How an HR Practitioner ensures the services they provide are timely and effective Essay

Prioritising Conflicting Needs The needs of customers may sometimes be conflicting (for example, managers want production results and longer working hours whereas employees want more time off and focus on work/life balance). HR would ascertain which demands were the most urgent and important, taking into account the ease and speed of dealing with each issue whilst maintaining focus on the overall needs of the organisation. It is important to keep all customers informed of what HR can provide in the way of services and set realistic expectations. HR needs to be flexible, easy to contact and able to respond swiftly and effectively. However on occasions where the customer’s need cannot be dealt with promptly, a full explanation must be given along with estimated timescales for resolution. Effective Service Delivery Delivering Service On Time By prioritising needs, HR can ensure that issues are handled according to urgency. For example, taking into account the effect of each request on the business and considering: Maintaining the wellbeing of employees Organisational mission, policies and values Meeting performance demands Current legislation Satisfying the demands of internal stakeholders (employees, board members, and management) and external stakeholders (trade unions, shareholders, partners, job applicants). HR good practice would involve developing a case record that could be reviewed to check progress, looking at areas of responsibility and delegation of tasks to ensure needs are dealt with punctually. Plans would be reviewed and updated at regular intervals to check progress and consider any changes in the situation. Delivering Service on Budget At all times HR must consider the financial implications of delivering service by liaising with finance/accounts departments and ensuring service is provided within budget limitations. It is also important to have a clear record of all resources available to the organisation to protect against unnecessary spending. For example, consider using in-house services as more cost effective than buying services in from outside the organisation. Dealing with Difficult Customers Dealing with difficult customers can have a range of implications to staff and the organisation. HR needs to consider: Where difficult customer behaviour may arise and where it would be considered a risk Suitable support for staff and managers handling difficult customers in line with company procedures, such as case conferences or guidance. Consider the needs of external customers including unions and contractors. The most frequently reported difficult customer behaviours are: Verbal Abuse – swearing, arguing, offensive remarks. Hostile Behaviour – body language, threatening gestures. Physical Abuse – that may result in injury Ideas for dealing with difficult customers may include: Keep concise records and ensure these are discussed openly with the customer. This ensures they are aware that their behaviour will be on file and they cannot deny their actions in the future. Adjust to their character; communicate in a way that fits their personality to make them feel more comfortable and avoid confrontation. Always follow correct organizational procedure. Customers will be less likely to dispute actions taken in line with guidance/ law. Ask questions, listen carefully, show an interest in the individual, use non-threatening body language and maintain eye contact. Keep level head and do not respond to their negative emotions or abuse. Never make promises! Handling and Resolving Complaints HR will handle complaints on a formal or informal basis. Each situation must be dealt with promptly as it arises and be handled in a fair and consistent manner. Regular interventions or an open door policy can encourage employees to talk about problems before they escalate. HR should clearly communicate the policy for raising a grievance (eg informal complaints, written complaints, how complaints may be escalated and estimated timescales). Explain that the organisation values it’s customers and wishes to resolve any problems that may arise. Ensure customers feel assured that their issues will be taken seriously and dealt with confidentially and encourage customers to feedback any issues before they intensify. Methods of Communication Effective communication between all stakeholders is vital to ensure all interested parties are informed and involved in the decision making process. The method of communication used depends on the customers needs, the type of information and how much information they need, and how the customer is likely to react to the information also. (Bad news is best conveyed in  person rather than in writing to allow questions and discussion to take place). Three Different Communication Methods Method of Communication Advantages Disadvantages Email Fast and convenient Can be sent at any time of day/night Cheap Can be sent to individuals or groups Attach files & share information Can be encrypted to send confidential information Confirmation of delivery/reading can be set up Conversation/information is recorded in writing Recipient has time to respond Relies on recipient having access to email account Not suitable for group discussions Less personal & may lead to misunderstanding May have long wait before getting a reply Computer viruses Telephone Easily accessible to most people everywhere (mobile) Conversation can be private, or conference call Ideal if a fast response is required Messages can be left on answerphone Person may be engaged/ have no signal, so unable to take call Mobile/Overseas calls can be expensive It is not easy to record the conversation Spoken information only, cannot share images, documents etc Cannot interpret body language Face to Face Immediate feedback Can read body language or facial expressions Can share documents/images and discuss Builds stronger relationships Good for delicate situations Logistics-may prove difficult/expensive to get participants together in one place No record unless note-taker present, so conversation not accountable Discussions may become heated Reference http://www.teach-ict.com/gcse_new/communication/comm_methods/miniweb/pg3.htm http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/hmrc/getting-the-message-across-the-importance-of-good-communications http://davidlivermore.hubpages.com/hub/Difficult-Employees

Effective Communication Essay

Effective communication is essential in any workplace, especially within a criminal justice organization. In this paper, the author will discuss the process of verbal and nonverbal communication and the associated components of each, the differences between listening and hearing in communication, the formal and informal channels of communication in criminal justice organizations and the strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers therein. Types of Communication and the Process Involved  Communication is defined as â€Å"a process involving several steps, among two or more persons, for the primary purpose of exchanging information. † (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). This process can involve two types of communication: verbal and nonverbal. Verbal Verbal communication includes transmitting information orally. This type of communication can involve sharing information or exchanging ideas between two people or a group. Speaking is just one aspect of verbal communication. Verbal communication does not solely involve the sender transmitting the message to the receiver. Verbal communication also involves listening from the receiver and giving feedback to the sender as a confirmation that the message was understood. In a criminal justice organization, â€Å"oral communication skills are necessary to talk with members of the general public, request assistance from other officers, advise suspects of their Miranda rights, and inform supervisors that certain actions have occurred. † (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). Being an officer requires a lot of verbal communication to fulfill some of the essential duties of working in law enforcement. Nonverbal Nonverbal communication includes written communication via reports, memorandums, notes from meetings, notes taken from accounts between officers and witnesses, victims, suspects, etc. Nonverbal can also include facial expressions. Facial expressions and body language oftentimes are used to convey emotions when words are absent. The Process of Communication The process of communication involves transmitting an idea, sending the idea through a medium (verbal/nonverbal), receiving the message, understanding the idea, and providing feedback to the message sender. The first step of transmitting an idea â€Å"implies the formation of one or several thoughts and the desire to express these ideas†. (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). The next step involves choosing a method of communicating that idea. This can be done through verbal or nonverbal communication. Despite what method is used, it is imperative to know who the audience is and decide what tone the message is to be delivered. The tone, especially with oral communication, can make a world of a difference in how the receiver interprets the message. When the receiver then receives the message, his interpretation may not be how the message was originally intended to be received. The understanding of the idea or message relies strongly on interpretation of the person receiving the message. The process is then completed when the receiver provides feedback to the message sender by clarifying what he or she understood and then agreeing or disagreeing with the message itself. All these steps are part of the communication process, if one step fails then the communication becomes ineffective and invaluable. Listening vs. Hearing  According to the American Heritage College Dictionary, the word hearing is defined as â€Å"the sense by which sound is perceived; the capacity to hear† (2009). Hearing can include the capacity to hear the audio of the message being received and the words being enunciated, but it cannot ensure whether the message was indeed understood. Hearing is only one part of the communication process. The ability to comprehend by actually listening to what is being said, understanding the message by using the aids such as tone, facial expressions and body language completes this process. Active listening is important to effective communication. Channels of Communication Channels of communication in a criminal justice organization help demonstrate how the information flows from one person or group to another. The flow of communication or channels can include formal or informal methods. Formal Formal channels of communication include orders, directives and written memorandums that follow a chain of command. Communication in this scenario usually flows downward from the highest level of the totem pole, such as a police chief down to its subordinates. This type of channel of communication has both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of using a formal channel promote uniformity within the department. All officers, despite their rank, receive the same information. The disadvantage of using formal channels is that it sometimes stops the free flow of communication. If this channel type of communication is used it does not leave much room for officers to exchange freely any information within their department. That is to say that patrol officers usually are not encouraged to communicate amongst their peers but rather just receive instruction from their superiors. This hinders the department because officers are not encouraged to help one another, communicate with each other and possibly provide or exchange crucial information that might help them execute their responsibilities. Informal Informal channels of communication include â€Å"unofficial routes of communication within a law enforcement agency. These channels do not appear on any organizational chart, and they may not be officially sanctioned by the department. † (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). This type of communication usually allows a free flow of information within all those employed in criminal justice organization. The direction of communication usually does not go up or down the ladder of chain of command. It opens up and encourages communication between officers and the different departments that make up the law enforcement agency. It promotes the sharing of information amongst peers that may ultimately contribute to successfully completing their duty of serving and protecting the community together as a team. Barriers to Effective Communication There are many barriers to effective communication. These barriers include emotional, physical and semantic barriers. Ineffective listening can also be construed as an important barrier as well. Emotional barriers can include an officer having low self esteem. This officer in question perhaps feels the need to refrain from communicating anything because he lacks self-confidence and is afraid to be put down by his peers. Many agencies have confronted this type of barrier by providing peer support groups so that they can work together to break these feelings of insecurity and promote a sense of trust. Physical barriers can breakdown communication. Physical barriers can include the use of faulty equipment where messages cannot be transmitted from one to another because the radio transmitters are not working or the computers in the vehicles or in the office are down. Having readily available and working technological equipment can help with communication between officers. Other types of physical barriers is perhaps the distance between officers when they are communicating. Shortening the distance can help provide a feeling of camaraderie and trust. Semantics involve the selection of words you choose to aid you with your communication. Obviously if you choose the wrong word, the communication will not be as effective and the entire message can be misread. Ineffective listening can also play a role in hindering the communication process. If one is not engaged in the speaker because perhaps they do not find the speaker or his/her topic interesting enough, or perhaps you already have your biases or set opinions on what is being said and so your are listening with a closed mind, this can lend to ruining the communication between you and the sender. Strategies to Overcome Barriers In order to overcome the above mentioned barriers, you must first understand what kind of barrier is preventing the flow of communication. Once pinpointing the type of barrier you can proceed to try and remove those barriers so that you can become an effective communicator. Emotional barriers can be dealt with by working on self improvement such as going to counseling for depression or self esteem issues can help. Law enforcement agencies can provide help with finding the right person to talk to or by providing a peer support group you can join to help deal with these types of emotional barriers. Physical barriers can be handled by ensuring that all equipment used within the department is adequately functioning and therefore the lines of communication can remain open. If the physical barrier involves distance between officers, then that distance needs to be shortened so that the communication between these officers allows for better exchange between them. Barriers that involve semantics can be improved upon by going to school or studying grammar, and word selection. The internet is a great way to explore tools that can help with improving your communication skills with words. Identifying what barriers are preventing someone from exchanging information and finding appropriate solutions to overcome these challenges will ensure a better and more effective way of communicating. Conclusion As children we learned early on how to communicate first without words then learning to speak and finally learning to write. Communication is a vital part of life. Without proper communication, the exchange of ideas and messages cannot be conveyed between people in either a personal or professional setting. Communication within a criminal justice organization is just as important. Learning how the process of communication works and identifying the barriers that breakdown this communication are tools that are needed. Communication is crucial to helping overall with the execution of law enforcement.

