Tourism

School Ties is a story of David Green, a young man from the working class, and how he was brought to study in an exclusive and elite 1950s boys school to play in its football team and help beat the schools rivals.
David has a very humble background and lives a life that is far from those of the other students studying in that prestigious school. Despite of these, he is capable of gaining new friends and is a supreme athlete as well.

One thing that the students do not know about David is that he is a Jew. He has kept this a secret because of fear of rejection. The school benefits from his football skills by winning championships and while David makes this great contribution, he also knew that his admission to this school could help him get into Harvard.
The conflict started when Charlie Dillon, one of his classmates, discovers that he is a Jew. Religious inequality exists at that time in America and the discovery of Davids Jewish background was not acceptable to his classmates. The climax of the movie starts when a conflict that involves a cheating scandal arises between David and Charlie. The incident resulted to Charlies expulsion from the school while David had been asked to stay. David pledged to him self and to the school principal that just as the school used him for football he will use it as well to get to Harvard.

The film highlights and emphasizes religious inequality and how powerful the elite people are at that time in maintaining their privileges and status in the society by attending to schools like the one featured in this movie.

Assertion of Theme or Character
In the movie, School Ties, the theme is the religious inequality that existed in America in the 1950s and how the Jewish people had to struggle in order to protect their rights, defend themselves and their religion while trying to fulfil their dreams.

Reaction to the Movie
The film, School Ties, had set an example of how religious inequality can affect individuals and how ones religion can be the subject for discrimination or rejection. It presented how a lot of people can throw judgements to a person based on his religion. In this movie, David struggled to hide his being a Jew because he knew that this will have an impact on his presence in a prestigious school. There are huge chances that he will lose all the attention he is getting, his friends will turn their backs on him and he can lose all the opportunities if he reveals that he is a Jew. It is apparent in the movie that choosing to hide his Jewish background can pave the way to his aspirations and can provide him human pleasures as well. In reaction to this, despite of Davids feelings, he had made his choice between his ambition and his religion.

The ugly concept of using each other for the benefits is also clearly reflected in this movie. The school used David to gain prestige in football while David used the school to reach his objective of getting into Harvard. This is a very relevant issue that a lot of people face even at present. Acceptance in this society is very conditional. It is actually a privilege in itself. People who are facing discrimination are only accepted based what they are capable of contributing instead of who they really are. They will only be welcomed under certain conditions and if they can deliver what is being demanded from them. There is no human compassion involved. This is the reason why some people choose to keep a part of their identity hidden  to gain social acceptance, for their capabilities to be recognized and to be regarded as valuable beyond their flaws. People do this not only to protect themselves but more importantly, to fulfil their personal aspirations and to eliminate all barriers.

In conclusion to that, the concept of the film can be described as fair and balanced.

The Other Sister  Movie Summary
The film, The Other Sister, is about a 22-year old young woman named Carla Tate who comes from a wealthy family and is also slightly mentally challenged. She had spent years of her life in a sheltered and private boarding school. In her return to her home in Northern California, she faces her parents who are very emotional in dealing with her and are at the same time ridden with guilt for sending her away. Carla had to deal with the limitations set by her overprotective mother, Elizabeth. That is the biggest limitation that Carla must learn how to overcome while hoping for a normal life like her sisters.

Carla then decides to take a class at a trade school. Soon enough, she meets Daniel, a young man who is equally challenged mentally. Despite of Daniels condition and limitations, he manages to live on his own and maintains a job at a bakery. This display of independence had brought Carla into a new light. She also dares to dream about being independent and being in love. However, her mother refuses to see her as a capable adult.

The turning point of the film was when Daniel fails in his class and his father decided to cut off his financial support. He faces to move in Florida and join his mother. At this point, Daniel and Carla rely on each other and try to find a solution to be together. They decide to face and enter a world where they can assume adult responsibilities and opportunities by getting married.

Assertion of Theme or Character
In the movie, The Other Sister, the theme is focused on a mentally challenged young womans struggle for independence and equal opportunity and her familys reaction to her disability which had kept her from having a normal or near normal life.

Reaction to the Movie
The movie, The Other Sister, provides enlightenment to people who have misconceptions about mental retardation, developmental delay and cognitive impairment. It can lead people to a brand new understanding of these conditions and how affected individuals can cope up despite their disability.

In this movie, Carla struggled to fight for her independence despite her overprotective mothers reaction to her condition. Carla had demonstrated strength of character and intelligence amidst all the issues she has to deal with  her disability, her family and her struggles.

A persons disability is not always a barrier or hindrance towards achieving a normal life. More often, it is the familys lack of understanding and support that makes a person disabled. Carlas parents had been overcome by their over-protectiveness towards her. If you try to view the movie in a different perspective and draw your focus away from Carlas mentally challenged state, you will realize that the problem does not actually lie with her inherent abilities but rather in the attitude and behaviour that her parents demonstrate regarding her condition. This reaction is usual for parents especially the ones who also have a normal child. The comparison in terms of functionality cannot be eliminated completely. However, family support is highly beneficial for people who have disabilities. More than the love, compassion and attention that families can provide to special children, it is also important to offer encouragement and support to enable them to achieve their maximum potential and live life normally to as far as their abilities would allow them to.

Indeed, the needs of people with disabilities and of their families are best viewed as complementary, since the over- arching goal is the empowerment of the entire family (Marsh, 1992, p. 55).

Our team chose Dubai Marriott Harbor Hotel located in Dubai, UAE for tone of the four next training meetings of the company.  This hotel is just 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport with 232 magnificent one, two and three bedroom suites. In a 10 minute walk of the hotel one will find oneself in Dubai Marina, next to Dubai Yacht Club and Dubai Marina Mall. ( HYPERLINK httpwww.marriott.comhotelstraveldxbhr-dubai-marriott-harbour-hotel-and-suites httpwww.marriott.comhotelstraveldxbhr-dubai-marriott-harbour-hotel-and-suites) Further reasons to choose this location is that participants will be able to visit several worth visiting locations in Dubai. Tourists have been interested in Dubai due to several ground-breaking large construction projects and sports proceedings.

According to the data of year 2007, Dubai was the 8th most visited city in the entire world. Dubai is anticipated to lodge over 15 million tourists by 2016. Dubai is the most densely inhabited emirate of the seven emirates of United Arab Emirates. Dubai is also recognized as shoppers paradise. This city has nearly 80 shopping malls. The biggest shopping mall is also located here named Dubai Mall. Dubai is identified for its market place where all sorts of goods are dealt. Jumeirah Beach Park, Mushrif Park and Safa Park are worth visiting amusement parks from Dubai. Hawks Cay Resort is situated in Florida on the island of Duck Key. The resort provides the worlds preeminent fishing, thrilling water sports, dolphin contact programs, a saltwater lagoon, five stunning swimming pools, and an assortment of lavish accommodations, consisting guest rooms, suites and villas. Mandarin Oriental is situated in the historical Barcelona, Spain.

Another reason to choose Dubai for the meeting is Spanish food. It is very traditional and is obtainable in all places of the city. In addition to traditional Spanish food, South Asian and Chinese gastronomies are also extremely popular and are extensively obtainable. Barcelona attracts thousands of tourists due to traditional bull fighting. Bull fighting in Spain is unique in the whole world. Bull fighting has changed few aspects in modern times. Bull fighting in Spain has generated some other thrilling activities for the tourists as well as locals like the event where people have to run ahead of bulls on the streets of the city. Kona Village Resort is situated in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Activities at this resort comprise golfing on a private golf course. Kona Village resort is a very special vacation experience location and the tropical scenery permits visitors to experience traditional aspects of the society of the area.  Kona Village Resort offers visitors an experience packed with long-established French Polynesian traditions and an exact flavor of Hawaii.  Though conventional Hawaiian culture remains just as vestiges in contemporary Hawaiian culture, there are reenactments of the rituals throughout the islands.

In Henry Hudson exploration, he passed by the west side of Coney Island in 1609, it was no more than stretch of sand, clam beds, a waste land you wouldnt think for a moment that it will later be named as the Americas favorite playground. Who would think of putting an amusement park in such a place, who would even think at that time that Coney Island would soon be called the city of the future
Coney Island was still a waste land two centuries after Henry Hudson had discovered it, in 1847 Coney Islands west side was known for clams and beer over looking the ocean. But Coney Island was still a far cry from what it became known for, Coney Islands crime back then was at large, one visitor said that picnics was solely for the benefit of the pick pockets. The chaotic west was by far very different from the sophisticated east side of Coney Island. Three hotels were put up in the east side of Coney Island, all from respectable families, the east side even pays detectives to patrol the beach and secure their guests safety. The beach of Coney Island also became an attraction, before all the amusement parks were built. People who are to cautious to stay at the west side of Coney Island and too poor for the east side of Coney Island, stayed in a land that was know as west bite. The people who gave Coney a chance were merely tourist who became involved with the city itself probably felt that Coney Island should be more than just a waste land.

The development of Coney Island came only in 1875, it started with a man named John McKain. Coney Island is getting ready for the age of the machine. In 1876, an observation tower was transferred in Coney Island, an elevator brings them to the top of it, and it was also the tallest structure in United States back then. Electric bathing is also at large then a light powered by electricity that light up the beach at night so that swimmers can see. Tourist can not only see what they are doing in the beach at night that was also the time where tourists get to have a hotdog. In 1884, Marcus Thompson first created the switch back railway, after that the loop d loop was born and the flip flop railway, one of the first kids of roller coasters. But because it can only take four people at a time and often damage them, it went out of business. Before Coney Island becomes the nations playground it first had to endure being called the Sodom by the sea, corruption was also at large then. Coney Island once again is starting to loose its hope to ever becoming the city of the future. After McKain was thrown in jail for rigging the election, a new rule was set up and the hotel managements was then doomed to follow and continue their business without vice.

