Ethno Tourism Benefits Both Visitors

Tourism industry has witnessed a fast development in the recent decades. As a new type of tourism, ethno tourism combines sightseeing and seeking the cultural experience of the tribal communities of the tourist destinations (Cooper, 2005). Since ethno tourism greatly stimulated the economic development of the local communities, people think that ethno tourism benefits both the visitors and the local communities of the destinations. On the one hand, ethno tourism enhanced the cultural communication between different ethnic groups.However, it is also worthwhile to note the possible dangers to the environment might be caused by the over-development of ethno tourism (McLaren, 2001). There are many other negative influences upon the local communities in the same time. These may include the pollution to the natural environment, the eroding of the local culture and the risk of infectious diseases. As a result, I maintain both the positive and negative influences of ethno-tourism have to be clarified so as to keep a balance between tourism development and the protection of the local communities.This essay, based on the analysis of the various influences of ethno tourism in both the industrial development and the change of people’s attitude, examine the benefits of ethno tourism to both the visitors and the local communities of the tourist destinations. In the meanwhile, I also intend to analyze the potential harms brought about by ethno tourism in the local communities. The development of ethno tourism mainly focuses on four major long-term positive influences within the local communities.These effects include the improvement of the local economy, the communication of different cultural groups, remarkable influence upon the society of the tribal communities and the advance of the local life conditions. With regard to economics, the benefit to the locals is considered to be the major drive force that stimulates the development of ethno tourism. Ethno touristsâ₠¬â„¢ objective in visiting a local place is to seek the experience when enjoying the various types of cultural traditions which are exposed to the whole world and the influence is amplified to the outside (Mitchell, 2009).This might become an important premise to attract more travellers to the local tribes. As time going on, the local people gradually begin to benefit from the ethno tourism industry. More travellers bring more economic resources that are urgently needed for the local development (Kaplan, 2009a). In addition, ethno tourism attract outside economic resources, which are important for the development of the local economy (Vidal, 2009). The investors come to the tribal communities like a model as teaching them how to operate a business and how to use the resources efficiently.Therefore, these local communities may be able to manage their economy independently in the future. However, the more short-term investments follow by the more ethno tourisms will cause risks too. O ver-development of ethno tourism may cause serious pollution to the local environment (McLaren, D. 2001). More visitors in the meantime may imply the pollution to the air, the water and the soil of the local environment, which used to be clean and tranquil. What is more, cultural communications are obviously resulting from the different cultural backgrounds between the tourists and indigenes.As the development of ethno tourism, these local cultures began to be known by the outside people (Mitchell, 2009). Gradually, the local culture of the tourist destinations might become influential in the country or even in the whole world (Buckley, 2000). Taking China for example, some of the products in the mountainous areas were not well known by the outside world. However, when more and more travellers coming to these areas, the products made by them that conveying the special colours of the local culture have been accepted by the outside people.The bamboo ware in South-east China, for insta nce, can be seen as one typical example. Originally, these bamboo wares were only made for family use of the local people in these areas, however, when more and more tourists coming to the local place, they find these bamboo wares are not only useful in life but are also nicely made. And some of them can even be seen as artistic products that conveying the special culture of the locals. In this way, these bamboo wares are exported to the outside world and gradually become popular (Guo, 2001).This is a combinative example which are contained the influence of local economy and the culture spreading of the tourist destinations. In the old times when transportation and communication were not as advanced as today, it is difficult for the outside people to know some remote tribal communities. So the excellent craftsmanship of the tribes could not be appreciated by the outside people. But it would not be restrict anymore due to the prosperous development of ethno tourism.Most of the time, foreigners and tribal people have even interacted respectively through the visit of ethno tourism. Visitors are interested in promoting their special ways of daily lives and thus made the local people understood by the outside world. Apart from what the local people learn about the foreign guests, their communications also help the outside world understand the specialty of the local traditions in a number of ways. In addition, with much more understanding of the locals, people from the outside world might be more tolerant to accept the local culture.Cultural exchange and communication between different travellers and tribes are consequently enhanced by ethno tourism. Although visitors broaden their mind because of a better cultural communication as well as indigenes, the local culture of the tourist destinations might be seriously eroded in the long-term since the culture coming from the outside world (Wilkerson, et al. , 2003). For example, in some of the South-Western provinces of China, there is a trend of losing some precious local cultures due to the acceptance of the outside culture.Youngsters are no longer willing to live in the local place and they gradually protest against the traditional way of life because they contend that it is unfashionable to obey the tradition which has been passing down to them by generations. Consequently, the valuable indigenous culture may be extinct. The influence of the society resulted in ethno tourism to the local communities is also as remarkable as culture. The reason can be understood as similar to that of the economic development stimulated by ethno tourism in the destinations.The mechanism can be understood as a chain reaction, which is a series of changes brought about by the ethno tourism (Cooper, 2005). The first process of this change is the opening of the tourism resources to the outside world. The second stage is to attract as many tourists as possible to contribute to the local economic development. In the f inal step, a whole system of the local industry based on the ethno tourism can be set up. In this way, there would be a profound change of the local society (Wurzburger, 2009).Nevertheless, this change is not owing to the destruction of the natural and cultural resources of the destinations. On the contrary, ethno tourism encourages the preservation of the sustained ability of the local communities to attract ethno tourisms as many as possible. Again, the development of ethno tourism is conducted according to the preservation of the local tourism resources (Wilkerson, et al. , 2003). Accordingly, the special culture of the tourist destinations is expected to be well preserved rather than be destroyed.At the same time, the local government aims the local communities by issuing political support of preserving the natural and cultural resources of ethno tourism. For this reason, the sustained ability of the tourism travelling in the local communities can guarantee that the local commun ities constantly attain advantages. With the accumulation of wealth since the development of ethno tourism, the local tribes are needed to build the infrastructures as soon as possible what are essential to improve the life conditions of the indigenous communities.Tourism can be a useful source of income (Vidal, 2009). For instance, with the money they earned, the indigenous communities can build up roads, hospitals or other basic facilities for the locals. In my view, health service is the most important part of the local tribes' improved living conditions and it is exactly built up by the income of the tourism industry. In other word, it can be said that it is based on the economic development stimulated by the ethno tourism so that the public health facilities can be improved.Also, ethno tourism, aiming at preserving the local natural environment, does not bring about any significant negative influence on the local ecosystem (Wurzburger, 2009). This is very important to preserve the health conditions of the local communities because ethno tourism stands against environmental destruction and industrial pollution (Buckley, 2000). Hence, the profits made from ethno tourism, needless to say, are played a major role in the local healthy industry.Despite the tribal citizens will gain some benefits for their living standards because of the progress of the infrastructures, the health of the locals might also be negatively influenced by the development of ethno tourism. According to the research result of some investigations, in some tourist destinations, about 30-50% of the locals die from diseases introduced from the outside world by the travellers (Kaplan, 2009b). The foreigners may bring new diseases to the tourist destinations and the indigenes may die of lacking in immunity.To sum up, as a new concept of the tourism industry, ethno tourism mainly benefits the local communities as well as the travellers whilst it has been paid numerous attentions to in the past few years, such as protecting environment and learning to manage business. Especially, with the advocating of environmental preservation and natural protection, ethno tourism has been considered to be one of the major trends of the development of world tourism. However, people should keep an eye on that the over-development of ethno tourism which might be a long-term dangerous roblem to the ruin of some aspects of the tribes people’s life while the destruction of the natural environment is the most serious issue. How to keep a balance between protecting the cultural environment of the local communities and the development of the local society and economy in particular is an urgent task of both the local indigenes and the foreign visitors. Otherwise, no one can acquire any advantage from ethno tourism because the destroying ethnic environment is unable to attract tourist and no more bring any profits then.

