Tourism and Hospitality Studies - Module V

Manual on Module V Trends
and Issues in the Tourism and

Hospitality Industry
By
Thomas Bauer, Ph.D.
School of Hotel and Tourism Management

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Copyright
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
All rights reserved.
The copyright of this manual belongs to the Government of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region. Commercial use is strictly prohibited. Offenders will be liable to legal
responsibility.
Schools need not apply for permission to copy this manual in whole or in part for non-profit
making educational or research purposes. All other uses should gain prior permission in writing
from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Requests should be
directed to the:
Education Bureau
13/F, Room 1319, Wu Chung House
213 Queens Road East,
Wan Chai
Hong Kong
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the following organizations for giving us the
permission to reprint some of the pictures and /or providing us with information for completing
the curriculum support package:
The Association of National Tourist Office Representatives in Hong Kong, ANTOR (HK)
Centre for Food Safety, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
ii
Introduction
A set of curriculum support package of tourism and hospitality learning and teaching materials
is being developed by the Personal, Social and Humanities Education Section of Curriculum
Development Institute, Education Bureau for the implementation of the senior secondary
Tourism and Hospitality Studies curriculum in schools. The curriculum support package is
comprised of eight manuals, and they are developed to broaden students knowledge of the
eight different units of the Tourism and Hospitality Studies curriculum.
The content of this manual Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, should
enhance students understanding of the dynamic nature of the tourism and hospitality industry.
In addition, the manual includes activities to deepen students understanding and help them to
apply theories and concepts. Furthermore, students should be able to develop enquiry,
problem-solving and decision-making skills through these activities.
All comments and suggestions related to this curriculum support package may be sent to:
Chief Curriculum Development Officer (PSHE)

Personal, Social and Humanities Education
Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
13/F, Room 1319, Wu Chung House
213 Queens Road East,
Wan Chai
Hong Kong
April 2009
iii
Contents
Preface
vi
Current Issues in Tourism
Sustainable tourism development
Sustainable tourism
Protection of World Heritage
11
Requirements for sustainable tourism
12
Obstacles to change or why it is so difficult to achieve sustainability
20
The concept of carrying capacity
20
Socio-cultural impacts of tourism
24
Sex and tourism
29
Globalization and its effects on tourism development
31
Leakage in the Maldives
33
Poverty alleviation through tourism
34
Development of tourism products to assist in poverty alleviation
36
Trends and Issues in Hospitality

Trends in the accommodation sector
Trends and Issues in the restaurant and food services sector
40
40
45
Food
45
Conclusion
49
Appendix 1
51
iv
Preface
Dear Students,
Welcome to this manual on trends and issues in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Tourism and hospitality are fast moving fields and it can be difficult to be up-to-date
on all the current issues at all times. As students of tourism we nevertheless must
make an effort to be aware of as many trends and issues as possible. This awareness is
even more important for people and organizations that are directly or indirectly
involved in the tourism and hospitality industry. This manual will provide you with a
variety of insights into some of the issues that are impacting on the industry at the
time of writing. As a learner you are encouraged to continuously scan the daily
newspapers and media broadcasts so that you are at all times as informed as possible.
Please enjoy learning about these topics.
Dr Thomas Bauer
vi
CURRENT ISSUES IN TOURISM
The field of tourism and hospitality is a fast changing one. Because tourism is not a
single discipline but is connected to many other aspects of life it is constantly
changing. Think for a moment what has to happen for a person we shall call Ms.
Wong in Hong Kong to become a tourist in say New York and you will appreciate
how many factors are involved. First Ms Wong has to have an interest in leaving
Hong Kong to become a tourist. This will require her to have a motive for traveling.
Why should she leave Hong Kong to go travel to another part of the world? What is
there that she cant find at home? If it is shopping that is her main interest why should
she bother to travel to New York when there are thousands of shops in Hong Kong?
To be able to afford to travel she has to save enough money to be able to pay for an
air ticket and accommodation at the destination and she has to have enough days of
paid holidays accumulated to be allowed to leave her place of work. She will need to
arrange for air transport and for accommodation in New York, will require a permit to
visit the United States (called an entry visa), and she will have to take the seasonality
of her visit into consideration (will it be winter or summer when she arrives in New
York?)
Tourism has a connection to many other disciplines including politics, religion,

agriculture, economics, environment, health, finance, transport, society, immigration,
and education just to name a few. All of these fields of human endevour are
constantly changing and changes in one field will impact on other fields and hence
also on tourism.
As a practical example you can think of the changes that were brought to Hong Kong
tourism during the outbreak of the Severe Acquired Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in
2003. Because of the fear that they may catch the disease when visiting Hong Kong,
tourists stayed away. Our hotels, some of the best in the world, were empty; arriving
flights carried only very few passenger; farmers in Guangdong Province were not able
to sell their vegetables to Hong Kong hotels and employees of tourism related
businesses either worked fewer hours or lost their jobs. This is a reminder that
1
demand for tourism products can change very quickly, sometimes over night, and it is
an industry that is very sensitive to changes and trends in its operating environment.
These fast moving changes require that tourist companies must be constantly on the
alert to detect changes, trends and issues early so that they can make the necessary
adjustments to their businesses. This includes being prepared for unforeseen
circumstances and changes in their operating environment. One way of doing this is
by constantly scanning the media for trends that may impact on the firm and by
setting aside money to meet unforeseen developments that are out of the control of the
company.
In the following pages we will look at some of the trends and issues that are current as
of the time of the writing of this manual. Some of the issues we will explore such as
the sustainability of tourism and climate change will be with the industry for a long
time, while other trends, especially if they are driven by fashion will change,
sometimes very quickly.
Lets explore.
ACTIVITY 1
Get a copy of the South China Morning Post and scan it for articles that
relate to tourism. You will need to read the articles and draw conclusions
because very few of them will actually have the word tourism in the text.
Compare your findings with those of your classmates who have looked
through different parts of the newspaper.
Sustainable tourism development
A conceptual approach to sustainable tourism:

As noted above, the concept of sustainable development is based on respect for the
social and natural environment in which tourism takes place. On the environmental
side there are several very important issues that we need to be aware of. Some of these
are discussed in the following section.
The Big Environmental Issues

It is now beyond doubt that our climate is changing and that humans are, at least in
parts, to blame for those changes. Some experts (see the Stern report prepared by Sir
Nicholas Stern of the UK) estimate that unless we act now, climate change will reduce
annual Gross Domestic Product of the economies of many countries by 20 per cent.
The movie production An Inconvenient Truth by former US Vice President Al Gore
is a reminder that time to take action is running out and that all of us must act now to
avoid further degradation of our world.
ACTIVITY 2
Watch An Inconvenient Truth under the guidance of your teacher and
discuss the issues raised in the film. Pay particular attention to the tips
provided on the inside of the front cover of the movie that gives you ideas
of what YOU can do to help in the fight against our changing climate.
Sustainability and sustainable development

What does it mean to make an activity sustainable? It basically means that an activity
that is carried out today for the benefit of all involved can continue to be carried out
indefinitely into the future without doing harm to anyone or anything involved or
impacted by it.
The opposite of sustainability is un-sustainability which involves activities that have a

very short term horizon and that involve excessive profit and often greed as the major
motivations without any regard to the long term.
Sustainability is about striking a balance between the rights of humans to a decent and
meaningful life, the right to life for all types of animals and for nature to be protected
for its own sake and for the sake of all other living things, including humans.
Sustainable development is envisaged as leading to the management of all resources

in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while
maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and
life support systems (World Travel and Tourism Council, World Tourism
Organisation and Earth Council 1995 p. 30).
These pictures show the two alternatives: Short term greed and long term
intergenerational equity. The latter involves a grandfathers consideration for what is
best for his granddaughter and her children and leaving the world a better place so that
they can live meaningful and happy lives.
It was the World Commission on Environment and Development (also known by the
name of its chairman as the Bruntland Commission) that in its report Our Common
Future first raised the issue of sustainability when they said that:
Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. (Our Common Future 1987 p.8)
This coal-fired power station on Lamma Island supplies Lamma and Hong Kong
Island with electricity on which most of us depend on a daily basis.
Imagine your daily life without electricity and think of all the things you could not do
such as watching TV, playing computer games, recharging your mobile phone, taking
the lift to your high-rise apartment and reading a book at night. As you will agree, we
need electricity and hence the question is not whether or not to have power stations
but what the best and cleanest way is to produce electricity so that we do not
unnecessarily harm the environment while we produce it.
ACTIVITY 3
Find out what fuel sources Hong Kong power companies use to generate
electricity. Investigate alternative energy sources that could be used to
produce cleaner energy and discuss the merits and potential problems
associated with each energy source.
Sustainable Tourism
It has long been known that there is a close connection between tourism and the
environment but whether this nexus is sustainable in the long run has only relatively
recently been discussed. If we want to have tourist destinations that can prosper from
tourism we need to shift our thinking away from a simple marketing approach. As
Bauer (2003) said,
The major issue for many destinations will no longer be to
attract increasing numbers of tourists but how to manage them once they have
arrived.
Many writers have addressed issues that concern tourism and the environment. Some
of them are:
Cohens (1973) drifters
Young (1973) "Tourism: Blessing or Blight"
Budowski 1976 'Tourism and Environmental Conservation: Conflict, Coexistence or

