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Part 1: Tourism Development

Before going deep into assignment there are some terms which we have to take into consideration. Terms are explained below-

Tourism –

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who “travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.”

Tourist-

Tourist is person who travels from his residential place to non-residential place for pleasure, business or personal reasons, the duration of the stay is not more than six month at non residential place of the traveler.

What is rational development?

Rational development usually relates to the circumstances that causes development to any destination or place. (Badjatia, 2008)

Chosen destination?

As per the expectation of the assignment India has been chosen as a destination for the same.

Rational for tourism development in India

Socio-economic development of areas

Tourism conferred considerable socio-economic benefits to the: Community thereby uplifting the quality of life. It can further foster development even in areas where other economic activities would be difficult to sustain.

Increasing employment opportunities

Tourism industry generates employment directly and indirectly, for almost 13-14 million people. Employment opportunities should be at least double of the present level before the turn of the century.

Developing domestic tourism especially for the budget category

Domestic tourists form the bulk of world tourist traffic. In India also, facilities for domestic tourists will be improved and expanded particularly the budget category so as to ensure an affordable holiday for them effects of tourism on culture and the environment in India.

Development of international tourism and optimization of foreign exchange earnings.

International tourism contributes substantially to foreign exchange earnings and keeping in view the country’s requirements, tourism wail be so developed that foreign exchange earnings increase from Rs. 2440 crores to Rs. 10,000 crores by the end of the century (US $813 to 3,333 million @ Rs.30 per US S).

Diversification of the tourism product

While retaining the traditional image of cultural tourism that India enjoys, diversification of the tourism product would continue, particularly the field of leisure, adventure, convention and incentive tourism, thereby responding to the changing consumer needs.

Increase in India’s share in world tourism

Presently the foreign tourist arrivals in India constitute only about 0.4 per cent of the total foreign tourists movement all over the world. One of the objectives of the action plan would be to increase India’s share to 1 per cent within the next five years (unesdoc.unesco.org)

Preservation of national heritage and environment

Tourism would be developed in a manner that our cultural expression and heritage are presented in all its manifestations including support to arts and crafts. Preservation and enrichment of environment should also form an integral part of tourism development.

Stakeholders

Person, group, or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected by the organization’s actions, objectives, and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organization include creditors, customers, directors, employees, government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions, and the community from which the business draws its resources.( www.businessdictionary.com)

Stakeholders in India

Creditors

Tourists

Tourism organizations

Government organizations

Foreign currency

Investors

Stakeholders benefiting from tourism in India

Getting capital to invest in development of tourist destination.

Foreign currency In the country increases resulting into direct development.

Generation of employment

Better life style of the people in the home country.

UNWTO technical manual: Collection of Tourism Expenditure Statistics” (PDF). World Tourism Organization. 1995. p. 14.

Badjatia, K. (2008). The Rational Development (2 ed.). Indore: A.K. Publishers.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001216/121600eo.pdf

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/stakeholder.html

Rameswaram town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is famous as Rameshwaram throughout the world.The holy island of Rameswaram called as ?Benaras of the South? is the only place worshipped by both Saivites and Vaishnavites as it is India?s most venerated and most visited Shiva shrines and is also associated with the life of Lord Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana. It is located on an island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel. Kashi and Rameshwaram together are one of the holiest places in India to Hindus and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages.The Rameshwaram island is spread over 61.8 square kilometers and has shape of a conch. Rameswaram is one of the 12 Jyothirlingas of India and considered one among four most sacred pilgrim centers of India namely Rameswaram in the South, Badrinath in the North, Puri in the East and Dwaraka in the West. Among these, Rameswaram is dedicated to Shiva, while the other three are dedicated to lord Vishnu.The Ramanatha Swamy Temple is the main temple of Rameshwaram and is very beautifully constructed.It can be considered as the masterpiece of Dravidian architecture.The temple has twenty-two wells and surprisingly the taste of the water of each well is different and wells are believed to possess medicinal properties.Dr. Abdul Kalam,Ex-president of India,belongs to a small village,Dhanushkodi situated on the island.Legends says Lord Rama built a bridge Ram Setu across the sea at this place to reach Lanka to rescue godess Sita and also worshipped Lord Shiva after killing Ravana, who was the greatest worshipper of Lord Shiva and also blessed by lord shiva.According to the Puranas lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana installed and worshipped the Sivalinga here to avoid sins of killing Ravana,a brahmin.Sethu Karai is 22 km before the island of Rameswaram where lord Rama is believed to have built a Floating Stone Bridge Ramasethu till Rameswaram that further continued from Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka.Rameswaram is an acclaimed Parihara Sthala, where it is believed all sins get absolved. Devotees take holy dips at Sethu Theertha, Agni Theertha and other sacred waters, offer pujas to get progeny, perform Shraadha for their ancestors.

Places to visit-
Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple-

This temple is directly related to lord Rama and believed to be the must visit place for hindus if one wants to attain nirvana from the cycle of birth and death.There are seven such places in India where one would like to offer prayers for achieving salvation in life and Rameshwaram temple is one of those.The temple has the longest corridor in whole of India.

This place has great significance as it is believed that Whole Ramayan was conceived in this place.

Gandhamadhana Parvatham-

Gandhamadhana is most renowned and worshiped in the southern India having Lord rama’s feet imprinted on the chakra placed in the temple.Gandhamadhana is the deity of several communities in southern India. It is a holy place thronged by devotees from all parts of India.It has Rama tirtham constructed on the Gandamadhana Parvata hence th it is called Gandamadana.It is near Dhanushkodi,where Rama met Vibhishana and has its own historical importance.

Agnitheertham-

It is one of the 12 jyotirlings of India and is one of the holiest place to visit.It has a large lake whose water is considered holy and people believes that taking bath in the place washes away their sins and one attains salvation.It has 22 wells having waters of different taste. It is one visit place.

Badrakaliamman Temple-

It is the largest temple of Ma Kali in southern India who is the holy mother for devottes in southern India.The statue of Maa kali is of pure gold and temple has different master pieces of different ages.

Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge-

It is the longest bridge in southern India connecting Rameswaram Island to the main land.It is also called the Pambam Bridge as it is located beside Pamban, the sacred place where Rama could quench the thirst of Sita by throwing an arrow in the place where they could actually retrieve cool water.It is 7kms long.

Other temples-

There are numerous other temple having religious as well as historical significance. Villondi tirtham is one of those temples located on a place where lord Rama buried his bow as villondi means a buried bow.It is about 7 kms from main Rameshwar temple and is considered to be a sacred place by most of the followers.It has a spot where drinking water is available in the midst of salty sea. Dhanushkodi Temple is other main temple on the southern tip of India located near the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean on the other side. The seas are in the shape of bow and arrow when viewed from the top.Lord Rama has his pious feet even in this temple and whole story of Ramayana revolves here as well. Five faceted Hanuman temple is other famous temple.The statues of lord Rama, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman are placed in the temple.The temple has a floating stone which was believed to be used to bulid the bridge on the sea.Nambu Nayagiamman Temple is other worth visiting temple

How to reach-
By Air-

Nearest airport is Madurai,163 km from Rameshwaram and has good road connection to it.

By Train-

The railway connects Rameshwaram to places like Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Thanjavur and 2 km long Indira Gandhi Bridge connects the island of Rameshwaram with the mainland of Mandapam.

By Road-

Rameshwaram is well connected by roads to all the major cities nearby, Kanyakumari, Trichy, Pondicherry, Tanjore and Chennai.

The promotion of Rajasthan as a heritage tourist destination

1. Introduction

In order to accomplish the aims and objectives, this piece of work focused on the promotion of Rajasthan as a heritage tourist destination in the world. The vital idea behind the selection of this topic is to discuss the importance of heritage tourism.

Tourism plays an important role in the socio-economic development of any country. It is also one of the major sources to earn foreign exchange, and generating employment for urban as well as rural public. This chapter have 6 parts. Background of the study

Background to the study:

Tourism industry in India is on a great boom at the moment. India has a great potential to be a major tourist destination in the world. It’s the second highest foreign exchange earning industry and government gave travel and tourism industry an export status. Indian tour and travel industry is one of the most profitable industries in the country. During the year 2006, four million tourists visited India and spent US$8.9 billion (Economy watch, 2006).

The buoyancy in the Indian tourism industry can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the tremendous growth in the Indian economy, because of that the disposable income of the middle-class increased to expend on their recreation. Secondly, the IT sector in the country by which India famous as an IT hub in the world. Which attract people globally for business trips. Thirdly, the aggressive advertising campaign “Incredible India” by the tourism ministry of India also changes the image of India worldwide. Tourism industry also provides employment to millions of people directly and indirectly in the country. Which help the society and solve the big issues of unemployment in the country. Estimates of 20 million people are directly employed by this sector in the country currently. According to the above lines Rajasthan the north-west state of India is very popular among the national and international visitors. The royally palaces and forts, endless golden desert, hardworking and colourful people make the state more exciting to visit.

Besides all this, Probably India is the only country which offers various categories of tourism. These include history tourism, adventure tourism, medical (Ayurvade and other) tourism, eco tourism, culture tourism, rural tourism, religious/pilgrimage tourism, spiritual tourism and beach tourism etc (I love India, 2007)

Justification of the study:

Heritage tourism is now big business. In economic and entrepreneurial terms, it is one of the major success stories of recent years. At a time of declining Industrial activity and rising unemployment in any society, heritage tourism has provided an alternative form of enterprise, creating jobs and generating wealth for local economies (Herbert, 1995).

Tourism in India has the potential to do wonder in this upcoming industry of profit as well as fun. Rajasthan the largest state, and one of the most eminent tourist destinations, which is famous for its pictureqous natural beauty and wonderful construction. Rajasthan are usual attractions for first time visitors (Mintel, 2008).

The outlook for travel industry in India looks extremely bright. “Conde Nast” rank India 6th amongst the top 10 tourist destination in the annual “Reader’s Award” in 2004, which was 9th a year before. The magazine ranked Raj Vilas, in Jaipur (Rajasthan) as 3rd in the overseas leisure hotel category for Asia (Business Standard, 2004). The JBIC (Japan Bank of International Cooperation) rank her 5th most attractive investment destination.

The report “Indian Tourism Industry Analysis” provides an insight into the Indian tourism market. According to the report, India is one of the most potential tourism markets in the world. India expected to see 10million international tourist by 2010, which was 5million in 2007. Andhra Pradesh, Utter Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Rajasthan are the leading tourist destinations in the country (Bharat Book Bureau, 2004)

Aims and Objectives:

To critically assess the opportunities to promote Rajasthan as a heritage tourist destination

Objectives

Evaluate the potential of Rajasthan’s heritage to develop as tourist destination.

Critically evaluate the present tourism promotion system and the government policies on Rajasthan tourism.

The development of recommendations for the promotion of Rajasthan as a heritage tourism destination.

State profile:

The colourful and exotic state of Rajasthan lies in the north-western part of India. It is the largest state (132,150 sq mi) and also knows as the land of kings, the home of Rajputs (Indianhills). Rajasthan is bordered on the west by Pakistan. In the west of state is the Thar Desert and the upland region of Deccan in the eastern part. The Aravalli hills cross the state from north-east to the south-west. The state was formed in 1948 from several former principalities states of Rajputana. Rajasthan is one of the strongholds of the conservative Hindu (75% of the population) then Muslims, Jains and native people (Encyclopaedia).

The largest state with 33 districts and a population of 56.47million (2001 census) with a literacy rate of 61.03%, Jaipur is the state’s capital as well as the cultural, financial and trade capital of the state. Rajasthani, Sindhi and Punjabi are the regional languages of the state. Hindi and English also commonly used by people (Answer.com).

Heritage is not only the monument or historic buildings, but everything which relate us to the rich past of that particular culture or tradition is heritage. The folk dance and music, souvenir (cloths and jewels), craft work (handicraft like paintings, iron or wood work) and festivals, fairs food and lifestyle are also the part of the rich cultural heritage of any destination.

Rajasthan is a state with entirely different visage, the most scenic state of India. The culturally rich state of Rajasthan is popular for its festivals & fairs, luxury trains, folk dances/music, arts/crafts and royal legacy in the form of palaces, forts and gardens. It medieval forts and palaces, the very distinctive nomadic desert lifestyle is unique all over the world.

A world of colour, splendour and spectacle awaits visitors to India’s largest and the most romantic state. With its wild desert scenery, ancient sandcastle forts, pastel colour cities, dust speckled light and its swathes of scarlet, and marigold textiles (The Independent Asia), which creates Rajasthan one of the most popular tourist destinations in west India. It can be said as; it is the cultural capital of India. There are various popular destinations in Rajasthan but the main tourists attracting cities are Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur. All these cities were the former Princely states, as the result tourist can witness the imperial legacy everywhere in these cities. Here we have the brief panorama of the famous cities and their heritage.

1.5.1 Panorama of the Heritage Cities of Rajasthan:

Ajmer Founded in the 7th century by ruler Ajaypal Chauhan. Have a famous fort called “Ajaimeru” or Invincible hill, lakes gardens and many other visiting places. Ajmer is about 130km south-west from Jaipur is the major religious centre for Muslims. This city is famous for the tomb of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti, a medieval Sufi Saint, where pilgrims gather from over the world (India hills.com). 16km from Ajmer, Pushkar a very small town named after the holy lake “Pushkar”. 400 temples and 52 Ghats around the lake make it a very popular religious centre of Hindu community. The one and only lord Brahma temple is here. Otherwise sleepy town turn into a hub in the annual Pushkar festival in October or November every year (Travel 2 Rajasthan.com)

Mount Abu, Rajasthan’s only hill station is home to Dilwara Jain temples known’s for their amazing marble carving. The oldest of the five temples dates to AD 1031. Nikki Lake, sunset point, Achal Garh fort and Guru Shikar the highest point of Rajasthan are the other famous visiting spot in Mount Abu.

Chittaurgarh located 70 miles northeast of the City of Udaipur is the home of Chittaur fort India’s largest fort and the ultimate symbol of Rajputs chivalry and pride. The nine-story Vijay Sthambha or Tower of Victory is the most highlighting feature of the fort (Ref J). http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=6&hid=5&sid=af82485a-215e-4122-a4ff-0942348b33c5%40sessionmgr11

Located on the foothills of a sandstone hillock, the city of Jodhpur seems like an oasis in the vast desert was founded by Rao Jodha Ji (Rathore clan) in 1459. It named after him only. Jodhpur is the second largest city of Rajasthan, divided into two parts the old city (which is inside the 10km wall) and new city. Jodhpur is a very popular tourist destination. The city landscape is very pleasing and attractive. The city has lots of attractions in the form of forts, palaces, gardens, temples and lakes. The city is known as “Sun City” because of its bright and sunny weather throughout the year (Jodhpur India), and also the building were painted in light blue hue. Located at the edge of the endless golden Thar Desert, Jodhpur is a fascinating medieval city known for its amazing architectural splendour, lively culture, brilliant craftsmen, gourmet cuisines and lots of shopping. The city has various attractions in the form of Maharangarh fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mandore garden, Mahamandir temples and Jaswant Thada the royal cenotaphs. This attracts the domestic and international visitors equally (Palace on wheels).

The ‘City of Lakes’ (often referred to as the ‘Venice of the East’) Udaipur is the home to lakes Pichola and Fateh sagar, both are amazingly beautiful for cruise and sunset. The city is also famous for City places and Lake palace (hotel), Sahelion Ki Bari or “Garden of the Maids of honour”, museum and temples are the other visitors attractions. Marwar festival fall in the spring is also very famous in national and international visitors.

The Golden city of Jaisalmer is famous for its fort, havelies, national park and Sam (sand dunes). Nothing else in India is remotely similar to Jaisalmar, with its fort that straight out of an Arabian Night fable.

The capital city and the natural gateway to the exotic state Rajasthan, Jaipur popularly known as ‘Pink City’ in the world is the main visitors delight. Founded in 17th century and named after is founder Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. Jaipur is the cultural, trade and financial capital of Rajasthan. With Delhi and Agra, jaipur is the third important vertex of the ‘Golden Triangle’.

Stunning backdrop of ancient forts: Nahargarh, Amer, Jaigarh and Moti Doongari fort. Hawa Mahal, City Palace, and Jal Mahal are some well-known landmark palaces in the city with famous Albert hall museum.

Significance of tourism to the Indian economy:
2. Literature Review

Literature pays a major role in any research or case study. Virtually no research can be done without the benefit of references, whatever the scale or nature of the project will be (Brunt, 1998). Fink (1998:3) believes that literature review is a “systematic method for identifying, evaluating and interpreting the work produced by researchers, scholars and practitioners”

Yin (2003) also suggest that evidences for good literature may also come from six sources suck as documents, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant-observation and physical artefacts. Yin (2003) further suggested that literature review provided all sort of information like data, statistic, graphs and scholar view about the topic. A useful overview of the six major sources considers their comparative strength and weaknesses. You should immediately note that no signal source is highly complementary, and a good case study will therefore desire to use as many sources as possible.

A good literature review is not just a description of previous work; it also appraises, compares and contrasts it with other relevant work, and with the authors own work (Brown, 2006). Literature review is the section which will provide reference, if followed up, will widen your knowledge and stimulate independent thought (Altinay el at, 2008:25).

Hart (1998) explained the importance of literature review by suggesting that “without it you will not acquire an understanding of your topic, of what has already been done on it, how it has been researched, and what they key issues are” (Hart, 1998:1).

