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A receptionist is an employee working at the front desk area. The work is usually at the waiting area such as a lobby of an organization or business. A receptionist is important in all kind of hotel because they are the first people to receive the guest at the hotel. Receptionist main responsibility is to greet the incoming visitors and the calls. In both large and medium hotel the receptionists must use the computer to key in the customer data .A receptionist have to arrange the guest room and must arrange an employee to help the guest to transport the luggage of the guest to their room. If the guest has any concerns, complaint, or any special request they can speak with the receptionist by telephone provided in the room or even by see them at the front desk.

A front desk manager has many duties to perform. The front office manager also has to arrange duties and shifts to the hotel staff. Other than that if any important guest arrived to the hotel the manager also must come and greet the guest so show the respect. Sometimes the manager may receive any important letter or process any advance registration payment so that the account won??t miss up. The front desk manager also has to make sure all his employees are fully trained and able to take charge on their duties.

Assistant of the front office is under the front office manager. Assistant front office has to take in charge of take care day to day operation of the hotel front office. Other than that, the assistant must ensure the work is completed fully. Sometimes the assistant must prepare and conduct front desk meeting and to resolve issues. Assistant must also arrange a small meeting regarding the shifts so that is any one has problem in the shift they can give reason and change the shifts. Lastly the assistant must take full responsible for correcting customer service problems.

1.2.3 TASK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF FRONT DESK REPRESENTATIVE

The front desk job is a critical role in a company. Generally, front desk employees are the first person customers or clients speak to or interact with. Other than that, they also has to answer enquires regarding hotel services, register by letter, by telephone and by a guest. More than that, they must provide information regarding the services to the guest and respond to the guest complaints. The most important thing of front desk is they have to know how to use a computer because they have to key in the guest detail in the computer system. Sometimes the main important thing is they must cooperate with other department to make their job done by easily.

1.2.4 TASK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NIGHT AUDITOR

Night auditor job is to deal with the financial transaction. They will do their duties at night because at night the hotel generally will less busy. Night auditors shifts mostly are around 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. Night auditors mostly will verify daily hotel transaction to generate summary data for the night audit report. The night auditors will calculate the total charges owed by the hotel payment received from the guest on that particular day. This report will be kept safe so that when the hotel needs the night auditors will show to them and make sure the accounts are perfect.

1.2.5 TASK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF CASHIER

Cashier also is important in the front desk operation. Cashier is responsible to take the payment from customer, and giving receipts. Cashiers may also require assisting other member of the front desk staff to performance of their duties. Sometimes the cashier also must help to perfume the front office duties like example the front desk staff are responsible for greeting the guest arrivals, checking the reservation, and registering the guest, while the cashier are responsible for receiving for receiving the payment on check out. The cashiers are responsible for calculating the charges and presenting the guest check regarding the bills. Sometimes some cashiers have to taking care the safe deposit box in which guest store jewelry or valuable things. Like example the guest must pay the cash regarding the hotel bill to the cashier when the check out time. Although the cashier is working under the front office department they are also considered to be the member of the accounting department.

1.2.6 TASK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF RESERVATIONIST

A hotel reservations agent is an important part of hotel operations. They handling advance room request. Guests will receive their first impression of the hotel service at the reservationist. They also must have a good knowledge of the room rates, and the hotel policies. They also must help the customer that call by phone calls to get the room price and reserve room for the guest the primary duty of a reservations agent is to rent hotel rooms to the guests. The reservationist must follow all the guideline given by the manager and must make sure job done carefully and make sure the hotel get a good profit.

1.2.7 TASK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF TELEPHONE OPERATOR

All types of hotel now days have arranged call centre because to handle the guest bookings, reservation and customer care. Telephone operator are also important in the hotel industry because, they will operate the telephone calls and they must answer the call with a good manner way. The telephone operator must be really knowledge of all the facilities in the hotel. The most important thing all the information given must be strictly confidential.

1.3 CONCLUSION

All departments in the front office such as Front Office Manager, Assistant Front Office manager, Front Desk Representative, Night Auditor ,Cashier ,Reservationist and telephone operator are very important to the hotel because the job is divided into many categories and this can make the hotel work done by easily. Each department has its own-own task to be done. Without the entire department above the hotel cannot maintain the hotel in good way because each department helps the growth of the hotel to reach a good profit. This main point can create a good environment to the hotel surrounding.

1.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Monday, January 18th, 2010, Assistant Front Office Manager Job description

http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/assistant-front-office-manager-job-description

Copyright ?? 1999-2011 Demand Media, Inc, Front Desk Manager Job Description

http://www.ehow.com/about_6077703_front-desk-manager-job-description.html

Copyright??1999-2011Demand Media, Inc, Front Desk Job Descriptions http://www.ehow.com/facts_5199640_front-desk-job-descriptions.html

Copyright??2011WebFinance, cashier

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

Copyright ?? 1999-2011 Demand Media, Inc, Hotel Reservationist Job Description

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5527328_hotel-reservationist-job-description.html#ixzz1CMloSffo

Copyright ?? 2011, TELEPHONE OPERATOR HOTEL INDUSTRY

http://www.jobstreet.com.my/jobs/2009/6/default/10/843444.htm?fr=J

Select Communication inc. Alberta Canada, Receptionist Duties

http://www.select-answering-service.com/receptionist-duties.html

Copyright ?? 2011 Yahoo! Inc, Describe the duties of front office manager?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080729003906AAfctnt

Monday, January 18th, 2010, Assistant Front Office Manager Job description

http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/assistant-front-office-manager-job-description/

Copyright?? 2011 Vancouver English Centre, Hotel Front Desk Agent – Practicum Job Description

http://www.vec.ca/English/3/banff-front-desk.cfm

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2.0 QUESTION TWO

2) Front office staffs must have certain skills to attract guests during the first impression. Write about Front Office staff skill in guest relations.

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Receptionist is very important in all kind of organization. Mostly in hotel is very important. Mostly cases, they are the first business contact that a person will meet at an organization. Their primary responsibility is to greet incoming visitors and callers. The traditional duties of a receptionist commonly include answering visitor inquiries about the hotel, directing visitors to appropriate contacts, sorting mail, answering incoming calls, and arranging appointments for guests to meet with the hotel staff. Role of the receptionist is very important in the hotel because it can make the organization run with smoothly. Receptionist also must have a relationship with all the hotel organization so that because the entire task done by the receptionist in related with other hotel department too. Like example, if the guest send the clothing to the hotel laundry and inform the housekeeping charge into the hotel bill than if any problem the receptionist can call the housekeeping department to confirm regarding the laundry bill.

2.2 FRONT OFFICE STAFF SKILL:

2.2.1 GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILL

Good communication skills are very important to the front office department. Communication in the workplace is very important but with so many people involved, all with different personalities and varying levels of understanding, communication can be difficult and misunderstandings can arise. In the good communication skill has divide into few category and that is give a clear instruction, let guest know the bigger picture of the hotel, make expectation clear and treat people like individuals. Mostly communication skill will start with the telephone calls. We need to briefly explain the purpose of the call, who is calling, how to return the call and when we will be available. When someone makes a return call, all that is necessary, if the first caller is not available at that time, is to respond to the original message relating to the purpose. Good communication skill is skills that facilitate people to communicate effectively with one another. Effectual communication engages the choice of the best. When the guest arrived to the hotel the front desk will receive the guest with a good way. If the receptionist has a good communication skill can attract the guest and they will have a good idea about the hotel and this can promote the hotel name.

2.2.2 GOOD LISTENING SKILL

Listening skill is important to the front office department because listening is something important so that it can make the job done by easily. To become a good listener we have to look at the guest first. By looking at the guest face your eyes will also complete the eye contact with the guest. The eyes contact will help to complete the communication with the guest. By moving the face about the information you can better concentrate to the guest regarding the information they are saying. Other than that, to become a good listener we have to stop talking and use the ears to hear what they are trying to say. Listening skill means allow one to make sense of and understand what another person is saying. In other words, listening skills allow you to understand what someone is talking about. In the front office area listening skill is important because the receptionist have to know what the guest is saying. They have to clearly hear what the guest is saying so that they can key in the guest data in the system without any problem. To become a good listener have ten main thing that we should remember and that is face the guest properly, maintain the eye contact, minimize external distraction, respond appropriately, focus solely on what the speaker is saying, minimize internal destruction, keep an open mind, avoid letting the speaker know how you handled a similar situation, even if the speaker is launching a complaint against you, wait until they finish to defend yourself, and the last is engage yourself. (http://powertochange.com/students/people/listen/)

2.2.3 DEALING WITH DIFFRENT TYPES OF PEOPLE

Mostly the front office department will have to deal with different kind of people in the hotel, because the entire guest is different-different type of characters. Front office must really have a good skill in dealing with the guest because the receptionist must not lose the patient while they are dealing with the guest because sometimes the guest are very hot temper, some are very slow, some are very selfish, so the receptionist must clever in handling all the guest by a good way.

2.2.4 COMMOND OF LANGUAGE SKILL

The receptionist must have a good skill in varieties type of language so that it can be easy communicated when other races of guest come to the hotel. The most common language is Malay language, Chinese, Tamil, English, and many more language. The guest will be happy if the receptionist can communicated by their language it can make the job done by easily. This main point can make a good thinking regarding the hotel guest about the receptionist and the hotel.

2.2.5 GOOD BEHAVIORS SKILL

The receptionist must have a good skill in behaviors because it shows our attitude. We have to treat guest like our family even throe they are not. The receptionist cannot show her anger to the guest if she has any personal problem. She must always be patient in handling the guest arrivals. Good behavior skill is divided into many categories and that is self presentation, position, posture, expression, and eye contact.

2.2.5.1 SELF PRESENTATION

Self presentation is the way how the reception dress up and grooming. Many hotels require the staff to wear a proper entire as their uniform because this is a signal that shows to the guest that they are here to help them.

2.2.5.2 POSITION

The position of standing of a receptionist is important because it shows our relation with the person we dealing with in the hotel. Like example the receptionist slapped the registration form in front of the guest and then leant forward to watch you filling it out, she was looking at us personal space. This kind of invasion makes the guest feel uncomfortable, even if they don??t know why, and it should be avoided.

2.2.5.3 POSTURE

Posture also can be defining same as the positioning, but in posture the receptionist must facing the guest all the time. Like example, the receptionist began with her body half turned away and her arm forming a shield. When the receptionist leant forward to watch the guest filling the form she was showing some interest in helping the guest, but if the receptionist kept her arm folded, which shows the guest that she is not happy to help the guest.

2.2.5.4 EXPRESSION

Mostly in hotel the expression is very important to treat a guest because, it will show the guest that we are very friendliness when we meet the guest. The receptionist must always smile and be friendly, whenever the hotel guest talks to them regarding the hotel. This friendly environment is good to make a good relationship with the hotel guests.

2.2.5.5 EYE CONTACT

The receptionist must always have a good eye contact with the hotel guest so that the guest knows that we are helping them to solve their problem. If we don??t have eye contact with them this can make like we are not hearing what they are trying to say to us. The receptionist must know which types of eye contact that must be need by the hotel guest. Like example, the receptionist avoided any form eye contact at the guest during the first stages of the encounter, and so conveyed a strong impression of lack of interest. Even when she did lean forward, she kept her eyes focused on the registration form, and as soon as you had finished, she turn her head away. This behavior is not good to be treating to the guest. We must always show our respect to the guest.

2.3 CONCLUSION

Front office staffs are very important to the hotel because the front office staff will receive the hotel guest because they are the first person to meet the guest. The receptionist is responsible to key in all the guest data when they check in the hotel, and when the guest check out time the receptionist will check out the guest and the receptionist will receive the payment. Front office staff must have certain require skill because they are the main person handle the guest. All the skill that they has must be use in a good way because it will judge the staff and this can make a good name for the hotel industry.

Culture is one of those rare inheritances that a follower receives from his/her ancestors. It determines beliefs, perception, and morality .Those values shape a man’s identity making him dependant and loyal to those principals. Every culture has its own history and traditions, which makes the world a place with variety types of people. The cultures are represented by its followers allowing them to be strict and bias towards its constitution and moral behaviors without the followers a culture could disappear joining the anthology of the dead cultures. Denmark has a culture with recognized principles and values that specializes them over traditions. They have their own point of views and ways of dealing with traditional aspects of life such as customs, education, marriage, family life, as well as women’s rights.

