Strategy Formulation at Zanzibar - Case Study Example

Strategy Formulation at Zanzibar Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 Discussion 3 SWOT 5 Promotional strategies for Zanzibar 8 Conclusion 11 References 13 Introduction Zanzibar is a semi autonomous region that forms part of Tanzania. It is an island region that is located on the east coast of Africa. Zanzibar consists of several small islands. The two large islands are named as Unguja in Swahili or more popularly as Zanzibar and Pemba. The region attracts tourists from all across the globe who refers the country as a magical place and a serene environment far from the business of their daily lives. Zanzibar with it all encompassing natural beauty acts as the perfect tourist destination that allows people to escape from the business of their daily schedule. The affluent are attracted by the magic of the word Zanzibar. The place was previously referred to as Zanj-el-Barr or the land of the blacks. The region has been a colony for many times in the past firstly for the fact that it acted as a stopover destination for the ships travelling to India and due to fact that the country had a rich variety of spices. The spices are what contributed to centuries old reputation of the region. The spices that once upon a time made the archipelago famous are Cloves, Cardamom, Saffron, Curry, black pepper etc. However the spices are no longer the main source of living and income generating activity of the region and the tourism business is now the main economic activity. In the following pages the discu8ssion is focussed on the SWOT analysis of the region and strategies that can be adopted in order to promote Zanzibar as a tourist destination. Discussion The archipelago of Zanzibar has been famous for centuries for the spices and an important stopover for the trade routes. The region was first used as a trade destination by the Persians. These were followed by the Arabs who were eager to establish trade relations between the African countries and the gulf (Wilson, 2012). The Arabs were succeeded by the Portuguese in the beginning of the sixteenth century. The Portuguese were in turn followed by the Omanis and who in turn were followed by the Britishers. The British saw the region as the perfect stop for their ships before they visited India (Hartley, 2003). So, over the years Zanzibar has seen a blending of different cultures and ethnic groups. The culture of Zanzibar thus reflects a mix of Swahilis along with the Arabs, Indians and the Europeans (McIntyre and McIntyre, 2013). This mixing of culture is also reflected in the music of the region. However the archipelago has lost to the competition in the spices industry from India which is much more industrious, productive and operates an efficient commercial network. Now the main industry and income source fort the country is the tourism sector (Archabald and Naughton, 2001) In order to take advantage of the tourism and it development it is necessary to analyze the interior and external environment so that accurate strategies can be formulated to develop Zanzibar as a tourist destination (Madeweya, Hiroyasu and Mitsuo, 2004). There are two kinds of environment that has an effect on the organization. The factors in the micro environment have a direct relationship with the organization. The organization can control the factors of the micro environment (Reeve, 2002). Other set of factors are the factors of the macro environment. The factors of the macro environment are beyond the control of the organization (Armstrong & Kotler 2000). A swot has for dimensions that are derived from the environmental scanning. The dimensions are internal positive factors that contribute strengths internal negative factors that contribute the weakness, external positive factors that contribute the strengths and external negative factors that contribute weakness (Goranczewski & Puciato 2010). Figure 1 Effect of environment on tourism industry of Zanzibar (Source: Salim, 2014) SWOT Strengths: Zanzibar or Zanzibar islands are a beautiful place and is blessed by nature. The region contains all the resources and attractions that are generally looked for by the people or the tourists like tropical beaches, palm trees, cheap and fascinating market place, a list of historical and cultural sites, a list of natural forest reserves (Gössling, 2002). The archipelago is also known for handicraft, beautiful coastal sites and the stone town which has historical significance (Makame and Boon, 2008). The government of the archipelago is taking a lot of interest in developing the tourism sector and the tourism industry in the country. The government of the region is intended towards revamping the tourism industry of Zanzibar and thus making it top tourist destination of the Indian Ocean. In the year 1990 there were no hotels in the country but as of 2006 there are about 237 hotels and accommodations. Some of these facilities are really luxurious and ideal for the foreign tourists (Orjala, 2006). Another strong point of the country is the fact that the country has seen a mix of culture that has been developed through centuries of interactions with different cultures. The town area of the country known as Stone town or the city of rock is world heritage site that has been recognized by UNESCO (Gössling, Kunkel, Schumacher and Zilger, 2004). Some of the most beautiful houses have received much needed restoration. Another place of the tourist attraction is the spice gardens of the archipelago. For the past few years the country is also experiencing reformation in economic and political spheres. This has resulted in the development of entrepreneurs in the tourism sector (Stephen and Joanne. 2006). Weakness The most profound and greatest weakness of Zanzibar as a tourist destination is the fact that the tourism industry in Zanzibar is underdeveloped and immature. The tourism sector of the country is in the process of expansion and development. It needs plans that would guide the pace of the growth of tourism at the same time taking care that the natural resources are not over exploited (Stephen and Joanne, 2006). There are few hotels in the region which can offer and cater to the demands of international standards by the tourists in the area. Zanzibar is thus an attractive destination for the low and medium spending tourists and a put off for the tourists who spend high. There was a serious problem of malaria that was associated with the region due to poor infrastructure of the roads and water logging in the area until a few years ago. Other weaknesses includes the fact that the visitors are not adequately aware of the destinations, the people associated with the business has low skills, lack of proper communication about the development of infrastructure facilities (Gössling, 2003b). Opportunities The tourism sector in Zanzibar has several opportunities in front of it. The sector has been gaining attention of people from all over the world. The government has been proactive and that is bringing several investments into the sector. There are several virgin spots and unique localities in Zanzibar which if properly explored can turn the country into the hottest tourist sport in the Indian Ocean (Gössling, 2003a). The place can engage in tourism association with the main tourist body of the main land of Tanzania in order to further