Impact of Seasonality and Overcrowding on Cambridge Urban Tourism

This field report investigates the multifaceted aspects of urban tourism within Cambridge, with a specific emphasis on the influence of seasonality and overcrowding, particularly in the Grafton Center. The research explores the definition and concept of urban tourism, its scope, and its contribution to economic growth. It reviews existing literature to analyze the impacts of seasonality and overcrowding on tourism operations and the potential of urban tourism. The report's methodology includes an interpretivism research philosophy and a deductive approach, employing random sampling of tour operators for data collection. The study aims to assess the effects of these factors on the city's tourism sector, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities for urban tourism management and development within Cambridge. The report includes a literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.

Urban Tourism Field Report

Contents
TOPIC..............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................................5
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION......................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................19
Research Philosophy. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/>............................................................20

TOPIC
Seasonality and overcrowding in the city of Cambridge.
INTRODUCTION
The Urban tourism can be defined as the range of tourism related activities that are been
taken in consideration within a city. This form of tourism activity is relatively old and complex.
It consists of many factors and operations that will help the fir to enhance the quality of business
activities and operations and thus, is based on suitable infrastructural facilities and technologies
that are present within the organization (Di Foggia, 2016). The biggest reason of the effective
and suitable growth and development of the urban tourism is that it is comparatively easy, fast
and cheaper than the other forms of tourism and transportation's that are been followed.
It consists of many products and services, accordingly the needs and demands of the
customers or tourists. This can be material or non material, tangible and non tangible in nature. It
involves a specific place or destination like museum, religious places, entertainment centers like
nightclubs or bars to even the specific city development services like transportation, architectural
classifications (DŽOGOVIĆ and KOTESKI, 2018). It involves various tourist activities like
sight seeing, visiting friends and families, participation in conferences, seminars etc, training
programs, events etc.
This field report is based on the effective assessment of the impact laid by seasonality
and overcrowding that is been mainly focused around the Lion yard and Grafton Center. This has
emerged as the major issue that has impacted the overall placing of the urban tourism within the
city of Cambridge.
Rationale
The major motive behind carrying out this research is to identify influence laid by the
tourism seasonility and over crowding of the Cambridge that has affected the overall operations
and effectiveness of the business activities in much effective way (Papadimitriou,
Apostolopoulou and Kaplanidou, 2015). This will help to improve knowledge about the effective
impact laid by the season ability operations and overcrowding of tourists during the tourism
season.
Aim:
“To analyze the impact of seasonality and overcrowding at Grafton Center, Cambridge
on urban tourism.”
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Objective:
 To evaluate the idea of Urban tourism.
 To analyze the influence of seasonality and overcrowding on Urban tourism.
 To evaluate the impact laid by seasonality and overcrowding on Urban tourism at Grafton
Center, Cambridge.
Structure of Project:
The project will involve the suitable Literature review that will assess the academic
theories and concepts related to Urban tourism. This will cover the details and discussion about
the various classification of Urban tourism and provide a conceptual idea about it. Besides this,
the effective research methodologies are been included to get the precise idea about the measures
and operations to be followed for the assessment of the seasonality and overcrowding on Urban
tourism. Effective assessment and result evaluation will be carried out and suitable conclusion
will be presented on the basis of the output received.
Area of focus:
The report will effectively lay the emphasis on the town center are named the Grafton
Center, that will help the fir to carry out urban tourism operations and activities on seasonality
and overcrowding in much suitable and effective way.
LITERATURE REVIEW
With the globalization of the organization and the effective placing of the travel and
tourism facilities by a firm or a city management that will support the proper management of the
tourism facilities in much suitable manner (Colantonio, 2017). As with the improvement in
globalization and economic conditions, the rate of Urban tourism has improved and increased to
a greater extent. This is susceptible to have a deep impact on tourism activities.
Definition and concept of Urban Tourism:
The urban tourism can be termed as, “an ancient and complex practice that takes place in
the city or urban region”. As per the views of Yovcheva and et.al., (2014), the urban tourism is
one of the major contributor in the travel and tourism industry and it helps in providing support
to non agricultural based economy in the various fields or sections. These sections include the
administration, manufacturing, business and other important services. The Urban tourism based
on these factors or sections is the major contributor to the economic growth of a city and a
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country as a whole. It also supports the proper management of the travel operations that are been
taken in consideration by an Urban administration.
The urban management and the effective business operations and the activities will help
the firm to enhance the effectiveness of business operations which will support the suitable
growth and development of the business operations and activities that leads to the proper
