Tourist Destination Report: Windsor Castle vs. Bran Castle Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis and comparison of two major tourist destinations: Windsor Castle in England and Bran Castle in Romania. The introduction defines tourist destinations and highlights the report's focus on social, cultural, and physical features, as well as economic and political characteristics. Task 1 analyzes and compares Windsor and Bran Castles, including statistical data on visitor numbers, currency usage, and unemployment rates. Task 2 identifies and contrasts the cultural, physical, and social features of each destination, while Task 3 explores the economic and political characteristics and their impact on tourists. Task 4 examines issues affecting the popularity of the destinations and discusses sustainability in responsible tourism. The report also provides statistics on visitor profiles, income generation, and destination trends, offering insights into adventurous trips, food tourism, and responsible tourism practices. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and reinforces the significance of understanding tourist destinations and their evolving dynamics. The report uses figures and tables to present data and findings effectively.

Tourist destination

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
P1.1 Analyzing and Comparing Windsor Castle with Bran Castle............................................................3
Statistics of the Windsor Castle and the Bran Castle...................................................................................4
Bran Castle...............................................................................................................................................4
Windsor Castle ........................................................................................................................................4
P1.2 Destination trends for Windsor Castle and Bran Castle...................................................................6
TASK 2..........................................................................................................................................................7
P2.1 Identification of features of the destination spots..........................................................................7
P2.2 Comparison and contrast cultural, physical and social features of destination spots.....................8
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................................9
P3.1 Economic and Political characteristics ............................................................................................9
P3.2 How these characteristics affect the tourists.................................................................................10
TASK 4........................................................................................................................................................10
P4.1 Issues affecting the popularity of destination spots......................................................................10
P4.2 Sustainability on responsible tourism............................................................................................12
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
A tourist destination or attraction is considered as a place where tourists visit and spend
some quality time in order to have fun. A tourist destination can involve any naturalistic venue or
a historical place as well (Beritelli, 2011). It is actually termed as a venue or place of interest
which is famous for some of its specific features, whether it could be its natural or manmade
beauty or the level of adventure, it can give to the people who visit these places. The report is
about analyzing and comparing two leading destinations, Windsor Castle with Bran Castle.
Along with it, it also includes various features such as the social, cultural and physical features of
both these destinations. It also compiles various characteristics along with the issue that may
affect the popularity of these destinations.
TASK 1
P1.1 Analyzing and Comparing Windsor Castle with Bran Castle
Basis of comparison Windsor Bran
Classification Windsor Castle is termed as a
royal residence of Berkshire. It
is famous and well known as
well for its royalty and
architecture.
Bran Castle is famous as a
national monument and a very
well known landmark in
Romania.
Specialty The Castle has been spread
over a distance of 5 hectares
which means 13 acres. Out of
all the Castles in the world, it
is considered as the largest
Castle in the world which is
spread over a such large
The Castle is located on the
border of the Transylvania and
Wallachia and it is being
discovered by the Dutch.

distance. The tourists must
have to spend 3 -4 hours to
visit the whole Castle.
Statistics of the Windsor Castle and the Bran Castle
Bran Castle
According to the statistics, for about 80,000 people visited the Bran Castle in the year
2016 and in the year 2015, for about 610,000 people visited the Bran Castle. On an overall, for
about 800,000 people were those who paid for the tickets of the Castle. A special criterion in the
Bran Castle is that per month, it allows for about 2200 free entries in the Castle. On an overall
basis, about 60% of the population that visits are foreigners. Rest of the visitors are from
Romania itself. The current rate is observing an increase up to 9.7% and the future trends of it
after the political and economic issues cannot be guessed. The currency used in the Bran Castle
is Romanian leu in which all the tickets are being sold and purchased by the visitors who came to
visit the Bran Castle. The foreign visitors are mostly from countries like Poland, Israel,
Germany, UK, France etc. Usually, the foreign tourists are observed from these places. The
current unemployment rate in Romania as per the statistics is about 5.1 % and it has been
evaluated till august 2017. So after any changes in the currency like if the currency rate
increases, it can be considered as a disadvantage for tourists, so may be these factors can make a
slight decline in the number of tourists.
Windsor Castle
While talking about the Windsor Castle, the statistical representation below can help in
analyzing the same. The statistics is represented as following :

As per the statistics, it says that for about 1.36 million people visited the Windsor Castle
in the year 2016 and 2017. In the year, the whole visitor profile was evaluated as 1 million which
starts increasing from the end of the year 2015. The currency that is being used in the selling and
purchasing of the tickets is being done in Pound sterling. If the country faces any changes in the
currency such as if the rate of the currency increases, this will act as a disappointing feature for
the tourists of the Windsor Castle, so because of it, the Castle may have to face a small decline in
the number of tourists. The unemployment rate of UK is about 4.2% and it has been analyzed till
July 2017. Although the unemployment rate of UK is less than that of Romania, which is about
5.1%. But an increase in this rate can also contribute to the decrease in tourists.
Windsor Castle is termed as a royal residence of Berkshire. It is famous and well known
as well for its royalty and architecture. The Castle has been spread over a distance of 5 hectares
which means 13 acres. Out of all the Castles in the world, it is considered as the largest Castle in
Illustration 1: Statistics of the tourist rate

the world which is spread over a such large distance. The tourists must have to spend 3 -4 hours
to visit the whole Castle. Bran Castle is famous as a national monument and a very well known
landmark in Romania. The Castle is located on the border of the Transylvania and Wallachia and
it is being discovered by the Dutch. Comparison of both these destinations are discussed as
under:
Visitor profile
Windsor Castle is a very well known and famous destination spot in Berkshire whereas
Bran Castle is also known as Dracula Castle. In Windsor Castle, there are various number of
buildings inside the Castle itself which is an attractive feature for tourists and in Bran Castle, its
architecture is what attracts the people the most. Usually, the rate of young ones have been
observed more than the families etc. The reason behind it may be that the young ones are more
excited about the beauty and appearances and they have more curiosity of exploring the nature.
It has been assessed that Windsor castle is majorly visited from the month of March to
October and from November to February. It is considered to be the best time to visit this place.
Based on the research conducted by government of UK, it has been assessed that 80% of the
people were day visitors. On an average 2.90 people in which 2.25 were adults and 0.64 were
children who came to visit Windsor castle. The average visitors are nearly constant since 2011.
Figure 1 Average visitors
(Source: Report of Findings for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. 2016)
The composition of the group says that only 18% of them are children

Figure 2 Visitor's profile
(Source: Report of Findings for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. 2016)
Figure 3Visitor's profile
(Source: Report of Findings for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. 2016)
People from all age group come to visit this place. As per the survey in 2016, there is an
even distribution among the visitors of the age.

Figure 4Age profile of visitors
(Source: Report of Findings for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. 2016)
Visitors from various countries tend to visit Windsor Castle. It has been assessed from
the survey of 2016 that 30% of the total visitors were from overseas. The percentage keep
fluctuating as per the economic condition of home country and host country.
Figure 5 Overseas visitors
(Source: Report of Findings for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. 2016)
It has been assessed that Windsor castle have more visitors in comparison to that of Bran
Castle. However, it has been analyzed that bran castle is becoming tourist place it is expected
that there will be significant increase in the number of tourists at this place as well. It is

becoming one of the most opted destinations in Romania (Nearly half a million foreign tourists
come to central Romania to visit Dracula’s castle. 2017).
Income generator
For having an entry in the Bran Castle, one have to pay the entrance fee of 20 LEI, after
that only, one can enter the Castle. For entering in Windsor Castle, one has to pay an entrance
fee of 12LEI. The difference is because of the level of beauty of both these spots. Although both
the spots are very well known and famous but Ban Castle provides a greater amount of income
generator. It has been assessed that there is an increase of 6.6% in the number of visitors in
Windsor Castle as per the annual report of Royal Collection Trust. Based on it, the income of the
castle has increased by 8.2% to £54.99 million in 2014. However, in case of bran castle, it has
been able to generate an income of $US80 Million in 2014.
INCOME IN 2014
WINDSOR CASTLE BRAN CASTLE
£54.99 million $US80 Million
Historic Visitor number
According to the statistics, for about more than half of the million population visit Bran
Castle every second year. As it is one of the most famous tourist destination spots, the place is
also known as Dracula’s Castle (Tuclea and Nistoreanu, 2011). The beauty of the Castle attracts
the visitors to a huge extent that this much of people visit every year to this Dragon’s Castle. The
people who are interested in the ancient history and investigating about such areas, are mostly
the visitors of these Castles. Specially, the people who want to explore the whole world visit
Windsor and Bran Castle because they provide a wide range of the creativity and antiques, the
old generation has used to.
P1.2 Destination trends for Windsor Castle and Bran Castle
The destination trends of both the spots have been characterized on their beauty and appearances
factors. Some very well known trends for both the destinations are discussed as under :
Adventurous trips