At this point of report the critical review of the available literature is important in order to achieve above mention aims and objectives. In order to get main aim which to promote Rajasthan as a heritage tourist destination, number of academic Books related on heritage tourism and development will help to critically evaluate the prosperous cultural heritage of Rajasthan, which is the first objective of this report. Through this literature the value and significance of the heritage can identified, and it will also help to check the scale of the heritage in Rajasthan.

As the new trend of getting information by electronic media like: Television, internet will be a great help, particularly the official tourism websites of Rajasthan or India tourism will provide the latest information on this sector. And also provide information about the recent tourism development promotion, policies and issues. Internet is the best ever, faster and the more efficient information provider these days, and also the information on the sites are more authentic and quick.

Daily news papers contain articles, interviews and editorial will give the current updates about tourism industry and its achievement. Editorial column will provide critical analysis of government’s tourism policies and tourism forecast. Leading national and local dailies (Rajasthan Patrika and Danik Bashkar and The Times of India) will show case current events and news on Rajasthan tourism.

The official statistics compiled by the government department and public sector agencies provide a valuable source of information (Burnt, 1998). This can provide by the official website, news dailies and journals based on Rajasthan.

2.1 What is Heritage and Heritage Tourism?

In 1983 National Heritage Conference defined heritage as: ‘that which a past generation has preserved and handed on to the present and which a significant group of population wishes to hand on to the future’ (Hewison, 1989). Hardy (1988) said most researchers accept that heritage is linked to the past that it represents some sort of inheritance to be passed down to current and future generations, both in terms of cultural traditions and physical artefacts (Dallen et al. 2003:2). These definitions indicate culture choice; its focus on preservation and the fact that some people will adopt a conservationist view of heritage. (Herbert, 1997:8). Heritage is like a gift which is passed by one generation to another in the form of culture, nature, customs which is different and unique from others.

Prentice (1993) said heritage can be classified as tangible immovable resources (buildings, natural areas) and tangible movable resources (objects in museums, documents in archives); or intangibles such as values, customers, ceremonies, lifestyles, and including experiences such as festivals, arts and cultural events. Heritage can also classified according to type of attraction (Dallen et al. 2003:3).

Oxford English dictionary define heritage (1983) as which has been or may be inherited. That’s mean anything which pass from previous (old) generation to another (new) in the form of physical, cultural, natural and financial or other can be heritage.

Tourism is not just an aggregate of merely commercial activities; it is also an ideological framing of history, nature and tradition; a framing that has the power to reshape culture and nature to its own needs said by MacCannell in 1992, (Herbert, 1997:1)

The origins of tourism are ancient. Urry (1990) suggested that tourism was known in Imperial Rome with the use of seaside ‘resort’; certainly in medieval times pilgrimages to the Holy Land involved pleasure and sightseeing as well as religious duty. As a concept and a reality, the Grand Tour was established by the late seventeenth century as a component of polite society’s social round (Herbert, 1997:6). Heritage is not just the historic monument or cenotaphs buildings, but all which relate people with the rich past of that particular culture or tradition is heritage.

These above lines explain that tourism is nothing recent, by which we can say that it’s a very new concept in the society. Tourism is very old and was present in the different form like seaside or pilgrims.

But in 21st century it become more immense and fascination by the media. And tourism is different from leisure because in tourism people go out from there home overnight and stay there and enjoy the place by any reason. It can be religious, medical or just leisure. To show case the historic monuments to handicrafts or artefacts, and allow for community to view and be taught about there great past is heritage tourism.

2.2 Modelling of heritage and heritage tourism

This debate reveals that heritage and heritage tourism is complex. To simplify and to make it more clearly the following model is proposed; model of heritage and heritage tourism. Figure 1

This model is approach the behavioural perspective within behavioural geography. It suggests that heritage exists within the two types of environment; ‘phenomenal (unique) and ‘behavioural’ (human behaviour).

The previous is an expansion of the normal concept of environment that include natural phenomena and cultural and built environment that have been either altered or created by human activity on the other hand, the behavioural environment is where the social and cultural facts existing within the phenomenal environment are passed through a filter of human values (Dallen et al. 2003:7)

According to Kirk (1963), these environments forms on the basis on which decision are made which may, or may not, be acted upon to be translated into action within the phenomenal environment.

Heritage tourism experience is in the core of this model, and the key outcome is good experience out of every trips. As the expanded inner section of the model illustrate, the heritage tourism experience is formed within what is labelled here as the “experimental heritage environment”. The core heritage tourism experience is influence and shaped by mixed elements like supply and demand (of the destination), politics (government policies), authenticity, conservation (of heritage) with in any destination region. How all those element influence each other and by their role they play in heritage tourism experience.

The model of heritage tourism clearly gives answer, that heritage and the heritage tourism is very complex and they overlap each other in different environments. And they both (phenomenal and behavioural) affect the destination with other components in the core; economic filter and cultural/societal filter.

It is important now to return to the question of a heritage spectrum (range) as advocated earlier by Richards (1996). This concept is very important as it helps to clarify the existence of many types of heritage experiences and heritage landscapes. It purely means that when we talk about tourism experience it has all types of tourism with its landscapes types and heritage attractions.

The heritage spectrum model suggest that the heritage landscapes pass through a multiplicity of setting ranging from the natural and immaculate to then built urban and artificial heritage landscapes. The model also shows that heritage tourism has common characteristics of ecotourism (nature based) on the left side and urban tourism (theme perks) and cultural tourism (viewing cultural heritage, architecture) in the right side and middle respectively.

The following model also demonstrates that the tourism types (eco-tourism, cultural-tourism and urban-tourism) should not be viewed as mutually exclusive as overlaps most certainly exist. Because of this reality the model refers to heritage tourism as an overlapping concept.

Types of tourism in heritage tourism overlap each other but also give types of landscapes and type of heritage attractions separately. In which ecotourism give natural and rural types of landscape if visiting national parks in the type of heritage attraction.

2.3 Value and significance of heritage

The focus of value shifts to the significance people place on heritage. Hall and McArthur (1993) identified four interrelated areas of significance in heritage: economic, social, political and scientific significance.

Economic significance: Heritage is not cheap! Restoring a property maintaining it, installing necessary facilities (i.e. toilets and drinking water) and establishing and running an interpretive programme can easily cost twice as much (Dallen, 2003:143).

Zeppel and Hall (1992) believe heritage is preserved because of the value it offers in terms of expenditures, of visitors to site (Dallen, 2003:13). Tourism is big business and really in demand. People have started paying these days for outdoor fun, and if the destinations have potential they will not think twice to visit there. Rajasthan heritage have the potential to attract the tourist all over and generate foreign exchange.

Social significance: this refers to the private and collective identity that people and society have with ‘their’ heritage. That’s what local person and community think about their heritage, and how they value to it. The people of Rajasthan feel pride on is rich and colourful cultural heritage. A social ethics will often be the driving force to consider preservation in the first instance (Dallen, 2003:13).

Political significance: As Hall and McArthur note, heritage by definition is political, in terms of reinforcing what is conserved, how heritage is told, and placing the wishes of private owners of heritage into conflict with government or public interests.

In the words of Johnson (1999:187), ‘heritage tourism is not just a set of commercial transactions, but the ideological framing of history and identity’. Politics is in its very essence about power, and heritage by its very nature is apolitical phenomenon, since history is always told from the perspective of winners of wars and people in positions of power (Hall 1994, 97, 2000), (Dallen, 2003:257).

The history of Rajasthan is all about war and warriors. Politic is all over the place in Rajasthan. Even though in literature, arts and crafts there are a pinch of politic.

Scientific significance: many national parks and protected forest areas may contain genetic material and ecosystems (flora and fauna) that will be useful to medicine and research work. They also provide habitats for rare and endangered species. There is also an educative part to heritage-providing visitors with information about the living history, culture, and people of areas (Dallen, 2003:13).

Not only the national parks, protected forest and wildlife’s had their scientific significance in the heritage of Rajasthan, but the agrological site as well. The site of Indus valley civilisation in Indian sub-continent is very important for the study of river valley human history. The Harappa civilisation considers one of the oldest civilisations on earth.

2.4 Scales of Heritage

Heritage is not homogeneous (uniform); it exists in different level and scales, namely world, national, local and personal (Graham et al. 2000; Swarbrooke 1994; Timothy 1997). Given model illustrates these scales of heritage tourism experience, suggesting that they are all linked by the notion of ‘shared heritage’ (Dallen, 2003:14).

Heritage is very heterogeneous (varied); it can be different in one destination. And if the destination is in India the probability is much because India is a very diverse country with the birth place of many cultures and civilisation. Rajasthan which is the largest and the most colourful state is also not an exception in is cultural heritage.

World: Timothy (1997) noted that world scale heritage attraction draw large masses of tourists from many countries. How ever, for most foreign tourist, these sites themselves are likely to be only a small part of more extensive itinerary. For example visiting a historic agrological site of Harappa visitor can witness the life and culture of that era.

Visiting an international heritage attraction is a way of appreciating universal civilisation and achieving some degree of human unity (Moulin 1991). The idea to conserve our heritage came first in the early 1970s by UN’s environment programme and UNESCO’s Man Biosphere Programme.

National: ‘Through time, certain heritage features came to symbolise a society’s shared recollection (Lowenthal 1975:12). Foe example the Holy town of Pushkar is a symbol (pilgrim) of Hindu community and Ajmer is for Muslims in Rajasthan. On this level, historical monuments often represent durable national ideals, and national pride can be an important stimulus of preserving the built environment in western societies (Lowenthal 1975; Timothy 1997) these type of historic site can be pride of any society like Taj Mahal is a pride for each and every Indian.

Local: Lowenthal (1979:554) noted that the local level, communities need familiar land marks so that they can remain in touch with their own collective pasts in a rapidly changing world. There are many sites which are not very popular but they still have their local importance like, The nine-story Vijay Sthambha or Tower of Victory is the most highlighting feature of Chitturghar fort is the memorial of their local hero’s, women and children who sacrifice their lives for the motherland. For visitors it just a memorial tower but the significance for the local were very different, it very important for them.

‘Memorials erected in memory of a community‘s earliest pioneer efforts, or a local historical museum can provide an important experience for local to which outsiders may not be able to relate’ (Timothy 1997:752).

Personal: Lowenthal (1979) asserted that modern-day destination of historic relics has deepened people’s sense of nostalgia for the past. A search for root and historical identity and an increased appreciation for one culture and family legacy are evidence of this phenomenon. Timothy said (1997) of the four type of scale of heritage here personal heritage has received the least attention in the literature and hence is least understood.

Personal scale of heritage is very private. For example family reunions travel to historic or religious place, cultural and vocational interest is another form of personal scale of heritage. The attachments with family houses or souvenirs are perfect example of personal scale of heritage.

2.5 What is Marketing and Destination Marketing

‘Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirement profitably’ define by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, CIM UK. And the other hand the American Marketing Association ‘Marketing (management) is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational objectives’ (Seaton et al.1999:6).

As per Adcock remark ‘The right product, in the right place, at the right time, at the right price’. The most influential and dominant word of 21th century is marketing or if said like this, that everything is saleable if the packaging is good i.e. the right product marketed at the right place at the right time (season) with a right price (in compression to competitors) is marketing by Adcock. It means that marketing is not only selling or advertising, but also to promote the brand value and quality to the customers. And also build a connection between the producer and customers. The aim of marketing for an organisation is to achieve profit or other objective. Marketing is not only important for the manufacturing or production industries, but equally necessary for the promotion of hospitality and tourism industry to achieve desire goal. A social and managerial process by which individual and groups obtain what they need and what through creating and exchanging products and value with others is called marketing (Kilter, P 2003).

Destination marketing:

Seaton (1999:351) said that the destination marketing is the spirit land of tourism marketing. The destination has the internal connection to all the other industries (stakeholders) in the tourism sector like transport, hotels and attractions. Destination management is not just managing the physical product (i.e. the venue, hotels, transport system, visitor attractions) but also very much to do with building companies reputation and teamwork across the destination, its also has an important component to play in creating understanding and recognition across the community for the economic importance of the conference, trade and events sector (Davidson et al. 2006:35).

Marketing is the process of planning and execute and the promotion of the product of achieve the desire goal and objective in terms of profit and brand success. Like the same theory functioning behind the destination management or tourism marketing management. Destination marketing management show case the destination as product and highlights to get profit out of it heritage and culture.

Benefits of destination management
Marketing Mix:

‘Kotler (1984:68) define it as ‘The mixture of controllable marketing variables that the firm uses to pursue the sought level of sale in the target market’.

The marketing mix is the most primary concepts of marketing (Seaton, 1999; Holloway, 1992; Middleton, 2001), it show how important all the four variable (4Ps) that comprise the marketing mix for any business prospect or destination. Marketing mix is the most controllable element of any marketing plan (Davidson et al. 2006:84). These marketing mixes are categories in 4Ps- product, price, place and promotion (Hollway et al., 1992:28). But Booms and Bitner (1982) added three more ‘service Ps’ to service (hospitality and tourism industry) marketing namely, People, Process and Physical Evidence. So altogether there are 7Ps for the hospitality and tourism industry. What are they and how they help the marketing managers to get their targets, are examine below:

Product: Median (1984) suggested that in tourism, Attraction of the destination, facilities and accessbility are three main compnents of product marketinh mix.

Meidan, A. (1984) The Marketing of Tourism, The Service Industries Journal, Vol. 4, No.3, pp: 166 – 186

Example-The Yahoo Finance, (2009) Information about the KFC outlets [online] [24th April 2009]

The Linked In, (2009) what is YUM Brands [online] [24th April 2009]

http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/Rajasthan/Naturopathy.aspx

Rajasthan Tours,http://www.tour2rajasthan.com/rajasthan-tourism.html abt raj cul, stste, history

http://www.iloveindia.com/economy-of-india/tourism-industry.html visit 4th July 2009

http://www.economywatch.com/business-and-economy/tourism-industry.html visit 4 July 2009

http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Indian-Tourism-Industry-An

Discuss the importance of delivering quality services in the hospitality industry and identify differences if any between service delivery in the hospitality industry and service delivery in other business. (500 words)

Community-based tourism has, for over three decades been promoted as a means of development whereby the social, environmental and economic needs of local communities are met through the offering of a tourism product. However, whilst many projects have been funded in developing countries, their success (or otherwise) has not been widely monitored and, therefore, the actual benefits to local communities remain largely not quantified.

Identify the pros and cons of community based tourism and discuss the implications on the country as a whole. (750 Words)

What are the main factors that attract tourists to the Caribbean? (500 words).

Introduction

Tourism is a fast growing business that helps to diversify and stabilize the Jamaican economy. Jamaica is equipped with the necessary factors to attract global visitors. The country possesses a pool of dedicated, innovative, creative and know-how hospitality service deliverers. The thought of a visitor always triggers the reaction of delivering quality services to ensure that local and international consumers are satisfied. The businesses set up here in Jamaica aim at retaining all the guests that set their feet on the ground of any hospitality business and by extension other firms. Business in Jamaica scopes ranges from community-based to national-based tourism.

It is therefore the author’s intention to present in printed format this report. The report aims at enlightening its readers about the importance of delivering quality service and how service delivery differs among industries. Additionally, it focuses on the pros and cons of community-based tourism and the implications it has (if any) on Jamaica. It further broadens the knowledge of it readers about the main factors attracting tourists to the Caribbean region.

The importance of delivering quality services in the hospitality industry and the differences between service delivery in the hospitality industry and that of other businesses

Delivering quality service is the key to a successful business. Quality services will secure customer’s trust and loyalty thus producing a satisfied customer. Customer satisfaction will ensure long term business-customer relationship that will help to grow and expand the business. Offering Quality service provides you with the competitive advantage over competitors, which helps you to compete for potential customers. By making guess feel like a priority and providing them value for their money also helps in promoting of you business, while receiving feedback is also important to see the progress of you business whether its growing and what can be done to improve your product.

Undoubtedly, hospitality business conveys prompt, sincere and genuine services. Such services should never be given on the grounds of under-promise or over-delivery as the ultimate aim is to gain customers trust and loyalty. For instance, preparing an order based on customer’s taste and delivering at the time promised. Should there be an over-delivery it should be in terms of quality. This will increase customer’s trust so they will be loyalty and keep supporting your business. This provided will form a magnetic reaction that keeps attracting and recruiting other customers. Example, if dining at (La Rose Restaurant) makes me happy as a customer then, no one can convince me that customer satisfaction is not guaranteed there. I will continue to encourage my family and friends to dine at La Rose instead of other restaurants. I will therefore keep promoting this business by encouraging others to give up their choice of restaurant for dinning, and to come to mine where I’m sure it offers good service. It is the quality service I received that allows me to place my trust in their product hence, I will be loyal enough to stay in touch with them and bring along others to do the same. The result is customer satisfaction which is very important to any business especially the hospitality industry.

Conversely, where quality service is not guaranteed the business will lose customers. Businesses that fail to retain customers will not make profits and eventually become bankrupted. Customers, who are dissatisfied, will associate the business brand negatively and the monopoly effect of spreading their experience with friends and family will further negatively affect the companies branding.

