Tourism - Winter 2007 - issue 134 by Tourism Society

The Journal for the Tourism Industry

TOURISM Quarter 4 Issue 134 Winter 2007

THE FUTURE OF UK TOURISM POLICY • SPACE TOURISM: THE FINAL FRONTIER • SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FROM ANTARCTICA TO THE MIDDLE EAST • THE LEGACY OF THE 2012 GAMES • THE IMPACT OF CASINOS VERSUS CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS

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The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

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Contents Britain: The Destination of Choice

.............................................

Editorial

Margaret Hodge, Minister for Culture, Media & Sport

London 2012: Tourism Boom or Bust?

........................................

Kurt Janson MTS, Policy Director, The Tourism Alliance

Tourism Borders & VISAs

..........................................................

Susannah Niblock, Head of Marketing, UKvisas

Space Tourism: The Final Frontier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Will Whitehorn, President, Virgin Galactic

Casinos – do they have a role in tourism?

..................................

Prof Peter Collins, Director, Centre for the Study of Gambling,

While the 2012 Tourism strategy is unveiled, VisitBritain budget cuts shock the industry as the private sector is expected to implement this vision and one wonders if there is merit in considering whether tourism should move into a different government department. Yet, one thing is for sure, Branson will reach the moon! Conflicting opinions on the impact of the smoking ban compete with comments on the influence of casinos on tourism growth. The future role of cultural tourism, whether indigenous or new takes to the stage, with a variety of destinations emerging onto the tourism circuit the experts question how sustainable this growth of travel is.

University of Salford

The Smoking Ban – The Big Debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The new breed of ‘Travel Agents’ who happen to work from home could be integrated into the traditional ‘retail shop’.

Mr John D. Smith MTS, A Level Travel & Tourism Chief Examiner,

Philippe Rossiter FTS, Chief Executive, Institute of Hospitality

In the interest of sustainability please share your copy of the journal with colleagues and friends and encourage them to join the Tourism Society this year.

Uniform Difference: Why globalisation means ‘back to the future’ for local identities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Alison Cryer FTS | Editor

Moderator & Trainer

Stuart Barrow MTS, Public Affairs Manager, VisitBritain

The Impact of New Cultural Attractions & The Media on Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ylva French FTS, Director, Ylva French Communications

The Future of Selling Travel: Home or Away? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 David Speakman, Group Chairman, Travel Counsellors PLC

Growing Australia’s Indigenous Tourism Sector

.........................

From the President’s Desk

David Rose MTS, Director, Strategy and Emerging Markets, Tourism Tropical North Queensland

A personal highlight of the last few months was to host the Society at Sustainable Tourism Development in an Emerging Destination – Cambodia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Joanna Owen MTS, Sustainable Development Consultant, World Hotel Link, Cambodia

Tourism Development in the Middle East and in the Gulf States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

the House of Commons for the annual dinner. Amongst the highlights was a thought provoking speech from Chris Rodrigues, and a first for the society when the annual award went to the BBC television series “Coast”. Series Editor Gill Tierney and presenter Neil Oliver accepted the award and made it clear they appreciated having their work recognised by outside bodies. Altogether it was an excellent and convivial evening immaculately organised by Flo and her team.

Michael Thomas – Director General of the Middle East Association

Is Tourism Development to Antarctica Responsible? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Roger Heape FTS

Tourism Society reaction to DCMS forward policy and VisitBritain Budget Cuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Happy New Year!

Ken Robinson FTS, Chairman, Tourism Society Think Tank

Tourism Consultants Network Go Live in 2008

A lowlight was Alistair Darling’s Comprehensive Spending Review and Pre Budget Report, known as the “blue book”. Not a mention of tourism anywhere in the book, and a net decrease in funds for tourism yet again. It is now nearly a decade since tourism had a real terms increase. Makes you wonder if they care at all!

.........................

Lord Thurso FTS | President | Tourism Society

Chris Wikeley FTS, Chairman, Tourism Consultants Network

Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Membership News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Events Calendar

.....................................................................

The Tourism Society Journal

Website www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

DCMS Britain: The Destination of Choice

This is an exciting time for everyone involved in tourism with the London

And that is why we have to get the implementation of the Strategy right.

2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games providing the London and

The countdown to the Games begins this year, as we take the baton

UK tourism industries with unique opportunities to showcase all that

from Beijing and launch the Cultural Olympiad with Liverpool as our

Britain has to offer. As the Society’s members will be aware, this has

European Capital of Culture. Our tourism support work in DCMS is

meant some tough decisions over recent months in a tough fiscal

gaining momentum to match. I have made sure that my 2012 Tourism

environment. The changes we’ve made have led to a thorough review of

Advisory Group includes a wide range of senior representatives of the

marketing support led by VisitBritain. This review will provide us with a

tourism industry, and the public bodies which support it. DCMS is also

comprehensive basis on which to ensure we have our marketing effort in

setting up dedicated, sector-specific implementation groups covering

the best possible shape and all our public investments aligned in the best

hospitality, attractions, pubs and other vital sections of the tourism

possible way so that we can make most of the opportunities provided to

industry. Those groups are made up of key, knowledgeable people in the

us by the London 2012 Olympic Games.

relevant areas of the industry, and they are working to clear action plans.

From the handover in Beijing later this year, London and the rest of the

The tourism industry is vitally important to the UK economy. We cannot

UK will be in the biggest shop window in the world. Britain already gives people at home and overseas many reasons to choose the UK as a destination, and fulfilling our visitors’ hopes and aspiration is what many of the Tourism Society’s members do so successfully already. The 2012 Games gives us a further catalyst to make further improvements to our

rest on our laurels if we are to continue to succeed in an increasinglycompetitive international market place. We all need a strong, collaborative partnership to help us grow tourism – whether it’s UK residents visiting attractions and holidaying at home or visitors from abroad coming to enjoy the great things we have on offer.

welcome, our accommodation, our attractions, and other tourist facilities

The UK already has a world audience. Our tourism sector now has a

so that what people enjoy and experience is really world class.

once-in- a-lifetime opportunity to push its share of the global tourism

Estimating the economic benefits of the Games for tourism is not an exact science. But we are confident that the DCMS/VisitBritain projection

market to an all time high, and to make Britain the destination of choice for our own citizens. I am looking forward to working with the Society and its members in doing just that.

of an additional £2.1 billion in tourism expenditure for the UK economy is valid, both as a marker and as an aspiration. Those benefits won’t just fall into our laps. We need to keep our priorities under constant review and ensure that we are driving forward in the most effective way. That is why we spent time getting the strategy “Winning: A Tourism Strategy for

Margaret Hodge

2012 and Beyond” right.

www.culture.gov.uk

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

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London 2012 Tourism Boom or Bust? The Government expects that one of the main beneficiaries of the Olympic Games will be the UK tourism industry. This view has been supported by the results of two separate studies – one by Travelodge and the other by Oxford Economic for VisitBritain and Visit London - which have indicated that the total tourism value of the Olympics to the UK economy is likely to between £2-3bn over the 10 years through to 2016. However, these results should be viewed with a degree of caution. First, the vast majority of tourism studies on previous Olympic Games were produced in advance of the Games to either aid the bidding process or a means of providing a rationale for funding once the Games had been won. Studies on the tourism benefits undertaken after the Games are much less common due to either the Olympic infrastructure being disbanded leaving no one to do the work, or there being little in the way of political will to look too hard at the financial impact of hosting the Games. Second, as the Olympics are held only once every four years there is a lack of a strong data set on which to base an analysis. It’s fair to say that only since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics were the Games held in the era of mass international travel. And for each of the five subsequent Olympics, there were marked differences in the tourism status of the destinations that hosted them. For example, South Korea had little in the way of either domestic or international tourism before the Seoul Olympics and Atlanta was purely a domestic tourism destination.

Second, if you are already a successful tourism destination, there is a risk that your usual tourism flows will be disrupted by hosting the Olympics and that total tourism expenditure will drop. Fears that Athens would be congested, full of Olympics related tourists and subject to price-gouging meant that regular tourists stayed away and total tourism to Greece dropped by 15% in 2004 as a result. Therefore, one of the most

Third, it is very difficult to isolate the impact of hosting the Olympic

important aims in London must be to encourage additional tourists

Games from other events that impact upon tourism to the host

without discouraging regular visitors who will make up more than 95%

destination. For example, Sydney is widely acknowledged to have

of the visitors to the capital in 2012.

hosted one of the most successful Olympics ever staged yet, because of the September 11th bombings and SARS, tourism to New South Wales decreased markedly afterwards and only recovered to their 2000 level

Thirdly, and most importantly, the successful Olympics have been ones where the Government has shown real leadership by working with industry to resolve longstanding tourism issues, implementing a strong,

in 2005.

targeted tourism strategy and providing a substantial tourism budget to Yet there are some important findings that can be drawn from an

maximise the tourism benefits that can be leveraged off the Games.

analysis of the tourism impacts of hosting the Olympics. The analysis of previous host cities shows that while gaining £2-3bn The first is that the Olympics can provide a catalyst for tourism growth

from the 2012 Olympics is not unrealistic, it certainly cannot be taken

to emerging destinations. Barcelona and Seoul show that hosting a

for granted.

successful Olympics can well and truly put you on the International that is deemed unsuccessful, there is little hope of that dream

Kurt Janson MTS | Policy Director | The Tourism Alliance

becoming a reality.

www.tourismalliance.com

tourism map. Conversely, Atlanta shows that if you hold an Olympics

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

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Inbound Tourism Tourism Borders & Visas Globalisation means increasing numbers of overseas nationals crossing

value pricing model, which means we are able to keep prices below cost

our borders: not just tourists and family visitors, but investors, business

for some price sensitive routes including tourists. We are working with

travellers, students and skilled migrants. UKvisas knows that it is this

the travel and tourism industry to understand better the impacts of visa

mobility that underpins the UK’s competitiveness. It is vital that we make

fees on demand and to separate these out more clearly from other

it easy for legitimate travellers to come here, or they will go elsewhere.

impacts such as the strength of sterling. We are exploring new visa products such as simpler, cheaper tourist visas for groups.