Comic Book Anti-Heroes Essay

The frequently talked about, critically celebrated – and to some extent excessively hyped – comic book miniseries Watchmen is most often described as a revisionist take on superhero conventions and narratives, and with good reason. Now retroactively referred to as a graphic novel, Watchmen sees writer-artist team Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons deal with costumed adventurers or ‘superheroes’ and attempt to place them within a ‘realist’ context. Moore and Gibbons do not appear to denigrate superheroes so much as purge them of the conceits that have become necessary for comic book readers to be able to suspend their disbelief. Watchmen takes place in an alternate reality of 1985, where Cold War tensions are at their highest and multiple term extensions have allowed Richard Nixon to remain President of the United States. Furthermore, the United States has a long and troubled relationship with costumed adventurers dating back to the late 1930s. While the sensational nature of costumed adventurers acquire much admiration in the initial decades of their appearance, public sentiment turns strongly against them and by 1977, the government passes the Keane Act, which outlaws vigilante heroism. As a result, the protagonists of Watchmen are divided evenly among those costumed adventurers who have retired and those who have not. In the former category lies the perpetually bored ornithologist named Dan Dreiberg, formerly the gadget reliant ‘Nite Owl’, Laurie Juspeczyk, a moderate feminist with assertion issues who was formerly the martial arts oriented ‘Silk Spectre’ and Adrian Veidt, a genius-level intellect and self-perfected athlete once known as ‘Ozymandias’ and now channels his talents towards a billion dollar business empire and renowned philanthropy. Those adventurers who have continued to operate despite the Keane Act provide the most fertile area for ethical and moral analysis, especially in the context of the historical background that Moore and Gibbons have constructed. These include Edward Blake, a brutally gung-ho ‘superpatriot’ known as ‘The Comedian’, Jon Osterman, a former physicist turned emotionally detached god-like being code-named by the U. S. government as ‘Doctor Manhattan’ and Walter Kovacs, an uncompromising moral absolutist and the only one who operates without government sanction as the cruel vigilante called ‘Rorschach’. Rorschach, The Comedian and Doctor Manhattan effectively function as anti-heroes in the sense that although their adventuring careers have persisted beyond the Keane Act, they are far removed from the heroic intentions that have been the traditional feature of costumed adventurers in comic book literature. Furthermore, the morality and ethics which governs their activities is shaded with far darker tones than the unwavering idealism of a Superman or the commitment to vigilance that characterizes a Batman. However, their anti-heroism character is owed in large part to the ways that they evoke the characteristics of traditional superhero archetypes. This is not an entirely unfounded observation. It is no secret that the characters of Watchmen originate with characters from a relatively obscure comic publishing company known as Charlton Comics. Pustz (146-147) and Jensen (47) both recount that the genesis of Watchmen was in a request made by Dick Giordano, then executive editor of DC Comics, that Moore apply his talents to characters that DC had just acquired from Charlton. Moore was selected primarily because of the revisionist skills he had displayed in books such as Swamp Thing and Marvelman. In the former, Moore turned a formulaic horror series into a melancholy drama with an environmentalist streak while in the latter, he toyed with what was a British Captain Marvel knock-off and subverted into an existentialist look at relationship between superhero and alter ego. Because Watchmen presented superheroes as sexually frustrated, politically emasculated and psychologically unstable, it would have presented problems for the commercial longevity of the Charlton characters, making them unusable for future stories. As a result, Moore was instructed to re-write his story with original characters, and the Charlton characters were ultimately re-introduced by DC Comics through different means. This meant that the specific histories of the Charlton characters no longer imposed any limitations on the story that Moore and collaborator Gibbons had chosen to tell. Pustz (147) observes that this was for the better: fewer readers would have the prior knowledge necessary to appreciating the Charlton characters than those who would appreciate original characters. However, for these original characters to resonate properly with audiences on a similar level as established characters it became necessary for Moore and Gibbons to develop them beyond what could be communicated in a finite number of comic book panels, even when allowing for flashbacks and copious amounts of background detail. To do so, Moore and Gibbons made use of various fictional documents such as a report on the political implications of Doctor Manhattan’s super-powered existence and the autobiography of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl and predecessor to Dan Dreiberg. The characters of Watchmen, as already suggested above, ended up being evocative of superhero archetypes. As Pustz notes: â€Å"Dr. Manhattan [†¦] echoes every omnipotent superhero from Superman to Miracleman to the Spectre. The Comedian refers [†¦] to patriotic heroes such as Captain America and superspies such as Marvel’s Nick Fury. Rorschach is [†¦] every other obsessed vigilante from Batman to the Punisher. † (Pustz 147) By converging the evocation of superhero archetypes with a dysfunctional alternate history, Moore and Gibbons impose profound effects on the psychology of Watchmen’s protagonists. Simply put, Watchmen’s protagonists really are anti-heroes in multiple senses of the word. This is because what Moore and Gibbons have done is make it impossible for their characters to sustain a heroic purity over the course of their careers, especially in the face of history. Many of the longest-running comic book series are those that feature superheroes, and require a moderate suspension of disbelief that allows them to persist in a constant state of present tense. Therefore, in addition to a diminished aging rate (if any at all), the psychological and political development of the characters is limited in order to allow them to sustain continued adventuring careers. Thus, while the Spider-Man of the 1960s hangs out with his pals at soda parlors and the Captain America of the 21st century faces personal uncertainty in the face of international anti-American sentiment, neither never fully achieve any personal disillusionment or psychological resolution that would end their stories. By contrast, the costumed heroes in the Watchmen world do not and cannot possess the static personalities that have allowed the likes of Captain America or Batman to function continuously in their own comic books, despite the changes in cultural and political zeitgeist. Even if their personalities weren’t so troubled and their motivations so void of nobility, the forces of history would still have gradually eroded the initial foundations of their adventuring careers, which they do. As such, the relationship between crime fighting and society changes radically in the decades between 1938, when costumed heroes make their first appearance, and the year 1985, which is when the primary events take place. Klock notes that ahistorical conditions are necessary to support the superhero narrative, opining that â€Å"superheroes only make sense in world where masked opponents support their fantasy, and masked opponents only exist to fight superheroes,† but because history and personality carry greater weight in Watchmen than they traditionally do in other superhero narratives. As a result, Watchmen’s protagonists encompass varying levels of cynicism, neuroticism and societal alienation. They become anti-heroes simply because it is impossible to for their heroism to remain pure at all. It is from this angle that Moore and Gibbons proceed to interrogate the effect of history on the individual viewpoints of costumed adventurers and superheroes, as well as their effects upon history itself. In addition to the geopolitical implications of Doctor Manhattan’s nigh omnipotence, Moore and Gibbons examine how personal humanity is profoundly altered by nigh omniscient awareness of history, whilst the Comedian is the expression of how historical tumult and a life of violence has corrupting effects on the patriotic character, rendering an almost irredeemable cynicism. In the case of Rorschach, who is Watchmen’s most (dis)reputable anti-hero, he experiences constant exposure to the endurance of social and cultural malaise which serves to only harden his moral and ethical absolutism. The result is an unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice, one which would ordinarily and unquestionably admirable in traditional superheroes, but not in one who ultimately comes across as a fascist. Jackie Earle Haley, the actor who is to portray Rorschach in a feature film adaptation of Watchmen, notes that Rorschach’s personality centers around his contention with the oft-declared complexity of the world that is maintained as the excuse for its ills and woes: â€Å"Rorschach’s complexity is [†¦] an attacking complexity. He tries to simplify the world in black and white. [†¦] Rorschach thinks that you’re not what you say you mean, you’re what you do. You are your behavior [†¦] That sort of forced me to look at my own behavior, to ask myself, ‘Who’s my behavior victimizing today? ’ [†¦] We justify our behavior with complexity. Not for Rorschach. † (Adler 2008) Thus, it is not Rorschach’s relentless commitment to the pursuit of justice that gives him his anti-heroic character, as it is a quality he shares with Batman. Although portrayals of Batman have varied over the decades in both print and film, his ideals are not closely linked with his view of society, giving him a sense of ambivalence towards society’s collective responsibilities to its own welfare. Rorschach on the other hand, views the world with utter contempt, with little faith in its ability to redeem itself. His moral absolutism originates from humanity’s consistent inability to live up to the nobility it ascribes to itself. His development as a vigilante stems from humanity’s failure and inaction. In the case of a woman who had been raped, tortured and killed outside her own apartment building, he remembers that: â€Å"Nobody did anything. Nobody called cops. Some of them even watched. Do you understand? I knew what people were then, behind all the evasions, all the self-deception. Ashamed for humanity I went home. I took the remains of her unwanted dress and made a face that I could bear to look at in the mirror. † Traditional superheroes do not view the world with this much contempt, but Rorschach does. His contempt for humanity is most strongly articulated when he declares, â€Å"This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children. Not fate who butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It’s us. † While Rorschach articulates the most complex relationship between an individual’s ideals and his perception of society, Doctor Manhattan expresses how ambivalence towards the value of human affairs leads to a sense of detachment that reduces an individual’s moral compass down to dehumanized utilitarianism. This is not to suggest that Manhattan’s nigh-omnipotence makes him morally apathetic. Rather, it alters his ethical code in such a fashion that the welfare of a numerical majority takes precedence, regardless of the cost. This is made most evident when he teleports an angry mob, which is a peaceful means of negating conflict, but it also leads to two shock-induced heart attacks. Manhattan maintains that this is statistically preferable to the larger number of casualties that would have been caused by mob violence. Towards the end of Watchmen, Manhattan becomes even more indifferent towards the redemption of humanity, opining that despite the attempts of individuals such as Ozymandias to bring about a peaceful new world order, â€Å"nothing ever ends. † While Rorschach’s desire is to impose his will and â€Å"scrawl [his] own design on this morally blank world,† and Manhattan dismisses the notion that human problems can ever be resolved, The Comedian simply doesn’t care. As a nihilist, the Comedian shares Rorschach’s belief that there is no moral or ethical principle which guides the universe. Despite the fact that he fought for the U. S. during the Vietnam War, he concludes that its outcome matters only to Americans and holds no meaning to the average Vietnamese. The Comedian is so utterly devoid of delusions about the moral value of geopolitical affairs, and his participation stems primarily from his loyalty to Uncle Sam rather than from any sense of idealism. His credo is that existence is one big joke, and he’s one of the few who is in on the gag. These three – Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, The Comedian – are antiheroes not because they are devoid of any heroism, but rather because they express how a purity of ideals will always be shaped by the forces which history exerts upon them. They do not operate from a corrupt morality let alone from villainy: several moments reveal deeply obscured or twisted nobility within them all. Instead, they are anti-heroic because the gritty realities of society and the debilitating effects of continued crime fighting take hold upon them in ways that are denied to their conventional counterparts. Works Cited Pustz, Matthew J. Comic Book Culture: Fanboys and True Believers. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1999. Klock, Geoff. â€Å"Who Watches the Watchmen? † SF Crowsnest, April 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2008 from: http://www. sfcrowsnest. com/sfnews2/03_april/news0403_6. shtml Adler, Shawn. â€Å"Is Rorschach ‘Watchmen’s’ Most Heroic Character? Jackie Earle Haley Thinks So. † MTV Splash Page, 21 August 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2008 from: http://splashpage. mtv. com/2008/08/21/is-rorschach-watchmens-most-heroic-character-jackie-earle-haley-thinks-so/