Soon after electricity and before the three great amusement parks stood, then came consolidation in tourism, attracting them with films of Coney Island. Coney Island represented change, people who go to Coney Island at that time is subjected to change, they experience being scared of doing things they love.

The stagnation of tourist in Coney Island came when the three amusement park, It started with McKains successor, who was not a politician but a show man, he was George C. Tilyu. He ruled Coney Island with controlled chaos, a far better rule than when McKains rule where corruption and chaos rules the whole island. He set up a wheel on the spot, his competitor at that time was a sea captain who had set up a sea lion park. Tilyu not wanting to be out thrown by the captain, he created an amusement park, Steeplechase. Steeplechase was one of the first three great amusement parks.  Then came Luna Park and Dreamland. When the three parks was build, Coney Islands image of being a waste land was no longer remembered, Coney Island was from then on was called The city of future.  Coney Islands trio has shown the whole world want it mean to have fun, Coney Island became the happiest place on earth. The tourism in Coney Island is at its peak, it was a place that provides special things, and it is where you encounter strangeness. Among the bizarre attraction of Coney Island is the Fetus Incubator, Roller Coasters, and array of lights in designs unimaginable. From the Victorian Era, Coney Island has shown the world what Modernist is.
As they say, all good things come to end. Coney Island was swept away three times by fire, each time they gain back what they have and added a little more, but after the last fire that have swept away both Luna Park and Dreamland, Coney Island was lost. The tourist in Coney Island has reduced and then decline. Some say it was because Coney Island was not needed anymore, the wonderful magnet that Coney Island have was gone. People no longer save for a year and then go to Coney Island Coney Island was just not that special anymore. The last of the three park to go down was Steeplechase, the park has survived till 1960, then turn off their light for the last time.

Coney Island has never regained its former glory, being the town of the future. If asked if the glory of Coney Island Should be re created again, yes, in times like this, escaping to a world where all you do is have fun sounds delightful, but re-creating the magic of Coney Island would be next to impossible. Tolerance and freedom once ruled Coney Island they say Coney Island was the perfect example or the declaration of independence. The glory of Coney Island back had a magnet to people, a magnet that shook their inner self, Coney Island is place that both fascinates them and scares them.  Now, it is no more than a nostalgic past.

The JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa in Phoenix, Arizona was opened in November 2002 with a total number of 950 rooms of which 476 rooms is standard doubles, 393 rooms are standard kings, 38 are executive suites with kings, 35 are luxury suites with Murphy, 4 are hospitality suites, and 4 are presidential suites. JW Marriott Desert Ridge has made changes prior to the establishments opening in 2002. Several upgrades were integrated including the style and features in all rooms (Marriott bed package, pillow-top mattress, new duvets, and sheeting). Technology packs were also installed in all rooms that include HD flat screen televisions with plug and play features. In addition, 25,000 square foot and 15,000 square foot function areas were built after the opening of the hotel. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010a Marriott, 2010a)

The average rate for guests is marked 309.00, but also vary depending on the season. Peak season begins from October and ends in April while the shoulder season starts in May and ends in September. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010a) JW Marriott Desert Ridge boasts of various highly rated facilities within the hotels premises. The hotel offers a wide range of services that are suited for males and females, children and adults, and sports enthusiasts. JW Marriott Desert Ridge has a 3-star spa with 41 treatment rooms an 18-hole golf course, a tennis center, a fitness center, and sparkling pools for sports-oriented guests and the KokopelliKids Club for children. On site, there are also various establishments and resort shops that guests usually frequent such as coffee shops, restaurants, ballroom areas and clubs, shopping centers, business centers, and so on. (Lodging Hospitality, 2008 18)

Figure 1. Floor Map of JW Marriott Desert Ridge Hotel

Background
The capability of JW Marriott Desert Ridge to gain competitive edge over other successful hotel establishments will be the focus of the case study considering the establishments unique features and services for its clients. Determining the unique features and kinds of services offered by JW Marriott Desert Ridge is expected to yield positive results in guiding other hotel establishments about best practices in hospitality and lodging management especially since the particular establishment has fared successfully when compared with the establishments competitors. Although JW Marriott Desert Ridge has only opened in 2002, the quality of services and capability of the hotel is comparable to other hospitality establishments that have been in the business for decades. JW Marriott Desert Ridge is even a larger establishment next to old hotels in the US, and thus, is assumed to lead occupancy rates with the number of rooms and extensive amenities and facilities made available on site. Table 1 below shows a comparison among well-known large-sized hotels including JW Marriott Desert Ridge. (Lodging Hospitality, 2008 18)
Table 1. Amenities and Facilities in Large-Sized Hotels

BiltmoreFairmont ScottsdaleHyatt RegencyPhoenicianWestin KierlandJW Marriott Desert RidgeYear Opened192919861976198820022002OwnedMorgan StanleyStrategic Hotels  ResortsHyatt CorpStarwoodHost MarriottMorgan StanleyTotal Rooms739649490654732950Suites2012425755581Villas 670107320Meeting Space sqft100,23353,00070,00064,000175,000230,000Number of meeting rooms272829314042Restaurants345564Lounges112211SPA -Treatment rooms152719292141GolfAdobe - 18 holesGolf Partners withArroyo - 9 holesCanyon 9 holesAcacia 9 holesArnold Palmer 18 holesLinks - 18 holesTPC - 18holesDunes - 9 holesDesert 9 holesIronwood 9 holesNick Faldo 18 holesWe-Ko-Pa  Cholla 18 hole Saguaro 18 holesOasis 9 holes(closed for 2009)Mesquite 9 holesGreyhawk 18 holesTroon North - 18 holes

Based on Table 1, it is palpable that JW Marriot Desert Ridge is the largest in sized considering the number of rooms in the establishment, the number of facilities and amenities, and so on. Furthermore, Table 1 shows that although JW Marriott Desert Ridge was only established in 2002, it has greater offerings that other hotels. JW Marriott Desert Ridge has the most number of rooms, meeting space, spa treatment rooms, and meeting rooms. (Medical Meetings, 2007) One of JW Marriott Desert Ridges most appealing features is its golf course. Onsite are two golf courses in the establishments Wildfire Golf Club  the Palmer Course and Faldo Course, 7, 145 yards and 6,846 yards respectively. The golf course is one of JW Marriott Desert Ridges offerings that pull increased clientele to the establishment especially since the championship golf course also hosts professional golf tournaments. There are also nearby golf courses, such as the Padre Course and Indian Bend Course at the Camelback Golf Club.

The ability of JW Marriott Desert Ridge, even as a newcomer, to compete with other hospitality establishments prove the relevance of determining and analyzing management decisions and guidelines implemented within the establishment. The context of the case study was based on the interest of understanding how JW Marriott Desert Ridge is able to maintain competitive advantage.

Location
The location of JW Marriott Desert Ridge may be considered as a strategic advantage for the establishment. JW Marriott Desert Ridge is strategically located on site the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, which makes the establishment accessible to travelers. The location of the hotel may also be an advantage for travelers who want to be within reach of the local airport. Thus, most travelers will be willing to check in the JW Marriott Desert Ridge for convenience purposes. Adding to the convenience and accessibility of JW Marriott Desert Ridge is its proximity to the citys exit through the Loop 101 freeway. Aside from being near the airport and the freeway, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge is also neighboring the Desert Ridge marketplace and the City North where most people, whether locals or tourists, frequent for shopping, dining, unwinding and so on.

Figure 2. Satellite View of JW Marriot Desert Ridge
Source Google, 2010
The proximity of JW Marriott Desert Ridge to Las Vegas may be either an advantage or disadvantage that affects the organizations occupancy rates. On the map below, it may be seen that JW Marriott Desert Ridge is over 80 miles North East of Phoenix. The nearness of JW Marriott Desert Ridge may be an advantage especially since many people are travelling to Las Vegas daily. Individuals who travel by air stopping at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and even those who drive up to Las Vegas and pass by Phoenix may choose to settle first in the state before heading to Nevada. In this case, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge may prove to be a worthy stop over. On the other hand, however, the situation may be a disadvantage. The proximity of the JW Marriott Desert Ridge to Las Vegas may be a source of competition. It is possible that travelers will directly choose to visit Las Vegas rather than stay in Phoenix, which means that Las Vegas is luring more visitors and travelers in, keeping the economy within the area high and healthy.

However, whether the establishments location is an advantage or a disadvantage to the organization, it is clear that it would be best for guests at the hotel resort to bring or rent their cars in order to facilitate convenient travel from the hotel to another location, such as the airport, the golf course, the nearby mall, and other cities that guests may want to visit such as Las Vegas. The drive from JW Marriott Desert Ridge to Las Vegas is short, averaging 1.5 hours, while it takes only a few minutes to drive from the hotel resort to nearby establishments such as malls, restaurants, etc.

Figure 3. Satellite View Showing the Proximity of JW Marriot Desert Ridge to Las Vegas
Source Google, 2010

As previously discussed, the peak season at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge begins from October to April while the shoulder season is between May to November. Occupancy rates vary due to the seasonal climate in the state. The climate in Phoenix is generally dry with extreme weather conditions. During the summer, the temperature will rise extremely and will go down during the winter season. The highest temperature in the state reaches from 100 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Lowest temperatures during the winter season reach 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, the weather patterns are acclimated to the seasons receiving generous and equal amount s of rain and sunlight. The state experiences heavy rains especially during March and drying sunlight during June. The proximity however, of Phoenix to the Gulf of California makes the state vulnerable to extreme weather catastrophes such as hails and overpowering winds. (Ahrens, 2008 56-59)

Resort

 The services and amenities available at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge make the hotel an ideal place for a diverse mix of consumer population. The hotel offers various services and activities for the young and old, men and women, and individuals with different interests, such as sports, shopping, relaxation, dining, and so on. JW Marriot Desert Ridges market segment is thus, mixed targeting solo travelers, couples, groups, families, business individuals, companies, etc. Although the clientele of JW Marriott Desert Ridge consists of both local and international guests, majority of customers are from the country, usually travelling from other cities to take a vacation or businessmen who conduct meetings and conferences at the hotel resort. As for available services, Table 2 below shows the offerings of JW Marriott Desert Ridge for its diverse clientele.

