Fundamentals of Tourism and Travel - Essay Example

Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: INTRODUCTION Tourism refers to the social, economic and cultural aspect that involves the movement of people from one place or country to another that is not their natural environment. Tourism is usually for personal, business or professional purposes (Page 2014,p 4). The person engaging in tourism is referred to as a tourist. The history of tourism dates back to the 17th century where tourism was for a select few especially the wealthy in the society. The rich were encouraged to participate in the grand tour that involved a journey through Europe for leisure. The development of transport played a critical role in the development and expansion of tourism. During the 17th and the 18th century, the main mode of transportation was rail and sea transportation (Brown, 2014). The transportation mode played a critical role in ensuring the development of seaside resorts and spa towns. Most people when they travelled spent most of their time in the resorts, restaurants, and spa. With the advancement of technology, the air transport came into place facilitating ease in transportation to countries that were landlocked. Also, the aspect of exploring nature for leisure was born in the 19th, 20th and the present 21st century. In the 21st century, the internet access has facilitated the ease in identifying suitable exotic areas that one wants to visit. Technology has also made it possible for the tourist to make reservations through their computers(Hyde 2015,p 340). The reservation formulated encompasses travel and accommodation aspects. Tourism organizations have been developed in the 21st century to ensure that the tourism sector is regulated. The organizations not only formulate regulations but play a critical role in promoting tourism in the world. It happens through the organization of tourism expos, internet marketing among other means. Tourism has different facets, but the two principal categories of tourism focus on mass and special interest tourism. Mass tourism refers to an organized group of people often in large numbers who are travelling to specialized tourist sites. On the other hand, special interest tourism also known as alternative tourism refers to the individually organized activities geared towards experiencing first-hand interactions with the inhabitants culture and their environments (Baku, 2013). In the two facets have distinctive characteristics that set them apart from each other. Mass tourism involves the movement of large groups together and has been in place since the advent of tourism. The tourist always follows a laid down program on the sites they will see and the time they will be there. The tourist focuses on sightseeing and they take many snapshots to recall the tour. Also, the tourist often purchases many things that they will keep as souvenirs when they go back to their homes. The tour often involves intense social activities that allow nearly all the members to participate and finally the tourist does not bother with doing extensive research or learning the local languages(Careerigniter.com, 2016). On the other hand, special interest tourism is more intense and involves much commitment from the people engaging in it. It involves doing prior research before visiting the area; this provides one with sufficient knowledge on the areas they should explore. Additionally, it is a modern trend that has developed in the 20th century, and people have enhanced it with the development of technology. It mainly focuses on experiencing the events, nature and the different cultures that one encounters. The tourists often learn the language of the inhabitants to enable them to interact easily. Indeed, this tourism involves silent activities that have minimal impact on the areas that they are visiting(Careerigniter.com, 2016). Tourists are often attracted to a particular area based on some factors. The factors often include the cultures present in the area, the natural environment, recreational facilities, historic sites and outstanding features found in a particular location. When analysing the tourism industry, it is crucial to focus on the following aspects the demand for tourism, push/pull factors, tourist motivations, typologies and finally the factors influencing the tourist motivations. Demand for tourism falls into two categories which are the internal and external divisions. The internal divisions involve lifestyle and the life cycle of the tourist. The lifestyle depends on an individual’s income earns as this will determine if they can save for tourism activities. Also, the paid holiday entitlement by most employees provides them with an opportunity to explore some areas and engage in tourism. Conversely, life cycle tourism entails the age of the tourist(A Theoretical Introduction to Tourism, 2016). The young and the senior citizens are more engaged in tourism compared to middle-aged persons because they have the desire to explore and are less burdened by responsibilities. On the external perspectives, political conditions often influence tourism. A political stable country or area will often draw tourist to visit the area if there are any tourist attraction sites. Still, the regulations present in a given region of tourism. The institutions of policies that favour tourism often encourage people to participate in tourist activities(A Theoretical Introduction to Tourism, 2016). For example charging fewer amounts for the residents visiting tourism sites to promote the development of domestic tourism. Furthermore, the economic development of a nation does influence the demand for tourism. Besides, developed countries