Malaysias Tourism Industry: An Analysis

Malaysias Tourism Industry An Analysis1.0 IntroductionThe Malayan enchantmenterry effort seems to represent an increasingly important celestial sphere and it palys a major fibre deep down the Malaysian economy and has been responsible for the growth of the economy all over the years. This industry has become a genuinely important source of revenue for the overall economic development of the acres. For an industry that is very important, it is empirical that the government draw back steps to make tourism a strategic economic and enjoyment priority. Logistics is a practice that has been utilise in several other industries but promptly is appearing to be very helpful and applic suit adequate in the tourist and recreation sector. It is observed here that the travel and tourism industry in Malaysia has slide by to meliorate over the years and this peculiar(prenominal) industry has managed to make a signifi plentyt contribution to Malaysias revenue. What is known here is that the Malaysian travel and tourism industry does continue to remain to be one and only(a) of the main income earners that continue to help to strengthen Malaysias balance of payment. The tourism industry of Malaysia is adequate of creation classified into to the highest degree seven categories ande these argon as followsEdu-tourismDomestic tourismShopping tourismMedic-toursmEco-tourismAgro-TourismSports tourismIn this question, there entrust be an examination of the issues and problems relating to the logistics practices by firms in various relevant industries that atomic issue forth 18 related to the Malaysain tourism industry and the personal manner that these firms carry out their logistics practices. In essence, the main focus would be on create mentally essential strategies that would en fit these firms to be able to enahnce their practices relating to logistics for the clear of all of the industry. on that point ar a sum of strategies that can be adopted by t hese firms in revise to enhance their execution in this enquiry pull up stakes be concentrated on identifying one strategy that can help the firms in the tourist industry in Malaysia to enhance their logistics practices. In particular, the viability of the logistics personify analysis strategy will be examined here and a theorization will be make about the viability of the utilization of this strategy to enhance the performance of firms in the tourism industry in Malaysia and the performance of the industry itself.This search will be up to(p) of producing cost- utile outputs that will make it possible for conclusions to be drawn about the logistics dexterity of the firms operating within the tourism industry in Malaysia and the possible ways to increase the efficiency of a firms logistics operations in order to ensure enhanced and efficient performance within the industry. After all relevant subject field has been factored in, the looker will be able to highlight all the logistic factors affecting travel and tourism industry in Malaysia and would be able to develop at a conclusion that can then be used to devise a strategy or framework that can be used by firms in the industry to perfect their logistics practices.1.1 Problem StatementAs storied, there ar a number of factors that tolerate been identified as creation factors that have caused for the tourism industry to experience setbacks and it is these kinds of setbacks thatt have the impact of reducing the performance of the firms within this industry. Logistical factors ar the kinds of factors that could determine the efficiency at which the an governing body within the indsutry is able to operate at maximum efficiency. For a very profitable industry analogous the Malaysian tourism industry, it is very essential for either kind of factor within the industry that might cause for issues to be faced by the Malaysian tourism sector to be identified and addressed, in order to ensure that this industry continues to be a able to bring in revenue for Malaysia. Problems relating to logistics can always be an impediment to the progress of a firm and even an industry, if all the firms do non have an efficient logistics strategy. Among the relevant firms that are impacted by logistics in this industry include firms from the processs, hospitality, tour operating, tourism oriented and recreation oriented firms. only of these firms are able to utlize various logistics strategies in order to reduce cost and improve their function. These firms are pathetic from logistics management issues that are in turn reducing the performance of the entire industry and hence it is essential that these firms adopt a strategy that would improve logistics practices.1.2 moment of the ResearchThis research is signficant because it addresses a very essential issue relating to logistics and the way that the logistical practices of an governing within the tourism industry can affect the way that the firm performs. This research will determine the state of the logistical practices of firms in the industry and the output will be used to determine if there is a deficiency in the logistics practices of firms in the industry. The research will then attempt to make a proposal of strategies in order to perfect the logistics practices of firms in the organisation through the use of strategies and frameworks.1.3 Scope of ResearchThis research will be focused primarily on examining the logistics practices of firms in the Malaysian tourism industry and the efficiency at which they carry out their logistics practices. The scope would be on examining the logistics practices of firms only from the tourism industry in Malaysia and to propose a strategy within the playing field of logistics that is capable of solving these inefficiencies and issues faced by these firms.1.4 Research ObjectivesThe main research objectives of the project will be outlined here. The main objective here will b e to determine the logistic factors affecting travel and tourism industry in Malaysia. So as to be able. To be able to achieve the essential