Development of the United Kingdom Essay

Officially known as the Republic of Ghana, it was Europe’s first trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa – initially trading in gold and then later as a primary supplier of slaves. Although it was subsequently colonized by the British, it later became the first country in Africa to obtain independence from its colonizer (BBC News). Ghana came into existence in 1957 when what was then known as the Gold Coast acquired its independence from the British. Situated along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa (see U. S. State Department map reproduced below), the country occupies an area of about 238,538 sq. km. composed of plains, rainforest, and some scrubland (U. S. State Department). Its capital city is Accra (population: 3 million) and the other principal cities are Kumasi, with an estimated population of 1 million, Tema (500,000), and Sekondi-Takoradi (population: 370,000). English has been designated official language of the Ghanaians but several dialects are spoken like Akan, which is spoken by about 49% of the population, Mole-Dagbani (16%), Ewe (13%), Ga-Adangbe (8%), and Guan, the dialect of 4% of the population. Sixty-nine percent of its estimated population of 23 million are Christians while 15. 6% are Muslims. Indigenous religious beliefs are being practiced by 8. 5% of Ghanaians. Although it existed as a democratic republic since its independence in 1957, the constitution of Ghana took effect only on January 7, 1993 (U. S. State Department). The cultural practices of Ghanaians which are mainly related to â€Å"conception, childbirth, and childrearing† consist of some harmful customs and traditions. One of these is â€Å"female genital mutilation (FGM). † This is a procedure which is conducted to partially or totally remove the external genitalia of a girl to turn her into a real woman. Another is a belief in dietary taboos which often leads to anemia or nutritional deficiency on the part of pregnant women. In Ghana, when a marriage does not produce an offspring after two years, it is considered defective. After a woman gives birth, the Ghanaians believe that burying the placenta near the house of the family would prevent the child from growing up into an errant or rebellious individual. In addition, they would wait for eight days after birth before naming the child and treating the umbilical cord with herbal preparations (Nyinah). Ghana is rich in natural resources with gold and cocoa being two of its major dollar earners. Its other export products are timber, diamonds, aluminum, tuna, manganese ore, and bauxite. In spite of this, the country still relies heavily on the assistance of international financial and technical institutions to remain viable. Thirty-five percent of its gross domestic product comes from the agricultural sector which also accounts for 55% of total employment in the country, mostly in the form of small landowners. Aside from seeking debt relief in 2002 under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program, Ghana was also one of the beneficiaries of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative which came into force in 2006 (CIA World Factbook). As of 2006, total exports reached an estimated $3. 9 billion while imports totaled $6. 8 billion. Identified trade partners were the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, France, Spain, Nigeria, the Netherlands, and Togo (U. S. State Department). Statistics gleaned by Global Health Reporting. org from the CIA World Factbook and a report published by UNAIDS in May 2006 about the global epidemic on AIDS showed that as at end of 2005, an estimated 29,000 had already died from AIDS in Ghana, leaving behind them about 170,000 children below 17 years old who had lost one or both parents to the disease. The same sources also revealed that by the end of 2005, there were 320,000 Ghanaians who were living with HIV/AIDS, 25,000 of whom were children below 14 years old. Aside from AIDS, another major health concern of the country is malaria. With about three million new cases being reported every year, malaria accounts for approximately 61% of total hospital admissions in the country among children below five years old (Global Health Reporting. org). In its fight against AIDS, malaria, and other diseases which have been plaguing Ghanaians, the country has received varying degrees of support from international organizations such as the World Health Organization, Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank, the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Accra Daily Mail, 3/17 as cited in Global Health Reporting. org). On March 17, 2008, a campaign named â€Å"Voices for Malaria-Free Future† was launched in the country to educate the people about the techniques and the key concepts and practices used in fighting malaria. Rosemary Ardayfio, who represented the media in the launching ceremony, announced the formation of the Media Malaria Network composed of journalists from the print and online organizations. Ardayfio explained that aside from recognizing the role of the different media organizations in malaria advocacy, the network specifically aims â€Å"to disseminate information about the use of insecticide-treated nets and appropriate medication† (Global Health Reporting. org). Ghana was among the 177 countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol which aims to require industrialized countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to prevent global warming (UNFCCC). In addition, Ghana was also a party to other international agreements governing hazardous wastes, biodiversity, endangered species, law of the sea, ship pollution, environmental modification, ozone layer protection, wetlands, and tropical timber (CIA World Factbook). The Republic of Ghana faces a bright future. It is endowed with plenty of natural resources. Its leadership has commitment itself to free and compulsory basic education. In fact, its â€Å"free, compulsory, universal basic education (FCUBE)† which was launched in 1996 has been labeled the â€Å"most ambitious pre-tertiary education programs in West Africa† (U. S. State Department). It has also been described as a â€Å"well-administered country by regional standards† and considered a model for economic and political reforms in the region. And, most of all, a major oil reserve was discovered in 2007 (BBC News). For these reasons alone, the country and its people have no reason to remain impoverished. Works Cited BBC News. â€Å"Country profile: Ghana. † International version. 6 February 2008. 22 March 2008. CIA World Factbook. â€Å"Ghana. † 6 March 2008. 22 March 2008. https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh. html Global Health Reporting. org. â€Å"Ghana. † 22 March 2008. http://globalhealthreporting. org/countries/ghana. asp? collID=11&id=144&malID=187 &tbID=188&hivIC=189&malIC=190&tbIC=191&map=192&con=Ghana&p=1 Nyinah, S. â€Å"Cultural practices in Ghana. † World Health. March-April 1997. 22 March 2008. UNFCCC. â€Å"Kyoto Protocol. † 22 March 2008. U. S. State Department. â€Å"Background note: Ghana. † January 2008. 22 March 2008.

Week 10, 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 10, 11 - Assignment Example Its advantages are obvious as compared to disadvantages. Low cost and time saving has made it a delivery model for various business applications. Answer A. Data location is one of the security risk revealed by Gartner in textbook. Users might want to know the exact location where data is hosted. One does not know the place where cloud servers are placed, but believes that where cloud servers are located that is a safe place and no security risk is for stored information. Answer B. It is said that users have concern about data security and does not need to know where data is located. However, users of cloud computing service believe that local privacy requirements are met by authority keeping the cloud servers. Answer B: In the above figure, important concepts relevant to a Management Information System are given in a linear hierarchal way. Response management system, health information system, and sales information system are the main classes of MIS. Its services are numerous for business organizations. Answer A: Both UML and pseudo code are vital for designing and development of an online course delivery system. A UML of the online course delivery system will give graphical view of the system. Use Cases or other diagrams of UML save time for developers because system requirements are elicited very early in software development life cycle. Answer B. Pseudo code is another way of system representation in non-graphical view. It allows the developers/software engineer to specify levels of design description, which are required for each situation. Initial approach of UML is more suitable than pseudo code because it helps the software engineers throughout the life cycle of a system. It provides basic guidelines to developers for system designing and development. Answer A: A class diagram is mostly used by developers. This diagram is core for system designing and development. Objects and

Importamce of the eticks for the IT professionals Essay

Importamce of the eticks for the IT professionals - Essay Example The advent of technology has leaped mankind to a new level in almost every field of life, ranging from education to business, tourism to medicine. IT departments and computer professionals have grown to become one of the important assets of any organization since they have the power to drive the organization towards the attainment of an effective and structured infrastructure. IT professionals are known to be involved in different activities like development, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance pertaining to computer applications and hardware, as well as data mining and data warehousing techniques. The computer applications that are developed by IT professionals have an impact on their environment and society; some effects may not be as positive as the others. Therefore, it is important for the IT professionals to understand the magnitude of the probable effects of their creations so that they can aim to produce applications that benefit the society, rather than cause ha rm. Thomson and Schmoldt (2001) defined professional ethics as the concepts of doing good or bad, right or wrong; it involves the decision making aspects of any professional conduct. Computer ethics have gained much importance over the last two decades since many articles, journals and conferences discuss its relevance in the prevailing times. It has been attempted to be explained by many researchers, however, Bynum and Rogerson (1996) defined it comprehensively as the field of analysis that identifies the effects of information technology on the health, wealth, intellect, freedom, privacy, security and work of individuals in the society. Therefore it can be stated that computer ethics involve the effects on humans as well as on the society. Crnkovic (n.d) pointed out that an IT professional possesses the power to ‘create’; this power has to be exercised with greater responsibility since it influences people and their lives. The IT professionals should have strong ethic al mindsets to overcome the unjust temptations and continue to use their tools and platforms for the betterment of mankind. 2. Literature Review An IT professional maintains relationships with several figures including, employer, clients and society. Some conflicts of interest might rise among these entities; it is the responsibility of the IT professional to tackle the conflicts with ethical considerations. Keil (2008) categorized the ethical concerns of IT professionals as following: data protection, privacy and security, intellectual property and honesty. Moor (1998) stressed on the relevance of computer ethics by defining it as a ‘special field of ethical research’. He classified the area of computer ethics into two broad divisions; firstly, the social effects of the computer technology on humans and society, and secondly, the policies and standards that are formulated for the implication of computer ethics in different fields. He argued that there exists a ‘p olicy vacuum’ in the area of computer ethics. Moor (1985) also agreed with the minimal focus on formulation of policies of computer ethics on an international level. Few efforts that have been made in this respect have resulted in the development of ‘ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct’ (Association for Computing Machinery, 2011). The guideline compels the IT professionals to develop software that protect the users from health and safety threats. It discourages all actions that are aimed to intentionally destroy data or files that might be present in any individual’s system i.e. development of viruses. Computer ethics are also important so that due credit for the development of any software is given to the deserving side. ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct also promotes this notion and strictly prohibits any unauthorized replications or usage of programs or tools (Association for Computing Machinery, 2011). Weckert (1997) defined intellect ual prop

