Tourism

Discover Pattaya Known as Thailands oldest and well-known international beach resort, Pattaya has a lot to offer to its tourists. It is referred to as Thailands original tourist resort and it features a variety of activities and attractions such as sunny beaches, family-friendly leisure parks, wonderful restaurants, nightlife and great value shopping. It is also a multi-cultural destination that guarantees the best of services and facilities to tourists from all parts of the globe.

Quick Facts about Pattaya A Macro Overview
It is located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung (Banglamung) in the province of Chonburi (Freebase, Pattaya).
 Gorgeous tropical islands play host to low-end guesthouses or stylish and contemporary five-star resorts (Emmons, 2010, p. 1).
Area 22.2 square km (8.57 square mile)
Population 104,318

Destination Analysis
Pattayas location is just an hour away from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and just a couple of hours away from Bangkok which makes it a top weekend getaway for those who want to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. It features more than 300 hotels in different price categories. The main highlight and attraction in Pattaya is the picturesque beach. The major Thai historical and cultural sights cannot be found in this lively town.

ProductsHighlights
Anyone who considers Pattaya for a beach getaway should choose between the two distinctive sides of this destination. The more developed area is Pattaya itself where one can expect great nightlife and a unique party experience. It also features the entertainment facilities, clubs and the big shops plus a variety of services. Located along the other side of a small hill on the south of Pattaya is the popular Jomtien Beach area. This part is the more conservative and family-oriented area. It offers a wholesome environment with numerous hotels and other accommodations and several nice restaurants. Jomtien Beach area is just 15 minutes away from Pattaya.

Eating is one of the highlights of any trip to Thailand, and it doesnt take long to see that the locals are equally enthusiastic about their national cuisine (Burke, 2008, p. 44). Thai staples and specialties are rice, noodles, curry, salads, stir-fries and deep fries, soups, fruits and different kinds of sweets. Staples in beverages are coffee, tea, fruit drinks, beer and whisky. Thai dishes are world-famous for their distinctive taste and authentic flavours. There are also a variety of dishes for vegetarians.

It features over 300 hotels plus various amenities to suit different budget requirements. Pattaya is also known for its beauty and world-class hospitality.

Some of the most highly recommended recreational activities include lawn tennis, golf, gyms, shooting and elephant rides. Water-based activities include surfing, snorkelling, parasailing, scuba diving, speedboats, water skiing and deep sea fishing. There is also adventure of all kinds here extreme sports on land and sea, trekking to hill-tribe villages and abseiling down sheer limestone cliffs (Emmons, 2010, p. 1).

Market and Market Segmentation
Pattaya, Thailand offers an extraordinary vacation experience for those who especially love the beach and the great outdoors. There are suitable facilities and activities for tourists of all ages. It is also a destination that caters to a wide range of market and consumer needs and standards  for the entire family, groups of friends, honeymooners and couples and many others.

An overwhelming 5 million visitors visit Pattaya every year. The number of repeat visitors is high which speaks volume of the Thai hospitality (My Pattaya Holiday, Facts and Figures). The figure also reflects the hospitality of Thai locals. Furthermore, the world-class and impressive infrastructure also contributes to the tremendous rise of Pattayas tourism industry.

Pattaya can offer a serene and peaceful atmosphere for those who prefer a quiet and rejuvenating vacation at the same time, it can also offer an exciting and thrilling experience for those who love sorts of outdoor and indoor activities as well as those who want to stay active even while on vacation.

Those who especially love to dine and party can enjoy the vibrant nightlife in Pattaya with its great restaurants, nightclubs, bars and cabaret shows. Other options are snooker clubs, bowling and billiard halls.
Tourists who want to pamper themselves can also enjoy a wonderful Thai massage or sauna. And those whose vacation will not be complete without an extraordinary shopping experience can explore the shops day and night to search for amazing finds and souvenirs at reasonable prices. Clearly, Pattaya has a lot to offer to tourists from all walks of life.

The Image of Pattaya
Pattaya used to be a humble fishing village. However, its development along with its natural beauty can be considered as major breakthrough in Thailands tourism industry, it has also created quite an impression to the rest of the world. Pattaya is also known for go-go girls, gay scene, escorts, wild nightlife and sex trade. The book Pattaya Beach by J. Elray which is based on a true story exposes the sex trade in Pattaya, Thailand. It reflects real scenarios from Pattaya including women and sex (2010). Such industry and general concept about Pattaya can hurt its brand image and can also impose limitations on its target market. Given the fact that several wholesome activities are also available in this vacation spot, marketing such features and facilities can lose their essence. Furthermore, it would be very difficult to reach out to the real target market which includes tourists from all walks of life across different age groups and nationalities. The negative impact of sex trade, gay scenes and go-go girls can overpower the best things that Pattaya has to offer among tourists. For this reason, it is important to promote its tourism in a positive light while focusing on its highlights which are geared towards meeting the demand of its target market. First step is to determine the target market with consideration to the types of tourists that usually go to the place. Second is to build a clean and wholesome image that will encourage the target market to visit the place. Third is to pay close attention to the services, facilities, activities and type of accommodations that will meet the target markets needs with due consideration to various environmental factors.

Concentrating on these aspects can promote far more positive tourism to Pattaya and can help eradicate the concept of women and sex in this vacation hotspot.

Building a New Image for Pattaya
Destination Benchmarking
A new marketing strategy will eradicate all negative images of Pattaya. It will slowly but surely rise as an environment-friendly, family-oriented and peaceful haven where tourists can enjoy a relaxing vacation. Moreover, it will no longer be set apart from traditional Thailand because authentic Thai values will dominate the new Pattaya. It will rise to become more edgy yet conservative, cleaner and more earth-friendly. New rules will be implemented in nightclubs and bars to ensure that minors will not be allowed. In line with that, minors will not be allowed to purchase alcohol and cigarettes. Proper trash disposal will be implemented in all places as well and conservation of marine life will be given enough attention. Pattayas image as a City of Sin and Sex will slowly be thrown away as a brand new level of tourism marketing will be initiated.
The strategic planning process results in self-assessment and baseline development for the organization, which in turn identifies weaknesses that the company must address in order to achieve and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage (Kettenacker, 2009, p. 1).

The process of cleaning up Pattaya and its negative image will become possible through a new marketing plan. Partnership with Thai government is necessary in implementing new rules and regulations particularly among minors. Controlling the sex trade and notorious nightlife should be done with proper coordination with the government agencies. Setting up new standards with regards to the operation of clubs and bars can help in uplifting the reputation of nightlife in Pattaya.

Destination Positioning
Pattaya, Thailand should be positioned in the tourism market as a unique and diverse vacation getaway that offers multiple opportunities for fun and excitement for the entire family, kids of all ages, couples and honeymooners, groups of friends, adventure-seekers, nature and beach lovers, party people and shopping fanatics. It will become known as a place where nature meets pleasure thus completing the whole holiday experience and promises a lot of fond memories worth keeping.

Since the major highlights of Pattaya are the beaches, resorts and outdoor activities, it just makes a lot of sense to concentrate on these aspects in making a suitable tourism development plan. The plan is to concentrate more in promoting it as a family-oriented seaside vacation getaway that features a lot of wholesome leisure and recreational facilities. Tourism, recreation and leisure are generally seen as a set of interrelated and overlapping concepts (Hall, 2006, p. 4).

Tourism Destination Development
Price
Vacation Packages for Pattaya, Thailand vary in terms of price and depending upon the choice of accommodation. A top deal for a 5-Star Hotel in Pattaya like the Sheraton Pattaya Resort costs 159 and up per night while a special deal at 4-Star Siam Bayshore Resort and Spa costs only 83 and up per night. In general, the cost of accommodation can range between 75 and 400night per room or unit with two guests for top hotels (4-Star and 5-Star) and between 25 and 70 for budget-conscious guests who prefer affordable hotels with cheap rates (average 3-Star hotels and others). Other top options for accommodation include the 4.5-Star Royal Cliff Beach Resort (99 and up promos), the 4.5-Star Dusit Thani Pattaya (88 and up per night promos), The Champ Pattaya Hotel (30 Guiding Price per night) and Central Pattaya Hotel (43 Guiding Price per night) among hundreds of others ranging from the most luxurious all the way to the basic types.

Prices do not include taxes, extra guest charges and service fees. As with any other vacation destinations, accommodation prices go up during the peak seasons, weekends and holidays by as much as 10  20. Featured promos are also mainstays of Pattaya vacation packages so it is not very difficult at all to find a good deal that will suit ones budget requirements and vacation style perfectly (Trip Advisor, 2010, Top Deals for April 24).

With more than 300 hotels across different price range, tourists can make a choice that is perfectly at par with their budget. A practical yet decent choice would be a middle-class hotel that costs around 70 dollars per night for two persons such as Pinnacle Jomtien Resort Spa, Best Western Premier Signature, Siam Bayview Hotel and Jomtien Thani. These are just some of the hotels in Pattaya that offer deals which are reasonable enough to let tourists enjoy a comfortable yet very affordable accommodation.

Place
Pattaya,Thailand is famous for its pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, glorious ambience and relaxing atmosphere. It is a highly-regarded vacation spot in the south-east Asia because of its diverse features. The sunny beaches are admired by tourists from all over the world, particularly the Europeans. It combines the pleasure of first-class beach resorts, high end city-like dining experience, shopping and leisure and night entertainment facilities. From a fishing village, it evolved into a true cosmopolitan meeting spot for travellers, expat communities and Thai people. An enticing vacation at Glorious Pattaya will also provide opportunities for a secluded and private escape in the wonderful natural scenery with over 30 offshore islands stretching within a radius of around 30 miles around the area.

The beautiful waters of Pattaya attract divers from all over the world. For anyone who is planning to dive, it is important to organise some items prior to the set vacation in order to ease the ability to jump right and explore the deep waters. Inquire from the travel-insurance provider if it offers extra insurance for those who are planning to have diving activities. Those who have certain medical conditions like mild asthma should ask their doctor to sign a certificate that proves their ability to dive safely. Ensuring these diving requirements is necessary before the designated trip to avoid hassles. For those who intend to have deep dives and night dives, it is necessary to bring a proof of previous diving experience. Lastly, bring non-drowsy motion sickness pills. Technically, dive operators are prohibited from giving medicines. Such act is illegal for them. It is therefore advisable for tourists to bring their own medicines from their own native countries for safety considerations and to avoid unwanted side effects that can ruin the vacation (Burke, 2008, p. 384).

