Tourism Tour Operators

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 6145 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Tourism Essay Type Descriptive essay Did you like this example? Chapter 1: Introduction Outline This research focuses on three UK holiday companies Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel and their marketing strategies. This research is comprised of following chapters: Rationale This study highlights many issues related to marketing of tourism companies; more specifically it will be looking at the three companies mentioned above and will be giving a broad analysis to marketing strategy as a marketing tool. The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct a detailed analysis on three different UK holiday companies which are Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel, who target different segments of the market. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Tourism Tour Operators | Tourism Dissertation" essay for you Create order I believe that this investigation will broaden my understanding of the tourism marketing as well as the techniques and strategies that they use as a key factor to their success. (Morgan, 2001)Overall I believe that it is an interesting area to study because I can use and demonstrate while conducting this investigation the skills and knowledge that I had obtained while studying my degree. In addition, I have chosen to carry out my dissertation on the following three companies, because I believe that they differ in their market segmentation, however they have a common goal and they are competitors. I would like to introduce the companies that I will be focusing on and provide some brief introduction for each of them. But first of all let us talk about the role of tour operators. (Wang, 2002) Tour operators today play a very important role in creating the images of destinations. In this global capacity, they can significantly influence international tourism flows towards a country hi t by safety and security risks. Even decisions of individual tourists on where to spend a holiday very often depend on the attitude and practice of tour operators towards a particular destination. But people have their own choices and preferences. In this paper we are going to analyse Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel tourism and travelling services as this is one of the best tour operator agencies world wide and the first choice of tourists. (Buhalis, 2001) From 1950 to 1998 the number of international tourist arrivals in the world increased from 25 million to 635 million (WTO 1999b), with an average annual increase of 6.97%. Over the past 15 years, international tourism receipts have grown 1.5 times faster than world GDP, with no signs of slowing down. In 1998 international tourism accounted for an estimated 8% of the worlds total earnings and 37% of exports in the service sector (WTO 1999a). According to data from the International Monetary Fund, in 1998 international tourism receipts and passenger transport amounted to more than $504 billion, putting it ahead of all other categories of international trade (automotive products, chemicals, food, petroleum and other fuels, computer and office equipment, textiles and clothing, mining products, etc.). (Driver, 1999) This rapid development of international tourism can partly be explained by the xxpackage holidays promoted nationally and internationally. Indeed, tour operators represent one of the most powerful and most influential entities in the tourism industry. They have a strong influence on international flows from main generating markets to various destinations. According to World Tourism Organization estimates, tour operators nowadays have a share of about 25% in the total international tourism market. This means that in 2000 tour operators organized at least 175 million international tourism trips. Therefore, the success of many destinations depends on whether foreign tour operators include them in their programs. (Buhalis, 1998) Travel Industry As the travel industry consists of numerous sectors and divisions, companies within the industry vary greatly in their activities and the segments of the market they are involved in. Three of them Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel leaders in their respective field and I would like to commence with Kuoni in the following segment. (Riege, 2000) Introduction to Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel Companies Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd. oversees one of Europes top five travel and tour groups. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, the company is particularly strong in both its domestic and U.K. markets, but is also present throughout Europe, especially in Scandinavia, with a rising presence in the United States and Asian markets. Kuoni Travel operates in three primary areas of business: Leisure Travel, which accounts for more than 85 percent of the companys sales; Business Travel, through its BTI unit, which handles travel coordination activ ities for the small and mid-sized and large-scale corporation markets; and Incoming Services, which provides travel destination services, such as touring and sightseeing packages. (Morrison, 1994)The company markets it high-end tours and travel packages under the Kuoni name. Discount travel packages are offered under the Helvetica brand name. Switzerland remains the companys single largest market, representing slightly less than one-third of its total sales. The U.K. and North American markets together provide less than one-third of sales. The European continent, including Scandinavia, added another roughly 30 percent to Kuonis total sales, which topped SFr 4 billion in 1996. (Schonland and Williams, 1996) Kuoni has been stepping up the pace of its acquisitions at the turn of the century. After being disapponited in its attempt to merge with the United Kingdoms First Choice Holidays Plc, which would have helped the company create a counterweight to Europes market-leading Preussag-Th omson alliance announced in early 1999, Kuoni has changed direction, targeting the Scandinavian, Indian, and North American markets for its future growth. (Weber and Roehl, 1999)Listed on the Swiss stock exchange, Kuoni is led by Chairman Daniel Affolter and President and CEO Hans Lerch. (Bonn and Furr, 1999) A native of Chur, Switzerland, Alfred Kuoni moved to Zurich to open a travel agency in 1906. If the companys nameTravel Bureauwas not all that original, Kuoni quickly established itself as a pioneer in exotic travel destinations. One of the companys first organized tour packages took Swiss citizens on a guided tour to far-off Egypt. (Hu, 1996) In 1925, Kuoni reincorporated as a joint-stock company, with shares remaining within the Kuoni family. Through the years leading up to World War II, Kuoni expanded from its original location to include a number of sales offices throughout Switzerland. Despite its success in its home market, the company recognized early on that Switzerl and was too small for its growing ambitions. The company also opened its first international office, in Nice, in the south of France. Further