Assessment of Resort Management Practices: A Case Study of Two Resorts

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TRAVEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT
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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................3
Task 1............................................................................................................................................4
Task 2............................................................................................................................................7
Task 3............................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................11
Reference List..............................................................................................................................12
Appendix1: Death rate of tourist..................................................................................................13
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Introduction
Apa Villa Thalpam is situated a short distance away from the fort of Galle. This resort faces the
Indian Ocean. It offers a peaceful and isolated place. There are three distinctive types of
accommodation, which are available within Apa Villa. These include luxury suits, breach facing
rooms, and standard rooms. The resort hosts several types’ of events in its location. These
events include Apa Music Nights, Food Banquet Nights and others. There are several forms of
excursions as well, which the resort conducts for the consumers. These excursions include
activities such as surfing, snorkelling, and others (Apa-villa-thalpe-sri-lanka.en.ww.lk, 2019).
Round Hill Hotel & Villas is located in the lush peninsula bay of Montego. This resort faces the
Caribbean Ocean This resort has had several A-list celebrities and cultural icons that had
graced their presence there. In terms of accommodation it includes 36 Ralph Lauren created
ocean facing guest rooms. The resort attains around 90 luxurious villa suits and rooms.
Highlights of the resort include open space grilling, terrace dining and family programs. The
property has a huge area for several sports as well such as diving, tennis, water skiing and
others. The resort also offers guided tour around Jamaica as well (Round Hill Hotel and Villas,
2019).
Thomas Cook is considered as one of the well-known Tourism organisation. The aim of the
organisation is to serve the customers in a better way. For the wellbeing of the customers, they
provide customised package trips so that large number of customers can be attracted to the
customers. They also provide winter and summer discounts to the customers. The overall rate
of profit earned by the organisation has been increased by 23%. The organisation has
employed 23,000 employees within the organisation so that their profit margin can be boosted.
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Task 1
A. Using a couple of resorts you have chosen to focus from your company portfolio,
investigate and analyze the various functions of resort operations, including the
coordination and handling of various tour operators and customer service function as
well as managing the legal and health and safety issues. [P 1.1]
The main motive of the resort management is to provide quality service to the customers so that
the targeted customers can be boosted. In addition to that, they need to take care of the taste
and preference of the customers in order to improve the competitive advantage of the
organization. Presently, the resorts have launched online applications so that customers can
book their rooms as per their convenience. Thus, it can be mentioned that technology helps to
improve the operation of the organization so that satisfaction level of the customers can be
improved largely. In the present study, the function of operation management related to the
resorts will be discussed. In addition to that the activities conducted by the resorts will also been
mentioned here. The functions of resort operation management have been discussed below:
Organizing various trips
As per the literary underpinnings of Pan (2015), the operation management of the resorts
conduct tour programs for their customers. The scholar has further mentioned that, at the time
of planning tours for the customers their preference and taste has to be considered in order to
boost their satisfaction level. For instance, the operation management of Round Hills Hotels and
Villas has launched a centralized data system known as DBMS in order to store the information
of the customers. In addition to that, the resort has also formed a package system with Thomas
Cook so that variety of service can be provided to the customers. They have also launched
formed customized package trip for their customers. Lastly, a pack has been formed with other
three stars hotels and resorts so that customers from various earning group can avail their
service.
Further, they also provide discounts to the customers in order to motivate them.
Communication
The operation management needs to communicate with tour operators so that the need of the
customers can be catered in a right manner. For instance, the management of Apa Villa Thalpe
conducts regular meeting with the management of Thomas Cook so that they can innovate
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package trips for the customers. On the contrary, they have launched online feedback system
so that the customers can provide instant feedback to their service (Pan, 2015).
Presently, the management of Apa Villa Thalpe has mentioned has launched mobile application
so that the queries of the customers can be solved effectively. For instant, they have launched
a robot, which is responsible for maintaining 24*7 hours communication with the stakeholders.
