Development and Management of the City in the United Kingdom - Literature review Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : London Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx @2013 Select a town or city in the UK that attracts both domestic and international visitors. You are required to produce a report which explores and analyses the growth, development and management of the selected destination. Introduction Rationale and visitor profiles The rationale behind the choice of London is that it is one of the most toured destinations in the world. Woodward (2012) reported that it was voted as the top tourist destination in 2012. It has a number of renowned tourist attractions. In 2011 London was visited by 15.3 million international visitors. In the same year the visitors spent 9.4 million pounds which was more than half of the total amount spent in the entire United Kingdom by tourists. Background According to Woodward (2012) London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and England. It is also the largest metropolitan area and urban zone in the European Union and the United Kingdom. London is situated on River Thames. It was founded by the Romans. The Romans named it Londinium. It retains its mediaeval boundaries. London is governed by the London Assembly and an elected Mayor of London. According to Tourism London (2012) it is a leading city, with strengths in the following number of areas; commerce, arts, healthcare, education, fashion, media, entertainment, professional services, tourism, research and development and transport all of which contribute to its prominence. London is one of the leading financial centers in the world. It has been referred to as one of the world's cultural capitals. London is the world's most visited city as a measurement of international arrivals. Its airport system is the largest in the world, arrived at as a measurement of passenger traffic. London has the largest concentration of university education in Europe. It hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 2012 three times. Attractions According to A View On Cities (2013) London has a number of attractions namely; Big Ben, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Gherkln, Westminister Abbey, Madame Tussauds, Hyde Park, Globe Theatre, Harrods, Covent Garden, British Museum, The City, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Kensington Gardens, Millennium Bridge, Queen Victoria Memorial, Cleopatra's Needle, O2 Arena, London Aquarium, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, Kew Gardens, City Hall, Kensington Palace, Lelcester Square, Royal Mews, St. James's Palace, St. James's Park, St. Pancras Station, Tate Modern, The Monument, Leadenhall Market, Admiralty Arch, Marble Arch, Royal Albert Hall, Regent's Park, Imperial War Museum, Cutty Sark, Westminister Cathedral, Albert Memorial, HMS Belfast, Lloyd's Building, Albert Bridge, Liberty, Wellington Arch, Russell Square, Gulldhall, Hyde Park Corner, Holland Park, Royal Opera House, Cumberland Terrace, Royal Courts of Justice, County Hall, National Portrait Gallery, Battersea Park, Duke of York Column and Brompton Oratory. Description of attractions According to A View On Cities (2013) the description of the attractions are as follows: The Big Ben refers to the Palace of Westminster's Clock Tower. The tower was built in 1858 and it is the largest clock in the world. The Tower Bridge was built in 1894 and is a recognizable bridge in the world. The London Eye is located in London's center and is a giant observation wheel. It was opened in 2000. A 'flight' on it takes thirty minutes and gives visitors panoramic views. Houses of Parliament were built in 1870. It seats Britain's parliamentary houses. Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror at the beginning of the 12th century. It houses a collection of jewelry inclusive of the Imperial State Crown. Piccadilly Circus is a busy square. It is popular for its Eros statue and billboard advertisements. St. Paul's Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1711. Its dome designed by Christopher Wren is the second largest dome in the world. Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official residence. Trafalgar Square is where the French were defeated by the British fleet. The column at its center honors an English Admiral who was wounded. Gherkin which was built in 2004 is a skyscraper with 41 stories. It’s received a number of awards as a result of its unique design. Westminster Abbey was constructed for 8 centuries beginning in 1050. It serves as scientists', artists' and monarch's burial ground. Madame Tussauds is a museum that displays wax figures. The first display was held in the year 1835. Hyde Park was opened in 1627. It is a large park with a lake. The reconstruction of the 16th century theatre associated with Shakespeare resulted to the Globe Theatre. Harrods is a department store. It is luxurious with a large range of products and lavish interior. Covent Garden is an old square which was used as a market for vegetables and fruits. It is now a popular entertainment, shopping and eating area. British Museum is London's biggest museum. It features impressive archeological collections. It also highlights Egyptian collections and Parthenon Galleries. The City is London's financial center. It houses several skyscrapers and historic buildings. National Gallery is a museum with paintings spanning the 13th to 19th century. It is situated at Trafalgar Square. Natural History Museum is situated in a big 19th century building and has large collection of everything that regards life on earth. Victoria & Albert Museum was founded in 1852. Its exhibits focus on design and decorative arts. Kensington Gardens was opened in 1841 to the public. It is a large park which features Peter Pan's bronze statue and Kensington Palace. Millennium Bridge was constructed in 2000 and it stretches across river Thames. It connects Tate Modern Gallery with St. Paul's Cathedral. Queen Victoria Memorial was constructed in 1911. It honors Queen Victoria who ruled Britain for over 60 years. Cleopatra's Needle was installed in 1878 in London. It was received in 1819 as a gift.O2 Arena is a large dome built as a section of London's millennium celebrations. After the 2000 millennium exhibition it was turned to a multifunctional complex. London Aquarium is one of the United Kingdom's largest aquariums with a notable shark collection. Canary Wharf is a high rise business district that is situated in the Docklands. It spots a number of London's tallest buildings. Greenwich is known for the Greenwich Meridian and its Maritime Museum. Kew Gardens houses about 50,000 plant species and numerous historically significant buildings for instance Temperate House and the Palm House. City Hall is a modern steel and glass structure. The Greater London Authority is located there. Kensington Palace was originally constructed in 1605. It is located in Kensington Gardens. A number of royals lived there. Queen Victoria was born in the palace. Leicester Square has numerous theatres and is nicknamed Theatreland. Royal Mews houses ceremonial