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urban tourism
Running head: URBAN TOURISM
[Insert Your Name]
[Grade Course]
[Tutor’s Name]
Date: 27th April, 2011
1.0 Introduction to urban tourism
It is possible to sense the significance of urban tourism to everyday life from people’s frequent conservations about visiting towns and cities. Urban tourism is part of culture and life. This paper intends to address the lack of understanding of urban tourism. It also looks at various ways of promoting urban tourism with a case study of Brighton Town.
According to Buckley and Witt (1985), even though people may visit towns and cities even if they don’t reside in those cities, these are not necessarily considered as tourists.
Tourism investment ventures or opportunities have enabled many cities to compensate for lost or declined traditional economic ventures thereby boosting economic strength of the cities and ultimately creating new jobs (Law 1993).
Urban areas are more often characterized by high population concentration or dense spatial population distribution and highly differentiated economic activities. Moreover, cultural and social activities also characterize these areas and provide a rich backbone for tourism-based activities to thrive. Development of tourism is one of the most prevalent changes in urban locales. Urban areas are an important attraction for tourism-based venture investment activities that in turn create employment. They vary in their nature, size, location, function, culture, heritage and environment.
Generally, an area is considered urban if its population is a thousand or more people with a density of 400 people per square kilometer (Ruetsche 2006). All territory outside urban centers is classified as rural. The impact of the total population within urban areas is minor, but the impact on the specific land areas could be large thus affecting any program or research based on precise distance or land area measurements in relation to individual urban areas (Ryan 2003).
Land termed as urban comprises permanent structures, transportation corridors such as roads and railways, transportation features such as airports, car parks and railway yards, mine buildings and areas surrounded by built up sites (Department of the Environment 1996).
An urban area is an area of continuous urban development and includes the historical core municipality and the adjacent suburbs. All tourists and visitors approach cities with definite expectations of its sights and attractions (Jakle 1985). These expectations are not only formed by a variety of social experiences and information sources but also vary with the type of visitor.
Urban areas promote urban tourism because these are gateways for tourist entry to the rest of the country. They are also centers for accommodation and bases for excursion are tourism destinations.
Urban tourists can be distinguished from other tourists by identifying their place of residence and their motives of visiting. A more detailed and accurate method of examining the activity of tourists is to ask them which urban facility they used and in which order (Ashworth 1988).
The urban environment can be viewed under the different dimensions of tourism as a leisure product. The ‘activity place’ defines the supply of facilities and an overall leisure setting which covers both physical and sociocultural facilities (Hutcheon 2001). Three main levels of facilities have been identified and primary elements which cover major tourist attractions. These tourist attractions are supported by the secondary elements which are the retail and catering facilities, conditional elements which are general tourist infrastructure.
Buckley and Witt (1985) assert that development of new forms of urban tourism is associated with effective marketing strategies. Cities have created new marketing organizations and have developed key slogans to present a positive image to potential visitors. Urban areas are forced to compete with each other to attract new investment .Having a positive image can be secured through good tourism and leisure facilities.
Pearce (2001) states that urban tourism may be studied in terms of demand, supply, development, marketing, planning, organizations and impact assessment.
According to Tunbridge (1990), buildings used as symbols of success for a city is part of urban tourism strategies. The challenge for urban authorities is concerned with balancing tourism, conservation, preservation and the needs of the local residents. Urban tourism tends to be physically concentrated in historic districts.
An outline of the Project
This paper takes a study of urban tourism in Brighton. It looks at the various attractions in Brighton, the tourist’s perception of Brighton, problems and challenges faced and the sustainability of tourism in Brighton. A simple questionnaire was used to analyse the tourists’ perception of urban tourism in Brighton during their stay.
2.1 History of Brighton
Brighton has a 250-year history as a tourism destination. It adopted its first tourism strategy in 2004. This strategy enabled and suffered from limited specific objectives until it was refreshed in 2008, where the distinctiveness of Brighton was central to the vision. This strategy is more powerful and focuses on the distinctiveness of the place.
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove (Carder 1990). It has two universities and a medical school. Brighton, being less than an hour from London, has made it a popular destination. It was featured in a number of popular films like the Da Vinci Code. A high density of businesses is involved in media.
Brighton is known for excellent fishing, antique shops, unique bird watching opportunities and charming atmosphere. Brighton’s agricultural past is present everywhere. Its business interest played an important role in the town for more than a century.
Brighton’s municipality maintains the town and is a friendly host to its residents and visitors. It strives to provide its visitors and with superior customer service.