international moves were not realised due to the buildup to and outbreak of World War II. (Baker and Hozier, 1994) Kuonis international expansion began almost immediately after the end of the war. In 1948, the company opened its first international subsidiaries, in Italy and France. Kuoni also continued to venture to new and exotic travel destinations, such as the organization of the first charter flights to Africa. (Pizam and Mansfeld, 1999)In 1957, the Kuoni family established the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation under which to group their holding; much later, with Kuonis public listing, the foundation would became the companys primary shareholder. (Dev and Olsen, 2000) Thomas Cook AG is an international leisure group, created in 2000 by CN Touristics purchase of Britains Thomas Cook Holdings Ltd., with roots tracing back to 1841. (Bit ner and Booms, 1982 )The company is represented in the sales markets of Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Egypt, India and Canada, providing products and services in most market segments, including airlines, hotels, tour operators, travel and incoming agencies. Thomas Cook AG is the third largest integrated tourism group in the world, serving some 14 million customers. Thomas Cook AG, encompasses 32 tour operators and around 3,600 travel agencies, selling the groups products worldwide, as well as a portfolio of 76,000 controlled hotel beds, a fleet of 87 aircraft and a workforce numbering some 28,000. Its services also include travel shops and charter airlines. (Koh, 1995) Evidently, the scale of operations of Thomas Cook AG in his respective market, has allowed him to realize economy of scale, affording a strong advantage over competition and in turn benefiting his clients. Because of t he large volume of business provided to many resorts by Cook, he currently have excellent buying power, enabling him to negotiate the best possible airfare, hotel rates and transfer rates, which are translated into attractive selling prices, better rooms and overall greater value for his clients. Numerically, Cook has realized triumphs and broken records in his area. In 1993, Thomas Cook AG excels, as it achieved sales of some eight billion Euros and served more that 13 million customers in the 2001-2002 financial year alone. (Ioannides and Debbage, 1997)In appreciation of his expertise and as an acknowledgement of his proficiency in his operations, Thomas Cook AG has both received numerous awards and tributes over the years for a variety of enterprises. For example, the Mexican government awarded the Best Tour Operator Worldwide Award in 1998. Thomas Cook AG is nominated every year in several categories in the World Travel Awards, as well as having its various subsidiaries and comp anies receive numerous awards worldwide. (Riege and Perry, 2000) STA Travel, a subsidiary of privately held Diethelm Keller Holding Ltd., markets itself as â€Å"the world’s largest student travel organization helping students travel in over 90 countries.† STA Travel specializes in student travel, a market niche accounting for approximately 20% of all travel bookings. In 2005 STA Travel reported revenues of 215 Million CHF (Swiss Francs) on total transactions of 1,542 CHF, down from 241 on 1539 the previous year. That same year, the firms 2,358 employees working from 375 travel agency offices in 17 countries and through franchises in 83 others, provided travel advice and booking services to approximately 6 million travelers. (Fick and Ritchie, 1991) Founded in 1979, STA Travel had grown and expanded its global reach through a series of mergers and acquisitions. While the brand well known in parts of Europe and Australia, where it had operated for many years, STA Travel’s US brand, born with the acquisition in 2003 of Council Travel, was still less well known. Historically, STA Travel reached its customers through retail travel agencies, many located near or on college campuses. Beginning in the 1990’s, however, the internet brought new online competitors. Among these were Student Universe and Student City as well as less focused on line providers of travel services including Travelocity and Expedia. By 2007 the internet was predicted to account for more bookings than offline alternatives. Aims and Objectives Following are the aims and objectives of this study: Introduction to Kuoni Holiday Company Introduction to Thomas Cook Holiday Company Introduction to STA Travel Holiday Company Marketing strategy of these companies Research Questions The study seeks to answer the following questions: â€Å"An investigation into the marketing strategy of three UK holiday companies who target the different sections of society with reference to their marketing strategy.† (Kuoni, Thomas Cook and STA Travel) Chapter 2: Literature Review Role of Tour Operators The role of tour operators unlike the travel agencies who sell holiday and a range of other travel products tour operators actually assemble the component parts of a holiday, package holidays i.e. the means of travel, accommodation, facilities, transfers, excursion and other services. The famous name which comes into my minds is Thomas Cook for their packages and services. (Field, 1999) If we consider that the travel agents are the retailer arm of the travel business, then the tour operators can be linked to wholesalers, since they buy in bulk from the providers of travel services, such as the hoteliers and airlines, break the bulk in to manageable packages and offer the finished product the inclusive tour for sale to the travel agencies or direct to the consumer. (Kaynama and Black, 2000) Peace, safety, and security are the primary conditions for the normal tourism development of a destination, region, or country and thus are the basic determinants of its growth. Without them, destinations cannot successfully compete on the generating markets, even if they present in their marketing campaigns the most attractive and best quality natural and built attractions. Tourism contributes to peace as much as it benefits from it (Savignac 1994). According to Pizam (1999), every minute of every day a crime or a violent act occurs at a destination somewhere in the world. At the same time, it would be difficult to deny that many types of safety risks co-exist in everyones daily lives, and within tourism as well. However, an important difference exists: People are rarely in a position to change their place of living, but no thing can force them to spend a holiday in a place that they perceive as insecure. (Kaynama and Black, 2000)The basic requirement of contemporary demand is higher quality supply and services, and that quality has become the most important factor in the existing climate and development of that demand. But usually do not mention factors which are the condition sine qua non—peace, safety, and security, now generally taken for granted. Any threats to the safety of tourists causes a decrease or total absence of activity, not only in a particular destination, but also very often in neighbouring regions or countries as well. Consequently, since tourism is an important contributor to national economies, host countries will find it necessary