Table 2. Services or Offerings of JW Marriot Desert Ridge to Diverse Guests

Type of GuestAvailable ServicesAmenitiesPackages

Sports EnthusiastsPhysically Active GuestsGolf Course by the Wildlife Golf Club
Tennis courts at the Tennis Center
    -with full-service staff for carrying    equipment, training, private lessons, first aid.
Shopping Center for sporting goods and equipment
Swimming Pools
Fitness Gyms
Spa Center
   -salon services including salon, bistro, and boutique services
Walking Trails
Segway Transport
Bike Rentals

Business-Related Events, Businessmen and women, and other large events such as Weddings, Birthday Parties, etc.Function halls
   -Grand Canyon Ballroom
   -Grand Sonoran Ballroom
   -Grand Saguaro Ballroom
   -Wildflower Ballroom
Meeting rooms
Wi-Fi Access

Parents and their ChildrenNickelodeon Getaway
   -poolside shows
   -games and entertainment
   -arts and crafts
   -watercolor workshops
Bike Rentals
StargazingSingle Men and Women, Couples, ParentsSpa Center
   -salon services including salon, bistro, and boutique services
Dining areas
   -Ristorante Tuscany
   -Blue Sage Restaurant
   -Just a Splash Bar  Grill
   -Roys Hawaiian Fusion Cosine
   -Meritage Steakhouse
   -Vista Lounge
   -Starbucks Caf
   -Blue Sage Marketplace
   -Spa Bistro
Shopping Areas
Wine and Beverage Selections
Clubs
   -Cloud Club Sky Lounge

For sports enthusiasts and individuals with highly active lifestyles, there is a golf course located near the front of the hotel sponsored by the Wildlife Golf Club. A tennis center was also built for guests. The tennis center was structured to host large populations as there are eight tennis courts and full-service staff within the courts for carrying equipment, training, private lessons, and first aid. A shopping center for tennis equipment and apparel is accessible on site. For sports-oriented people interested in swimming, there are five pools, including a Lazy River pool and others with waterslides. A standard fitness gym is also accessible on site. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010b)

For men and women, singles or couples, business people, and even families, the spa center would be one of the main attractions in the hotel. The spa center in JW Marriott has received a 3-star rating and continues to provide high quality services to its clients. Forty-one treatment rooms are available at the spa center with the guests choice of spa service. The treatment rooms are located in a peaceful and quiet area overlooking a natural scenery. Aside from the spa services, the Revive spa center also has a salon, a bistro, and a boutique on site. The spa center ensures that guests will be able to receive the best treatments and services while being able to access other shopping centers within the area. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010c)

Although the JW Marriott Desert Ridge is nearby the Desert Ridge marketplace and the City North where dining and shopping areas are lined, the hotel still built ten restaurants within the hotels premises. The restaurants on site offer a wide range of menu choices and different ambience. The restaurants include Ristorante Tuscany, an AAA 4-Diamond award rated restaurant offering an Italian cuisine The Blue Sage Restaurant offering an American cuisine the Just a Splash Bar  Grill, a restaurant situated beside the pool, also offering an American cuisine Roys Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine that offers a menu of Asian Fusion food selections the Meritage Steakhouse, which is specifically located within the Wildlife Golf Club the Vista Lounge, which is perfect for individuals with the eclectic taste Starbucks Caf the Blue Sage Marketplace for casual dining over sandwiches the Spa Bistro within the Revive Spa Center offering an international cuisine and the Nickelodeon Character Breakfast which offers American food selections for children. Within 0.3 to 2 miles away from the JW Marriott Desert Ridge are nearby restaurants including the Yard House (Continental Cuisine), Kona Grill (American Cuisine), Cantina Laredo (Mexican Cuisine), Ocean Prime (Seafood), Humble Pie Scottsdale (Pizza), Blue Martini (Tapas), and 25 Degrees (American Cuisine). (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010d)

For business individuals and companies, the JW Marriott has large function halls, areas, and meeting rooms. Among the large rooms include areas located outdoor for different events (115,000 square feet), the Grand Canyon Ballroom (33,218 square foot), the Grand Sonoran Ballroom (25,992 square foot), the Grand Saguaro Ballroom (25,000 square foot), the Wildflower Ballroom (5,336 square foot), and other small- to medium-sized meeting rooms. Wi-Fi access is available in these areas as it is within the hotel premises. Although the function rooms, areas, and meeting rooms are ideal for business gatherings, events, or meetings, JW Marriott Desert Ridge also offers its services to other events such as weddings, reception, birthday parties, and similar events. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010e)

The Nickelodeon Getaway by Marriott is the establishments offering for children, making the hotel an ideal vacation venue for families. The Nickelodeon Getaway was an event planned by Marriott to entertain children guests. There are various activities in line for specific dates, such as poolside shows, games and entertainment such as Bingo, arts and crafts activities such as T-shirt decorating, scavenger hunts, pajama parties, and so on. Children may also spend their birthday parties as part of the Nickelodeon Getaway and will be lucky enough to be visited by Spongebob and Dora the Explorer during the event. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010f (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010h)

Other miscellaneous resort activities for both children and adults include bike rentals, Segway tours which enables guests to tour the hotel premises through the Segway transport, stargazing, walking trails, watercolor workshops, and such. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010h)

Apart from the market segments previously discussed, JW Marriott Desert Ridge also targets different market segments and offers a merchandise mix based on the activities and available packages the establishment offers for guests. The different offers of services include the following

Escape Inclusive Dining Package wherein guests are able to indulge in a wide food and beverage selections during their stay
Escape Inclusive Deluxe Package wherein guests may be able to enjoy a room with a deluxe view, play time for golf, spa treatments, and food and beverage services
Unlimited Golf Experience for Two where guests are able to play golf without time limits
Cloud Club Elite Package for Two through which guests are granted access to the Cloud Club Sky Lounge, the bar, business services, the library, and the Revive Spa Center
Girlfriends Spa Getaway for Two through which guests are treated to Starbucks Caf, the Revive Spa Center, the Vista lounge, and the Fitness Gym, the Golf Course, and the Tennis Center
Revive Spa Wellness Package for Two through which guests are given access to spa treatments daily for 50 minutes, access to the fitness gym and the spa facilities
Stay for Breakfast package for travelers
Nickelodeon Spongebob or Dora Package for families where children are treated to Nickelodeon-themes breakfast and shows and activities in the weekend
Revive Spa Romance for Two through which couples are treated to a deluxe guest room complete with champagne and strawberries and truffles, couples massage at the Revive Spa Center, and
Blue Sage the Escape Inclusive Unlimited Golf Package through which guests are treated to unlimited golf passes and complimentary food items and passes to the tennis center, parking, and the Revive spa Center.
Source JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010g JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010h

Overall, the various services and products offered by the JW Marriott Desert Ridge prove how the establishment has a mixed market segment and specializes in a merchandise mix through which the hotel is able to target various populations and maintain profitability.

Based on the background and the features, amenities and services at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, one primary limitation is the pricing especially amid the global economic recession wherein people would most likely choose to be practical in spending for hospitality and lodging services. The JW Marriott Desert Ridge, however, cannot easily adjust its pricing strategy, especially since the establishment is targeting mixed market segments and offers a comprehensive merchandise mix. The companys pricing strategy sets the quality and coverage of services that the establishment is willing to offer for its guests, including luxury, pleasure, and privacy. As for the stores layout, merchandise mix, and special offers, these features and services may not be considered as limitations especially since these allow JW Marriott Desert Ridge to obtain a larger market share and increase profitability. The stores layout is logical, with strategic locations of the parking lot and the golf course. Furthermore, the Ristorante Tuscany was strategically located within a remote location at the golf course for the hotels patrons. Apart from the wide range of services, the special offers provided by the hotel are also a good strategy to gain a larger market share. The special offers are aimed at attracting the interest of a diverse market segment. The special offers range from 299 to 799 per night. The most expensive package, which starts from 329 to 779, depending on the length of stay, is the Unlimited Golf Experience Package and the Revive Spa Wellness Package.

Retail

The JW Marriott Desert Ridge relies on its retail operations in order to provide additional services for its guests and fulfill the establishments goals as a hospitality and lodging establishment. The hotels primary retail services are included in the deals and packages that it offers for guests. (Marriott, 2010c) The kind of retailing services provided by JW Marriot Desert Ridge is patterned after the life-style retailing strategy. Life-style retailing may be explained as the policy of tailoring a retail offering closely to the life-styles of specific target-market segments (Findlay, 2002 47). The retailing operations at the establishment are also a network-based strategy. The competitive advantage of implementing the network-based retailing strategy is one establishments capability of creating a network among the brands to establish sound and productive trading relationships with them (Lowson, 2002 226). Since the JW Marriott Desert Ridge carries various brands within the dining, shopping, and recreation lines, the establishment was able to create a network-based trading with the brands it carries for retail services. The retail services offered by the establishment are indeed services that fit the lifestyle of its guests or clients.

