HND Travel & Tourism: Comparative Analysis of Tourist Destinations

This report provides a comparative analysis of Windsor Castle and Bran Castle as tourist destinations. It examines various aspects, including visitor profiles, destination trends, cultural, social, and physical features, and economic and political characteristics. The report highlights the historical significance, architectural beauty, and tourism management strategies of both castles. Windsor Castle, a royal residence in Berkshire, is compared with Bran Castle, a national monument in Romania often associated with the Dracula legend. The analysis covers visitor numbers, income generation, adventurous trip offerings, food tourism initiatives, and responsible tourism measures implemented at both locations. Furthermore, the report explores the cultural, social, and physical attributes of each destination, contrasting their unique charms and attractions. It also discusses the economic and political factors influencing the castles and their impact on tourism, including the transition of Bran Castle into a museum and the use of Windsor Castle for state and ceremonial occasions. The report concludes by addressing issues affecting the popularity of these destinations and the importance of sustainable and responsible tourism practices.

Tourist destination

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.......................................................................................................................................................3
P1.1 Analyzing and Comparing Windsor castle with Bran Castle...........................................................3
P1.2 Destination trends for Windsor castle and Bran Castle....................................................................4
TASK 2.......................................................................................................................................................5
P2.1 Identification of features of the destination spots...........................................................................5
P2.2 Comparison and contrast cultural, physical and social features of destination spots.....................5
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................................6
P3.1 Economic and Political characteristics............................................................................................6
P3.2 How these characteristics affect the tourists....................................................................................6
TASK 4.......................................................................................................................................................7
P4.1 Issues affecting the popularity of destination spots.........................................................................7
P4.2 Sustainability on responsible tourism..............................................................................................8
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................10

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
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. 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.
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.
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. As per the data, more than 800,000 visitors visited in the year 2015
and for about 630,000 people visited in 2016 (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. According to the statistics, visitors in Windsor castle has been observed as

42,000 in the year 2015 and 58,000 in the year 2016., which means the appearance and beauty of
Bran Castle has attracted people more than other destination spots.
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.

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
hole process to go. The reason why he built it was to make it safe from the rivals 6to come from the
western area. The castle has great and large grounds and the royal family lived in the castle for a long
time. Along with living I 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.
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 it takes long time for a person to have a complete walk of the whole castle and
in exploring the beauty of its experience.
P2.2 Comparison and contrast cultural, physical and social features of destination
spots.
The comparison of Bran castle with that of Windsor castle has been discussed as under :
Bran castle is actually a Transylvanian count which has a castle situated above a valley and the
best part of it is that a river is flowing below on the sides of it. The castle is also known as Dracula’s
castle which has a special feature that there is a chasm along with they silver threads near the river
flows in the forest area. The character of Stoke, that is Dracula, is a fictitious concept and has appeared
in a novel first time. After this factor, the concept has been observed by a variety of people. Both the

castles have their own charm and have their different beauty factors that makes the castles different
from other beautiful destinations in worldwide.
TASK 3
P3.1 Economic and Political characteristics
The economic and political characteristics of both the castles are discussed as under :
Windsor Castle
A special arrangement has been observed at Windsor castle for kings and queens.
Monarchs spent much time in the castle but less than that of the kings and queens. Some queens
come to the castle for spending their weekend whereas the plan sometimes also turned into a
whole month (Beritelli, 2011). When, the political parties had to come, the queen had to set up
whole dining for them and at that time, it is their responsibility that the political leaders have had
proper diet and meat so that they none of them get disappointed in the castle. Although, at that
time, there were people, kings and queens for managing the royal palace but the castle is still
active. Now, the difference is that the castle is now being used for various state and ceremonial
occasions. It is because now no king and queen is there which can manage the whole the whole
castle. The president and various political leaders now are being invited in the castle for special
meetings. In these meetings, no other external bodies are allowed.
Bran Castle
The Bran castle has been classified as one of the famous and well known castles in the
worldwide but for a smaller period of time in between, it served as a royal residence but now, the
castle has became a museum for tourists. Tourists come from various different places to explore
the whole castle and see its beauty. An Ethnographic museum which compiles of old and local
style village houses and the furniture inside it is also very old and antique that it catches the
direct attention of the visitors (Tuclea and Nistoreanu, 2011). The castle also consists of the old
costumes which the kings and queens were used to wear and the costumes are so heavy that its
weight has been observed in a huge kilos also., it shows the capability of the people that time
who used to carry such heavy costumes at that time.
P3.2 How these characteristics affect the tourists
These characteristics throws a different appeal on the tourists as the historical features, as
the castle has been transformed into a museum now, so it attracts the people to a huge extent.

