Research Korner: Tourism Papers

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong   Introduction Hong Kong is geographically condensed. Among other things, Hong Kong prides itself with one of the world’s most well organized, secured, affordable, and numerous public transport systems. Tourists and locals can choose among taxis, ferries, rails, buses and trams to get around without difficulty and catch magnificent glimpses of the city. The public transport systems in Hong Kong are among the most modern, most accessible and cheapest in the word ().   Public Transport Systems in Hong Kong Mass-Transit Railway (MTR) The MTR is a safe, modern and efficient railway system that helps tourists get around Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and Lantau Island. The tourists can chooses among the convenient drop-off points provided by the MTR for all the best sightseeing, shopping, entertainment and dining options. The MTR is the best choice if a tourist wants to get to Hong Kong's attractions as well shopping and dining outlets quickly and conveniently. It is also a perfect transportation for visitors who want to have glimpses of the whole city. MTR is ideal for sightseeing visitors because of the wide-ranging coverage of the major city attractions and clear signage.   Taxis Frequently the most excellent choice for short distance travels. Taxis are present in major areas and fares are reasonable. Many drivers speak some English. However, it is encouraged that tourists have their destination written in Chinese characters. Taxis come in different colors to indicate their area of service: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Red taxis operate in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, but can also take passengers to and from the New Territories</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Green taxis operate in the New Territories and are cheaper than the urban taxis. They cannot take passengers into the urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Blue taxis operate on Lantau Island only and are cheaper than urban and NT taxis </li> </ul>   Buses Bus routes cover approximately all of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Kowloon Motor Bus, New World First Bus and Citybus operate routes to cover Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. New Lantau on the other hand drives on Lantau Island while bus services are offered by Long Win Bus to north Lantau and the airport. Final destinations are notably put on view in English and Chinese on the front of the bus. Exact change is required. Octopus cards are accepted.   Minibuses Minibuses are small-scaled passenger buses that are capable of carrying more or less 16 passengers. Red minibuses operate on routes that are not always set, passengers can get on, and off wherever down the course excluding where special prohibitions apply. Green minibuses operate on specific routes at fixed prices. Exact payment is required when getting on. Octopus cards are accepted. Minibuses are sometimes faster. Once filled, minibuses will not stop until someone asks to get off. Please note that minibuses are more appropriate for people Cantonese speaking people and for those who are familiar with Hong Kong. Generally, minibuses serve areas, which are less accessible by other buses.   Ferries Ferries are abundant in the waters of Hong Kong. These ferries connect Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the Outlying Islands, Macau and Mainland China.  With an excellent harbor and more than 260 outlying islands, Hong Kong has created n broad network of water transport including regular company-operated ferry services and the special "kaido" services. One of popular ferry that attracts tourists is the Star Ferry that travels across the Victoria Harbor and the various routes to the major, scenic outlying islands. Hong Kong’s ferries are typically cheaper than buses and trams. They are also fun, and provide interesting views of the harbor.   Trams Trams travel along an east-west path across north Hong Kong Island and follow the similar tracks they have covered since 1904. Trams provide cheap and convenient transportation around town. The upper decks present splendid views as they drive through busy city districts. Trams run from early morning until midnight. Octopus cards are accepted.   Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) The KCR provides commuter train service from Kowloon through the New Territories to the boundary with Mainland China as well as long-distance intercity rail transport into Mainland China. The KCR operates three domestic passenger rail services: East Rail, West Rail and Light Rail.   Benefits of Public Transport The cost savings for travelers using public transportation are high. A traveler can purchase a visitors pass for a local public transportation system and ride all day. This is more affordable than renting a car or taking numerous cab rides around the city or buy gas and park a vehicle.   The most popular activity for those using public transportation while visiting a city is sightseeing, restaurant dining and night life, shopping, travel to and from their place of lodging, visiting a historical site and travel to and from the airport. Travelers who originate from large metropolitan areas are more likely to take advantage of a city’s local public transportation system ().   Travelling around Hong Kong is easy and convenient. Hong Kong’s Public Transportation System is exceptional. The KCR trains, MTR trains, the light rail trains, the buses, taxies, mini-buses, and ferries encompass an enormous transportation network branching out from all directions of the whole city ().   Hong Kong’s Visitors Travel Arrangements Visitors can be categorized into three broad groups by how they arrange their journey to and within Hong Kong, whether it is in the form of “all inclusive tour”, “air ticket with hotel tour” or “non-package tour”. Since travel agents normally arrange all the transport for all the all-inclusive tours, visitors of this category seldom use the public transport facilities. Visitors of the other two categories normally have to make their own travel arrangements within Hong Kong. Other than, some visitors who may join local tours with own transport or may have special arrangement for private transport, a great many of them rely on the public transport services. According to the Visitor Profile Report 2001, for those visitors who did use public transport system, most of them chose Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and taxi to travel around Hong Kong.   Mode of Travel Generally, tourists are divided into two categories when it comes to mode of travel – (1) Tour package with tour guide and (2) Independent travel.   