Tourism Development is a multisectoral activity requiring inputs of social, economic, cultural and environmental natures and begets employment directly and indirectly with the increasing growth in other related industries (Saleh, 2014). While Development, is the continuous and positive change in cultural, environmental and social dimensions (Telfer, 2015). These two words when combined form the word Tourism development which plays a vital role in the tourism industry. Tourism development is a series of goal systems and overall arrangements based on the history, current situation and market factors of a tourist destination (Aguila & Ragot, 2014) it is the reason for the continuing progress of tourist destinations in the Philippines and Abroad. Tourism Development has several objectives, but the main objective of having a tourism development plan in a given destination is to increase employment opportunities and the income in the destination itself (DOT, 2012). With these given the number of tourists will increase because of the proper management and utilization of the tourist destination. Another purpose of Tourism Development is the obligation to contribute to the protection and maintenance of the beauty of the cultures, traditions and value systems of the communities (Sharpley and Telfer, 2015). It should also be a promoter for the strengthening of cultural identities and the population’s dignity (Sharpley and Telfer, 2015).
Based on (Le Pelley and Pettit, 2015)’s case study, the Canterbury and Vladimir International Action for Regeneration, it defines and explains the conceptual framework for the actions undertaken and assesses how these techniques learnt have been adapted by Vladimir City Administration and by businesses in Vladimir to develop a basis for a sustainable heritage tourism industry within the metro.
Based on the theory of (Anuar, Ahmad, Jusoh, and Hussain, 2012) “The Essential Elements Underlying Formation of Tourist Friendly Destination Concept: Analysis In Micro Level” this study is a concept paper that aims to identify the elements or the characteristics of an ideal tourist destination. The findings of this study have identified the elements or the characteristics like the Attraction, Accessibility, Ancillary Services, Amenities, Safety and Security and other elements that are needed in a tourist destination.
Tourism Development in the Philippines
One of the major contributors to the economic growth of the Philippines is the tourism sector. It provides many career opportunities for Filipino citizens and contributes to an inclusive growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Philippine government agencies, both national and local, as well as the private agencies have launched several initiatives designed to develop and sustain the tourism industry.
There are four major eras that has been recognized in the evolution of the Philippines tourism industry development. The first one is the pre-martial law era or the years before 1972, followed by the martial law era (1972-1986), next is the post-martial era (1986-2000), and lastly is the 21st century era (2001-present). These eras are based on the country’s major political regime (Añasco and Lizada, 2014).
Because of the negative effect of World War II, the tourism industry in the country started to decrease. But in the early part of 1970, our government has implemented various tourism programs to help boost the country’s tourism sector. This resulted to a massive influx of foreign tourists in the year 1972. However, in the later part of the Martial law era, Philippines tourist arrival started to fall again from 1,008,000 in 1980 to 782,000 in 1986 (Añasco and Lizada, 2014) due to the great political upheaval which resulted to People’s Power Rebolution in EDSA and the removal of the President that time, Pres. Marcos, from Malacañan.
Philippines tourism industry started to recover again after the restoration of the country’s democracy. Tourist flourished again in 1993 with a total of 1.4 million visitors, this record has increased by 19% from the previous year (Chon and Hilton, 2014).
Finally, in the 21st century era, tourism industry gradually recovers and continues to rapidly grow. According to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a total of 1.43 trillion peso or 10.6% has been contributed by the travel and tourism industry to the Philippines Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015. It also generated 1.3 million jobs in tourism sector. These includes the employment in hotels and restaurants, airlines and other transport services, travel agencies as well as other leisure establishments such as shopping malls (WTTC, 2015). In 2017, according to the official statistics kept by the Department of Tourism (DOT), a total of 2,882,737 tourists have been recorded for the first 5 months of the year. This volume increased by 14.43% since the year 2016, which has 2,519,300. With the month of January having the biggest volume recorded and the month of April having the highest growth registered (DOT, 2017).