2.2 Economic Development
Brighton’s economic base is diverse and plentiful. Manufacturing, construction, retail and services, tourism and farming are all industries that Brighton has (Ashworth 1998). Business is thriving and new businesses are constantly emerging due to the steady population growth rate in the area. Along with serving the local market, businesses have international connections and actively export to markets around the world. Brighton is an active business community and welcomes prospective businesses and industries to discover the economic and social benefits.
Lines of communication and services are constantly being enhanced to provide businesses with the support needed to grow and develop. With active business associations and organizations, resources are always within reach.
The residents of Brighton are well accommodated with two full service grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, banks and an excellent variety of retail businesses. The business improvement area works extra hard to maintain the city.
2.3 Attractions at Brighton
Brighton Marina water sports located at the Sussex coast offers water sports activities.
Phoenix Brighton, located at the city centre, is a building where artistic processes are valued i.e. artistic exhibitions and performances.
Brighton Toy and Model Museum, situated under Brighton station, houses one of the finest collections of toys in the world.
The Nivea Sun Yellowave Beach sports is the only sandy beach in Brighton. Beach sports activities are offered.
The Royal Pavillion is the sea side palace of the Prince Regent which has original pieces of art lent by the Queen.
2.4 Problems Facing Brighton
2.4.1 Drug Use
Brighton must have one of the worst cases for drug use. The seaside town, students and transient population are known to use drugs (Mason 1998). This is because Brighton is a party town and has a drug culture. Some of the drugs used include: alcohol, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine, cannabis and heroin. Drug peddlers sell these drugs, especially pills, over the counter at the big night clubs and on the sea front. Heroin is the most used drug in the city.
Drug abuse has its effects include such as deaths due to drug overdose, motor vehicle accidents due to driving under the influence of drugs. It also leads to unprotected sex which can bring about unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, social isolation and also to the extreme of committing suicide and homicides (MacLellan 1998). Alcohol abuse allows individuals to be associated in rape, assaults, domestic violence and burglaries. The side effects of using drugs include: depression, anxiety, withdrawal symptoms and panic attacks, depending on the substance that an individual uses.
Since this culture of drugs is highly ingrained to the citizens of Brighton, the city council of Brighton, together with the private sector, have opened up a rehabilitation centre which is supposed to help its citizens kick the drug habit.
2.4.2 Rehabilitation Facilities
One of the hospitals in Brighton that is known to rehabilitate drug users is the Brighton Hospital. It has a special program for inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment. For the inpatient, they offer a thirty-day addiction recovery program, dual diagnosis treatment program and domiciliary partial hospitalization. For the outpatient, the hospital offers adolescent intensive outpatient program, early addiction recovery program and narcotics recovery program. The hospital has also segmented its market, that way they are able to cater for the different needs of their customers. They therefore have different treatment programs for different groups of people such as friends, family program and teen drug program. The programs are meant to cater for the patients’ specific needs and to ensure that they have the best possible care. They have a team of experts who closely monitor the progress of outpatients and to assist them in their recovery process.
2.4.3 Health Problems
Obesity
There are several health problems that face the city of Brighton. Obesity is one of the diseases that have affected both adults and children under the age of 18. With obesity, there arise other health complications such as coronary heart diseases, diabetes and cancer. The government is encouraging the residents of Brighton to embrace healthy eating habits.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
There are high numbers of sexually transmitted diseases which include Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, herpes, genital warts and syphilis. In Brighton, sexually transmitted diseases are usually caused by unsafe indulgence of sexual behaviors (British Tourist Authority 2000). Cases of HIV have gone undetected leading to a high mortality rate. This is usually spread by having multiple sexual partners and not using protection. Tourists can also enhance the spread of HIV in Brighton if they are not tested prior to their travelling. The different groups which are at a high risk of infection include young adults, lesbians, teenagers, gay, bisexual and the transgender community.
Teenage pregnancy
In Brighton, the conception rate of teenagers in the city is high. This is due to the lack of knowledge in using contraceptives and other protection methods for the teenagers. The unwanted pregnancies lead to abortion which, in the recent years, has risen in Brighton. Backstreet abortions lead to high death rates, as well as sexual infections due to unsterile operating equipment.
In a recent article published by the Daily Mail, water pollution is cited as one of the problems that faces Brighton and which is currently creating more challenges especially health wise.