Varsity blues

Varsity Blues In the movie Varsity Blues,† not everyone can appreciate what a small town Friday night feels like. Living life underneath a microscope. The whole town in the stands. You can practically fell them breathing down your neck criticizing every move, every play the team makes. That's what it felt like for the boys from West Canaan. No matter how tough things get you can always stand up for yourself, friends, and family. Growing up the main characters Mix, Lance, Billy Bob, and Tweeter were a band f brothers and stuck together throughout high school.As expected of many high schools winning a district championship in football is as expected as graduating. That's what these kids from West Canaan lived for. During their senior year, the boys face many hardships along the way. As captain of the team and idol of the town, quarterback Lance, gets a knee injury throwing the whole season In a tail spin. His long time friend Mix is handed the reins to not only the team but for t he town. Nobody believes he can fill the shoes of the star he's replacing. Mix doesn't understand the responsibility he's given and tries to keep his nonchalant attitude.As his season carries on his attitude changes. He goes from being and average student to a cocky typical Sock to soak up his stardom. After his first loss he gets a complete reality check. As the team Is faced with hardships brought on by their head coach Killer. Killer has pushed these boys too hard for too long and they finally pushed back. Killer was the cause of Lance's knee Injury as he pushed anesthetic shots Into his knee and advises It to be done to another Injured teammate. This act causes the boys o stand up to their monster of a coach.They leave Killer a chance to run while he can or they will tell everyone what he has been doing. This act of heroism saves many players from ridicule and even Injury. This movie shows the passion of small town sports and the pressure of living under the magnifying glass In a small town. Football In the state of Texas Is Like no where else In the country. You grow up playing with your best friends and will learn to always suck things out with your real brothers. Varsity blues By humoring 995 quarterback Lance, gets a knee injury throwing the whole season in a tail spin.His As the team is faced with hardships brought on by their head coach Killer. Killer was the cause of Lance's knee injury as he pushed anesthetic shots into his knee and advises it to be done to another injured teammate. This act causes the boys players from ridicule and even injury. This movie shows the passion of small town sports and the pressure of living under the magnifying glass in a small town. Football in the state of Texas is like no where else in the country. You grow up playing with your best friends and will learn to always stick things out with your real brothers.

Lowe's Financial Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lowe's Financial Analysis - Essay Example A horizontal analysis, according to Accounting Management allows the analysts to look at the factors that cause the changes in the operation. Accounting Coach describes vertical analysis as a method of examining accounts as a percentage of another item and will be shown as a common-size balance sheet. This kind of analysis permits me to compare Lowe’s balance sheet to another company. Thus, analysis of the balance sheet of Lowe Company is stated as a percentage of total asset. (See Annex 6) In the financial statement, vertical analysis of Lowe Company (See Annex 7) will be presented as a percentage of sales, and allows me to compare it with competition and industry average. 3. Calculation of at least five significant liquidity ratios for each of the five years analyzed. The five liquidity ratios used for analysis in Lowe are the current ratio, quick ratio, debt/equity ratio, accounts payable to sales and inventory turnover (See Annex 1 for calculations) 4 .Calculation of at least five significant profitability ratios for each of the five years analyzed. (See Annex 2) Ratios used are gross profit margin, net profit margin, return on sales, return on assets and return on equity. 6 Following guidelines of Accounting Management, long term debt paying ratios used in the study are debt coverage ratios, cash flow to current maturity of long term debt ratio and debt to equity, Ratio of fixed assets to shareholders funds and Proprietary of equity ratio (Accounting for Management) See Annex 4 Based on the Horizontal analysis of Lowe’s financial statement (see Annex 5) revenue in 2011 increased by $1,595million or by 0.03% as compared to sales & revenue in 2010. This change is accompanied by an increase in cost of sales which is equal to the 3% increase in 2011. In other years, from 2007 to 2009, sales are not enough to

Forbidden practices, food, and drinks in Islam Research Paper

Forbidden practices, food, and drinks in Islam - Research Paper Example In the western world and in other major religion dating and premarital sex is generally accepted but this is a forbidden act among Muslims. Young persons of the opposite sex are not allowed to be together by themselves. One could question how does a relationship develops between young persons which can lead to marriage. There is a systematic way in which this can be done. Persons of the same sex are encouraged to foster good friendships that they will have for a lifetime. Through these friendships they will get to know families of their friends and this can lead to potential marriage at the appropriate time. Marriage just does not happen as is the practice of couples who are non-Muslims. It follows a pattern. Firstly the young person inquires of Allah as to who the person should be. He asks for spiritual help in finding the right person. On a personal level the family communicates among the members of the family who the partner should be. It is normal for the parents to approach anot her family where there is a potential partner. Even after the couple and the family decide that the marriage should take place, the two persons who have decided to marry will never meet alone, by themselves. They always have to be accompanied by others. This action is a direct command given by the Prophet Muhammad who warns against the potential danger of two unmarried persons of the opposite sex meeting alone. â€Å"Not one of you should meet a woman alone unless she is accompanied by a relative. Whenever a man is alone with a woman, Satan is the third among them.† Muslims are forbidden to marry blood relatives or persons from another religion. Blood relatives include parents, sisters, brothers, foster parents, in-laws, maternal and paternal uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews. There are some days which Muslims do not chose to get married. Days such as the day when the death of the Prophet is commemorated and other days of mourning are forbidden days for persons who are gettin g married. There are some sexual acts that are forbidden even between married couples. One of the most common one is the law of Islam that forbids men to have sexual intercourse with their wives during the time of their menstrual periods. This law is mentioned in the Quran. â€Å"Menstruation is a discomfort. Do not establish sexual relations with them during their menses and do not approach them until the blood stops. Then when they have cleansed themselves, you go into them as Allah has commanded you. There is a technical period and terminology that goes with the definition for menstruation. It is not considered to be menstruation if the bleeding occurs less than three day. It is called menstruation if it runs between three and ten days. Similarly a woman who has a menstrual period for over ten days can have sexual relations with her husband on the eleventh day since this would be termed as irregular bleeding. Husbands are also not allowed to have sex with their wives during the day in the month of Ramadan, for ten days after the woman has given birth and also during the time the couple is on pilgrimage to Mecca. Homosexuality and other unnatural sexual acts are strictly forbidden in Islam. There is also reference in the Quran about homosexuality. â€Å"Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.†

The Role and Importance of Professional Associations Essay

The Role and Importance of Professional Associations - Essay Example Professional skills refer to the skills essential for students to be successful in professional activities and practice enhance through interaction. The skills can be transferred and have the features like; self-confidence, self-image, self-esteem, understanding of ethical issues, meeting deadlines, being punctual, socializing well with others in the organization, showing interest and initiative. Work-integrated learning refers to various forms of workplace learning such as field and work placements, industrial project, that are undertaken by students while studying. Results show that graduates who experience work-integrated learning appreciate the importance of the course study and get encouraged finishing their course programs compared to those who haven’t experienced. They establish a strong professional identity quickly and are in a position to employ the skills learned through practice association or interaction. Getting into a new environment of working after graduating, the graduates face challenges on ways to learn and work in the strange situation that is not predictable. Project teams and associations require flexibility and professional skills gained through interaction or association. Graduates should be able to do work in the administration to meet the objectives required and achieve positive results. In such a case, a graduate needs to enroll in a professional association to help them gather and learn more about their relevant areas of duty. The graduates and employers who are enrolled in professional association programs understand the benefits of properly-developed professional skills for career improvement. The table below gives a summary of the needs of the current workplace. Skills, knowledge, and attitude are elements of success in ones’ work. The graduates need this as they get to any work so that they can interact with others effectively and complete work in the given time frame.