objective of this research paper, there are a few secondary objectives that have to be determined, among them are as followsExamining the logistics performance of the tourism industry in MalaysiaDetermining if Malaysia firms in the tourism industry are suffering from a deficiency in logistcal performanceExamining the strategies that can be adopted in order for logistics performance of to be capable of existence enhanced in firms operating within the tourism industry, in order to enhance the overall performance of the Malaysian tourism industry.1.5 Research QuestionsWhat is the level of logistics performance of the tourism industry in Malaysia?Is firms in the Malaysian tourism industry suffering from a deficiency in logistcal performance?What are the strategies that can be adopted in order for logistics performance to be capable of being enhan ced in firms operating within the tourism industry so as to enhance the overall performance of the Malaysian tourism industry?2.0 Literature ReviewIn this chapter, there will be a writings review that will be carried out on this research topic and hence this means that there will be a review of literature relating tourism and logistical infrastructure. The review commences with an review of literature that relates to the description of the tourism product, the benefits of investing in tourism, a review of literature concerning tourism management, the charactertistics of the tourism industry, the opinions of past researchers about the strategies that can be used to enahnce the logistics practices within the industry to deliver value, the value chain of the tourism industry.2.1 Characteristics of the Tourism Industyharmonize toDwyer and Forsyth, (1997),the tourism industry does have a number of diagnostics of a competitive market. Essentially, there are very few barriers to entry in to the market, the market can be describe as being a truly global market that have a few unnatural barriers to trade, there are a hulky number of firms within the industry and the legal injurys are set on the sole basis of market expectations, essentially.Within a highly competitive market corresponding tourism, there does not seem to be any difference, when it comes to the yield from unalike types of tourists. Within this kind of a competitive market, resources have to be deployed at a level that does reflect their opportunity cost. What this mean here is that they will be employed at a level that makes it possible to provides a sufficient strike to investors when talking in terms of the cost of capital. If there are resources which provide above normal profits they are bid up in price and any abnormal profit is dissipated into the cost of capital(Dwyer and Forsyth, 1997).2.2 The Tourism Product Described2.2.1 Features of the Tourism ProductIt has been stated thatYilmaz and Bi titci, (2006),that the tourism product is say to carry the characteristics pertaining to the service product as well as the characteristics that are special to the tourism industry, and it is this that tends to make the tourism product to be a good deal different from physical goods. What can be give tongue to here is that these characteristics are very effective when it relates to the performance of the tourism establishments and they have to be taken into consideration when performance measurement and management systems are being designed. A very special and distinctive features of the tourism product can eb utter as it being ineffective to be seen and touched physically before being purchased, and which means that it is intangible. It is appreicated here that this kind of intangibility does essentially make it harder to buy but easier to be able to distribute(Evans et al., 2003).It does in like manner make tourism to be dependent on the representations as well as the descri ptions that are within printed or audio-visual forms, and, hence, it is theorized here that schooling is the vital tool which makes it possible to bind producers within the travel industry(Ujma, 2001).The main role of travel instruction that is for consumers can be siad to be very significant as visitors tend become exposed to trhe risk in buying vacations that they believe to be able to satisfy their various of necessity and wants that are state to be very important to them(Mill and Morrison, 2002) and (Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006).The next feature of the tourism product is its perishability and what can be stated here is that the tourism product, like an plane seat or hotel bed, is incapable of being stored for future sale. This can be decribed as being a differences that is present between tourism and manufacturing products. It is this kind of characteristic of the tourism product that does haev an impact on the marketing efforts as well as the operations of the tourism businesses . The main marketing challenge here would be to operate at full capacity for as long as possible and the company would have to design various kinds of marketing strategies for the ultimate intend of stimulating the demand(Callaghan et al., 1994) and (Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006).2.2.2 The Value Chain of the Tourism IndustryThis industry is one that has been analysed in a holistic manner through a number of dissemination channel perspective by a number of authors and researchers(Middleton and Clark, 2001), (Mill and Morrison, 2002), (Halloway, 1998) and (Laws, 1997).A common theme that has been noted among a number of researchers is that there seems to be a lack of node-oriented approach within the end-to-end value chain. It is noted that customers tend to view the tourism product as something that is a seamless product and that postulates to be handled from the view point of the customer in order to be able to measure the tourism value chain in an efficient way. There has been a gr eat amount of emphasis that has been given to service, case, and customer satisfaction issues, and within the connection to the business performance within the tourism industry, it is quite surprise not to find