The Role of Accounting on Business and Our Society Essay - 1

The Role of Accounting on Business and Our Society - Essay Example It entails the earnings from provision of goods and services less the cost incurred in providing those goods and services. Thirdly, the statement of owner’s equity reports on the activities of shareholders during a given period of time. It shows how much the business received from shareholders and how much went back to them in terms of dividends. It shows the portion of a business entity’s earnings that goes to shareholders, thus the reference to it as a statement of retained earnings by some companies. Finally, the cash flow statement shows sources of cash during a given period of time and its uses. To me, the income statement is the most important. This statement shows how much a business entity earns within a given period of time (Gibson, 2012). Of course, businesses are established with the purpose of making profits and creating wealth for its shareholders according to Mittal and Singal (2007). Therefore, if a business posts losses on this statement, it does not serve the purpose for its existence and should be wound up. However, if it records profits, then the venture is sustainable and meets the intended objective. 2. An accountant would be that person with a bachelor’s degree specialised in accounting or any specialisation in finance. At times, an accountant would be that person who has gained experience dealing with financial matters over time. The roles of search persons have historically been bookkeeping. They prepare financial records and maintain them. With additional professional certification, then such an accountant would qualify as a certified public accountant, CPA (Walker, 2012). This comes with greater roles as CPAs conduct financial audits thus fostering transparency and accountability. Such a person holds public trust and should be fact-based, non-ideological and nonpartisan. The arguments for accounting include its role in giving objective and unbiased information on the

Must Internet purchases be subject to sales tax Essay

Must Internet purchases be subject to sales tax - Essay Example According to Engler and Cellucci, "Ernst & Young concluded that 63% of total e-commerce sales to consumers are sales not taxable in most states". As for the taxable sales, "that same study also found that 60% of the taxable business-to-consumer Internet sales are substitutes for other types of sales, such as mail-order catalog sales by out-of state vendors, that do not currently generate sales or use tax revenue". Proponents for Internet tax also argue that "it is not a new tax" but the enforcement of existing laws that give mail order stores the right to collect sales tax (Senate Nixes Sales Tax on Catalogue, Internet Sales 1). Moreover, sales of the brick and mortar store continue to grow despite the flourishing of online stores (Engler and Cellucci 1-3). A brick-and-mortar store is able to provide consumers with service that the online store is unable to offer, such as getting to try the goods or see it physically before deciding to buy it. Furthermore, Internet taxes would require the electronic tracking of purchases (Engler and Cellucci 3).

Boomers may be inventing aging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Boomers may be inventing aging - Essay Example Volunteering is a common aspect in both cohorts. However, boomers have more opportunities to render service to their families or community. Many youths are either in college or not attached to any visible opportunity to deliver service. Moreover, unlike boomers, millennial don’t get families at their 20s. The current technological advancements opportunities and potential crises provoke boomers to totally change aging in America. As matter of fact, boomer population is relatively higher than the previous generation. With life expectancy rising, boomers will definitely remain active past their 65th birthday to reduce dependency levels. Notably, boomers have impacted a significant change in every level of their growth. At their forties, this generation could be found in class trying to catch their young counterparts. Additionally retirement no longer depends on age and most boomers are willing and able to volunteer upon their retirement. Its time America reaps from other cultures and learns to accept the opinions of the experienced generation, given that boomers tend to actively contribute to political and managerial decision making. Moreover, following the saving schemes introduced during their middle ages, boomers are capable of purchasing their Medicare hence expected life span. Rema rkably, their savings and old age activeness positively impacts on economic growth. In a nutshell, boomers resemble the millennial in many ways, portraying activeness in their old age. In the next few decades, aging would no longer be associated with dependency but increased socio-economic

Industrial application of energy audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Industrial application of energy audit - Essay Example 1.1 Background Energy conservation is important in all aspects of our lives. When firms produce goods to sell or provide services for customers they want to ensure that their services are competitively priced. In order for this to be possible firms have to ensure that they provide these services or produce these goods at the minimum cost possible. Energy cost is one of the main operating expenses for most firms. It is also the one that is most manageable or easiest to adjust in order to gain operating efficiencies. It is therefore important that firms find ways of minimising their energy costs in order to maximise the profitability of their operations. In order to make this possible they seek the help of energy conservation specialists/consultants who perform energy audits of facilities or equipments being used. 1.2 Types of energy audits There are two types of energy audits. ... mal consumption pattern for the items in use the bills were surveyed to determine if the KWh usage was in keeping with the manufacturer’s benchmark of the maximum energy use. The equipments were then assessed to determine if there were any defects that would result in excess energy usage. The facility was checked in terms of floor area and details were gathered on the hours of use of these equipments. The exterior and interior of the building and equipment were checked to determine what adjustments and repairs need to be done to effect energy conservation. The energy manager (proprietor/manager) was questioned to determine critical areas that require monitoring. Sub-meters were then placed in areas of particular concern and both hourly and or daily consumption data was taken for the day. An analysis was done of the results and sources of potential energy and cost savings were identified throughout the building. Some recommendations were then made for energy conservation and ma intenance measures to be put in place. 2.0 Details of the Audit Process It was determined that the preliminary audit was the most appropriate since there were no complexities in the structure of the building. However, it involved testing of equipments which are not generally done in a preliminary audit. 2.1 Pre-Site Work Obtain facility and contact details inclusive of address and telephone number (Appendix 1) Steps were taken to identify the average energy use in the industry, specifically as it relates to electricity consumption. Failing that the internet was checked to determine the energy use of specific equipment Specific energy systems and energy use were also evaluated Specific equipments used in the industry were researched to determine their annual energy (electricity) consumption

Oration on the Dignity of Man Essay Example for Free

Oration on the Dignity of Man Essay As history progressed to the Middle Ages, new technology, people, and ideas emerge throughout the world. Similar(ly) to Ancient Greece, we see the study of religion and philosophy become a big part of life. One of the most notorious and ambitious philosophers at the time was Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola. He was a Christian who wanted to consolidate various religions and unite all of those ideas with Christian principles. Some of the religions he wanted to combine include Jewish, Greek, and Islamic values. His ideas revolve around the study of humans, more specifically, how we came into existence and how we interact with the world around us and God. His theories, however, were highly criticized by the Church because they believed that his work opposed Christian ideologies and perception of free will and humanity. Pico was not happy with the church either but nevertheless, he formulated a collective theory and put his ideas into text called the 900 Conclusions. The Oration on the Dignity of Man was an introduction to this work and answers many questions regarding the creation of mankind and the relationship we have with God and nature. Pico begins his oration by explaining how mankind was created by God. He also answers the question of who we are â€Å"man is the intermediary between creatures, that he is the familiar of the gods above him as he is the lord of the beings beneath him; that, by the acuteness of his senses, the inquiry of his reason and the light of his intelligence, he is the interpreter of nature, set midway between the timeless unchanging and the flux of time; the living union (as the Persians say), the very marriage hymn of the world, and, by David’s testimony but little lower than the angels† (3). .man created out ofmade out of In addition, Pico describes why God created man, he needed a being to appreciate all of his creations â€Å"But when this work was done, the Divine Artificer still longed for some creature which might comprehend the meaning of so vast an achievement, which might be moved with love at its beauty and smitten with awe at its grandeur† (3). Humans are the greatest creation of God, and we have been given the opportunity to choose where we end up in life. Pico says that we have the free will to choose our own paths. He claims that this can strengthen or weaken man’s relationship towards God â€Å"impeded by no such restrictions, may, by your own free will, to whose custody We have assigned you, trace for yourself the lineaments of your own nature. I have placed you at the very center of the world, so that from that vantage point you may with greater ease glance round about you on all that the world contains. We have made you a creature neither of heaven nor of earth, neither mortal nor immortal, in order that you may, as the free and proud shaper of your own being, fashion yourself in the form you may prefer. It will be in your power to descend to the lower, brutish forms of life; you will be able, through your own decision, to rise again to the superior orders whose life is divine† (4). Pico also writes tha t since we have this freedom, we must choose our paths wisely. If humans become sensual and brutish, they will be like animals. On the other hand, if they’re rational and intellectual, they can become heavenly like angels â€Å"Whichever of these a man shall cultivate, the same will mature and bear fruit in him. If vegetative, he will become a plant; if sensual, he will become brutish; if rational, he will reveal himself a heavenly being; if intellectual, he will be an angel and the son of God† (4-5). According to Pico, if humans emulate the actions of angels, through intellectual engagement, we can ascend closer to God.