The hotel carries several brand names that fuel its retail operations, specifically for shopping, dining, and recreation. The boutique and salon, for instance, are retail offerings of the Revive Spa Center. The JW Marriott Desert Ridge carries the brand specifically for guests who are also Revive clients. Guests who avail of spa services may be able to purchase retail products at the boutique and the salon. (JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa Phoenix, 2010c)The boutique provides goods and products that the establishment uses at the Revive Spa Center, which includes not only the Revive brand but also other brands within the product line including spa products from June Jacobs, Peter Thomas Roth, and Kerstin Florian. The Revive Spa Products include goods for spa, spa gifts, clothing such as the Revive signature robe, and so on (Revive Spa at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort  Spa). JW Marriot Desert Ridges retailing of Revive Spa services prove to be an advantage to the establishment as the spa center is frequented by guests. (Marriott, 2010b)

The tennis center and golf course at the hotel also provides various sports products for JW Marriott Desert Ridges guests or clients. There is a shop located within the vicinity of the fitness center and golf course for guests to purchase tennis clothing and equipment.  (Tennis Resorts Online, 2009) The dining establishments on site are also part of JW Marriott Desert Ridges retail operations that are leveraged to provide high quality services to meet the demands of consumers, especially since the restaurants offer a diverse selection of cuisine. Another palpable example of how JW Marriott Desert Ridge relies on retail operations to lure guests is the hotels carrying of Nickelodeon as a brand name. JW Marriott Desert Ridges objective of targeting younger populations was made palpable since it carries Nickelodeon. Overall, JW Marriot Desert Ridges retail operations are part of the hotels strategy to gain a larger market share. (Marriott, 2010b)

The proximity of JW Marriott Desert Ridge to the Desert Ridge Marketplace is a disadvantage to the hotels retail operations, especially since the latter is a shopping center that also retails various brands in shopping, dining, entertainment, and so on. Thus, the wider offering of retail shops available at the Desert Ridge Marketplace makes the establishment a competition to JW Marriott Desert Ridge. (Desert Ridge Marketplace, 2010)

Recommendations for Improvement

The threat posed by the Desert Ridge Marketplace raises the need for JW Marriott Desert Ridge to optimize its retail operations. The primary problem is the limited number of retail stores on site compared with the shops accessible at the Desert Ridge Marketplace. Basic marketing principles prove that consumers are highly drawn when they are offered more options or choices when compared with services that have little or limited offerings. (Barrows  Powers, 2008 85-87 Medlik  Ingram, 2000 161-162) For this reason, JW Marriott Desert Ridge may be able to increase its competitive advantage by (a) increasing retail operations, (b) creating a brand, or (c) implementing special programs or incentives for its guests.

Increasing retail operations mean that JW Marriott Desert Ridge should be able to diversify and take in other various establishments that offer unique services for guests. At present, JW Marriot Desert Ridge has nine restaurants but only two shopping centers, both at the Spa and Gold Center. Perhaps if JW Marriott Desert Ridge is able to add other shopping centers for general shopping needs, or other specialty stores such as gift shops, gaming center, entertainment center for film viewing, photo center, and so on, the hotel may be able to retain and increase interest of guests to shop and spend within the hotel premises. (Kurtz, 2008 488-489) The challenge however, in doing so is the amount of time and capital required to put the plan into action. Adding more facilities meant that the establishment will need to close down and reopen when added services are complete, which means that the hotel will lose possible profit during that time. (Ismail, 2002 98-101) Furthermore, it is impossible for JW Marriott Desert Ridge to match the number of retail shops at the Desert Ridge Marketplace. The hotel may only succeed if it is able to adopt unique retail stores that are specifically targeted to the needs and demands of guests. (Plunkett, 2007 36-37) Thus, if JW Marriott Desert Ridge chooses to go with this plan, the hotel needs to conduct marketing research intensively in order to determine what kind of services the hotel should offer to lure more guests to the establishment. The strategy for this option is differentiated marketing. (Barrows  Powers, 2008 85-87 Ismail, 2002 98-101)

Creating a JW Marriot Brand name may be either successful or unsuccessful. The idea that supports the plan is the strong and popular brand name of JW Marriot. It is possible that when the company creates a brand and retails the product line within a specific shopping center at the hotel, guests will be motivated to shop and spend in this specific shop. (Kurtz, 2008 561) The unparalleled quality of services offered by JW Marriott may be translated to the perceptions about the quality of products and services that the company may attempt to design and produce under its brand name.

The third option has something to do with implement special programs or incentives for guests in order to motivate them to shop and spend within the hotel premises. (Rutherford  OFallon, 2007 27) Since JW Marriott already offers various packages for guests, the establishment may begin to add additional benefits to the packages such as incentives including discounts when guests shop and dine within the hotel premises. (Jones  Merricks, 1994 3-5) JW Marriott Desert Ridge may also attempt to establish partnership with Desert Ridge marketplace for marketing purposes. Desert Ridge marketplace will recommend hospitality services at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge to its patrons, while the latter will also recommend visiting the Desert Ridge marketplace as part of the vacation experience. The JW Marriott Desert Ridge may also provide stay-and-shop programs providing its guests the opportunity to shop and dine at the Desert Ridge marketplace. (Fyall  Garrod, 2005 88-123)

Overall, in attempting to increase retail operations, JW Marriott Desert Ridge may choose to adopt and implement differentiated marketing on site in order to offer unique services that target the needs and demands of its guests. Off site, however, market segmentation and undifferentiated marketing is still the best means for JW Marriott Desert Ridge to lure more guests from diverse populations, and thus, a larger market share. (Fyall  Garrod, 2005 88-123)

Another recommendation would be allowing guests to choose the services they want to receive. JW Marriott Desert Ridge already offers various packages for its diverse clientele. (Wood  Brotherton, 2008 302-305) The hotel may attempt to provide a build-your-own package program wherein guests will be able to choose the services they want to experience during their stay at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge.

Conclusion

The JW Marriott Desert Ridge Hotel Resort is one of the most luxurious establishments in the country offering a wide variety of luxurious goods and services for its clientele. The strong suits of JW Marriott Desert Ridge, as an organization, is its top notch services and on site facilities that provide guests with satisfying experiences including the golf course, the swimming pools, tennis courts, spa center, shopping and dining establishments, clubs, and so on. These services and facilities have allowed JW Marriott Desert Ridge Hotel to acquire a large market share through a diverse market segment. Although the hotel resort has been performing well due to its wide offerings and services, there are still existing improvements that the establishment may adopt in order to improve its retail operations. JW Marriott Desert Ridges retail operations (spa, tennis and golf sporting goods, dining, etc.) include the various goods and services that the establishment offers for its guests, which are also instrumental in allowing it to obtain a large market share and diverse market segment. For JW Marriott Desert Ridge, the establishment may be able to improve its retail operations by diversifying and offering other services and goods apart from what it currently provides, creating a JW Marriott brand that will be made available at the hotel resort for guests, the implementation of special programs and packages to encourage guests to stay at the hotel resort and spend within its premises, implementing differentiated marketing practices, and providing guests with various options in terms of choosing packages and services they would want to take advantage of.

The objective of the coursework is to determine how environmental management is related to Human Resources Management (HRM) and how these two practices are influenced by issues concerning the environment, especially in establishments within the hospitality industry. The issue is particularly relevant to the hospitality industry especially since hotels and resorts are one of the primary consumers of various energy sources such as water, lighting and heating, and so on. Hence, energy consumption in these establishments are tied to energy conservation concerns.

The paper looks into the influences of energy conservation concerns to the organizational culture, management strategies and practices, priorities, and decisions made by hotels and resorts, with emphasis on the actual strategies and practices taken by other organizations in order to save energy. Based on related electronic newspaper articles read and analyzed, the high cost of developing facilities for renewable energy sources, the involvement of electronics manufacturers in designing energy efficient devices and systems for hotels and resorts, and the existence of licensing and certification bodies or institutions for environment-friendly and energy efficiency organizations have largely influenced how hotels and resorts take action in addressing these issues.

Furthermore, environmental management practices influence HRM in hotels and resorts. The concern in becoming an environment-friendly and energy-efficient institution have become an organizational culture reflected on the actions and behavior of individuals units that make up the organizations. Hotels and resort take time in integrating environmental management principles to HRM by means of training and development, seminars, and similar activities.

This is an article titled The Safety Experience of New Zealand Adventure Tourism Operators by Tim A. Bentley, Stephen Page, and Linda Walker. It was published in the Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 11, Number 5. The date of publication was not included.

Introduction
This article was made to study the parameters and factors that adventure tourism operators and operations in New Zealand face and experience when it comes to dealing with safety issues and avoiding accidents and injuries. Identification of the injury prevention measures done by tourism operators are being scrutinized and analyzed. They felt that there should be stricter guidelines in New Zealand when it comes to the safety of both tourists and the operators, as well as newer, more updated tourism management and safety systems, using science as the focal point. This will be done by asking tourism operators to complete a survey of their operations and how they perceive the risks involved, and to identify risk multipliers and barriers to safety. In the end, the results of the survey will help identify weaknesses and flaws in the existing safety and management systems for adventure tourism safety in New Zealand, and to provide feedback for an improvement in the future.

Study Introduction
New Zealands tourism sector is boosted by adventure tourism. The country has been a hotbed of new and alternative adventure sports and adventure tourism practices in the world. However, adventure tourism activities like white-water rafting, skydiving, mountain climbing and treks, and scenic flights carry higher personal risks compared to non-adventure tourism. In a span of a decade and a half from 1982-1996, there has been 1,027 injuries reported from overseas tourists, with 99 of them resulting in fatalities. An earlier study done in 1999 gave the authors a primer on the operations on adventure tourism operators, and this later survey done in 2003 will help them verify their findings. Comparing and contrasting the 1999 survey with the 2003 survey will help spot trends and refine existing actions on the safety of tourists and tourism operators.

Study Purpose
The study specifically asks for new interventions to prevent and reduce risks involved in adventure tourism, and to look for unidentified problems and loopholes in the existing injury control measures present in New Zealand. This aims to produce new and hopefully improved guidelines and safety systems, and injury control measures to further enhance the experiences of adventure tourists in New Zealand. Also, there is a need to understand the risks, both perceived and actual risks, involved in outdoor adventure tourism activities.