Moreover, Philippines have been improving its tourism industry with the full support of both the government and private sectors. Department of Tourism (DOT) launched a new National Tourism Development Plan for the year 2016-2022. Its vision is to “Develop a highly competitive, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible tourism that promotes inclusive growth through employment generation and equitable distribution of income.” Large part of the plan focuses on tourism infrastructure, improving transportation networks, primarily through the expansion of airports, seaports, and roads.
Alternative Tourism
Alternative Tourism involves the traveling of people to places other than the usual attractions or what is also called “Mass Tourism” (Hasan, 2016). It can be also categorized into three main groups known as Nature-Based Tourism, Cultural Tourism, and Adventure Tourism.
Nature-Based Tourism from the word itself involves interaction and appreciation with the natural environment (Wood, Guerry, Silver & Lacayo, 2013). It involves activities such as bird-watching, scuba diving, hiking, and any other recreational activities found in the destination.
Cultural Tourism involves the movement of people to cultural attractions in cities, in countries or places other than their normal place of residence with the intention of gathering new information and experiences to satisfy their needs for cultural involvement. Examples of cultural attractions are heritage sites, artistic and cultural manifestations and arts and drama in places outside their normal country of residence (Cros and McKercher, 2015). It gives people the opportunity to engage with the community’s diverse tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This may create the potential to provide peak experiences for the tourists.
Adventure Tourism involves people especially adventurers and risk takers enjoying outdoor travel activities. The exotic, unusual, and wilderness or remote places are the main attractions found in adventure tourism activities (Dar, 2014). In the Philippines, Adventure Tourism is thriving because of the exotic adventure destinations. Every adventure destination has its unique attractions and activities. In Air adventure sky diving, helicopter sightseeing, and paragliding and other thrilling air activities are present. Mountain biking, trekking, rock climbing and other land adventure activities are present Land adventure. Lastly, Water adventure involves snorkeling, surfing, swimming, and scuba diving are some of the activities that adventurers will surely enjoy (Gatdula, 2015).
Arnis
The martial art Arnis has had a positive impact on tourism in the Philippines. The recognition of Arnis as the national martial art and sport has helped to promote Filipino culture and attract tourists interested in martial arts and sports. Arnis is often included in cultural shows and festivals, and some tourist destinations in the Philippines offer Arnis demonstrations and workshops.
Furthermore, Arnis has been featured in tourism campaigns by the Philippine Department of Tourism, such as the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign. This has helped to increase awareness and interest in Arnis among both domestic and international tourists.
In addition, Arnis training and camps have been organized in the Philippines specifically for foreign martial arts enthusiasts and tourists. These training programs provide an immersive experience in Filipino culture and offer opportunities for cultural exchange and interaction.
Overall, Arnis has contributed to the diversification of tourism offerings in the Philippines, providing visitors with a unique and authentic cultural experience.
Farm Tourism
Farm tourism or commonly known as Agritourism is a rural tourism that combines a working farm environment and tourism supply components (Srivastava, 2016). It involves recreational activities and services that take place in a working farm that aims to attract visitors in participating on agricultural activities for leisure purposes. Activities like farm festivals, picking your own produce, feeding animals, horseback riding, bird watching, educational trips and farm stays (Budiasa & Ambarawati, 2014; Barbieri and Mshenga, 2008). There are many terms that are used interchangeably by the researchers on different studies and literature to refer farm tourism. Terms such as “agrotourism”, “agritourism”, “agritainment”, “rural tourism”, “farm-based tourism” and many more. Farm tourism and Agritourism are the common terms that are always used (Arroyo, 2012; Barbieri & Mshenga, 2008; Giorgia, Rizzo & Traverso, 2010).
One study noted that there are three types of tourist contact with agricultural activity. The first one is the direct contact, which indicates the physical aspect of the visitor’s experience. For example, picking of pineapples and feeding farm animals. Next one is the indirect contact, which specifies the secondary connection of tourists to farm activities. Given examples are farm mazes, go for a hayride and hiking or hunting. And lastly, the passive contact, which indicates the operation of tourism and agriculture independently. Examples are outdoor activities and farm festivals (Philip, Hunter and Blackstock, 2009).
