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International tourism in Peru has increased greatly due to globalization, which has an enormous impact on the development of Peru and its people. As Peru adds more infrastructure and industrializes towns to accommodate the inflow of tourists, the environment as well as the economy are affected. In the spring of 2010 I had the opportunity to visit Agua Dolce, a remote village just outside of Urubamba in the Andes mountains. Through building a school and clean burning stoves with community members, I saw first hand the effects that tourism has on traditional culture and the environment. This experience has launched my interest in the topic of Peru’s development and how tourism is associated with Peru’s modernization. The dependent economy, the modernization of infrastructure, the deteriorating environment, and the affected local development are all factors that are changing due to the increasing tourism industry (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 6, 130). Tourism should be beneficial to a country and its people, yet in Peru this newly booming industry has a negative impact. I argue that Peru is neglecting the conservation of its environment and its culture for the building of infrastructure and unequal economic benefits in order to strengthen the tourism industry as it continues to modernize.

Theoretical backing: modernization

Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth and his views on modernization demonstrate Peru’s current issues. Peru is in the stage of ‘The Drive to Maturity’ and moving towards ‘High Mass Consumption’ as more infrastructure is built and the service industry is becoming more important. More and more tourists are traveling to immerse themselves in a country’s culture and to experience the traditions and the natural environment through ecotourism (Bury, 2008: 326), yet modernization is bringing Peru more towards the ways of the ‘Global North’ through modernization. Modernization is not the answer for Peru and will eventually lead to the destruction of environment and culture due to rapid industrialization, as well as the downfall of the economy as the tourist flow decreases once the elements that are attracting tourists like the landscape and the traditions are destroyed. Peru should not follow the path of the ‘Global North’ towards the building of infrastructures, and instead preserve its environment and culture while creating a sustainable tourism industry and economic benefits for the local people.

Economic impact

Tourism has an immense impact on the economy of a region which can, in turn, impact the economical situation of an entire country. The tourism industry has grown rapidly in Peru and is now one of the leading industries in Peru’s economy (Anderson, 2008: 1). Because tourism is dependent upon the inflow of tourists from abroad, it is also dependent upon the economies of these foreign countries (Anderson, 2008: 2). Peru aims to conserve its cultural heritage and grow economically through the implementation of a strong tourism industry (Zoomers, 2008: 971). However, because Peru’s economy is now playing a huge part in the further development of tourism infrastructure (Anderson, 2008: 1), it appears that the tourism industry in Peru has reached Rostow’s stage of the ‘Drive to Maturity’. The next stage in Rostow’s ‘Stages of Economic Growth’ is ‘High Mass Consumption’ which concentrates on the service industries, of which tourism is a part. In this last stage, the primary sector, which is mainly agricultural, is diminishing, therefore for those Peruvians who live in remote areas and depend on farming for survival, their economic situation will become more complicated (Zoomers, 2008:975). The modernization of infrastructure is inevitable thus impacting the economy through the employment sector, as well as the environment. The tourism industry in Peru appears to have a positive impact on its economy, however this wealth and prosperity is not equally divided among the different regions (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 15) which creates a further gap between economic classes and the way of life. The locals realize that tourism is a fluctuating business and they would rather conserve the natural environment than have the environment destroyed due to the industries and infrastructures related to tourism (Anderson, 2008: 3). The increasing tourism has created higher tax bases, yet this money is not seen being put back equally into the regions that experience tourism (Anderson, 2008: 3). Since many tourism companies are not based in Peru, much of the profits from tourism are flowing out of Peru, yet all of the negative impacts such as taxes and economic downfall are left as a burden for the Peruvian people (Anderson, 2008: 3). This means that these regions don’t grow and benefit from the tourism industry as costs are not spent on education for the local people nor for the construction of sustainable and stable living situations (Anderson, 2008: 3). Peru needs to strive towards implementing local businesses and allowing local profit from tourism in order for economic equality throughout the country.

Infrastructure

Modern infrastructure is essential when trying to attract tourists from abroad, and Peru’s roadways, hotels, restaurants, and other tourist infrastructure are moving towards modernity. Many modernized hotels and restaurants have been built in the cities such as Lima, which are already more economically stable than the more remote regions of Peru (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 17), therefore many tourists stay in the areas that are more economically developed, have modern infrastructure and/or are in desirable areas for scenery (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 7). Furthermore, the government of Peru invests in areas that already have concentrated modern infrastructures (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 11). This widens the gap of regional economic inequality and is something the government of Peru should look at, because more and more tourists are now interested in seeing lush scenery and experiencing the cultural and traditional side of tourism, which leads them away from the big cities and in to the remote mountains. Because of their low budget due to economical issues, the government has to choose which areas they want to invest their resources and develop with infrastructure, and the government tends to spend its resources on areas that have a high guarantee on profit (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 12). This further expands the inequalities between regions in Peru and doesn’t offer a chance for other regions outside main cities to develop positively from the tourism industry of which they are part. One of the biggest infrastructure requirements to facilitate the travel and comfort of tourists is transportation (Falconi, 2002: 1). Many popular cultural and historic sites are located in remote villages, therefore it is often a long voyage to arrive at these sites. Peru has been adding roadways to create more means of accessing landmarks to increase the tourist potential. For example before the highway between Cusco and Puno was built, the only way to travel between the two was by train. Now there is a highway which allows for freedom with travel times. New roads create employment opportunities to set up tour bus companies, however the environmental impact is one downfall. Because of Peru’s mountainous terrain, during the rainy season, mountainsides are eroded due to the roadways built on them and massive rocks and mudslides block roads which is obviously dangerous to anyone using the road (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 10). While many of Peru’s regions do have access to an airport, the airports are not of superior quality (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 10), and the airports that are not in main cities, such as Lima, do not acquire many economic benefits (Falconi, 2002: 3). Peru’s economy is growing, yet the costs of constructing safe, sustainable infrastructure is not in Peru’s best interests, as Peru is trying to take advantage of the currently booming tourism industry and build modern infrastructure quickly. The government has financial limitations therefore making it quite difficult to fund infrastructure projects (Falconi, 2002: 3). Because more and more people are looking for a vacation with rugged scenery and an experience with tradition, Peru should listen to the interests of those who are financing the booming tourism economy and implement sustainable and environmentally friendly infrastructure as to not ruin the remote and cultural Peruvian experience.

Environmental impact

The environmental impact of Peru’s rapidly growing tourism sector is astounding. Ecotourism, which focuses on conservation and low negative sustainability impacts, is one of the main branches of tourism that makes up Peru’s tourism economy, however while more and more people are going to Peru to view the gorgeous and rugged landscapes, it is the environment that is taking many of the negative changes associated with the increasing numbers of tourists (Grotzbach, 2003: 55). Many ancient ruins have experienced damage due to erosion and pollution because of the amount of people visiting the site each year (Unknown, 2001: 30). For example, Peru’s most famous ruin, Machu Picchu, has had closures and visitor number limitations in an attempt to conserve the natural beauty surrounding the site demonstrating that there are direct impacts from tourists visiting ancient sites (Anderson, 2008: 2). The modernization of infrastructure also is tied to the environmental devastation, as lush towns turn into bustling tourist towns with new luxury accommodations for tourists, roadways are built destroying natural landscapes, and pollution transportation damages waterways and affects the native living organisms (Bury, 2008: 330). The Cordillera Huayhuash region in the center of Peru is an important area for conservation as the local people have decided to protect it as the numbers of tourists increase year by year (Bury, 2008: 325). While this region used to be extremely remote, due to the implementation of highways leading to the regions and trails within it, more and more tourists are drawn to its astounding beauty and natural resources (Bury, 2008: 324). The communities in the Cordillera Huayhuash region have started charging a fee for tourists entering their region, and the profits are put towards conservation and sustainability efforts (Bury, 2008: 327). This is an example of where tourism is directly benefiting a region positively, because the development of modern and sustainable infrastructure would not be possible without the financial profits made form the tourist fee (Bury, 2008: 327), however the environment is still threatened. As more and more people visit this region, its natural resources diminish rapidly which negatively affects the environment (Bury, 2008: 330). The Cordillera Huayhuash region is a great example of how environmental conservation of a region is possible as the region is now a protected park and conservational area (Bury, 2008: 322), yet there is still environmental damage due to expanding transportation infrastructure, water damage due to pollution and increasing tourist visits. There are plans in Peru to ameliorate the economic, social and cultural benefits while conserving the environment and developing tourism (Grotzbach, 2003: 68) but is this actually possible? This ideal plan, when put into action, is clearly much more concerned with the economic aspect and the growth of the tourism industry than it is with the preservation of the environment (Grotzbach, 2003: 69). This is the ideal route for Peru to take with the tourism industry, yet environmental degradation is inevitable when new infrastructures are constructed, bringing pollution, and when more tourists flood into a region creating erosion.

Cultural impact

The Peruvian government claims that tourism will positively influence the preservation of culture, maintain the presence of the rights of the native people, as well as the elimination of poverty (Zoomers, 2008: 971). The cultural impact of tourism has a limit, and when exceeded, the result is damaging to the region (Silverman, 2002: 888). The cultural impacts are strongly linked with the issues concerning infrastructure and environment because the cultural impacts depend on the location and remoteness of a region. Infrastructure and economy play an influential role in the development in specific regions because the flow of tourists into a certain city or town depends on the transportation and accommodation infrastructure near that city, therefore drawing directly from the economic situation of that region or city (Zoomers, 2008: 978). Tourism does create job opportunities especially for locals (Tapia, 2007), however there are limited positions, non of which require a higher education. This creates no motivation for the local people to seek higher education which results in the lack of educational development. Many children coming from low-income families need to work in order to help their family survive, and as a result their schooling is pushed aside (Anderson, 2008: 3). As well as creating employment opportunities, tourism also creates unemployment problems. Because there is a peak ‘tourist season’, many of the employment positions presented through the tourism industry are only available for half of each year, which forces those who work in an industry dependent on tourism to find a second job for the other half of the year or to suffer severe financial strain (Anderson, 2008: 2). On the surface, it appears that locals would benefit economically from the increasing inflow of tourists, yet most of the money invested by tourists in a region do not stay in that region (Anderson, 2008: 3). The perspective of the locals about tourists and tourism differs greatly from the view of tourists about tourism because of the obvious differences in culture (Zoomers, 2008: 979), therefore it is important that the development and modernization of a region should not happen with consulting the local people (Silverman, 2002: 888). In many Peruvian cities, the culture as well as the importance of treating tourists well is taught to the children in schools (Silverman, 2002: 890). There are also many festivals that promote the cultural values of Peru through traditional dances and costumes therefore it can be said that “a modern Inca culture is danced and practiced into existence” (Silverman, 2002: 890). A balance between preserving the traditions of the local natives and the modernization of a region for the tourism industry needs to be reached. In order to develop, Peru needs to consider the cultural and environmental impacts in addition to the economic impact which is already under constant consideration.

Conclusion

The increase of international tourism to Peru because of globalization has greatly impacted the development of Peru and the Peruvian people. As Peru industrializes by adding more infrastructure such as hotels or transportation methods, the economy and especially the environment are affected. Because the tourism industry is one of the most significant and increasing industries in Peru’s economy, local development, modernization of infrastructure, and environmental devastation are all being affected (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 6, 130). Peru attracts many tourists because of its natural beauty and traditions, yet it is evident that these aspects are being ignored and destroyed by the government in order to develop through modernization. The newly expanding tourism industry in Peru should be benefitting the country and its people, yet there are many devastating effects as Peru develops this industry through modernization.

Malaysia has invested in a wide range of tourism destinations for tourists. This country is blessed with diverse cultures, traditions and histories, coupled with different landscapes and natural resources; the country has built a strong and fascinating appeal for both local and international tourists. Tourism sector, therefore, is of great importance to Malaysia’s economy as one of the major foreign exchange revenue or earnings second to the manufacturing industry.

Introduction

Malaysia is a country situated in the Southeast Asia spanning from approximately 1EsN to 6Es45I?I?I?N latitude and 99Es36I?E to 104Es24I?E longitude, consisting of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a landmass of approximately 329,845 square kilometres (127,354 sq mi). The country is divided into two parts: Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysia Borneo “also known as East Malaysia” by the South China Sea.

Malaysia gained its independence on 31st August, 1957. It is surrounded by many countries in Southeast Asia such as: Thailand in the north, Singapore in the south and Philippines in the north-east, Indonesia in the south and south-west, Malaysia has a long coastline in the Peninsular Malaysia. It borders the Strait of Malacca, which is an important international shipping cross-path, and contributes positively in the development of international trade which forms an integral part to its economy.

Malaysia is bio-diversified with range of flora and fauna, with picturesque coastal plains rising to the hills and mountains. These conglomerate scenic natural beauty along with a diversity of cultures, races and ethnicity contributes immensely to the development of Malaysia.

Tourism investment was endorsed by Malaysian government in the early 90s and it was projected to become one of the main stay of Malaysia’s economy by contributing to her income revenue by a whopping 85% growth in the 21st century.

Malaysia has grown over the years to be one of the biggest players in tourism. Just like other developed and developing countries, Malaysia has invested heavily in tourism, which has grown to be among the world class and as a result tourism has become one of the major revenue for nation’s wealth.

The trend pattern and economic impact of Malaysia’s tourism sector

Following the full endorsement of tourism by Malaysian government, full scale analysis was conducted to see how they can harness the richness of natural resources and bio-diversified nature of the Malaysian environs. There are various aspects that contribute to the Malaysian tourism industry, which is the amalgam of: nature, heritage, culture, diverse races, tradition and religious diversity, facilities and its activities. (Peters R.F) stated that based on Malaysia’s strong natural features of outstanding scenery, natural environments and unique living organisms, nature tourism, a sub-sector of tourism, is a prospect to be capitalized on further.

Based on the growing interest cultural/heritage tourism and global influx of tourists in Penang and Malacca has improved the scope of tourism in Malaysia without undermining every landscape of tourist attraction site. In the early 90’s, Nature tourism was also considered to be a relatively sub-sector of tourism that was contributing up to 7% to 15% of the overall industry and was expected to grow up to 50% by 20th century.

The tourism industry has grown over the years from inception to this present day by a whopping 75% growth. In 1990s the sector contributes just 7% to 15% to the economy of this country (Hill, 1994; Pleumarom, 1997). (Fdi Tourism Industry in Malaysia) reveals that the tourism industry reported an increasing trend from 2000 to 2005. They further anticipated that the Tourist arrivals are expected to grow at an average rate of 6.9 per cent per annum to reach 14.3 million by 2005. Tourism receipts are targeted to grow at an average annual rate of 9.5 per cent to reach RM 29.5 billion in 2005 says (FDi Tourism in Malaysia).

In 2010 at the tourism destination conference, tourism has now taken a leading position in National key economic areas (NKEAs). The tourism sector being a strong contributor is just not a new finding as its contribution has received widespread recognition in the country. (The tourism destination conference for 2010) reveals that the tourism receipt for 2009 was at RM 53.367.7 million, with 23.65 million tourist arrivals, making this industry the second largest income earner for the country in the same year and though these figures are laudable, it is said that the ‘local tourism sector has not been exploited to its potential’ (Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib, 3rd March 2010). In 2009, Malaysia made it into top 10 most visited countries in the world, and was confidently placed in the 9th position below turkey and Germany. This remark shows that Malaysia’s tourism sector has pulled international recognition and has gained force of attraction that draws the attention of tourists all around the continents of the world to choose Malaysia as their tourism destination.

Social impact of the tourism industry

The social impact of tourism in Malaysia is indelible and will sustain a world record in the nearest future. In a country with a diverse nationality, diverse race, culture and religion, it has proven to me that understanding, tolerance and acceptance are part of the key values that is keeping Malaysia at the top among the top tourist destination countries in the world today. The masterminds behind the success of the tourism sector and the presiding body over the entire nation have grown beyond looking at inequalities in religion, social status, race, nationality and focus on how they can harness these differences to pull greater force by converting these differences into wealth, recognition and success.

Malaysia being an Islamic country could have created a more negative social impact on the drive for world best tourism zone based on the rules and fundamentals of the Islamic faith, but in the face of the world, Malaysia hit a solid breakthrough in accommodating the entire world regardless of their faith or background to launch a new face of dynamic leadership in tourism and still keeping their faiths intact without blemish.

Liberal minds at the helm of affairs in Malaysia, who are blessed with a strong drive to make her citizens to stand for values that promote oneness such as tolerance, respect, honour, truth and justice. Capitalizing on the strength of beauties all around the cities down to the rural communities has bridge the gap of change to social interaction within and to the entire world. The flexibility in government policies to make Malaysia an international meeting ground for all nationalities in the world has made Malaysia to gain a vibrant stand to improve social interaction for tourist prospects.

The advent of tourism in Malaysia initiated the need for infrastructures which is continually fulfilled as need arises. The social impact of tourism has improved the basic living standard for tourists and locals, which has grown tremendously and in return has influenced the style of living of the inhabitant of Malaysia.

The tourism industry is fragmented in nature. It consists of small shareholders working in different tourism business area, including: lodging, food, travel and leisure said by (Mostafa N, Mehran N). The improvement and cooperation contributed by the stakeholders has a holistic approach to the entire structure and deficiency from any sector of the shareholders will ruin and spoil the good experience that the tourists would have experienced.

The social impact could be felt in other areas within the country: such as the provision of various flexible, affordable and assessable mode of navigation within Malaysia and a good road map that provide readily made information about road navigation. The further improvement on this area is internet accessibility of road networks through (GPS) Global positioning system.