What do tourists look for in Public Transport Systems? Railways 1. Safe during usage of service 2. Comprehensible and precise directional signage and location maps 3. A ticketing system that is easy to follow 4. Punctual and reliable service 5. Clean and pleasant compartment/platform 6. Understandable announcements at the stations and on the trains 7. Appropriate staff attitude (polite, patient and attentive) 8. Competent enquiry handling 9. Effective staff communication skills 10. Toilets at the stations 11. Prompt and professional treatment of complaints 12. Tourists transport passes that will suit the needs of the touirists   Taxis 1. Safety on board 2. Honest taxi drivers 3. Taxi drivers with professional attitude 4. Well-maintained and clean taxis 5. Taxi drivers with effective communication skills 6. Clear and accurate information about fares and destinations 7. Assistance in loading and unloading baggage (www.sqs.gov.hk)   Buses 1. Safety while on board 2. Clear and accurate signs and route information at bus stops 3. Well maintained and clean buses 4. Punctual and reliable service 5. Suitable operating hours 6. Appropriate attitude of bus driver 7. Bus drivers with proper attitude 8. Neat bus drivers 9. Tourist buses 10. Tourist transport passes that suits tourists’ needs  (www.sqs.gov.hk)   Tourists’ Special Requirements Buses <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Clear and accurate signs and route information at bus stops</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Provision of tourist buses along major attractions</li> </ul> Railways <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Provision of toilets at stations</li> </ul> Taxis <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Provision of clear and accurate information about fares</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Assistance with loading and unloading baggage</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Tidiness of taxi drivers</li> </ul>   Service Requirements of Visitors Visitor Segments 1. Family Visitors – visitors that travel with immediate family members 2. Business Visitors – visitors that travel for business / convention and exhibition purpose   The “safety and security when using the service” is among the top priorities of both family and business visitors. Business visitors are more demanding on services, they look to efficient and prompt services, clean and comfortable environment. They are generally less satisfied with the language skills of the frontline practitioners. Family visitors are more demanding on accommodation, shopping and in-town transport services. They place higher importance on “safety and security when using the service” and “proper attitude of staff” ().           How do Public Transport Systems meet the Requirements of Tourists? MTR 1. Ensuring Safety A highly developed train control and signaling system helps to ensures that there is a safe distance between trains. MTR has also set up a perceptive fire alarm system and used noncombustible materials in the trains. 2. Reliability The train service is dependable. It is not affected by traffic or weather conditions. The trains operate 19 hours a day, 7 days a week. 3. Cleanliness and Comfort The trains are well maintained and clean. The trains and underground stations are air-conditioned to guarantee that the passengers have a comfortable travel environment. 4. Convenience The stations are located in the busiest parts of Hong Kong to make sure that the passengers can access the trains conveniently. Each station has multiple, clearly identified exits. For easy access, all platforms are linked to the public spaces by escalators (www.mtr.com). 5. Airport Express Tourist Octopus This 3-day Transport pass is widely accepted by all major transportation services in Hong Kong. The pass takes the tourist to and from the airport and allows them to travel within Hong Kong in a hassle-free way (). 6. Facilities Aside from the ticketing and train services, MTR also offers additional services to its passengers. Among the additional facilities and services offered are: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Post Boxes</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> ATM Service</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Public payphones</li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> MTR Travel Services Center – serves as travel agent, sells local and overseas tours, hotel rooms and other ticketing services. It also serves as a customer service outlet providing MTR-related information and selling souvenirs to passengers.</li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Location maps are installed at all MTR station halls. Passengers can find hotels, shopping centers and major buildings near each station ().</li> </ul>   Taxis The Transport Department encourages taxi drivers to follow The Hong Kong Taxi Service Standards to ensure that the requirements of the passengers are met. The said guideline is composed of 8 items that will help to achieve quality taxi service. 1. The taxi driver needs to keep a clean and tidy appearance 2. The taxi driver needs to keep his taxi clean and comfortable for the passengers 3. The taxi driver must charge exact fare 4. The taxi driver must be courteous at all times 5. The taxi driver must use the most direct route or route specified by passengers 6. The taxi driver is encouraged to be proactive in providing assistance to passengers 7. The taxi driver must adhere to taxi regulations 8. The taxi driver must provide the passengers with a safe and smooth ride ()   Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation 1. Customer Services Centers The passengers can access the company’s per-recorded information any time of the day through fax or phone. The hotline service is available in three languages – Cantonese / Potonghua / English.   The system’s voice recognition feature enables passengers to obtain train service information more conveniently ().   Octopus Card Travelling in Hong Kong is convenient and stress-free because of the Octopus Card. Each Octopus card has a built-in microchip that contains all fare information. Four types of Octopus card are designed for adults, elderly, students and children. The versatile Octopus cards can be used on different transport systems; MTR, Airport Express, KCR East Rail & Light Rail, buses, ferries etc. These cards can also be used on most public payphones, vending machines and photo booths in transport premises ().   Recommendations In order that a more user-friendly transport environment conducive to tourism development is devised, close attention should be given to the following areas at the more detailed planning level: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Need of well-integrated public transport facilities as far as possible at major tourist attraction nodes</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> To promote tourism, major tourist attraction nodes should be linked up by a convenient public transport. To facilitate easy access, proper signage, route map and tourist information should be put up where appropriate. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Promoting the use of environmental friendly transport to improve the quality of environment and thus enhance the travel experience of tourists</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Making use of advanced transport information system to assist visitors to go around the territory</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 200%"> Providing advanced multi-lingual tourist information system at major attraction nodes such as that tourist could obtain relevant information such as transport services, lodging, routing, mode choice and location of attraction. </li> </ul>         Railways 1. The staff can have language and body language training. 2. The company can come up with the proper guidelines for dealing with visitors from diffident cultural backgrounds. 3. The company may provide resources of different major languages for the staff that are stationed at the Customer Service Centers. 4. The company may also put up translation systems that will communicate to foreign visitors 5. The KCRC must improve its signage of toilets at stations 6. The MTR may provide signage of close by toilets on the location maps at each station.   Buses 1. There must be a database of all route information at selected bus stops that will guide the visitors. 2. Bus operators need to asses the needs of the tourists as passengers. The tourists need tourist passes that will suit their needs. 3. The Bus operators must cooperate with the Hong Kong Tourism Board.   Taxis 1. The Hong Kong Taxi Service Standards must be adhered to in order to promote a quality service for passengers. 2. An appropriate language proficiency evaluation for taxi drivers must be developed. The industry must promote the use of Workplace English and the drivers must be trained in order to have more effective communication skills.

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong

Effectiveness of Public Transport Systems for Tourists in Hong Kong Introduction Hong Kong is geographically condensed. Among othe...

TOURISM

INTRODUCTION TO TOURISM         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   ==================================   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------             SEPTEMBER 2006                                       TABLE OF CONTENTS   TITLE PAGE                                                                                                                        1 TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                                                        2 INTRODUCTION TO TOURISM                                                                                                  Introduction                                                                                                 3             What is Tourism?                                                                                       4             Literature Review                                                                                       9             Importance of Tourism                                                                             11 Factors and Trends Affecting Tourism                                                15             Customer Satisfaction in Hospitality and Tourism Industry          19             Tourism in European Setting: Trends and Predictions                  22             Conclusion                                                                                                  24 BIBLIOGRAPHY                                                                                                     25 APPENDIX                                                                                                               31                                       Introduction to Tourism     The latter half of the twentieth century has been marked with amazing changes in technology, transportation, and communication and, in varying degrees, a spread of geo-political stability that has accompanied economic affluence for many citizens in industrialized and developing countries throughout the world. These changes have triggered the development of a number of new industries and the substantial evolution of existing industries to address the needs of increasingly prosperous, educated, and sophisticated post-industrial societies. One of these industries, tourism, has quietly emerged to become an important force in many societies and economies in various parts of the world. Tourism is becoming an integral part of development planning in developing countries. It is classically regarded as traveling for recreation. Today, tourism also includes any travel outside of one's normal working or living area. In some cases, tourism is viewed as a savior to stagnant industries and traditional agriculture, creating new inter-sectoral linkages and demands. The tourism industry opens vast prospects for employment and income to diverse population. Governments, business groups and international financing institutions regard tourism as a 'clean' industry compared to manufacturing. But in recent years, environmental problems associated with tourism, such as pollution, the waste problem, overconstruction, excessive use of water and wood, and degradation of other natural resources, slowly manifest. This paper intends to provide introductory concepts of tourism. Specifically, it provides definition of tourism, literature review, importance of tourism, factors and trends affecting tourism, customer satisfaction in hospitality and tourism industry, tourism in European setting, and other related aspects inherent to it.   What is Tourism? The increasing importance of the contribution brought about by the hospitality industries particularly tourism in the local as well as world economy is highly remarkable. Today, the hospitality industry is among the fastest growing economic sectors worldwide. In fact, the hospitality industry by itself is recognized as multi-billion dollar and still progressing industry (1998). Hospitality industry, where tourism is closely interrelated, is among the fastest growing economic sectors worldwide. In fact, the hospitality industry by itself is recognized as multi-billion dollar and still progressing industry (1998). Generally, hospitality industry covers the tourism and other tourism related enterprises. Thus, the concepts of hospitality management are almost related to the concepts of tourism management. Hospitality management involves a wide range of planning, organizing and controlling human and material resources within the business of providing an avenue of good reception and hospitality to customers (1998). Recently, tourism is recognized as a social phenomenon with a variety of social-cultural impacts at both the individual level and the global level, and it is a pronounced and significant reality that all social sciences undertake. The study of tourism and its changes reflect the advent of new approaches and ways of thinking in modern society. The changes in tourism mirror the changes from modern society to postmodern society (Yasumura 2002). Defining tourism appears to be difficult because it entangles a lot of concepts and idea. Tourism is a service-based business comprising a number of touchable and intangible components. The touchable essentials consist of transport, foods and beverages, tours, souvenirs and lodging, whereas the intangible elements entail education, culture, adventure or basically getaway and recreation (  1995). The term "tourism" has many meanings, which have changed over time, and tourism studies clarify the different meanings of the term. The World Tourism Organization’s definition states that: "Tourism is the set of activities of a person traveling to a place outside his or her usual environment for less than a year and whose main purpose of travel is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited" ( 2002).  