Submitted for credit to Northampton University by Archie Hope:
Visitor Interpretation Centre, Drunk Driving, Water Pump, Day-TrippersPOST NO. ONE (A) (WITH GRAPHICS)
As a local resident of Buxton, I strongly concur with the suggestions by Muhammad Cheema, Derbyshire Constabulary, concerning the need to include a visitor interpretation centre as part of the development plans. The Pump Room has historically been a prominent feature of the Buxton Crescent that has attracted millions of visitors over the centuries for the thermal bath treatments, the mineral waters, as well as the distinctive architecture (Summerson 1963). For instance, even a description of the desirable attributes of the Pump Room by Stockton and Frost from the fin de siecle makes it clear that this has long been a valuable tourist resource for many of the same reasons it is popular today: "It's true that there is a lot to be seen in Buxton without going about. There is always a crowd at St. Ann's well, where the pump is; all sorts of cabs and carts are being driven up and down just as fast as they can go" (1894, p. 180). The location of St. Anne's Well relative to The Crescent is illustrated in Figure 1 and the original layout of the Pump Room is shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 1. Layout of The Buxton Crescent and St. Anne's Well
Figure 2. Layout of the Pump Room at The Buxton Crescent
Source: The Pump Room Design and Access Statement at planning.highpeak.gov.uk/portal/servlets/AttachmentShowServlet?Im ageName=123638
In addition, I also strongly agree with developer Ewelina Woloszyn's comments concerning the need to preserve this resource as a cultural-heritage tourist attraction. A museum and gift shop could contribute to this process by providing the opportunity to interpret the facility and its history in meaningful ways as well as providing local university students with real-world experience. Moreover, irrespective of all other reasons for participating in cultural-heritage tourism, virtually all tourists want to purchase some type of souvenir to memorialize their experience (Jafari 2000). In this area, the Pump Room, St. Anne's Well, and the Buxton Crescent all have colorful histories that can be used to generate interest in the recent renovation efforts to attract local and international visitors and provide them with tangible evidence of their experience. The Pump Room can be incorporated as an iconic logo and theme for various local handicrafts that can be sold for souvenirs (miniature Pump Rooms, replicas of the well, the Crescent, etc.).
Finally, given its historic and aesthetic setting, it is reasonable to suggest that tourists will continue to visit Buxton Crescent for the mineral and thermal bath treatments, to sample the offerings from the facility's proposed tea room and water bar, as well as to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the site and its historical significance as illustrated in Figure 3 below.
Figure 3. Early photograph illustrating the Pump Room's use as civic performance space
Source: The Pump Room Design and Access Statement at planning.highpeak.gov.uk/portal/servlets/AttachmentShowServlet?Im ageName=123638
Therefore, I agree with Emma Simpson (Buxton local history society representative) that wine should not be offered because of the potential for drunkenness and raucous behaviors, as well as impaired or drunken driving. A tea room and water bar in particular, though, are considered effective ways to maintain interest and attendance at the Buxton Crescent into the evening hours as these types of gathering places have become increasingly popular in urban settings since the early 1990s (Breen and Rigby 2004).
ReferencesBeren, A and Rigby D 2004, Intown Living: A Different American Dream. Westport, CT: Praeger.
'Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa: Design and Access Statement,' UK Government. [online] available: planning.highpeak.gov.uk/portal/servlets/AttachmentShowServlet?Im ageName=123638.
Jafari, J 2000, Encyclopedia of Tourism. London: Routledge.
Stockton, FR and Frost, AB 1894, Pomona's Travels. New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
Summerson, J 1963, Heavenly Mansions: And other essays on architecture. New York: W.W. Norton.
POST NO. ONE (B) (WITHOUT GRAPHICS)As a local resident of Buxton, I strongly concur with the suggestions by Muhammad Cheema, Derbyshire Constabulary, concerning the need to include a visitor interpretation centre as part of the development plans. The Pump Room has historically been a prominent feature of the Buxton Crescent that has attracted millions of visitors over the centuries for the thermal bath treatments, the mineral waters, as well as the distinctive architecture (Summerson 1963). For instance, even a description of the desirable attributes of the Pump Room by Stockton and Frost from the fin de siecle makes it clear that this has long been a valuable tourist resource for many of the same reasons it is popular today: "It's true that there is a lot to be seen in Buxton without going about. There is always a crowd at St. Ann's well, where the pump is; all sorts of cabs and carts are being driven up and down just as fast as they can go" (1894, p. 180).
In addition, I also strongly agree with developer Ewelina Woloszyn's comments concerning the need to preserve this resource as a cultural-heritage tourist attraction. A museum and gift shop could contribute to this process by providing the opportunity to interpret the facility and its history in meaningful ways as well as providing local university students with real-world experience. Moreover, irrespective of all other reasons for participating in cultural-heritage tourism, virtually all tourists want to purchase some type of souvenir to memorialize their experience (Jafari 2000). In this area, the Pump Room, St. Anne's Well, and the Buxton Crescent all have colorful histories that can be used to generate interest in the recent renovation efforts to attract local and international visitors and provide them with tangible evidence of their experience. The Pump Room can be incorporated as an iconic logo and theme for various local handicrafts that can be sold for souvenirs (miniature Pump Rooms, replicas of the well, the Crescent, etc.).
Finally, given its historic and aesthetic setting, it is reasonable to suggest that tourists will continue to visit Buxton Crescent for the mineral and thermal bath treatments, to sample the offerings from the facility's proposed tea room and water bar, as well as to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the site and its historical significance. Therefore, I agree with Emma Simpson (Buxton local history society representative) that wine should not be offered because of the potential for drunkenness and raucous behaviors, as well as impaired or drunken driving. A tea room and water bar in particular, though, are considered effective ways to maintain interest and attendance at the Buxton Crescent into the evening hours as these types of gathering places have become increasingly popular in urban settings since the early 1990s (Breen and Rigby 2004).