to take substantial measures to bring the country hit by crisis back onto the market as quickly as possible. Taking the example of three companies discussed below we further try to explore their role and business strategy. (Medlik and Wang, 2002) Kuoni, Holiday Company Kuoni began looking farther afield in the 1960s. In 1963, the company made its first entry into the Asian markets with the opening of a branch office in Japan. (Medlik and Wang, 2002 )Two years later, Kuoni entered what was later to become one of its most important single markets when it acquired the United Kingdoms Challis Benson Ltd. The importance of the U.K. market to Kuoni was seen at the beginning of the 1970s when the company changed its nameand its U.K. operations nameto Kuoni Travel Ltd. (Buhalis, 1998) The companys listing on the Swiss stock exchange provided fuel for new growth, while opening up the companys shares to new partners, including SwissAir, which built up a 30 percent share in Kuoni. The public listing enabled the company to step up its international growth. After opening a subsidiary in Austria at the beginning of the decade, Kuoni now launched subsidiaries in Germany and Spain, both in 1973, and a subsidiary in Greece the foll owing year. The year 1974 also saw Kuoni step up its position in the U.K. market, when it acquired Houlders World Holidays, based in England. (Buhalis, 1998) While building up its international network, Kuoni also was launching new products. In 1977, the company began marketing its first around-the-world tour. In the 1980s, Kuoni began to acquire properties in many of its most popular destinations, adding a number of hotels, including the Hawksbill Beach Hotel in Antigua in 1981 and the Discovery Bay Beach Hotel in Barbados, bought in 1984. In 1986, Kuoni became the first tour operator to offer around-the-world charter flights on the Concorde supersonic jet. (Morrison, 1996)Although this latter product catered to the companys strong high-end and high-margin clientele, Kuoni also launched a new brand name, Helvetica, to encompass its discount tour and travel operations. The worldwide travel industry remained highly fragmented in the 1990s, with numerous small-scale operators co mpeting against a smaller number of quickly growing industry heavyweights. Kuoni, which had already captured the lead in the Swiss market, was determined to maintain a leadership position as the travel industry headed into a drawn-out consolidation drive leading up to the turn of the century. The company acquired Reiseburo NUR Neckermann in 1987, boosting its position in the Austrian market. Three years later, the company regrouped its Austrian activities, launching the NUR Neckermann Reisen AG joint venture with Germanys Neckermann Touristic. Kuonis part of the joint venture remained at 49 percent. (Morrison, 1996) Back home, the company continued to consolidate its dominance of the Swiss market, acquiring Privat Safaris, the countrys leading operator of tours to eastern Africa, and Reiseburo Popularis, which combined retail offices with direct sales operations marketing discount tour and travel packages. Yet Kuonis strong position in the Swiss market and its growing share inter nationally soon led it to become the target of a takeover attempt. The sale of SwissAirs 30 percent holding created the opening for Germanys Krauthof AG department store group to acquire a 50.1 percent majority of Kuoni in 1992. (Middleton, Clarke, 2001) Kuoni, through the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation, nonetheless retained majority control of the companys voting rightswhich provided the leverage to the resolution of the takeover attempt. In 1995, the Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation bought out Krauthofs stake in the company. The company then changed its name to Kuoni Travel Holding, a move that also reflected a new diversification drive: in 1995 the company acquired Danzas Reisen AG, a Switzerland-based specialist in business travel services. The Danzas acquisition led Kuoni to create a dedicated business travel unit. The company also acquired retailer Kewi Reisen, while integrating its majority share of Railtour Suiss SA, acquired the year before. With its independence as sured, Kuoni launched its own acquisition drive in the late 1990s. In 1996, Kuoni added Frances Voice SA, and Scanditours, focused on the Nordic region. (Middleton, Clarke, 2001)The company moved into The Netherlands with the acquisition of Special Traffic that same year. Kuoni also looked to the potentially huge market of India for the first time, acquiring SOTC Holiday Tours, which provided the basis for its Kuoni India Ltd. subsidiary. Two other acquisitions completed the companys busy years, those of Rotunda Tours, expanding Kuoni into South Africa, and CIS Intersport, a Swiss company catering to the growing demand for sports-oriented holiday packages. In 1996, also, the companys Edelweiss Air launched its charter flight operations. (Walle, 1996) Kuonis expansion campaign continued strongly through the end of the century, including the launch of the P O Travel Ltd. joint venture with Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, based in Hong Kong, with offices in Bangko k and Singapore. The 1997 joint venture strengthened Kuonis position in the Asian market, which, despite the austere economic climate in the region at the end of the decade, promised to become one of the worlds stronger holiday markets. Closer to home, Kuoni continued lining up acquisitions, especially Voyages Jules Verne, a U.K. upscale tour operator, and Switzerlands Manta Reisen, which specialized in scuba and other deep-sea holidays. The company also acquired German business travel specialist Euro Lloyd Reisenburo, which it combined with its other German operations into the new subsidiary BTI Euro Lloyd, one of that markets top five business travel companies. Also in 1998, Kuoni launched a joint venture with Italys Gastaldi Tours. The next year Kuoni face a major setback. At the beginning of 1999, the company announced its agreement to merge with the United Kingdoms number three travel operator, First Choice Holidays. The merger, agreed to by both sides, was thwarted by a sur prise takeover attempt from rival U.K. operator Airtours Plc, which offered a higher per-share price. When the majority of First Choices shareholders chose to back the Airtours offerwhich itself was blocked by the European monopolies commissionKuoni pulled out of the merger talks. The First Choice merger might have allowed Kuoni to become not only a major player in the U.K. travel market but to boost its position to the top ranks in all of Europe. After the collapse of the merger, however, Kuoni redirected its strategy to other markets. Three markets in particular were to receive its attention: the United States, Scandinavia, and India. In 1999, Kuoni acquired upscale travel company Intrav, based in St. Louis, Missouri; the Intrav acquisition, which cost Kuoni $115 million, gave it a strong opening into the booming U.S. market for luxury vacations. The following year, the company acquired T Pro, an incoming services specialist based in New York and the number three incoming