Paper Example on Tourism and Emerging Trends

Introduction

It is no doubt that the thought of travel and expedition is hard-wired within everyone's lifestyle. At the same time, tourism remains one of the key drivers of the global economy. Over the years, the need for discovery, exploration, and enrichment has grown within many cultures. The need to travel has made tourism one of the most coveted industries in the United States, European nations, Asia, and African countries. According to Boniface, Cooper & Cooper (2016), the tourism sector is one of the few sectors credited with offering an optimistic trade balance for major economies in the world. The Travel Industry Association approximates that the tourism sector accounts for over $900 billion for international and domestic tours (Wu, Zhu & Xu 2000). At the same time, the global landscape of tourism is gradually changing because of changes in economics, technologies, politics, and demographics. Boniface, Cooper & Cooper (2016) maintain that many countries depend on tourism as a source of income for their countries. At the same time, many people rely on tourism for job opportunities either directly or indirectly. It is no doubt that the identification of tourism trends is important for the future growth of related products and services. This report sets out to analyze two emergent tourism global trends in an organization operating within the international environment. The emerging trends will focus on strategic management within the tourism sector.

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Strategic Management

According to Hitt and Duane Ireland (2017), strategic management is a concept within the business field that entails the evaluation, analysis, assessment, monitoring, and continuous planning towards meeting set objectives and goals. It further involves the implementation and formulation of major initiatives and goals set forth by an organization's top management. As a plan Hill, Jones & Schilling (2014) maintain that strategic management is based on available resources and valuation of both internal and external environments where an organization or firm operates.

Importance of Strategic Management

According to Hill, Jones & Schilling (2014), strategic management is critical to an organization's long-term planning and successes as it enables the organization to take a proactive approach towards its plans and engagement. It also allows an organization to foresee its future prospects and makes prior arrangements accordingly. As such, it allows an organization to have or establish a sensible direction of operation and management. Within the market environment, strategic management is critical as it enables an organization or business to increase its profitability and market share thus making a business durable. However, Hill, Jones & Schilling (2014) maintain that the most important feature and aspect of strategic management are helping or enabling an organization makes a strategic decision and ways in which the business will operate and compete within its environment.

Emerging Trends

Longevity and Senior Travelers

As health awareness programs dominate the market in addition to health enhancement measures, genomic drugs, stems cells, and biotech, senior travelers will make a large percentage of tourists all over the world. Such medical and wellness breakthroughs will protect and enhance the aging adults, refresh their vital minds, improve their travel agility, and enhance on their physical alertness. According to Boniface, Cooper & Cooper (2016), the tourism sector is thus bound to see an increased number of the aged as human strives to live beyond the 100 years.

According to Mariani, Buhalis, Longhi & Vitouladiti (2014) discussions on tourism often center on young and agile youths in their early years of life especially between 18 years to 60 years. However, improved healthcare facilities have opened up better healthcare opportunities for many older people, especially those above the age of 60 years. The segment of this group is gradually rising and is bound to form the reformation in the sector. Due to the increased aspect of accessible tourism that focuses on ensuring that tourist destination in addition to services and products are accessible to all irrespective of their age, disability or physical limitations. Elderly persons in the society are thus the very gainers of the development. According to the World Health Organization, over 35 percent of people above the age of 65 are having some form of disability (Boniface, Cooper & Cooper 2016). This makes them a special group within the tourism sector out promoting accessible tourism thus giving a boost to tourism of the aged.

It is no doubt that the new development is gradually readjusting the requirements and expectations within the tourism industry. Major significance is gradually being given to this new segment as an integrated component of the sector (Mariani et al. 2014). This is further based on environmental sustainability and quality. In the recent past, tourism of the elderly or senior members of the society was not given much importance. Their significance is, however, based on improving economic status and better health conditions. As their significance increase, the demographic framework will no doubt bring a shift in the markets and will have a direct correlation with the baby boomers. The baby boomers within this context will initiate profound changes in the general makeup of the markets. As markets focus on the new baby boomers, a gradual shift is steadily shifting to the mature population. As the shift is gradually changing, Boniface, Cooper & Cooper (2016) argue that the majority of tourism organizations are strategically positioning their products and services to meet the new segment's needs.