Denmark, being a small country in northern Europe it is rich with customs and traditions. Food, Festivals, Music, and Religion are important aspects in the customs of Denmark. The Danish people believe that meals are important for the families to be together and not just for filling their need. (Pateman 113). The main food which the Danes usually eat is bread for their breakfast and they have many different types of bread in which they eat some are crusty and some are cold toasted. (Pateman 114). Although in the summer the Danes usually go to the park to get sunshine as sometimes during the winter they never get sunshine, their meal usually are meatballs which are made of pork, this is the most common meal in Denmark. (Pateman 115). On the other hand, there are only two main drinks in Denmark which are coffee and beer; these are the main two which the Danes drink throughout the year. They also have a traditional beer for them only which is made by mainly potato which is called Snaps which is served usually served cold. (Pateman 116-117). The Danes celebrate many days during a year of which some are Religious and others which are important events. The Danes like other Christian countries celebrate Christmas and Easter. The celebration of Christmas starts from the beginning of December up to New Year, although the main part starts at December 23 which the Danes decorate their home which hearts and other religious items. The Danish families’ celebrate Christmas Eve together and they also have a special dinner which is made of rice pudding. Although the importance of Easter is no longer there in Denmark, holiday is given to them which the Danes go and visit families and friends in exchange of Easter eggs to children.(Pateman 108-110).Other important events which the Danes celebrate during the year are the Queen’s birthday, Liberation Day, Copenhagen Carnival, alongside Fastelvn. These are the main days in which the Danes celebrate throughout the year. During the queen’s birthday, it is a national holiday for the Danes from work and school which they gather outside the queen’s palace and hear its speech and ends with cheers from the crowd. Although in Liberation Day’s night the people put candles on their windows to celebrate the day in which they were liberated from Germany on world war two, which the Danes still celebrate it today because this day means a lot to the old Danes who lived during world war two. Copenhagen Carnival is a carnival day which celebrates throughout Copenhagen; people wear new customs and party on the street for the whole day. Lastly, Fastelvn is a special event which is held at the end of February were children play a game using sticks to hit a barrel which is filled up with gifts. Although it seems to be a fun event it has a history, because for a long time they used to place a cat and hit it until it dies.(Robert 106-107). The Danes enjoy nearly all types of music, but mainly pop music. They also have festivals each year, but the main festival they have is named Rolkside Festival, it is the hugest music festival in northern Europe. In this festival musicians from all around the world come to play on the stage. (What would Roskilde Festival be without partners? 1).

Education in Denmark is compulsory for people aged seven up to people aged 16. When the teenagers reach their age to 16 they can choose to continue school or stop. There are also two types of school which are common in Denmark which are government and private schools. Government schools are free schools which they have from grade one up to grade nine. The Danes who choose to go to them are to stay with the same teacher for nine full years. The classes in government schools do not change and the students are together for the full nine years. Due to the government having up to ninth grade the people have to then go to a secondary school, being that people in ninth grade are usually 15 years old and that the compulsory age to go to school is from seven to 16. People who pass ninth grade are usually smart students who go to secondary school to continue school. Although some who are not ready are the students which do not get good grades stay for an extra year when they are 16 and then they are free to do what they want either go to secondary school for three years or stop. (Pateman 60-61). Similarly, most private schools have up to ninth grade only. The education in the private school is a little better than the government’s free school, although approximately 16% only of the students in Denmark go to private schools. However, government still helps private school and is not out of the equation, they subsidize them by giving them some money to help them improve their teaching facilities and have better teachers. Yet, they are not responsible for anything that happens to the student, the student’s parents are held responsible for everything according to the teaching standards or anything similar to that. (Hansen 1). Finally, the universities in Denmark are good universities which people come to study in from around the world. Although, in Denmark, there are only five main universities those universities can teach many subjects in both English and mainly in Danish. For example the university of Copenhagen which is the first university to be built in Denmark and the second in Scandinavia which is still there standing for more than a half of a millennium, it teaches not only the main subjects such as Math, English, and Danish, it teaches subjects such as music, business, and even social studies.( Pateman 61). In Denmark, there is also adult education, which is that adults that are working can have evening lessons. This type of education is popular in Denmark as by now it can be considered as part of their culture. This type of education helps the Danes in many ways, they can possibly learn a new language which most people usually learn German or French. There are also Danes who study subjects which they might be interested in such as social science which might help them in their future in case they would want to switch jobs.

Marriage in Denmark is not as popular, the average Danish man usually marries at the age of 33 and the woman usually marries at the age of 30, being that the legal age for marriage is 18.( The Ceremony 1) The reason behind this is that in Denmark it is being advised by the parents of the bride and the groom to live together for some time, to see if the relationship is going to work in a good way. However, also after the couple get to have a long relationship before marriage, the divorce rate in Denmark is high. Studies show that the divorce rate is half the marriage rate, which is really high. In Denmark there are two different types of marriage, one of them is the traditional marriage which the church marriage. This type of marriage is similar to the marriage that happens to other Christian countries the bride wears a long white dress and the groom wear a suit, and the bride is escorted by her father. The only difference is that frequently if there is a close female friend can escort the bride, and at the end as the couple leave, the guests usually raise the Denmark flag.( Pateman 64-65) The other way which the couple can marry each other is the civil wedding which is a wedding taking place at any place that the authority in charge of the marriage allows to, it can be held in a town or even a forest. Meanwhile, Danish women who get married are allowed to change their last name, which most of them do not change their name as they are expected to divorce, and if they do want to change their last name they would have to do it before the marriage officially takes place due to a document form should be proposed first.( The Ceremony 1).

Family life is an important aspect to the culture of Denmark, the Danes are unlike the other neighbouring countries when it comes to families. In neighboring countries like Germany and Belgium their social life is based around pubs and usually being outside the home. In Denmark their social life is mainly at home, the Danes take care of their home and a major amount of the income they would get usually is used to improve the facilities at their home. (Pateman 66). The Danish life is usually based around work and family for adults and school and family for the children who are being balanced equally by the people in there. The Danes usually travel or during holidays or go to a summer house. Summer house is popular in Denmark, which many Danes go to which their family friends. (Steed 1). Also due to Denmark government focus in improving family life, families get to have many benefits. The government takes control of giving the child if a family has one an allowance, the government gives extra allowance to the number of children the family has, and also the families also get to have free birth. (The Ceremony 1). Houses are not cheap in Denmark, but having a family helps because if a couple just married and are not able to afford a house, they are given an apartment by the government to use until they can manage to buy a home for themselves. (Pateman 66).The Danes usually consider their country the best country in the world not only due to the free education, but mainly due to the importance of family life which has been shown when Denmark and the Danes won the ranking of having the most amused people in the world. (Lundberg 1).

Women rights are not affected as much in Denmark, and it can be said that they have nearly the same rights as the men. Studies show that women in Denmark work the same as men and have the right to vote and elect themselves. Denmark is one of the few countries which now have women at the parliament with a high rate at over 30%. Saying this, the women do not have all the rights as men, they still have to do the home work alongside men having the better jobs in society and a higher wage, but they still have as many rights as the men. The reason behind women having a lot of rights goes back to 1915 when there was a movement which made them have a huge part in the politics.(Pateman 62-63). After 1915, the women started getting rights they first had the right to vote and then right for opportunities same as the men. The women then started getting more rights after the Second World War when the economy was going down which lead to the need for women to work. This was the start of women being allowed to work and started the increasing rate of them working in Denmark, which at that time was mainly in labor market. (Larsen 1). Going back to working women, the Danish women have a high working rate just over 70% of them do work, which is slightly lower than the one of men which is approximately 75%, which shows that Denmark is a fair country and the women in Denmark’s rights are not affected and are close to have the same rights as the men in Denmark.(Housing-Denmark 1).

Denmark has certainly earned the right to have a culture as big as it has now. The customs and traditions, education, marriage, family life, along with women rights are one of the most important aspects of culture which makes Denmark have a big culture as it is now. They celebrate many days which means to them a lot such as Christmas. The education is free in government school which is definitely which makes it one of the most intelligent countries in the world. Marriage that they have even though the divorce rate is high, what they do in marriage make them unique, as well as the family life which is important for them. Lastly, women’s rights in Denmark are not affected which is why it is a fashionable society.

Work Cited

1) Pateman, Robert. Cultures of the World Denmark. Tarrytown, New York 10591: Library of Congress Cataloging, 1995.

2) “What would Roskilde Festival be without partners?.” Roskilde Festival’s collaboration partners,

3) Hansen, Thomas. “Grants.” Education, The Ministry of Education.

4-6) “The Ceremony.” Family, AngloINFO. 2014.

5) Steed, Richard. “Work/Life Balance – the Danish way.” Meet the Danes,

7) Lundberg, Jan. “Denmark: Small, Happy Prosperous Families — In Contrast to U.S.” Culture Change, July 27, 2012

8) Larsen, Jytte. “The women’s movement in Denmark.” All About Gender in Denmark, KVINFO.

9) “Housing-Denmark.” Denmark in Detail,

Price of hotel depend upon their services provided and market price of another hotal and thought the hotels will increase their published tariff by 5-10 across the board from October this year. “Inflation in food, recession, rupee depreciation which has increased our import cost of products and F&B from abroad, and the overall hike in service tax are a few reasons why hotels will hike the published tariff after months. Price provide on the basis of their location and preference of customer.

Income of target consumer

India occupies the sixty-eighth position among the top tourist destinations in the world for 2011. To encourage the tourism sector, the government in recent times, has taken some measures which will benefit the sector. According to the latest Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) research, released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow by 8.2 % between 2010 and 2019. This will place India at the third position in the world. India’s travel and tourism sector is expected to be the second largest employer in the world. Capital investment in India’s travel and tourism sector is expected to grow at 8.8 % between 2010 and 2019. And services for all income level of people and services for business class people tourist and vesting people

Availability of finance

The major source of financing to hotel industry tourism finance cooperation of India (TFCI) has been providing specific project-related services to various clients. It has also undertaken appraisal of individual projects for various state government agencies/individual clients. TFCI has also successfully handled projects involving development of viable project concepts around lakes/water bodies , development of a multi-facility amusement park complex etc TFCI has been providing specific project-related services to various clients.

Replacement of demand

The demand of the hotel industry is directly connected with global and local economic growth and investor confidence. A strong underlying economy is a pre-requisite for sustained recovery. Unfortunately, the year 2011 has not been a year of economic recovery either in India or globally. After two exceptionally bad years, the global hospitality industry was expected to recover in 2011. Despite encouraging signs in the first half of 2011, there was growing uncertainty during the latter part of the year. As a result, recovery has been fragile during 2011. The situation in India mirrors this overall global trend.

India’s rapid economic growth has already set the stage for fundamental changes in the country’s population. With more disposable income, the demand for travel and tourism has also grown. Although, currently domestic tourists constitute a very small chuck of the total tourist pie, the segment is growing.

Promotion schemes

For attracting more foreign and domestic tourists to India, Department of Tourism has taken up several drives. The objectives of this scheme are, The Scheme aims at enlisting the support of NRIs, preferably NROs to promote Orissa as a preferred destination among their friends and acquaintances. They could be Businessmen, Housewives, Students or any other professional who in their spare time motivate their friends to visit Orissa. They shall be disseminating information on Orissa Tourism and market Orissa Tourism products amongst their friends and relatives along with potential tourists visiting the State. They will be enrolled as Special Tourism Promotion Officers, STPO who will be entitled to get some incentives on the business generated through them while the tourists booked through them will get some discount. Their enrollment will be honorary and they will be only entitled for incentives on the business generated through them. They cannot create any lien or liability on behalf of the State Department of Tourism India Ministry of Tourism would also provide financial assistance to tourism service providers approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

Excise duty structure

In recent years government has taken several steps to boost travel & tourism which have benefited hotel industry in India. These include the abolishment of the inland air travel tax of 15%; reduction in excise duty on aviation turbine fuel to 8%; and removal of a number of restrictions on outbound chartered flights, including those relating to frequency and size of aircraft. The government’s recent decision to treat convention centre’s as part of core infrastructure, allowing the government to provide critical funding for the large capital investment that may be required has also fuelled the demand for hotel rooms

According to a report, Hotel Industry in India currently has supply of 110,000 rooms and there is a shortage of 150,000 rooms fueling hotel room rates across India. According to estimates demand is going to exceed supply by at least 100% over the next 2 years. Five-star hotels in metro cities allot same room, more than once a day to different guests, receiving almost 24-hour rates from both guests against 6-8 hours usage. With demand-supply disparity, hotel rates in India are likely to rise by 25% annually and occupancy by 80%, over the next two years. This will affect the competitiveness of India as a cost-effective tourist destination.

Prospects

In the long term, the demand-supply gap in India is very real and that there is need for more hotels in most cities. The shortage is especially true within the budget and the mid market segment. There is an urgent need for budget and mid market hotels in the country as travelers look for safe and affordable accommodation. Various domestic and international brands have made significant inroads into this space and more are expected to follow as the potential for this segment of hotels becomes more obvious.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expects growth to continue for the tourism sector in 2012, although at a slower rate. It forecasts international tourist arrivals to grow in the range of 3% to 4% in 2012. WTTC indicates that this growth will be moderate as the bounce-back for tourism destinations that faced specific challenges last year, will be offset by a weaker performance in other countries. Travel & tourism in India is expected to perform well in 2012. UNWTO predicts that India will receive 25 million foreign tourists by the year 2015.

Despite the economic and political scenarios worldwide, demand for business travel has remained relatively robust. Companies are likely to increase spends and the multiplier effect of healthy salary increases will drive discretionary spending, especially on leisure travel. The affluent segments plan to spend more on travel in 2012, creating opportunities for the hospitality sector in the luxury space India’s room supply pipeline represents 17% of the Asia-Pacific pipeline. It was moving at a CAGR of 10.8% for last 10 years and is now poised to grow at a CAGR of 6% in next 5 years. The intense supply pipeline would be backed by addition of room capacity by all the hotels both in India and Internationally. The supply pipeline would beef up also on account of improved foreign tourist arrivals, corporate travels, etc. International hotels like Carlson, Strawood, Marriot, etc are the ones which have chalked out plans to acquire the sufficient market share, thus, giving a thrust to the Indian supply pipeline.

profile of players in the Industry

Best Hotel Chains of India

Taj Group of hotels in India: The most popular name that is almost synonymous to hospitality in India is that of the Taj Group. Offering the best hotels across various genres like business hotels, heritage resorts, luxury hotels and even sea resorts, the Taj Group is definitely the best in the field.