Method
The study was conducted through a postal questionnaire, the same method used in the 1999 survey. But before that, the team did a listing of all adventure tourism operators in their local areas and their profiles. Secondary data sources like directories and websites were used to gather as much adventure tourism operators as possible. The formal, postal questionnaire was then created with three things in mind the business or more specifically the ownership, the activities, the method of operations, the number of visitors both local and international in one year,  and the volume of business. The second factor is the perceptions of risk and injuries in their activities, and finally the last section is about dealing with cultural issues brought about by adventure tourism in the area.

Study Conclusions
The study found several findings that at least match the earlier 1999 survey, especially in finding trends about what is going on in an operation of adventure tourism, and what causes the most injuries and what are operators doing. To start, there was a 31.9 response rate to the survey, which is far below the 1999 survey that brought in close to 50 (in 2003, the rate was 96 out of 360). Though it was a smaller number, it was considered successful due to most of these safety surveys can only garner around 40 of the total responses. The respondents also represent a large geographical coverage of the North Island of New Zealand. Places like Auckland, Rotorua, Wanaka, Queenstown, Taupo, Nelson, and West Coast, all major tourism centers in New Zealands North Island were accounted for. Most of the businesses were small-scale enterprises, half of them had usually two or less employees, had a sole owner or had joint owners, and offer land or water-based activities. Aviation-based tourism businesses are also found but were only a small amount of the respondents (19).  The operators were asked to rank and list the highest number of perceived threats to safety in outdoor activities, and the consistent top scorer was on environmental factors and exposure to unfamiliar environments. Another high scorer was when clients fail to follow safety instructions and limitations of ability. The operators also recognize the lack of organization and aspects of the management in terms of safety.

The most common injury-prone activities are snow sports, bungee jumping, horseback riding, kayaking, multiactivity tourism and ecotourism activities. In the past 12 months before the survey, operators were asked to list down cases of tourism-related injuries and the respondents recorded a total of 1,095 cases. 148 (16) were serious enough to be needing hospitalization. However, 44 of the total respondents claimed to have no injuries in the past 12 months, and 37 had claimed to have 1-5 injuries in the past year before the survey.

As for safety improvements, 30 claimed that they have an operating plan and guidelines, due to them being involved with marine and aviation-related activities.16 operations claimed to have risk assessment procedures, 34 had staff training and selection, and 20 operators have regular system and equipment checks. A lot of these operators find that the costs of compliance to safety standards set by the New Zealand government are just too high for the majority, who are only small-scale businesses. Finding, hiring, and retaining competent and experienced staff are also costing them a lot, and is becoming a hindrance to many of these small businesses when it comes to following safety standards. But operators wanted a degree of risk and excitement involved, because it provides the most important part of adventure tourism realism. Working on the natural environment is risky in the first place in fact, they are always exposed to things beyond human control, making environmental factors the next biggest barrier to safety.  But, they wanted to have the ability to minimize and mitigate risks involved.

Study Implications
The low numbers of respondents and injuries recorded have some implications involved Are these companies deliberately understating the true facts And why are they reluctant to answer the survey, seeing that only 31.9  of the 360 businesses that were sent questionnaires had at least answered Is there a culture of whitewashing in the tourism sector Or are the most common injuries self-inflicted Since most of the tourism sectors clients are from other countries, are there language and cultural barriers needed to overcome so that they can participate with minimal risk A lot of injuries and accidents are usually blamed on poor weather conditions, but isnt it the job of the company to decide when is the best time to act A lot of these companies have problems trying to deal with foreign clients, yet still continue to use rather ineffective schemes to reduce injuries and risk. Companies and tourists needed to be fully aware of the added risk that adventure tourism has in store. Adventure tourism is still growing and a totally enjoyable and potentially profitable activity. Yes, the risks involved are higher than heavily regulated tourism, but only a few activities can rival the experience and exhilaration that adventure tourism can bring. In many ski resorts, skiing areas offer areas for various skill levels of skiers and snowboarders. In Canada, where ski resorts turn to mountain bike parks in the summer, these areas (most notably Whistler Mountain Bike Park in Whistler, Canada), delegate areas that are most suited for people of different riding skills and experience. Terms known as black-diamond and double black diamond ( trail designations in ski resorts and bike parks meaning for experts only) are strictly enforced to reduce injuries and risks to less skilled riders. The New Zealand government can opt to adapt these designations, or a variation of these for adventure tourism activities with high risk, like bungee jumping and white river rafting.

Personal Reflections
Reading this article gave good insights on what is going on in the New Zealand tourist industry. I have heard of New Zealands reputation as a tourist destination and its natural beauty, not to mention its ability to produce new, alternative forms of tourism. Activities like bungee jumping and Zorbing are some of the different alternatives that New Zealand has to offer. But there has been high growth in other adventure sports. For example, mountain biking, especially downhill racing has become more and more popular due to the successes of world-class downhill riders like Samuel Blenkinsop and UCI Mountain Bike Junior World Champions Cameron Cole and Brook MacDonald. New Zealand, with its pristine natural formations still relatively intact, will be at the vanguard of new, alternative adventure sports and outdoor recreation for years to come. However, from what I have learned in this article that in the name of profit and demand, some basic needs of adventure tourism, safety of both operators and tourists, are understated, even disregarded. What New Zealands adventure tourism industry is facing is worth looking at for other countries wanting to improve their existing ecotourism abilities, or create new markets and demand for ecotourism, especially in the realm of safety issues. Operators must know that these kinds of activities, though exciting and popular, carry significant risks and can cause injury to unprepared and unskilled persons, be it tourists or tourism employees. There should be stricter government standards and monitoring for adventure tourism businesses because of the higher risks involved, but there should also be initiatives made by the businesses themselves to police their ranks. Making an exciting yet safe adventure tourism experience need not be achieved by cutting corners and taking gambles on safety. If New Zealand is serious about its place as an a world class adventure tourism destination, there must be efforts to make the whole experience memorable, not memorable because of an untimely trip to a New Zealand hospital.

The main focus of this study is to explore the organizational structure and system of the   Starwood Hotel and Resort. Organizational structure entails systematic arrangements of duties and responsibilities within an organization. The study examines different types of organizational structures and systems applied in different organizations including the Starwood Company. The study also touches on the strength and weaknesses of these systems. The study explores the hierarchical structure of Starwood Hotels and Resorts plus its system employment opportunities. Starwood Hotels and Resorts are among the worlds leading hotel and Leisure Companies thus has a complex organizational systems.

List of tables

Table 1 Hierarchical Structure of Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc.9
Organizational structure is a concept of systems of grades of status and authority inclined towards subordination of entities that work together and contribute to serve a common goal and objectives (Rachel, 2010). Organizations have different clustered sub-units. Organizational structure varies in different ways and fashion depending on the objectives and surrounding of the company. These systems determine operational and performance approach used in any business entity. Organizational structure also allows allocation of duties and responsibilities for different functions and processes to companys departments and sections.
Kelly (2009) defines organizational structure as a plan for the methodical arrangement of duties and responsibilities within an organization. Organization structure entails departmentalization and wide span control like the one applied by Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. The powers and authority are usually centralized and entails a lot of formalities. Most organization consists of both vertical and horizontal structures. Vertical structures begin from the top management to the subordinates while horizontal structures lie within the departments.

Types of systems
There are various organizational systems that companies apply in their operational practices, which include but not limited to pre-officious systems, officious systems, post-officious, and divisional systems (Braha  Bar-Yam, 2007).  Additional organizational systems are matrix systems, functional systems, teams, networks, and virtual systems. Many organizations use the matrix system that involves the human resources in line with purpose and merchandise. The matrix system is further categorised as feeble matrix, impartial matrix, and robust matrix, depending on the organizational goals (Braha  Bar-Yam, 2007).

Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. use both efficient and divisional systems in the operations. Their workforces in the purposeful units specialize on identified assignments, which improve the overall performance of the company. The divisional system is applied by the company through the categorising the operational services within and along the value chain. This is done both regionally and globally as reflected on the companys global acquisition, mergers, and procurement strategies (Heckscher  Donnellon, 1994).

Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. operates in divisions that engross the possession and resort units. The resort units are responsible for international chain of possessed, hired, and amalgamated companies that are managed by the mother organization (Paasschen, 2009). The company branded their global hotels and resorts such as Element, Aloft, Sheraton, Le, Mridien, Westin, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection, among others. The company evaluates their financial and other performances through the revenue collected from their operational activities. This segmentation assisted the company to gain more competitive advantage through global acquisitions, mergers, and effective management of risks (Paasschen, 2009).

Strengths and weaknesses of systems
The companies structures differ depending on their goals, resources, output and operational strategies. For instance, the Chief Executive Officer may be the head of a company followed by the central managers or unit heads, and finally the general workers. Large organizations such as Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. have a complex hierarchy of management and operations. This is basically to ensure efficient performance of their business units locally, regionally, and globally. Since the company spans in approximately one hundred countries worldwide, their management hierarchy is very sophisticated (Wichers, 2010).

Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. operates globally, which attribute to their extensive combination of both vertical and horizontal hierarchical system. The companys President and Director is Frits van Paasschen, Chief Executive Officer is Heyer Steven, the vice chairman and Chief Finance Officer is Vasant Prabhu. Barry Sternlicht is the Chief Design Officer, and also holds the position of CEO and chairman of Starwood Capital Group (Starwood Press Club, 2010).

