Tourism Destination Challenges

This assignment explores the multifaceted issues confronting tourist destinations worldwide. It delves into the impact of natural disasters, terrorism, global warming, and the imperative for sustainable practices on these destinations.

TOURIST DESTINATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 & 1.2 Analyzing different aspects of various tourist destinations.........................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
This task has been covered in power point presentation..............................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Comparing appeal of leading destination with current tourist destination............................6
3.2 Characteristic of destinations stirring the appeal of tourism...............................................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
4.1 Analysis of issues affecting popularity of destination...........................................................8
4.2 Potential for responsible tourism to enhance the host community......................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................12
2

INTRODUCTION
Tourism destination forms one of the key ideas of Tourism industry. Though it is difficult
to restrict the definition of concept within boundaries of certain words, understanding the nature
of any tourist destination is of great importance (Kim, Ritchie and McCormick, 2010). The term
connotes a geographical area or region in the form of countries, specific cities or spots in a
country which attracts many visitors from different regions of the world. The components of
community, attractiveness and accessibility evolve any region as a Tourist destination.
Present report is an attempt to understand the scope of tourist destinations in UK, India
and Cuba. Impact of Cultural, Social and Physical characteristic of a region will be discussed in
the report along with assessing major components which attract maximum tourists. Finally, the
report will analyze issues which hamper the popularity of a tourist destination.
TASK 1
1.1 & 1.2 Analyzing different aspects of various tourist destinations
Current trends of Tourism industry forecast an upward direction in the tourist activities
worldwide and the major impact of this upward trend is reflected in the world’s economy that is
forming around 6 percent in the total GDP. In addition to the traditional purpose of leisure and
vacation, various people in world are traveling for education, business and medical reasons as
well. This trend has developed specific places which are specialized for serving the needs of
people for specific objectives (Pawitra, 2008). For instance, London is visited by many people
for the purpose of education. Hence, with the increase in number of students visiting the place, a
proportional increase in people visiting for leisure or vacation can also be seen. Following
section discusses the major tourist destination of the world and compares prevalent trends on the
ground of visiting place in a year and the income generated from them.
Italy UK France Greece Turkey
No. of visitors in
2015
50 millions 36 millions 90 millions 30 millions 42 millions
Income Generated €192 Billion $ 8 trillion $1,300 Billion EUR 30
Billion
TRY212.6
Billion
3

Italy
PARTICULAR Italy
No. of visitors in 2015 50 millions
Income Generated €192 Billion
Major attractions of nation are its natural heritage in addition to the values and culture
prevalent within communities of nation. These communities have also inherited the values and
culture from their ancestors and hence, form the part of long history of country. In pursuance to
the same, it has emerged to be one of the most renowned alternate tourist destinations (Wang and
Pizam, 2011). In addition, music and cuisines of nation also has a great appealing power and
attracted and entertained many tourists from all over the world. Movies sometimes influence the
travel plans of people. and hence, this has also led to increase in the number of visitors in nation.
United Kingdom
PARTICULAR UK
No. of visitors in 2015 36 millions
Income Generated $ 8 trillion
Is has emerged to be one of the most visited destinations in the world for the purpose of
vacation, education, business, medical and so on. Nation is developed out of a long and
interesting history which has led to increase in the attractiveness of place. Vast interesting
history can be witnessed in the form of castles, palaces, museums and a beautiful distinct form of
architecture (Visit Britain, 2016). Being one of the developed nations, many big banks and
multinational companies are headquartered here in the financial centres of London, Birmingham
and Liverpool. This has also assisted the nation to receive increased level of foreign exchange
inflow. This leads to increased number of business visitors to the nation. In addition, country
hosts many multinational summits and business conferences.
France
PARTICULAR France
No. of visitors in 2015 90 millions
Income Generated $1,300 Billion
4