The Oberoi Group of Hotels in India: One of the most prominent names among the hotel chains of India is the Oberoi Group. It also owns several properties in exotic places like Australia and Mauritius. With its world class facilities and efficient staff to manage and play the perfect Indian hosts, the Oberoi hotels is no doubt a great feather on the grand cap of tourism in India.

Hotal leela

One of the finest hotel groups in India, with hotels in Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Kovalam, Gurgaon, Udaipur and New Delhi, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts provide the discerning business and leisure travellers with a warm, relaxed and most importantly, memorable stay with an unrivaled fusion of Indian hospitality, world-class service and amenities. Hallmarking the essence of India, at every Leela Hotel, you will find stories that await you at every nook and cranny and the fine line between business hotels and luxury resorts seamlessly merge. The proximity to international airports and central business districts, strategic locations, individuality, and the intrinsic Indian culture and heritage distinguishes the group from the rest. The ‘Guest is God’ philosophy truly represents The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.

5. Distribution channel

How the customer books his room can make a big difference to a hotel’s bottom line. Intermediaries can take a good chunk out the gross amount a guest pays for his overnight. A room booked through a travel agent and the GDS (global distribution system) typically costs the hotel 15% of the reservation’s total. Contrary to popular belief, third-party websites are no bargain either for the hotelier, as they keep about 13% of a booking’s value.

So-called “merchant” websites (such as Priceline.com or Hotwire) which basically buy inventory from hotels usually average a 33% mark-up on the rooms they sell. Bookings arriving via the central reservation system of voluntary chains (such as Minotel) can cream over 25% of the client’s original payment between travel agent, tour operator and chain fees. Many tour operators working in mass leisure destinations only pay 50%-60% of the normal room price to the hotelier who is lodging their clients.

Fortunately for hoteliers, the predominant distribution channel for hotels remains direct contact with the property (via telephone, fax or e-mail), which, according to Horwath’s Worldwide Hotel Industry Study, accounted for 34% of all advance reservations in 2002, but which is down from 38% in 1995 . This proportion varies between 27.5% for hotels in Africa and the Middle East and 40.5% for hotels in Europe.

Thus, overnights generated by electronic means of distribution still constitute much less than half of the total at about 24% (includes travel agent and GDS in figure 1 below). Although internet distribution has grown rapidly from (0.8% of the total in 1996 to 3.3% currently, according to Horwath), it is still relatively unimportant. Furthermore, this study predicts a rise to a total of 20% of bookings by internet in 2005, split 11% – own website and 9%- third party. Jupiter Media Matrix makes a slightly less optimistic prediction, forecasting the percentage to rise from 7% in 2001 to 16% by 2007.

Hotel companies use both rate parity and rate integrity while selling their hotel rooms. Rate parity can be defined as maintaining consistent rates for the same product in all online distribution channels regardless of what commission the OTA makes. The concept of rate integrity isn’t as clear cut with some arguing it is simply trust in the fair price of a room.

In general though, rate integrity isn’t something concrete; it is something the hotelier must have in mind when setting rates. “Whether it’s maintaining integrity through rate parity by justifying price discounts, avoiding price slashes, or a combination of all these practices, it is important for hoteliers to have a consistent rational rate structure,” says Mourier.

As hotels compete and try to step up their direct online booking share, it’s important to assess how rate parity and integrity impact their business. According to Vishal Jain, chief products officer at travel technology company Rate Gain, rate parity affects the distribution partners or channels more while rate integrity affects hotel’s brand value. He argues that parity issues with your brand site (bigger distribution partners having cheaper better-value offers than your own site) will directly affect brand trust and value but can also lead to loss of business from more profitable channels. It can also lead to decreased visibility on other channels.

“The trend that parity for hotels seems to be ‘having better deals at large OTA sites’ is something we have uncovered consistently in the parity reports we publish regularly at Rate Gain,” says Jain. One reason for this could be the extensive parity tracking and automated alert systems that OTAs have successfully put in place to keep hotels on their toes; something the corporate office and brand HQ is unable to do with their own hotels. It gets even harder for those hotel companies that do not own and manage the hotels since they have even less control on the properties but the parity anomalies hurt them both financially as well as with their brand’s value.

Assessing Channels Properly

Regarding parity and rate integrity on retail pricing in both direct and indirect channels, Preferred Hotel Group’s Brij Bhushan Chachra who is director, revenue account management in India, Middle East & Africa, says each channel needs to be measured on its merits and value proposition it brings to the table.

Today each channel has different value propositions and cost structures and as businesses it is important to ensure a company maximizes the same for its hotels.

When it comes to OTAs, hotel companies need to work out the total value the business gets in terms of marketing and exposure and not to forget the ‘billboard effect’. It is important for hoteliers to safeguard their channels and ensure there is value parity across the board. Chachra defines value as this: the benefit a consumer derives from a product in correlation to price paid to satisfy their individual requirements. In this context, one has to make sure that all segments are priced based on the current demand-supply situation which will yield optimal results from all the segments. There is a need to make efforts to get rid of static rates for all segments and move to dynamic pricing across the board.

Flight to Delhi

Delhi is the capital city of India with a population of over 13 million and has emerged as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. With over 700 flights landing and taking off from Delhi every day, Delhi airport is the busiest airport in India. It is easier to take flights to Delhi rather than using other means of transport. With several airlines and flight operators operating between major Indian cities & Delhi, getting discounted tickets and special offers for Delhi flights is always on the cards.

Deals22.com works hard to maintain its leadership position in travel category and to bring you the best rates for Delhi flights. Our unique engine allows you to search across the leading travel portals to ensure that you get the best fare rates. Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Indian Airlines, Air India, Spicejet, Air Deccan, Indigo, Paramount and GO Air operate daily flights on the Delhi Bangalore, Mumbai Delhi, Kolkata Delhi and Hyderabad Delhi routes.

Delhi airport is located near the Delhi – Gurgaon border & is well connected to the city. The drive from Connaught Place, the heart of Delhi to the Delhi airport takes about 45 minutes if the traffic is clear. But it is advised that you always take into account the omnipresent traffic jams which can extend the commute time to the Delhi airport by a factor of three.

About Delhi –

Delhi is the 2nd largest Indian city after Mumbai (Bombay) and is the seat of Indian government. Delhi encompasses the nearby cities of Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad & Faridabad to form the NCR region. Delhi /NCR is the melting pot for various Indian communities & ethnicities.

Attractions –

Places of Interest : Lodi Garden, Doll museum, Rail museum, Red Fort, India Gate, Museum of Natural History, Parliament, Qutab Minar, Jama Masjid

Entertainment

Shopping :, South-Extension, GK-I M Block, Connaught place, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, Dilli Haat, State Emporiums, Lajpat Nagar, Ansal Plaza, Hauz Khas

Theatre: Kamani Auditorium, LTG Auditorium, National school of Drama, India Habitat Centre (IHC), India International Centre (IIC), Lalit Kala Academy, Sri Ram Center for Performing Arts

Temples :

Hanuman Mandir, Lotus (ISKON) temple, Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Kalka mandir, Birla Mandir, Chattarpur Mandir

When to go –

Delhi faces the extreme climatic swings with the temperature moving to 47 C (116 F) in summers & dropping to 0 C (32 F). The best time to visit the city is between October to March when the weather is most bearable. Regular flights to & from Delhi are readily available. With airlines like Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Indian Airlines, Spicejet, Air Deccan, Indigo and GO Air offering frequent flier programs, discounted tickets and regular special offers, cheap air travel to Delhi has become a reality.

Eco-Tourism is a combination of two words Ecosystem and Tourism, together it is made Eco-tourism. Ecosystem is the system where everybody live, this system is compuse by the water, earth, sky and the living and not living objects such as micro-organism communities, plant, animal and their non living environment acting as a functional unit. Some examples to refer of ecosystem may be the river, the ocean, the jungle, a forest or a biome. And tourism means,” the practice of travelling for pleasure”. Therefore, a tourism which implicates a visit to an Ecosystem is well known as Eco-tourism. Thus, Eco-tourism can be defined as “Tourism involving travel to areas of natural or ecological interest, mostly of the time under the guidance of a naturalist, having by objective learning about the environment making focus on wildlife awareness and conservation of the environment. However, Ecotourism still a new topic nowadays, the most acceptance definition is by Ceballos-Lascurain, who is generally accepted as the first person to define ecotourism “Tourism that involves travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations found in these areas (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1991, P. 25). In addition, “Ecotourism is a sustainable form of natural resources-based tourism that focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, and which is ethically managed to be low-impact, non-consumptive, and locally oriented (control, benefits and scale). It typically occurs in natural areas, and should contribute to the conservation of such areas (Fennell, 1999, p 43).

Fennell identified 13 main principles of ecotourism:

interest in nature
contributes to conservation
reliance on parks and protected areas
benefits local people
long tern benefits
Education and studies
Low impact / non -consumptive
ethics / responsibility
management
sustainable
enjoyment and appreciation
culture
adventure and small scale

In today world it is very easy to confuse Eco-tourism with mass tourism, but mass tourism is related to the number of people that visit a destination and most of the time those big groups are not eco-tourism because their only reason to visit those natural destinations is just for pleasure. They do not plan vacations to learn about the environment, know the culture of the destination and the most of the time they just expend the entire stayed in five start resort enjoying its facilities and they do not even has contact with any single natural attraction that the visit destination offer.

1.2 Importance of sustainable tourism

Sustainable tourism has become essential for the tourism industy due to it is closely related to eco-tourism. Eco tourism is considered as the tourism development which try to capture a portion of tourism market that is attracted to natural beauties by providing low impact tourism products. Sustainable tourism would provide direct benefits to the local people. The private sector would assure least impact on the environment. Tourism projects will be initiated considering the size and scope of the land character with limited resorts located close to existing infrastructure offering economic benefits to local communities. It also includes development of preferential tourism zones committed to sustainable development and carrying out specific practices (Rauschelbach et al, 2002, pp: 229).

1.3 Benefits of Eco-Tourism practice

The importance of the Eco-tourism and the benefits that this activity provides is indispensable for the sustainability of the natural destination. Eco-tourism is the only kind of tourism that provides awareness to the visitors as well the local population involving then in activities to preserve the destination, understanding the environmental issues and explain the consequences before they take place. Eco-tourism trainee the local populations in order to visualize the visitors as an alternative of income that will contribute to the destination survive. With significant economic benefits the local population needs to see their natural area as a source of income, conserving their local destination avoiding activities like cutting down all their rainforests that just contribute to the global warning.

Tourism is the worldA?s largest industry; in 1950 the number of tourist went from 25 million up to 702 million in 2000. Acoording to the World Tourism Organization for this 2010 the tourism growth rate will reach 1 billion and 1.6 billion in 2020. With the growth of science and technology, abundance in economy and revolutionary changes that have happened in the field of transportation have contributed largely to the development of the

tourist trade all over the world. In today’s world an individual can have breakfast in London, lunch in New York and dinner in Tokyo (Cooper and Hall, 2008, pp: 377).

2.0 Main body
2.1 Presentation of Cabo San Lucas as Eco-Tourism destination

Cabo San Lucas has become an important vacation and spa destination located at the tip of the Baja peninsula in Baja California Sur, Mexico. This destination is well known for its natural attractions such as the sea of Cortez where the tourist can enjoy of several activities like whale watching, snorkel, kayak, scuba diving, parasailing, tours to the arch, and banana boat. The colorful desert with unique plant life is a natural curiosity in los Cabos, where hiking, ATV and horseback trip explore the area. The sea of Cortez is nationally and internationally recognized as ecosystem of significant biological, social and economic value. The Mexican government, who recognized the importance of the island, establishes then as natural protects area in 1978, under the category of flora and fauna protection area. Internationally the island is known as biosphere reserve by the UNESCO. Because of the beauty and natural of the destination and surrounding marine areas, visitors have the possibility to learn from this ecosystem.

2.2 Cabo San Lucas emerging issues

For Cabo San Lucas still been a challenge the duty of educated local people and tourism to preserve the destination. One of the biggest obstacles to develop eco-tourism in Cabo San Lucas is the number of interest from the public and private serctor, especially in

this destination that contain a vast American influence. For example, for some Tour Operators is very easy to pretend that they are bringing to the destination Eco-tourism but behind this, is just mass tourism. At this stage the destination is facing several emerging issues such as:

The overfishing hurting of hundreds species including the Marlin and Tuna.

The local population kill its flora and fauna to made local souvenir which are comercialize with the tourism.

The local population is relative poor and is lack in knowledge and education, therefore they do not contribute to the conservation of the destination, as a method of income they operate tours in the Cortez’s sea (using “pangas”, local wood boats), without respect the navigation rules such as the distance that they have to take in a while watching tour as well as the proximity to the sea lion colony.

International investment in construction like Riu Hotels (Spanish company) which in 2007 built the Riu Sta. Fe with 1100 rooms and still operate as normal avoiding the FONATUR’s regulation rules ( National Fund for Tourism Development) . To clarify this example, in Cabo San Lucas is allowed hotel’s construction up to 900 rooms mention by FONATUR.

Due to airline incresing price most of the tourist are opting to visit the destination by cruiseship which contribute to the massive desturbe of the fauna and pollution of the water.

The mass tourism is overcrowding the destination through overbooking the accomodation and service facilities creating chaos in public areas such as bus transportation, beaches, parks and hospitals.

The destination waste disposal is increasing due to the mass tourism.