Tourism has often been characterized as a modern quest for authenticity. In the study of tourism, the conception of authenticity has undergone three shifts for the past 40 years, with objectivist framings giving a way to a social construction perspective and later, existentialist conception (1972). Tourism is a broad term covering a wide array of activities making it the largest industry in the world. There is no distinct way of determining whether a particular activity is deemed as part of tourism. Majority of authors define tourism within the context of leisure and recreation. It is traditionally defined as the travel of people to specific destination of their choice that is away from the usual places in which they go (1982). It includes the effective utilization and management of facilities that will attend to the needs arising along their planned travel.  and  (2002) presented a more comprehensive definition of tourism, which is a “set of activities performed by people who travel and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for the purposes of leisure, business, and others”. Basically, this is the principle behind tourism management – the effective and appropriate management of people in their traveling experiences. According to  (1987) “tourism may be through of as the relationships and phenomena arising out of journeys and temporary stays of people travelling primarily for leisure or recreation purposes”. "Tourism is the aggregate of all businesses that directly provide goods or services to facilitate business, pleasure, and leisure activities away from the home environment” ( 1988). Moreover, according to  (1995), tourism is “the theories and practice of travelling and visiting places for leisure related purposes”. Thus, the concepts of leisure, recreation and tourism are realized in a variety of activities that offers the opportunity for people to experience enjoyment, satisfaction as well as self-expression making the overall experience motivational. Also, tourism is designated from other activities due to its independence from activities involving employment or family care. People engage in tourism voluntarily and as a matter of choice because it is a want.   Tourism is a growing business and like other industries involves innovations for product differentiation and diversity. The quest for cutting-edge activities offering a high probability for customer patronage resulted to the development of venues and activities extremely different from the usual beach experience. Contemporary tourism targeted not only the leisure and recreational demands of people but ventured into people’s adventurous nature. Tourism is an "invisible" industry, encompassing transportation, lodging, and entertainment (2003). According to  and  (2000), tourism classifies tourism supply into four basic components: natural resources and environment; the built environment; transportation; and hospitality and cultural resources. The basic elements of natural resources and environment include air and climate, lands forms, terrain, flora and fauna, beaches, natural beauty and water supply. The built environment includes both the basic infrastructure - water supply systems, roads, communication networks - and the superstructure - which includes facilities built specifically for tourism such as airports, parks, marinas, hotels and motels. Transportation includes items such as ships, airplanes, buses, taxis, etc. Hospitality and cultural resources include the nature of the people and the culture of the area that make tourism successful - such as the history, literature, friendliness, courtesy and welcoming spirit. The Standard International Classification of Tourism Activities (SICTA) is also presented which is a globalized system for classifying and measuring tourism activity. It combines supply-side concepts - the basic structure is based on establishments - and demand-side concepts - establishments are selected according to the nature of their customers (e.g. the percentage of tourists) ( 1995).             International tourism remains a consistently productive industry in a volatile global economy. Tourism and travel make up one of the world’s largest industries. In 1999, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) also report that across the global economy, travel and tourism generates, directly and indirectly: 11% of GDP; 200 million jobs; 8% of total employment; and 5.5 million new jobs per year until 2010. World Tourism Organization () data for 1999 show that 663 million people spent at least one night in a foreign country, up 4.1 per cent over the previous year. Spending on international tourism reached US$453 billion – a growth rate of nearly 3 per cent over 1998 ( 2002).   These results are in line with 's long-term growth forecast Tourism: 2020 Vision, which predicts that the tourism sector will expand by an average of 4.1 per cent a year over the next two decades. Annual international arrivals are expected to surpass one billion by the year 2010 and reach 1.6 billion by the year 2020 ( 2002). Reasons for this sustained growth include greater disposable income in tourism generating countries, and, especially in some of the emerging economies of Asia, more leisure time, earlier retirement, improvements in infrastructure and transport (particularly air transport), and changes in consumer spending preferences.   With the evolution of tourism industry, comes the commercialization of tourism (1990). Evidence shows that over the last four decades, the dominant model of tourism production has been shifting from Fordist mass tourism to post-Fordism model of tourism production ( 1990). Basically, Fordism is a stage in the development of 20th century capitalism. It is marked by intense relationships between governments, unions, and international capital (1990). Moreover,  (1990), states that distinct divisions associated with the Fordist model are being broken down because the era of mass communication has transformed the taste of tourists. Tourism is not just something that occurs in the environments of destinations overseas but is a function of the interaction of different factors in contemporary society (2003). Thus, there are many factors to be considered in dealing with such subject.   