Characteristic of Aged Tourists

Most tour companies set the senior age of 55 and older. These companies cite changes in needs, forecasting, and planning. However, other companies set and recognize 60 as the boundary age marking the difference between mature people and older members of the society (Mariani et al. 2014). At this age, companies begin to put more consideration on the kind of services and products they offer the tourists. The realization has opened up a new scenario for the tourism sector as the number of older people traveling keeps rising. With respect to changing demographics and enhanced health, marketing is gradually changing to accommodate their needs and meet their requirements (Boniface, Cooper & Cooper, 2016). The rise and gradual growth of senior tourism are bent to be more extensive with far-reaching effects on the sector. As most senior tourists prefer packaged tours unlike the young who seek independence, adventure, and freedom, older tourists prefer off-season traveling. Additionally, they prefer discounted offers, camping, and coach tours. The above development and characteristics are set to shape the tourism industry in the coming years with far-reaching effects such as the focus on organized group tours, guided packages, and camping.

Climate Change

As development and innovation spur aircraft and automobiles, the tourism industry is set to undergo tremendous changes. In the next decade, aircraft and planes are set to exclusively use renewable energy and fuel. It means that long distance traveling will not be a such big threat to the environment. Sectors such as the hospitality industry will engage in clean up to clean the environment in addition to providing environmentally friendly services and products (Getz, 2016). As the focus will concentrate on sustainability, tourism business will make up a key factor that will no doubt influence traveling and tourism as a whole.

Impact

Mariani et al. (2014) posit that the impact on the tourism sector will be felt by all and sundry. For example, product and service providers will concentrate on offering ecological viable solutions and options for traveling and accommodation. At the same time changes in coastal regions will limit tourist movement and visits to such places. At the same time, customers, especially the aged will influence service provision regarding the nature and aspect of their needs (Tang, 2015). For example, winter sports will have a direct impact on the destination of tourists. Any reduction on the number of tourists in a given region is bound to affect the economic benefits of the same on the locals. As calls to "go green" and adopt environmentally friendly measures towards saving the environment gathers momentum, the tourism sector will keep an eye on its products and services to stay relevant to key social dynamics such as the use of renewable energy and fewer pollutants in the market (Boniface, Cooper & Cooper, 2016). However, there is still no surety on the response of tourists to the impact of climate change as the changes are likely to change numerous opportunities and destinations of tourists.

Strategic Management and Planning in the face of Climate Change

According to Mariani et al. (2014), without prior planning on the part of service and product providers, tourists and tourism will not achieve its key target and will not be a major factor in the global economy. In the face of climatic change, service providers need to enact strategic measures that will keep up with the changes that will gradually be strong factors of tourism. For example, Mowforth and Munt (2015) argue that service providers need to have alternative destinations and packages that will cater to situations of extreme change of climate such as during winter. At the same time, their services need to be in line with customers' needs that may have personalized demands.

At the same, according to Sharpley and Telfer (2015), service and product providers need to have specific tailor-made products and services for older tourists who in the near future will comprise a large percentage of tourists. Proper and prior planning will thus be needed to keep tab with ongoing developments regarding older tourists.

Contiki Tours

Contiki is a private travel company operating in numerous countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Russia, South America, North America, Asia, among other countries. The company creates coach trips, especially for tourists aged between 18 and 35 years old. Their major services and products include culture, sightseeing, adventure, socializing, and free time. The company is famous for its youthful products offered in over 58 countries and 331 tours. Tourists can choose from camping trips, in-depth exploration trips, ski trips, cruise trips, festival trips, and winter trips. Every of the mix is made up of free time, sightseeing that comes with accommodation and night, spending in every location of a tourists' choice.

Strategy for Future Success

As new trends emerge in the tourism sector, Contiki Tours will have to restructure its operations and plans. For example, the company will have to accommodate the increasing number of older people instead of focusing on only younger generations between the ages of 18 and 35. The company will undertake this by way of including additional packages that will majorly cater for the rising number. For example, it will be forced to add to its package personalized services such as group camping and coach tours. According to Doz (2018) to ensure a successful venture with the rising demand, the company will have to restructure its accommodation services to suit older people's rising demand. It will gradually have to move away from only youthful products that may not go along with other people's demands.

On climatic changes and in line with the rising demands for older people's products and services, Contiki Tours will have to re-align its strategies and operations to suit its immediate customer's demands (Mariani et al. 2014). For example, to tap into the various age groups,...