The Groups Board chairman is Bruce W. Duncan. The executive committee fall under the Board of Directors, and comprises of Audit Committee, headed by Thomas O. Ryder, Compensation Committee, headed Adam M. Aron. Stephen R. Quazzo heads both the Nominating Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee of Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. Below is the hierarchical system of the Group (Starwood Press Club, 2010).
Table 1 Hierarchical Structure of Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc

System employment opportunities 
Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. faced the challenges of integrating advanced technologies with their operational strategies to improve sales and marginal returns. Since the company is continuously advancing into global opportunities, online services play an integral role in marketing, advertising, and sales services. This called for the recruitment of individuals with great expertise in hospitality execution in order to mitigate possible risks and uncertainties. The Group also provide employment and internship opportunities for new graduates and continuing students of the hotel and hospitality discipline (Starwood Hotel  Resorts Worldwide Inc., 2010 b).

Work Integrated Learning is very imperative in introducing and developing the learner into the job environment. Learners get the prospect of professional capabilities before the completion of their programmes. The system of the Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. allows learners to get acquainted with their diverse operations within and along their value network. The students are either taken for paid internships or voluntary work, which in turn assist in developing their knowledge, skills, and expertise in the hotel and hospitality field (Starwood Hotel  Resorts Worldwide Inc., 2010).
Conclusion
An organizations system analysis involves a solitary firm with various operational segments such as Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. There are different systems that are used by both emerging and established companies, which include bureaucratic and divisional structure among others. Starwood Hotels  Resorts Worldwide Inc. exercised their global strategy such as acquisitions and amalgamation, hence spanning over a hundred countries worldwide (Kelly, 2009).

Safariseven hotel and casino is part of the leading hotel chain and a member of Jacaranda Group.  Jacaranda hotels, a member of the leading hotel in the world exhibits its hospitality in USA, Washington DC, Miami, and in South Africa Cape Town.  Safariseven hotel and casino is a destination in a world of its own.

Location and size
A five star luxury hotel located half hour drive from the city centre, Washington DC. The hotel stands in 100 acres of beautiful manicured garden and offers a selection of 300 rooms, decorated and tastefully furnished with a taste of America with private rear and front balconies.

Status
Safariseven Hotel is a b rand new 5 star hotel which has been in existence for 2 years now.

Business Goals 
To provide a world class services by making a difference in the lives of people who visit the Safariseven. Safariseven Hotel focuses on this goal to become the most preferred brand all over the world.  Furthermore, the hotel aims producing maximum profit through customer satisfaction.

Goals
Provide information of the hotel and facilities to the potential customers such as  size and facilities of the event and conference rooms, price and type of meals in the restaurants and bars, membership and availability of the health clubs and sauna and spa.

Enable online reservation of rooms and even meals.

Get more potential customers into the hotel from all over the world.

2.0. Goals of the website 
Website will be used to create confident to the customers, all relevant information concerning hotel that is Hotel rooms, casino, club, customer relation department and many others will be displayed. Customers responds, suggestions and advance booking of the hotel can be done online.  The website will have a chatting tool that will facilitate communication between the hotel customers care department and the client on real time. This will enhance hotel world class standard, to our esteemed customers, by having an interactive communication.  Customers can open an account on website this will help customers to interact with the chief chef, hotel manager and any other staff one may need to talk to.  The website will have pay tool that will facilities online payments both form customers and suppliers of goods.

3.0. Competitors websites 
There are many major competitors that offer almost the same services as we do, but with our latest technology of customers send menu to the hotel chef using their mobile phone while within or outside the hotel vicinity, and also partnership with other stakeholders in tourism industry such as national parks. This has given us a competitive edge against competitors.

3.1 competitors 
 HYPERLINK httpwww.serenahotel.com www.serenahotel.com ,  HYPERLINK httpwww.whitesand.com www.whitesand.com and  HYPERLINK httpwww.fivestaralliance.com www.fivestaralliance.com are our main competitors. Their online hotel reservation system is robust such that at any given time the customers can send their details. Their have also partnered with international online payment agencies, this makes it is easier for the customers.  

3.2 Safariseven weakness and strengths
Our strengthsOur weaknessOur  OpportunitiesWebsite incorporates hotel online reservation system, which is so stable.

Our website has mostly used keywords, thus making it easy to retrieve it quicklyText are too small to read When it moves to the reservation sector, the too bright pink colour makes eyes would be tired4.0 Business

Target
The target of the Safariseven hotel will be international, domestic tourists and prominent business men and women.  The hotel will cater leisure, business and holiday Safariseven hotel has class of it own.  For everyone who want a class it is a best place to be.

4.1. Environment
Use EnvironmentAreas where website is visible -Tour agencies
-Public library
-Internet cyber caf
-At home
-Any places where internet research is possibleOperating System Platform The site is built based on HTML platform and it can be accessed through a computer, powerful mobile phone and Personal Data Assistant.Web browser to useThe site requires a low version internet explorer such as Internet Explorer version 8, Fire fox10.6, Mozilla and Netscape.Internet Speed RequiredThe ideal internet speed can be upload of 256 kbps and download of 256 kbps.  Most of the images have been sliced and there are very easy to load on different internet speed. 5. User tasks
Website will provide information of the whole hotels, such as
The name of the staff who is on duty
Tour (destination for sightseeing, show place and special event)
Rooms that are available (type, viewing position, size, and rates)
Location of the hotel.
Facilities (restaurants, health club, sauna  spa, swimming pool, convention centre and duty free shop)
Event  and conference (package programme)  include breakfast, dinner.
Dining  providing menu, price and package
The site has a provision for clients to air their views, such as
Suggestion on areas to be improved on.
Positive criticisms.
Lost property

The site has a provision for clients to make advance booking.
Online reservation system that enables booking of the rooms and payment
Booking or sending a message to chef for the preparation of a certain menu
Safariseven website will have this type information for ease of downloading.
Text based (in Ms word format to be precise MS word 95 to 2003)
Image (Images of hotel, rooms, facilities, restaurant, event, conference)
Multimedia Information (video, PDF, flash)

6.0. Information category
Home
Accommodation (Rooms)
Facilities (health club, sauna  spa, swimming pool and duty free shop)
Event and conference
Restaurants and bar, Casino
Media Centre
Board for customers

6.1. Tools 
System developers will need to have this
Dreamweaver version 8 or MX  It is the main tool of developing and designing the site.
Adobe Reader  This one for a restaurant menu would be provided as PDF files.
Macromedia Flash Version 8  For designing the image flash on the site, Images of the rooms, reception, casino and other places.
Website users will need to have this-
Internet Explorer versions 8, Fire fox 10.5, Mozilla 5.6 and ensures that pop options is enabled access site.
Adobe reader for opening restaurant menus.

7. Story Board
It is an outline which shows the structure of the home page.  The main part is started as home and it has five different sections.  Those are home, about us, accommodations, facilities, event and conferences, restaurants and bar, media centre, wedding, promotion fitness and recreation and entertainment.  There is a brief history of safariseven hotel, hotels location and hotel chain in about us and home section.  Accommodations section has all information of rooms such as size, type, viewing position and rates.  Facilities section is divided into sauna  spa, swimming pool and duty free shop.  Event and conference section has information for outside catering, themed events, product launched coffee breaks, conference packages, and private meetings.  It provides menus and price in restaurants and bars section.  News and promotion section introduces the weekend packages, karaoke night, valentine, Easter Christmasdawali and New Year eve.  Wedding section has detail information how to get the wedding planners, portfolio, honeymoon, themed wedding, bridal walk package and wedding packages. Fitness and recreation section has the following safari fitness club, gymnasium and jogging tracks, massage services steam sauna and Jacuzzi swimming pools and training programs, Storyboard structure is provided in appendix 1.

8. Page Templates
The layout of the home page would be 3columns fixed, top bar and header and footer.  There will be a logo with picture at the top of every page which occupies 10 of whole page.  Hotel chain, address, contact detail and association will be placed at the bottom of the homepage and the bottom section would be approximately 5 of the page.  Users can easily see 14 navigation menus which are about us, accommodation, facilities, event and conference, restaurants and bars, Entertainment, fitness and recreation, wedding and media centre.  The basic form of homepage will not change so logo and base navigation bars and hotel detail will be kept viewed.  When user will search information at the navigation bar, context will show the detail information.  In the context, pictures will help the users enable to see how it looks like.  E.g.) hotel rooms, health club, restaurants.  Page template structure is provided in appendix 2.

9. Website content owners and authors
Generally Information Technology administrator and marketing department manager have responsibility for about us, accommodations, media centre, news and promotions, photo galley, and event and conference section.  However, other information such as fee or membership for health club, sauna  spa and swimming pool can be derived from club manager.  Also, restaurant menus, bars prices or buffet style can be notified by head chef.  Furthermore, other information for the function rooms such as weddings, individual parties, business meetings and presentations can be managed by respective department managers.

10. Process analysis and update process and schedule
Information Technology department staffs have high knowledge on website their will check the web site everyday (8AM  5PM) to communicate to the relevant departments. All staffs will be checking their e-mails and customers feedback on media centre sections and reports it to the respective head of department.  The administration manager will figure all issues out and take right actions.  Home page will be updated regularly (everyday if need be).  Dynamic information such as restaurant and bars menus, room rates or events and conference will be regularly updated, Static information will not be upload often but.

11. How you will get people to your website
There are many ways to get customers get involved into the homepage.
By registering the domain name that is easy to recall  www.safariseven.com
Paying search engine such a goolgle.com and advertising on their site and ensure that the links appears on the top of others
By the use of Key word, their should be easy and simple to remember  safariseven Hotel, the safari hotel, Jacaranda  paradise
Advertising through brochure which has website address
Website address is written in the business card
Partner with tours agencies and Link with their website.

2.1 Defining ecotourism its meaning and significance

The term ecotourism has received much attention in
ItThe word ecotourism is made up of two components - eco and tourism the prefix eco refers to nature while the word tourism means the activity of touring. This combination is at odds with the concept of regular tourism in that it includes the notion of tourism that is nature-based and sustainable (Pforr, 2001), whereas customary tourism is not.