management of the tourism activities that will support effective growth of the tourism activities.
Range and scope of Urban Tourism
The Urban tourism is the biggest and most happening sector of the travel and tourism
industry. As the majority of the global population stays at urban or city region, making the city
areas more heterogeneous, vivid and vibrant on the basis of cultural, architectural, technical,
environmental and social level. In accordance with the views of Martín, Aguilera and Moreno,
(2014), it provides the suitable exposure of the local as well as global cultures at a place,
simultaneously. This impacts the share of growth and development in much suitable and
effective manner. The improvement in the social lives and economic conditions have paved the
path for the tourists to have a good experience of the business activities and operations in much
suitable and effective manner.
As the urban dwelling and facilities have been improved in the cities around the globe,
these have the suitable management of the business activities and other tourism related actions.
Shi, Zhao and Chen (2017) stated that the proper placement of business activities and operations
that will support the suitable placing of urban development policies in much effective manner.
Thus, urban tourism can be termed as the key pillar of an organization, improving the economic
condition and tourism facilities, leading to positive growth in tourism measures.
Contribution and classes of urban tourism
As a city or urban area is vividly developed and established, the classification of the
organizations and urban tourism components are effectively classified. As per the research and
findings of Kizielewicz and Lukovic (2015), the urban tourism has many further sub classes such
as educational urban tourism(Involving visiting to museums or a location of historical
significance), religious urban tourism(visiting destination of religious importance), Medical
tourism (for the medical purposes), shopping tourism (for making purchases), nightlife tourism
(involves going to nightclubs or bars), architectural tourism (traveling to architectural location)
etc. All these classifications will help the firm to carry out tourism operations and activities that
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will support the proper placing of customers within the organizational way. This will help the
firm to have a suitable growth rate and rise in overall operations of the organization.
On the other hand, García-Hernández, de la Calle-Vaquero and Yubero (2017) states that,
these urban tourism measures will help the firm or a city to increase their operational capability.
Hence, these operations and measures are required to be managed to get the proper and
appropriate placing of the tourism functions. All these sub classes will help to placing of urban
tourism in much effective and suitable manner. These will also help the organization to enhance
the revenues and economic growth within a city. This will help the firm to enhance the quality of
business operations and action plans in much suitable way.
Potential of Urban tourism
According to the views of COLOMB and NOVY (2016), the potential of urban tourism is
comparatively high that impacts the overall operations and thus will help in the suitable placing
of the business operations and activities related to the urban tourism. This makes a city like
Cambridge to a tourist center and economical hub. Besides this, it will help the firm to carry out
effective placing of the urban tourism measures that are been taken in the consideration by the
firm. This will not only give a local destination a global exposure, but will help the firm to carry
out the tourism activities and operations in much effective and significant way.
Besides this, it will increase the dwellings of the people in the core city areas and the
peripheral areas that will impact the number of tourists, improving their count and revisits of the
customers within the city. According to Shi, Zhao and Chen (2017), this will help the fir to carry
out the business operations that will support the proper placing of the suitable tourism growth
measures within the city. There will be increase in transportation facilities, quality of food and
beverage services and infrastructural facilities that will help the firm to carry out tourism
operations.
Impact of the seasonality and overcrowding
From the above assessment, this is been found that the proper management and placing of
the tourism measures will help in improving the urban tourism. However, seasonality and
overcrowding due to the growth of tourism measures within the organization. As per the views of
Rasoolimanesh and et.al., (2017), seasonality lays a positive as well as negative influence on the
organization. This will help the organization to enhance the quality of business activities which
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will lead the organization to enhance the quality of business operations and thus will lead the
firm to have a significant growth and meeting of the tourist needs in much suitable way.
Besides this, as per the research of Dumbrovská (2017)the increased accessibility has
improved the proper management of the business activities but also laid a problem of
overcrowding that has affected the overall operations of the organization in much effective and
significant manner. The overcrowding is the major issue that a city management required to
manage in order to carry out their tourism operations in much suitable and significant manner.
This is required to be managed by firm in order to enhance the quality of business operation's ans
activities. This also supports the organization to enhance the quality of business operations in
much suitable and significant manner.
METHODOLOGY
Research philosophy: It offers a belief in which the research will be conducted that is gathering,
analyzing and sue of information. It sets the framework which enables systematic arrangement
for conducting entire process. There are different type of research philosophy that is
interpretivism, positivism, realism, etc. where positivism is highly structured, realism is based on
subject matter and interpretivism is based on small sample (Research Philosophy, 2018). The
study of urban tourism is based on interpretivism philosophy where the scholar has focus on
