Destination Auditing Toolkit Assignment Sample

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Introduction

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A toolkit is a document or more interactive online source which enables the user to collect relevant information on a subject, organise that information, and then use that information to make conclusions and recommendations. These are used throughout the tourism industry. Individual organisations and destinations create their own toolkits. International organisations use them in order to spread consistency in how information is used and to standardise decision-making.
For your assignment you should complete this toolkit and upload the final document to Canvas by the hand in date for the assignment. To answer each section, you need to find evidence relating to your chosen destination to support your answer. Your choice of destination will be confirmed by the teaching team.
Please follow the suggested word count for each section and note the percentages relating to the overall final grade. Please use the prompts also included in the toolkit. All the questions in this toolkit will be covered throughout the lectures and seminar session. Please refer to the recordings for each session and the assignment vodcast. Good luck with your assignment and enjoy the module.

Please give an overview of your destination

25,000 individuals work in the tertiary sector of the Maldives economy as a result of tourism, making it the country's most significant economic sector. It is the island of the Maldives that attracts a large number of visitors to the nation. Sea level rise and consequent severe weather, coastal floods, and coral bleaching harm the natural features that attract many visitors, which is why the tourism sector is particularly susceptible to climate change. Maldivian tourism began in 1972 with three hotels and has grown to more than a hundred that are now in operation, according to the government. The Maldives are the only place where a single hotel fills the whole of an island. As a result, guests at resorts enjoy greater levels of seclusion and comfort (Zimmerhackel et al., 2019). The Maldives are likewise attempting to reduce their carbon footprint by relying more on solar power rather than diesel power. Resorts, hotels, guest homes, and liveboards are all available in the Maldives, as are telecommunications and entertainment amenities.
As a result, climate change has a significant impact on the country's economy. Increased storm intensity, coral reef degradation, and beach erosion, all of which are becoming more common due to sea level rise, might harm the tourism industry. The Maldives are currently dealing with rising seas and bleached coral reefs as a result of climate change (Shakeela and Weaver, 2018). The whole nation might be drowned by 2100 if sea levels rise by 10 to 100 cm, according to the World Bank. Instead of attempting to relocate the populace, the new administration has decided to combat the issue of rising oceans with geoengineering programmes.
Renting out other islands and building new ones would allow the people of those areas in need to be shifted elsewhere. Hulhumale' is one of the man-made islands. In accordance with data from the World Bank, "Warming water also threatens coral reefs, causing bleaching and mortality, with the worst effects occurring in regions that are already stressed by pollution or physically disturbed in some way or another (Cowburn et al., 2018). Damage to coral reefs has exacerbated the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations, resulting in a negative feedback loop."

Describe the Tourists who are attracted to your destination

They are regarded as the most courageous of travellers. Individuals in this group are very outgoing, and they're always looking for new experiences. A few weeks at a resort for adventure travellers wouldn't spoil their holiday. They want new experiences, new individuals, new places, and new things to see and do. Backpackers tend to be economical and open-minded travellers who want to experience as many different facets of a destination as possible. Visitors in this group often simply carry a backpack, as implied by the category name. Clothing, shoes, sunglasses, batteries, and even food are stored here. With a backpack, it's difficult to go on a trip. All day, the tourists are going to have to lug that about with them (Zimmerhackel et al., 2018). Relative to backpackers, business travellers are a little harder to deter. Business tourists are travellers who are primarily focused on their jobs while on the road. When the work day is finished, of course, things will alter.
Visitors on a business trip, who are notorious for their tight schedules, are often curious in the city in which they'll be spending some time. This implies that tourists may go to the usual tourist destinations, such as museums, restaurants, and parks, without any reservations or reservations. Only a certain kind of traveller craves the experience of a cruise vacation. It's not uncommon for elderly people to take cruises every year as a way to explore the globe. Many cruise lines cater to the needs of elderly citizens with all-inclusive vacation packages. Most of them may pick and choose which nations they wish to see, since cruise ships provide a wide variety of trip options (Muneeza et al., 2019). Visitors who fall under the category of "generalist" are made up of a diverse range of travellers. With an open mind, these tourists go to a new location and take in everything that it has to offer.
A generalist traveller may be fascinated in a city's beauty one day and its cuisine the next. The common goal of a vacation for the average generalist traveller is to have a good time. Consequently, it is important to consider things like where to stay and if it is worthwhile to visit several locations within the area. The majority of people who go on vacation are generalists (Imad and Jie, 2021). They go to various places with the goal of seeing the local landmarks, seeing the museums, and participating in the local culture. Travelers who mostly go on vacation while on vacation are known as "holiday tourists."
A vacation, by definition, is a time of rest and relaxation spent away from home for at least a few days. The most common form of traveller is a holiday tourist, particularly one who travels with their family. Tourists who go on vacation are categorised as generalists. For these travellers, a vacation means getting away from it all, visiting new places, doing new things, and having a good time, but they also want to get some rest and relaxation in the process (Shenaan, Schanzel and Berno, 2020). Leisure travellers, unlike backpackers or adventure tourists, also need to unwind while on the road. As a result, places offering a wide variety of lodging alternatives pique their attention.