But this same mobility also presents serious threats from terrorism, organised crime and illegal working. UKvisas is the first line of defence

Commercial partners

against this threat and maintaining a robust control, understanding who

The use of commercial partners will change the way we work over the

our high-risk applicants are and preventing them from travelling, means

next five years. Commercial outlets will cover 87% of visa applications

that we can more confidently identify and welcome our low-risk, high-

by April 2008.

value customers. Benefits to our customers include:

Strengthening the border • More staff, delivering consistent customer service standards; Creating a fast, efficient, cost effective visa system which provides value for money and improving customer service, while at the same time

• An increased number of places where people can apply;

tightening up immigration controls, is a key and complex objective for us.

• Places that are closer to where people live;

To achieve this we are:

• Extended opening hours; and

• Introducing biometric data collection

• A service that is more convenient for visa applications and biometric data collection.

• Strengthening our risk assessment network; and • Applying measures against immigration abuse and other criminal and security threats

Marketing efforts We have taken steps to build the marketing capability of our overseas staff. Through our marketing efforts we aim to convince more of the right

Biometrics

people that a UK visa is more attractive than other visas. Our product is

By April 2008 we will have completed the global roll-out of biometric

not solely the visa itself but:

data collection technology to all of our overseas missions in over 145 countries and to 111 Visa Application Centres in 53 countries.

• What the visa allows you to do in the UK – the value of the visa and the value for money it represents, to the person applying, and

As well as the protection that the biometric process gives to the UK’s security, biometrics benefits the traveller by protecting their identity. Low risk travellers to the UK will experience a faster, more efficient service. In the future trusted travellers will be allowed to pass through automated

• How you get the visa – the process, and how easy, how straightforward, how customer friendly, and how courteous and welcoming this is.

gates on arrival.

We work hard to ensure that our service reflects the rhetoric. We will

Competitiveness

modern visa system.

continue to build on our success to create a simpler, clearer and more We are acutely conscious of the potential impact of visa pricing on historically we have been limited by the Treasury to a simple cost-

Susannah Niblock | Head of Marketing | UKvisas

recovery model. But for the first time this year we introduced a flexible

www.ukvisas.gov.uk

tourist choices. We have to recover our costs from the visa fee and

The Tourism Society Journal

Website www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Space Tourism The Final Frontier Ever since Germany launched V2 rockets against London in 1944, science fiction has dreamed of explorers blasting off to the stars. It has equally dreamed of a future where ordinary people could go to space and see the wonders of our Blue Planet and experience the joys of weightlessness. I grew up in the 1960’s and belonged to the first generation whose parents believed that we would go to space and that the men they saw landing on the moon were merely the beginning of a normalisation of space travel. These dreams were shattered by the terrible Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986 where the first ordinary member of the public, a school teacher Christa McAuliffe, tragically died with the rest of the crew and appeared to end the dream of space flight ever being anything but the preserve of nation states and highly trained explorers. Virgin Galactic is developing an entirely new type of space launch system which will be capable of launching people, payload or science into Space for a fraction of today’s cost, using the latest aviation technologies. This matters, as Space is without doubt a key to human survival on this planet over the next hundred years. Using technology in space to alleviate the issues of population, food supply, communication and global warming is even resulting in a new space race. Space tourism can play a part in this through providing the impetus to develop new systems such as our own which will lower both the cost and the environmental impact of getting to space. Our 200 launch customers have already put their money where their mouths are with $30 m of deposits, providing part of the justification for our investment of over $200m in developing our unique system of air launched space planes.

Governments of Sweden and Spain are already exploring how they can enable flights to take place from their soil. There are lots of other hurdles. Not least the lack of medical experience with human spaceflight as only 460 people have been to space since 1961 and all of them were handpicked. We believe our technology is capable of carrying 80% of people safely into space but we still have to find and eliminate the 20% whose hearts, brains, or circulatory systems will not allow it.

They come from all walks of life and share one dream; seeing the planet and experiencing weightlessness whilst contributing to a new approach

There is even competition now as EADS, makers of the Airbus, has

to space launch technology, developed without Government subsidies.

recently announced that they are planning to develop a private space

We have not even had to market to this group of space pioneers as they

vehicle for this market. We are convinced that other companies will also

have come from a list of over 80,000 people, registered on the

enter the market over the next few years as the pressing need to take as

‘virgingalactic.com’ website, who are willing to fly, depending on price

much of industry’s environmental footprint as possible outside the

and the progress of the technology.

atmosphere gathers a pace. One day the new technologies we are developing may even allow Virgin Atlantic customers to fly from London

The United States enacted legislation in 2004 to enable flights to start

to Sydney without even having to use the precious atmosphere around us.

taking place and a regulatory framework to ensure that we develop a safety regime to help inspire the confidence of the world’s first space

Will Whitehorn | President | Virgin Galactic

tourists. I am convinced that other countries will follow suit and the

www.virgingalactic.com

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

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Casinos Do They Have a Role in Tourism? found in Las Vegas and both the shows and the shops are as good as or better than the best that New York can offer. In the overwhelming majority of jurisdictions, however, the clientele for casinos will be predominantly drawn from the local population. So the bulk of the money spent at the casino will be being re-circulated within the local economy. This is not necessarily a bad thing since new casinos will be giving local people greater consumer choice. But it will constitute more competition for other local leisure and gambling businesses (and therefore be vigorously opposed on "moral” grounds by those businesses). It may also be negative for jobs because if the casino delivers gambling opportunities and nothing else this will not employ many people compared with, say, The short answer to the question: “Do casinos generate increased tourism

the restaurants which go out of business.

spend in the areas where they are located?” is: “It depends.” Even when the customer base is local, however, casino policy can be In the most fortunate cases, the casinos are themselves the principal

designed to help tourism. This happens if the casino developers are also

attraction for tourists. This happens when casinos are authorised in

required to invest in facilities, amenities and infrastructure (conference

jurisdictions which are surrounded by large numbers of other jurisdictions

centres, marine worlds, transport upgrades etc) which will attract tourists,

where casinos are illegal but many of whose citizens enjoy casino gambling.

encourage them to spend more than they otherwise would have and keep locals spending their leisure pounds locally rather than abroad.

In cases where, as in Las Vegas, Macao and Sun City, the jurisdiction was the only one where very large numbers of people could gamble

The key to achieving this is to restrict the number of licences in any

legally at casinos and consequently they were prepared to travel long

given area as has been done very successfully in Canada, Australia, South

distances in large numbers in order to be able to do so. This meant that

Africa, France, Switzerland and Singapore. A tendering process for the

the gambling revenues were very large and the developers were able to

licence amongst operators, where the adjudication is optimal

invest substantially in attractive tourism infrastructure and subsidise

contribution to enhancing tourism, enables public authorities to harness

other tourist amenities ranging from hotels and restaurants to live

the creativity and expertise of the private sector to maximising public

shows and conferencing facilities.

benefits. For a good example, study Cape Town.

Unfortunately these kinds of opportunity are ultimately unsustainable.

Unfortunately, in the UK the government has squandered this

They become unsustainable because more and more jurisdictions

opportunity by refusing to have a small number of new “supercasinos”

authorise casinos at more conveniently accessible local sites and thus

and is instead allowing the emergence of large numbers of small casinos

undermine the client base of the original casino destination resorts.

under the old 1968 Act which contribute no tourism-enhancing benefits

This is what happened most notably with the authorising of Indian

to local communities. Contrast Singapore which has just secured $7bn of

casinos in California.

investment in tourism for just two integrated entertainment complexes including one casino each.

