Unlocking Effective Training and Development Strategies

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Contemporary Issues in Travel
and Tourism
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
Identify and analyse the current issues that are driving change in the travel and tourism sector....3
Analyse at least two issues of a Turkey...........................................................................................4
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................................4
Evaluate and discuss the emerging trends that are influencing change in the travel and tourism
sector................................................................................................................................................4
Analyse these trends affects Turkey in terms of tourism products and offerings............................5
TASK 3.................................................................................................................................................6
Analyse and discuss Thomson has responded to the emerging trends............................................6
Develop strategies on Thomson could
respond to change...........................................................................................................................7
Justify strategies on Thomson could
respond to change...........................................................................................................................7
TASK 4.................................................................................................................................................8
Analyse the impacts on the performance of Thomson.....................................................................8
Discuss the consequences of firms failing to response to the changing needs................................9
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
Contemporary issues are the problems which are impacting the present business world as well
as society and people associated to it. Travel and tourism sector is the largest and fastest growing
service industry. There are some issues which this industry is facing. There are several contemporary
issues which are affecting business of the travel and tourism which lead to decrease it’s the profitability
and company’s reputation (Giménez Sifontes, Marín and Cedeño, 2015). For conducting the current
research, Turkey is chosen as a tourism destination and Thompson is chosen as a tour operator.
Thomson is dealing in the businesses which include travel agency, airlines and own cruise line. In this
report, different issues with its resources are discussed. Furthermore, emerging trends are evaluated
with its effectiveness. In addition to this, e responses of Thomson Company will be evaluated to meet
the emerging demands. Moreover, various impacts on the performance of travel and tourism industry
will be discussed with the consequences of firms due to which they are not able to meet the changing
needs.
TASK 1Identifying and analysing the current issues that are driving change in the travel and tourism
sector
There are many current issues in the travel and tourism sector which are affecting the business
and profitability of Thompson. Some currently developing issues are as follows: Terrorism and security: This is major current issue which has been faced by tour operators as
well as visitors. Attacks of the terrorists are making people to less visit the destination where
they want to visit. Terrorism always focuses to enhance fear among visitors to influence their
behaviour. As per the terrorist attacks, people tend to visit less because of the security issue (Ng
and Austin, 2015). Through terrorism, people are reliable on more safety as well as security and
want that there should be more safety measures while travelling. Due to this issue, business of
the Turkey is affecting because visitors are visiting the travel destination less. Health and safety concerns: If there is real threats or natural accidents then it will affect
business of the destination. Health and safety should be properly managed and if it is not
managed effectively then it will lead to adverse accidents which can impact the profitability and
sustainability of businesses, society and chosen destination (Tugores and García, 2015). If
visitors feel like someone is threatening them and feel unsafe then it may impact revenue of
destination as visitors will prefer to stay less. Moreover, it also leads to decrease the repeat
visitation and mouth to mouth recommendation.
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Negative social - cultural impacts: Travel and tourism can bring many social benefits but it has many
negative aspects also. The first factor is commodification in which local society reconstructs their
culture to attract more tourists in which real ethnicity and human values get changed and through
that, sacred sites and objects are not considered by the tourism. Secondly, standardization also
affects the culture in which unfamiliar things are done to satisfy the customers such as providing
accommodations and foods accordingly (Xu, He and Hua, 2015). Thirdly, adaptation of the
tourist demands such as drugs and alcohol etc. will lead to negative social–culture impacts. This
is because, through this, the chosen destination will lose the authenticity and cultural aspects of
the travel destination which means it will hurt the sentiments of the people. Analysing at least
two issues of Turkey
Turkey has seen rapid growth in the travel and tourism industry since few recent years and
increase the value of the Turkish economy. This is providing business to the chosen travel destination
but there are some issues which are affecting its profitability also. Two main issues related to the travel
and tourism are as follows: Terrorism factor: Several bomb attacks have been done on Turkey which have influenced
visitors to visit less to the Turkey. Fear of terrorism is influencing people to not visit the chosen
destination. Because of the terrorist’s attacks, Turkey cannot able to protect visitors properly
(Turkey's tourism industry on the brink as bookings tumble, 2016). Some of the countries have
warned their public to avoid Turkey trip because of the terrorist attacks happenings in the
country. This is affecting the economy of Turkey and tourism business. Government of Turkey
should have to take strict action against terrorism.
 Security factor: This is the second aspect which is a major issue due to which many people are
avoiding to visit Turkey. There is an extreme risk of security because within the some
kilometre, there is Syria border where has availability of various attacks and ongoing conflicts.
Furthermore, unpredictable security situation is also influencing people to less visit to the
Turkey (Jervis, 2015). Other factor which is related to security is kidnapping and it is affecting
the travel and tourism business of Turkey. Protests and demonstrations which are taking place
regularly in Turkey are also influencing people to visit less to the chosen destination.