Hiking is another pleasant activity in Pattaya as well as in southern Thailand. However, there are laws that
govern such activities. One is not allowed to hike alone. Someone from the local community should be aware of where one intends to hike, how far and how long the activity will last. Make it a point to bring lots of water and insect repellent. Hikers should take their rubbish back with them. And lastly, sturdy shoes are required for the activity as well as long pants to serve as extra protection in case of leeches and snakes (Burke, 2008, p. 384)

Product
Pattaya, Thailand offers beautiful sandy beaches, different types of accommodations, water activities, diving hotspots, beautiful corals and various kinds marine life sports and many other entertainment facilities. It also features an authentic dining experience, colourful nightlife, interesting shops and boutiques and various wellness services like traditional Thai massage, sauna and spa.

Promotion
Promotional Work Plans to improve tourism in Pattaya should include various multimedia campaigns (TV and radio ads), partnership with travel agencies, advertising via the internet and through multiple websites that focus on travel and tours, leafleting and with the help of public relations (press releases, article write ups, travel newsletters etc.). Participating in Trade Fairs can also be helpful in order to reach out to a lot of people and do a product detailing on what Pattaya has to offer to tourists. To enhance the image of Pattaya, it is extremely beneficial to re-package it in such a way that it promotes wholesome activities for the whole family. A family-oriented campaign is more diversified because it encompasses a broader market that includes people of all ages starting from small children all the way to the grandparents who want to have a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation and everything else in between  parents, couples, honeymooners, groups of friends and retirees. A new brand image for Pattaya can give rise to a multitude of opportunities that focus on clean fun and excitement while providing all the best amenities that a vacation hotspot has to offer. In addition to that, a family-oriented tourism campaign is more aligned with the various environmental awareness programs that will be implemented in Pattaya.

People
The people in Pattaya consists of the locals, expatriates, retirees, fishing community large number of foreigners and those who are registered in other places in Thailand but stay there primarily for work. Some people who are of Thai-Chinese origin also reside in Pattaya.
Total Population 104,318 but can go as high as 500,000(Wikipedia).
Local Thai people are known for their hospitality and warm welcoming smiles to their guests.

Psychology
Building a marketing campaign for Pattayas tourism that focuses on environment-friendly measures can help in changing its image to the rest of the world. Creating the much necessary change is a challenge considering its history and reputation. However, using this as a benchmark towards environment-friendly, wholesome and family-oriented tourism, there is no other way to go but up. The standards can be reset and a new Pattaya will be introduced to the public.

Politics
The city of Pattaya is a self governing municipal area which covers the whole tambon Ning Prue (Nongprue) and Na Kluea (Naklua) and parts of Huai Yai and Nong Pla Lai (Freebase, Pattaya)
Pattaya is administered by the mayor who is responsible in creating the policies, organizing services for the public and supervising the employees of Pattaya city administration.

Public Opinion
Thailand is well-known for its rich culture and tradition. It is also known for its natural beauty, wonderful beaches and authentic cuisine. The Thai locals are known for their warm greetings to tourists and world-class hospitality. All these things somewhat set Pattaya far from traditional Thailand. Pattaya, despite having great beaches, lush green landscapes and luxurious hotels, carries a negative image under its name caused by the dominance of bars, nightclubs, wild nightlife and sex in this part of Thailand. Thai culture is not the major highlight in Pattaya. In fact, it continues to carry the image of being a City of Sin and Sex.

Positioning
Pattaya, Thailand is a tourist beach destination that is easily accessible to the general public. Thailand is cheap and well organised, and the steady flow of travellers moving up and down the coast means that travel can be as comfortable or as rugged as you want it to be (Bindloss, 2004, p. 4).

Pattaya is generally known for its wild nightlife, sex trade and prostitution. However, at the same time, it is being marketed as a wholesome vacation getaway for families.

Participation
By establishing partnership with some of the most highly respected environmental organizations in Thailand and in the entire Asia such as The Thailand Environment Institute, Wildlife Friends of Thailand and World Wildlife Fund Thailand, appropriate measures can be implemented to conserve the environment while doing the marketing campaigns. Coordinating with the government of Thailand can speed up the process of coming up with new laws concerning the environment or in passing several rules and regulations that will be implemented in Pattaya in order to preserve its natural beauty, protect and conserve its marine life and maintain its cleanliness. Some appropriate measures include the following
Increasing the number of trash bins around the area and positioning them strategically to ensure that all places are covered.

Practice segregation of waste products by designating separate trash bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable products.

Minimize the use of plastic. Instead, use paper materials (paper bags, paper plates etc.) to hold food items bought within the area

Implement diving rules and regulations to protect marine life
Encourage tourists to try activities that do not cause harm to the environment such as hiking, bicycling, snorkelling, parasailing, zip lining and sliding, bungee jumping and riding the banana boat.
Increase the price and tax for cigarettes and alcohol
Improve the security in nightclubs and bars. Designate law enforcers or public authorities to keep eye on what is going on in the night scene.

Implement anti-drug campaigns and continue the fight against prostitution

Partnership
Anyone can make a difference in Pattaya, Thailand in order to create a positive impact in its tourism. Some of the leading advocates that work towards the conservation of nature in Thailand are the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand, The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand, Thailand Environment Institute, Wildlife Friends of Thailand and World Wildlife Fund Thailand.

PackageProgram
The marketing plan should be focused on building Pattayas brand new image as a clean and green, environment-friendly and family-oriented vacation destination where nature meets pleasure. This program can improve its standards and can transform it into one of the most decent places to visit in Asia.

PeriodTiming
Locals, expats and retirees experience overcrowding and extreme traffic along its major roads during the peak seasons, usually between November and March.

Foreign tourism in the whole of Thailand amounted to 14.5 million visitors in 2007. More than one million tourists visit Pattaya every year (Murray). Thus there are instances of overcrowding in beaches particularly during the tourist seasons. The busiest period for Pattaya is during the months of November to March (Thailand Travel Online). During these months, rush-hour traffic can go really bad particularly when there are festivals and holidays. The beaches are also left littered with trash.

Process
Tourism had created an overdevelopment but also caused some environmental degradation to the place. Thus it is of utmost importance to address these environmental impacts and issues accordingly to maintain a sustainable tourism.

How to Address Overcrowding that Causes Environmental Degradation in Pattaya
Increase the Entrance Fees in designated beach areas
Implement extra fees for the most in-demand activities during peak seasons

Solve the problem of prostitution  eliminate nightclubs that feature go-go girls and illegal activities  address the issue of sex trade in order to avoid visitors who have other motives other than to have a purely wholesome experience in the place. This will also stop individuals who repeatedly go back to Pattaya just for the prostitution and affordable sex.

Control the number of vacation packages being offered by travel agencies that feature very cheap rates particularly during the peak seasons

Limit availability of outdoor and beach activities during the peak seasons
Increase the cost of wellness services during the peak seasons such as spa treatments, Thai massages, sauna and others.

Set designated months wherein visitors can be limited to a minimum to allow a recovery period for the place. This can also help in solving the traffic problems in Pattaya which are normally encountered during the peak seasons, holidays, festivals and other occasions.

Set designated months wherein the clubs and bars will be closed temporarily to allow certain visitors to enjoy an exclusively serene, quiet and peaceful ambience. This can also help in eradicating the negative image of Pattaya. Furthermore, keeping the bars and nightclubs close for some time contributes to energy conservation.

The development of a certain place as well as the progress in its tourism can lead to environmental degradation to some extent. This issue is hard to control since many different people visit the place throughout the year. It is hard to maintain certain standards among tourists because no matter how hard the business operators implement certain rules, there will always be some who could not care less about throwing or leaving litter in the beach and in other places, disposing plastic containers anywhere, not segregating non-biodegradable from biodegradable trash and tossing cigarette butts anywhere. Hotel, restaurant and beach staffs, business operators, locals and tourist guides are not enough to set the standards or implement the rules. As much as they can set good examples to the tourists andor other visitors, they do not have the right authority to go after them or to sue them for littering or for offending the nature. Such approach can even be interpreted by some tourists as rude and far from being hospitable.

For this reason, it is important to coordinate with proper government authorities as well as various environmental organizations to initiate laws, rules and regulations that can help in preventing environmental degradation to a particular tourist spot in this case, in Pattaya, Thailand. Furthermore, environment-friendly practices should be incorporated in its marketing and promotions. Positioning Pattaya, Thailand as an environment-friendly tourist destination can help in promoting cleanliness and discipline in this place.

There are other basic steps that can also make a difference in promoting responsible and sustainable tourism
and at the same time can help in building awareness amongst its visitors, expats and even among the Thai locals. Here are some pointers for responsible tourism in Pattaya and other parts of Thailand as stated by Andrew Burke and his co-authors in Thailands Islands  Beaches Regional Guide
Reduction of garbage by simply buying drinking water in returnable glass bottles. These are available in some of the restaurants. Alternatively, it also helps to re-use plastic bottles by refilling them when drinking water is being provided from returnable containers.

Refuse the plastic straws and plastic bags which are usually being provided each time you purchase a drink.
Never throw cigarette butts in the beach or ocean. Be mindful of disposing them only in designated receptacles.

Try to double up or share with the other travellers for snorkelling outings in order to help in conserving fuel.
Avoid eating in restaurants that serve exotic wildlife species especially endangered marine life, birds nest soup and sharks fin soup. Try your best to report offending restaurants and eateries to the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) or to the Royal Forest Department.

During boat trips and island visits, as well as during scuba diving activities, collect any rubbish or trash that you see and dispose it appropriately in the mainland or wherever a proper disposal facility is provided.
Do NOT buy souvenirs that are made from rare plants and animals including the ones which are made of ivory, sea shells, turtle products, mounted giant insects and shark teeth.

During water activities such as diving, do not touch or walk on corals. Be mindful of your movements to avoid accidentally sweeping into coral.

Do NOT harass marine life. (pp. 63  64).

A Growing number of overseas tourism companies now insist that Thailands tourism operators have environmental policies in place before doing business with them (Burke, 2008, p. 64).