The advent of competition confronts destination resorts with the effectively by becoming a destination with many profitable attractions

Prof Peter Collins | Director | Centre for the Study of Gambling, University of Salford

for non-gamblers: 7 out of the 20 best restaurants in the USA are to be

www.salford.ac.uk

challenge of reinventing themselves. Las Vegas has done this very

The Tourism Society Journal

Website www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

The Big Debate The Smoking Ban & The Hospitality Industry In 1975, the World Health

Despite the negative press

Organisation stated that to

preceding its introduction, the

reduce smoking

implementation of the

"It would be essential to foster

smoking ban in England earlier

an atmosphere where it was

this year has gone by without

perceived that active smokers

a whimper. Should we be

could injure those around

surprised? Well, frankly, no. The

them". The Health & Safety

experience of the Irish and the

Executive stated as recently as

Scots should have told us that

2006 that it â&#x20AC;&#x153;cannot produce

the ban would be accepted

any epidemiological evidence

rapidly, and become

to link levels of exposure to second hand smoke to the raised risk of

established as if it had always been in place. Of course, many hospitality

contracting specific diseasesâ&#x20AC;?. The Office of National Statistics survey

establishments were already operating full or partial bans, and society

2006 found that 67% of people did not want a complete ban on

has been evolving over a number of years towards demanding a smoke-

smoking in pubs, the Government enforced a ban, yet 14 million smokers

free environment in public places.

are voters.

Setting aside the public health issue, there is little doubt that for non-

Since July 1st 2007 the hospitality landscape has changed for all English smokers.

smokers working and playing in a smoke-filled environment was always uncomfortable and unpleasant. Not only has the creation of this cleaner atmosphere removed a potential obstacle to staff recruitment, but it

Many people have started to wonder why they are spending large

will also enable businesses to attract new customers around an

amounts of disposable income entertaining, when they are no longer

improved food offer.

able to linger after the main course, finishing the bottle of red and contemplating dessert whilst having a smoke. Instead, leaving the table and the premises is now the only option. However, a 5 minute stint in the doorway is not really the best way to engender enthusiasm for uncorking an extra bottle of wine.

This is especially so in relation to the changing mix of the clientele, where businesses are now attracting more families and female customers. Previously, those premises which encouraged smoking were unable to tap into this market. This has certainly been the experience in Scotland, where customers are being drawn back to pubs and restaurants.

As a direct result of the smoking ban, smoking customers are not dining out as often or they are more likely to consume less and they are almost certainly indulging in more home entertaining. Such trends are likely to continue as few hospitality providers are currently thinking outside of the box and making an effort to provide their previously loyal smoking customers with an opportunity to eat and drink in any form of smokerfriendly environment. The law permits hotels to have smoking rooms so it is about time that these were creatively utilised to allow guests to have the opportunity to entertain/socialise in private and to smoke if they wish to do so.

Mr John D. Smith MTS | A-Level Travel & Tourism Chief Examiner, Moderator & Trainer

We must not forget the smokers! With a little imagination, businesses can provide facilities to retain, and even attract, smokers. In Scotland, the ban has led to establishments designing and creating high quality areas which attract smokers, and so gain a competitive advantage. When alcohol sales across the country have been declining, it is important for businesses to capitalise on the smoking ban to shift their offer and broaden their market. Rather than being seen as a negative, the ban is the catalyst to transform the image and attractiveness of the industry, for both employees and customers.

Philippe Rossiter FTS | Chief Executive | Institute of Hospitality www.instituteofhospitality.com

The Tourism Society Journal

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Email journal@tourismsociety.org

Uniform Difference Why globalisation means ‘back to the future’ for local identities Happy Anniversary Vienna! No, not the city. This year’s 40th birthday celebrant is the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. No-one in tourism should let that anniversary go unmarked. The standardisation of traffic lights, road signs and markings might seem trivial compared to the deliberations of the UN Security Council. But it is the Vienna Convention that has encouraged accessible, legible travel. Because of it, we venture more sure-footedly to each others countries and pass our experiences on. And ‘passing it on’ is ever more important. Thirty years ago NOP found that some 67% of consumers valued ‘word of mouth’ information about products and services from people who had actually experienced the product. In the same year, 1977, 53% valued advertising and 47% valued editorial comment. By 2004 a stunning 90% said they valued word of mouth. But only 50% valued advertising and a mere 40% valued editorial. So, tourists who pass on their opinions must have good opinions, and compelling stories to tell. This means common quality assurance schemes; Blue Flags; Green Flags; Michelin stars. Basic common standards that all visitors will expect to see. But that does NOT mean we face an homogenised, identikit visitor economy. Quite the opposite: standardisation means universal benchmarks for products. It does not mean uniformity of products. One of the increasing number of beautiful Blue Flag beaches around Britain, for example, might offer space for relaxation, or fossil hunting. Another will offer rides on a donkey, or a traditional Punch and Judy

Last year the number of Green Flag parks went up by a third. We now have 423 quality green spaces that residents and visitors can reliably enjoy. And the future for us all in tourism promotion is a quality product that we can market without the tragedy of all our products being the same. Those who worry about globalisation fear that historic cultural identities will be lost in a post-modern synthesis of chain stores, multinationals and ‘one size fits all’. But the greatest paradox of the globalised visitor economy is this: travellers who can go anywhere in the world, will want a destination experience like nowhere else on Earth. So, globalisation in tourism is not a threat to the unique, it exists because of the unique. It relies on marketing to the international visitor that authentic “only in…” experience.

show. Another still might have space for volleyball or be a paradise for

Yes we must ensure that tourism is environmentally sustainable. But we

surfers. A Blue Flag on its own is not enough. Yes, all consumers expect

must ensure that it is economically and culturally sustainable too.

certain standards: cleanliness, accurate marketing, decipherable road

Technology offers us a great deal of good and there will be lessons for us

signs, and so on. But they also want that ‘special something’ – be it a

to learn from each other on promoting green tourism for the good of the

modern cultural icon or living heritage – that makes a destination unlike

global environment and the local economy.

anywhere else. The Lyons Review of Local Government calls this ‘placeshaping’ and the future of tourism depends on its success.

And that’s it in a nutshell. Successful destinations of the future will think of the global but act on the local. An international market of local appeal.

For example, our most resurgent seaside resorts appeal in a particular Whitstable, etc. Perhaps paradoxically, they are united in their difference

Stuart Barrow MTS | Public Affairs Manager | VisitBritain

just as much as they are united in their commonality.

www.visitbritain.org

way: Cosmopolitan Brighton; Classic Southport; Surfie Newquay; Foodie

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Attractions The Impact of New Cultural Attractions & The Media on Tourism Can other cities in the UK change perceptions in the same way? In Margate, Kent County Council conceived Turner Contemporary as a catalyst for the Council’s plans to regenerate the old town as a tourist destination and as a place to work and live. In the North new Mima – Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art – opened earlier this year. It’s already proving popular, learning from others such as Wolverhampton, Milton Keynes and Walsall how to deliver contemporary art to a regional audience. Will it make Middlesbrough As well as having real assets, cultural destinations are also defined by

more famous for culture than football?

what we think or think we know about them. And much of that is determined by what we read and see about them.

New architecture will not transform cities or towns without a range of existing arts, culture or heritage attractions and a population who

Messages about places come to us either in a managed way through PR

supports them.

and advertising or unmanaged through publicised events and sometimes crises, as well as word of mouth. It could be an out of date image which

From Edinburgh to Hay on Wye there must now be more than 300 arts

no-one is doing anything about. It could be a range of problems from

and cultural festivals in the UK every year. The secret of success is

dirty beaches to unsympathetic buildings and dual carriageways.

longevity, uniqueness and being media savvy. That means some new

In the last 20 years, new cultural destinations have been created through stunning new architecture such as Bilbao and Valencia. In the UK this happened first in 1994 when the Tate St. Ives opened, acting as a catalyst in Cornwall making it into what is now the UK’s coolest tourism destination. Success breeds success and the ambitious Eden Project continued the architectural bravura of Tate St Ives.

ingredient every year. The new Manchester International Festival dedicated to cutting edge art and culture took place for the first time this July. The Council has made a major investment. In conclusion, to be successful in the national and international cultural arena, destinations have to show determination, invest and stick with it. There must be cultural attractions of a high enough quality to stand

How many people would have put Newcastle Gateshead on the list of

competition from across the UK and Europe. Festivals and events must

cultural destinations 15 years ago? It was public art but also a good old

be well integrated and complement the existing attractions.

fashioned media row which started the transformation. The Angel of the North is not only Britain's largest public sculpture – (20m high and 54m wide) but also its best known. As well as the publicity which did no harm, there was a real legacy - the new Newcastle/Gateshead and ambitious developments such as the £45 m Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the largest gallery of its kind outside London, and The Sage £60 m concert halls complex.

