TOU4006 Lec 11 Functional Management In Sustainable Tourism

TOU4006 Sustainable Tourism Management (HT114002)

Lecture 11

Functional Management in Sustainable Tourism

Learning Objectives
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Identifying the various measures adopted at the functional level in a premise to attain sustainable tourism development

MARKETING
Utilizing the 4Ps in Sustainable Tourism
Product
− Developing products which are more sustainable in nature, e.g. conservation holidays or ecotourism
− Vacation packages using public transportation rather than private cars
− Small-scale rural community-based tourism initiatives are preferred
Price
− Price should be able to cover the full cost of holiday and holiday makers pay for the resources consumed
− Generating an appropriate level of benefits for the host community, e.g. allowing employees to be paid a reasonable salary
Place
− Encourage direct selling, as it results in a better price for consumers
− Make sure the travel agent sells a product ethically and does not raise unrealistic customer expectations
Promotion
− Do not create expectations that the product cannot live up to
− Use advertisement and promotional materials to raise awareness of issues relating to sustainability

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TOU4006 Sustainable Tourism Management (HT114002)

Ethical Marketing
− Body shop o Sell themselves in tune with the concept of sustainability o Their products are not tested on animals o They support the concept of fair trade and have invested in aid projects in developing countries
− Inter-Continental Hotel o Highlight their good environmental practices
− Virgin Atlantic o Emphasize the need for fair competition o Commitment to giving travellers a good deal

De-marketing
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De-marketing involves manipulating the marketing mix to discourage rather than encourage potential tourists to visit particular destinations.

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Example: Venice o Product – operating a ticket-only system, allowing

only a certain

number of people to the city each day o Price – tourists have to pay a very high price for visiting Venice o Place – restricting the sale of package holidays to Venice o Promotion – no more promotion on Venice
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Example: Peak District National Park (the UK) – received 22 million visitors annually o Product – insisting that visitors use more environmentally friendly rail or bus services instead of cars

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o Price – increasing car parking charges to very high rates at peak times; introducing entrance fee on peak days o Promotion – reminding visitors that they will face congestion if they visit the park at peak times
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Other initiatives o Developing attractions on the edge of the city to divert people to those attractions o Dispersing demand at peak times from honey-pot areas to less visited areas o Incentives given to off-peak visits such as discounts at attractions, free car parking

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Problems in Tourism HR
1.

Discrimination in terms of sex, race and disability in employment.

2.

Low hourly rates and long working hours.

3.

Many employees do not have adequate breaks during peak season periods.

4.

Much of the employment in tourism is seasonal and/ or casual.

5.

A lack of personal development opportunities.

6.

Many staff are employed in jobs which offer little job satisfaction.

7.

The relationship between staff and tourist is often not equal. Tourists show little respect towards staff.

8.

Tourism employment has tended to lead to high turnover especially in the hospitality and retail sector.

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TOU4006 Sustainable Tourism Management (HT114002)

More Sustainable HR Management (Baum, 1995)
1.

Have a strong moral dimension in HR management, e.g. pay and conditions are improved

2.

Have a sense of responsibility toward local community and people

3.

See employees as an asset of the company

4.

Plan HR on a long-term basis

5.

Provide career planning for staff

6.

Key staff are developed locally in the organization

7.

Introduce equal opportunities policies

8.

Commitment to training

9.

Participative management culture

10. Build a partnership between staff and employers
11. Modify company culture and HR practice to reflect local differences
12. Recognize the link between HR management and quality

ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT
Environmental Practice
1.

Recognize the nature of the issues, the problems and the opportunities surrounding environmental impacts and sustainability

2.

Refuse to engage in activities that damage the environment

3.

Reduce the current levels of usage

4.

Replace products or producers with ones which are more environmentally friendly 5.

Recycle and re-use

6.

Re-engineer, change traditional management strategies and operations to reduce costs

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7.

Retrain staff to help them behave more environmental friendly

8.

Reward staff who perform well in relation to environmental practices

9.

Re-educate tourists so that they change their behavior

Purchasing Policies
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Supplies should be sourced locally whenever possible
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To maximize the economic benefits of local community

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To reduce the need for transport and thus energy consumption

Buy from suppliers who operate good environmental management systems

Welcoming Customers with Special Needs
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Wheelchair dependent
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Ramp access

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Lifts

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Wheelchair-accessible toilets

Hearing difficulties
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The use of introduction loop systems

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Train some staff to use sign language

Impaired sight
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Braille signs

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Displays that make use of senses like touch and smell

Special diets
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Health-related diets

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Religious-related meals like kosher or halal meals

Babies and young children
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Baby-changing facilities

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Facilities for heat up baby bottles and meals

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High chairs

Speak other languages
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Signs and brochures are in foreign languages

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Some staff are trained to speak foreign languages

Good Neighbours
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Educate tourists not to drop litter

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Do not produce noise pollution

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Attractions and facilities should match the surrounding landscape

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Provide free tickets to people living around

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Set up consultative committees with local people to allow them to voice their concerns

The Safety of Staff and Customers
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Hotels
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Fire safety

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Swimming pool safety

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Balconies in room

Theme parks
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Zoos
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Safety of rides

Threat of attacks by animals

Airline safety
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Safety during the tour

References
1. Swarbrooke, J. (1999). Sustainable Tourism Management. CABI Publishing.

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References: 1. Swarbrooke, J. (1999). Sustainable Tourism Management. CABI Publishing. Page 6/6 © Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong