Introduction to Las Vegas tourism industry

Discuss about the Impact of Tourism and Travel for Sustainable Industry Development.

In many countries tourism has been one among the most significant economic driving forces to the local and regional development. Being a crucial source of employment and wealth, in some of the community components like, social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental, it plays a significant role (Dredge, 2010). In case of Las Vegas, being the key contributor to its economy it is a substantial function of cities economy. Over last few decades, Las Vegas has been the leader of gaming industry and continuous to be the gaming capital of the world. However, city has competition from the U.S. and other countries around the globe (Markham, & Young, 2015). Competitors have threatened the city to dethrone it completely. But in the response of such threatens city has scrambled itself to refuel and rejuvenate its tourism industry with sustainable development of the industry to sustain in the world competition. 

Sustainable development is defined as the organizing principle off an organization or industry for meeting the goals of human development while sustaining the natural system providing ecosystem services and natural resources upon which the society and economy of any country depends (Lee, 2013). Sustainable development of the tourism industry also has some principles of economy, ecology, and environment. Some of these principles of tourism industry followed by the Las Vegas tourism industry are as

• Corporate responsibility
• Business concern
• Environmental issues playing a growing role in travel decisions
• Feedback from employees and investors (Lim, & Cooper, 2009).

Corporate responsibilities is the concept business organizations that considers the interest of society and taking responsibilities of all the impacts of business activities on customers, employees, suppliers, communities, stakeholders, and environment as well. This principle of corporate responsibilities refers to the strategies of an organization or industry to conduct its business in an ethical and society friendly manner. This principle involve a number of activities like, making social sensitive investments, working in partnership of local communities, establishing social relationships with employees and customers and many more.

Business concern of an industry refers to making business through different activities. These activities of the industry are the key sources making business for the industry (Erku?-Öztürk, & Erayd?n, 2010). This principle of tourism industry development in Las Vegas can be seen through its gaming industry development in the last decades. In 2016, Las Vegas tourism industry has generated a record 59.6 billion dollars that shows the industry’s business concern (Review journal, 2018). 

This particular principle of tourism development concerns to the impact of different business activities on global environment. This concern of the industry includes the air quality, energy efficiency, and many more impacts of the industry on its surrounding environment. In case of Las Vegas tourism industry is energy efficient as renewable energy is used in the bright lighting of the city, building of the city are comes under green buildings as solar panels and trees are used as major source of renewable energy, and city has an efficient solid waste and recycling management (Khadaroo, & Seetanah, 2008).

Sustainable development principles embraced by Las Vegas tourism industry

Feedback of employees and investors plays an important role in the future development of the tourism industry. Feedback is the key element of deciding a tourism destination for people around the world. Investment statistics of Las Vegas tourism industry states that around 391,000 jobs are supported by the industry alone which is around 41% of the total workforce (Lvcva, 2018).

Tourism industry involves most of the natural resources. These natural resources are the key attraction of tourists in any country therefore their development and maintenance along with the connectivity of tourists to these destinations is of the top priority. In this manner gaming capital or the world, Las Vegas, has its major stakeholders as, Federal policymakers, state government leaders, convention and visitors bureaus, the airport, and industry strategists (Lvcva, 2018). The whole system of stakeholder management to the strategic development of the industry states that the managers and planners of the industry development strategies or plans must formulate and implement strategies which satisfy not only the shareholders of the industry but also the other groups related directly or indirectly to the industry. Tourism being a complex phenomenon and significantly powerful economic force has been the subject of extensively multidisciplinary and the theory of stakeholders also has multidisciplinary character (Review journal, 2018). These above stated primary stakeholders of the tourism industry play an important role in the sustainable development of the industry. Although these stakeholders are there for the development, sometimes they may face some issues or difficulties in the sustainable development of the tourism in their area of control. 

Business activities of tourism industry have several impacts on people like providing employment, creating better working environments, support to the charities, and improve the quality of goods and services significantly (Richards, 2011). Similarly some of the organization or industry activities may have negative impact on the community people like, exploiting people through unsafe and poor paid working environments and many more. Such negative impacts are often defined as the stakeholder issues for any industry. In tourism industry too such stakeholder issues are present and some of them are as

• Systems , policies, reporting and engagement of people
• Advertising complaints
• Community involvement
• Job creation and security
• Relationship with customers and employees
• Health and safety

Planning and development process helps an organization or industry to identify its goals and objectives to be achieved during the development. This process of planning and development begins with the reviewing of the existing operation of the industry and identify the area of improvement in the strategy made for the development of that particular organization or industry. Planning and development process benefits the industry in achieving the following objectives of the efficient development of the industry in an effective way. Some of the major benefits tourism industry may have with such process of development and planning are as following.

Corporate responsibilities

Every organization or industry has a limited number of resources. These resources being available in a limited addition are needed to be used efficiently to make the best use of them in the development process (Li, Wu, & Cai, 2008). Therefore, a planning process provides information to the top management so that decision can be taken to make the efficient use of these resources.

In the process of developing an industry it is important to manage the possible risks that can arise during the development of the industry. Even the experienced and largest industries cannot avoid such risks and they need an efficient management to control and manage these risks (Richards, 2011). Such risk management can be done easily by following an efficient planning and development process for the development of such industries.