Physical Evidence
For the material part of the service that serves as physical evidence, consumers tend to rely on some material cues. Disseminating and providing the physical evidences can be done via the internet through web pages, travel brochures, signage in vehicles and aircraft, uniforms and business cards.
Other physical evidences that Pattaya can make use of as marketing communications are its tourist attractions, resorts, beaches and various amenities.

Perception
The following are general perceptions that people usually have about Pattaya since its overdevelopment which need to be addressed, changed and improved in order to initiate a good marketing scheme
1. Nightlife in Pattaya has created a negative reputation in the world. Thus Pattaya has been named as the City of Sin and Sex.
2. Residents of Pattaya are often mistaken as tourists.
3. Crime rate and prostitution rise due to the large volume of people who go to Pattaya primarily to seek companionship and experience the nightlife
4. The overdevelopment of tourism causes environmental degradation and the beaches are left with litters.

A good marketing plan for Pattaya should not only address these issues but should also develop programs that aim to protect its general population.

Business Enterprises for Sustainable Tourism (BEST) has a strong belief that tourism can benefit destinations by providing better livelihoods for residents, preserving the natural environment and celebrating local culture, and that tourism can even restore cherished cultural traditions and landscapes and enhance the quality of life in economically disadvantaged communities (Harris, 2002, p. 297).

Any attempt to define tourism and to describe its scope fully must consider the various groups that participate in and are affected by this industry. Their perspectives are vital to the development of a comprehensive definition (Goeldner, 2009, p. 5).

Promoting Sustainable Tourism in Pattaya
An average visitor of Thailand can observe a number of practices in order to minimize the environmental impacts of tourism. Majority of the environmental issues that Thailand is facing are dependent upon the environmental regulations enforcement. Still there are several basic measures that tourists can perform to leave less of a footprint during the course of their vacation. Such measures are enough to help in maintaining the beauty of the surroundings and in preserving its natural beauty.

Despite the prevalent debate of organizational education, there is modest learned contribution on promoting learning through the realistic purpose of management apparatus. This is particularly correct in a complex domestic supply series milieu of an institute. Benchmarking is documented as a vital means for constant enhancement of quality.

A large amount of publications by a variety of authors reveal the significance of this practice. Reviews of literature on benchmarking have been prepared in the past by a small number of authors. However, bearing in mind the contributions in the recent times, a more complete examination is attempted here. In this essay, the authors have reviewed benchmarking literature in a manner that would help researchers, academicians and practitioners to take a deeper look at the expansion, development and applicability of this method.

The authors have examined a range of papers and have anticipated a diverse plan of categorization. In addition, certain gaps that would present clues for extra study in benchmarking have been recognized.

Study Questions
A study of small hospitality businesses was undertaken in order to address the following research questions
1) How extensive is the formal and informal practice of benchmarking in small hospitality businesses
2) What kinds of practices and approaches are more or less likely to be benchmarked in small hospitality businesses
3) How is the corporate culture of firms in the small hospitality industry associated with their interest in benchmarking best practices

Principal Findings
Comparing performance figures is the procedure in the benchmarking processes that seem to be accepted and applied by tourism managers rather than more complex procedures like analyzing or optimizing.

However, there is a growing body of researchers assuming that benchmarking is not exclusively a comparison practice. Studying the business feat of a number of hospitality sectors (attractions, restaurants and caterings, motels) Bergin et al. (2000) found that benchmarking is frequently confused with the practice of viable assessment studies. Terms such as benchmarking, interfirm comparisons and competitive comparison analysis are inaccurately interchanged. Benchmarking is thought to be a more potent tool than competitive comparison.

Key Words
Benchmarking, competitive comparison, comparison analysis, interfirm comparisons, hospitality sectors.

Introduction
Benchmarking is concerned with obtaining information through relative study and applying it to develop internal procedures or practices (Smith, 1997). Whilst Business Week has described benchmarking as a euphemism for legally ripping off someone elses idea (McGonagle and Fleming, 1998), meaningful analysis and successful implementation is shown to be a complex task. As McNary (1994) observes what often gets copied in benchmarking are only the symptoms of success instead of the causes of success. This review checks existing literature on benchmarking, particularly with respect to context, procedure, needs and benefits. The applicability to higher education is examined and results drawn.

Decision makers are continuously on the look out for methods to make possible quality upgrading. Benchmarking is one such technique that has developed into a popular process in the recently. Benchmarking is one of many total quality management tools, which comprise problem solving, procedure reengineering and process improvement. According to DeToro (1995), benchmarking needs to be positioned within this larger context. From the strategic perspective, benchmarking could only be a piece of the jigsaw of initiatives needed to achieve substantial improvements (Smith, 1997). The challenge is to match the process with the optimal tool or technique (Keehley, 1997). Though benchmarking is not up-to-the-minute, it has now found more users, and takes up a major place, helping quality development.

Quite regularly, the benchmarking notion is understood to be an act of imitating or replicating. But in actuality this proves to be an idea that aids in originality rather than imitation, as stated by Thompson and Cox (1997). Many authors have contributed to the literature on benchmarking ensuing in more than 350 publications as of June 2002. Taking in the growth of publications, some efforts have been made in the past to review the literature. Despite the widespread discussion of both organizational learning and the learning organization (Yeo, 2005), there are few practical tools to promote learning within a supply chain context that also give implementation advice for practitioners (Garvin, 1993 Shipton, 2004). This paper, aside from providing a review of literature on benchmarking, envelops the following objectives

(1) Assembling the publications in a methodical way to allow easy and quick search

(2) Classification of literature

(3) Analysis of result of publications and

(4) Discover gaps plus presenting hints for further research.

As benchmarking relevance is rising considerably in large organizations, they have, as yet, had restricted application among small hospitality businesses. Much interest has been paid to small businesses in current tourism and hospitality literature, but this has centered on savings, finance and the use of technology (e.g. Buhalis, 1993 Kwansa, 1994 Ozer, 1996). There has been little research to quantify performance points of small hospitality businesses either as singular organizations or as workings of tourist destinations. This paper argues that benchmarking offers benefits for small hospitality businesses and for the destinations where they are situated. This is mainly true of grading schemes, where most of the fee is sustained by grading organizations, not by the small business themselves. Awards or grades give customers self-assurance and at the same time present a yardstick of competitiveness within the location area.

Literature review
The literature review focuses on exploring the potential of benchmarking to facilitate learning. It signifies the critical performance areas in classification and grading schemes in small to medium hotels. In the following part it specifies how people benefit from the stated grading schemes and how benchmarking is a useful grading scheme for hotel managers.

Tourist destinations components of attractiveness
Mill and Morrison (1992) make a note that tourist destinations are made of attractions, facilities, infrastructure, transportation and hospitality. Laws (1995) spots chief essentials contributing to the attractiveness of a tourist destination as being climate, ecology, culture and traditional architecture and less important rudiments specifically for tourist groups, e.g. hotels, catering, transport and entertainment. Goodall and Bergsma (1990) consider total cost a fifth constituent, in addition to attractions, facilitiesservices, accessibility and image. Destination choice, image and pleasure have all been the center of extensive tourism research(McLellan and Fousher, 1983 Pyo et al., 1989Selby and Morgan, 1996 Sirakaya et al., 1996).The subsequent inventory demonstrates components of tourist destination attractiveness, amassed from these sources, which were literature reviews concerning tourist destination choice, image and tourist satisfaction.

Attractions
Scenerynatural resources
Climate
Culture
Food
History
Ethnicity and
Accessibility.
Facilities and services
Accommodation
Airports
bustrain stations
Sport facilities
Entertainment
Shopping centers and
Food and beverage facilities.

Infrastructure
Water systems
Communication networks
Health care
Power sources
Sewagedrainage areas
Streetshighways and Security systems.

Hospitality
Friendliness
Helpfulness and
Responsiveness to complaints.

Cost
Value for money
Accommodation prices
Food and beverage prices
Transportation prices and
Shopping prices

Directly or indirectly, small businesses participate in an dynamic role in granting roughly all the physical and intangible components of attractiveness acknowledged in the lists shown above. Thus, they contribute significantly to visitor satisfactiondissatisfaction and to tourist opinion and images of destinations.

Small hospitality businesses
Hotel firms provide products which include tangible and intangible elements that combine into an exclusive combination of production and service. While room provision is a pure service activity, food and beverage functions involve processing and retailing processes. This might signify that the actual delivery of hospitality services may diverge widely and that the benefits derived are associated with feelings or emotions. The repercussions are that consumers use biased and contradictory frames of reference to judge the quality of services, presenting difficulties for the hotel operative in satisfying the customer. Customer prejudice is emphasized in Day and Peters comments that Quality is rather like pornography in this respect. We may not be able to describe it easily, but we know it when we see it. Its ambiguity is amplified because high quality service is often delivered by impulsive and since reacts by hotel staff which cannot simply be practiced or scripted, but are even so an important means of client satisfaction. In order to endure and be successful, a business has to make sure that it is producing the goods or services that the customer wants, that it gets its quality right, and that it brings on time. There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that are straight links with the satisfaction of the server and customer, repeat sales and profits. Heskettet al. implies that quality, repeat usage, profits and investment form a self-reinforcing rotation. As a result, despite the apparently indefinable nature of the hotel product, service improvement can represent an important source of competitive advantage because quality in service delivery can lead to more repeat custom and greater sales revenue. Augmented presentation may also benefit managers and staff whose tangible and intangible benefits include job satisfaction, profit sharing and esteem.

Small businesses are imperative to the financial health of both developed and developing countries. Gavron et al. (1998) makes a note of the vitality of the hospitality and tourism sector in this regard, in which low barrier to access generally ensure a steady supply of new businesses at the same time as unproductive or inefficient ones are going through difficulty. Quinn et al. (1992) remarks on the somewhat low capital investment required to start new small tourist businesses. Entry costs can be abridged even for relatively asset-intensive businesses such as hotels, through leasing or through mortgageloan agreements. Welshand White (1981) describe as resource poverty the inclination of small hospitality businesses to be short of financial backing and management skill and Gavron et al. (1998) refer to this as the reason why 64 per cent of UK small businesses fall short within four years. In Germany, where an inspection is required before an industrialist can start up in business, the rate is 32 per cent. Specific tourism-related statistics are limited, but, for example, Chelland Pittaway (1997) report that almost 50 percent of restaurants did not endure the first two years in their study.