Literature Review Many tourism studies have given much importance on knowing why people travel, which destinations they choose and the factors that play an important role in the selection of vacation destination (2002). Much of the tourism studies have been focused on the push and the pull factors (1980; 1990 ,2002). Push or motivational factors enable potential tourist to develop attitudes toward traveling while pull factors refer to the attractions in destinations. According to most studies (1989; 1990;  1999; 2006), success in tourism marketplace lies on the overall attractiveness and the experiences a destination delivers to its visitors. The strength and weaknesses of a tourism destination can be recognized through determining the factors underlying destination competitiveness. Destination competitiveness determines the ability of a destination to attract markets and is linked to the ability of a destination to deliver goods and services that perform better than other destinations.  and  (1999) develop a model that lists the factors that influence tourism. On consumer behavior,  (2004), a European professor for Consumer Behavior argues that the demand factors for tourism can be looked at from two perspectives: those factors influencing the demand such as the motivation to travel and the ability to travel that are influenced by general economic situation, politics, or technological innovations that should be met in marketing and planning; and those emerging factors such as changing face of consumer behavior in tourism. All these factors are generally linked to each other and one has influenced over the other.  Researchers also extensively do occupational and human resource management researches. Majority of the existing literature have studied specific companies and organizations with the existence of prejudice, particularly those instigated by gender biases and segregation (1999; 1996; 1998; 1998;  2002). In hospitality industries, a research conducted by  (1997) and  and  (2000) states that these are not necessarily discrete forms of segregation in practice as shown in their studies of female hotel managers.  and (1993) suggestion that occupational segregation is weak in the UK compared to France, Italy and Spain is challenged by  (1997) in their study of women in hotels in these countries. Furthermore,  (1997) argues that tourism organizations reproduce and rationalize job segregation in relation to the culture of tourism, where informal recruitment systems serve to reproduce existing organization structures.   The Importance of Tourism A number of countries have recognized tourism as an attractive economic activity for it for its major positive economic impacts: it increases foreign exchange earnings as well as income and employment (1997). Processes of globalization and market liberalization have made tourism a truly international business activity where tourists – international customers and their satisfaction with the product and its value create need for different business activities. Today, tourism is one of the world’s chief economic activities. As a global industry, tourist business activities bring substantial impacts on local government trends. These impacts are diverse and are often exceptional to the tourism sector. The tourism industry defines tourist activities as essentially involved in the transportation and hosting of the tourism consumer in a local community. Tourism is the only global industry structure that brings the consumer directly to the product (2003). Tourism is a major source of wealth to many countries today and plays a role of integrating people and countries together. In Europe, tourism raises the awareness of Europeans of their own cultural and natural heritage through the very diversity of that heritage ( 1997). With this statement, it can be stated that the principal tourism market for all European countries is composed of their own people and that domestic tourist activities in most European countries generate more income for the tourism industries than the incoming markets through holidays, short breaks and all forms of business tourism (2004). Tourism is truly important to the economy. Before the 9/11 attacks, tourism produces eight percent of all annual export earnings worldwide, making it the world’s largest industry ( 2000). International tourism receipts including those generated by international fares amounted to an estimated 532 billion U.S. dollars in 1998, higher than any other trade category ( 2000). According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) (2001), tourism was currently responsible then for 8.2 percent of employment worldwide, and projections indicate that it will be responsible for indirectly producing 5.5 million jobs per year during the next decade. In 2001, worldwide growth in tourism took a downturn for only the second time since 1980, with tourist arrivals dropping by 1.3 percent to 689 million arrivals. Some factors to which this downturn is attributed include: a slowdown in growth of the global economy; the 9/11 attacks in New York City; and growth in worldwide terrorism and political unrest. Other factors include outbreak: of foot and mouth disease in Europe and the economic crisis in Argentina ( 2002). In the global tourism industry, increasing competition for tourists and the tourist dollar has encouraged many countries and localities to specialize in forms of development that give them the greatest chance of standing out in the marketplace. A way to achieve this prominence is to create marketing images that depict the destination area as a unique and distinctive and a “one of a kind must see” for globetrotting travelers (1997). In Europe, while this industry enables the provision of vast services for the clients, work opportunities are also diverse. Indeed, the provisions of the industry for the customers are as unlimited as its opportunities for employees. People are able to work is different areas of interest while still be in a job within the industry. At present, more workers are employed in service provision than in manufacturing, indicating the continuous growth of the hospitality industry. In UK, hospitality industry is among the major economic forces as its enables growth and creation of job opportunities. According to the  (2002), the business has employed over 1.8 million workers who were distributed within 300,000 hospitality establishments, totalling to revenue generation of more than £64 billion. Few places have remained impervious to the monetary lure of tourism. In their attempts to develop a tourist industry, cities and countries inevitably create elaborate images and marketing strategies to capture the imagination and interest of potential visitors. The tourism image of a place is the outcome of conscious efforts in of the local authorities and local people to develop their area and promote it as a tourist destination (1972). The mass consumption of a standardized product is a guide to new ways of competing and co-operating ( 1995). Increasingly, changing cultural values, business and national competition for tourism, and improvements in Information and Communication technology (ICT) are all facilitating greater emphasis on more individualistic or specialized forms of holidays ( 1995).  