Tourist destinations in the Pacific area actually benefited, to some extent, when some Americans changed their travel plans.
In 1988, tourism once again began a rise. This time, however, the crisis in the Middle East that eventually erupted into the Gulf War brought tourism to a screeching halt (Journal of Travel Research, 1991, pp. 36 37). When the Gulf War ended, tourism was once again expected to begin a growth phase. By that time, however, the United States had entered into an extended economic recession, and economic activity in most of the other industrial nations had begun to slow. Recovery in the travel industry is now expected to be delayed until at least late 1992 (Jusko, 1991, p. 2).
Business management within such an unsettled environment as that found in the tourism industry demands close attention to detail and a constant attention to marketing opportunities, if individual travel agencies are to survive, much less thrive. Within this context, a research study is proposed which will examine the following research questions: 1. What are the most critical factors that must be addressed by travel agency management to assure success in a dynamic industry environment?
2. What type of management style is best suited to the conditions prevalent in the tourism industry?
The purpose of the proposed research study will be to identify the factors crucial to success in tourism management. Most factors crucial to success are universal across enterprise types. Even among these more or less universal factors, however, some require relatively more emphasis in some industries. Further, the way a specific factor is addressed may vary substantially from one industry to another. Definitions of Terms
At this stage of the planning for the proposed study, there is no intention to use any terms that would likely be misunderstood by the general reader. If any such terms are used as the study progresses, however, such te...