Europe is buzzing with new cultural developments; China is opening a new museum a week and just look at the new Museum at the Pyramids in Cairo opening in 2010. Even the most cultural of cultural destinations is renewing itself. This article is based on a presentation to the VisitBritain Cultural Tourism Workshop in June this year at the RSA London.

because there was a critical mass of cultural attractions already. The new

Ylva French FTS | Director | Ylva French Communications

architecture gave everyone something to write about and be proud of.

www.ylvafrench.co.uk

Both here and in Cornwall the cultural transformation has worked

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

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Travel Industry The Future of Selling Travel: Home or Away? In 1994 David Speakman founded a new kind of travel agency one where people could book holidays from their own homes using dedicated independent travel professionals. The business now operates globally and is the world’s largest home based travel company. When I first started Travel Counsellors in January 1994 it was in response to having a failed restaurant business. In retrospect my failure taught me more about business and myself than all my successes had ever done. Of course I had researched the issues, the new trend of working from home and customers buying from home had been labelled “trend positive” in a book by the US trend guru Faith Popcorn (Popcorn Report). Whilst our Travel Counsellor franchisees enjoy the benefits of not commuting and this is a good reason to work from home, the success of Travel Counsellors is not because they work from home, it is plainly and simply that they are the best at what they do and they provide a service

done is harness this passion and expertise, encouraged and given

that is second to none.

everyone personal and company values both to operate and believe in. This has grown a business that the industry still believes is just a home

Firstly we are selective in who we allow to be a Travel Counsellor, we also use science to connect and measure the correct way to bond with

working business, thus it cannot understand our success because it fails to look behind the home based label.

customers. We train all our Travel Counsellors to believe in themselves and their abilities. We scientifically measure the bonding of franchisee

A demand for what we believe is “Super Service” at a good price will be

and customer. This has resulted in the real growth of the individual

the dominant message for the industry. Super service means expertise,

franchisee.

professionalism and knowledge, along with the best technology to deliver the best prices in the shortest possible time scale.

I firmly believe that our techniques could be used in conventional agencies and still have outstanding results.

If a supplier does not bring anything to the table then they will be bypassed. Agents will cut out the operator who does not add value to the

Most of the industry would like to believe Travel Counsellors is a travel agency that happened to come across home working. But it is our drive for excellence, our insistence on high standards and our emotional

sale whilst retaining the impartial advice they give to their loyal customers. Operators will cut out the agent when possible but can they be impartial?

attachment between the company and our Counsellors and in turn our Counsellors and their customers that has resulted in the business having

Those who offer added value in expertise or organisation will always have

a loyal public following. We believe this emotional attachment is the

a place in any agent’s portfolio, but the age of the agent / operator

main driver of the business. Again we know this, as we measure it. Our

mainstream relationship has gone for good. That’s not a threat; it is

ethos of friendship, camaraderie, caring and support is not an ‘add on’ to

customer market forces that will reduce the supply chain. It’s a fact of

the business but is the heartbeat and is why we as both staff and

life that every supplier will have to adapt to both.

franchisee adopt this ethos with religious fervour. I believed in 1994 that travel consultants were greatly maligned yet

David Speakman | Group Chairman | Travel Counsellors PLC

really for me many were the unsung heroes of travel. All that we have

www.travelcounsellors.com

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Indigenous Tourism Growing Australia’s Indigenous Tourism Sector Indigenous culture is an important differentiator contributing to the

providing practical assistance required to lift their operation to a higher

uniqueness of the Australian tourism experience for international visitors.

level of competitiveness – usually providing assistance to target the pre-

It has the potential to create a uniquely competitive marketing advantage,

arrival visitor and to have their product incorporated into the mainstream

especially for Tropical North Queensland - home to not only the Great

tourism distribution channels.

Barrier Reef, but also the largest proportion of indigenous people in Australia. One of the key criteria for support was the need for independent Awareness of indigenous art, lifestyle and traditions through tourism can help sustain indigenous culture, be beneficial to the economic development of regional and remote Australia, and provide the opportunity for indigenous businesses and communities to work toward independence (Commonwealth of Australia, 2003, 2004).

confirmation that the product is truly business ready. To ensure ongoing sustainability of the selected businesses, the project is worked with a number of support agencies and tourism organisations to help indigenous operators form industry networks and access mainstream tourism support services.

Tourism Research Australia estimates that some 830,000 overseas travellers participate annually in indigenous cultural experiences.

A key component of the project was to work with the operators who

By applying the estimated annual growth reported by the Tourism

provide indigenous tourism experiences to place Tropical North

Forecasting Committee (2007), this is forecast to be over 1.3 million

Queensland on the world map as Australia’ premier indigenous tourism

visitors by 2016.

destination. This part of the project aims to fully integrate indigenous

Where do visitors come from?

products with the mainstream marketing, public relations and distribution channels associated with the Great Tropical Drive project on an

Visitors from a wide variety of nationalities and cultures are attracted to an indigenous tourism experience in Australia. The UK provides the largest number of visitors (23%) to participate in an indigenous cultural experience, followed by 21% from Asia (excluding Japan), 14% from Japan, 13% from Europe (excluding Germany) and 12% from the USA.

ongoing basis. However, it should be noted that the project team (led by eminent environmental and cultural change expert John McIntyre) identified that, although there is a reasonable amount of support available to indigenous

Tourism Research Australia has estimated that the indigenous

tourism operators from a range of sources, there is an urgent need for

experiences are a major factor in the destination choice of some

more effective co-ordination of these support services.

149, 000 international visitors to Australia annually. While Australia recognises the unique value of its indigenous tourism As Australia’s leading sustainable tourism region, Tropical North Queensland has undertaken a major audit of the international competitiveness of its indigenous tourism product. Despite its sizeable

inventory, and the potential for growing international visitor numbers still further, much has to be done on the ground to ensure that product is ‘export ready’.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, the region is not a high profile destination for visitors seeking an indigenous experience because

This will be a significant challenge in the years ahead, but successfully

there has been limited availability of products that meet with industry

overcome, will ensure Australia retains its pre-eminent reputation for

standards and structures. Over the past decade a range of industry and

authentic indigenous cultural tourism experience.

government support programs have aimed to develop and support indigenous tourism initiatives. As a result, the quantity and quality of product available has improved immensely. Through the Federally-government funded ‘Great Tropical Drive’ program, TTNQ aimed to strengthen indigenous tourism operator’s businesses by

David Rose MTS | Director | Strategy and Emerging Markets, Tourism Tropical North Queensland www.tropicalaustralia.com.au

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Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism Development in an Emerging Destination - Cambodia Miles and miles of lush, green paddy fields, wallowing water buffalos and majestic temples hidden in the jungle off the beaten track - a lustful backpacker wilfully looks for his next adventure… Concrete jungles of 3, 4, 5 star hotels opening daily, trendy wi-fi lounges and a tour bus full of tourists checking in to a pre-booked hotel… Which one fits your image of Cambodia? The correct answer is both, and it’s the careful balance between the two that needs to be addressed in order to ensure Cambodia remains a beautiful country and cultural melting pot - using tourism in a positive measure as a means to pull the country out of stark poverty. Tourism is growing rapidly as the European tour operators see the opportunity to join the densely populated Korean and Japanese markets who use their own airlines, hotels, restaurants and tour buses. Very little money actually makes a difference to the local economy and only a few linkages are made to counteract this. Examples would be where locally produced arts and crafts, paintings and beautiful silks are purchased by tourists, and hotels and restaurants buy locally produced foods.

link.com aims to offer travellers an informed choice to purchase hotels and tours online with a commitment to sustainability. This is achieved by

There are many stakeholders in place. Non Governmental Organisations

highlighting responsible tourism initiatives, and tracking implementation.

(NGOs), charities, tour operators, hoteliers and tourists who seemingly

Online buyers can meet their potential hosts and decide whether they

want to make a difference and try to ensure everybody benefits.

want to stay with Mr Kunn and his family, or support Sala Bai, a local

Problems occur when nobody actually talks to one another. As an

hotel school offering scholarships to the underprivileged, or stay at Hotel

emerging market many things are out of the individual stakeholders’

de la Paix - a 2006 Responsible Tourism Awards nominee.

hands, but collaboration at this level is essential. This online booking model, once unique to Siem Reap, has been replicated At a destination level, guests are informed about different community projects and activities. They are encouraged to stay longer and engage in different ways to meet the real Cambodia. Guests can build water filters for villages lacking clean water or join conservation tours. Guests are asked to leave behind unwanted clothes weighing down their backpacks, which are donated to local orphanages. Hotels are offered advice on sustainability issues, be it environmentally, economically or socially. Soria Moria, a boutique hotel in Siem Reap, has committed to social

globally specifically in developing countries aiming to reduce poverty. Initially set up by the Mekong Development Sector with aid from the World Bank to support small B&B’s who get missed by the bigger web tour operators. As such, with the bottom-up approach, the money will be distributed more evenly and directly benefit the local community. Whether we like it or not, it’s inevitable that mass tourism will reach Cambodia. To make it sustainable all stakeholders must play their part,

responsibility. Its vision is ‘to become the first choice of workplace for

communicate, be transparent with their projects and ensure that

Cambodian locals, by focusing on quality and development of the staff

everyone will benefit from the tourism spend.

through best business practice, following labor laws, in addition to offering on-site hospitality training and education on a higher level.’

