Travel and Tourism - Unit 14 (Assignment 1)

P1

Specialist tourism is tourism that is tailored to a specific interest or activity. Tour operators will work to customise tourist activities that cater to specific interests for groups and individuals. In specialist tourism, people travel to satisfy a certain interest or need. Specialist Tourism includes: 

 Sports Tourism Sports tourism can be split into two different types of tourism which are active and passive sport. Active sports tourism is when people travel to take part in sports such as playing golf in Algarve or travelling to compete in a swimming competition. On the other hand, passive sport tourism is much different as this is for people who travel to watch sport like people travelled to London in 2012 to watch the Olympics.  For people wanting to go to a sporting event BAC Travel is a tour operator that will plan and sell holidays to sports fans. The most popular sporting event holidays they sell are: Football, Golf, Rugby, Motor Racing, Cricket and Tennis. BAC Sports are one of the most popular sports tour operators in the UK as they both plan and tailor sports holiday packages to the customers individual needs. BAC sports is an independent tour operator.  Another sports tour operator is Burleigh travel. Burleigh Travel is different to BAC Travel because they provide sport holidays for people to participate in. The tour operator is most commonly used by schools and large groups to organise sporting events. Burleigh Travel's main market is football tournaments and rugby festivals. Burleigh Travel is also an independent tour operator.  

Adventure Tourism Adventure tourism is when people travel to explore popular and more private areas. Adventure tourists travel to find adrenaline rush activities when on holiday. People who go on adventure holidays know there is an added risk and they thrive off of the sense of danger that these specific holidays provide. An example of an adventure holiday is going rock climbing in Costa Blanca or going to an area which you would need to receive vaccinations to visit. Exodus is a tour operator that offers and specialise in adventure tourism where tourists can learn about the local area they are visiting. Exodus pride their selves on offering a specialised experience for their customers in which they give tourists the opportunity to learn about the area they visit such as local traditions, cultures, lifestyles and cuisines. People are encouraged to travel in small groups to reduce the disruption that tourists can cause and therefore reduce the negative impacts of tourism. Exodus is a web-based, independent tour operator.  Imaginative Traveller is another adventure tourism tour operator. Imaginative Traveller offers adventure holidays and encourages different ways of travelling around various destinations, for example: driving, walking, cycling. The destinations they provide are all long-haul destinations and they do not offer any adventure holidays in the UK or anywhere in Europe. Imaginative Traveller is an independent, web-based tour operator, however they do have a head office for people to contact with any issues or queries.  

Health Tourism Health Tourism is when people travel to another country for medical treatment. Health tourism could be classed as people travelling to the USA to meet with a specific doctor who is a specialist in their field, to get a certain kind of medication or treatment, receive an operation or take part in a medical trail. Cosmetic Vacations are a tour operator who plan holidays to Brazil for people who wish to have cosmetic surgery. Breast and facial procedures are the most popular procedures that people book with Cosmetic Vacations, followed by breast and facial lifts. People can also book dental procedures through Cosmetic Vacations such as: dental implants, gum treatments, dental veneers, filling and resortation and also root canal surgery. The most popular dental treatment people book is teeth bleaching which is extremely popular in Brazil. Cosmetic Vacations are a web-based tour operator based in the USA and work closely with Brazil to provide the best cosmetic treatments for their customers. The Medi Tour are another tour operator who plan medical holidays in India. They offer their services pre-treatment as well as during and after treatments. They also have one-to-one consultations with customers via phone, email or video chat before and after the operation takes place. The Medi Tour provides flights, accommodation and visas when necessary. The procedures they offer range from small operations to major procedures and they are there to support their customers every step of the way. The Medi Tour are independent tour operators and are completely web-based.     

Nature Tourism Nature tourism is when people visit different countries and destinations to see animals in their natural habitat and not in a zoo. This specialist tourism is when people go on a safari in Kenya or go on a trek in the Amazon Rainforest.  NatureTrek is a tour operator that has been selling wildlife holidays for over 25 years, they're therefore one of the biggest nature tour operators in the world. They plan holidays in destinations all over the world, their most popular destinations are: Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australia. The most popular tours they offer are those specifically focused on seeing wildlife and animals up close. NatureTrek offers close up encounters with animals such as dolphins, whales, bears, wolves, lynx's and jaguars. NatureTrek is also an independent tour operator for their field. Another tour operators that offers tailor made wildlife holidays is Natural World Safaris. This specific tour operator plans each holiday differently to better accommodate their customers and to provide a unique experience every time. They plan holidays in four different locations around the world which are: Savannah Plains, Frozen Areas, Jungles and Beaches. The holidays are specially planned around the best time to see the animals. Nature World Safaris are an independent tour operator and are also classed as a small enterprise as they have two working offices despite mostly working from online sources.  

