• 0:00
    /
    0:00
    Loaded: 0%
    0:00
    Progress: 0%
    Stream TypeLIVE
    0:00
     
    1x
    Advertisement

Seasonality: a Responsible Tourism Approach

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "Seasonality: a Responsible Tourism Approach"— Presentation transcript:

1 Seasonality: a Responsible Tourism Approach
Dr Harold Goodwin Director International Centre for Responsible Tourism & Responsible Tourism Partnership

2 Seasonality: a Responsible Tourism Approach
What is the problem? Whose problem is it? The private sector response. The Responsible Tourism Approach. Destination impacts and management approaches. March 11th 2005

3 What is the problem? Time of abundance, - a favourable business period
Inefficiency: overuse and under-utilisation Traffic congestion and water consumption Affects returns and employment patterns Most tourism destinations experience seasonality Main effort has been to deal with troughs not peaks. Consumer negatives – crowding, service, and positives: part of sense of place. March 11th 2005

4 Source or Originating Market Determinants
Diversifying markets Differential pricing Encouraging domestic tourism Off-season events March 11th 2005

5 The Destination Experience
Seasonality of arrivals, visitor nights and length of stay Inner Alpine areas max nights Feb Nurnberg and Erzegebirge maximum nights December Peak season traffic problems in Dinlge Killarney Ring of Kerry Kerry average occupancy 55.4% in peak 92% March 11th 2005

6 Causes of Seasonality Push factors Climate & weather Weekends
Seasonal Affective Disorder Heating costs. Weekends End of the month weekends Pull factors Climate & weather Temperature and hours of sunshine Events & Sport Season Snow cover – off-set with domestic market. Short term fluctuations and climate change Grouse season Particular problem at high and low latitudes Specialisation often increases seasonality Weather dependency – unreliability . More extreme in outdoor destinations March 11th 2005

7 Natural and Institutional Causes of Seasonality Bar-On and Butler
climate & weather Seasons Whale watching Tulips and harvest Food and drink Bird migration – seasonal comings and goings at Scottish Seabird Centre Institutional Cultural & social factors Holy Days Public holidays School holidays Traditional holidays Sport Events Retired Population Bar-on 1975 Town and country estates Wakes weeks Spas and Mediterranean – winter sun C19th Varadero Cuba Kessler half pop depends on school holidays 20% of pop on road first weekend in August Le Weekend March 11th 2005

8 Definitions Temporal distribution: uneven fluctuation over time, with at least one period of abundance. seasonality “a temporal imbalance in the phenomenon of tourism, [which] may be expressed in terms of dimensions of such elements as numbers of visitors, expenditure of visitors, traffic on highways and other forms of transportation, employment, and admissions to attractions”1 Butler Seasonality in Tourism in Seaton et al Tourism: The State of the Art. (1994:332). March 11th 2005

9 Whose problem is it? Private sector problem for hotels, attractions, service providers. Employee problem Destination, and therefore local government, problem – overcrowding, litter, toilet facilities during high season and major events & off-season closure and unemployment. Nationally can be addressed by creating public holidays and long weekends and paid holidays – staggering of school holidays March 11th 2005

10 The private sector response.
Pricing mechanisms, attracting groups and the more budget conscious in the “shoulder” and low seasons Attracting domestic visitors or budget travellers. Diversifying products & markets March 11th 2005

11 Reactive and Pro-Active Approaches to seasonality
Pro-Active responses Enjoy it - change life style Add value to increase profitability develop new products and/or market segments Attract local visitors Attract repeat visitors at different seasons. Reactive/adapting Seasonal closure Reduce or dismiss staff Diversify livelihood strategy Increase borrowing March 11th 2005

12 The Responsible Tourism Approach.
achieving sustainable tourism, and to create better places for people to live in and for people to visit. Recognising that dialogue, partnerships and multi-stakeholder processes - involving government, business and local communities - to make better places for hosts and guests can only be realised at the local level Responsible Tourism in Destinations, Cape Town August March 11th 2005

13 minimises negative environmental, social and cultural impacts;
Responsible Travel takes a variety of forms, it is characterised by travel and tourism which minimises negative environmental, social and cultural impacts; generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the wellbeing of host communities, by improving working conditions and access to the industry; involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances. March 11th 2005

14 makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage and to the maintenance of the world’s diversity; provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural and environmental issues; is culturally sensitive and engenders respect between tourists and hosts. March 11th 2005

15 Responsible Tourism March 11th 2005

16 Requires a Collective Approach
Destinations generally comprise more than one product and many stakeholders Viable year round destinations require than the majority participate. Destination managers need to encourage service providers to stay open and To encourage visitors by reaching new markets and re-educating existing ones – events, incentives, provide interpretation and education - marketing subsidies Off peak marketing can increase peaks. March 11th 2005

17 Destination impacts and management approaches: Social Impacts
Social exclusion – students and school pupils attracted in the shoulder and low season, cheaper ski passes and discounts. Crime and family life impacts Key services closed in the off-season – services there only for the tourists, but that is why they are there at all. Migrant and casual labour Seasonality affects responses to impact surveys Seasonality affects responses to impact surveys McCool and Moisey work in Montana on Monitoring Resident attitudes towards tourism March 11th 2005

18 Destination impacts and management approaches: Economic Impacts
Loss of profits due to inefficient use of resources – low return on capital, positive life style choice Seasonal unemployment, casualisation, part-time work – lack of labour rights and low annual incomes. Recruitment and retention Higher prices Costs of additional facilities – litter, toilets etc. Up market hotels with skilled staff have to stay open year round. Maintenance…. Quality issues Seasonailty not bad for every one – studnets, livelihood diversification March 11th 2005

19 Destination impacts and management approaches: Environmental Impacts
Concentration of visitors in short periods of time – peak seasons Overcrowding and overuse. Reduce supply Congestion, erosion, trampling, wildlife disturbance Lengthy “dead” seasons can permit recovery Partic unfortunate if peak season is also peak vulnerability March 11th 2005

20 Seasonality can be managed…
Cultural seasonality Christmas markets Lincoln Natural seasonality Hop Festivals Faversham Big apple in Herefprd Ludlow Food and Drink Festival £.5m March 11th 2005

21 Destination responses
Four season resorts – skiing, golf, swimming, conferences, festivals Whistler in British Colombia Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy March 11th 2005

22 Destination Responses
Additional spend on promoting off-peak and shoulder season opportunities Developing and offering additional facilities and attractions –seasonal activities. Developing events – festivals, conferences. March 11th 2005

23 No bad weather – only bad clothing and poor preparation.
In Scottish wildlife tourism more emphasis is being placed on the enhanced opportunity to see wildlife as low cloud and wet weather lifts – honesty and preparation. Norwegian operator selling stormy weather as an experience of true nature with stunning light and colours. Provision of wet weather facilities at campsites in Scandinavia Green Tourism approaches to Weather and Sustainability March 11th 2005

24 Management Responses Location and competitiveness are key issues.
Most common response: events and festivals Oktoberfest & Blackpool illuminations. New market segments – conferences, short-breaks, elderly, affinity groups Events launched in main season and moved shoulder. March 11th 2005

25 Beware … An off season differentiated product must be differentiated.
Avoid disappointment Bad weather, insufficient or poor quality entertainment Closed attractions Poor service in hotels because of cost cutting Can all damage reputation March 11th 2005


Download ppt "Seasonality: a Responsible Tourism Approach"

Similar presentations


Ads by Google