France being host of the famous monument, that is, Eiffel Tower, in the city of Paris has
been one of the top priorities for couples that come from all over the world. It has emerged to be
the most romantic city across the globe. In addition to this, culture and cuisines of nation have
also been attracting a large portion of tourists. Nation also showcases a unique style of
architecture and the same can be witnessed from the majestic monuments and various
architectural masterpieces (Pechlaner, Kozak and Volgger, 2014). Nature has also bestowed all
its beauty on the nation and hence, country also embraces a beautiful natural heritage which has
also attracted many tourists. Although, recent terrorist attacks may hamper the tourism industry
and also the consequent money inflow, France shall always remain to be in the preferred list of
destinations.
Greece
PARTICULAR Greece
No. of visitors in 2015 30 millions
Income Generated EUR 30 Billion
Tourism industry is one of the important sectors in the nation accounting for 16% of the
total GDP. It is considered to be a major source of revenue of the nation that raises the standard
of various indices such as per capita income, standard of living, employment rate, etc. The nation
is known for its famous beaches which have a lot to offer to its tourists (Cracolici and Nijkamp,
2009). It comprises of various islands within nation which also constitutes to be a major
attraction point. The nation has retained its ancient landmarks including the Acropolis Citadel
and Parthenon Temple, and displays the traditional and historical side in a magnificent manner.
Turkey
PARTICULAR Turkey
No. of visitors in 2015 42 millions
Income Generated TRY212.6 Billion
Turkey as a nation has varied experiences to offer to its tourists in the form of ancient
culture, historical tradition, architecture etc. The skyline filled with dome and minaret has left
many tourists spell bound. Roman ruins along the coastal areas give a historical beauty to the
5

region which is enhanced by the misty mountains. Hence, the nation is famous for the way it has
preserved natural heritage and maintained same traditional theme over the years. Government of
Turkey promotes tourism industry and has adopted many tourist friendly norms within its
existing system of working. Authorities play a major role in promoting its heritage and traditions
and attracting maximum number of tourists in the country.
TASK 2
This task has been covered in power point presentation
TASK 3
3.1 Comparing appeal of leading destination with current tourist destination
Tourist destination has caught attraction of human beings from all over the world . Each
and every tourist place has its own distinct features and characteristic. In this view a collation has
been made between offerings and appeal of tourist destination of UK and newly developed
tourist destination Cuba. It is an island country which attracts visitors for its natural resources.
UK is known for its knowledge hub and has finance centre which attracts people for business
purpose. The differentiation is done on the basis of some important features like popularity of the
place, number of travellers, type of tourists, tourist destinations etc. selecting parameters helps in
comparing better and also helps in ranking purpose. Offerings: A large number of offerings has been provided in Cuba for tourism purpose.
Cuba is a island country and has eye-catching beaches, good climate, artistic edifices,
antiquity and is having cultural influences. Culture of Cuba is very rich in terms of food,
music, dance and history. UK is mainly known for its urban tourism and has supremacy
for offerings like recreation, education, relaxation, insight, heritage etc (O’Driscoll,
2008). by this way comparing both, variation can be found in terms of offerings, services
and facilities provided by the place. Both the place are having different approaches to
attract visitors and government policies are also different at both the places. Services
provided at any tourist destination also plays a important role. More the facility more will
be the number of customers to visit the place.
6

 Popularity:- popularity and acceptance of any place with respect to tourism is vary
important. UK is very popular in terms of tourism. It has attracted tourist for its various
tourist destination for relaxation and insight purpose Participation of state and other
institution has its own importance. Various measures have been adopted by authorities to
lure visitors. Government of the nation is responsible for making policies regarding
tourism sector which creates long term effect. Rising tourism sector Cuba is less popular
as compared to other and it needs new plan and measures to reveal about the place to its
customers.
 Number and type of tourists:- With respect to number of tourist and type of tourists
variation occurs between UK and Cuba. UK was visited by 36 million people whereas
Cuba by 3 million people. UK has world’s financial sectors like London and Birmingham
and that is why it is favourite destination for business purpose, for relaxation and for
holiday. Cuba attracts consumer for its natural and cultural resources. UK is visited for
insight and knowledge purpose so number of visitors are more there as compared to Cuba
.spread of tourism and appeal are also more in UK as compared to Cuba.
3.2 Characteristic of destinations stirring the appeal of tourism
Various characteristic of tourism sector influence the appeal of tourism. Important
characteristic of Cuba are as follows. Political characteristic :- political factors plays a very important role in affecting
tourism in this country. Cuba is suffering from political instability and that has huge
impact on tourism sector as well. The government and authorities are not as much
powerful as they are required to be (Vanhove, 2011). Violation of human rights has been
found in many cases. Due to lack of proper measures to be taken by the government to
bring stability in the region, visitors avoid going to the place. Recently authorities have
made necessary plans and policies to solve the issue. Physical characteristics :- environmental features are most important attributes of any
place to attract visitors. Cuba has architectural and historical edifices which attracts large
number of people to visit the place. Location of the place is very good and large
diversification in flora and fauna is another important feature of the place which brings
many tourist from all over the world. Physical climate which includes beaches and
7

