Contemporary Issues in Travel & Tourism: A Comprehensive Analysis

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN TRAVEL & TOURISM
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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................11
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................15
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................19
Reference Lists..............................................................................................................................20
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Introduction:
In recent times, the government of every nation has realised that, travel and tourism sector is one
of the major industries contributing to the nation’s GDP and hence development in this sector
would fetch even higher revenues. Various factors are linked to the development of this sector,
which includes security, socio economic condition of a country the political scenario and the
legislations framed by the government. The trends in this sector have also undergone a huge
change over the years. Tourists are now visiting developing nations, instead of developed
countries.
This study focuses on the impact of various factors on the tourism sector and the changing trends
in this sector and the major developments that this industry has experienced in the recent times.
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Task 1
1.1- Analyse issues currently driving change in the travel and tourism sector. You have to
include at least three issues and give a detailed explanation of the issue and its impact on
the travel and tourism sector.
The travel and tourism sector is a major industry that is contributing to the GDP of the nation and
therefore the government is slowly shifting its focus to this sector, to maximize the revenues
from this sector. However, various factors affect the development of this sector. Some of these
include increased security, latest developments in technology, the socio economic condition of
the nation, and the government in power several laws governing the tourism sector and the taxes
imposed by the government. A few of them are discussed below:
Security: In the current scenario, when terrorism is on the rise, majority of the tourists are scared
away by the slightest chances of terrorist attacks. Thus, a politically unstable nation, which is
more prone to terrorist attacks do not gain much of tourist’s attention. Tourists would rather visit
a place, which is more secured and protected, than a place with a great natural resources but no
protection. Every business needs a safe secure and tension free environment to establish it
successfully. The tourism industry is no exception from this. An unstable socio political situation
in the country, which gives rise to increased incidences of corruption, robbery, religious conflicts
terrorism, kidnapping, militancy, assassination and conflicts among ethnic groups, are the factors
that push away majority of the tourists (Han and Hyun, 2015). Thus maintaining safety and
security in a nation is the key to promoting its tourism sector
Advancements in Technology: With the advancements in the field of science and technology,
every industry must adopt it to sustain the increasing market competition. The same applies for
the tourism sector. Digital technology must be adapted by the sector to minimise its operational
cost and therefore maximize profit margins (Kim et al., 2014). Online booking facilities for
tickets and accommodation must be provided. Additionally, the tourist organizations might use
social media platforms for advertising and for connecting all across the globe almost instantly.
The information regarding various offers and discounts or events taking place in different parts
of the world can be conveyed to tourists all over the world using social media platforms. Thus,
technology improves the ease of access and ease of transaction. The use of latest technology is
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extremely cost effective and time saving and hence serves to maximize profit margins (Huang et
al., 2016).
Socio-economic situation: The socio-economic situation of every nation is vital when the
tourism sector is considered. After Brexit, the tourism sector in UK has suffered major losses.
The socio economic situation of the entire world, determines whether tourists all over the world
would be able to afford trips and include tourism in their annual budget (Fang et al., 2016). If
there is a fall in the economy of any nation, the tourism sector of every other country would
suffer. In order to, keep up with the downfall in the economy, the prices of the tickets and the
accommodation costs must be lowered, so that it is affordable by majority of visitors all over the
world. Moreover the fall in economy of the host nation, implies that the country would be unable
to maintain its tourist spots and cultural heritage sites properly and hence its tourism sector will
not experience any development. Moreover, the taxes imposed by the government also have a
major effect in the tourism sector. Higher taxes tend to push away tourists largely.
1.2- Analyse different current issues using appropriate methods and resources.
In recent times, after Brexit, the tourism industry in UK is majorly affected by terrorism and the
socio economic condition in the country. The impact of these two factors on the tourism industry
is discussed in the following section with the help of secondary data. The secondary data are
gathered from highly reliable information resources. This method is also appropriate as this is
beneficial in gathering huge information in a cost effective and time bound manner.
Impact of terrorism:
The unstable socio political situation in UK has been inviting many terrorist attacks in the recent
times, which has affected its tourism industry largely. The incidences of armoured robberies are
on the rise in UK. The amount of corruptions, assassinations, religious conflicts are also
increasing. As per reports, it has been seen the kidnapping of young girls In UK is not a rare
incident anymore. The conflicts between several ethnic groups residing in UK are major area of
concern too. All these factors, tend away to push away the tourists, who would rather prefer a
safe and secure destination for holidaying rather than a place which is extremely rich in both
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