How Do Artists See Art In Vasari's Biographies Essay

How Do Artists See Art In Vasari's Biographies - Essay Example We have to be aware of the social and cultural history of the period before we attempt an assessment of Vasari. The rising social and cultural claims of the visual arts led in the sixteenth century in Italy to an important new development that occurred in the other European countries somewhat later: the three visual arts, painting, sculpture and architecture were, for the first time clearly separated from the crafts with which they had been associated in the preceding period. The term Arti del disegno, was coined by Vasari , who used it as the guiding concept for his famous collection of the biographies. Besides, at the time of Vasari the opinion of the crowd was still considered a significant factor in the evaluation of art and therefore the addition of popular elements including a discrete element of fiction could not be faulted1. Perhaps, Vasari's verbal portraits of artists do not have the intensity or the gravity of the oeuvre of the geniuses described therein. However, his yardsticks seem to have been versatility as well as originality. Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446), for example, was a Florentine architect of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasari, his 'genius was so commanding that we can surely say he was sent by heaven to renew the art of architecture'. Perhaps the greatest contribution made by Brunelleschi to art was to that of design through a very careful study of the perspective (The perspectival rendering of a scene is a projection of a scene from an eye point, as sectioned by the plane of the canvas.). At the time of Brunelleschi, the practice of art with the use of perspective was at an all-time low because of the errors of practice of others2 . The perfection in perspective that he achieved made him so happy that he took the trouble of drawing the Piazza san Giovanni and showed all the squares in black-and-white marble receding beautifully. In fact, Brunelleschi's genius contributed significantly to the origins of a naturalistic trait in art and a clear shift from the highly stylized modes of Renaissance art In a review of the book Georgio Vasari: Art and History that appeared in The Art Bulletin (June, 1998), Paul Barolsky has written that there was an element of mythopoesis in the writings of Vasari and this pleasurable mix of myth, document and fact has given Lives a unique place which cannot be claimed by the modern art historians. Whereas modern art historians chose to flaunt their scholarship through monographs, Vasari chose to hide himself in the glorified biographies of the artists he admired and in the process he carefully mixed into what he wrote classical and even Biblical allusions. This lent his biographies a sense of mystery and inexplicable adulation of the artists themselves and their views on art. Donatello (1386-1466) was another artistic genius whom Vasari chose to portray. He was a Florentine sculptor who had an awesome impact on the arts and artists of the Renaissance. He invented the shadow relief technique called schiacciato ('flattened out'), a technique in which the sculpture seems very deep even when done on a shallow plane. A great friend of Brunelleschi, Donatello had once remarked, after seeing an artwork based on crucifixion similar to the one made by him and criticized by Brunelleschi, that 'Your job is making Christs and mine is making peasants.' It was Donatello's humble submission of the lofty genius of his friend

Sales Pitch Wk 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales Pitch Wk 7 - Essay Example Raise the proposal continuously? The proposal could be raised continuously through two approaches: by monitoring the performance of proposed changes and reporting the outcome to management; and by elevating the matter to senior management through performance reports to propose wider target markets (additional schools and universities), as deemed necessary. Package the issue incrementally? Packaging the proposed new product incrementally could mean recommending increasing either the volume, product sizes, or product variants to the target market depending on performance and demand. Tie it to profitability? Bundling techniques mean linking the proposed change to other ideas or issues. In this case, a proposal to market new products to schools, for instance could be tied to profitability by proving to management that the pro-forma financial statements would indicate profits of so much if the projected volume would be sold in a particular time period. Tie it to market share or organizational image? Tying the proposed launching of a new product to market share or organizational image simply means that by targeting children, the market share of the organization would increase by, say 10 to 20% within the defined time frame. The effect would boost organizational image as patronizing a new product through children in school have potentials for brand retention and repurchase. Tie it to concerns of key stakeholders? Key stakeholders include shareholders (who would benefit from increased profits and returns), employees (would be motivated with good financial performance), consumers (needs would be satisfied), community (a healthy product would benefit the community in terms of emphasizing proper nutrition that would be derived from the new product which is needed for child development). Tie it to other issues? The new product could be tied to corporate responsibility and environmental protection. The proposed product must use environmentally promoted packaging

Computer Memory Hacking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer Memory Hacking - Assignment Example There exist some common tools that hackers normally use to intrude into the memory of computer systems. One of those common tools or techniques is inception. Using this technique, hackers present a serial bus protocol-2 using firewire interface to the machine of the targeted person. The operating system of the targeted computer connects the bus to the firewire port taking it as an SBP-2 device. The targeted device lowers its protection level because of the use of Direct Memory Access by the hacker. This helps the hackers to gain read/write access to the RAM of the targeted computer system. Another common tool used by hackers is Memory Hacking Software. Hackers can use this software to gain access to the memory of the computer systems. There are such software programs available on the internet that hackers can download to intrude into the computer systems. There is a huge significance of hacking in organizations and modern society. Hacking sometimes proves to be very disastrous because it provides access to files to the strangers who can use the information for illegal purposes. Therefore, organizations and individuals need to ensure the highest level of protection to their computer systems. Some of the easiest and most effective security measures include setting difficult passwords, regularly changing the login passwords, downloading a personal firewall, using cryptographic techniques, using authorization technique, setting encryption standards, and installing up to date antivirus software. Three best practices that one should use to protect their computer(s) from being hacked include installation of antivirus applications, use of firewalls, and use of Wifi Protected Access (WPA) as access control system. Let us put some light on all of these three practices. Antivirus applications are the most commonly used mechanisms for ensuring computer safety.  

The Parthenon.-history background and architectural structure Essay

The Parthenon.-history background and architectural structure - Essay Example Built circa 477 to 438 B.C.E., the Parthenon has come to stand for the ideals of the ancient Greek civilization. Despite is fame, there is only one brief description of the Parthenon, written by a Greek speaker named Pausanias, that has come down through the generations from the ancient period itself, although well after 600 years. The main focus of this short account was of the phenomenal statue of Athena, made of an overlay of gold and silver over a wooden frame (Beard, 2002, p. 25). The Parthenon is known as the â€Å"twenty-second wonder of the world† (Bipu, 2009). Through Greek-engineered techniques and currently-available masonry, the great architects of the Greek Empire have demonstrated marvelous feats of mounting stone cut figures into fully-formed foundations and architecturally-aesthetic amenities. It has been described as the primary wonder which resembles the aspects of science, art, and democracy. â€Å"It stands at 19.8 meters (65 feet) high inclusive of the su perstructure and three steps acting as the base. Each step is also of distinct from one another: the lowest step, the stereobate, is at a length 72.5 meters (238 feet) by width 33.8 meters (111 feet); the stylobate (top step) is at length 68.5 meters (228 feet) by width 30.8 meters (101 feet)† (Fletcher, 112). The superstructure itself consists of colonnades resembling the Doric style in the peristyle formation. The total number of columns results in 46 columns which are 10.4 meters (34 feet) in height, with the largest diameter at 1.8 meters (6 feet). The average spacing between the ends of each column is 2.4 meters (8 feet) while those in the porticos of the Parthenon are reduced to a diameter of 1.7 meters (5 ? feet). The column system applied to its Doric colonnade follows an optical illusion technique known as the entasis, which makes use of varying intervals in order to provide a logical symmetry to the building’s exterior (Lambrinou, 2010). The main openings of t he Parthenon lie in the porticos through the east – west orientation axis. Their entry doors are measured 7.3 meters (24 feet) high, 2.1. meters (7 feet) wide and 31 centimetres (1 foot) long.† (Matthews, 2011.). The rooms are clearly defined as the Parthenon is a place of divine worship for the highest among the Greek gods. The temple primarily devotes worship to the goddess Athena Parthenos, who is significant as the deity of the city-state. The interior of the temple had been highly-decorated with sculptures of mythological heroes, both mortal and immortal, of the Greek era, while the exterior mouldings within the pediment symbolize significant events of both historical and mythological accounts. These also utilized indispensable cornerstones to an advantage, portraying the complex according to the flourishing lifestyle typical of the ancient Athenians. Through its geography, they have mastered the art of seemed proportions regardless of the uneven terrain of the Acr opolis. Its colonnade arrangement suggested masculinity conveyed in the hard, stable form of the columns and straight figures, embodying both the stability of the foundation and the artistic nature of the structure (Matthews, 2011). â€Å"Designed by Greek masons Ictinus, Callicrates and Phidias,† (Matthews, 2011) the Parthenon was meant to withstand the harsh climatic effects of Mediterranean wind storms and heat waves. Because of this, the colonnade and portico assembly had been made by the designers. However, the presence of

Budgeting and Business Planning Essay Example for Free

Budgeting and Business Planning Essay In order to create the criteria for the committee we have to look at what they want from the project. Most businesses and organisations are in business to make a profit, however the committee has different aims and objectives compared to a normal business or organisation. They need to weight up the options of each proposal and decide which best relates to their aims and objectives. When the committee is considering which proposal to go with they should consider the following categories †¢Short-term Financial Benefits †¢Long-term Financial Benefits †¢Environment †¢Relation to aims Short-term Financial Benefits The committee needs to consider the short term benefits of each proposal. They dont want to take on a proposal that has high start-up costs and doesnt make a return on the capital within the first year. The committee does not want to be left in a high amount of debt if the proposal fails. If the committee is left with a debt they may not be able to fund other projects to further their three aims. Long-term Financial Benefits Long-term the proposals will give different outcomes. The committee needs to decide on how long they want to keep moult hall? If they want it as a long term asset which can help with their aims? Or do they want a longer term money making scheme to boost revenue which can be used in areas they already control. Environment Moult Hall comes with a huge area of woodland, they needs to consider the effects on the local plant life and wildlife that any proposal could have. They need to think, does it destroy plant life? Does it impact on wildlife habitats? Is their going to be any long lasting environmental damage? Relation to Aims The committee is based on three main aims. They need to consider these aims in making their decision, they cant be making use of one proposal if it goes strictly against some of their basic aims. They have to consider their own image and brand, does a proposal give them a bad name/image considering their aims and objectives? Question 2 Jonathan and Ingrids proposal has some short term financial benefits, in the 30 week trial run moult hall turns over a small profit of  £1,646. When the committee takes their proposal in to consideration they should recognise this point, moult hall will be of no financial burden in the short-term 30 week trial. If the 30 week trial is to succeed then moult hall can have some structural work done costing  £20,000 which would close moult hall for four weeks after the trial. The structural alterations would increase the capacity of the site to allow up to 30 guests to stay at one time. According to Jonathan and Ingrid projections of a weekly cost per guest of  £66 and a weekly charge per guest of  £150 they are making  £84 profit per guest per week. With the structural alterations and the increase in capacity by 20 guests. The weeks after the alterations are finished they could make an extra  £1,680 per week, bringing their possible weekly total profit at full capacity to  £2,436 (allowing for one free space, 29 paying customers). Therefore they could justify the large  £20,000 outlay on alterations as moult hall would pay for these