Understanding the Potentials of Cultural and Heritage Tourism

Coupled with the Malaysia’s tremendous growth in tourism, cultural/heritage is emerging in the categorical tourism sub-sector as a potential form of alternative tourism for both domestic travellers as well as international tourists. (Prof Badaruddin M) stated that cultural tourism in Malaysia attracted great publicities with increase in the number of incoming tourists annually. Malaysia is rich in cultural tourism resources that has over the years been abandoned but they have finally been realised through cooperate effort of the shareholders and the stakeholders in the industry. Examples of impressive cultural tourism resources available in Malaysia are the existence of historical buildings, colourful lifestyles, multi-cultural and friendly atmosphere. Giving these aspects a governmental involvement promotion as well as related strategies and policies that will support the growth more than what is currently assessable will boost the tourism sector further.

Heritage and culture in tourism is very important aspect in this industry as it showcase the values embedded and the values in the ancestral lifestyle remnants and the change in lifestyle over the years. (Badaruddin M) further highlighted that the relationship between tourism and culture can take forms and the result can be viewed negatively and positively when meeting of hosts and visitors occurs and possibly leads to transformation of the hosts’ culture. Example of this perhaps can be drawn from the culture of the western world and the Arabs. Over the years, the citizens from Arab nations have been travelling to Europe for tourism and many have migrated for exposure into the glamour of the west but because of certain believe and culture that prohibits some of the lifestyle in the west has resulted in clash of interest between few progressive and fundamental peoples.

World Tourism Organization (1985) defines cultural tourism as the movements of persons for essentially culturally motivation such as study tours, performing arts and cultural tours; travel to festivals and other related events. And culture is further defined from the (National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 2005) perspective to be based on mosaic of places, traditions, art forms, celebrations and experiences that portray ones nation and its people.

Culture is defined as quoted in Meethan (2001:117) “as a set of practices, based on form of knowledge, which encapsulate common values and act as general guiding principles. It is through these forms of knowledge that distinctions are created and maintained, so that for example, one culture is marked off different from another”.

Heritage tourism could be a subtype of cultural tourism. These two classes of tourism has become a grown segment of the tourism market place in Malaysia. This aspect has appeared to have been highly motivated for different reasons than traditional tourism.

The culture and heritage has over the years attracted the attention of the tourist shareholders and has grown to become a huge market place. Malaysia does not contain a unitary culture but it could be perceived to be diverse in reality because of the racial differences. Malaysia is made up of three nationalities: Malays, who are said to be the first and original inhabitant of this land has the largest population of 50%, the Chinese are said to have migrated into this country in the early 20th century for business and became very relevant contributor to the nation building through their impact in successful trade and the struggle for independence. The Chinese are said to take 30% share of the population of Malaysia, and finally the Indians who also migrated into this country in the early days of colonial era take 20% share of the population. These three races have differences in culture that is making Malaysia to have a major breakthrough in tourism as the shareholders in this sector have harness the cultural difference to bring about beauty and wealth into this land instead of chaos. This cultural vibrancy has been manifested and successful through the promotional slogan drive “Malaysia Truly Asia” and the current slogan that is acting as a catalyst to the unity and growth of the nation in tourism, which is “1 Malaysia”. Malaysia is also known for its distinctive multicultural architecture with strong Islamic, Chinese, Indian and western influences; which have been portrayed in the heritage buildings.

Malaysia’s heritage elements for tourism are: historic sites, unique local cultures and historic buildings are common in many historic states and cities in Malaysia. The inventory of heritage buildings reveals that over 30,000 heritage buildings are located in 162 cities throughout the country said (Idid, 1996) this figure shows that 69.6% of this heritage buildings are shop houses that are built before World War II.

These buildings have contributed their quota to the success of the tourism industry in Malaysia whereby the unique colonial architectural styles of buildings is playing a major role in the creation of historic states and city such as: Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, George Town and Taiping. In order to sustain these buildings and to make them worth much roots by neglecting the negative impact of the past into a revenue for more financial income that will boost the economy of the country, the sustenance and management of these culture and heritage buildings was placed under the Ministry of Tourism and culture, combining department of Culture from Ministry of Culture, Youths and Sports with the Malaysian Tourism Department Corporation from the ministry of Trade and Industries, but the ministry was later renamed into ministry of culture, Arts and Tourism and also later dualised into two partitions such Ministry of tourism and Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage (Kraftangan Malayisa). This structural adjustment has a great effect on the concentration and responsibilities of each department without mincing duties and responsibilities. Some of the agencies placed under this ministry are: National Art and Gallery, Department of Museum and Antiquities, Malaysian Handicrafts, national Archives, National Art academy, national library and the Culture Palace including the National Film Development Corporation (Finas). Reports shows that this motion was carried out to strengthen the ministries but might have an impact on the focus of cultural and heritage tourism in the nearest future.

Challenges and Issues confronting Culture/Heritage tourism

There is no doubt that rapid growth in Malaysian tourism has relied heavily on the country’s natural heritage including the many offshore islands along both the western and eastern coastlines of the peninsula, together with protected nature reserves. Promoting heritage and culture is facing several underlying issues in Malaysia that are relatively complex to the society living in Malaysia. Some of the issues cut across so many areas such as:

Whose culture is to be promoted?

Though Malaysia is proud of being a multicultural society that is continually promoted on the media as “1-Malaysia” and “Truly Asia”, the question at the forefront of this media slogan outcry is that whose culture should be promoted? The Chinese and Indians society are feeling marginalised that their cultures are not well promoted in the tourism prospectus provided by the government, which has been a major concern for the other parties as their culture are thrown behind the media front. Similar issue of outcry was also raised by the Malays in Penang and Malacca during the nomination process for the listing of Penang and Malacca into the world heritage city. This ethnic group believes that the listings do not favour them and the island’s Malay history is not giving consideration in this respect. They felt that the listing of the 12000 heritage buildings were colonial buildings and the Malays therefore calls it a new colonization of the country, lamenting on why their colonial past has to be glorified by their government.

Authentic versus Staged Culture by (Prof Badaruddin M)

Tourism in Malaysia has been transformed to become a significant factor in the development of culture and heritage in two ways: as a support and as a threat. Culture has the potential of supporting or inhibiting the growth of tourism. There has so far been no specific attempt to study the value of cultural attractions from the point of view of the tourists. Tourism authorities and promotional consultants simply assume that the cultural elements of a plural society are attractive. Further questions can be raised as to whether it is the ‘staged culture’ or the ‘street culture’ that is more appealing to outsiders. According to Kadir Din (1997), ‘street culture’ depicts the scenes of everyday life that can be readily observed by tourists in their natural setting, as opposed to ‘staged culture’ which refers to contrived staged presentations, which are specifically prepared for the tourist. Not until recently does Malaysia began to realize the values embedded in the importance of heritage tourism because of the influx of tourists into the country for cultural heritage visit and how it has generated substantial income for he nation. Malaysia has long years of association with imperial countries such as Portugal, Japan, and Britain. From findings Malaysia is said to possess two major natural world heritage sites in Kinabalu Park and Gunung Mulu National Park. Kadir Din (1997) concludes that in terms of government allocations of funds for tourism, and of coverage by the promotional media, there seems to be a belief that staged culture contributes more to tourism than street culture. As mentioned above, the nomination of Penang and Melaka includes the conservation of cultural elements of the society. However, with so much pressure and development that have taken place, one may wonder how this society can conserve its cultural elements to remain authentic. We may also wonder whether what is left is still authentic? A similar comment can be made on the staging of the massive festival of ‘Citrawarna’. A cultural parade of various ethnic groups in Malaysia, Perhaps copying the success of the Samba Festival in Brazil or the New Orleans Parade or perhaps the Gion Matsuri (festival) in Kyoto Japan, the Citrawarna Malaysia has a lot of colours but lack authenticity and also history!

Safety and security for tourism in Malaysia

Malaysia as a tourism destination for millions of people around the world, one of the greatest concerns for tourist is the issue of safety and security. Although Malaysia has suffered from several other lesser crises including economic crises amongst others, with tourism increasingly threatened by international terrorism such as terrorism targeting tourists in Indonesia, Mombasa, Kenya in October 2002 respectively, and Bombay in India, and in the Philippines, which is continuously posing greater challenges, worries and fears towards sustainability of tourism in Asia. Another major recent mishaps that will increase the fears of tourist choosing Malaysia as their tourist destination is the case of religious crisis that emanated from the argument between the Catholic Church and the Islamic fundamentalist in Malaysia that resulted into the arson attack against some churches in some major cities in Malaysia.

Religion being a sensitive areas and has been used by some religious fundamentalists of different faith to spring up political and economic crisis around the globe might send a wrong signal to tourists who have chosen this part of the world as their tourist destination.

I have lived in Malaysia for academic activities and, I can testify positively to the rate of acceptance of foreigners by the locals, the peaceful co-existence among the divers ethnic groups in Malaysia, I can testify to the security measure by the government through the police and other law enforcement agencies, I can testify to visual security camera technology festooned around the highways and sensitive areas around Malaysia to curb crimes and mishaps and to ensure safety and security of life and properties, I can testify to the uninterrupted and unfailing communication systems available around the nooks and cranny of Malaysia for faster communication and report delivery, these and more are one of the strongholds of Malaysia to provide adequate security measures to ensure safety for tourists.

Crisis management is one the backbone of tourist destinations and it has been a recognised concept since 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. Crisis management is well established in developed countries than developing countries but Malaysia being driven by determination for competition with developed countries cannot be underestimated when it comes to crisis management. Malaysia recognises what it means to be recognised as the preferred location for tourists’ destination and they are living up to and exceeding the expectations of their visitors.

I have no worry asking too many questions on how they have been able to overcome the challenges of crisis management as I bumped into to pre-crisis analysis on Safety and security in tourism: relationships, management, and marketing (By Colin Michael Hall, Dallen J. Timothy, and David Timothy Duval), which reveals how crisis management can be better improved by through pre-crisis analysis. Malaysia has history of crisis that can be learnt from but not as much in terms of international tourism. Lessons can be derived from crisis history of other nation and the challenges they face and how they were able to overcome these challenges. United States of America, United Kingdom, and Australia among others are the countries that Malaysia has derived lessons from when it comes to crisis management to foster their tourism business.

Both the formulation and evaluation of a crisis management plan may be a source of difficulty especially in tourism given the fragmented nature of the industry.

Testimonies gathered from people around the world who have chosen Malaysia as their tourist destination have had cause to come over and over again based on the delightful experience encountered in their previous visit. Reports on the growth of tourists each year from 2000 to date has shown tremendous increase in the business of tourism in Malaysia.

The negative economic impacts of tourism

There are different factors that pose negative economic impacts on tourism, in case where tourists don’t respect the traditions, culture or local life style of tourist destination, or seasonal jobs such as people are only employed when there are only high influx of tourist, which can lead to high rates of unemployment, furthermore, jobs involved in the tourism industry are seasonal and not well paid, this can be very dangerous for countries that has full become dependent on tourism as their main source of revenue.

The resultant effect of all these factors often leads to:
Infrastructure and incidental cost
Economic independence
Leakage
And inflation

Infrastructure and incidental cost, this situation could occur when there is record or receipt of high level of damage on infrastructures than the amount earn from tourist visits

Economic dependence, if Malaysia eventually solely dependent on tourism may pose danger to their economy, this can cause the tourism sector to change overnight because of the natural disaster, terrorism, changing consumer taste and economic recession in the source of the country.

Leakage, if Malaysia becomes a victim of leakage the high proportion of the money spent by tourists that leaves the country. Thus, leakage can have major impact in 3 areas such as:

Tourist purchase of goods and services that have been imported.

Hotels and other tourism related businesses and organization import goods/foods as the local product are not available or not up to the required standards

Profits are repatriated by foreign owners of hotels and other services.

Inflation could spike up goods and services in general level of prices or a fall in the purchasing power of money. Therefore, tourism can increase the value or price of land, building etc.

Tourists’ perceptions and expectations on the service quality in Malaysia tourism industry

Malaysia ranks 6th amongst the preferred destination for Chinese travellers after Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Thailand, as per a study by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), a global market insight and information group. From this statement one can deduce that Malaysia still lacking in some areas that can pull more forces than their competitors. The secret lies in dynamic nature of other Asian countries that happened to have drawn more customers than the other. This might a strong belief in the religious tension that pops up intermittently within the country and more so Malaysia can further harness all the untapped tourism resources that are yet to outgrown research areas.

Conclusion

Like its Asean neighbors, Malaysia too regards tourism as a very important sector that brings the much-needed foreign exchange, new jobs and businesses.

The positive social economic impact on a tourist destination cannot be stressed enough as Gartner (1996, pp. 64), “the money brought into an area through the process of hosting tourists provides more economic returns than simply the sum of the expenditures accruing to the few businesses that come in direct contact with tourists. The impact of tourism in a country benefits all sectors of an economy as the benefits from all these sectors can also still be used sustaining the development practices of the host nation.

Tourism has over the years been beneficial as well as harmful for local economies. The debate goes on that whether it is blight or a blessing? Experiences of destination vary in this regard. However, past records have shown that if tourism is not developed and managed properly negative impacts will take over and kill the destination in the long run.

The Impact of the Spa and Wellness Trends into the Tourism IndustryIntroduction
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 Growth of Spa and Wellness

Spa and Wellness had become the main territory of wealthy women wanting to lose weight and look good by the mid-20th century. Its main focus was on prevention, healthy lifestyles, fitness, spirituality and relaxation.

Numbers of people use spas more and more frequently to fulfill some of their most important lifestyle pursuits. Nowadays spa experience covers not only medical and spiritual programs, but also outdoor adventures and exotic travel. These spas are located in every global region, including Africa, the Middle East, and the former Eastern Bloc.

The spa has turned into a popular culture, influencing everything from fashion and cosmetics, to architecture, home decor, and also cuisine.

Propelled by the growing wellness trend worldwide, the spa industry is booming. European travelers’ number one consideration when making plans for their holidays is whether there is spa access.

The growth of spa facilities and increased awareness worldwide has led to spa-inspired beauty products, as well as the opening and blossoming of groundbreaking spas and resort all over the world.

1.1.2 History of Spa and Wellness

Spa- going has been practiced for many thousands of years dating back from the Mesopotamians, Egyptians and Minoans, to the Greeks and Romans and later, the Ottomans, Japanese and Western Europeans.

Some say the word “spa” actually derives from the Latin verb “spagere” – to pour forth. Other say the origin of the word “spa” comes from the Belgian town of Spa, known since Roman times for its baths. Other even claim that “spa” may be an acronym for the Latin phrase “sanitas per aquas”, which means “health through water”.

1.1.3 Definition of Spa

The word Spa and the idea behind it derive from the time of the Roman Empire when a big number of soldiers tried to find a solution to heal their wounds.

They looked for hot wells and used it as a kind of bathtub to be able to treat their aching and pain on their bodies, these places were named “aquae” and the bathing treatment “Sanus Per Aquam” (SPA), which means, health by or through water.

After this incident SPA became famous throughout Europe starting in Belgium where it all started, from mineral water, to sea water and marine substances.

Even until today, the ideas of these healing forms are the basis of the spa culture worldwide and hydrotherapy is seen as its major highlight.

Well-being, as well as allowing you to relax, reflect, revitalise, and rejoice is the main importance in Spa.

“Mens sana in Corpore sano“
“A healthy Spirit lives in a Healthy Body“

1.1.4 The West

In 500 BC, the Greeks indulged in a variety of social baths, which included hot air baths. In 25 BC, the Roman Emperor designed and created the first, so called, “thermae”, which is a large-scale spa. Each subsequent emperor then built something new to this thermae, which made the people grow fonder of these baths. They progressively grew into large entertainment complexes offering not only sports, but also restaurants, and other various types of baths. After such baths, the next visit was to three increasingly warmer quarters, where the body was soaked, rubbed in with oils, massaged and finally exfoliated. The practice would end with a cold plunge in ice water.

Besides the Roman combination of hot and cold baths, spa traditions kept growing spreading itself all over the world.

For example in Japan, “”its first “onsen” (hot spring), and later the first “ryoken” (inns) which were built, offered exceptional food, accommodations, Zen gardens, outdoor baths as well as indoor soaking tubs.”(http://www.topspahotels.com)

In Finland saunas began appearing in 1000 A.D., inducting a rich Finnish spa-going tradition, which includes a treatment of sweating, as well as icy lake plunges, and to top it off plenty of beer or vodka. Nowadays these procedures still exists.

“And also the Ottomans were famous for their arched and beautifully mosaic hammam, the ultimate example is the Baths of Roxelana, which was built in 1556 and were equipped with the massive towering steam rooms, even containing private washing quarters, and extensive massage platforms. Roxelana became an important social center, mainly for Muslim women” (http://www.topspahotels.com)

After these times, Spas became famous all around, starting in Europe, namely Belgium, Germany, and England. It even stretched to the United States of America, because in 1986 New York opened the first travel agency specializing in spa vacations. Since that time, the spa industry has grown from a baby egg business into a booming billion dollar global industry.

In the 19th century, Europe’s great spas were destinations for wealthy people, who went there to relax and rejuvenate. Until today, water treatments are still considered the heart of the spa experience in Europe.

1.2 Backgrounds

This research attempts to examine strengths, threats, risks as well as opportunities and challenges Spa and Wellness Industries have to face, concerning on-going trends of the West and how they are influenced by Asian countries, as well as the changes of values and attitudes of tourists. Many people think or believe that Spa derives from Asia, due to all the marketing advertisements promotions and so on, but what they fail to realize is that, spa has also been in the west for a long period of time dating back centuries ago. Some tourists go to spa and wellness facilities to pamper themselves, relax and ease there minds as well as to get away from the hustle and bustle of their daily life style, but what they do not take into consideration, is that spas can cause more damage to their health, if they have specific pains or injuries which could worsen their condition.