The British Venture Capital Association (1996) makes a note that many small business managers are provoked by life style rather than economic and success issues. While this does not automatically mean that they function to insufficient professional standards, it does simply that they may not be motivated to endeavor further improvement in a business which already produces adequate profits. Eggers et al. (1994) note that businesses either look for stabilization or have an expansion orientation. They categorize a series of central business stages and comment that a business which is thriving at one stage may not have the knowledge crucial to uphold success in others. Thus, although small businesses have a vital part in creating tourist satisfaction, they are neither a homogeneous group, nor able to give constantly high service delivery.

Benchmarking
Camp (1989) and Zairi (1996) observe benchmarking as a way to contrast organizational practice and produce improvement. Smithet al. (1993) classifies the benefits of benchmarking as
 presenting an organization how to better meet client requirements
 recognizing an organizations strengths and weaknesses
 Inspiring incessant operational enhancement and

A cost-effective means of gathering inventive ideas.
The key classifications of benchmarking are among internalexternal and genericfunctional (Zairi, 1992). Internal benchmarking contains the sharing of performance pointers between sections of an organization or between divisions in a group (Cross and Leonard, 1994). External benchmarking involves assessment with challengers or peers working in the same industry (Karlof and Ostblom, 1994). Genericfunctional benchmarking looks for comparison against organizations or sectors performing parallel activities or facing comparable problems, not essentially in the same industry (Breiter and Kline, 1995 Cook, 1995). Thus the benchmarking of small hospitalitytourism businesses may possibly involve comparison with other such businesses, or with a certain service characteristic such as customer care, in another business segment, such as airlines.

Benchmarking in the hospitality industry
Organizations have to attain an overall level of performance in order to be competitive. Categorization and grading schemes and awards such as IiP and Excellence through People can act as external enablers that circuitously sway the performance level of an organization as a yield. All these grading and award systems can be acknowledged as benchmarks signifying how businesses
execute against a variety of standards. In theory they make it achievable to perk up both systems and service outputs on a continuing basis.

To profit from external benchmarking, small tourism businesses must be inspired to reflect and scan. It is essential that external bodies such as TECS, tourist boards and associations, professional bodies and organizations such as British Hospitality Association participate in presenting the benchmarking procedure as a positive and important support to business efficiency. Local bodies involved in destination identification plans which are harmonious with the future plans for the destination. Management needs to build up award and given the instability in the small hospitality sector, it may be that those small businesses which can most profit from benchmarking are the very ones that are deficient of the assets and partiality to carry it out (Micklewright, 1993).

Either way, the benchmarking of small organizations against one another is improbable to make a genuine impact on destination preference and tourist satisfaction. It is also noteworthy that the inadequate examples of benchmarking carried out among small tourism businesses have almost all been carried out by external third parties (Coker, 1996 Department of National Heritage, 1996 Johns et al., 1996Johns et al., 1997). Such studies involve small businesses only to give data to external researchers and then gain from the data there is no need for them to carry out any lively research themselves. Externally instigated approaches to benchmarking comprise classificationgrading schemes and awards, which can likewise be used to gauge the performance of small hospitality businesses and to lift standards. In theory, grading schemes create universal benchmark standards against which the individual small businesses are evaluated. They also supply consumers with important information about hotels and other businesses.

Existing frameworks for rating accommodation
Since 1962 the World Tourism Organization (WTO) has sought after developing a unanimously acknowledged hotel rating scheme, but in 1995 there were more than 100 categorization systems in function. An alternate structure using symbols to signify facilities with no categorization has been worked out by the Confederation of National Hotel and Restaurant Associations (HOTREC) of the European Union, but the WTO form is generally acknowledged inmost nations. The common characteristics of hotel rating systems are as follows
Hotels with good quality essential facilities and furnishings guaranteeing relaxing lodging. Meals services may be narrow. Includes small private hotels.

Hotels having advanced values of accommodation and more services providing good levels of comfort and amenity. Includes private hotels and budget adjustment.

Well appointed hotels with open, very comfortable lodging, mostly within-suite bathrooms. Full meal amenities are provided as well as an array of facilities.

High class hotels, well outfitted and furnished to a very high standard of comfort, offering a very wide variety of services and amenities for visitors and guests.

Outstanding hotels with excellent quality accommodation and furnishings to the highest international standards of lavishness, providing immaculate services and wide-ranging amenities.

Rating schemes generally reduce to two major groups. Official classifications outline the basis of essential or voluntary necessities which are established by governmental agencies, such as Regional Tourist Boards. On the other hand, autonomous hotels ratings schemes may be operated by associations (such as hotel or automobile associations) or by viable organizations (such as Mobilor Michelin Travel Guides). In the UK, the national Crown scheme, which began in 1987is a voluntary one developed by the English Tourist Board (ETB) and operated by the Regional Tourist Boards. The Crown classification scheme functions in six bands from Listed, One Crown up to Five Crowns. In accumulation, establishments may submit an application for classification and grading if they deem that their quality principles are sufficiently high to merit a tourist board recommendation.

Grading as a form of benchmarking
Grading is used to sub-divide accommodation supply into categories, such as the crowns of the English and Scottish Tourist Boards (ETB, STB) or stars of the AA and RAC, frequently by assessing substantial elements of the service mix. The grading may also consist of restaurant facilities or elusive elements of service. Plans are

Grading schemes can hypothetically be setup for any aspect of service release or business performance. For example, STB is initiating a novel environmental grading scheme for accommodation establishments by assessing performance in areas such as energy efficiency, recycling and waste managing. Subsequent to its introduction into hotels, BBs and guesthouses, this fresh format will be extended to visitor attractions (Stephens, 1997). This eco-grading design pays
special attention to the significance of the material environment to the tourism industry and eco-benchmarks businesses against popular standards.

Not unlike other types of benchmarking, grading schemes have a restricted life and are time dependent. Hence, businesses need to be checked frequently in order to check that standards are being preserved, are failing, or have lingered at the same level.

Conclusions
Certain aspects of small hospitality businesses make large-scale contribution in conventional benchmarking unlikely and, in particular, comparison with other organizations may have smaller affect than comparison against reputable industry norms. Classifications, grading schemes and awards have important roles to play in bringing about enhancements in small businesses. In view of the fact that such benchmarking is done by external organizations, the cost to small businesses is significantly lessened. Classification schemes and grades can work as stimulating agent to the improvement of facilities and services. Enhancements obtained through awards can contain more professional business schemes that will have an impact on long-term business performance.

Benchmarking through such plans brings advantages to destinations and tourists, as well as to individual businesses. Destinations can quantify the degree and quality of the small business factor of their offering and plan tactically to develop it efficiently, while visitors are probable to experience superior levels of satisfaction. If organization and award schemes are sufficiently understood they will help tourists arrange their prospect in line with the amenities and service expected to be offered. Individual businesses need to assume schemes which will maintain and endorse their market position.

In the diverse small tourism business area, there will constantly be changeable levels of business performance. Low obstruction to entry mean that the industry will have new provisions, at the same time as out of date contributions are being exterminated. This method assists in keeping small business offerings in line with altering consumer requirements, but benchmarking with arrangement, grading and award schemes can also help existing businesses to satisfy market potential. The small business sector is vital in forming tourist satisfaction and a positive destination image. Accordingly, any action to encourage suitable benchmarking participation by small tourist businesses is probable to have a positive effect on the performance of the overall destination.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (2010), tourism remains to be a primary driver of the economy of both developed and developing countries. Their most recent assessment of the industry project an average growth of 3-8, the positive outlook attributed to the recovery experienced in 2009 which showed robustness despite the persistence of global economic slowdown.  However, Goh and associates (2008) points out that to be able to realize the potential of these trends, there is a need to review current literature and strategies to accommodate changes in the market. Some of the factors that they believe need to be considered are changes in social dynamics due to the growth of social networking and buying behaviors in response to recent financial crises.

British tourists are a particularly attractive market because higher levels of disposable income and frequency of holidays taken (Aggressive new plan to attract British tourists, 2005). One of the most important considerations of British tourist is the quality of their accommodations, particularly the availability of leisure amenities and activities that are available (Chan  Wong, 2006). Early researches developed by Sogar and Jones (1993), McClellan (1995), Mill (1996), Zins (1998) and Nevin (1999) point out that there has been a wide recognition of the competitive advantage of leisure hotels in cultivating tourism because they are destinations that are the most associated with relaxation and recreation. Though research also see a significant growth in urban and eco-tourism, leisure resorts are still able to corner a significant section of the market because of they have a greater appeal for families and more mature markets even if they are considered to be tradition and relatively more expensive.

Problem Statement
Developing insights to why British tourists choose leisure hotels for their overseas holidays will reveal the factors that influence their preference in accommodations which can then be used to improve competitiveness of marketing and promotion activities. Therefore, there is a need to study the motivations behind these choices and develop effective strategies in response to these findings either to enhance or address deficiencies in marketing and promotion programs.

Objectives
The main objectives of the research will be as follows
To be able to determine factors that influence selection of destination when British tourists plan their overseas holidays
To evaluate the significance of these factors in other populations
To be determine how British tourists evaluate their experience in leisure destinations
To be able to evaluate how previous experience of leisure hotels determine choice
To map current strategies used in promoting leisure hotels among British tourists
To be able to recommend areas of development to strengthen marketing and promotion of leisure hotels

Significance
Considering that British tourists represent a large segment of the tourist market, particularly in Europe, developing such competencies can directly augment financial and strategic performance. More importantly, the study can serve as foundation for the review of current marketing and promotion strategies congruence with motivation for tourism of a specific population which in turn can serve as the foundation for more intensive research regarding the appeal of leisure hotels in comparison to other tourist destinations (Yavas  Babakus, 2005). Developing the research will also determine whether the British preference for leisure hotels is due to socio-cultural factors or due to their perception of these destinations. In doing so the research will determine whether the preference for leisure hotels is particular to British tourists or whether this is common to all tourist populations.

For example, if the former supposition is true, this would suggest that the market foe leisure hotels can be expanded by identifying populations who share similar socio-cultural contexts with British populations. If the latter supposition is true, then strategies that is to be developed should focus on developing the current competencies of leisure hotels have over other destinations. Regardless of the direction of future research, the data that can be developed from the study of the reasons why British customers choose leisure hotels when they plan overseas holidays will serve as the platform for these studies. Thus, the accomplishment of the research aims to improve research regarding the topic and at the same time, develop competencies for future researches.