alterations in little over 8 weeks. So in the long-run moult hall could be a profitable project by the end of year one. The one drawback of this proposal is the loss of the usage of the minibus at weekends, which generated an annual income of  £1,040, however it can be argued that it is now being put to better use and that the money is being recuperated from moult hall. Break-even point Total expenses £63,880 Weeks until break-even47.3 Guests until break-even473 As we can see from the table above moult hall will have to attract 473 guests a year to break even when they can only hold 10 guests per week. Equally they would have to run for 47.3 weeks a year at full capacity to break-even. This gives them an average of 9 guests a week. If they were to structurally improve moult hall so that they can hold up to 30 guests a week then the figures would look very different as shown in the table below. Break-Even Point Total Expenses £63,880 Weeks until break-even point14.7 Guests until break-even point441 Although a similar amount of guests is required the amount of weeks at full capacity has drastically dropped from 47.3 to 14.7. Their average guests per week has dropped from 9 to 8. Although this is not a large drop, in comparison they only have to fill 8 out of 30 beds compared to 9 out of 10 beds in the 30 week trial. The environment and its protection are very important to the committee and are mentioned in their main aims. Jonathan and Ingrids proposal helps the environment and makes the most of moult hall, if a garden was to be kept at moult hall the guest could tend to this and grow vegetables and recycle waste in a compost, which in turn could be re-used on the garden making moult hall very self-sufficient and environmentally friendly. One of the major aims of the committee is to help and educate the young. Jonathan and Ingrids proposal does just this, by inviting young people from the surrounding area to come stay and learn about the countryside. The guests will be able to learn about different wildlife and plant life living in the moult hall woodland and surrounding areas. The committee has to consider how the proposal will relate to their own aims, with moult hall becoming a learning centre for the young the committee could promote the good work they are doing to increase their donations r evenue and grow as a trust. Question 3 Winston’s proposal consists of turning moult hall into a quad bike track with lavish bedrooms in the house for guests. In the year one moult hall will turn over a profit of  £1,034,283.  £750,000 of this is guaranteed to the North West trust for the protection of wildlife and the other  £284,283 will go to Winston himself. Moult hall would be a great money maker for the trust with the guaranteed income of  £750,000 adding to the  £800,000 a year they receive from local donations and fund raisers, boosting their total revenue for the year to around  £1,550,000. Long-term moult hall will turnover similar amount each year as long as there is no dip in demand. In the second year when Winston doesn’t have any initial capital costs he will make a large profit himself of  £402,350. The funds the committee will earn from moult hall could be used in other areas to promote the protection of wildlife. Break-even Point Total Expenses £1,022,650 Weeks until break-even point35.9 Guests until break-even point538 From the table above we can see the break-even point for moult hall under Winston’s proposal. He would need to be operating at full capacity for almost 40 weeks a year to break-even this means he would have to attract 538 guests a year. On average to break-even Winston will have to have 11 guests a week. In monetary terms moult hall will be a very successful; however some parts of the proposal will go against the trusts main aims. The trust was set up for the protection of wildlife; one aim is to protect local wildlife and plant life. To make the quad bike track many mature trees will have to be removed in the grounds of moult hall. This will disrupt some of the habitats of animals in the woodland. One of the main habitats that could be disrupted is the nesting sites of the red kite. The red kite has only recently been re-introduced in to the United Kingdom after the success of similar projects in wales; the trust fully supports the work of the national charity that achieved this. The red kite was wiped out in the UK by modern farming methods which use pesticides to kill small rodents, which are the main food source of the red kite. The first aim of the Trust is to encourage farming methods that don’t hurt local wildlife and plant life. They have to consider how the disruption of the nesting sites would reflect on them if they took on Winston’s proposal. It may look bad as with one hand they are supporting the work of the charity yet they are making money at the cost of disrupting local nesting sites. Question 4a There are many different measures that to committee can use to measure the performance of moult hall such as: †¢Monthly financial reports †¢Committee inspections twice a year †¢Variance analysis – comparing budgeted figures with actual Variance Analysis The committee could use variance analysis; variance analysis is a comparison of the budgeted cost of running moult hall and the actual cost of running moult hall. They could see if the costs of moult hall are favourable or adverse. If the results are favourable then this means that moult hall is running at a cheaper cost than they originally budgeted. However if the results are adverse then this means that the cost of running moult hall is more than they budgeted, this could be due to higher food prices or a larger light and heating bill than first anticipated. Variance analysis will give the committee a good idea of how much difference there is between their original planned budget and their actual outlay. This will be useful in determining weather moult hall is a financially viable option. Monthly Financial Reports The committee could ask for the manager of moult hall to send them monthly financial reports so that they can keep track of the performance and see if they are making or loosing money. They could let the financial reports come in for a few months or even up to year. This way they can identify trends and high and low seasons. They may find that they have a slightly seasonal product, as more people will want to be outside in the summer compared to the winter. They can also see if over a year they are getting an increasing amount of interest month on month or if they are losing interest Committee inspections Committee inspections could take place two or three times a year, the committee could travel as a whole or send a few representatives to moult hall to assess the upkeep of moult hall and the grounds. The inspection could also be used to see how the guests are enjoying their time at moult