Burger King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Burger King - Essay Example With the help of these marketing communication techniques a product can be expansively marketed and product consciousness may be generated amongst the public regarding the various aspects with regard to the product (Laitenen, 2009). The above mentioned tools may be used in segregation, but an organisation can get superlative advantage when these tools are used in a unified way to create impact among the target customers. Messages can be customer oriented or it may be related with the product but the basic underlining principle should be how to convey or deliver the message in the effective most way. Media may be further alienated into six chief classes’ print, outdoor, broadcast, in-store and other media class. Each class has a distinct media type, for example broadcast includes radio and television whereas print class has newspapers and magazines. The combination of the three elements i.e. the messages, the media and the tools is termed as integrated marketing communication ( IMC) (Laitenen, 2009). Planning for the promotion is an indispensable management activity and it should therefore be developed within an appropriate framework. Marketing communication planning framework certifies the provision of a visual guide among different elements. This plan is based on the basis of gathering of relevant information (Laitenen, 2009). The prominent factors that must be incorporated in the market communication plan are the context analysis which deals with defining an opportunity or problem. It identifies the opportunities which are available in the market segment. In the promotional objective tool, the object should be pragmatic in approach. The final end should however be in inducing the customers in buying the product. Corporate objective implies to the business area where the business unit should tend to function. Through promotional strategy the distinct marketing communication techniques are identified and subsequently selected. The three P’s strateg y of marketing communication is pull, push and profile. Pull strategy mainly focuses on the consumers and the basic goal is to induce them to procure the product. For the push strategy, the prospects are the channel intermediaries. A profile strategy emphasises on the brand development (Laitenen, 2009). Budget is concerned with the opportunities and precincts of the thriving marketing communication plan. It considers the monetary aspect of the concern. Schedules are the determining factors of time that may be a determinant in attaining the organisational objective (Laitenen, 2009). The communication process is followed by scrutinising the entire plan. It measures the level to which the target has been achieved. Control and evaluation is thus the most important factor to judge the efficiency of the executed project (Laitenen, 2009). Marketing Communication Planning Framework Source: (Laitenen, 2009). Situation Analysis Burger King has been lacking behind when being compared to McDona ld’s and Subway due to their declining sales figure which were disappointing. It was facing sturdy competition from its competitors who were reaching peaks in terms of gratifying their prospect customers. It had been observed by the analysts that that latest campaigns of Burger King focused on the

English Comp.- Adapting a Writing Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English Comp.- Adapting a Writing Style - Essay Example Rather than referring to the Kinetic Theory of Matter, it would be more useful to say that all matter is made up of very small particles and their make-up and energy determines whether it is a solid, liquid, or gas. In addition, highly technical vocabulary, jargon, and buzzwords need to be eliminated and replaced by more generally understood terms. For example, instead of referring to the C level employees (CEO, CFO), it would be more informative to refer to them as executives. These simple modifications pave the way for an easily understood article. Writing is also a process where we try to inform by creating a written connect the dots article. Specialists, with a large body of knowledge, may be able to make inferences and connections that are not available to the general audience. Paragraphs need to be carefully constructed with a logical flow that can easily be followed. Paragraphs should have a transition to let the audience know when the topic is shifting and the direction that it is taking. Statements must be constructed that offer enough explanation without becoming so complex that the reader gets lost. This usually involves shorter statements that are supported with short explanations. This helps guide the reader through the complexities of the material. The complexities of the technical information can also be presented by the use of metaphors and similes. Instead of telling your audience that the new cable modem has a bandwidth of 30 mega bits per second, it would be more picturesque to say that the modem transfers 2,000 pages of written text per second or as many as six complete novels. While few readers will understand Mbps, everyone knows how big a novel is. The audience is not interested in the technical specifications; they are simply looking for comparisons to the things they know. In conclusion, adapting a technical article for a general audience is really just a matter of putting it into plain English.

Could the US have won the Revolutionary war without foreign Essay

Could the US have won the Revolutionary war without foreign intervention - Essay Example The Americans needed support because of the logistical difficulties of a protracted war, and so France and Netherlands provided critical support that hastened the victory of the former. Weigley, in his book The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy, explains the dire circumstances of General George Washington and he stresses that â€Å"military poverty† shaped Washington’s generalship.3 When the British arrived by sea in New York before the raid of Trenton, General William Howe had 31,625 soldiers from all ranks, where 24,464 were well-equipped and ready for battle.4 Aside from these troops, Howe also had ten ships, twenty frigates, hundreds of transport, and 10, 000 seamen.5 To defend New York, General Washington only had 19,000 people, with around 9,000 having military discipline and training.6 In addition, the Americans had no naval forces and limited land transports. Though Washington scored with the elimination of the Hessian garrison at Trenton, throughout the entire Revolutionary War period, he perennially faced the problem of the limited number of soldiers, resources, and money. The Revolutionary confederation and the weakening agricultural sector could not supply enough for these needs of the war. David McCullough dwells in 1776 on the role of the financial backing from France and the Netherlands as well as the support from the French army and navy.7 For him, they were offered critical help in hastening America’s victory instead of merely waiting for Britain to give up on the war or to wait for other foreign nations to realize that America’s independence would result in a greater balance of powers in Europe. If the Revolutionary War had extended due to the absence of foreign intervention, it would not have been impossible for Washington and his generals, as well as the American people who supported him, to maintain their strategies until Britain gave up on its American colonies. In the book A Shattered Nation: The Rise and Fall of the Confederacy, 1861-1868, Rubin expresses the will of the American people to support the war. She mentions letters circulating among the masses, who knew that the revolutionary forces must somehow show some power enough to â€Å"overthrow† the British before foreign nations would start acknowledging America as an independent nation that they should support through money or troops or both.8 The people, as well as Washington and the generals, resisted the idea of becoming a colony once more, especially when they realized that they could be finally freed from the abusive taxation and other oppressive policies of Britain.9 McCullough stresses, nevertheless, that â€Å"†¦it was Washington and the army that won the war for American Independence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 10 These historians understood the tenacity of the American army in forcing on through their guerilla tactics and attacking Britain where it was at its weakest, specifically in land battles. Other scholars insisted that America could not have won the war without foreign support. In â€Å"

Emax electronics uae Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emax electronics uae - Essay Example The product spectrum comprises of photography, IT, audio, mobiles, video, accessories, wellness and fitness, gaming, do-it-yourself, gifting, motor vehicle electronics and navigation, personal care, watches, musical instruments, home solutions, portable and MP3 players, telecom, kitchenware, videos and music, security solutions, home appliances, among many more (Holand and Beall 2012, p.30). This, together with competitive value and unparalleled service, makes Emax one area for every electronics needs. A widely used and comprehensible tool that helps a person to scrutinize the political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological shifts in a business environment is known as PEST Analysis. It aids in comprehending the powers of transformation that a certain business may be exposed to, and thereafter take full advantage of the chances that these transformations present. Emax electronics uses PEST Analysis to adapt and understand its future business environment (Grasser and Meller 2009 , p.7). Transformations in an environment for business can lead to significant opportunities for any organization and at the same time can cause significant threats. For instance, opportunities can emerge from latest technologies that aid in reaching fresh clients, from fresh financing streams that enable an individual to invest in superior equipment, as well as from changed policies of the government that result in new markets. On the other hand, threats can comprise of deregulation which exposes an individual to a shrinking market; intensified competition; or increases in rates of interest which can create concerns if a business is burdened by heavy debt (Grasser and Meller 2009, p.8). Emax electronics has been supported by PEST Analysis to spot its business opportunities as well as being offered advanced warning of substantial threats. Emax’s direction of change within its business environment has been revealed by PEST Analysis. Consequently, it has been able to shape its electronic business so that it operates hand in hand with change, but not against it. Through the use of PEST Analysis Emax electronics has avoided commencing projects, which have a high likelihood of failing for reasons beyond its control. It has succeeded breaking free of some unconscious assumptions when it gets into a new country, market, or region because, through PEST Analysis, it can develop an objective analysis of this fresh environment (Holand and Beall 2012, p.31). The major competitors of E max electronic are other emerging electronic suppliers such as Jumbo Electronics Dubai UAE, Sharaf dj, Emirates Electronics Industries, Abu Dhabi United Electronics, and Carefour. The main advantage that these competitors have over Emax electronics is the fact that they specialize in just a few electronic products. (Ward and Daniel 2012, p.16) With this specialization, their products tend to be deemed perfect by many customers. E max supplying a wide range of products is a setback for them as well as an opportunity of capturing all customers under one roof. It is natural not to be perfect hence even customers will bring out this judgment while purchasing these products (Holand and Beall 2012, p.32). Emax electronics, being a supplier of a wide range of products, might at some point ignore other products and concentrate much on others. This gives

Graduate Work and Becoming a Better Manager Essay

Graduate Work and Becoming a Better Manager - Essay Example Additionally, I realized that being a better manager required effective professionalism, which is achievable through furthering my education. Present day business environment is characterized by excessive competition. This requires managers to have professional strategies that will enable them to compete with other businesses effectively. Additionally, I realized that enrolling for MBA at Walden University would enable me to understand the ethical and legal requirements of the business society which facilitate becoming an effective member of the business community (Walden University, 2012b). Graduate school is quite different from the undergraduate programs. In graduate school, the level of training is more rigorous and oriented toward professionalism. As opposed to undergraduates in business courses who study broadly, graduates specialize in a specific area. By enrolling in MBA, I hope to acquire skill in corporate hunting skill, coaching of employees as well as skill on how to analyze benefit for effective decision-making. In my opinion, being an effective manager requires one to be able to bargain collectively, relate well with employees, encourage employee development programs, and understand employment laws as well as business policies. By enrolling for the MBA, I believe I will be able to attain the above skills and apply them later. This will make me a professional and better manager (Walden University, 2012b). After reviewing the list of â€Å"Student Conduct and Responsibilities,† I realized there are a number of similarities and differences between scholarly conduct and business conduct. Scholarly conduct is different from business conduct in that scholarly conduct I based on the level of education while business conduct is professionalism. Both scholarly conduct and business conduct are similar since they center on trust, responsibility,