2.3 Eco-Tourism strategies implement by Cabo San Lucas

At this stage, the SEMARNAT (Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources) together with the CONANP (National Commission of Natural Protected) are implementing in the destination two eco-tourism strategies:

A code of ethics for visitors and tourism operators, that have been implemented to complement the legal requirements in the destination having by objective the reduction of the emergencies issues mention before. This code of ethics is basically focus on tourism operators behaviors forcing them to:

maintain the natural integrity of the places visit; respect the livehoods and culture of the local people.

make a solid effort to be less wasteful with the natural resource.

ensure waste disposal has not environmental impact.

develop a recycling programs; support different companies in the hospitality and tourism industry that work under environmental policies.

increase the network with other tours company in special those in the local area to keep aware of new conservation programs, environmental policies and eco-friendly techniques.

get the appropriate education and training on Eco-tourism and low impact techniques such as respectful for the environment and local culture.

support local economy but do not buy goods made from threatened or endangered species such as turtles; never disturb the wildlife and wildlife habitats.

follow by the book the rules and regulations in protect areas; advertise truthfully and inform to the tourist about the natural and local history

providing them useful materials.

make sure that the clients that are coming are aware of the regulations, norms and code of ethic applicable in the visit destination and develop an environmental education program with the local communities.

A guide for environmental tourism practice that refers to how the destination regularized activities related to bird watching, sea lions, diving and snorkeling, recreational booting etiquette, whales and dolphins, turtles and sport fishing. Some of those environmental tourism practices are summarizing here:

obtaining permission from SEMART through the direction of flora and fauna protection area “Islands of the Gulf of California” before visit the island.
forgibbean feed native animals.
camp only on designated area.
use only biodegradable products.
is highly recommend visit the exotic fauna colonies with guide.
watch the fauna from distance avoiding disturb or stress them.
never attempt to touch the fauna, the boat have to be 90 feet away from the rocks and islets.
avoid making loud noises and using strong lights near the colonies.
it is forbidden by law to damage or remove coral or other marine organisms as well collect natural souvenirs like coral, shells, etc.
do not interfere with the natural movements of the fauna.
before fish make sure to have the permit through the local SAGARA office that provides information on official bag/size/ tackle limits, protected species and seasonal closures.

As example of this successful Eco-tourism strategies, Olympus Tours one of the biggest tour operators from USA which is bringing to the destination more than 33.000 tourist year over year yearly, is totally agree with the procedures mentioned before and as prove of this in carryon the following iniciatives:

Increasing employment opportunities for local residentes.
Support and promote the local culture and customs.
Contribiute to prevent the exploitation of children in tourism.
Foment activities where the tourist interact with the local people.
Operate safe trips for the natural envaironment and the tourism.
Support local communities and organization.
Work with suppliers that share the same social responsibility.
Avoid activities which exploit flora and fauna such as diving with dolphins.
Reduce energy consumption.
Recycle as much as possible.
Agrements with establishments and hotels that implement eco-friendly techniques and green practices.

Another success example of the eco-tourism strategies in the destination are related to the hotels and resorts which are implementing several eco-friendly and green techniques such as:

Intercontinental chain that asks to its customers to conserve water by reusing towels and limiting the number of times the linens are changed.

Barcelo chain is adopting many local plants that thrive in arid Baja in its landscaping an stead of grass that require daily irrigation.

Nh-hotels has introduced for its customers the leastest technology in room functions, controlled by LCD where the air condition turns off when the patio door is open.

Riu Hotels has finished its remodeling project replacing the baths with walking showers.

Hilton Los Cabos is changing its wedding concept, offering to its customers a new phenomenon called “green wedding”. This package offers to brides and grooms a lot of alternatives adding green elements into their destination wedding. Based on the nature of the destination and the natural beauty of the surrounding environment, couples can choose an outdoor wedding area offered by the Hilton Los Cabos like lagoons, seaside gazebos, white sand beach, therefore reducing their energy used by having the wedding during the day. Dining service will include organic items such as organic tequila, domestic wines and organic cakes. End the celebration with eco-friendly fireworks that produce less smoke than the regulars and reduce the number of toxic metals that commonly left in the water.

3.0 Conclusion
3.1 Summary the importance of Eco-Tourism in destinations

The Eco-tourism presence in natural destinations is becaming more and more importante for the sustainability of the destination. Eco-tourism main function is develop awarenesses between local people and tourist regarding the importance of the preservation and conservation of the natural environment as well local culture.

As was discused above, Cabo San Lucas with the impact of the Eco-tourism is becaming as a green destination with several Eco-friendly iniciatives form the hospitality

supplieres such as hotels and tour operators. Customer are willing to pay more for accommodation that promote green activities, and Hilton hotel can not be a better example of this transformation, which is offering to its clients “green weddings ” introducing to the market a vast of green items such as out door facilities, organic dinner, organic cake and low smoke fireworks. All those elements have by objective the reduction of the negative impact in the destination.

Another positive impac that eco-tourism bring to the natural destination is related to the economic aspect.Cabo San Luas has been growing rapidly in the past 10 years with mega constructions projects such as resorts, shoping malls, hospitals, speedway, international airport amplification that drive to the destination the international brand business such as Wallmart, Mc. Donalds, Hooters, burguer King and starbucks which increase and improve the laboral condition with several available positions.

As was mentioned before, the destination has a significant international influx form Americans and Canadeans and it is semeed through the biggest tour operatior that bring tourism to the destination like is Apple Vacations, Olympus tours, The Mark Travel Corporation, Thomas Cook among others which are incentive and promote in Cabo San Lucas the Eco-tourism as an alternative way of travel.

Today, there are “Green Laws” of preservation, which are making people aware of how humans and the environment can cohexist beneficially for more time to come and Eco-tourism is one way to maximize the environmental and social benefits of tourism, without exclude the economic developments having by objective the sustainability of the culture and environment.

3.2Recommendation to overcome emerging issues in Cabo San Lucas

The Eco-tourism strategies that Cabo San Lucas is applying to contribuite with the sustainability of the destination are “a code of ethics for visitors and tourism operators” and ” a guide for environmental tourism practice” which ones had been showed evidence that are working very well. However there is opportunity to improve, there are many things that have gone unobserved by the autorities.

There is a need for altering the landowners act as it has caused many conflicts. The local landowners should be guaranteed with the insurance policies so that they can support the tourism activities that help in sustaining the resources. Department dealing with allotting areas and granting permission should frame uniform policies so that recreational providers don’t get confused while asking for permission. It is believed that most of the tourists don’t respect the local culture and also the local people. Tourists should be told to respect the local crowd and local culture. There is need for proper management in Cabo San Lucas and also the tourists should be allowed only during the certain seasons for activities like while watching and other watersports. Authorities need to work and implement aggressive marketing policies for the the destination as well foment activities where the new local generation get involve with the culture and preserve the sustainability of this one.

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Services are becoming increasingly an important part of the global economy. It is estimated that on average 70 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) (2007) countries come from service industries. Moreover, it is predicted that the importance of services will continue to increase worldwide not only in the developed parts of the world but also in developing countries.

Certainly hospitality is an important sector in services particularly in the developed countries. Under the services sector, the hospitality is often named as the number one industry worldwide in terms of generation of income and employment. Over the last three decades, the hospitality has grown rapidly, and now it has become one of the most prominent sectors of the service industry. It produces over 11 percent of the world’s gross domestic product and employs over 10 percent of the global workforce (UNWTO, 2003).

In 2006, international tourism arrivals worldwide achieved an all-time record of 842 million tourists. In the same year, tourism receipts, including international passenger transport, were estimated about $883 billion, which means that international tourism generated over $2.4 billion a day in 2006 (UNWTO, 2007). As an export category, the tourism industry ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals, and automotive products (UNWTO, 2007). Despite the presence of terrorism, natural disasters, health scares, fluctuations in exchange rates, and uncertainties in economic and political arenas, the hospitality industry have experienced positive growth for the last two decades. This growth has not only been observed in developed parts of the world but also in developing parts of the world such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It is predicted that the hospitality industry will continue growing rapidly worldwide. Following economic, sociocultural trends and developments, more people will be participating both in domestic and international tourism. In meeting this growing demand, many new hospitality businesses will be opened; new tourism destinations will emerge, and new tourism services and products will be introduced.

Although it is one of the largest industries worldwide, providing a concise definition for the hospitality industry has been a major challenge for professionals and academics. As often acknowledged, there continues to be a lack of agreement as to exactly what hospitality and tourism encompasses and the relationship between them. According to Nykiel (2005), definitions of the hospitality industry are often limited by the unique viewpoints of sectors within the industry. For example, a hotel operator may see the industry as accommodations with food and beverages. A food and beverage operator may view the industry as a dining experience with the focus on menu offerings and food service. A travel agency manager might believe that providing travel related services to people for business and leisure defines the industry best. An executive of a theme park may see hospitality as providing a unique entertainment and educational experience. In order to overcome this confusion, Nykiel (2005) placed all of these viewpoints under a wider perspective called “hospitality” and further stated that the hospitality industry passes travel, accommodations, food service, clubs, gaming, attractions, entertainment, and recreation.

Kandampully (2007) notes that hospitality organizations operate within a network of service organizations. To a large extent, they are interrelated and interdependent, and include the following:

Tour operators, travel agents, and tourism organizations

Travel and transport operators

Leisure, recreation, and entertainment venue

Restaurants, bars, clubs, and cafes

Hotels, resorts, motels, camping grounds, bed & breakfast (B&B) establishments, and hostels.

TYPES OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations that operate in the hospitality industry can be grouped under different categories depending on their primary activities, size, profit motives, and geographical coverage. In terms of their primary services, organizations can be categorized as follows:

Travel and transport

Accommodations (lodging)

Food and beverages

Entertainment and recreation

Tourism offices or destination management organizations

Nongovernmental tourism organizations

Each of these is often identified as a subsector under the hospitality industry. In addition, each can be further broken into several subgroupings. For example, under accommodations, there are hotels, motels, guest houses, hostels, villas, and time-shares. Some of these organizations can be further grouped depending on their service level, such as luxury hotels, boutique hotels, midmarket hotels, and budget hotels, or according to their star ratings, such as five-star (diamond), four-star, and three-star hotels.

A further grouping of the hospitality organizations can be made based on their size such as small, medium, and large. Independent and flexible small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) dominate the tourism market worldwide.

An SME is defined in employment terms as a company with a workforce of fewer than 250 employees (European Commission, 2002; Wanhill, 2000). For example, it is reported that around more than 90 percent of tourism and hospitality organizations in Europe are SMEs (Bastakis, Buhalis, and Butler, 2004; European Commission, 2002, Wanhill, 2000) which are usually ownermanaged, being run either by an individual or by small groups of people.

Managing SMEs is different from managing larger enterprises. For example, Quinn, Larmour, and McQuillan (1992) state that smaller hotels are not simply smaller versions of large hotel groups. They have distinct organizational structures and cultures that are often influenced by their owners. The business objectives of smaller hotels may have a different emphasis compared to large hotel groups. According to Quinn and colleagues (1992), profitability, market share, and productivity are less important to small businesses. In addition, they may have less desire to expand and achieve high profitability and productivity ratios. Their views on the external environment, long-term strategies, generic positions, competitive advantages, and allocations of financial and human resources may not be similar to those of large organizations. We know that many SMEs face financial and managerial challenges (Hwang and Lockwood, 2006), and their ratio of business failures is higher compared to larger organizations (Wanhill, 2000).

Another classification of hospitality organizations can be made according to profit motive. A high majority of hospitality organizations aim to make a profit and achieve some financial objectives in order to satisfy their owners and shareholders. On the other hand, nongovernmental tourism organizations, associations, tourism destination management, and marketing organizations can be placed under non-profit tourism organizations. Their primary aim is often not to make profit but to achieve other nonfinancial objectives, such as serving society, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable tourism development in their regions over the long term.

CHARACTERISTICS OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM ORGANIZATIONS

Essentially, service sector organizations, including the hospitality organizations, possess certain unique features. Ignoring the differences between service organizations and manufacturing organizations can lead to unexpected outcomes. The following are some closely related, unique characteristics of hospitality organizations (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2004; Gronoos, 2007; Kandampully, 2007):

Inseparability-customer participation in the service process

Simultaneity

Perishability

Intangibility (the tangible-intangible continuum)

Heterogeneity

Cost structure

Labor intensive

Inseparability

In hospitality organizations, customers need to be present and participate in the service delivery process. This is certainly not common in manufacturing industries. This means that the separation of the production and marketing functions, which are important characteristics of the traditional manufacturing industry, is not possible in the service delivery process that is found in hospitality. Therefore, hospitality must communicate with and motivate their customers to actively participate in the service delivery process.

Attracting and bringing customers to hospitality requires careful attention to their location, brand image, and ongoing marketing and promotional activities. In addition, the presence of customers and the requirement for them to play an active role in the service delivery process necessitates ongoing careful attention to behavior, the physical appearance of employees, the interior design and decoration of facilities, furnishings, layout, and noise.

This means that like Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons’s (2004) comments on managing service organizations, operations, marketing and HRM functions in hospitality need to be very closely integrated. Compared to manufacturing firms, this certainly requires that a different managerial approach, organizational structure, and culture must be developed and maintained in hospitality.

Simultaneity

Typical manufactured goods, such as a refrigerator or a television, can be inspected before it is delivered to retail outlets, where they are then sold to customers. However, services in hospitality are created and consumed simultaneously, which can prevent employing active quality control mechanisms. In addition, as just noted, customers and employees need to participate and coordinate in the service delivery process. It is almost impossible to have one manager for every employee to monitor the service delivery process and make sure that frontline employees are doing their jobs well, in addition to guiding the customers’ participation in the process.