servi ces provider to the U.S. market. The year 2000 saw Kuoni not only strengthen its hold on the Swiss travel markettaking a 49 percent share in ITV, Switzerlands third largest tour group and subsidiary of Germanys Preussagbut also expand its presence in its new target markets of Scandinavia and India. The first was served by the acquisition of 49 percent of Apollo Resor, based in Stockholm, Sweden, and then boosted by the acquisition of Denmarks Dane Tours. In March 2001, the company announced its decision to restructure most of its Scandinavian holdings into a single subsidiary. Thomas Cook Holiday Company Thomascook.com has pledged to bring in a quarter of sales through its website in 2006 and appointed a new digital agency to plan and buy all online media.The move will include an increase in online advertising spend of around 50% and will see an integration between traditional campaigns in print and outdoor with online marketing. Harvest Digital will take on all online m edia planning and buying through existing travel portals, plus drive a new strategy with the likes of Metro.co.uk, GM.TV and the Lonely Planet websites.Head of online marketing at Thomas Cook, Manuel Mascarenhas, said: â€Å"We selected Harvest Digital because they have delivered on an imaginative plan, using competitions, contextual advertising and sponsorships against tight CPA targets. They have a core audience of repeat bookers and want to ensure we continue to acquire new customers online. The new marketing strategy will target what has been labelled the lucrative and web-savvy audience of 35 to 45 year olds that several holidays a year, including packages, flights, ski holidays and cruises. Harvest Digital partner Emma Wilson added that Thomas Cook is the oldest name in travel but has a very contemporary approach within its sales channels. Also Thomas Cook Signature has won the award for Best Long Haul Operator at last years British Travel Awards, receiving 31% of the v ote, while in 2002 Thomas Cook India Ltd has been awarded the Institute of Directors prestigious Golden Peacock National Award for excellence in corporate governance, awarded for transparency, excellence in conducting business at various levels of management, social and environmental responsibility, ethical business practice and consistent creation of value for all the stake holders. Thomas Cook Group has acquired Elegant Resorts, the Chester-based luxury travel firm with 160 staff and gross assets of  £22m. Thomas Cook acquired Hotels4U.com from Centurion Holiday Group for an initial  £22m. This company closed 150 travel shops and six offices throughout the country with the loss of up to 2,800 jobs, affecting sites in Rochdale, Manchester, Rawtenstall and Denton; not only this but Thomas Cook based 40 head office jobs in London following its merger with Mytravel, but this is not expected to affect the jobs at its existing headquarters in Peterborough. Apart from this, Thomas Cook of Peterborough merged with MyTravel of Rochdale to form a combined holidays business with more than 32,000 staff, Thomas Cook is to conduct a strategic review of its UK tour operating business, prompting speculation that it will seek buyers for Club 18-30, Style villa holidays, Neilson skiing and Sun World. Accenture has won a  £110m 10-year contract from Thomas Cook to set up an IT and finance service centre, which will involve the transfer of about 400 Thomas Cook staff. Thomas Cook has launched a branded digital TV channel, which features its full range of holidays and other travel products; also reduced costs in its European travel business by shedding 2,600 jobs, closing 100 shops and grounding four aircraft. Today, Thomas Cook is a leading travel company and one of the most widely recognised and respected brands in the world. Employing over 11,000 staff, Thomas Cook operates throughout a network of 616 locations in the UK and overseas. The company is wholly owned b y Thomas Cook AG (formerly CN Touristic AG), which announced its acquisition of Thomas Cook in December 2004 and was granted EC approval in March 2005. (Marvell, 2005) Thomas Cook AG is now the second largest travel group in Europe and the third largest in the world. One reason for the companys longevity and continued success is its commitment to providing exceptional service. Thomas Cook once described himself as the willing and devoted servant of the travelling public. Today, 160 years after his pioneering excursion, these words remain a fitting epithet to the company he founded. (Bloch and Segev, 1997) Thomas Cook, a major UK Tour Operator, has signed an agreement to pilot AXS-Ones new AXSPoint(R) electronic invoice delivery service to travel agents. The new AXSPoint service, which has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a UK regulatory body for use by tour operators holding an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL), will eliminate the need for tour operators to issue hard copy invoices to travel agents, thereby providing tour operators such as Thomas Cook Holidays with potential savings of up to 80 percent on their annual invoice distribution costs. For travel agents involved in the Pilot program, invoices will now arrive electronically on the same day as dispatch. The AXSPoint service will offer travel agents the ability to automatically match and reconcile invoices to bookings, thereby reducing administration costs and allowing quicker turn-around of invoices to the agents customer. (Richer and James, 1998) The AXSPoint service will significantly enhance the service we provide to our travel agent customers and the service they provide their customers in turn, commented Manny Fontenla Novoa, Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Cook (UK). The speed and efficiency of electronic distribution will reduce our costs considerably while benefiting agents and customers alike. Commenting on the development, Mark Donkersley, Managing Director, AXS-One UK, said: While Thomas Cook is the first tour operator to pilot this system, we are receiving strong interest from other tour operators and travel agents. The issuing of paper invoices has been expensive to tour operators and agents alike in terms of money, time and customer service. Today, this activity costs the regulated tour industry over $25 million per year and we are currently working with the leaders of this sector to bring them on board our system. By providing these services electronically, and securely, we save them a considerable amount of money, while at the same time adding value to each part of the distribution chain and generating recurring revenue streams for AXS-One. (Richer and James, 1998) Superficially, the differences between Thomas Cook AG and other agencies are evident, as one is a national tour operator, while the others are global travel conglomerates. Nevertheless, if we examine deeper below the surface and truly analyze other companies, we can appreciate the great difference between Cook and others’ services. All the agencies have become trusted and highly respected in their markets, as well as being among the best-known names in them, but Cook’s services is most appreciated by his customers. This is the reasons his company is the most preferred one. Thus, we can infer that Cook has the same presence and effect in his comparative market, it being tour operation in the U.S. for other companies and the world for Thomas Cook AG. (Trochim, 2001) STA Travel Company To be responsive to their globally dispersed and culturally diverse customer base STA Travel sought to â€Å"delegate as much autonomy, responsibility and authority as close to the action as possible,† while using a single integrated information system â€Å"to provide global support and solutions when that can improve their experience.