Symbiosis?"
deKadt (1979) Tourism: Passport to Development?
Mathieson and Wall (1982) Tourism: Economic, Physical and Social Impacts
Hector Ceballos Lascurain (1984) Ecotourism
As noted above, the Bruntland Report is the defining document. The United Nations
(UN) set up the World Commission on Environment and Development (Bruntland
Commission and its report Our Common Future (1987) formed the basis for Agenda
21 and the subsequent Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.
The report addressed the state of the global environment and defined sustainable
development as: " Development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. By 1995 the
World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a body of the top executives of some
100 of the worlds biggest travel companies, joined forces with the World Tourism
Organization (WTO) and the Earth Council to formulate a tourism industry response
to the challenges posed by the Rio declaration. The result was the publishing of
Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry: Towards Environmentally
Sustainable Development.
7
Definitions of sustainable tourism

In 1995 the World Tourism Organization defined sustainable tourism as: Sustainable
tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while
protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future. In its definition the WTO
included environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability:
Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in
tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to
conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.
Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and
living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural
understanding and tolerance
Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to

all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and incomeearning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to
poverty alleviation.
In 2004 the World Tourism Organization added: Achieving sustainable tourism is a

continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the
necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.
Today a variety of sustainable tourism initiatives have emerged. These include:
Various environmental accreditation schemes that certify that companies are as

environmentally friendly as they can be. Some of the schemes benchmark a
companys performance (for example energy and water consumption per guest in a
hotel) against industry norms against the industry standard.
PATA Sustainable Tourism Advisory Committee which encourages all parts of the
tourism industry to conduct there activities in a sustainable fashion
Blue Flag that classifies beaches in Europe. Classification helps these beaches to be
marketed to environmentally sensitive consumers
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assisted international tour

operators with the establishment of the Tour Operator Initiative that seeks to put
pressure on the suppliers of tourism products to make their products sustainable.
ISO 14001 which establishes Environmental Management Systems (EMS) for

companies. In Hong Kong we have 4 hotels that have undergone certification.
When we discuss issues of sustainability and sustainable tourism some important

questions need to be asked. These include:
What does a tourism destination want to maintain (sustain) in the long term?
The culture and the life-style of local people?
The local natural environment?
The local economy including jobs?
At what levels does the government want to sustain tourism at the destination? This
leads to the question of how many tourists, from which part of the world a destination
want to attract. More tourists are not necessarily better and many destinations are now
looking to attract fewer but higher spending tourists.
What is the connection between sustainable tourism and the broader social, cultural
and economic development of the destination? Is it possible that in an effort to achieve
sustainable tourism we may put other sectors such as agriculture under threat by
encouraging people to leave the land and to get involved in tourism?
These are difficult questions to answer and each tourist destination will have to come
up with its own answers.
When we talk about sustainable tourism development we also need to ask whether
there are limits of growth for tourism and where these limits are. Questions that
should be asked include:
What is the optimal/best level of tourism at any given site or destination?
Have we already exceeded the carrying capacity at certain sites and should tourism
activities be excluded from certain places?
Do we need much stricter rules and regulations for visiting sites?
Do we need to install reservation systems for our most treasured natural and cultural
sites? We use such systems for cinemas, theatres and sports events but not for visits
to beaches, mountain sites or many cultural attractions.
There are no easy answers to any of the above questions because they will depend
very much on the local situation and on how tourism is handled on the ground.
Policies set by governments set the guidelines for tourism development and how
tourism is managed at a destination will make the difference between success and
failure of a destination.
There is no doubt that if tourist destinations want to be sustainable, that is

successful in the long term, they will have to maintain or improved the
environment in which tourism takes place while at the same time taking the needs
of the local population into full consideration. Tourism that only benefits the
tourists is unsustainable.
ACTIVITY 4
Look at some of the above questions and discuss with your class mates
what some possible answers could be in the Hong Kong tourism context.
10
Protection of World Heritage

Following the end of the Second World War, there has been increasing international
concern that precious cultural and natural heritage sites around the world were
vulnerable to threats from wars, natural disasters, environmental catastrophes and
industrial development.
This worldwide awareness has led to the adoption of the famous Convention
Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage by the General
Conference of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) at its 17th session in Paris on 16 November 1972.
World Heritage refers to various kinds of heritage sites that have undergone
evaluation and have been approved by UNESCO to be inscribed in The World
Heritage List, according to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage ( for more information on World Heritage click into
http://whc.unesco.org/en/about/). Refer to http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/ for details
on the criteria for selection.
At present, World Heritage is classified into five categories: Cultural Heritage,

Natural Heritage, Mixed (Cultural and Natural) Heritage, Heritage of Cultural
Landscape and Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
See Appendix 1 for additional information on the protection and preservation of

cultural and natural heritage in China and Hong Kong.
11
Requirements for sustainable tourism
Because tourism is made up of so many different parts, it is vital that all participants
in tourism make great efforts to ensure that their activities are as sustainable as
possible. Let us look at some of these component parts.
Buildings
Buildings such as the Sydney Opera House (above) were not originally designed with
environmental best practices in mind and they therefore have to undergo some
changes before they can be fully sustainable. New developments such as new airports,
hotels or shopping centers can be designed to meet strict environmental guidelines
making them more sustainable.
Transport
Travellers an often select from a diverse range of modes of transport. Depending on
where they are traveling to they can walk, cycle, or use a car, coach, ship, train or
aircraft. The various forms of transport have different impacts on the environment.
Obviously walking and cycling have the least negative impacts on the environment
because no fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) are burned and hence no green house gas
emissions occur.
12
Hiking Tai Mo Shan is a sustainable activity provided that hikers stick to the
established paths and that these are well maintained
Small motorbikes are very popular modes of transport but they depend on petrol and
contribute to pollution
The next best form of transport is mass transport where the energy used is shared by
many other passengers.
13
The new Airbus A 380 in the picture above consumes less than 3 liters of fuel per
passenger per 100 km and only generates 75 g of Carbon Dioxide per passenger
kilometer. This compares to the European car industrys aim of 140 g of Carbon
Dioxide per km in 2009 (see http://www.enviro.aero/A380casestudy.aspx)
Sustainable natural destinations
Respect for wildlife in all its forms is required to make natural attractions sustainable.
In the past Australian salt water crocodiles were hunted to near extinction. Today
these animals are one of the major attractions in Kakadu National Park in the
Northern Territory.
14
We need to develop a greater respect for wild places even though they look like they
are of no immediate use to humans. The coastal rivers in the above images in the
Australian tropics meander through coastal mangroves. They provide spawning
grounds for many species of fish and protect the hinterland from disastrous floods.
15
We have choices: Rice production for human consumption (China) or golf course
development (Kenya) for the elite. Golf courses use lots of water and fertilizers to
keep them green. This can cause problems in areas where there is a water shortage.
Hong Kong is a highly developed city. Because of the constant need to accommodate
more and more people the apartment blocks of the city have grown taller and taller.
This is especially so in the new town of Tin Sui Wai. To compensate for the loss of
natural areas the government of the Hong Kong SAR has constructed some artificial
wetlands that are now incorporated into the International Wetland Park.
16
We have to learn to live in harmony with nature if we do not want to threaten the very
existence of humanity (Australian Museum, Sydney)
Towards sustainable tourism
The current model of mass tourism means that success is measured in increases in
tourist arrivals from one year to the next. If there is no, or only a small, growth in
visitor numbers the destination and its managers are seen as having failed in their duty.
We need to move away from such a thinking that is only focused on quantity to one
that is based on quality. Not how many visitors we attract but how they are treated,
what experiences they have at our destination will matter most. Of course how
positive their economic impact on the destination is also needs to be considered.
To maximize the positive benefits and to minimize the negative environmental