1.3 Research Objectives

The study can be used to have a better understanding of the Spa and Wellness Industry and the needs of consumers. It also provides strategies on how to improve Spa facilities. The specific objectives of this study are:

to understand the spa and wellness market and the key factors
to identify various treatments, including their benefits and risks
to investigate requirements and necessities of spa- goers
to recognize top spa trends that are booming
to develop opportunities on how Spa facilities can progress in the future
1.4 Research Problems and Questions

This research is trying to clearly respond to several questions that might be raised from this topic:

1. What are the benefits and risks of massage therapies and what could be done to minimize the risks at spa centers?

2. How did the value and attitude of tourists change, also concerning their age?

3. How was the West influenced by Asian countries, concerning the Spa and wellness industry?

4. What are top spa trends and what could be their opportunities and challenges?

5. What effect does the Spa and wellness industry have on men, since the majority of spa- goers are women?

1.5 Importance of Significance of the study

Hotel industries as well as spa and wellness facilities could benefit from this study, because it points out facts like for example risks that have to be looked in further when running a spa – making sure water supply is in order etc. This study also states the mentalities tourists have when it comes to their values and attitudes concerning spas and furthermore how men nowadays are more interested in going to spa facilities. This could benefit these industries to change, promote or add extra facilities for men or even open spas for men only.

The importance of this study is to make sure hotels and spa facilities are aware of all these changes, challenges as well as risks and how they can benefit from the stated facts and solutions for improvement.

1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the study

A major weakness of this research, which was beyond the control of the researcher, was that there was a big time constrain. There were also not that many plausible literatures available. Furthermore there are various websites and opinions of the correct definition of spa and wellness, and lack of statistics.

1.7 Conceptual Framework and Theoretical Framework

This research is written in a way to explain different objectives in harmonic and well associated sentences to carry out the researcher’s intentions clearly.

It explains how all the above listed points in Figure 1 relate to the Spa and wellness Industry. It describes the popular treatments with their risks and benefits and also states the factors that are important to a human body to feel at ease and be in a relaxed state of mind. Furthermore, the Alpine Wellness is explained and how Spas in the West are influenced by other Asian countries not only concerning their therapies but more in terms of colours, lighting, decor and ambiance. Moreover the perception of consumers concerning their values and attitudes are listed and how men are more and more becoming a part of the Spa and wellness industry. Lastly, trends of this industry are explained which also goes hand in hand with opportunities and challenges they might face in the future.

II Review of Related Literature:
2.1 Alpine Wellness

Before, wellness was only associated with well-being and relaxation. However, now wellness is also connected with health. That is why the Alpine region is especially suited for this type of wellness, because Alpine remedies, like fresh air, pure and healthy spring water, the mild, invigorating climate, mountain freshness, herbs, stone oil combined with traditional knowledge and a balanced life has meant Alpine wellness has become a new trend, also with its interior furnishing, alpine cuisine and different atmosphere.

That is why today Alpine Wellness is a special form of wellness offering hay baths to herbal saunas, natural applications and products, surrounded by South Tyrol’s, Austria, fascinating mountain landscape.

“Alpine Wellness refers to nature, culture and life quality in the area. It displays an original charm of the alpine environment, which makes the special sensuality of the Alps a unique and exclusive experience.”
Therefore the Alps are promoted worldwide as one of the most attractive and effective regions for wellness. (http://www.alpinewellness.com)

2.2 Facial Treatments

A facial deeply cleanses and maintains the skin by exfoliating dead skin cells. The goal is to maintain smooth, clear, well-hydrated skin. It’s the second most popular spa service after the massage.
Trying to stop our natural ageing process is not quite possible yet, but we can help our skins age with just a few simple steps. We need a lot of fresh air, enough sleep, relaxation, lots of water and a diet of fruits and vegetables so our skin stays free from blemishes.

Nevertheless, there are companies that have even come up with gadgets, which can slow down premature aging.
“Slendertone, the British company behind the homonymous body trainers that tone the silhouette through electric stimulation of the muscles, has released a corresponding product for the face on Sept 9. As part of a 12-week plan, the Slendertone Face is supposed to help stimulate the muscles of the face through pads that, attached to the skin, receive small electric shocks” (http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=38421)

A facial is given by a licensed esthetician with special training in skin care; it involves a few basic steps: cleansing, skin analysis, exfoliation, massage, extraction of blackheads and other impurities, and application of products targeted to your skin type (dry, oily, mixed, sensitive, and mature).

On the contrary of the West, the tropical Asian women have a head start on giving their skin all kinds of treatments, because the basic steps have always been a part of their traditional life style for centuries. They have easy access to the ingredients they need for the preparation of their facial treatments, because they can harvest them right off their botanical garden.
The West does not have the same opportunities as Asians have and therefore use a night cream or neck cream and new oxygen creams.

Asians on the other hand used and still use raw plant extract to get rid off dead skin cells, fight acne, replenish moisture or achieve an SPF.
That is why a lot of women gather themselves in Asian spas, where they get traditional treatments, without any chemical input, but still giving them the softest skin and a very relaxed state of mind.
They will most probably have their faces treated with some ingredients, which they will also be able to find in their refrigerator at home.

Examples for these treatments are:

Traditional honey- cucumber facial (honey, lime, cucumber)
Traditional facial (corn, rice powder, cucumber juice, carrot juice.)
2.3 Factors of a complete well-being

“Although our bodies detoxify naturally every day most of us lead busy lives that make it impossible for our bodies to eliminate these toxins completely, which leads to a build-up in our systems.”

(http://www.mirrorreaderoffers.co.uk)

Therefore the most important factors for a complete well-being are not only healthy and steady weight or solid relationships, but most importantly the rejection of tobacco, sparing of alcohol, managing stress and having a high knowledge level.

Once one has fulfilled all of the points mentioned above, one will feel at ease, relaxed and out of worries, making it possible for a person to have a piece of mind.

2.3.1 Accommodation

The accommodation of a Spa and wellness facility plays a very important role. The wellness hotels have to be located in a very heartwarming relaxing area, away from all the traffic, noise, pollution etc., where the guests have to be able to feel at ease and get their desired treatment in a dimmed room with a relaxing atmosphere and warm colors.
For the guests it is also important to have a good choice of nutrition. The hotel has to offer light, healthy food, which also tastes excellent.
They have to have a stunning, breathtaking view from their room, where they can watch and observe the scenery while having a glass of wine on the balcony.
Of course facilities such as, swimming pools, whirlpools, sports club, fitness center, sauna, steam room, beauty salon, hairdresser, health center, bar and nightclub have to be put at the customers disposal as well.
But of course wellness is not enough. The main relaxation of a guest to fulfill his or her stay is, hospitality, comfort, a homey ambiance, personal care and many more comforting factors which are food for the soul.

2.4 Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is seen as the oldest methods of healing, nearly 4000 years old. It is often referred to the use of many techniques to the muscular structure and soft tissues of the body. These therapies are usually done by using the hand, but other body parts such as elbows, forearms, or feet can be put into action as well. One applies fix or movable pressure, rocking, vibration, holding, kneading and compression. These massage therapies are a positive influence to the overall health and well-being of the person.

Therapies are for example Acupressure (using fingers or even toes to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal itself) and Acupuncture (stimulates key points of the body by inserting needles)

2.4.1 Benefits of Massage therapy

There are many beneficial aspects of a massage therapy to a human body. For example it relaxes the whole body, by relieving tired and aching muscles, at the same time it also loosens tight muscles, and it also increases flexibility and range of motion and diminishes chronic pain. Additionally it calms the nervous system, lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Moreover it enhances skin tone and assists in recovery from injuries and illness and strengthens the immune system. Furthermore this kind of therapy can reduce tension headaches and mental stress as well as improve concentration, promote restful sleep and lastly aid in mental relaxation.
They can relieve muscle tension and pain in people who suffer from chronic back pain, or who have had an injury from sports or a car accident.

“Mental Benefits of Massage Therapy

Fosters peace of mind
Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness
Helps relieve mental stress
Improves ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately
Enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity
Emotional Benefits
Satisfies needs for caring nurturing touch
Fosters a feeling of well-being
Reduces levels of anxiety
Creates body awareness
Increases awareness of mind-body connection”

(http://www.holisticonline.com/Massage/mas_benefits.htm)

2.5 Spas for men

According to the International Spa Association men are going to Spas more often, not just to get a sports massage and manicures, but also trying out new things, like cocoa butter rubdowns, body wraps etc.

Men look for treatments that relieve shaving irritation or something that soothes the skin from dry weather conditions.

They want to be given the impression that they do not have to be in the same room as a bunch women getting their nails done etc. so they look for a Spa that offers private rooms and other facilities like hot tubs and waiting rooms.

Nowadays there are even Men only Spas like in New York City, the Nickel Spa for Men or in Washington D.C, Grooming Lounge and the Absolute Spa at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver.

More over, according to a Malaysian Newspaper The Sun (28/09/2009), nowadays there is even extra nail polish only for men, referred to as “male polish”, which is supposedly to be the next big thing. “Often used for filling and strengthening nails, there are also first product lines such as the one by hip Berlin label Uslu Airlines that focus on aesthetics.” These nail polishes for men are ranging from RM 14 – RM 105 each.

“Knowing that men’s skin requires specific care, Nugeno Men has introduced an ultimate skincare range formulated especially for the modern men on-the-go. As healthy skin is the most important element of a great looking face, skincare solution is made easy to achieve and critical that one can do it at home on a daily fuss-free basis” (http://www.sun2surf.com/section.cfm?id=24)

2.6 Body Treatments

Body treatments are basically a “facial” for the whole body. It is just as important to wash and hydrate the skin on the body, as it is the skin of the face.

Various Spa centers provide a wide variety of essential oils or scrub materials, such as orange blossom, peppermint salt glow, cucumber salt glow and many more.

After the body scrub, one might want to make an additional body mask, which involves an application of mud, algae or seaweed over the entire body and afterwards wrapped in a thermal blanket, which is a treatment that stimulates the metabolic system, immediately fastening to carry away waste products.

“Another famous treatment is the so called “body wrap” , which originally was a treatment where bandages or plastic wraps was tightly wrapped around the body in order to induce weight loss through a process called vasodilatation.”

(http://www.populararticles.com/category160.html)

. Now it is seen as a treatment used to treat or prevent cellulite. Afterwards the body wrap usually ends with an application of lotion. This treatment is also called a “body cocoon” or “body mask”

2.6.1 Benefits and threats of Body Treatments

The benefits of a body wrap is to get rid off the body toxins through metabolic stimulation and softening the skin as well afterwards, by applying Shea butter and rich lotions which are hydrating treatments.

On the other hand, there are different threats when it comes to a body scrub, for example one should not expect a body wrap to be a massage. You can get both treatments. Another common threat would be, that if a person has claustrophobia, body scrub, wrap or mask, may not be the right treatment.

Furthermore one might be left alone during the treatment, so if there is uncomforting feeling due to that, then one should ask before booking the service.

Yet, although there are some threats, there are also various positive aspects when looking at a body treatment. They are proven effective and safe for use in increasing blood circulation, improving appearance of skin, hair, and nails, as well as supporting the immune system functions, furthermore enhancing removal of toxins and waste products, also increasing the healing rate of soft tissue and finally helping relieve of discomfort and pain.

“Stress reduction and relief, soothing sore joints and muscles, and simply feeling better about oneself.”

(http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/spas-the-risks-and-benefits)

2.7 Risks of Spas

According to Elizabeth Heubeck, while spas promise to restore, refresh, and renew – and some offer even more explicit health claims – they generally don’t warn you of the potential risks involved, which do exist.
Certain spa treatments can worsen chronic and acute health conditions. All spas can establish risks to the general public, especially when operated in a state of uncleanliness.
One can never tell how clean a spa’s water or supply is. But one can try to minimize the risk of becoming infected by contaminated water or supplies.

(http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/guide/risks-of-spa-treatments)

Poor water quality can transform into a breeding ground for microbes or germs, which could lead to skin boils from a chain of unhygienic whirlpool footbaths, which are used as part of a pedicure treatment.

” A report released by the CDC in 2004 showed that more than half of all public hot tub spas in the US violate public health safety standards. Of the 5,000 spas inspected, 57% breached at least one safety violation. Poor water quality was the most common violation. ”

(http://www.littlespeck.com/content/health/CTrendsHealth-051218.htm)

Some people find it extremely relaxing to sit in a sauna, a wooden room infused with dry heat that supposedly eliminates toxins as it opens pores and promotes sweating. But if you have the flu, the cold, a respiratory infection, or an asthma flare-up, you should not be sitting in the sauna.

2.7.1 What can you do to reduce your risk of infection at spas?

One has to lurk around the spa area before getting some kind of treatment as well as observe the spa for general cleanliness and also listen to the people who have been there before (word of mouth).
It is recommended to bring the own equipment to avoid the threat of contamination, when asking for special treatments.
One should also be very careful if there are any open cuts or wounds one the body, one should cancel the appointment until they have healed, because any open area of the skin can stimulate infection.
But knowing the risks that pertain to you and carefully judging the cleanliness of a spa before making an appointment, it can take a long time to ensure ones safety and satisfaction.
” If one is not sure about a certain treatment, which might affect ones wellbeing, then one should consult a doctor first.”

(http://www.littlespeck.com/content/health/CTrendsHealth-051218.htm)

2.8 How the West is influenced by Asia

The interior designs of the western modernity are the influences of the Asian culture, an example of that would be the colour pink, which plays a big role in it.

The best example for this is the “Yi Spa in Berlin”. Since 2006 the modern Spa with an Asian flare seduces its customers in absolute relaxation. On 130 square meters diverse far eastern healing methods are applied. The team is led by three Thai women with the motto of “We know the way to 7th heaven”. Asian massage arts like baths, packages, and peelings and so on are provided with natural products, relaxing music, small snacks and exotic drinks for long lasting stress reduction.

The hectic big city jungle immediately recedes after entering a wellness oasis. Slate, stone and dark wood in combination with magenta lures one to let him or her be spoiled from head to toe by such a peaceful atmosphere.

The western people who have been to Asian countries are inspired by the beautiful surroundings and therefore remember or look forward to their relaxing, enchanting and far eastern vacation experience.

One Problem that is faced is that there are various Chinese herbal pharmacies in the West, which is living proof of the crossover between east and west. These pharmacies are usually run by western biologists and supply mostly to non-Asians, where they get Chinese medical diagnosis and are prescribed herbal prescriptions, which they bring to their house and make up into a tea.
The only problem is that very often there is a language and cultural difficulty, which prevents customers from coming into such kind of shops.

There are differences as well as similarities of the philosophies between Eastern and Western medical models. The biggest difference in philosophy between them is how each sees the body. Western medicine looks upon the body as being very mechanistic. In former times the beginning of the scientific study of the body through autopsy and the scientific method states that the man’s physical body is separate from his soul.

“Traditional Chinese Medicine dates back to nearly 5000 years. It views the body as an ecosystem, a garden within a garden. Their philosophy comes from Taoist teachings and is one of integration and balance. They believe in a life force called Qi, which flows through the body giving life energy. When the flow of Qi is disrupted the body becomes out of balance.

A diagnosis in Traditional Medicine differs from the Western medicine. The western people go to a doctor and complain about certain illnesses or pains. Afterwards a practitioner formulates a diagnosis and treatment of the symptoms. They believe that diseases develop from established causes, which are then treated by more or less fixed protocols.”

(http://www.uwosh.edu/eap/updates/docs/Fall%202001%20Vol.%205%202.doc)

Whereas, the Chinese relies on the three basic methods of diagnosis, namely:

Tounge
Pulse.
Patterns

2.9 Trends – Why do people go to visit Spas?

The trend to wellness is the product of various overall social trends.
More and more people have the opportunity nowadays of decision-making- which was unthinkable in former times, where they were forced to follow certain political, economical or social statuses. A few examples of the changes are the age of getting married is increasing, and the education nowadays takes longer and a lifetime of learning is postulated.

They also feel that they are responsible for their own health and therefore are ready to change their lifestyle for it. They would like to stay in shape and also at the same time away from any possible diseases. It has been proven that people with high blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol have a higher chance of getting ill. Therefore more and more people have the necessity to improve these risk factors by having a wide interest in exercise and nutrition.

Exercise and nutrition is also part of getting old. Wide ranges of older people want to have a longer life and therefore there is a connection between the increasing life expectancy and the wellness trend. Here in particular we find a high interest in healthy nutrition, relaxation- and concentration techniques and also food supplements (Vitamins, trace elements etc.)

Women have more and more influence in social development. The increasing educational level and the growing participation of women in the workforce lead to their having a higher salary and higher influence in politics and economy. In Austria respectively Germany, women bring as much money home as men.
Women are the one that show more interest in these matters. Fitness and health magazines are mostly read by women, it is more likely for them to change their lifestyle to a healthier one.
However Wellness is not only a trend for women. A lot of men are starting to take more interest in it as well and will – in some degree- grow stronger in the future.

Spiritual tourism adds to this education of people seeking for a meaning while on vacation. The increasing individualism of our society and the loss of common traditions have combined to expand the need to find something deeper and more meaningful.
Bookstores have a lot of literature about self-healing, Buddhism or esoteric subjects. That is why more and more people are also starting to use their holidays to look for a new kind of inner peace.
Spiritual tourism has become one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry worldwide; even it might be one of the oldest forms of tourism. Examples for this are Muslims traveling to Mecca, or Sikhs visiting the Golden Temple and Christians and Jews visiting the Holy Land.

2.9.1 Top Spa Trends

One trend is the Healthy Sleep at the Spa. With sleep comes exercise, nutrition and stress management. Hotels and resorts will put greater importance on creating ideal sleep environments, by minimal light and sound, aromatherapy, and ultra-relaxing spa treatments.

Also Detox at the Spa became a trend. As culture continues to discover more “toxins” – such as stress, environmental pollution etc, Spas look for more people to turn to spas for a range of detox solutions, which usually includes relaxation, all-organic diets, sweating, exercise, steams and saunas.

The next trend is Spa Retreats at Resort Spas. For years destination spas have offered “specialty weeks” in yoga, sexual health, or medical concerns such as quitting smoking. Now resorts and hotels are getting into the retreat business, adding specialty programs or special accommodations that appeal to their past guests.