† They described this philosophy, ‘as local as possible, as global as necessary’. An evolving business strategy called One Company sought to â€Å"align business operations with customer needs across the world†. Global teams were charged with developing and delivering â€Å"a single supplier strategy, one service standard, one set of operating standards and guidelines for management of our corporate identity†. To support that model the company was providing BLUEe, â€Å"a single sales and booking system to every STA Travel point of purchase backed by a single network, infrastructure, finance, and reporting system.† (Trochim, 2001) To ensure they remained â€Å"as local as possible,† each major country maintained its own sales and marketing arms. While most country’s home web page was consistent in look and feel, country marketers were each free to design their marketing campaigns including methods to harness the internet. The US office, for instance had run a successful viral marketing campaign called â€Å"body shots,† intended to promote spring break in the U.S. They had also initiated advertising on Facebook and Myspace, two sites popular with the demographics desirable by the firm. The STA Travel U.S. website, itself was a popular destination, registering some 600,000 unique visitors each month. Over 400,000 customers and prospective customers also contact the U.S. Division each month by email. The STA Travel’s North American division’s had initiated development of STATRAVEL193.COM, a highly interactive web site featuring video reports from STA customers about travel destinations. (Gall Borg, 2003)They had also been the first division to explore the possibilities of Second Life as a marketing tool. The idea had received a welcome endorsement, and a matching investment, from STA Travels headquarters in the U.K. Craig Hepburn, STA Travels Global Webmaster, was responsible for the content management system that fed the various country websites and that was being rolled out throug hout the world. His team had also supported development of personalized travel blogs, that allowed STA Travel customers to document their travel. Hepburn was enthusiastic about SL as a marketing channel, but knew it would be met with resistance by the marketing departments in other countries. The initial strategy STA Travel had conceived for their web presence had two prongs. The first element was to create several destination islands to attract prospective travelers. For instance, one idea was to create an island featuring the great wall of China. The second element of the plan was to hold a machinima competition among current Second Life residents. Machinima, a style of movie making, uses avatars as members of the cast; the movie is then filmed in the context of a virtual world. The idea was to have Second Life members who had already created exciting virtual worlds create movies to highlight those worlds. STA Travel could then use the best of those videos to provide within Sec ond Life some of the same services they provided in the real word – information about exciting places to visit and information on how to get their. (Gall Borg, 2003) Search-based digital marketing agency Spannerworks is teaming up with its parent company iCrossing to deliver their first campaign for independent travel specialist STA Travel. The campaign will deliver global search engine optimisation for the travel brand, to help drive more customers and bookings through natural search rankings. On the development, Craig Hepburn, global webmaster, STA Travel, said, â€Å"At STA Travel we work with a web-savvy audience that needs to be able to find our information easily. (Gall Borg, 2003)Optimising our global online brand is one of our top priorities and Spannerworks offered both the capability and scope to achieve this.† As per the information available, Spannerworks will first implement a tactical campaign to optimise STA Travel’s global web platform, whic h caters for 450 branches spread over 85 countries. This will ensure that the site is structured for and accessible to search engines. Secondly, working in conjunction with iCrossing, Spannerworks will execute regional search engine optimisation strategies in the key UK and US territories. iCrossing will cover STA Travel’s North American requirements, allowing Spannerworks to focus on natural search optimisation for the UK, which will include search term profiling, content optimisation and an ongoing link strategy to help drive STA Travel’s online visibility. (Gall Borg, 2003)In February this year, iCrossing acquired the UK-based Spannerworks. The acquisition leverages iCrossing’s and Spannerworks’s respective leadership in North America and Europe to establish a new international footprint for both companies. Part of STA Travel’s business strategy was formulated to develop and implement a Global  E-commerce Technology Strategy (GETS) that wo uld enable rapid deployment and control  across multiple Web sites, while still offering the flexibility to tailor local content. RedDot was  chosen as the content management system that would support the GETS for STA Travel. One  factor that attracted STA Travel to RedDot was its short training time for Webmasters and  editors who would be managing and posting content to the site. With RedDot, STA Travel  was able to meet an aggressive 6-month deadline for the initial project launch.  (Creswell, 2002) Chapter 3: Methodology Research Design In order to accomplish a quality investigation and research on the marketing techniques of the three UK holiday companies. It is believed that carrying out a qualitative and a quantitative analysis would help to evaluate the differences of the 3 holiday companies Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd., Thomas Cook Travel Group and STA Travel. There will be two types of questionnaires one for the employees of those companies, and another one for the customers. Data Collection The qualitative and quantitative survey method will be used as the means by which data will be collected within the study. Prior to initiating the data collection phase of the study, permission to conduct the survey will be obtained from appropriate officials. Data collection will commence once approval is granted. Ethical considerations will be observed. This research approached data gathering using the multi-method strategy, or the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Basically, the quantitative approach pursues facts and is employed when researchers desire to acquire statistical truth. According to Gall, Gall and Borg (2003), quantitative research