TOURISM

Visitor Attraction Management

Visitor Attraction Management

Introduction

The international tourism industry is the movement of travellers and the reception and entertainment of travellers away from their home country. Whereas, the hospitality industry, refers to the wide category of companies that fall under the service industry. It includes restaurants, hotels, event planning, motels, cruise line, theme parks, and additional areas within the tourism industry. This industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that largely depends on the availability of disposable income and leisure time. People leave their home, neighbourhood, work and routine to experience something new and worthy of their money. A warm reception, cosy and comfortable rooms, elegant and sumptuous dining, and full on entertaining and recreational activities, are what they expect and deserve. This is the case in the majority of the tourists except those who are for a business or any other purpose. Even they prefer privacy, luxury and comfort (Walker, 2009, p.125).

Museums are one important segment of the tourism industry. Tourists from all over the world visit museums for different purposes. They are explored by artists, scholars, students and researchers. These places address numerous needs of the visitors including educational, entertainment, leisure, investment in valuables, charity, exhibitions, etc. British Museum and the museum of Madame Tussaud are two of the most renown, classical, ancient yet modern museums of all times. This paper aims at discussing the historical development of these attractions, the current provision offered by them, their market potential, issues of visitor management and future trends. Moreover, it also elaborates the political economy of the tourism sector along with the opportunities and threats of the changing world.

Overview of Museums in U.K.

Like the forums of ancient Rome, museums are places where communities gather to learn, debate, share their experience, socialize, and get entertainment. They no longer simply present objects; they actively engage their audiences in experiences in looking at art, and they are places where artists, scholars, and the public engage in learning and can be challenged by new ideas and images.

The above statement gracefully summarizes the transformation of the British art museum over the last century. Art museums have a history of being created by and for the elite class, as monuments to wealthy members of society and their excellent taste. When art museums were first developed in London, they were primarily supported by individual philanthropists seeking to display their own collections of art. The museums, and countless other public places dedicated to the aesthetic experience, were built upon the collections and interests of a selected group of patrons (Herve, 1838, p.225). The most extensive and celebrated collections of art held by museums in London were developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, as members of uppers class families and self-made millionaires amassing fabulous collections before giving them to the institution of their choice. Thus, many British art museums originated from a combination of private wealth and public recognition, which makes U.K. art museums, a unique form of ...