Another trend is Medical Tourism. Western people are travelling to global destinations, often in beautiful, culturally rich Asian countries like Bangkok, South Africa and India, where treatments are more affordable than in their own countr

This research project examines the impact of terrorism on United Kingdom tourism industry. Tourism is the fifth largest and fastest growing industry in UK economy and the world’s sixth largest destination for tourists. The UK destinations are very popular for overseas tourists. Terrorism is the biggest threat to UK tourism industry, because the UK has a very deep and sad history of terrorist attacks in past. The past decade has been one of the missed opportunity and decline, because overseas tourists coming to UK has fallen, despite an increase in the global number of tourists. The fall in tourism caused by September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and July 7 2005 terrorist attacks. These attacks have cost UK economy over ?20.5 billion deficits, because decline in international tourists arrival in UK and UK tourists preference to go for holidays abroad.

This study focuses on the short and long term impacts of past decade terrorist attacks (September 11 2001 and July 7 2005) on UK tourism industry, which caused huge, losses to UK tourism and related industries. These attacks caused temporary shock to local and international tourists and change in the image profile of UK destinations especially London. Moreover, it was found that London experienced strongly negative impacts on its image and attractiveness than other UK destinations. The September 11 2001 attacks have not just effect on tourism industry, it also has strong effects on hotels, transport and London local economy. The hotel industry is highly dependent on local and international tourists in UK. However, the data from variety of sources shows that few months after September 11 and July 7 terrorist attacks have strong impacts on London and other UK cities hotel occupancies, due to sharply fallen in tourists demand in UK. The other worst effected UK industry which was directly affected by decline in tourists demand was transport industry. September 11 2001 caused huge decline in international tourists’ arrival in the UK from abroad and travel outbound from the UK and July 7 2005 had impacted both domestic and international tourists, which have directly impacts on local transport system and airline industry.

The second part of this study focuses on the framework, that managing the effects of terrorism and how tourism industry can get benefits from this framework. Using existing literature as the secondary source of information, the research findings show that tourism industry is very sensitive and incidents like terrorism have severe impacts on its demand. For the purpose of this research, the combination of news broadcasts, number of articles, newsletters, study relevant records and reports are selected to review the impacts of terrorism on tourism industry. The incidents selected for this study are London bombing 2005 and September 11 2005 terrorist attacks on New York.

The conclusion drawn from this study is that, we can not stop terrorist attacks from occurrence but we should prepare ourselves to deal with them in order to reduce the impacts on tourism industry. Recommendations, which are also likely to reduce the chances of terrorism incidents occurrences but adopting these recommendations, may help tourism industry to deal the aftermaths.

In this study the main discussion will be about the impact of terrorism on tourism, how it is affecting tourism in any country and in this study the writer will discus in particularly about Egypt and how the tourism industry is in particular has been affected by these terrorist attacks.

The main reason why the writer thinks that this area should be discussed is because many countries are affected with the action of terrorism and terrorists even though they happen to be safe countries. These kinds of attacks don’t represent the country as a whole, they are groups of people who have issues with the government and they want to be in the spotlight and get media coverage from all over the world by attacking tourists.

The main benefit from this research is to find out the main reason for these attacks, what are the consequences of the attacks on the tourism industry of Egypt? Why do terrorists attack tourists? How did they face it in the past and how should the country react upon terrorism in the future?

Main data collection will be from journals and books; it is based on secondary research findings only. Then again there are some limitations of secondary research available in hand but there are some alternative ways to get the information needed for the study.

The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of terrorism on tourism, which includes tourists’ movement and the consequences on the destination.

The study will focus on the affects that the destination faces after the attacks, and how this kind of attacks affects tourism in the country.

Tourism is a main income for many countries in the world; most of the developing countries are dependent on it even the less developed countries are counting on tourism as a second source of income after petrol, so it is fastest growing economic sectors in the developed/developing world (Aly & Strazicich, n.d.).

“In the late 1960s and 1970s, tourism was often promoted as a way to reduce persistent balance of payment deficit and as a major source of foreign exchange” (Essner, 2003). And it was direct and indirect on the government revenue, it was “recognized as a means to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on traditional agriculture and industry” (Aly & Strazicich, n.d.).

Simple terrorist attacks can affect on the tourism revenue, and this would be a bad impact on the country foreign exchange (Essner, 2003).

It has been hard to define the word terrorism but one of the definitions describes it as:

“Any act taken with extraordinary methods including the use of force and violence with the aim of influencing social and political structure” (Kucukaltan 2006, p.29).

Egypt is one of the countries that depend on tourism, previous statement shows that in 2002 tourism represented 26% of their foreign exchange (write fix, 2010). However, due to some terrorist attacks this can change, such as in 1998 tourism has been affected very badly it has been reduced from 3,727 in 1997 to 2,565 in 1998 (Essner, 2003).

In the next sections the author will be disusing about the methodology of this research, the literature review and solution and recommendations if available.

Methodology:

“Secondary analysis is a form of research in which the data collected and processes by a researcher are reanalyzed by another, often for different purpose” (Babbie 2007, p.227).

Using secondary data has its advantages and disadvantages, to start with, its advantages: It is faster to collect and at a lower price than the primary data, it can provide the researchers with their research start point and help to define the research problem and learn the objectives (Kotler, et al., 2008).

The disadvantages of using a secondary data research is: the needed information may not be researched or may not exist, or the definition needed is different or inappropriate for the research on hand (Kotler, et al., 2008).

In this study the main resources that will be used are secondary resources.

Most data collected will consist of relevant academic books, previous case study researches and the internet.

The main books that will be used in this study will be from: Tourism and Terrorism by Professor Derman Kucukaltan, other books are more about terrorism and its conflict on the world, such a book: Global terrorism by James M. Lutz and Brenda J.

On the other hand there are some academic books also available on Google books that will be used in this study such as: Inside Terrorism by Bruce Hoffman, and another book about the Mediterranean tourism edited By Yiorgos Apostolopoulos, Philippos J. Loukissas, Lila Leontidou, the chapter in the book is about tourism in Egypt written by Turgut Var and Kahlid Zakaria El Adli Imam.

In addition to the books there are few reports and researches done about the impact of terrorism and tourism in Egypt, such as the one written by: Mark Bennet and Harry Bray and another report written by Hassan Aly and Strazicich from The Ohio State University.

Other information about Egypt tourism statistics, recent terrorist attacks in Egypt news and figures will be used from some Internet sources, such as Al Jazeera English web site, BBC news, npr station online broadcasting and many more other websites.

Literature review:
Terrorism and tourism:

“Global Terrorism is a concern for all” (Suder, 2006).

To begin with it is important that terrorism and tourism is defined. Researchers had been giving many different definition of terrorism and it is difficult to define it, but from the writer point of view, the most appropriate definition will be that:

“Terrorism is a form of war; its goal is to destroy economies through random death and panic” (Tarlow, 2006, p.82).

It is also described as the planned, politically motivated attack perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub national groups or secret against usually intended to influence an audience (download it, n.d.).

Terrorism may also be a use of violence or threat of violence against civilians; in general terrorism could be defined as “any act taken with extraordinary methods including the use of force and violence with the aim of influencing social and political structure” (Kucukaltan, 2006, p.29).

These are only some of the definition about terrorism but all the definition has a common principle about terrorism which is; that terrorism is a kind of violence.

Most countries countenance national and/ or global fear of unending terrorism, especially after September 11; it became a priority of the world to fight against terrorism and to stop the growing number of terrorist organization (Kucukaltan, 2006). In addition there are different kinds of terrorist attacks, such as: Kidnapping, explosions, murder and hostage taking (Das & Kratcoski, 2003).

However tourism is the world number one industry and the service is reliant on the people’s protection and their security (Schuelke, 2000). And it is one of the fastest growing economic sector in the world and in Egypt since 1987 (Apostolopoulos, et al., 2001).

In addition according to Aly and Strazicich (n.d.) report, tourism was recognized for its direct and indirect impact on government revenue and as a mean of diversifying the economy and reduces dependence on traditional agriculture and industry.

Terrorism is confused with criminal behaviour, yet they are totally different elements. Tourism crime is a business while tourism terrorism is unwisely motivated by a group of people. Crime is known nationally in the country, but terrorism in known internationally because of media interest they get (Tarlow, 2006).

According to Das and Kratroski (2003, p210) a terrorist mean: “whoever practices violence and terrorism for realizing a political objective and anyone who resorts to terrorism for consuming power”. In addition “Terrorists seek to destroy nations or governments through random death that lead to an economic collapse, terrorists goals are different in that they seek the distribution of a tourism industry rather than the personal or commercial benefits from a specific action” (Tarlow, 2002). Furthermore terrorist are willing to lose and risk their life in order to achieve their goals (Tarlow, 2002).

And this is exactly what is happening in Egypt, all the attacks are done by angry people who are not agreeing with the government and so terrorism is the answer to their anger and achieving their goal, and because they want their voice to be heard they intend to seek media attention. “Because terrorist seek media attention any event is an open target for terrorist” (Tarlow, 2002). Moreover, the press and the media have a huge impact on them as they put them on the spotlight in any negative event (Das & Kratroski, 2003). And from the writer point of view the media as well have a an affect on the destination image after broadcasting any event that had happened in that destination, it might build a good reputation or break the reputation of the destination.

The history of terrorism in Egypt:

Egypt tourism has a long history; it started during the presidential of Anwar Al Sadat, when he first made peace with Israel. This opened and changed the view of the Westerns to the Arabs and their leaders (Apostolopoulos, et al., 2001). Tourism represents one of the most beneficial sectors of Egypt economy but it is highly in danger to internal violence and regional politics (Apostolopoulos, et al., 2001). In other way it is unstable domestic economy that Egypt has.

It all has started in the late 1970’s when al-gama’a al-Islamiya began insulting and fighting the revolution that Egypt was going through, they targeted government officials, Coptic Christians, policemen’s, officers and tourists (Essner, 2003). These extremist Muslims group (al-gama’a al-Islamiya) launched their campaign all over again in 1992, this time their main targets where foreigner tourists, these terrorist attacks has paralysed the government and damaged the tourism between 1992 and early 1994 (Apostolopoulos, et al., 2001).

Al-Gama’a Al-Islamiya are responsible for all the terrorist attacks that happened for the last 12 years, when they started first in 1992 they attacked a German cruise which no one was killed from the tourist but three Egyptian were hurt, then they attempted another attack in the same month where they killed a British tourist and wounded two others (Essner, 2003).

In summer 1994 Egypt experienced a revival in their tourism industry and it rose again, furthermore their main tourists were mainly from the Gulf States (Apostolopoulos, et al., 2001). After a refresh growth of tourism, in 1996 there was another attack on tourists that killed 18 Greek tourists and another attack in the same month killed more than 58 persons who were mostly tourists (Apostopoulos, et al., 2001).

Egypt tourism has lots of ups and downs. All this was affected by the terrorist attacks on tourist, tourism revenue increased enormously from 1994 to 1995, by 34% in 1995. And from 1995 to 1996 it fell by nearly 15% and it continued into 1997 where it fell 3% more (Essner, 2003). Although of all these attacks that Egypt had faced through the last 12 years, Tourism still plays a very big role in its economy, they got used to it and they copped with it. Tourists still visit Egypt but they are not satisfied with the security, but because it is a beautiful country tourist sacrifice and go to visit it.

The main type of terrorism in Egypt is:

Terrorism targeting a political regime: The aim is to destroy the government system, they want to send a message to the world and they want the government to use the Shari’a Law.

National Terrorism: The attacks are only in Egypt, they don’t attack other countries and they have no support from outside the country.

Organizational Terrorism: means “Any kind of violent action carried out by two or more people to reject state regime and its application to debilitate state authority and to give messages to national and/ or international public opinion” (Kucukaltan, 2006, p.39). And the main terrorism organizations in Egypt are Al-Gama’a Al-Islamiya.

(Kucukaltan, 2006).

Terrorism targets:

Terrorist always attack people who are not protected and have weak security (Das & Kratcoski, 2003). Therefore they “have often used tourists as targets, because they are easy to attack and attract a lot of attention from the media” (Frey, 2004, p17). Likewise the main targets of these terrorist attacks in Egypt are to be targeted on foreign tourist (Hazbun, 1997).

Tourist has always been the main targets of Egypt terrorist attacks, from the beginning of this revolution in 1992 till 2009 all attacks where involved in tourist locations, such as in Luxor, Egyptian museum, Khan Al-Khalili souk in old Cairo and many other locations, in addition to the attacks it was the first foreign woman to be killed in a terrorist attack in 1992 (AL Jazeera English, 2008).

Terrorists are attacking tourist destination because they know that tourism is Egypt main income to the country and they are attacking many foreigners and this will provide them with high media coverage.

Kucukaltan (2006) identifies the main reasons why terrorist attacks tourism and these reasons are:

Because attacks on tourism have immediate repercussions in the world public opinion.

It damages the image of the country.

It damages the economy of the country by destroying their tourism image.

It creates an international diplomatic-crisis environment between the country and the country of the target of the victim.

Therefore it is understandable from the above evidence and the reasons for these terrorist attacks to be held; it is also clear that the main targets for terrorist in Egypt are the foreign tourists. This has a huge impact on tourism as tourist has become common targets of these terrorist attacks, all these attacks has an affect on the tourist decision making, as tourist have fear and insecurity to travel to a country with a previous terrorist attacks, and this will create a barrier to the travellers and as a result a limitation to the growth of tourism will occur (Cooper et al., 2008).

The impact of terrorist attacks:

The main and most negatively affected from these attacks is the GPD of the country; the country will lose a lot of its income because of these terrorist attacks (Frey, 2004). Moreover, the second most important is that the country loses its sense of safety and security which will make tourists and the locals feel unsafe staying or living in that area (Fyall & Garrod, 2005). Terrorism has a significant affect on tourism, for example: it can influence people of the advantages of living in the country side than in the city, because high population cities make them a target for terrorists. The transportation costs will increase; it also has a huge affect on the country revenue, especially if tourism’s is one of the main revenue of the country GPD (Frey, 2004).

On the other hand the “Tourism marketing is the managerial process of anticipating and satisfying existing and potential visitors wants, it also means securing environmental and social needs as well as core consumer satisfaction” (Fyall & Garrod 2005, p.42). Therefore it is important that the destination has a good marketing image, and terrorism has a large negative impact on the destination image, for example one of these impacts of terrorism will be the “Media” whenever there is an event of a negative nature that is covered by the media it will have a huge impact on tourist demand, and this will help to destroy the destination image (Fyall & Garrod, 2005).

The recovery period after the attack:

Recovery is defined as:”The act, process, duration or an instance of recovering” (The free dictionary, 2010).

However, to get a full recovery from a terrorist attack it is not enough to get back to where you began before the attack, it is important that they reach the level where they are suppose to reach if the attack didn’t happen to the destination (Bonham, et al., 2006).

For Egypt to achieve full recovery they must achieve it by increasing their tourist arrival number faster and not just to where they were before the attack but where they are suppose to be if the attack didn’t happen (Bonham, et al., 2006).

There has been different ways that the Egyptian Government and especially the tourism industry had been trying in order to recover after the terrorist attacks since 1992. firstly, after the first attack in 1992 the government allocated US $25m to promote tourism in Egypt, they started by doing a campaign to help recovering, in 1995 and 1996 Egypt tourism industry recovered very strongly, through their visitors arrivals, number of nights and visitors spent has increased remarkably. This was due to the campaign which helped in developing new businesses such as building new hotels and resorts in the Red Sea Cost and Sinai Cost (Dean, 2004).

When any tourism industry is under a high pressure and trying to recover from negative shock, the tour operators and the destination start to reduce their prices to sell and make the destination more competitive and attract more visitors (Cooper et al., 2008).

The airlines and hotels are the most to be affected by the attacks as they reduce their prices significantly and this is because they want to maintain their occupancy level (Cooper et al., 2008). And this what had had happened to Egypt Air after the attacks in 1997, as many tourists cancelled their flights, and the airlines lost around 85,000 passenger, and at the end of the year they have announced their loss by 240 million Egyptian Pounds, it was a bad year for the company as they also had to reduce 50% of their domestic flights prices (Dean, 2004).

Additionally an experience from other tourist-reliant destination such as Turkey and Israel indicates that it is unpredictable to know the revival of tourism after such an attack on the destination (Gurtner, 2004).

There are few points that could help in recovering fast after any terrorist attack, such as:

Response requires ingenuity and resilient attitude from the local community.

Recreating a positive image of the destination, by international marketing and public relation;

The government should ensure safety and security for the locals and the tourists.

And many other ways in recovering such crisis (Gurtner, 2004).

Recovering is the most important aspect that the government should be concerned about after any attack or crisis the country might be facing. For Egypt it has been hard to attempt a good recovery, because whenever they recover from the attack they face another attack after a short time. And this makes it difficult for them to recover a full recovery, because they always have to start from the point they left it before the attack and start all over again.

Tourism in Egypt can be unpredictable and it has been described as a snake and Ladder, the tourists are tempted up the “Ladder” by a wealth of sea resorts, natural desert beauty and multi-layers of Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic cultures, then tourists are plunged into the “Snake-pit” by terrorism and regional insecurity (Aly & Strazicich, n.d.).

Decisions and analysis

As it has been discussed previously in the literature review, that tourism in Egypt is a very important aspect to the country’s economy, because it represents around 26% of it GPD.

Egypt is a very beautiful country; it has been a tourist destination since the presidential era of Anwar Al-Sadat, and it continued to be a famous tourist destination world wide. People go to Egypt to visit the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum, Luxor and the coastal cities of Egypt, as they have beautiful beaches and wonderful weather all year round.