There is an increase in demand for travelling in rural places and experiencing agricultural practices because of agritourism. People, especially those who are living in urban areas, want to breathe fresh air and experience something new that is different form their usual everyday routine. They are seeking for a relaxing environment; they want to escape temporarily, far from the stress of everyday life in the city. And they are also willing to spend their money provided that it is worth the price. Farm tourism, however, is not only for the visitors to experience and learn rural practices, pick fruits, feed animals and milk cows. It also benefits the farmers and local community by generating additional source of income for them (Mnguni, 2010; Roth and Ochterski, 2016; Srivastava, 2016).
One study entitled “Getting Started in Agritourism” listed twelve (12) possible sources to generate income for the farms. These are the admission fee, tour guide fee, sales of the farm’s fresh goods and processed goods, souvenirs like t-shirts and crafts, activities like horseback riding, educational tours for students, tasting fee, facility rental for events like wedding or birthday parties, show fee, farm accommodations, and food services (Roth and Ochterski, 2016).
Philippines is blessed with lots of natural resources and agritourism sites can be found all over the country. Department of Tourism (DOT) accredited many farm tourism sites across the country. Some of these are the strawberry and organic vegetable farms in Benguet and the pineapple and coffee plantations in Bukidnon (Recio, Ade, Esguerra, Mandanas, Masankay, Mendania, Apritado, 2014). On the year 2016, former President Benigno S. Aquino III signed the RA Act No. 10816. It is an act that provide for the development and promotion of farm tourism here in the Philippines. This act also aims to provide additional income for farmers, farmworkers and fisherfolk.
Destination Attributes or Activities in Farm Destination
As told by (Salamon, 2014) Farming is not the usual occupation someone would take. A farm is a product of the business of families throughout the history. A farm is the business of a family which expands due to development. In order for the tourists to experience the culture, history and cultural heritage, farming activities rose to fame. Giving the tourists experiences in farming. To boost and enable innovation and competitiveness in the farming sector, the local government needs to diversify farming towards more service-intensive businesses and farming activities. It is important for face to face customer relationships and creating experiences by farming activities and the enterprises (Cassel and Pettersson, 2015).
Tourists can have the physical experience of being in the farm and participating in farming activities such as Farm Planting. It is an activity that provides recreational and learning areas for the tourists, with this type of concept, it is used as stepping stones for increasing the biodiversity interaction with the people. It is also increasing in restoration circles. For it to expand Native biodiversity, Native plantings which is part of stepping stone areas need to have great extensions (Greer,P.,Bowie, Michael H., Doscher, Crile, 2017).
Another farming activity that involves a great amount of physical effort is Ploughing. It constitutes the principal operation in farming routine. It is best to plough as deeper as possible. It is advisable for the land to be well ploughed and cultivated to a desirable depth for an excellent result of good crops or in the Pineapple farm’s case the Pineapples. Farmers should demonstrate the proper way of ploughing for a better native biodiversity (Becton, 2013).
(Various, 2013) said that to eliminate and control the population of pests, Spraying and Dusting are needed. Pineapples have the sweet and tangy taste that may attract a lot of pests that can hinder the growth and its quality. Farmers use these Farming activities to extinguish the pests to keep the Pineapples in its best condition. These farming activities have been used for many years all around the world and it is not only used in farms but also in orchards and vineries as well.
The last Farming activity is Harvesting, According to (Belt Corporation of America, 2017) it is the last activity that farmers undergo before they sell their products. Ripe crops from the fields are gathered and processed after the process is done, preparations for the pineapple fruits to be sold will take place. Harvesting is the most labor-intensive activity for the growing season to the farmers.
Additionally, in terms of accommodation, Mahaliyanaarachchi (2015) stated that, a usual type of an accommodation in farm tourism is a bed & breakfast inn; wherein the owner of the farm offers his/her house to be the temporary shelter of the visitors. The farm house should be unique, doesn’t need to be a mansion as long as it is comfortable, clean, distinctive and pleasant. The Farm B&B owners however should provide a quality service for the money paid by their visitors. Visitors on the other hand do not expect a 5 star match hotel but with a clean and well organized rooms and they expect also a memorable farm related activities.