Definitions however, are often determined from different viewpoints, principles and concerns, and as such they often arrive at discrete and differing acuities into the concept being defined, and ecotourism is no exception thus, because there are a number of different interests concerned with the development of tourism, a variety of explanations for the concept of ecotourism have transpired (Pforr, 2001). This paper will examine some of the definitions and principles proposed and try to further develop the dialogue, specifically in relation to Yunnan, China.

The idea of combining tourism and nature was originally made pervasive in 1976 by Budowski, who realised the contradiction and variance between the environment and tourism, but believed a symbolic liaison between the two was possible if both could gain advantages (Ecotravelperu) and later by Ceballos-Lascurian, who also worked to spread the concept of ecotourism worldwide (Lash, 2003). Before then, the concept and efforts for environmental protection and ecological promotions regarding tourism moved at a snails pace.

Although however, this supposedly new found concept of ecology came to the forefront on issues relating to tourism in the late 70s and 80s, the idea goes far back in history. The earlier purpose of ecology was not journeying for entertainment but for trade or commerce and exploration. The notion of ecology was adopted by people such as Marco Polo in his discoveries, Caesar in his travels from Britain, and by eccentric Egyptians in the tales by Aristotle all were linked to the concept of ecotourism.

People have always enjoyed outdoor activities in harmony with nature interests such as camping, climbing, rafting, fishing and diving have always been favoured by some as a way to relax and spend the holidays ecotourism therefore, may be a relatively new word but the interest and pursuit of living and holidaying within natural environments is not. What is relatively new within the realms of nature-based tourism however, is the concern for the damaging effects tourism has on the environment. The realisation that if tourist areas are to be sustained for the long term, environmental damage needs to be kept to a minimum, tourists and tour operators need to be educated,  and that sustainable development must be a priority (Matysek and Kriwoken, 2003).

Research shows then, that there are numerous definitions of ecotourism, but it seems that many of the people involved in the debate agree that these definitions can be considered as a continuum (Orams, 1995 Pforr, 2001 Diamantis and Ladkin (1999 ) Miller and Kae, (1993). At one extreme end of the continuum are those that consider all tourism is to some degree involved with nature, and thus can be regarded as ecotourism, and at the other are those who believe that all tourism is detrimental to the environment, including ecotourism, (Orams, 1995 Miller and Kae, 1993), in other words, extreme poles of right or wrong (Diamantis and Ladkin (1999 ) Clarke, 1997). The majority of definitions however, fit somewhere between these opposite poles and pertain to the amount of human involvement, or responsibility involved, and whether that involvement is dynamic or inert (Orams, 1995), or broad or narrow (Mercer, 1996).

Lascurains (1996) definition that ecotourism is an atmospherically dependable journey or vacation to moderately concentrated natural regions, in an endeavour to benefit from and value nature that encourages protection, with minimum adverse effects by tourists, and endowed with constructively vigorous socioeconomic participation of domestic people, is most definitely passive or narrow view within the continuum similarly, Ceballos-Lascurian (1996) (cited in Duffy, 2002) also denotes a passive or narrow outlook by regarding ecotourism as sustainable tourism that has minimal effect on the environment.

A more dynamic or broad definition, as quoted by Oram (1995) and cited in Diamantis, (1998b) is Valentines (1993) definition that includes the active involvement of people to protect and manage the natural environment and to ensure that it remains ecologically sustainable and is not damaged or degraded.

It is apparent that much has been written within the definition debate on ecotourism since its prevalence from the 80s, and that there is not a stock definition of ecotourism. On the other hand, there are some reoccurring factors, whether one, all, or a combination, within these definitions, such as the necessity to protect the environment and its characteristics, to help local people by providing income generating opportunities, and to educate both the tourist and tour providers.

One may wonder then, as to whether this seemingly plethora of definitions means that ecotourism is being used inappropriately or too much - perhaps too many things are being tagged as ecotourism (Honey, 2003) - or whether this deficit of a stock or agreed upon definition of ecotourism is ominous and unable to illustrate or account for the scale or enormity of ecotourism. It is obvious however, that the ecotourism market, since its adoption as a product to market, has become one of the fastest growing areas in the industry (Pforr, 2001), and due to the growing requirements from tourists for that ultimate experience of living with nature, its promise to advocate dependable travel to natural environments, and be part of the cause for conservation and advancing local communities (Angelica et al , 2010),  the industry will continue to grow in the future. Whatever definition is chosen, ecotourism is here to stay and is a significant growth-area (Mercer, 1996, p3). In fact ecotourism is developing so rapidly that the United Nation (UN) denoted 2002 as the year of ecotourism, and because of the increasing awareness of ecological issues, the rate of ecotourism is growing by 15 in comparison to 3.5 in general tourism (Reid, 2003).

Apart from people wanting that ultimate nature experience and the fact that ecotourism is being advanced by the tourism industry itself,  the development of ecotourism is also being impelled by other influences, such as politics and the policies of governments (not always to the advantage of the people and their environment) (Lindberg and McKercher, 1997), and  ecologists and preservationists  greenies - campaigning for the idea to help their mission to increase awareness in issues of ecology and protection of the environment.

In summary and to reiterate, there is no collective definition for all and sundry to follow, or advocate, but there does appear to be agreement that ecotourism includes a societal responsibility in terms of education (Weaver and Lawton, 2007), the involvement of the local people, or communities, and the focus on conservation.

2.1 .2Ecological ethics
Prior to consideration of the factors, or elements included in ecotourism, mention needs to be made of the philosophies underpinning this rapid development of ecotourism, and there appears no better place to start than with the prefix eco-.

Eco-, pertaining to a number of concepts such as eco-systems, eco-friendly and eco-tours are all fundamentally based on the philosophy of ecological ethics, which are ethical values directing our perspective, system of behaviour, and the way in which we think about and conserve the environment in which we live (Glossary of Environment Statistics, 2001) they are the way in which humans should conduct themselves with nature (Curry, 2007).  In other words, ecological ethics pertain to how and to what extent we, as humans, value nature  how much concern and what level of responsibility we have for nature. The amount of concern and responsibility placed on nature  ecological ethics - varies considerably and can be classified into three green categories light, mild and dark, or shallow, intermediate and deep (Curry 2006).

Since man has been on earth, nature has been violated in the name of human development nature has been destroyed to make way for farms, villages, towns and cities, purely for the use and advancement of mankind, with no regard or concern for the ethics of nature. Many people today under the auspice of ecology are looking after natural environments, but purely for their own benefit, usually economic such people represent the light or shallow category, and are a major concern in terms of sustainability. At the other end, we have those that fit within the dark, or deep green category these people are completely committed to  ecology, and are not concerned with only living beings but all ecological aspects of the earth, believing all should be valued, and provided equal concentration and management. The remainder fit in between, within the mild or intermediate green category, and are concerned with only living beings and do not provide for the natural environment. So, it appears that Curry, (2006, 2007) presumes a twofold concern relating human beings with their environment, and segments them within one of three categories.

2.1.3  Sustainable development
At the start of this chapter, and again at the end, the definition of ecotourism was said to play a role in sustainable development, but what do we mean by this  

According to Dresner (2002) sustainable development was a concept for debate after
1985, following the World Commission on Environment and Development, but although this swing towards sustainable development was evident, the strongest push to change the way in which the world is developing emerged at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, wherein almost all world leaders conceded to the fact that current development is not sustainable, and will result in future generations having to bear the costs. The outcome of the conference was a treaty, wherein a number of countries agreed to produce a strategy for long term sustainable development (Magilavy a.i). The concept of  sustainable development at this time however, focused on economics, and advocates tried to value the environment by way of monetary standards Purvis and Grainger (2004) report that their aim was to place a price on such things as pollution, resource depletion and human health (p.2). Opponents of the idea however, question how a price can be put on such resources.

The objectives of sustainable development are to maintain secure economic growth and job opportunities for local communities, to protect the environment, and to strive for a better life for all within their environment. There is a difference however, between strong sustainability
and weak sustainability (The Scottish Government, 2006). Advocates of the strong option regard the planet rather than its people as top priority whereas, those favouring the weak approach assume that technology is the way to economic growth, so natural resources can be neglected, so long as a base level is determined.

There is general agreement in the literature, that sustainable development is a confronting and almost formidable objective and one that can only be realised if all players collaborate and work together to determine the best means, policies and practices by which such a task can be achieved. This alliance must include all participating bodies including governments, if genuine sustainable development is to be a viable and achievable concept. Research illustrates that there is an increasing awareness of environmental, social, economic, and political considerations, which are involved in promoting sustainability (Gilbert, R, p76), and education is thus required to in order to address these issues.

2.1.4 Environmental education
One of the three factors common to definitions of ecotourism, as mentioned earlier, is education of both tourists and tour operators this education aims to promote and cultivate ways of thinking and acting in ways that are favourable or advantageous to the environment and help to maintain and sustain that environment (Wearing and Neill, 1999).

2.1.5 Local communities

2.1.6 Conservation

2.5 Tourism Products

2.5.1 What is a Product
A product is defined as something which is proposed and sold in the market. In the terminology of market product it is basically a solution provided to the market by the dealer. A product can be classified as either goods or services (Know this, 2009) A product is known to be goods if it has a proper shape and is touchable in nature. It requires the physical existence of the commodity that can be offered e.g., mobile phone, food items, soft drinks and furniture. The mode of goods can vary between tangible and intangible products there are several technological goods which are not solid or able to be physically handled but are still counted as goods, such as software, information abstracted from web. Despite the fact that they cannot be touched, such products are specifically developed by certain codes and always give the same knowledge, which is why they are denoted as goods.

Services on the other hand, are basically a product type in which the customer is satisfied by the provision of work or the labour required from another source production of goods can even be accomplished through service industries. The nature of services is intangible, the marginal utility derived can vary from time to time and from person to person, and it cannot be preserved laundry services, nursing, consultancies are examples of such services.