assumes that the social environment has objective reality that is relatively constant across time and settings, while qualitative research assumes that individuals construct reality in the form of meanings and interpretations, and that these constructions tend to be transit ory and situational. In Creswell’s (2001) explanation, quantitative studies are based on the ideas and claims for developing knowledge, use experiments and surveys, and collect data on predetermined instruments that yield statistical data. On the other hand, qualitative studies uses perspectives of the participants or advocacy. Case studies and narratives are two of the tools employed as strategies of inquiry. In this approach, research facts and researchers value judgments or interpretations are inseparable. Thus the researcher becomes an insider to the research (Carr and Kemmis, 1996). The current research employed the principles of both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Central to the discussion of the rationale behind the mixed methods strategy is the fact that knowledge is accumulated from a variety of sources in a variety of ways, thus, methodological diversity is needed. Basically, the mixed methods approach proposes that traditional scientific ap proaches (quantitative) and their alternatives (qualitative) have their place Sample The population of interest for the study includes employees and customers of these 3 selected travel companies. It is projected that the sample will consist of approximately 100 respondents. For the purposes of the study, purposive sampling, a form of non-probability sampling, will be used. As explained by Trochim (2001), in purposive sampling, the researcher samples with a purpose in mind from one or more specific and predefined groups, believed to be representative of the larger population of interest. Trochim noted that one of the benefits of purposive sampling is that it can be very useful for situations in which the researcher wants to reach a targeted group that otherwise might not be readily available. A framework of reflection and intrepretation will guide the qualative approach. Observation of the online booking procedure booking of these companies will able to distinguish the a dvantages of the online services. Chapter 4: Discussion Analysis After gathering all the interview response the responses will be analyzed and it will be analyzed that what are the perception of he respondents about the services provided by the companies and how they differ from each other. Purpose of this analysis is to make efforts for the improvement in the process. The quantitative analysis will be done by using statistical software in order to analyze the responses of the respondents. (Creswell, 2002) Chapter 5: Conclusion On the Indian subcontinent, which represented one of the worlds single largest potential markets, the company formed a cooperation agreement with that countrys Tata conglomerate at the beginning of 2000. That year the company also acquired Indias travel leader, Sita Travel, which was then merged into the companys Kuoni Travel subsidiary. Kuoni was now the leading travel group in India. As the company entered the new century, it promised to cont inue its acquisition drive to reinforce its new geographic objectives. To fuel its continued expansion, Kuoni performed a ten-for-one stock split, raising another SFr 144 million. (Carr and Kemmis, 1996) Thomas Cook AG is one of the world’s top 3 travel services companies. The company based in Oberursel, Germany implemented the marketing and analytics functionality of the mySAP Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM) solution as a replacement for its legacy system for dialog marketing. As a result, the firm streamlined its direct-response campaigns and ensured higher conversion rates. (Carr and Kemmis, 1996)It obtained an improved and increased amounts of customer data, improved speed and facilitation of customer segmentation process and reduced costs of campaigns reaching more customers with existing revenue. Since RedDot allows STA to control content from a centralized source, any  template changes are implemented across the sites within minutes, saving  ST A staff members up to two weeks of manual work. As a result, customers  are able to log into their STA profile and view a consistent brand providing top quality content.  Now STA Travel can provide the same value to all customers, regardless of location or market  presence in a particular country.  (Carr and Kemmis, 1996)

Alex Nelson’s Poetry Explanation on Wordsworth’s poem...

quot;I gazed-and gazed-but little thoughtquot; Alex Nelson’s Poetry Explanation on Wordsworth’s poem quot;I Wandered As Lonely As A Cloudquot; Imagine walking through a field in early summer, around an aqua blue lake that is in the shape of a giant egg. You discover a field of daffodils that is flowing in motion like a grand quot;dancequot; full of elegance. This area is full of sublime that can only be fully appreciated by a poet. William Wordsworth has been to this place and it was the subject of his poem quot;I Wandered As Lonely As A Cloud.† He entered a state of tranquility when he visited here and writes this proficient piece of poetry when he has recollections about the daffodils. This poem questions the actual connection†¦show more content†¦People constantly want to become part of nature and Wordsworth believes that he can become a cloud in these moments of epiphany: quot;I wandered lonely as a cloudquot; (line 1) When he enters this surreal state during his recollections he also enters the sublime state of mind. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The tone of this poem starts out as ecstatic, than somber, and than ecstatic. It only takes the speaker a recollection to overcome it and enter into the sublime. The stanzas in this poem go from being an astonishment of nature, to watching, to contemplating, to being lost in thought, and then to being inspired by nature again. The poet is looking at this wonderful piece of nature and is struggling to find inspiration. He looks upon it with a â€Å"pensive mood† (Line 20) and becomes awfully upset and worried that he might not find revelations from the natural beauty in the world. He soon rises above this by reminiscing about his encounters in nature and being inspired later on. This changes to tone in the poem to go to blissful. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This is not a poem of blissful landscapes and joyful cartwheels, but one of a crisis and recollections. The plot itself is quite simple, but it is what lies underneath the surface that can confuse some. It is of a poet looking for his state of tranquility wandering and discovering in a windy field of grasses with a small patch of daffodils â€Å"dancing† on the edge of a lake. This is a

Manchester = My Ambition free essay sample