According to Hemmington 2007 “customers do not buy service delivery, they buy experiences; they do not buy service quality, they buy memories; they do not buy food and drink, they buy meal experiences”. The writer went on to state that “the notion of hosts and guests is fundamentally different to that of managers and customers and is much more socially and culturally defined”. In all business service delivery surrounds customer satisfaction but the delivery techniques differ in accordance with the type of business. Hospitality and professional industry deliver services on an individual and personalized basis whereby there are interactions with customers that leaves them with memorable experiences. Other businesses such the manufacturing industry service delivery is on a mass/batch approach based on sales.

Hospitality service delivery has a social and cultural host-guest approach while other business service delivery techniques are on a manager-customer approach. Hospitality business generates and renders service at the guest’s request while other businesses service delivery entails processes and systems that can be automatically generated by assigning resources and systems. Example, water Company that provides water and online/paymaster services.

The pros and cons of community based tourism and its implication on Jamaica.

According to Goodwin and Santilli, “community-based tourism is a means of development whereby the social environmental and economical means of local communities are met through the offering of a tourism product”. It carries advantages and disadvantages for the community and therefore has an overall impact on Jamaica.

In light of the advantages, it supports positive attitudes toward self development and allows awareness of the commercial and social value placed on community’s natural and cultural heritage. Hence, it empowers the community people to become aware of the value of their community assets in terms of their culture, heritage, cuisine and lifestyle. It also gives tourists and community people the chance to exchange culture and broaden their understanding and respect for different cultures. As a people-oriented tourism it contributes to the sustainability of Jamaica’s tourism industry and fosters community based conservation of natural resources. It enables people mobilization that converts community assets into income generating projects.

Furthermore, it is capable of boosting economic growth and jobs. Income can be generated privately as individuals in poor and rural areas can receive income for the use of their properties. For example, Mayfield Falls in Glenbrook, Hanover. Additionally, it creates employment for community people as tourist visits restaurants, take tours, souvenir shopping etc. Although community income is small in relation to Jamaica’s total wage package, it is significant because it can be distributed more widely amongst community members including the least employable, or used for joint community investments. Clearly then, it allows economic and educational growth as income generated can be used at the community and national level to improve education, infrastructure, fund conservation efforts and promote responsible tourism.

Consequently, one tourism activity may lead to skill development in which other local people will develop their own idea for tourism-related enterprises. Although the community gains no control or right over the business they gain responsibility and control of the revenue share which may be empowering. Clearly then, ownership and control remains in the hand of the entrepreneur and the revenue generated contributes to equity and poverty-alleviation. Finally, it can strengthen institutions and in the long-term lead to other community initiatives in tourism.

Conversely, the disadvantages include environmental and cultural degradation. Moreover, any influx of tourists in the community can increase population and over consumption of community resources hence, creating water shortages, frequent electricity outage, pollution etc. Additionally, heavy traffic can occur due to additional tourist vehicles on the road, damaging roads not designed to withstand heavy traffic, the community will then have to bear the repair costs. It is difficult to encourage conservation which has low impact on the community as benefits and understanding of the source of revenue are not widely dispersed and there is no institutional development for resource management. This is possibly a negative impact from resentment and alienation of resources.

Additionally, community people can be deprived of resource control hence costs faced by communities could include loss of access to land and its resources such as grazing, timber, privacy etc. Furthermore, social standards can be undermined as tourists demonstrate a lack of respect for local culture. For example, tourists walking around in shopping facilities or community market in swim suits. This can cause tension between locals and tourists. After all, infection and disease can be easily transported to the community especially those not medically advanced to detect and treat certain type of infection or disease.

No one can deny that the pros of community-based tourism far exceed its cons but they have implications for Jamaica. Certainly, there is potential infrastructural development but there are also potential significant resource costs to local people. Additionally, the national economic benefit is greater than the community economic benefit as a dollar (though devalued in comparison to the US dollar). The community gains has a higher value from Jamaica’s economic perspective than a dollar in the entrepreneur’s bank account as it contributes more to the reduction of poverty and inequality. Furthermore, all community revenue can increase the total expenditure per tourist and generate benefits, such as enterprises and human or natural resource development which all have economic value. For example, if the dollar earned from Mayfield falls business by the community employees were to be doubled along with the community fund put with the value of educating the community people employed in that tourism business at the annual cost of primary education per pupil then the economic value and rate of return of Mayfield business would increase. After all community-based tourism is an asset to Jamaica.

The main factors attracting tourists to the Caribbean

One of the main economic activities in the Caribbean is tourism which is also the driver of economic growth in the region. The Caribbean destination choice is influenced by many factors that include location, costs, accommodation, climate and entertainment.

Figure 1- CaribbeanThe Caribbean which is made up of over 7,000 islands, coves and reefs, consists of approximately thirty-five countries with an area of approximately 2,754,000 km2. Its location (figure 1) makes a difference in comparison to other countries in the world such as Africa, Asia or Europe. Its tropical nature enables tourists to use it as a getaway destination for leisure or business. For example, the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Island are located near to Florida one of the states in America. These islands are often chosen as vacation destination because of nearness to homeland. File:Antillas (orthographic projection).svg

Undoubtedly, one can vacation anywhere in the world but the cost of reaching that destination is often a problem. It may take some persons a very long time to save for a vacation trip outside their country but a short time for others. At the end of the day, the overall costs are left up to affordability instead of availability. For example, a resident of the United States who needs a vacation will have to consider destinations such as the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and Asia. The choice will depend on affordable ticket, quick trip and spending money for food, entertainment and accommodation. At the end of the day the Caribbean will be the choice due to nearness, destination arrival cost and the costs of enjoying one self.

No one can deny that the Caribbean region caters for tourists. Its location not only allows it to gain competitive edge as vacation destination but for other reasons such as business, sports etc. It attracts tourists with its low, medium and high-end luxury resorts and hotels along with its hospitality services ranging from breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunches, reception, parties etc. In a ‘nut shell’, tourists from ‘all walks of life’ come to the Caribbean mainly because of its affordable and varied accommodation (figure 2).

Figure 2 http://www.destination360.com/contents/pictures/hotels/rio-hotel-in-jamaica.jpg

Generally speaking, Caribbean tropical climate attracts tourists who often view the Caribbean as the prime honeymoon spot. Although the weather patterns on different islands vary, temperatures are almost always moderate with very little seasonal changes. Throughout the year the trade winds blows steadily across the ocean and this enables the heat of the sun to be at a bearable temperature. During the hurricane season (June to November) the region usually experience moderate rainfall. See table 1 in appendix.

http://test8-img.ehowcdn.com/article-new-intro-modal/ehow/images/a06/b9/r3/differences-tourism-non-caribbean-tourism-800?800.jpg

Figure 3Unquestionably, those who set their feet on Caribbean soil are always upbeat about ocean view, beaches, cultural activities etc. No doubt, the hotels and resorts are usually located along the coastline with long white sandy beaches (figure 3). Assuredly, the hospitality services always include cultural entertainments. Caribbean countries therefore guarantee tourists a spot close to the ocean, an array of fabulous music, warm water, picturesque landscapes, multi-coloured coral reefs etc. Tourist’s security undoubtedly, is not a problem.

Conclusion

In final analysis, any business whether it relates to the hospitality, manufacturing, professional industries or otherwise, delivering quality service is what enables all entrepreneurs to stay in business. It is therefore important for employers and their employees to be fully committed to delivering service that is of very high standards to ensure that customer satisfaction and retention is guaranteed. Although there are differences in service delivery throughout the different industries depending of the product they offer, at the end of the day the aim will always remain ‘customer first, operators last’.

Pursuing this further, the hospitality industry is assisted by community-based tourism which has its advantages and disadvantages both at the community and national level. The advantages however, outweigh the disadvantages although it has implications on the Jamaican economy. Undoubtedly, tourism is the main contributor to the economy as it brings in the majority foreign exchange. Obviously, there are factors that attract tourists to the Caribbean region and these include location, lower costs, tropical climate and variety of accommodations and entertainment facilities. Putting together Jamaica’s delivery of quality services, varied community-based products, location in the Caribbean region among other things the hospitality industry will continue to be the number one contributor for all economies.

Reference/Bibliography

Akbar, M. A., & Parvez, P. (2009). Impact of service quality, trust and customer satisfaction on customers loyalty. ABAC Journal Vol. 29 No. 1 (January – April 2009). Retrieved 2/10/2012 from http://www.journal.au.edu/abac_journal/2009/jan09/article02_JanApr2009.pdf

Ashley, C. & Garland, E. (1994). Promoting community-based tourism development: Why, What and How? Research discussion paper Number 4. Retrieved 6/10/2012 from http://www.the-eis.com/data/RDPs/RDP04.pdf

Goodwin, H. & Santilli, R. (2009). Community-Based Tourism: a success? ICRT Occasional Paper 11. Retrieved 6/10/2012 from http://www.andamandiscoveries.com/press/press-harold-goodwin.pdf

Hemmington, N. (2007). From service to experience; understanding and defining the hospitality business. The service industry Journal. (September 2009 Vol. 27 No. 6). Retrieved 3/10/2012 from http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/836/1/Hemmington_Output_4.pdf

Kate, W. (2002). Service-delivery strategies: Three approaches to consulting for hospitality (Industry Overview). Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly. Retrieved 5/10/2012 from http://business.highbeam.com

Voss, L.C. (2006). The importance of customer satisfaction and cultural influences in the European hospitality industry. A case study of four star hotel in Germany and England. Retrieved 6/10/2012 from http://www.du.se/PageFiles/5053/VossLawrence.pdf

The purpose of this study is to emphasize on how having a Quality Management System (QMS) can assist restaurants to enhance their services. This involves creating a QMS for local restaurants based on standards and criteria, that respond to customers requirements, derived from the ISO 9001 standards.

This implies that management will go thru training to learn how to work with the system, how to implement and how to evaluate the system. Management should then be the ones giving training and advice on how to treat customers. Employees will also go thru trainings and procedures that a restaurant should comply with, in order to be considered a quality restaurant.

Implementing a QMS is expensive. You will have to invest in your employees. On the other hand by implementing a QMS can save you money, you have less cost and you can be more productive and efficient.

This can make not only restaurants, but also the Island gain a competitive advantage on others and get economic return.

The intention is to make restaurants aware of this and so help them improve their service, satisfy needs, be more productive and have more motivated employees. Curacao Restaurants Association (CRA) can be the institute who controls that the restaurants comply with criteria’s and standards.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

According to Swiss Tourism Board, from a guest’s point of view, tourism services are always the product of a whole package of individual services. Like a chain, these services are all linked: advance information from a Tourist Centre, the journey to the destination, stay in vacation hotel, eating in a restaurant, and lastly the trip home. Each individual service leaves its mark on and influences the holiday experience.

Also at the level of the individual restaurant, a guest experiences some of this

Service: welcome, seating, providing information, taking order, eating in the restaurant. These service chains which are specific to customers provide an aid for systematic checking of a restaurant’s services and processes, showing where practical quality improvements can be made and promoting the introduction of appropriate measures.

Providing services and direct contact with customers are exacting tasks because each customer has his specific expectations, needs and opinions.

On Curacao we have CRS. “The Curacao Restaurant Association’s (CRA) (http://www.curacaorestaurants.org/cra/index.php) mission is to represent, promote and educate their members and their employees for the improvement of the restaurant and foodservice industry of Curacao, a rapidly growing industry that is becoming the nation’s second largest employer. We leverage those numbers to get the best pricing and discounts for our members. Helping members succeed and remain profitable is on the forefront of the Curacao Restaurant Association’s agenda.

As they strive to work together with the governmental departments on health, safety, service and education, members of their association get inspections and a team consisting of these departments, together with members of the board; will on a regular basis, do an assessment of their members so they will remain accepted as a member. This will guarantee customer visit to these restaurants.”

An analysis of the situation will be done. An overview and definition of Quality Management System will be given, also why quality is important and what are the characteristics of the system.

The service chains will be analyze and used as a tool for tracking down potential critical incidents and deriving “good service” from them in the shape of in-house quality standards.

Furthermore the needs of the customers, employees and employer will be address. To see what will be required to satisfy their need and incorporate this in the system and what each customer’s specific expectations, needs and opinions are.

Strategies and requirements will be presented. The program may include among other topic:

The business culture

QMS in detail

Employees motivation

Product

Customer Service

Curacao Hospitality Training Foundation will be approached to see if some of the training needed can by integrated in their program.

Results of the research and interviews carried out will be detailed.

In the forth chapter the “Restaurants Quality System” program will be discussed. Practical tools will be developed to help restaurants managers to tackle quality management and taking targeted action to optimize service.

The QMS will detailed the service chains and provide an aid for systematic checking of a restaurant’s services and processes, showing where practical quality improvements can be made and promoting the introduction of appropriate measures. Advice and conclusion will be given.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

In which way can a Quality Management System (QMS) enhance customer service in restaurants?

1.3 SUB PROBLEM STATEMENTS

To answer the problem statement, the following sub-questions will be addressed during this study:

1) How can QMS be defined?

2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of QMS?

3) What are the aspects for the development process of a quality

management system for restaurants?

4) Will the needs of customers, employer and employees be satisfy?

5) How should QMS and the restaurant quality management system be

implemented?

1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.4.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to assist restaurants on Curacao to enhance their service. In this study several methods, like interviews, questionnaire, observation and literature will be use to answer the sub problems.

1.4.2 SUB PROBLEMS

Sub problem 1. “How can QMS be defined?” and 2. “What are the advantages and disadvantages of QMS?” will be dealt with theoretically. For these sub problems website http://www.praxiom.com/iso-definition.htm, research paper and articles concerning ISO 9001 and QMS will be applied. The methods that will give an explanation of these subjects are

Crosby, P.B, (1984) Quality without tears: The art of hassle-free management, McGraw-Hill, Inc

Hoyle, D, (2006), ISO 9000 quality systems handbook, Butterworth-Heinemann

www.praxiom.com/iso-definition.htm

www.dti.gov.uk/quality/qms

Sub problem 3. “What are the aspects for the development process of a quality certification program for restaurants?” a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis will be conducted. The SWOT analysis examines the internal and external environment giving a view of the implementation of a QMS for restaurants regarding.

Also at least six restaurants will be observed and judge on the service they are giving. Curacao Quality Foundation and the president Mr. Marugg or Mr. Neuman, the Event Coordinator of Curacao Restaurants Association (CRA) will be approach for information. Some of the questions that will be asked are:

What is the support CRA offers their members?

How those CRA control the quality service their members offer?

How does CRA get its members?

Why the membership is so low compared to the number of establishment on the Island?

The readings that will be used are:

Hair, J.F, (2003), Essentials of Business Research Methods, Leyh Publishing, LLC

Brink, A, Berndt, A, (2009), Relationship Marketing and Customer Relationship Management, Juta & Co LTD

Honebein, P.C., Cammarano, R.F., (2005), Creating do-it-yourself customers:

how great customer experiences build great companies, South-Western Educational Pub

Schieffer, R., (2005), Ten Key Customer Insights: Unlocking the Mind of the Market, South-Western Educational Pub

www.cbs.an/establishments/establishments_i5.asp

Sub problem 4. “Will the needs of customers, employer and employees be satisfy?”

To answer this question surveys among consumer will be conducted regarding the quality service they receive at a restaurant. Also interviews to sales managers and supervisors of restaurants will be conducted. Employees of restaurants will be interviewed to see what their needs are.

Books on among others on customer service, motivation and quality service will be used. Among others:

Jagdish N. Shainesh, S., (2001) Customer relationship management: emerging concepts, tools, and applications, McGraw-Hill Professional

Jones, P., Merricks, P., (1994), The management of foodservice operations, Cengage Learning Business Press

Parsa, H.G., Kwansa, F., (2002), Quick Service Restaurants, Franchising, and Multi-Unit Chain Management, Routledge

Shankar, R., (2009), Process improvement using Six Sigma: a DMAIC guide, ASQ Quality Pres

Question can be asked a.o. is:

What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition?

Are you happy with the service you are providing

Do you care about reaction of comments of your customers?

Are you happy with your employees?

If not what are you doing to improve it?

Is the restaurant plan to come with new services?

Sub problem 5. How should QMS and the restaurant quality management system be implemented?”

In order to answer this sub problem, books on standardization and quality management systems, employee training manuals will be used.

Suggestions and guidelines for training for Management and employees will be address. Design of the quality management system will be presented. Reading used is:

Beecroft, D.G., Duffy, G.L., Moran, J.W., (2001), The Executive Guide to Improvement and Change, ASQ Quality Press

Jackson, Susan E., Schuler, Randall S, Werner, Steve, (2008), Managing Human Resources, South Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Lohman, C., et al. (2004) Designing a performance measurement system: A case study. European Journal of Operational Research,

Martinich, J.S., (2009), Production and Operations Management: An Applied Modern Approach, Wiley India Pvt. Ltd.

Maskell, B. H. (1991) Performance measurement for world class

manufacturing: a model for American companies, Cambridge, Mass.,

Productivity Press.