state coaches. It is located near Buckingham Palace. The 'Gold State Coach' is the mews centrepiece. St. James's Palace was built between 1531 and 1536 by King Henry VIII. It became the main royal residence in 1702. St. James's Park was formed in 16th century and it’s the oldest royal park. St. Pancras Station combines a neo-gothic building with a historic Victorian train. It is Eurostar High Speed Train's terminus and it joins London to the European continent. The Monument was built in 1671 and was designed by Christopher Wren. It was built in commemoration of the Great Fire that burned most of London in 1666. Tate Modern houses modern art collections. It is a huge brick building situated at the bank of river Thames. Leadenhall Market was created in the 19th century and is shopping gallery that is glass covered. It was originally majorly a food market but it now houses an assortment of restaurants and shops. Admiralty Arch was constructed in 1911 by Aston Webb. It is a buffer between the Mall and the crowded Trafalgar Square. Marble Arch was constructed in 1827 by John Nash. It is the entrance gate to Buckingham Palace. Royal Albert Hall was built in 1871 as an entertainment hall. It was in honor of Queen Victoria's consort and husband. It was renovated in 2004. Regent's Park is London's biggest park that consists of beautiful gardens, a Zoo and lake. Imperial War Museum is a national museum which covers 20th century conflicts which Britain was involved in. It lays emphasis on World War one and two. Cutty Sark is a historic clipper ship which is now a museum in Greenwich. It was built in 1869. Westminster Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church situated near Victoria Station. Its white and red brick byzantine architecture has it standing out from other gothic London churches. Albert Memorial was finished in 1876 as a tribute to prince Albert. It is a High Gothic monument. HMS Belfast was a warship which was decommissioned in 1963 and is now a floating naval museum. Lloyd's Building is a futuristic office tower and was built in 1978. Albert Bridge connects Battersea with Chelsea across the Thames. It was built in 1872. Liberty is a department store founded in 1875. It is housed in a brilliant neo-Tudor styled building. Wellington Arch commemorates the victory in Waterloo. It was built in 1830 and is located near Hyde Park. Russell Square has historic buildings. Guildhall houses a number of beautiful halls. Hyde Park Corner has a collection of monuments, statues and memorials. Apsley House is also located at the park. Holland Park was constructed in 1952. It was created from what remained of the Holland House. Royal Opera House was built in 1858 and has a spectacular iron and glass arcade. Cumberland Terrace is a group of buildings that consists of neoclassical ones. Royal Courts of Justice houses the High Court of Wales and England. County Hall houses the London Aquarium and the Greater London Council. National Portrait Gallery encompasses thousands of photographs and paintings. It was built in 1856. The paintings are mainly of British heroes. Battersea Park's main attraction is the Buddhist pagoda. The park is two hundred acres large. Brompton Oratory is a domed Italianate church which was constructed in the 19th century. Duke of York Column was constructed in 1834. London 2012 Olympics The visitors spent double the amount of the regular visitors. The Telegraph (2012) reported that over 3 million international residents made a trip to England. The spending on tickets on both the Paralympic and Olympic rose by nine percent on that year. It also stated that 590, 000 people who made a trip to the Olympics spent approximately one thousand two hundred and ninety dollars. Economic Impact Economic impact analysis records the spending flows which are associated with tourism activities in a given region so as to identify the changes in income, sales, tax revenues and jobs that are due to the tourism activities.Tourism has a direct, induced and indirect impact on employment. Tourism London (2010) reported that in 2010 there were 6,335 full year jobs supported by tourism. This was analyzed as 2.7% of local London employment.Tourism London (2010) also stated that visitor spending was estimated at $490.3 million in 2010. This generated Gross Domestic Product of two hundred and eighty three point two million in London. The taxes on tourism in London were estimated at $227.1 million dollars. The taxes were spent as follows; $32.3 to municipal governments, $90.1 to the province and $104.7 to the federal government. Environmental Impact According to Tourism London (2010) environmental impact refers to the impact of tourism on the environment which is the changes in cultural, ecological, social, biological and physical systems. Some of the jobs in the tourism sector are seasonal as they are dependent on the timing of visits to various attractions and events that take place for instance the 2012 Olympics. London's attractions especially the parks ensure that the environment is protected for example the lakes and gardens. While the museums ensure that cultural resources are protected. Some of London's attractions were built as far back as the 1800s and have been preserved to date. The attractions also facilitate the education of both local and international visitors. Some of the attractions commemorate major events in the history of England. Contribution of tourism to regeneration The Telegraph reports that tourists who visited London for the Olympic Games in 2012 may have aided British with regard to its economy. The Telegraph (2012) states that the visitors lifted Britain's economy from recession. The Telegraph (2012) noted that the tourists spent approximately double of what is spent by regular visitors. Recommendations for future planning, development and management Woodman (2012) notes that the increase in global competition has led to the recommendation of the provision of better services for instance the provision of accommodation with available internet access. The provision of internet in rooms will appeal to the business clientele. In the same breath the enhancement of infrastructure will have a positive impact on both leisure and business tourism. The development of the Blue Ribbon Network has shown how transport impacts tourism and as such similar developments are proposed. References A View On Cities. (2013).London Attractions. Retrieved April 24th from http://www.aviewoncities.com/london/londonattractions.htm The Telegraph. (2012). Tourist spending spree at London 2012 Olympics boosts UK economy.Retrieved April 25th from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/9601918/Tourist-spending-spree-at-London-2012-Olympics-boosts-UK-economy.html Tourism London. (2010). Economic Impact Analysis of Tourism in the City of London. Retrieved April 24th April from http://www.london.ca/reference_documents/pdfs/economicimpact_tourism.pdf Woodman, P. (2012). London Voted World's Top Tourist Destination. Retrieved April 25th from http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/london-voted-worlds-top-tourist-destination-7706265.html Read More