Discuss the product portfolio for your destination

According to the Maldives' international marketing, they are "the sunny side of life" and a paradise for sun, sea, and sand. As a result of these innate characteristics, the Maldives has become a popular tourist destination. The warm and tropical environment of the Maldives is a major draw for visitors because of its location on the equator, making it a popular destination. " 30 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius" provide for nice, sunny days with cold evenings, making this a pleasant place to live all year round. Because the Maldives are made up of tiny atolls that are totally encircled by water, sea breezes constantly bring in cooler ocean air. Visitors to the Maldives come mostly for the sun (Gu et al., 2021). There is an average of 2784.51 hours of sunlight in the nation's core regions each year since the country is located near the equator. The Maldives has two distinct seasons, the dry season and the rainy monsoon season, due to its proximity to the equator.
It is estimated that the Republic of Maldives has 1,109 distinct coral atolls; however, only 200 of these islands are home to people. For this reason, tourists are drawn to the Maldives because of the enormous regions that remain unspoiled by human activity, and because private atolls allow them to experience nature in all of its pristine glory on their own terms. The stunning white sand beaches and low-lying islands in the South Pacific atolls draw hordes of visitors every year. The convection currents in the mantle caused the Indian and African tectonic plates to collide, resulting in the formation of the Maldives (Saleh, 2021). The Indian Ocean is home to a 2,000-kilometer-long chain of volcanoes. Over time, the underwater margins of these volcanoes began to sprout coral as they collapsed back into itself. The coral grew until it formed a full ring around the reef when the volcano subsided.

Figure 1: Monthly Average Rainfall and Sunshine
(Source: Saleh, 2021)

A lagoon grows around the coral island, providing protection from the ocean's wild waters for the island's aquatic inhabitants and people alike. The lagoons of the Maldives are a major draw for tourists since they are shielded from the ocean waves and are normally flat and tranquil, and they are also a rich supply of marine life. Most of the time, the waters of the lagoons in the "Republic of Maldives" are warm, transparent, and serene, allowing for visibility of up to 50 metres. The coral reefs in the Maldives are among of the best in the world for diving and snorkelling (Khan, Yusuf and Costa Mendes, 2018). Over 1000 types of fish and other aquatic life make snorkelling, diving, and fishing popular attractions for tourists. Fish of all shapes and sizes, from shrimp to sharks, may be found in the Indian Ocean because of the monsoon tidal currents.

Figure 2: Monthly Average Temperature
(Source: Khan, Yusuf and Costa Mendes, 2018)

Please comment on the Accessibility and Supporting product in the destination Accessibility

26 atolls dot the tropical Laccadive Sea, 370 miles from India's mainland, where the tourists will find the enchanted Maldives (Cempena, Brahmasari and Suryani, 2019). In the ring-shaped network of islands, there are over 1,000 islands and coral reefs, some of which are abandoned and others which have been built for the high-end luxury industry.
How to Get There: It takes 10 hours to go from London to the UK on a direct trip. Guests arriving in the Maldives fly into Male's international airport, then take a speedboat or seaplane to their final location. Staff at the airport and resort are always willing to help, and the warm welcome broadens to wheelchair-bound tourists everywhere they go (Singh et al., 2021).
Best Time to Go: "As a result of southwest and northeast monsoon rains, the islands get rainfall between July and August and between November and March" (Cempena, Brahmasari and Suryani, 2019). During the months of December through April, the climate is considered dry.
Maldives hotels and resorts are all accessible, with some having ramps installed as permanent features, while others have ramps that are put in place on a short notice. Most ramped access is just a little inclination since almost everything is on the same level. When it comes to beach access, Maldivians are accustomed to assisting persons with disabilities, since their restaurants are frequently open-air (Singh et al., 2021). As previously said, dogs are not permitted in the Maldives, therefore the island country is not a suitable vacation spot for individuals who rely on their service animals.

Supporting product

The "Republic of Maldives", officially referred as the Maldives Islands, is a remarkable "landmass in the northern Indian Ocean". As a sovereign state, "the country is composed of around 1,200 coral islands and sandy beaches that range more than 820 miles from north to south and 130 miles in length from east to west". Approximately 200 of these are inhabited. Due to the area's unusual topography, it has developed a profile as a top tourist destination, with several resorts located on its own island and providing an all-inclusive vacation experience (Jaya et al., 2020). Maldivians are the majority of the country's permanent residents, a consequence of different groups of immigrants coming during its history, "the earliest of which were Tamil and Sinhalese peoples from Sri Lanka and Southern India.
Visitors to the islands are treated to gorgeous beaches", fascinating marine life, and an array of exciting water sports, all of which help to keep the local economy afloat. Due to increased competition from island residents who have been given permission to develop guesthouses on their property, the tourism business has been more open in the last decade. According to February 2019's data, tourist arrivals increased by 16.8 percent over the same period previous year (World Health Organization, 2021). "In all, 168,583 visits were counted, with China accounting for 17.8% of the total and Europe accounting for 55%."

Please describe the image of the destination

Figure 3: COMO Cocoa Island
(Source: Sharif, 2018)
In the Maldives, COMO Cocoa is one among the country's most popular destinations. In addition to a great number of resorts, the water villas are the nicest part of it all. Each of the "COMO Cocoa Island's" 33 water villas is equipped to the utmost standards. After the visitors have planned the staycation, tourists may relax on the pristine white sands of the beach or pamper their selves at a spa resort (Sharif, 2018). The restaurant and cuisine are usually excellent, and the house reef is a great place to go diving and snorkelling for some revitalising fun.

Figure 4: Baros Island
(Source: Rathnayake et al., 2021)
To get away from the crowds, this is a great area to visit. Baros is one of the Maldives' most popular and highly rated islands. This island is known for its natural beauty and magnificent corals, thanks to its pristine beaches and boutique luxury resort. In addition to the island resorts and luxury water villas, there are a few restaurants and pubs nearby in Baros (Rathnayake et al., 2021). There is a spa in Baros, where you may soak your toes in the cyan-blue water and unwind. There are also a variety of water sports available for couples looking for some excitement.

Figure 5: Emboodhu Finolhu Island
(Source: Laigsingh, 2020)
Perhaps one of the nicest features of this island is the flower bud-shaped layout of the water homes. Rubbernecking from a seaplane is a good way to get a bird's eye view of this stunning landscape. The opulent “Taj Exotica Resort” is located on Emboodhu Finolhu Island, which has 55 water villas to choose from. Visitors may enjoy 5-star accommodations and services, as well as a rejuvenating spa getaway, while staying here (Laigsingh, 2020). Although the "Maldives International Airport" is just a few miles away, this island is easy to get there by speedboat.

Figure 6: Mihiri Island
(Source: Shenaan, Schänzel and Berno, 2021)
As no televisions are available, it's possible that the resort on Mihiri island was designed for folks who like a completely detoxifying atmosphere. The "Adam and Eve spa treatments" at "Mihiri Island Resort" are great for newlyweds, while the resort's exquisite suites are suitable for honeymooners. There are around 30 villas on the sea, as well as a few resorts on the islands (Shenaan, Schänzel and Berno, 2021). The restaurants on the island serve up some of the best cuisine in the world for a romantic evening. There are also swimming and snorkelling water activity alternatives accessible on the island for those who want to have a good time.

Figure 7: Male Island
(Source: di Friedberg and Abdulla, 2021)
It's impossible to have a bad time in the capital, which is filled with restaurants, pubs, and tourist sites. Such an agenda is ideal for couples who like seeing new locations together. As a result, they may begin exploring the area around Male's international airport as soon as tourists arrive (di Friedberg and Abdulla, 2021). Take a refreshing bath on the artificial beach and enjoy underwater scooter and snorkelling while visitors are here.

Who is responsible for tourism in your destination?