develop the tourism of the country. The cultural and historical heritage of the region can act as a main tourist attraction in the future. More training can be provided to the people associated with the industry and the infrastructure facilities further developed in order to facilitate the development of tourism industry further (The united republic of Tanzania, 2003). Threats The government policies in the region are focussed towards giving benefits to the foreign clients but does not think and act in favour of the local community. The overlooking of the demands of the local people may result in the fact that the local people may be dissatisfied with the government. This could turn into a major problem and hamper the peace and stability of the area. The SWOT of Zanzibar as a tourist destination is displayed in the following figure Strength 1. Government support for the tourism industry 2. Increase in the no. of hotels 3. Wide variety of natural resources that makes it an attractive natural tourist destination 4. Great history and culture Weakness 1. Tourism industry is not mature and fully developed. 2. Most of the hotels are not of international standards and thus fails to attract high spending tourists 3. The people associated with tourism industry lack proper training. Opportunity 1. Cultural and historical heritage of the region. 2. No. of tourist spots in the country. 3. Has become an attractive tourist destination and investment decision for the rich people of Dubai. Threat 1. The government does not take care of the needs of local population. 2. Local people are increasingly getting dissatisfied. 3. Possibility of future instability in the region. Promotional strategies for Zanzibar Tourism is seen as a very rapidly growing sector in the world of business. The sector offers widespread economic benefits to employment, community, development of infrastructure and preservation of diversity along with scope for economic diversification. The management of tourism destination is thus a multifaceted activity and involves various steps associated with any management practices (Goranczewski & Puciato, 2010). The importance of destination marketing is over emphasized in the current scenario. Strategies should be formulated to promote the region as a tourist destination. The strategies that would helping in developing Zanzibar into an attractive tourist destination would involve leveraging the strengths to overcome the weaknesses and building on the opportunities to overcome the threat that the external environment poses. One of the best strategies that could be helpful in promoting the tourism industry of Zanzibar would be spreading awareness about the tourism destination from the experiences of the local and the tourists visiting the country. The city should be promoted as a desirable tourism destination that can be safely reached. Local people who are associated with the tourism industry should be provided with adequate trainings. Strategies should also help in creation of knowledge and a tourism industry that is up to date with the latest trends. Some of the strategies that can be taken up by the tourism industry are listed below: Strategy 1 To strengthen ties across the tourism industry in order to develop the tourism industry further. 1. An action plan for implementing this strategy would involve promoting Zanzibar and making it a familiar destination with tourism operators and business venture inside and outside the area. 2. Ties can be increased with the mainland country of Tanzania and other neighbouring countries so as to encourage people visiting the region. 3. The region can also work with environmental experts about how to develop virgin tourist locations sustainably. Implementing these steps would help in attracting more tourists in to the area and also might help in the sustainable development of the area. Also the problems that are associated with the tourism sector can be solved more harmonically. Strategy 2 Using mass media to promote Zanzibar as a successful tourist destination The implementation of this strategy will involve the following steps of action plan 1. Using the social media and the social network to promote Zanzibar as an international tourist spot highlighting the specific qualities and unmatched experience that the region can offer. 2. International tourism companies can be contacted to promote Zanzibar as a tourist destination. 3. Using market research to find out the demand of the tourists in the modern era and providing them those facilities. 4. International; celebrities can be roped in to promote the destination. 5. The tourists visiting the place can be provided with a free DVD promoting the tourism industry which they can show to their relatives back home in order to encourage more visitors to the region. This strategy with help the region encourages more tourist inflows to the area. The foreign exchange generated from the tourists and the tourism industry can be used for the promotional purposes and developing infrastructure of the region thereby further promoting the destination. Strategy 3 Facilitate and design policies for the betterment of the local people One of the biggest advantages of the region which helps in drawing international tourists to the region is the peace and tranquillity of the region. The foreign tourists come into the region in order to experience peach in the serene natural landscape of the region. The last thing that a tourist would like to face while he or she is on holiday is any form of social instability. The social instability can be a major put off for the visitors to the area. Thus the government should try and develop policies that look after the needs of the local people as well as looking after the foreigners. Attention should be given to the demands of the local people and this can go a long way in promoting peace in the area. Strategy 4 To accurately measure the growth of tourism sector in the region By implementing this strategy the government would be aware of the progress or the lacking of the tourism sector and would be able to implement policies that would help in consolidating the growth in the tourism sector. Collecting and doing a yearly review of the data will help in forming accurate policies about the development of the tourism industry. Conclusion Throughout the case attempt has been made to study Zanzibar as a tourist destination. The study of Zanzibar as a tourism destination has focussed on discovering the strengths, weakness, opportunity and threat of the area and thereby formulating strategies that would help in utilizing the strengths to overcome the weakness and the threats with opportunity. It is found that there are several strengths and unique opportunities that are associated with Zanzibar which can turn the region into an attractive tourist destination. It is concluded that if Zanzibar utilizes the strategies listed then it can develop as a great tourism destination. References Archabald, K. and Naughton-Treves, L., 2001. Tourism Revenue Sharing around National Parks in Western Uganda: Early Efforts to identify and reward local communities. Journal of Environmental Conservation. 28(2). pp. 135-149. Armstrong, G. and Kotler, P., 2000. Marketing: An Introduction. Singapore: Person Education Inc., 2000. Goranczewski, B. and Puciato, D., 2010. 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