ReferencesBeren, A and Rigby D 2004, Intown Living: A Different American Dream. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Jafari, J 2000, Encyclopedia of Tourism. London: Routledge.
Stockton, FR and Frost, AB 1894, Pomona's Travels. New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
Summerson, J 1963, Heavenly Mansions: And other essays on architecture. New York: W.W. Norton.
POST NO. TWO:As a local resident of Buxton, I am pleased that so many stakeholders have taken the opportunity to share their respective views concerning the three proposals for the Pump Room project. As Bonnie Foulds, tourism officer emphasizes, this type of local feedback is essential in developing sustainable tourism initiatives. For instance, based on their experiences in renovating the Bath Spa, Wedd (2003, p. 326) emphasizes the need to "have the site thoroughly researched, and take all the advice you can think of, piling consultants on consultants, before the job is let. This is especially true when the job is an unusual one." Likewise, Richards and Hall (2000, p. 20) point out that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to sustainable tourism development: "Inevitably, there will not be a universal approach to sustainable tourism among tourism planners. They are likely to adopt different approaches to sustainable tourism due to the unique circumstances in each tourist destination."
The novel suggestion by Justyna Dral, representative of the University's Student Union for a music club was especially interesting since it could be implemented without any substantive changes to the existing plans for the project and is consistent with the sustainable development approaches being advocated by Elena Rusesc, representative from Visit Peak District. For example, Liebman (2003, p. 7) emphasizes the natural beauty of the Buxton Crescent setting: "Many people move here for the natural beauty. The Peak District is one of the most heavily visited national parks in the world."
According to Leeming (2007, p. 5), "Buxton is booming" and current trends indicate that "it looks like it's going to carry on." Besides day-trippers from London and its suburbs, a growing number of people are moving to Buxton, with a corresponding increase in hospitality industry offerings. In this regard, Leeming (p. 5) emphasizes that, "More people are moving up here from London to get away from the city. Houses are going up everywhere and are selling well, and we're getting a lot of new shops, cafes and bars." These trends suggest that the competition for wine bars might be prohibitive and this proposal should be abandoned in favor of water-based beverages (i.e., water and tea) only. After all, Buxton is already famous for its water and it is marketed throughout the UK under the Buxton name (Liebman 2003) and wine and other alcoholic beverages are readily available in geographically proximate locations to the Pump Room.
The after-show social gatherings advocated by Delia Moisa, representative of the Buxton Opera House was also noteworthy and should be explored further. There are already numerous annual events taking place in Buxton, including the Buxton Festival and Fringe (England's largest festival fringe), the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival and a highly popular well dressing weekend that could be tied in with these after-show social gatherings. Moreover, these after-show social gatherings represent an expanded opportunity for university students to sell food, beverages and souvenirs.
ReferencesLeeming, C 2007, March 28, 'Spa's in Their Eyes,' The Independent (London, England), p. 5.
Liebman, R 2003, October 8, 'Hot Spot: Buxton, Derbyshire; Beautiful Homes and Countryside Are Luring City-Dwellers to This Spa Town in the Peak District,' The Independent (London, England), p. 7.
Richards, G and Hall, D 2000, Tourism and Sustainable Community Development, London: Routledge.
Wedd, G 2003, December, 'A Tale of Two English Spas,' Contemporary Review, vol. 283, no. 1655, pp. 326-328.
POST NO. THREE:Because the resource is owned by the university, it is important to take their perspective into account. In this regard, university representative Laura's recommendation for both the museum and the bar/café because this approach would likely attract an entirely different target market compared to any water-based beverage only alternative. Nevertheless, the addition of any alcoholic beverage to Pump Room offerings would be inconsistent with the overall sustainable development requirements for projects of this type. As Elena, the representative of the Visit Peak District pointed out, "From the development proposal number 2 we understand that the wine bar will have its main focus on the economic aspect and does not equally integrate all three pillars of sustainable development, economy, social and environmental." Likewise, it is reasonable to suggest that many local citizens would oppose a music club as being inconsistent with the social and environmental aspects of sustainability because as Elena points out, "It will generate noise and disturbance due to alcohol consumption and inappropriate behaviour." The importance of sustainable tourism development is related not only to the extra income is can generate, but to the positive impact it can have for local citizenry and businesses as well. Without taking these factors into account, any proposal for the Pump Room fails to provide sustainability. In this regard, Richards and Hall (2000, p. 121) emphasize that, "It is vital for the future of the European tourist industry for it to operate according to the broad principles of sustainable development, because of the significant potential environmental, economic, cultural, political, social and community costs and benefits accruing from tourism." Indeed, as Karolina, Buxton Town Council Representative emphasized, local property owners are affluent and will be concerned about any diminution in their property values. In fact, as Emma, Buxton's Local History Society Representative pointed out, there are already plenty of establishments that serve alcohol in the area. Besides the additional licensure requirements that are involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages, there is the potential for increased liability for the university students operating the establishment. For instance, Jafari (2000, p. 357) emphasizes that, "A licensee has a responsibility to society to serve alcoholic beverages in a responsible manner. Owners, managers, bartenders and servers may be held liable under the law if they serve alcohol to minors or to persons who are intoxicated." As can be seen from the statistics presented in Table 1 and depicted graphically in Figures 1 through 4 below, drunk driving trends in the UK have improved in recent years but remain alarmingly high.