Therefore, in order to make sure that services are produced and offered to customers at an expected quality that meets consistent standards, hospitality should rely on other measures such as investing in human resources, use of technology, building desired physical facilities, and decoration to ensure the quality of services delivered. This has implications on decision-making practices, resource allocations, operations, marketing, and human resource management practices.

Perishability

As production and consumption in hospitality are simultaneous, services become perishable if they are not sold. Subsequently, their value is lost forever. For example, an airline seat or a hotel room will perish if a customer does not purchase it at the time of production. Therefore, the full utilization of service capacity is a strategic task for much hospitality.

It is particularly important to emphasize that demand for a hospitality services often fluctuates considerably, depending on the external developments and changes, such as seasonality and crises. For instance, terrorist attacks (such as September 11, 2001 in New York), disease outbreaks (such as SARS in the Far East), and natural weather phenomena (such as tornadoes or hurricanes) all had a negative impact on the demand for services offered by the hospitality industry worldwide. Because hospitality cannot sell their services when such circumstances arise, they lose a considerable amount of non-recoverable income. When the demand is low or there are sudden fluctuations in demand, it is neither easy nor recommended for hospitality to lower their rates greatly, since it may influence their image, change their customer segment, and upset their regular customers.

A further issue in terms of perishability is that consumer demand for hospitality services exhibits very cyclic behavior over a short period of time. For example, restaurants are busy during lunchtime, evenings, and weekends, but they may not be very busy at other times. Demand for many hospitality, such as restaurants and theme parks, increases during public holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s Day, and spring break. Depending on the location, many hotels and restaurants experience great variances in summers and winters. This puts much responsibility on the management of these firms in planning for the future and allocating their resources quickly and adequately to the right purposes. In short, expected and unexpected fluctuations in demand have implications on cost structure, pricing, staffing, and resource allocation decisions.

Tangibility

Hospitality and tourism organizations offer a combination of tangible and intangible products (Kandampully, 2007). For example, a hotel room or a meal in a restaurant has both tangible and intangible qualities. Again, there may be major differences between a budget hotel and a luxury hotel or between a fast-food restaurant and an upscale restaurant in terms of tangible and intangible qualities offered. However, services are often ideas, concepts, interactions, relationships, and experiences that are not often patentable. It is essential to note that the intangible aspects of services offered by hospitality are critical in customer satisfaction. This is because the main difficulty related to the intangibility of services is that customers cannot often see, feel, and test these services when they order or buy them (Gronroos, 2007; Kandampully, 2007). Prior to their purchase, they may try to evaluate services as much as they can by looking at the interior of a hotel or a restaurant and the appearance and behavior of the employees. In most cases, customers tend to rely on the image or the goodwill of hospitality. In order to overcome potential problems and dissatisfaction in these areas, some hospitality companies publicize their service promises and offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

Legal requirements have also been proposed for hospitality to provide acceptable service performance for customers. However, these legal requirements vary among different countries. The expectations of customers may also vary, depending on the country or geographical location of the hospitality enterprise. We know that customers’ demands and expectations are constantly increasing, which puts more pressure on hospitality to improve their services and management practices.

Heterogeneity

Services provided by hospitality may also vary considerably. One hotel unit in a chain hotel, one unit in a restaurant chain, or one holiday experience of a traveler to the same destination is unlikely to be identical to another. Many factors, particularly the human element, result in variations of the service delivery process. In other words, services will be heterogeneous, and variations in service delivery from customer to customer and from time to time will always occur. It is often difficult to standardize every employee- customer interaction in the hospitality business. In addition, in many hospitality organizations, customers interact not only with employees but with other customers. This customer-to-customer interaction in certain service organizations, such as pubs, discos, nightclubs, and cruises, can be an important aspect of the total service delivery process.

Hospitality is also highly susceptible to external changes. One example of an external factor is the weather. Visiting an outdoor theme park can be very pleasant and entertaining on a nice day, but it can be a miserable experience if it is raining and cold.

In recent years, through the intensive use of information technology and active training of employees and design of physical facilities, attempts to improve and standardize the service delivery process have greatly increased. On the other hand, some customers expect a high level of service delivery, but this does not mean that they prefer standardized services. Therefore, hospitality need to achieve some degree of balance between standardization and differentiation in meeting the demands and expectations of their customers.

Cost Structure

The cost structure of hospitality influences their managerial and resource allocation decisions. For example, luxury hospitality is capital, labor, and energy intensive. Typically, they have high property costs and also employ large numbers of full-time employees. It can be difficult for them to reduce such cost items even if the demand is low. In addition, they may need to renovate their facilities every five to ten years to stay competitive in their field. Another issue is that given the vast amount of investment made in these organizations, investors and owners often look very carefully at their return on investment. Therefore, these companies need to maintain a steady flow of customers to maintain the profitability of their businesses. This often leads to creative marketing and product development strategies as well as pricing strategies.

Labor Intensive

Installing machines and computers on a car factory’s assembly line or in an ice cream factory can reduce the number of employees. However, compared to many organizations in other industries, hospitality requires a great many employees. To put it simply, hospitality are labor intensive. This is because personal interactions and experiences are important parts of services, and employees play a key role in this process. Despite using many machines, computers, and technological developments, hospitality still rely primarily on their employees to deliver a memorable and positive experience. Being served and treated nicely by employees is a major factor in getting repeat customers.

APPLYING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY CONTEXT

One emerging question is how we can use and apply generic strategic management theories and models in specific hospitality industry context. In this section, we will examine how such theories and models can be applied in the particular context of hospitality and tourism. Most of the strategic management tools, models, techniques, and theories have traditionally been developed mainly for the manufacturing sector in the United States and have subsequently been applied to other industrial sectors (Okumus and Wong, 2005). However, hospitality that is concerned with a service-based output reflects the typical characteristics found across the service sector.

These include customer participation in the service delivery process, simultaneity, perishability, intangibility, heterogeneity, and high fixed costs of the services provided. As explained previously, there are different types of firms with unique features in the hospitality industry.

McGahan and Porter (1997) and Porter (1980) claimed that the industry context does matter because it can have a direct or an indirect impact on the strategy-making process and on the productivity and profitability of organizations. This reflects the so-called “outside-in” view that we saw in Chapter

Conversely, Baden-Fuller and Stopford (1994) argued that it is the internal characteristics of firm-the “inside-out” views-that matters most, not the industry. According to Baden-Fuller and Stopford (1994), successful organizations can skillfully ride the waves of industry crises, and less successful ones can disappear due to industry misfortunes besetting the industry. For example, Southwest Airlines has been profitable and successful since the early 1970s, while many other major airlines have faced serious challenges, with some declaring bankruptcy. Here, the industry structure and characteristics are considered to be of secondary importance.

Given these conflicting views as to whether the industry context or that of the individual firm is more important when devising a strategic plan, we propose a different but more holistic view on this controversial issue. In support of McGahan and Porter (1997), we believe that the industry structure and the unique characteristics of the hospitality sector do matter and that they can have a clear impact on the strategy-making process and on the productivity and profitability of hospitality.

Therefore, we need to have a better and deeper understanding of how the external environment affects the hospitality industry. We further acknowledge that the industry context is one of the dimensions impacting the management practices in hospitality and their performance.

In short, the context at both the industry and the organizational levels is crucial if one is to effectively use and apply the strategic management theories and models in hospitality. The importance of context to strategy making means that the preceding argument holds across all industrial sectors and not just hospitality and tourism. All issues related to the strategy process and the strategy content must always be framed in that specific context. In other words, we cannot meaningfully separate strategy from its industry context or from its internal organizational context.

When think of the hospitality industry, normally we will think of restaurants and hotels. By then, the term of hospitality industry has a much broader meaning. According to Oxford English Dictionary, hospitality is means the reception and entertainment of customers, strangers and visitors with liberality and good will. The word of hospitality is derived from hospice, a medieval ‘house of rest’ for travelers and pilgrims. A hospice was also an early from nursing home, and the word is clearly related to hospital. Besides that, hospitality also refers to other types of institutions that offer shelter or food or both to person away from their home. These kinds of institutions have more than a common historical heritage. Moreover, they also share the management problem of providing food and shelter, example like: erecting a building; preparing and serving food in a good will; providing heat, light, and power; and cleaning and maintaining the premises. When customers stay in a hotel or dine in a restaurant, they hope that all of this problem can be done with liberality and good will, but they can also rightfully expect the same treatment from the dietary department in a health care facility or from a school lunch program. In additional, as a successful manger in the hospitality industry, they must exhibit many skills and command much specialized knowledge, such like, a manger wants to make things for the guests. Food has to be savory and hot or cold according to design and delivery it on time. The rooms must be clean and the beds should be made. A hospitality system includes many works, and the manger must see that it is done.

Answer of Question 1

What is hospitality industry? Finding one all – encompassing description of hospitality as an industry is also hard. The means of hospitality industry are comprises businesses that serve guests who are away from home or can be defined by its scope, mission, and providers. Other definition of hospitality industry will be continually updated and refined, expanded, and honed.

Historians have traced the development of the hospitality industry through thousands of years and many cultures. Viewing the industry through the lens of history is helpful because it reveals the close relationship between the shape of hospitality and the needs and expectations of different societies, this is because societies will continue to change in what they need and want. Besides that, the hospitality industry is also extends over a wide range businesses, each of which is dedicated to the service of people away from home. Nowadays, the main components of the industry are those that satisfy a guest’s need for shelter and lodging and those that provide their patrons with food service.

Other than that, when imagined us as the manger of executive chef of a fine restaurant, a general manger at a supreme and luxury hotel, resort or at a casino. These are all possibilities but our choices are wider than perhaps our ever dreamed. A hospitality management degree or diploma and experience can connect us to a network of careers in travel, tourism, leisure and recreation, simply because of the scope of these related enterprises. Besides that, there are also some advantage and disadvantage for each business and staff.

Lodging

Hotels and resorts have been compared to miniature cities in the way that they incorporate life support system such like light, heat, food, shelter, security, water and sanitation facilities. Normally lodging establishment always include within their ‘city limits’ elements of recreation, food service, entertainment and personal services for travelers. There are close to a dozen major categories of lodging facilities, ranging from tiny bed and breakfasts to the latest development, megaresorts. The niches in between these extreme consists of commercial hotel, airport hotel, economy properties, residential hotels, casino hotel, resorts and suite hotels.

The goal of all businesses is to link or match supply with demand example like: hotels want to sell room and other kinds of services to guests who provide their demand. Every business should bringing supply and demand together to make a profit. Supply is such a holistic concept in a service industry like lodging; that must be considered as a whole or through system and cannot simply as disconnected pieces of puzzles. Supply includes of tangibles, suck like hotel type and physical amenities, and intangibles, or such like the many personal services there provided by the lodging staff. Other than that, demand is same means with customers needs and wants, is often changing and varied. There are many consumer groups or market segments that demand certain types of lodging facilities to satisfy the customer expectation or needs.

Advantages

View on the angle of economics, the advantage of lodging in hospitality industry is the ability to provide a product or service of superior quality and reasonable cost is what a company should pay to produce or provide it. A comparative advantage is when a company can provide something of comparable value at a lower cost, which can result that in a lower price for the customer than the competition offers.

Another advantage is localization. The country, the city and other specific place where it is located influences its competitive advantage abilities over other hotels, example like: a specific city can have lower opportunity costs for specializing hotel service due to lower costs for other services or goods on which the hotel may rely.

Prices are an important factor for lodging industry advantage. Even the services are good and the localization is suitable, but hotels with high prices will probably not survive so long and the guest will stop to coming and buying the service, no matter how good it is. Therefore, hotels must be giving a lower price to their customers.

One of the sources of comparative advantage is natural environment. Sun, sea and sand are great environments with which to surround a hotel or resort. In some cold country, with cold environments, proximity to ski slopes and quality entertainment contributes to a hotel’s or resort’s comparative advantage.

Disadvantages

One of the source disadvantages of lodging in hospitality industry is environment. With the growing concern for the environment, customers and other interested parties have begun making environmental demands upon the lodging industry. There are two primary areas of environmental concerns for the lodging industry, which are site pollution and internal operational ecological. Site pollution means that concern arise when the lodging facility is built without regard for the surrounding natural environment. Internal operational ecological issues have to do with how the facility conserves resources.

Another source of disadvantage of lodging in hospitality industry is technology. The issue of technology in the lodging industry consist the application of computerized methods to replace processes previously done by hand. When compared with other industries, the lodging industry has been a latecomer in computerizing its operation. Sophisticated hotel management systems assist general and departmental management in more effective operations. Other than that, both chain – affiliated and individual independent hotels are linked to national and international markets through computerized reservation system.

Food Service

The preparation and delivery of food to guests and travelers is another seemingly omnipresent category closely connected with lodging, travel and recreation. The hospitality industry is, in many ways, like an extension of families. Hotels and restaurants house and feed people when they are away from their home, as do hospitals, schools and prisons.

A food service operation is an organization outside the home that prepares food for people, either for sale, as in a restaurant, or as part of a service, as in a hospital. Food service operations do the very same things as we do at home to produce meals for our families.

Professionalism in food service management is essential in today’s highly competitive market. This overview of food service management is intended to demonstrate the scope and seriousness of food service management and to underscore the importance of professional training or education for potential food service managers. Besides that, food service management can be wonderfully fulfilling, fun and satisfying, but only if we are properly to manage.