impacts we need to be aware of the consequences for a tourist destination when
additional people visit. More tourists generate more income and employment for
residents but more people also can put severe pressure on a destinations natural,
social and cultural resources.
Tourism development can have many impacts on the environment. As visitor numbers
rise there will be an increase in:
Demand for fresh, clean water
Demand for electricity
Creation of waste and sewage
Increase in vehicular traffic
Crowding
Land, sea and air pollution
All these aspects need to be evaluated and planned for before a destination can
become sustainable.
17
Crowding on the Nathan Road sidewalk creates an unpleasant experience for visitors
and local people.
Air pollution combined with cloudy skies can reduce the attractiveness of a tourist
destination. At times it is impossible to see the other side of our beautiful Victoria
Harbour. Air pollution can reduce the attractiveness of a tourist destination. Hong
Kong often uses images of its skyline but they never show the city when it is
blanketed with smog. This can lead to visitor dissatisfaction, especially if they are
18
keen photographers who want to take a photograph like the one above that they have
seen in brochures that advertise the city.
ACTIVITY 5
a. Establish where and how Hong Kong obtains its water for residents and
tourists.
b. Establish how and where Hong Kongs electricity is generated. What
fuels are used to generate electricity?
c. Find out where Hong Kong puts its solid waste?
d. If you get a chance to talk to tourists, ask them what they think of
environmental conditions in Hong Kong.
19
OBSTACLES TO CHANGE OR WHY IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE

SUSTAINABILITY
We now know that the more people visit a destination the greater the impacts will be.
So we need to ask ourselves what can be done to manage a tourist destination in a way
that it is sustainable and we need to discuss the obstacles that stop destinations from
becoming sustainable. There is also a need to establish guidelines for sustainable
tourism development that limit the damage we do to the environments.
Measures we not to investigate require that destination managers first get an

understanding of the limited capacity that all sites have to accommodate tourists. This
concept is usually referred to as the concept of carrying capacity.
The Concept of Carrying Capacity
Carrying capacity has been defined as The maximum number of people who can use
a site without an unacceptable alteration in the physical environment and without an
unacceptable decline in the quality of experiences gained by visitors. (Mathieson and
Wall 1982) and without an unacceptable adverse impact on the society, economy
and culture of the tourism area (Innskeep 1991). We have to be aware that this
concept is not always an exact science and that visitor number limits established
should only be used as guidelines. There are several types of carrying capacity.
Physical Carrying Capacity

When no more people can physically fit into a space its physical carrying capacity is
reached. Theatres, cinemas, or sports stadia are examples. To increase physical
capacity a new venue may be need to be built. You can also think about capacity on
an aircraft. If all seats are occupied the plane has reached its physical carrying
capacity.
20
In nature capacity can also be reached. The pyramid-shaped mountain towards the
left hand side of this picture is Mount Everest, at 8850 metres the highest point on
earth. During the peak climbing season many mountaineers try to reach the top.
Because there is only very little flat space on the summit, climbers have to wait
until those who are already standing on top of the world have moved down the
mountain before they themselves can set foot on the summit.
Long lines form as pilgrims line up to enter the building where the bedroom of the
Dalai Lama is located (Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet). Visitor numbers may need to be
limited to ensure that no damage is done. Controlling visitor numbers may also
include the introduction of a pr-booking system for visits.
Ecological Carrying Capacity

The ecological state of the site must be maintained, or where possible, enhanced. Sites
vary and detailed environmental assessment is needed to establish carrying capacities.
21
Carrying capacity can also be reached in nature. These Adelie penguins on a beach in
the Antarctic Peninsula are running out of nesting space. If more penguins arrive, they
may need to look for other nesting sites to raise their young.
Socio/Cultural Carrying Capacity

This refers to the acceptance of tourists by the local population. The level of
acceptance depends on previous experience and benefits that tourism brings. People
who benefit from tourism such as those who own shops that cater to tourists or those
who are employed in the industry tend to hold more favourable attitudes towards
tourism than those that are not involved with it at all. One way to minimize the
negative impacts that tourism may have is by educating visitors and tourists about
what they can expect of each other.
This souvenir seller in Ubud, Bali is trying to benefit from tourists and hence will
have a positive attitude towards them if they buy his products.
22
Psychological Carrying Capacity

Crowding is one of the problems that can be brought on by the presence of too many
tourists in a place. Some people and nationalities are more tolerant of crowds than
others. In Hong Kong people are so used to huge crowds of people that they dont
worry much if tourists add to the congestion. In other countries such as Australia that
have low population densities even the presence of a few additional people can be
perceived as intruding on the life-style of the locals.
How tolerant locals and tourists are of crowding will depend on the site. During the
annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament, spectators will tolerate crowded
conditions at Hong Kong Stadium because crowds are part of the party atmosphere.
When going for walks on the beach Western people tend to want to have their own
space and they do not appreciate if there are too many other people around.
The tranquility of a sunset walk along the 14 km long Mission Beach in tropical Far
North Queensland, Australia would be spoiled if there were too many other people
present.
The long beach at Surfers Paradise on Queenslands Gold Coast provides ample space
for visitors. Even during peak season this beach rarely gets crowded.
23
Socio-cultural impacts of tourism
Closely linked to some of the points raised above are the socio-cultural impacts that
can result from tourism. With this in mind the United Nations World Tourism
Organization has developed a Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. This code was
adopted at the WTO General Assembly in 1999. The code states:
Tourisms contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and

societies
Tourism as vehicle for individual and collective fulfilment
Tourism, a factor of sustainable development
Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and a contributor to its

enhancement
Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities
Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development
Right to tourism
Liberty of tourist movements
Rights of the workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry
Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for tourism
The impacts of tourism can be positive or negative. Lets explore.
Potentially positive impacts
New ideas from outsiders can revive local cultures and art
24
Art work produced by local artists on the Indonesian resort island of Bali is a good
example of how outsiders have created a new style of painting that is based on the
demand that is generated by tourists.
Break down of stereo-types. Most people have a certain stereo-typical image of other
peoples and cultures. By meeting foreign tourists face-to face such often wrong
stereo-types can be corrected.
Improved lifestyles from introduction of tourism related infrastructure (Sports facilities,

museums etc.)
The National Stadium (Birds nest) built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will
provide local people with an excellent sporting venue for many years to come.
Civic pride is enhanced because outsiders value the place. Often local people do not
appreciate the true value and attractiveness of what they have in their local community
but once tourists arrive who tell locals how wonderful their place is, residents often
start to develop a greater appreciation of their own environment.
25
Tourism provides incentives to preserve heritage such as traditional dances in Bali.