hall. The inspection team will then feed back to the committee who will have meetings on how to improve moult hall based on the feedback from guests and/or any improvements or checks that would need to be made to ensure the performance of moult hall is consistent. Question 4b When the committee is assessing the performance of moult hall they can use different companies to assess moult hall for them. The Environmental Inspection Agency (EIA) can carry out Environmental impact assessments. The committee could use this agency to assess the impact that moult hall is having on the surrounding woodland and grounds of moult hall. The committee can use this information to track the environmental progress of moult hall and see if the project is having a damaging or positive effect on the woodland and grounds. The committee could also use a survey company to produce a survey which can be given to guests when they leave so that the guests can give their feedback. The survey company can then use these results to produce accurate feedback to present to the committee. This method would be better than the committee asking the questions themselves as it will give a better representation of the guest’s views on moult hall. One company that they could use is amplitude research, this is a company that specialises in market research, Amplitude research can create a standard survey for guests which will make the results more comparable and easier for the committee to act upon.

The Impact Of Tourism On Water Consumption Tourism Essay

The Impact Of Tourism On Water Consumption Tourism Essay Tourism is the major economic sector for many countries around the world especially for small island developing states. . The major growth of the tourism industry started in the 1980s culmination increasing coastal development with major investments in hotels Mauritius is now a well established high class tourist resort destination and tourism is the third pillar of the Mauritian economy after the export processing zone manufacturing sector and agriculture. It contributes significantly to economic growth and has been a key factor in the overall development of Mauritius. In the past two decades tourist arrivals increased at an average annual rate of 9% and in 2000, gross tourism receipts contributed about 11% of the GDP of Mauritius. (CSO, 2007)) The plan of the government is targeting 2.0 million tourists from 2015 to 2020. The strategy for the development of the Tourism sector takes its base in the Tourism Development Plan (2002). It presents a twenty year vision which sees the tourism industry growing but ensuring that environmental and social issues are addressed to the benefit of the people of Mauritius (Min .of Environment and NDU). The Action Plan includes private sector investments in tourist accommodation, tourist attractions, and ancillary facilities, public sector investment in tourism support programmes (e.g. roads, car parking, water and sewage schemes), infrastructure and critical tourism product improvements, diversification and innovations, human resource development/social projects and environmental management support. There will be an accompanying demand for services for high quality up-market tourists with specially trained staff and hotel rooms including trained tour guides and support services such as flight bookings, airline operations, etc. Tourism and water The industry is also a major consumer of water resources and impacting heavily on water demand of island states. The problem of water supply is further exacerbated by the impact of climate change. Tourism industry relies also on a safe and reliable supply of water. With the goal of attracting 2M tourists by 2015 in Mauritius the intensive tourism development that will follow will have a major impact on our natural resources (CSD, 1996). It has been growing rapidly and impacting on the natural resources of the host countries. Overexploitation of water resources can impact negatively on ecosystems which are major components of its tourism industry. Competition for water resources by the tourism sector and domestic population is a global problem exacerbated by the climate change (Goodwin, 2007). Mauritius is facing each year prolong drought problems during the dry season where it is also the peak tourist period. Over extraction and lowering of ground water table can lead to eventually the depletion of aquifers as it is not replenished as rapidly it is consumed. Pollution from sea water intrusion will further limit the availability of freshwater. The latter will be more apparent with sea level rise due to global warming (Goodwin, 2007). The tourism industry faces two issues with regards to water as a resource namely how it affects distribution of water and secondly the impact of the industrys consumption on the environment and the availability of water (Goodwin, 2007). For the development of large resorts, especially in water scarcity areas, the water available for the local people is deviated to provide for these resorts (Goodwin, 2007). In many places water is diverted to provide for tourists and thus leaving indigenous population short of water. European Environment Agency (2003) in its assessment reported that tourists consume up to 300 Litres (up to 880 Litres for luxury tourism) and generate around 180L of wastewater per day. The number of tourists visiting particular places is season dependent and is not constant all year round and tends to be concentrated in places which have limited water resources (Garcia and Servera, 2003). There are conflicts of interests as the tourism industry is able to buy water at higher prices whereas the poorer population will have more frequent water shortage (Goodwin, 2007). In Tunisia groundwater resources that were important for agriculture were diverted to provide for the tourism industry and thus creating a new problem of dried out land that are unarable and had to be abandoned. The European Tourism Study Group report 2007 conclude that hotels are high consumers of water, as a tourist staying in a hotel uses on average one third more water per day than a local inhabitant. The desalination of sea water on a large scale is a measure affordable to countries with high revenues such as United Arab Emirates and Maldives which have oil resources (Dluzewska, 2008). LAND USE PATTERNS in Tourism: Tourism is being given special attention with respect to its actual and potential impacts in land use (Rico-Amoros, et al., 2008). The tourism distribution is not homogenous for many countries and the different forms and types of tourism have different water requirement (Gossling, 2001). Water consumption by the tourism sector is not well documented by statistics at present. More complete information on water demand of tourism and its different subsector ( second homes, facilities, activities etc,) is needed by