â€Å"Wait, I don’t understand, can you go over that again?† One of my classmates shouts out after returning from her reverie. This is what I hear as I sit in the back of my freshman Algebra I class, about to learn the same thing all over again. I look around and see half the class gossiping while the other half is drooling on their desks. All of a sudden some kid lets out a loud belch and the whole class erupts in laughter†¦everyone but me. My teacher and I share an exasperated sigh and I once again ask myself, â€Å"Why am I here?† Manchester is known for its student’s lack of ambition. For more than half of my life I have been brainwashed into accepting that I was supposedly â€Å"inadequate† to become one of the great ones. I felt no encouragement to actually better myself. It was not until high school that I was convinced that I was to become greater than the average Manchester student, greater than what my parents have become, and greater than what others told me was impossible. We will write a custom essay sample on Manchester = My Ambition or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This was not just a dream for me, it was an obsession and I was willing to fight every step of the way. I will die before I allow the limitations of my environment destroy my soul. I became academically independent as early as the 4th grade. I realized it was pointless to depend on my mother; with a brother who had a learning disability, and a sister who also struggled occasionally with school work, it did not leave my mother much time to help with the youngest child who was doing â€Å"just fine† in school. I still made honor roll even without my mother’s help. I determined that I was better off as my own mentor. Since that time in my life, there has been a spark of newfound pride which is reflected in my work which grows stronger each day. Yet at that age this pride could not always stand up to those teachers who did not fully believe in my potential. I thank my algebra teacher who noticed something different about me, along with the few teachers who actually care about their student’s future. My experience in Manchester ironically helped me to strive for more. It has created my independence and molded my confidence. Sitting in that freshman Algebra I class helped me realize that no statistics or placement scores can determine one’s true potential. Some students believe they are predestined to become average. I refuse this destination and I intend to choose my own path. My dream is for this world to be mine. When I hear someone telling me that I cannot, then I laugh at their ignorance. As the great Eleanor Roosevelt once said, â€Å"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.† My ambition has grown to a powerful force, strengthened by the discouraging words of disbelievers and has shined with the beauty of confidence. It shines through my eyes, through my aura, the way I walk, the way I talk, and it shines though with the knowledge that following the norm of ordinary graduates is not my fate. I am Ashley Dunbar and I am a high scho ol student. I represent the small percentage of students who wish to obtain more. I am speaking to you with confidence that has survived many emotional adversities and a determination that no one is able to penetrate. I will become great, a destination I have chosen from birth. And that is why I want to go to college.

Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers Essays - Stress, Anxiety,

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Kim Hiatt PSY.451 Olmsted Reading reflection Why zebras dont get ulcers I thought this article was very interesting. The first point the author talks about is the different types of stress. The first that is mentioned is acute physical stressors, second is chronic physical stressors and third is psychological and social stressors. Essentially, we as humans live well enough and long enoughand are smart enough, to generate all sorts of stressful events purley in our heads. The author also states that a large body of evidence suggests that stress-related disease emerges, predominantly, out of the fact that we so often activate a physiological system that has evolved for responding to acute physical emergencies, but we turn it on for monthes on end. The idea of homeostasis is brought up which is the idea that our body has an ideal set point or level, which it tries to maintain. In recent years a new idea called Allostasis has come to light. Allostasis refers to the notion that different circumstances demand different homeostatic set point and that maintaining what ever an optimal set point might be typically demandsfar flung regulatory changes throught the body instead of just local adjustments. Another interesting point im this article is that of anticipation. We as humans can turn on the stress- response by just thinking about potential stressors that may throw us out of allostatic balance. Thus the stress- response can be mobilized not only in response to physical or psychological insults, but also in expectation of them. In the past a researcher named Selye formalized two ideas: 1) The body has a surprising similar set of responses (which he called the general adaption syndrome) to a broad array of stressors. 2) Under certain conditions stressors will make you sick. During stress, sexual drive decreases in both sexes; females are less likely to ovulate or to carry pregnancies to term, while males begin to have trouble with erections and secrete less testostrone. Along with these changes, the immune system is supressed during stress in order to save energy. Also, in times of extreme physical pain, with sufficiently sustained stress, our perception of pain can become blunted. Finally during stress, shifts occur in cognative and sensory skills, your senses become sharper and memory is increased. To me it seems that we as humans think too much. If just the slightest thought about a stressful evenr or situation can cause us stress responses in our boby I can see why prolonged periods of stress can have detrimmenaleffects. The question that still remains to me is what can you do to stop the thoughts that cause such stress? Why cant our bodies being as smarts as they are determine real stress from stress that is just created through thought? Can any medications be given to calm Health Care

Free Essays on Appearance Versus Reality

Appearance Versus Reality Throughout life people are constantly faced with issues of appearance versus reality. Hypocrites seem to be everywhere, saying one thing but thinking another. Remember the people that you thought were geeks but turned out to be pretty cool once you got to know them, or that snobby upperclassman who you bumped into at the library who turned out to be a lot more interesting than you expected. It seems that our lives are filled and complicated by this conflict between appearance and reality. In the two plays, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare takes our everyday battles of appearance versus reality and makes them into a comical demonstration of our own human nature. In Much Ado About Nothing, the entire play revolves around the difference between actual and appeared realities due to characters overhearing other’s conversations. The entire play consists of incidents of characters eavesdropping and reporting false messages to others; the story beings to follow a line of falsities appearing to be real. It is interesting to be aware of the title of the play as Much Ado About Nothing, and also