Such dances were once considered old-fashioned but because of demands from
tourists they are rejuvenated and are now taught to young people in schools.
As we can see from the above, visits by outsiders (called tourists) and their
activities at a location can have both positive and negative impacts. How well the
interaction between the two groups of people is managed will determine how
accepted tourism is by the local population.
Potentially negative impacts
Overcrowding of sites used by local people
Distortion of local customs by adapting them to tourist consumption
Effects on local language English words replace local ones
Demonstration effect-perception that all tourists as wealthy which can lead to envy of
tourists material goods. If tourists carry items such as cameras or an I-Pod many
locals may also desire these. If they cant afford to buy the item they may resort to theft
or robbery to obtain it from the tourists who are perceived as rich.
Loss of traditional industries replacement of agriculture with tourism. There is a

danger that agricultural land is converted to tourism use and that farmers leave the
land to get involved in the tourism industry at the expense of producing food for
consumption by local people and tourists. This may lead to food shortages and/or the
need to import food at higher prices.
26
Rise in social problems induced by outsiders and increases in crime and

prostitution
It is not always the locals that are the victims of tourism. This vendor in Lhasa
in Tibet is reaching inside the tour bus to sell her souvenirs. Such approaches are
not welcomed by tourists.
Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island on a week-day (above) and on a week-end (below).
On week-ends tourists are competing with locals for space while they are going about
their daily business such as grocery shopping or going to the post office.
27
ACTIVITY 6
Make a list of all the positive and negative impacts you think that tourism has
in the part of Hong Kong where you live. Compare these lists with those
created by your class mates.
28
Sex and Tourism

One of the often mentioned negative impacts of tourism is the perceived increase
in prostitution at some tourist sites. It must, however, be remembered that sex and
tourism covers a wide spectrum ranging from romance to commercial exploitation
of women and children. The book Sex and Tourism: Journeys of Romance, Love
and Lust by Thomas Bauer and Bob McKercher (The Haworth Hospitality Press,
New York, 2003) covers the topic well.
The authors argue that there is a spectrum that ranges from the positive/mutually
beneficial encounters such as people on honeymoon or young people participating
in a singles only cruise on one end to commercial sex tours, trafficking of women
and children for prostitution and child sex tourism at the other, darker end of the
spectrum. It is important to note that there is a big difference between
sextourism which implies a commercial transaction and sex and tourism
which can take many forms.
While sexuality is a perfectly normal human activity that goes on at home and
away from home (as tourists), it is the commercial side of sex that tends to be
highlighted and that is often shown in a negative light.. The images are of mostly
young and female prostitutes from poor regions entertaining older and rich
foreigners at destinations such as Bangkok or Pattaya.
In some countries (for example Holland and Germany) prostitution the provision
of sexual services in exchange for rewards (usually cash) is a legal activity. It is
conducted as a business and sex workers are subject to taxation and regular health
checks. In other jurisdictions prostitution is illegal but it still goes on but
underground.
The message is clear: sexual activities between consenting adults who agree to
participate out of their own free will whether paid for or not have been going
on since time immemorial and such activities should not be condemned solely on
moral grounds. When it comes to the exploitation of children for sexual purposes
29
the message is equally clear: it is totally unacceptable and such acts must be
prevented at all costs and offenders must be prosecuted.
Sometimes massage places offer more services than customers might expect.
ACTIVITY 7
Start a discussion with other members of your class on the pros and cons
of legalizing prostitution.
30
Globalization and its effects on tourism development
Globalization is essentially a process by which an ever tightening network of ties

that cut across national political boundaries connects communities in a single,
interdependent whole, a shrinking world where local differences are steadily eroded
and subsumed within a massive global social order (Mowforth and Mundt 1998:12).
It is facilitated by the rapid movement of people, information , money and ideas
around the globe.
How is globalization felt in the tourism context? We can think of several ways which
include the following:
Commodification and trivialization of local cultures everything takes on a practical

and commercial (for money) aspect
Money is king!
Americanization through McDonalds , KFC and Starbucks
McDonalds fast food outlets can now even be found on islands in the South
Pacific such as in Fiji.
31
Homogenization all cities of the world look the same. Experiencing the diversity of
building styles, dishes and cultures was once a main reason to visit cities. Today as
one travels around the world one finds that many airports, hotels and cities are more or
less the same this takes the fun out of traveling.
Welcome to New York, London or Paris? No, welcome to Beijing.
Free flow of money around the world where it can earn the highest rate of return on
investment
The location of manufacturing shifts to where wages are the lowest at the expense of
local people. Souvenir production is an example whereby Australian koala toys are
manufactured in China or where coconut souvenirs sold in the Maldives are made in
Bali.
Small scale operations such as Peregrine Adventures, a Melbourne based tour

company, are bought out by bigger companies (First Choice in the UK) who in turn are
purchased by even larger companies (TUI of Germany).
Most of the economic restructuring (change in ownership) is in the interest of big

business not in the interest of the public and of the local people.
The Hilton Hotel Corporation was recently sold to an investment fund that is primarily
interested in a high rate of return on its investment for its shareholders and not in the
wellbeing of guests, local people, and employees or in corporate social responsibility.
Multinational companies such as CNN present consumers with their idea of the truth
behind the news. They tell us what is important and what is not. They show us places
we should want to travel to
32
National Geographic brings the worlds most exotic travel experiences to our living
room and we become armchair travellers. This raises the question whether we still
have to travel to places when we have already experienced them on our flat screen
TVs.
Globalization is felt particularly in less developed countries, many of which see

tourism as an important development option. Unfortunately developing tourism can
require that poor countries have to take out billion dollar loans to build the necessary
infrastructure for tourism development and this can be a problem because they may
not be able to pay back their debts. Airports, roads, hotels, restaurants and theme
parks may be built but they are of little use to locals who cant afford to fly or stay in
those hotels.
Tax concessions (tax holidays) are often provided to outside developers to provide
them with incentives to develop tourism infrastructure such as hotels in developing
countries. By allowing developers not to pay local taxes for the first 5 or more years
they are depriving the local government and hence the citizens of revenue but often no
infrastructure would be build if such concessions are not offered.
International tourists demand international style hotels, food and drinks and hence
developing countries have to import up-market building materials such as marble
from Italy, food (oysters from Australia) and drinks (Scotch whiskey) from abroad
which means that much of the tourism earnings flows abroad. This is called leakage
because the money leaks out of the local economy and it cant be used to benefit local
people.
Leakage in the Maldives
The Republic of the Maldives is a low lying island nation in the Indian Ocean. The
main source of income is tourism.
Resorts are mainly funded by European tour operators and most of the profits flow
back to Europe to pay for construction and maintenance
33
More than 50 % of all labour is imported and remittances flow out of the Maldives
economy back to the home countries of the workers (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and
Pakistan).
What is a net loss for Maldives is a net gain for those countries where the remittances
of those workers make an important contribution to their families survival and hence
also to the economy
Above water bungalows provide exclusive accommodation in the Maldives

Poverty alleviation through tourism
Poverty is still a very serious problem in many parts of the world. One of the United
Nations Millennium Goals is to substantially reduce the number of people who live in
poverty and tourism has been called upon to play its part in this effort.
There are different levels of poverty ranging from extreme to moderate. Extreme
poverty is often defined as applying to people who live on less than 1 US$ per day.
One thing is clear: There is nothing romantic about being poor as is sometimes
shown in destination photographs of some African countries.
Often it is assumed that people in rural areas are the poorest but this may not
necessarily be the case because as long as people have access to land they can sustain
their lives by growing their own food or by raising animals. People who live in urban
slums are the poorest of the poor because they have no access to land to sustain their
lives. All they can sell to make money is their labour. Because they are mostly
unskilled they have a hard time in getting jobs because they have to compete against
often much higher skilled city residents.
34
Creating employment or self-employment opportunities for poor and unskilled

peoples is one of the fastest ways that tourism can assist in reducing poverty. Here are
a few examples:
Gardening and luggage handling (Nepal)
Self employment business opportunities (Nepal)
Making carpets that tourists buy as souvenirs (Nepal)
35
Silk production in Assam, India is another form of employment and revenue

generation for local people
Development of tourism products to assist in poverty alleviation
The tourism product is made up of many components including transport,

accommodation, activities, amenities, food and services. The challenge is to develop
products that meet the needs of the tourists while at the same time assisting in poverty
alleviation. A range of products can conceivably be developed including attractions,
tours, packages, guiding services, shopping, entertainment and information provision.
Products can be developed from two perspectives:
1. By involving the poor in the development and management of the product and
2. By developing products based on the assets of the poor (culture, natural features,
way of life)
The first question that needs to be asked, however, is whether local people genuinely
want tourists to visit and if so at what intensity? Sometimes people may appear poor
to outsiders but they may be content with their lives because they live in strong
communities where they enjoy full family and social support and hence they may not
need additional income from an activity that involves outsiders. If they do want
tourism we have to ask what he poor need to know to enable them to participate in
tourism. What assistance do they need so that they can benefit from tourism and how
can provide this assistance? There are some potential difficulties and barriers:
36
Potential Difficulties
Unequal distribution of benefits from tourism. Not everyone in a community will benefit
equally when tourism is started.
Unequal distribution of problems created by tourism. Sometimes the women in a

community are required to do most of the tourism related work such as cooking and
dancing for tourists while the men benefit without contributing much. This can lead to
dissatisfaction among the women and to conflict between the sexes.
Potential Barriers
Time constraint of tourists. Visitors invest time and money into their holidays and they
only want to visit places that they think can fully satisfy their needs.
Tour operators control many products unless a new tourism itinerary or product can
pay money (commission) to the wholesalers they will not include it into their brochures
and hence the product will not get exposure and therefore no customers.
Distance of a new tourism product from existing main tourist areas can be a problem.
Lack of transport infrastructure.
Lack of tourism and hospitality related skills of the local population.
Lack of understanding of the expectations of tourists.
Lack of attractiveness of the local area.
Competition from other areas that may offer similar products.
Lack of environmental hygiene.
Distance from major tourist source markets.
Children working in tourism