Table 1
Drunk Driving and Casualty Statistics: 2000-2008
Year Fatal Serious Slight Total Killed Serious Slight Total
2000 450 1950 9410 11810 530 2540 14990 18060
2001 470 2020 9780 12270 530 2700 15550 18780
2002 480 2050 10620 13150 550 2790 16760 20100
2003 500 1970 9930 12400 580 2590 15820 18990
2004 520 1790 8900 11210 580 2340 14060 16980
2005 470 1540 8060 10070 550 2090 12760 15400
2006 490 1480 7430 9400 560 1970 11840 14370
2007 370 1400 7520 9290 410 1760 11850 14020
2008 380 1280 6980 8640 430 1630 10970 13030
AVG 669 2972 9468 13109 778 4171 15513 20462
Source: DrunkDriving.org at drinkdriving.org/drink_driving_statistics_uk.php#convictionstatis tics
Figure 1. Drunk Driving Fatalities: 2000-2008
Figure 2. Serious Drunk Driving Accidents: 2000-2008
Figure 3. Slight Drunk Driving Accidents: 2000-2008
Figure 4. Total Drunk Driving Accidents: 2000-2008
Source: Based on tabular data from DrunkDriving.org
It is reasonable to suggest that many local citizens also share the concerns that are associated with even moderate amounts of alcohol in a highly congested urban setting. Irrespective of patrons' potential for increased rowdiness during their visit to the Pump Room, there will be a concomitant increase in the potential for drunken driving when patrons drive home. This potential would be entirely eliminated by restricting the offerings available to water-based beverages. Limiting the offerings to water-based beverages would also minimize licensure requirements and is highly congruent with the developer's other product lines. Notwithstanding the competition from other hospitality providers in the area, then, the combination of the desirable geographic and cultural-heritage attributes in the Buxton Crescent make it highly suitable for an interpretive museum, gift shop, tea room and water bar. From a sustainable tourism development perspective, the Pump Room should offer all the water and tea consumers want, but not wine and live music.
ReferencesJafari, J 2000, Encyclopedia of Tourism. London: Routledge.
'Drunk driving statistics: UK,' 2013
Richards, G and Hall, D 2000, Tourism and Sustainable Community Development. London: Routledge.
POST NO. FOUR:The spirited responses from the stakeholders confirm the diverse views concerning the three proposals, and there were some compelling arguments in support of each. Notwithstanding the cogent argument made in support of including an eco-friendly wine bar by Delia, the Representative of Buxton Opera House. In fact, Delia made some convincing arguments in support of the museum and wine bar by noting that, "Buxton is very well-known by its historical background and spa but it has to become able to tap into specific sectors, ensure a diverse visitor profile by embracing overnight trips, entertainment, wining and dining."
While it is true that Buxton needs this variety in its tourism offerings, the Pump Room project is not necessarily the place to try to provide all of them and alcoholic beverages are readily available in geographically proximate establishments, including the Crescent itself. Likewise, although there is water aplenty available in the Pump Room, the student gym outlined in proposal five is not an appropriate initiative given the inordinate amount of space this venture would require (taking into account the showers and dressing rooms involved), and without a monthly or annual membership, it would be difficult to make this a profitable enterprise.
In this regard, Muhammad, Derbyshire Constabulary, strongly concurred that the wine bar was an inappropriate addition to the Pump Room initiative for a wide range of law enforcement reasons. Therefore, as a local resident, I would like to reassert that a wine bar is incongruent with the theme of the Pump Room as well as the developers' product lines. A wine bar, irrespective of whether it is eco-friendly or not, fails to capitalize on the longstanding reputation of Buxton's brand of mineral waters which are already marketed throughout the country.
In the alternative, perhaps a better way to attract more tourists to the Pump Room would be to adopt proposal one and use the Crescent as a movie screen to project an interpretive historical film about the facility and its history to promote its cultural-heritage aspects at night. The Crescent would make a natural projection screen (see Figure 1 below). Proposal four is consistent with this recommendation concerning various ways to attract the evening set to this venue and would not require any substantive changes. The use of local produce is also a good idea.
Figure 1. Buxton Crescent
Source: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/The_Crescent%2C_Buxto n_-_geograph.org.uk_-_556851.jpg
This film (high production values), produced by local university students, could be shown indoors during daylight hours. Besides the film (or digitized version), laser light shows could be projected on the Crescent for the entertainment of late-night Pump Room visitors. In addition, St. Ann's Well at the Pump Room is part of an annual week-long major well-dressing festival (Buxton Well Dressing 2013) that dates back a century and a half (Varner 2009). The Buxton well-dressing festival has attracted increasing numbers of tourists in recent years, due in part to promotional efforts by a local organization (Buxton Well Dressing 2013) and this colorful festival represents an ideal cultural-heritage theme to draw additional tourists in the future (Smith 2003). Finally, the local sports club could be recruited as spokespersons for the Pump Room and its healthy waters, including customized plastic water bottles with the team logo for sale at the museum gift shop which can then be filled for free at St. Ann's Well as souvenirs for international tourists.
References
Buxton Well Dressing (2013) Buxton Wells Dressing Festival. Available at: welldressing.com/venue.php?id=20 (Accessed: 17 April 2013).
Smith, M. K. (2003) Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies. New York: Routledge.
Varner, G. (2009) Sacred Wells: A Study in the History, Meaning, and Mythology of Holy Wells & Waters. New York: Algora.
Water pump Development Plan
The University of Northampton has purchased the water pump along with the Devonshire Dome and associated villas in 2001; and it has since been used as storage space. It is located at the peak of Buxton City Centre, opposite to the Opera House and close to the public transport routes, bus and railway.
The building consists of 3 separate rooms, one with the old water pump which is now capped off, but that used to supply the water free of charge to the hospital, and 2 further archaic rooms of reasonable size, with individual entrances and workable luminosity
Assignment from client:
Basically, we pick one of the below proposals and in correlation to what everyone else says can argue for it and argue back against other proposals picked.As a local citizen my tutor said look at the local impacts and talk about this.
These are the proposals:Proposal 1 - Buxton Water Museum
Objectives - turning the site into a water museum, presenting Buxton as a historical spa town, showing the relationship with the hospital and the growth of the world famous brand of bottled water.