Microeconomics And Tourism In South Africa Tourism Essay

Microeconomics And Tourism In South Africa Tourism Essay South africa is a country that a has a famous history of racial divisiveness and diversity, but today the rainbow nation is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa and in the world as a whole. In the following report we will analyze the microeconomic situation in South Africa. This will help us decide weather the hotel we have chosen is, in fact, the best one. In order to achieve our goal, we will look at the history of the country and talk about South African government and politics. We will also analyze the countries economic situation by looking at the economic growth since 1980, the principal trading partners, the impact of the 2010 World Cup and finally the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as the type of the market economy. Furthermore we will analyze the local economy of the city of Cape Town where the Hotel is located. Thus looking at the lodging Industry and analyze weather the economic strategy is successful or not. We will achieve this by identifying its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the tourism industry as well as for the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa. Finally we will identify the competitors of the Hotel. With this in mind we will begin to define what are our criteria to classify the best hotel and identify weather this Hotel is indeed the best one or not. In the end we will present our conclusions that prove that Hotel can be classified as the best one in South Africa. History of the Country South Africa is located at the southernmost point of the African continent. It has a long 2798 km coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans. It is one of the largest and most powerful states in Africa with a population of over 50 million inhabitants. The African country has been inhabited for more than three million years. This country is also known as the cradle of mankind. Diversity in South Africa began very early with the San and the Khoekhoe peoples in the 6th century BC and evolved ever since making it one of the most ethnical diverse country in the world. This diversity is a big part of the rainbow nations conflictual history. In 1487 white settlers set foot for the first time with the portuguese explorer Bartolomeo Dias Today. Later in 1961 it became a republic, but apartheid rules did not leave with the British retreat. Apartheid gave a bad image of South Africa in the world, and other wealthy nations of the world began to boycott its economy because of its racial policies and oppression. But when Nelson Mandela was freed in 1991 the situation started to change, he was elected as president on the first non-racial elections on 27th of April 1994. Since then South Africa came a long way, a black man Jacob Zuma is currently at the head of the state since he was elected in May of 2009. The country has been given the trust and privilege to host last summers biggest event worldwide: the FIFA World Cup which showed the world what South Africa has achieved. They have 11 official languages, the main ones are Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans followed by English. It is a member of the African Union, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Common Wealth of Nations, the International Monitory Fund and the NEPAD (New Partnership of Africas Development). Mandelas nation has three capitals, Cape Town which is the legislative capital, Pretoria which is the executive capital and Bloemfontein which is the judicial capital. Johannesburg is not a capital although it is the largest city. It is a middle income emerging country that has a large amount of supplies thanks to their natural resources. The country has a very developed finance, communication, energy and transportation sectors and is ranked as 17th largest stock exchange in the world by the WTO and is in the top 30 in the world in accordance to its GDP. Economy in South Africa The South African economy is ranked as a upper-middle income economy by the World Bank. About a quarter of the population is unemployed and lives on less than US   $1.25 a day. This table shows the economy growth from 1980 to 2010 : Year Gross Domestic Product (bln USD) US Dollar Exchange (early January) Unemployment rate Per Capita Income (as  % of USA) 1980 80.547 0.8267 Rand 9.2 22.56 1985 57.273 2.0052 Rand 15.5 9.81 1990 111.998 2.5419 Rand 18.8 13.10 1995 151.117 3.5486 Rand 16.7 13.24 2000 132.964 6.1188 Rand 25.6 8.47 2005 246.956 5.6497 Rand 26.7 12.34 2010 354.414 7.462 Rand 24.8 15.06 The majority of economical transactions occur around 4 areas: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Pretoria. They are the economical heart of the country and the hubs to the rest of the world. Although these megalopolis can be compared to those of the western world, disparity amongst the countrys region remains. The development is marginal and poverty and HIV are still prevalent. The government demonstrated its commitment to open market, privatization and a favorable investment climate with its introduction of the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy which is a South African neoliberal macroeconomic strategy implemented in 1996. As its name says the GEAR strategy   has four more objectives that are embedded on this strategy namely: economic growth, full employment, price stability and balance payment stability. The Rand is the most actively trended emerging market currency in the world. The Rand was the best performing currency against the US dollar between 2002 and 2005, according to the Bloomberg Currency Scorecard. Principal international trading partners of South Africa include Germany, the United States, China, Japan, The United Kingdom and Spain. Chief exports include corn, diamonds, fruits, gold, metals and minerals, sugar and wool. Machinery and transportation equipment make up more than 1/3 of the value of the countrys imports. Other imports are chemicals, manufactured goods and petroleum. Also, South Africa has a big agricultural sector and an exporter of farming products. There are almost a thousand agricultural cooperatives and businesses throughout the country. Agricultural exports constituted 8 % of the countrys exports for the last 5 years and it contributes that 10% of formal employment to the country. Finally, South Africas economy depends largely on the tourism industry which has been identified as one of the key economic sectors with excellent potential for growth. Directly and indirectly, tourism constitutes approximately 7% of employment in South Africa. To develop and exploit the countrys tourism potential, infrastructure and support facilities of which hotels, like the one we chose, are an integral part. The hospitality industry in South Africa has experienced a steady growth during the past years. Different issues in the government really affected the hospitality sector of the country, but there is a reason now to be optimistic.   By hosting the FIFA World Cup it was a great opportunity to boost their economy and especially the tourism sector. A total of 309.554 foreign tourists arrived in South Africa for the primary purpose of attending the event. The continent counted 34% of the worlds foreign tourists, followed by Europe with 24% and Central and South America with 13% The total expenditure in South Africa by tourists who came specifically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup amounted to 3.7 million euros.   The average length of stay of tourists during this period was 10.3 nights.Total awareness of South Africa as a leisure and tourism destination increased by 9% following the event. The intention to visit South Africa in the Short term increased by 35% following the event.   The industry is creating jobs and wealth, it could also play a crucial role in making the countrys economy to be a better one. However, fragmentation remained some serious impediments to South Africas hospitality industry growth. The industry revolved in different types of businesses, such as airlines, boats, bus companies, hotels, car hire, festivals and events, tour guides, retailing and sightseeing destinations. Therefore the South Africans must be proactive and take responsibility to continue to drive change. After the positive market sentiment recorded last September 2010, the tourism industry is in a very good shape especially since 2009 was a particularly bad year also due to the world economy crisis. South Africas tourism boom has had a predictable effect on the performance of the countrys hotels.   South Africa GDP per capita The GDP has grown by more than 4 times in 30 years, that is due to the political and social development since 1980 and especially the abolition of the apartheid which lead to more open economical choices. According to the World Bank, South Africas GDP per capita is currently U$D 3,764 (South Africas GDP adjusted by inflation, divided by the total population). From 1960 until 2008 this figure was U$D 3096.02, with a historical peak of U$D 3764 in December 2008 and a historical low of U$D 2207 in 1960. Although the GDP seems to be increasingly rising, the unemployment rate has reached a dramatical number, 24.8% of the South Africans population is unemployed the rate rose by 15 points since 1980. Demand According to the Horwath Worldwide Hotel Industry Study (2001) South Africa remained the most popular African destination in terms of arrivals in 2000. South Africa is also increasingly becoming a popular international conference destination attracting a large amount of customers from the MICE market. In addition, South Africas hospitality industry continues to attract international investors especially once it was set to host the FIFA world cup and since then investors have been flowing in. In 2010 South Africa recorded 5.5 million arrivals. There was growth in tourist arrivals to South Africa from all regions, with the highest growth coming from the Americas at 91.3% (74,545). Asia and Australasia grew by 41.0% (30,216) and the Africa air markets grew by 30.8% (20,611), while Europe and the Africa land markets grew by 19.1% (43,672) and 5.3% (63,770) respectively.The demand in the tourism industry in South Africa is growing exponentially and the government, investors and hospitality professionals are working together so that the supply meets the constantly rising demand. Supply Profit maximization Profit maximisation is the process by which a hotel determines the price and output level that returns the greatest profit. There are 2 typical ways to achieve profit maximisation: Focus on minimising and control expenses Focus on maximising revenue The Leisure and Tourism Industry South Africa South Africa is known as one of the most sophisticated and promising countries in the whole African continent, and has shown as we have seen it, a strong and consistent improvement in the economy. Its scenic beauty, cultural diversity and reputation for delivering value for money have made it one of the worlds fastest growing leisure and business travel destinations (BRICS countries). Being highly diverse in terms of its, culture, tourist activities and infrastructure. It adapts to every tourism niche, from business, eco- and cultural tourism through to adventure and sport tourism. Its tourism sector began growing significantly since 1994, and due to the importance government gives to tourism in the country. Tourism also generates much of South Africas tax revenue as much as $655 billion in 2005 and influences government spending in infrastructure such as highways, airports, etc. Growing three times faster then the world average. It has become a really important sector, which is creating millions of jobs, employing 212 millions of people. South Africa is becoming more popular among tourist destinations, with 860 000 arrivals per month (statistics from 2008) from which over 10% come from outside of the African continent. The tourism industry has generated a revenue of $3.4 trillion, which represents around 3% GDP. The hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in June and July 2010 remarkably contributed to the countrys economy and development of hundreds of hotels and other hospitality establishments Sà Ã‚ ¾uth à Ã‚ friÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ ° is therefore tà Ã‚ °rgà Ã‚ µting numerous different segments of tourism industry. Such as the afore mentioned domestic tourism, business tourism, eco tourism, cultural tourism but also the adventure tourism. Business Tourism The award of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was just one sign that South Africa was seen as a stable and modern country compared to other African countries. It proved that it posses first-class infrastructure and is an ideal location for intà Ã‚ µrnà Ã‚ °tià Ã‚ ¾nà Ã‚ °l Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ngrà Ã‚ µssà Ã‚ µs à Ã‚ °nd Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾nvà Ã‚ µntià Ã‚ ¾ns.Thà Ã‚ µ Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾untry hà Ã‚ °s wà Ã‚ µll à Ã‚ ¾và Ã‚ µr 1 000 wà Ã‚ ¾rld-Ñ là Ã‚ °ss Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾nfà Ã‚ µrà Ã‚ µnÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ °nd à Ã‚ µxhibitià Ã‚ ¾n Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ µntrà Ã‚ µs. Sà Ã‚ ¾uth à Ã‚ friÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ ° is tà Ã‚ °rgà Ã‚ µting businà Ã‚ µss trà Ã‚ °và Ã‚ µllà Ã‚ µrs for the main reason that they spà Ã‚ µnd à Ã‚ ¾n à Ã‚ °và Ã‚ µrà Ã‚ °gà Ã‚ µ thrà Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ µ to four timà Ã‚ µs mà Ã‚ ¾rà Ã‚ µ thà Ã‚ °n the là Ã‚ µisurà Ã‚ µ travellers. This thrà Ã‚ ¾ugh tà Ã‚ ¾urs and leisure activities such as experiencing the African culture and safari, but also luxury golf courses, shopping and relaxation- bà Ã‚ µfà Ã‚ ¾rà Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ ¾r à Ã‚ °ftà Ã‚ µr thà Ã‚ µir businà Ã‚ µss à Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ tivitià Ã‚ µs à Ã‚ °nd thrà Ã‚ ¾ugh rà Ã‚ µturn trips. à Ã‚ n à Ã‚ µstimà Ã‚ °tà Ã‚ µd 6-7% à Ã‚ ¾f Sà Ã‚ ¾uth à Ã‚ friÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ °s fà Ã‚ ¾rà Ã‚ µign visità Ã‚ ¾rs in 2007 wà Ã‚ µrà Ã‚ µ businà Ã‚ µss tà Ã‚ ¾urists. Tà Ã‚ ¾tà Ã‚ °l dirà Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ t spà Ã‚ µnding by businà Ã‚ µss tà Ã‚ ¾urists tà Ã‚ ¾ $ 2.4 billià Ã‚ ¾n that year. Sà Ã‚ ¾uth à Ã‚ friÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ °s Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾nfà Ã‚ µrà Ã‚ µnÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ µ industry mà Ã‚ ¾và Ã‚ µd up tà Ã‚ ¾ 3oth plà Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ µ in thà Ã‚ µ Intà Ã‚ µrnà Ã‚ °tià Ã‚ ¾nà Ã‚ °l à Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ngrà Ã‚ µss à Ã‚ °nd à Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾nvà Ã‚ µntià Ã‚ ¾n à Ã‚ ssà Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ ià Ã‚ °tià Ã‚ ¾ns là Ã‚ °stà Ã‚ µst tà Ã‚ ¾p-40 list à Ã‚ ¾f là Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ °ding dà Ã‚ µstinà Ã‚ °tià Ã‚ ¾ns in thà Ã‚ µ wà Ã‚ ¾rld. Domestic Tourism In 2006 domestic travel grew by 2.7%, nearly 12 million South Africans inhabitants took 37 million internal trips. In those trips 29 million tourists were visiting their family and friends, 2.8 million were traveling for holiday and 1.9 million for business reasons. The issue the tourism department is dealing with, is the challenge to turn the domestic tourism market from visiting family to leisure tourism and thus optimize the increase in the market. Furthermore, the tourism department is running a program called Shot Left, which works on the principle that encourages South African population to travel inside of the country. This is achieved by providing information about tourist attractions, access to tour operators, reasonable prices and tour packages. Eco Tourism Eco tourism is the fastest growing segment of tourism in South Africa thanks to its divà Ã‚ µrsà Ã‚ µ Ñ limà Ã‚ °tà Ã‚ µs rà Ã‚ °ngà Ã‚ µ frà Ã‚ ¾m trà Ã‚ ¾piÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ °l in thà Ã‚ µ sà Ã‚ ¾uth-à Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ °st tà Ã‚ ¾ dà Ã‚ µsà Ã‚ µrt in thà Ã‚ µ Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ µntrà Ã‚ °l rà Ã‚ µgià Ã‚ ¾n. Thà Ã‚ µ Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾untrys wildlifà Ã‚ µ is và Ã‚ °rià Ã‚ µd , à Ã‚ °nd is suppà Ã‚ ¾rtà Ã‚ µd by à Ã‚ °n à Ã‚ µxtrà Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾rdinà Ã‚ °ry bià Ã‚ ¾là Ã‚ ¾giÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ °l divà Ã‚ µrsity. It creates opportunities for tourists which include bird-watching, nature photography, hiking and mountaineering, botanical studies and snorkeling. National and provincial parks in South Africa the world famous Kruger National Park as well private reserves, involve local communities in the management and conservation of natural resources. These communities are becoming aware of their responsibility to the environment, and with that they are also financially benefiting from ecotourism. The countrys prà Ã‚ ¾tà Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ tà Ã‚ µd à Ã‚ °rà Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ °s increased to 8%, à Ã‚ °nd its mà Ã‚ °rinà Ã‚ µ prà Ã‚ ¾tà Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ tà Ã‚ µd à Ã‚ °rà Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ °s grew up tà Ã‚ ¾ 20%, in 2010. Adventure Tourism Bà Ã‚ µing à Ã‚ °t thà Ã‚ µ sà Ã‚ ¾uthà Ã‚ µrn tip à Ã‚ ¾f à Ã‚ ° là Ã‚ °rgà Ã‚ µ Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ntinà Ã‚ µnt, Sà Ã‚ ¾uth à Ã‚ friÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ ° à Ã‚ ¾ffà Ã‚ µrs 3 000 kilà Ã‚ ¾mà Ã‚ µtrà Ã‚ µs à Ã‚ ¾f Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ °stlinà Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ °là Ã‚ ¾ng with the mà Ã‚ ¾untà Ã‚ °ins. Thà Ã‚ µ Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾untrys divà Ã‚ µrsà Ã‚ µ tà Ã‚ µrrà Ã‚ °in, tà Ã‚ ¾gà Ã‚ µthà Ã‚ µr with à Ã‚ ° Ñ limà Ã‚ °tà Ã‚ µ suità Ã‚ µd tà Ã‚ ¾ à Ã‚ ¾utdà Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾r à Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ tivitià Ã‚ µs mà Ã‚ °kà Ã‚ µ it à Ã‚ °n idà Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ °l hunting grà Ã‚ ¾und fà Ã‚ ¾r à Ã‚ °drà Ã‚ µnà Ã‚ °linà Ã‚ µ sà Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ µkà Ã‚ µrs. Sà Ã‚ ¾uth à Ã‚ friÑ Ãƒ Ã‚ ° à Ã‚ ¾ffà Ã‚ µrs wà Ã‚ ¾rld-Ñ là Ã‚ °ss Ñ limbing, surfing, diving, hiking, hà Ã‚ ¾rsà Ã‚ µbà Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ k riding, sà Ã‚ °fà Ã‚ °ri, mà Ã‚ ¾untà Ã‚ °in biking, rivà Ã‚ µr rà Ã‚ °fting à Ã‚ °nd just à Ã‚ °bà Ã‚ ¾ut à Ã‚ °ny à Ã‚ ¾thà Ã‚ µr à Ã‚ µxtrà Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ tivity. Cape town Cape Town is the most popular tourism destination for international arrivals as well as locals. Approximately 1.6 million tourists visited Cape Town in year 2006 and their total spending resulted in $10 billion of revenue. Cape town has recently expanded their International Convention center and now hosts 10% of all conferences and meeting of Africa for international and local business tourists. Also real estate business and construction market has hit its peak, when during the 2010 World Cup many people started to buy summer houses in the city or relocating there permanently. As we can see, there is a tendency for international tourists to visit South Africa more from year to year, which results in overnight stays and demand for accommodation and FB. Furthermore, the Cape Town beaches are very popular for their uniqueness and layout because of the difference in the water temperature. The Atlantic Coast average water temperature is around 13 ° Celsius, and the False Bay has an average temperature between 16 and 17 ° Celsius. Though colder, the Atlantic Coast is famous for its big waves and hosts different events including the Red Bull Big Wave Africa. Issues Unemployment   Has an extreme unemployment rate, which interacts with other social and economic problems( education, crime and poor health outcomes) over 60% of unemployed have been without jobs more than a year. In second quarter of 2010 a number of people with work fell from 61.000 to 12.700 million. Income inequality The country is ranked in the top 10 countries in the world for income inequality. Black people are poorer than colored people Indians and Asians who are poorer than Whites. Public sector strikes In August and September 2010 SA unions organized a 4 week national strike involving 1.3 million public sector workers, demanding a 8.6% wage increase. The strike ended when the government had raised its 5.2% wage increased to 7.5%. Illegal immigration Many South African employers have employed migrants from poorer neighboring countries( Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and others) for a lower pay than South African citizens. Electricity crisis After unsuccessful attempts by the government to encourage private construction of power generation capacity, the state-owned power supplier Eskom started experiencing deficiency in capacity in the electrical generating infrastructure in 2007. The lack of capacity was triggered by a failure at Koeberg nuclear power station. The supplier has been criticized for failing to adequately plan for and construct sufficient electrical generating capacity. The crisis was resolved in few month, but the margin between available capacity and national demand is still low. The government and Eskom are planning new power station (in 2025). SWOT analysis of the Tourism Industry Strengths: Weaknesses: Emerging economy Union strikes Low labor and fixed costs High poverty level Low tax Lack of skilled labor Better infrastructure and increased destination Unstable currency awareness since FIFA 2010 High rates of HIV/AIDS Opportunities: Threats: Growth of tourism from USA and European countries High crime level Low cost airlines companies (domestic market growth) Economic recession Government spending in tourism Unstable US Dollar Hosting of the 2020 summer Olympics Racial