Joanna Owen MTS | Sustainable Development Consultant | World Hotel Link, Cambodia

At a booking level, an alternative approach implemented by Worldhotel-

www.angkorhotels.org

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Emerging Destinations Tourism Development in the Middle East & the Gulf States done likewise at Sharm El-Sheikh. A particular attraction for the more serious traveller, which is common to most, if not all, Middle East countries are the extensive Roman ruins to be found from Iran in the east to Morocco in the west, many of them well preserved and beautifully restored. The Arab speaking countries of North Africa have all this and some of the finest beaches along the southern Mediterranean. Of course the development of tourism has been spurred on by massive investment from the Gulf in particular. The oil-rich countries of the Arab world are seeking long-term capital investments and the tourism industry presents such an opportunity, the result being that the Arab World now not only has some of the finest beaches and resorts to be found but also some of the best hotels. Tourism in the Middle East is not a new industry. Our grandparentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

The Middle East Association is actively involved in promoting tourism in

generation was taking cruises down the Nile and one of Agatha Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

the Middle East and British companies are playing a very important role

finest detective stories took place amidst the temples of Luxor. It was a

in the development of this industry. UK involvement ranges from

European explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who discovered the fabled

financial services through to education & training, design & build and

Nabataean city of Petra in the early 19th Century, which has received

franchising. To support this rapidly growing industry in the Arab World

countless visitors since then.

the MEA is planning, with its partner, Compass Rose, a major conference in Abu Dhabi: the Middle East Travel & Tourism Summit. For North Africa,

But if these are timeless tourist attractions, there are no shortages of

a summit focusing on tourism in North Africa but also to include the

new attractions to capture the attention of the modern tourist with

impact of Gulf investment is planned.

different ideas on how to spend his or her leisure hours. The modern classic has to be Dubai in the Gulf which has transformed itself in

The terrorist attacks against tourists which have taken place in some of

40 years from a small British Protectorate to a thriving city state,

the Arabian countries and Turkey will inevitably deter people from

emulating Hong Kong and Singapore, and offering every type of holiday

planning their vacations in the Middle East but, seen in context, no

pastime that anybody (with money!) could wish for. Any upmarket travel

Middle East destinations are seriously less safe than anywhere on the

magazine will offer a four day package holiday in Dubai for the family,

European mainland or elsewhere. People will continue to seek new places

the golfer, the sun-seeker or the desert explorer.

and new adventures for shorter or longer holidays. The only problem that the 20 or so countries comprising the Middle East have is competing

If Dubai is exceptional, there are plenty of other countries in the Middle

against each other to attract more tourists, building up their respective

East that are investing heavily in tourism. Oman, hitherto slightly off the

tourist industries and, for those without oil, to benefit from this and to

beaten tourist track, has spent ÂŁ11bn on its Wave offshore island

ensure that the national economy benefits from this major source of

development and on its Blue City project, whilst carefully preserving the

prosperity.

traditional character of the Sultanate (no high rise developments are archeological sites, forts and castles. Jordan, for its part, has discreetly

Michael Thomas | Director General | Middle East Association

developed the resort of Aqaba at the top of the Red Sea and Egypt has

chris@the-mea.co.uk

permitted), its 1700km Indian Ocean coastline, UNESCO Heritage

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

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History

Experience OMAN

Telephone: 020 8877 4524

www.omantourism.gov.om

Forts

Responsible Tourism Is Tourism Development to Antarctica Responsible? There are also huge threats to the marine environment. The most obvious one is a massive oil spill from the increasingly large cruise ships. The running aground of a Norwegian cruise ship on Deception Island last year was “a wake up call” according to Dr John Shears of BAS. Only last November the MV Explorer was holed by an iceberg and sank just off the Antarctic Peninsula (luckily with no fatalities). Pollution and waste disposal issues grow as ship numbers increase. Finally, scientists are concerned that ships hull fouling may be the most significant pathway “Celebrate the festive season in Antarctica,” invites an advertisement

for the introduction of invasive marine species.

in a recent Saga Magazine. The cruise featured lists six separate landing opportunities on the Antarctic Peninsula. Mass tourism has

A UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) report concludes:

arrived on the continent.

“the growth in tourism has the potential to affect the national research programmes and to increase the risk to the marine environment and

The l991 Environmental Protocol, fully ratified by all the Antarctic

terrestrial ecosystems”.

Nations in 1998, designated Antarctica as a “natural reserve devoted to peace and science”. Members committed to the “comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and associated ecosystems” both on land and in the surrounding oceans. Human activities, including tourism, “should take place in a manner consistent with these principles” and activities shall be “modified, suspended or cancelled if they result in or threaten to result in

In 2007 Antarctic treaty members came extremely close to implementing a tighter, binding set of tourism regulations but failed to receive the necessary unanimous vote. There is a voluntary code in place for the members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO). This limits the size of ships and the number of visits ashore. However, this does not control the large cruise lines, who are not IAATO

…impacts inconsistent with these principles.”

members.

Last year an estimated 37,000 visitors made 200,000 landings on the

The regulators and the tourism industry should stop burying their heads

Antarctic Peninsula. As sea ice retreats, more shipping lanes will open up.

in the ice. A radical solution is required before the damage is done.

With an increase in the number and size of cruise ships visiting, numbers

To protect the marine environment access to Antarctic waters for tourism

could triple in the coming decade to near 100,000, with half a million

purposes should be strictly limited in terms of numbers of visits and ship

landings.

size. More controversially, the Antarctic land mass should be tourist free; a place to be seen, but not touched.

Sustainable tourism seeks to increase the economic and social gains in a destination whilst minimising adverse environmental impact.

The Antarctic nations could rapidly make the necessary “modification,

Uniquely, Antarctica is an uninhabited continent (apart from 4000

suspension or cancellation” of tourist activities called for in its own

people who make up the scientific community). Tourism therefore brings

protocol. The WTTC and UNEP should demonstrate leadership by pressing

no economic gain to the continent itself. The environment is the sole

for these changes to be made.

stakeholder. The impact of rapidly growing tourism on the pristine Antarctic environment is therefore the key issue.

Tourism has brought huge economic benefits to many destinations, but uninhabited Antarctica is different. Action is required now to ensure that

Research in the Galapagos suggests the presence of humans can put

it remains a natural reserve, a place of icy wonder and mystery - the last

stress on wildlife. Terrestrial tourism footprints can also bring in alien

no-go place on the planet.

species, so far limited but representing “a huge potential problem” according to Rachel Clark of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

Roger Heape FTS

The Tourism Society Journal

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Tourism Society Think Tank Tourism Society reaction to DCMS forward policy and VisitBritain Budget cuts The Tourism Society has joined with all other members of the Tourism

budget by cutting investment in our more lucrative established markets,

Alliance in denouncing the Governments settlement for Tourism, under

such as the US. VisitBritain is represented in only 20% of the Nations

which DCMS funds to VisitBritain would be cut by a further 20% in the

that will compete in the 2012 Olympics. The DCMS announcement

run-up to the Olympic Games, at the very time when Britain is under the

indicates that some more funds will be found for the Olympics “nearer

greatest international competitive pressure

the time” – perhaps they hope to do this from the £9m cuts they plan in VB’s budget for 2011. Meanwhile VB has to do the Olympic preparatory

Margaret Hodge’s letter to the Tourism Society says the cuts are essential

work from the Beijing handover without funds, by cutting existing programs.

in the tight fiscal environment – yet DCMS has for a decade favoured other sectors over Tourism, despite the fact that the funding of marketing

None of this is a happy state of affairs for Tourism and casts a shadow

tourism to Britain, and encouraging British people to holiday at home,

over the good work being done to create VisitEngland, and the embryonic

both do more to improve the UK’s fiscal situation than any other of

Partners for England, and to advocate “Placemaking” by Local Authorities.

DCMSs sectoral investments. Their rationale for the cuts is based on

Billions are committed to hosting the Olympics, nothing is yet allocated

several key “facts” that are inaccurate, or wrongly interpreted; these

by Government to deliver the Tourism legacy. To try to fund this out of

fallacies must be exposed and the conclusions must be challenged.

reduced routine international marketing budgets, fails the British people who benefit in so many ways from tourism.

The Minister has asserted that there is plenty of money available for tourism, saying that ”there has been a doubling of central Government cash provision for the support of the tourism industry since the late

Ken Robinson FTS | Chairman | Tourism Society Think Tank

1990s. Centrally, regionally and locally, United Kingdom taxpayers are providing around £350 million annual investment in the visitor

Industry to press Prime Minister to reverse funding cuts that threaten Britain’s £85bn Tourism Industry

economy.” But most of this is either money over which DCMS has no remit, or it is not available to be spent on core Tourism activities, or marketing, at all. The Tourism Alliance are working to demonstrate just what funds are available and how little flexibility there is to claw some back to meet the international marketing requirements. Margaret Hodge thinks things have never been better for Local Authorities Tourism spending saying “Local Authorities didn’t previously prioritise Tourism as they do now” but the reality almost everywhere is diminishing budgets and a reduction of LAs involvement in tourism. The RDAs budgets are being cut year by year, so the tourism-related allocations are under threat.

