The role of the tour operator in South America: Argentina,Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay

The role of the tour operator in the supply chain has focused traditionally on the dominant position of companies situated in the generating countries of Europe and North America; despite recognition of the tour operator located in emergent receiving countries, the area has not been discussed extensively. This paper investigates the opinions of 37 tour operators in four emerging countries in South America, with a view to evaluating the nature and level of contact with foreign tour operators and suppliers. It assesses the degree of internationalisation that occurs, and the extent to which tour operators are involved in the process of tourism development. The paper confirms the role of the receiving tour operator within the distribution chain, but concludes that in terms of stimulating tourism development there is a need for more research into the relationships between government and the wide range of organisations involved in the process. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Models of crisis management: an evaluation of their value for strategic planning in the international travel industry

Tourism is particularly prone to external shocks, which by their nature are unpredictable and need to be addressed through effective crisis management processes. The paper reviews the literature relating to crisis management in tourism and identifies and briefly critiques several models that have been developed to help managers in their strategic planning for such contingencies. The terrorist attacks of ‘9/11’ are used as an exemplar of the type of external shock that can lead to crisis if travel industry managers fail to take immediate and decisive action. This paper discusses the reactions of leading UK based tour operators to the terrorist attacks and a case study is presented to examine the reaction of a particular company to ‘9/11’ and to review the ‘turnaround’ strategies used. The crisis management process model is compared and contrasted with the steps actually undertaken at the company. It is evident that there are wider lessons for the travel industry including the need to: integrate crisis management with strategic planning processes, prepare detailed contingency plans, define decisional roles and responsibilities, and to retain a degree of flexibility. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Marketing performance measurement in hotels,travel agencies and tour operators: a study of current practices

As successful tourism firms invest heavily in marketing to defend or improve their competitive position, they increasingly need to measure their marketing performance. Previous studies related to tourism have largely focused on financial and operational performance, but the marketing perspective has been largely overlooked. Drawing on an in-depth investigation involving 12 hotel chains, 8 travel agencies and 8 tour operators, this study provides an overview of the state-of-the-art marketing performance measurements among some of the leading tourism firms in Italy. Several issues and unanswered questions are also identified.     

Managing the wildlife tourism experience: The importance of tour leaders

This paper is based on a small ethnographic study of serious wildlife tourists. It focuses on three important aspects of this type of travel. First, the tangible benefits of the tourist experience; second, the importance of the tour leader as the interface between the product and the tourist; and finally, tourist perceptions of their potential environmental and social impacts. The findings reveal participants' environmental sensibilities and the desire to avoid disturbance, the social benefits of organised tours and how the tour leader is critical to both the success of the holiday and the responsible behaviour of the group. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

‘It is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission’: tourism development in an unregulated town

This study describes the state of a Costa Rican community as it is affected by tourism development. It suggests reasons for the current state of affairs and offers potential solutions to remedy this town's issues. By gathering data on location through the use of interviews with business owners, the issue of individual development versus community development is exposed. It provides a glimpse into the concept of group dynamics and collective action (or the lack of it), and offers some understanding about collective development in unregulated communities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding the meaning of the ‘journey’ to budget travellers

The purpose is to construct a hermeneutic understanding of the significance of the journey to budget travellers. Narrative interviews were gathered from budget travellers. This research confirms the complexity, holistic reflections and personal travel history associated with the journey. The participants' narratives indicated the primacy of personal authenticity instead of cultural authenticity. The sight became a landmark to distinguish the destination, participants' geographical placement and some of their travails on their journeys. The nomothetic significance of the journey involved the meaning themes of personal development and liminal encounters and meaning factors of styles, visual cues and problem solving. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.     

Germany’s changing airport infrastructure: the prospects for ‘newcomer’ airports attempting market entry

Despite fluctuations for economic or political reasons, the number of passengers and volume of cargo carried by air is growing quickly, leading to a shortage of airport capacity in some European regions with few slots available at some hubs. This problem has accelerated the trend towards an increase in airport capacity for larger aircraft everywhere, a process which started in the UK and is now continuing throughout Europe, especially in Germany. Apart from development at the hubs, however, many small airports have also been enlarged, former military airbases have been converted to civilian use, and new runways are to be built in areas away from centres of population. These changes have occurred within a short period of time. In Germany, the number of available airports with runways over 1800 m will have doubled in a period of 10–15 years.     

