Hospitality, Tourism, Events Environment: Challenges, Trends, and Sustainability in the Natural History Museum

This report explores the challenges, trends, and sustainability practices in the hospitality, tourism, and events environment of the Natural History Museum. It discusses the museum's financial operations, consumer trends, and objectives. The report also highlights the museum's role in spreading awareness about global sustainability.

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Hospitality, Tourism, Events
Environment
 MODULE CODE: MODoo4056.
 MODULE NAME: Hospitality, Tourism, Events Environment.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Hospitality industry play a crucial role in provide superior class services, royal
accommodations, meaningful experience to the public, operations of hospitality industry
are wide and complex whether it is event, tourism, or hotel conduct. Tourism and events
are basically connected with each other’s due to similarity in functioning and providing
client services. They manage various functions all together such as operations,
government regulations, stakeholders, current market trends, issues in business conduct
and many more. In this report, Natural History Museum has taken which is one the
great exposure of ancient and historic collections (Agapito, 2018). This great museum
was first established in 1881 in the London. The report is going to carry out the
challenges, trends, ant science resolution, governmental control and stakeholders
existence which is necessary to understand about how these tourism organisations
manage their operations and sustainability into the leading dynamic world by putting
highlights on its financial funding as well as consumer preferences.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE........................................................................................3
OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................ 3
CONSUMER TRENDS..................................................................................................4
SUSTAINABILITY (in texting).......................................................................................8
FINANCIAL OPERATIONS............................................................................................9
GOVERNANCE.......................................................................................................... 10
REFERENCE LIST...................................................................................................... 13
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ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE
The museum is managed by executive board and museum director. It forms a
tentative flow of authority and responsibility as boards of trustees is responsible for all
the management related to museum they manage funds for organisation as well as
maintenance of resources in museum where as the director of museum is answerable to
board of trustees(Armstrong and et. al., 2019). The director of museum is Doug Gurr
who manages internal activities of organisations (Agapito, 2018). He manages staff of
museum and make internal strategies for organisation. Executive board is also
responsible for running the museum and they are answerable to director of museum.
They work under the direction of director and enjoy rights to taker decision for
museum. It is mainly known for dinosaur, skeleton sculptures.
The museum contains collection of books, articles, magazines and facts about
the whole research in order to provide details about the scientific experiments with
accountability. The museum has attractive features in order to attract large tourist
without charging entrance fees as per all the other publicly funded museums (Braun,
2019). It is incredibly and beautifully structured for containing by modern valuable
collection within the premises and designed as according to that. It has minimum of 850
employees in which they have separated departmental of groups public engagement and
science group (Agyeman, 2019).
The museum has a lot to be a reason for tourist comeback due to having rare
specimen collection which could not found in modern world. The main purpose of
setting up these historical cultures to provide acknowledgement of past monuments that
people are unaware about. It provides a shocking and thrilled experience of knowing
species, plans, sculptures closely.
OBJECTIVES
As per annual report for 2019-2020 there are many strategic objective and
activities maintained by Natural History Museum. As technology is growing with time
there are many changes museum need to made to be in race with upcoming time.
Natural history museum vision is grounded on the perception of making advocates
that can defend earth from human made disasters and negative impact of environmental
changes (Blooploop, 2020).
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Engaging widest possible public: As earth belongs to everyone therefore its
everyone responsibility to take care of their home by doing less harmful activities to
earth environment. With technological development there are many negative impacts
which are affecting earth environment and by involving more and more audience for
motive of safeguarding earth environment will help in decreasing such activities and
also reducing burden on earth.
Expanding organisational resources in term of garden and galleries: As this
is a natural museum thus the organisation is full of natural resources which includes
plant and animal specimen, different minerals, specimen of insects and knowledge
about different animal kingdoms of current species as well as extinct and endangered
species (Cusuem, 2020). Thus expanding the base for natural resources such as garden
and galleries is very necessary for museum to attract audience and to spread awareness
among individuals related to different aspects of mother Earth.
Securing the future of organisation's collection: As these resources are
government property and these are kept in museum on lease therefore its museum
responsibility to secure and protect their collection. Also there are chances that with
time the life of these natural resources get expired and thus they end up being no use to
museum thus museum is also responsible for protecting these natural resources in long
term and their future use(Demirag, 2018).
Digital availability of resources: For spreading awareness among individuals
about safeguarding mother earth from any harm the data and knowledge should be as
easy to available as it can and thus availability of data digitally is very useful for
museum. Thus this is also one of the main objective of museum.
