Introduction
A resort is a business entity organized to host people who are on a planned vacation. The business is designed to attract, maintain, and satisfy its guests so that they can become regular visitors or ambassadors of the business. Resorts have been playing a key role in promoting travel and tourism sector. Many business organizations operate resorts in a market segment. The management of each resort puts consistent efforts to capture a big market share.
The stiff competition in the market leaves them with the option of initiating effective management skills. Target market and valued experience are generic approaches to resort management that every business will try to achieve. Therefore, to maintain a competitive edge and remain the best in the market, a resort management team must consider other management strategies rather than the target market and value experiences.
Creating A Sustainability Management Plan
Developing a sustainable management plan is the initial step that a resort business should consider. The plan helps in creating a management system with a clear decision-making structure. It also allows for the continuous improvement of performance by implementing processes that integrate easily into the system. An organization must develop vision and mission statements to guide its operations. These must conform to the customer needs in the target market and the policies that guide business operations in the country.
The business should also set its objectives, targets, and policies (Pavlatos 757). These act as the guiding principles for its operations because they state what the business stands for in the market.
The adoption of a sustainable plan begins with the implementation of the stated objectives and targets. At this point, the management needs to include all stakeholders in the process. When the implementation process includes all parties, it will take into consideration the interests of everybody. During the process, people are assigned responsibilities to undertake (Ali, Amin, and Ryu 48). When everyone fulfills their duties according to the stated objectives, production, and delivery of services to customers will improve. It is important to note that the main aim of a business is to be profitable and able to maintain quality services (Prud’Homme and Raymond 118).
The business environment in the travel and tourism sector changes based on issues such as government policies, weather changes, economic status, and technology, among others. Sometimes, unexpected changes might have negative effects on the implementation processes. To bring the business back to the track, the management should conduct a regular monitoring process(Pavlatos 762). The process is vital in assessing the status of the business in the market.
An internal audit system helps in evaluating the progress of the business. During the evaluation, external factors that have direct effects on the resort are considered. These may include government policies, international flights, weather change, new services, and emerging technology, among others(Ali, Amin, and Ryu 56). After that, corrective measures and preventive actions are suggested as a way of improving the business structure and service delivery.
Continuous improvement of the system is essential in addressing emerging issues in the travel and tourism sector. In this context, the resort management team can introduce new facilities or services to meet the new needs in the market. They can make changes in the business operation to meet the specific needs of their guests. Continuous improvement enhances the maximum utilization of resources. It minimizes the impact of the resort’s activities to the surrounding environment through a waste recycling program(Pavlatos 764). Consequently, the cost of operation reduces as the business strives to gain more profits.
Training Staff and Visitors
Resorts are established in major tourist attraction sites such as national parks, forests, historic buildings, geographical sceneries, and beaches. In addition, visitors come from around the world to spend holidays and tour those regions. In the process, they use the services offered by the resorts in the regions. A resort needs to develop a long-term strategy that would help in providing continuous services to customers. To stand out among competitors, resort management can inspire its employees and visitors to promote a sustainable environment around the resort(Ali, Amin, and Ryu 67). Training employees and visitors about the importance of keeping the environment clean will reduce the carbon footprint of the organization.
In addition, the training program will enhance the smooth running of the business. It will enhance efficient operations and cost-effective delivery of services. Providing high-quality services at low costs is the best way to attract more visitors and earn high profits(Prud’Homme and Raymond 121). When working with well-trained and experienced staff, services are delivered fast and effectively. Quick customer services are directly proportional to low costs and high profits.
On the other hand, training ensures long-term protection and improvement of the environment on which the resort depends. Tourism and travel are all about the clean and attractive environment. A resort can only thrive when its surrounding meets the recommended standards for tourists and travelers. Therefore, it must meet the expectations of the guests and maintain its reputation.
Adopting Internet and Mobile Technology
The advancement in mobile technology has changed the way individuals and business organizations interact. Resorts deal with tourists who travel from other parts of the world to their destinations. Smartphones and tablets have changed the way people interact (Wang et al. 164). Through the Cloud Computing platform, the possibilities of immediate access to information are limitless. Tourists and travelers use these devices to access information about their intended destinations. To gain popularity in the market, a resort can use the mobile platform to market its business, communicate with customers and offer services to them.