The tourism market may be segmented according to: location of residence, demographics, important product attributes and lifestyle attributes (1987). However, due to the increase of terrorism threats and unpredictable natural disasters worldwide, outbreak of contagious diseases, and tourists’ shift of tastes and perceptions, the tourism industry today is facing major setbacks (2006). Emergence of new technological advancements opens larger doors for opportunities of growth and development. For instance, “space tourism” is expected to "take off" in the first quarter of the millennium. Book tourism is a grassroots effort to support independent bookstores by promoting them as a travel destination. Other technological improvements are likely to make possible air-ship hotels, based either on solar-powered  airplanes or large airships. Underwater hotels, such as “Hydropolis” are slated to open in Dubai sometime next year. Other futuristic perspective includes the creation of movable hotel "pods" that could be temporarily erected anywhere on the planet, where building a permanent resort would be unacceptable politically, economically or environmentally (2006). Tourism worldwide will undergo continuous changes as different aspects of the world undergo metamorphosis, too. With the influx of various concepts and perspectives, this industry will pass through further developments for the betterment of the services offered by it. It will open wider doors and opportunities to all individual involve from economics to other societal aspects.   Factors and Trends Affecting Tourism In general, tourists are becoming increasingly demanding and more experienced. Their destination choice, as well as their final evaluation of tourist destination depends on complex package of motives and expectations. In this context, marketing activities prove to be necessary in creation of destination image and attraction and maintenance of profitable customers. These activities start with management of tourist destination, including infrastructure, environment and natural attractions, development of specific strategies and investments, segmenting and monitoring the tourist market, communication with tourist market, and finally organization and management of tourism marketing (1996). Economic situation is one factor that influences tourism in a destination as economy is influenced by economic activities, jobs, industry, policy and law as well as the technological innovation and political stability in a country. The economy of a country may also provide and overview of what a destination can offer, the prices of the goods and services and the available resources that may satisfy travelers and tourists ( 2004). Technology is another driver of tourism. As stated above, tourism integrates people; it is also true with technology. With the technology today, tourism is easily market and promoted via the Internet or any communication gadgets available today while development in transportation makes traveling to different places possible. For instance, hotels are turning to the Internet to increase sales, thus a raise in the demand. As such, the tourism industry is one of the industries that exploit the convenience benefits of the Internet (2002). Moreover, according to Jupiter Communications Market Research (1999), , an industry analyst, concluded that travel is one of the fastest growing sectors on the Internet, accounting for 50% of all transactions in 1996. With the evolution of tourism industry, comes the commercialisation of tourism ( 1990).  and  (2001) stated that the increasing demands of customers in availing hotel or airline reservations are being addressed by the tourism industry through the online Internet reservation system. This reservation system enables travellers to find schedules and fares, seat and room availability, car hire tariffs and make reservations directly (2001). Today travellers can book a room from almost anywhere in the world as many hotel websites allow online booking with a confirmation being given instantly ( 2001). An advantage to Internet usage for the hospitality industry falls in the marketing realm (1992). Almost 9% of all Internet users made travel reservations through the Internet in 1998 (2002). By having an interactive website online, hotels are offering their services to a global market at an inexpensive rate (2002). Through this, they can empathize their individual services and competencies, a capability not available within a cooperative marketing plan; thus, this could increase competitive moves by offering niche services the industry does not usually provide (2002). According to  (1998), Synapse Group Inc., hired by Hilton Hotels Corporation to design and maintain Hilton websites, indicated that an average of two million dollars worth of room reservations a month came from Hilton hotel websites worldwide. Hilton expects this number to rise significantly as an increasing number of people become comfortable booking hotel rooms through the Internet ( 1998). As noted by  and  (2002), websites have now become a popular medium for advertising and reaching a large group of people. Therefore, implementing OIRS is an effective tool for increasing demand.  (2003) further states that big chain hotel companies are aiming to improve their websites to increase bookings. At Marriott International hotels, 85% of the online reservations came from Marriott International’s own website ( 2003). From the literature, it can be concluded that usage of OIRS is rapidly increasing and that OIRS offer great potential for increasing reservations and consequently increasing room sales.   Lastly,  (2002) deemed that the Internet has been widely used by hotels and travel agencies to make up for the loss brought about by economic downturn.  