The Tourism Alliance launched a ‘Take Tourism Seriously' campaign on 19th November 2007 opposing Government policy supported by leading figures from business including David Michels, former CEO of Hilton Hotels and Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin Entertainments. Industry frustration is running at an all time high following a succession of policy decisions that have angered the 200,000 tourism businesses in Britain's sixth largest industry. Tourism leaders gave notice the 18% cut in Visit Britain's funding, which takes the total real terms cut in tourism marketing to 50% since 1997, threatened:

The Minister has said “Marketing happens on the internet now, so

• UK's position as the 6th most popular world tourist destination

VisitBritain doesn’t need offices or representation in many overseas

• 2012 Olympic tourism legacy forecast at between £2.1bn in new revenue

countries” – well if tourism marketing is just a matter of online activity why not leave it all to Google, Expedia and Virtual Tourist? To compete, we need people on the ground, in touch with the market, understanding the influences and influencers, and linking with travel trade operators.

• Competitiveness of UK tourism and its global market share • Ability of VisitBritain to attract visitors from emerging markets, such as India and Asia, and stem the decline of our biggest market the USA • Growth prospects in domestic tourism, particularly seaside tourism locations needing regeneration

VisitBritain has been told to prioritise its representation and activity in Asian and emerging markets, yet it can only do so within its reduced

www.tourismalliance.com

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Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Consultants Tourism Consultants Network Goes Live in 2008 May I please ask all of you, except the 30 plus who have already signed up, if you would access the new web site for consultants and upload all your online details. The sooner we have a good number the sooner we go live, and we will be going live early in the New Year. Our web designer Lewis together with Flo have worked to great effect on the site and several members have tested it. As this is one of the major outcomes of the survey, which we carried out, we wish to get it under way as soon as possible but we can only do so with your data on board. We have already had very positive responses from members including: Niels Riis Jensen MTS - "thanks for at great website!" Habeeb Habash FTS - "This is great and shows how much work has been done." As you would expect it is not stopping there. Having created the site we are very actively engaged in its promotion. In the New Year we will be circulating a business card currently under design to all known contacts and more. If you can help with any names then please let Flo have the list. Following representations from some members and taking into account the Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view we have amended the promotional name of the group to read Tourism Consultant Network and this will be incorporated on the card. We are also looking to carry out some pay per click advertising. Things are looking good for 2008 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; new site, more publicity for the membership and their expertise and several meetings ready to be scheduled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one on Heritage Lottery Funding in London, one on European funding in Wales and a visit to one of the recently opened attractions. So if you are not a member you will be missing out in â&#x20AC;&#x2122;08 so join now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and to everyone please up load your details! I take this opportunity to thank all members for their continuing help and support especially the committee, and I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and successful, enjoyable consulting in 2008.

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Chris Wikeley FTS | Chairman | Tourism Consultants Network

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Email journal@tourismsociety.org

/07

How to get results in travel PR TravMedia's Guide to The Travel Journalist TravMedia, the world's leading travel news service for the media, has conducted extensive research to identify the types of travel journalists that matter. Here are the results of our poll.

The Newshound

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TravMedia has over 4500 journalists registered in the UK, receiving press releases from over 550 travel industry organisations on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. Each customer distributes press releases via our News Alerts, has its own Press Centre, receives Journalist

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The Socialite's thirst for info leads them to our quarterly Thirst Tuesday networking event, the major gathering of top travel journalists and PRs. Loves to schmooze for news, and always goes home with a slaked thirst.

Alerts, and is invited to each MediaPlace event. Contact Howard Salinger today to start increasing and improving your results from the media: T +44 (0)20 7953 8768 E howard.salinger@travmedia-uk.com W www.travmedia.com

www.travelgbi.com It’s your website, giving you 24 hour access to UK & Ireland‘s domestic travel, holiday and tourism scene.

- always one step ahead!

The Tourism Society Journal

Website www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Book Reviews ECO Tourism, NGOS and Development

Prospects for Polar Tourism

Jim Butcher Routledge, 2007 ISBN: 978-0-415-39367-6 189 pages

J M Snyder and B Stonehouse CABI ISBN: 078-1-84593-247-3 318 pages

Can the competing needs of change and biodiversity in the developing world be reconciled? Butcher throws new light on this by looking critically at the role of ecotourism in sustainable development for materially poorer communities. Ecotourism has been initiated by non-governmental organisations, like Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund and Tourism Concern, as exemplar sustainable development in the rural developing world. Butcher looks at how these NGOs advocate ecotourism and through case studies explores issues around community participation, the value of tradition, the preservation of natural capital and the local integration of conservation and development.

Editors and contributors Snyder and Stonehouse bring together a wide range of authoritative commentaries on the development and impact of polar tourism, a welcome volume in these days of growing eco-concerns.

These studies raise critical issues about: defining sustainable development; creating an inherent resistance to change; disillusionment with western societies; and the grudging view of ecotourism as the least worst way of reconciling development and conservation. A central concern is that some forms of ecotourism seem to require that ‘development should be based around non consumption [and]…..rules out transformative development.’ Butcher argues that ecotourism’s popularity as a development option devalues human advancement by linking it to external, western concepts of conservation priority. He challenges the case for conservation led development in that it reflects a diminished view of the potential for substantial development and liberation from poverty. His case is for a greater priority for development and less for conservation. While a convincing argument is made for this critical view of the western orientated NGO approach to eco tourism based on a ‘strong’ view of sustainability, the voice of the receiving communities is missing. Indeed, Butcher says, ‘Studies of local resident attitudes would need to take account of [the] wider context in which choices are made and attitudes expressed.’ Such additional insights are vital in addressing his contention, that the competition between ‘conservation and human development cannot be reconciled in the midst of poverty.’

Taking a historical look at how tourism has reached these distant and in holiday-climate terms rather inhospitable regions, these area studies engage us with the economic benefits to its peoples, some good, some perhaps less so: witness the Inuit and the opening to tourism of the North-West Passage, or the Sami beset with families on a Santa safari. Drivers are of course based around our current fascination with nature and wildlife: our planet as it has always been. The studies examine takeup and development of the different modes of accessing these regions – cruise ships being both popular and among the most manageable and highly monitored. It’s not new – man was using and abusing polar regions centuries ago: responsibly-led hunting, fishing, exploration and prospecting apart, Mrs Septima Collis, on a shore excursion in Alaska’s Glacier Bay in 1890, noted in her diary the potential of her fellowpassengers climbing the glaciers with alpenstocks to destroy both the glacier and themselves. There is celebration in these chapters; there are warnings. There is scholarly research, facts and figures, presented in a readable way one expects from the world-class institutions which have contributed, including Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute and Tasmania’s Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies. For us in the business of tourism there is input from the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators and the Insituto Fuegino del Tourism among others. Conclusions: there must be careful management and regulation of polar tourism lest we hasten its untimely end. This book offers responsible, clear and effective case studies and analyses to help achieve this. It makes a salutory read.

INDIGENOUS ECOTOURISM: Sustainable Development and Management H. Zeppel CABI, 2006 ISBN: 1-84593-124-6 308 pages The title of this book suggests so much potential, but in reality is rather dull and stodgy. There are eight chapters, of which six relate to geographical regions of the world. Within each of the geographical chapters are a large number of short case studies relating to countries or ecotourism ventures within the area. These case studies are well written and informative, but sadly lack the support of tables of data, graphs, maps or photographs and are thus rather descriptive in their style. It is fortunate that the case studies are short as the density of the text, without illustration, is the biggest let down of this book. It is likely that this publication will be on the shelves of university libraries for reference by students, rather than becoming a recommended text. The references at the end of each case study are extensive and the author is to be commended for the volume of secondary research which has been undertaken to compile this heavy weight volume. Readers may find this volume useful as an "entry" into the subject matter and the means to select countries and/or projects for further study. The lack of quantitative data and sense of place let this text down and prevent it from being the recommended source of information on applied ecotourism study.