Preparatory Project Essay Example for Free

Preparatory Project Essay Traffic congestion in cities is a problem throughout the world. Evaluate the effectiveness of one official initiative undertaken to tackle this issue Traffic congestion is a condition on the road when traffic jams are bad and no movement is possible. The main causes of the traffic congestion are: traffic incidents, road works, weather events and constant traffic flow. It negatively impacts on the environment by causing a growth in the level of air pollution. Time wasted in traffic is the reason for delays which negatively affect stability and discipline in education, work and economy. For example, late delivers of goods to market consequently affects sales and produces losses in revenues. Eventually, because of the budget deficit business goes bankrupt. According to Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report only in the USA daily travelers lose 1 day plus 10 hours per year as a result of congestion on roads and in 2 decades average amount of congestion has increased by 380 %( Forbes 2011). Although this problem is worsening every year there are some examples when official policies struggled against this dilemma. Different municipal governments use various methods to deal with traffic congestion. For example, in the Netherlands and Mexico City local authorities applied cycling promotion. Another method to reduce congestion is road charging in special restricted areas which was implemented in Singapore, Stockholm and London. The London Congestion Charge (LCC) is one of the well-known models of road pricing, so further content of this essay will focus on it. This essay will evaluate effectiveness of the LCC program which was undertaken by municipal government of London to tackle traffic congestion using identified criteria: the improvement of public transport services, results in reducing traffic level, gained revenues and the way they were used. Firstly I will describe working principles of the LCC. Following paragraph discusses predicted and actual results of drop in traffic congestion. Then I will show how the LCC affected public transportation system. Finally, the use of gained revenues to improve public transport will be evaluated. The LCC was officially introduced on 17th February 2003 by Transport for London (TfL) under direction of Mayor Ken Livingstone (Li et al. 2012, 366). Before the official launch of this scheme studies like Road Charging Options for London in 2000 (ROCOL) were provided to get an important information on traffic levels, and it said that by implementing 5  £ charge zone and using revenues to improve transport system congestion could be reduced.(Livingstone 2004, 491-93). These are general concepts of the scheme: pay fee is 10  £; it operates from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm in working days and mostly covers area known as â€Å"Central London†. Buses, motorcycles, licensed taxis, alternative fuel, invalid-designed and emergency vehicles are not oblig ated to pay charge (Litman 2011). The zone is monitored with cameras, and symbols with signs are displayed on it to notify commuters. There are miscellaneous methods to pay it such as: internet, telephone, text messaging and through TfL. Overall, mainly due to technologies system worked properly and almost no complaints were made by commuters. However, it has drawbacks because the fee doesn’t depend on travelled distance and during congested periods the amount of fee remains same. First of all, the main priority of the congestion charge was to reduce traffic level. ROCOL predicted that after implementation there will be average decrease by 10-15 % in travelled miles. Reduction in miles thought to raise average speed from 9.9 to 11.2 mph, and drop in private car trips expected to be by 20 %.(ROCOL 2000 quoted in Leape 2006, 164 ). Overall, results were positive and met expectations. The decline of travelled distance in charged zone was about 15 % (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 1). There was a growth by 37% in average traffic speed (Litman 2011). The reduction of potentially chargeable vehicles in charged area was 27% (Leape 2006, 165). From the information below it is clear that there is a significant drop in traffic level. On the other hand, mostly all information on traffic levels comes from TFL reports, but it is the governmental organization so we cannot consider TFL as absolutely neutral institution. In addition the LCC affected congestion just inside the charged zone but not in whole London. Secondly, the priority of the congestion charge was â€Å"to make radical improvements in bus services† (Livingstone 2004, 495) and increase the number of bus users. The raise in the number of bus passengers was 18% in 2003 and 12% in 2004 and it remained same next years (Santos 2008, 192). The TFL affiliate excess waiting time with weakness of service, and it fell by 30% and 18% in first 2 years (Santos 2008, 192). The LCC caused a growth by 7% in bus speed (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 6). Moreover, extension of bus lane system and new purchased buses from revenues also improved service. It can be concluded that the development of service and reallocation of road space to busses effectively switched people to use public transport more. Thirdly, municipal government of London planned to use gained revenues to improve public transport system. The TFL predicted to gain revenues between 130-150 million  £ (Leape 2006, 169).In fact, results showed that expectations were too exaggerated: net revenues brought less than 50% of predicted sum. The key factor for failure to get more profit was that congestion charge provoked unexpected reduction in number of potentially charged vehicles. However, as it was planned, maintained money from the charge was spent on enhancement of bus networks within road safety, and to popularize walking and cycling (Leape 2006, 170). Furthermore, revenues were invested to buy new 250 busses to develop bus network system (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 7). It is obvious that incomes were used to develop transport system as it was projected. Additionally it was politically important to use money in that way to maintain support for the LCC from citizens. To sum up, in spite of political debates on implementation of the LCC, the action taken by local authorities of London generally accepted as a political and technical success. There is a significant reduction of traffic congestion in charged zone. On the other side, a decrease of traffic in this area couldn’t impact completely on congestion in all London. Revenues gained from charge were spent on enhancement of public transport which caused a popularization of the scheme. The idea of road pricing in London was politically implemented and positively accepted by public, even it is not a popular method to tackle congestion. However, there is a still big question in its efficiency to dramatically change situation on all city roads, so policymakers must think how to enhance system to reduce congestion drastically in the city. Reference list: Forbes.2011. â€Å"Escape the Cost and Lost Time of Traffic Congestion†. Accessed October 30, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tombarlow/2011/10/22/escape-the-cost-and-lost-time-of-traffic-congestion/ Leape, Jonathan. 2006. â€Å"The London Congestion Charge†. Journal of Economic Perspectives 20 (4):157-76. Litman, Todd. 2011. â€Å"London Congestion Charging†. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. http://www.vtpi.org/london.pdf Li, Haojie, Daniel J. Graham, and Arnab Majumdar. 2012. The effects of congestion charging on road traffic casualties: A causal analysis using difference-in-difference estimation. Accident Analysis Prevention 49: 366-377. Livingstone, Ken.2004. â€Å"The Challenge of Driving Through Change: Introducing Congestion Charging in Central London.† Planning Theory Practice 5(4):490-98. Accessed October 25, 2012. doi: 10.1080/1464935042000293224 Prud’homme, Rà ©my, and Juan Pablo Bocarejo. 2004. The London Congestion Charge: A Te ntative Economic Appraisal. Transport Policy 20:1-9. Santos, Georgina. 2008. â€Å" London Congestion Charging†. Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs (9):177-207.