Actions - Re-instate the pump to full working condition and create a realistic historic interpretation using old fashioned decor and any related pictures and documentation. Incorporate the theme in a tea room area of the building offering basic tea, coffee and cakes; supplied by the hospitality students at the university; and Buxton Water products; and staffed by tourism; events and hospitality students as part of the professional development.
Outcomes -Buxton is a well known historic spa town already attracts tourists for the natural water who may be interested in the history of the pump house; this would create a further heritage attraction to intrigue tourists, also prevent deterioration of the buildings, and help students to gain practical experience. Buxton Water, as the company being promoted may also help with initial start up costs.
The Buxton Waterswallows plant is based just outside of Buxton, opened in 2012.
Proposal 2 - Water and Wine Bar
Objective - open a traditional themed wine bar with a late license, combined with contemporary water features - also focusing on responsible drinking and including ranges of bottled drinking water.
Include a staged area, for live performances such as acoustic nights to enhance the atmosphere, and promote private hire.
Actions - Create an open wine cellar with a range of wines, not only focussing on local production or shipping companies, but also world-wide ranges for a broad an exquisite collection. Re-instate the water pump, affix water pumps to extract the natural water available to customers free of charge to promote responsible drinking. Offer a wide range of bottled water products and include a small deli counter or menu, using local produce. Create paid jobs for local community.
Outcome - Attract new types of tourists to the area for food and wine tourism, as well as parties leaving from other venues such as Opera House or The Crescent Hotel. Offer a new evening and private function venue for the local community, aimed at the higher end of the market, and so positive competition for local businesses.
Proposal 3 - Separate the buildings; create the Buxton Museum using the room adjacent to the water pump; and open a separate Wine Bar.
Capturing both of the previous ideas, the buildings could be separated into 2 individual business ventures. The water pump and the adjacent room isolated; used for the Buxton Water Museum, and the 3rd room used for the Wine Bar. There are already separate entrances to the buildings in place and adequate lighting from windows.
This would create opportunities for a wider range of visitors and boost tourism to the area; encourage backing from both public sector and private sector organisations; create paid jobs and practical experience for students; extract the heritage out of the water pump and create a sustainable business venture with the wine bar. If either one should then fail, or one became more successful than the other then there would also be the opportunity to fall back on the other.
BUSINESS PLAN:
Business Plan
Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers
April 25, 2013
Contents Page
1. Executive Summary .....................................................................
2. Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers is a Private Limited Company (Ltd) ......
3. Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers
a) Operation ..............................................................................
b) Market ..............................................................................
c) Objectives ..............................................................................
d) Unique Selling Point ............................................................
e) Competitor Analysis ............................................................
f) SWOT Analysis .....................................................................
g) PEST Analysis .....................................................................
g) Target Audience .....................................................................
h) Sales and Marketing ............................................................
i) Staff and Skills .....................................................................
j) Training ..............................................................................
k) Market Research .....................................................................
4. Financial Information .....................................................................
a) Start-up Summary .....................................................................
b) Sales Forecast .....................................................................
c) Breakdown of Expenditure ...................................................
Appendix A: Profit and Loss Statement: First Five Years
Appendix B: Passenger Coach
Appendix C: Information/Souvenir Kiosk
1. Executive Summary
Our business provides tour-guided day-trips in air-conditioned coaches from London to surrounding areas of cultural-heritage interest.
2. Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers is a private limited company (LTD)
Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers (hereinafter alternatively "the company") is owned by four travel and tourism professionals (known as "shareholders") who selected the private limited company form based on the need to create a legal entity that offers various protections for the shareholders from the debts of the company while allowing them to operate and manage the enterprise on a daily basis (4). In this regard, Ferran notes that, "Individuals who wish to conduct business can do so in an unincorporated firm (sole trader or partnership) or through the structure of a private company" (5). By contrast, unincorporated companies in the UK do enjoy this advantage. According to Ferran, "Contracts made in the name of an unincorporated firm benefit, and impose obligations on, the individuals whose business it is, and they are liable to be sued accordingly" (5). Therefore, the private company form was deemed best suited for the purposes of this enterprise.
Mission: To provide local citizens of London and its environs with a new appreciation for the vast array of cultural-heritage artifacts and resources available within a mere half-day's comfortable and scenic drive of their homes.
Vision: Our vision is to provide our customers with an authentic and exciting cultural-heritage tourism experience in ways that will set us apart from the competition while providing increasing numbers of revenue-generating partnerships (for souvenirs, crafts, dining experiences, and other strategic alliances) in the process.
3. Business Overview
Address
The street address for the kiosk (featuring two covered benches for the comfort of our waiting guests) is:
272 Regent's Park Road N3 3HN
A small selection of tour-related souvenirs, hats, snacks, batteries and other merchandise will be available at the kiosk (see Appendix C).
3a. Operation. Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers will be open 7 days a week, with hours depending on the day's destinations, but typically by 7 a.m. to ensure a timely return from an 11- or 12-hour trip.
3b. Market. The capital city has about 8.17 million residents (8). There is also a fresh flow of new residents to London each year that will represent a new cultural-heritage market. According to recent census figures, "London is the first destination of choice for immigration into the UK - 27% of the 591,000 immigrants arriving in 2010 initially settled in London. Also in the same year, 33% of the 339,000 people leaving the UK were from London" (8). Many of these residents have never explored the rich cultural-heritage offerings available just a short distance away, and all of these residents, together with tourists who wish to experience these for themselves, will represent the company's target market in general. More specifically, the company's target market will be comprised of local residents of any age, but especially older Londoners who have never experienced the rich cultural-heritage offerings available within a short distance of their homes. The 12-passenger van(s) used by the company are highly fuel efficient, while providing handicapped access ramps and platforms at the side and rear. In addition, the company's tour guide/drivers will be certified in first aid as part of their Blue Badge training.
