Impact of UK Tourism Industry on Promoting Cultural Heritage and National Economy

Target Market

 As per research, there is precise data on the characteristics and specific information related to growth trends exhibited by the Urban Tourism industry and cultural tourism aspects. However, there has been an increase in the research efforts and literature compiled for the purpose of studying the impact of Urban Tourism in Europe specifically in the last 10 years and observers or researchers are of the opinion that there has been an increase in the European Cultural Tourism industry and that the demand is growing (Januarius, 1992; Zeppel and Hall, 1992; Boniface and Fowler, 1993). Further research has shown that cultural tourism is a thriving industry in Europe that will significantly contribute to local and global economic development (ByWater, 1993).

As per the World Tourism Organization, 37% of all tourist visits are related to cultural tourism and that the demand for tourist activities is growing at a rate of 15% annually. The desire and motivational zest for cultural heritage contribute to the increase in tourist activities even when the demand is less. The typical visitors and tourists that visit urban centres and other visitor attractions include the foreign visitor, residents, students and educational staff, journalists, professionals, organizational staff and researchers amongst others. Tourists are hence important customers for the growing cultural tourism industry and especially in the UK region. Tourist trips have significantly contributed to increased demand for sightseeing in the UK with visitors from various disciplines including locals and foreigners depicting an active interest in themes that cater to Arts, culture, food and entertainment.

For this guided tour to London, the typical target market would be food enthusiasts, food critics, independent researchers, locals and youngsters with a keen interest in exploring the various food outlets that London has to offer. A significant proportion of the target market would comprise of foreign visitors on international trips and professionals from the hospitality industry with research needs. Youngsters from local areas, students associated with the hospitality industry and visitors from international regions who are food enthusiasts keen to find out key dining places of interest while learning about the food spots in London would also form a dominant portion of the target market. The guided tour would hence be designed keeping in view the above consumer requirements.

Detailed itinerary, including key advice for tour guides and practical aspects such as mode of transport, distances, timing, etc.

 This guided tour of London would best cater to a visitor group looking forward to a themed walk or a highlights tour that would enable interested group members to relish site-seeing focused on a particular topic or aspect. Typically tours can be structured as themed walks and highlights tours based on the particular customer requirements or the organizer's interests. Since this guided tour of London is based on the Food theme hence, the best design option would be to structure a themed walk that would provide the tour participants with the local and cultural delicacies that London city has to offer including informative discussions along the trip with brief meet-ups with prolific gourmet chefs.

Generally, a guided tour design should aim at fulfilling all tourist or visitor requirements ensuring that the trip is both entertaining and informative. Guides are advised to conduct both desktop and library research on the particular theme including key details that can be a source of learning and enlightenment for the visitor. (Caroline, 2015)

The walking tour should typically focus on the following key design characteristics:

Table 1; Design Characteristics

• A themed walk should have planned timings or intervals according to the number of stops including the start and end points.
• A standard guided tour would consist of twelve stops on average that are spaced and located appropriately as per the trip duration with each stop being around two to four minutes walking distance.
• A typical themed walk focusing on a specific topic usually lasts around two hours since it is a guided walk centred on nearby stops located in a certain geographic area. Hence the duration is brief.
• Transportation mode is to be selected carefully keeping in view the specific starting and ending points. Although the tour would require walk-throughs of the tour stops a vehicle might be required to pick up the visitors and move to the first stop from the starting point. Alternatively, the organizer or guide can choose a starting point for all tour members to assemble for the themed walk. This must be an easy-to-find starting point for the visitors to gather.
• When designing a guided tour, the number of stops should be examined carefully. This will however depend on the theme and what areas and sites are to be shown to the visitors. Guides are advised to plan accordingly including intervals and presentation or talk time for each stop.
• It is recommended that all arrangements in terms of brief meetings with prolific figures or site management be made in advance so that the tour can be designed to provide a memorable user experience to the tourists or visitors.
• Guides and tips in hardcopy format should be provided to all participants including all booking information for tour stops and related details.

