Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4.
Establishing a development program consistent with the cultural, social, and economic philoso-
phy of the government and the people of the host country or area
5.
Optimizing visitor satisfaction
OBSTACLES TO DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPLY
Obstacles to development
can be external (outside the destination) or internal (in the destination).
External obstacles are those which originate from outside the destination
such as political disagree-
ments with the government of a major foreign market. Internal obstacles are, logically then, those
which originate within the destination. The most common perhaps is resident opposition to a
particular type of tourism development, such as a casino. The
first obstacle to overcome in turning
potential supply into actual supply is the lack or inadequacy of transportation and access routes to the
tourist nucleus or center. It is, of course, not enough to get there. The tourist should also be induced to
stay. To this end, another basic obstacle to the development of actual supply should be overcome: the
lack or shortage of accommodation.
Tourists inevitably require a series of goods and services. Some may be found on the spot and may
be economically
flexible enough to adapt to the
fluctuations of demand. The infrastructure capacity
must meet maximum demand. Financing can be a major obstacle. Finally, we cannot overlook the
need for suf
ciently trained and hospitable personnel.
Internal obstacles found within the destination area can be corrected or eliminated by direct,
voluntary means. The obstacles may occur in incoming as well as outgoing or internal tourism.
As tourism in all its forms absorbs consumer goods, prices in this
field tend to be extremely
sensitive to movements in the prices of goods. A rise in prices due to tourism has the same effect
as a decrease in the income of the potential tourist. Consequently, when considering costs and
—
PROFILE
From offices in Honolulu, Irvine, Seattle, Orlando, London,
Singapore, and various project site offices, WATG offers strategy,
planning, architecture, interior design, and landscape architec-
ture services. A talented and multicultural staff of over 300
professionals specializes in hospitality, leisure, and entertainment
projects. As an industry leader with over a half-century of
experience, WATG has been involved in the successful comple-
tion of over 250 hotel projects totaling more than 90,000 new
guestrooms, and another 12,000 guestrooms are currently under
construction.
W
ATG has been designing destinations for over 60 years—
places that delight their visitors and satisfy their owners,
too. The work of WATG spans more than 160 countries and
territories and is highly acclaimed for excellence in design and
creativity.
WATG's client list includes almost every major international,
national, and regional operator/owner, including: Conrad, Equato-
rial, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Grecotel, Hilton, Hyatt. Inter-
Continental, Jumeirah, Kempinski, Kerzner International, Mandarin
Oriental Hotel Group, Marriott, MGM Resorts International,
Movenpick, Okura, Peninsula, Radisson, Ramada, The Ritz-Carlton
Hotel Company, RockResorts, Rosewood, Savoy Group of Hotels,
Shangri-La, Shilla, Starwood (Le Meridien, Sheraton, St. Regis, W
Hotels, Westin), Steigenberger Hotel Group, Swissotel, Viceroy,
Waldorf-Astoria, Wynn Resorts, and many others.
The firm's policy is to respect the unique environment and cultural
heritage of each host country, region or community, and to make a
positive contribution to the lives and culture of that area. Our
mission, ''designing destinations that lift the spirit.''
Having designed more hospitality projects than any other firm in
the world, WATG has had the privilege of assisting preeminent
owners, developers, operators and governments on six continents.
No two places, no two clients, no two projects are alike. Yet they
all succeed in achieving these critical balances: the needs of clients
and the expectations of visitors, the wishes of the local community
and the preferences of the international marketplace, the desire for
design innovation, and the reality of economic restraints.
In addition to designing hotels and resorts, WATG has been
internationally acclaimed for creativity and bottom-line success of
projects that include:
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