state and local authorities to define priorities for water conservation or demand management programs ( Hof. et al, 2011). Rico-Amoros et al. (2008) mentioned that the development of tourism in Mediterranean region is enhancing pressure on water demand because there high numbers of tourists at specific period and summer droughts which further decrease the availability of water. However, from closer study of the different type of tourists, Rico-Amoros et al (2008) found out tha t concentration of tourists such as in hotels tend to use comparatively less water than disperse, low density residential resorts. Hof and Schmitt (2011) found out that increase water consumption is directly related to the low-density residential tourist land use due to outdoor uses such as swimming pools and gardens comparing with tourists in hotels. The research of Hof and Schmitt (2011) concluded that in summer 70% of the total water consumption in the residential tourist areas is used for gardens irrigation which has been identified as the main cause for increase in water consumption. The additional pressure on water use is from individually own swimming pools which accounts for 22 litres/person/day as shown by Hof and Schmitt (2011). Hotels with golf courses were analysed for their water consumption patterns and regression analysis demonstrated that the size and price were important factors that will influence the water use by golf courses (Gopalakrishnan, 2003). Resorts and ho tels golf courses are heavy water users and for small islands the problem is urgent as there is limited resources of drinking water, and thus the water must be judiciously managed ( Graefe and Vaske, 1987). Benchmarks for water use in guest rooms in litres per guest night Good Fair Poor Temperate 250 250-300 >300 Mediterranean 270 270-320 >320 Tropical 300 300-350 >350 Source IBLF WWF-UK (2005) p.19 Mauritius as SIDS: its vulnerability Small Island States are mostly dependent on their natural environment for promoting tourism development but paradoxically the tourism development appear to be a fast track to social and economic development and thus little care is given for the ecosystem (CSD, 1996). The environment impacts of tourism are more consequent in Small Island States due to its limited land space and freshwater resource. Land is use to build infrastructures and facilities for tourists along with hotels and the new trend of residential houses or apartment. Rising prices of building land increase the pressure to build on agricultural land as the tourism sector is more lucrative. In many countries including Mauritius, there has been unchecked construction along the coast whereby the original pristine beauty of these areas has been changed in favour of urbanization since the development of the tourism sector (CSD, 1996). It is only recently that governments are taking measures through legislations to protect th e natural resources and promote sustainable. development. Over the past years, there has been a drastic increase in water demand from the different economic and demographic sectors, which in general is leading the country to a water stressed situation. Mauritius and its water resources According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report, Mauritius is already facing a situation of water stress because it has a supply of 1083 m3 per person per year (based on actual population), which is below the norm of 1 700m3 per person per year. Mauritius is expected to suffer from water scarcity by 2020 with a projected supply of 974 m3 per person per year (based on a projected population of 1 335 000). Although the figures can be interpreted in various ways, they provide an indication of the problems that Mauritius may face in the future regarding water supply. The water sector faces a number of challenges resulting from increasing demand from the different sectors. New dams are planned to be built and reduction in unaccounted for water are being envisaged with big investment in new pipe networks. Diversification of the tourism product-IRS in Mauritius In view to attract more foreign investment Mauritius has recently introduced a new type of development namely the Integrated Resort Schemes (IRS) whereby resorts are being constructed that include hotels, residential villas and golf courses. Since 2005 there has been an increase in the number of resorts and golf courses though the financial crisis has put a halt to this rapid increase. These developments have put further pressure to the scarce water resources. In Mauritius strategies are being put in place to manage the water resources the demand as well as the supply sides. The IRS promotes the concept of residential tourism with second permanent homes for rich retired or rich celebrities. This market diversification has therefore allowed the development of golf, villas, spas and also permanent second homes or residential that have increased the demand of water from the tourism sector. In encouraging this type of development and targeting more and more tourist this will again have a consequences on the water resources. Mauritius depend on a few number of reservoirs and are already under pressure to supply for the domestic, industrial, agricultural and tourism sector. The tourist hotel mainly the large ones have started to have desalination plants to have constant supply of water. Due to high water demand Mauritius has reached almost its limits in terms of underground resources. The table below shows the water requirements till 2050. Table 1:Water requirements in Mauritius (Proag, V., 2006, Water Resources Management in Mauritius. European Water 15/16: 45-57) Available Water resources and climate change could however have an impact on the diversification strategy thereby causing a decline of growth in the tourism sector especially if these water crises are not well managed. (Essex et al, 2004) Residential Tourism or second homes The different types of tourist accomodation and new type of residential tourism do not consume water resources similarly. The golf courses are consuming more and more water for irrigation purposes. A.Hof et al (2011) have shown that outdoor uses such as swimming pools, garden irrigation are also have a high impact on water resources. As determined by a study (Gopalakrishnan and Cox 2003) shows that number of units of swimming pools and golf courses will determine the consumption of water. Aim of paper To develop appropriate strategies for the management of the water resources information on the tourism sector demand for water and the different usage will be required. There is however an information gap with regards to its impact on water resources . This paper will try to show the influence of tourism: hotel, non hotel and residential on the scarce water resources and thereby assist in developing a strategy for a sustainable tourism.