Research Questions
How do British tourists evaluate their holiday destinations
What political, social or economic conditions factor into decision processes
Do they consider recommendations or suggestions
What literature or promotional activities create a greatest impact on their choice
What are the perceptions or expectations of leisure hotels
What features, amenities and services are expected
How are these evaluated
Can previous experience of leisure hotels impact future choice of destination
How do British tourists evaluate their accommodations
How are standards developed and utilized
Are socio-cultural factors significant
How does this affect their overall evaluation of leisure hotel experience
What is the degree of rigidity for choices made
Does preference change significantly
What factors can change choice of leisure hotels
What factors can change choice of holiday destination
Are the findings among British tourists applicable to other populations
Can the findings be extended to other European populations
Can the findings be extended to international markets
How do these findings impact the marketing and promotion of leisure hotels
Is this an indication of current marketing and promotion of leisure hotels
How can competencies and competitive advantages be further reinforced
What the vulnerability of current strategies
How can the study impact the strategies of other tourist destinations
What are competitive implications of the study
How can results of the study be used to promote other tourist destinations
Can leisure hotels sustain their appeal to British tourists


Related Literature
Research developed by McClellan (1995) during the growth of tourism industry in Britain shows that lifestyle is one of the major factors that prompt the trend towards leisure activities. This suggests that general psychographic profile of the British tourists as individual who highly value their vacation time and have a high degree of expectation regarding the quality of tourist products and services they acquire. Their standards are influenced not only by their own personal preferences but also their exposure and experience of local tourism industry. In general, this establishes higher standards since Britain itself is considered to be a prime tourist destination and at the same time because of the relative development of its tourism industry. Moreover, since standard of living is relatively higher in the Britain, there is a natural expectation of the amenities that should be available in their destinations.

Authors such as Franklin (2004) and Cooper (2005) both believe that there is an urgent need to review perspective and strategies in tourism in response to changes in social, economic and political conditions. One of the key trends that they see is the prioritization of tourism development which has allowed tourists to greater options, shifting significant market power to their side. However, there is also a realization that the popularity of tourism has also increased the potential for intercultural conflict and security issues (Phillips  Louvieris, 2005 Weaver  Lawton, 2004 Frisby, 2003). These range from reactions due to social and cultural differences, crime and even terrorism (OConnor, 2007 Feickert et al, 2006). In many cases, government concern for the safety of their citizens, the UK government IS considered to be one of the most vigilant in giving warnings, as another driver for the preference or leisure hotels (Frisby, 2003). One of the main reasons for this is that leisure hotels are more established and can provide better security for its clients than smaller operations.

Though there has been some concern regarding the growth of the industry in 2008, the UNWTO (2010) has reinforced its growth projections of the industry which is expected to at least average 5 for the next twenty years. For individual players in the industry, though the prognosis for the industry is highly encouraging, the resulting intensification of both direct and indirect competition is challenging them not only to attract tourists but also to cultivate a captured market (Michels  Bowen, 2005 Dekay et al, 2009). Developments in information and communications technology (ICT) are also changing competitive landscapes access to information is making comparison of services and products more effective, if not available to prospective clients. This is also increasing the power of personal opinion and experience in the evaluation of products and services through social networking, public forum and independent surveys and evaluations.

These developments can have a profound impact on the choice of tourism decisions. Djafarova and Andersen (2008) suggest that though there are more sources of information and options, this does not imply that tourists choice reflect this diversity or choices. Particularly in the case leisure hotel selection, relationships and experience that have been developed from previous experience. Leisure hotel marketing efforts have primarily been focused on this because it also allows hotels to have more flexibility in the pricing of services and products (Chan  Wong, 2006). If selection is made due to the recommendation of third parties, there is also a need to factor the levels of confidence and the nature of relationship surrounding the endorsement. Majority of the current research regarding selection of tourism destination have centered on the effectiveness of marketing and promotion programs and decision factors have generally been only secondary research concerns (OConnor, 2007 Feickert et al, 2006).

Sogar and Jones (1993) also point out that differences in the definition of what constitutes leisure and in turn, leisure accommodations can also be challenging. They also point out that there is a need to qualify purposes for leisure hotel visits. Though the research can be limited to specific purposes, they can significant impact to subsequent choices in leisure tourism. Goh and associates point out that the need to delineate these differences is blurred among customers and clients but may be critical in evaluating empirical data to establish tourists motivations. This suggests that even if the purpose of tourism is not for leisure, leisure hotels can still be a destination. For example, business travel generally includes an element of leisure and thus the potential for leisure hotels as a destination. The implication is that the study of preferences for leisure hotels is not limited to holidays and thus, there is a need be sensitivity not only for differences in   motivation but also objectives of tourism.

Leisure hotel tourism also requires the consideration of niche marketing perspectives. As such, there should be recognition of the unique nature niche marketing whereas scale of operations is the primary objective of traditional tourism models, niche marketing highlights the development of relationships and channels (Franklin, 2004 Chan  Wong, 2006). This also presents an opportunity for small and medium scale companies to compete with larger and more established companies and therefore further expanding the competitive fields. However, this does not diminish the challenges in developing effective insights to tourist choices and behavior. This is said to be even more challenging if the population of study has historically displayed strong opinions about their choices and preferences dealing with British tourists may be a challenging, as evidenced by independent surveys regarding their tourism activities (British worlds worst tourists, 2002). This also highlights associations and attributions that can be developed for social and cultural groups through tourism which may not necessarily be representative of the population or be consistent with these populations ordinary behavior.

In summary, tourism will likely continue to grow and garner interest. Majority of current research recognize its potential but also point out that there is a need to update current literature to accommodate changing social, economic and political conditions. Together with developments in information and communication technology, these are effectively changing the landscape for tourism particularly in how customers make their choices and evaluate products. In most cases, researchers suggest building knowledge from niche markets before extensive applications of new perspectives, principles and strategies are to be implemented. This will not only streamline the effectiveness of marketing and promotion efforts but also help validate research and insights critical to future competitiveness and viability of operations.

Methodology
For the purpose of this research, there will be no discrimination to the purpose of visits to leisure hotels. Data will be collected from research and surveys. Research will involve the literature from peer-reviewed journals, industry data and institutional studies. The research will mainly focus of trends among British tourists choice in destination and accommodation but will also incorporate general tourism trends in Europe and the rest of world. Supporting research will be developed from other industries as well to develop a comprehensive scenario of current market trends in tourism. As there is limitation of primary data or research specifically studying the current study, the research will aim to develop its own or develop data from currently available secondary data. Whenever possible, the review of literature will be limited to research developed in last ten years. This is also to recognize the rate of change in the industry and more importantly, the escalating international competitiveness.

The surveys for the research will primarily be a qualitative research. The target number of respondents will be twenty individuals, British tourists who have taken overseas holidays to leisure hotels in the last six months, twenty to forty years in age, and has plans to go on to another holiday which includes a stay in leisure hotel in the next year. The study will evaluate the decision processes involve and their evaluation of their recent holiday. The next set of evaluation will involve a focus group discussion among survey respondents to evaluate the data collected from the paper survey. The target number of participants for the discussion is ten or 50 of the total number of paper survey respondents. Results of the focus group discussion will also serve to validate the review of literature. Discussion and analyses of the research will aim to determine the most critical factors affecting British tourists preference of leisure hotels and how these are supported by research.

Scope and Limitations
The research will assume that the research published in academic journal or widely circulated publication as valid research for inclusion. Empirical data will also be considered as the primary evidence for developing statistical analysis and conclusions. Surveys and information gather from respondent-tourists will be assumed to be valid for inclusion. The research will assume that the respondents have sufficient experience to participate in the study. Synthesis will be developed from the research and surveys and will be assumed to be representative of the British tourism industry though the reviewed literature will not be limited to the mentioned populations. These assumptions are to be used to facilitate the collection and study or data as well as to liberalize availability of literature.

Due to the time and resource constraints of the study, the research will only have a small sample population. Though the research will aim to augment this limitation by extensive literature evaluation, the lack of primary data is expected to be also restricting the conclusiveness of findings. Considering that the destinations of the respondents are overseas, these destinations will also not be able to be directly factored into the research and the study will have to rely on the study participants evaluation and literature about the destinations available to the public. Moreover, the results of the research may be limited to decision processes involve in the selection of leisure hotels and not to any other tourist destination or accommodations.

Research Plan
Upon the completion of the research, the study will be able to provide a definitive answer regarding the reasons for the selection of leisure hotels as an overseas tourist destination. To facilitate the organization and implementation of the research, it will be divided into three phases literature review, survey and focus group discussion, and finally synthesis of research literature with survey and discussion results. Two weeks will be reserved for each of the first two phases and the rest of time allotted for the research will be reserved for the synthesis phase. Support in analyzing research and survey data will be solicited from academic advisers and other professionals such as statisticians if required by the research. The allocations of other resources have not yet been determined but will be ascertained before the completion of the first phase of the research.

If you are planning an outing with your newly wedded better half or even with your family it is always better to assess a couple of factors before commencing your journey. The selection of the place plays a pivotal role in the kind of place you are visiting and the related expenses that your pocket is going to afford. It is always wise and rational to opt for a place which can offer you a wide variety of facilities and amenities accompanied with panoramic and awe-inspiring landscapes of natural beauty without any substantial adverse effect on your domestic budget. When all these components are contemplated collectively there are two tourist and travel destinations which provide all these features under one roof. One is known as the heart of the Atlantic where as the other is the Elysium of Asia the Turks and Caicos Islands and the other is the ultimate resort for tourists from all over the world Bali.  We are going to analyze both these tourist locations in greater detail one by one on components which hold immense importance from a tourist perspective.

Location
The Turks and Caicos Islands comprise of over 40 islands out of which only eight are inhabitated. The island is located 550 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, just below the Bahamas chain and just to the east of Cuba and the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti.). From a technical and geographical perspective Turks and Caicos Islands are located in the Atlantic sea and must not be included in the boundaries of the Caribbean Sea. The island has a total population of over 30,000 people whereas it welcomes over 20,000 people from different parts of the world on annual basis. The influx of these tourists serves as an economic backbone for the infrastructure development that takes place in the island.