Employing children, in particular young children in the various sectors of the tourism
industry is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it is very common for restaurants
or small, family owned guest-houses or hotels to require children to contribute to the
economic well-being of the family by performing some tasks in the business. This is
not necessarily a bad thing since children who grow up in the familys hospitality
business will have a very good understanding of the operation of such a business and
37
this may well lead them to become successful restaurant or hotel owners when they
grow up.
There are many examples where children who have worked in the family business
from an early age have later taken over the running of the business when their parents
are ready to retire. Such practices are not restricted to the hotel and tourism industry
but can be found on most farms in the world and in small shops, in particular in
Chinese shops.
At the same time the opportunity exist for young people who do not have family
connections to a tourism or hotel business to be given the opportunity at a relatively
early age to perform certain small task such as maybe cleaning the beach or assisting
with other cleaning duties or as messengers in a hotel. Such employment opportunities
can be particularly important when they are provided in some of the least developed
countries where employment for the young and poor is often difficult to obtain. By
earning some money they can help their families to survive.
The children in the above photo have never been to school but are already showing
the spirit of enterprise by hiring out mats so that tourists can slide down the sand
dunes of Mui Ne in southern Vietnam. These children would greatly benefit if they
could be given small paid jobs in the emerging local hospitality industry.
38
While the above noted scenarios are positive, there is also a darker and more
exploitative side to childrens employment in tourism. Often children are made to
work in the hospitality industry without appropriate care, wages, working hours and
work conditions. They may even be forced to work in this industry against their own
free will and at the expense of their schooling and health. Such practices need to be
prevented wherever possible but unfortunately they are often tolerated in countries
where poverty levels are still very high.
ACTIVITY 8
a. Discuss the concept of poverty, its causes and consequences with your
class mates.
b. Think about the issue of poverty in the Hong Kong context and consider
what role tourism can play to assist poor people to improve their lives.
39
Trends and issues in Hospitality
Hospitality can be defined as the reception and entertainment of guests or strangers

with empathy, kindness, and an overall concern for their well-being. It is at the heart
of all tourism and without providing a friendly and welcoming environment for
visitors, tourism cannot develop successfully.
Trends in the accommodation sector
One of the most basic requirements for tourists is the need for clean and secure
accommodation. This can range from luxury hotels with full services to motels, guest
houses, backpacker lodges, youth hostels and camping facilities. Because people are
different and have different reasons for travel they also have different accommodation
requirements. The accommodation of business travelers is usually paid for by their
employer and hence they are more inclined to stay in up-market, more luxurious
hotels whereas the more prices sensitive leisure travelers who pay for their trip
themselves may prefer more affordable and therefore also less luxurious places to stay.
In particular young people who travel around the world as backpackers for long
periods of time, sometimes years, do not want to spend a lot on accommodation. They
prefer to spend their money on activities and experiences instead of on sleeping.
Greening of accommodation
Inline with the previously discussed trend towards a more sustainable tourism industry,
accommodation places are also increasingly trying to be more environmentally
friendly in their designs and practices. In many hotels around the world the guest now
finds notices in the bathroom that encourage them to indicate if they do not want their
towels and sheets changed daily. This is a measure that helps save water and reduces
the pollution caused by the discharge of detergents into the sewage system.
Guests are also encouraged to turn off lights and air conditioning if they are not
needed and in many hotel rooms electrical appliances and lighting can only be used
after a key card is inserted into a slot that is located near the entrance to the room.
40
Once the card, which also opens the room door, is removed, the electricity to the room
is cut off thus avoiding any unnecessary energy consumption.
More personal boutique styles of accommodation

Commercial accommodation places tend to be large with many rooms and facilities
but a recent trend is that experienced travelers are seeking smaller, more personal
accommodation facilities such as boutique hotels, small guest houses, home-stays or
eco-lodges. Such facilities usually have more limited facilities but they provide guests
with the opportunity to be in close contact with local people who own or operate such
facilities.
Many travelers now prefer to stay in smaller, locally owned and operated
accommodation places like the Udayana Lodge in Bali, Indonesia. Such places offer
comfortable accommodation in a relaxed atmosphere.
41
Home-stays in Vietnam (above) and tented accommodation near the Undura lava
tubes in Far North Queensland, Australia (below) provide interesting and affordable
places to stay. Home stays also help in an effort to improve the economic situation of
poor people in remote areas.
42
Hotel Branding
There are many different hotel brands in the world. A brand is essentially the name of
a product, in this case hotels, that is recognized, trusted and valued by the consumer to
deliver the services required in the expected fashion. The table below shows the top
20 hotel brands, the number of hotels they operate and the number of rooms they
control. As the industry is expanding these numbers are constantly changing.
Hilton is one of the most recognized hotel brands in the world.
Top 10 Hotel Brands in the World as of January 1, 2008
Rank Hotel Chain
Number of hotels
Number of Rooms
Best Western
4 035
308 636
Holiday Inn
1 382
256 775
Comfort Inns & Suites
2 467
188 596
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
520
188 544
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
511
176 523
Express Holidays Inn
1 808
156 531
Days Inn of America
1 883
153 333
Hampton Inn
1 490
147 326
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
399
138 878
10
Super 8 Motels
2 081
128 587
43
More than just sleeping and eating

Integrating accommodation, dining, entertainment casino gaming and shopping is a
new trend that recognizes that people who stay at a hotel or resort want to be able to
participate in a diversity of activities during their stay. Gone are the days when a hotel
was only a place to sleep.
The Grand Canal at the Venetian Resort in Macau provides guests with an indoor
boating experience that simulates a real canal ride in Venice, Italy.
ACTIVITY 9
Check the website of the Hong Kong Hotels Association (HKHA)
http://www.hkha.com.hk/main.asp?sec=3 to get familiar with the great
diversity of up- market hotels available to guests in Hong Kong
44
Trends and issues in the restaurant and food services sector

Food
Food is a necessary and often enjoyable component of the tourism experience and the
challenge for the hospitality industry is to provide good quality and healthy meals in a
pleasant setting.
Quality and healthy meals
All restaurants should aim to be good restaurants
Healthy, home cooked food in Vietnam provides visitors with a genuine food
experience.
45
Al fresco or outdoor dining is very popular, particularly in tropical locations such as

Bali. Tourists also enjoy being offered a variety of dishes to select from and Fusion
restaurants that provide a blend of cuisines from a variety of regions (East and West
for example) are gaining in popularity.
As the above sign shows, getting permission to set up outdoor food and beverage
facilities can be a difficult undertaking.
46
Freshness of food served

Many diners are now said to be more health conscious and they are interested in meals
that are made from fresh ingredients and that are prepared under hygienic conditions.
Freshly caught fish displayed in a local market in the Maldives provide an excellent
ingredient for a nice and healthy meal.
This Korean meal consists entirely of fresh and mostly uncooked ingredients that are
said to be very good for your health
47
Hygiene in food storage and preparation is very important. Most tourists would be
reluctant to order a meat dish in a restaurant after seeing meat stored on an open cart
as in the above picture on the left taken in Tibet. How food is displayed will also
impact on the enjoyment diners get out of food consumption. Chinese diners may find
the presentation of the chicken served in a Hong Kong restaurant acceptable but for
most western travelers it is not ok.
Experiencing the local food at tourist destinations can be a very interesting and often
enjoyable experience. The picture on the left advertises a traditional Vietnamese
noodle soup while an Australian breakfast is advertised in the picture on the right.
48
New entertainment districts such as China town in Singapore or Lang Kwai Fong
in Hong Kong provide visitors with after dark dining, entertainment and shopping
attractions. Such places have become very popular tourist spots in many cities
across Asia
Conclusion
Trends and issues in tourism and hospitality are constantly subject to change. As
societies change so will trends in the tourism and hospitality industry. Many
trends are subject to what is fashionable at the moment while other trends and
issues emerge from wider issues in society souch as a greater awareness of
environmental protection or the increased concern about health.
Companies that operate in the tourism and hospitality industry are required to
keep their eyes and ears open and to constantly scan their environment for
emerging trends so that they can meet the requirements of their customers. This is
an ongoing process that never ends. As students of these fields we need to do the
same so that we keep up-to-date with developments that impact on our industry..
49
All photographs by Thomas Bauer
50
51
PART ONE
Protection of World
Heritage
Newspaper clipping series
52
Newspaper Clipping One

