Gambling industry in Australia and its negative impact
Discuss about the Emerging Issues in Hospitality and Tourism Industry.
The hospitality industry in Australia is growing over the years. Among various types of hospitality industry, the gambling industry is increasing in Australia. Gambling addiction is increasing in Australia leading to an increasing rate of problem gamblers (Australian Gambling Research Centre 2017). These problem gamblers are getting addicted to poker machines, whichmade the anti-gamblers to criticize about such activities (Abbott, Romild and Volberg2014, p. 985). They claimed that such kinds of industry have a negative impact on the society.This lead to a decrease and banning of may poker machines in Australian Gambling Industry sector (Gainsburyet al.2014, p. 2). Australia is among the top country to have slot machines on the global scale, which increased the riots among the anti gamblers. There were certain suicide incidents in the country as well which made the banning even stronger.
Tourism industry as well faces a lot of problem while carrying out dark tourism in the industry. Dark tourism involves guiding the tourist to visit places of death, disaster, historical places and others. It has been noticed that these places have negative impact on the tourists. This is because there are many tourists that do not like to visit such places as a symbol of entertainment (Garcia2012, p. 14). Few tourists feel disgusted about that people are charged money for listening to stories of death and macabre. Such stories and places puts some psychological issue on the tourist as there are many people that emotionally weak and get depressed by such scenes and stories (Travelweekly 2017). Thus, dark tourism has been facing such ethical issues from the time it has been included in the tourism business.
The paper discuses about the issues faced by Gambling Industry and Dark Tourism Industry in today’s world. It further discusses the impact such issues have on both the Industries and further recommendation to better the situation.
Both the issues have a negative impact on the business as the mindset of the people towards these types of activities is changing over time. Gambling activity has been largely hampering the life of people causing death and depression. There are many non-gamblers, which has opposed and banned such activities causing loss to the business (Sutton2017). Government has also taken steps to stop such activities. This has worsened the situation even further in the gambling industry. The industry incurred gambling losses of AU$24 billionand another 50 percent loss in slot machines. Thus, the industry was badly hit due to these issues, which were felt in the society. Thus, the argument and non-acceptance of gambling activity by the society has caused the gambling industry to run at a loss by reducing the demand due to unethical affect of such activities. This situation took place in this industry as more than 400 people in various residents committed suicide. Thus, gambling has to be reduced in the economy to make the society save from its negative impacts (Kimet al.2016, p. 112).
Ethical issues associated with Dark Tourism industry
The ethical issues faced in the Dark Tourism industry also hampered the industry in a negative way in which the tourists started hesitating to visit such sites. The industry duly depends on these historical sites, which has caused bad impact on society and human (Dark-tourism 2017). As people were being emotionally affected after visiting these sites and as it conveys message in these sites in a funny way, the industry has thus received a defeat from the tourists (Hooperand Lennon2016, p. 4). Tourists felt hesitated to visit these sites and did not want to make fun of deaths and violence faced by people in these places. Thus, the demand for such sites will fall drastically in future,as people would resist in visiting these places, causing huge loss to the Dark Tourism industry (Whiteand Frew2013, p. 2).
Both the hospitality and tourism industry will be experiencing a fall in its demand and revenue affecting the industry adversely over years. This is because of the changing mindset of the people. Today’s society is growing and going against such gambling activities due to its addiction and harmful effect (Hinget al.2013, p. 397). Similarly, dark tourism also experienced a fall in demand due to the mental disturbance it gives to the visitors (Willis2014, p. 7). Thus, both the industry has to alter their approach and reduce its negative impact in order to improve its business and increase its demand.
Firstly the industry should try to reduce the risk that the tourist and non gamblers fears of facing due to the negative impact it has. Dark tourism can be improved by making the tour more educational rather than making it an entertainment. Tourists would love to visit such historical places if they get to learn about various past issues and incidents in a proper manner. As they feel that, their historical laces are losing value by making it an entertainment place ad making fun of the death and disasters. Thus, making it a place in which the tourist can visit can gain some knowledge and respect for the death and sacrifice given by others will make them feel protected. Similarly, Gambling should be made strict by the hotels and should be closed early in the night as most of the visitors arrive in these casinos at night.
