This blog has been an enjoyable one. It was fun to go online and search for different kinds of videos that help to improve tourism spending. This has been an interesting couple of years in the tourism industry with the economy but plenty of websites are continuing to improve their sites with more additions of video tours. I looked around and found 15 different websites that had videos. I have listed those websites below.
The fifteen websites all had some pretty good videos to help illustrate what is being presented and how it can catch an interesting tourists' eye. Out of those 15, I have selected 5 that had some real videos. Those 5 come from the 1) Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, O'ahu, Hawaii, 2) Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, 3) Carnival Cruise Lines, 4) The Four Seasons Resort in Bali, and 5) Tahiti Tourisme, the official tourism website of Tahiti. Of those listed websites that I took a look at, the best one had to easily be the Polynesian Cultural Center.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is such an awesome place to visit. It takes many of the cultures from the South Pacific Islands and mixes them together for visitors from all over the world to enjoy and learn more about the different Polynesian lifestyles. There are 7 islands, lifestyles presented at the Polynesian Cultural Center and those are broken up into respective villages. The visitors are able to participate in the activities and learn more about the Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Fijian, Tahitian, New Zealand, and Rapa Nui islands and the people that live there. The workers at the center are so friendly and really incorporate the visitors in the activities. It really is an amazing place and anybody that goes over to Hawaii should plan a day to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center to visit the villages.
After the visitors take the day visiting the villages, they are then scheduled to eat at different areas. There is a Luau with a buffet and dancing for entertainment, some people pay a little more to eat at the Ambassador Luau with crab legs and other meats that melt in your mouth, and then some people choose to skip that and eat at the snack shops. After the eating, the visitors are brought to the main theater to view the night show. This is when the workers at the center do dances and perform the rituals of each island. The dancing is symbolic of war, love, peace, and friendship. The haka is performed as well as the fire dancers and the awesome fire knife dance. It really is an unforgettable experience.
The videos on the website really show much of what to expect at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It shows various movies that range from the night show to the canoe show and even the villages. Take some time to go and see the videos. It will definitely spark an interest inside to want to visit Hawaii and take a trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center.
1)Turtle Bay Resort http://www.turtlebayresort.com/
2)Polynesian Cultural Center http://polynesia.com/
3)Disneyland http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage
4)Schlitterbahn Water Park http://www.schlitterbahn.com/
5)MGM Grand Resort and Casino http://www.mgmgrand.com/
6)Carnival Cruise Lines http://www.carnival.com/
7)Denver CVB http://www.denver.org/
8)Dallas Cowboys Stadium http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/
9)U.S. Airways Center http://www.usairwayscenter.com/start/
10)Southwest Airlines http://www.southwest.com/
11)Sydney, Australia Opera House http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/
12)Tahiti Tourisme http://www.tahiti-tourisme.com/
13)Four Seasons in Bali at Sayan http://www.fourseasons.com/sayan/
14)Eurail: Italy http://www.eurail.com/eurail-countries-italy
15)Whistler Blackcomb http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm
Monday, November 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Get nose to nose with a shark without the worry of an attack
Haleiwa, O'ahu, Hawaii- Have you ever wanted to swim with wild sharks? How about if you could swim with wild sharks without any worry of being attacked or even touching one?
In Haleiwa, Hawaii, there is a company called Hawaii Shark Encounters Inc. This small company of about 5 guys take tourists out on boats about a mile off shore to swim with sharks in a shark cage. The cage is hooked on to the back of the boat and when the destination is reached, they drop it in. But before you reach the destination, make sure to keep your eyes open just in case you are fortunate enough to see dolphins flipping out of the water, doing barrel rolls in the air. After the possibility and excitement of the dolphins, they then begin to teach a little lesson about the sharks including things not to do, one of them being sticking limbs out of the cage. They also show how to attract the sharks in what any fan of Shark Week knows, chumming. They have a bucket full of fish and the fishes blood. They then begin to soil the water with the chum and before you know it, you'll see a shark. After the initial excitement of seeing the first shark, others then begin to arrive almost immediately. Next thing you know, the water is full of 8-10 foot sharks circling about on all sides of the boat. It is nerve racking for anybody deathly afraid of sharks as was a lady on board with us. The lessons have now been taught with safety instructions and now it's time to enter the water.