Pililla Pineapple Farm
The town of Pililia in the province of Rizal is not just famous because of the windmills but also of having blessed with different kinds of agricultural production. One of these is their big yet sweet produce of pineapple that has been popular to most of the places in the region. These can be seen in the mountainous area of Pililia that lies in Sitio Bugarin, Barangay Halayhayin with a land area of 2,652.50 hectare (Rizal Provincial Office, 2013). The vast plantation of Pineapple at Sitio Bugarin is consisting of land owned by different farmers residing in the area. One farmer has an average farm area of 10 hectares.
In the year 2004, these farmers established an organization called Bugarin’s Pineapple Growers and has 52 registered members. The main goal of the organization is to unite all the farmers and also to help them earn more profit by producing products out of their harvest pineapples. Pineapple wines and pineapple chutney are some of the products that is being manufactured with the factory that was established. The factory is located near the residence of the former president of the organization and the products that were manufactured was been sold to the different parts of the province of Rizal.
One channel to sell the products is the Rizal Expo held at Sta. Lucia Mall wherein different products from different municipalities of Rizal were showcased to the public (Department of Agriculture, Pililla 2017). Though according to the one of the member of the organization the factory didn’t succeed the first place because harvesting of pineapples is seasonal and selling of fresh pineapples is swifter in the market, despite the stopped of the production of the factory the manufacturing of the pineapple products still continue in the houses of the famers.
Tourism Industry of Rizal Province
Rizal Province was named after the Philippines’ National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. It has also gained the reputation “Cradle of Philippine Art” because of its popular artists’ communities and folk festivals (DOT, 2009). The climate in Rizal Province is Type 1; it has two pronounced seasons which are dry and wet. The dry season lasts from November to April, and the rest of the year for the wet season. With this type of climate it is highly in favor for the vast production of agriculture and industrial development to become productive (Vigattintourism, 2018). Rizal Province is abundant in beautiful attractions, full of natural springs rock formations, waterfalls, the panoramic view of Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges and Laguna de Bay, the vibrant festivities, and the green sceneries (Rizal Province Trade and Commerce, 2013).
Rizal province is home to a lot of tourist attractions which make its tourism industry very satisfying. Its known attractions are: Daranak falls, it is a 14-meter high falls known as a shooting location for local and international movies and advertising outfits in the country. It is located in Barangay Tandang Kutyo, Tanay. Next is Batlag falls, it is located in Tanay. In Binangonan is where the Talim Island is located. It is where 17 coastal barangays of the municipality of Binangonan are located. Another one is the Overlooking view in Sumulong Highway in Antipolo. It is situated on top of a hill where the whole metropolis can be viewed. There is also a good amount of restaurants and bars that can be found there. Next is the Pililla View Area, in Sitio Bugarin, Pililla. It’s located on top of a mountain with an overlooking view of the Laguna Lake and outlines of the Mount Makiling and Mount Banahaw. Uugong Arts and Cultural Park is another tourist attraction found in Barangay Bombogan, Morong. This site is owned by Rafael Pacheco who facilitates in art workshops, demonstrations and lectures. Lastly is the Hinulugang Taktak in Taktak road, Antipolo. This mountain resort is known for its waterfalls, and picnic cottages, swimming pool, artificial paths and steps to view the environs. The month of May is when the resort is at its peak, thousands of visitors enjoy watching the concerts and plays, with popular activities in the city like a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (DOT, 2014).
The Tourism in Rizal is being well planned and strategized to produce a better outcome, Just last 2016, The National Association of Independent Travel Agencies also known as NAITAS Rizal Chapter facilitated the 2016 Rizal Tourism Summit, it is a cooperative effort of government entities and tourism stakeholders with the same objective and that is to boost further the local tourism of Rizal and estimate the tourist arrivals for both local and foreign. Ferdinand Cruz, the NAITAS Rizal President, stated in an interview that the two day summit within the province is an assembly composed of tourism trustees from Rizal to fortify the partnership between the local government unit and private sector. Their main objective is to conceptualize strategies in promotion of a more dynamic tourism business in Rizal (Molina Jr., 2016).