Cancer
Brighton has a high percentage of deaths that occur in a year due to cancer infections. This disease affects residents who are under the age of 75. Apart from cancer, chronic liver disease is affecting males and also leads to death. Smoking is also a problem which affects Brighton. A lot of the residents have the habit of smoking despite the effects many that it has (Bardgett 2000).
The city director, in his annual report, has pointed out areas of concern alongside issues where improvements have been made in the health sector.
Properties problem
There are three vacant buildings in Brighton that have been identified as problem properties. Teams from fire inspection services are working throughout the city, reaching all of the empty abandoned properties that the fire department says are dangerous (Cocks 2001). The goal is to put pressure on owners to restore the properties to a safe and sanitary condition. Most of the vacant houses have decayed and have partially collapsed, exposed to weather conditions. The government has ensured that such kinds of buildings are torn down so that they do not pose any threats to the residents.
2.5 Challenges Facing Tourism in Brighton
Crime generation
Brighton receives a good number of tourists annually. This improves the economy of Brighton city. At the same time, it also increases the crime rate due to mass tourism. A large number of tourists attract criminals since they often carry valuables. This also encourages illegal activities such as sex slavery and drug dealing. Gambling activities are also encouraged, bringing about negative changes in social behavior.
Prostitution and sex tourism
Brighton experiences sex tourism in that young women and children are engaging in the sex tourism business. This is as a result of wanting to make quick money. In some situations, children are usually trafficked into brothels on the margins of the tourists’ areas. Brighton therefore looks for ways of trying to minimize or curb prostitution.
Seasonal jobs
There is high and low seasons for tourism in Brighton. During the low season, the tourism industry tends to create economic problems to the employees. This would mean that the employees would have to discontinue their jobs for a certain period of time without any income.
Methodology
There are different types of research methodology:
Exploratory research is used when a researcher is examining a new interest or when the subject of study is itself relatively new and unstudied, according to Babbie (1992).
Descriptive research is used when describing the characteristics of a selected phenomenon. Information is collected with regards to different test methods in a group of subjects. According to Bellis (2003), action research involves application of fact finding to practical problem solving in a social situation with a view to improve the quality of action within it.
Qualitative research pursues the process the process of exploration and confirmation of predetermined hypothesis. It also gives an opportunity for participants to express their opinion, emotions and feeling.
Quantitative research is basically an inquiry into social, human or scientific problem based on testing of theories composed of variables measured with numbers and analyzed with statistical procedures. It is used to answer questions about the relationships among measured variables with the purpose of explaining, predicting and controlling phenomenon, according to Leedy and Omrod (2001).
Quantitative data collection method was chosen for this study due to the nature of data to be collected. The questionnaire, in that matter, was the instrument used.
With the questionnaire, one is able to reach correspondents who may have been otherwise difficult to reach. It helps minimize interview biasness and the possibility to get large amounts of data.
3.1 Sample Questionnaire
What are your views about Brighton Town?
Name the tourist attractions visited in Brighton.
Did you meet your expectations during your visit at Brighton?
Did you encounter any problems during your stay at Brighton? If yes, state the problems.
What are some of the challenges faced during your visit?
Which recommendations can you give to address the above challenges?
Result and Analysis
3.2.1 Attractions
Most tourists viewed Brighton town as an interesting destination for urban tourism. The tourist attractions visited in Brighton included Brighton Marina water sports, Phoenix Brighton,
Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Nivea Sun Yellowave Beach Sports and Royal Pavillion.
Most tourists confessed to have met their expectation as most of them were interested in beach tourism and art which was demonstrated by the number of tourists who visited Brighton Marina water sports and phoenix Brighton (Law 2002). Visitor interviews carried out resulted that visitors gave positive ratings of many aspects of their stay. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 representing totally satisfied) an average rate of 8 was given.
Tourists who visited the beaches were happy because the beaches had a package for everyone, i.e. nude beaches and gay beaches. These made the tourists comfortable.
Several questionnaires were taken to capture what people currently thought about the destination. The perceptions of visitors are often odds with the reality and views of local people.
The tourists were asked whether Brighton is a city and most of them had not heard of Brighton before (Sears 1998). This highlighted the need to continually promote even the most basic facts about the place. They also commented that there was a relaxed atmosphere, great shopping and good food and hotels.
3.2.2. Problems faced
The observations made, however, point to the fact that the majority of the tourists noted that there is a high consumption of drugs in Brighton, increase in crime generation, prostitution and sex tourism.
3.2.3. Challenges
A high percentage of tourists were of the opinion that consumption of drugs in Brighton is at an alarming rate. All the respondents agreed that the high drug consumption rate can either reduce the number of arrival due to religious beliefs, or at the same time act as a tourist product as in Amsterdam.