Said a fellow that goes by the name of Chanceram, "This is truly an experience like no other! And it's not expensive! To see the spectacular cobalt blue color of the water 3 miles out -- it seemed as if I was watching a movie that enhanced the colors to give it an unreal effect. And when you see the sharks swimming towards the boat and swarming, it starts to get even more exciting."
Swimming with the sharks has easily been one of the most exciting tourist experiences I have done in my life. The people running the company do a great job of interacting with the guests and provide the necessary information for safety and for and enjoyable time. They are well versed with the sharks and have plenty of personal experience with not only the sharks but also with boats and the ocean. They handled receiving payment properly and marketed a personalized video of the experience. It was really a remarkable experience.
1. Chanceram. (2008, May 23). Hawaii Shark Encounters: Traveler Reviews.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60647-d291424-r16342171-Hawaii_Shark_Encounters-Haleiwa_Oahu_Hawaii.html.
2. Hawaii Shark Encounters. (2009). Shark Diving. Retreived from Hawaii Shark Encounters website: http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/.
In Haleiwa, Hawaii, there is a company called Hawaii Shark Encounters Inc. This small company of about 5 guys take tourists out on boats about a mile off shore to swim with sharks in a shark cage. The cage is hooked on to the back of the boat and when the destination is reached, they drop it in. But before you reach the destination, make sure to keep your eyes open just in case you are fortunate enough to see dolphins flipping out of the water, doing barrel rolls in the air. After the possibility and excitement of the dolphins, they then begin to teach a little lesson about the sharks including things not to do, one of them being sticking limbs out of the cage. They also show how to attract the sharks in what any fan of Shark Week knows, chumming. They have a bucket full of fish and the fishes blood. They then begin to soil the water with the chum and before you know it, you'll see a shark. After the initial excitement of seeing the first shark, others then begin to arrive almost immediately. Next thing you know, the water is full of 8-10 foot sharks circling about on all sides of the boat. It is nerve racking for anybody deathly afraid of sharks as was a lady on board with us. The lessons have now been taught with safety instructions and now it's time to enter the water.
Said a fellow that goes by the name of Chanceram, "This is truly an experience like no other! And it's not expensive! To see the spectacular cobalt blue color of the water 3 miles out -- it seemed as if I was watching a movie that enhanced the colors to give it an unreal effect. And when you see the sharks swimming towards the boat and swarming, it starts to get even more exciting."
Swimming with the sharks has easily been one of the most exciting tourist experiences I have done in my life. The people running the company do a great job of interacting with the guests and provide the necessary information for safety and for and enjoyable time. They are well versed with the sharks and have plenty of personal experience with not only the sharks but also with boats and the ocean. They handled receiving payment properly and marketed a personalized video of the experience. It was really a remarkable experience.
1. Chanceram. (2008, May 23). Hawaii Shark Encounters: Traveler Reviews.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60647-d291424-r16342171-Hawaii_Shark_Encounters-Haleiwa_Oahu_Hawaii.html.
2. Hawaii Shark Encounters. (2009). Shark Diving. Retreived from Hawaii Shark Encounters website: http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The secret for any business to be successful
Lou Herbert was the president of Zagrum Company when it first opened for business. Lou was a hard nosed character that had to have things done his way or it didn't get done. He had a very powerful and intimidating presence among his coworkers. Even those high executives in the company feared him. The business had the talent and potential from the leaders it contained but the problem was they weren't able to use those talents. Lou wouldn't allow it. And in doing things his way and by his direction, many of these talented individuals went on to succeed at other companies. Lou was in the box.
Leadership and Self-Deception is a powerful book that illustrates the importance of seeing things how they really are and how visualizing things with a closed perspective is really dangerous to any kind of growth. The book is based on actual experiences that took place in a work environment with fictitious names. It details how people in everyday life are stuck in their own box and making life more difficult for not only themselves, but also those that surround that person.