3c. Objectives
The objectives of this business plan are two-fold as follows:
1. To provide an informed and educational interpretive experience for day-trip customers in a safe and comfortable environment; and,
2. To provide these services in a profitable fashion at approximately 20% of what other competitors charge.
3d. Unique Selling Point
London currently offers a wide range of walking, private car, coach and bus tours of the city's many cultural-heritage destinations (8), but there are far fewer businesses that offer trips outside of the city for these same types of destinations. London's nearby environs, though, feature thousands of opportunities for cultural-heritage interpretation, and provide London's native citizens with the chance to learn more about their culture and heritage represents as timely and valuable enterprise. For instance, a growing number of UK citizens are remaining in-country for their vacations compared to a few years ago. Furthermore, many people are taking their vacations closer to home in what is termed "staycation" and "daycations." According to Travel and Tourism in the UK, "More residents holidayed in the UK - much to the satisfaction of the national tourism bodies. Not only did these so-called 'staycations' gain momentum, but there was a move towards more 'daycations,' as more consumers decided to cut back or even cut out the longer holidays" (12).
These alternative vacations are gaining in popularity because they are viewed as cost-effective and allowing them to enjoy more for their money (12). More importantly for the purposes of a cultural-heritage tourism enterprise is the fact that many people tend to overlook nearby destinations, sometimes all their lives. According to Kennedy (2009), "Staycations are vacations within a gas tank or two of your own home, places you do not normally think of going, because they are not the typical exotic escape for relief from your everyday life" (7).
With Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath among the other countless day-trip destinations from London, it is not surprising that these alternatives are gaining in popularity. As Kennedy points out, "This new type of travel will help us remember that the U.K. is a vast country of historic, cultural, and natural wonder, with something magical hiding in just about every corner" (7). In fact, there has been growing momentum in the staycation market in the UK since 2009 (13). More broadly defined, cultural-heritage tourism is a part of rural tourism which is "anything which draws tourists beyond major metropolitan areas" and can "encompass a wide range of activities such as food and wine trails, farm visits, farm product sales, agricultural festivals and adventures in the countryside" (10). Likewise, in this context, the term "cultural-heritage tourism" has been used to describe a wide range of tourism offerings that are specialized for attracting both cultural as well as heritage tourists. The growing popularity of the cultural tourism model, though, may be due in part to the wide range of tourism niches, including heritage tourism, that are included in this definition. For instance, Olsen (2006) reports that, "Cultural tourism, rather than a special niche market within tourism, is actually an umbrella term for a range of tourism typologies and diverse activities which have a cultural focus, such as heritage tourism, arts tourism, urban and rural cultural tourism, and indigenous cultural tourism" (11). The concept of cultural-heritage tourism combines both cultural tourism and heritage tourism elements in ways that make it highly relevant to this research business plan because it draws on the rich cultural and heritage destinations that are available within a short distance of London, many of which may remain undiscovered or unknown to even the city's long-time residents.
3e. Competitor analysis
A comparative analysis of the cultural-heritage day-trip competition for London is presented in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Current London-based Day-Trip Offerings
Competitor Description Comments
Viator (viator. com) Duration: 11 hours. Offers day-trips to Windsor Castle, Stone Henge and Bath. Lunch in an English pub is included as part of the itinerary Guides have Blue Badge certification. Prices start at around $125 per day-trip.
Premium London Tours (premiumtours. co.uk) Unstated duration, but offerings include sunset tours of Stonehenge and extended Windsor Castle tours. Open-topped buses (Web site does not indicate if these are used for day-trips). Prices start at around $120.
Salisbury and Stonehenge Guided Tours (salisburyguided tours.com/htm) Woodhenge is located approx 1 3/4 miles/3 km northeast of Stonehenge, off the A345 about 1 1/2 miles north of Amesbury. It is next to Durrington Walls. Although there is 24-hour access to the facility, the vendor reports that there is only one regular guided tour of Woodhenge that operates from Salisbury which includes an inner circle tour of Stonehenge. This vendor operates three basic day-trips from London as follows:
Tour 1 Mysteries of Ancient Britain: includes Avebury, West Kennet Long Barrow, Stonehenge, Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral in a small group. "This tour is extremely popular," they add. This tour departs on Wednesdays (with some Friday tours in the summer) and the price includes -
Entrance to Stonehenge
Old Sarum Castle
Entrance to Salisbury Cathedral (including an original Magna Carta of 1215).
Avebury Stone Circle
Neolithic burial chamber at West Kennet
Silbury Hill
The price for this tour is £99 per adult and £79 for children.
Tour 2:
This tour includes Bath, Lacock and Stonehenge.
This tour departs on Tuesdays and the price includes the following:
Entrance to Stonehenge
Entrance to Roman Baths in Bath
The price is for this tour is £99 per adult and £79 for children.
Tour 3: Stonehenge and Glastonbury, the mystical island of Avalon and the legends of king Arthur.
This tour departs on Fridays and Wednesdays and the price includes the following:
Entrance to Stonehenge
Glastonbury Abbey
Silbury Hill
The price for this tour is £99 per adult and £79 for children. Tourists to Stonehenge may well overlook this nearby cultural-heritage offering representing a potential niche market. Moreover, given the geographic proximity of Woodhenge to Stonehenge, this destination represents a highly cost-effective addition to any cultural-heritage offering featuring Stonehenge.