Polly Larner FTS | Director |

Darren Leftwich MTS | Head of Travel &

Polly Larner Promotions

Tourism | Enfield College

Brian Human FTS | Head of Policy and Projects | Cambridge City Council

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Email journal@tourismsociety.org

Tourism and Protected Areas: Benefits Beyond Boundaries R. Bushell and P.F.J. Eagles, (Eds) CABI, 2007 ISBN: 978-0-85199-022-4 349 pages The IUCN (World Conservation Union) held its fifth World Parks Congress in 2003. In spite of submissions to the organising committee, tourism was not treated as a workshop stream at the conference; nevertheless, the subject permeated much of the discussions and presentations. This text brings together the issues and findings of the congress, where these touched upon tourism, and as such, it forms a valuable contribution to the field of study. The contributions, by 25 practitioners and academics, are literate, detailed and well illustrated with ample case studies and examples drawn from both the developed and developing world, including, among others, Latin America, Canada, Australia, Southern Africa, Fiji – and the European Alps. The text illustrates how far we have yet to go to translate words into actions. By way of example, chapter four details no fewer than two dozen international relevant charters, guidelines and declarations issued between 1992 and 2004 designed to protect designated areas from the effects of mass tourism. Experience has shown that unless these are accompanied by firm action on the part of governments and other relevant authorities, success will be limited. Since the text is based on a congress already four years past, some of the statistics appear dated, such as figures relating to the movement of tourists in the 1990s. The poor quality of black and white photographic reproduction – a not infrequent weakness among publishers of tourism texts - mars an otherwise excellent presentation, which should become recommended reading both for postgraduate students of tourism and practitioners working in this field. Prof Chris Holloway FTS

Tourism in Developing Countries Twan Huybers Edward Elgar Publishing, 2007 ISBN: 978-1-84376-998-9 667 pages Tourism is a key economic driver for many developing countries, and it is essential that all players are aware of positive changes in modern management, as well as participating in informed debate of the best strategies to be employed. This book focuses on many of the most important papers that have been produced over the last years, and will make a welcome and useful addition to the reference section of many university libraries. Academia is now more involved in development work, helping to create new models that provide structures which guide and support practitioners. This book contains an overview of academic thought, as well as being a repository of a great deal of useful data. Its contributors include some of the most distinguished in our industry, brought together in a format that will make their views accessible to many. While several papers focus on the theoretical, there are also a number of excellent discussions that identify practical management strategies, and at the same time underline the impact that a successful tourism industry has on local economies as well as being a catalyst for other areas of economic and social development. Subjects range from conceptual to the practical, and from local challenges to international issues. They also contribute to current economic, social and ethical debates. Unfortunately, while certain papers highlight success stories regarding Government support and public private partnerships, there is little mention of the negative impact of (all to common) unproductive Government interventions; local politicians who want to control their embryonic industry “because the industry is still weak”, but have little to bring in the way of positive inputs themselves; or industries that have developed successfully, in spite of a lack of pro-active Government support. These are too often key factors that limit or hinder the development of tourism in developing countries.

Tourism in the Middle East – Continuity, Change and Transformation Rami Farouk Daher Channel View Publications ISBN: 1-84541-050-5 325 pages The Middle East contains well-established destinations (e.g. Egypt, the Holy Land), those that have emerged onto the world scene in the last decade or so (e.g. Dubai, Oman) and at least one country, Saudi Arabia, that is still to embrace international leisure tourism to any meaningful level. This collection of papers edited by Rami Farouk Daher of the American University of Beruit and Sheffield Hallam University provides a valuable insight into many of the issues faced in developing and managing tourism destinations by assessing the state of the sector in the Middle East. Daher’s own contribution entitled ‘Reconceptualising Tourism in the Middle East’ offers a useful assessment of the external and internal factors driving tourism development in the region including the role of local communities and entrepreneurs in developing niche tourism operations, the impacts of 9/11 on patterns of demand and the drive by some of the Gulf States to diversify their economy. A counterpoint to this paper is the contribution by Al Mahadin and Burns on the portrayal of the Arab world in advertising, which provides a useful assessment of the way in which the tourist gaze is influenced by forces that are often quite separate from those that are trying to develop the product on the ground. Orbasli’s chapter on the challenges of managing tourism and conservation in Islamic neighbourhoods contains much that is of relevance to other historic urban destinations whilst Peter Burns’ review of the recent tourism planning process in Saudi Arabia provides an insight into some of the fundamental challenges facing any new destination that is seeking to establish a strategy for tourism development that respects the hosts society’s own aspirations and cultural constraints. Simon Woodward MTS | Principal Tourism Consultant | PLB Consulting Ltd

Roger Withers FTS | Director | The Tourism Partnership

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Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

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In our Centenary year, we’re pleased to be the Tourism Society’s newest corporate member! For further details, please contact The Caravan Club Press Office on 01342 336664 or email press@caravanclub.co.uk or visit our award-winning website www.caravanclub.co.uk

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BE PART OF IT Millennium & Copthorne is an experienced hotel operator and owner with a highly regarded reputation built over four decades. Our experience in management contracts is as long as it is as an owner/operator. From our first hotel in the village of Copthorne, close to Gatwick, West Sussex, we now have a network across the UK and beyond which positions us as one of the UK's strongest branded hotel operators and leading “pure” hotel groups. We are keen to talk to: • owners looking for the strength of a respected, successful UK Hotel brand • developers and financial institutions in need of an operating company • consultants and agents representing owners, developers, destinations We have a long history of profit creation and can help you to profit through a partnership with Millennium & Copthorne Hotels. Over 110 hotels in 18 countries. For an initial call about your project call

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Membership News Upgrade to Fellow Welcome to our first issue of 2008 focusing on the future of tourism. In terms of the future of the Society you can see on these pages the large number of new members we are receiving which will enable us to grow in 2008 and beyond. These developments include new chapters in the Midlands, North West, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Gulf States.

Congratulations to: Bernard Donoghue FTS VisitBritain Max Gaunt FTS RGA Consulting Lyn Scrivener FTS LSM - Lynn Scrivener Marketing

Welcome New Fellows Please look out for information coming out soon regarding our conference in St Helens in June and regional events across the country plus information regarding British Tourism Week in March. A particular welcome and thanks go to our new Corporate Members for 2008: Millennium & Copthorne Hotels and the Oman Tourist Office who join Artavia Advertising, The Caravan Club, Superbreak, Travel GBI & Visit London. I was very pleased to receive some positive feedback from a new member recently, Sue Faulkner MTS responded to an email I sent to all members regarding the formation of VisitEngland:

Andrew Grieve FTS Discover Travel & Tours T: 0870 290 1012 E: agrieve@discovertravelandtours.com W: www.discovertravelandtours.com Geoffrey Lipman FTS World Tourism Organisation (UNTWO) T: 00 34 91 567 81 90 E: gl@st-ep.com W: www.unwto.org Christopher Rodrigues FTS VisitBritain T: 020 8563 3018 E: cjr@visitbritain.org W: www.visitbritain.com

Moray Bowater MTS Helpful Holidays T: 01647 433593 E: moray.bowater@helpfulholidays.com W: www.helpfulholidays.com Phil Coates MTS Wales Tour Guides Ltd T: 01633 774796 E: phil@walestg.com W: www.walestourguides.com Elli Constantatou MTS Essex County Council T: 01245 430239 E: elli.constantatou@essexcc.gov.uk W: www.realessex.co.uk Francis Cornish MTS South West Tourism T: 01823 413228 E: cornish@aol.com EiIleen Cox MTS Guild of Registered Tourist Guides T: 020 7403 1115 E: eileen@visitlondonguide.co.uk Jane Cryer MTS East of England Tourism T: 01284 727 495 E: jcryer@eet.org.uk W: www.eet.org.uk

Dear Flo,

Welcome New Members

This is just to say that I wish I had joined the Tourism Society before now!

Kathy Baker MTS Kings College London E: kathy.baker@kcl.ac.uk W: www.kcl.ac.uk/geography

Deborah Evans MTS London Development Agency T: 0207 5938163 E: deborahevans@LDA.gov.uk W: www.LDA.gov.uk

Rosemary Bannister MTS Hospitality and Tourism Training Company T: 0845 223 7575 E: info@httraining.co.uk W: www.httraining.co.uk

Sue Faulkner MTS Sue Faulkner Associates T: 07917161342 E: sue.faulkner@virgin.net

Clarifications as per your note below, together with all the information I have received from you since becoming a member of the Tourism Society, has been genuinely really useful.Thank you. Kind regards, Sue Faulkner MTS I hope you are all making the most of your membership and enjoying the many benefits available. If you know someone who could benefit from membership please encourage them to join. Flo Powell, MTS Executive Director, The Tourism Society flo@tourismsociety.org

Michael Birtles MTS European Rail Ltd T: 020 76191090 E: michael@europeanrail.com W: www.erail.co.uk Maggie Blandford MTS Fullers Hotels and Inns T: 020 8996 2152 E: maggie.blandford@fullers.co.uk W: www.fullershotels.co.uk Brooke Boothby MTS Tourism Quality Services T: 02920 755974 E: sirbrookeboothby@hotmail.com

Inma Ferrer - Ortiz MTS International Currency Exchange T: 020 7292 5481 E: inma.ferrer@iceplc.com W: www.iceplc.com Alistair Gronbach MTS VisitScotland T: 0131 472 2317 E: alistair.gronbach@visitscotland.com W: www.visitscotland.com Mark Hodson MTS Travel Journalist T: 020 8769 4626 E: mark.hodson@ntlworld.com W: www.markhodson.net

The Tourism Society Journal

Website www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Dawn James MTS South West RDA T: 01392 229 393 E: dawn.james@southwestrda.org.uk

Peter Stonham MTS Landor Travel Publications T: 07906511384 E: stonham.hastings@grouptravelorganiser.com

Janice Kent MTS East of England Tourism Board T: 01284 727487 E: jkent@eet.org.uk