1.5 DELIMITATIONS
The study will be conducted among consumers, restaurants from all sector, restaurants managers/supervisors, restaurants employees and establishment associated to tourism sectors on the Island of Curacao.
1.6 THESIS OUTLINE

The structure of this study will be as follow:

1. Introduction

Background Information

Problem Statement and Sub Problems

Research Methodology

Content Thesis

Quality Management System (QMS)

Introduction

Elements of QMS

Introduction to quality and service

Importance of quality

Measuring service quality

Characteristics of QMS

Conclusion

Customers, employee and employer’s needs

Introduction

Customer and their needs

Consumer decision process

Employee and employer’s needs

Defining and measuring service satisfaction

Conclusion

Restaurants Quality Management System

Introduction

Aspect of the Quality system

Key Indicators of the Quality system

Process development of the Quality management system

Restaurant Quality System

Implementation, Control and Evaluation

Conclusion

Conclusion and Recommendations

Bibliography

Appendixes

List of tables

Quality assurance systems in the upscale hotel sector

1. Introduction

Quality assurance systems are an important element of any business strategy. As Porter (1985 and 2004) suggests, quality is now seen as a major force for gaining competitive advantage, particularly with the consumer. There is no commercial activity where this is more important than in the hotel sector. As Yavas et al (1995) state, “the question is no longer whether to have quality assurance programmes, but rather how to make these programmes work,” within this sector of hospitality.

It can be argued that in terms of quality assurance systems delivery the hotel sector is in a distinctive position, particularly when it is related to service satisfaction (Parasuraman 1997, Schiffman and Kanuk 2000). Unlike most other industries, where customer contact and engagement during a visit might be fleeting, as happens in retail shop environment, a hotel’s interaction with customers can last from a few hours to several days. Furthermore, as Kandampully et al (2001, p.28) the quality of the hotel product also has to take into account the “customer-to-customer interactions.”

Following a brief literature review, the intention of this essay is to examine quality assurance systems and evaluate the effect that these systems have upon service quality and customer satisfaction within the upscale Hotel market.

2. Literature Review

Quality assurance and management within the hotel environment is focused upon satisfying the customer. Therefore, this review concentrates on the existing literature relating to customer satisfaction and the various methods and frameworks of service quality related to this focus.

2.1 Customer satisfaction

Academic literature relating to customer satisfaction falls within two main categories, these being the psychological perceptions of the customer and the practical ways in which customer satisfaction can be implemented to help a business achieve its objectives. In the hotel sector, this objective is “to try and engender a high level of customer satisfaction in order to positively influence our customers’ repurchasing and communicative behaviour” (Hennig-Thurau and Hassen (2000, p.62).

However, to achieve this aim the business has to understand what drives customer satisfaction. Christopher (1984), Holbrook (1999), Schiffmand and Kanuk 2000 and Brennen (2003) all agree that satisfaction is related to the consumer’s perception or judgement of a product experience and value when set against their expectations and the payment made. Zeithaml’s (1998, p.14) describes it as follows, being that “Perceived value is the consumer’s overall assessment of the utility of a product based on perceptions of what is received and what is given … value represents a trade-off of the salient give and get components,” in other words the cost paid is measured against the value expected . Therefore, it can be suggested that the greater the service quality the higher the satisfaction (Kandampully et al. 2001, p.8) and, conversely, the higher the price the greater the perception of value.

Bostepe (2007) further identifies that, within a service environment such as a hotel, consumer satisfaction does not simply rely upon the quality of service satisfaction received from business employees, although this is an essential element. The physical environment, for example the decor, bedrooms and other facilities offered, are also elements of the consumer’s perceived value and service satisfaction. If any of these are deemed as sub-standard, particularly when related to the price paid, this will reduce the customer’s enjoyment and levels of satisfaction.

It follows therefore that only by concentration upon providing quality within all of these areas of the product will the business be able to assure satisfaction and encourage customer loyalty (Holbrook 1999, p.121), which Porter (1998), Parasuraman (1997) Agrawal (2000) and Harrison (2003) all agree is essential to competitive advantage.

2.2 Methods used to measure customer satisfaction and service quality

There are numerous “quality assurance” measurement systems and standards available for use within the business environment. Customer feedback is one such measurement. Client feedback can be achieved by two methods. The first way is to provide questionnaires that hotel guests are asked to complete before the end of their stay. The second is to rely upon externally conducted questionnaires, interviews and polls, which can be conducted on a continuous basis.

However, whilst comments and responses provided by customers may act as a good testimonial for the business (Porter 1998, p.1478), these systems have their drawbacks. In addition to the fact that not all customers might respond, the design of the process itself is often flawed (Kandampully et al 2001) and can therefore be misinterpreted. For example, a simple complaints procedure would not necessarily identify areas of quality success. Secondly, these feedback processes tend to lack definition. Their use may therefore be inhibited by the fact that they do not provide management with sufficient detail to be able to locate and resolve the specific areas of the business where deficiency of service quality is occurring. Furthermore, a system of continuous surveys adds to the business administration costs and, in addition, raises the inherent issue of sampling (Visit Britain 2008 b). Evidence of these limitations can be seen in a recent survey conducted by Visit Britain (2008 a) (see figure 1).

Whilst it is clearly apparent from these results that customer satisfaction in related to encouraging loyalty and retention, as well as being inherently useful in turning existing customers into promotional tools for the hotel, this does not provide management with a detailed analysis of the areas where satisfaction has been achieved or denote what areas were not satisfying.

To provide detailed quality service observations therefore, a more robust quality assurance system is required and most of these are based upon variations of the “Total Quality Management” (TQM) system (Dotchin and Oakland 1994 and Ziethaml et al 2000). These methods are designed to assess and monitor the level of quality being maintained throughout all areas of the business process and its supply chain, from an internal as well as external viewpoint. One such variation, particularly applicable to the hotel industry, is the SERVQUAL method, which originated from the works of Parasuraman et al (1991).

3 SERVQUAL Measurement

Kandampully et al (2001, p.68) observe that many academics and practical studies have used SERVQUAL as a “true measure of customer service” and that it has been “extensively applied” (Shahin 2005, p.4) in service based organisations. Amongst these service industries will be included the hospitality and hotel sector of the tourism industry.

Despite the fact that recent researches have sought to extend the elements of quality measurement with the SERVQUAL model, fundamentally it is still based upon the level of quality assurance to be measured and gained within five key sectors of the business processes, which are: –

Tangibles – Physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel.
Reliability – Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.
Responsiveness – Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service.
Assurance – (including competence, courtesy, credibility and security). Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence.
Empathy – (including access, communication, understanding the customer). Caring and individualized attention that the firm provides to its customers.

Source: Sahney et al 2004

The SERVQUAL measurement can be used internally, through measurement against preset quality assurance standards such as the ISO 9001 Quality certification process (BSI 2008) and the “Star Rating system” operated by Visit Britain (2008) in conjunction with the Automobile Association. In this case the hotel services and processes are measured against pre-determined sets of quality criterion and monitored at least annually by those who regulate these standards. The internal quality assurance programme is also complemented by external consumer questionnaires and interview surveys.

The SERVQUAL quality assurance method has been in existence for some years and is “tried and tested” (Shahin 2005, p.5), making it a firm favourite within the hotel service industry, where managers are comfortable and confident with the outcomes of these measurements. An element of SERVQUAL that is considered particularly important in this respect is the fact that the system and its measurements are monitored and updated on a regular basis (Holbrook (1999), Sahney et al (2004) and Boztepe (2007)), for example annually (Shahin 2005, p.6). Both ISO 9001 and the “Star Rating” systems conform to these determinants.

4 Quality assurance in Upscale Hotels

As will be seen from the following analysis, the “quality assurance” systems applied to the hotel in terms of both the internal industry “Star Rating” and external SERVQUAL systems are virtually synonymous in terms of the standards and factors they rely upon for measurement. To maintain their perception as upscale or “5 star” hotels, in each of these cases the hotel will have to achieve much higher levels of standards.

4.1 Star Rating system

Although the Star Rating system is formatted in a slightly different way to SERVQUAL, the quality elements of this process are still graded in a similar manner. The main difference is the fact that there are minimum quality requirements before the hotel will even be considered for a rating. However, even these equate to the tangible element of the SERVQUAL system (figure 2).

Once the minimum entry requirements have been met, to assess which star level is applicable to the establishment independent inspectors will monitor five quality bands and award a quality percentage to each. These percentages determine what rating the establishment has achieved (figure 3).

Figure 3 Quality bands for star rating

Star rating

Bands

One star

30-46%

Two stars

47-54%

Three stars

55-69%

Four Stars

70-84%

Five Stars

85-100%

Source: Visit Britain (2005, p.6)

Furthermore, this standard of quality has to be achieved across a range of five product elements, which include cleanliness, service, food quality, bedrooms and bathrooms. Simply complying in one of the areas is not sufficient to earn the highest star. Therefore, if the hotel fails to achieve the required 85-100% standards during an annual monitoring it risks its rating being downgraded to four stars or a lower standard. For instance, in the example shown below (figure 4), despite the fact that the hotel being monitored has achieved the five star requirements in three of the five bands, its failures in the other two would demote it to a four star hotel.

Figure 4 Quality bank achievement

Level

Standard

1

2

3

4

5

Cleanliness

X

Service

X

Food quality

X

Bedrooms

X

Bathrooms

X

Source: adapted from Visit Britain (2005, p.7)

4.2 SERVQUAL system

When using the SERVQUAL system, which is largely based largely upon the results of customer satisfaction surveys, although all hotels would be looking to achieve the maximum “service quality” satisfaction level of 100% in terms of the overall scoring, there is a significant difference in the way this would be achieved when related to the different standard of establishments. To provide an example of how this equates in practice, the following is a comparison between the SERVQUAL requirements of a 5 star hotel against lower rated hotel, such as the budget Travelodge hotel chain (figure 5).

Figure 5 SERVQUAL comparisons

SERVQUAL criterion

5-star hotel

Travelodge

Tangibility

20%

20%

Reliability

20%

30%

Responsiveness

20%

15%

Assurance

20%

25%

Empathy

20%

10%

Total

100%

100%

It is apparent from the above comparison that the 5-star establishment requires their quality of service to be more balanced, in other words no one area of their product should be delivering a lower quality of service than any other. However, with the budget chain, which operates on a low cost strategy that eliminates much of the human resources and food elements, these specific areas are shown to have less importance to the business, but need to be compensated by increased levels of satisfaction in other areas of quality if the business is to remain successful.

4.3 Findings

What is immediately apparent from the analysis of the two quality assurance systems identified above as being used within the hotel sector is their compatibility. This not only applies to the systems per se, but also to the measurement of the results. In both cases an upscale hotel would need to achieve a balanced score with high ratings in all of the quality determinants if it is to maintain its market position and be perceived by the potential customer as a quality (5 star) hotel. Conversely, the lower quality hotels pay less attention to those areas of the standards that are more directly related to the quality of service provided by their human resources, relying instead upon other elements to satisfy customer quality perception, such as low cost (Porter 2004).

Whilst it could therefore be stated in simple terms that quality assurance is related to the price being paid for the product, what research such as that conducted by Shahin (2006), Ziethaml et al (1990) and Holbrook (1999), and the fact that all hotels, irrespective of their standards, operate quality assurance systems, shows is that price is simply one element required to fulfill customer satisfaction needs.

Whatever price is being charged for the hotel product the customer will still weigh the experience received against the value they expect from the product enjoyed at that price (Zeithaml 1988 and Parasuraman et at 1994). A customer who decides to spend a greater amount of his or her disposable income on arranging to stay in a 5-star hotel will have a much greater value expectation than one who chooses a budget hotel stay. The former will expect the service quality to exist in all aspects of the hotel product. This includes the decor and the ambiance of the environment, the facilities that are being offered, including meals and room service, and the performance of the hotel’s human resources. If these quality expectations are not met that customer will perceive that they have not received value for money and therefore will view the experience as less than satisfactory. Therefore, they will be unlikely to promote the hotel in a positive manner to others or re-use it.

5 Conclusion

It is apparent that in the case of an upscale or5-star hotel the combination of the industry “Star Rating” and “SERVQUAL” quality assurance systems will have a significant impact upon their service quality and the level of customer satisfaction achieved from using the product.

In terms of the “Star Rating” system, the higher the star rating the greater the expectation of the customer in terms of their perception of the quality that will be found in this establishment. Therefore, the five star establishments are likely to attract customers who wish to avail themselves of the higher quality experience.

With regard to the external “SERVQUAL” system of measurement, because these are results from customer experiences, the greater the levels of quality achieved in the areas measured, the more likely it is that customers will be retained and act as recommenders to other potential customers.

In both cases therefore, it can be concluded that the quality assurance system is designed to achieve competitive advantage by attracting additional market share, thus improving the hotel’s revenue and profitability levels.

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The need of qualified employees in hospitality industry, their commitment to service quality and to what extent it impacts customer satisfaction is not any more a matter of question; it is an important issue that concerns not only hospitality management education in Bulgaria but it is recognized all over the world. The industry suffers from high turnover (Mehra, 2006) which directly reflects to the product and service quality offered (Pizam and Thornburg, 2000) and respectively to low revenues and profits (Tracey and Hinkin, 2008).Furthermore, problems occur in graduates’ perception of future career in hospitality industry due to disappointment of the work experience they gain during their mandatory practices in this industry which decrease their willingness for further professional development in this field (Waryszak, 1999; Jenkins, 2001).The gabs in hospitality management education system is an important issue of serious concern and represents a huge interest among researchers and academics. According Mr. Ilian Ilchev a manager of Vocational Training Center (VTC) – Bourgas who is responsible of the training of cadres in hospitality industry, Bulgarian tourism sector faces serious problems finding qualified employees in this field. Most of the students in Bulgarian universities and colleges offer low quality of education. There is no interaction between the practice in tourism sector and the higher education offered in Bulgarian schools. Moreover, after graduation students are not attracted from the low payment in this sector, and the inability to start career on managerial level is from great disappointment for them.

As far as the education of hospitality management is concerned, there is a need to classify the supply side of the Bulgarian education. The institutions that provide tertiary education in Bulgaria are separated into two types: universities with duration of study from four to six year, depending on the object of study which offer bachelor and master degree, and colleges with duration of study three years offering professional bachelor degree. There is existence of Private Professional Colleges (PPC) with duration of study two years offering certificate for professional qualification which are 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree (National Statistic Institute) and so called Vocational Training Centers (VTC) which are working at the same principle as PPC and offer the same levels of professional qualification. The difference between them is that PPC give opportunity for the student to continue their education for professional bachelor/bachelor degree in its partner Bulgarian university or college but VTC on the other hand is considered to be not only for students but for everyone that wants to acquire craft knowledge in particular field. There is small percentage of private colleges which are part from any statistic that offer courses based on educational programmes similar to foreign colleges that suits the students needs in particular industry. The period of study in these colleges is from two to three years and after completing the course, student can continue their education in university abroad. Most of the courses are franchised and validated by the foreign college or university and the majority of them are based in Nederland, Great Britain, Norway etc. However, the degree awarded by their Bulgarian college or university partner is not acknowledged by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education. Here comes the question how effective is the education offered from these institutions connected with hospitality industry and how many of them produce qualified employees and leaders that could suits the needs of this industry? According to Jenner, 1992 and Sneed & Heiman, 1995 the concern for a good quality of education in tourism sector should be equally high for both government and hospitality and tourism industry. Bulgarian government does not subsidize the colleges that offer higher education in hospitality management and very few hotels do have clear structured training system. The limitation of Master and doctoral programs in this field in Bulgarian universities with specialization in hospitality is an obstacle for development of further academic resources and researches which could be in favor for the progress of these programs. Furthermore, courses such as Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Marketing Management, Corporate Finance etc. which are essential for the hospitality education do not exist in Bulgarian State universities. Such courses are recognized in the Bulgarian colleges which are affiliated by foreign universities but from financial point of view, not every student can afford it. Unfortunately, such gaps in the hospitality education are not rare phenomena in other countries such as India that faces the same problems (Jauhari V.2006).

A serious issue of concern in Bulgaria is connected with the jobs opportunities that the Bulgarian students have after graduation. It is generally known that the aim of the higher education is to prepare qualified cadres which are able to find a realization on the labor market. The quality of education is a leading factor that influences students’ opportunities of finding the most suitable job placement according to the acquired qualification (Georgieva Y., Kalinov K. 2005).Unfortunately, in Bulgaria it is a well known fact that the students find difficulties to find job in the sphere of their higher education and most of them start working something which is totally different or similar to what they have studied in the university, mostly at minimum wage rates.Moreover,the number of graduates in hospitality industry exceed the number of available managerial positions on the labor market, something that happens in India as well and that leads to :

“aˆ¦mismatch of supply and demand of certain skills in hospitality industry”

(Jauhari V.2006).

According to Zhang and Wu (2004), China faces the same difficulties in hospitality industry, namely:

“aˆ¦lack of qualified staff at both operational and managerial level, high staff turnover rates, unwillingness of university graduates to enter industry, gap between what is taught in school and college and realities of the industry itself”

In most cases, it leads to job dissatisfaction, low productivity and respectively to low quality of service. Researchers have found that there is absence of positive and strong interaction between job satisfaction and education (Gordon, 1975; Weaver, 1978). One of the assumptions is that the students with higher education expect their work during the years to be rewarded and when their expectations are not met it easily leads to dissatisfaction of the job position (Wright and Hamilton, 1979).However, a recent statistic shows that the number of people who mostly leave the country are young people between 25-29 years old (NSI). This means that higher educated or not, young people in Bulgaria prefer to work and to look for a better career opportunities abroad instead of develop their skills at home which directly reflects on the different branches of the Bulgarian economy, namely to operate with young and qualified cadres. It is a reasonable explanation why Bulgarian hospitality industry desperately has a need of qualified employees and managers who can offer good quality of service and ability to compete with other popular hospitality industries such as Turkey, Greece, Malta etc.