a customer-oriented approach present within the tourism value chain(Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006).The tourism value chain is noted to commence with the customer order and more often than not, customers or tourists do have a few alternatives when it comes to purchasing the tourism product and it is noted here that they are capable of either arranging their travel plan with the assistence of tour operators or even outbound travel agents, which does have an advantage of taking professional advice in affinity to all of the holiday package without any kind of thinking or arranging it themselves and this permits them to be very flexible when it comes to their travel experience. It can be said here that incoming travel agents is capable of being used to make transfer arrangements from /to the airport to/from the hotel and for daily excursions as well as other activities that are normally held at the destination(Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006).The lurch of the services is capable of being dvided into three sub sectors and these include accommodation, transportation and incoming travel services. The performance of the delivery stage is one that is affected by the various relations between these main industry players. Hence, it can be said here that performance measures would be required to reflect the interdependency features of the industry(Yilmaz and Bititci, 2006).The transportation part of the service is where logistics really come into play and the existance of bad infrastructure would damage the entire service offering.2.3 The Concept of Tourism YieldDwyer and Forsyth, (1997)state here that tourism yield can be said to be the net benefit that accrues to the host country from international visitors and this means that it is the benefits minus the costs of tourism a ctivity. This particular definition does believe the complexity of identifying, at the national level, all of the costs and the benefits of tourism, and every one of these has different kinds of patterns of activity and impactAt the firm level, a measure like this is very critically important as it is a measure of survival. In essence,Tisdell (1993)has provided a list of target variables of possible importance to governments when it comes to formulating policy in terms of foreign tourism and these are listed out belowforeign permutation earningsnet national economic benefits that are obatined from foreign tourists as being measured by changes that take place within the economic surplusesemployment generationcultural and sociological impact in regards to the host populationconservational or environmental impactpromotion of international understanding and co-operationincome distribution consequences.(Dwyer andForsyth, 1997)2.4 marketplace for Tourism and Recreational ServicesIt is n oted here that the market of tourist and recreational services is composed of the followinghospitality servicescatering servicestour operating servicestourism oriented servicesrecreation oriented services(Kordel, 2008)It is these segments of the market where a large number of firms, business entities and alsoincorporated companies are said to operate easily and are able to successfully adopt the concept of logistics. Essentially speaking, the science of logistics is said to combine hypothetical andpractical issues and each and every one of its theories is capable of being easily implemented as well as confronted with realityfor the purposes of verifying that they are efficient and relevant in real life(Kordel, 2008)2.5 Logistics and Cost Analysis IssuesFor instance, taking into account the hospitality services sector, it is noted that there are some areas where logistics play a vital role and it is noted here that the efficiency as well as the quality of hospitality services is ca pable of being improved via efficient logistics management of the followinghotel managementquality management info managementmarketing(Kordel, 2008)In looking at the hospitality sector from a very comprehensive point of view, a number of different processes are observed to take place and these include the followingsupply processesservice production processesdistribution processesstorage and warehousing processesinformation transmission processes(Kordel, 2008)2.5.1 Minimalization of CostsThese areas that have been outlined above have to be referred to when it comes to searching for minimalization of costs as well as to locate the most appropriate solutions that are possible for the purposes of gaining a strong, a very competitive and very leading position within the market(Kordel, 2008). All of these processes have to be examined from the view point of costs that they are bringing about and then be classified according to genre and amount. This would permit for the advisement of tot al and unit logistics cost, and these are noted to be very essential factors that impact the competitiveness of companies. Total logistics costs analysis can be described as being the main key to managing the logistics function and this is why it is essential that the management take into consideration all logistics cost(Kordel, 2008)With the hotel industry, for instance, the total amount of logistics cost is said to include the followingcost of supply activitiescost of informationcost of operationcost of marketingcost of distributioncost of redundant servicescost of insurancecost of transport activitiescost of personnelother financial costs(Kordel, 2008)2.5.2 Utilization of Costs Analysis to Improve Logistics PracticesIn essence, the issue of costs is said to be an essential problem and due to the fact that its role in todays economy can be said to continue to grow, they have to be brought up to everyones attention, they have to be properly classified, diagnosed, analyzed and then utilized for the purposes of decision making process. However, most of the companies can be said to be fitted with basic financial and accounting systems and it is noted here that these do not register the logistics costs and it makes it hard to which makes it difficult