Six World Heritage Sites including Forbidden City given
Yellow Cards
Excerpt from: Six World Heritage Sites including Forbidden City given
Yellow Cards, Metro, 29th June, 2007
In spite of being approved to be inscribed on the World Heritage
List, many heritage sites in different parts of China still lack
protection. Mr. Tong Ming-kang, Deputy Director-General of the
State Administration of Cultural Heritage, was quoted saying that,
due to construction of a huge dam and hydro-electric power
facilities, etc. in the vicinity of Nu Jiang ( ), destructive
effects had been generated upon the lives of the species and the
original ecosystem of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan, the
Natural Heritage of China.
The World Heritage Committee had thus requested the Chinese
authority rehabilitate the heritage site before evaluation in next
years annual meeting. If there was no significant improvement,
the site might fall into the List of World Heritage in Danger and
risk being removed from the World Heritage List.
Apart from the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas,
six World Heritage sites in China have already been given
yellow cards, where the three major issues of concern are:
firstly, the provincial authorities show a lack of experience in the
protection of heritage, they need to catch up with international
standards. For instance, in the Old Town of Lijiang, owing to
ignorance, the native Nakhi ethnic minorities were moved away
from their domicile, distorting the genuineness at the heritage
site.
The second problem was the excessive pursuit of commercial
interest. Thirdly, some principles of protection and renovation
must match international standards. For example, the restoration
projects of the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Temple of
Heaven had triggered fierce public criticism. The requirements of
rehabilitation of the yellow cards are as follows:
53
Yellow Card
Yunnan Three
Parallel Rivers of
Yunnan Protected
Areas
Mining activities in the vicinity of

the heritage site should be
terminated. A comprehensive
evaluation on the possible
damage brought about by dams
and power stations is to be
conducted.
Beijing the
Forbidden City,
T e mp l e o f H e a v e n
and Summer Palace
The restoration project should not

alter the primitive style of the
heritage site. Raw materials
should be used with the original
architectural structure maintained
where possible in the restoration.
Comprehensive planning of risk
management and tourism
management should also be
incorporated.
Yunti the Old City

of Lijiang
Development, tourism and

protection of the heritage site
should be phased strategically in
order to maintain the integrity of
the heritage site and its
surrounding environment. Local
residence should be preserved
with traditional architectural
techniques.
T i b e t t h e P o t a l a
Palace
The buffer zone areas should be

extended, including those of the
Potala Palace, Norbulingka and
Jokhang. A new amendment
proposal which is more scientific
in nature shall be formulated, and
the ancient citys original
landscape shall be preserved as
much as possible.
54
Indicate the category for which the following World

Heritage Sites belong to with a
Categories of World Heritage

Category
Cultural
Heritage
Natural
Heritage
Yunnan
The Three
Parallel
Rivers of
Yunnan
Protected
Areas
Beijing
Forbidden
City, the
Temple of
Heaven
and the
Summer
Palace
Yunti the
Old Town
of Lijiang
Tibet the
Potala
Palace
55
Mixed
(Cultural
and
Natural)
Heritage
Cultural
Landscape
Heritage
Oral and
Intangible
Cultural
Heritage
Questions for Discussion

1.
Discuss the positive impacts on the local economy that results from the
conservation of local heritage sites.
2.
What circumstances would lead the World Heritage sites of a country to

make it to the List of World Heritage in Danger?
56
Newspaper Clipping Two

The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
Excerpt from: Huge River turned into reservoir at the Three Parallel Rivers,
Ming Pao, 13th September, 2007
Yunnan the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas was granted
approval for being listed as a World Natural Heritage in 2003. It is a rare
mountain landform and one of the areas with the richest bio-diversity in the world,
including 17 fauna species and 34 flora species under state protection. Following
its successful enrolment in the World Heritage List, the number of tourists has
been on the rise over the years, leading to damaging effects on ethnic minority
culture and potential threats brought by construction of facilities.
y Damaging effects on ethnic minority culture
Despite its remote location, experts of the World Heritage Committee think that
the Three Parallel Rivers area is attracting more and more tourists on account of
its precious natural and cultural resources. At the same time, the authority fails to
cope with the pressure produced by the rapid increase in the number of tourists.
An example would be the authoritys incapability to construct large scale tourism
infrastructure, etc.
y Potential threats brought by construction of facilities
Long before the application was inscribed as a World Heritage site, development
of large scale tourism facilities to cater to the demands of tourists had already
been launched, such as the timber bedding and fences constructed at White
Water Terrace, though the effectiveness of this protection was very limited. A
snow mountain tour base and interchange have been established there, leading
to an increase in pedestrian and traffic flow. As a result, a heat island was
formed in this originally low temperature zone and thus gave rise to potential
threats and damaged local tourism resources.
57
Before becoming a World Heritage, the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous prefecture

had commenced constructing a highway crossing the Tiger Leaping Gorge,
which prompted fierce opposition from experts and local and overseas tourists.
However, the decision was greeted with applause from villagers residing along
the highway. Since 1997, vehicles were permitted to run along Tiger Leaping
Gorge and it was a decision openly welcomed by the villagers. This is the year
when they watched TV for the first time.
Questions for discussion

1.
Why do the responses of local Yunnan residents and tourists towards the
construction of highway differ so greatly?
2.
Based on the article above, indicate the negative effects brought about by
tourism development on Yunnans natural environment.
58
Newspaper Clipping Three

Beijing the Forbidden City
Excerpt from: Forbidden City crumbles under hordes of tourists, Ming Pao,
4th September, 2007
From 1406 to 1420, artisans of the Ming Dynasty took 14 years to establish the
majestic and spectacular Forbidden City. 24 emperors lived and ruled the Empire
here since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was inscribed in the World Heritage List
in 1987 which brought along large amount of tourists every year.
During the Labour Day Golden Week this year, the Forbidden City set a record of
receiving nearly 120,000 tourists within a single day, exceeding 2.3 times its
highest capacity. In fact, in order to protect the historical and cultural relics, the
authority has already implemented measures like installing railings and other
facilities at the site. However, inconsiderate behaviour by tourists still persists.
For example, apart from the natural weathering, the damage shown on the white
marble balustrade and the stone carving groups was largely the result of touching
from tourists as they walk past. There were even visitors who completely ignored
the regulations, crossing over the railing and stepping on the stone carvings when
taking photos. As a result, the beautiful cloud and dragon decorations have worn
considerably. It was also stated in the Palaces regulations that tourists were
required to wear shoes for protecting cultural relics, but many difficulties were
encountered in its implementation.
In addition, insolent behaviour like sitting, leaning and even lying wherever one
pleases were very common among tourists. Some of them even sit on the
threshold while eating, leaving food packages and garbage everywhere. Mr. Zhang
Xinmiao, Director of the Palace Museum, admitted that the protection of cultural
relics of the Palace could not rely solely on the authoritys management, but also
on visitor co-operation.
59
Questions for Discussion

1.
Discuss with students if they have behaved as mentioned above or if they

have observed similar behaviour during their travels.
2.
Discuss the appropriate code of conduct for tourists while visiting these
World Heritage sites.
3.
Apart from installing railings and requiring shoes for protecting cultural
relics, what other measures could be taken by the authority to effectively
conserve the relics at the Palace?
60
Newspaper Clipping Four