London England Tours (londonengland tours.net) Detailed tour of Windsor Castle, as well as Bath and Stonehenge tours Prices start around $120
Britannia Tours (britannia.com travel/UK-london-tours.html) One of the day-trips offered by this vendor features the same destinations as the others reviewed above (i.e., Bath and Stonehenge and a castle), but Trip one (duration: 11 hours approximately) is reflective of their offerings and what features are included in their price:
Warwick Castle, Stratford, Oxford and the Cotswolds Day Trip from London
This tour departs from Victoria Coach Station or selected London hotels
Departure Time:
8:00 am
Return Details:
This tour concludes at London Victoria area at approximately 7pm
Inclusions:
Hotel pickup (selected hotels only)
Local guide
Entrance fees to Warwick Castle
Private tour of Christchurch College
Entrance fees to Shakespeare's Birthplace Museum
Transport by air-conditioned coach (maximum 50 people)
Exclusions:
Hotel drop off
Gratuities (optional)
Food and drinks Prices start at $124.61 for Trip One to $130.84 for Trip Two (this amount includes a number of valuable features including admission to all of the destinations visited).
Trip two (duration the same) features Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bathl
London Day Tours (offtolondon. com) Shakespeare's Stratford Tour (duration) 9 hrs
Tour includes a visit to Oxford, majestic Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds as well as Stratford-upon-Avon for Shakespeare fans.
The tour also includes a visit to Shakespeare's birthplace where he grew up and played, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the idyllic, thatched cottage where William courted his future wife, Holy Trinity Church where both are buried and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Of interest, the vendor emphasizes that the tour is flexible in nature and some days more time may be spent on what interests their guests at a given destination than others. In this regard, the vendor adds that, "Time permitting visit one of the other Shakespeare Properties - the houses where Shakespeare's granddaughter and daughter lived or a little outside Stratford, Mary Arden's Farm in the village of Wilmcote where his mother grew up and which remains a working Tudor farm."
3f. S.W.O.T Analysis of Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers
The purpose of SWOT analysis is to identify key issues that provide the basis for an informed strategic approach (3).The SWOT analysis identifies the respective strengths and weaknesses which are internal to the entity as well as opportunities and threats which are external to the entity (3).
Strengths:
1. All four owners have extensive experience in the travel and tourism industry.
2. All four owners possess the economic resources needed to launch the company.
3. All four owners are committed to the success of the enterprise.
Weaknesses:
1. None of the owners has any substantive guided tour experience.
2. None of the owners currently possesses the requisite driving certificate or first aid training needed for Blue Badge-certified coach transportation.
3. None of the owners is Blue Badge certified.
Opportunities:
1. The cultural-heritage tourism industry has been gaining in popularity in the United Kingdom since 2009 (14).
2. Relatively limited competition for London day-trip niche market (top three companies listed in Table 1 above appear to comprise the major competitors).
3. There is an "off-the-beaten-path" niche market that avoids the major destinations (Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle) in favor of less well known but equally or even more interesting destinations such as Woodhenge.
Threats:
1. Downturn in the economy
2. Domestic terrorist threats or incidents
Competition
3g. PEST Analysis
A Political, Economic, Social and Technological (PEST) analysis for the company is provided below.
Political
Although the national economy has largely recovered from the Great Recession of 2009, the UK government has implemented a series of economic austerity measures in recent years that will remain in effect until 2017 in response to slower-than-expected economic growth and the fallout from the euro-zone debt crisis (15).
Economic
Day-trips represent a highly cost-effective way for Londoners to learn more about their culture and heritage in ways they might not otherwise experience. This market has also experienced healthy growth over the past 4 years (14)
Social
A growing sense of the importance of cultural-heritage has helped fuel growth in this travel and tourism sector (6). In addition, the UK government has sponsored several initiatives in recent years designed to promote rural tourism of which cultural-heritage tourism in this context is a part throughout the country (6).
Technological
The day-trip enterprise envisioned herein relies on existing known technologies (a motor coach) and the World Wide Web for advertising, promotions and customer interactions with the company, including booking day-trips.
3h. Target Audience. The company's target audience is primarily comprised of the 8.17 million residents of London but also extends to international visitors that want to experience an authentic cultural-heritage tourism adventure for themselves.
3h. Sales and Marketing. Sales will be generated through low-cost print media such as fliers and posters placed in prominent public places and through a prominent online Web presence promoting the company's day-trip offerings.
3i. Staff and skills. All of the company's shareholders possess extensive travel and tourism experience and skills.
3j. Training. At least two (2) and preferably all of the company's shareholders will need to obtain the requisite credentialing for motor coach drivers. Likewise, at least two (2) and preferably all of the company's shareholders should complete the requisite training needed for Blue Badge certification in order to have a sufficient number of tour-guide/drivers available for the tour schedule projected at the profit and loss statement at Appendix A.
3l. Market Research. Recent market research revealed a relatively limited number of London day-trip providers as well a concomitant growth in the demand for these services, especially in the cultural-tourism sector where London's nearby environs provide countless opportunities for development, including themes such as those set forth in Table 2 below.
Table 2
Potential cultural-heritage themes available for further day-trip development
Cultural-Heritage Theme Description
Harry Potter Tours Visits to castles and other venues featured in the Harry Potter books and movies (i.e., Norman Cathedral of Gloucester and tour of Oxford).
Da Vinci Code Tours
Shakespeare-Related Tours
4. Financial Information.
4a. Cash Flow. The company will contract with a certified public accounting firm to prepare all cash flow forecast which will be regular reviewed and analysed. The cash flow description provided by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 95 indicates that the "Statement of Cash Flows is cash and cash equivalents. Cash includes currency on hand and demand deposits." Cash equivalents are highly liquid debt instruments with original maturities of three months or less that can be viewed as essentially the same as cash" (2). The cash flow forecast is intended to ensure the shareholders have sufficient cash on hand while avoiding idle cash to the maximum extent possible (11).
4b. Profit and Loss. An annual profit and loss statement "shows total sales less cost of goods sold and local expenses, arriving at a net profit" (1). The company's profit and loss projections indicate a steady growth for the upcoming 5-year period based on industry growth and the increasing popularity of staycations and daycations in the UK.
4c. Start-up summary. Each member of the business will provide a one-time cash contribution of £5,000 each from their existing financial resources. This amount is sufficient to purchase a used motor coach and secure the refurbished information kiosk needed to launch the enterprise as described further below. The total start-up cost for this company is £18,786 (see breakdown below).
