Jithendran Kokkranikal

Island tourism and sustainability: a case study of the Lakshadweep Islands

Lakshadweep archipelago, off the south-western coast of India, is a relatively little known island tourism destination. With a very fragile environment, traditional society and marginal economy, and almost entirely dependent on the mainland, Lakshadweep has been developing tourism as an important economic activity. With its geographical and environmental limitations, sustainability is a major issue in Lakshadweep tourism. However, the islands seem to have turned these limitations to their advantage by developing and managing tourism in a controlled manner. This paper considers the development of tourism in Lakshadweep islands within the context of sustainability. Examining the structural and developmental features of Lakshadweep tourism, the paper seeks to identify specific development and management patterns, if any, and explores potential strategies for promoting sustainability-oriented tourism in Lakshadweep.

Cultural diversity in hospitality work

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the growing importance of migrant workers to the hospitality industry of peripheral locations in the UK.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on data collected through in‐depth surveys of and focus group discussions with migrant workers in hotels in three peripheral locations in the UK.Findings – Findings point to varied experiences for international workers in terms of recruitment and selection of international workers; their work‐related and social integration within the workforce and the wider community; aspirations for training and development among international employees; insights into the futures that migrant workers see for themselves; and their overall experience of living and working in the UK.Research limitations/implications – The study is located in three regions of the UK and each study is of relatively small scale. This is a potential limitation but compensation is afforded by the depth of information collected in each location.Pract...

Entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism : a case study of the houseboats of Kerala

Within developing countries it has been identified that one means of achieving sustainable tourism is through the effective engagement of local communities. In particular, this involves the encouragement of indigenous entrepreneurship, often in the forms of self-employment and small-scale enterprises. The aim is to maximise potential economic and social benefits of tourism development within the host destinations. This paper provides a conceptual framework and descriptive case study within which to analyse an example of indigenous entrepreneurship as evidence in the operators of a houseboat tourism product in the State of Kerala, India. Conclusions are drawn relative to the sustainability of both the product and indigenous entrepreneurial activity.

Community networks and sustainable livelihoods in tourism: the role of entrepreneurial innovation

Entrepreneurial innovation plays a significant role in tourism development, especially in communities with limited experience or expertise in tourism. Innovative tourism businesses, often in the small business sector, are likely to be more beneficial to the local community in terms of job creation and economic linkages. Such forms of tourism could offer new forms of livelihood in destination communities, making tourism an effective strategy for livelihood diversification that is more sustainable and community-based. Community-based tourism initiatives can also help form community networks that facilitate involvement of local stakeholders in a more efficient manner. This paper analyses the role of entrepreneurial innovation in facilitating community networks and sustainable livelihoods in tourism. A case study of an eco-heritage tourism resort of Coconut Palms, in the Indian state of Kerala provides an illustration of how entrepreneurial innovation helped form a community network and offer sustainable livelihood diversification opportunities to stakeholders in the periphery of tourism. The paper thus contributes an example of a sustainable community–private network and a new understanding into a phenomenon that has potential to make a real contribution to the lives of individuals in disadvantaged communities.

Barriers and challenges in the application of Six Sigma in the hospitality industry: Some observations and findings

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present some of the fundamental barriers and challenges in the use of Six Sigma as a business improvement methodology in the hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach - The approach taken was to collate data through observations made by the third author during the execution of the research project within the case study company as well as collating data from company story boards and interviewing relevant and appropriate staff members in the case study company. Findings - The challenges of “data collection”, “defining projects” and “getting group consensus” can be considered to be somewhat very challenging in the context of hospitality industry. Research limitations/implications - Due to limited time constraints, the number of people participated in the study was relatively small. Perhaps a simple survey questionnaire could also be distributed to a number of people at the top management level, middle management level and front-line staff personnel in the case study company. Originality/value - The paper provides an excellent resource for many researchers and practitioners equally who are engaged in research and applications of Six Sigma in the hospitality industry. Moreover there is a dearth of literature on the use of Six Sigma in the hospitality sector.