On the other hand, terrorism in Egypt has a huge effect on tourist arrival number to the country. Terrorism had started in 1970’s when first Al-Gama’a Al-Islamiya group was formed, but it was more active in 1992 when they first started attacking tourist all around Egypt, especially in tourist destination and attractions such as in Kahan Al-Kalili Souq, Luxor and beach resorts. They have killed many of their foreigner tourists; they had killed the first British Woman in 1992, moreover in 1996 they killed around 18 Greek, along with 58 other tourist where killed a month latter and this was an extremely terrible shocking news when it has been announced all over the word by the media.

From the writer’s point of view although of Egypt’s bad reputation and enormous terrorist attacks that they had especially targeting tourists, tourism in Egypt had never stopped although they had their bad phase when the tourist arrival enormously drooped, however people still visited Egypt because they know that it’s a beautiful country and these attacks do not represent the country as a whole, it just represented a group of political oriented people. People still visit the country and for some years it recovered from the affect of these attacks, but it has never recovered completely .Egypt’s tourism had its ups and downs and the country had tried and is still trying to recover from these attacks. They are working on keeping Egypt a famous and attractive tourist destination.

From the writer’s point of view, tourism has been the terrorist group’s main target, and they want to send their message to the world, as a result they have achieved it all the way through the media coverage that they get during every negative event. Media has a big influence on tourist decision making either negatively or positively. Moreover tourists are always looking for a holiday that will give them peace, secure and safety and Egypt doesn’t provide that to its tourists.

Safety and security is a very important aspects in any destination, tourist want to feel that they are in a secured and a safe country in order that they could relax and enjoy their holiday. For this reason, it is important that the government rebuilds the confidence in its target tourist market and provide them with a secure and a safe holiday that they are looking for.

Terrorism war in Egypt started more than 12 years ago and it is still continuing and it will continue for more years to come if the Egyptian government doesn’t do anything that will help to stop terrorism and find a solution that both parties (Al-Gama’a Al-Islamiya group and the Egyptian government) will agree on.

From the writer’s point of view, the Egyptian government doesn’t seem doing or working very hard in order to fix the situation in the country, in addition, the government should react fast to such situations, because terrorism never stops, it grows and spread very fast every day especially in a country like Egypt.

When these terrorist groups will notice that there is no reaction from the government and as a result more attacks will be made by the groups and damage will be done to the country.

The Egyptian government should initially consider the economy of the country and how its affecting the GPD of the country, followed by the country’s citizens who are also negatively affected from these terrorist attacks mainly that most businesses are locally owned and these businesses lose after any attack, especially if it is a tourism base business such as: the Airlines, hotels and souvenirs shops.

Moreover terrorism destroys the feel of security of the locals in their own country. The government should fight for the security of the citizens and provide them with their rights.

The Egyptian government should look after their citizens because they are also affected from these attacks. They should be more responsible to the people and provide a safe and more secured country to them.

To demonstrate how important and affected the tourism industry could be by terrorism the following charts explains it all.

Figure 1.0 (Andersen, 2000).

To begin with, the first chart shows how tourist arrivals have increased from 1993 till the end of 1997 when then again enormously dropped in 1998 because of Luxor attack in 1997. This shows how tourism is significantly affected by any terrorism attack, and how it is important that the government should try to stop these attacks because it is affecting the country’s economic.

Figure 2.0 (Andersen, 2000).

Furthermore the second graph show how unpredictable tourism is in Egypt and any attack could affect the occupancy of the hotels. There are some years such as in 1997 and 1999, tourism is very high and active and in the next year it falls enormously and this is all because of terrorist attacks. In fact these attacks could be affecting the country on monthly bases rather than yearly.

Conclusion and Recommendations:

To conclude, this study has discussed the impact of terrorism on tourism in the case study of Egypt.

Egypt is one of the famous tourist destinations in the world; it attracts millions of tourists every year to the country. Egypt GPD is dependent on tourism as an income, it represents around 26% of the country GPD therefore it is important for the government to make their country a safe and a secure destination for the locals and the tourists, but terrorism is one of the factors that is destroying tourism in the country.

Terrorism in Egypt has a long history, it started in the late 1970’s and stopped for a while and back once more very strongly in 1992, while this time they have been attacking tourists and getting media attention world widely. Egypt main terrorist group is called Al-Gama’a Al-Islamiya; they are a group of Muslim, who wants the government to make the Shari’a Law the main government law. So these terrorist are fighting politics. And their main targets are always set on to tourists, especially foreigner tourists, although many of their attacks have killed local Egyptian people. However they always tend to attack tourist destination and attraction in Egypt, such as the Luxor and Khan Al-Kalili Cairo’s old Souk and many other places.

Terrorist always intend to get media coverage and this makes them on the spotlight in any event world widely, and this is what they want to.

Terrorist have different kind of attacks that they perform, such as: Hijacking, Kidnapping, and Suicide bombing and several other performances.

Egypt has been attacked by terrorist for many years, and every time they try to recover from the attack they get attacked again, and they always have to start from the beginning to recover the consequences of the attack.

In this study the writer had suggested sever ways that the government could try to end these attack in the country, such as negotiating, build a relationship with the terrorist group in order to understand them, prevent tourist travelling in a very big groups and turning away the media attention from them, these are however only few from many other recommendations that the government could do to prevent terrorism in the country.

Because of time, the writer has not done a primary research in this study, the writer only used secondary research, and therefore more research is needed to be done to examine other factors that are responsible of these attacks, such as: How do the locals feel about these attacks? How has it affected them? and in which ways?, and the second point will be from the tourist point of view, how will they feel if they where in Egypt in a specific attack?, and will they come back to Egypt after they have seen or listened about a terrorist attack that happened in Egypt even though they have planned to go before the attack happen?, why will terrorism affect their decision making process, how is media important and how does it affect the countries reputation, so many things that could be discussed further more in the study.

There are several ways that the Egyptian government could fight against terrorism in the country; here are some of the recommendations or the ways that would be effective in fighting against terrorism:

Egypt tourism authority should take more responsibility of these attacks and also try to explain to the tour operators that they should prevent group tours and gathering, because terrorist always targets big groups, because their aim is to kill as much as they can in every attack they do.

They also should try to prevent the media attention that these attacks get from the international media, because these media coverage’s has a big affect on tourist decision making when they want to travel, and tourist always intend to go away from a country that has political violence, and they always look for alternatives for that specific country. In addition there are several countries that could be replaced to Egypt such as: Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.

Egypt government should put together with the tourism authority a new marketing campaign to the destination; they should build a new target market to the destination, and develop new projects.

The government should build an international relation with the countries that they lost because of terrorism and try to compose a stronger relationship. Because these terrorist attacks does not represent the country, but it represent a group of people only, the people who are against the government and their laws.

These are only few recommendations that the government could carry out to prevent or to decrease these terrorist attacks in the destination.

The impact of the Internet on travel agencies by Rob Law, Faculty Member in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong , 16 Number: 2 Year: 2004 pp: 100-107

Through the years the technology in the Travel & Tourism industry has changed for the better and for the worse of the industry, there are various different developments in the industry that have helped it grow significantly over the years.

A key development was introduced in the 60s that significantly helped the growth of the industry, it was booking systems. Now customers would be able to phone in to book their holidays. This did not have the biggest impact but it was more what it led to that had the impact, this was the birth of Global Distribution Systems and Computer Reservation Systems, these allowed Travel Agents to book into a global system to check for flight, at first this was used for airlines but eventually led to the Travel Agents and was used as a sales channel. One of the main CRS was called Galileo; it was founded in 1971 by United Airlines, and this company got bigger and bigger through the years, in 2002 this company had a 26.4% share of the worldwide CRS airline bookings.

The next development was teletext and ceefax, when this was introduced it allowed people to access teletext or ceefax via their televisions in their own homes to browse all the

Probably the biggest impact on the Travel & Tourism industry was the introduction and growth of the internet. With the internet now available it meant that Travel Agents, Tour operators etc could all have their own websites for the customer to view, they could also put their site on the search engines to bring in more business. It also now means that everyone can sit at home (providing they have a computer and internet access) and browse the search engines, or type in a site they know to try and find the holiday of their choice (Poon ,2001)

. The internet also gives people more options, for example they might want to research on a particular destination, or read reviews about a place / site / attraction etc. The internet does allow people to browse, book, research in their own homes, also generally speaking the internet is cheaper than Travel Agents, however there are a few negatives to consider like for example someone might not be aware of the difference between a secure and insecure site meaning that they could put their credit details onto the internet not knowing where they can end up. Also researching and trying to find the right holiday can take a long time when you could just pop down to a travel agency and they could sort it out a lot quicker for you. Finally not that it effects the customer but it does with the industry, is the fact that the internet has taken a lot of the business away from the travel agencies forcing a few to close down (Law & Wong,2003).

In newly industrializing countries (NICs), such as Thailand, where between 1985 and 1995, economic growth rates were 6-9% a year, they were able to raise large sums of capital to invest in tourism development. This had a great effect on tourism growth in South East Asia, where tourist accommodation increased by 50% and in Thailand alone, international arrivals increased from 5 million to 7.5 million between 1991 and 1995. This increase in secondary resources, such as hotels and shops also encourages growth in tourism.

However, it is not always the case that economic development leads to growth in the tourism industry. For example, in many LEDCs, governments seeking economic development have understandably realised the attractiveness of their resources for tourism, such as beaches, warm climates, mountains and exotic cultures and their potential for income, jobs and development. For example, in 1991, the Malaysian government, who are directly involved in tourism development, declared that year a Year of Tourism to encourage travel. Therefore, many government policies for economic growth have turned to tourism promotion. This is also a major cause in the growth of the tourism industry over recent years, which in 1965 had 110 million tourists, but by 1993, the tourism industry had undergone a five-fold increase and there were 510 million tourists worldwide.

One hundred years ago, a person would be lucky to receive one day for a summer holiday. At present, holidays within the EU are a law, with all full-time workers guaranteed an annual minimum of four weeks paid holiday (by 1995, 90% of workers in the UK received this entitlement). As the length of the working week has been progressively shortened and paid holidays have increased, wages and salaries have been maintained. These benefits, as well as the fact that prices are comparatively cheaper than ever before, especially in terms of air-fares and package holidays, mean that people have greater leisure time and greater disposable income, which can be spent on luxuries such as holidays to exotic locations. For example, in 2004, tourism in Guatemala grew by 34%. In addition, since the Second World War, the number of women in employment has increased tremendously (40% of the worlds 2.8 billion workers are women), meaning family incomes have increased, making foreign holidays more affordable. As the ageing population is increasing, and more people are receiving substantial pensions, this age group (60+ years) too have more money and more time to go on holiday.

Research Question

1 What is the impact of Internet usage in Malaysia among Travel agents and tour Operators?

2 What is the attitude of Travel agents towards the online purchase behaviour in Malaysia ?

3 What is the Perception of the travel agencies towards internet marketing in Malaysia?

Research Objective

1. To investigate the current state of Impact of Internet usage in Malaysia among Travel agents and tour Operators

2. The attitude of Travel agents towards Online purchase behaviour in Malaysia

3. The perception of Internet marketing among travel agencies in Malaysia

The Problem Statement

The internet has become one of the famous channels of distribution in many business fields and it has totally changed the way of doing things in all the business industries and one among them is the Travel industry where the job description of the tour agents and other travel agents are changing comparatively and the travel organisations are being given new roles in their channel of distribution (Law et al., 2004; Nysveen and Lexhagen, 2001; Park, 2000). Many travel agents may have a viewpoint that using internet for ticketing and other travel related queries the basic knowledge is more than enough which is not the actual case there is a very deep approach of using this internet technology compared to the traditional method so travelling related activities , where there are many new offerings and other value added services which have to be focussed upon which is what many travel agents lack these days when making use of this great technology into their organisations.

Significance of the Study

There has been a lot of research on this subject previously where the researchers have laid tremendous emphasis on the importance of internet in the travel and tourism industry. For many of the tourism suppliers the Internet acts as a platform to sell their products to the Global market rather than tart getting the local market which has led to the development of E travellers and the purchase of travel services online which in itself is a significance. The evolution of Internet technology has changed the traditional travelling methods and the services offered by the travel companies which has to be studied and how the internet has changed the traditional methods on the travel industry.

The tourism industry can be separated into two different categories. These are international tourism, where a tourist travels abroad or overseas and internal tourism, where a tourists travel and spending are confined to their country of residence. Although internal tourism accounts for as much as four times the amount of international tourism, the reasons for their overall growth are very similar. As countries become industrialised and urbanised, standards of living increase. The world-wide phenomenon of tourism therefore began in MEDCs, in Europe and North America and later in Japan. To this day, 80% of all tourists come from MEDCs and Europe alone accounts for 48% of expenditure in the tourism industry. The links between economic development and growth in tourism can be related to Rostovs model of economic development. Malaysia is well known all over the world for its tourism and with the advent of many budget airlines like Air Asia it has become more easier for people to think about travelling abroad. This in itself is a significance e of the study and there are many developments and this helps in improving countries economy especially for a country like Malaysia.

Research framework

This research model has been adopted from Tourism agents attitudes on Internet Adoption : An analysis from Greece Vol. 18 No. 7, 2006 pp. 601-608 from International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality

Hypothesis

1. H1. Online purchase behaviour has a positive influence on usage of Internet in travel industry

2. H2. Disintermediation View has a positive influence on usage of Internet in travel industry

3. H3. Disintermediation View with online purchase experience has a positive influence on usage of Internet in travel industry

Study design

The research study will be based on qualitative approaches are deemed appropriate to the initial exploratory stages of research of the nature and content of what is said (Jacnkowicz, 2002). Effectively, it produces findings in the events that involve people and places and is fundamentally suited to destine the meaning of assumptions and perceptions (Amaratunga et al 2002). In terms of choosing the most appropriate data collection method, the researcher recognises that there are different approaches to collecting data from an interpretive stance namely: critical incident technique, projective technique, and mainly a survey questionnaire (Collis and Hussey, 2003; Saunders et al., 2007). The travel agencies in and around Kuala Lumpur and the employees working in the field of Travel related organisations.

The research instrument which will be used for this research is a based on the model has been adapted from The impact of the Internet on travel agencies by Rob Law, Faculty Member in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong , 16 Number: 2 Year: 2004 pp: 100-107

Ethical Issues

The information to be collected for this research would be very sensitive and all the policies such as the anonymity of the researcher will be taken care as per the research methods and the data collection will be done in all the legal methods.

Propose chapters of research

1. Chapter 1 (Introduction)

2. Chapter 2 (Literature review)

3. Chapter 3 (Methodology)

4. Chapter 4 (Data collection, data analysis)

5. Chapter 5 (Recommendation, conclusion)

Limitations

The research study will be limited to only in travel related organisations in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Introduction

Within the growth directions of the tourism industry, which currently represents the fourth largest industry in the world in terms of export, events act as catalysts for attracting visitors and image-makers, creating destination profiles, positioning destinations in the market, and providing competitive advantages (Bowdin et al. 2006). Their significance prompted a new subject type known as event tourism, described by Getz (1997) as: “1) the systematic planning, development, and marketing of events as tourist attractions, as catalysts for other developments such as infrastructure and economic growth, as image builders, and as animators of built attraction and destination areas; event-tourism strategies should also cover the management of news and negative events; 2) A market segment consisting of those individuals who travel to attend events or who can be motivated to attend events while away from home.” The term “event tourism” was coined in the 1980s, and it formalized the link between events and tourism (Getz, 1997).

According to Getz (1997), it is not possible to establish a universal, standardized definition of events. Indeed, one of the most frequently quoted definitions of events, offered by Ritchie (1984), explicitly emphasizes this role by describing them as “major one­time or recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourism destination in the short or long term”. This definition is taken as embracing the other subcategories of events, including community festivals and mega-events, as Goldblatt (2002) defined events as a “planned culture, sport and political and business occasion: from mega-events like Olympics and world fairs to community festivals; from programs of events at parks and attractions to visits by dignitaries and intergovernmental assembles; from small meetings and parties to huge conventions and competitions.”

It is widely agreed that events have a meaningful potential to be partly responsible for positive improvement of the society that host them. As a result, events have become one of the popular methods used to attract visitors to the region. Events are widely recognized to generate numerous impacts on the host communities and other stakeholders (Grosbois, 2009). Ritchie & Smith (1991) say that a centre or region that hosts a world mega-event and attracts global attention is affected both positively and negatively in many aspects. Depending on the way the process is conducted, these changes might have a lasting positive and structuring effect on the city. Event tourism impacts the economy and the lives of many societies, that “has proven to be a lifesaver for many destinations” (Gawler visitor Information Centre, 2005).

According to Bowdin (2006) all events have a direct impact on their participants. Negative impacts on communities must be minimised and measured against the benefits that tourism brings. The impacts of an event can be summarised in terms of a range of dimensions identified by Ritchie (1984). These are: economic; tourism and commercial; physical; sociocultural, psychological; and political. Social impacts can be characterized as any effects that potentially affect the quality of life for local people. Thus, economic outcomes of events, political issues and environmental effects are included because perceptions of such impacts are likely to contribute to residents’ overall reactions to an event (Fredline et al, 2003). This is one of the reason why is complicated to separate all these mentioned impacts separately. This assignment fill focus on events possible impacts on the economy and communities of host areas.

Types of Events

In the field of tourism, the term “event” is used to describe the different categories of events, many of which may have noticeably individual aspects. It includes events from the Olympic Games as the mega-event to small events, such as regional festivals (Fredline et al, 2003). The classification of events is generally of a limited time frame and diverse in nature. According to Bowdin (2006) “in the events industry today the type of events can be classified according to their size and scale, and are usually done in the following way: Mega Events, Hallmark Events, Major Events, Cultural Events, and Business Events. However, events can also be classified according to their purpose and the motivation behind either holding or attending the event, not to the particular sector to which they belong”.