TASK 2Evaluating and discussing the emerging trends that are influencing change in the travel and
tourism sector
There are various emerging trends which are determining change in the travel and tourism
sector and they are given below as: Sustainable Tourism: It helps in protecting and enhancing the growth of the destination, its
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environment, culture, heritage etc. This assists in meeting needs of the destination as well as
overall requirements of the visitors. In this, Eco tourism is the main aspect which considers
natural areas, environmental and cultural appreciation as well as conservation etc. (Epstein and
et. al., 2015). Cultural and heritage tourism: Now, tourism is also preferring the places which constitute of
authenticity as well as ethnicity and also share stories of the past and present. This tourism is
attracting the people which want to know about the cultural and rituals of the chosen
destination. Technology in Tourism: This is one of the emerging trends which is influencing people to
travel and visit different places to make the life easier. For example, airline boarding passes
with the help of mobile phones (Belleflamme and Peitz, 2015). Mobile technology and social
media play an important role to attract large number of tourists towards destination. Luxury tourism: In the travel and tourism, luxury has become a trend for both the leisure as
well as business travellers. Now days, people want comfortable travelling so that they are
spending more to save their time. In this, people also want personalized attention and
immaculate services to feel special and get an unforgettable travel experiences.
Shopping tourism: It is one of the important parts of travelling. Some destinations provide good
quality of the products with different offers and discounts through which tourists get attracted
and purchase them (rodanský, Street and nad Labem, 2013). Many hotels and airports also
include many retail outlets so that tourists can buy from them and for that, they do proactively
marketing. Analysing that these trends affect Turkey in terms of tourism products and offerings
There are some trends which have impact on Turkey in terms of tourism products and offerings.
These are given below as:
 Number of Visitors: Turkey is the sixth most popular city of the world in terms of tourism and
in 2011, it attracted 31.5 million tourists. But, this gradually falls in recent years because of the
economic crisis in UK as well as political issues in Turkey (Travel in Turkey, 2016). In Turkey,
sustainable tourism has increased because there are various beaches and other places. Because
of less visitors, it has affected economy of the turkey in terms of tourism business and
profitability.
 Attractions: There are various destinations and attractions in Turkey which are attracting large
number of cultural and heritage based tourists who want to know about the history of chosen
destination (Coale and Hoover, 2015). Some major attractions of Turkey are Chora church,
Basilica Cistern, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Topkapi palace etc. It is attracting large numbers of
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visitors to see these attractions. This is providing profitability to Turkish economy through
which they are making various variations to attract large number of tourists.
 Accommodations: This is one of the major aspects in which tourists want luxurious and
comfortable environment. For instance: hotels are going green by having eco-friendly programs
through which they are attracting more visitors (Ryscavage, 2015). Here, hotels are providing
free Wi-Fi connection and other electronic gadgets to their guests through which they are
attracted to visit again and again. More luxury and comfort environment brings more customers
and it is helpful for the economy.
 Social and Cultural Environment: This aspect provides both the negative and positive impacts
on Turkish economy. If country is establishing good infrastructure and other leisure amenities
then it will benefit local community of the chosen destination (George and Ferraro, 2015).
There are many traditional customs and rituals that are attracting large number of tourists and it
is increasing revenue of the economy. Whereas, visitor’s behaviour, drugs and alcohol
problems, crime levels etc. are affecting the business of Turkey.
TASK 3Analysing and discussing that Thomson has responded to the emerging trends
Thomson has been able to meet all the needs and requirements of customers by offering various
services that they want in their travelling. Various emerging trends with which Thomson has responded
are given below as: Passenger Transport: Thomson is giving their passenger comfort and luxurious travelling so
that they prefer to visit again and again. Company is dealing with airlines and cruises so they
are providing better transportation facilities (Bulmer, 2015). Thomson cruises in the Europe
border are offering services to the customers at very low price. But, outside the Europe
destination, they provide flights for their customers according to the preferences so that they
can travel safe and comfortably. Single brand strategy: Tour operations of Thomson include single brand strategy so that large
number of the customers can be attracted. Company has various business operations through
which they operate tours and give preferences according to the customers (Thomson, 2016).
Company has its own resorts and hotels under its brand name such as Sensatori, A La Carte etc.
in which they has all the essential facilities which one wants to get with travelling.
 Packaging and marketing: It is considered as one of the leading organizations which provides
the best tour package through which they attract large number of tourists (King and et. al.,
2015). Company provides packages according to the budget of people and gives various offers
to purchase their products as well as services. To attract various customers to buy its packages,
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Thomson is doing effective advertising in which it includes TV campaign, and social media as
well as offering various coupons and vouchers.