and  (2002) stress that the Internet has had a major impact on society in general and on hotel industry specifically as, but add that, as a result, the implementation of online reservation system greatly increases competition within a service industry. Transportation is another fundamental element in tourism for without transport tourism will only become a local leisure that cannot generate much for the country’s economic development. As stated by  and  (1998), for any given destination, the type of transport used and the current state of technology plays a vital part in determining the capacity, volume, segments, value and characteristics of tourism. Air transport represents the main mode of international tourism while land or water transport for domestic tourism. Emerging trends also contribute to the factors affecting demand on tourism. New source market is under this category (Lohmann 2004). New source market is basically the emergence of a new destination that used to have no tourism industry but due to political, economic and social changes has been developed as a new tourist destination that has the potential to attract new and old market. As a newly developed destination, there will be growing interests for trips and vacations to this place. These interests will provide opportunities for the destination to market the place by giving the travelers and tourists the experiences that will make them come back to the place. Infrastructure is also among the most important factor of tourism. The term infrastructure is often applied strictly to structures and utilities underpinning operations of a firm or industry (2006). Tourism infrastructures includes hotels and lodging facilities, transport services and route ways, telecommunication facilities, resorts, commercial centers, restaurants, museums, theaters, convention centers, health and welfare, and other utilities that provide convenience and services to tourists. These infrastructures need to be flexible and resilient in order to respond to the demands of the market of tourism. The local government and some private sector provide tourism infrastructures.   Customer Satisfaction in Hospitality and Tourism Industry Because of the growing awareness of tourism as an activity, an industry, and a catalyst for economic growth and development, competition for the tourist and for tourism expenditures has been significant in recent decades. One result has been market segmentation and a considerable broadening of the perceived and actual opportunities available for potential tourists. Thus tourists can choose from "sun and sand" holidays, "adventure travel," "theatre tours," "shopping sprees," summer or winter sports vacations, cultural immersion, historic re-enactments, and various other tourism experiences. One of the most important elements for the hospitality industry particularly tourism is the presence of the customers. Without the clients, efficient services of the business cannot be delivered. Moreover, the tourism industry needs the response of the customers, as this will determine the demand pattern of the business. The customer then serves as the final judge of satisfaction in relation to the quality of the products and services provided. This pattern shifts the focus on total quality management and quality assurance.  Earlier description of consumer demand mentions the critical consumer tourists asking for environmentally sound holidays ( 1986, 1987) other descriptions mention the demand for real travel and special interest traveller (1980; 1992). However, there is a new breed of tourists seeking a different experience such as travelling independently and enjoy without destroying nature constituted by the adventurous and educated people (1993). The shift to independent travel caused a corresponding shift to tailor-crafted tourism products. Tailor-crafted tourism products were suitable for small businesses that provide different specialized activities (1989; 1994;  1998;1998; 1999). Since the market has been widely segmented due to the consideration of individual specialized demand, innovativeness and creativity of the small businesses to identify and take over new market niches (1999). In order to achieve customer satisfaction, the business should consider individual customer demands and needs. As every customer need is different from another, customisation is very important. In applying customisation, two factors must be taken into account. First, one must consider whether customisation is possible based on the services’ characteristics and delivery systems. Second, one must identify the amount of judgement that can be exercised by the customer contact personnel in defining the nature of service individual customers receive. This is necessary as some service concepts are standardized while others are able to provide various alternatives and options ( 2001). Some class of services do not only require a high level of customisation but also needs customer contact personnel to deliver the services to the customers. This type of service provision is also known as prescriptive, where the focus of control is transferred from the user to the provider. Professional services of the hospitality industry as well as accounting, medicine, law and architecture are included in this category. These knowledge industries need to have sufficient education and training so as to satisfy individual customer needs. This is one of the reasons why literature on service industry pertains to the interaction between the service provider and the customer as this relation determines the degree of customer satisfaction. This in particular is applicable to the hospitality industry (2001). According to (1980), hospitality professionals are dependent on the contact and the reception they receive from the customers. Hence, hospitality personnel must have a certain degree of availability towards the customers, a substantial margin of initiative and a strong sense personal responsibility. In a tourist interaction, employees in fact serve as a mediator between the clientele and the structure of the industry. This role is very much significant in obtaining the desired results of both the customers and the business. In satisfying the wishes of the customers, the ethical and psychological factors must also be involved among hospitality professionals. There is considerable evidence that clients appreciate actual interaction with people; thus, the treatment clients should receive from service providers must be different from what they receive on daily routines. Indeed, customer satisfaction is an important element of the hospital industry that makes it different from manufactured products. However, while interpersonal skills are learned from, hospitality and customer service programs, the effectiveness and the quality of service provided should go beyond eye contact and warm greetings (2000). The generation of customer satisfaction should then be produced out of effort and good rapport. Most people equate customer service with personal interaction, while few of them realize the complexity of business systems involve in it. Without these helpful systems, the smile or the warm greeting service employees provide will lead to minimal results. However, the fact that tourism is a collection of various individuals and cultures, there is diversity issues among employees that will definitely affect the organisational workforce. Diversity in behaviour and culture builds gaps and biases among participants. Personal issues such as beliefs, practices, ideologies, and personal limitations may defer service. These may serve as barriers and problems in achieving the best possible outcomes expected. To fully manage organisational culture into competitive advantage, the management can turn it into positive approach.   