Mega events broadly fit into two categories: sporting and cultural (Mintel, 2010). In essence, Bowdin et al. (2006) believe that mega events are those events that affect whole economies and have repercussions in global media attention. These events are mainly developed in competitive spheres and include events such as the Olympic Games, FIFA and UEFA Football Championships, and World Athletics. Hallmark events, according to Bowdin et al. (2006), refer to events that become so closely identified with the place that they become strongly linked. Among classic examples of hallmark events are the Carnival in Rio, the Tour de France, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Jazz Festival of Juan les Pins in Antibes, and the International Motorcycle Rally in Faro. Such events are culturally unique and distinctive, with resident communities contributing to the tourism revenue, creating a sense of local pride and international interest. With time, these events become inseparable from the destination. For instance, it is difficult to imagine the Rio de Janeiro Mardi Gras occurring in a city other than Rio de Janeiro.

The growth of mega sports event might be ascribed for three most important reasons: first, modern technologies of mass communication that helps to reach all world population; secondly, sport media business alliance creation, which changed professional sport in the late 20thcompletely; and thirdly, these mega events offer a variety of benefits to cities, regions and countries, where they are hosted (Horne and Manzenreiter, 2006).

Importance of the Events for destinations

According to Jago et al (2003) events have become an increasingly important part of many destination branding. Event tourism can be used as a tool for raising awareness (North American and international awareness of Calgary was dramatically increased as a result of the Olympic Games coverage. Top-of-mind awareness increased from about 19% to over 43% in the U.S. In Europe, it rose from 10% to 40%) (See Appendix 1: Example 1). Local product branding helps to develop regional identity together nationally and internationally (Gawler visitor Information Centre, 2005).

France and Roche (1998) stated that creation of mega-events today is regarded as an opportunity to regenerate cities. A good example of this was the 1992 Olympic Games held in Barcelona, where the public works to prepare for the event revitalized the city and repositioned it as a tourist attraction in Spain (Moragas & Botella, 1995). Barcelona Olympics changed the image of the cities and the Spanish tourism, which has traditionally been associated only with ‘sun and sea’ holidays (Robertson and Guerrier, 1998). “Events can enhance the status of smaller states, as in the Seoul Summer Olympic Games, as well as non-capital cities such as the Barcelona and Los Angeles Olympics, the Adelaide Grand Prix, the Calgary Winter Olympic Games or the Victoria, British Columbia, Commonwealth Games” (Bull & Lovell, 2007).

Large hallmark events are one way that cities can create an image internationally and attract internal investment with the aim of promoting long-term growth. Mega sporting events can help improve the image of the host country that is many cases could be a great benefit. Florek (2007) reviews the development of Germany’s image according to the research conducted among a consistent group of New Zealand football fans before, during and after their visit in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Findings suggested that the greatest impact on the image was created by so-called ‘soft factors’ such as safety, peaceful locals, and multi-cultural environment.

According to Matheson (2006) significant intangible benefits of mega-events is national and international acknowledgment. Supporters of the sport might enjoy their visit to the city and return later increasing tourism revenue in the future. Corporate visitors may move the production facilities and company center of operations to the city. Television viewers may decide to take a trip to the host city in the future based on what they see on a mega-event duration. Finally, hosting an important event can help to raise the awareness of the city that it becomes a “major league” or “world class” city and travel destination (Matheson, 2006). Fredline et al (2003) noticed that if event went unsuccessful poor opinion and attitude might emerge, which would damage the reputation of destination (see Appendix 1: Example 2).

Malfas et al (2004) confirms that by adding that the role of the media is essential to create awareness about the host city or region (see Appendix 1: Example 3). Studies showed that, for example, a television production of the English cricket tour to the West Indies increased package tourism of the islands as much as 60%. In addition, Calgary’s image before and after the 1988 Winter Olympic Games improved, as it became clear that the Games had a huge impact on the awareness and knowledge of the city of Calgary in Europe and the United States compared to other Canadian places (Malfas et al, 2004).

More and more often cities are using cultural events to enhance their image, promote urban development and attract visitors and investment (Richards and Wilson, 2004). This phenomenon may be related to a general increase in competition between cities for getting of valuable stakeholders, including consumers, investors and politicians. Cities, as a result, need to find new ways of differentiate themselves from their competitors. For example, signature buildings often have a function of the city’s strategy to create the image or ‘brand’ and create a competitive advantage. Recent examples include the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, the Tate Modern gallery in London (Richards and Wilson, 2004) and the Baltic Flour Mills in Gateshead. The cost of building such notable sight is probably one of the main reasons why the events are becoming an increasingly important aspect of long-distance competition in recent years (Richards and Wilson, 2004). Events are often cheaper way of separate and acknowledge locations and often creates a lot of media interest.

Yeoman (2004) confirms that events can lengthen tourist seasons, extend peak season or introduce a “new season” into the life of a community. According to Boo and Busser (2006) developing new festivals is considered as a new strategy to lengthen the life cycle of destinations. For example, Glasgow festival Celtic connections of music, arts, dance, which happens in January, shows a great way of extending tourism season.

Impacts of Events
Economic impacts of Events

Much emphasis is often placed on the economic impact partly due to the fact that the organizers of the event and government must meet budget targets and to justify the cost, and partly because these impacts are easiest to assess (Pasanen et al, 2009). According to Jago and Dwyer (2006), “the economic impact of an event on a region is the net sum of the economic consequences of all of the cash inflows and outflows that occur because of an event.” Substantial contribution to the economic impact assessment is a cost that occurs after an event. The fraction of the cost, which represents “new money” into the area, i.e. money that is not yet in the region, is particularly important (Pasanen et al, 2009) and often gives new opportunities and advantages for communities living there, as well. Variuos methods can be used to assess the economic impacts of events (see Appendix 1: example 4).

According to Florek (2007) economic benefits are often used to justify hosting mega sporting event. However, economic benefits might be complicated to predict and therefore a bit dangerous justification. For example, in 2006 FIFA World Cup, Germany’s organising committee earned a‚¬140 million from the tournament, which is more than expected, but tourists only spent about a‚¬50 million in Germany, half of what was expected. In addition, most of it was for food and drinks with no important impact on retail (Florek, 2007). Mules and Faulkner (1996) point out that even such as mega-events as F1 Grand Prix races and the Olympics, has not always clear economic benefit for the cities that host the event (see Appendix 1: example 5). They point out that, in general, staging major sports events often results in the loss of money for the city government even though the city itself can benefit greatly in terms of extra incomes in the city. Matheson (2006) gave example when during the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, the number visitors from Europe to the area was higher than usual, but this increase was offset by a similar amount of decrease in regular tourists and business travelers, which did not give such great economic increase.

Special events are now highly sought after in many countries, regions, and cities, internationally. Governments are often prepared to offer generous funding incentives to attract events and to allocate large expenditure to upgrading the facilities needed for the events (Dwyer et al, 2005). However, Carlsen and Taylor (2003) warns that the creation of major tourism and sports facilities may get little used after the event. There is a possibility for mega-events like the Olympics to be viewed as “white elephants.” Very large investments are required to stage mega-events such as the Olympics and World Fairs, which usually mean that the short-term returns are usually negative and the money spent in such events rarely pays off (Getz, 1997). But event tourism development that uses existing attributes often brings a range of benefits to host communities. Better infrastructure (electricity, water, and telecommunications), access, services (banks, roads, transport) and new investments, all help to strengthen community life. Perhaps the best example of a mega-sporting event being used in this way was given by Malfas et al (2004), when in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics ” major investments have been invested in new transport systems and to update the coastal area which now has a new marina, leisure facilities and attractive sandy beaches”.

Events attract more investment and visitors, and thus create new jobs and contribute to the economic growth of the city or region. Of course a mega-sporting event is likely to produce many jobs, not only those directly related to the event but also those who works in the tourism and retail industry and in the construction industry especially when the staging an event requires significant infrastructure development, such as in the case of the Olympic Games (Malfas et al, 2004) (see Appendix 1: example 6). Nevertheless it should be admitted that staging an event creates new jobs, the focus should be on the quality and duration of these workplaces: sporting events usually create service-related jobs that are often part-time, poorly paid and short-lived.

Pasanen et al (2009) noticed that the staging of an event may also generate wider economic intangible benefits and costs, such as caused by the development and construction costs, additional marketing and business development, and increased property values, long-term tourism promotion, local’s relocation and termination of business. Intangible assets are impossible to quantify as accurately and objectively as are the financial impacts, but they should be taken into account when evaluating the overall economic impact on the local people.

But at the same time there might be some negative aspects, such as local goods can become more expensive because tourists might pay more, shops might stock products for tourists and not everyday goods needed by locals, debt risk for the city and increased taxation, prices increase that does not decline after the event ends (Fredline et al, 2003). As an example, Jones (2001) refers to the Olympic Games as a mega event in which accommodation that needs to be provied for athletes, tourists, and promoters creates a lot of pressure and problems with housing and real-estate market. An influx of tourists can also cause or exacerbate crowding, traffic congestion, and increased prices, and normal community lifestyles may be displaced or disrupted. In fact, the increased costs of dining out in Auckland in the new Viaduct Basin restaurants were one indicator of the inflationary impact of the event. Similarly, increased property rental costs in downtown Auckland, forced displacement for tenants for developments were also evident (Hall, 1992).

Events impact on communities

In addition to economic events consequences, events have other positive and negative effects on host communities. They can revive the cultural and social life of the local people, build community pride, provide a sense of identity, increase community participation and pride of the area or enhance the image of a destination (Pasanen et al, 2009). It has been suggested that socio-cultural impacts occur as a result of the unique interaction between tourists and a destination area with its population. Whole destination becomes “visible” as an event takes place, so it has real opportunity to develop socio-cultural impacts (Small et al., 2005). Host community dissatisfaction can threaten the long-term success of an event and thus the acceptance by the locals is vital for the continuity of the event (Small et al., 2005). Teo (1994) defines social and cultural impacts of event tourism as: “the ways in which tourism is contributing to changes in the value systems, morals and their conduct, individual behavior, family relationships, collective lifestyles, creative expressions, traditional ceremonies and community organization”

Fredline et al (2003) noticed that unlike economic impacts, social impacts of events can be difficult to measure objectively since many of them cannot be measured, and they often affect differently various members of the community. Despite the fact that the measure of socio-cultural impacts may cause some problems, some systems and scales have been developed to assess them (see Appendix 1: example 7).

Tourism can encourage community pride as visitors choose to visit the place for a reason. Well presented towns and well-maintained facilities for visitors help them to feel welcome and can contribute to the sense of community pride (Gawler visitor Information Centre, 2005). Festivals and events provide an opportunity for community cultural development (Getz, 1997) and “bring a sense of belonging and sharing to the community, excitement, spectacle and self-esteem brought about by being the focus of international attention” (Fredline et al, 2003). According to Liang et al (2008) events and organizers of the festivals uses the themes of culture and history to develop and prepare annual events to attract visitors. These festivals provide opportunities for the local communities to share their culture and, in addition, they help the local community to create and develop its own identity.

There was a substantial increase in the participation of the community in active sports in the next years after the Barcelona Olympic Games. There has been around 50 000 new customers in the city’s sports centers following the 1992 Games, with women participating in sporting activities increase from 35% in 1989 up to 45% in 1995. In addition, in 1994, more than 300 000 people participated in sports events that become a part of the urban population on the streets of Barcelona, such as athletic competitions, popular marathon, the festival of bicycle cycling and the roller skating festival (Malfas et al, 2004). As this example shows increased participation in sports can make a significant contribution to the local resident quality of life.

Shone & Parry (2004) names negative impacts that “include a range of anti-social behaviors, crime, congestion, crowding, prostitution, disruption of community life, community alienation and displacement”. Mega sporting events draw attention of large crowds and there is a great possibility of antisocial behavior emergence, as for example In America’s Cup defense there was noticed 36% increase in arrests for anti-social behavior (Faulkner, 2003).

The decision to hold an event, especially a large scale event, is essentially a political decision (Richards and Wilson, 2004). According to Barker et al (2002) events and their subsequent publicity can lead to significant status ramifications pertaining at both macro- and micro-political levels. Political aspects, however, can equally work to the detriment of tourism events. The potential for terrorist or politically motivated activity, demonstrations, and boycotts to utilize the publicity generated by international events is not uncommon. Such political agendas at major events have instigated demonstrations at the 1981 Springbok rugby tour to New Zealand and 1998 Commonwealth Games, boycotts of any number of Olympic Games, and terrorist attacks at the 1972 and 1996 Olympics (Barker et al, 2002). So there is a great risk and questioning for local people, when holding mega-events.

Many environmental impacts may result as a result of hosting an event particularly as a result of major and mega events, along with traffic congestion, parking, crime and vandalism, noise and littering, crowding energy and water usage and waste (Pasanen et al 2009). The negative impact of events tourism develops “when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment’s ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of change” (Lorant, 2009). Uncontrolled activities pose potential threats to the natural and built locations everywhere in the world. It can create huge pressure on an area, causing effects such as “land degradation (erosion), increased pollution, discharges into the soil, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species and heightened vulnerability to forest fires, etc.” (Lorant, 2009). This interruption often increase pressure and it can force local populations to compete for the usage of necessary resources with tourists.

Companies and different organizations should consider principles of sustainable planning and development in order to have more “friedly” impact on the environment. Examples of these activities could be given from Sziget Festival, when ‘Clean Air Action Group’ increased of the number of mobile toilets or created automatic volume-control devices of the waste collecting system (Raj and Musgrave, 2009). Or another example would be The London 2012 Olympic Games has forming Environmental Management System (Bowdin, 2006). Hackbert (2009) noticed that over time finances generated for the community development will concentrate on projects such as “redeveloping downtown, preserving and restoring historic buildings, planting trees, and installing holiday decorations”. Significant improvements may dominate over short-term environmental negative impacts.

Hackbert (2009) found indicators of negative effects that local community of Mdina, the walled city in the cultural center of the Maltese islands, acknowledged. Tourism accounts for 40 percent of total economy. Residents of Mdina complained “of visitor invasions blocking roads, polluting streets, being noisy and dressing indecently” (Hackbert, 2009). In addition, some residents voiced dissatisfaction in services like street lighting, better tourist routes, irruption of privacy, and “sacrifice of tranquility for the public good without compensation from either government or tour operators” (Hackbert, 2009). So, as tourist attractions begin to grow stronger ties outside the area, local resident may become annoyed and transit an economic benefits negatively. Local people therefore need to understand the importance and benefits of tourism to their region, including tourism’s contribution to economic activity in the area.

In combination with other negative impacts and limited community consultation, locals may become resentful and frustrated with tourism. However, locals may tolerate the negative aspects of tourism events in the knowledge of the positive benefits to the community and that their lives will soon return to normal (Barker et al, 2002). So Gawler visitor Information Centre (2005) advices that community participation in the planning and implementation of event tourism gains more positive attitude, becomes more supportive and has better chance to make more profit than a population passively reject or exceeded by tourism. As Moscardo (2007) argued “that even if an event attracts substantial numbers of tourists and generates revenue but does not create community involvement, it is unlikely to have much of an effect on regional development. It means that without the local involvement the event remains “disconnected” to the locality”.

Conclusion

Event tourism is often understand as increasing the economic and, therefore, the social wellbeing of communities. The importance of events as device for growth of tourism is expected to increase in the future (Pasanen et al, 2009). However, it should be remembered that mentioned growth is more than just economic development in different areas, social and cultural angels are also very important for the success of the events as well as of the destinations.

According to Faulkner (2003) event planners and the tourism industry in general, therefore, take a grave risk in ignoring community impacts of an event. Hall (1991) implies that the most effective action should take the form of a consultative or community based approach to plan­ning. For the success of any event, the host population, public administration and event organisers must work together. All these mentioned parties need to identify and predict impacts and then to manage them to achieve the best balance for everyone (Bowdin, 2006). It is not always easy and simple, but events can be more beneficial when everyone is involved.

Events create some disbursement of local’s life, but until everyone is informed, involved and understand the events potential, it could bring enormous possibilities, advantages and well. Events does not only attract an increasingly audience, but also shape world tourism patterns, highlighting new tourism destinations and creating lasting heritage in the host cities or countries.

National security has always been an issue dating back to as early as when man started organizing himself in society. Tourism has become a major pillar of modern-day economies and cultures. This research examines the impact of tourism deregulation or the simplification of government rules and requirements on tourism to national security.

The study will also cover areas on importation of terrorism through tourism; compare tourism crime and other types of crime and finally investigate the changes in crime rate in countries that deregulate tourism. The resident attitudes towards the impacts of deregulation of tourism on national economy will be explored. Questionnaires and simple random sampling can be methods of data collection from the respondents. The data collected will be analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences. The findings of the study will be presented using pie charts and graphs.

Tourism and security are interrelated and inseparable. The security of the tourists is the primary concern of every host government because of it only where they feel safe that they will spend and visit again. The current economic state of most countries has presented a problem because governments have to come up with ways of raising foreign earnings to raise money to service the national debt and keep the economy afloat. One of the solutions has been to simplify government regulations for the tourism industry to attract more traffic. While this has been successful in most countries, recent evidence has raised questions of what effects lower standards for tourists have on the national security of the host country.

Tourism is a delicate and dynamic industry. Although tourists have specific countries they want to tour based on experience, recommendation or the spirit of adventure, it is worth noting that some tourists have other agendas. It is impossible to know legitimate tourists from people with hidden agendas such as terrorists without the proper legislation. At the same time tourists are usually free to travel to destinations of their choice avoiding destinations associated with risk. It has been observed that the consequences of disastrous events on tourist destinations are spontaneous and adverse. Some of the insecurity concerns include terrorism of any kind where governments issue travel advisories to their citizens to not visit the affected country. A problem presents itself when the tourism has been imported in the guise of tourism, such that terrorists disguise themselves as normal tourists to enter countries. If stringent laws for immigration were to be put in place as they were before, it would be possible to pick the wheat from the chaff.