Creating a sustainable and resilient museum: As organisation environment is
changing with time, museum need to maintain some strategic methods to be dynamic in
nature so that they resale and sustain in difficult situations. They should have enough
financial fund to cope up with future uncertainties and also have strategic plans related
to organisational environment.
CONSUMER TRENDS
Digital technologies: Using digital technology is very important for museum to
sustain and thrive in changing business environment like United Kingdom. More and
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more audience prefer digital world for grabbing knowledge and awareness about natural
world. Also, if the information and views of variety of species in different dimension is
available online then there will be high chance that audience will be highly attracted
towards work of museum and thus providing enough opportunity to grow and thrive.
1. Foodies Invade the Museum
Visitors expect food choices that match their lifestyle and smart museum professionals
are stepping up to this trend. “Our guests are eating lighter and more conscientiously and
that means offering menu items that include vegetarian and gluten free options, said
Maureen Sharaf, foodservices manager at Millstone Café at the Brandywine River
Museum of Art in Chadds Ford, PA(Gregory, 2019).
 Also, the Smithsonian’s newest restaurant offers burgers and fries as well as
pan-fried rainbow trout with a side of hazelnut butter.
2. Museum Meetups Become Common
 The gallery or top floor is more than just an exhibit experience. It becomes
an egalitarian place for people to gather, chat and engage with other visitors.
 Here are some museums that are reusing space for informal and
collaborative community experiences — The Commons at MCA
Chicago, ACMI X at the Australian Centre of Moving Images in
Australia and Wonder lab at the Science Museum, London.
3. Museums Finally Take a Stand
 Anyone who has watched the news for the past 12 months or past 12
minutes can easily tell that things are broken. Research explains that
museums are viewed as one of the few remaining places to get true
statements and discover educational joy. Expect more museums to
strengthen their missions by directly highlighting community challenges.
The Tenement Museum, a historic site that focuses on 19th century
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European immigration to NYC is now engaging the current U.S. — Mexican
border refugee conversation.
 This trend is quickly growing, art museums
from Birmingham to Portland are also addressing local community
challenges.
4. Trusted Places and Safe Spaces
 If knowledge is truly power, then museums should have great leverage to
step in as a centre for facts and accuracy. As a smart museum professional
here is an opportunity to serve as an active change maker. The public wants
your museum to be relevant.
5. Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality Goes Mainstream
 There are a lot of questions surrounding artificial intelligence, augmented
reality, virtual reality and its relation to museums. What about an automated
collections process or an algorithm that creates programs or exhibits?
Though museum professionals are not getting replaced anytime soon,
AR/VR is playing a role in replacing the standard visitor experience. There
is a growing field of affordable options for augmented reality.
 Recently, the Los Angeles Natural History Museum hosted a 6-minute VR
underwater expedition. The experience let visitors “swim” without the need
for underwater breathing equipment. This example is a great way to spark
the minds of visitors and gain a foothold in the growing STEAM initiative.
6. More Shared Histories
 The open secret that most museum professionals are ignoring is the boom in
genealogy research. Due to inexpensive genetic testing and the digitization
of personal data, thousands of people are building a deep interest in past
family lines. In 2018, Ancestry.com announced that it had tested over 7
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million people. This explosion in genealogy is a great opportunity to create
sustainable programming and exhibits tied to community origins.
 It also opens the door for museums to reveal and share local non-Eurocentric
stories. In the American South, Historic Columbia, is doing an excellent job
of preserving the home of a local civil rights activist as well as interpreting
the importance of black freedom.
7. Expect New Leadership Models
 Here is another open secret that museum professionals won’t say out aloud
— museum attendance rates are declining across the globe. Artnet reported,
“In total, London’s seven biggest art institutions have seen their attendance
figures plummet from more than 26 million in 2014 to 24.7 million in 2017.”
Lower attendance is also happening in U.S. art and history museums.
 Smart museum professionals understand the need to be relevant to the
general public. Here are two museum directors that exemplify data-driven
museum leadership — Charles Venable at Newfields (he dramatically
increased attendance by combining the arts, nature and a beer garden)
and Jennifer Trainer Thompson at Hancock Shaker Village (she introduced
farm-to-table dinners and goat yoga to a village farm museum).