Developing strategies on Thomson could respond to change
There are various strategies which have responded to the change as per the emerging trends and
to meet the customer’s requirements. Among the all, the best strategy is product development which
helps in developing products and services of Thomson in an effective manner in order to attract more
customers. For the product development, there should be some services which have to be developed
and these are as follows: Accommodations: Company should provide 5 star hotels and resorts for stay so that visitors
can feel comfortable and there should have all luxury in rooms. There should have all the
facilities in rooms so that they do not have to search for their belongings (Zander, A. and et. al.,
2015). According to the tastes and preferences, rooms should be designed and accordingly,
there should have all the amenities in rooms. Destinations: Destinations and attractions which Thompson is providing should be according to
the customer’s needs and requirements. Some tourists want eco-tourism so places for them
should be accordingly only (Goldscheider, Bernhardt and Lappegård, 2015). On the other hand,
some visitors want culture tourism so places for them should be chosen as per that. If company
is providing better destinations to their customers then more tourists will be able to come.
 Safety and security: If customers are travelling at different places then they want security so
that they can travel comfortably. Some measures should be taken by the company to safeguard
their passengers and they should take care that no accidents should be available (Beard and
Bloom, 2015). Safety and security also show that it is an important aspect which should be
considered and if it is regretted then it can impact effectiveness of the organization.
Justifying strategies on Thomson could respond to change
The strategy which should be used by Thomson in building the company should be adoptable to
the change. Furthermore, new trends should be practised by company to increase their revenues. To
justify the above strategies of Thomson related to produce new products and services as well as to meet
the customer’s requirements, they have some strategies which are as follows: Accommodations: Organization should provide good accommodation facilities in the visitor’s
rooms such as housekeeping, laundry and linen services etc. Thomson should render rooms to
their tourists in which free Wi-Fi connection and electronic gadgets like tablets and computers
should be available (Kolios, Read and Ioannou, 2016). Through this, customers try to purchase
the services of Thomson again and again. For instance: Thompson is providing Sensatori resort
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in Turkey where it provides beach front resort, beautiful Sorgun forest and stylish restaurants.
In addition to this, private pool suite is also offered for the wealthy tourists. Through this, they
are able to attract large number of customers towards their organization. Destinations: Thomson is providing luxurious islands, hotels and destinations to their
customers according to the needs and requirements of them. Some popular destinations which
Thomson provides to their customers are Mexico, Turkey, Jamaica, Europe and other
destinations in the world (Hamarneh, 2013). Company is offering various aspects to their
tourists from its collection which includes various dining and travelling experiences.
 Safety and security: This is also one of the major factors which should be considered while
making effective strategy. Thomson should have to take safety measures so that no one can get
hurt and it will enhance company's image and reputation (Thomson, 2016). Organization should
first take consideration that chosen destination place is good for the tourists or not and if not
then they should try to avoid that place.
TASK 4Analysing impacts on the performance of Thomson
After analysing strategies, there are various impacts on the performance of Thomson and
through which, company is gaining many benefits. If above stated strategies are useful for the
organization then it will lead to increase in revenue of the company. This is because many visitors are
preferring this tour operator as the best. Through this, profitability will be increased and expansion of
the market share will be done (Schejbal, 2012). If strategies like product development are used in
chosen firm then the organization will provides the best accommodation facilities, good destinations
and considered safety and security measures. If the strategies are effective then it will be one of the
best strategies which will provide effectiveness to the organizations. If profitability of Thomson is
increasing by meeting needs and requirements of the customers, then company can be able to build its
reputation in the market place and by this, more visitors will prefer to visit the place. Through this,
performance of the Thomson will increase in the marketplace.
Other impact which can benefit Thomson is adapting the skills. These helps at time of
emergency in which tour operator is unable to find hotels and luggage which are stolen. In this, they
get lesson and are able to adapt the skills to make a better organization. In addition to this, it provides
new opportunities to Thomson in creating new things that is recreation (Balli, Balli and Cebeci 2013).
It also helps in making tour packages according to the customer’s expectations and requirements
through which customers can get happy and satisfied. If the tour packages which are makes
accordingly to the customers' needs and budget then the more economical customers will visits to this
chosen organization as a it will be most preferred tour operators. Furthermore, other two main benefits
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for the best tour operator can legally argue for the tax write off as well as ask some percent discounts
on food entertainment if their customers are businessman.
Discussing the consequences of firms if they fail to response the changing needs
If company is not able to implement strategies which are adopted to meet the customer’s needs
and requirements then Thomson has to face many challenges. This will affect profitability of the
organization. This is because if organization is not able to serve their customers with better stay and
accommodation facilities then number of customers will get started to decrease and this will affect the
organization (Brodanský, Street and Labem, 2013). If number of customers gets decreased then
revenues of the organization will also be minimized. This will lead to major consequences for
Thomson and they will not be able to stand in the market. This is because if there is less number of
customers then they will also do less mouth to mouth publicity for the organization which is considered
as a useful advertising strategy in this sector.