Advantages

New staff come to an industry sometimes have advantages over more experienced professionals. In a job hunt, junior professionals can have an advantage over their more experienced counterparts. Prospective employees always view the less experienced workers as more trainable and more coachable than their senior. This means that, the mature professional who has already excelled in a first career can, with credibility, change careers and transfer skills to other industries.

Another advantage of working in food service industry is jobs for all. The food service line such as restaurant has many positions. Anyone with just a basic education or degree from a college will be able to work at this line. A people with good education example like degree, they can work as manager, assistant manager or other such management positions. Besides that, a person with a lower education, they can work as table cleaners, waiters, dishwashers and so on. Moreover, as one gains experience, he or she can get a job advancement receiving better pay.

Location is also one of the advantages in food service industry, because there is not location specific. No matter where we live, we can easily to find a restaurants, it’s just a pierces of cake. Even we need to find a job, we also can get it easily, because that is too many restaurants in the world.

Disadvantages

Newcomers to the field may have disadvantage compared to their senior. Almost by definition, the inexperienced professional such like a young person who has recently earned a college degree is less tested and less experienced than senior managers, so the resume and cover letter of the inexperienced professional may always have to sell their potential to do something his or her never done before. Lack of experience in the field he or she wants to enter can be a stumbling block to the junior manager.

Competition is one of disadvantage in food service industry. Food service is big business and has become so complex that it is less and less feasible for nonprofessionals to succeed using ‘seat of the pants’ ways. Some restaurants fail in their first year, it is because their creators naively believed they could succeed through optimism or by ‘winging it’. Professional managers or staffs learn to look for and recognize trends, through reading magazines and newspaper, and generally keeping up to date, paying attention to what consumers say and do.

After that, another disadvantage in food service industry is environment. Energy conservation, hazardous chemical disposal, and waste management are important to food service managers. How these agents are used and disposed of affects the health and safety of the staff and the health of the world. Many companies are seeking methods to reduce excess waste before purchasing. By that, we are not likely to see purchasing agents carrying string bags and canvas tote, we are already seeing them weigh waste factors in the bidding process.

Conclusion

The hospitality industry is one that is primary focused on customer satisfaction. For the most part, it is built on leisure or is supreme-based, as opposed to meeting basic needs and wants. Some of the business that the hospitality industry garners is transient and intermittent, but collectively, it accounts for a large source of its revenue. Moreover, exceptional service is normally very important for all of these businesses. Customer satisfaction normally leads to consumer loyalty, which assists to make sure the success of a company in the hospitality industry. Other kinds of services in the hospitality industry include of special event planning for social and corporate functions. Finally, an advanced hospitality and tourism degree may not be required for all management positions in the hospitality industry, but working our way up through the ranks can mean years of lost income potential and missed opportunities. By upgrading our academic training, we will advance faster and have more careers open to us.

Question 2

Find out the factors that affecting travel and tourism. Explain in detail

Introduction

Obviously, the travel and tourism play an important role in the hospitality industry. Some parts of the industry, such like hotels are derive almost all of their sales from travelers. Even through, the food service attributes roughly 25 percent of its sales to travelers. Other than that, there are also many leisure oriented businesses with a major food service and hospitality component are also dependent on travelers, such like theme park, shopping mall and so on. As employment in smokestack industries that is manufacturing which was falls, the service in industries, including those businesses serving travelers, should be take up the slack by providing new jobs. In the economy as a whole, the importance of tourism and the hospitality industry is increasing each year, because tourism is health of the hospitality industry. Tourism is the collection of productive businesses and governmental organizations that serve the travelers ways from home. These kinds of organizations include restaurants, hotels, motels and resorts. The industry also consist those organizations that support these firms’ retail activities, including of publications, advertising companies, travel research and development agencies, and transportation equipment manufactures. Travel trends are significant to students or family of hospitality because they represent the way in which many of guests reach. This is where much of business comes from.

Answer of Question 2

Why do people like to travel? There are two reasons for travel which is wanderlust and sunlust. A lot of young people have to hope that to travel and see cultures of the country and to get the experience of travel; this is call wanderlust. However, sunlust is means that other people want to go somewhere warm and escape from climate for a while. There are also other motivating factors, which include relaxation, escape from a boring life, socialization with friend, rest and prestige. These kinds of motivating factors have not really changed over the years. Besides that, tourism growth continues to be fueled by more leisure time, enabling factors, technology factors, income, and demographic.

Figure – Factors Affecting Travel and Tourism

Leisure Time

The reason why for the increase in leisure time is people has more time off from work or school holidays. Most company vacation policies have become more liberal. Besides that, the number of legal, paid holidays has increased and, significantly for tourism, more of these are timed so as to supply three day weekends. Although the typical work week has stayed at 40 hours for many years, flexible scheduling arrangements have also added to people’s leisure time.

Enabling Factors

Some people have motivators for wanting to go on holiday, but there are some reasons why they can’t go. The main reasons are money and time. If can’t afford it, means that the people can’t go. Having enough time and money are examples of enabling factors. There are also another enabling factors which include: availability of travel such as flights to different locations; suitable products example like range of different holidays; owning a car, therefore can be travel more easily; marketing of a destination for bringing attention; and ease of booking. These types of enabling factors allow the people to act on their motivators. When investigate the change of customers needs and wants, it will be help to find out more enabling factors.

Technology Factors

Technological changes within tourism surround several different factors from medical advances to the innovative space tourism. Similar to tourism, technology is an ever changing and sometimes unstable business. Better communication, transport and safety have encouraged new customers to the industry. Besides that, the main impact of new technology on consumers has been Internet, which has given people the chance to be more independent and make their own travel and holiday plans and arrangements. Through technological advances, online booking has been one of the biggest factors in affecting tourism, recreation and leisure in today’s world. On average residents in the United Kingdom spend 164 minutes online every day compared to 148 minutes watching television. This show that how much the internet is now an integral part of life and has had an effect on other aspects influencing the tourism business. More of more people are now booking their holiday on the internet, as many people are looking for a better priced deal than they are being offered by their travel agent. In additional, nowadays, most consumers want easier, quicker and cheaper service only technology has helped tourism fulfill the customers need.

Income

The two income family has become more and more important factor in travel. Nowadays, the women desire that they can work at outside. A two income family is adds to the family’s security, and not only increases total family income. If another partner loses a job, that does not eliminate all of the family’s income. There are many motivates for women to work at outside the home. The main reasons are career and necessity. A lot of women choose to be in the workforce for professional and career reasons and for the challenge, stimulation and variety that working provide. Another reason, for many woman, however is to maintain the family income at a level affords the family a satisfying and comfortable lifestyle. In some cases, family members have shifted from highly paid manufacturing work to less well paid occupations, always in the service sector. Thus, some women work at least in part because they have to maintain their family income. Furthermore, almost all two income families have no time. When they both go work, the household chores still need to be complete and the parent will normally behest their children to cared about it. This means that many people may have to sacrifice leisure time for household and family maintenance chores. So that, when they do get away, time is at a premium. Through sensitive to price or value comparisons, these travelers generally seek good value for their money rather than low cost recreational experiences.

Demographic

According to the middle ageing America, that has suggested the impact of demographic changes on tourism. Middle age generally means higher income and a greater propensity to travel. The ages of the middle age group are between 35 until 44. This age group is most likely to use hotels and to take longer trips. Close behind them are the 45 till 54 year olds. Besides that, another significant demographic development for tourism is the growth in the mature market, that is, people over 55 years old. Although, this group represents a smaller share of household income, people 55 and over control over half of household wealth. The people in this age group can use their retirement pay to travel.

The pattern of growth in the mature market suggests two subsegments that will be very important. The 55 -65 year old group, which will grow by a remarkable two – thirds from 1995 to 2010, as the first baby boomers move into their and learning to deal with extended leisure, that is the ability to take longer vacations as seniority increases vacation entitlements and as retirement approaches or as early retirement permits. Another growth segment is at the extreme of the mature market, who are over 85 year old. The needs of people in this group do suggest a major expansion in assisted – living facilities, but they also suggest opportunities for family travel that involve grandparents and grandchildren or all three generations.

Safety and Security Issues

A challenge is to protect travellers as they move across this huge industry using by rail, hotels and restaurants, buses, cruise ships and airports. There are some security and safety issues which are:

Airport security seen as priority, so can attracts more investment.
But this may leave traveler exposed to risks at other points in their journey.
Expense of technological solutions to detect terrorists.
Political barriers prevent a global response to risks.
Not all countries have same view of security tasks.
Impact on individuals of anti terror measures likely to increase inconvenience os some travel options.
Conclusion

The most common reason for travelling is for pleasure and business. More people prefer to travel by car than by other transports such like airplane, motorcycle, bus and so on. Travel by air increased over the last 10 years but fell somewhat when fares began to rise, suggesting that travel is price sensitive, because it is too expensive. The economic significance of tourism is clear: Tourism ranks in the top three for total business receipts. Besides that, about one in twenty people is employed in an activity supported by travel expenditures. Indeed, communities seeking potential employers may profitably use tourism as an attraction. The United Kingdom is also an international tourist attractions, its popularity often based on the value of the UK dollar versus that of other currencies, as well as a number of others factors. Other than that, in looking at air travel, the organization should considered the competition between hub and spoke and point to point airline systems and the strengths and weakness of both. At last, the travel industry although brash will always be around due to the need and want of consumers to travel.

A hotel could be defined as a commercial establishment that provides short and long term lodging facility Hotel Definition, 2000. The standard for basic hotel, in times past, consisting of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand. Now, the hotel industries are improved by providing rooms with modern facilities, including suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. Other general features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, a television, snack foods and drinks. Bigger hotels may provide a number of additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare, tennis court and multipurpose hall. Nowadays, hotels are classified into ‘Star’ categories, different country has different ‘Star’ rating requirement, the standards mentioned below are the essential requirement for ‘Star’ rating.

1-Star hotel provides a limited range of amenities and services, but the hotel should follow the cleanliness standard.

2-Star hotel need to have a good accommodation and well-equipped bedrooms, each room must have a telephone and attached private bathroom.

3-Star hotel has more spacious rooms, decorated with high-class decorations and furnishings, and a color TV. The hotel also provides a bars or lounges.

4-Star hotel is much more comfortable and larger with excellent cuisine provided (table d’hote and a la carte), room services, good furnishings, and other amenities.

5-Star hotel offers most luxurious premises, widest range of guest services, guest sport facilities such as swimming pool, tennis court, and gym are necessary, and many choices of restaurants that provides different cuisines. ( Hotel Definition, 2000)

A hotel milestone had gone through several decades. During 1980’s, a big expansion of hotel occurred, a Hotel Boom #3 which generated by innovative marketing and development of specialized types of hotel (hotel design, planning and development), with the development that time, many hotels were combining large-scale commercial complex with hotel. From the development too, the airport hotel, conference centers, all-suite hotels, vacation villages, health spas, ski lodges and condominium resorts are expanding rapidly all over the continents. In 1990’s, a tourism were slowed by the Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 2 February 1991), also recession of 1991 gave a lowest financial record in hotel history. Few years after early 1990’s, hotel industry sector were restored into the normal condition, Hotel Boom #4 that generated by the new advanced technology, imaginative design and the successful marketing of mass customization of hotels, resorts, and leisure time amenities (Walter A. Rutes et al. 2001).

After going for several decades of hotel industry developments and trends, now it is easy to find new types of hotel and people also now trying to invent new model of hotel in order to create new trend. These are some types of hotels found as below:

Super Luxury Hotel

In the hotel world, term “luxury” has a lot of definitions, it could be unique, personage, special service, elite customer, impressive settings and decorations, impeccable service, and elegant architecture. This hotel provides a private world of rare and refined beauty where the art of personalize service is conducted with efficiency and assurance. The super luxury hotel reputations and qualities are depending on the management style of the hotel owner and its staff. Security and privacy are the essential features of super-luxury hotels and also an advanced technology will produce ever more sophisticated systems, high technology systems as electronic door locks, surveillance cameras and window sensors would add guest’s peace of mind.

Most of the super-luxury hotels derive their luxurious character from the superb historical buildings the occupied, The Lanesborough, London, England is one of the hotels that became a national landmark, and formerly the building of this hotel was a hospital.

The entrance lobbies from most of super luxury hotels are elegant and definitely shows the residential character. The Four Seasons Hotel New York, the first major chain hotel that achieved super-luxury status, gives an exception to the rule with regard the scale of the lobby. Three separate desks were designed for the lobby; reception, concierge and cashier.

Meanwhile, the guestrooms and suites of the super-luxury hotels are fully detail design and furnishings. Each room were equipped with bedside controls that allows guest to open or close drapes, turn on a discreet privacy sign or call a maid service. The bathrooms of a super-luxury hotels now exceed one-third of the overall room size, with a multiple head showers with ten-button controls and automatic temperature settings,

marble vanity with two porcelain basins and brass fittings, heated fog-free mirror and heated towel bars. Specialty suites offer deep whirlpool baths with windows facing the spectacular view. (Walter A. Rutes et al. 2001)

Casino Hotel

Casino hotel defined as a combination of a lodging establishment with the casino gaming. Most of casino hotels are providing not just an accommodation and a casino, but there are some entertainments such as the circus show, dance and singing show, clubs, lots of food and beverage outlets, theme park, shopping areas and many other attractions. With the entertainments provided for the guests, casino hotel have became one of the most favorite destination to the customer because the guest could get the whole things in one destination.