tend to institute policies that will encourage tourism. Also, the economic development of the world as a whole encourages tourism activities since there are sufficient resources to allow the individuals to travel and the governments to maintain the tourist attraction sites. The Push factors refer to the internal forces that result in the tourist engaging in activities that will satisfy their needs. On the other hand, the pull factors refer to the knowledge that the tourists have about a particular area, and often originate from the destination. The pull factors that often draw an individual to engage in tourism include entertainment, sightseeing, cultural activities and sports. Others take account of, the different dishes, the natural environment, and the uniqueness present in a particular environment. Contrariwise, the push factors are the desire to get away from one's daily life and the need to interact with other people (Hoppen. Brown and Fyall 2014,p35). The point enforces the saying that human beings are social beings who crave interactions. The third aspect centres on the tourist motivations. Tourist motivation refers to the factors that often cause a tourist to desire to travel. The first motivator is the desire for change, tourist travel because they want to escape the pressures of their daily lives(Hoppen. Brown and Fyall 2014,p35). When they travel and find the peace, they need they will return to their original place to continue with their daily activities. Also, the need to broaden one's knowledge is a motivator for one to travel. Tourist travel for different purposes. Some do so for the purpose to explore new areas to interact with the new environment and acquire knowledge. In the alternative, tourism individuals often carry out prior research before they venture into the new location they desire to explore (Hall and Williams, 2013). The tourism aspect provides the tourist with an opportunity to acquire new experiences. Moreover, the tourists travel for self-realisation and to seek happiness. Self-realization involves the discovery of oneself which if often achieved when an individual moves far from their comfort zone(Hall and Williams, 2013). The tourist goes to places where they can interact with nature to seek the self-discovery and indeed, there are many camps organized to promote this need. The self-realisation can be engaged through religious and sports tourism since the aspect of happiness results from driving satisfaction from what one is involved. Furthermore, tourist motivation also stems from a desire for ego enhancement. It refers to the desire to interact with other social beings. When a tourist opts to go for a vacation, they do it to escape the loneliness and seclusion created by the work ethic. The tourist engages in some activities that often involve their interaction with other human beings and building social connections. Most tourist recreational sites have taken this aspect into consideration and have built amenities that will always ensure that the tourist is never alone to sink into depression (Hall and Williams, 2013). The sites provide entertainment through cultural songs, sports among other activities. Finally, the last motivator centres on the tourist having the means to engage in activities that will make them feel fulfilled. It involves having sufficient finances to cover the expenses of tourism activities. After the analysis of the reason, that drives the tourist to engage in tourism. It is also crucial to focus on the elements considered when developing a suitable tourist resort. The fundamentals are often regarded as the 6A’s, and each has significance in the development of a tourist attraction site. The first aspect centres on accessibility; this involves the resort being in an area where the tourist can arrive easily through different means of transport. It also involves a location where it would be economical for the tourist to travel. Besides, this is based on the distance covered to travel to resort and the more the cost incurred and vice versa. Lastly, the time taken to reach the destination should be minimal or less to ensure that the tourist will be willing to come again (Jenkins, 2009). It also ensures that the tourist does not spend their time travelling to the resort instead of site seeing. The second aspect involves the accommodations at the resort. The accommodations in most tourist centres should be well constructed and take into consideration the expansion aspects in their structure(Jenkins, 2009. The accommodation provided at the resort centre should ensure that the tourist is comfortable and safe. However, there are different types of accommodation provided based on individual’s income and their preferences. Accommodation involves five-star hotels, renting apartments for the holiday duration, holiday villages, camping, and cottages for the tourist, and caravan sites among others. The third aspect involves the attraction present in the resort. It refers to anything that will create an immense desire for a person to travel to a particular area to explore(Enugu State Tourism Board, 2016). The attraction sites mainly fall under the following categories; natural, cultural, heritage, architectural and constructed. On the natural perspectives, we have got the wildlife, the pleasant weather, the natural environment. On the cultural and heritage perspectives, we centre on the norms, values and way of life of the inhabitants of a particular region. It also includes their songs, sports and other forms of activities that they engage in for entertainment. From the architectural and constructed viewpoint, the focus is on the historical sites built during a particular era and religious sites. The