Challenges Facing the Tourist Industry

1
Challenges Facing the Tourist Industry
2
1. Taxes

• Travelers taxes often make travelling very
  expensive.
• Look at the percentage of taxes paid on an
  airline ticket, a hotel room, or a rental car.

3
2. Global Standardization

• Less unique locales the same products are often
  available throughout the world.
• A lot of people travel to experience unique
  cultures and goods (shopping), having similar
  products will deter people from travelling.

4
3. Cost of Fuel

• With the cost of gasoline on the rise, many
  travelers may have to adjust their spending (or
  vacation length) in order to pay for additional
  fuel charges.

5
4. Wireless Communications Advancements

• Leisure travelers are not simply on vacation
  people are interconnected at all times which
  means, news stories and events (good or bad) are
  spread instantaneously throughout the world.
• Business meetings no longer need to be conducted
  face-to-face as a result, less business
  travelers.

6
5. Security

• Lack of communication between tourism offices
  (visitors bureaus) and local police departments
  to protect tourists local governments do not
  provide enough economic and manpower resources to
  protect visitors and tourism facilities.

7
6. Safety/Health Issues

• Baby boom generation is aging but still
  travelling and involved in many different
  physical activities.
• Tourism officials will be facing all sorts of
  safety issues mobile medical units may be
  needed, others will need special diets and
  readily available pharmacies open 24 hours a day
  and 7 days a week.
• Pandemic and/or pandemic scares (i.e. SARS,
  Anthrax etc.)- nervous public may cease to visit
  a locale due to health related safety issues.

8
7. Political Stress

• Visa restrictions becoming more complicated
  frustrate travelers
• Street demonstrations, riots, terrorism, wars
  etc. give negative publicity to the host
  locale, but also make travel more difficult and
  less appealing.

9
8. Travel Stress

• The harsh restrictions, increasing prices, and
  hassle of travelling are becoming more prominent
  and the potential for it to affect the tourism
  industry is very present.

10
Challenges Facing the FLORIDAS Tourist Industry
11
Destruction of Natural Environment

• Swamp lands drained, rivers rerouted, canals
  constructed, overuse of freshwater for irrigation
  and industry leads to deforestation Everglades
  threatened
• Florida panther endangered, manatee on Endangered
  Species list

12

• Severe water shortages urban development
  restrictions sink holes
• Coastlines (Gulf Atlantic sides) are
  ecologically sensitive the mangrove trees that
  protect the shoreline and provide habitat for
  many species are being removed for urban
  development

13
Population Density

• Population Growth rate is the highest in USA
  (1000 people/day move to Florida). Therefore more
  infrastructure (roads, buildings, etc.) is needed
  but it conflicts with tourist activities based on
  natural attractions
• Immigration (legal illegal) from the Caribbean
  Central/South America fleeing political
  economic problems. This has changed the cultural
  face of Florida, and conflicts have risen over
  language, politics economic development.

14
Illegal Drugs

• From Latin America high crime rate in Miami
  (logical entry point for billions of dollars in
  illegal drugs)

15
Violence

• Tourists have been robbed and murdered, sometimes
  on roads in rental cars. Mid 1980s held back
  development of tourist trade.

16
Hurricanes

• Florida is said to be vulnerable to hurricanes
  from June 1st to November 30th.
• With the combination of hurricanes and summer
  season in most areas where tourists generally
  come from, Florida tourism experiences a lull 3-6
  months of the year.