IT equipment (initial purchase) £1250
Blue Badge Qualification (£28.00 X 4) £104
Liability insurance (guests) £379.50
Drivers' Licences £128.36
Uniform (£17.09 X 4) £68.36
Fire extinguishers £45.00
Refurbished Kiosk £1500
One used but good-condition motor coach (seats 12) £12,000
Tour guide/driver (£10/hrx11/hours/day) £3311
Wages
Telephone £40.00
4d. Sales Forecast. During the first year of business, we anticipate filling our motor coach to 50 percent capacity on average; with 12 seats available, this means about six guests per day trip. At £65.50 per person, five guests per day-trip equals about £327.50 per day in receipts, or about £1640 per week, £7,050 per month or £84,600 annually in guest receipts the first year of operation (see Appendix A). By the second year of operation, we anticipate adding a second coach but maintaining capacity at 50 percent thereby doubling our revenues for the second; we also anticipate doubling our passenger capacity to 10 persons per day-trip by year three, doubling our revenues once again. The company's growth rate slows to 150% by years four and five due to limitations of existing business model (single kiosk, two motor coaches).
References
1. Chamberlain, N. W. (1992) The Firm: Micro-Economic Planning and Action. New York: McGraw-Hill, p. 400.
2. Comiskey, E. E. & Mulford, C. W. (2000) Guide to Financial Reporting and Analysis. New York: Wiley.
3. Cravens, David W. 2000. Strategic Marketing 6th Edition. New York: Irwin McGraw- Hill.
4 Dine, J The Governance of Corporate Groups (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2000).
5. Ferran, EM Company Law and Corporate Finance (OUP 1999).
6. Hills, A. (1997, March) Two-Way Tourism in Eastern Europe, History Today 47(3), 29-31.
7. Kennedy, A. (2009, Spring) Regional Staycations. Palaestra 24(4), 43-47.
8. London's Cultural Heritage. (2013) Road Scholar. [online] available: roadscholar.org/n/program/summary.aspx?id=1-56GCQN.
9. London's Population. (2013) London Higher. [online] available: londonhigher.ac.uk/population.html.
10. Miller, E. & Van Megen, K. (2010, January) Impacts and Opportunities: Resident's Views on Sustainable Development of Tourism in Regional Queensland, Australia. Journal of Tourism Challenges and Trends 3(1), 9-11.
11. Olsen, D. H. (2005) Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies. Journal of Cultural Geography, 23(1), 151-153.
11. Shim, J. K. & Siegel, J. G. (1999) Encyclopedic Dictionary of Accounting & Finance. New York: MJF Books.
12. Travel and tourism in the UK (2013) EuroMotor. [online] available: euromonitor.com/travel-and-tourism-in-the-united-kingdom/report.
13. TUI in Reversal of Group Marketing Restructure. (2010, April 14) Marketing, 4.
14. UK economy. (2013) CIA World Factbook. [online] available: cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html.
Appendix A
Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers' Profit and Loss Statement: First Five Years
Cultural-Heritage Day-trippers P&L: First Five Years
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total
Guided Day-Trips
Coach Receipts 1 £ 84,600.00 £ 169,200.00 £ 338,400.00 £ 507,600.00 £ 761,400.00 £ 1,861,200
Souvenirs, strategic partnerships 2 £ 10,000.00 £ 20,000.00 £ 40,000.00 £ 60,000.00 £ 90,000.00 £ 220,000
Total £ 94,600 £ 189,200 £ 378,400 £ 567,600 £ 851,400 £ 2,081,200
Expenditure
Cost Of Sales Percentage
Petrol, oil, tires, etc. 20% 1 £ 18,920.00 £ 37,840.00 £ 75,680.00 £ 113,520.00 £ 113,520.00 £ 359,480
Routine maintenance and upkeep 5% 2 £ 4,730.00 £ 9,460.00 £ 18,920.00 £ 28,380.00 £ 42,570.00 £ 104,060
Advertising 1% 4 £ 946.00 £ 1,892.00 £ 3,784.00 £ 5,676.00 £ 8,514.00 £ 20,812
Uniform cleaning service 1% 7 £ 946.00 £ 1,892.00 £ 3,784.00 £ 5,676.00 £ 8,514.00 £ 20,812
Total Cost of Sales £ 25,542 £ 51,084 £ 102,168 £ 153,252 £ 173,118 £ 505,164
Total Gross Profit £ 69,058 £ 138,116 £ 276,232 £ 414,348 £ 678,282 £ 1,576,036
Expenses
Labour
Drivers/Tour Guides £ 40,150 £ 80,300 £ 160,600 £ 240,900 £ 361,350 £ 883,300
Total Labour Cost £ 40,150 £ 80,300 £ 160,600 £ 240,900 £ 361,350 £ 883,300
Sundry Expenditure/Expenses
£ -
Kioski Space Rental £ 1,000.00 £ 1,000.00 £ 1,000.00 £ 1,000.00 £ 1,000.00 £ 5,000
Utilities £ 120.00 £ 120.00 £ 120.00 £ 120.00 £ 120.00 £ 600
Maintenance £ 25.00 £ 25.00 £ 25.00 £ 25.00 £ 25.00 £ 125
£ -
£ -
Total Sundry Expenses £ 1,145 £ 1,145 £ 1,145 £ 1,145 £ 1,145 £ 5,725
Net Profit £ 27,763 £ 56,671 £ 114,487 £ 172,303 £ 315,787 £ 687,011
Appendix B: Passenger Coach
Appendix C: Kiosk
Source: static8.bigstockphoto.com/thumbs/1/7/1/large2/17138078.jpg
E-Portfolio for Archie HopeCurriculum Vitae
Objective
To secure a management position in the international travel and tourism industry.