Tom Callum is a new manager hired on at Zagrum. As a new manager, he is given a lot of responsibility over those under his command. Bud Jefferson, the executive vice president, is very careful about the leadership traits of his managers and thus meets with his new managers after a month or so with the company. Kate Stenarude is the president of the company and possesses the same training enthusiasm as Bud does. Bud and Kate, with later the help of Lou, teach Tom the importance of getting out of the box and succeeded in not only his business career, but also in life.
The message of the book emphasizes a few important ideas in order for people to see people as people. The idea of being in the box begins when people see other people as objects. The premise of the book starts with Tom being hired as a manager in a well respected company. He learns that Bud and Kate want to change his management style. As the lessons go on, Tom realizes that self-deception is a problem with every person that he can think of, including himself. Self-deception is the ability to see that one has a problem but that person resists the suggestion that he/she has a problem. This self-deception then turns into self-betrayal which causes a person to enter in the box. There are some interesting principles about self-betrayal. They are listed here: 1) An act contrary to what I feel I should do for another is called "self-betrayal.", 2) When I betray myself, I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal, 3) When I see a self-justifying world, my view of reality becomes distorted, 4) So-when I betray myself, I enter the box, 5) Over time, certain boxes become characteristics of me, and I carry them with me, 6) By being in the box, I provoke others to be in the box, 7) In the box, we invite mutual mistreatment and obtain mutual justification. We collude in giving each other reason to stay in the box. These all cause selfish feelings that prohibit growth between individuals.
Tom later learns that trying to get out of the box isn't as easy as it may appear. While in the box, things that seem like they would don't actually lead a person to where he/she might want to go. These things are 1) trying to change others, 2) doing my best to "cope" with others, 3) leaving, 4) communicating, 5) implementing new skills or techniques, and 6) changing my behavior. This may seem strange that they don't work. The only way that does work is to cease resisting other people and treating people as people, not objects.
I have read some good books on leadership and books to enhance managerial skills, but this is the best one that I have read so far. It is easy to read and teaches some deep principles for anybody wanting to be a true leader.
Michael Stapley, President and CEO, DMBA said, " The leadership principles in this book have had a greater impact on the quality of leadership in our company than anything we have ever implemented. They have been extraordinarily important in helping make our company a great place to work while at the same time helping us focus on results and increase productivity as never before."
The Arbinger Institute. (2002). Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box. San Francisco, CA:Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Leadership and Self-Deception is a powerful book that illustrates the importance of seeing things how they really are and how visualizing things with a closed perspective is really dangerous to any kind of growth. The book is based on actual experiences that took place in a work environment with fictitious names. It details how people in everyday life are stuck in their own box and making life more difficult for not only themselves, but also those that surround that person.
Tom Callum is a new manager hired on at Zagrum. As a new manager, he is given a lot of responsibility over those under his command. Bud Jefferson, the executive vice president, is very careful about the leadership traits of his managers and thus meets with his new managers after a month or so with the company. Kate Stenarude is the president of the company and possesses the same training enthusiasm as Bud does. Bud and Kate, with later the help of Lou, teach Tom the importance of getting out of the box and succeeded in not only his business career, but also in life.
The message of the book emphasizes a few important ideas in order for people to see people as people. The idea of being in the box begins when people see other people as objects. The premise of the book starts with Tom being hired as a manager in a well respected company. He learns that Bud and Kate want to change his management style. As the lessons go on, Tom realizes that self-deception is a problem with every person that he can think of, including himself. Self-deception is the ability to see that one has a problem but that person resists the suggestion that he/she has a problem. This self-deception then turns into self-betrayal which causes a person to enter in the box. There are some interesting principles about self-betrayal. They are listed here: 1) An act contrary to what I feel I should do for another is called "self-betrayal.", 2) When I betray myself, I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal, 3) When I see a self-justifying world, my view of reality becomes distorted, 4) So-when I betray myself, I enter the box, 5) Over time, certain boxes become characteristics of me, and I carry them with me, 6) By being in the box, I provoke others to be in the box, 7) In the box, we invite mutual mistreatment and obtain mutual justification. We collude in giving each other reason to stay in the box. These all cause selfish feelings that prohibit growth between individuals.
