourism in Italy, Tourism and Travel Journal, vol.3, no.5, pp15-18. Ronald, K2010, Touring the various districts of the province of Venice, Tourism and . hospitality, Vol.18, pp.62-65. Jane, W2007, Venice: a favorite tourism sport for the young and the old, Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism education, vol.2, no1, pp.65-68. Read More