Secondly, government should levy policies on both the industries in order to reduce the harmful impact of Dark Tourism and Gambling Industry. In the Dark Tourism industry, government should levy policies for prohibiting the Dark Tourism companies from making fun of the historical places and spots. For the purpose, government can publish a policy list in which it will state all the necessary policy to be maintained in these spots such as prohibiting the acts seen that the visitors were allowed to do in these places resembling the death person. On the other hand, policies should also be levied on the gambling companies and casinos. Government should increase the amount of tax paid by the casinos. This will make the cost of going to the casinos for the customers. Thus, some of the customers will step back from going to these casinos or reduce the rate at which they visit. This will reduce the amount of suicides and depression customers face from gambling habit.
Thirdly, steps should be taken to increase public communication by the government in which they can educate the public about the effects of problem gambling and the way in which they can get rid of it. For the purpose, they can use either mass media or community outreach efforts to the community. In case of Dark Tourism also the tourism companies should inform the tourists about the type of spots they will visit and the effects it might have n them. This will make the tourist aware about the situation they might face so that they can prepare themselves emotionally.
Tourism and Hospitality Company can follow these three steps in order to get rid of the issues it is facing in the aspect of the society and ethics. The steps need to be taken by both the company and government so that the industry can put a control on these issues without much hampering the profit of the industry
References
Abbott, M.W., Romild, U. & Volberg, R.A., 2014,‘Gambling and problem gambling in Sweden: Changes between 1998 and 2009’. Journal of Gambling Studies, 30(4), pp.985-999.
Australian Gambling Research Centre. 2017, ‘Australian Gambling Research Centre’, viewed 28 Dec. 2017, <https://aifs.gov.au/agrc/publications/interactive-gambling/export>
Dark-tourism.com. 2017, ‘Is dark tourism bad? – Dark Tourism – the guide to dark & weird places around the world’, viewed 28 Dec. 2017, <https://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/ukraine/18-main-menus/mainmenussubpages/873-is-dark-tourism-bad-or-sick-or-morally-wrong>
Gainsbury, S., Hing, N. & Suhonen, N., 2014, ‘Professional help-seeking for gambling problems: Awareness, barriers and motivators for treatment’, Journal of Gambling Studies, vol. 30, pp.503-519.
Garcia, B.R., 2012,‘MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN DARK TOURISM ATTRACTIONS: THE CASE OF GHOST TOURS IN EDINBURGH AND TOLEDO’, Journal of Unconventional Parks, Tourism & Recreation Research, vol. 4
Hing, N., Tiyce, M., Holdsworth, L. & Nuske, E., 2013, ‘All in the family: help-seeking by significant others of problem gamblers’, International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, vol. 11, pp.396-408.
Hooper, G. & Lennon, J.J. eds., 2016, Dark Tourism: Practice and Interpretation, Routledge.
Kim, H.S., Dobson, K.S. & Hodgins, D.C., 2016,‘Funding of gambling research: Ethical issues, potential benefit and guidelines’, Journal of Gambling Issues, vol. 32, pp.111-132.
Sutton, S. 2017, ‘Australia Still Facing Increasing Number of Problem Gamblers’, Casino News Daily. Viewed 28 Dec. 2017,<https://www.casinonewsdaily.com/2017/12/19/australia-still-facing-increasing-number-problem-gamblers/>
Travelweekly.com. 2017, ‘Dark tourism: Travel Weekly’, viewed 28 Dec. 2017,<https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Dark-tourism>
White, L. & Frew, E. eds., 2013, ‘Dark tourism and place identity: Managing and interpreting dark places’, Routledge, Vol. 37
Willis, E., 2014, ‘Theatricality, dark tourism and ethical spectatorship: Absent others’, Springer
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