Developing Rural Tourism: the PAT Program and ‘Nong jia le’ Tourism in China

Despite the fact that the last three decades have witnessed the rapid development of rural tourism (RT) in China, which is being promoted by the Chinese government as an important new type of tourism due to its special role in revitalizing China's rural economy, there is still little knowledge about the economic impacts of RT on Chinese rural communities in terms of socio‐economic development and regeneration. Accordingly, this study represents an attempt to address this issue by examining the Poverty Alleviation through Tourism program and ‘Nong jia le’ (Happy Farmer Home) tourism within the Chinese context. The findings not only confirm the widely held importance of RT, as expected, but also identify the problems and challenges relating to the sustainable development of RT in the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The development of olive tourism in Western Australia: a case study of an emerging tourism industry

The recent development of olive growing in Western Australia, and its amalgamation with tourism and hospitality, provides opportunities for growers to showcase their products and for visitors to experience olive‐tasting and learn about an ancient food culture and rural activity ‘transplanted’ into the ‘New World’ from its ‘Old World’ roots. The present study examines the dimensions of this emerging niche market in Western Australia. Face‐to‐face and telephone interviews were conducted among 23 small olive‐growing operations located in this region to understand their scope for developing olive tourism. Overall, respondents' comments suggest that their involvement in olive tourism and hospitality could substantially provide benefits for visitors to rural areas and become a complementary alternative to other activities. To fulfil this potential, however, growers heavily rely on greater collaboration within their own industry, as well as on local authorities and tourism bodies in ways that include assistance, partnerships and promotion. Moreover, collaboration between olive growers and regional/tourism stakeholders, as well as government support may not only contribute to the sustainability of olive growing, but also to the emergence of olive tourism. In turn, these developments may also help develop a culinary identity and a tourism concept that may help minimise the threats of outside competition (cheaper olive imports) and rural decline. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The performance of the Slovenian hotel industry: evaluation post‐privatisation

This study analyses the technical efficiency of Slovenian hotels using the data envelopment analysis method. Multiple inputs and outputs are included in the analysis, ranging over the period 2005–2007. The results reveal an increase in efficiency over the period analysed. The results also confirm that factors such as the hotel's year in business, star rating and size are positively related to efficiency variations between hotels. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The RAE‐ification of tourism research in the UK

Whereas those working on the inside of tourism generally feel that tourism research is making good progress, the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in the UK offered an outsiders' assessment of UK tourism research that was less benign. This paper examines the results and consequences of the RAE based on an examination of the submissions made by UK higher education institutions. It describes the position of tourism in the RAE and focuses on three key issues—structure, outcomes and visibility. It invokes Kuhnian and Foucauldian perspectives to foreground hidden consequences of the RAE (termed RAE‐ification by the author) that threaten the development of UK tourism research. The article concludes that tourism research, finding itself on the periphery of UK research, faces similar problems to those faced by peripheral tourism regions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of a non-profit organisation-run public bicycle-sharing programme: the case of Kitakyushu City,Japan

Public bicycle-sharing programmes (PBSPs) are experiencing enormous growth as an increasing number of cities worldwide are adopting the scheme. PBSPs are managed and operated by the private sector; by local community groups, including non-profit organisations (NPOs); and by local governments. In many Japanese cities where private bicycle sharing is high, the scale of PBSPs is relatively small, leading to challenges such as difficulty in securing funding and appointing operators. This paper proposes that NPOs may have the capacity to operate and effectively manage PBSPs in conjunction with other non-profit activities to promote community development. Using a case study approach and implementing a user perception survey, this study examines the experience of a small-scale, NPO-run PBSP in Kitakyushu City, Japan. Findings show that NPO management and operation added value to the PBSP. In addition, some users were interested in the PBSP beyond its role as a means of transport. These users tend to engage in local activities more frequently than other users. Finally, almost all of the users were satisfied with the bicycle-sharing service, regardless of their reasons for using the programme. The insights gained from these results may help improve small-scale PBSP implementation, policy, and planning, both in Japan and beyond.     

‘When buying into the business,we knew it was seasonal’: perceptions of seasonality in Central Otago,New Zealand

Although the majority of the academic literature makes a convincing economic case when suggesting that seasonality is problematic, it is, arguably, equally important to consider whether businesses themselves perceive seasonality as a distinct problem. This paper considers the extent to which businesses and operations, variably involved in tourism, perceive seasonality. A case study of the Central Otago region of New Zealand is offered. The results suggest that although seasonality is perceived as a salient issue for the sector itself, it is not universally perceived to be inherently problematic from the perspective of the individual business/operator. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.