The Flamingo, who was built in Las Vegas, USA and is the first casino hotel, was totally attracting customer. In that time, Las Vegas desert were transformed into the world’s largest multifaceted resort and that was when casino hotel became one of tourist destination. After that, the trends of casino hotel have expanded widely thorough every continent. In USA, Treasure Island and The Mirage hotel were built, by providing a total of 130,000 rooms, special theme, superb attractions, and many more. From that moment, the Four Seasons Hotel, Bellagio and The Venetian also enter the market of casino hotel in Las Vegas. The Palace of the Lost City which located in South Africa, who gives a fundamental design that involving the architects of WAT&G and raised the art conceiving themes and authentic detailing and blended design with the natural and cultural environment. Hyatt Regency Tamaya that located in New Mexico exemplifies new casino resort with a concept of museum. In Asia Region, Genting Highland which located in Malaysia is the famous casino hotel among Asian, the company who develop the Genting Resort is Resort World, this company has another two casino hotels located in Singapore and Manila.

Most of the casino hotel rooms are larger and more luxuriously planned and appointed than suburban or downtown hotels, but there are casino some casino hotels that offer small room and breakfast only, but this offer also comes with a good price, this small room offer usually used to attract teenagers and small or middle income guest. A unique model is located at the end of the guestroom tower floors, semicircular in plan, offering a panoramic bay window view from the sunny living room By providing a casino, casino hotel has a greater ratio of nonrevenue-producing space than any other hotel type like ‘high-roller’ suites and villas that exclusively provided for high-stake players, star-suites for famous entertainers, and a cuisine ‘hold tables’ permanently reserved in restaurants on or near the gaming area for quick service for the high-rollers who wants to use its maximum time on gaming.

For the convention facilities, because of the trends of combining large trade shows with related corporate and association conventions, today’s 1,000-room and larger casino hotels more than meet the requirements of the convention market. The groups, including family incentive groups, increasingly look to meet at a resort location, as a result of this trends, casino hotels adds another extras addition like theme parks, small luxury signature restaurants and several more sophisticated, rather than merely larger, entertainment programs position casino hotels to increase their penetration of the convention market. (Walter A. Rutes et al. 2001)

Resorts

Resorts defined as an establishment used for relaxation or recreation, mostly operated by a single company or a chain company. Resorts attempts to provide its customer wants while their customers remain in the premises, some of the provided things are swimming pool, food, drink, entertainment, and shopping. Main visual features that people focus on resorts are the landscaping, natural environment, and the building finishes. There are several types of resorts with every special characteristic of each type, it is listed as below:

Beach, Golf and Tennis Resorts

This type of resorts provides a beach, golf and tennis in one place, also most of this resort comes with the spectacular views, water sports, and fresh air. Such resort amenities also attract the typical business travelers who sometimes choose this kind of resort over a downtown or suburban hotels. Corporate groups now also prefer resorts for business gatherings, as their more relaxed atmosphere promotes teamwork and closer personal contacts. Besides beach, swimming pool also becomes one of the essential in beach, golf and tennis resorts. Since guests spend more time in public pool than a public space, swimming pools will affects guests overall impression of the resort.

Factors that need to be concerned for Beach, Golf and Tennis Resorts are:

Preparing environmental and other analyses and keep clear documentation at every different stage

Identify the government agency responsible for approving various aspects of the project

Obtain copies of all legal requirements, necessary permits, or technical standards applying to projects

Monitor construction and proactively seek government inspection and approval at each stage.

Vacation Village

In today’s world where populations are growing, where natural resources are stressed and where consumer’s expectations are expanding, sustainability is absolutely critical issue for our planet. Sustainability is a significant term for many disciplines and one of the important key for living. Then, it has become an important part of organizations with the effect of today’s rapidly changed competitive business environment and surely the effect of globalization.

Economic Sustainability

Environmental Sustainability Social Sustainability

Figure 1. Three dimensions of sustainability

Sustainability can be described as a permanent ability. Meaning in the science of ecology, diversity and productivity of the biological system is to ensure the continuity. Today is a very popular ‘sustainability’ concept, or fashion in the phrase ‘sustainable growth’, underground / aboveground resources, without jeopardizing their life opportunities of future generations to consume to sustain economic growth targets. In 1992, ‘Sustainable Development’ was the main theme of the Rio Conference, later all the other United Nations conferences had been deeply affected and the basic principles of the UN’s approach turned into the world ‘Sustainability’. According to the United Nations Environment and Development Commission definition in 1987, “Humanity, future generations need to answer capability without jeopardizing the daily needs by providing development to sustain the ability to have.”

According to Nelson and Winter (1982, pg.5) sustainability adverts to a accumulated and persistent way of growth, at economic level- the economic sustainability or at company level- the business sustainability; an included growth way that provides benefits to people at different types of levels of social position, both within countries and all over the world – the social sustainability; and a growth trajectory that recovers and protects the natural environment and is well balanced in terms of exploitation of natural resources- the environmental sustainability.

According to all of these senses, sustainability can be related with the accumulative and path dependent nature of the innovation process. (Nelson and Winter, 1982)

With regard to Tekeli (2001), sustainability is emerged in the environmental movement and has become widely accepted in the political process content and it is tried to be redefined as a moral principle. As determined in many academic studies, for humanity, the long-term prosperity and ease the situation related with the world’s natural balance and protection of natural resources usage responsibly.

2.2. HISTORY OF SUSTAINABILITY

The concept of sustainability used for the first time in 1713 in order to explain economic use of forests by Carl von Carlowitz was put forward by a woodsman, much later it have been translated into English. The first form of sustainability, without consuming the essence of the forest, which grew up just sprinkling the cut, was expected to benefit from that.

Today’s ‘sustainability’ thinking’ is also called ‘three-legged model’ (triple bottom line / 3BL). The short-form of definition is, ‘Sustainable development of the existence of the people with economic, environmental and social dimensions to the future. Sustainability is a kind of ideology that involves social life to economy, environment and atmosphere; can see the right to intervene, the world, people and life. As the area of interest and interfere with thinking, sustainability has unprecedented coverage area in history ever. In today’s world of science is accepted by everyone. Therefore the appreciation of science to sustainability issues are expected to accept from everyone.

2.3. CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY

In recent years, there has been significant discussion in the business, academic, and popular press about “corporate sustainability.” This term is often use in some cases as a same meaning with other terms as especially with “sustainable development” and “corporate social responsibility.” In this part of the research, corporate sustainability and the relationship with other terms will be analyze.

Sustainability has been defined as economic development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1985). For businesses this includes issues of corporate social responsibility. In other words, corporate sustainability can be identified as meeting the needs of a firm’s direct and indirect stakeholders like shareholders, clients, employees, pressure groups and committees, without compromising its ability to meet the needs of future stakeholders at the same time. To achieve these objectives, companies must have to take into account and expand their social, environmental and economical capital base while contributing sustainability in the global business area.

Recently, companies have become more sensitive to social issues and stakeholders interest to become better corporate citizens. Regarding this, the result for the companies that they should make significant changes for managing their social, environmental and economic impacts. World’s largest, best-known organizations like Coca Cola, GE, Unilever, Procter & Gamble are leading the world economy the way with taking into consideration social and environmental issues.

The Corporate Sustainability Model describes the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes to implement a successful sustainability strategy (Epstein, 2008).

For Wilson,

sustainable development
corporate social responsibility
stakeholder theory
accountability

are the four pillars of corporate sustainability (Wilson, 2003).

The contribution of sustainable development to corporate sustainability is two folds. First, it helps to identify the issues that firms must concentrate like social, environmental and economic performance. Second, it provides social objective for companies, governments to work for same aim, ecological, social and economic sustainability. Nevertheless, sustainable development does not provide the important evidence for the reason that firms action should look like (Wilson, 2003). The importance of sustainable development will be examine in detailed in the following heading of the research.

Figure 2: The Evolution of Corporate Sustainability

DISCIPLINE UNDERLYING CONCEPT CONTRIBUTION TO CORPORATE

SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABILITY

Economics

Ecology

Boundaries of the

subject matter and

description of a common societal goal.

Social Justice

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Ethical arguments as

to why corporations

should work towards sustainability goals.

Moral Philosophy

CORPORATE

SUSTAINABILITY

Strategic Management

STAKE HOLDER THEORY

Business arguments as

to why corporations

should work towards sustainability goals

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY THEORY

Ethical arguments

as to why companies

shouldreport on sustainability performance.

Business Law

2.3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The conceptual idea of sustainable development has become a long-term place. This concept has been formed as a result of many international organizations especially The United Nations intensive works. Especially since 1970, a lot of scientific research and conferences were held both globally, national and local levels. Every new study has contributed to the idea of sustainable development become conceptual. Aforementioned studies should be sort chronologically in this format;

i. The World Conservation Strategy-WCS

The concept of sustainable development is first used at the World Conservation Strategy. This is the first formulation of sustainability and it is more ecological approach. According to this approach, development policies should have three priorities (Soussan, 1992: 21-24). Soussan, J. G. (1992), “Sustainable Development”, Environmental Issues in the 1990’s, A. M. Mannion and S. R. Bowlby (ed.), John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex, England, ss. 21-35.

Protection of ecological process.

Sustainable use of resources.

Preservation of genetic diversity.

The World Conservation Strategy (WCS) is more focused on the physical environment. This approach of WCS has been criticized by the anti-growth. (Soussan, 1992: 24)

ii. World Comission on Environment and Development Report- Our Common Future (1987)

Brundtland Report was formed in 1983 by the period of the United Nations Secretary General’s request and upon the proposal and headed by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and the participants from twenty different countries in The World Environment and Development Commission (WCED) and submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in 1987.

The most detailed used definition of sustainable development was expressed by WCED report, Our Common Future (1987), as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

iii. United Nations Environment and Development Conference- Rio de Janeiro (1992)

United Nations Environment and Development Conference was organized between 3-14 June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with the participation of 178 states. Rio Conference was adopted that “Sustainable human development is at the heart of the case, consistent with the nature of every human being, the right to a healthy and productive life”. With the Rio Conference, the scope of the sustainable development concept has greatly extended and has gained a place in the multi-disciplinary work area.

iv. European Union 5th Action Program (1992)

The most significant feature of this work is the first program that accepts local government as a coalition partner. (Hams,1994: 44-46). Hams, Tony (1994), “Local Environmental Policies and Strategies after Rio”, Local Environmental Policies and Strategies, Julian Agyeman and Bob Evans (ed.), Local Economic and Social Strategy Series, Longman Group Ltd, ss. 23-46.

v. The Commission on Sustainable Development (1993)

The purpose of the organization committee is implementing the principles which adopted in the conference, to strengthen the integration of environment and development issues for intergovernmental decision-making capacity.

vi. The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements-Habitat II (1996)

The concept of sustainable development followed in the historical course, The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements-HABITAT II had an important role. Istanbul Declaration and Habitat Agenda have both adopted in the Habitat II and the concept of sustainable development with a fairly close relationship between human settlements are discussed in detail.

Sustainable development process based for many years before, however, it has been in the world’s agenda, widely after 1987 Brundtland Report and a lot of research, conferencing and meeting topics to be continue to be the subject. Sustainable development, the Brundtland Commission defined differently, although described in different ways by different authors during the 25 years. There is no doubt that, this identifies the most common and accepted definition as a partner in this field, has described the 1987 Brundtland Report.

With the words of Harlem Brundtland (1987) sustainable development refers a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation. This comprehensive report is published by United Nations. After a long period of study, the commission headed by Harlem Brundtland published “Our New Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland, 1987). Coverage of the report was almost unique by its comprehensiveness; it covered numerous serious global issues like food security, population pressures and human resources, energy supply alternatives, species and ecosystem protection, industrial production and efficiency and peace & security issues (WEC, 2001). According to the report, by over-exploiting resources societies may damage their capability to meet the needs of their future generations. The report noticed that, until recently, interventions of human society on environment were small in scale and their impact was limited. However, parallel to industrial and demographic trends observed in recent decades, these interventions have become more constitutional in scale and impact.

Sustainable development is a concept that includes society, environment and development and all matters related to complex relationships with each other. In other words, sustainable development is a way of upgrading economic growth and the level of welfare with protecting the environment and quality of life of all people on earth.

Increasing world population and its consumption rate, with rapid development in technology in the industry for increased production and environmental pollution hazards has led to the destruction of natural resources. In fact, until the middle of 20th century, the definition of sustainable development covers only environmentalism and nature preserve. The relationship between humans and the environment has always been throughout history, will continue to be. Especially 19 century industrial revolution which occurred in 19th century, these relationships have increased even more and human activities found more damaging for the nature. This fact has not escaped the attention of scientists and in this field has revealed the need for measures to be taken. Starting establishing in the late 19th century early 20th century of some associations and ongoing community of human nature’s the main objective was to prevent these losses.

2.4. THE ROLE OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Become the most important actors in the globalized world, multinational companies can be defined as companies that have operations in several countries and provider of benefits from international manufacturing (Aribogan, 1996). The term “multinational corporations” first occurred in 1960 Lilienthal used it to imply to “such corporations…which have their home in one country but which operate and live under the laws and regulations of other countries at the same time.”(Kobrin, 2002)

When we look at the period 1970-2000, massive growth of multinational corporation activities can be seen. In 1970 only 7000 Multinational Enterprises were existed in worldwide. In 2000 this score picked up to with 63,000 parent firms to totally 690,000. (UNCTAD,2000). Multinational enterprises have been expanding not only numerically also financially. Total sales of the largest 100 multinational enterprises increased from $3,2 trillion to almost $8,4 trillion (World Resources Institute, 2003). As a result, due to their power and capacity, multinational companies usually can affect the domestic policy of host developing countries.