UK Tour Operators Analysis

UK Tour Operators Analysis A tour operator combines tour and travel components to create a holiday, it designs travel routes for tourists and offer perfect arrangements of the airlines and hotels. In a word, a tour operator offers package holidays. A travel agent is a kind of retail business which is a buyer of tour operator, it sells travel-related products and services to customers on behalf of tour operators, airlines, hotels and other entities. Nowadays, tour operators and travel agencies are closely related to each other. Some tour operators own the distribution channel, they set up retail shops selling products and services directly to the final customers, or they establish close relationships with travel agencies under contracts. The development of the industry should be attributed to the development of transportation in the early age. With the invention of aircraft, the demand for travel increased rapidly. But in recent years, situations become more complex than ever before in such a changeable economi c climate, UKs tour operator industry are fluctuated in growth. This part of report focuses on the market and development during the year 2005-2008. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) was formed in 1950 by 22 leading travel companies, now represents over 5,300 travel agencies and nearly 1000 tour operations. Its Members range from small, specialist tour operators and independent travel agencies through to publicly-listed companies and household names; from call centres to internet booking services to high street shops, occupy more than 90% of the British market. Thus statistics of ABTA can be used to conduct this report. According to the annual report of ABTA, during the year 2005-2006, bookings through ABTA members were 6% down on the prior year. The package holiday market continued to decline but specialist holidays, cruise tours and flight-only bookings all grew significantly. Company failure level rose substantially from 33 in the previous year to 47 this year. The industry structure changed a lot: independent agents turned to favour dynamic packaging with concentration on niche markets including long-haul, cruising, UK holidays and self-packaging. Big operators drove bookings online and through their own retail networks. 2006 is one of the most challenging years in the industrys history, with traditional business model under great pressure and uncertain future for many others. During the year 2006-2007, 32.8  million overseas visitors who came in 2007 spent  Ã‚ £16.0  billion in the UK, the volume remained stable but spending fell in cash terms for the first time since 2001. Financial statuses of ABTA members were quite positive: total net current assets of  £5.11 million (6% up) and total income of  £5.70 million (13% up). Company failure levels fell dramatically from 47 to 32 compared to the previous year. Several weaker players in the industry have been winnowed out of the market but the figures are still very enco uraging. The industry remained in good health. Consolidation and merger activity has been a key feature of the outbound tourism market in 2007. New business models had made that the differences between the tour operator and travel agency become increasingly blurred. 2008 is again a challenging time for the industry: at one time the fuel price had reached $150 a barrel which is the double of the price in 2007; sterling lost a large amount of its value against most currencies; what makes things worse is that the credit crunch caused the worlds economic downturn, consumers changed their spending patterns, companies struggled to survive. In spite of these factors, UK outbound visits remained increase by 1.5 million from 69.2 million last year to 70.7 million this year. The number of company failures fell from 32 to 30 compared to the previous year. But unfortunately, because of the high cost of fuel, the UKs third largest travel group-XL Leisure Group collapsed on 12 September 2008 leav ing 85000 passengers still on their holidays. This failure resulted in one of the most extensive repatriations in the UK travel industrys history with 85,000 passengers being flown home in a joint action by TUI, Thomas Cook and Virgin orchestrated by the CAA. Another important issue happened in 2008 is the merger of ABTA and the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) which represents the continuing integration of travel agency and tour operator within the industry. The industry will benefit greatly from the combined different strengths that both organisations offer. The FTOs experience and expertise in operational issues fit ideally with ABTAs traditional functions. PEST analysis of the remote environment (P)olitical/Legal 3.1.1 Political instability and Terrorism Political instability is described as a condition of a country where a government has been toppled, or is controlled by factions following a coup, or where basic functional pre-requisites for social-order control and maintenance are unstable and periodically disrupted (Cook 1990). It is clear that the political instability in a certain country is negatively influencing travelers decision making with prospective travelers seeking substitute travel plans. It will reduce the demand for travel significantly as tourists concern about the safety first and nobody wants to travel in a dangerous environment that strikes, wars and terrorists attacks happen. Among all the factors influencing political instability, terrorism is the most significant one that affecting tourism in UK in recent years. After the heart-broken event of terrorist attack on 11th September 2001, the concern about safety in travelling is increasing rapidly. A series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks on Londons public tra nsport system during the morning rush hour happened on 7th July 2005. The discovery of two car bombs set to detonate in Londons bustling theater and nightclub district Friday, June 29th, 2007 has encouraged residents to remain alert. Following that case, a jeep rammed into a Scottish airport in Glasgow on June 30th, forced Britain to raise the threat level to Critical -the highest alert status. All of the events listed above had negative influences on tourism in UK and businesses of UKs tour operators. Report said that 15% of the advanced bookings were cancelled during the summer peak travel time in 2007. Government and Tourism Government always participates in tourism activities through several kinds of ways: government makes policies for the development of tourism industry; government makes policies that will have impacts on tourism industry. In this part, the report will address issues like the carbon tax influences on the industry, VAT effects on the industry and financial incentives government used on the industry. According to Conservatives 2007, aviation contributes just 5.5% of the UKs CO2 emissions but emissions from UK aviation increased significantly by more than 90% between 1990 and 2004. Government urged to take measures to reduce the negative impact of carbon emissions on environment: from 2001 to 2007, the original APD which is at a rate of  £5.50 on flights from the UK to elsewhere in the European Union and the European Economic Area and  £22.00 for other flights was introduced; a new tax which doubled these charges was introduced from February 2007. These changes in carbon taxation would result in changes in prices of travel products using aviation and finally affect the demands for travelling and sales for tour operators. According to Karen Mayor and Richard S.J. Tol, due to the changes in February 2007, countries near the UK would see a small drop in visitor numbers, and the UK itself would see a larger drop (1.2%). The recent doubling of the boarding tax will reduce arrivals by some 528,800 people in 2010, this is a 1.3% reduction (Karen Mayor, Richard S.J. Tol, 2007). UK government applies a rate of 15% VAT (Value Added Tax, temporary cut from 17.5%) which is the standard rate on tourism products, while most other EU countries apply reduced rate of VAT around 5% on tourism products. Report said that a cut to the 5% UK reduced VAT rate on tourist attractions admission and accommodation will boost employment and result in gains of up to  £760 million savings in increased income and corporation tax. It also predicts an additional  £440 million will be injected into the industry supply chain. The Government had announced an 18% cut in funding for VisitBritain over the next three years on October 2007. Tourism Alliance Chairman, Ros Prichard OBE, stated This cut in funding means that, in real terms, the Government will have reduced VisitBritains funding by around 50% between 1997 and 2011. That is a catastrophe for UKs tourism industry, VisitBritain will be lack of funding to advertise and promote UKs attractions, financial incentives to the industry had been withdrawn and other capital allowances had been reduced, while funding for VisitBritain had been cut back just at the time when they were needed the most, the growth in sales of the industry will suffer. (E)conomic 3.2.1 National economy and disposable income (impact of economic recession) The world is now suffering from the economic downturn caused by financial crisis, businesses collapse, jobs are destroyed, UKs economy is significantly influenced by the crisis. According to National Statistics Online, UKs GDP contracted by 1.6% in the fourth quarter of 2008 when the crisis started. It is now 2% lower than the fourth quarter of 2007. For the year 2008 as a whole, GDP rose by 0.7 per cent with a down trend of 3% in the previous year. UKs economy is experiencing the worst recession in over a century. The recession is a disaster for employment in UK, unemployment rate rose to 6.7% (0.6% higher than the last quarter and 1.5% on last year). 29.3 million people were in work in the period December to February according to the labour force survey (LFS). The number of people employed fell by 126,000 this quarter and down by 227,000 on the last year. All the situations listed above lead to the decrease of national income and disposable income. Tourism is sensitive to economic uncertainty and downturn: most travel activities involve disposable income, as total income drops, disposable income drops, people would conserve their money to cover the cost of life essentials, food, shelters and family necessities. The demands then decrease making tour operators suffer. 3.2.2 Fuel price Fuel cost is a major cost of airline companies, the cost will be paid by customers as fuel surcharge. Tour operators will raise the price of their products, especially for long-haul products when fuel price goes up. The travel enterprises will then be in danger of losing customers. When international crude oil price hit the record of $148 a barrel in September 2008, both airline companies and travel enterprises struggled to make ends meet. The fuel surcharge of some long-haul flights was even same as the ticket price, this might change customers behaviour at some degree, people may stay closer to their home or switch to other entertainments. The economic crisis UK encounters leads to a substantial decrease of oil price which could possibly boost travel industry to some extend though the major influence is negative. 3.2.3 Exchange rate The exchange rate, or the value of the British Pound relative to the currencies of other countries, has had a significant effect on both inbound tourism and outbound tourism. In 2007, the weak dollar makes UK accommodation and food more expensive for visitors from America, the exchange rate put London 15th in its popularity table in July 2007 down from number seven a year earlier according to Cheapflights. Due to the recent Pound depreciation, visitors from other European countries or America can expect to pay around 30% less than they would have done a year ago. British Tourist Authority (BTA) produced a study on The Price Sensitivity of Tourism to Britain, the findings show that overseas visitors are highly sensitive to changes in the cost of staying in Britain: for every 1% movement in the exchange rate which increases the cost of staying in Britain, the UKs international tourism earnings will decrease by 1.3% ( £160m). Research also found that more fixity in the exchange rate arrangements generates a positive effect on tourism and the more fix the exchange regime is, the greater the impact on tourism (Marà ­a Santana-Gallego, Francisco J. Ledesma-Rodrà ­guez, Jorge V. Pà ©rez-Rodrà ­guez, 2007). (S)ocial Social factors like age, changing life style affect the industry through changing consumer behavior. 3.3.1 Age and tourism According to United Nations Statistics and National Statistics Online, for the whole world, since 1950 the proportion of older persons has been rising steadily, passing from 8 per cent in 1950 to 11 per cent in 2007, and is expected to reach 22 per cent in 2050; For UK, the percentage of the population of state pensionable age exceeded the percentage of the population under 16 for the first time in history in 2007. The industry now is facing an older growing society due to rising life expectancy, marketing of the industry should focus more on older persons: the advertising and products should target more at older persons. 3.3.2 Changing lifestyle There is a growing trend of buying online which could reduce a persons shopping trip frequency, the access to the worlds products through internet reduces the flows of shopping tourists from one city to another or cross countries. More and more people tend to prefer clubs or watching TV at home rather than going out for a trip at weekends. 3.3.3 Growing concern about environment Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world with incredible developments each year, it contributes a lot to the worlds economy while the huge infrastructural and resource demands of tourism (e.g. water consumption, waste generation and energy use) can have severe impacts upon local communities and the environment if it is not properly managed. A concept: sustainable tourism which is defined as tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems by World Tourism Organisation becomes more and more popular. People concern more about the environment, they tend to favour ecotourism products. When developing new tourism products, tour operators should design their trips to be environmentally, culturally and socially friendly. (T)echnological 3.4.1 Technology development of transportation With the development of piston engine aircraft, the mass tourism boomed in 1950s. Transportation technology is always regarded as crucial in the development of tourism, places inaccessible before by car or train can be accessed swiftly by air. It is largely due to the improvement of transportation that tourism has expanded. The highlight of a trip is usually the experience in destination, visitors often neglect the process of getting to the destination. In this case, the faster the visitor can reach the destination, the more attractive the destination will be. The development of transportation especially the speed of the transportation tool will have a major impact on long-haul travel. 3.4.2 Internet and the industry The world enters a new information era with the development of internet technology. The worlds internet users are increasing sharply. According to Internet World Stats, there were 43,800,000 internet users in UK in March 2009 which represents 70.9% of the population, that is a 180% growth from the year 2000. Internet has become an essential part of peoples life. For tour operators, internet provides tour operators platforms of advertising and transaction, which can make their products more accessible to the customers thus bring more sales and profits. Moreover, it is cost-effective and time-efficient using the internet. For customers, internet makes it easier for them to browse the products and make bookings. More and more people are now booking their holidays on the internet, tour operators need to focus on the website design as well as the security of the transaction system. The internet technology makes it possible for meetings online, different companies can communicate or negotiate with their counterparts more efficient through videoconference. Face to face contact is not compulsory anymore. Business travel will suffer from that, there might be a decline in business travel sales for tour operators. 