 While a highlights tour focuses on a specific geographical location and the visitor attractions it encompasses, a themed walk is structured around a particular topic with an optional emphasis on a certain location. This guided tour to London can thus be designed as a themed walk with a particular focus on the food outlets and sites located in the city of London. Keeping in view the target market described earlier and the above highlighted key design considerations, this guided tour of London would be an informative and interactive themed walk that would provide a dynamic tourist experience for food enthusiasts and professionals related to the hospitality industry. The trip would provide an insight into the popular Eateries in East London with brief meet-ups with professionals from the hospitality industry including informative walkthroughs along the trip. (Eating London Tours, 2015)

 This London tour will focus on the East London end which is a rich cultural hub with specific regard to the delicacies and tempting gourmet items that are symbolic of the urban centre. The themed walk will feature eight interactive stops including market, bakeshops, cafes and pubs spanning a duration of three and a half to four hours with an average of thirty minutes for each stop including walk, tasting and presentation time. The East London area is a representation of a diverse cultural heritage and classic /contemporary architectural designs. The tour will also include meals and tastings from the eight featured stops along with a guided walkthrough of the most exquisite street art, culturally significant sites and brief encounters with cafe owners. The tour is ideal for small groups and food enthusiasts keen to find out the traditional and cultural delicacies of the East End. While on the trip, tourists will also get to experience the ambience and historical importance projected by the burial grounds of ancient Rome, visually appealing synagogues, Georgian-style buildings and vibrant street art.

Following is the outline of the guided walk highlighting the eight stops;

Table 2: Propose plan

• The starting point would be the Eastern end, a five-minute walk from the Liverpool Street Station. A Tour Bus can be used to pick up group members from their residence to be dropped at the meeting point or they can assemble at an exact point in the Eastern end. The tour would start at 11.00 am.
• The first stop would be St. John's Bread & Wine where the tourists will get to taste London's best Bacon Sandwich.
• A few minutes walk to the popular Bagel shop, Biegel Bake on Brick Lane followed by the next stop, Androuet, which features the best English Cheeses would be the next step.
• Poppies listed as Time-out's top 100 diners in the British Capital for Fish and Chips is not to be missed. This would be the next stop on the list.
• Brick Lane provides an easy track for pedestrians and tourists since it consists of more than 50 diners and cafes. A local favourite diner on Brick Lane would be the next stop for a mouth-watering curry.
• For the sweet tooth, the English Restaurant's delicious pudding is famous for its amazing taste and the tour features this as a highlighted spot.
• The group members will then get to walk to the local Pub, Pride of Spitalfields on Cobblestone Street which offers a cornucopia of drinks and other delicacies.
• The last stop would be the Shoreditch eatery, Pizza Eat which is also famous for its desserts, especially the caramel tart.

 The ending point would be opposite the Shoreditch High Street Station from where the group members can leave for their destinations as the tour ends. At each stop, the guide would provide informative details relative to each cafe including architectural buildings and historic sites to provide an insight into the Cosmopolitan culture of London along with the meet-ups with cafe owners and prolific restauranteurs to make it a memorable tour. (Eating London Tours, 2015)

  Critical Findings

 The studies and researches on the impact of European Cultural Tourism reveal that despite the limited information available on Urban tourism trends, there is an increasing trend amongst the European regions to cater to the growing demands of tourist activities. The UK Tourism industry has shown an increase in the demand for International tourists that have an active interest in exploring the heritage of the area and key Urban centres like London. Food is a popular theme for a guided walk that caters to a diverse customer base.

For such themed walks, the tour must be meticulously planned and designed to provide the most memorable tourist experience focusing on particular customer requirements and that effort be made to design tours that can positively contribute to the growth and sustainability of the UK Tourism industry thereby, providing a platform for the achievement of global Tourism objectives and economic prosperity.