Tourism Supply Components
According to one study, the context of tourism supply is not the same with the usual concept of products/services in other industry. It is not transferable hence product delivery cannot be made. Tourism supply is inseparable to the destination; it is performed within the attraction. Additionally, it is perishable and cannot be stock for future use; products are consumed as they are produced. (Bădiță, 2012; Middleton, Fyall, Morgan and Ranchhod, 2009)
Tourism supply is a mixture of various components. These components were classified into four different categories on the book entitled, “Tourism: Principles, Practices, and Philosophies”. The first category is the natural and environmental resources, which includes the physical geography, weather condition of the area and natural resources. Followed by, the built environment, which main elements are the infrastructure and superstructure of the destination. Third, is the operating sectors, this includes the 5 A’s of tourism industry – attraction, accessibility, accommodation, amenities and activities. And the last category is the hospitality and cultural resources. (Goeldner and Ritchie, 2009; Vanhove, 2011)
Natural components refers to natural elements that can be seen and feel in a destination. This resources is one of the important factors in tourism supply and it has the power to attract tourists to go on the destination. This includes mountains, beaches, the physical geography, weather condition of the area, landscapes, water falls, etc. (Dupeyras and MacCallum, 2013; Vanhove, 2011)
Infrastructure includes all the transport system – railways, roads, port/ferry, airports, parking facilities etc. – and public utilities that provides water, electricity, telecommunication signal etc. In addition, superstructure includes all the facilities and amenities on the destination such as lodging facilities, restaurants, resorts, stores and many more (Vanhove, 2011).
Accessibility
Accessibility is a vital factor in a tourist destination. Ease in reaching a tourist destination can possibly be measured in terms of the quality of road networks that provide access to them. (Al, Xia Veenendaal, 2013) A tourist destination can magnet more tourists if it has a good mode of transportation (Karakas, 2012; Wu & Guo, 2013). Transportation services in Japan have greatly improved ever since there was an increase in the number of domestic airports in Japan (Fujiwara and Zhang, 2013). The better the accessibility of an attraction, the greater it can contribute to the locals residing in the area. In the case of Xi-Hung Road in China, road infrastructure investment took place where in both places, Xiai and Hung, could benefit to the increase of visitors. (Li, Zhang, Xu, Jiang, 2013) It can also become a source of income for the locals (Kotler, Bowen & Makens, 2014).
In describing a tourist destination’s attractiveness and competitiveness, one has to look at the road infrastructure because it can give a positive or negative effect to the tourist’s experience. (Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, 2016) The government plays an essential role in improving the accessibility of a tourist destination, but in the case of Taal, Batangas, Philippines, developing tourist accessibility was challenged by financial difficulties (Aguda, Tamayo & Barlan, 2013).
The competitiveness and accessibility can be fully achieved if the government takes a step or action. (Generalitat de CatalUnya, 2013).