Ecotourism Ecotourism is for when people want to travel and visit a destination as environmentally friendly as possible so that they can develop an understanding of the surrounding environment and wildlife as well as helping conservation efforts in the local area. Many eco-tourists visit a country to help a community project or understand how tourism is affecting the area they are visiting and attempt to better the situation. Devon Eco Holidays are a tour operator located in Devon which offer environmentally friendly holidays to the area. The tourists that travel with Devon Eco Holidays will stay in cottages which are only available to them for certain periods of time such as: long weekends (Friday to Monday) or short breaks (Monday to Friday). The cottages are powered using wind, sun and water power which reduces the carbon footprint often created by tourists in tourist areas. Devon Eco Holidays are an independent tour operator and are based online. Baobab Travel is an independent, online only tour operator which allows customers to book via phonecalls to their office. Baobab Travel specialises in providing community projects for tourists to participate in in developing countries such as Africa. The holidays they create for tourists offer them the opportunity to meet the local people, learn their culture and traditions and develop an understanding for their way of life rather than focusing on man-made tourist attractions. The destinations they work in are: South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and Kenya. the experiences offered by Baobab Travel are: Wildlife Safaris, Arts and Culture, Honeymoons, Family Holidays, Beach Holidays, Walking and Treking as well as Adventure Holidays.  

Special Interest Tourism Special interest tourism is for people who want to travel for a specific reason such as a photography project or to take a cooking course in a foreign country to learn new cuisine. Tour operators will often accommodate and cater for customers who wish to take holidays for special interest. For example, Headwater is a tour operator that creates holidays who want to go on holiday with a specific reason in mind. The most popular interest tourism holidays they offer are: Bird watching, Cooking, Christmas markets and mixed activity holidays. The destinations that these specialised holidays take place are usually in places such as America, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Headwater plan interest specific itineraries and provide high quality accommodation for their guests. They also provide them with maps and guides relating to their interest of choice. Headwater are an independent tour operator and work exclusively online only.  Archers Holidays are also a tour operator that offers different types of special interest holidays in different destinations all over the world. The destinations they offer include: Africa, Australasia, Asia, USA, Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. The most popular special interest holidays they offer are often music or festival related but they also offer seasonal city breaks (e.g. New York on New Year's Eve), more specialised interests also include military and spiritual holidays. Archers holidays are also an independent tour operator that works online but they do also have a call centre for customers to ring with any issues.   

Cultural Tourism Cultural tourism is for when people want to travel for the experience of being in a different country or a certain religious environment. The tourists travel to learn about different lifestyles and the backgrounds of people who have lived in the area they are visiting for their whole lives. Cultural tourism could be doing something such as visiting Kenya to see the tribes that still remain there or going to a monastery in Nepal. ACE Cultural Tours are a tour operator that specialises in tours which cover lots of different cultural themes such as: art, music, natural history and archaeology. They offer over 1000 different tours and offer their customers special access and private visits to the places they want to see, areas which other tourists may not be able to go. ACE Cultural Tours are an integrated tour operator because they are owned by the ACE foundation, they are a small enterprise with an online booking form and an office to provide customer service. Kirker Holidays are another tour operator that offers cultural holidays to their customers. Their specific themes are: art, music, history tours, architecture, archaeology, garden tours and music cruises. The most popular destinations for Kirker Holidays are: Paris, Venice, Rome, Vienna, Florence, St. Petersburg, Bruges and the Andalusian countryside. Kirker Holidays are an integrated tour operator due to having British Airways and the Eurostar as their working partners. They are also an enterprise company as the have an office in Brighton and many call centres all around the world. 

Disaster Tourism Disaster tourism is when people travel to see a place that was affected by disaster, whether the disaster be natural or man-made such as a terror attack site. For example, people visit the 9/11 site in New York and there is a museum full of information and artifacts from the terrorist attack site. This is a very popular tourist attraction in New York. Disaster Tourism is a tour operator who specialise in sending people on holidays and tours in destinations which disasters have occurred. For example, they can arrange to send tourists as volunteers to help recover an area after a tsunami or natural disaster has occurred. Tourists enjoy going on trips such as these as they have fun helping the local people rebuild their community and they also learn about the consequences of natural disasters and often come away with a new appreciation for their life in safer or areas that are at less risk of natural disasters. Disaster Tourism is an independent, online only tour operator. Currently there are not many tour operators that will plan disaster holidays for tourists as it is sometimes considered disrespectful and offensive, however there are still companies that will accommodate tourists with an interest in disaster tourism or "dark tourism". For example, the Jack the Ripper tour in London in which tourists will be taken to the murder sights of the Ripper's victims or the 9/11 Ground Zero Tour in New York which takes tourists around the area and shows the damage caused by the attack.

P2

Change in disposable income More people are able to book holidays now as they are earning more money. People now have higher paid jobs and are saving more money to go on holidays. Because people are earning more money they are tending to drift from the typical beach holiday and branch out to more exclusive and expensive holidays. Some people might even want to book their selves a special interest holiday which are most expensive but are becoming increasingly popular. Although most people are employed and receive a regular income there are also many people that are on zero-hour contract meaning they do not have a steady income so if they wanted to book a holiday they would have to do it on a budget. This gives companies such as budget airlines more business as they would be very popular with people with lower incomes. Budget airlines give the people with lower incomes the chance to go on holiday and also save money on flights so that they can spend it on activities whilst their away.   