Weatherclimate
The climate of the place generally remains warm with average temperatures ranging between 85 and 90 degrees (29-32 degrees Celsius) from June to October, and sometimes reaching up to 30 degree Celsius especially in months when the summer is at its zenith. From the beginning of November till the month of May, the temperature of the place generally shows a temperature range of 80 to 84 degrees (27-29 degrees Celsius) and this is the peak period for tourists flocking the island from different parts of the world. On the other hand water temperature of the sea remains between the ranges of 74 to 78 degrees (23-26 degrees Celsius). Accompanied with this is the constant trade wind which helps in maintaining a healthy and comfortable environment. It is worth mentioning that tourists must reshape their arrival programs on this place during the start of June till the end of November as during these months the level of hurricane invade the coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Accommodations
Any tourist location if fails to offer quality accommodations to its visitors in the form of attractive hotels, resorts and restaurants in other words does not hold the degree to be labeled as a quality tourist location. If Turks and Caicos Islands are considered under limelight in this context any tourist visiting this place will not disappointed. According to a survey report released in 2007 showed that the place welcomes over 264,887 visitors which were only 87,000 back in 1996, the reason accounting for such an astronomical rise in the arrival of tourists can be attributed to the phenomenal development that has taken place on the island in making new resorts and hotels for tourists. Resorts, hotels and restaurants present in this part of the world offer its visitors an extremely diverse variety of conveniences, state-of-art facilities that actually redefine the concept manifesting contemporary luxury and opulence. With all kinds of major and minor facilities available within your vicinity you enjoy the opportunity of taking advantage of ultra modern amenities offered nowhere else in the world.  Many hotels and resorts work with HYPERLINK httpwww.turksandcaicostourism.comscuba-diving--page.htmldive  tour operators so that hotel and dive packages can be created and modified to your requirements.  To mention a few features that are readily available at the disposal of the visitor include golfing, scooter, golf cart, car or bicycle hire can easily be made for you as well as all water sports and excursions.

In addition to this some hotels and resorts also provide the facility of spa and in-house to give their visitors a more relaxing, pleasing and comfortable well-being. Irrespective of the fact whether you choose an all-inclusive, resort suite condo, private villa or inn, most hotels offer wonderful dining experiences. The place offers nearly HYPERLINK httpwww.turksandcaicostourism.comrestaurant-guide--page.html70 local restaurants throughout the islands. Visitors coming here are encouraged to go and explore the local and international cuisine while in the Turks and Caicos Islands.  With the passage of time government of the place realizing the enormous revenue generated by the tourism sector for the smooth running of the economic engine has been pumping capital for greater development of lavish resorts and hotels. Upscale resorts mainly target affluent category of people whereas for the mediocre class of people visiting the place a cruise ship has been constructed which provides them an ultimate recreational experience. It is also important to mention here that Turks and Caicos Islands have the one of the longest coral reefs in the world, making it a premier diving destination. In recent times a resort named Turkoise has been developed in the island with the help of French Village Company Club Mediterranae (Club Med).

The development which has taken rampantly in this part of the world has attracted numerous Hollywood starts like Ben Affleck, Zack Efron, Vaneesa Hugdges, Bruce Willis and Eva Lingoria.

A place which is the home to the most panoramic and breathtaking hues from inviting water and vibrant coral reefs accompanied with world class hotels, spas, and restaurants you would only wish that this place was your permanent residence.

Attractions
Apart from the development that has engulfed hotels and resorts, concentration has also been shifted to the progress of attractions that would glue visitors coming to the place. At governmental front the first serious effort in this respect came forward when on the 31st of January 2008 the government of the Turks and Caicos signed an indenture with the Indy Racing League to organize and host the Turks and Caicos Grand Prix which was supposed to take place in February 2009. The effort was considered a breakthrough as it served as an enticing factor for tourists to visit the place. In concomitant to this efforts were also taken to restructure the 18-hole golf course, Provo Golf Club which was made in 1992 to raise its standards and facilities so much so that it organized and hosted the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship from 1999 till today.

Apart from this emphasis has also been laid in promoting cultural and tradition oriented events in the place such as the annual Turks and Caicos Cultural Festival which has been a landmark of the place since 2003. From last few years many internationally recognized artists and singers have also been attending the events organized here some of which include starts like Alicia Keys, Micheal Bolton and Billy Ocean to mention a few.

Transportation
Main gateway to acquire access into the premises of the Turks and Caicos Island is the Providenciales International Airport. Even though there are five airports, one on each island, five have paved runways whereas two runways of the airports are unpaved. The length of the highway spanning the entire island is 121 km out of which 24 km is paved whereas 97 km is unpaved as a result of which traffic density on the 24 km is much higher. Major international ports present in the territory are Grand Turk and Providenciales whereas there is complete absence of significant railway tracks on the island.

Currency
Official currency used in the Turks and Caicos Island is the US Dollar. Most of the hotels, restaurant and taxi services readily accept travelers cheques which can easily be cashed from banks. ATM facility is also available whereas apart from this credit cards and cash services are willingly offered by banks present in the territory.

Location
If our next destination is entitled as the Asian Elysium it would not be incorrect. Even though small in size Bali is one of the most mesmerizing and entertaining tourist spots on this planet. Tourists coming here can travel the whole coast in a single day but it is the diverse and mouth watering cuisine, virescent rice terraces, pulse-pounding surf, enchanting temple ceremonies, mesmerizing dance performances and ribbons of beaches that are just some of the images people cherish most about this tourist haven.

Located in the south west of the island rich Indonesia this island is in close proximity to places like Bulelang and Banjuwang, Bali is the place where tourist get the opportunity to redefine terminologies conceptualizing
opulence and natural magnificence.

Weatherclimate
Like the weather in most parts of the country climate in Bali is normally wet and moist while dry season is mainly experienced in the months of April and October when daily temperatures usually reach maximum levels. Monsoon season initiates between November and March with January and February being the wettest months in which minimum temperatures are recorded.

Average temperatures recorded in the place are above 30 degree Celsius during the entire year which shows a fall till 24 degree Celsius in the months of June, July and August and this is considered idyllic time to visit this place. Similarly it is also important to have a familiarity with the annual rainfall distribution of the place before planning your trip to Bali.

It is important to note here that the highest level of rainfall is recorded in the beginning and conclusion of the year that is in the months of January, February and March where rainfall is recorded to be 300mm, 290mm and 270mm respectively. A similar pattern takes place takes place at the end of the year in the months of November and December where rainfall is recorded at levels of 150mm and 300 mm respectively.

Accommodations
When in Bali it is useless getting worried about proper and convenient accommodation because the place offers you the opportunity to take the pleasure of a highly majestic living.

Numerous hotels and resorts which include Amed Hotel, Kuta Bali Hotel, Sanur Hotel and Tanah Lot Hotel to name a few offer its visitors all kinds of facilities which will make their tour to this place unforgettable. In addition to this all these places offer additional amenities like spa, golf course and sauna which serve as a bonus attraction for tourists. With mouth-watering cuisines present at the hotels to satisfy your appetite accompanied with extreme hospitality offered by the service staff of these place makes Bali a place where dreams do transform into a cherishing reality. In addition to the names of the hotels stated above name of a few more are provided below

Attractions
One thing that you will never fatigue about in Bali is the number of attractions that it holds to captivate its visitors. Even though the island is small in size but as the saying goes that big things come in small packages becomes a classic example to describe the situation of Bali which despite of its small size has innumerable places to offer for tourists and their amusement. Some of the famous places without which the trip to Bali will be known as futile include The Arts Centre which can be regarded as a cultural bastion manifesting the culture and traditions of Indonesia. Completed in the year 1976 it is a place which has the largest and most complete in a series of cultural centers built throughout the archipelago by the Indonesian Government over the last decade.  Along with this three different cultural centers are also present which host stages and different plays related to Indonesian culture. Bataun is famous for its cultural dance performances, wood carving and paintings.

Candi Dasa is one of the rampantly developing tourist destinations in east Bali, though it still offers an escape from the irritation and free from the hustle and bustle of the more populated tourist areas. You will find lots of hotels, losmens and restaurants here. You can also hire boats for snorkeling.

Balis story of attractive sites cannot get completed without Densepar, the capital city of Bali which is also known as the fortress of community temples called Pura. One is the Museum called Pura Jagatnatha which is dedicated to the Supreme God, Sang Hyang Widi Wasa. The statue of a turtle and two dragons (prevalent in all temples) signify the foundation of the world.  Other attractive sites and places to visit in Bali include
Celuk
Goa Gajah
Jatiluwih
Gunung Kawi
Jimbaran
Kintamani
Transportation

Moving around in Bali is not as tough as in The Turks and Caicos Islands as tourists or visitors coming to the place have a wide variety of transport medium that they can choose from depending on their range of affordability and convenience priorities. Choosing a boat is a more contemplative option in Bali over other modes of transport as it allows you to enjoy the natural glamour of the scenic landforms present in the island.
Public Ferries charge 28,000-18,000Rp on adults and children it travels without a break between HYPERLINK httpwww.lonelyplanet.comdestinationRedirectoratlasId356556Padangbai and Lembar on HYPERLINK httpwww.lonelyplanet.comdestinationRedirectoratlasId356595Lombok. Motorbikes cost 85,000Rp and cars cost 550,000Rp go through the weighbridge at the west corner of the HYPERLINK httpwww.lonelyplanet.comdestinationRedirectoratlasId356556Padangbai car park. Depending on conditions, the trip can take three to five hours. Boats supposedly run 24 hours and leave about every 90 minutes.

Another convenient service of transport used by most tourists when in Bali is of bus. Special buses are made for tourists that are known as tourist buses and are designed with the purpose and objective of providing tourist with a thorough insight about the major locations of the island. Fares are reasonable for example, HYPERLINK httpwww.lonelyplanet.comdestinationRedirectoratlasId356553Kuta to HYPERLINK httpwww.lonelyplanet.comdestinationRedirectoratlasId356554Lovina is 100,000Rp. Do make sure to book your trip at least a day ahead in order to confirm schedules. It is also important to understand where Perama buses will pick you up and drop you off as you may need to pay an extra 5000Rp to get to and from your hotel. Public buses which are actually larger minibuses are also available for tourists and operate between specified terminals known as bemo. With the increasing rise in population and traffic density these buses are now famous for their long waiting time.