that the meaning of the word â€Å"nothing† as having multiple meanings. Firstly, in Elizabethan common dialect, the word â€Å"nothing† was pronounced the same as â€Å"noting† which means observing, overhearing, and perceiving; recall that many of the key events in the play occur when characters are â€Å"noting† others. J.N. Smith of Gradesaver writes â€Å"That there is a special effort made by the characters to mask their true emotions in order to protect themselves. Beatrice and Benedick are merely projected manifestat ions of this† (Gradesaver). It seems that because of â€Å"noting† many things seemed to be different from how they really were in reality. Hero appeared to be unchaste, Don John appeared to be a friend, Claudio appears to love Hero yet he abandons her so easily, Beatrice and ... Free Essays on Appearance Versus Reality Free Essays on Appearance Versus Reality Appearance Versus Reality Throughout life people are constantly faced with issues of appearance versus reality. Hypocrites seem to be everywhere, saying one thing but thinking another. Remember the people that you thought were geeks but turned out to be pretty cool once you got to know them, or that snobby upperclassman who you bumped into at the library who turned out to be a lot more interesting than you expected. It seems that our lives are filled and complicated by this conflict between appearance and reality. In the two plays, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare takes our everyday battles of appearance versus reality and makes them into a comical demonstration of our own human nature. In Much Ado About Nothing, the entire play revolves around the difference between actual and appeared realities due to characters overhearing other’s conversations. The entire play consists of incidents of characters eavesdropping and reporting false messages to others; the story beings to follow a line of falsities appearing to be real. It is interesting to be aware of the title of the play as Much Ado About Nothing, and also that the meaning of the word â€Å"nothing† as having multiple meanings. Firstly, in Elizabethan common dialect, the word â€Å"nothing† was pronounced the same as â€Å"noting† which means observing, overhearing, and perceiving; recall that many of the key events in the play occur when characters are â€Å"noting† others. J.N. Smith of Gradesaver writes â€Å"That there is a special effort made by the characters to mask their true emotions in order to protect themselves. Beatrice and Benedick are merely projected manifestat ions of this† (Gradesaver). It seems that because of â€Å"noting† many things seemed to be different from how they really were in reality. Hero appeared to be unchaste, Don John appeared to be a friend, Claudio appears to love Hero yet he abandons her so easily, Beatrice and ...

Sphinx Moths, Family Sphingidae

Sphinx Moths, Family Sphingidae Members of the family Sphingidae, the sphinx moths, attract attention with their large size and ability to hover. Gardeners and farmers will recognize their larvae as the pesky hornworms that can wipe out a crop in a matter of days. All About Sphinx Moths Sphinx moths, also known as hawkmoths, fly fast and strong, with rapid wingbeats. Most are nocturnal, though some will visit flowers during the day. Sphinx moths are medium to large in size, with thick bodies and wingspans of 5 inches or more. Their abdomens typically end in a point. In sphinx moths, the hindwings are markedly smaller than the forewings. Antennae are thickened. Sphinx moth larvae are called hornworms, for a harmless but pronounced horn on the dorsal side of their hind ends. Some hornworms do significant damage to agricultural crops, and are therefore considered pests. In their final instars, sphinx moth caterpillars can be quite large, some measuring as long as your pinky finger. Classification of Sphinx Moths Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – LepidopteraFamily - Sphingidae The Sphinx Moth Diet Most adults nectar on flowers, extending a long proboscis to do so. Caterpillars feed on a range of host plants, including both woody and herbaceous plants. Sphingid larvae usually have specific host plants, rather than being generalist feeders. The Sphinx MothLife Cycle Female moths lay eggs, usually singly, on host plants. Larvae may hatch within a few days or several weeks, depending on species and environmental variables. When the caterpillar reaches its final instar, it pupates. Most Sphingid larvae pupate in the soil, though some spin cocoons in leaf litter. In places where winter occurs, Sphingid moths overwinter in the pupal stage. Special Adaptations and Defenses of Sphinx Moths Some sphinx moths nectar on pale, deep flowers, employing an unusually long proboscis. The proboscis of certain Sphingidae species can measure a full 12 inches long. Sphinx moths are also famous for their ability to hover at flowers, much like hummingbirds. In fact, some Sphingids resemble bees or hummingbirds and can move sideways and stop in midair. Range and Distribution of Sphinx Moths Worldwide, over 1200 species of sphinx moths have been described. About 125 species of Sphingidae live in North America. Sphinx moths live on all continents except Antarctica.

Leadership and ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Leadership and ethics - Assignment Example There is no doubt therefore that any leader who takes an ethical approach will enjoy the support of employees and easily lead them in sharing the common organisational goals both short and long term. Today’s business leaders have no option other than embracing ethics in their leadership styles so as to appeal to the employees, investors and even the general public. The first pillars of ethical leadership or more related to the moral person element of leadership requiring that leaders should poses traits like trustworthiness and fairness which are desirable. The other pillar focuses on the moral manager aspect thus requiring ethical leaders to foster normative behaviour at the expense of what is unethical among followers through transactional efforts that clearly communicating ethics and rendering their support for ethical behaviours (Brown &Trevino 2006). It is imperative therefore ethical leaders stress the importance having a two-way communication; apart from airing their ideas and opinions they must also listen to their followers (Brown et al, 2005). The two-way communication is particularly crucial in ensuring information flow in the organisation.The leaders inspire norms on how to handle colleagues and this greatly influences team relations in the affirmative (Mayer et al, 2012). Ethical leadership therefore not only motivates employees b ut also saves the company of financial issues and helps grow the organisations reputation outside. Additionally, ethical leadership has immense power of eliminating tensions, personal attacks and resolving conflicts in the place of work (Mayer et al, 2012). It encourages freedom of expression and respect for diverse opinions. Thus rendering employees free and ready to listen & respect what colleagues have to air. Ethical leaders are role models in the organisations are they are capable of commanding