fourth aspect involves the activities present in the resort. Various activities are crucial for any tourist attraction site, and they often depend on the location of the location(Enugu State Tourism Board, 2016). For a resort located near bodies of water, they need to have swimming, diving, boating activities. In contrast for a resort located in the mountains, hiking activities, mountain climbing among others are crucial. The passive activities such as yoga, wellness and spa are often available for tourists who prefer such activities. The fifth element involves the available packages. It refers to the availability of services that ensure that the tourists will easily access the resort or the attraction site. It may involve a resort located to a primary tourist attraction site; this ensures that when the tourists visit that site, they will be drawn to the secondary site. The last aspect involves ancillary services. They refer to the services that are crucial for daily usage and not necessarily linked to tourism alone. They include water, electricity, good roads, health care facilities, telecommunication network, and accessibility to the internet among others (Enugu State Tourism Board, 2016). The services are crucial in ensuring the tourists visiting the various resorts are not fully separated from the world. Also, they ensure that the life of the tourist during their stay at the resort is comfortable. The key organizations in the private, public and voluntary sector which make up the UK travel and tourism industry are many. An easier way to analyse them is through using the Tourism Supply Chain. The tourism supply chain involves the integration of the hospitality, travel and tourism industry into one entity. In a traditional supply chain network originates from the manufacturing sector. It has different players who play a vital role in facilitating the forward and backward movement of services. The tourism industry has some players who include; input providers, tourism service providers, and the trip arrangers. The tourism industry does utilize the supply chain management strategies they include the sourcing and distribution strategies. The sourcing strategy focuses on the companies that supply services to the major players in the industry. The major players can decide to buy or make the services(Pathak 2014,p135). A good example is Thomas Cook, and Accenture entered into an agreement that enabled them to outsource its back office activities. Another aspect is manufacturing management this involves companies that deal with the making of crafts, food and memento for the tourists visiting the resort points. The last aspect involves capacity management, these deals with the management of tourism activities about transportation and accommodation (Hall and Williams 2013,p 38).The second aspect involves transportation. It involves the company that steps in to provide the transport services for the tourist visiting the country. They include; the air Thomas Cook, national rail, P&O cruises that provide sea transport and finally the national express that provides road transport. The the other main player in the tourism industry involves the companies that handle the accommodation. Accommodation in the tourism industry falls into two aspects that are the service and non-serviced. The serviced accommodation has people engaged in the cleaning aspects, and the food is served to them when they place their orders. Contrariwise, the non-serviced accommodation refers to areas where one has to do everything for themselves (Pathak 2014,p138). An example of the serviced accommodation is the Hilton hotels and resorts and the non-serviced is the Marine holiday park. The other aspect of tourism supply chain refers to the destination points. It involves the companies that handle the management of the resort or attraction sites. The government is one of the key players that ensure that they protect the well sites from any pollution or any man- made interference(Grindstone Scenic Byway Plan, 2011). The other minute aspect of the tourism supply chain involves the organizations that handle the trip arrangement services. It includes booking accommodation and travel arrangements through the various websites on the areas that one wants to tour. There are various websites set by companies in the tourism industry to enable their clients to access their services in advance(Enugu State Tourism Board, 2016). The airlines are an example of the companies that provide the online booking services for their clients. The second aspect involves the government that plays an integral in issuing visas to individuals who are willing to tour various sites in the world. CONCLUSION Tourism is a central part of the modern society, and it has evolved into different dimensions. The two principal categories of tourism are mass and alternative tourism. Tourism plays an integral role in the growth of the economy of any country. Also, it is essential for the refreshment and restoration of the mind. Tourism has six elements that are crucial in ensuring the development of tourist attraction sites or resorts. Additionally, tourism is interlinked with supply chain management. The reason being it involves the distribution of services up and down the tourism chain, in tourism, it is regarded as the tourism supply chain, and it ensures that the end customer gets all the suitable services. REFERENCES A Theoretical Introduction to Tourism. (2016). Tourist Motivations. [online] Available at http://tourismdomain.weebly.com/tourist-motivations.html [Accessed 14 Jul. 2016]. Baku, A. (2013). The Different Types of Tourism. [online] Slideshare.net. 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