Articles - February 2009

The Case for Public Funding of Tourism
by David Andrews The case for public funding centres around what would happen without it - with no public funding, the whole infrastructure of tourism marketing would collapse, due to market failure. There would continue to be tourists, but their numbers would be significantly... more
Visitor Perceptions of Public Transport in London
by Olivia Ruggles-Brise The article presents the findings of research commissioned by the London Development Agency’s tourism team to understand whether and where the system could be improved. It provides recommendations to destination managers in London but also in the rest... more
Tourism and the Proposed Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
by David Bowden This article takes a look at the details of new proposals contained in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, which aims to create a coastal path around England. It also gives a quick overview of the background to the Bill and examines its possible impact... more
Surviving the Recession: Lessons for Independent Hoteliers
by Peter Hancock This article is a response to the article "The Effect of the Recession on the Hotel Sector" which was published in Tourism Insights in December 2008. It explores why the market polarisation towards best and cheapest naturally works in favour of both extremes. more
Complaint Handling – A Guide to Best Practice
by Richard Morrey This article explores the various factors pushing customers to complain and why complaints should be seen as something positive. It then outlines a six-stage process to handle complains effectively and make sure that dissatisfy customers become loyal... more