Travel and Tourism Essay

Travel and Tourism Essay Introduction to Travel and Tourism Tourism is travel for leisure, recreational and business purpose. Tourists can be defined as people who travel to and stay in places outside their usual surroundings for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes by the World Tourism Organization. Tourism is a known affair in human life. It has been an industry of vast dimensions and eventually supports economic and social growth. Tourism worldwide has experienced phenomenal growth. With more than 600 million people travelling annually, tourism is the worlds largest industry, with revenues of about half a trillion dollars a year, and averaging five percent annual growth. India, being a vast and diverse country has always something to offer, and its glorious traditions and rich cultural heritage are linked with the development of tourism. Its magnificent monuments attract large numbers of visitors from all over the world. Tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 5.68% of the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 13.72 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 650 million domestic tourist visits. The tourism industry in India generated about US$ 100 billion in 2008 and is expected to increase to US$ 275.5 billion 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate. Booming IT industry and outsourcing industry has led to growing number of business trips made by foreigners to India, who often add a weekend break or longer holiday to their trip. Foreign tourist spends more in India than almost any other country worldwide. Tourist arrivals are projected to increase by over 22% per year through till 2010. Tourism minister has also played an important role in the development of the industry, initiating advertising campaigns such as the Incredible India campaign, which promoted Indias culture and tourist attractions in a fresh and memorable way. This campaign helped create a colourful image of India in the minds of tourists all over the world and directly led to an increase in the interest among tourists. The tourism industry has helped growth in other sectors as diverse as horticulture, handicraft, agriculture, construction and even poultry. Both directly and indirectly, increased tourism in India has created jobs in a variety of related sectors. Almost 20 million people are now working in the Indias tourism industry. Growth Of Hospitality Industry In India The hotel industry in India is going through an interesting phase. One of the major reasons for the increase in demand for hotel rooms in the country is the boom in the overall economy and high growth in sectors like information technology, telecom, retail and real estate. Rising stock market and new business opportunities are also attracting hordes of foreign investors and international corporate travellers to look for business opportunities in the country. The hotel industry in India is going through an interesting phase. The industry has a capacity of 110,000 rooms. According to the tourism ministry, 4.4 million tourists visited India last year and at the current rate, the demand will soar to 10 million by 2010 to accommodate 350 million domestic travellers. The hotels of India have a shortage of 150,000 rooms fuelling hotel room rates across India. With tremendous pull of opportunity, India has become a destination for hotel chains looking for growth. Due to such a huge potential available in this segment, several global hotel chains like the Hilton, Accor, Marriott International, Berggruen Hotels, Cabana Hotels, Premier Travel Inn (PTI), InterContinental Hotels group and Hampshire among others have all announced major investment plans for the country. The Governments move to declare hotel and tourism industry as a high priority sector with a provision for 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) has also provided a further impetus in attracting investments in to this industry. It is estimated that the hospitality sector is likely to see US$ 11.41 billion rise in the next two years, with around 40 international hotel brands making their presence known in the country by 2011. Simultaneously, international hotel asset management companies are also likely to enter India. Already, US-based HVS International has firmed up plans to enter India, and industry players believe others like Ashford Hospitality Trust and IFA Hotels Resorts among others are likely to follow suit. Niche Tourism The concept of niche tourism has emerged in recent years in counter-point to what is commonly referred as mass tourism. In a globalising world of increasing sameness, niche tourism represents diversity and ways of making difference. It plays on the pejorative connections that have accompanied the evolution of mass and package tourism and their, often cited, negative impacts in relation to environmental degradation and socio-cultural disturbance. For destination managers and planners seeking to utilise tourism as a mechanism for economic development, the niche tourism approach appears to often greater opportunities and a tourism that is more sustainable, less damaging and more capable of delivering high spending tourists. The term niche tourism is largely borrowed from the term niche marketing, which in turn has appropriated the niche concept from the language of the relatively recent discipline of ecology. Tourists, as consumers have developed increasing levels of expertise and experience of being tourists. Whilst this developmental pattern of tourists may not always be linear or simplistic. Figure 2: Niche Tourism Components Types of Niche Tourisms Niche tourism has broadly been divided into following components: Cultural Tourism: Cultural tourism is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or regions culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religions, and other elements that helped shape their way of life. Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theatres. It can also include tourism in rural areas showcasing the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and lifestyle. Environmental Tourism: Environmental tourism, ecotourism, or nature tourism provides an opportunity to visit undisturbed natural areas, scenic vistas, and observe plants and wildlife. Ecotourism is responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strive to be low impact and often small scale as an alternative to mass tourism. Its purpose is to educate the traveller and provide funds for ecological conservation, directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities and foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Generally, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth and environmental responsibility. Ecotourism typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. One of the goals of ecotourism is to offer tourists insight into the impact of human beings on the environment, and to foster a greater appreciation of our natural habitats. Responsibl e ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Rural Tourism: Any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience can be termed as rural tourism. Rural tourism is essentially an activity which takes place in the rural areas. The term rural tourism was adopted by the European Community to refer to all tourism activities in rural areas or as an economic activity, which depends on and exploits the countryside. Figure 1: Rural Tourism Approach Forms of Rural Tourism Agritourism: Agritourism or farm tourism refers to an organization working on farm or agricultural plant made for entertainment of tourists or visitors, thereby generating income for farm owners. This may help the farmers to interact with the visitors, thereby benefiting the visitors to enrich their knowledge regarding agritourism. Sports Tourism: It involves tourists to participate or observe rural sports. It teaches the local rural people how to get scope/chance in international game and to compete with opponents. It enables the people of different cultural background to mix with other people and exchange cultural activities between the parties and thereby they are culturally rich. Pro-Poor Tourism: Pro Poor tourism is set up in developing countries as a means to improve the local economy for local people. It enhances the linkages between tourism businesses and poor people; so that poverty is reduced and poor people are able to participate more effectively in tourism development. The aims of pro-poor ranges from increasing local employment to involving local people in the decision making process. Introduction to Rural Tourism in India Majority of India is among the rural category with the sanctity and subtleness intact in the very essence of the village soil. This pious environment of the rural India attracts lot of interest among the tourists in India and thus rural tourism is a fast emerging category. A national tourism policy was introduced in 2002, with rural tourism identified as a focus area to generate employment and promote sustainable livelihoods. The government in its 10th five year plan has focused on the subject of rural tourism. With a rich diversity in culture, heritage, food, crafts, and tradition, India has immense potential and opportunity. It has identified certain areas across the country, which can immediately be developed as the rural destinations. The government partnered with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for an Endogenous Tourism Project. Some 30 rural sites were selected in 20 states to develop as destinations for rural tourists. The UNDP pumped in an initial US$2.5 million. Those proposals that were selected by the government were entitled to assistance up to US$100,000. Divining Forces in Rural Tourism Industry stakeholders define the rural tourism experience by what they offer as product. But they are simply responding to what they perceive as an increasing demand for experience of rural communities, and interpreting it via their own world views. This demand is driven by a range of forces that combine to create tourist interest in rural experiences. These forces have been identified by many authors and can be summarised as: Tourist generating regions for rural tourism are highly developed and urbanised. The stresses of urban living and the remoteness from the natural environment has created a desire for escape from the monoculture of city living. Baby boomers are driven to tourism experiences that yield increased self-awareness in their drive for longed for perfection that compensates for lives destabilised by uncertainty and insecurity (Mackay, 1997) Demand fuelled by media, over-familiarity and congestion with traditional tourist resorts and increased interest in alternative attractions with its voracious appetite for content and the resultant over exposure of many traditional tourist destinations. Increasing environmental awareness and interest in the relationship between humans and the environment. Green issues have raised the attractiveness of rural experiences as ecologically sustainable tourism. Transport, communication, and the removal of political and economic barriers to travel have facilitated accessibility of rural areas. Increase in number of free independent travellers due to the increased capacity, especially in long-haul transport modes. When combined with increasing discretionary incomes, greater awareness of the range experiences on offer, the accessibility and attractiveness of rural destinations has been dramatically improved. Changing work patterns have increased the popularity of shorter breaks that minimise the absence from work and the effect of absences on work flow and involvement. An increased interest in heritage can be satisfied through rural tourism as rural areas are often the repositories of remnant heritage. Rural areas are perceived as healthier, offering fresher air, cleaner water and the opportunity for outdoor recreation. Rural areas offer fresh and speciality food. (Bartmann and Baum, 1998) Issues with Rural Tourism The lack of statistical base: It is difficult to establish volume and value of rural tourism as a specific market sector in nations, even harder on an international scale. Many countries have different definitions of rural and will therefore collect different data. Data on rural tourism are not easily obtainable. Rural communities: These tend to be non-uniform for example remove versus accessible rural areas contain very different types of settlement, employment opportunities, socio-demographic characteristics. Different community structures with diverse responses to tourism exist. Tourism development strategies may not benefit all rural areas: Where there is an inadequate supply of attractions or accommodation, tourism may not flourish. However marketing strategies must be good to attract tourists. Likewise, development of tourism provision by local people may not be feasible in a depressed rural economy. Impact of Rural Tourism The aim of tourism development in rural areas is, in general terms, to provide opportunities for economic and social development. In some areas, tourism provides the main source of income and employment, as well as providing social and economic benefits. Inevitably, negative aspects of rural tourism are evident as well. (Gannon 1994) Economic Assists viability of existing tourism and non-tourism business. Encourages dependence on industry prone to uncontrollable change Creates new employment Creates part time, seasonal employment Attracts inward investment Incurs development costs and public service cost Socio-cultural Assists in viability of local service Creates feeling of invasion by tourists Creates