natural diversity, offers great relaxation to the people . Richness in natural resources lures
travellers from worldwide. Economic characteristic: The economy in Cuba is government controlled and has large
resources in every area. Cuba has initiated dual currency system where plans are made on
frequent basis (Dahles, 2013). Dual currency system helps in controlling economy and
fluctuated economic conditions. Dual currency system helps in growth and development
of the nation. It creates expectation among visitors regarding development. Making plans
and policies on a regular basis helps the nation to prosper. A developed country with
necessary services and product attracts more people as compared to less developed
nation.
 Cultural characteristic:- ancient architectural edifices and literature of Cuba draws
visitors from all over the globe. Cuisine of Cuba has Caribbean influence in spice and
flavors (Jalilvand and Samiei, 2012). Due to this reason it has become favorite
destination for food lovers. New experiment with food has developed many food centres
and is visited by large number of people. Many music styles have been originated in
Cuba and some of them are Rumba, Son, Salsa and many others. Cuba is well known for
its classical, pop and rock music. Many masterpieces have been erected on its land which
is an eye-catching factor to attract travelers.
TASK 4
4.1 Analysis of issues affecting popularity of destination
Tourism is responsible for connecting different type of people all over the globe. People
with different cultural background comes together for the purpose of tourism. Main objectives of
tourism is to explore different place and culture and historical monuments. A tourist destination
offers source for different purpose like entertainment, knowledge, relaxation and sometimes for
business purpose as well (Morrison, 2013). During the process of offering tourism related
activities a nation faces many problems regarding growth and development of the country. These
problems are faced by local people as well as government. Cuba which is a favorite tourist
destination among many travelers is facing following issues. Natural disasters:- Cuba is a small island country and is surrounded with water from all
sides. A country which is situated under such difficult location is always under the threat
8

of natural disaster like floods, tsunami and cyclones. Frequently occurrence of these
disasters reduces number of visitors in the nation. Various natural disasters have occurred
on the land of Cuba and has affected its economy the most significant was Cuba
hurricane which came in 1993 and badly affected tourism related activities in the area.
Natural disaster not only causes damage to the physical resources but human and
economic resources are also get affected by it. Terrorism:- Terrorism is defined as an activity where use or threatened use of violence or
terror is done in order to achieve a political, legal or economic gains by a single person or
by a group. Various steps have been taken by various international and national
organisation to stop terrorism but it is increasing at faster rate (Eugenio-Martin and
Campos-Soria, 2010). Cuba has been known as a country which creates terrorism for its
own selfish gains. Cuba uses war terrorism to target non combats like neutral military
persons and prisoners of war. A large number of political groups uses Terrorism to
achieve their objectives. The threat and risk of terrorism reduces the number of people
visiting the place and thus preventing tourism related activities of the nation. Global warming and sustainability:- Global warming and climate change are the terms
used for the rise in the temperature of the earth’s climate system. Many scientific
evidences have shown that temperature of the globe is increasing. Reports from
international organisation have proven this fact that increasing amount of carbon-dioxide
is creating temperature rise on the earth (Devesa, Laguna and Palacios, 2010). Different
approaches have been used by many countries to reduce temperature on the earth. Cuba is
an island country surrounded by water it is in direct effect of climate change. Marine life
of Cuba is in threat and there is urgent need to take necessary measures to reduce this
dangerous effect. Natural environment is the most important factor when it comes for
tourism so it becomes necessary for every country to take effective measures to prevent
the harmful effect. Global warming increases temperature of the earth which in turn
increase water level of sea and hence marine life is affected by this. Change in climate
condition diverts the tourist and hence reduces growth of the nation.
 Political tools:- Political stability in any nation is very necessary as it helps in creating
peace and efficiency within the nation. Political and government authority are responsible
9