Amenities
The amenities of a tourist destination are what make an attraction a cut above the rest. They serve as the chain that binds tourism and recreation. (Betz, Perdue, 2017) A tourist attraction can give the tourists two satisfactions which can be either tangible or intangible experiences. Giving attention to amenities by enhancing facilities can pave the way for more number of tourists and increase in visits. (Manimekalai, Karthik, 2017) A tourist’s favorable assessment of the offers and amenities of a destination will not just foster repeated patronage but will also increase word of mouth recommendation to other people who can and will visit the place. (Hassan, Shahnewaz, 2014) An evaluation of a destination’s standing in terms of its amenities can determine its competitiveness. It can be measured through infrastructure and services, including the accommodation that can boost the tourist experience. (Simmons, Sleeman, 2012) According to Vail (2010) Tourism amenity is either placed based attributes or hand-created that will surely enhanced the visitor’s quality of stay within the destination. In the case of Maine, good amenity investment can lead to two benefits, one is to attract more high-spending visitors and the other is to improve the quality of life of the residents of Maine. While in a study conducted by Brey (2011) he defined what a resort amenity has to offer in a destination. Provide one signature amenity or anchor attribute, provide secondary recreation/leisure /entertainment experiences and emphasize a leisure or retreat-environment experience. He also stated that resort services and other amenities are one of the key factors in making a decision in vacation. Also, small scale businesses like retail stores or shops plays an important part in making a destination developed because it has a positive potential in terms of social and economic change (Brouder & Eriksson, 2013) Shopping is one of the most common tourist activities in the world. Taking home souvenirs from a destination holds a great symbolic value related to the travel experience and memories of the tourist within the place. (Littrell 1994 et al., Ibadat 2016)
Ancillary services
Ancillary products otherwise known as “add-ons” to the tourist experience may come in many forms such as hotel transfer, access to inhouse, facilities and current exchange. (Wright, 2013) Add-ons services can also be services that come up with tourist-industry support, including marketing and promotional facilities, and travel agencies (Simmons, Sleeman, 2012). In addition to that, another way to satisfy tourists is to make their experience memorable. Tour guides should actively engage with tourists to make their guided tour experience memorable (Weiller and Black, 2015). Tour Guides play a vital role in representing a destination to a tourist. The tourist satisfaction and the possibility of returning is somehow depends on how their tour guides treat them (Cetinkaya & Oter 2016) Also, the service that they provide may give a lasting impression to the tourist. (Prakash, Monika; Chowdhary, Nimit & Sunayana, 2010) Giving attention to providing ancillary services to tourists means that you know what your tourists want and what satisfies them (Wyman, 2016). Another important service that a tourist may be always concerned is in the aspect of telecommunication. The advancement of technologies nowadays such as television, internet, radio and phones made communicating overseas easy in our daily lives. Phone calls is now a major way of communicating to people all around the world. (Perez, 2015) In addition, with the influence of technology, the competitiveness of tourist destination also boosts. (Boes, 2015; Presenza, 2014)
Attraction
In a recent study, the ambiance or scenery of a tourist attraction falls under the intangible characteristics of a tourist attraction. (Wang, 2016) These intangibles includes security and the place’s natural beauty, which are the factors highly regarded by tourists (Cetinsoz and Artuger, 2014) A tourist attraction is also visited because of the tourist’s perception about it and how they associate it with what its country is known for. (Morris, 2015) The tourist’s perceived image of an attraction can be a major factor as to why it is visited by many. Weather, food, art, history, and culture of a tourist destination may also be put into consideration (Ball, 2014). One of the most important characteristic of a tourist destination is that it must be experienced at the attraction rather than at the tourist’s home. We call it tourism if somebody is moving to a location where he/she wants to experience something new, such as beach destination, indigenous pyramids, concerts, nature reserve or special sports event (Gisolf, 2012). Evaluating also based on what it has to offer, its quality, uniqueness or extraordinary value, we can now think of multiple activities that suit the destination. One of the assets of a destination is its local residents. Involving them can boost the level of support that tourism development may get. Everyone in the community can help in thinking on how the destination may promote (Vitcenda, 2011).
The type of scenery or attraction that can be seen in a particular place also distinguishes the type of tourists attracted to it (Ozdemir, 2014). Consequently, when a tourist’s satisfaction is met, it will come out naturally to them to pass on to another of what they’ve experienced, resulting to a good image for the destination (Dhankhar& Singh, 2014).
Safety and Security
According to (Tarlow, 2014), assurance of safety is needed by the tourists to reduce the fear or paranoia of travelling from one place to another. Tourists should feel the sense of safety and security to boost their confidence in travelling (Brossman, 2016). According to (Hollnagel, 2013), safety is a state or condition where no accidents, injuries or any other mishappenings happen. While Security, (Kissel, 2013) Security is the condition of protective measures being performed.
