Impacts of the Legislation
Tourists believe that the process of obtaining visas should be short and cheap, and this means that they should not experience difficulties when applying for travel permits. The legislation means that Chinese tourists will not have to apply for two visas (UK and Schengen visas) when seeking entrance into the United Kingdom. The hospitality industry in the United Kingdom will experience an influx of tourists that had shifted to other countries like France and Spain that have short documentation processes. This means that the UK should brace for a high number of Chinese tourists that will be visiting its sites in the future. There will be less documentation, and the hospitality industry will have a reduced amount of paperwork and more tourists will visit the United Kingdom.
Secondly, the cost of travelling to the United Kingdom from china will reduce. The merging of the UK and Schengen visa application processes will enable Chinese tourists to save money used to apply for these permits separately. Therefore, more Chinese tourists will afford to travel to the United Kingdom, and this will boost tourism exports. UK will generate higher income from tourism because of increased exports in this sector. Chinese tourists will have adequate money to spend on holiday because the process of applying for two visas does not exist. Most local investors in the UK will make good sales to Chinese tourists, and this means that the income of this country will increase.
Thirdly, there will be an increase in investments in the tourism industry. There was high competition for the few tourists in the UK because the visa application process discouraged many Chinese travellers from visiting this country. Current investors spend a lot of money on advertisements to ensure they attract tourists. However, the legislation of a single application for both visas will attract more Chinese travellers, and this means that there will be no stiff competition for them in the UK. Therefore, this legislation will enable investors in the hospitality industry to spend less on advertisements and more on offering quality services to tourists.
Fourthly, the hospitality industry will attract more investors because of the attractive income generated from Chinese tourists. Unemployment rates in the UK will reduce because people will get jobs for the newly established hotels, restaurants and tour service providers. In addition, UK will be forced to improve its infrastructure to accommodate the high number of tourists expected to visit this country in the future (Brotherton 2011). Therefore, the legislation will open job opportunities and improve the existing infrastructure, and this will be an added advantage that will help this country to compete favourably in the international tourism market.
The hospitality industry will enjoy a high number of tourists, especially from China. However, this is a problem in disguise because there will be a high rate of pollution and misuse of natural resources. In addition, cases of prostitution, drug trafficking and dumping may increase if the government does not establish regulations to manage these issues. Other countries may introduce similar legislation; therefore, there will be a level ground for competitors in the international tourism market. The government will introduce stiff measures that will ensure the hospitality industry does not become a white elephant in the United Kingdom.
Impacts of Technology Development on the Hospitality Industry
The use of modern technology in the hospitality industry is an indispensable issue. Hoteliers and other investors in this sector need the media to advertise their products. The world has become a small village because of the introduction and use of modern technology (Pierceson 2014). There is a need for a faster and efficient means of communication that will ensure investors in the hotel industry reach their clients in different parts of the world. The United Kingdom has positioned itself to make a mark in international tourism by investing in modern technology. This country will be in a strategic position in the next five years; therefore, it will have extra advantages over its competitors.
In addition, tourists will be required to book rooms and seek other hotel services online (Brotherton 2011). The use of modern technology in service delivery will minimise paper documentation because most transactions will be conducted online. In addition, it will be easy for clients to compare the services offered by various hotels and choose the best ones. This means that hoteliers must invest in research to ensure their competitors are not ahead of them. In addition, the use of technology in the hospitality industry will limit the number of jobs for humans in this sector. Investors will prefer machines to humans because they are faster and more efficient.
Lastly, modern technology will improve investments in other filed like human resource, automobile, agriculture and housing. There will be demand for the services offered by other industries that augment the activities of hotels and restaurants. Therefore, countries that will invest in modern technology will create employment opportunities for their citizens, improve their infrastructures and increase their income through tourism exports. The standards of living of their citizens will improve because there will be diversification of sources of income.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Development
The use of modern technology in the hospitality industry will reduce the amount of time wasted in queues and enable tourists to save money (McDowell 2014). There will be improved communication between tourists and hoteliers, and this will reduce the conflicts that occur when seeking hotel services. Room services will improve, and hotels will offer customised services to their clients. The hospitality industry will attract a lot of investors, and this will improve the quality of services offered to ensure customers are satisfied. This will create job opportunities, improve infrastructure and boost the economy of countries.
However, it will not be easy to identify which hotels offer good services. All hotels will embrace the use of modern technology and advertise their services in similar ways. This means that there will be no variations between their services and clients will not identify their differences easily. In addition, the use of technology in organisations may sometimes cause delays and service breakdown if there is a problem with the machines or staffs involved (Barth 2011). Machines are prone to breakdowns, and this may hamper the reputation of organisations that have no idea about managing service failure.
In addition, small-scale hoteliers will be pushed out of business by large investors. It is necessary to understand that not all investors in the hotel industry have adequate funds to acquire expensive machines and hire IT experts (Achtemeier 2014). Therefore, those that have limited resources will be forced to close their operations or make very little profits. Moreover, there will be congestion in this sector because most people will want to invest in the hospitality industry. This will promote unhealthy competition and an increase in social evils. Nations may be forced to establish strict policies that will complicate the process of investing in this industry. Therefore, the existing few investors will enjoy monopoly and make huge profits.
References
Achtemeier, M 2014, The truth about investing in the hospitality industry in the modern age, Westminster John Knox Press, Kentucky.
Barth, S 2011, Hospitality law: Managing legal issues in the hospitality industry, Wiley, New York.
Brotherton, B 2011, Introduction to the UK hospitality industry: A comparative approach, Routledge, London.
McDowell, S 2014, Introduction to hospitality: How customized services improve hotel images and make brands, Baker Books, Michigan.
Pierceson, J 2014, Investing in the hotel industry in the United Kingdom: The pros and cons, Rowman and Littlefield, Maryland.