According to (Zurick, 2006) the concept of security has changed through the decades from one of collective security and common defense to embrace notions of common and cooperative security. Despite the damage done to the concept of collective security because of the United States led invasion of Iraq, the development of common security structures through collective as well as multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations is still an important aspect for the expansion of security concerns to cover a nations environment, health and economic security threats. This research also considers that tourism organizations have little influence on peace and security agendas despite the fact that they are important for tourism. This is particularly at the micro-level whereby appropriate tourism development initiatives may serve as a means to prevent potential future conflict over resource and environmental security challenges.

1.2 Safety, security and destination image

The world has become a global village and the global relationships have become turbulent, this has therefore called for destination marketing organizations which focus their attention in demonstrating that there is safety for tourists. A tourist perception about a particular destination which may be caused by negative publicity is mostly a question of security and safety. Often, this negative publicity may be unrelated to the reality on the ground but it has more than significant effects on the tourism sector and the economy as a unit.

Tourism deregulation impacts on national security can be categorized into positive and negative category based upon economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts. According to (Hall, Dallen & Duval 2003), tourism is greatly affected by and affects security. The destination a tourist chooses is determined by how safe he or she knows it be, or has been advised is. Changes in the global security affect tourism greatly. The security concerns affect both tourists and the host country that has to face the fact that not all individuals visiting the country have good intentions.

Responsible tourists take time to investigate the security situation in the countries they intend to visit. Such responsible tourists should be aware of security risks and take precautions to mitigate such effects or avoid them completely. The September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Towers in the United States of America are an epitome of events that can affect the tourist traffic of any country. Terrorist attacks have an impact on travel, leisure industries and tourist destinations. As a consequence more focus and attention has been directed towards tourism safety and security issues than ever before. The impact of deregulation on tourism laws on national security is a matter that cannot be ignored. Recent research is being focused further on the analysis of not only how travel safety can be promoted but also how security concerns may be incorporated in terms of tourism marketing. The management is also being enhanced to enable the industry become more responsive to challenges of security both internal and imported.

Countries with unstable security history tend to be paranoid about security but stable and relatively safe countries have been continuously passing regulation that simplifies the process of obtaining tourist visas. The movement of the tourists is also not restricted or monitored. While this markets the country as place where the privacy of visitors is guaranteed and protected, it also attracts people of questionable character. These individuals might commit crime and abscond, or some might use the stability and anonymity to plan attacks on other countries. The latter situation can create a diplomatic spat which, unchecked, could escalate to war.

Tourism activities can be affected by either external or internal forces; such forces may include war, terrorism activities, economic recessions, disaster, and financial crisis among others. Nations and cities which have experienced terrorist attacks for example New York and Washington faced profound impact on global travel (Blackford, 2004).

The area of security is broad and sensitive and is affected by many things. The relationship between deregulation of tourism and national security can be explored in different perspectives. For example, in examining this relationship the research will look at whether the deregulation of air transport has influenced national security and the tourist destination countries in different nations. Terrorism will also be examined to investigate whether it can be imported in the guise of tourism. It will further examine the impact of deregulation on capacity as well as fares. The study also attempts to determine the impact deregulation has caused on marketing of tourist destinations and attractions. Finally, the research will investigate the impacts of tourism deregulation on transport at the destination areas. The research will also compare tourism crime and other types of crime (Hall, Dallen & Duval 2003).

1.3 Statement of the problem

The tourism industry has grown tremendously and thus every country is trying to gain a competitive advantage in order to market tourism adequately. This has lead to deregulation of tourism to assist raise tourist traffic. This research will seek to identify these impacts in a wider perspective with respect to crimes related to tourism and also seek to explore the rate of crime in countries that deregulate tourism. With globalization becoming embraced internationally the need for national security has been an issue of concern not only in tourism but in other areas as well. This concern is fundamental if nations are to enjoy and promote tourism while protecting the national security by preventing tourism crime, terrorism and other threats to a nations security that could be as a result of tourism deregulation.

Research and experience have evidenced that tourism is a crucial factor that can contribute greatly to the development of a nations economy. It is therefore worth noting that tourism is directly associated and related with the cultural, economic as well as the intellectual potential of any nation. Currently available statistical data indicates that tourism is a leading profit earner in most developing industries in the world and thus the need to protect and uplift it as while not compromising as the national security of a country. It is expected that in the early 21st century the number of tourists will increase dramatically and consequently the revenues from tourism will increase considerably.

The evident threats to national security are not something any country passing legislation to deregulate the market can ignore. The purpose of this research is to identify this threats and the correlation it has with deregulating the tourism sector.

1.4 Research objectives

This study will be focus on achieving the following objectives:

1. To investigate whether terrorism can be imported in the guise of tourism.

2. To investigate whether countries that deregulate tourism experience high crime rate.

3. To investigate the relationship and compare tourism crime and other types of crime.

4. To identify the impacts of airlines deregulation in international areas with respect to tourism.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), tourism is one of the top five foreign exchange earners in approximately 83% of countries and the main foreign exchange earner for at least 38% of countries globally. In most of these countries foreign exchange earnings are usually used to purchase imports and augment reserves. They generate income in the particular country and can stimulate consumer spending and investment in other sectors of the economy. Tourism provides an ideal situation where there is little need to compensate from outside because it grows the local industries and resources. It has ripple effect on the rest of the economy and any country that realizes this need to come up with innovative ways to encourage tourists to visit the country. Some tourists are turned away by stringent laws of immigration or stay and it has become the norm for most countries to deregulate the market.

Tourism is an exciting and fascinating industry. The industrys contribution to the national economy is significant. The major threats to this lucrative industry are socioeconomic problems related to increased level of crime rates and the depletion of resources or sites and events that attract tourists. Similarly, due to the current rise in terrorist activity, it has become a major concern for the natives of the countries being toured. According to Williams (1997) crime is a common social issue which threatens the safety of the people, property, their sense of well being, and also causes entropy to the social order. Crime also reduces peoples quality of life because they are not psychologically at peace and are therefore not able to work as well or as much as they potentially can.(Cracraft, 2000).

In all countries of the world associated with popular destinations, crime has been a major threat to the stability of the economy. In a Newsweek research conducted by Zakaria (2002) tourism safety and security matters raised by allowing tourists in is a major headache for any government. It is evident that crime against tourists or associated with tourism is considerably high in tourist destinations. This research therefore investigates the extent to which crime has an impact in a nations security. It is of importance to analyze the impact of passing legislation that lowers the bar for tourists and whether it has become an avenue for crme and threats to national security.

2.1 Impacts of airline deregulation

According to (Fallon, 2002), nations globally have realized that liberal aviation agreements have significant impact tourism amongst signatory parties. Recently, there has been deregulation of airlines leading to the growth of low-cost carriers and overcapacity in airline industry to bolster tourist numbers. Further deregulation of international air travel has seen the tourism industry grow significantly as simplified requirements to visit countries are major attraction for potential tourists. In addition, governments are encouraging movements towards agreements with country blocks or many nations rather than individual nations to create open skies in different geographic regions. The result of this is that people are able to move across borders with minimal or no paperwork.

For nations to ensure the sustained growth and success of the international airline industry it has become important to adopt aviation policies which are conducive to open skies agreements. This has liberalized air travel beyond existing restraining bilateral among nations. This has a significant impact on tourism as well as other industries, as this facilitates the movement of people around the world. For example the signing of the open skies agreement between the United States and the Philippines deregulated tourism rules. While this is a way of growing the economy, its potential effects on national security are far-reaching. The wanton and indiscriminate hosting of people without adequate paperwork carries with it the risk of encouraging criminal activates.

2.2 Socio-cultural impacts of tourism deregulation on national security

According to (Blackford, 2002) it is a fact that tourism has a big impact on the economy of a nation, its cultures as well as the ecosystems. Despite this it is one of the least regulated industries in globally. This has opened up destination countries further to the influx of foreign earnings and capital. This trend of deregulation favors major international hotel chains and tour operators while at the same time providing the residents of the country to earn from the resources, whether man-made or natural.

Tourism has long been viewed as the reason for the spread of the global mentality. Cultures and social practices are imported as locals learn from visitors. The lack of adequate background checks on tourists, while offering an ideal protection of the visitors privacy poses a problem. The host country is exposed to the risk of allowing individuals of questionable character into the country. Interaction of these individuals with the locals might do more harm than good.

The possible causes of some of the security situations include crime related incidents, terrorism, war, and political unrest or instability. The crime related security incidents may be in different forms such as theft, robbery, rape, murder, piracy and kidnapping. Local residents may commit crimes against residents, tourists against locals, tourist against other tourists, or may take other forms such as organized crimes against tourism enterprises.

A specific environmental issue relates to the increased number of planes traversing the skies has led to greenhouse warming. Airplane contrails generate cirrus clouds, which reflect the suns rays and warm the atmosphere (Zakaria, 2007). As this is mostly the result of new fuel-efficient aircraft, which produce less heat and a cooler mixture of exhaust air conducive to contrail formation, governments should consider the environmental impact of more commercial aircraft in the transatlantic market. This rise is directly proportional to tourist traffic because airlines will tend to increase flights to popular destinations so as to increase their turnover.

2.3 Deregulation of immigration and tourism laws.

It is prudent to note that this research does not in any way imply that attempts to deregulate the market are inn-informed. On the contrary, liberalizing the industry is a crucial step toward achieving the vision of a global village vision and making the world a better place. However, to deregulate without adequately researching on the effects and impacts on national security is ill-advised. It is no secret that every country has enemies or people who would want to cause harm to it. While most of these groups or individuals might not make their intentions known, the methods they use to deliver the punch are criminal at the least. The template is to exploit the weaknesses in the countrys laws and find the opportune moment to strike and send the chilling message.

Giving visas to all and sundry without first checking their backgrounds or requiring adequate and authentic proof of identification might be good for trade, but it is not the least conducive for the security of all affected. Tourists are not required to give detailed schedules of their stays in the countrys they visit and this is the perfect recipe for clandestine operations and activates.

2.4 Importation of terrorism through the guise of tourism

According to Cracraft (1986) tourism is an activity that is sensitive and a nation will react rapidly to crime. Acts of terrorism are always a drawback to tourist destinations because it is followed by negative publicity and a host of travel advisories. This is because terrorism acts often indicate inadequacy of security and safety controls. Recent happenings have shown a disturbing trend where terrorists sneak into countries disguised as terrorists, leave among the locals as they plan their crimes. This worrying trend has created a situation of suspicion of people from certain places perceived to breed terrorists such as Middle East. This blanket stigmatization and the blanket security regulations that follow are saddening. The security concerns and weaknesses exposed can be pre-empted by having adequate laws that tend to pick the wheat from the chaff, instead of being left behind to sort the debris.

2.5The difference between tourism crime and other types of crime

The growth of tourism has always been associated with increases in the level of certain types of crime (Goliath, 2004). The growth of tourism can also be associated with modernization and development which is a source of social instability which leads to criminal behavior. In addition, tourism crimes are often highly publicized, and the subsequent media publicity is a dent on the countrys image. Another consideration is the fact that tourism growth is mostly accompanied by growth in the resident population.

It is important to distinguish between criminal acts directed towards the tourists and those committed by the tourists there are many factors that make tourists attractive as targets of crime which include. While crime is primarily an illegal attempt to earn a living, tourism crime is mostly premeditated and about more than just earning a days meal. It is about achieving a personal, social, religious or economic obligation either to oneself of to a group. As countries continue to pass laws that simplify the entry and stay of tourists without taking into account the dynamic nature of the human being, it becomes impossible to shield against crimes related to tourists.

Most of the tourists may be usually highly noticeable because of their race, clothing, speech, and even the tendency to carry valuable items such as cameras, backpacks which attract therein criminals.

It is often perceived that tourists are wealthy people and are more likely to be in possession of valuable items.

Tourists are mostly accompanied by tour guides and at times they may be strangers. At times in the destination few people may be aware of their specific activity pattern.

For example the murder of Meredith Kerche in Perugia, Italy has had huge media attention in the United Kingdom. In addition, issues such as drug and tourism, sex tourism as well as other related crime and social disorder among holidaymakers. The high rate of exposure of tourists as targets to criminal activity in some destinations is illustrated by the findings that have seen tourists being stolen of their belongings or property (Schollmeyer, 2003).This social wrongs impact negatively on the national security because negative social behavior such as drug use and sex trade are primary causes of crime.

It has also been observed that criminal activities can as well be committed by the tourists themselves, either against the locals or other tourists. Where certain forms of tourism either foster or entail criminal activities, it is the tourist who is usually seen as the lead player in initiating or engaging in some kind of illegal activity-. The most, obvious example invokes forms of tourism, such as those involving certain types of related activity, which are defined as illegal by destination authorities. While tourism activity may be not completely illegal but a strong criminal association may exist. The best example of this indirect relationship is gambling, given the involvement of organized crime cartels in casino businesses. The influx in tourists to these places might raise the economic might of criminals, emboldening them and causing a general rise in the crime rate of the country. Finally, there are those tourist activities that can degenerate into criminal behavior because of the presence of alcohol, drugs, arguments or stereotypes

2.6 Crime rate in countries that deregulate tourism

It is evident that there is high crime rate in countries that deregulate tourism, for example sex tourism industry has increased all over South East of Asia and Burma (Kristiansen & Trion, 2005) and the crime rates in South Africa during high tourism seasons is evident. In these regions tourists are highly involved in criminal activities and are often associated with several kinds of human rights abuses, and the spread of HIV/AIDS. For example women and juveniles are often coerced to engage in the sex trade against their will. While these crimes are abetted by locals, it is the presence of tourists with ill-intentions that causes the rise.

As observed earlier the impacts of crime on the destination are diverse. Some cases involve crimes related to drug use, whereby the destinations image becomes blotted resulting in significant decline in tourist demand. On the other hand, theft may occur at tourist destinations where the tourists are at the wrong place at the wrong time. In addition, tourists may contribute to this by engaging in illegal activates or getting involved with criminals. (Magenta , 2009, pp56).

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

In order to achieve the research objectives a multi-method approach will be adopted, by use of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Quantitative methods will focus on providing a broad statistical measure of the nature, extent and impact of deregulation of tourism on national security using a reasonable sample size. In depth and comprehensive qualitative information will be collected on the impacts of deregulation of security on national security, importation of crime through tourism, comparison between tourism crime and other types of crime.

The research will employ questionnaires to collect data from the respondents as one of the data collection tools. Interviews schedules will also be applied to interview the randomly selected sample population.

This chapter presents a description of the procedures and methods that the researcher will use in order to obtain the required data needed for the study. It comprises of research design, data collection instruments, the target population, the sampling strategy, and data analysis methods.

3.2 Research design

The researcher will employ quantitative research method. The quantitative research design to be used will be a causal comparative design. The causal comparative design will allow the researcher to collect one or more information from one participant.

A casual comparative research allows researcher to investigate the possibility of a causal relationship among variables that cannot be manipulated. This research design will be used to establish the factors that influence employee training.

3.3 Target population

The target population will involve the immigration departments, tourists and locals of the target country.

3.4 Sampling strategy

Simple random sampling techniques will be the data collection methods from the various departments. The employees will be randomly selected from each department to yield the total sample population.

Purposive sampling will be used to select employees who are trained. Purposive sampling is a sampling technique that allows a researcher to use cases that have the required information with respect to the objectives of the study.

3.5 Data collection tools and instruments.

The researcher intends to use questionnaires in this study. This is to provide high accuracy and validity of the study. The questionnaire is a convenient tool especially where there are a large number of subjects to be handled. The questionnaire facilitates easy and quick derivation of information within a short time. The information obtained will enable to investigate the impacts of deregulation of tourism on the national security.

3.6.1. T-test

T-test will be used to test whether there are significant differences between two mean derived from the samples of groups at a specified probability level.

3.6.2 Chi-square

Chi-square is a statistical technique which attempts to establish the relationship between two variables both of which are categorical in nature. The technique compares the proportion observed in each category with what would be expected under the assumptions of independence between the two variables.

CHAPTER FOUR

DISSECTION

4.1 Data analysis

The researcher will establish whether all questionnaires are all completed. Data collected from open ended and closed questions will be coded for analysis purpose.

Descriptive and inferential statistics will be used in data analysis. The data will be analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS).

The descriptive statistics which will be used in analysis includes means, frequencies, percentages and standard deviation.

The inferential statistics that will be used in data analysis will be chi-square and T-test for independent samples.

4.2 Expected results

It is expected that this research will yield results that show an upsurge in crime levels in countries that have liberalized tourism industry. In some countries with more stringent practices and therefore less tourism traffic, it is obvious that the crimes related with tourism will be less. This is a wake-up call to all legislators to take necessary precaution when passing laws that deregulate the market and give the players a free-hand to do what they want. National security should take priority over economic gain.

In October 2010, the city of Shanghai successfully held the World Exposition, with an accomplishment of participants coming from 246 countries, and more than 70 million visitors (Xinhua, 2010). There were many preparations made prior to the event, including constructing the buildings, transportation, accommodation for world wide visitors, and training service providers with better services. As holding international large-scale conventions and exhibitions will attract international guests and will boost the economy locally, the value-added brought by the events can also influence tourism industry with the service quality, and the influence will take effect even after the event is over. The current research is interested in the effects of convention and exhibition industry on service quality, as World Expo 2010 Shanghai just finished, it is suitable for collecting data concerning this topic.

The convention and exhibition industry is one of the most important and fastest growing industries in the 21st century. It is often categorized with meeting, incentive travel together as the meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry. With its gaining popularity, it has grown as a significant market segment over the past decades (Astroff & Abbey 2006; Kim, Chon & Chung 2003). MICE industry not only brings a destination with strength and development in their competitive advantage, but also enhances the image of the destination, and economic benefits for the destination and community (Opperman 1996).