Currency
The currency in Bali is the Indonesian Rupiah. One American dollar equals 9,026.60 Rupiahs.

Conclusion
The assessment provided above discussed factors which makes both places an ideal place to spend time either with your family or your life partner, in recent times many things have changed. Rising terrorism threats have coerced governments to make stringent law and order enforcing policies to curb any possibility of any criminal activity. Bali is a place which has particularly been affected by this social evil, following a destructive bomb explosion in a resort in the year 2002, the inflow of tourists has been experiencing a decline, moreover due to looming internal threats and instability tourism sector could not develop in Indonesia as it was supposed to. In the contemporary context of events it is better to choose which is immune to all such threats and that is Turks and Caicos Islands.

Performance appraisal management in Tourism is aimed at evaluating employees contribution to an organizations success. Supervisors can therefore make sure that the workforces activities or output contribute to the entitys overall goals. The human resource department in any hospitality company should ensure that the human assets contribute to profitability and the market leader position is maintained in the tourism industry.

The Body

EVALUATION OF EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES
Performance appraisals should be about people but not procedures. Employees reactions should be positive considering that they provide entrepreneurial ability to the other production input factors which are raw materials, capital and machinery. Performance evaluation should not be about ticking the box but should have explanations as to the reasons for a particular employees behavioral patterns and attitudes. The appraisal management should foster the realignment of national cultures for employees with the organizational culture of any hospitality enterprise, for its mission statement to be realized.
(Susan, 2009 p.6-18).

ENSURING OF SMOOTH OPERATIONS IN TOURISM
Appraisals should come up with supervisory opinions to ensure that coordination of employees in different departments is maintained. The comfortable process should make supervisors judging easy and the employees being judged should find it a pleasant process. By so doing, the normal operations of the tourism business will not be interfered with, causing unnecessary delays in the offering of services. Employees should be easy during appraisals and should offer suggestions as to areas requiring modification in the normal operations or conduct of the business.

THE MANTAINANCE OF CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Performance appraisal management should be a daily or ongoing process. Clients needs should be well met and satisfaction should be at its best,0 for them to remain loyal to any hospitality company. Employees expect to have a clear description for their jobs. The objectives and responsibilities should be well explained to avoid double performance. Service attendance should be corrected on behaviors that they should portray for customers to feel appreciated and want to come back.

EMPLOYEES SHOULD DEVELOP AND GROW AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN APPRAISED
The feedback after appraisals should develop the workforce for competence in the current positions or obligations and they should aspire beyond that. The supervisors should note the corrections to be made and make their juniors aware of such. Employees should understand that promotions will only come after positive appraisals. The performance appraisals should be consistent to make sure that corrections made are well considered in maximizing efficient utilization of human resources to the entitys advantage.
(Steve, 2008 p.16-29)

EMPHASIZING OF TOP PERFORMERS THROUGH VALUE
The feedback system should be able to analyze contribution by quality performers to the organizations profitability. Feedbacks should be a machine generated product or good reports out of attendance, recording and observations. The three hundred and sixty degrees approach should note areas where shortfalls occurred in value creation. Appraisals should promote the creation of value at the lowest cost possible. Low production costs are realizable only if the available limited resources are utilized effectively and efficiently.

ENCOURAGEMENT OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
After appraisals, managers and supervisors will be expected to report to their juniors on areas that need correction and this promotes the understanding of one another. Delegation of duties will also be made clear as part of job description, so that mistakes noted can be rectified. The managers should come up with achievable goals and objectives which are well defined for the workforce to understand. Praising and acknowledgements will foster the communication bond between seniors and their juniors. Feedback should be immediate for the tourism employees to pull up their socks as soon as possible.

SETTING OF UNIFORM STANDARDS FOR EVALUATION
The Tourism industry is service oriented. Good service is in terms of quality but not quantity. The performance appraisal system should benefit the employees, supervisors and the company. The evaluation report should be well documented because it may act as a proof for the companys policies and the adhering to both the company and employee rights. Performance appraisal management reinforces the human resource department, because it is the right thing to be done. Uniform standards therefore appreciate the companys most valuable assets, the human resources.

IDENTIFICATION OF STRONGEST AND WEAKEST PERFORMERS
Performance appraisal management helps in eradicating social loafing, especially when it comes to team performance. When the strong performers have been identified, the weak ones will want to catch up. Performance appraisals motivate people psychologically through praising and acknowledgements. The workforce will tend to have a goal oriented behavior and this fosters the realization of the entitys long-term objectives.

When performance is linked to rewards, the workforce will tend to have high productivity due to the positive return to their good work.

CONCLUSION
Performance appraisal management is the best way to treat human capital as the most valuable input in the production process. Accomplishments and capabilities determined foster career growth and development. Appraisals therefore keep a check on the workforce of any hospitality company to ensure that it attains or maintains its market value.

British Airways has forged its way since its formation in back in the 1970s to a first class airline business as seen today. Different mergers which complemented the strength of the company over the years, enabled the corporation integrate different cultures and traditions. More so, the company experienced problems in customer perception and pressure from low cost rivals. But, since the companys privatisation, British Airways has experienced more developments from mid 1980s, coupled with the approach of the need to re-connect with clients, and at same time significant staff orientation to improve on quality and service delivery.

A renewed focus was essential if the company had to meet its goals in overall improvement of company performance. The approach would be based upon employee involvement, and initiatives fostering more dynamic, service driven, and customer focussed culture. Emphasis was placed in more customer-employee contact in order to deliver more personalised services. The organisation structure for British Airways since its formation has improved tremendously, with the company having a renewed focus to its stakeholders who include the company shareholders, customers and employees.

Having a more dynamic service driven organisational culture and attitude, has put a fast pace on its growth as a major carrier in the world. Comprehensive re-educative and training programmes incorporating all tiers of management and employees in different departments, has improved on the organisations management styles coupled with the initiative, towards a flexible organisation culture, which in turn have underlined collaborative working benefits across the organisation. British Airways (BA), in the 1980s was a company revered for its cultural and organisational change as it rose to success.

BA has been able to integrate Human Resource (HR) managerial practice in its organisational fabric, thereby embodying ethics in customer service that has dramatically improved performance trends for the company. The apparent transformation in the company through the 1990s was justifiable, in regard to its reputation with customers and consequent growth in profits as compared, to other notable airlines like Singapore Airlines and KLM.  Combinations of factors have been responsible for the performance of BA as an airline. Unique set of circumstances in its managerial processes coupled with the aspect of privatisation, gave the company an edge over other airlines in early 1990s to emerge as a company to be emulated.

Moreover, the company has experienced various challenges particularly with changed regulatory environment, which has pushed airlines in re-evaluating their goals and moving towards aggressive cost cutting measures. More often than not, this has led to severe industrial disruption for all airlines, with major impacts on national carriers. Significantly, the events of 911 had drastic effects on BA compounded by the increasing competitive index in the airline business environment, saw it adopt different approaches to balance irreconcilable objectives in lowering costs, and simultaneously improving service quality. Differentiation in quality enhancement drive was the main focus for BA to remain competitive.

Introduction
Sound Human Resource managerial practices are essential for any business to flourish in the rapid competitive world. British Airways is not an exception to this aspect, and the organisation has to acknowledge the significance of incorporating comprehensive management techniques and styles for the optimum performance of the company. Strategic HR management techniques in the world airline industry today, require re-assessed strategies and approaches so as to remain competitive in the globalised world. Competent practices and policies in managerial practices will enable any organisation to cut an edge in business practices.

Focus towards customer satisfaction and quality service is of the essence in the service industry, in which the airline business falls into play. The customer is regarded to the king, and improved customer interaction will generally translate to improved business performance. Moreover, employees form a large stake in the whole procedure of service delivery, and a motivated workforce will generally lead to better company output, whereas disgruntled employees will most likely run the company down. There is a close link between strategic responses by a company towards the external environment to overall industry trends. Human resources are a crucial component in any business which entails the functions of employee recruitment and retention, managing employees, teamwork and motivation issues. This aspect has generally shifted towards service oriented industries such as the airline industry.

The scope of HR managerial practices varies broadly in the company, but mostly ensures that the needs of the organisation in a skilled workforce and employee performance are met. Constant growth in world markets, fast paced technological changes and management practices, greater economic, political and social integration, are among the many factors that have led to globalisation, and with it the growth of many service based industries. This presents board managements in companies to formulate and re-engineer effective policies and strategies that would match the pace of globalisation. Therefore, international human resource management has developed consequently, to cater a growing diverse workforce across physical, ethnic and cultural boundaries.

More so, clients come in all distinctions, and would require a competent workforce to handle their different needs. British Airways has the significant task of ensuring that its HR managerial practices integrates all stakeholders, by assessing impacts and approaches in the integration of competent management styles, and the overall impact on customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and overall business performance. The aim of this study is to analyse the British Airways organisation based on its Human Resource practices in the impact upon its stakeholders and business performance in the service industry.

British Airways HR managerial practices
Approach to Staffing and Seasonality
Globalisation has been an influential component across the world which has transformed the methods and channels of conducting business across various industries. It has opened up a global market and simultaneously improved the performance of numerous organisations in different industries. The airline business has also benefited from this aspect coupled with the immeasurable possibilities, brought on by this phenomenon. Moreover, apart from advantages, challenges have also incurred different organisations and especially the human resource departments. More complexities have arisen attributed to the emergence of cultural differences.

British Airways is one of the organisations that has to deal with such issues, and the challenges presented on the approach of HR practices towards staffing and seasonality in its business transactions.  This aspect will be profound upon employee performance, customer satisfaction and overall business performance. Staffing entails the HR managerial processes of hiring, motivating and controlling employees in a work environment, to accomplish the organisations objectives. Therefore, human resource management practices are crucial to oversee staffing requirement for BA even in the aspect of seasonality in the industry.

Seasonality describes the period between peak and off-peaks in business operations. For the airline, this means having adequate or overstretched employees during peak time, and more personnel with less activity in off-peaks. Employment structure is important for any company to manage its employees. The human factor is crucial in the link of employee and customer satisfaction. In order to ensure employee productivity, satisfaction and retention of valuable workers in and out of season, BA to carefully consider its labour input. Currently labour is 40 in overall operating efficiency and costs. Out of season business, the airline gives it workers more flexible working arrangements, which also see some of their staff take planned breaks through management initiatives, in order to have a cost advantage in the running of the business. Moreover, peak time would require all staff working to cover all aspects of business operations.