Tourism in European Setting: Trends and Predictions European countries are now becoming popular tourist destinations in the world with its world-class art museums, opera theaters, historical buildings and architectures. Europe, being the continent of the tourism-famous cities Paris, London, Rome and the Vatican, has been considered to be the destination and must see for travel and leisure aside from its rich culture and history since it has been the home of the famous Shakespeare, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and other artists and scientists that emerged from Europe. Geographically, Europe can be divided into main tourist regions such as the Western Europe which includes Ireland, Germany, The United Kingdom, France, Monaco, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Switzerland and Austria; the Northern Europe including Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland; the Southern Europe including Portugal, Spain, Italy, San Marino, Greece, Turkey, Malta and Cyprus; and the Eastern Europe including Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania, Yugoslavia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, The Ukraine and Russia (2004). In most materials (2003; 2004) that focus on the market of tourism in Eastern Europe, the market segment of tourism in the region is classified into two: domestic or the locals of countries in Eastern Europe itself, and international or inter-regional markets or the markets from Asia and the Pacific, America and other regions of Europe. According to the (2003), an international company for market research, Eastern European tourism will post above-average growth rates from 2004 due to the accession of most regions into the EU and is driven by factors such as stringer business ties, open access, improving investment climate and stronger economic growth. Global Insight also estimated an average annual growth of international arrivals of more than 4% which was proven by the World Tourism Organization (2003) that recorded a 4% increase in international arrivals to Eastern Europe in 2002. For the year 2020,  estimated 223.3 million international tourist arrivals in Eastern Europe which would require 4.2% increase per year and would help maintain Europe’s position as the strongest destination in the world (2004). Croatia is expected to have the biggest share while Hungary is expected to have the smallest share in tourism arrivals.              However, there are still barriers to fast development in tourism in Eastern Europe according to some experts (2004) like low investment rates, underdeveloped traffic system and infrastructure in the countryside, unsatisfactory quality of hotels and weaknesses in marketing although currently the region utilizes the internet for marketing.   Conclusion Tourism is a wide-ranging industry and also covers numerous fields of applications. There are many definitions of tourism – both general and specific. As an introductory report, this essay documented relevant concepts of tourism. In here, a brief literature review on the diverse studies done in tourism subject is included. Further, the importance of tourism particularly as an economic indicator and potential growth contributor is also provided. Next, factors and trends in tourism such as economic situation, technology, transportation, new market trends, and infrastructure are well discussed. A significant portion about customer satisfaction in hospitality and tourism industries is also presented. To be more specific, a discussion about European tourism is added, wherein future trends and predictions are incorporated. Lastly, an appendix is derived to show relevant information about the subject. In conclusion, tourism is a promising business. Although it is one of the most important industries in this generation, people particularly local authorities must be able to give enough attention on planning and execution of tourism development. In this manner, advantages will be easily achieved and disadvantages will be anticipated. Furthermore, the most important thing to consider is to make a balance development between industry and natural environment to successfully achieve economic growth. The concept of sustainable development must be emphasized. International cooperation must be reinforced and tourism regulating bodies must be one in building legislations that will protect the welfare of the whole industry and its participants. With these, the tourism and hospitality industry will continue to flourish and serve numerous advantages to the whole economy of the world.                 BIBLIOGRAPHY        APPENDIX World's Top Tourism Destinations 2003   Notwithstanding of previous year's unpredictable performance, the of world’s top tourism destinations ranking has not changed significantly. The table below presents the overall statistics of international tourism in the year 2003. The first four positions in terms of tourist arrivals as well as in terms of tourism receipts remain unchanged, with France and the United States as unchallenged leaders. In the ranking by International Tourist Arrivals the most significant modification is experienced by Canada, moving from the 7th to the 10th position as a result of the 13% decrease suffered in 2003. The benefiting destinations were Austria, climbing 2 positions to 7th, and Germany, climbing one to 9th. The order of tourism earners reflects the impact of SARS and the exchange rate fluctuations experienced in 2003, with European destinations moving up and Asian destinations moving down. Most likely, however, the latter will be temporarily as Asian destinations are expected quickly to regain lost ground ( 2002).             The graph under also presents the previous ranking of places visited by international tourists. As with 2003’s result, it is still evident that France topped the list and followed by Spain and the United States respectively. For the past decades, the tourism industry underwent relevant developments. There are occurrences of alternative tourism programs from different places like niche tourism and receptive tourism.  Despite of these developments, the  devised the Tourism 2020 Vision as an assessment and forecast of the developing and improving tourism industry worldwide. There are hopes that the promising industry will greatly improve from the recent year to 2020. The table below presents the actual and forecast of  on their Tourism 2020 Vision. Source: World Tourism Organization   Tourism 2020 Vision forecasts that intercontinental arrivals are projected to attain over 1.56 billion by the year 2020. Of these all-inclusive arrivals in 2020, 1.2 billion will be intraregional and 0.4 billion will be long-haul travelers ( 2002).

TOURISM

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