In the current world where technology dominates, a business needs to establish an online presence to attract and maintain new customers(Anuar, Mushaireen, and Khalid 553). A resort should have a well-established website where it markets its products and services. A good website should rank high in the main search engines such as Google. Therefore, a customer who searches for hotels and resorts in that area can access the business with ease. An elaborate website will provide fundamental information about the resort including the services it offers to customers (Wang et al. 169). A prospective customer is more likely to choose the resort with better services compared to others. Therefore, a company should add substantive features of its business and all services it provides.
A resort should apply the latest mobile technologies with the best practices in order to take big market shares. A well-established mobile based service will decrease the resort’s dependency on its online travel agents. Through a mobile application integrated with the business website, a resort can allow its customers to book for accommodation and other services online. A good mobile platform allows its customers to pay for the services online. The application will reduce the aspect of physical interactions, which are time consuming and expensive(Anuar, Mushaireen, and Khalid 556). A well-established mobile strategy is a vital weapon in the travel and tourism industry, which evolves at a rapid rate.
Developing Environmental Initiatives
Although profit is the key objective of a resort, it is necessary to create a good relationship with stakeholders and communities around the business. Environment pollution is a health concern to everyone including visitors and guests. To attract and maintain guests, the business must establish initiatives to conserve and protect the ecosystem within its surrounding. It must respond to the issues of climate change as a way of addressing emerging needs for sustainable practices.
These include the sustainable consumption of energy and effective management of wastes(Ali, Amin, and Ryu 65). To achieve the objective, a resort must comply with the relevant environment policies. It should integrate environment issues in its decision-making processes and promote environmental awareness through education of staff, customers, and communities.
Through, reuse and recycling processes, a resort is able to reduce wastages and environmental pollution. Consequently, the cost of production and services are kept low. A responsible use of energy within the business enhances energy efficiency (Pavlatos 765). On the other hand, the energy options influence the effectiveness of the environmental initiatives. Preferably, a resort should use renewable energy resources such as solar and the wind energies.
Wildlife conservation program should be part of a resort. It should protect the endangered native wildlife in the surrounding because they can form part of the tourist attractions and increase customers (Gössling 233). It should conserve all its resources to reduce wastes, improve services and attract more customers.
In conclusion, a resort business operates in an environment influenced by rapid changes in trends. These include climate change, adoption of new technology, government policies and economic status of a country. Therefore, it is challenging to maintain effective service delivery throughout. Identifying target market and provision of valued experience are the fundamental practices in a resort business. However, all resorts in the same market strive to achieve the two objectives. In order to gain a competitive advantage and maintain business reputation, the strategic management of a resort should go beyond the target market and valued experiences. It should create an elaborate sustainable management plan, offer to train staff and guests, adopt modern technology, and conserve the environment.
Works Cited
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Anuar, Jazira, Mushaireen Musa and Khazainah Khalid. “Smartphone’s Application Adoption Benefits Using Mobile Hotel Reservation System (MHRS) among 3 to 5-star City Hotels in Malaysia.” Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 130 (2014): 552-557. Print.
Gössling, Stefan. “New Performance Indicators for Water Management in Tourism.” Tourism Management 46 (2015): 233-244. Print.
Pavlatos, Odysseas. “An Empirical Investigation of Strategic Management Accounting in Hotels.” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 27.5 (2015): 756-767. Web.
Prud’Homme, Brigitte and Louis Raymond. “Sustainable Development Practices in the Hospitality Industry: An Empirical Study of Their Impact on Customer Satisfaction and Intentions.” International Journal of Hospitality Management 34 (2013): 116-126. Print.
Wang, Yi-Shun, Hsien-Ta Li, Ci-Rong Li and Ding-Zhong Zhang. “Factors Affecting Hotels’ Adoption of Mobile Reservation Systems: A Technology-organization-environment Framework.” Tourism Management 53 (2016): 163-172. Print.