2.5.2 Ecotourism products
The ecotourism product consists of the facilities and features being offered for eco-tourism. Many studies have been conducted in order to understand the main concept of ecotourism and its product, but they are still in search of more relevant information. The product is a marketing term being used for ecotourism as defined above in the nature and types of products, ecotourism belongs to the service industries. It is an industry that provides services of tourism for eco-tourists, by helping them experience environmentally friendly visits to their destinations, along with raising their environmental awareness thus mutually benefiting the eco-tourists and the service providers both. Online research has shown that nowadays the term ecotourism product is gaining momentum, due to the increase in ecommerce and the easy availability of required trips for the customer, provided by different types of organisations like governments, agencies, tourism firms and hotels. For businesses to exist, authorities must plan and include a variety of cost effective, viable ecotourism products (Buckley, R. 2009).

2.5.3 The characteristics of ecotourism products
Throne (2009) provides a list of properties that an ecotourism product must possess, which are
Reduce collision
Awareness and value building for atmosphere and traditional ethics
Emphasising benefits for both eco-tourists and shareholders
Generate revenue and cater to the related authorities for proper management
Increase employment rates, especially promoting the involvement of locals
Value rights of humans along with the sensitiveness of nature

2.5.4 Types of ecotourism products
Ecotourism depends on many types of tourism products, catering to different segments of the market which may be collective group visits or sold alone (Buckley, R. 2009). The types of ecotourism products vary from region to region being influenced by many reasons, such as environment, geographical location and attributes of tourists different ecotourism products and services focus on different aspects, for example
Place
Sights
Accommodation
Transportation
Education
Activities
Natural assets
Heritage
Cultural manifestation

2.3.4 Green marketing concept
The slogan represented by advertising from Go Green has been adopted by the ecotourism promotional departments. It is a new way to denote ecotourism, and is a marketing campaign catering to development, promotion and distribution of environmentally friendly products. Green marketing is a method used to employ the ecological remuneration of a service or product to endorse sales. Many consumers prefer commodities that do not harm the atmosphere, and prefer to use environmentally friendly commodities, even if they are more expensive than similar products that do not cater to a sustained natural environment (Karasov, C, a.i). The focus for advertising within the concept of  green marketing, is ecological remuneration to sell commodities such as recyclable goods, energy saving products, and safe chemicals.

2.5.5 Ecotourism resources in Yunnan
The ecotourism resources have been defined in detail in chapter 4 findings of this dissertation. Hence the study has shown that being ecologically diversified Yunnan is naturally enriched with the resources required for ecological tourism. The infrastructure supports rivers, mountainous regions, forests, lakes, sights, flora, fauna and environment accompanied with transportation facilities, accommodation, food and other leisure needs as demanded by customers.

2.6 Ecotourism Marketing

2.6.1 What is Marketing
Marketing is a societal and administrative procedure through which persons and factions get what they require and want during forming, contributing and replacing products of importance with others (Kotler et al., 2009).  The factors that affect marketing are
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
Environment

2.6.2 Tourism marketing
The idea of tourism marketing depends on generating the supply (marketing mix) equivalent to the recognised demand of the visitor market whereas, by means of creation, cost, location and endorsement, which permit identifying, notifying, encouraging and providing these markets in the best possible way (Holloway, 2004). Tourism marketing requires the following categories (Holloway, 2004)
Acknowledgment and overture of want toward traveling
Alteration of want into tourism facilities
Supplying the visitors with tourism facilities
Sale of tourism facilities
Recognition of tourists activities

The current marketing is a method of accomplishing business, greatly relying on the marketing concept which embrace the following facets that organisations must accomplish (Mahoney and Wernell 1987)
1. Plan their products or services to target customer demand
2. Spotlight individuals to develop their items for consumption rather than the whole market and
3. Expand marketing plans to fit into general business targets

2.6.3 Ecotourism market
The market of ecotourism deals with the demand and supply of ecotourism products - the trips required for tourism, the requirement of accommodation, transportation, food, necessities, guidance and entertainment by the customer to conduct a trip. The market of ecotourism like any other product market, varies along with the attributes of the eco-tourists, the fluctuation of political state of the government, social impacts and environmental impacts As with any other market, understanding of the ecotourism market depends upon
Market research
Market segments
Marketing promotion

2.6.4 Significance of tourism marketing
Like every other product the significance of ecotourism results in many benefits which will be discussed in detail later on to provide an introduction it can be said that the main significance is
Development of ecotourism as a product
Promotion
Economic benefits
Increase in employment rate
Increase in awareness
Gathering tourist attention
As Hardy et al. (2002) argue, a theory in relation to ecotourism has not yet been developed, at least not one that is acceptable, but some that have been proposed will be discussed in this chapter.

2.4 Ecotourism  the current situation

2.4.1 Ecotourism globally
The press release from the World Tourism Organisation in 2001 showed that global ecotourism was growing three times more than general tourism, and developing as a market with a flat growth rate. This global ecotourism included nature, tradition, inheritance, adventure tourism, and community based tourism, which are the sectors with more scope for growth in the future (WTO, 2001).

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) (2006) stated that global ecotourism had been growing at a rate of 20  34 each year since 1990, and by 2004 it was developing three times more rapidly than normal tourism they also estimated that by 2013 sustainable tourism could account for 25 of the global market, to an estimated value of US473.6 billion a year.

According to an estimate by Travel Weekly (2008) the world trade market can expect growth in the present ecotourism market, due to an increasing shift towards ecological development, an increase in nature based tourism, and a growth in construction of proper accommodation such as hotels and resorts.

It is evident that ecotourism is gaining global importance and growing at a rapid speed and pouring billions of dollars into the global economy. Thus it is hoped, that the world is recognising the principles of ecotourism and taking the environment, social and cultural effects of such growth into account and not merely focusing on economic development.

2.4.2 Ecotourism in China
In 1995, the first session of the China Ecotourism Symposium was held in XiShuangBanNa, Yunnan. The session presented Chinas position on environment protection and support of sustainable development. Then, sustainable tourism was gradually introduced into the Chinese market. Essentially, ecotourism is the conscience of sustainable tourism (Weaver, 2006) and the best way to achieve sustainable tourism. The market is changing. There Western influences everywhere, and China is going greener (Trehoux, 2008)

On January 1, 2009, Chinas year of ecotourism was inaugurated in Sanya by the China National Tourism Administration with a slogan Be a green traveler and experience eco-civilization (Wang, et al, 2009, p263-4). In 2008 the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) legalized the most up-to-date paper on ecotourism in China, which sets out Chinas goals, undertakings and the different kinds of ecotourism they want to develop, among other things  (Wang, et al, 2009). Wang et al (2009) also state that the CNTA s currently in the midst of devising a national accreditation system for ecotourism.

2.4.3 Ecotourism in Yunnan
Prior to 1978 the Chinese Government did not pay much attention to tourism, but after Deng Xiao Pings U-turn the government started to participate in the tourism industry in China, led by a coastal strategy (Zhang, 2001). The five year plan of (1996-2000) played a vital role for setting up Yunnan as an ecotourism market (Zhang 2001), particularly the construction of the silk route. Tourism in Yunnan accelerated in 1978, with a growth in tourist numbers and revenue, which initiated the need and development of an infrastructure for tourism in 1980, but it was not until 1990 that Yunnan was recognised as an environment for ecotourism. The Yunnan ecotourism industry at that point consisted of one centre, three tourist routes, four places, five areas, six products, and nine key projects (Zhang 2001).

Yunnan has even strengthened its transportation system, increasing routes within the province and outside it, and linking with other provinces and countries nearby. These transportation methods involve road and railway routes connecting Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, routes and docks that facilitate travellers and commodities to airports and the Mekong River (Verghese, 1998).

The authorities of Yunnan desire development in attractive domestic and international tourist destinations, together with the development in other related services and entertainment services in the tourism region. Ecotourism is playing a very vital role for the economy of Yunnan and figures show that in 1999 ecotourism generated about 50 billion Yuan this was a 10 increase from the previous year, and has been recognised as second on the list of revenue generating industries in the province since then. Yunnan is making great efforts towards ecotourism development, and has created precedence for the ecotourism related regions, such as the eight eco-cultural based routes and five zones (WTO, 2002).

Yunnans cultural attractions and ecological resources, promoted as ecotourism products by the province, consist of 111 reserves and 26 parks covering an area of about 20,000 square kilometres and representing 5 of Yunnan (Mattson, 1999). The hotspots, enriched with ecological and cultural assortments, incorporate ethnic and biological preservations in accordance to ecotourism perspectives a recent example is Xishuangbanna. Another prevailing project is the project of the great river in Yunnan, focusing on North West Yunnan province, and promoting community based ecotourism in the region. The most important area to note is the watershed of Lashihai, which is a lake of Lijang County, and a holy mountain of Tibet Meilixueshan (Bullock, 2002). This project is satisfies both type ecological tourism and mass tourism by endorsing Green tourism. The current strategy of ecotourism in Yunnan focuses predominately on community based tourism projects, management of ecotourism and services relegated to gathering information (Leksakundilok, 2004).

Ecotourism in Yunnan, however, still lacks consideration by the authorities, as explained in an online article by Pasternack (2007) the areas of Yunnan are facing great deficiencies due to the unconcerned attitude towards its ecological development, even though Yunnan possesses attention capturing sites that are quite famous, the Wenhai Eco-lodge for instance, and an enriched natural environment.

Ecotourism in Yunnan has been divided into four sections, which will be defined in detail in chapter 4. Feng (2006) states these that no tourist site has proper financial support by the authorities, nor proper management of landmarks with such minimum resources and involvement by authorities for maximum profits, the domestic structure found in Yunnan may not be able to sustain proper ecological conditions, though the locals and private bodies are working to create their own ecotourism.