Tom later learns that trying to get out of the box isn't as easy as it may appear. While in the box, things that seem like they would don't actually lead a person to where he/she might want to go. These things are 1) trying to change others, 2) doing my best to "cope" with others, 3) leaving, 4) communicating, 5) implementing new skills or techniques, and 6) changing my behavior. This may seem strange that they don't work. The only way that does work is to cease resisting other people and treating people as people, not objects.
I have read some good books on leadership and books to enhance managerial skills, but this is the best one that I have read so far. It is easy to read and teaches some deep principles for anybody wanting to be a true leader.
Michael Stapley, President and CEO, DMBA said, " The leadership principles in this book have had a greater impact on the quality of leadership in our company than anything we have ever implemented. They have been extraordinarily important in helping make our company a great place to work while at the same time helping us focus on results and increase productivity as never before."
The Arbinger Institute. (2002). Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box. San Francisco, CA:Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
SWOT analysis for 5 websites
For my class this fall I have been asked to do a SWOT analysis for 5 different tourism companies. I chose Knott's Berry Farm, Sandals Resort in the Bahamas, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Hawaii's Tourism Site, and the San Diego Zoo. This is what I came up with.
1) Knott's Berry Farm
Strengths
Strengths
Strengths
Strengths
Strengths
Sources:
http://www.knotts.com/
http://www.sandals.com/main/bahamian/ba-home.cfm
http://www.ruthschris.com/
http://www.gohawaii.com/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/
Other Tourism sites visited:
Phoenix Zoo
Elements at the Sanctuary Resort
Jet Blue Airlines
Denver Children's Museum
Chase Field
Four Seasons Resorts
Sheraton Hotels
1) Knott's Berry Farm
Strengths
- Breaks down web options
- Shows attractions
- Shows restaurants
- Good categorization
- Great history of the park
- Informs viewer of the things just outside the park
- Doesn't show all the attractions
- Limited ride information
- Not as much of an amusement park power anymore
- Doesn't talk about the connecting stores to the park
- Describe why they can compete
- Videos of roller coasters
- Include history of rides
- Give show times online
- Other amusement parks growing, leaving Knott's Berry Farm behind
- Limited physical space to expand
- Potential guests using money elsewhere due to a lack of attraction
Strengths
- Good company brand
- Located in a great spot in the world
- Allows viewing to other Sandals locations
- Information of entertainment
- Not a real informative website
- Doesn't really catch the viewers attention
- Limited information on the respective property
- Give more information on specific location
- Let people embrace the culture online as best as possible
- Try to share more facts with the viewer
- Other resorts have better websites
- Cruises may be a better option
- Difficult economy won't draw people to take a risk on somewhere they can't really research
- Very weak website
Strengths
- Very good overall website
- Great descriptions throughout the website
- Informs the viewer of what to expect before arriving
- Easy to navigate
- Stays updated
- No menu prices
- Doesn't say when specific locations opened
- More history on all locations
- Keep the website updated constantly
- Learn what the competition is doing and keep a step ahead
- Make individual visits personalized
- Other restaurants of same caliber may take ideas
- Don't get complaisant
- Not growing locations quicker
Strengths
- Awesome website
- Plenty of tourism information to all the main attractions
- Great history information of Hawaii
- Makes mention of all parts of the islands
- Easy to navigate
- Helps the inexperienced traveler
- Has the same setup for every island
- Limited small business advertising
- Talks mostly about major cities
- Talk more about the local parts of the islands more
- Personalize the experience for the viewer a little more
- Illustrate the romantic aspects of Hawaii more
- Explain more about the culture to be expected
- Locals that make it tough for tourists in certain places
- Not making more mention of the local businesses
- Allowing too much competition between the islands
Strengths
- Very descriptive
- Tons of photos and videos
- Easy to navigate the website
- Great information of exhibits
- Conveys a warm, inviting welcome
- Redundant photos
- Small introductory page
- No stories shared from previous visitors
- Let guests know ahead of time what things they can participate in
- Let people know the time it takes to explore the whole park
- Emphasize that it is the biggest zoo in the country
- Let guests post comments on the website
- Set standard for other zoos to emulate
- Allow for guests to more easily find their desired events
- Other attractions in San Diego
- Problems from Mexico at the current time
Sources:
http://www.knotts.com/
http://www.sandals.com/main/bahamian/ba-home.cfm
http://www.ruthschris.com/
http://www.gohawaii.com/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/
Other Tourism sites visited:
Phoenix Zoo
Elements at the Sanctuary Resort
Jet Blue Airlines
Denver Children's Museum
Chase Field
Four Seasons Resorts
Sheraton Hotels
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Random April 1, 09
I haven't written on here in a while and thought that I should do it more often. I love where I work and meet such interesting people from so many different places. I work at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa as an intern right now and shortly will work there as a full-time employee. I feel very fortunate to have that opportunity seeing that the economy is very bad right now. Anyways, I don't have a ton of things to say right now because I'm pretty beat from the day and want to go to bed.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thoughts to William Cronon
Cronon says, "Although wilderness may seem today to be just one environmental concern among many, it in fact serves as a foundation for a long list of other such concerns that on their face seem quite remote from it. That is why its influence is so pervasive and, potentially, so insidious."