Tourism destination without the right and proper safety and security can lose its competitiveness advantage. Safety and security is one of the fundamentals in tourism development, any threat and danger can keep tourist to visit a destination and it can affect any impact plans. Security in tourism is not just the safety of the tourist while they are in the destination but in includes also the safety of the tourist until he or she gets home. Tourism Oriented Policing and Protection Services also known as TOPPS was first proposed in the early part of 1990’s by tourism security experts: Tarlow, Pizam, Mansfeld. Its main goal is to protect and save tourist from any threats, harm, to provide security and assistance and to investigate in any crime involving the locals and international tourists (Payam, 2015).
In the case of Malaysia, tagged as being one of the most visited countries in the Asia, in 2012 & 2013, Kuala Lumpur voted as the world’s fourth best shopping destination by CNN travel survey. The same survey also listed the three of the island and beaches as among the Top 50 Beaches of the World’s 100 Best Beaches which is the Perhentian Kecil Island, Terengganu, Juara Beach, Pulau Tioman and TanjungRhu, Langkawi. Have been taken several strategies to give high priority to safety issues. They believe that the success of a tourist destination is being able to provide a safe and secure environment to its visitor. However Malaysia’s reputation on safety and security began to tarnish because of some incident on threat of terrorism.
From a CNN global study in 2013, 67 percent of respondents more worries about the safety and security of a destination rather than its cost and reputation. This only shows that safety and security is a maintaining process to every country (Mohd Ayob, and Masron, 2014). In a study of Pizam (2016) they stated some types of security incidents. The four possible incidents that might harmfully affect the tourism system are as follows: crime-related incidents, terrorism, war, and civil/political unrest. According to them, crime-related incidents may be in the form of crimes committed by local residents against tourists; crimes committed by tourists against local residents; crimes committed by tourists against other tourists; and organized crime against tourism enterprises. While in the form political unrest it may be in the form of Coup d’état, violent demonstrations, uprising and riots these incidents may cause a major decline in a tourist arrival of a destinations.
Impacts of Safety and Security
Impact on Tourism Industry
In most cases, the locals and the destination itself are highly affected by the negative effect in failure on safety and security.
Impact on the destination itself
When an incident happened, the in-charge officials first things that did was to assess the damage that cause to the destination. This assessment was made to formulate the appropriate plan or policy to be done.
Impact on Host Government
In some places, tourism is one of the major contributors in its community so when an incident happened the affected government can create immediately or implement a new and improved security measure within the area. Assist in the recovering and to the damage and lastly is to provide financial assistance to major negative ramification (Mansfeld, 2016).
In a study conducted with the hotels in Egypt, safety and security were being a frequent issue there. Egypt experienced one of the worst events with regards of political crises, the country suffered violent incidents, labor strikes, terrorist attacks and large protests. The violence was intensively broadcast by media all around the globe and many countries advise their citizens to evacuate their citizens in Egypt. Egypt was perceived as an unsafe and insecure destination for travel and tourism activities. Survey conducted on visitors of hotels in Egypt and found out that Hotel Managers should focus more on guestrooms security, access control and cyber security (Ghazi, 2015). The safety and security has a huge impact on the traveler whether to continue to go or not in a destination and yet many government and private sector take less attention on “law and order” as factor tourist always consider in visiting a destination (Farina, 2010).
Soft Tourism Development Strategies
Based on a study conducted by (Lusby, 2018), the Soft Tourism Development concept emerged during the 1980s and early 1990s to improve the issue with a large scale unsustainable tourism development. It is known to be an extreme type of tourism development on continuous development strategies. Soft Tourism Development has also been best recommended for the outlying and rural areas like farmlands and in Pililla’s case, the Pineapple Farm.
