The interview was mainly conducted with a tourism officer on the various benefits, challenges and also the overall importance of tourism on the economy and also the citizens of that area. Also, the tourism official discussed on why he ventured into tourism. The interview questions were:
• How and why did you enter the tourism industry?
• What are the overall benefits of tourism in this area?
• What are the most notable challenges faced by hospitality organizations, traveling agencies and all other enterprises related to tourism?
• How do you feel the government can improve on the overall standard of hospitality management and also tourism in the entire nation?
The tourist officer discussed the reasons for choosing tourism as a suitable career path. He stated that due to its overall dynamic nature and growing rapid pace, he wanted to be associated with the overall boom of the industry. He said that the promotion of tourist sites and also the overall sense of adventure made him pursue tourism as a suitable career path. Also, he was passionate about the overall scenery and showing how beautiful the nation is which the leading factor in his career decision was. He shared the assertion that tourism is the embodiment of adventure (Mason, 2012).
The next question was based on the benefits of tourism. Here, the tourism officer stated that tourism has become a large source of employment for several residents within that area. Tourism has directly influenced the creation of positions such as coach services, hotel staff, the tour gives and also restaurants. Tourism has also supported industries such as the retail and food industries. Through this process, it has raised the living standards of individuals in that locality. Tourism has also allowed the economy to develop new forms of revenues. It has acted as an insurance policy especially during hard economic times since the additional dollars that come in assist in supporting traditional industries. Tourism enables the community to diversify their important sources of revenue and rely less on just a single industry
Tourism has brought numerous challenges. The officer stated that local governments have been unable to prepare adequately for the overall dramatic influx of all the individuals that accompany the busy season of a destination or for special events. Various sporting events especially in that area have put a significant strain on the available resources and therefore have negatively affected the local life norms to a halt (Seba, 2011). Also, the community has also felt a sense of a loss of privacy and also a feeling that their entire town is not theirs. Due to excessive tourism experienced in the area, it has stripped the residents of that feeling of privacy. This situation has been caused by the newly packed bars and restaurant and the fact that before the tourism boom, the streets were peaceful and empty but not has been overcrowded by outsiders. However, the tourism officer pointed out that although tourism has brought numerous detrimental effects on the local community, the benefits and also the development of the entire community from tourism outweighs these negative implications.
The tourist officer then went on to mention the critical strategies that the government and also the local organizations associated with tourism can implement. Travel agencies must publish relevant materials that will assist the travelers in making necessary and profitable decisions. However, this entire process can be highly overwhelming for smaller enterprises. Also, he stated that the local and the state government must take significant steps in beautifying the numerous local tourist attractions as a potential way of attracting even more visitors rather than simply banking on the overall natural beauty of the place. Also, the tourist officer stated that the stakeholders and relevant policy makers involved in tourism must pursue aggressive online and other useful marketing strategies as a way of promoting the tourist attraction areas in the entire region (Smith, 2006). They must establish strategies such as holding tourism seminars, conduct international marketing campaigns on all the available tourist attraction sites which will improve the overall influx of tourists coming into the country
References
Mason, P. (2012). Tourism Impacts, Planning, and Management. Routledge
Seba, J. (2011). Tourism and Hospitality: Issues and Developments. CRC Press
Smith, M. K. (2006). Tourism, Culture and Regeneration. CAB books. CABI