3.4.3 Virtual Tour Another developing technology which will have a strong impact upon tourism is virtual reality (VR), which is a technology allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment. Most current virtual reality environments are mainly visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays. According to Chemistry Industry technology news (March 2009), recently, Mobile aroma recreation system (MARS) devices, developed by researchers at the University of Warwick, UK, could be used to recreate these detected odours for VR users in real-time with the help of electronic noses. Electronic noses could one day be incorporated into virtual reality (VR) systems to add realism to simulations of holiday experiences. The new technology will make VR much more real than ever before, enable customers to experience the whole live holiday at home. On one side, virtual reality leads to the risk of diminishing the interest for travel; On the other side, V irtual Reality can be used to recreate historic sites and events for such purposes as education, special project commissions and showcase features at national and World Heritage visitor centres. VR technologies are also being used to provide a means of protecting the fragile state of some heritage sites, helping to educate visitors not so much about their history but in how to explore, interpret and respect them, says Professor Bob Stone, Scientific Director of Virtual Presence Limited, based in Manchester, UK. Though tour operators cant change the remote environment, they should change their strategies to adapt to the environmental changes. Porters 5 forces Analysis of the competitive environment UKs tour operator market is a quite mature market with four major players. After a long history of consolidation, Thomson Holidays (part of The World of TUI group), Thomas Cook, MyTravel Group (formerly Airtours) and First Choice dominate the tour operator market in UK. The industry is full of vertical and horizontal integration, vertical integration includes forward integration-acquisition of the retail network namely travel agencies, backward integration-acquisition of suppliers like airlines, hotels and transportation companies. Horizontal integration includes mergers between big companies and mergers between big and small tour operators. Michael Porter (1980) developed a framework for industry competitive analysis, consisting of five different competitive forces which refer to microenvironment. The frame work is shown in the figure below: 4.1 Threat of new entrants Tour operator industry is an industry which has relatively high entry barriers. UKs tour operator market is quite mature and its vertical integration had finished in the 1990s. Today all major tour operators in UK are highly vertically integrated and operate their own travel agencies, airlines, hotels and resorts, transportation companies and so on. Some of the tour operators become quite large multinational enterprises, they can reduce transaction cost due to large amount of orders, they enjoy the benefits of quantity discount and economies of scale. They always have esteemed reputation for organizing good tours. When people have demands for travel, they turn to those tour operators, people recognize their brand thus will be loyal to the companies. All of the factors mentioned above reduce the threat of industry entry, however, the threat still exists. With the individualistic change of demands and the changeable nature of tourism environment, new players are entering the tour opera tor industry focusing on niche markets. They supply special products designed for customers with special needs. The new players always rely on product quality to gain competitive advantage as well as filling gaps between new demand and supply. Ecotourism and adventure tourism was introduced by those new players. In order to expand the market share and cope with the threat new player had brought, major player began to purchase the niche operators, series of mergers happened within the industry: Headwater is a tour operator specialized in organizing cycling holidays and walking holidays which enables customers to explore at their own pace. Simply Travel is a leading specialist tour operator in UK offering an off-the-beaten-track alternative to the package holiday, creating inspirational holidays and providing a high-level of personal service. Thomson acquired both of the two companies as departments of Thomson Holidys; Panorama used to be the largest tour operator in Ireland for Winte r Sun departures from Ireland and Irish Ski holidays, it became one part of MyTravel Group and was given the responsibility of managing Manos Holidays after it was also acquired by MyTravel; First Choice took control of Meon Holdings specialized in villa holidays and Sunsail which is a tour operator specialized in watersports clubs, Yacht charter and Flotilla sailing. Large players can enhance their brand name attractiveness and achieve a long-term sustainable competitive advantage through acquiring new specialist players. 4.2 Rivalry among existing competitors The industry competitive environment has changed due to industrys horizontal integration, which is a tour operator offering one or several travel products takes over another that offers very similar travel products or services. The industrys competitive environment among existing competitors used to be full of disordered competitions, players competed with each other focusing on low price, they cut their price as much as possible to gain market shares, the whole industry became profitless and all the players suffered from that. In addition, their product quality was quite low due to the reduction on cost, they tried to keep their profits at a certain level while the prices they offered must be low. After industry horizontal integration, situation has changed: mergers and take-overs not only take place among small and large tour operators but also happen among large tour operators. According to Air Travel Organisers Licensing (ATOL) 2007 figures, the four big players in the industry o ccupy more than 80% of the tour operator market shares: Thomson accounts for 28% of total market shares while MyTravel Group has 21%, followed by Thomas Cook with 19% and First Choice with the proportion of 17%. All the four big tour operators offer full-range products from domestic holidays to outbound holidays, from business travel to leisure travel, from normal sight-seeing holidays to specialist holidays, differences among the four players are not significant. Companies compete with each other mainly based on brand identity and creating brand loyalty, a good brand offers distinctiveness and consistency to its target customers, thus branding strategy becomes dramatically important in companies marketing strategy to expand market shares. MyTravel Group launched freedom card-a kind of bonus card offers its members discounts bonus points and upgrades in order to maintain customer purchase and loyalty; Thomson also sought a way to keep their customers loyal to the company by setting up Founders Club new shareholders were given membership in the Thomson Founders Club which offered a 10% discount on Thomson holidays. Exit barriers of the industry are high due to some reasons listed below: Though investments on non-transferable fixed assets are quite low, redundancy costs are very high because those large travel companies often have a large number of employees thus it costs a lot to dismiss employees, in addition, there will be significant social problems if such large companies go bust. Those large tour operators usually have close relationships with their suppliers and buyers under restricted contracts, the penalty costs would be significant if they break the contracts. 4.3 Threat of substitutes The development of information technology especially internet has brought new opportunities and threats to the tour operator industry. Through using computerized reservation system (CRS), tour operators can obtain efficient information distribution systems and networks. Internet plays an important role in purchasing holiday products in terms of provision, accessibility and flexibility. With the emergence of internet technology, a kind of online holiday booking website was created. It can be seen as a kind of substitute to the traditional tour operators. Online holiday booking websites like Expedia.co.uk and Lastminute.com offers designed holiday routes, air tickets booking, hotel booking and so on just like what traditional tour operators do but in another much more efficient way. Customer can gain great benefits through using the new technology on booking, they have more choices and have easier access to the holiday products. The major tour operators are not resistant to the technology and are now investing heavily on their own virtual networks: MyTravel Group announces its intention to launch a new interactive digital television channel to be called Going Places TV and finally it was launched on channel 669 in February 2003; Thomson, recently enhanced its main website with a series of new features and content, in an attempt to retain customers and encourage them to book through the site. It also introduced additional editorial content to help consumers, as well as to enable the site to be picked up by Google in natural searches. Takeovers and merger are quite common: MyTravel Group acquired WorldChoiceTravel.com (WCT), a fast growing, US based provider of travel reservation services in March 2001; Thomson acquired a teletext operator Travel House in order to gain control of the virtual marketplace. The technology of internet makes information shared much easier and more widely than ever before, people can gain knowledge about the destination, the way to get there and accommodations there by easily clicking on the relevant websites. Information asymmetry no longer happens in recent years, the usage of tour operator becomes less and less. Cheap budget airline companies and online hotel booking websites provide travelers opportunities to get low-price air tickets and accommodations, these are really threats to tour operators. People tend to organize their own trips, they choose their own destinations, drive their own cars, book hotels from hotel websites or booking websites or even live in their own houses, they will experience more freely holidays through doing that. There is a growing trend of using this do-it-yourself (DIY) approach in travelling which could be a substitute of tour operators. Most travelers concern about price when making decisions, when there is no price advan tage booking from tour operators, travelers tend to favor DIY travel. Major tour operator like Thomson, MyTravel, Thomas Cook, First Choice offer a range of products featured with free concept, with only air tickets and hotel bookings at a low price with their popular trusted brand names. 4.4 Bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of the industrys suppliers should be described as low. On one hand, there are few tour operators in the industry to bargain with: suppliers like independent hotels and airline companies widely exist in recent times while only few tour operators are operated due to the consolidations within the industry, the suppliers dont have too much power bargaining with the major tour operators but still have certain degree of bargaining power on smaller tour operators. On the other hand, vertical integration with the hotels, airline companies and other transportation companies makes the bargaining power of suppliers at the lowest point. The backward integration enables tour operators to establish close relationships with their suppliers by signing contracts of cooperation or even the purchase of the suppliers: First Choice launched its own airline quite early in 1987 which represents the beginning of forward integration, in 2000 a joint venture with Royal Caribbean Cruises L td is announced and later a company called Island Cruises was set up and put into operation in 2002; MyTravel Group acquired Europes biggest resort complex, the Bellevue Hotel in Majorca, which comprised of 17 blocks of apartments and 8 swimming pools in January 2000. In June 2001 the company announced strategic alliance with Aqua Sol Hotels Limited, a leading hotel group in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Groups in-house airlines Airtours International and Premiair begin to trade as MyTravel Airways in May 2002. Thomas Cook owns Thomas Cook Airline and has a fleet of 45 aircrafts, the company has a partnership with SENTIDO Hotels Resorts the international hotel chain based on a franchise concept with 4-star plus beach hotels. The major tour operators all participant in the dynamic areas of tourism, there are few needs to bargain with suppliers, in a simply word, tour operators are self-sufficient. 4.5 Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers should also be described as low. The buyers being discussed here stands for travel agencies not the ultimate customers due to the nature of the industry. The most important factor that affects bargaining power of buyers is forward integration between tour operators and travel agencies. According to Bloomsbury Business Library Business Management Dictionary, forward integration is a means of guaranteeing distribution channels for products and services by building relationships with, or taking control of, distributors. Forward integration can free the supplier from the threat or influence of major buyers and can also provide a barrier to market entry by potential rivals (Business Management Dictionary, 2007). Through forward integration, major tour operators take control of the distribution channel, they can sell their products in a more efficient and cost-effective way. Forward integration of tour operators and travel agencies makes it increasingly di fficult for smaller independent tour operators who cant reach their customers through high street travel agencies. As major tour operators all have their own travel agencies, independent tour operators rely on independent travel agencies. The number of independent travel agencies is declining because they cant offer customers the same discount as the integrated chains, in this case, independent tour operators cant compete with major tour operators on price, the number of smaller independent tour operators also decreases. The development of internet technology also has an important impact on the bargaining power of buyers, it has changed the pattern of traditional distribution, shocking the market by the rapid transformations which it generates across the whole industry. These days, the online travel market is experiencing a profound evolution. Trends in overall online travel market size are shown below: Now the bargaining power of buyers is being threatened by disintermediation the elimination of intermediaries, for example, the wholesalers found in traditional retail channels, in favor of direct selling to the consumer (Bloomsbury Business Library Business Management Dictionary, 2007). The disintermediation is caused mainly by the development of internet. Major tour operators have embraced the growth of online travel systems and the need for fast and efficient distribution systems and networks, they have built their own online distribution channels like websites and