sense of pride Increases crime Revitalises local culture, traditions, events and crafts Reduction in local services Environmental Leads in environmental improvements in settlements Increases wear and tear on landscape features Provides income for conservation of buildings and natural environment Creates need for new developments which may not be in keeping with local area. Fosters awareness of conservation as worthwhile activity Increases pollution and affects local biodiversity Table 1: Positive and negative impacts of rural tourism Niche Market: A Place in Rural Tourism If the importance of the products one buys lies largely in their potential as social markers, tourism marketers must focus both on tourisms social signification and on meanings attached to spaces in which these occur. Explanations of tourism consumption cannot be derived in isolation from the social relations in which they are embedded. New users of the countryside are redefining what constitutes rurality, and there is a need to take postmodernism and the construction of the rural much more seriously. Contemporary social construction often transcends the countrysides tangible characteristics and qualities of open space or fresh air by representing it as the setting for the achievement of a range of personal goals. The need for a wider sociological approach to tourism studies has been emphasised by Sharpley, who argues for the recognition of broader social and cultural influences that shape consumer behaviour as a whole and influence consumption patterns. In the interests of the rural environment, therefore, and of the small businesses trying to meet the needs of emerging markets, it is necessary to look beyond classical marketing theory to gain a useful understanding of rural tourism consumption and to evaluate the existence of niches for marketing purposes. The increasing need for analysts to focus on consumption as an improved means of understanding contemporary forms of rural tourism demand requires a dynamic framework within which the analysis can be conducted. A continuum to measure the relative importance of the countryside to the consumption of tourism in rural areas is proposed to indicate the importance of the countryside to the purpose of the trip and to tourist satisfaction. The significance of the model lies in its recognition of the primacy of neither tourism nor tourist types but the ways in which the countryside is consumed as a recreational resource. Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Tourism The major problem in rural areas is that there is not much scope for working. Most of the People are engaged in agricultural activities, some of them in forestry and others are artisans. Villages are struggling with large families with one or two earning members in the family and high consumption expenditure. Due to less scope in villages most of them started migrating to cities. There are 638,691 villages in India as per the Census Report 2001 and the rural population is 741,660,293 with average population of 1,161 per village. Many of these rural communities have the potential have the potential resources, ability to attract the growing tourism industry. The scenic beauty, historical importance may appeal the urbanites, caught up in todays fast pace of lifestyle. Challenges in Rural Tourism The major challenges are the need to preserve the environment and natural resources and the need for proper education. Legislation Problems Respondents have pointed out that there can be legal problems. Tourism is a part of entertainment industry. All hotels, motels and cottages having license pay taxes to government. Rural tourism should have a tax holiday or it should be tax free. The government should encourage rural tourism to grow. Lack Of Trained Man Power The ruler people require to be trained for discharging their duties, decorating the cottages and maintaining them, serving food to the visitors and to understand the taste of the costumers, either the local cuisine or different type of Indian cuisine. The success of rural tourism totally depends on the quality of service provided to the tourists. To develop the manpower government has to take initiative to open various short training courses for imparting knowledge and skills. Insufficient Financial Support To start rural tourism, sufficient fund is required to promote it in introductory phase. Rural tourism is still uncommon to many tourists. This is because the government has just started promoting rural tourism. Central and state government should encourage rural tourism by providing financial support to start the project. As it will create employment in rural areas and will help the inflow of funds from rural areas to urban areas. Lack of Local Involvement Since rural people do not have knowledge and skills to involve hem in different activities. They may get the job of unskilled workers. The rural people need to develop the knowledge and skills to have a higher involvement in rural tourism. The basic concept behind the rural tourism is the participation of rural people. But in practice local people are seldom involved in decision making, planning and implementing policies. Most of rural people do not have much knowledge of tourism, and are misled by outside investors who hope to take most of the economic benefits from rural area. Language Problem There are 16 recognized languages and 850 dialects in India. Although Hindi is an official language, in many parts of India people do not understand it. The rural people have to upgrade themselves to communicate with the urbanites. The villagers not only have to educate themselves but they have to understand hindi to interact with the Indian costumers and English to communicate with the foreign costumers. Opportunities in Rural Tourism The tourists look for quality environment and meaningful experience. Marketing of rural is a specialist job. For rural tourism, rural people have to surrender themselves to professional marketers who understand the complexity of their task. The business depends on the development of networks, creation of trust and loyalty and information system, all of which takes money and time to develop, which is beyond the resources of most individual. Tourists have become more educated, more aware of facilities available and more experienced, their expectation has also increased. People are interested in exploring new places. Rural tourism in India has great future, since it not only provides natural elements of beauty but also the indigenous local traditions, customs and foods. Direct experience with local people can be a unique selling proposition to attract tourists. Every state in India has unique handicraft, traditions and foods. The rural tourism not go for mass marketing, rather different strategies should be under taken for different segment to make it successful.