differences Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa Description Created in 1998, the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is situated on the Southwestern coast of South Africa 45 minutes, by car, from Cape Town. The hotel is embraced by the Kogelberg Mountains and bordered by the Bot River Lagoon. The Hotel is near the Cape Wine Route in the the souther tip of Africa near Cape Agulhas, and only 15-minute drive from Hermanus. Perfectly suitable for those who want to relax from the hectic life but dont want to go far away from civilization, the region where the hotel is located is rich in bird life, exquisite mountain landscapes and endless recreational activities. For guests on business there are special conference facilities that deliver standards of professionalism and comfort. General Manager Rob Kucera has been promoted to GM of the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa after three years as a hotel manager at the Westin Grand in Cape Town. Rob joined The Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays as an experienced hotelier, his most notable achievement is the establishment of an extremely focused and effective management team. His business acumen and leadership skills will undoubtedly add tremendous value to the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa and its employees. Rob Kucera has extensive experience, impeccable values and immense dedication added to a huge passion for the industry. These mentioned qualities have definitely earned him the respect from his seniors, peers, employees and guests alike. Rob Kucera has made a tremendous impact on the hotel industry this far in his career and we look forward to his continued success, says Friedrich Schaefer, COO and Area General Manager of Arabella Starwood SA. Facilities Apart from the standard facilities and services as: business center, shopping mall, valet and car rental service, airport transportation service (pick up and drop off), beauty salon, 24 hours Front Desk and Concierge service, childrens playground and babysitting service, restaurants with classic or traditional food, an wireless high internet access coverage on the premisses. The Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa provides its guests with : Chapters Library Arabella Spa with indoor and outdoor pools and jacuzzis and massage treatments The African Rainforest Experience- a world first sauna treatment developed in South Africa using African products and inspired by African rains The Sport club with a fitness center, tennis courts, horseback riding, fishing and kayaking The Unique golf course, recently voted the Number Two Golf Course in South Africa and the Top Golf Course in the Western Cape by The Complete Golfer magazine Rooms and Rates The Hotel has 265 rooms in total and brings Deluxe Rooms ( Rate is 1.672 ZAR) These large rooms are perfectly arranged for utmost comfort. Each Deluxe Room has a private balcony or terrace that overlooks garden or swimming pool. Most of 46 rooms are furnished with king size beds or twin single beds. The room can accommodate 2 adults and 1 child under two in a camping cot. Grand Deluxe Rooms (Rate is 1.950 ZAR Around 213 Euro) Offer the same style and comfort as Deluxe Room but has the additional benefit of a magnificent view of the Bot River Lagoon and Arabella Golf Course. Deluxe Suites (Rate is 2.850ZAR around 310 Euro) The room has a separate bedroom and lounge, divided by wooden sliding doors for additional privacy. The bathroom is large and for extra luxury equipped with TV set. A large balcony with loungers offers view of the perfectly manicured grounds and swimming pool. The Deluxe Suites can accommodate 2 adults and 2 children under the age of 12 and one child under the age of 2. Grand Deluxe Suites (The Rate is 3.500 ZAR around 380 Euro) The Grand Deluxe Suite provides the exceptional luxury and comfort of the Deluxe Room, with the addition of magnificent views of the Bot River Lagoon and Golf Course. Presidential Suites (The Rate is 6.500 ZAR around 705 Euro) The room offer luxury and comfort in a superbly appointed private setting complete with a 24 hours butler service to attend to your requirements. The entrance lobby affords access to the guest bathroom and beautiful lounge furnished with a fireplace. A study, accessible through the lounge, ensures a quite area to work or conduct business. Awards Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is the Winner of: Africas Leading Luxury Hotel Africas Leading Spa Resort South Africas Leading Spa Resort   Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc alliance The Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. Founded by Barry Sternlicht, it is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world, with 1000 properties in nearly 100 countries with over 145,000 employees. They have a variety of brands include : Le Mà ©ridien ®, ElementSM Hotels, AloftSM Hotels, Sheraton ® Hotels Resorts, The Luxury Collection ®, St. Regis ® Hotels Resorts, Westin ® Hotels Resorts, W Hotels ® and Four Points ® by Sheraton. In 1993 Starwood Capital buys its first hotels and by 1994 owns interests in more than 30 properties. Nowadays Starwood celebrates the opening of its 1000th   hotel in China named The Sheraton Qiandao Lake hotel. Environmental sustainability: Starwood aims to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and enhance indoor environmental quality for Starwood guests. This year, in more than 90,000 rooms, guests staying in Starwood properties will be encouraged to turn off the lights. Properties will participate by dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars. Starwoods trailblazing eco-chic boutique Element Hotels brand was launched as the first major hotel brand to mandate that all U.S. properties pursue the U.S. Green Building Councils (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificate. Globally, Starwood is increasingly focused on integrating environmental sustainability into its operations and it was important to create a partnership with a world-class organization like CI to continue to move that work forward in the most inpactful way, said Sandy Swider, Vice President of Global Citizenship for Starwood. SWOT analysis of the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa Strengths: Location: The Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is situated only 45 minutes from Cape Town offering all the benefits of the city but, at the same time, giving its guests the tranquility and privacy of a remote location. Upscale hotel: Rated a 5 star hotel The Arabella offers only the highest quality service Web page: Very interactive and beautifully designed Starwood alliance: High quality standards and strength of the brand name, the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa profits of the Starwoods achieved awards and new projects such as the Green policy History of the country: Rich historical heritage monuments and architecture Multicultural surrounding Developed infrastructure and superstructure Weaknesses: Location: The hotel is outside of the city area thus the hotel guests have some trouble getting transportation to it, even though the local transportation has improved, the regional transportation is not used at its fullest Lack of skilled labor: All though the school enrollment percentage has grown, this mainly concerns the primary education level. Skilled hoteliers are therefore still foreigners, such as Hotel School students like ourselves. Opportunities: Sports tourism: As we have seen in 2010, South Africa has been given the FIFA World Cup and presented an important economical growth, increasing the potential of their tourism sector. Having this experience, South Africa qualifies for the 2020 summer Olympic Games. We think that The Arabella Western Hotel and Spa should prepare its facilities to accommodate not only the visitors there to watch the games but also the athletes and their needs. Going green policy: Cape Town is ranked 30th greenest city in the world, plus the Arabella is following Starwoods Green Project and by incorporating the ideas and start attracting an eco friendly market segment. Threats: Unemployment rate: With the recession the unemployment rate has increased over the years. making the recovery harder. Furthermore the growth in the South African tourism will feel the crisis if the unemployment rate doesnt decrease, directly influencing the hotel. Seasonality and Occupancy level South Africa is rarely affected by seasonality issues because being situated at the most southern tip of Africa it has an ideal climate whole year round. During high seasons : November January, March April, June July and September October; the occupancy level at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is situated, in average, between 85%-95% For the rest of the year, on few occasions that we can call a low season, the occupancy level at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is in average 60%-65%. Competitors Within South Africa there are a lot of hotels and up and coming hotels. There is also a necessity for hotel rooms as there is a continuous increase of various tourists. The Marine Hotel Price: 200 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ for standard room No of rooms:64 40 minutes ride to city center Facilities: Spa, small conference room for 80 people and The collection boutique Auberge Provence Guesthouse Price : 390 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ for standard room No of rooms:90 1 hour drive to city center Facilities: 3 restaurants, Spa and Wellness center, conference rooms max 50 people. Mosselberg On Grotto Beach Price: 190 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ No of rooms: 110 1 hour ride to city center Facilities: Swimming pool, Lounge area, Games center, Free Wireless. One and only Cape town Price : 550 Euros No of rooms : 131 Located in the city center Facilities : OneOnly Spa Cape Town, Beauty Center, one Michelin star restaurant (chef Noby Matsuhisa), Conference room for 112 guests maximum. The Vendome Hotel Cape Town Price: 260 Euros No of rooms: 143 Located in the city center Facilities: outside pool, Conference facilities for approximately 220 guests, classic lounge, airport transfer. Based on the research, all the nearest 5 star hotels are very similar when it comes to location. However the prices are different. We discovered that Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa is larger than all the nearest hotels. Our hotel is the best place and offers the most, not only for leisure travelers but also for business ones. Long term sustainability Finally we are looking at the actions and ideas that the Arabella Western Cape Hotel and Spa can implement in order to continue to develop and become what we call sustainable in long term. An effective sustainable plan will help and maybe even ensure long life span for the hotel. By thinking about the environment and how our actions affect it we can predict issues that we will have to deal with in the near future. Therefore we can anticipate the loses and c