SUSTAINABILITY (IN TEXTING)
Sustainability in the changing world is very important for the museum as there
are many organisation changes faced by these museums. Saving the planet which is
known as global sustainability is very important as the human being is using and
exploiting earthly resources which are non-renewable in nature and thus the earth will
end up having limited resources which will be only used for rich peoples and not for
poor peoples (Ledgerwood, 2017). Thus, awareness related to global sustainability
needed to be spread because without global sustainability museum might not able to
sustain too. For this purpose, its duty of museums to spread awareness related to global
sustainability by using extinct and heritage which are due to human act. Following are
the ways by which sustainability can be speeded as awareness among peoples:
Using digital technology
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Maintaining attractive resources in museum: Maintaining natural resources
which can attract and entertain public is very important. Because without attractive
content organisation might not able to attract and retain more public and thus global
sustainability will be out of museum reach. If Natural History Museum wants to
sustain then the organisation needs to attract as much customer, they can attract and for
that there is high need of entertaining and knowledgeable content (Hall and Prayag,
2019). For that instance, the museum has great monuments of sculptures, skeleton,
animal leather and other varieties of shields. Also, by having attractive content like
animals’ scriptures, skeleton, cultural footprints and many other such resources will
help public to understand better about the past life of animals and human beings. By this
museum will be able to spread awareness about the global sustainability and thus move
towards vision of global sustainability.
Carbon emission: In order to achieve zero carbon emission goal, the museum
try to save every wasteful substance through their machinery and working. They save
more than 15000 tonnes of carbon dioxide for installation. They are working to build
and operate an effective energy centre to make it environment friendly (Mallin, 2016).
They have already launch solar panels in order to deliver for building botanic and
Ornithology. Ornithology refers to different study of birds and bird’s kingdom that have
lived during the early earth time and got extinct due to climate changes. Whereas botany
refers to study of plants and plants kingdom which can be used for their medicinal
property and thus will help in growth of humanity. These all will also help in moving
towards global sustainability strongly.
FINANCIAL OPERATIONS
Financial operations are essential part to carry out the operation which an
organisation established into the market through which the company fulfil its
requirement of funding. There is immense need of financial resources to achieve set
targets by engaging sound management of funding. These are the requirements required
for financial operations.
Grant-in-aid: it is an effective source of funding through which all public
factors supports funding for public regulatory organisation. It consists less obligatory
procedure and benefits to make innovation and required changes into the organisation.
National history museum receives their funds through DCMS solution which is digital,
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culture, media and support (Natural History Museum, 2019). Through past number of
years, they are continuously working on getting these funding due to having reputed
image and licensing into tourism market.
The trading company: this company shows an integral part of National history
museum. By getting half of funds through grant-in-aid. Rest of the fund will get
accumulated through commercial activity of museum. It establishes various exhibition
into international level, catering, retail, events consultancy and brand management. This
trading company work as a subsidiary where all the accounts get prepared separately to
acknowledge how much funds it has gained into financial years. The members of this
company are museum director, finance director. The museum does not grant or lend any
loan to the outside and other than this company(Wetherley and Otter, 2018).
GOVERNANCE
Natural history museum is a history museum in London which contains various
specimen related to history of nature. It includes specimen related to plants, extinct
animals, insects, minerals and animal kingdoms. It officially known as British Museum
till 1962 later it recognised as National history museum.
This is an historical museum which is providing number of services to
customers. This can be states that all these are related to following ethical and effective
corporate governance in business section. There are number of standards which are
followed by business firm in order to meet needs a perform task in effective way. these
are discussed below:
In business firm, it follows and effective strategy where it related all function in ethical
manner and well-structured way (Ledgerwood, 2017). this include using build
sustainable long-term value; selects a chief executive officerincluding allocating capital
for long-term growth and assessing and managing risks.
 Management develops and implements corporate strategy and operates the
company’s business under the board’s oversight, with the goal of producing
sustainable long-term value creation.
At National history museum, they follow a chain of governance which are
described below:
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`Board of trustee: - Doug Gurr is appointed as Museum director and part of
board of executive committee. This board of authority consist a group if 12 members in
which eight members are committee with governmental bodies, other members being
into consideration with the majority of society whereas, rest are chosen by the Museum
committee itself. These members are entitled for promoting ideas and suggestions.
Meeting which held into once in many years. In meetings, they decide all the laws,
rules, budgets and operations of the museum to build effective changes compared t past
performance
The Executive board: The members involve into this board of authority, they
are liable to plan the strategies, provide decision making management, regulatory
control, projects and procedures. These all activities get execution after permitted by
executive’s directors. The whole museum all together function responsibility and
authorities to each department get monitored and controlled by these members.