Legal health and safety issues
The tour operators are also responsible for maintaining the health and safety measures of the
employees as well as the customers Espino-Rodríguez and Gil-Padilla (2016). In addition to
that, management of both the organisations can communicate with health insurance companies
so that they can create awareness among the customers. As per health and safety acts, the
main responsibility of the hospitality organisations is to maintain the health of the customers and
employees sol that the position of the organisations in the market can be improved. As per
Health and Safety work Act, 1974, the employees need to be trained so that they can ensure
safety of the customers. For instance, Round hills hotels and villas has provided insurance to
the customers while travelling so that their safety concern can be improved. As per section 1
of Health and Safety Work Act, 1974, the main responsibility of the tourism organisations
is to maintain the safety of the employees. For instance, the operation management of
Round hills hotels and villas conducts medical checkups for their employees after 3
months so that they can live a better a standard of living.
Complaints Handling
The operation department need to handle the complaints of the customers and other
stakeholders so that their quality of service can be improved. For instance, Round hills hotels
and villas have launched a grievance cell on the website so that both customers and employees
can present their issues to the management (Davis et al. 2018).
B. Analyse how the resort managements structure and organise the various types of tour
operators and their guest-related and activities, including specialist programmes such as
diving and seasonally varied events such as winter sports. [P 1.2]
As per the comment of Xu et al. (2015), resort organisation is headed by the directors, who are
responsible for coordination the overall workplace so that they can be smoothly. Under the
directors, there are managers who are responsible for maintaining the job responsibilities of the
other employees. The managers equally divide the responsibilities of other employees so that
they can be motivated. In the hierarchy list, the last level comprises of Chefs, waiter and
supporting staffs.
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Figure 1: Hierarchy List
(Source: Xu et al., 2016)
Various types of tour operators have been discussed below:
Mass-market tour operators
Mass-market tour operators operate in the global market so that they can cater the need of the
customers. Their main objective is to provide quality service to the customers at affording price.
Specialist tour operators
Specialist tour operators conduct the business activities within a particular geographical location
in order to specify their functions. The operation department of the tourism organisation
conducts various events such as winter sports and driving competitions in order to attract new
customers. As per the comment of Pan (2016), event tourism helps to improve the condition of
the economy.
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Task 2
A. Examine the importance of an effective quality system in resort operations and
discuss how the chosen resorts apply and monitor quality procedures in managing
conflicts and the legal issues. [P 2.1]
An effective quality system within the tourism industry ensures that effective products and
services are being supplied to the consumers. In the context of Rounds Hills Hotels and Villas
and APA Villa Thalpe, an effective quality system plays a vital role. Through the system, both
the resorts are able to produce more food, travel products and other goods. With the help of
effective quality system, both the resorts can improve their brand image in the tourism market.
This will lower their spending, as there will be lesser marketing efforts.
There are two types of quality maintenance procedures within the tourism industry. One is Just
in time and another is Six Sigma; both of these are products and material evaluation methods
through which production is enhanced.
Just in time is an inventory management strategy that helps in aligning raw material orders with
the production schedule of an enterprise. Through a method like just in time, there is lesser level
of wastage within the organisation. Additionally, there is an increase in the production rate of the
operations as only the required quantity is used. This method allows saving costs and growing
the reserves of the resorts.
Six Sigma is a method of minimising waste and creating value for the consumer. Six Sigma
reduces the number of defects, which are produced within an organisation, and helps in
effectively solving problems, which are related to production.
The way in which both of these quality procedures help in managing conflicts of an organisation,
as well as legal nature have elaborated below:
Health and safety regulation - When quality procedures like the above are implemented,
chances of employees meeting an accident is less since they will be more focused. This
decreases the possibility of lawsuits, which employees make when they face workplace hazards
cause of disorientation.
Customer service quality - The government mandates that every resort must have a customer
service outlet, which ensures that quality work is being supervised. The customer service
checks complaints and ensure that the employees for working within the resort are up to the
mark.