Agritourism Development In Sri Lanka Tourism Essay

Agritourism Development In Sri Lanka Tourism Essay Sri Lanka is an agricultural country and agriculture plays a vital role in the economy of the country contributing 12 GDP and 38 employment opportunities (Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 2010). Majority of the population of the country is in rural areas and the livelihood of most of these people is directly or indirectly related with agriculture. However, agriculture now has reached a relatively stagnation situation due to many problems in the sector such as high cost of production, low productivity of farm lands, poor marketing and processing facilities for agricultural products. Because of these problems, most of the people are moving out of agriculture and migrating for urban places finding jobs. This creates many socio-economic problems in rural as well as urban areas. Hence, adding extra income generating activities either through new enterprises on the farm or off-farm employment to sustain the field of agriculture would certainly enhance the economy of rural people. One of these ac tivities is agritourism that can help to find extra income, employment, and economic stability on their existing assets in a sustainable way. Agriculture is the most familiar industry for the rural people in the country and also barriers to entry the agritourism are fairly low as in comes under Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs). Small-scale farms already have many of the assets that visitors seek. It can absorb the extra labour available in rural areas. When these factors are concerned, agritourism is highly suitable for Sri Lanka. 5.3.1 Agritourism development in Sri Lanka Looking at the current situation in Sri Lanka, it is not specifically recognized for agritourism as a part of the tours. The government promotion of the field is relatively very low compare to other tourism sectors. Focusing to currently available agritourism  options in Sri Lanka, some of the major attractions are the privately owned farms such as CIC Farm (Windsor park) in Hingurakgoda, Paradise Farm Kitulgala, New Zealand Farm Nuwara-Eliya, Ceylinco Fruit Farm Midigama are the famous ones. Few local Community-based agro tourism and Individual Operations are also in practiced in a small scale (Malkanthi and Routray, 2012). However, in the country, the potential for agritourism is high. There is a good agriculture sector in the country with attractive rural landscape. Also variety in agricultural climate helping to cultivate different crops in different parts of the country, the countrys complex paddy-cultivation system, tea, rubber, coconut, fruit farming and horticulture are some examples of this diverse agritourism potential (Malkanthi and Routray, 2012). The country has an agricultural heritage which is 2,500 years old. Visitors not only learn about modern agricultural processes but also appreciate traditional methods employed many centuries ago. The ancient irrigation systems comprise more than 25,000 tanks ranging from small water bodies to those that are colossal, such as the Parakrama Samudra in Polonnaruwa. The opportunity to intertwine agritourism with heritage tourism will definitely add more flavour to the niche-market experience. (Galappatti, 2012). http://lmd.lk/2012/01/01/sustainable-tourism-3/ With the end of the war, provision of basic infrastructure such as road facilities, clean water, and electricity for many rural areas is now going on successfully by the government. Country is economically and political stable and now peaceful. Furthermore, a large number of local and foreign visitors travel across the country annually. Most of these visitors can be easily attracted if the operations are managed well. Resources rich culture and cultural diversity, geographical characteristics, and socio-cultural entities, smiling faces, visitor friendly behavioural pattern, and delicious culinary would essentially be helpful in promoting agritourism in rural Sri Lanka (Senanayaka an Wimalaratana, 2010). Hence, there is a possibility to give the tourists a wider choice in Agritourism in the country. 5.4 Tourism policies in Sri Lanka Tourism is a vital area in the policy framework of a country. The present government has identified tourism as an effective driving force in the countrys socio economic development. The programs vision for the tourism sector is to make Sri Lanka the foremost leisure destination in the South Asian Region (Ministry of economic Development, 2010). The program believes that the human resources, natural and cultural endowments values and ethos will be fundamental in transforming Sri Lanka into a centre of excellence and offer tourists the highest values of authentic experiences in its unique setting. http://www.sltda.gov.lk/ Tourism policy in Sri Lanka has a quite long history. At the early stage (1960-1980) the policies were formulated focusing the development of mass tourism in the country. Since it was a big investment to run a tourist operation with lots of facilities, ordinary people couldnt do it and so, most of the benefits of tourism in this period had gone to the affluent society such as main hotel owners and tour operators. But, with the introduction of sustainable tourism concept in 1980s, a turning point of the tourism policies of the country took placed. As a result of it, rural tourism, ecotourism, nature tourism like niche tourism operations were initiated making the opportunity to engage in tourism by the local community and get some benefits. The Development Policy Framework of the Government of Sri Lanka is committed to a sustainable Tourism Development Strategy. Protection of the environment and distribution of economic benefits to the larger cross section of the society are key components of this overall vision. It aims at positioning Sri Lanka as a model tourist destination benefiting from the countrys natural advantages of having the highest biodiversity in Asia backed by a strong culture, historical artefacts, exotic beaches, green environment and friendly people all of which are solid building blocks for tourism development. The Sri Lanka Tourist Board was the primary agency of charge in promotional and organizational responsibilities of the tourist industry in Sri Lanka until 2005. It was the main regulatory and administrative authority of tourism facility development and activates in Sri Lanka as per the Tourism Development Act No.14 of 1968. Under this Act, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board approves registers and license all tourist establishments and proposed developments. In the year 2005, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) was established under Section 2 of the tourism Act No. 38, as the apex body for Sri Lanka Tourism, replacing the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Currently, Sri Lank Tourism Development Authority is dedicated towards converting Sri Lanka to be Asias leading tourism destination by developing diverse, unique and quality tourism services and products that would make Sri Lanka as a unique destination in the world. Recognizing and developing tourist specific, unique products and servic es, preparing and executing Tourism Development Guidelines, and assisting and implementing the legal and executive process for new services and products development are the main responsibilities of it (Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, 2010). Exiting plans for the development of tourism industry in the country are; Tourism Master Plan, Sri Lanka in 1993, Southwest Coast tourism and community infrastructure development study in 2000, Ecotourism Development Strategy of Sri Lanka in 2003 and Sustainable Tourism Master Plan, Northwest Coast Sri Lanka in 2006-2007 (Government of Sri Lanka, 2007). The Tourism Development Strategy 2010-2016, the Future-Development Policy Framework is implementing in the country successfully. The government believes the multiplier effect of tourism development in formation of employment opportunities and distribution of wealth through a variety of economic activities predominantly in the SME sector, taking the advantage of SMEs being able to link micro enterprises from one side and large scale corporate sector on the other side. The tourism sector has been identified as one of the key sectors propelling the countrys economic growth. According to the core philosophy of the present master plan for tourism development, the ultimate beneficiaries of tourism development strategy should be the people of the country: the farmers who supply rice, vegetables and fruit, the fishermen who deliver the catch of the day, the craftsmen who produce souvenirs, the guides who escort the visitors and the young men and women serving in the industry with the unique Sri Lankan hospitality. 5.4.2 Strategies involved There is a great scope for promoting tourism particularly within the region due to historic and cultural ties of Sri Lanka with the South Asia, Middle-East and Far-East. Sri Lanka is part of a region which includes already industrialized economies such as Japan, Korea, and Singapore and rapidly emerging economies such as India and China which are capable of altering the economic landscape of the world during the next few decades. Sri Lanka also with its unique geographical location, diversity, quality human resources, peace and stability has all the ingredients in place to play a key role in the regional development as a fast emerging market economy in Asia (Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, 2010). The Tourism Development Strategy 2010-2020 is addressing the wider important issues related to the industry including the government policy, capacity and manpower build-up requirements, infrastructure development, improving service standards, marketing and promotions, regulations, guidelines, public relations, tourist safety and improvements to domestic tourism (Table 5.4). In this ten year master plan, several important strategies that are going to be covered are creating an environment conducive for tourism, attracting the right type of tourists to the country, ensuring that departing tourists are happy, improving domestic tourism and contributing towards improving the global image of Sri Lanka (Tourism Development strategy in Sri Lanka, 2010). Table 5.4 Summary of Tourism Policy strategies and targets Source: The Department of National Planning of Sri Lanka, 2010 5.4.3 Policy Framework to Support Investors and the Industry The government has addressed several policy related issues that are affecting the industry such as, (a) the restoration of a simple tax regime to obtain benefits for the stakeholder (b) simplification of licensing procedures to make easy and quick procedure of getting license (c) reduction of the high electricity tariffs to overcome to cost of tourism operations (d) unification of the regulatory environment and creating a single authority for tourism promotion to make efficient and effective management mechanism,(e) creating opportunities to promote shopping of internationally reputed branded products and entertainment to enhance the quality standards, (f) simplification of the investment approval process by setting up of a One Stop Shop for tourism related investments to motivate the investors, (g) streamlining the process of alienating government land for tourism development projects to overcome the space problem, (h) attracting internationally reputed tourist hotels to enhance the standard of the industry and, above all (i) environmentally friendly, clean-city concept for urban development to make cities attractive for the visitors, (http://srilanka.travel/catalog/view/theme/default/image/pdf/English.pdf, 2012) 5.4.4 Ecotourism policy in Sri Lanka There is no separate policy for agritourism or rural tourism. They are still under the ecotourism policy guidelines. Ecotourism policy was formalized in the recent past and therefore, it has a very short history. With the expansion of the ecotourism sector and the related institutions, in year 2003 government has taken the initial step to develop the ecotourism sector with the help of the Norwegian Technical Assistance program and prepared the document ecotourism policy guidelines. It is a detailed document and all policy aspects regarding ecotourism have been explained clearly. The main features of the policies have been summarized in the table 5.5. This national ecotourism policy outlines the principles, objectives and actions that necessary to facilitate the development of a sustainable tourism industry that contributes to resource conservation while optimizing economic benefits for the current and future generations of the country. The regulations have been compiled as to help al l those involved in tourism in Sri Lanka to ensure that the industry is developed, managed, and regulated in a sustainable manner, to appropriate standards. By highlighting the core requirements of ecotourism, it is intended that the regulations will enable planning bodies to make fair and informal assessment of proposed ecotourism development, activities and facilities (Sri Lanka Tourist Board, 2003) . 5.4.5 Need for Agritourism policy As mentioned before, agritourism is similar to ecotourism in several ways. Both are rural tourism sectors and niche tourism operations. They have very close links with local residents, natural environment, rural development and local governments. So that, most of the aspects of agritourism development such as establishment, management, can be handled by the ecotourism policy in the country. However, when agritourism is concerned, it has a strong forward and backward links with one of the big sectors agriculture. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Sri Lanka. The ecotourism policy is unable to handle the agricultural side of agritourism such as agricultural land management, loans and credits, training and education, quality control of farm products, marketing of agricultural goods and services etc. As per the present statistics and future estimations of visitors in the country in the chapter 6.3, there will be a good demand for agritourism in near future. Moreover, as explai ned in the chapter 6.2, the present visitors are not satisfied with many attributes of agritourism operations due to poor levels. Furthermore, according to the chapter 6.3 regarding the local residents perception on the contribution of agritourism for the local development is not so high. In this context in order to have a better satiation, it is important to have a separate set of policy for agritourism development. Fortunately, the current government has realized the importance of agritourism and it has been included in the future development agenda (Ministry of Finance and Planning, 2010). Therefore, it is timely important to pay attention on important policies by now to motivate the agritourism development in the country Table 5.4: Ecotourism Policy in Sri Lanka Aspect Description Principles of Ecotourism 1. Minimize alleviate negative environmental, social cultural impacts. 2. Optimize revenues for industry and for re-invest in conservation. 3. Optimize the active involvement of equitable distribution of economic benefits to local communities. 4. Educate visitors and citizens about the importance of conserving Sri Lankas natural cultural heritages. 5. Promote ethical behaviour responsibilities towards the nature cultural environment. 