Julia Stuckey MTS T: 07912180939 E: julesstux@hotmail.com

Faith Khamlichi MTS Key Note Ltd T: 020 8481 8751 E: fkhamlichi@keynote.co.uk W: www.keynote.co.uk

Gold Corporate Members Abigail Murphy MTS Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Plc T: 020 7872 2487 E: abigail.murphy@mill-cop.com

Anthony Lambert MTS British Guild of Travel Writers T: 020 8749 5359 E: alambert@dircon.co.uk

Students

Steve Lowry MTS Umi Hotels T: 020 7221 9131 E: steve@umihotels.co.uk W: www.umihotels.co.uk

Silvia Braghiroli University of Westminster E: silviabraghiroli@yahoo.com

Daniela Manevska MTS The Bonnington Hotel T: 0207 400 3803 E: daniela@bonnington.com W: www.bonnington.com Lisa Minot MTS The Sun T: 020 7782 4284 E: lisa.minot@the-sun.co.uk W: www.thesun.co.uk Joanne Moore MTS Bedford Borough Council T: 01234 227429 E: jomoore@bedford.gov.uk W: www.visitbedford.co.uk Tom Mordue MTS Teesside Business School, University of Teesside T: 01642 342808 E: t.mordue@tees.ac.uk Rupert Peters MTS VisitBritain T: 020 8563 3214 E: rupert.peters@visitbritain.org W: www.visitbritain.org Ruth Robson MTS The Bowes Museum T: 01833 690606 E: ruth.robson@thebowesmuseum.org.uk John Sansom MTS Presslink T: 020 7831 0023 E: john@presslinkgroup.co.uk Nicki Schiesser MTS Atkins – Planning, Landscape and Heritage E: nickiodana@yahoo.co.uk Emma Snow MTS The Royal Yacht T: 01534 720 511 E: emma.snow@theroyalyacht.com W: www.theroyalyacht.com

Jane Brampton – Forster E: jbrantonforster@aol.com

Maria Cristina Bresciani University of Westminster E: cristina_bresciani@yahoo.it

Deborah Manoovaloo-Jessamine Anglia Ruskin E: debjess@btinternet.com Mariya Marinska University of Westminster E: m_marinska@abv.bg Nikolay Nickolov University of Westminster E: nikolaysan20@hotmail.com Deo Akena Odoch University of Westminster E: deoakena@yahoo.com Natallia Paulava University of Westminster E: natatapaulava@yahoo.com Larene Pereira University of Westminster E: laremustafa@hotmail.com Marta Pilarczyk University of Westminster E: martapilarczyk@yahoo.co.uk

Barbora Cherifi University of Westminster E: b.cherifi@hotmail.co.uk

Nicole Raphael University of Westminster E: leahpar03@yahoo.com

Chetna Chodankar University of Westminster E: chetnaz2000@hotmail.com

Phil Rogers Napier University E: phil.rogers@btopenworld.com

Jane Edwards University of Westminster E: jane_edwards@talk21.com

Claudia Sima University of Westminster E: claudiasima85@yahoo.com

Giovanna Freschini University of Westminster E: jobbinda@email.it

Lexington Simon University of Westminster E: halls-ih@wmin.ac.uk

Jonathan Fuller University of Westminster E: fullerjonathan@hotmail.com

Pamela Smith University of Westminster E: pamela.h.smith@hotmail.co.uk

Radostina Gaucheva University of Westminster E: joyoflondon@yahoo.co.uk

Aleksandra Stadler The University of Wales E: olastadler@wp.pl

Hjalti Jonsson University of Westminster E: hjaltij02@ru.is

Iwona Syta University of Westminster E: ivonasyta@hotmail.com

Denise Jnmarie University of Westminster E: jnmaried@hotmail.com

Alison Thompson Leeds Metropolitan University E: guyandally@btinternet.com

Neeta Katira University of Westminster E: nkatira@hotmail.com Lauren Kennedy The Robert Gordon University E: lauren.m.kennedy@hotmail.co.uk

Catherine Webster Bath Spa University E: catwebster@hotmail.co.uk Tamina Weidlich University of Wales, Aberystwth E: tsw5@aber.ac.uk

Samuel Lee University of Westminster E: ykslee@gmail.com

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS:

Adriana Lucas St Mary’s University College E: drikalucas@gmail.com

Please remember to inform the Society of any changes to your details so that our database is kept up-to-date.

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Email journal@tourismsociety.org

Directory Amendments Dr Raphael Raymond Bar-On FTS Consultant, Tourism Data Advisor to the Union of Local Authorities in Israel 28 Ha-Mitnachlim St. Ramat Ha-Sharon 47203 ISRAEL T: + 9723 547 0688 F: + 9723 540 6972 E: baronray@netvision.net.il Libby Carson-Mee MTS Director ECMHeritage - Historic Environment Advisors Rose Cottage New Hall Lane Bronington Wrexham SY13 3HE T: 07921 998520 E: libby@ecmheritage.co.uk W: www.ecmheritage.co.uk David Curtis-Brignell FTS E: david.curtis-brignell@millenniumhotels.co.uk Fiona Deaton MTS Consultant Maisna T: 01291 623690 E: enquiries@maisna.co.uk W: www.maisna.co.uk Helen Dewhurst Sector Manager Leap Ahead, the Lifelong Learning Network for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, University of Derby, Room E817, Kedleston Road, Derby DE 1GB T: 01332 59 2284 E: h.dewhurst@derby.ac.uk Richard Harris MTS Technical Director Intelligent Transport Systems Occupation category of Transport Ms Ann Harrison Crome Freelance Consultant Drury House 50 High Street Sandy SG19 1AJ Michael Hirst Chairman, Business Tourism Partnership and Consultant, CB Richard Ellis Hotels Ms Sandra Jack MTS Director of Operations TBA Global Ltd Thornton House Thornton Road Wimbledon London SW19 4NG T: 020 8672 7733 F: 020 8944 0353 E: sjack@tbaglobal.com W: www.tbaglobal.com

Steve Plummer MTS Head of Business Development 2FluidCreative 49 Cochrane Street Glasgow G1 1 HL T: 0141 553 1155 F: 0141 552 1903 E: steve@2fluid.co.uk W: www.2fluid.co.uk

2008 Events Calendar JANUARY 2008 10th PROSPECTS FOR 2008 Sofitel St James, London

Peter Nizette MTS PO Box 6994 Kigali Republic of Rwanda

16th WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS DOING IN BUSINESS TOURISM Ocean Point One, Edinburgh

Lisa Ryan MTS Direct Sales and Marketing Manager VisitBritain Thames Tower Blacks Road Hammersmith London W6 9EL T: 020 8563 3294 M: 07815 904 285 E: lisa.ryan@visitbritain.org

Date TBC IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERY OF CONSULTANTS INPUT TO LOTTERY BIDS Venue tbc, London

Ms Nicki Schiessel MTS Senior Consultant Atkins Vanessa Thomas T: 01784 257 257 M: 07720 425 845 E: vanessa.thomas@t3solutions.co.uk W: www.t3solutions.co.uk Veronica Tonge MTS V R I T Associates Ltd 8c Aberdare Gardens London NW6 3PY T: 07967 827221 E: veronica.tonge@dial.pipex.com Andy Tordoff MTS E: andy.tordoff@yorkshire-forward.com Andras Vig Travel & Leisure Analyst Hoodless Brennan 40 Marsh Wall London E14 9TP E: andras.vig@hoodlessbrennan.com

FEBRUARY 2008 14th BRIDGET JONES & MR DARCY - SEARCHING FOR LOVE Venue TBC, Scotland Date TBC LONDON’S TOURISM PRODUCT IN THE RUN-UP TO 2012 Venue tbc, London MARCH 2008 5th ANNUAL CAREERS EVENT University of Westminster, London 11th TOURISM QUESTION TIME British Travel Trade Fair Birmingham NEC, Birmingham 17th TOURISM ACADEMICS & INDUSTRY CONFERENCE In conjunction with ABTA & ITT De Vere West One, London JUNE 2008 19th - 20th ANNUAL CONFERENCE World of Glass, St Helens 30th TOURISM ACADEMICS & INDUSTRY CONFERENCE In conjunction with ABTA & ITT Copthorne Birmingham, Birmingham FUTURE EVENTS Future event topics: •

Chairmen of Industry Lunch

•

The Female Role in Travel & Tourism

•

Behavioural Styles at Work

•

Employment, Skills & Training in Tourism and Hospitality

•

Lifeskills Training Workshops

•

Tourism Society Wales Summer Award and Lunch

•

Getting Ahead on the Web

The Tourism Society Journal

Website www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 4 ISSUE 134 Winter 2007

Invaluable marketing intelligence for tourism professionals Tourism Insights, the ultimate tourism tool, is back. Always popular with the industry, it’s now online and it’s even better. Helping you to monitor developments in the UK tourism market, analysing and interpreting trends and opportunities, keeping you completely up-to-date.

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