Yunnan the Old Town of Lijiang
Excerpt from: Nakhi culture of Lijiang fades away, Ming Pao, 12th
September, 2007.
The Old Town of Lijiang was built at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty
with more than 800 years of history. It was listed in the World Heritage List in
December 1997. The ancient city of Nakhi has retained its historical
appearance since the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Due to the overdevelopment of tourism, the Nahki culture is now facing a dilemma between
succession and assimilation.
Since the booming of tourism, over 70% of shops and traditional inns
established by more than 1,600 Nahki native families have now come under
the operation of outsiders. The number of natives has dropped from over
30,000 to 25,000 now. Mr. Yang Fu Quan, Director of Yunnan Academy of
Social Sciences, pointed out, The unique city identity and local
characteristics are the fusion of Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist and local culture
through historical progression.
However, when people, who are the principle component of that culture,
start to move away from the town in large numbers, transformation, decay
and the fall of ethnic culture would start to take place.
With the migration of native residents, Yunnan culture such as the Nahki
language, costumes, traditional festivals and customs is rapidly being
assimilated and overwhelmed by modern alien culture. Scholars of Nakhi
culture stated that, The most precious value of the Old Town of Lijiang lies
in its being a living ancient city. Sadly, it is now becoming a destination
catering to the demands of tourists.
The historical Ma bang (carriages of horses carrying goods), is replaced by
modern automobiles, tourists take the place of merchants, and traditional
handicrafts and food, which are slipshod or stereotypical sides of Nahki
culture, are now being substituted for tea, butter tea and bronze wares.
Inside the old town, a deep alley constructed by the riverside has turned into
61
a bar street in recent years. When night falls, it is immersed in all kinds of
pop music. Alien culture like this is completely out of harmony with the
traditional style and cultural landscape of the old town, and its unique
cultural characteristics have started to wane.
The good news is that the authority has already launched a series of policies
to protect the culture of the old city, such as the prohibition of selling housing
in the Old Town to outsiders, providing subsidies for the maintenance of
ancient architecture to owners of private residences by the government,
offering benefits for the basic needs of living, conserving traditional local
ethnical features, shops and former residences of celebrities, organizing,
protecting and conserving the unique Dongba cultures such as music,
Dongba script, dance, religion and worshipping; protecting traditional
lifestyles, costumes and food etc.
62

1.
According to the newspaper clipping, describe the negative impacts on local

Lijiang culture brought on by tourism.
2.
In view of the over-development of tourism, how can the government strike a

balance between succession and assimilation of the Nahki culture in order to
achieve sustainable tourism development?
63
Newspaper Clipping Five

The Potala Palace
Excerpt from: Calcium supplements for Potala Palace to prevent
osteoporosis, Ming Pao, 14th September, 2007
Situated in Tibet, the Potala Palace was built by the thirty-third emperor of the
Tibet kingdom Songtsen for greeting his bride Princess Wencheng in 700 BC.
After the 17th century, the fifth Dalai Lama began rebuilding the Palace, and it
took years until 1935 before the present scale of architecture was
accomplished.
The Palace preserves abundant unique Tibetan artifact, enamelwork
Thangka Paitings (Buddhist scroll-painting), stupatomb halls of the
successive Dalai Lamas, golden diplomas and jade seals of Chinese Kings of
the Ming and Qing dynasties, and gifts and scriptures offered by different
parties.
The Potala Palace was listed on the World Heritage List in 1994 and it has
always been a popular tourist attraction. The number of overseas and local
tourists received in Tibet even exceeded 250 million after the inauguration of
the Qingzang Railway last year.
In order to alleviate the pressure of tourist flow, the authority implemented a
policy aimed at restricting the number of visitors, releasing visitors to enter the
Palace in batches and limiting the duration of visits. Starting from last year,
the number of visitors entering the Palace each day was limited to around
2,300. Visitors at the entrance of the Potala Palace were released to enter in
stages while the duration of visit is limited to 1 hour.
The Director of the Tibet Tourism Bureau stated that the local authority would
implement three measures for alleviating excess demand in peak seasons:
64
1. enhance promotion to attract tourists visiting Lhasa after October;

2. accelerate the construction of Xue Cheng (City of Snow), especially the
Zhen Bao Guan (Treasure Museum) at the foot of the Palace for
attracting and directing visitor flow;
3. release the Potala Palace documentary to satisfy the demand to learn
about the history and culture of Tibet.

1.
What other measures for controlling the amount of tourists could be

implemented by the Potala Palace apart from those mentioned in the article?
2.
List other factors affecting visitor flow apart from the weather and seasonal
reasons mentioned in the above article.
65
Newspaper Clipping Five: The Potala Palace
3.
As the number of local and overseas tourists received by the Potala Palace
in Tibet keeps rising, what are three problems that could result in
overcapacity? With reference to the following article, quote one example of
each problem.
66
PART TWO
Traditional Culture
Development and
Succession
Newspaper clipping series
67
The Home Affairs Bureau will establish a specialist panel next month to
monitor the implementation of a survey, which will last for two years, to
formulate Hong Kongs first Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
According to the definitions set out by the United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Intangible Cultural
Heritage refers to a special trait that carries with it a strong and deep
connection with the history of the community and identification with the
community. On a societal level, Hong Kong as a community is constantly
striving for world records, but what do we know about our Intangible
Cultural Heritage?
68
Newspaper Clipping One

Succession of Intangible Cultural Heritage relies on the
community
Excerpt from: Succession of intangible cultural heritage relies on
community, Ming Pao, 9th May, 2008. published in
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080626/gow4.htm
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

(the Convention) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) has been in effect since 20th April 2006 and is
applicable in Hong Kong. Article 2 of the 2003 Convention defines
Intangible Cultural Heritage as the practices, representations, expressions,
as well as the knowledge and skills that communities, groups and in some
cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.
It also requires local governments to conduct surveys, set out categories
and criteria for the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The Home Affairs
Bureau hopes that the survey could incorporate opinions of experts and the
community and ensure citizens participation. Thus, community is critical to
the life of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
It is responsible for, for instance, the intellectual property of these
resources, or improving or preserving their social economic status, in order
to ensure that their Intangible Cultural Heritage can live and be prevented
from being exploited etc.
The Convention states that the Intangible Cultural Heritage is manifested in
the five domains below: oral traditions and expressions (including language
as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage), performing arts, social
practices, rituals and festive events, knowledge and practices concerning
nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship.
69
Newspaper Clipping Two

Decision on Intangible Cultural Heritage List by
conducting survey - Worries about traditional culture
being turned into commodity
Retrieved from: Ming Pao, 9th May, 2008 from
Hong Kongs local Chinese herb tea and Cantonese opera became national
intangible cultural heritages as early as 2006. However, in these two years, herb
tea has turned into a commercialized beverage, with none of its traditional
healing and medicinal properties. The promotion of Cantonese opera does not
result in any obvious quality improvements either.
What is more, it appears that in the industry, there is a phenomenon of profiting
from the name of Intangible
Heritage, with traditional arts
being marketed through poor
commercial performances. Some
scholars are worried that after
entering the list, traditional cultures
commercialization would
accelerate, while the traditions and
characteristics of our local culture
would become more difficult to
preserve.
Dr. Liu Tik-sang, who is
responsible for the study of the
intangible cultural heritage list,
pointed out that creating the list
would unavoidably accelerate the
commercialization of folk traditions.
70
But the most worrying is th situation in which applicants would intentionally

distort traditions in order to fulfil relevant requirements. He believes that change
is normal, but if caused by an external force, such as the abandonment of
original characteristics to fulfil the qualifications of entering the list, it would turn
the whole idea upside down.
The Fire Dragon Dance in Tai Hang, embroidery and the Weitou dialect are all
precious cultural heritages of Hong Kong. However, choosing between which
items to protect would also result in controversy. Some intangible heritages
which are likely to disappear due to a lack of resources, for instance, the Weitou
dialect, Hakka dialect etc., should be given highest priority. Sometimes, we face
the dilemma of choosing between conservation and the temptation of economic
resources made possible by modernization and urbanization.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival is a good living example for this. Originally, Cheung
Chau Bun Festival was held at the beginning of each year, when people would
predict their fortunes, asking for personal safety before the god Pak Tai. It was
traditionally held on a day in the fourth month of the Chinese calendar. Now it
has been changed to Buddhas birthday every year. Obviously, the original
traditions have been altered to promote the economic development of the
island.
Question for Discussion