According to the International Meeting Statistics by the Union of International Associations (UIA), 11,423 international meetings were held in 2008 worldwide (UIA, 2009). The industry consists of multi-sectors of hospitality service including lodging, food and beverage, catering, convention service, convention facility supply, transportation, tourism, retail, and entertainment (Astroff & Abbey 2006). And the benefit to local economy is huge. With U.S. Travel Association’s (2009) estimation, the MICE industry contributes $101 billion in annual spending, and provides $16 billion in tax revenue, and creates one million jobs. As for Singapore, every dollar generates by the MICE industry adds another 12 dollars to the national GDP (International Enterprise Singapore 2001). As the case in China, which is one of the most populous countries in the world, reports indicated that during the Kunming Expo 1999, the international horticultural fair, ticket revenues were 100 million RMB ($12 million), and it has brought 170 million RMB ($20.5 million) ticket revenues to the hospitality industry (China Research and Intelligence 2009). The development if convention and exhibition economy also provides more job opportunities, marketing, infrastructure and service quality.

Service Quality

Service quality has been an important attribute in the service industry; it is defined as the consumer’s judgment about an entity’s overall excellence or superiority (Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry 1988). It affects customer satisfaction, and it is one of the critical factors to business survival and competitiveness in the service industry. In previous researches, the efficiency and accuracy to measure service quality has been the main focus (Ladhari 2008). Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988) conducted the most influential studies on service quality, which was developing the SERVQUAL instrument. The SERVQUAL instrument concluded five dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. This instrument has become the foundation of service quality measurement instrument in a variety of industries, which compares between customer expectation and realized performance of specific service.

Tsang and Qu (2000) on the other hand, adopted from several studies and indicated the 5 gaps of service quality. They describe the gaps as the difference between expectations and perceptions. The management perceptions of customer expectations and service quality specifications, the difference between service quality specifications and the service actually delivered, and the service delivery and what is communicated about the service to customers, these gaps affect the actual delivery of service. And the difference between customer expectations of service quality and customer perceptions of the actual performance affects customer perceptions of service quality, which is what this research would like to find out.

World Exposition

The World Exposition, or called World Fair, Universal Exposition, Expo, is a form of large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in 1851, in Hyde Park in London, United Kingdom. It was the first international exhibition of manufactured products. It was the idea of Queen Victoria’s husband, and it influenced the development of many aspects in the society (Findling & Pelle 2008, pp. 13-14). Since then, the World Expositions have attained increasing prominence as grand events for economic, scientific, technological and cultural exchanges, serving as an important platform for displaying historical experience, exchanging innovative ideas, demonstrating esprit de corps and looking to the future.

The World Expo 2010 Shanghai is the first Expo to be held in a developing country, the theme is “Better City, Better Life.” Because nowadays, 55% of the world population lives in a city, the Expo sets out to explore the full potential of urban life in the 21st century, and display urban civilization, exchanging experiences of urban development, explore new approaches to human habitat, lifestyle and working conditions in the new century, also learn how to create an eco-friendly society and maintain the sustainable development of human beings. It is held from May 1st to the end of October in 2010, spanning six months (Expo 2010 Official Website 2008).

Visitors to Shanghai

As the Expo brought over participants coming from 246 countries, and more than 70 million visitors (Xinhua, 2010), there is also a boost in tourism and numbers of travelers in Shanghai, both domestic and international. A statistic data gathered from the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration is given in Table 1. As shown in table 1 and the total number of visitors in Figure 1, there’s a big leap in year 2010, which the Expo took place.

Table 1. Visitors to Shanghai

Year

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Domestic

4,646,303

5,200,981

5,264,727

5,333,935

7,337,216

Hong Kong

314,871

322,351

363,247

415,478

623,969

Macau

16,448

17,363

15,575

17,816

40,043

International

3,997,979

4,426,148

4,416,223

4,390,495

5,931,211

Total

8,975,601

9,966,843

10,059,772

10,157,724

13,932,439

Source: Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration

Figure 1. Total Visitor to Shanghai from 2006 to 2010

Hotels in Shanghai

Shanghai is one of the most visited cities in China, according to the statistics from Euromonitor research and China Bureau of Statistics, the market size of travel accommodation in China in year 2010 reach sales of RMB 510.8 billion ($78.2 billion) (Euromonitor International 2011). According to the report, the regional hotel parameters in 2010 indicate that Shanghai has the highest occupancy rate among all other municipal or provinces, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Occupancy rate For Travel Accommodations in China

Destination
Travel Accommodations
Occupancy rate %

Anhui

3102

50

Beijing

5182

69.4

Fujian

5024

60.1

Guangdong

6422

67.1

Guangxi

4903

53.2

Hainan

2167

59.8

Hebei

2983

49.1

Henan

2668

50.4

Jiangsu

5544

59.8

Shaanxi

3882

55

Shandong

5149

50

Shanghai
4410
70.7

SiChuan

2311

58.9

Tianjin

1973

54.2

Yunnan

3763

52

Zhejiang

5606

56.7

Source: Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources

As for a more detailed statistic for Shanghai, data retrieved from Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration is shown in Table 3, and the occupancy rates for total travel accommodations is shown in Table 4 and Figure2. The statistics suggests that the occupancy rate for accommodations in Shanghai experienced a growth between 2009 and 2010. Although the occupancy rates for Table 2 and Table 3 are slightly different, due to the differences is samples, numbers in Euromonitor International (2011) studies are narrowed to certain hotel chains, however it still indicates the market size in Shanghai is greater than other destinations in China.

Table 3. The Occupancy Rate for Hotels in Shanghai

Year

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

?… Occupancy

64.24

61.35

56.53

52.68

67.22

Source: Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration

Figure 2. Occupancy Rates of Hotels in Shanghai

Conceptual Map

With the review and statistics presented above, we can infer that the 2010 World Expo Shanghai has brought more visitors to Shanghai, and helped increased the occupancy rate. Supposed there are more people visiting Shanghai due to the Expo, accommodation demands raise and the demand for service quality should also rise. The conceptual framework of this study is depicted in Figure 3.

Convention and Exhibition Industry

Total Visitors to a Destination

Hotel Service Quality

Figure 3. The Conceptual Framework

The convention and exhibition industry will influence the total number of visitors to a destination, weather they are participants to the event or guests and tourists. This link is already shown and proven in the data provided above, therefore, with more visitors coming to the destination, demands for accommodations will rise, and that will in turn influence the service quality in the hotel sector. According to the research questions and framework, the hypothesis for this study is formed:

Hypothesis 1: World Expo 2010 significantly influenced the number of visitors to Shanghai.

After examining the influence on increase in visitors to Shanghai, I would like to know if the increase in visitor numbers influences the service quality in the hotel sector, therefore:

Hypothesis 2: Increased visitors to Shanghai positively influenced the service quality in hotel sector.

If Hypothesis is also supported, then I would like to examine if the effects on service performance will keep on taking effect, or if there is no difference between service quality compared to before, or the quality will even drop, therefore:

Hypothesis 3: The increase in service quality in hotel sector will remain after the World Expo 2010 is finished.

Research Question

The aim of this study is to answer the questions of whether the convention and exhibition industry brings benefit to a destination, and will the industry influence the service quality. Not only during the event, but also after the event, the total quality for service industry will increase. Therefore, the research questions I set out to answer are: – Will convention and exhibition industry bring more visitors to a destination?

– Will more visitors influence the service quality for hotels?

– After the event, will the influence still carry on?

Research Design

Due to the aim of this research, I try to discover the differences between service qualities before the Expo 2010 and after, the research will adopt a time series design. However it would be impossible to gather data prior to the Expo by myself, but I can reference past research on service quality in the hotel industry in China from previous studies and researches. Drawn from a research done by Tsang and Qu (2000), I will have a reference of the service quality done in year 2000, and then I will be able to compare the results done today and later.

Sample

To understand the hotel service quality provided in Shanghai, the current research targets at international guests that visits Shanghai, I will use a convenience sampling method, questionnaires will be distributed to guests in a hotel chain. Also a systematic sampling method will also be used, which every 5th visitor checking in will be asked to do the questionnaire. This will also be similar samples to the previous study done by Tsang and Qu (2000).

Instrument

In this research I adopt the instrument developed and used by Tsang and Qu (2000). They adopt the questionnaire from SERVEQUAL and other research, and developed the questionnaire in 3 parts, with 35 service quality attributes. The first part is to measure the respondent’s expectations regarding service quality in the hotel industry, they will be asked to fill in the level of importance of statements with responses, from a 5-point Likert’s scale, ranging from (1) very low expectation to (5) very high expectation. The second part of the questionnaire is designed to examine the respondent’s perceptions of service quality actually provided during the stay. Also, the respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with statements with responses from a 5-point Likert’s scale: (1) strongly disagree to (5) strongly agree. The third part of the questionnaire collects the demographic and classification questions of the respondent. The 35 attributes are listed as below:

Gap mean differences between managers’ perception of tourists’ expectations and tourists’ expectations of service quality in the hotel industry

Attributes

1. Comfortable and welcome feeling

2. Neat appearance of staff

3. Professionalism of staff

4. Hotel staff with multi-lingual skills

5. Friendliness and courtesy of staff

6. Special attention given by staff

7. Availability of staff to provide service

8. Staff performing the services right the first time

9. Reservation system was easily accessible

10. Quick check-in and check-out

11. Cleanliness of room

12. Quietness of room

13. Security of room

14. Attractive decor, furnishings of room/lobby

15. Comfortable mattress and pillow

16. Reasonable room rate/value for money

17. Variety of services offered

18. Reliable message and wake-up service

19. Provision of accurate and reliable information

20. The guarantee of reliable service

21. Availability of room service

22. Prompt breakfast service

23. Elegant banquet service

24. High quality of food in restaurant(s)

25. Variety of drinks and wine list

26. Reasonable restaurant/bar prices

27. The high degree/level of hygiene of food

28. Up-to-date and modern facilities

29. Adequacy of fire safety facilities

30. Availability of eating and drinking facilities

31. Availability of year-round swimming pool

32. Availability of business center facilities

33. Availability of sauna and health club

34. Availability of conference/meeting room

35. Convenient hotel location

Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics analysis was used to understand the demographic information about the respondent. Each of the categories will be calculated and described in the descriptive statistics section. In order to understand the correlations between variables, a correlation analysis were conducted on all basic data such as gender, age, experience, educational level, marriage status and the scores of the scales. To investigate the service quality gaps, a paired t-test will be used to evaluate the service quality.

Conclusion

The expected results for this research will be there are positive relationship between visitors to Shanghai positively influenced the service quality in hotel sector. As the visitor numbers already increased during the period of the Expo, the hotel occupancy rates are also higher. With more people check into the hotels, hotel managers pay more attention to the service quality, in order to deliver better guest service. Also, it is expected that the increase in service quality in hotel sector will remain after the World Expo 2010 is finished.

There are several limitations of this research. First with the time series design, the differences in sampling and long time between the two time periods will cause some confounding. Since the improvements in infrastructure in Shanghai may also influence service quality, this is something we cannot eliminate. Second, travelers to the hotels will be different from the first sample, we can compare the demographic data between the two, trying to match the samples, however there are still unparallel between the two. For future research suggestions, we can collect the data again 5 years after the Expo, to find out weather the service quality keeps the same as the period right after the Expo. We can also get an idea of how hotel managers improve their service quality by interviewing them, with can reveal some more detailed facts on how the Expo really affect their business.

Analyze the impacts of issues and trends that drive change in the travel and tourism sector

Due to the current trends and issues causing change in the travel and tourism sector, the businesses have to adapt to the changes and redesign their products and services. Many changes brought by globalization, technology, world political changes, economics changes and people attitude towards tourism have reshaped the industry altogether. The impacts of these trends and changed can be described below in the context of a major tourism brands.

Due to the ageing of the population tourism, businesses are bound to hire older workers. Young people are more qualified and not willing to join the industry due to poor working conditions. Older people are less mobile and more demanding which will have impacts on wage rates and other costs to maintain staff.

Lifestyles of the people have changed and their attitude towards tourism services has changed a great deal. People are more demanding and more price conscious now. Firms must cut costs and their profits in order to survive in a more competitive environment now.

Technology have helped businesses cut down costs as it has enabled management to manage their resources efficiently and have reduced spare capacity. The increased use of telephone, 3G mobile and internet has helped consumers to access information regarding prices and value for money. This has resulted in a more intense competition. Hotels are responding to the situation by recruiting staff that have skills in information and communication technology.

Outsourcing is a key phenomenon in the modern tourism industry. Different products esp. food is obtained from other producers and it’s hard to explain the origin of the food to consumers plus it puts an extra push on the costs involved.

Globalization has not only benefited the tourism industry in terms of more revenue and clients but it has also been a sole reason for cheap & skilled labor. Skilled labor from poorer regions can be attracted to the industry at relatively cheaper rates which would result in lower employment cost for hotels and catering industry. Globalization also provides this wonderful opportunity to exploit economies of scale. Globalization can cause homogenization in services which might not be good from the customer’s perspective but brand names do ensure higher product quality.

Skills gap in the industry is adversely affecting the quality of services. Firms are in a position to charge prices of their own choice in such circumstances. However companies are finding a solution to the issue by providing on-job trainings or paying handsome wages to skillful workers and thus attracting more customers. However the wage rates are mostly affected by the local economic and industrial condition and educational level of the locality as well.

Hotel industry is greatly affected by the changes in law as well over the last few years. There is a strong emphasis on working time regulations, minimum wage laws and other working conditions regulations. Laws banning smoking in public places and restaurants etc. are also have impacts in the tourism business. Hotels are now seeking cost effective labor and are more into application of technology.

Government and other regulatory authorities are putting more and more pressure on catering firms now to take great care of hygiene and other food related issues. Greater awareness among the consumers related to diet and health have forced the catering businesses and restaurants to reduce the use of sugar and salt in their food. Due to the increased number of obesity cases, consumers are more conscious about the fats and calories rather than just taste. Customers want to know about the origin of the food as well. There is increased food labeling and more information is provided and displayed for the customers regarding the food and its ingredients. There is a great demand for food to be produced in a socially responsible way and this is helping in promoting good practices in the industry.

The tourism industry faced a serious setback after the incident of 9/11. The US war on terror and the Iraq war changed the entire industry all together. Many incident s of attacks on tourists, kidnapping for ransom and other political gains were witnessed which created a sense of insecurity among the tourists. Many countries and regions were declared unsafe for tourists. Apart from US, many other cities in Europe and UK were also the victims of terrorism. Madrid and the London bombing somehow created this perception among the tourists that EU member states were the targets of the terrorists. The impact of this is likely to be long term as it will take a long time to restore the confidence of the tourists. Due to this lack of confidence the tourism industry has lost a lot of business and there is a serious decline in investment in this sector. Working conditions have deteriorated and level of employment is showing a downward trend.

4.2 Discuss the likely consequences of businesses failing to respond to market changes

Many different businesses are facing many changes in the market. Such changes are economic, social, political and behavioral changes. Tourism industry is not an exception either. Over the last couple of decades the tourism industry has seen a tremendous amount of change and companies are always advised to adapt to these changes. Appropriate strategy and planning can make a company successful and make these changes as an opportunity rather than a threat. However, companies which are not being able to respond to these are likely to face many different failures and problems which are described below.

Loss in Sales & Revenues

Companies which are unable to respond to changes in the market, they are most likely to lose customers and revenues. Due to increased competition and market forces, tourism businesses are bound to charge a low price and earn little profit margin so any failure to adapt to market changes are most likely to cause losses financially.

Technology can save a great deal in this regard. Technology not only helps the industry to market their products but also helps in the reduction of labor costs. Different computer applications have made it possible to access and receive information and help in decision making process. A company is most likely to suffer a great deal if it’s unable to adapt to these technological changes.

Loss of Competitive Edge

As a famous saying goes “competition improves services”. Tourism industry is facing a strict competition and different businesses related to the industry are bound to cut down costs and still provide best quality services. By the proper change management strategy, businesses can obtain competitive edge over other competitors. The proper use of technology, hiring the skilled labor and other value added services can not only attract more customers but also be a cause of more market share. Failure to adapt to these trends and changes can be a reason of loss of competitive edge.

Loss of Goodwill

A business is most likely to damage its reputation in case of failure to adapt to changes and recent trends. A tourism business unable to provide valued services to its customers at reasonable price is surely going to lose its customers. Recent trends have shown that customers are most into green products and the hotels and catering industry are affected by this change a great deal. Hotels are expected to operate in an environment friendly manner and promote green practices. However if the businesses are unable to adapt to this, they are going to lose face in this changing market.

Regulatory Issues

Hotels, restaurants and catering businesses are bound to provide information regarding its products due to increased awareness among customers regarding food and its contents. Products labeling esp. in case of the catering industry has changed a great deal due to this trend. On the other hand there are now more regulations and laws related to the food industry. Use of some chemicals and other ingredients in the food products are banned. Smoking in restaurants and public places is not allowed. Similarly food businesses are properly inspected and regulated now.

If restaurants and catering businesses do not take into account all these factors they might be facing some serious regulatory actions in many cases. There are some cases recently where the customers have sued the hotels and restaurants for food related issues. Government regulatory authorities also keep a check on this industry so any negligence in this aspect can be a cause of some serious consequences as well.

Growth Issues

A company will not be able to grow and expand its business if it is unable to adapt to changes and trends. Tourism businesses must hire human resource with good knowledge of the technology and customers service needs. Use of the technology and skillful labor helps in cutting down costs. Companies in tourism industry must also work in an environment & social friendly manner because consumers are more aware and conscious now regarding environmental and social issues. They prefer to go for green products and thus can provide a competitive edge to the business. Failure to adapt to these changes and trends will result in decline in the revenue and thus growth will not be possible.

References:

http://www.tourismandmore.com/tidbits/confronting-change-in-the-tourism-industry/

http://www.tourismandmore.com/tidbits/why-tourism-industries-fail-part-1/