Change in the perception and status of specialist tourism People now have a different view of specialist tourism because they now want to have a different kind of holiday, rather than going on a normal beach holiday people are more willing to try something different like visiting a disaster area or volunteering at an animal conservation location. Mass tourism to specialist tourism is a very positive development because people are learning to help conserve the areas they visit rather than just holiday there as they are able to see the negative impact tourism can have on an area. Another type of specialist tourism is when people visit a destination to help or volunteer on a project or conservation effort. In response to social changes and trends is also a development for the status of specialist tourism as people are wanting to show that they are helping a community project and not just going on a typical, standard holiday. 

Changing amount of leisure time People now have a lot more leisure time as companies are giving employees more holiday time. People now have more holiday allowance meaning they can even have longer holidays or a lot of short breaks during the year. Access to new locations is a new development as there are more people having time off to go travelling creating a high demand for different destinations. Due to a change in laws in 1999 which made employers give employees a minimum of four weeks holiday time every year more people have had time to travel and try new things and visit new places for longer periods of time. Also, a lot of students are taking gap years when they have finished studying to travel around the world and discover new locations out of their comfort zones. Packaged to unpackaged holidays is another development that has helped increased leisure time because people can plan their holidays around the time they have available and make the most of their time, this means that people can book a lot of short breaks through the year. 

Desire for new challenges Tourists want to push themselves and take part in new challenges. This could mean they are going out of their comfort zone or deterring from their normal routine for some reason. For example, helping building a school in Kenya or visiting a camp site in the Grand Canyon. More people are looking for a different kind of holiday rather than the basic package holiday to a beach destination they are more inclined to visit new locations that have recently become assessible to tourists. Tourists see these locations as new challenges and conquests to discover and conquer which is becoming more and more desirable in recent years than beach holidays. By people wanting these new challenges, tour operators are now finding new ways to meet their customers' needs and reach their higher expectations.  

Self-Actualisation 

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 
• Holidays = Happiness 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs     The hierarchy was created by Maslow to show humans five most basic needs:                        By having access to new locations people are able to meet different points of the chart. When people travel they gain self-confidence, especially if they go on a holiday which is demanding or is classed as an adventure. They gain this confidence as they have completed something that not many people have and they have most likely stepped out of their comfort zone to complete this task.  People also feel better about themselves when they are on holiday as they are more relaxed and are away from the stresses at home. Similarly, when people go on volunteer holidays they feel better about themselves because they have done something to help another community, for example, helping a country clean up and rebuild after a natural disaster.  

Holidays = Happiness When people go on holiday they notice that when they are there and when they come home that they are happier than before they left, in result people tend to be more productive in both their home lives and at work when they return from a holiday. People are discovering that by going on holiday it makes their lives happier and increases their productivity, wellbeing and general happiness when the holiday is over. Because people are realising they are becoming happier due to going on holiday they are more inclined to take more holidays throughout the year and companies such as budget airlines make this possible as people are able to go on holidays multiple times a year without spending a lot of money.  

Expectations of tailor made holidays 

• High level service 
• Tailor made 

High level service People not expect a higher level of service for every aspect of their holiday as they don’t always know what to expect from what they have booked. People now have higher expectations due to online forums and reviews they can read from other people who have visited the same destination, has stayed at the same accommodation or has taken part in the same activities. People are now more responsive to social changes and trends and therefore expect more from their holiday and the money they are spending. For example, when a tourist books a luxury safari in Africa they would most likely expect a private tour guide, vehicle and other services, such as entertainment, food, drink and photo opportunities throughout the day to be included in the price.  

Tailor made People are now able to book their own holidays to destinations as it is easier for them to meet their own personal expectations this way. When people book a packaged holiday, they are getting something that is set out and is advertised in brochures to attract people to book with a specific tour operator. People are now more likely to book an unpackaged holiday because it is cheaper and easier to plan and tailor to their own needs and expectations for their holiday. By having tailor made holidays tourists are more in control of their holiday experience.  

Trends 

• Culture holidays 
• Active holidays 

Culture Holidays Many people are now travelling for a religious reason, for example, going to Jerusalem to see the place that Jesus was performed miracles. This is a new location development as people are more likely to book cultural holidays to learn about different countries and their specific culture or to better their knowledge of their own culture and beliefs. This has developed because tour operators will only offer these types of holidays to small groups so they can book more than one group to a certain destination therefore making more money for their company.  

Active Holidays People are now more willing to go on active holidays or having sport or adventure as a large part of their holiday; for example, going scuba diving at Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia or travelling to Algarve to play golf. This is becoming an increasingly popular trend and a lot of tourists are not wanting to take part in these active holidays to show off to their family and friends. This is a development as tour operators are realising that more people are willing to pay more money to go on an active holiday to keep up with trends and to try something different.