1. Apart from the above-mentioned items which have been listed in the
Intangible Cultural Heritage List, please suggest two other precious cultural
heritages of Hong Kong to add to the list and explain your reasons for adding
them.
71
Newspaper Clipping Three (a)

Traditional Festivals Imply Change of Cultural
Significance
Excerpt from: Apple Daily,9 May 2008
According to traditional rituals, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival is the annual
period of exorcism when all the residents and commercial tenants abstain from
eating meat. All restaurants on the island serve vegetarian dishes or sell
seasonal glutinous rice dumplings and Ping An buns at that time. This year,
even fast food chain stores on the island follow local custom and sell mushroom
burgers.
However, to the great regret of
some residents, this originally
traditional festival has changed,
becoming a tourist activity.
Yesterday, even before the festival
ended, some restaurants began
selling meat dishes. Some
customers were seen eating fried
clams with black beans sauce in
the seafood restaurant while some
eateries were selling fishball noodles. Even during the festival, these restaurants
were still crowded with customers.
Apart from the Bun Scrambling Competition, the colourful street procession is
another important part of the festivities, with children dressed up as different
historical icons or celebrities. In fact, this originated from the ban on Cantonese
opera by the government of the Qing Dynasty. Although Cantonese opera is not
suppressed today, the traditional art is gradually declining due to the popularity
of other new forms of entertainment. What could we do to promote its
development to preserve the succession of this Chinese traditional culture for
the coming generations?
72
Newspaper Clipping Three (b)

Traditional Festivals Imply Change of Cultural
Significance
Excerpt from: Ming Pao, 8 May 2008
The bun scrambling competition was banned in 1978 by the government and
was resumed as a type of sports event in 2005. Plastic buns were used for
competitions starting from 2007. In fact, cultural traditions unquestionably
change continuously to match the definitions and scope of life within the
community. The Hong Kong government now treats bun scrambling as a
kind of performance aimed at promoting Hong Kong as a tourist attraction,
but not serving the community. As a result, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival
has become a festival of Hong Kong rather than Cheung Chau.
One of the standard requirements of Intangible Cultural Heritage, according
to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), is that while facing the risk of losing these cultures, we should
allow more space to accommodate voices of the minorities in order to
embody the diversity of cultures.

1.
The date of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival has been moved to the Buddhas
birthday, which has now also become a public holiday. What advantages will
this bring to the promotion of economic development for the island? And
what negative effects will this bring to the local residents and their society?
73
Newspaper Clipping Four

Herb Tea Becomes Commercialized Brand Name Beverage
Packaging Outweighs Medicinal Effects
Retrieved from: Herb Tea becomes brand name beverage; Packaging
outweighs medicinal effects , Ming Pao, 9 May 2008 at
Chinese herb tea has become a National Intangible Cultural Heritage since
2006. The 54 formulas from 16 herb tea brands, e.g. Wanglaoji, Jian Sheng
Tang (), Wang Zhen Long () were acknowledged by the
Ministry of Culture of China for their contributions to Chinese herb tea culture.
However, rather than being served in porcelain bowls, as in the old days, these
old brand name herb teas are now bottled, packed in cartons or even produced
as extract powder. Some companies even use Intangible Cultural Heritage as
the selling point for their products.
Professor Liang Song-ming from the School of Chinese Medicine, the Chinese
University of Hong Kong, indicated that Hong Kong people treated herb tea as
an effective remedy for clearing away excessive body heat caused by the
summer weather, expelling dampness etc. in the past. However, with the
commercialization of herb tea, corporations treat herb tea as a business tool.
Especially after herb tea became an intangible cultural heritage, they just want
to boost their sales but ignore the medicinal effects. Herb teas of many brand
names in the list have become sugar water and the medicinal effects are in
doubt.
Guangdongs famous herb tea brands, which have been selected for the
Intangible Cultural Heritage List, are developing in the direction of
commercialization. In the corporate website of herb tea products, we can not
only find presentations of the corporate image and its latest movement, but
also commercial jingles as background music. The traditions of porcelain bowls
and medicinal herbs are all replaced by the packaging techniques of modern
marketing.
74
The founder of Leung Chun-leung herb tea, which has operated for more than
40 years, has expressed his regret for the fact that customers only treat herb
tea as a thirstquenching beverage
and do not care
about its medical
effectiveness
anymore.

1.
Based on the article, please point out the negative cultural influence that
being listed as an intangible cultural heritage has brought to herb tea.
Chun-leung herb tea which

has operated for more than
40 years.
75
Newspaper Clipping Five

Apply for Subsidies in the Name of Promoting Cantonese
Quality of Performances Neglected
Retrieved from: Apply for subsidies in the name of promoting Cantonese;

Quality of performances neglected, Ming Pao, 9 May 2008 at
http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080626/gow4.htm.
Apart from herb tea, Cantonese opera is also listed as a National Intangible Cultural
Heritage. Ms. Au Man-fung, who is both a scriptwriter and the organizer of the
Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong, indicated that the government has
increased resources to promote the development of Cantonese opera since it made
the list.
Although most of the audience knew nothing about this, the number of audience
members has increased in the past two years. In the past, the attendance rate of
performance used to be only 50% to 60%, but, taking the recent show as an
example, 50% to 60% of tickets were sold out in one day.
Famous player Mr. Yuen Siu-fai pointed out that many performers have applied for
subsidies from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the government in the
name of promoting Cantonese opera. However, they were not serious about the
performance quality and just took the attitude that it was 'just for fun.
They ignored the traditional characteristics of Cantonese opera, destroying the
image of the industry and the art itself. There are too much people who fish in
troubled waters. If it is listed as a Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage in the
future without any government monitor on quality, the situation will get worse.
One of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage practitioners for Cantonese opera,
Ms. Chan Kin-sing indicated that, although the number of rehearsals is limited by the
76
subsidies granted, she did not

worry that the quality of
performance would be
influenced by its being listed as
an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Well-known opera singers:

Mr. Lung Kin-sang (Left) and Ms. Miu
Suet-see (Right) playing Princess
Chang Ping

1.
In order to ensure a more effective usage of the subsidies for the

development of Cantonese opera, what measures can the authority
implement?
77
78

Tourism and Hospitality Studies - Module V

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Tourism and Hospitality Studies - Module V

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Manual on Module V Trends

and Issues in the Tourism and

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Chief Curriculum Development Officer (PSHE)

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Current Issues in Tourism

Sustainable tourism development

Protection of World Heritage

Requirements for sustainable tourism

Obstacles to change or why it is so difficult to achieve sustainability

The concept of carrying capacity

Socio-cultural impacts of tourism

Sex and tourism

Globalization and its effects on tourism development

Leakage in the Maldives

Poverty alleviation through tourism

Development of tourism products to assist in poverty alleviation

Trends and Issues in Hospitality

Trends and Issues in the restaurant and food services sector

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Please enjoy learning about these topics.

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

CURRENT ISSUES IN TOURISM

Tourism has a connection to many other disciplines including politics, religion,

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Sustainable tourism development

A conceptual approach to sustainable tourism:

The Big Environmental Issues

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Sustainability and sustainable development

The opposite of sustainability is un-sustainability which involves activities that have a

Sustainable development is envisaged as leading to the management of all resources

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

The major issue for many destinations will no longer be to

Cohens (1973) drifters

Young (1973) "Tourism: Blessing or Blight"

Budowski 1976 'Tourism and Environmental Conservation: Conflict, Coexistence or

deKadt (1979) Tourism: Passport to Development?

Hector Ceballos Lascurain (1984) Ecotourism

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Definitions of sustainable tourism

Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to

In 2004 the World Tourism Organization added: Achieving sustainable tourism is a

Today a variety of sustainable tourism initiatives have emerged. These include:

Various environmental accreditation schemes that certify that companies are as

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assisted international tour

ISO 14001 which establishes Environmental Management Systems (EMS) for

When we discuss issues of sustainability and sustainable tourism some important

The culture and the life-style of local people?

The local natural environment?

The local economy including jobs?

What is the optimal/best level of tourism at any given site or destination?

Do we need much stricter rules and regulations for visiting sites?

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

There is no doubt that if tourist destinations want to be sustainable, that is

Trends and Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry