Impact of Social Changes on Tourism Industry
Changes in the thinking pattern of the human beings, the changing requirements of the present day world and other factors as well has brought about a drastic change within the framework of the modern day world including the world of business (Mason, 2015). More importantly, the business world of the present times is in stark contrast to the business world of the earlier times (Jarvis, Stoeckl & Liu, 2016). Furthermore, it is generally seen that the university or the college is not enough for the students to sustain themselves in the ever competitive world and there is a gulf between the things that are being taught to the students in the educational institutions and their actual real life practice in the professional world (Moore & Morton, 2017). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the students of the present times in addition to having a concrete knowledge about the core concepts of the field in which they are specialize are at the same time required to possess various kinds of additional skills that are likely to help them not only sustain themselves in the competitive business world but at the same time gain a certain degree of competitive advantage over other individuals vying to get the same kind of job (Clarke, 2017). This essay will discuss about the social changes that have taken place in the tourism industry in the recent times and how the postgraduate students can prepare themselves in the best possible so that they are being able to fully exploit the opportunity presented by this change in the concerned industry.
Tourism is one of the highest revenue industries of the world and the best part about the tourism industry is the fact that inspite of the economic recession that the world faced a while ago and from which the majority of the industries of the world are still reeling at the current moment, it has very little impact on the tourism industry (De Grosbois, 2016). Thus, it is generally seen that the various nations of the world are taking the help of various kinds of tourism policy as well as processes not only to boost the tourism industry of their nation but at the same time they are being used as economic drivers to improve the economy of the concerned nation itself (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2015). However, it is significant to note that the tourism industry in the recent times has undergone a significant amount of change on the score of the changing social status quo of the world (Hudson et al., 2015). The social factors wield a significant amount of influence on the tourism industry and thus within the changing social habits of the people and also the times the tourism industry has undergone a significant amount of transformation in the recent times (Hudson et al., 2015).
Tourism is an industry that requires a stable as well as sound political environment for its working and at the same time to attract the tourists from the different parts of the world to the concerned tourist destinations (Sinclair-Maragh, Gursoy & Vieregge, 2015). It is generally seen that the tourists do not like to visit the nations that are having political turmoil or conflict or for that matter any kind of instability whatsoever (Sinclair-Maragh, Gursoy & Vieregge, 2015). It is a reflection of this particular that the famous tourist destination Greece which was once visited by millions of tourists from the different parts of the world and contributed a significant amount of capital towards the national economy of the nation has lost its pseudo-monopoly in the tourism industry post the economic crisis that it faced a while ago (Ying & Norman, 2017). Another significant factor that has affected the tourism industry in the recent times in a significant manner is the process of urbanization that the world is undergoing at the current moment (Ying & Norman, 2017). It is significant to note that the majority of the nations of the present times are taking the help of the technological advancements of the present times to reorganize their nation and the end result of this undertaking is the fact that more than 91% land of the world currently belongs to the urban category (Patterson, 2016). This can also be seen as a part of the infrastructural development plan undertaken by the various nations of the world. It is significant to note that the prospects of the tourism industry is directly related to the infrastructural developments of a particular nation and thus the various nations of the world in order to enhance their tourism industry are resorting to such actions. However, there are many tourists who like to take vacations to get away from the city life and this particular fact has adversely affected them.
Urbanization and Tourism Industry
Migration or the process of the increasing mobility of the people is a factor that has not only significantly affected the tourism industry but at the same time has contributed in a positive manner towards it as well (Jarvis, Stoeckl & Liu, 2016). The ever increasing urge on the part of the human to not only explore the world but at the same time to live a free bohemian life is something that the tourism industry has relied on since the traditional times and now with the ever increasing migration rate the prospects of the tourism industry continues to get improved (Jarvis, Stoeckl & Liu, 2016). In addition to this, the concepts of work-life balance and “quality of life” are other factors that had affected the tourism industry (Mason, 2015). It is significant to note that in the present times the people have become more conscious about the concept of work-life balance and generally like to keep their work life and their personal life separate (Mason, 2015). The basic idea behind the various vacations that the individuals undertake is not only to enhance the quality of their lives but at the same to have some work-life in their lives as well.
The world in the present times has become a multicultural one and it is generally seen that the people from different parts of the world generally like to go for vacations to the kind of places whose culture is different from the one that they have in their own homeland (Hudson et al., 2015). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the nations of India, Africa and others have emerged as important tourist destinations in the present times. In addition to this, there are various people who simply undertake vacations to improve their health and also wellbeing (Hudson et al., 2015). Many experts are of the viewpoint that the vacations have therapeutic effects on the tourists and contribute in a significant manner towards the mental as well as the physical wellbeing of these individuals (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2015). Furthermore, the concept of personal security has at the same time gained a certain degree of prominence in the present times. It is a reflection of this particular fact that the various tourists do not like to undertake vacations to the nations wherein their security might be at threat. Thus, the nations of Pakistan, Syria and others are generally being avoided by the tourists from the diverse parts of the world (Rasoolimanesh et al., 2015). These in short are some of the social factors that affect the tourism industry in the present times and significantly influences the choices made by the tourists of the present times.
In view of the above mentioned changes that has taken place in the tourism industry in the recent times which has significantly affected the tourism industry it would be apt to say that it is no longer feasible for the students to expect to gain success or for that matter even survive in the tourism industry by dint of just having university of college degrees. The students of the present times are thus required to have various kinds of additional skills as well as the knowledge about the industry in which they are planning to work in the future times so that they can sustain them in the concerned industry (Clarke, 2017). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the various educational engaged with the role of imparting education to the students in the genre of tourism are require to not only train the students in the most effective manner but at the same time help them to acquire various kinds of soft skills that are likely to help them in a significant manner during their actual professional life after they go out of these educational institutions (Moore & Morton, 2017).
Migration and Tourism Industry
One of the most basic skills that the various students aspiring to work in the tourism industry are required to have is the effective communication skills (Jackson, 2015). It is significant to note these that these skills are one of the most basic requirements of the human beings in order to sustain themselves in the human society and since the industry of tourism mainly deals with people from the diverse parts of the world thus it becomes all the more important for them to have this particular skill so that they are being able to communicate in the most effective manner with these tourists (Jackson, 2015). In addition to this, the use of these skills are not only likely to help the professionals to understand the things that the tourists are trying to say to them but at the same time would also help them in a significant manner to convey the most important things that they are required to know to the tourists (Kirillov et al., 2015). Along with this particular skill, the postgraduate students are also required to have effective people management skills so that can deal with the tourists from the different parts of the world in a much more effective manner (Khoung et al., 2017). The professionals in the tourism industry are required to deal with a wide range of people and thus the acquisition of this particular skill is likely to help the concerned individuals in a significant manner to effectively deal with these different kinds of people (Khoung et al., 2017).
Time management skill is another important skill that is likely to help the postgraduate students to deal with the various kinds of job that they would be required to complete in the professional tourism industry (Van der Wagen & White, 2018). It is significant to note that the professionals in the tourism industry are required to perform diverse kinds of job roles and that too within specific time frames and the acquisition of effective time management skills is likely to help the concerned postgraduate students in an effective manner to deal with the various kinds of job roles that they would be required to perform in the present day tourism industry (Van der Wagen & White, 2018). In addition to these, some other skills that are likely to help the postgraduate students to sustain themselves in the ever competitive tourism industry are commercial awareness, ability to work in a team environment, flexibility, enthusiasm for the industry and others (Youssef, 2017). In addition to these, it is also seen that the various internship programs also provide valuable exposure to the students (Youssef, 2017).
To conclude, the tourism industry of the present times has undergone transformation in the recent times on the score of the changes in the political, social, technological and other landscapes of the world. Furthermore, at the same time the level of competition within the industry has also enhanced at the same time and thus the postgraduate students willing to work in this industry are required to have a wide array of skill sets in order to achieve success in the concerned industry. It is a reflection of this particular fact that the various educational institutions encourage the students to undergo personal development plans and at the same time to inculcate various skills that they would need like effective communication skills, people management skills and others.
References
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