Negative Impacts of Information Technology

Negative Impacts of Information Technology THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY Technology is the application of knowledge to the practical aims of human life or to change and manipulate the human environment. In this century, technological advancement has made our lives easier and more comfortable. We enjoy higher incomes and better standard of living as a result of progress and development, but rapid advancement of technology has impacted our society globally. According to Power 22, â€Å"In 2008, just 16 percent of world’s working population qualified as hyper-connected, but the study predicted that 40 percent of us would soon meet the criteria.† Technology has always improved from time to time, and there will be more people rely on technology. In the future, technology will be replacing many things and people’s life will be easier. However, many people are seeing the benefits of technology only and never look at its impacts. By the way, excessive usages of technology will effects people’s daily life. There are many negative effec ts of technology which will effects people’s daily life such as language proficiency, social life and health. Although technology has helped us in many fields, but there are still many people do not realise the fact that technology has negative affects society. The first main point for the negative impacts of information technology on society is poor language proficiency. Language proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. This is a very serious matter to be concern about this developing information technology on society. This is because the modern technology allows the students to communicate with their families and associates instantly using application such as Line, WeChat and WhatsApp. This application will make life easier to communicate between each other. However, this will cause them to ignore the spelling of different words and the usage of proper grammar. Furthermore, with the increasing amount of information on the web, Internet users may come across inaccurate information and lead to misinformation or even slightly skewed way of thinking. This may confused the student understanding through some information. Students in this generation love to communicate with their friends and tend t o make new friends when they are on social networks. However, some of them will face problems when it comes to real world face-to-face communication. They wouldn’t know the differences between communication in social networks and also when they communicate face-to-face. Moreover, they will have problems in communication because they could not pronounce different words correctly. According to Erica Loop (2014) â€Å"As an adult, you may know that Mr. Bob’s bio facts are far from true, but that doesn’t mean that your child has the same understanding.† With the poor language proficiency, one might misunderstand the information available on the web. They have to know the good and bad of our technology in this society. As a conclusion, technology does helps people in learning but people misused it in a wrong way. We shall appreciate our technology in this generation and use it wisely but not getting affected into it and have problems in language proficiency. T o avoid these problems, we have to lessen the communication on social networks and try to communicate with people around us more often. Besides, technological improvement will cause a huge impact on social life. This is because consumers rely on communication devices such as smart phone, I-pad, I-pod, Tab for most of their daily tasks. This causes them neglect quality time with their family members as they are busy trying out the new gadgets or new applications available in the market or getting updated to the current trend on the social networks. For example, nowadays teenagers will keep looking and pressing the screen or button on their communication device while they do activities such as eating, watching TV with their family. Sometimes, they pay more attentions to their devices than to their family. The more advanced technology becomes, the more it seems to have control over our lives. Technology has changed human experience nowadays. Nowadays, people spend more time online than ever before and their social life is affected by internet. They like to read the news from the internet instead of newspaper. Also, they also like to chat by using their devices rather than facing each other. This is because they feel that it will save time and money, but this will cause them to be addicted to technology. The addiction comes from not realising that they already found are what they were looking for. According to Siege, 22, â€Å"the internet has radically changed nearly every level of human experience in an incredibly short amount of time.† With advanced technology, human tend to rely on technology devices in short time. Moreover, the revolution made many previously impossible things that include accessing personal data and information of Internet users that they might never meet. Through the internet, people could post and share links, statuses, pictures, comments and even vent their feelings to other internet users. They can also look through other users’ personal information which would include vital information such as age, birthday, and marital status to know more about the particu lar person. This will give way to cybercrime. For example, illegal acts, privacy invasion, and even confidential information stealing. Although technology do have their advantages, but as with many revolutionary inventions, they can radically change our lives, for better or worse. Moreover, the advancement of technology not only negatively affected our language proficiency and social life but also our health. Most teenagers and white-collar worker spend numerous hours in front of computer screen without any intense physical activity which may lead to injuries such as lumbar injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome. It is undeniable fact that computer is a vital machine for many different jobs and activities, even in learning, for adults, adolescents and children. However, the long hours of computer can contribute to increasing chance for an injury. â€Å" The more tech-time that a child engages in, the less likely it is that will get in his daily dose of physical activity†. For example, if children play too much computer games, they might experience physical and psychological problems. With higher technology, people are prone to addicted and lazy. This is because people are too dependent on the technology available today. People no longer need to leave their home for entertainment purpose and they can find the answer to anything with the web browser, Google. With the advancement of mobile phone, people do not even bother to memorise phone numbers anymore. Also, mobile phone users can download games, video and music to keep them entertained. As time pass, they forget about the people around them and addicted to the small gadgets on their hand. For instance, when we are at the restaurant, what we usually see is teenagers busy with their gadgets and even children, they no longer running around and make noise as the gadgets kept them accompanied. With excessive usage of electronic gadgets, it will weaken people’s memory and harm their eye sights. â€Å"I think modern information technology greatly simplifies our life, because a lot of what we no longer need to keep in mind, but basically there are a number of things that we will not search in the Internet every time we need it, so computer or smart phone can replace human memoryâ⠂¬ . People no longer need memorise things they need as their computer or smart phone can assists them in this matter. For example, when shopping for grocery one can simply list down on their smart phone and get it at the mall. Consequently, this will lead to a weaker memory as people rarely store information in their mind. When we look at things that are closer to our face we are likely to blink lesser than when we look at distant objects. This will cause our eyes to be drier when we spend long hours using electronic gadgets and consequently harm our eye sight. If we do not manage our usage of technology wisely, it eventually will weaken our immune system. In a nutshell, we believe the advancement of technology has negatively impacted our language proficiency, social life and health. Poor language proficiency should be countered by having more communication through internet using proper grammar and correct spellings of different words, having face-to-face communication more frequently or reading more newspaper to improve the language proficiency. We should manage our usage of technology devices by reducing the usage of smartphone for long hours, learn how to communicate and mingle with people around us and make it a habit to write in proper sentences using correct spelling and grammar. Next regarding social life, we should spend quality time with our family and friends. Moreover, try not to store most of our personal information as it might harm our safety. Lastly, regarding to health, if forced to work for long hours in front of the computer screen, we should take breaks in between to stretch our body and relax our eyes. Furthermore, society must be able to utilise technology while not allowing it to handicap social interactions, particularly for those who are easily influenced during our formative years. Our world must learn to embrace technology without allowing it to negatively impact the creation of functional adults in society. According to Greg Satell (2013), â€Å"Technology, like most human things, is a double edged sword, involving gain and loss, merit and demerit.† In conclusion, the more advanced technology becomes, the more it seems to have control over our lives.