to diagnose andanalyze them(Kordel, 2008).The processes noted above have to eb examined from the point of view of costs. The utlization of cost analysis is noted to be carried out accroding to these above specifications and could help when it comes to calculating all of the logistics cost concerning the particular firm in the tourism industry and it will also indicate the kind of components that are able to generate the most costs and hence are required to be minimized. It is appreciated here that companies can easily enhance their market competitiveness by reducing their logistics costs abnd this eventually results in big(p) the total costs of goods and services(Kordel, 2008).Because it might be hard to make a det ermination of the individual component oflogistics costs that have to be reduced, companies need to make attempts to integrate thelogistics system as opposed to lowering total logistics costs. This kind of solution can be said to be very true(p) especially that wrong diagnosis of individual costs may lead to an increase of totallogistics costs. Hence, it is essential to remember that in tourism and hospitality business, the effective cost reduction as well as the ability to manage the total logistics costs in the right way can be said to be very helpful when it comes to building a strong position in the market(Kordel, 2008).In essence, keeping track of all logistics costs that are said to be borne by companies from tourist and recreation sector could be easier if only these companies are equipped with additional software that are dedicated towards logistics costs registration and these companies are able to carry out regular research by themselves concerning their very own initial costs.m In general terms, for the hospitality sector to be capable of operating properly and without any sort of objections, there are some issues that have to be taken into account and these are as followsModern logistics solutions have to be constantly updated and implementedThere needs to be an analysis of supply chain costsThere has to be a much wider spectrum of arrogant system that has to be implementedEssential decisions that are made have to be consulted with professionals.(Kordel, 2008)For the purposes of having a better understand of the concept that is stressful to be presented here, the following matters need attentionServices that are provided by these firms need to meet certain quality standards.Customer are to be considered as being merchandise and all the costs that are borne need to be classified as being according to the logistics processes.Realization costs related to controlling systems that are orne in logistics processes need to be implementedThere has to be a ccurate and prompt decisions that need to be made in relation to logisticsprocesses being executed.(Kordel, 2008)2.6 The Role of info Technology in the Tourism Industry and its Impact of LogisticsThe information technologies are said to play a very significant role within the tourism industry and it is appreicated here that the impacts of the meshing(Wynee et al., 2001) and (Dambro and Wilson, 2004)and the computer reservation systems(Duliba and Kauffman, 2001) and (Alamdari, 2002)within the distribution value channel of tourism are subjects of thorough discussion. Information technologies do permit the suppliers, like the airlines and hotels, to be capable of monitoring, managing and controling their capacity via communicating with the intermediaries together with the end consumers. For instance, it is noted here that authorized tour operators are able to access a dedicated part of a hotel companys intranet in order to be able to view room rates and the availability of these room s for their customers. such(prenominal) kind of transparency as well as interactivity makes it possible to increases the efficiency as well as the productivity of all of the value chain (Buhalis, 2003).It can be theorized here that IT does enhance logistics very well and it enhanced speed, efficiency and dependability within the entire tourism industry.3.0 MethodologyIn this chapter, the methodology of the research will be outlined very comprehensively. This means that there will be an nicety of the various methodological tools that will be used in this research for the purposes of collecting data. These are the tools that will be used to gather information that will then be subjected to analysis and for conclusions to be drawn. For this research, there would be the use of primary and secondary research tools that will be utilized in conjunction with each other. The use of both these tools will ensure that quality data will be obtained for the puposes of the research. The research design and the hypothetical framework for the research will also be outlined in this chapter.3.1 Methodological Tools UtlizedAs noted precedingly, the methodological tools that will be utlized here will comprise of a combination of primary and secondary research tools. Below will be an identification and description of the types of tools that are to be used.3.1.1 Primary Research ToolsPrimary research does essentially involves the collection of data concerning a given subject directly from the real world. Here, there will be a description of what primary research is, the ethics that are involved with primary research and different types of research that can be done(Driscoll and Brizee, 2010).In essence, primary research is any sort of research that can be done through the use of surveys and interviews. A researcher that is very talented will be one that will be able to use both primary and secondary research sources and to be able to integrate them in a very cohesive fashion. The ability to perform primary research can be said to be a useful skill as it is able to acquire information that can supplement ones research in secondary sources(Purdue.Edu -Primary Research, 2010).It is appreicated here that the primary data that has been stack away via the methods that have been described above are generally qualitative in nature or in some cases, quantitative(TVU.AC.UK -Primar