The museum consists of the costumes of the people that used to live there in the castle that time.
It also consists of all the antiques which also helps in attracting the people to a larger extent. The
people lived there before has maintained the culture there in the castles as they have set up the
things their own way and those things are set up like that only till the time, so it impresses the
visitors as people were get to know the ways people used to live at that time and how they were
using the swords and other such stuff, specially at the time of any war etc. Various political
leaders have been invited at that time as well., so by continuing the culture, still the president and
some political leaders are invited during some special discussions., so this can be considered as a
factor of maintaining the cultural behavior which people used to follow that time and is being
continued till now and hopefully in the future as well (Laws, 2011). The physical features of the
Bran as well as Windsor castle has been maintained in a way that its beauty and appearance
attracts a huge number of visitors. The Bran castle is famous for it replaced in a museum and the
architecture of the Windsor castle has been successful enough in attracting the customers to a
huge extent. Also, specialized features have been observed in the castle for maintaining the
safety and security of the tourists which also acts as a very attractive feature that the people who
come there to visit these destinations feel secure enough to spend their time there. Tourists come
in a huge number of population, some come for fun purpose, some for spending their holidays
there and some for gaining and exploring the world and its beauty.
TASK 4
P4.1 Issues affecting the popularity of destination spots
There are various issues that can affect the popularity and beauty of these destination
spots and these are discussed as under :
Terrorism
Terrorism is one of those factors that can destroy the whole beauty of the destination
spot. Windsor castle has already some specialized features but the authorities must ensure that
they should include various more features which can help the castle in any complex or
complicated situation such as terrorism. It is because terrorism can destroy the whole beauty of
the place and then, the place cannot be even able to stay attractive that people come and visit it.
No one would want to visit a place whose beauty, natural or built, has been destroyed and
nothing has left in checking out there. So, the castles should focus o more safety features that can
help them in such complex and complicated situations.
Food Factors
At any tourist destination spot, food factors are considered as very important because
when people come and visit such place, they cannot bring food along with them that can be used
for a longer period, so they have to purchase the food at these places only. The factor important
here is that the food should be healthy and tasty as well so that the tourists should not have to

stay hungry during the whole trip (Sartori, Mottironi and Corigliano, 2012). Healthy food is
must, especially at the time of visiting such destination spot is very important. At these places,
some vendors also charge more than the actual arte because they know that despite them, the
tourists cannot have food and if they have to take, they have to go far places, so they charge
more rates than the actual one, so they should ensure that the tourists are getting these products at
sufficient prices so that they do not have to face any issue regarding it and they can enjoy a
proper and healthy meal.
P4.2 Sustainability on responsible tourism
Windsor castle has developed various factors that makes it a feature of responsible
tourism. The castle has various cameras at the entrance and at the insides of the castle which are
being continuously monitored by some authorities and there are special commandos as well
because in case of any complexity, they can help in managing the whole situation and also in
protecting the people inside the castle. Before it has been used by kings and queens and they took
use of it for a huge extent but now the castle is being used for managing state and central
meetings within the highest authorities and political leaders during special visit of any political
leader or president and at this time, no other external body is allowed in the castle. It is also
being used as a museum in which costumes of the kings and queens are being placed and these
are so heavy that they are even tough to manage (Beritelli, 2011). So, these costumes and the
things, that people were using that time are kept in the same way that they has left it for
maintaining the ancient and uniqueness of the castle. The castle on its inside has divided into
various parts such as it has some separate areas such as private areas, long walk runs where
people can have a long walk there and can explore the whole castle but the long walk has been
spread all over the castle that it takes a long time to explore the whole castle and various antique
items are placed at smaller distances, so it takes more time to explore it. It has also termed as a
factor of responsible tourism as they have maintained the sustainability. Sustainability is using
the resources in a way that it can be further used by new generations as well and the old
generation has successfully maintained it as the castle is still so beautiful and attractive that it
directly catches the attention of the visitors., so the authorities managing the castle still develops
a various number of factors that they can be able to manage the sustainability f the castle and are
able to maintained it like the way that it has been maintained by the previous generation, hoping
that it will be further maintained in the same way or in a more improvised manner by the
generation so that its charm can stay maintained for attracting the huge number of visitors.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded that the Windsor Castle and Bran Castle are considered as two
most leading destinations that have been successful till now in attracting a huge number of
visitors. There have been different trends for both the destination spots that have been
maintained by them to attract a he number of visitors and tourists. There are various social,
physical and political factors as well that has thrown some impact on the tourists, out of all these,

the physical and political factors have been observed more successful in maintaining the
sustainability of the destination spot. Specialized security measures have also been developed in
a proper way for maintaining the safety and security of the tourists. It also includes various
issues that may affect the popularity of the castle and some measures that can be taken to protect
the spot from any such complexity or complication.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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promote tourism and increase the competitiveness of tourist destinations. Cactus
Tourism Journal. 2(2). pp.25-30.