Majority of the respondents commented that tourism in Brighton is sustainable and this is the way forward for Brighton as this will ensure that urban tourism is still there tomorrow.
5. 0. Discussion
Visiting a city and being attracted to its urban features may not be the same. Thus, it cannot be assumed that all tourists in cities are urban tourists. In Brighton, as stipulated by the analysis, the economic, social, cultural and behavioral differences between tourists and residents are clear but it is difficult to distinguish between tourist and non-tourists uses of the city. Tourists and residents make use of much urban facilities, whether shops, catering establishments, cultural attractions and even transport facilities.
The tourist makes use of only a very small portion of all that the city has to offer because the tourist has more limited time, knowledge and pre-marked expectations .The length of stay at any one urban tourism destination is much shorter than in beach or winter sports resort.
Every destination feels that it is unique and offers the visitor a different experience than those of neighboring locations or other countries. However, destinations fail to capture their uniqueness and capitalize on it. Tourism strategy can be used to develop these destinations.
The distinctiveness of a particular destination is determined by various factors. Competition for example, is getting tougher as the emerging economies of new countries compete for the world stage. In terms of travel needs, however, people are increasingly searching for anything authentic, undiscovered and distinctive (Tunbridge 1990). Many destinations are seeking to concentrate not so much on the volume of tourists, but on particular market segments that may be attracted by certain products .These destinations have historically competed for visitors based on widely available products with limited differentiation, e.g. sun, sea and sand, now seeking to be distinctive. It is primarily at the local destination level that progress can be made to match the desires of visitors to experience something distinctive. People’s perceptions of a destination are developed through different sources.
Tourism can contribute to substantial economic benefits to cities but the cities whose economies are the most dependent upon tourists are likely to benefit the least. It is the cities with a large and varied economic base that gain the most from tourism products provided.
It is important that all key stakeholders work together to promote and develop a destination with the same mission and goals.
5.1 Sustainability in Brighton
Sustainable tourism promotes tourism that is consumed at present but also ensures that the products or resources are used effectively to save up for future generations. The concept of sustainable development is replete with divergent issues raised by adherents to different versions of environmentalism (Hunter 1997). These issues are interwoven in an intense debate on the equitable access to natural resources that contribute to human welfare and in the distribution of social, economic and environmental costs and benefits ensuing from resource utilization.
Sustainable development is also intertwined with the notion of constant generation of equity, which seeks to meet basic human needs while satisfying both current and future human needs.
Brighton and Hove has been known to be one of the most sustainable cities in Britain. As tourism plays a significant role in the development of Brighton, further sustainability has to be achieved in order to maintain tourist visits, and sustainable development of the city (Carder 1990).
The Brighton & Hove City residents are well informed of sustainable use of resources and have formed a local authority that is committed to reducing environmental impacts, encouraging and supporting others to do the same and continuously improving the environment for general benefit. These are some of the measures taken by the council to improve sustainable use of resources:
Biodiversity: improving the biodiversity, particularly local wildlife sites, promoting natural habitats in urban areas and in the marine environment.
Procurement and purchasing: increasing sustainable procurement when purchasing goods and services. All aspects of procurement were assessed to help reduce significant environmental impacts, whilst also maintaining a balance between social and economic needs of the wider community.
Waste management: Promoting waste prevention and disposal by reducing the amount of waste produced; recycling and composting where appropriate, reuse of materials and taking responsibility towards a more sustainable management of waste.
Transport and the built environment: Ensuring that sustainable development principles will be integral for the design and build of all future developments.
-Reducing emissions from transport by promoting the use of low emission vehicles and providing appropriate facilities and tools to encourage healthy and sustainable travel modes.
Environmental Awareness: ensuring that the residents are aware, trained and can understand this policy and ensure the commitments are met. Improve performance of pollution prevention measures, and encourage partners to adopt sustainable practices.
The strategic framework was based on five principles to ensure tourism is sustainable (Floyd 2009). These include that the tourism industry should be profitable, the visitors should have a positive experience, the local people should benefit from tourism and the city’s environment should be protected and that the city’s tourism must develop.
5.2 Visitor perception of Brighton
This can be analyzed using SWOT analysis.
Strengths
Brighton’s world class architecture and heritage, including the Royal Pavilions, offers a wide choice of quality accommodation, shopping and attraction experiences and benefits from a successful conference and business tourism market.