Research Methodologies, 2010).For this research, the types of primary research that will be carried out will be as follows1. Interviews2. Questionnaires3.1.2 Primary Research Tool 1 InterviewsInterviews can be described as being one-on-one or small group question and answer sessions that will be carried out by the researcher and the interviewees. These interviews will be abel to provide a great amount of information from a few persons and they are essential when it comes to getting expert or knowledgeable opinion in relation to a particular subject, like logistics in the Malaysian tourism industry(Purdue.Edu -Primary Research, 2010) and (Driscoll and Brizee, 2010).The advantages of interviews are as follows qualified to get accurate information.High response rate.Able to be completed immediatelyAbility for interviewer to help if they is problemsAbility to investigate motives and feelings.Ability to use recording equipment(TVU.AC.UK -Primar Research Methodologies, 2010)In essence, a total of 5 interviews will be carried out with managers from firms within the tourism industry in Malaysia. The researcher aims to get a wealth of information from these managers about their thoughts and perspectives about the performance of the firms in the tourism industry in Malaysia, the issues that are reducing its performance and the strategies that can be used to improve its performance. These interviews will be vital towards the satisfying of the research objectives.3.1.3 Primary Research Tool 2- QuestionnaireQuestionnaires will be the next kind of primary research source that will be utilized here and in this questionnaire can be described as a type of questioning that is far more rigid as opposed to interviews and it also tends to involve much larger groups of people. In essence, these surveys are likely to provide a limited amount of information from a very large group of persons but they are very useful when it comes to having an understanding about what a larger population thinks about the issue concerned(Purdue.Edu -Primary Research, 2010) and (Driscoll and Brizee, 2010).The main advantages of using questionnaires are as followsAble to be used in its own rightAble to be posted, e-mailed or faxed and this increases speed and saves timeAble to cover a large number of personsVery wide geographic coverage.InexpensiveRespondent has the chance to consider responses.There is anonymity of respondent.Absence of interviewer bias(TVU.AC.UK -Primar Research Methodologies, 2010)A total of cx questionnaires will be distributed to members of the target group and thes e essentiall comprise of persons from firms within the tourism industry in Malaysia. The researcher proposes to collect a large amount of information from this target group in order to determine the issues facing the tourism industry, the practices of these firms, what they are doing to improve themselves and the strategies that they can adopt in order to improve their practices for the benefit of their firm as well as the industry.3.1.4 Secondary Research ToolsSecondary research methods are research methods that are used to collect information from sources that have already been researched on before. Secondary research would involve the processing of data that has already been collected by researcher previously and it makes reference to the consultation of previous studies as well as findings and these include reports, press articles as well as previous market research projects so as to be able to reach a conclusion.A secondary research method would be premised on information that has been collected from studies previously performed and hence it is a reseaerch method that is not very expensive in contrast to primary research because it does not require new research methods. The main disadvantage of this research type is that the information that has been collected might be old and obsolete and this might mean that the results of analysis could be inaccurate(Business Teacher -Primary-Secondary Market Research, 2010).There are a number of secondary research sources that can be used to collect information and the ones that will be utlized for this research invovle the following belowPublished texts concerning theoretical work and aslo secondary analyses that have been carried out by experts and reportsVarious media like the internet, television and radio that act as sources of information(Secondary Research Methods, 2010)Below would be the main advantages of secondary reseaerchInexpensive and highly accessibleOnly method of examining large-scale trendsAbilit to gather a large amount of date especially from the internet(Secondary Research Methods, 2010)3.2 Research DesignIn relation to to reseach design for this project, this relates to the decision making selections that are rational and here there will be an elaboration of the type of show that will be carried out, the level of control and other issues related to the project. This research typically involves making a research of the logistics practices and conditions in the Malaysia tourism industry and what improvements that need to be made to enhance the logistics so as to bring positive enhancements to the industry.Concerning the kind of study invovled, this will be an exploratory study as they has been very little research that has been carried out on the logistics of the Malaysian tourism industry and the approaches that have been taken by the Malaysian government to improve it. The level of interference by the researcher was kept minimal so as to ensure that it does not have a bad impact on the research and that the completion of the project is not delayed.Practically, there are a number of sampling techniques that can be used for a research like this and these are discussed now. The first of these is cluster sampling and this is the kind of sampling that can be used where the larger population has been divided into much smaller clusters and they are selected randomly for the study. The next type of sampling is systematic sampling and this is a technique whereby the researcher is able to sele