Tourism industry involves a broad network for its sustainability. Such wide network of people is required to perform in the form of teams to make the industry operation efficient and effective to achieve the objectives and goals of the industry to be achieved in developing as a whole. Tourism industry is associated with different aspect of economy, ecology and environment therefore its development satisfying all objectives can be achieved by team building of the people involved in the whole process of developing the industry (Lin, & Chang, 2009). In case of Las Vegas the tourism industry is the result of team efforts by the primary and secondary stakeholders of the industry. To achieve this goal of working in team formation can be achieved with the help of development and planning process.

Planning process helps the organization or industry to analyse the reality of their existing strengths and weakness that can help the industry to compare the competition of other competing industries or organizations (Reid, 2003).

In the beginning Las Vegas was a town full of hardworking people and they had not many alternatives for their entertainment. Roots of the new entertainment era of the city are from the towns that grew around the mining industries. Values of the city had set the platform to maintain the image of globally marketing slogan of the city quoted as “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”. Maintaining this image of the city is important for its recognition in the world.  In early 90s the population of Vegas kept on increasing and as a result the engaged in the finding the ways to get entertain and hence invented varies games.

Business concern of Las Vegas tourism industry

The major goals and objectives of tourism are to create and attract a large number of foreign investments. The increase in tourism of any country will lead to increase in economic growth in terms of GDP. Tourism also enhances the reach where customers from global can be approached under one roof. The hike in global outreach is an assurance that the business has positive chances to flourish (Richards, 2011). Tourism planning ensures that cultures and beliefs of the tourists not get affected by the services offered. That is the reason because of which tourism organizations offer a variety of services to the tourists which attract them to come and visit the place. This attraction increases the business of tourism industry. 

Objects of any organization or industry can only be fulfilled with an effective model preparation for the development. This model helps in the implementation strategy to decide which action should be taken at what time to make the implementation of development plan effectively and with maximum efficiency to deliver the best of its implementation.

Model developed in the process of development requires to be implemented effectively for that it requires an action plan that explains the whole implementation process step by step. In this stage a thorough description of step by step actions required for the development is provided (Erku?-Öztürk, & Erayd?n, 2010). These steps are implemented as the major implementation of the development plan.

In different area operators are using some advanced tourism destination management systems to attract tourist and enhance their business as well. These management systems are used to provide essential knowledge and support to the infrastructure developed for the tourism development and implementation of its new strategies. Although provincial management system of the tourism has potential to compete other industries easily but in order to achieve its potential to compete like this a deep thorough knowledge and excellent customer services are must (Yasarata, Altinay, Burns, & Okumus, 2010).. This management system has some objectives too which are as

• Supporting customers guidance to search for information and vacation destination
• Improving industry access to the people
• Support stakeholders to promote the province of the industry

With all such objectives the process of development of an industry and province is continued for a long time to sustain the competition and grow along with the development of industry as well as the society.

Conclusion

The above analysis of the tourism development in the Las Vegas and its process conclude that the development of an industry like tourism needs a proper plan. It defines the importance of the development and planning process of an industry to understand the difficulties of the stakeholders of the industry. The development plan has to be strategically planned and should be implemented with high efficiency to make the plan effective. 

References

Dredge, D. (2010). Place change and tourism development conflict: Evaluating public interest. Tourism management, 31(1), 104-112.

Erku?-Öztürk, H., & E0rayd?n, A. (2010). Environmental governance for sustainable tourism development: Collaborative networks and organisation building in the Antalya tourism region. Tourism management, 31(1), 113-124.

Khadaroo, J., & Seetanah, B. (2008). The role of transport infrastructure in international tourism development: A gravity model approach. Tourism management, 29(5), 831-840.

Lee, T. H. (2013). Influence analysis of community resident support for sustainable tourism development. Tourism management, 34, 37-46.

Li, M., Wu, B., & Cai, L. (2008). Tourism development of World Heritage Sites in China: A geographic perspective. Tourism Management, 29(2), 308-319.

Lim, C. C., & Cooper, C. (2009). Beyond sustainability: optimising island tourism development. International journal of tourism research, 11(1), 89-103.

Lin, J., & Chang, H. J. (2009). Should Industrial Policy in developing countries conform to comparative advantage or defy it? A debate between Justin Lin and Ha?Joon Chang. Development policy review, 27(5), 483-502.

Lvcva, (2018). Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Retrieved from https://www.lvcva.com/stats-and-facts/visitor-statistics/

Reid, D. G. (2003). Tourism, globalization and development: Responsible tourism planning (Vol. 251). London: Pluto Press.

Review journal, (2018). Las Vegas tourism spending nearing $60 billion. Retrieved from https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/tourism/las-vegas-tourism-spending-nearing-60-billion/

Richards, G. (2011). Tourism development trajectories: From culture to creativity?. Tourism & Management Studies, 6, 9-15.

Yasarata, M., Altinay, L., Burns, P., & Okumus, F. (2010). Politics and sustainable tourism development–Can they co-exist? Voices from North Cyprus. Tourism Management, 31(3), 345-356.