for safety and security of the nation and its people. Tourism policies are managed and
regulated by the political factors as they regulate the demand and supply within the
economy. For example Rigid government policies of china in past restricted tourism till
the year 2003 however liberalizing the policies of the nation has helped the company in
attaining high flow of tourist for the nation.
4.2 Potential for responsible tourism to enhance the host community
Tourism sector is increasing at a faster rate and is creating significant difference in
growth and prosperity of the nation. Scope for tourism is increasing and involvement of state,
community and institution is required to make it efficient. Cuba as a developing tourism centre
needs improvement in many areas.
 Cuba known as a country rich in diverse natural resources. It has been found that
acknowledgment is to be made regarding its culture, values and heritage. This objective
can be achieved by cooperation of community, government and tourists.
 Development of culture of the place by providing recognition to the talent of local
craftsman and giving them exposure (Crouch, 2010). Policies should be made for
economic and employment generation of the company. Safety and security measures
must be adopted to ensure growth and development of employees working in different
sections.
 Involvement of communities to develop tourist destination must be ensured. Advice and
viewpoints of Local people, hotel owners, visitors, tour operators should be taken to
improve the tourist sector.
 Conservation of natural resources must be given due importance and authorized
institution should take necessary steps to prevent them from extinction and damage.
Resources of the company should be open to explore for local people and visitors for the
purpose of education, research and entertainment.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the study that in the present era the nations are moving towards
development of their country as tourist destination. There are various inferences as well as
conclusion developed which assist in deriving some trends as well as outcomes. There is
presence of various features that has greater contribution in developing the place as tourist
10

destination. This is comprised of political stability, physical features, cultural aspects, economic
conditions and several others. It has been inferred that there are various issues which are being
faced by the destination. This includes natural disaster, terrorism, global warming as well as
sustainability.
11

REFERENCES
Journals and Books
Cracolici, M. F. and Nijkamp, P., 2009. The attractiveness and competitiveness of tourist
destinations: A study of Southern Italian regions. Tourism Management. 30(3). pp. 336-344.
Crouch, G.I., 2010. Destination competitiveness: An analysis of determinant attributes. Journal
of Travel Research.
Dahles, H., 2013. Tourism, Heritage and National Culture in Java: Dilemmas of a Local
Community. Routledge.
Devesa, M., Laguna, M. and Palacios, A., 2010. The role of motivation in visitor satisfaction:
Empirical evidence in rural tourism. Tourism Management. 31(4). pp.547-552.
Eugenio-Martin, J.L. and Campos-Soria, J.A., 2010. Climate in the region of origin and
destination choice in outbound tourism demand. Tourism Management. 31(6). pp.744-753.
Jalilvand, M.R. and Samiei, N., 2012. The impact of electronic word of mouth on a tourism
destination choice: Testing the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Internet Research:
Electronic Networking Applications and Policy. 22(5). pp.591-612.
Kim, J.H., Ritchie, J.B. and McCormick, B., 2010. Development of a scale to measure
memorable tourism experiences. Journal of Travel Research, p.0047287510385467.
Morrison, A.M., 2013. Marketing and managing tourism destinations. Routledge.
O’Driscoll, A., 2008. Exploring Paradox in marketing: managing ambiguity towards synthesis.
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing. 23(2). pp. 95-104.
Pawitra, I., 2008. Tourist satisfaction in Singapore – a perspective from Indonesian tourists.
Managing Service Quality: An International Journal. 13(5). pp. 399–411.
Pechlaner, H., Kozak, M. and Volgger, M., 2014. Destination leadership: a new paradigm for
tourist destinations? Tourism Review. 69(1). pp.1-9.
Vanhove, N., 2011. The economics of tourism destinations. Routledge.
Wang, Y. and Pizam, A. eds., 2011. Destination marketing and management: Theories and
applications. Cabi.
Online
Visit Britain. 2016. [Online]. Avaialble
through:<https://www.visitbritain.com/in/en/visitbritain>. [Accessed on 20th July 2016].
12