Weaknesses
The key challenge is finding out the right balance between the hedonism of night time economy and the need to remain an attractive and safe destination for visitors.
Conflict is apparent in cases where supply exceeds demand during the high season.
Opportunities
The city hopes to benefit from the exposure the country receives around the Olympics 2012.The city’s growing sustainable credentials are elements that increase appeal to visitors and the heritage of the city.
Threats
Competition for this tariff from competitor destinations can dilute the efforts of targeting prospective visitors. This causes a threat to Brighton as a destination.
The city and its tourism partners need therefore to be smarter than their competitors in terms of how and where they apply their marketing spend.
Wider economic conditions remain a particular threat to an industry which is reliant on prevailing economic conditions.
The lack of local skilled labor is a threat to the continued development of the sector and for businesses.
There is a need to promote the idea of hospitality and tourism industry as one offering a career path especially for local people.
Vision
In 2018, Brighton city will be a destination where the needs of visitor, the tourism industry, community and environment are in complete balance and consequently will make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life for local people.
Conclusion
Urban tourism development is not limited to the large metropolitan areas but has increasingly become part of smaller towns and villages economic base, giving rise to the privatization of public space thus the end of public space.
Due to increased competition, cities have to either constantly seek out new markets to replace the old or continually reinvent the urban tourism products on offer to satisfy the existing markets.
Most urban destinations have embraced more entrepreneurial characteristics in order to ensure they are not left behind in pursuit of global capital and the need to restructure changing urban economies and landscapes.
A well and wealthy tourism sector is a mechanism for improving the environment if the city and the wellbeing of its people, thus making it a better place in which to live and visit.
The vision for Brighton city is to be a sustainable destination. This will see Brighton in the future as sustainable tourism has a promising tomorrow.
Recommendation
1. The need for a dedicated resource to implement and monitor the strategy.
2. Tourism services must do everything possible to influence other public bodies and their organization for funding to be sustained.
3. Counter-balance the needs of the local community with the needs of the voiceless visitors.
4. If Brighton is to compete effectively, it needs to develop specific experiences for the visitor. It should strive to gain a competitive edge.
List of References
Ashworth, G. J. (1998) Marketing the Historic City for Tourism In Industry: The Promotion of Destination Regions. London: Croon Helm
Ashworth, G.J., White, P.E. and Winchester, H.P. (1988) The Redlight District in the West European City: A Neglected Aspect of the Urban Landscape. Geoforum 19.2:20112
Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) [online] available from
Bardgett, L. (2000)The Tourism Industry, House of Commons Library Research Paper 00/66, 23 June.
British Tourist Authority (2000) First Impressions: A Survey of the Facilities at Britain’s main ports-of-entry. London: British Tourist Authority
Carder, T. (1990) The Encyclopedia of Brighton. S127 East Sussex County Libraries.
Cocks, C. (2001) Doing the Town: The Rise of Urban Tourism in the United States, 1850-1915. California: University of California Press
Department of Environment Regional Plans Directorate. De facto urban areas in England and Wales; DoE 1966
Floyd, W. (2009) An Empirical Analysis of the State’s Monopolization of the Legitimate Means of Movement: Evaluating the Effects of Required Passport use on International Travel . Texas: Texas State University San Marcos
Hutcheon, P. (2001) A New Model for Scottish Tourism (59) Holyrood
Law, C. (2002) Urban Tourism: The Visitor Economy and the Growth of Large Cities. London: Continuum
Law, C.M. (1993) Urban Tourism: Attracting Visitors to Large Cities [online] available from
MacLellan, S. (1998) Tourism Transport in Scotland. London: International Thomson Business Press
Jakle, M. (2003) Tourism and the Economy: Understanding the Economics of Tourism. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press
Mason, S. (1998) Transforming the Future Quality of Life, Rethinking free time and work;The Economic Impact of Tourism, Using Tourism Satellite Accounts to Reach the Bottom-Line. Madrid: World Tourism Organization
Ruetsche, J. (2006) Urban Tourism; What Attracts Visitors to Cities? (117) Let us talk Business
Ryan, C. (2003) Recreational Tourism: Demand and Impacts. Channel View Publications
Sears, J. F. (1998) Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions in the Nineteenth Century. Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press
Tunbridge, J. E. (1990) The Tourist-historic City: Retrospect and Prospect and Prospect of Managing the Heritage City. Pergamon
Van den, B.et al. (1995) Urban Tourism: Performance and Strategy in eight European cities. Avebury: Ashgate Publishing Company
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