qualitative investigation which is based on small sample of secondary sources and primary
participants of survey.
Research approach: It is the step wise process or procedure which helps the scholar in getting
detailed analysis of research methods which will be used that is collection, analysis and
interpretation. There are different types of research approaches that is inductive, abductive and
deductive. Inductive approach helps the researcher in research outcome with general laws,
theories and models, where deductive is based on logical reasoning of research topic with the
help of facts and varied information. The present study is based on deductive approach where the
scholar will critically evaluate collected information to outline findings and discussion.
Sampling: This offers method of choosing small group of population or sources from large
number of people or origins. There are various sampling method that is random, cluster,
stratified, probable, etc. (Coolican, 2017). Every method offers different way of choosing
research participants. However, in this study the researcher will make use of random sampling
method because in this every participant has equal chances of getting selected ad therefore it
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eliminates the risk of getting biased research outcomes. Thus, the sample for determining impact
of overcrowding and Grafton center on Urban tourism will be 30 tour operators.
Data collection: The method is based on gathering of relevant information with regard to
research topic. There are two types of data collection methods that is primary and secondary
where in primary the researcher aim at collecting fresh and current data with relevant to aim and
objectives of study (Hanvey, 2018). On the other hand, secondary data is based on already
collected facts and findings on same research topic. It is collected via books, journals, articles,
bogs, etc. However, primary information is collected through survey, focus group, questionnaire,
interview, etc. Thus, in this study scholar has used both data collection methods where secondary
information is accumulated in literature review and primary information is collected via field
survey of 20 tour operators who will assist in exploring aspects of Urban tourism.
Data analysis: It is the logical reasoning of collected data which helps in generating discussion
and relevant outcomes to address research questions. There are two type of data analysis
approach that is qualitative and quantitative where quantitative is based on numeric and
mathematical analysis which is done with the help of statistical tools. On the other hand there is
qualitative which is theoretical and descriptive form of analyzing research findings. This study is
based on qualitative analysis where gathered information will be outlined with the help of
thematic analysis which will be based on survey sequestration.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Questionnaire
Name:
Contact Number:
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Are you aware about Urban tourism, seasonality and overcrowding?
 Yes
 No
Do you find Urban tourism to be beneficial for the overall tourism improvement?
 Yes
 No
Do you agree that Urban tourism has helped Cambridge city to evolve as a major tourist
destination?
 Yes
 No
What is the major limitations of Urban tourism according to you?
 Increase in wastage of resources
 Increase in pollution in city
 Reduction in peace level of city
 All the above
Are you aware about the importance of Urban Tourism?
 Yes
 No
Do you know the aspects of Urban Tourism?
 Yes
 No
Do you feel the overcrowding and seasonality are closely related?
 Yes
 No
Do you think arriving of customer during a particular season helps them explore the interior
part of Cambridge city?
 Yes
 No
Has the overcrowding at Grafton centre due to urban tourism in Cambridge has increased the
traffic within the city?
 Yes
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 No
What measures due you think can be adopted to manage seasonality and overcrowding in urban
tourism at Grafton centre at Cambridge City, UK?
 Improving infrastructural facilities
 Enhancing tourism management within city
 Incorporating the public private collaboration to cater the tourists
 Developing another town centre
Any suggestion or remark
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Theme 1: Awareness of Urban tourism
Are you aware about Urban tourism, seasonality and overcrowding? Frequency
Yes 25
No 5
Total 30
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Interpretation: on the basis of the data interpretation process and the evaluation of the activities
that are been taken in consideration by the scholar for the assessment of impact of seasonality
and overcrowding on Grafton center of Cambridge City, UK, this is been found out that out of 30
tour operators chosen as the respondent for the field research process, 25 of them are aware
about the urban tourism. On the other hand, 5 respondents are unaware of the concept of urban
9
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
25
5
Frequency

tourism. Hence, on the basis of the data interpretation, this can be said that the tour operators and
other people in the Cambridge City are well aware about the concept of Urban tourism,
seasonality and overcrowding.
Theme 2: Benefits of Urban tourism
Do you find Urban tourism to be beneficial for the overall tourism improvement? Frequency
Yes 24
No 6
Interpretation: Based on the data investigation policies and operations that are been carried out
on the field to identify the impact of seasonality and overcrowding at the Grafton center,
Cambridge UK, this is been found that among the 30 respondents, 24 tour operators find urban
tourism to be beneficial for the overall tourism development within the city. On the other hand, 6
respondents denied to it and said it is not so beneficial for the city to improve its tourism. On the
basis of the effective placing of the urban tourism, this can be said that it is beneficial for the
evolving tourism within the city.
Theme 3: Impact of urban tourism in improvement of Cambridge city
Do you agree that Urban tourism has helped Cambridge city to evolve as a major
tourist destination? Frequency
Yes 25
10
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
24
6
Frequency