Windsor and Bran Castle focuses on making the whole trip of the visitors so active and
adventurous that all the visitors stay satisfied with their whole trip. Various features have been added by
Windsor Castle as they have a small library inside the Castle so that people can enjoy studying books and
novel inside the library. There is a very huge space inside the Castle which allows people to walk and
explore the whole Castle. On the other side, Bran Castle which is also known as dragons Castle is
specially known for its appearance and architecture. It is built in such a way that its beauty mesmerizes
the visitors to a huge extent.
Food tourism
Every destination spot has a focus on food as well for the satisfaction of the visitors. So, Bran
Castle and Windsor Castle has small spaces meant for this purpose. Both the places has some specialized
area that is specially meant for selling muffins to the visitors. It can also be considered as a very attractive
feature. As some vendors charge some extra money at every product they sell to vendors, so the
authorities should focus on the selling of these meals at specific rates such that no visitor has to face any
sort of difficulty. Also, it is important to check that the food is healthy enough for the tourists so that they
do not have to face any health issues as well and can enjoy their trip happily and healthily.
Responsible tourism
Responsibility of tourists is the most important thing, the tourist industry has its focus upon.
That is why, some specialized security measures have been taken at various destination spots for
maintaining the safety and security of the tourists. The Bran Castle has also followed some specialized
safety measures for its visitors. Specialized cameras are everywhere in the Castle which is being
continuously monitored by a few number of authorities. They make sure that no tourist has to face any
sort of mis behave or any issue that makes them uncomfortable them in the Castle. The Windsor Castle
also follows the same way. As there are many buildings inside the Castle, security guards have been
placed at every door of the Castle and the Castle has CCTV cameras as well. These features ensure the
safety and security of the tourists.
No. of Visitors
Destinations 2016 2015 2014
Windsor Castle 1.36 million 1.3million 567,613
Bran Castle Approximately 5 Lakhs 1.2 million 5.4 lakhs

REFERENCES
Beritelli, P., 2011. Cooperation among prominent actors in a tourist destination. Annals
of Tourism Research. 38(2). pp.607-629.
Report of Findings for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. 2016. [Pdf]. Available
through <https://www.windsor.gov.uk/dbimgs/Windsor%20Visitor%20Survey
%202016%20final%20report%2008_11_16.pdf.>
Nearly half a million foreign tourists come to central Romania to visit Dracula’s castle. 2017.
[Online]. Available through https://www.romania-insider.com/nearly-half-a-million-foreign-
tourists-visit-draculas-castle-in-romania/.
Tuclea, C. and Nistoreanu, P., 2011. How film and television programs can promote tourism and
increase the competitiveness of tourist destinations. Cactus Tourism Journal. 2(2). pp.25-30.

TASK 2
P2.1 Identification of features of the destination spots.
The cultural, social and physical features of Windsor Castle is described as under :
Cultural features
The conqueror, William has chosen the building for Castle and it took almost 16 years for the
whole process to go. The reason why he built it was to make it safe from the rivals who come from the
western area. The Castle has great and large grounds and the royal family lived in the Castle for a very
long time. Along with living in it, the family members also made various modifications as well in it. They
made various improvements in the Castle. For about 40 monarchs have lived in the Castle and for a very
long time. The first person to live in the Castle was King Henry. Some monarchs used it for a very
smaller period of time but some used it like it is their other primary home. The culture of the Windsor
represents the importance of the unique and antique items along with the valuable time many queens and
kings have spent there.
Social features
Windsor Castle is considered as one of the oldest and largest Castle in the world. For the British
Kings and queens, it has also been like a family home for a huge extent of time. The queens have make it
a special place for spending their weekends and sometimes, t take up to a month. Various political parties
have also been invited where the queens set up all the scenario for managing the arrangements for the
whole invited parties.
Physical features
The Windsor Castle is for around thousand year old fortress that has been replaced in a very royal
palace which has become very famous and a well known example for the royalty of kings and queens
(Prayag, 2010). The Castle has divided into various buildings and parts such as the round tower, upper
ward, state apartments for the kings and queens who used to live in the Castle a long time before, private
apartments for their special meetings, no external body was allowed in the private apartments that time.,
lower ward, principle entrance that is also known as King Henry VIII Gate and the long walk where the
tourists can enjoy having longer walks together and can explore the beauty of the Castle. It is so wide that