Consumer Complaints - When travellers have any kind of complaint in relation to the products
and services of both the mentioned resorts, they are then liable to file a legal complaint under
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the Consumer Protection Act 1987. If a system like Just in Time or Six Sigma is implemented.
Then the quality of product, cost and availability of it will be much higher. This is will because
since quality of good is more, the amount of utility which a consumer gets is more as well, which
causes lesser complaints.
B. Analyse how implementing an effective quality system by your organisation (tour
operator) has produced results in positive impacts on the operation of the resort [P2.2].
Significance of Just in Time:
It helps in quality management and reduction of waste so that there is no deficiency within
resorts and transportation times is saved.
Significance of Six Sigma:
This statistical tool helps in eliminating defects throughout any stage of operation. To implement
Six Sigma some level of certification and training is required before it can be performed.
When Thomas Cook applies an effective quality system such as Just in Time or Six Sigma then
there are several effects on its resorts. For the purposes of this study, the impact, which just in
time and sigma six will have on Apa Villa Thalpe, will be elaborated here. Special emphasis will
be given on the operation of the resorts.
 When there is high level of travellers coming into the resort then the food production rate
of the resort increases. Through processes like just in time, only raw food material that is
essential to the cooking process is utilized.
 When there are souvenir goods, stationery items and other small products, which are
being produced within the resort, a quality system like Six Sigma can help in
identification of defects, which either can be recycled or be utilized later.
 By applying both the quality systems at the same time resorts have a higher chances of
decreasing the time in which a single unit or service is produced gives more space for
quality improvement.
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Task 3
A. Analyse a range of incidents that could affect the health and safety of customers and
Staffs in a resort environment as well as in transit and evaluate the procedures to be
Implemented by a tour operator to deal with the situation [P 3.1 and P 3.2]
The main motive of the tourism organisation is to maintain the safety of the employees along
with the customers. Presently due to technological advancement, the resorts are using IOT in
the doors and the windows so the sensors can predict anything-unnatural happening within the
resort premises. Some of the issues that the Caribbean resorts can face have been mentioned
below:
Natural Incidents
In 1988, the resorts of Atlantic region have witnessed hurricane seasons for a long span of time.
The hurricane has made various landfalls, which in turn has affected the business of the
hospitality sector. The rate of customers have also dropped to a certain level because near
about 12,010 individuals have been affected by the hurricane. As per the report presented by
National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration, due to natural calamities such as hurricane,
the hospitality organisations can earn a loss of $306 Billion. On the contrary, the organisation
has predicted that in the year 2019 more 14 unnamed hurricanes may affect the business
activities of the resorts. Recently, it has been noted that population of the coastal area is
increasing largely which further extents the rate of hotels. Thus, the productivity of the
organisations gets affected due to natural calamities. The steps that can be taken by the
organisations in order to deal with the situations have been discussed below:
Evacuation of the building
Before, the occurrence of the storm, the management of the organisation need to vacate the
building so that further accidents can be avoided. In addition to that, immediate first aid help
need to be provided to the customers.
Installation of emergency equipment
The management of the resort need to install certain emergency equipments such as sand
bags, pumps, generators and storm barrier so that they can provide safety to the customers.
Transport incidents
The rate of customers in the resorts of Jamaica is witnessing a downfall due to traffic condition.
As per the report of road safety Units of Jamaica, in the year 2012, the death toll due to road
accidents have been increased to 343 out of which 80% are male and 273 are female (aon.com,
2019). Road accidents in Jamaica takes place because the bike riders are responsible for rash
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driving. In addition to that, in SriLanka the rate of tourism gets affected because more than
17.4% of the individual dies due to traffic accidents. The resorts can launch road safety
campaigns among their customers so that the rate of road accidents can be reduced largely
(aon.com, 2019). (Refer to appendix 1)
Chemical issues
The rate of customers in resort management can get affected because the individuals may face
health issues due to diseases like malaria and food poison. In order to reduce the rate of
medical risk the resorts can take the following steps:
● The resort operation department need to maintain the infrastructure for the wellbeing of
the customers.