These governance control and monitor all the functions and operations within
the museum in order to utilise effective resources and natural substance to avoid
wastage, enhance committee contribution and attract more of customers. Standard of
governance of national history museum is very good and board of executive try to fulfil
all the goals and targeted set by board of director. The organisation set target related to
global sustainability and museum is constantly moving in that direction by spreading
awareness.
The members of the Board of Trustees are listed below
 Chair - The lord green of Hurstpierpoint
 Prof sir John Beddington
 Dame Frances Cairncross
 Anand Mahindra
 Hilary Newiss
 Robert Noel
 Simon Patterson
 Prof sir Stephen Sparks
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 Prof Dame Janet Thornton
 Dr Kim L Winser
 Prof yadvinder malhi
 Harris Bokhari
KEY STAKEHOLDER
 Supplier: These are important stake holder to this museum as they help in
running the function in smooth and effective way. Supplier are useful part as
they help in collation all those martial which are required in order to produces.
 Buyer: They are also acting as an essential stakeholder in business firm as they
help in running operation by using the services provided by museum.
 Government: In current time government is focusing on business function that
are useful in order to meet needs of firm (Financial Reporting Council, 2018). It
acts as essential stakeholder ion businesses it government helps in performing
functions and guiding business firm.
 Investor: These are also acting as a key stakeholder as they help in collecting
funds for performing business task. In case of investors, these are acting as a
major stake holder in business firm and are used in order to meet needs and
perform task related to collection of finance.
 Employees: These are the working member in business firm which act as
essential part in functioning business function and meeting task needs.
employees are also useful stakeholder in business firm as they are the key to
implement the projects and have right to know about the functions performed by
business firm.
 Manager: These are also an essential part in business firm as they contribute in
performing task by managing work and using this work according to needs of
current time.
 Society: Society is also an external key stakeholder in business of chosen firm.
This is because it provides number of output in order to perform function and
meet needs according to business requirements.
Current issue
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Current issue related to museum is that currently museum wanted to work in the
direction of global sustainability and wanted to spread awareness related to global
sustainability. For this purpose, museum need to maintain resources that can attract and
entertain public. Also, museum need to keep all those resources which can spread
knowledge and awareness into public so that people can work on global sustainability
and thus future of earth can be secured. Also, National history museum need to arrange
funds and financial support so that organisation can maintain resources and museum
items. This can be seen that these issues are impacting on the performance of business
as well as changing business situation according to needs of business firm.
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REFERENCE LIST
Books and journal
Armstrong, G and et. al., 2019. Marketing an Introduction. 4 th ed. Harlow: Pearson
-Agyeman K.W., 2019. Top 10 Museum Trends You Should Know. Museum Tech
Trends, [online] 8 January. Available at: https://medium.com/museum-
techtrends/top-10-museum-trends-in-2019-3c5582ed8253 [Accessed 14 July
2020].
-Braun, R., 2019. Corporate Stakeholder Democracy: Politicizing Corporate Social
Responsibility. Budapest: Central European University Press
-Blooploop., 2020. Top visitor attraction trends for 2020. [online] 6 February. Available
at: [Accessed 14 July 2020].
-Cusuem., 2020. Top Technology Trends for 2020: What it means for museums and
non-profits. [online] 4 February. Available at: [Accessed 14 July 2020].
-Demirag, I., 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility, Accountability and Governance:
Global Perspectives. 1 st ed. Abingdon; Routledge
-Financial Reporting Council, 2018. The UK Corporate Governance Code. [pdf]
London: Financial Reporting Council. Available at: [Accessed 24 July 2019].
-Gregory, T., 2019 The Big Trends Transforming Libraries, Museums and Archives in
2019 and Beyond. Axiell, [online] 4 July. Available at: [Accessed 14 July
2020].
-Ledgerwood, G., 2017. Greening the Boardroom: Corporate Governance and Business
Sustainability. 1st ed. Abingdon; Routledge Long, D.G. and Ibar, Z., 2017. The
Ethical Kaleidoscope: Values, Ethics, and Corporate Governance. 1st ed.
Abingdon; Routledge
-Mallin, C., 2016. Corporate Governance. 6 th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press
-Natural History Museum, 2019. Natural History Museum Annual Review 2018-19.
[online]. Available at: [Accessed 14 July 2020]. Pivovarov, K., 2018. The future
of museums: The ultimate visitor experience. BDC Network, [online] 27 March.
Available at: [Accessed 14 July 2020].
-Wetherley, P. and Otter, D., 2018. The Business Environment.Themes and issues in a
globalizing world. 4 th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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