If firm fails to capture more customers then its market share will gradually go down which will
affect the profitability as well as company’s image and reputation. Firm should be adaptable to the
changes which are according to the customer’s needs and requirements. If company does not follow the
changing needs then it has to face consequences which can bring company's downfall (Tugores and
García, 2015). If Thomson does not provide health and safety concerns in their tour packages then
none of the customers will be able to travel with the chosen firm as it is the major concern for the
tourists. Therefore, this should be got fulfilled. In addition to this, If Thomson not able to adopt the
changes then it will makes as the disadvantages for Thomson.
CONCLUSION
In this report, it has been concluded that there are various contemporary issues which affect
travel and tourism and these are Terrorism, negative social- culture environment etc. In Turkey, major
issues are terrorism, safety and security etc. which are affecting its economy. Moreover, there are
various emerging trends which are influencing tourism sector such as cultural, sustainable and luxury
tourism. Attractions, accommodations and various culture of the turkey have influenced visitors to
come here to visit. Furthermore, strategy has been made and in which, major factors are
accommodation, safety concerns and destination. If this strategy gets successful them it will increase
profitability of Thomson and if not, then company has to face consequences such as decrease in
revenues, loss of customer base and market share etc.
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REFERENCES
Journals and Books
Balli, F., Balli, H. O. and Cebeci, K., 2013. Impacts of exported Turkish soap operas and visa-free
entry on inbound tourism to Turkey. Tourism Management. 37. pp.186-192.
Beard, J. R. and Bloom, D. E., 2015. Towards a comprehensive public health response to population
ageing. The Lancet. 385(9968). pp.658-661.
Belleflamme, P. and Peitz, M., 2015. Industrial organization: markets and strategies. Cambridge
University Press.
Brodanský, M., Street, P. and nad Labem, Ú., 2013. Comparison of the Outdoor Activities Level in
Selected Countries. European Researcher. 55(7-2). pp.1914-1918.
Bulmer, M., 2015. The Social Basis of Community Care (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.
Coale, A. J. and Hoover, E. M., 2015. Population growth and economic development. Princeton
University Press.
Epstein, L. and et.al., 2015. The Supreme Court compendium: Data, decisions, and developments. Cq
Press.
George, L. and Ferraro, K. eds., 2015. Handbook of aging and the social sciences. Academic Press.
Giménez Sifontes, D., Marín, C. and Cedeño, S., 2015. Factors influencing the cost model applied to
the process of making management decisions for the hotel companies in the state of Nueva
Esparta. PASOS: Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. 13(1). pp.207-222.
Goldscheider, F., Bernhardt, E. and Lappegård, T., 2015. The gender revolution: A framework for
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Review. 41(2). pp.207-239.
Hamarneh, I., 2013. Corporate Social Responsibility as a competitive advantage in Tourism sector.
Journal of Tourism & Services. 4(7).
Jervis, R., 2015. Perception and misperception in international politics. Princeton University Press.
King, B. A. and et. al., 2015. Trends in awareness and use of electronic cigarettes among US adults,
2010–2013. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 17(2). pp.219-227.
Kolios, A., Read, G. and Ioannou, A., 2016. Application of multi-criteria decision-making to risk
prioritisation in tidal energy developments. International Journal of Sustainable Energy. 35(1).
pp.59-74.
Ng, D. and Austin, I., 2015. Integrated resorts and hotel (gambling) service enterprises in Singapore,
Macau and Australia: the changing policy landscape. Asian Journal of Political Science. pp.1-
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Ryscavage, P., 2015. Income inequality in America: An analysis of trends. Routledge.
Schejbal, C. T. I. R. A. D., 2012. Clusters in tourism. Acta Geoturistica. 3(1). pp.1-7.
Tugores, M. and García, D., 2015. The impact of innovation on firms' performance: an analysis of the
hotel sector in Majorca. Tourism Economics. 21(1). pp.121-140.
Xu, L., He, P. and Hua, Z., 2015. A New Form for a Hotel to Collaborate with a Third-Party Website:
Setting Online-Exclusive-Rooms. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. 20(6). pp.635-655.
Zander, A. and et. al., 2015. Active travel to work in NSW: trends over time and the effect of social
advantage. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 25(3). pp.167-173.
Online
Thomson. 2016. [Online]. Available through: <http://www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/legal/about-
thomson.html>. [Accessed on 30th May 2016].
Travel in Turkey. 2016. [Online]. Available through:
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<http://www.euromonitor.com/travel-in-turkey/report>. [Accessed on 30th May 2016].
Turkey's tourism industry on the brink as bookings tumble. 2016. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/turkey/articles/turkey-tourism-on-the-
brink/>. [Accessed on 30th May 2016].
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