Staffing is essential throughout seasonalitys to ensure optimum customer service and satisfaction. The development of customer orientation through service employees is important to the British Airways organisation, to ensure that customers receive all the support they require, and more so effectively, quality cantered and customer focussed (Griffin, 2009 pg 5). In addition, this component will build up the level of organisational socialisation, climate for service, organisational commitment and perceptions towards the direction and efforts in overall business performance.

The conceptual framework of staffing and seasonality at BA has sound planning to ensure the organisation maintains a high level of customer orientation and consequently impacting on customer perceptions, employee satisfaction and business growth.  

Selection and Recruitment processes towards strategic and operational approaches.
British Airways has a discrete edge on the aviation industry compared to it competitors by executing an effective operations strategy platform, that has been a major pillar towards its overall corporate strategy. Key competitive advantages in its operational and strategic approaches have relied on, its focus towards human resource practices and organisational work culture, customer service, and differentiated competitive dimensions in its operation analysis. Selection and recruitment of employees at BA is a significant process, where the HR managerial practices identify the key areas that require skilled and knowledgeable workforce, who can fit in into the different job descriptions and perform accordingly.

Matching the right qualifications to the correct work description is crucial to the overall business performance of the organisation. Strategic approach towards enhanced employee recruitment and selection is essential for the BA management in business planning that is fundamental, if the company should achieve major strategic developments in the airline business. BA recognises that a motivated, skilled and knowledgeable workforce is crucial for the airline productivity in the competitive market environment. Therefore, effective selection and recruitment strategies at British Airways are critical, because the airline provides more than 149 destinations around the world both in freight and passenger service, and need to keep their services professional.

By seeking qualified applicants for various vacancies in the organisation, selection will enable the human resources department to acquire the required candidates skilled for the different posts. After establishing a mutual ground with employees through section and recruitment, training and development of the workforce is essential because the success of the organisation will depend, on meaningful and enthusiastic participation of staff in overall business operations (Griffin, 2009 pg 10). Without full support from employees, an organisation is likely to suffer losses due to an uncooperative workforce. HR managerial practices at BA ensure that, the right set of skills from different employees are matched to correct job profiles, and consequently examine the best practices to motivate employees to ensure they perform to their optimum. Service industry in the airline business does not only require a skilled workforce, but also knowledgeable and personalised attributed to the human factor or touch, that is essential in the airline business.

Impact of employment practices in selection and recruitment
British Airways is regarded for the high innovative management styles in which the organisation focuses, on people management practices and high performance relationship s in the organisational structure. This has been key to its unparalleled success towards its strategic and operational strategies in the airline industry. Employment practices at BA have integrated a stable working environment coupled with learning, equal opportunity and personal growth for the employees. Selection and recruitment has been essential in providing a competent workforce to cater for the various needs of the organisation.

The mission for the company is based in encouraging innovation and creativity among its employees to improve the overall effectiveness of the company. Employees in the organisation are provided with equal respect, concern, and caring attitude in organisational practices both internally and externally, thereby enhancing the overall BA customer interaction and satisfaction. British airways is strongly committed to the welfare of its employees with a distinctive mission of respecting the diverse working culture, in its hub of business, and recognising the importance of a motivated workforce in encompassing the wider business strategy.

Fairness and equal opportunity in selection and recruitment of employees, has emphasised exemplary customer service and satisfaction, leading to overall business and operational efficiency. In recognising the different potentials for the different employees, has simultaneously enhanced reciprocation from employees through loyalty, respect, and trust which has been demonstrated in the organisation (Griffin, 2009 pg 17).
These attributes have been transferred to customers who have continuously appreciated the personalised service from a dedicated workforce at British Airways. BA is recognised towards its employee dedication, attitude, loyalty and innovation. These set of unique qualities have distinguished the organisation apart from the rest in the airline industry. Through selection and recruitment, the company hires people who have the right attitude so as to thrive in BAs culture. Comprehensive processes and procedures are employed by the HR management, to recruit individuals not only with the right qualifications, but also positive dedication and attitude.

The company weeds out individuals who do not have these qualities that are crucial in the business. Selection and recruitment is critical because management cannot institutionalise behaviour, and therefore would require finding people who posses the qualities and practice in the service industries. Employee self motivation is important and the organisation allowing employees to make decisions towards customer service and satisfaction, based on their natural inclinations and common sense. This gives employees a platform of owning and feeling part of the organisation, resulting to optimal performance in the business.

Recruitment at BA involves the steps of interviewing potential candidates and consequently assessing their attitudes and orientation in the aspect of serving others. Selection and recruitment applies to all work functions in the organisation, where all employees at British Airways are geared towards customer service role. Critical to BAs operational strategy is the customer service position and customer satisfaction, whether internal or applied directly to customers. The airline places importance and value in the relationship quality interactions with its employees, and the unions which represent them (Griffin, 2009 pg 20). This interaction has enhanced he overall organisational culture and traditions for the company that has been nurtured from the beginning.

British Airways has been committed to enrich the culture and spirit of the organisation, by improving practices and relationships among the staff and management. The goal of the company is to liven the BA spirit where it has floundered, by utilising everything in their capacity to create, enrich and enhance its culture which forms the family. This unique approach has enabled British Airways to maintain its organisational culture and values through a diversified workforce across the globe, consequently differentiating itself from other airlines.

In addition, the organisations approach to customer service is dedicated towards quality service to customers and delivering exemplary experience coupled with the aspect of friendliness, individual pride, warmth, and company spirit. British Airways is in the customer oriented business, and customer satisfaction is the pinnacle of the organisations goals and objectives. From the top management to employees at the ground level, all work towards customer satisfaction in aspects of baggage handling, customer handling and enquiries, emphasise the importance of customer-employee interactions. This has differentiated BA in the airline business which has fostered its significant success in business performance.

Frameworks toward service quality and employee performance
Service quality is paramount at British Airways, and as mentioned earlier strategic and operational approaches are vital, towards employee selection and recruitment. The airline puts value and priority in the provision and delivery of enhanced customer experience, coupled with a competent workforce. BA staff plays a significant role in catering for the organisations diverse clients, and giving a more personalised service towards customer satisfaction (Griffin, 2009 pg 26).

Dynamic frameworks employed by the human resource managerial practices, have ensured that the airline performs its best, towards service quality attitude and customer focus approach. This approach has proved to be effective for the British Airline strategies and overall objectives. Employees are trained and motivated towards catering for customers with a human touch, which has consequently brought new and regular customers, who savour the class and style of services provided by the organisation.

Passenger service earnings have improved significantly with the airline management improving the utilities and earnings from economy, business to first class compartments. The experience of customers being treated as honorary guests, has improved overall customer satisfaction. Few complaints from clients with the case of baggage handling mishaps have been experienced in the organisation in which all cases have been handled professionally and ethically. Employee performance in such situations has stood out to be exemplary, further entrenching the value British Airways places upon its customers. This has also enhanced the organisations culture and spirit in the aspect of having a dedicated workforce who are loyal, motivated, respectful, and possess positive attitudes towards service to customers.

BA is committed to operational excellence and its core competencies that drive effective business operations. Moreover, the organisation has been revered for its outstanding customer service delivery and innovative human resource management practices. Customers paying money for services are not disappointed, and receive the value in the price quality ratio (Griffin, 2009 pg28). Service quality is the overall objective for British Airways team and management, that has enabled to thrive in the constant globalisation aspect and stiff competition presented by other airlines.

Employee performance and service quality has been part strategic and operational approaches, in gaining competitive advantage and simultaneously achieving success. BAs projections of Terminal 5 will significantly improve service quality to its esteemed customers, providing on of a kind customer experience and satisfaction. The terminal is designed to target diverse clients with their different needs, by providing a relaxed atmosphere and serene environment. Overall, this will enable the organisation achieve sustainable growth and profit projections.

Impact of management performance practices
The three tiers of management at BA have been at the forefront led by their chief executive, Rod Eddington, in utilising the available organisational resources towards a more customer service focus. The board is working to build and achieve strategic objectives set for British Airways as an airline with growing potential. Service quality is a key focus in the airlines management, and strives to use the most effective means to deliver superior service quality, and consequently stand out from the crowd. This is a weapon and an added advantage to the BA organisation, where it has maintained outstanding services towards its clients (Griffin, 2009 pg25).

Employee involvement has been a crucial component for the human resource managerial practices, which has ensured that the workforce possess a customer service approach that is geared towards overall customer satisfaction. Customers will remain loyal to a service provider if the perception of service quality and value they receive, is relatively greater than their expectations, and more so from competitors. The management of BA has recognised this factor to crucial for the overall success of the organisation. Service quality and customer focus are key ingredients which the company has utilised, to gain customer loyalty in the long term perspective, as a service oriented strategy.

Management practices at British Airways have integrated long term customer interactions and relations, which are paramount for its success. Customers have a common desire to experience close and personalised relationships with different service providers, and also value benefits in maintaining a sound relationship in service quality. HR managerial practices at British Airways take into great consideration its relationship with customers, and go the extra mile through its dedicated staff to ensure the needs of customers are met with professionalism.

This simultaneously yields employee satisfaction in the sense of feeling approved for the services rendered. Furthermore, the company achieves sustainable growth and performance with the incorporation of these significant factors into a coherent whole.

Conclusion
British Airways has come a long way from what is today since its inception. The airline has encountered numerous challenges along the way to success. Competent management styles coupled with a dynamic approach to customer focus and service quality, has been the driving force for the exemplary performance observed in the company. The airline has been committed to its employees, by ensuring that each individual despite cultural orientation receives equal opportunities, respect, and appreciation consequently giving room for growth and development.

A skilled, knowledgeable, and customer oriented workforce has been the engine at British Airways in ensuring that customers are catered for with a personalised touch. Globalisation has brought new perspectives in workforce diversity both as an opportunity and challenge, which the company has exploited to its advantage.

The future prospects for British Airways in the airline and service industry is bright, coupled with the projections for Terminal 5 as a strategy to improve on overall customer satisfaction and experience. BA is constantly forming dynamic and flexible strategic and operational approaches, to remain competitive in the increasingly challenging business environment.