Sustainable Development can not be ignored in studies about management science and theory. (Galdwin et al.,1995). Over the last few years, the number of articles and projects about global implications of sustainable development has significantly increased (Banerjee, 2002). Because of increasing ratio’s of academic researches, debates abound among the basic players in the economy is multinational companies. These enterprises operate worldwide and they are strictly committed to foreign direct investment (Mclntyre, et al,2009). Multinational companies play a significant role in the generation of sustainable development strategies. Multinational’s inflict dynamic and complicated strategic processes that consolidate social phenomena in different ways like social, economic, cultural and legal aspects of these phenomena influence each other (Mclntyre, et al,2009).

Through to the incredible increase of knowledge related with sustainable development strategies and growing importance of multinational companies, it is necessary to review last few years research process. In a global context multinational enterprises had an slightly increasing importance till these years.

Many studies have examined the role and importance of Multinational Enterprises in sustainable development in developing and underdeveloped countries. These studies identified that a variety of economical, social, political and legal situations in the host country may pick up or slow down the progress of sustainable development process. For instances, researchers highlight that multinational enterprises have a crucial role at the beginning of this process because they are decision-makers in countries.

On the other hand, environmentalists are generally dejected the addition values of Multinational Enterprises especially about protecting the natural environment in host developing countries (Gafaru, 2006). Because of their exigent need for employment occasion, many low-income countries are usually obliged to organize their regulations about environment flexible, to attract foreign investors. According to Gafaru, “developing countries are likely to be a haven for pollution intensive industries of Multinational enterprises.”

Rasiah (1999) also pointed that, the reason of the inferior machinery transferring from multinational firms to Malaysia is the country’s incompetent and lower environmental standards and regulations. Likewise, Blackman and Wu (1998) obtained important reinforcement. They claimed that foreign investment in electricity formation in China increased energy performance and reduced perilous emissions.

Neoliberal researchers claim that multinational companies are the key issue to success sustainable development with transfer of new and innovative technologies. Technological development is a significant element for conserving the natural environment because development of technology may help in the manufacture of products which are environmentally-friendly to use. However, the current global trade and investment policies do not require from multinational firms to create new, modern and environmentally-friendly technologies in host countries (Gafaru, 2006)

2.5. IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY

There are four main reasons why sustainability has an urgent attention for these years;

Regulations

Community Relations

Cost and Revenue obligations

Societal and Moral imperatives

Government regulations and industry codes of conduct involve that firms must increasingly address sustainability.

On the other way, the general society and activist are becoming increasingly aware of sustainability and impacts to society and the environment. A good performance on sustainability has a positive effect on improving community relations and business performance. Sustainability can also create financial value for the corporation through developed incomes and lower expenses. In other words, managing sustainability is definitely a perfect business decision. Societal and moral imperatives have an impact on environment and for this reason companies have a responsibility to manage sustainability. An individual interest for social and environmental impacts and their social and moral imperatives has led companies to include sustainability in their strategies. (Epstein, 2008)

2.6. SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

Sustainability reporting is the implementation of being responsible to internal and external stakeholders as related to the corporate performance measurement explanations with the aim of sustainable development goals. “Sustainability reporting ‘ is a broad term used synonym with “Corporate Responsibility Reporting” that is also used to identify economic, environmental and social impact reporting . In a sustainability report, the reporting of sustainability performance assessment of institutions should be balanced with both positive and negative contributions.

Sustainability Reports are generated by GRI (Global Reporting Initiative ) Reporting framework and cover reporting period that have the institution’s commitment, strategy and management approach that has emerged in the context of the implications. In other words, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a network-based organization that has pioneered the development of the world’s most commonly used sustainability reporting framework and is committed to its continuous improvement and application worldwide. (www.globalreporting.org). From the beginning of GRI in 1997, it has developed in over 70 countries. The main reason of this growth is admittedly a bounce of the coming age of sustainability reporting. In ten years over 1000 companies announce the use of the GRI Guidelines in their sustainability reports. According to King, sustainability reporting has become critical for companies. It is important for companies to build the trust and confidence of its stakeholders.

Basis and Guides

ve

Sector Effects

Framework of Report

Standard Explanations What to Report? How to report?

Problems

Figure 3: The Framework of GRI Reporting

Consequently, GRI reporting has a significant importance for the companies because it provides to evaluate the sustainability performance with laws, rules, regulations, performance standards and voluntary interventions. It is also important to show how the company affect the expectations about sustainable development and how effected. Multinationals use GRI for comparison the performance in the company and with different institutions

Darjeeling is one of the most sorts after vacation spots and honeymoon destination for couples. It is world renowned region for cultivation of Darjeeling Tea. Situated in the laps of the Himalayan Ranges, this tourist center situated in the state of West Bengal soothes the senses and rejuvenates one’s positive attitude towards life. It is a perfect place for honeymooners who wish to spend some time alone in each other’s company in a calm atmosphere. Flowers are. These are found in abundance. You will find some strikingly rare species that you may never have seen before. There are ample spots where newly wed couples can enjoy long walks or go for a long drive through the woods or lush green plantations. If the couples enjoy indulging into adventurous sports then Darjeeling is the perfect place for them as its landscape provides much scope for trekking, camping, river rafting etc. The atmosphere is clean and filled with natural fragrance of the woods and flowers. Get a first hand experience of the glittery night life in the various activities organized by the resorts and the hotels for its guests. You can enjoy the exquisite cuisine and also get a glimpse of the lifestyles of various tribal communities which have maintained their own identity even today. Darjeeling offers breathtaking view of the mountain ranges appearing in different shades according the hour of the day – crimson, golden, purple, blue, grey etc. especially during dawn and dusk. Scenic landscapes of the Tiger Hills and the 100 year old steam engine chugging on the winding tracks make the trip all the more worthwhile for honeymooners. Enjoy the romantic ambience and capture the memorable moments in photographs or make videos as this is bound to be an experience of a lifetime. To sum up, Darjeeling offers an experience which is one of a kind.

3. Luxury Train Tour

a. Palace on Wheel Tour

Palace on wheels is a luxury train introduced by Tourism Ministry to provide royal experience to the tourists. This train is fully equipped with facilities that are found in five star hotels such as carpeted walls and floorings with fully furnished luxurious cabins. These regal trains go on a week long journey covering important tourist destinations in the states of Rajasthan. This train offers heavenly experience to its travelers with delicious cuisines, excellent hospitality and state of the art facilities. Besides deluxe saloons, pantry, air conditioned rooms, restaurants, bars, entertainment facilities like TV, CD player as well as intercom and satellite phone for making ISD or STD calls. Rajasthan is one state which can be called as the land of the forts that date back to when Rajputs ruled the state. Udaipur is another destination known for its beautiful lakes. Pushkar is one occasion where one can see plenty of hustle and bustle and rich vibrant colors all around. Folk songs, dance, camel safaris and heritage hotels of Rajasthan make it a favorite tourist spot attracting thousands of visitors each year. You can also go on a wild life tour and see native animals such as the black buck, sambar, camel, peacock and other indigenous species of both animals and birds.

This applies to Rajasthani cuisine as well where in each dish has a distinctive taste that sets it apart from of others. The restaurants of this splendid train also takes the pride in providing Chinese, Continental palates besides Indian cuisine. You can also find a bar that houses premium range spirits of Indian as well as International make. Those fond of reading can avail books which are arrayed in each coach. Tariffs vary according to number of persons and one has to make bookings quite in advance in peak seasons.

HONEYMOON IN KERALA

Honeymoon is the very first vacation that a couple goes out for after their marriage, is a chance of showing your partner how much you love her and care for her. It is most probably the only time in your entire life when you can be so very close to each other and feel the love and the bond without caring about the world and the works and responsibilities of your life. A cozy and sizzling honeymoon sows seeds of trust, affection, and love for a lifetime. And if you too feel the same, you can visit India for your honeymoon where you can find places for an everlasting and unforgettable honeymoon. No matter what type of taste you and your partners have, you can get it all here in India whether you love sand, sea, sport, sun or snow we have them all in this romantic nation.

One of the most appropriate places you can visit is Kerala, the lowermost state of India with Arabian Sea on the west, Indian Ocean below and towering Western Ghats on the east. Plenty of serene beaches, tranquil greens, and the beautiful landscape is all which one can desire for the most romantic honeymoon.

Other sights to be seen are the lakes, the sanctuaries with the rarest of the animal and bird species, the spice village with the various kinds of taste enhancing spices. The breezy Ghats along with the tea plantations and the palm and paddy fields are worth seeing.

The antique cottages are fun to live in and the cruise in the backwaters in the traditional canoes is so very thrilling and it gets a lot romantic if you have partner with you.

So if you desire such a kind of cozy atmosphere for your honeymoon and want to memorize your honeymoon for the entire life, just choose Kerala, the dream state, for it and feel the warmth with your loved one.

KERALA BACKWATERS TOUR

Kerala, known as ‘God’s own country’, is a very small state constituting just about one hundredth of the land mass of India but still it is considered as one of the most beautiful and popular states. In spite of being so small, it has diverse features and a very diverse culture. It is included among the very few regions which have evolved but still have preserved their rich culture and heritage and its inhabitants have taken their traditions along with them throughout whether it is art forms like kathakali or their martial arts. Moreover the people are very friendly and interesting which has always been the highlight of any tour of Kerala. The diverse landscape includes sunny beaches, heavy jungles, crowded cities and chilly hill stations and other attractions are the various national parks and wildlife sanctuaries with the rarest of wildlife. It is the state with the highest literacy rate in India in spite of the fact that the majority of the state’s population is rural. The state being narrow and long has a long coastline with Arabian Sea and the majestic Western Ghats surrounding it from the two sides.

But the extremely long 1900 km of backwaters fringed with palm has always the main attraction of the state with tourists visiting from all over the world to take a cruise on the backwaters in the traditional canoes, popularly known as vanjis and closely observing the agricultural practices of the native population.

One of the primary backwater destinations is the Kumarakom situated on the banks of Vembanad Lake which a centre for houseboat cruises. The place being one of the favorite haunt of migratory birds from all over the world makes it a renowned bird watching centre. The harbors in the city of Cochin have backwaters stretching on the east and south of the harbors dotted with small islands, which have been naturally formed by sand deposit from the rivers. Boat cruise in these backwaters is what everyone desires because of the serene and calm environment there and to enjoy the immense beauty of the site. Never miss any opportunity of having this thrilling experience and visit the state to give the friendly natives a chance to show their hospitality.

b. Royal Orient Train Tour

This exotic train launched with the collaborative efforts of the Gujarat Government and the centralized Indian Railway has acquired a prestigious position in the Indian tourism industry. It has boosted the tourism industry attracting overwhelming crowds from various parts of the Indian subcontinent as well as international tourists. This train acquaints travelers with multifaceted Indian culture. Royal Orient Train Tour delivers services par excellence in terms of food, hospitality, facilities and sightseeing. On a 7-day long journey, this train covers important tourist destinations of Gujarat that includes the famous Gir Forest known for lions and Rajasthan – the abode of marvelous Rajput forts. You will not only get fascinated with the grandeur of the palaces which have stood the test of times but also experience the thrill of watching wild animals such as black buck, sambar, lions, tigers, camels etc. Bird watching is another pass time that you can indulge into. Besides these, tour operators provide jeep safari trips to the Thar Desert.

This train comprises world class facilities in the form of well equipped saloons, bar, restaurant, furnished and carpeted air conditioned rooms with attached baths, TV, satellite phones etc. Once you embark upon the trains, you will feel the regal air about it. The interiors are adorned with brocade fabric used for curtains, sofa covers, walls, ceilings etc. Well trained and experienced staff of the train gives individual attention to visitors to make them feel special. For e.g. chefs at the restaurant excel not only in the preparation of Indian delicacies but also prepare mouth watering Chinese as well as continental dishes. The bar is stocked with exquisite spirit brands of Indian as well as international wine manufacturers. Travel is not only made easy, convenient but also stylish. In short, Royal Orient Train Tour is bound make your journey a memorable one!

Call of the Wilds

Ever thought of going away from regular tours and exploring the forest and wildlife? Just imagine the excitement of a royal tiger drinking water from a pond, or the thumping sound of elephants walking! For that matter, the night cries of wildlife roaming the jungle can be an out-of-the-world experience! If you want to explore this and much more, consider planning an extensive wild life tour of India.

India has a rich wildlife and a range of forests, national parks and animal / bird sanctuaries to choose from. National parks include Corbett, Ranthambore, Kanha, Periyar and many more. There are also several wildlife safaris that take you into deep forests. Some popular safaris are Corbett wildlife safari, Kaziranga wild life safari and the wildlife safaris in Kerala and Rajasthan. The internet can be an excellent tool in helping you choose the perfect trip!

If you are adventurous and dare to see wildlife at its best, select from wildlife excursions in the deep and mysterious forests of Orissa, the Sunderbans in West Bengal and the Corbett adventure tour that truly unfolds nature. In these forests, you can see the best of wildlife totally unhindered and unrestricted. There is no doubt that it will turn out to be a memorable and marvelous experience. However, a note of caution – these tours can be risky and therefore, you are required to follow the instructions of forest officials strictly to the dot in order to ensure your safety.

If you want to be comfortable, opt for extensive packages that facilitate your stay even though you are close to nature. For this purpose, there are many wildlife resorts available in Corbett national Park, Bharatpur, Periyar, Ranthambore and Nainital. These resorts will take you close to nature where you can explore wildlife, practice some trekking and jive with rare birds apart from relishing a luxurious stay.