The good quality of higher education in hospitality management plays crucial role of providing the tourism market with well trained, skilled and educated managers, but on the other side, frontline employees are those who has direct contact with the customers, and the quality of service provided by them is essential for the success of any organization within the hospitality industry (Chang, 2006).Customer service is viewed as customer perception of what he/she had experienced and remembered (Beaujean, Davidson, and Madge, 2006; Bymes,(2005). Most of the time, when a customer leaves a hotel or a restaurant dissatisfied from the received service, it forms immediately a negative perception (Bymes, 2005).That’s why, it is essential and not fully recognized in Bulgarian hospitality industry that the successful organizations are those that perceive customer service as:

“aˆ¦the starting point and ending point for any effective account relationship” in which “the key to success is clear thinking about what it feels like to walk in the customer’s shoes”

(Bymes, J., 2005).

Employees’ commitment to service quality is also an important factor that contributes for a strong organizational performance. Organizations with high commitment among subordinates could only benefit from it with lower turnover and comparatively higher motivated employees. It is important for every company to know how to motivate its employees and to create better relation between customers and frontline employees. It is considered as a step ahead of creating a sustainable customer service (Cadwallader, S., Jarvis, C, Bitner, M., and Ostrom, A., 2009; Spector and McCarthy, 1996).

It is also assumed that committed employees are more likely to provide customers with better quality of service (Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry, 1990).According to Kini and Hobson (2002) the good quality of service entirely depends on:

“aˆ¦employee’s commitment, satisfaction, involvement, and morale”.

In hospitality industry in Bulgaria is very difficult to be found such employees. Frontline employees are “aˆ¦typically underpaid, undertrained, overworked and highly stressed “(Hartline and Ferrell, 1993), a statement which apply pretty much to the Bulgarian hospitality employees’ working environment. It concerns mostly the seasonal workforce in Bulgarian winter and summer resorts where people work almost at minimum wage, in most cases relying on tips or small percentage of their daily profit. Hotel and restaurant employees are occupied ten-twelve hours per day, sometimes even more, depends on how busy is within the organization. Furthermore, a common practice is working without days off which easily contribute for stressful working environment, a topical issue that contributes to low quality of service (Ross F. G 1995).All these factors reflect negatively on employee satisfaction, productivity and loyalty to the organization and respectively to customer satisfaction and profitability. The link between frontline employees’ satisfaction, loyalty, productivity, customer satisfaction and company’s profitability is well depicted in so called Service profit chain (Heskett, Sasser & Schlesinger, 1997); illustrated in Figure.1.According to Crowford, A. and Hubbard, S. (2007), in the Service profit chain:

“aˆ¦there is a link between employee satisfaction and the service concept, directly impacting customer satisfaction. This impact affects customer loyalty, which in turn influences revenue growth. Lastly, revenue growth extends back to the beginning influencing the internal service of the organization. Understanding an employee’s level of satisfaction, commitment, involvement, and self-esteem gives managers and strategists means to create a favorable environment where the links in the service profit chain work to the advantage of the service provider”.

Employees’ satisfaction and commitment as a starting point in Service profit chain, impacting the delivery of good quality of service and company’s profitability, are major components that absence in many Bulgarian hospitality organizations. The results are higher turnover among frontline employees and managers due to the lack of quality of work life (QWL), a topical issue of great interest among researchers and academics. The delivery of good service highly depends on QWL provided by the hospitality organization, mainly when employees’ needs and expectations are met, so that they are motivated to work in company’s favor (Kanungo, 1982 and Efraty & Sirgy, 1990) or in other words through better QWL there is a significant improvement of employees productivity, performance and service quality (Havlovic, 1991).A recent research made to investigate employees’ expectations of QWL (Kandasamy,I, I. & Sreekumar, A., 2009) indicates that during a conversation with the employees from three different hotels, they show willingness to participate, when provided, in company’s service training programs which could be a good chance for them to enhance their skills. According to Rousseau (1995), in most cases, employees even expect their company to provide training programs as an opportunity for further career development:

“aˆ¦in exchange for the employee’s time, effort, and skill”

Tourism industry in Bulgaria supported by the government and orientated in the mainstream of “mass “tourism, entirely depends on its seasonal workforce. Practices such as service training almost do not exist in Bulgarian winter and summer resorts because of its seasonality, where the percentage of five and four stars hotels grow dramatically in the last couple of years. As Mr.Lubomir Popiordanov, Chair of the Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT) pointed out “Bulgarian “mass” tourism is mainly connected with quantity instead of quality and it lacks in added value “(Sofia News Agency).Most of the hotel owners are mainly focused finding ways to be fully booked during the whole season instead of improving the quality of service through training programs. It is not yet recognized that through such programs frontline employees could work much more effectively when dealing with customers’ complaints which on the other side makes feel them satisfied with their job (Babakus et al., 2003; Schneider & Bowen, 1995; Tax & Brown, 1998).Some other research papers support the thesis that organizations that invest money in service training programs are more capable to keep its employees within the company, makes them feel happy at the workplace and committed to the firm’s values(Babakus et al., 2003; Lee, Park, & Yoo, 1999; Sweetman,2001; Tsui, Pearce, Porter, & Tripoli, 1997).

Other approach of keeping frontline employees committed to the organization, providing better quality of service is through company’s reward system. George and Gronroos (1989) also suggest that rewarding service employees periodically ensure their commitment to service quality. Similar to the training programs, reward systems and policies are very important for motivating employees when dealing with customers complaints. The fact that company’s reward structure contributes for employees’ satisfaction at the workplace and impacts their organizational commitment is so far supported by many service literature studies (Bowen, Gilliland, & Folger, 1999; Brown & Peterson, 1993; Farrell & Rusbult, 1981; Heskett, Jones, Loveman, Sasser, & Schlesinger, 1994; Lawler, 2000).For the Bulgarian hospitality industry a clear structured reward system could be in favor of reducing employees’ turnover and to encourage more qualified cadres to enter this sector.

Most industry researchers agreed that employees’ commitment to service quality is highly influenced by managers’ commitment to service quality and the way they demonstrate it (Bowen and Schneider 1985; Hartline and Ferrell 1996; Mohr-Jackson 1993; Babakus et al. 2003). As it was mentioned before the higher education is from significant importance in hospitality industry in order to generate leaders capable to show their subordinates motivation, skills, confidence and flexibility which could positively affect employees’ behavior towards the delivering of a better quality of service. Managerial coaching is considered as an appropriate tool of providing employees with support mainly connected with their knowledge, skills and performance within the organization. This method embrace approximately the same goals concerning employees’ further skill development at the workplace as training ,but coaching is presented in more informal way. It represents the ability of the managers to create sustainable correlation between employees and supervisors so that their everyday activities and experiences are synchronized and able to became an object of learning (Phillips 1994).Coaches is design to demonstrate employees the best way of doing their job when dealing with customers. It gives employees an idea of their opportunities, and how to perform better using new and different approaches.Furthermore, through coaches employees are provided with regular feedback which aims to get the best of its employees and to show them that their work is appreciated.

Bulgarian hospitality industry has a lot to learn concerning the education provided, aiming to attract qualified cadres to work in this field and their ability to be committed to service quality. It is so far recognized internationally that qualified employees who are satisfied with their job are more committed to the service quality which directly affect customer satisfaction of the received service attitude. Having in mind that today’s world economy is 70 percent service based, more and more academics and people working in this sphere are looking for a way to design companies that are able to provide the best service to its clients (Schneider & White, 2004). The importance of improving the quality of service is the main driver for company’s successful retention of customers (Gustafsson, A., Johnson, M., Roos, I., 2005).At operational level service employees are those who creates the connection between the customers and the organization and most importantly through them and their personal contribution to deliver proper service, managers are aiming to attract and impress customers (Chase, 1981; Heskett et al., 1994; Oliva and Sterman, 2001), and respectively to satisfy them. Thus, managers’ commitment to service quality has indirect impact on customer’s satisfaction (Subroto, B. & Natalisa, D., 2003).Even that managers also contributes for the delivering of excellent service, frontline employees are from great importance when the target is better productivity performance and gratifying customers’ needs (Yee,R., Yeung,A., Cheng,T.C,2008).

Service quality in the modern hospitality industry is a crucial factor in creating long-term relationship between organizations and customers and to make them feel satisfied (Martin, 1986; Croby et al., 1990; Tornow and Wiley, 1991; Tsa, 1994).Many researchers have argued that there is significant correlation between customer satisfaction and service quality (Roth and Van Der Velde, 1991; Roth and Jackson, 1995).Other studies in service marketing have suggested that customer satisfaction is in emotional reply of a particular experience connected with provided service( Westbrook and Reilly (1983).According to Yoon and Suh (2003), the excellent service highly depends on employees because when they are satisfied with their job and motivated, it is more likely to deliver better services and to give more from themselves. Other research papers prove that loyalty among employees contributes for higher levels of service delivering (Loveman, 1998; Silvestro and Cross, 2000).Employees which are able to provide service quality are considered much more capable to solve problems easily and in proper manner which positively affects customer’s perception of the provided service.

Bulgarian hospitality industry needs serious improvements connected with the service attitude toward customers and radical changes in employees’ working environment, in order to work in full capacity. Successful tourism or hospitality business could not operate without satisfied guests and subordinates (Gursoy and Swanger, 2007). As pointed out in The Service Profit Chain:

“aˆ¦providing employees with a superior internal working environment is likely to lead to satisfied employees who are both loyal to the organization and able to provide the customer with an excellent service experience. Customers will recognize and value the outstanding service offered to them.”

(Heskett et al., 1994, 1997).

However, several studies indicate that employees’ satisfaction plays crucial role in achieving company’s financial aims (Koys, 2003), which means that when a company make an affords to take care for its employees, they will do the same in return for company’s customers. This care could be express through better payment, reward practiced, training and managerial coaching and not at the end, through company’s ability to make feel its employees secure (Gursoy and Swanger, 2007; Koys, 2003; Schneider, 1991).

Customers’ loyalty and satisfaction are supposed to be contributory factor for customer profitability. The relationship between customer satisfaction and profitability is considered as fundamental marketing concept which means that the company’s goal is to pursue customer’s needs, wants and wishes (Helgesen.O, 2006).When all this consumers’ factors are met, customers are satisfied from what they receive, the company is pleased having a long-term financial returns on business. Customers who are highly satisfied are considered to use one and the same products and services more frequently and respectively to stay loyal to the company that provides them (Anderson et al., 1994; Gronholdt et al., 2000).Customers loyalty is an important factor in hospitality industry that contributes for consumer’ reuse of a certain product or service which positively increase company’s profitability. Moreover, satisfied customers are much less price sensitive and they are willing to pay even at high price (Anderson et al., 1994) which directly affects company’s economic performance. Satisfaction among customers reflects in positive way on organization’s overall reputation which on the other side could be a premise of creating strong relationship with important distributors and suppliers. From what was mentioned so far it becomes obvious that:

“aˆ¦customer satisfaction generates more future sales, reduces price elasticity, and increases the reputation of the firm.”

(Yee, R., Yeung, A., Cheng, T.C, 2008).

All of the mentioned sources and publications speak of the aspects that Bulgarian hospitality needs to focus in order to function successfully, to develop and to be competitive on the market.

Push / Pull factor in Tourism
Introduction

Modern tourism has become one of the strongest and most remarkable phenomena of the time. To discover its true nature, one must attempt to understand how the various components are connected to each other, and what are the causes and effects, the conjectures and the realities. One must first grasp the workings of the mechanism before he can determine the means of controlling, changing, and improving it. But the connections are discernible if one limits himself to a narrow, sector-based view (Krippendorf, 1987).

The greatest reason for travel can be summed up in one work, “Escape”, escape from the dull, daily routine; escape from the familiar, the common place, the ordinary; escape from the job, the boss, the customer, the commuting, the house the lawn, the leaky faucets.

The benefits of tourism can be wide ranging, extending to benefits to the economy, social life for people living in destinations as well as personal benefits to tourist (UNWTO 1999; Bureau International du Tourisme Sociale (BITS) 2006). These tourism benefits have been found to include: rest and recuperation from work; provision of new experiences lading to a broadening of horizons and the opportunity for learning and intercultural communication; promotion of peace and understanding; personal and social development; visiting friends and relatives; religious pilgrimage and health (Dann, 1977).

Push / Pull Factor

Although a universally agree-upon conceptualization of the tourist motivation construct is still lacking (Fodness, 1994), the push/pull model is accepted by many researchers (Dann, 1977; 1981; Crompton, 1979; Zhang and Lam, 1999; Jang and Cai, 2002; Hsu and Lam, 2003). Push factors are defined as internal motives or forces that cause tourists to seek activities to reduce their needs, while pull factors are destination generated forces and the knowledge that tourists hold about a destination (Gnoth, 1997). Most push factors are instrinsic motivators, such as the desire for escape, rest and relaxation, prestige, health and fitness, adventure and social interaction. Pull factors emerge due to the attractiveness of a destination, including beaches, recreation facilities and cultural attractions (Uysal and Jurowski, 1994). Traditionally, push factors are considered important in initiating travel desire, while pull factors are considered more decisive in explaining destination choice (Crompton, 1979, Bello and Etzel, 1985).

Crompton (1979) identifies two clusters of motives among pleasure vacationers, namely socio-psychological motives and cultural motives. Nine motives were generated based on an analysis of 39 unstructured interviews. the seven socio-psychological motives are; escape from a perceived mundane environment, exploration and evaluation of self, relaxation, prestige, regression, enhancement of kinship relationships and facilitation of social interaction; those classified as cultural motives are novelty and education. Although not explicit, Crompton hopes to link these motives to push and pull factors by arguing that push factors for a vacation are socio-psychological motives, while pull factors are cultural motives.

Similarly, Dann (1977) builds his theory based on two conceptualizations: anomie and eo-enhancement. By taking a sociological approach to tourist motivation, Dann identifies anomie and ego-enhancement as two important travel motives. He further argues that both motives are ‘push’ factors. Anomie represents the desire to transcend the feeling of isolation obtained in everyday life, where the tourist simply wishes to ‘get away from it all’. On the other hand, ego-enhancement derives from the level of personal needs. Just as in the need for social interaction people wish to be recognized. The need to have one’s ego enhanced or boosted is analogous to the desire for a ‘bodily tune-up’.

Dann (1977) distinguishes the characteristics of anomic tourists and ego-enhancement tourists. The anomic tourists are typically young, married, male, above-average socio-economic status, from small towns and rural areas, and repeat visitors. Ego-enhancement tourists represent the opposite end of spectrum. This group is more likely female, first-time visitors, from lower socio-economic strata and older than anomic tourists.

Dann favours ‘push’ factors, and argues that an examination of ‘push’ factors is logically, and often temporally, an antecedent to ‘pull’ factors. Moreover, he argues that the question of ‘what makes tourists travel’ can only relate to the ‘push’ factors, as this question is devoid of destination or value content requirements of ‘pull’ factors. While Dann admits that both the anomie and ego-enhancement concepts stem from ‘push’ factors, he does not regard the relationship between these two concepts as dichotomous. Instead, he constructs his theoretical framework as a continuum, with anomie and ego-enhancement as the polar coordinates.

The pull factors are active sports environment, unique natural environment, safety, sunshine, inexpensiveness, cultural activities, entertainment, sightseeing, local culture, different culture and cuisine and uniqueness of small towns/villages/mountains.

From the above descriptions of anomie and ego-enhancement, it should be clear that not only does travel represent the fulfilment of certain basic needs in the potential tourists, but that in so doing it offers him an alternative world to that in which he daily lives. It can be argued, for instance, that in the monotony of suburbia, the faceless city or the public village, life only becomes tolerable with the thought that there are chances of periodic escape from such an existence, and that travel provides the ideal outlets.

Tourist Motivation

Human society, once so sedentary, has begun to move. Today a hurried mobility has obsessed most of the inhabitants of the industrialized nations. One seizes every opportunity to free oneself. To escape the boredom of everyday life as often as possible: short jaunts during the week or week-end, long trips during vacations. Nobody wants anything more fervently for their old age than a secondary residence. Above all, one does not want to stay home but to get away at any price (Krippendorf, 1987).

The subject of tourist motivation involves questions about why people travel. However, identifying clearly the relationships between an individual’s motivations and selection of a destination is a difficult task. Krippendorf (1987), for instance, identified a number of tourist motivations, including:

Recuperation and regeneration;
Compensation and social integration;
Escape;
Communication;
Broadening the mind;
Freedom and self-determination;
Self-realisation;
Happiness.

Collectively, these motivations reflect that ‘the traveller is a mixture of many characteristics that cannot be simply assigned into this category or that one’ (Krippendorf, 1987: 28). He furthers states that, man spends part of his leisure time in mobile leisure activities, that is in travel, which opens a window to the world of the ordinary. This departure or escape is typified and conditioned by specific influences, motivations, and expectations. The purposes of travel constitute the polar opposite of daily life: they represent the non-ordinary. In this context, it is especially interesting to examine the behaviour and experiences of travellers, the circumstances and environment of the people visited (the hosts), and the encounters between travellers and other travellers, especially between travellers and hosts.