I have to disagree with Cronon. It is true that wilderness should be taken into some concern but that it is evasive and possibly insidious is not something that I would agree with. Wilderness is needed for a chance to find oneself. Sure the trees and foliage we have in our own neighborhoods offer relaxation as a "breath of fresh air." But wilderness in its true setting are necessary for one to cleanse him or herself and dig deep to find what the individual soul is trying to say and teach. How can one be lost in deep thought and meditation when cars fly by on a close busy street? How can the soul inspire when a family member or roommate has music playing at a decibel level enough to cause distraction? How can the soul grow without an opportunity to strengthen itself against temptation and fear. Those are where the victories are won. It is when one pushes him or herself to their capacity that strengthening occurs. And I think that solitude in the wilderness is a necessary means to those self sustaining victories. It's difficult to find oneself constantly surrounded by others.
I have to disagree with Cronon. It is true that wilderness should be taken into some concern but that it is evasive and possibly insidious is not something that I would agree with. Wilderness is needed for a chance to find oneself. Sure the trees and foliage we have in our own neighborhoods offer relaxation as a "breath of fresh air." But wilderness in its true setting are necessary for one to cleanse him or herself and dig deep to find what the individual soul is trying to say and teach. How can one be lost in deep thought and meditation when cars fly by on a close busy street? How can the soul inspire when a family member or roommate has music playing at a decibel level enough to cause distraction? How can the soul grow without an opportunity to strengthen itself against temptation and fear. Those are where the victories are won. It is when one pushes him or herself to their capacity that strengthening occurs. And I think that solitude in the wilderness is a necessary means to those self sustaining victories. It's difficult to find oneself constantly surrounded by others.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Civil Disobedience
With regards to civil disobedience, I can't think of one thing that I, personally, would do like what those other people from Earth First! were doing. I believe there are other ways to get the point across. Most of the time I've learned, when you fight like that against something, the other side fights just as much. So it's essentially a lose-lose situation when you really look at it. So the people that enjoy doing that, my hat's off to them but you ain't gonna catch me living in a tree or sabotaging businesses just to prove a point. Things can be dealt with in a better way I feel. So with the question of if I would do something like that for what I believe in, my answer is no. Like I said a sentence ago, there are other ways to come to an agreement with people. And ruining their things doesn't make the situation any better and perhaps can extend the time of the feud. I gave 2 years of my life for what I believe in most in my life. I served a mission for the LDS "Mormon" Church. Sure we quarreled with people about points of doctrine and beliefs, but the reality is that people are going to do what they want to do and what they believe in. And you have to respect that. And if not, then you better learn to because it'll just end up ruining your day. I never wanted to force things on anybody. If they wanted to believe, that was great. If not, they have things to do as did I. No hard feelings and we went our ways. I just think that if you deal with people in the proper way, with respect and a genuine concern, an agreement will eventually be made. And these sorts of acts are probably not the best way to handle such stuations.
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