The Researchers presented a list of strategies for the Proposed Soft Tourism Development Program. The strategies are as follows: The local government could enhance the shuttle service leading to the farm. According to (IRU, 2018), Shuttle Services or coaches is a convenient mode of transportation when exploring short and medium distances in tourist attractions especially in rural areas. It allows people to explore the new places through tourism. Another strategy would be, the local government should fund more road signages while the management should be the one who will be responsible for maintaining it. (ZUMAR, 2018) said that the importance of road signs or highway signs is to alert the drivers to reduce or increase their speed limit for a particular way. It also makes people aware of detours, roads that are under construction, and dangerous places like sharp turns and steep hills. Road signages reduces accidents that can possibly happen. The next strategy is, the local community should entertain more business investors who could facilitate in developing lodging facilities for the tourists. (Batin, 2015) stated that lodging facilities in rural areas are small, comfy and family-style environment with limited and small operations where the tourists or the guests can share meals and amenities with their host family. The next strategy is, The local government should conduct seminars/training for local residents who have the potential to accommodate tourists is supported by the study by (Sandaruwani & Gnanapala, 2016) who stated that the role of a Tour Guide is to guide a group of tourists or individuals by sharing their knowledge about the specific tourist attractions and historical sites and passionately promote the cultural and natural heritage of the tourist attraction. For a tourist guide to perform well he needs to undergo seminars and trainings so that he can hone his skills and become a professional. Another strategy is, the local government should develop more telecommunication system on the site. The (National Academy of Science, 2018) found out that the participation and development of the people living in communities disadvantaged by the geography and especially in rural area is enabled by Telecommunication System. It is also essential because it provides security in case of a natural disaster or accident in the area. Next, the local government should enhance security equipment and train the management and local residents who will be responsible for the equipment. (World Tourism Organization, 2017) stated that the tourist destination’s success depends on the ability to provide safety and security to the environment for the tourists be able to tour the attraction freely and and at ease. Providing security equipment will create extension for the well-being of the tourists. And lastly, the management should facilitate in more of the said farming activities and they could assign local residents to be in charge of it. To boost and enable innovation and competitiveness in the farming sector, the local government needs to diversify farming towards more service-intensive businesses and farming activities. It is important for face to face customer relationships and creating experiences by farming activities and the entrepreneurs (Cassel & Pettersson, 2015).
Grasse in France
Located in the Alpes-Maritimes area on the French Riviera, Grasse is popular for its scent and perfume. Before this place became known for its scent, Grasse was famous for its leather and tanneries. Leather Gloves that is produced here around 1700 had an unpleasant smell, and then one of the tanners came up with the idea of having the gloves scented. To create scented gloves, the townspeople began to grow flowers (hyacinths, tuberose and Centifolia roses), which was aided by the area’s microclimate and the fact the Moors brought jasmine into the area. (Walton, 2016) Grasse is popularly known for producing two-thirds of France’s natural aromas, and of the greatest names in the perfume industry such as Chanel and Christian Dior. A According to Han-Paul Bodifée, a chemical engineer who is president of Prodarom, the trade association, and of Pôle PASS, the competitiveness cluster for the scents and flavours industry, which are both based in Grasse, in the colonial era when local flower production could no longer meet demand some of the pioneers in the industry went abroad and got raw materials from different countries such as Tunisia and Morocco then they carried out the primary extraction in those countries and only the final production stages were carried out in Grasse (Tiemen, 2012). Though of Grasse’s serene ambiance the majority of its local people are the young ones. The majority of the land is some golf courses and horse riding and tennis are available in the verdant surrounding of Grasse (Derrick, 2016). Yet it’s still perfume which the visitors of Grasse are still after to. One of the famous manufacturers Fragonard, which first opened its doors in 1926, now provides guided tours that reveal the tricks of the well-known industry to the tourist. Then for visitors now who are interested in the history of perfume making, the Museé International de la Parfumerie where exhibits chronicle over 3,000 years of perfume history. Then to have a free access to the perfume world, 3 big manufacturing companies of perfume offers free guided tours for the tourist to experience the Galimard, Fragonard, and Molinard. These tours all include an overview of the history of perfume making, an overview of historical and with some demonstrations, and a visit to a gift shop where you can purchase fragrance products (Norah, 2015). There are also an annual festival that caters the beauty of different kinds of flower and consisted of concerts, exhibitions, fireworks and dancing (Derrick, 2016).
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