The system of work – habitat – leisure – travel is enclosed in a large framework and influenced by the force which governs it. One can distinguish four major domains of these forces, which are connected to each other by numerous interactions: society with its value system (sociocultural subsystem); the economy and its structure (economic subsystem); the environment and its resources (ecological subsystem); the government and its policies (political subsystem) (Rotach, Mauch, and Gueller 1982: 35ff).

Krippendorf believes that the main motive for tourism is to escape from something that we feel is wrong in our daily lives. In today’s highly technological world we feel trapped in routines and commitments over which we have no control, says Krippendorf.

Nowadays, the need to travel is above all created by society and marked by the ordinary. People leave because they no longer feel at ease where they are, where they work, and where they live. They feel an urgent need to rid themselves temporarily of the burdens imposed by the everyday work, home and leisure scenes, in order to be in a fit state, to pick the burden up again. Their work is more and more mechanized, bureaucratized, and determined without regard to their wishes. Deep inside, they feel the monotony of the ordinary, the cold rationality of factories, offices, apartment buildings, and the highway infrastructure, the impoverishment of human contact, the repression of feelings, the degradation of nature, and the loss of nature (Krippendorf, 1987).

Kripendorf highlights, besides the motivation, the society has simultaneously furnished to its members the means of carrying out this escape: money, in the form of higher income; and time, thanks to more and more limited work schedules. But most important of all, industry has developed the true prime mover of mobile society. The car and, to a lesser extent, the airplane have ushered in the mobile leisure revolution and have brought it to today’s state in scarcely two decades and at an amazing speed.

The society makes available the recreation industry, which plays in a sense the role of friend and advisor. This industry has taken over free time. It provides not only various kinds of gratification, but also creates, if necessary, the corresponding wishes and desires (Traitler 1971: 28). Many works to a large extent, in order to be able to take vacations, and he needs vacations to be able to go back to work (Krippendorf, 1987).

The work ethic has allowed many achievements: especially the much hoped for material well-being, the elimination (or nearly so) of poverty, and the reduced work week. But next to this undeniable progress, the ethic has also brought major problems which weigh more and more heavily in the scales and which are felt by a growing number of people: the loss of meaning in one’s job (as a consequence of mass production and of the extreme division of labour), an ever diminishing satisfaction with work and with life (Yankelovich, 1978; Noelle-Neumann 1983), the rigid and immutable organization of time, the phenomena of stress and boredom and the growing “medicalization” of lives (Isopublic 1982; Opaschowski, 1983), and most especially, the increase in unemployment (Kenward, 1983).

Social Tourism

The benefits of participation have prompted many governments to promote access to leisure travel as positive social and economic activities. However, government provisions to ensure equality of access to tourism are not universal ranging from tacit support to direct investment in the provision of services in the form of social tourism (European Commission 2001). In Europe active support for social tourism can be traced back to the Christian movement in France and Switzerland, the early youth movements in Germany and workers educational collectives. However, there are political, cultural and moral dimensions to the debates based on different perspectives on the ideological and fundamental role of the state in the provision of holiday services that has resulted in diverse provision of holiday services that has resulted in diverse provision of access to tourism opportunities.

In the UK for example, the European model has not been followed and there is concern about an ‘over-work’ culture (Bunting 2004). Similarly, the US has witnessed both long-term erosion in leisure time and a propensity for shorter holidays (Schor, 1991) whilst in Japan, holiday time has traditionally been even more scaring (Richards 1999). Therefore cultural attitudes towards holidaymaking could affect political support for social tourism as a policy tool.

Social tourism can be described as “the relationships and phenomena in the field of tourism resulting from participation in travel by economically weak or otherwise disadvantaged elements of society” (Hunzinger, “Social tourism, its nature and problems,” quoted in ETB and TUC 1976, 5). It involves the provision of vacations for people who can afford them only with the aid of a third party. Although the aim of social tourism is Unitarian in philosophy-to extend the benefits of vacations to a broader segment of society-it is expressed in a variety of forms.

Trade unions in industrialized nations have long sought and won paid vacation time for their members, and by example, have won similar rights for most industrial and service workers. In Europe and Japan some companies help, pay for a substantial portion of vacation costs. Most workers in West Germany receive Urlaubsgeld (holiday money), a bonus that cna equal 45 per cent of their regular vacation pay. In France, the state-owned Renault Company contributes to the operation of thirty family vacation villages for its workers (Time 1981).

Social agencies such as the YMCA, Boy scouts, and church groups support many summer camps which offer subsidized vacations to the young, poor or handicapped. In the United States there is evidence of “social tourism” with a twist, according to Lundberg (1976, 170). He notes that social tourism is designed to subsidize vacations or facilities for the working class, but points out that recent resort development in certain state parks is really social tourism for the middle class. These resort park projects offer country club quality and settings at a subsidized price, and have proved to be very popular attractions.

In recent years there has been a re-emergence of research on issues related to social justice and welfare issues in tourism (Higgins-Desboilles 2006; Hall and Brown 1996, 2006) including the concpt of social tourism. Haulot (1982) defines social tourism as a ‘the totality of relations and phenomena deriving from the participation of those social group with modest incomes-participation which is made possible or facilitated by measures of a well-defined social character’ (40). Although there are diverse interpretations of what constitutes social tourism and how it can be implemented, Minnaert, Maitland and Miller (2007) differentiate between visitor-and host-related forms of social tourism.

The literature linking social tourism to social welfare issues from a social policy perspective is limited (Minnaert, Maitland and Miller 2009). Social tourism in the UK is largely dependent on the charities sector, although there are a few studies on the structure and organization of support (Local Government Association 2001). The social policy literature has given limited consideration to the issue of tourisms role in current debates despite a one-wee holiday being included in the indicators of exclusion for some time (Hazel 2005) and tourism being increasingly perceived as a social ‘right’ (Richards 1998). The UK has not adopted the European model of policy provision on social tourism such as the World Tourism Organization (1980).

In the UK the largest factor for non-participation in a holiday was affordability (Corlyon and La Placa, 2006). In 2006-07 there were 2.9 million children living in income poverty in the UK, a figure which rose by 100,000 for the second year running (Department for work and Pensions 2008; see also Palmer, Carr and Kenway 2005). The main social groups who are most at risk from social exclusion from tourism include those who are: disabled; ill; older; at fear of persecution or other risk factors; suffering from poverty; lack time due to work or caring commitments, ethnic minority groups. Further, it is not clear how non-participation in tourism may impact upon the costs of health and social care provision (ODPM 2005).

According to McCabe, holiday space does not contain referents to family problems, and it is free of negative associations, stress and barriers to novel experiences. The holiday offers people a chance to live differently, individually and as a family, allowing a change in routines, to try new activities and experiences, for children to experience freedom, and to live at a different pace of life. Furthermore, holidays provided opportunities for positive and active behaviours in relation to sport and exercise, positive recreation as opposed to passive leisure forms, and issues which has been highlighted by Roberts in relation to leisure consumption and social exclusion (2004).

Further McCabe states, that, analysis of the application forms indicates that people are very often aware of the problems and issues which they face in their lives which can often lead to a sense of guilt. Given the opportunity of time and space away from the home environment, people have the chance to actively solve their own issues without the intervention from others. They have a chance to build or heal relationships and recover from past difficulties and an opportunity to reassess issue and face the future in a positive way.

Conclusion

Travel motivation studies attempt to answer the question ‘why people travel’ or ‘why people visit a particular destination’ because the underlying assumption is that motivation is one of the driving forces of behaviour. Understanding specific tourist motivations and/or the nature of travel motivation can help destination managers and marketers do a better job of product/service planning, marketing communication and visitor attraction and retention.

Travel motivation is a psychological construct which holds a multidimensional underlying structure. People travel to various places to meet different needs. Individuals travel motivations are influenced by their culture, background and previous experience. Of the motivational forces, pull factors are destination attributes, which are under a great deal of control of the destinations.

All the three authors talk about the push / pull factor of tourism but in different concept, Dann focuses on anomie and ego-enhancement, whereas Krippendorf talks about working class people needing to take holiday, with McCabe it is about social tourism for the people who are excluded from the society and cannot afford holiday. Each author explains the same in different ways and logic.

References:
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Bunting, M. (2004), ‘Willing Slaves’: How the Overwork Culture is Ruling Our Lives. London: Harper Collins.

Corlyon, J., and La Placa, V., (2006) Holidays for Families in Need: Policies and Practice in the UK. London: Policy Research Bureau.

Crompton, J. (1979) Motivations for pleasure vacation. Annals of Tourism Research 6(4), 408-424.

Dann, G. (1977), Anomie, ego-enhamcement and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 4(4), 184-194.

Dann, G., (1981), Tourist motivation: An appraisal, Annals of Tourism Research 8(2), 187-219.

Department for Work and Pensions (2008) Households Below Average Income: An Analysis of the Income Distribution 1994 / 95 -2006 /0. HMSO.

European Commission, (2001), Report of the Results of the Tourism for all Investigation. Brussels: European Commission.

Fodness, D., (1994), Measuring tourist motivation. Annals of Tourism Research 21 (3), 555-581.

Gnoth, J., (1997), Tourism motivation and expectation formation. Annals of Tourism Research 24(2), 283-304.

Hall, D., and Brown, F., (1996) Towards a Welfare Focus for Tourism Research. Progress in Tourism and Hospitality Research 2:41-57.

Hall, D., and Brown, F., (2006) Tourism and Welfare: Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainable Well-being. Wallingford: CABI.

Haulot, A., (1982) Social Toursim: Current Dimensions of Future Developments. Journal of Travel Research 20:40.

Hazel, N. (2005) Holidays for Children and Families in Need: An Exploration of the Research and Policy Context for Social Tourism in the UK. Children & Society 19:225-236.

Higgins-Desboilles, F. (2006), More than an “Industry”: The Forgotten Power of Tourism as a Social Force. Tourism Management 27: 1192-1208.

Hsu, C.H.C., and Lam, T.,( 2003), Mainland Chinese travellers motivations and barriers of visiting Hong Kong. Journal of Academy of Business and Economics 2(1), 60-67.

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Jang, S.C. and Cai, L.A., (2002), Travel motivations and destination choice: a study of British outbound market. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 13(3), 111-133.

Kenward, L. (1983), Arbeitslosigkeit in den grossen Industrielaendern. In Finanzierung und Entwicklung 2:24 – 38. Hamburg: HWWA-Institut.

Krippendorf, J. (1987), The Holidaymakers. Understanding the Impact of Leisure and Travel. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Local Government Association (2001) Tourism as a Tool for Social Inclusion. London: LGA.

McCabe, S. (2009) Who needs a holiday? Evaluating social tourism, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 667-688, 2009.

Minnaert, L., R. Maitland, and G. Miller (2007) Social Tourism and its Ethical Foundations. Tourism Culture & Communicaton 7:7-17.

Minnaert, L., R. Maitland, and G. Miller (2009) Tourism and Social Policy: The Value of Social Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 36(2): 316-334.

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Public transport faces severe problems in almost all countries although the situation varies from one country to another and even from one city to another. The referred study pertains to Sydney in Australia. Sydney is Australia’s only truly global city, the world’s most culturally diverse cities and one of the world’s great metropolises. Public Transport is an integral part of the fabric of society and is a right, not a privilege. Transportation along with Health and Education are basic building block of any community. The public sees public transport as a core state responsibility. Sydney has the highest level of public transport accessibility to any city in Australia. The different type of facilities available is Airport Link, Buses, Trains, Ferries, Light Rail, Monorail, Taxis, Sydney & Bondi Explorer and City Hopper.

Based on the report Sydney by 2036, State Plan and the 2005 Metropolitan Strategy (City of Cities: A Plan for Sydney’s Future) set out the long-term growth management plan for Sydney. According to this by 2036 Sydney will need to accommodate 6 million people. Nearly 70% of Sydney’s population growth will be driven by natural increase. Migration will account for just over 30% of the population increase. Sydney’s population is expected to reach 6 million by 2036 – an increase of 1.7 million since the last Census in 2006. That means 760,000 more jobs and 770,000 more homes than in 2006. This growth brings with it significant implications for transport and infrastructure, so it’s vital we get the planning right to ensure we build on our advantages.

Executive Summary

Sydney is Australia’s largest city with an approximate population of 4.4 million. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) forecasts that by 2036, the City is expected to have population of approximately. One of the critical issues facing the City is the continuing failure to invest in public transport infrastructure to meet the needs of its growing population. Public Transport System in Sydney has not improved due to various reasons. There has been so many different plans made by different political parties but majority of these plans remain as paper document and were not implemented. The history of failure to implement public transport plans and infrastructure promises is matter of concern with different authorities and public at large.

One of the major reasons of failure of implementation is the lack of long term funding arrangements. Though privatisation has been allowed in Ferry and bus business but the improvement in overall transportation system is not as per standards the other major Cities of Australia have achieved. This has caused Sydney falling behind other Australian and world cities in its public transport performance.

Current Situation

The public at large who uses public transport in Sydney face the problems. Public using the public transport in Sydney whether buses, ferries or trains know that the system is groaning under the pressure of the regular infusion of funds. Not because Sydney is growing rapidly (although it is) but because the state government has refused to invest in bringing an ageing system up to scratch. It is felt by the public that Public transport networks, designed in the 1940s, are straining to service growing cities. In Sydney alone, patronage of the City Rail network increased by more than 8 million journeys in 2008/09. As demand for public transport has risen, modest rises in services have not kept pace. The pressure of overcrowding has led transport authorities to design more “realistic” timetables: bus and train trips now take longer than in past years. In the outer suburbs of Australian cities, public transport is simply non-existent or woefully inadequate. Since last two decades, NSW governments declares number of plans and documents about improvement in public transport system, however, non implementation of the declared plans is indication of deferment denial of the need for the government to lead the development of public transport services and infrastructure in Sydney. The past slow developments indicate that since the opening of the Eastern Suburbs Railway in 1979 only three segments have been added to the suburban rail network, and one of these, the Airport line, relied on private sector construction and operation of its stations, leading to excessive fares and thus preventing the city from making the best use of this important infrastructure.

All these factors conclude the public transport infrastructure deficit which has placed Sydney well behind comparable cities in Europe, Asia and in some cases even North America. The situation in Brisbane where the bus way network and Perth’s new Mandurah rail line in Australia proves that Sydney is comparatively behind these metro areas. The solution to this problem is not easy and can be resolved immediately with Government support especially in implementation of planning of building public transport infrastructure.

NSW Transport and Infrastructure has been established as the lead public transport agency of the NSW Government. NSW Transport and Infrastructure is responsible for transport coordination, policy and planning, transport service and infrastructure. It will also manage budget allocation for rail, bus, ferry and taxi services and related infrastructure in NSW. (Ref: Transport & Infrastructure, http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/aboutus).

One of the debateable issues is the privatisation of the transport system. For example the Walker Report inquiring into Sydney Ferries mentions that there is a real threat regarding Sydney Ferries could be sold off by the NSW State Government. This means higher prices and reduction in services for a profit driven private owner as opposed to a government service offered to the people. Sydney Ferries give people modal choice and are considered to be a cheaper way for the government to move people then cars on roads so it just doesn’t make sense. Mr Walker recommended the government to form a public-private partnership to operate and manage the service while also is calling for the entire current ferry fleet to be replaced. The report is critical of the current performance of Sydney Ferries, saying it is less than satisfactory and beset by cultural problems. Premier Morris Iemma said the Walker report would be the “road map for change” within Sydney Ferries and supported the call for a new fleet of ferries.

An independent Public enquiry was conducted to look into Long Term Public Transport Plan for Sydney which published the Preliminary Report dated February 05, 2010. The Sydney Morning Herald is right to say that Sydney needs a long term plan that guides the way in which services and infrastructure are planned and delivered. That work is well underway, and builds on the infrastructure, and planning that this Government has already delivered.

Historical facts, figures and scenario

Public transport operators in NSW carry over 2 million passengers each weekday on rail, bus, ferry and taxi services. Around 72% of trips to the Sydney CBD each weekday are made using public transport. The transport sector employs about 20,000 people across. NSW Government has looked into major areas of the transport sector, implementation of the projects for improvement in customer service.

Manly has had both a conventional and a high speed ferry service to the city since January 1965. The Hydrofoil service became more regular with the entry to service of the second larger 140 seat Fairlight. The Manly Hydrofoil service became difficult and costly to run following the introduction of two larger and slightly faster Hydrofoils in September 1984 and July 1985. It finds that there have been a number of considerations and attempts to withdraw the Jetcat service from Manly since 1996 and the recent withdrawal was simply the final and successful attempt. Manly Jetcats have been poorly managed by Sydney Ferries due to progressive Jetcat service degradation and associated failure to properly manage maintenance of the vessels. There were incidents of failure to organise sufficient crew to run both the Manly Ferry and Jetcat services.

The incidents of transport plans are announced and then re-announced. New rail lines are proposed but then abandoned and governments claim increasing costs and global financial problems.

Abandoning the proposed light rail service to the North-West & postponing indefinitely the proposed heavy rail service to the South-West are examples of wrong priorities, inadequacy of funds and inefficiency of the existing transport system which could have added more profits. South West Rail Link has recently been re-announced by the State Government, the future of the North West link is yet to be confirmed. What is implicit in the interim report is the real danger that if the government does proceed with prioritising the construction of an expensive metro network, no further infrastructure is likely to be provided in Western Sydney beyond the South West Rail Link and the Western Metro for many decades to come – if ever.