6. Manage operations such that there are long term benefits to the resource, industry and the local community. 7. Deliver a high quality, value-for-money, enlighten and participatory natural resource and culture-based experience for visitors. 8. Encourage travel in a spirit of humanity, respect and learning about local hosts, their culture and the natural environment. Objectives of ecotourism 1. to promote facilitate the development of ecotourism sites, activities and facilities in a manner that is consistent with the principles of ecotourism. 2. to educate all stakeholders about the concept of ecotourism, the economic opportunities that it offers and the actions that are required to develop a successful industry in Sri Lanka. 3. to expand the range of ecotourism products, services and facilities available in Sri Lanka. 4. to increase the number of Sri Lankans involved in ecotourism and facilitate the development of community-owned and managed ecotourism enterprises. 5. to contribute to and influence a more sustainable form of tourism in Sri Lanka, through a diverse range of measures: incentives, education, guidelines, regulations and marketing. 6. to contribute to conservation of natural eco-systems. Ecotourism policy interventions 1. In the planning and regulation of the ecotourism sector. 2. In developing, managing and operating ecotourism facilities and activities. 3. In ecotourism at natural and cultural heritage sites. 4. In Community/local economic development. 5. In conservation, education and awareness and 6. In Ecotourism implementation. Source: Ministry of Tourism, Sri Lanka, 2008 5.4.6 Agritourism Policies in Other Countries The development of agritourism raises substantial policy issues. Two reasons for this are that agritourism may generate significant externalities and that it is of considerable economic importance as an activity. Development policies are decisions taken by the government for the improvement of particular sector/aspect of a country and agritourism development policies are decisions drawn by the government for the improvement of the agritourism sector of a country. Many countries that are conducting agritourism have developed agritourism development policies according to their own context. Many government agencies have introduced policies and programs with the aim of encouraging agritourism development. A wide variety of government laws and regulations are essential for the smooth functioning of agritourism Operations and sustainable development in future. After reviewing the many policies and programs aimed at agritourisrm development, support can be categorized into three areas: fina ncial aids, technical information and marketing strategies. These broad strategies tend to promote agritourism development by affecting either supply or demand. Financial Aids Incentive policies and programs directed at increasing agritourism development have been launched in many countries (Hjalager, 1996; Frater, 1983). In Britain, the Farm Diversification Grant Scheme came into effect in 1987 and provided financial assistance to farm operators wishing to set up an ancillary business on or adjacent to their farm (Gasson, 1988). This policy was aimed at maintaining the farmers income while the government reduced support prices for agriculture products. Unfortunately, the policy did not prove to be successful, since many farm operators chose not to participate in the program (Ilbery, 1992; Gasson, 1988; Winter, 1987). Financial assistance for agritourism development continues to be provided throughout many parts of Europe (Williams, 1996; Greffe, 1994; Frater, 1985). In France, farmers can obtain grants or loans to finance the conversion of farm buildings (Greffe, 1994). In West Germany, financial aid is available for agritourism facility development withi n the context of village renewal and regional development programs (Williams, 1996). Authorities in Portugal, Belgium, Spain and ltaly also provide financial assistance for rural development. The Irish government created the Operational Programme for Rural Development as a mechanism to diversify the rural economy (Williams, 1996). Initially this policy met with limited success, until it was modified in 1991 to expand its financial support and accept a wider range of participants (Williams, 1996; Reid et al., 1993 Technical Information Another type of action taken by authorities is the provision of technical information and consultation services to farm operators. In the United States, the Small Business Administration organized advisory and training services (Greffe, 1994). Workshops are devoted to such subjects as retail trade, home-based businesses, promotion of tourist products and managing businesses in the hospitality sector (Gustafson, 1997). In particular, the state of New York has developed several publications on how to open and operate a farm based bed and breakfast business. Authorities in this state have also initiated conferences for agritourism fanners. These sessions focused on issues such as promoting and merchandising your business, insurance and legalities, making your business multi-seasonal and thinking like a tourist(Williarns, 1996). In certain European countries, the systematic labeling of agritourism businesses has become a primary objective for some authorities. Onicials in France, Germany and Austria have developed a national system to ensure high standards amongst al1 agritourism operators (Williams, 1996; Greffe, 1994). The guidelines used by authorities are very detailed and are strongly enforced. Many countries have organized information through training sessions. The Nordic countries have responded to the needs of agricultural universities by providing courses through universities and colleges (Greffe, 1994). In Austria, the Farm Holiday Association provides training sessions on tourism trends, marketing and sales, investments and public relations. These services are provided for both the farm operators as well as staff members (Embacher, 1994). German officials offer training sessions to local farm operators which focus on the needs of paying guests (Williams, 1996). In Wales, a specific program has been set up, Getting into Rural Tourism, which is intended to train people in the management of paying guests (Greffe, 1994). Marketing Strategies In many parts of the world, government agencies are trying to bridge the gap between agritourism businesses and their potential customers by offering marketing support. Promotion could include such strategies as the development of brochures and also participation in tourism trade shows. In Belgium, it is the Office de Promotion Touristique that assumes this marketing role (Greffe, 1994). It is the Austrian Farm Holiday Association that promotes agritourism in Austria. This association is a w-operative marketing organization which links individual farm businesses on a regional, provincial and federal level (Embacher, 1994; Bramwell, 1994). In France, the Gites De France Services, Logis de France Service and the WF Tourisme were al1 created for advertising and marketing purposes (Greffe, 1994). The federal and state governments in Germany are instrumental in promoting farm-based accommodations, especially for the small and medium-size farms. (Oppermann, 1996). The Australian State Tour ism Industry Association plays an intricate role in marketing and promoting host farms (AFACT, 1997). Finally, in New York State, the promotion and marketing of host farms is accomplished through Farm Tour brochures (Hilchey, 1993). 5.4.7 Issues and Challenges of the Agritourism sector in Sri Lanka Firstly, strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of agritourism were analyzed the operators point of view. After that, these factors were also discussed with key informants and local government officers of the area to examine them in different point of views to get a complete picture of it (Table 5.5). Finally main challenges (weaknesses and threats) were clearly identified. Table 5.5: SWOT Analysis for policy related issues of agritourism using Operators, Key Informants and Local Government Officers Strengths Availability of farm land/s for the operators. Use of traditional knowledge and skills in farming and agritourism activities. Ability to use family labour Ability to integrate with other tourism sectors and arts and crafts industry. Positive attitude and enthusiasm of the operators Weaknesses Mostly small size farms Problems on ownership of some farm lands Less variety in supply of agritourism Lack of knowledge on foreign languages (especially English) of operators Lack of necessary skills Poor level of processing of farm products Problems with quality control of goods and services Limited scope for direct sales of the produce Poor publicity and promotion of operations Opportunities Natural scenic beauty, clean environment and attractive climate in farming areas Availability of human resource (labour) for farm and tourism work. Some support form government and some NGOs for the operations (credit facilities/ training programs). Support from local people (community participation). Since agritourism is getting popular in the world, raising demand and potential for expansion. Up coming supportive infrastructure development initiatives at national and provincial levels. Threats Lack of organization, a responsible authority for development, marketing, facilitation and regulation. Unavailability of a common agritourism development fund at local level Competition among agritourism operations Lack of systematic taxation for agritourism operations Weak management of negative impacts. Poor distribution of positive impacts Tourism development by operators merely focused on income generation. Poor level of infrastructure facilities. Insufficient government intervention Monopoly of tour operators. Lack of stakeholder collaboration. Political influences Low number of visitors Lack of community participation and participation readiness due to low socio-economic conditions. Insufficient capacity of local community to take part in agritourism development successfully. Unavailability of insurance policy for many destinations Lack of research in agritourism There are significant challenges facing by the agritourism sector at present. This requires designation management approach to come up with solutions resulted from a clear strategic thinking process. Further, to fully realize the opportunities assuring mutual benefits through tourism, capitalize on strengths, understanding shared responsibility of industry stakeholders and communicates it appropriately expecting strategic commitment from the industry. 5.4.8 Policy Suggestions for Agritourism Development in Sri Lanka Policy formulation is a systematic process. Identification of policy goal, formulation of policy objectives based on the policy goals, understanding of policy action for each policy objectives and identification of strategy for each and every policy action is the general procedure. When a policy is formulated, it is very important to follow all the steps of the process to have accurate policies. The policy goal of this study was to reach the agritourism development in the country. According to the SWOT analysis, a number of challenges (weaknesses and threats) of agritourism development were identified. In order to overcome these challenges, three broad policy objectives were drawn as agritourism development, visitor satisfaction and community development. Under each policy objective, relevant problems, suitable policy suggestions and policy strategy for each and every policy suggestion were formed. Several discussions with university lecturers were conducted in this regards. Results are present in the (Table 5.6). 5.4.8.1 Broad Policy Objectives of the Development of Agritourism Sector a. Agritourism Development in the Country Agritourism will be able to bring some support for life and prosperity of the country that is capable of sound economic prospects facilitating integrated development. It may require minimal additional investment and may utilize excess capacity of labour, capital, land, and natural resources. There are potential benefits of agritourism for local agriculture and rural communities. Tourists bring in money to local communities that keep rural communities alive and prosperous. Partnering of tourism and the green industry will help create and strengthen rural economics. b. Visitor Satisfaction in Agritourism Tourist satisfaction primarily reflected the service quality and is crucial to the continued viability of any service business, including agritourism businesses. Therefore, consideration on the aspect is important to successful destination marketing because it influences the choice of destination, the consumption of products and services, and the decision to return. Consideration should be on local and non local visitor satisfaction. It is vital to understand the areas such as how do visitors assess their satisfaction with tourist attractions as well as the factors influencing visitor satisfaction. c. Community Development and Agritourism It is obvious that the diverse communities that involve in agritourism seek fair rewards for their involvement, commitment, and resources deployed for development. The proposed agritourism development should focus on this aspect and be reasonable for delivering such rewards for the communities who actively take part in every aspect of agritourism from planning and development to operations. Table 5.6: Policy Goals and Respective Policy Suggestions and Strategies Policy objective Issues and challenges Policy suggestion/s (at different government levels) Relevant Policy Strategies Policy objective 1 Agritourism development Farm lands are small in size Provision of lands for needy agritourism operators by the national government Distribution or long term leasing of government lands Provision of access to public lands around the destination Introduction of Community-based agritourism for the farmers Networking of small scale agritourism operators Problems in the ownership of some farm lands Provision of ownership to the operators by the national government Provision of real ownership or user right. Avoid land disputes. Lack of capital for agritourism development Promotion of financial support systems by the national government Loans at concession rate for medium and scale farmers Loans at normal interest rate for large-scale operators Lack of knowledge and skills on agribusiness management Provision of required education and training, information technology and related extension services for relevant personnel by the provincial governments Workshops, seminars, awareness programs, lectures on agritourism development and marketing should be conducted in suitable time durations Unavailability of a responsible authority for development, facilitation and regulation of agritourism Formation of an Agritourism Management Group for relevant provinces by the provincial governments Agritourism management group should include representatives of all the categories of stakeholders and it should be the responsible body for coordinating, development, marketing, facilitation and regulation of agritourism activities. Low number of visitors due to poor level of promotion and marketing of agritourism Formation of marketing strategies by the Agritourism Management Group of the Province National government supported advertising and promotions Marketing via websites , face book, at