Responsible tourism and sustainability: the case of Kumarakom in Kerala, India

This paper discusses the notion of ‘responsible tourism’ and its current use within the tourism literature. We argue that the concept as used currently means everything and therefore adds nothing to the conceptual terrain of tourism trends and nomenclatures. We then introduce our own understanding of the concept arguing that while responsible tourism is linked to sustainability initiatives such as alternative tourism, ecotourism, ethical tourism, green tourism, soft tourism, pro-poor tourism, geo-tourism, integrated tourism, community-based tourism, etc it also demarcates an analytical realm of its own. We suggest that the practical use of the term in areas where it has been adopted (such as South Africa and Kerala for instance) suggests a rather restricted use. We identified this realm as the tourism sector-specific manifestation of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda. Following Flyvbergs [(2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219–245] call for exemplars and paradigmatic case studies to advance knowledge in a particular domain, the responsible tourism initiative in Kumarakon, Kerala, is presented. Discussion of the case study traces the particular governance context of Kerala and the position of tourism in the state economy. The responsible tourism initiatives at the state level and local level are then described highlighting the ‘how’ of the implementation and the impact that it has produced. Generic, non-prescriptive principles that could be said to be necessary in some form for the successful translation of responsible tourism principles to practices are then identified. Such an approach is contrasted with one that places faith in the voluntary adoption of ‘responsible’ practices by the private sector on its own. It is argued that responsible tourism can make a contribution to practice provided the conceptual terrain is delineated against other forms of tourism and if research within the terrain can unpack the particular forms of challenges that are thrown up by the delineation itself.

Tourism policy and destination marketing in developing countries: the chain of influence.

Tourism marketers including destination marketing organisations (DMOs) and international tour operators play a pivotal role in destination marketing, especially in creating destination images. These images, apparent in tourist brochures, are designed to influence tourist decision-making and behaviour. This paper proposes the concept of a “chain of influence” in destination marketing and image-making, suggesting that the content of marketing materials is influenced by the priorities of those who design these materials, e.g. tour operators and DMOs. A content analysis of 2,000 pictures from DMO and tour operator brochures revealed synergies and divergence between these marketers. The brochure content was then compared to the South African tourism policy, concluding that the dominant factor in the chain of influence in the South African context is in fact its organic image.

Human resources development for tourism in rural communities: a case study of Kerala.

Considering the relative backwardness of rural areas, human resources development (HRD) seems to have a very important role in rural tourism development. However, tourism HRD in rural communities is affected by a number of drawbacks. In the absence of any significant private sector presence, especially during initial stages, the public sector need to take the initiative in equipping and empowering the local community to meaningfully participate in tourism. This paper suggests a multi‐pronged approach to educate and empower the members of the host community, the tourism industry personnel, and visitors to facilitate rural tourism development, which is sustainability‐oriented and can help localize the benefits. The experience of Kerala provides an example of how the public sector initiated HRD activities could contribute to the development of rural tourism, especially in engendering local entrepreneurial endeavors and giving tourism a higher profile. The Kerala experience represents some of the issues in HRD for rural tourism and suggests potential strategies for other rural communities involved in tourism development.

Motivations and experiences of museum visitors: The case of the Imperial War Museum, United Kingdom

This study explores motivations of visitors to the Imperial War Museum (North and South), United Kingdom, with a view to understanding why people visit museums associated with conflicts. Though museums are part of the education and leisure industry, the distinction between education and leisure is often blurred. There are a number of reasons why people visit museums. Motives of museum visitors can be grouped into intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This study analysed the extent to which museum visitors are motivated by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Semi-structured interviews with visitors were conducted w at the Imperial Museum of War (North and South), United Kingdom. The findings do establish that extrinsic motivations are more dominant than the intrinsic ones for visiting the Imperial War Museum. The importance of extrinsic factors in motivating museum visitors would suggest that providing an opportunity for a good day out has more appeal to the visitors than the collections in the museum for the average visitors. The experiencing of museum in its totality is more important than the individual collections or the theme of the museum to the mainstream visitor. This work has made a contribution to understanding visitor motivations, which are multi-facetted, complex and not necessarily fully understood by the visitors themselves.

Tourism and sustainability in the Lakshadweep Islands.

This chapter describes tourism to the ecologically fragile Lakshadweep Islands of the Indian Ocean, which considers the development of tourism in the islands within the context of sustainability. Through an examination of the structural and developmental features of Lakshadweep tourism, the chapter seeks to identify specific development and management patterns, if any, and to explore potential strategies for promoting sustainability-oriented tourism in the Lakshadweep Islands.