News regarding introducing an (unsuccessful) ‘congestion tax’ tolling system on the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel appeared in media. The Government view was that it is introduced to prompt some people to change their travel times or take public transport for trips during peak hours. It was to encourage commuters who can take their journey outside of the peak period. The Government wanted to reduce congestion on Australia’s busiest road corridor. Some were of the view that it is unsuccessful as congestion could not be reduced.

In the Ministerial enquiry into sustainable transport in New South Wales during December 2003, it emerged that Govt. cannot continue with the current arrangements for providing and funding transport services as they are not delivering the satisfactory services to meet the needs of the community. It was suggested that public transport operators (especially CityRail) must overhaul their management and workplace practices to deliver better, safer services, and reduce their operating costs. For passengers the report has suggested that must pay a fairer share of the costs of the system, particularly to help fund improvements. The report recommended that the Government must make amendments to provide concessions for senior citizens, school students and other groups and examine how specific road use pricing could be used to encourage more people to use public transport instead of private cars.

Ref: Ministerial inquiry into sustainable transport in New South Wales dated December 2003.

Based on this report the expenses needed to operate public transport services in NSW are expected to increase substantially over the next seven years. Based on estimates provided by SRA and STA the total costs to maintain existing CityRail, Sydney Buses, Newcastle Buses and Ferries, and Sydney Ferries services (and to allow for some growth in patronage due to population growth) will be nearly $2.7 billion per year over the period 2003-04 to 2010-11. Assuming that passenger fares and government contributions do not increase in real terms, the total revenue for these public transport operators is expected to be nearly $2.3 billion per year. This means there will be a gap of some $400 million per year between the money that they spend and the money they receive. If CityRail and STA were to expand or improve their services significantly, the gap would be even greater.

Total average annual expenditure needs of NSW government public transport operators, 2003-04 to 2010-11

Costs

$m

Operating

2 043

Capital

620

Total
2 663
Revenue

Farebox and other revenue

884

Government contributions

1 377

Total
2 261
Funding gap
402

All financials expressed in cash flows and in 2003 dollars.

Source: Data provided by SRA and STA, 2003.

It was estimated that CityRail will need to spend nearly $2.1 billion per annum from 2003-04 to 2010-11 to maintain existing services, and make some service improvements. This estimate includes the additional invest­ment needed to implement the rail clearways plan, which should result in improved service levels across the network. It represents an increase of 17 per cent over CityRail’s 2001-02 expenditure. CityRail’s total revenues per annum are expected to be more than $1.7 billion, including more than $600 million from fares and other revenue, and $1.1 billion from government contributions. This means there will be a funding gap of $332 million per annum if there are no real fare increases or increases in government funding.

Forecast average annual expenditure for CityRail, 2003-04 to 2010-11

Costs

$m

Operating

1 527

Capital

553

Total
2 080
Revenue

Farebox and other revenue

614

Government contributions

1 134

Total
1 748
Funding gap
332

All financials expressed in cash flows and in 2003 dollars.

Source: Data provided by SRA, 2003.

Sydney’s Buses forecast needs:

The report estimates that Sydney Buses requires about $437 million per annum to maintain its network of services over the period 2003-04 to 2010-11. The forecast includes the cost of replacement of old buses with new air-conditioned, low floor buses. The forecast expenditure represents an increase of 18 per cent (or $66 million per annum in real terms) over Sydney Buses’ 2001-02 expenditure. The report estimates that Sydney Buses total revenues over the period will be $410 million per annum. This means there will be a funding gap of $27 million per annum.

Forecast average annual expenditure for Sydney Buses, 2003-04 to 2010-11
Costs
$m

Operating

378

Capital

59

Total
437
Revenue

Farebox and other revenue

221

Government contributions

189

Total
410
Funding gap
27

All financials expressed in cash flows and in 2003 dollars.

Source: Data provided by STA, 2003.

The report also indicate the estimates that Newcastle Buses and Ferries requires approximately $50 million per annum to maintain existing services for the period 2003-04 to 2010-11. This represents an increase of 38 per cent (or $14 million per annum in real terms) compared with 2001-02 expenditures. Total revenues are estimated to be $30 million per annum over this period, resulting in a funding gap of $19 million per annum. Forecast average annual expenditure for Newcastle Buses and Ferries, 2003-04 to 2010-11

Costs
$m

Operating

46

Capital

3

Total
49
Revenue

Farebox and other revenue

8

Government contributions

22

Total
30
Funding gap
19

All financials expressed in cash flows and in 2003 dollars.

Source: Data provided by STA, 2003.

The report has forecasted that Sydney Ferries requires $97 million per annum from 2003-04 to 2010-11 to maintain its existing services. This is a decrease of four per cent, or $4 million per annum in real terms, compared with 2001aˆ‘02.

Forecast average annual expenditure for Sydney Ferries, 2003-04 to 2010-11
Costs
$m

Operating

92

Capital

5

Total
97
Revenue

Farebox and other revenue

41

Government contributions

32

Total
73
Funding gap
24

All financials expressed in cash flows and in 2003 dollars.

Source: Data provided by STA, 2003.

The total costs include $5 million per annum for capital expenditure. This relatively low level of capital expenditure follows a large capital program totalling $65 million over the previous three years. Expected increases in operating costs of 23 per cent on 2001-02 levels will be offset by this lower level of capital expenditure resulting in an overall decrease in costs.

The report pointed out that there is considerable scope for operators to reduce the funding gap by improving efficiency. The operational efficiency will deliver more value from the public funds they receive. The efficiency will lead to higher profitability and low funding requirements in future.

Future scenario, Aims, Objectives and Strategy

The past history reveal that planning for improvement of the Public Transport System was made by the ruling Government on periodical basis but the proper implementation was not done in most of the plans. There was an independent Public inquiry in the Lon term Public Transport Plan for Sydney which has been published in February 2010 which includes two of these future plans as supporting documents. It is also reported from the survey that there have been number of plans both before the inquiry was initiated. The fact that plans were made but not executed indicate that the crisis in transport in Sydney needs to be addressed by much more than just a plan if the Government really wish to achieve an efficient transport system. The emphasis should be more as Sydney is a worthy of a world-class city and capable of meeting the massive population and employment growth, social, environmental, energy and global warming challenges of the future. If the improvement does not commensurate with the time there will be slow growth in revenue as compared to other metros like Melbourne where the systems have been improved in short span of time.

The immediate steps required are to introduce a system of underground electric railways for city and suburban passenger traffic, serving the North Shore, the Eastern Suburbs, and Balmain and adjoining suburbs. In the past there has been a heavy investment in radial freeways and toll roads as governments sought to meet the increasing demand. The tram network was closed down and dismantled. Majority of the public is of the view that there is need for the long term commitment rather than the short term political gains. The general public view is to have efficient and competitive public transport system in spite of the fact that public will be required to pay extra for the improvements.

Recently, there has been improvement in the efficiency of bus based systems for Sydney, including two bus ways in western Sydney; provision of bus lanes and bus priority measures; use of articulated buses; and introduction of pre-paid only buses and Metro buses. These initiatives need to continue. Sydney’s ferry system could be enhanced by provision of bike parking facilities at ferry terminals, while taxi services could be improved by the use of multi-hiring at peak times, which will increase productivity and reduce costs.

Ref: Thirty Years Public Transport Plan for Sydney

Aim: The aim is to streamline transport structure. The improvement is Public Transport System will deliver integrated transport planning and service delivery, and consolidation of like-functions to reduce costs and provide additional funds for front-line staff and services. This aim is defined by NSW Transport and Infrastructure which is the lead public transport agency of the NSW Government, with primary responsibility for transport policy, planning and coordination functions as well as oversight of infrastructure delivery and asset management. NSW will encourage the collaboration with other transport agencies as key service initiatives to deliver a more capable, safe and reliable transport network across metropolitan, regional and rural NSW.

Ref. Transport & Infrastructure: http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au

Impact from Population and Environment

Sydney’s population would grow by 1.1 million to 5.3 million by 2031, necessitating 640,000 new dwellings and 500,000 new jobs. The population is expected to grow by up to 35% over the next thirty years, while energy use; oil use and greenhouse gas emissions would all rise with adverse impacts on health. There is another contributor to growth in population is increase in life expectancies. Australians live longer as such Sydney will need to adapt to meet the needs of older residents, especially those in heavily car-dependent areas with limited public transport. Public transport infrastructure should take into consideration the aged and people with mobility impairments or disabilities.

The transport systems in Sydney is heavily oil dependent, and latest data suggests that global oil production flattened out from 2005 and is now likely to go into decline. This could lead to further serious economic consequences (Hamilton, 2009), particularly for those cities which are most reliant on automobiles. Key thirty years objectives and strategies for Sydney were established for passenger transport in Sydney:

Reduce Overall Greenhouse Gas emissions by at least 50%

Reduce Overall Oil use by at least 50%

Improve Health by increasing active transport (walking and cycling), reducing air pollution and traffic accidents

The strategies to be followed are:

Limit population growth

Reduce per capita travel through travel demand measures

Increase energy and greenhouse efficiency

As no single specific strategy will enable to meet the aim & objectives combination of the strategies are required to meet the key objective.

Forecasting and Trends

Forecasting furnished below has been taken from the published report: Independent Public Inquiry Long Term Public Transport Plan for Sydney. The figures have been accepted based on the assumptions and the assumptions of three scenarios:

The first is European Scenario which assumes significant and employment growth so as to accommodate six million people by 2040. It also assumes continuation of 2005 Metropolitan strategies which see Sydney to develop as City of Cities.

The second is East Asian scenario assumes the same overall additional population and employment growth but focuses more heavily on the traditional city centre and inner areas of Sydney, with very strong employment growth (higher than under the “European” scenario) in the City of Sydney and high levels of residential development along major new metro lines.

A third scenario, a “US” scenario, which would involve much lower density residential development with more urban sprawl, more dispersed employment locations and a heavy focus on road development, with only half of its funding being directed to public transport.

Ref. Independent Public Inquiry Long-Term Public Transport Plan for Sydney-Preliminary Report dated February 2010

Recommendations

From the past records it is felt that the problem in Public Transport System in Sydney continues in spite of change in ruling political party. One of the major issues is the funding arrangement by the Government. It is recommended that the Government should allow privatisation to some extent and the rates should be semi controlled by the ruling Government. Like in Melbourne privatization can be allowed in Sydney as a form of

Public-Private Partnership.

NSW Transport and Infrastructure should develop its Corporate Plan which must be implemented without deviation. Short plans, if required, should be implemented but if these are linked to major plan should only be implemented along with other linked projects. Doing half way is a loss to the Government and also the tax payer’s money is not utilised properly.

Government has already got published the independent studies wherein different long term plans have been suggested and especially the long term strategy for next 30 years is published for public opinion and suggestions. It is recommended that Government should implement the strategy which provides subsidised or concession travel to a wide range of people within specified target groups. The Ministry of Transport’s role is to provide advice to Government on concession policy issues and administer the contractual arrangements for transport concessions on regulated bus, train and ferry services.

Conclusion

In collaboration with other transport agencies, NSW Transport and Infrastructure is progressively implementing key service initiatives to deliver a more capable, safe and reliable transport network across metropolitan, regional and rural NSW.

All transport infrastructure projects must be compared and evaluated using rigorous cost benefit analysis which takes full account of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits.

Chapter 1

Infrastructure is a broad concept linked to every facet of the economy and human life. Accordingly, the list of associated issues is long. For any purposeful analysis of issues in infrastructure development to lead to an action-oriented way forward, it is necessary to narrow down the definition of infrastructure and associated issues. The term infrastructure has been used since 1927 to refer collectively to the roads, bridges, rail lines and similar public works that are required for an industrial economy to function. Transportation, communication, sewage, water and electric systems are all a part of infrastructure. These systems tend to be high-cost investments. In general, infrastructure is location-specific and cannot be moved from place to place (www.unescap.org).

Transportation infrastructure cannot operate without transportation and transportation cannot run without transportation infrastructure. Different transportations have their own infrastructure to support each other. For air transportation, their infrastructure will be the airport. Port will be the infrastructure for water transportation while infrastructure for land transportation such as public bus will be the bus terminal or bus stop.

Transport infrastructure development in East and South-East Asia has played a key part in the phenomenal growth of world trade. The infrastructure backbone for international trade has been the container shipping network and increasingly the airfreight network. World container port traffic, which expanded by 9.2 per cent to 266 million TEUs in 2003, is dominated by Asian countries. They accounted for 46 per cent of container ship operations, 62 per cent of container port throughput, and 83 per cent of container ship building. Twelve major South and East Asian exporters together account for half of the world’s containerized exports (www.unescap.org).

Bus terminal or known as bus station is one of the most important transportation infrastructure where buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It may be intended as a terminal or station for a number of routes or as a transfer station where the routes continue. It is larger than bus stop where bus stop is usually built at the road side for the bus to stop for a while but not to wait for passengers.

Tel Aviv’s new central bus station was officially inaugurated recently, after 26 years of off-and-on construction, legal and financial disputes (Encyclopedia.com). A majority of the Dan and Egged Tel Aviv-area buses are now based at the new station; 5,000 buses pass through the station daily, carrying some 150,000 passengers. The station is the largest bus station in the world, encompassing 197,600 square meters indoors, and 34,400 square meters outdoors (Encyclopedia.com). The largest underground bus station in Europe is Kamppi Center of Helsinki, Finland completed in 2006. The terminal cost 100 million Euro to complete and took 3 years to design and build. Today, the bus terminal, which covers 25,000 square meters, is the busiest bus terminal in Finland. Every day, the terminal has around 700 bus departures, transporting some 170,000 passengers (www.webcitation.org).

Since bus station play a vital role in strengthening the volume of traffic as well as in providing better services to the passenger, the bus service undertakings, specially in the public sector, should come up and encourage the emergence of the bus station management as an independent discipline in the field of traffic management. (Kulshrestha, 1993, p.9)

Penang, as most of us may already know, is one of Malaysia’s most popular destinations for travelers coming from the local or the international communities (Talk Malaysia 2010). One of the main reasons for Penang to have so many travelers coming and going out annually is partly because there are a lot of interesting places to visit in Penang. Most of the interesting places in Penang are located at mainly around Georgetown and Seberang Perai (www.talkmalaysia.com).

Therefore, transport infrastructure especially bus terminal or station in Georgetown play an important role in order to pick up and drop off passengers from a destination to another destination. This is because Penang has traffic problem, therefore public transport are used.

Komtar Bus Terminal is the hub of bus services in George Town. All the bus routes of Penang radiates from this terminal. To be exact, Komtar Bus Terminal is not a “terminal” proper, but rather a bus station, because buses do not actually start from here, but rather, from the Weld Quay Bus Terminal. Nevertheless, most people will know it by that name. At the Komtar Bus Terminal, you can catch buses going to the north, central, south and west parts of Penang Island, as well as some buses that go to the mainland. Among the bus companies that use the terminal includes Rapid Penang, Milan, Transit Link and KGN-Hin. The terminal is located along Lebuh Tek Soon, although buses approach it via Jalan Ria and they emerge from the terminal into Jalan Ria once more (www.penang-traveltips.com).

As a bus stop user, not satisfied with bus terminal in Georgetown. Some of the same complaint had been made by locals and tourists too. This is because they have the difficulties in determine which bus to ride in order to reach their destination. Therefore, this study is to find out what are the factors which make the tourists satisfied and not satisfied with the bus terminals in Penang. This study also includes, to identify the present condition of transport infrastructure, the cleanliness in the bus terminals and the safety and security in the bus terminals. From these factors, this study is able to conclude what are their expectations towards bus stop in order to let the government make improvement.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Transport and traffic management have always been a bone of contention for Penang. Many feel that rapid economic development has not been met with an equal amount of attention given to proper traffic management and planning. There are about 1.4 million vehicles (motorcycles, cars and other vehicles) for a population of about 1.4 million people in Penang. This is about double the number of vehicles in 1999 (Sympologic, 2008).

For the above reason, public transportation had played a very important role to reduce the traffic in Penang. But without a good infrastructure, public transportation will not be able to run smoothly. There are 2 main transport infrastructures for bus in Georgetown which are Komtar Bus Terminal and Weld Quay Bus Terminal. But, locals and tourists are not satisfied with the bus terminals in Georgetown. This is because there are no proper route information and bus timetable. It is difficult especially for tourists to identify which bus to ride in order to reach their destination. Tourists always have to ask the bus driver one by one to ask for the destination. This had slow down the traffic also. Besides, from the observation, the bus terminals are not well-maintained in term of cleanliness and safety.

1.3 Goal & Objectives

The goal of this research is to study tourists’ satisfactions and expectations towards bus terminals in Penang.

In order to achieve the above goal, there are some objectives need to be done.

To examine tourists’ satisfactions towards bus terminals

To examine tourists’ expectations towards the bus terminals

To examine the present condition of bus terminals

To identify the cleanliness in the bus terminals

To identify the safety and security in the bus terminals

1.4 Hypothesis

From the objectives above, the below are the hypotheses which had concluded:

Locals and tourists are not satisfied with the bus terminals.

Locals and tourists have high expectations on the bus terminals in term of cleanliness and security.

There is no proper route information or sign board in the bus terminals.

The bus terminals are not clean.

The bus terminals are not secure.

The above hypotheses are made based on my own experiences and observation.