● The food that is being served to the customers need to be covered in order to maintain
their quality.
● Political problems
The business of the tourism sector has been affected due to Brexit. In addition to that, it has
been noted that after Brexit, the government of UK, has decided to provide only one visa to the
business entrepreneurs. Thus, the rate of investment has been reduced (Espino-Rodríguez,
2015).
B. Discuss how the procedures to be implemented in dealing with incidents comply with
Relevant UK/European laws and the guidelines of trade association [P 3.3]
As per the provisions of Health and Safety Act, the hospitality management of UK need to treat
all the customers equally. In addition to that, if an individual suffers from medical issues the
hospitality management need to provide immediate first aid. Lastly, after any emergency the
building needs to be vacate immediately in order to maintain safety of the customers
(hse.gov.uk, 2019)
As per the wage Act all workers of hospitality organisations need to be paid as per the efficiency
level so that the overall output can be enhanced. The wage of the employees has been
increased to 7.89 pounds from 5.89 pounds. After increasing the wage of the workers, their
interest level can boosted so that the market position of the organisation can be uplifted.
As per Consumer Right Act 2015 the organisation has to present their tour information
authentically to the customers so that they can make right choice. The concerned Act has
further mentioned that the price of the package tours needs to be fixed as per the income of the
travellers so that they can be promoted in national and international market (legislation.gov.uk,
2019).
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Conclusion
Thus, from this study, it has been deduced that operation department of the organisations looks
that the overall organisation runs effectively. They are also responsible for maintaining
coordination among various departments of the organisations. In this study, the importance of
operation management has been deduced. In addition to that, the functions of operation
department have also been discussed. On the contrary, the issues of the hospitality industry have
also been surfaced here. Further, the ways of mitigating the risk has also been discussed.
Different framework of quality management has also been mentioned here. Lastly, legislation
related to hospitality management has also been discussed. The main motive of the resort
management is to provide quality service to the customers so that the targeted customers can be
boosted. In addition to that, they need to take care of the taste and preference of the customers in
order to improve the competitive advantage of the organization. Presently, the resorts have
launched online applications so that customers can book their rooms as per their convenience.
Thus, it can be mentioned that technology helps to improve the operation of the organization so
that satisfaction level of the customers can be improved largely. In the present study, the function
of operation management related to the resorts will be discussed. In addition to that the activities
conducted by the resorts will also been mentioned here.
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Reference List
Aon.com. 2019. rate of road accidents [online] Available at:
https://www.aon.com/attachments/risk-services/bcm/BCM_Hurricane_Product_Sheet.pdf
[Accessed on 14 Feb, 2019]
Apa-villa-thalpe-sri-lanka.en.ww.lk. 2019. Apa Villa, Thalpe - About. [online] Available at:
http://www.apa-villa-thalpe-sri-lanka.en.ww.lk/about-us.html [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019].
Davis, B., Lockwood, A., Alcott, P. and Pantelidis, I.S., 2018. Food and beverage management.
Abhinton: Routledge.
Erdem, M. and Jiang, L., 2016. An overview of hotel revenue management research and
emerging key patterns in the third millennium. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism
Technology, 7(3), pp.300-312.
Espino-Rodríguez, T.F. and Gil-Padilla, A.M., 2015. The structural and infrastructural decisions
of operations management in the hotel sector and their impact on organizational
performance. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 15(1), pp.3-18.
hse.gov.uk. 2019. Health and safety Act [online] Available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/event-
safety/incidents-and-emergencies.htm [Accessed 14 Feb 2019]
Pan, F.C., 2015. Practical application of importance-performance analysis in determining critical
job satisfaction factors of a tourist hotel. Tourism Management, 46, pp.84-91.
Round Hill Hotel and Villas. 2019. Round Hill | Montego Bay Resort | Luxury Jamaica Villas.
[online] Available at: https://www.roundhill.com/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019].
Xu, X. and Gursoy, D., 2015. A conceptual framework of sustainable hospitality supply chain
management. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 24(3), pp.229-259.
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