Experience
2011-Present Part-Time Youth Development Mentor, Students Union of Northampton In this capacity, I am responsible for:
- Ensuring that all students at the University of Northampton have a positive academic experience.
- Ensuring that all student welfare issues are promptly resolved.
- Ensuring that all students have the opportunity to join any student group.
- Facilitating open platform Union committees.
2009-2011 National Health Service - Team Worker responsible for inputting more than 300 different prescription codes into the National Health Service computer network to ensure physicians are paid correctly.
- Ensure accuracy of processed information in accordance with National Health Service policies and procedures.
- Liaising with pharmacological suppliers.
Education
2012-Current Northampton University
Travel and Tourism Management PhD program.
2009-2012 Travel and Tourism, National Diploma Program Completed Diploma Program and received city and guilds qualifications in national geography and a NCFE cabin crew certification.
Interests
Music, computers, Internet.
Other Skills
Expert with Photoshop, Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Aftereffects, Sony Vegas and others; in addition, standard and advanced keyboard and telephone skills.
References
Available upon request
About Me
- Extensive IT skills including Photoshop, Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Aftereffects, Sony Vegas and others; in addition, standard and advanced keyboard and telephone skills.
- Interests include music, computers, and the Internet.
- For the past 5 years, I have studied travel and tourism with particular interest in the management aspects of the industry which accounts in part for my current enrollment in a PhD in Travel and Tourism Management program. This program of study continues a long interest in the travel and tourism industry, including attaining my city and guilds qualifications in national geography and a NCFE cabin crew certification. The travel and tourism industry is among the world's largest and it continues to experience significant year-to-year growth (1).
Graduate Attributes
The overarching attributes that have been gained from participation in the travel and tourism modules include the recognition that there is more to the provision of top-notch hospitality services than statistics and textbook knowledge and the value of taking the initiative. Indeed, at the core of every travel experience is the personal interaction between service providers and customers, and even small differences in the way people are treated can make a major difference in the perception of their experiences. The adage that the customer is always right is especially salient in the travel and tourism industry and it is the responsibility of tourism managers to ensure that every customer receives the highest quality services possible. This means taking the time to understand problems from different perspectives, including the customer and the provider. These attributes will help improve any individual's employability, but they will also serve as the foundation for contributing to the community in the future and achieving the self-actualization describes by Maslow and other human developmental theorists.
Transferable Skills
The major transferable skills include the knowledge and tools that I have gained from completing the travel and tourism modules to date such as destination and business management, human resource management, taxation issues, and the "think globally, act locally" concept. From this perspective, the main issues confronting the international travel and tourism industry can be conceptualized and timely and effective interventions can be formulated (3). Other transferable skills gained from completing the travel and tourism modules include people skills that are invaluable in any workplace setting.
SWOT Analysis
The purpose of a SWOT analysis is to identify the main issues that will allow for the development of an informed strategic approach to a business or personal goal. A SWOT analysis is used to identify the respective strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are related to the environment in which the business or individual operates (2). For the purposes of a SWOT analysis, strengths are positive aspects that are internal to the entity; weaknesses are those negative aspects that are internal to the entity; opportunities are positive aspects that are external to the entity and threats are considered to be negative aspects that are external to the entity (2). An application of these aspects to my personal and professional life is provided below:
Strengths - Hard worker
- Long-time volunteer
- Anticipate needs and take the initiative
Weaknesses - A tendency to take on too much at one time.
- Not allowing myself sufficient time to complete tasks.
Opportunities Improved time management skills.
Threats Downturn in demand for current career path.
.
Action Plan
- With respect to volunteer work and as noted in the SWOT analysis above, I have been actively involved in revamping and rejuvenating the travel and tourism management PhD module video that represents the University of Northampton to visitors, alumni and potential students. Based on feedback from one of the lecturers concerning the outdated nature of the existing video, I created a new one which has been presented to the marketing team of the university.
- Since 2012 I have been working for the university as a youth mentor for the Students Union of Northampton on a part-time basis. This position includes teaching students about various topics and generally dealing with young people making the transition to university life.
- In August 2013, I will be conducting original research for the Ibiza Tourism Board to determine how tourism has changed since the 1990s to identify opportunities for new offerings, delivery platforms and human resource initiatives to improve Ibiza employee performance and morale.
Critical Reflection of Placement
- From 2012 to the present, I have been actively pursuing my PhD in Travel and Tourism Management at Northampton University.
- My short-term aim is to work overseas for a few years, preferably in Spain based on its well established travel and tourism industry as well as numerous opportunities for growth. Since the 1980s, Spain has become the destination of choice for European and other international tourists (4). There remains an excess of some types of standardised, unplanned tourism in many of the seaside resorts in Spain, though, that represent opportunities for improvement (4). In addition, based on the low air fares and successive devaluations of the Spanish peseta, tourists arrivals in-country have been on the increase in recent years (4). After developing this tenure and experience in Spain, my long-term goals include returning to the United Kingdom where I intend to secure a management position with a leading tourism company such as Thomas Cook.
References
1. Beirman, D. (2003) Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis: A Strategic Marketing Approach. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
2. Cravens, D. W. (2000) Strategic Marketing 6th Edition. New York: Irwin McGraw-Hill.
3. Cvetkovh, A. & Kellner, D. (2003) Articulating the Global and the Local: Globalization and Cultural Studies. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
4. Wabah, S. & Cooper, C. (2003) Tourism in the Age of Globalisation. London: Routledge.
There's more but why bother -- this guy publicly acknowledged receipt of this work and more and then turned around the claimed nonreceipt to PayPal. I didn't even get kissed.
Update from Archie Hope:
Re: essayscam post -- public receipts and 100% reliable
From Archie Hope archiehopenorthampton@gmail
To Professor Verb sunbeamsvc@aol
We'll see who paypal favours.
my cousin works there you nunchuck..now