Significance of the Study

This research is able to let the government and private sector to make improvement on the bus terminals in order to let them become truly efficient. From the questionnaires which will be distribute and collected, they able to tell us the satisfaction level and expectation of locals and tourists towards the bus terminals. From their expectation, the improvement can be made. For example by putting up the route information and sign board, locals and tourists able to know which bus to ride to reach their destination. Besides, clean the bus terminals daily so that locals and tourists will feel comfortable and assign more security to secure the bus terminals. When the improvements have made, the locals and tourists will have the chance to use better bus terminals. All these will make the business of the bus increase too.

1.6 Scopes and Limitations of the Study

The scopes for my research are Penangites and tourists in Penang. Penangites and tourists who are the user of bus terminals are targeted. 80% Penangites and 20% tourists are chosen to carry out this research. In order to complete this research, distribution of questionnaires will be made to these 2 groups of people mentioned above. Besides, observation in the bus terminals will be done by my own selves too.

The bus terminals in Georgetown which would like to research on are Komtar Bus Terminal and Weld Quay Bus Terminal. These are the two popular bus terminals in Georgetown which crowded by people every day. This is because these are the two main stops which the bus will pick and drop passenger.

There are also limitations for this research. The first limitation is resources. There is very few information on books, journals or articles about transportation infrastructure. The next limitation will be the time. Only 5 months to complete this research. Last but not least, the limitation is the manpower. I am the only one who doing this research.

Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Transport and Tourism

Page (2005) said that transport act as one of the important that contributed to the international development of tourism.

According to Page (2007), the mode of transport can be one of the main motivations for the tourists to travel. He also said that in the growth of domestic and international tourism, transport is the most critical element in the promotion. He continued said that transport links the tourist from the origin area with the destination area. Therefore it enables the holidaymaker, business traveler and other categories of traveler to purchase the products and experience what they have purchased. He added that transport may be an attraction in its own right. Tourists who travel by road may use public transport or private transport to experience a variety of destinations.

2.2 Transport and Tourism in Penang, Malaysia

A combination of East and West, Penang continues to grow in modernity but at the same time holding its traditions and old charm. Recently, because of the harmony of multiracial in Penang and the heritage buildings which are well preserved, these make the Georgetown being accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Penang, long regarded as the food capital of Malaysia, it also attracts tourists with its beautiful beaches and delicious cuisines (www.tourismpenang.net.my).

Transportation in Penang is convenient. You can travel in or out of Penang by the well-connected of road, rail, sea and air. Not only the air and train service is good in Penang but the seaways also offer good transportation. Ferry and seaports are there to create convenient to the people in Penang and Buttterworth. Penang ferry is provided by the Penang Ferry Service that connects George Town, Penang and Butterworth. There are four terminals, one on Penang Island (Swettenham Pier) and three on the mainland. Next, railway act as one of the transportation in Penang, but they are not popular due to their low speed. Besides, international flights are available in Penang International Airport which situated in the Bayan Lepas area of Penang, Malaysia (www.asiarooms.com).

Goh (2010) said that traffic jams in Penang especially the major roads including Jalan Burma, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Jalan Jelutong and Jalan Mesjid Negeria re common although the population is small. Outside the city, jams are found even in Bayan Lepas and Telok Kimbar. He added that although the Jelutong Express Way had provided some relief to Jalan Jelutong and Jalan Mesjid Negeri, but the costs to Penangnites have yet to be calculated, although the highway is touted to be “free”. He suggested that Penang should follow the example of Crutiba. Crutiba is a city where the people rely on buses to avoid traffic jam. Recently, Rapid Penang buses are introduced for those who do not have car or have chosen not to use their cars.

2.2 Public Transportation

Zegeer (2002) said that good public transportation is an important to the quality of a community as good roads. According Ramanathan and Parikh (1999, cited in Ramanathan, 2001; Banister and Berechman, 2001; Ramanathan and Parikh, 1999; Eisner, 1991), transport is a vital element for the modern society now and key to sustained economic growth.

But, Ortuzar and Willumsen (2001) argued that the world of transport still face many problems of the past such as congestion, pollution, accidents, financial deficits and so on. They continued said that these problems will not get away until the traffic management improved.

Figure 1 Car and Public-transport vicious circle

Car and Public-transport vicious circle cited in Ortuzar, J.d.D., Willumsen, L.G., 2001, p. 8

They continue said that the transport problems have spread widely in both industrialized and developing countries. According to them, fuel shortages which are temporarily not a problem, but the increase in road traffic and transport demand has resulted in congestion, delays, accidents and environmental problems well beyond what has been considered acceptable so far. These problems have not been controlled to roads and car traffic alone. They added that economic growth seems to have generated levels of demand exceeding the capacity of most transport facilities. They continue argued that these problems are not likely to disappear in the near future. They suggested that it is necessary to ensure that a major effort in improving most forms of transport, in urban and inter-urban contexts.

With respect to the quality of prices and services, transport services have been traditionally been subject to tight economic regulation with respect to entering and exciting the market. In many countries, road and rail networks and airport and port systems are traditionally designed, built, and operated by the public sector itself, which is the ultimate form of regulation. This type of government intervention has resulted in excessive costs that are not matched by prices or quality, therefore creating an outcome that reflects the interests of the sector’s civil servants of contractors, unions, and other interests groups more than preferences of users and taxpayers (Estache and Rus, 2000).

According to UITP (2004), government and public transport share a same goal to make sure the public transport is accessible to all especially the traffic environments have to be well-designed and managed to let the people to reach and use public transport safely and with confidence. UITP suggested that government and the public transport community to work together to reduce not only the physical but also the psychological barriers such as cognitive, information, fear and discrimination to travel safely in cities.

UITP continues said that at any one time, an average of 25% of the population may have a degree of reduced mobility due to a physical or mental disability, impaired sight or hearing, or through having to carry heavy bags or travel with small children. UITP added, physical and sensory disabilities are often related to age and, as is well known, the proportion of the elderly population in western countries is growing and will continue to do so well into the 21st century. These are clear of the importance of improving accessibility to transport systems. According to UITP, benefits from improvements in transport accessibility are accrued not just to the disabled and ageing communities, but to all clients of the transport system.

2.3 Transport infrastructure

Traditionally, building extra capacity has been addressed due to the blockages in transport infrastructure. But the possibility is small for the further expansion of infrastructure in many urban areas where the demand for transport is highest. Furthermore, a number of reports have found that the construction of new roads and airports to relieve congestion is ineffective because it only serves to induce new traffic. On the other hand, a study undertaken by a Norwegian research organization, the SINTEF Group claims that infrastructure capacity increases are directly linked to decreases in polluting emissions from motor vehicles. Using a traffic micro-simulation, it showed, for example, that upgrading narrow, winding roads or adding a lane to a congested motorway can yield decreases of up to 38% in CO2 emissions, 67% in CO emissions and 75% in NOx emissions, without generating substantially more car trips (EurActiv.com, 2008).

According to Carcamo-Diaz and Goddard (2007, cited in IADB, 2000), Infrastructure, defined as the set of engineering structures, equipment and facilities with a long-term, useful life employed by households and the different productive sectors of the economy, is essential for economic growth (cited in Easterly and Serven, 2003) and integration. As pointed out by IADB (2002), there is a positive relationship across countries between income levels and the quality of infrastructure. According to Tanzi (2005), the implicit assumption about the direction of causation goes from infrastructure to growth, although this issue is still debated in the literature.

In many cases, the objective of transport infrastructure investment is to improve the accessibility of a given region by reducing travel time or increasing the potential to travel. Accessibility can be measured as the quantity of economic or social activities that can be reached using the transport labor, leading to increased competition and centralization. On the other hand, the impact for region concerned could be both positive and negative, depending on its initial level competitiveness (OECD, 2002).

According to ITF and OECD (2008), there are some features of surface transport infrastructure that make its provision distinct from many other areas of the economy and which will likely have to be accounted for when different models are being considered. They claimed that transport system does not exist for their own sake but rather to serve other economic and social activity, this is because transport is a ‘derived demand’. This means that the possible wider implications of capacity shortages in, and overall standard of, the transport system, must be taken into consideration in the design if any model for providing transport infrastructure.

2.4 Transport Infrastructure in Different Countries
2.4.1 Luxembourg

The pressure of congestion, excessive strain on transport infrastructure and environmental have led to a challenge due to a large and increasing number of commuters (OECD, 2008c). These pressures stem from both resident and cross-border commutes, which are broadly similar in number. High and increasing number of commutes among residents is reflected in Europe’s highest car ownership rate and one of the highest annual distances covered by automobile per capita. For cross-border commutes, 85% are made in passenger cars without use of public transport. These patterns lead to alarming levels of congestion on the main road transport corridors and there are now severe bottlenecks at the entrance to urban areas, notably in the city of Luxembourg. This results in wasted time, unsafe driving conditions, noise and high levels of emission and local air pollution (OECD, 2010).

2.4.2 France

According to Willis (2010), the transport infrastructure in France is one of the most modernized to be found anywhere in Europe and this makes international freight movements streamlined and effective. In the area of modern tramways, France is a world leader in railway technology. Rail transport is therefore always a best option for shipping companies and freight forwarders operating in France. The transport network is built as a web, with Paris at the center. There is a total of nearly 32,000 kilometers of track in France, most of which is operated by the French railway company, SNCF. Over the last twenty years, a set of high speed LGV (lignes a grande vitesse) have been constructed to connect most parts of France with Paris. There are same gauge rail links to adjacent countries of Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden, as well as the Channel Tunnel link with the UK. The TGV, the French high speed train has broken world speed records is a sign of the way that France is a true global leader in rail transport. For freight transport, rail is a model in France.

2.4.3 Germany

According to Willis (2009), Germany has a transport infrastructure that is the envy of the world and this has helped enable the development of a highly effective freight services industry. The phrase ‘Germanic’ is often used as a byword for efficiency and with good reason, if the freight services industry in Germany is seen as a measure. He continued said that when consider that it is less than twenty years since the Berlin Wall came down and East Germany started its process of integration within Germany, the efficiency of the transport network throughout the country is all the more remarkable. There is a very efficient network of waterways, railways and motorways that make internal connections fast and straightforward and also connect Germany with other countries throughout the world.

2.4.4 Middle East

Timon Singh (2010) claimed that the Middle East and North Africa region has invested heavily in its transport infrastructure and for the likes of the UAE in particular over the past few years. He continued claimed that the money has gone into planes and trains in order to better improve between states, but to turn the region into both a business and tourist hub. Air traffic in the Middle East is the fastest growing in the world, and in order to cater for the increasing number of passengers at their various airports and thus improving their general transport infrastructure, the UAE has been implementing various aviation projects.

According to him, rail is another part of the region’s transport infrastructure that has gathered support in the Middle East from Dubai’s Metro System to plans for an expansive network connecting the GCC states. Qatar and Bahrain have one of the most ambitious projects, combining both rail and metro lines, which is set to transform the emirate into a major transport hub. The project, which is rumored to be costing over US$36.6 billion (QR133.5 billion) and estimated to take six years, is expected to be finished in phases over the next six years, with three major sections being the focus of the scheme – the metro network within Greater Doha, the over-ground railways covering the whole of Qatar and then, linking it to the rest of the GCC region and cargo trains.

2.4.5 London, United Kingdom

McDougall (2010) asked how do cities meet the needs of a growing population, promote diverse and healthy communities, improve the environment and tackle climate change. The answer is it’s a tall order and one that London is tackling head on with their aptly named “London Plan”. He said that the London Plan sets out to ensure that London’s transport is easy, safe and convenient and encourages cycling, walking and electric vehicles. The ambitious plan sets out the overall strategic direction for an integrated economic, environmental, transport and social framework for the development of London over the next 20-25 years.

He continues said that the London Plan identifies what are termed “Opportunity Areas” in and around London’s major reservoirs of brown-field land. These areas are characterized by their potential to accommodate new housing, commercial and other development linked to existing or potential improvements to public transport accessibility. It is important to make sure that they can be developed without undue additional pressure on London’s already-crowded public transport, or on the limited funds available for anything beyond committed transport improvements.

2.4.6 India

According to Pradhan (2010), transport is a key infrastructure in the present study, as causes energy consumption as well as economic growth in India. Therefore, he suggested that increasing transport facility along with energy consumption will lead to more economic growth in India. The achievement of higher economic growth through transport infrastructure and energy consumption could be due to its various direct and indirect benefits in the economy. But he claimed that the level of transport infrastructure is not so good, both in quantity and quality, in contrast to developed countries in the world. He suggested that if there is sufficient transport infrastructure in the economy, the result would be much better. He continued suggested that a suitable transport policy should be required urgently to boost economic growth and to maintain sustainable economic development in the country since transport infrastructure is a big deal to economic growth.

2.4.7 Malaysia

The greatest advantage to manufacturers in Malaysia has been the nation’s persistent drive to develop and upgrade its infrastructure. Over the years, these investments have paid off and serious bottlenecks have been avoided. Today, Malaysia can boast of having one of the well-developed infrastructures among the newly industrializing countries of Asia (www.mida.gov.my).

The latest development of Kuala Lumpur Sentral has become a futuristic self-contained city, providing the perfect live, work and play environment. A modern transportation hub integrating all major rail transport networks, including the Express Rail Link to the KLIA and Putrajaya, the government’s new administrative center. Besides, the Peninsular Malaysia’s network of well-maintained highways is a gain to industries. These highways link major growth centers to seaports and airports throughout the peninsula and provide an efficient means of transportation for goods. (www.mida.gov.my).

Malaysia’s central location in the Asia Pacific region makes her an ideal gateway to Asia. Air cargo facilities are well-developed in the five international airports – the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Penang International Airport and Langkawi International Airport in Peninsular Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah, and Kuching International Airport in Sarawak. Malaysia’s biggest airport, the KLIA, surrounded by four main cities of Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Seremban and Melaka has a capacity of handling 25 million passengers and up to 8 million tons of cargo per year. Cargo import and export procedures are fully automated at the KLIA to cut down delivery time (www.mida.gov.my).

Recently, Rapid Penang has introduced a state-of-the-art Intelligent Commuter Information System (ICIS), which provides real-time information on the arrival times of buses at terminals in Penang. The ICIS system, the first of its kind used by stage bus companies in the country, would enable some 75,000 commuters who use Rapid Penang buses daily to plan their journey more efficiently. It proved to be a success and has since been expanded for usage at the Komtar bus terminal, which sees the highest number of people boarding buses daily. A total of 200 buses operate from the Komtar bus terminal on a daily basis. The ICIS display system uses global positioning system (GPS) to map out the movement of all Rapid Penang buses and calculate the exact time of arrival of each bus at the Komtar bus terminal. The ICIS display system will later be extended to other strategic areas throughout the state including the possibility of having it installed in shopping complexes (newstraitstimes, 2010).

2.5 Bus Stop and Bus Terminal

There are bus stops all over the Penang and there are three main bus terminals for buses in Penang, Malaysia. They are Weld Quay Terminal, Komtar Bus Terminal and Sungai Nibong Terminal. According to Zegeer (2002), a well-designed transit routes a reachable stops are essential to usable system. He continues said that bus stops should be located at intervals that are convenient for passengers for safety purpose and should be comfortable places for people to wait.

UITP (2004 cited in Grenoble, 2004) argued that if the related infrastructure is inaccessible or inappropriately designed, much of the accessible vehicles will lost. Grenoble has carried out extensive research and development work to design tram and bus stops, starting some 20 years ago. The principle adopted by Grenoble was that the bus services should be made as accessible as the tram. According to Grenoble, the design standards found to be most effective for accessible bus stops were 14m(standard bus) and 20m(articulated bus) for overall length of bus boarding platform, 2.1m(minimum) and 2.6m(if a shelter is provided) for overall breadth of boarding platform, 3% for gradient of access ramp at end of platform, 21cm for height of boarding area, 60cm back from front edge of boarding area for safety line and 1.1m(minimum) and 1.3m(preferred) for clear space between front end of bus shelter and front edge of boarding area.

Zegeer (2002) said that besides the bus stop signing, a bus shelter with seating, trash receptacles, and bicycle parking are also desirable features. He suggested that bus stops should be highly visible locations where pedestrian can reach them easily by means of accessible travel routes. Therefore, a complete sidewalks system is essential to support a public transportation system. Convenient crossings are also important.

He continued suggested that proper placement of bus stops is key to user safety. For example, placing the bus stops on the near side of intersections or crosswalk may block pedestrians’ view of approaching traffic, and approaching drivers’ view of pedestrians. Approaching motorists may be unable to stop in time when a pedestrian steps from in front of a stopped bus into the traffic lanes at the intersection. Far-side bus stops generally encourage pedestrians to cross behind the bus. Reallocating the bus stop to the far side of the intersection can improve pedestrian safely since it climates the sight-distance restriction caused by the bus. Placing bus stops at the far aside of intersections can also improve motored vehicle operation.

Besides, he also suggested that the bus stops should be fully accessible to pedestrians in wheelchairs, should have paved connections to sidewalks where landscape buffers exist, and should not block pedestrian travel on the sidewalk. Adequate room should exist to operate wheelchair lift. Yet, it is also useful to install curb ramps at bus stops so that a passenger can board from the street if bus-lift deployment is blocked.

According to Iles (2005), problem may arise at bus stations which are used as intermediate stops for buses passing through the town or city when services are operated to schedule. Iles gave an example on when a full bus with a few passengers drop enter the station, they have the capacity to pick up same number