The Business of Tourism [antikvár]

PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION The Busitiess of Tourism first appeared in print in 1983. In the intervening years, huge changes have occurred, not just in the industry, but to tourism generally, and to tourism education more specifically. The first edition tended to emphasise the positive economic benefits of tourism, with relatively little comment on the inevitable negative effects. Succeeding editions reflected changes in thinking about these issues; but eleven years on, we find a whole new body of opinion expressing its concern about the ways in which the ever-greater demands of tourism are affecting whole societies and the environment in which they Uve. 'Sustainable tourism' is now a concept which is ignored at one's peril, whether by the writer or by the practitioner. The potential dangers of this were highlighted in the third edition's preface; with this new edition, a final chapter is devoted to examining in some detail the problems which tourism can cause, and to evaluating strategies to minimise these. The new edition also represents a substantial revision of the original text, with changes to both structure and content. The aim in doing so is twofold. First, there is the need to provide a foundation of relevant knowledge and skills demanded by the travel and tourism industry. This has always been the principal aim of this text; but it is now coupled with the recognition, reflecting the views of senior members of the industry itself, that the skills that will be most in demand in the twenty-first century will be general business and transferable skills: those that enhance powers of analysis, adaptability to meet changing needs, social and environmental awareness - even ethics, a word that fell out of favour in the 1980s, but is now recognised as one strand in the search for long-term survival in a competitive business environment. Secondly, certain issues are introduced for the first time which have not, typically, been on the agenda of basic tourism courses in the past. The author's intention here is that students of tourism can be encouraged to widen their own perspectives of this field of study. There is always a danger that a too narrow focus on basic skills can cause students to lose sight of other issues that are important. Subjects such as design are introduced to bring this into focus for the first time in a tourism text. Here, the author has been influenced by his recent research into tourism education on the Continent, where often a wider perspective is adopted, and as a result a more broadly educated workforce is produced for the industry. A characteristic oftourismasa business is the rapidly escalating pace of change. This produces a particular challenge for the writer, in trying to determine what is relevant and appropriate to include. Political change, economic recession and the almost daily sequence of mergers, integration and coOapse which have afflicted the industry in the early 1990s have made it difficult to discuss particular cases; examples can all too easily date, as major companies are absorbed or go under. Significant issues, such as the future of ABTA, are still to be resolved as the text goes to print. The focus of any text such as this must, therefore, be on principles, with tutors guiding the direction of study by identifying current trends and developments, and relating these to the principles discussed. Those who will be working in the industry in the twenty-first century must recognise that, whatever views are held about the relative worth of tourism, it will continue to grow; and those involved in planning and promoting it must face both practical and ethical questions in its management. Sensitivity to these issues will be as important to the manager of the future as the skills and competences needed to operate in a highly competitive business. The book's perspective remains essentially British, but the international character of tourism requires a wider focus at times, and there are frequent references to, and illustrations drawn from, the industry in other countries, particularly those of our European partners.The book is designed to meet the requirements of BTEC and NVQ/GNVQ courses in travel, tourism and leisure, at National and Higher National Diploma level (equivalent to levels three and four); it