A decade ago, in 2008, the company Exciting Travel Holidays was founded to offer opulent trips to the Maldives. It's his job to know all there is to understand about the services they provide. To better serve the tourists and relationship tour operators/travel agents, we have assembled a multilingual team of accomplished travel professionals with extensive understanding of the Maldives. We offer a full range of services from lodging to travel to tours and activities to airport handling and 24-hour consumer support (Laigsingh, 2020). To learn more about the several Maldives resorts we provide, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the organisation.
"Exciting" and "Unforgettable" vacations are our commitment to all clientele. When people visit the Maldives, they will find that the beach is as white as the smiling of the inhabitants, the fish swim merrily in the Indian Ocean, and the weather is like a dream. The Maldives were a haven for wayward sailors in ancient times. These coastlines are still welcome to travellers, giving a peaceful sanctuary (Chia and Muiz, 2021). In terms of atoll formations, the Maldives is one of the most intricate and lively anyplace on the world. For administrative reasons, the 26 natural archipelagos are divided into 20 atoll groups.

What are the main positive impacts of tourism in the destination?

Locals benefit from tourism as well, since it provides jobs and revenue for the government, which benefits the whole nation. "11 percent of the 314,000-person Maldives population are working in tourism," according to official estimates. About $600 million is brought in each year by tourists, which accounts for 60% of all foreign money generated. 90 percent of the government's income comes from this source as well Due to the number of green tourism enterprises, foreign visitors may have a beneficial impact on local businesses and the environment (Jaleel et al., 2021). "All tourism has an influence on local residents, animals, and environments of the host nation," Nature trek Wildlife Holidays has said. As a way to maximise the beneficial impact of Nature trek excursions, if feasible we take small groups, stay in locally owned accommodations, and hire locals. As part of our long-term strategy, we're committed to helping local communities safeguard their environment.
Visitors may understand further regarding conservation and put it into practise when they return to their own countries. Resource management in the Maldives is highly challenging because of the island's unique natural structure. Furthermore, since there are only a few inhabited coral islands in the world, there is a lack of literature on the issue. Due to the lack of site-specific historical data, conducting in-depth technical studies to evaluate the carrying capacity and effect of building and development is both expensive and challenging. The administration is cautiously hopeful despite their recognition of these issues (SATHIENDRAKUMAR, Jaffur and Seetanah, 2021). In the Maldives, the government has adopted a cautious strategy to island development in order to avoid any potential problems. For instance, tourist growth is now restricted to a small number of atolls and islands. Only 74 of the 1190 islands in the nation had resorts by 1996, or 10% of the total.
What are the main negative impacts of tourism in the destination?
Many of the hotels in the Maldives are controlled by foreign firms, which means that a major amount of the revenue generated by tourists does not go to the country of origin. Businesses from other countries are said to have their own marketing teams and rent out their guestrooms to tourist parties. Due to the increased competition, it becomes more difficult for local tourism bureaus to attract visitors. Interactions between natives and tourists have been harmed as a result of tourism (Cowburn et al., 2018). A larger disparity in wealth is evidenced by the few local owners of resorts who possess numerous boats and the yearly wage for resort personnel being NZ $1550. The fact that some individuals have much more money than others might lead to conflict.
Many parts of the Maldives have altered as a result of resort islands, and this has the potential to have an adverse effect on the ecology. Tourist activities like scuba diving and snorkelling, as well as overfishing, are causing ecological systems to degrade. Coral reefs, for example, have been decimated as a result of blasting. Reef residents may be at risk because of this shift in ocean currents and water quality (Shakeela and Weaver, 2018). Tourist divers, who may unintentionally step on the reefs, are another source of harm. It would have a tremendous impact on tourism in the Maldives if the reefs were to be damaged in the future.

Future Actions – Suggest two future actions that will improve the destination

The Maldives, an archipelago of 1,192 islands and islets surrounded by azure waters and powder-soft sand beaches, has long been a favourite tourist destination. Although last year's coronavirus outbreak halted travel and tourism throughout the world, the island country was forced to broaden its economy by boosting other industries. According to research conducted by Michigan State University, "the tiny archipelago's gross domestic product is boosted by tourism by over 28% and nearly 60% of its foreign currency earnings". Foreign travel restrictions and other anti-Covid-19 pandemic efforts, President "Ibrahim Mohamed Solih" told CNBC recently, have had a substantial effect on the Maldives' economy, which is primarily reliant on international tourism (McNamara et al., 2019). Maldives blocked its borders from March to July last year, causing thousands of employees to lose their jobs in the tourist industry. For some of them, it was the end of an era.
The Maldives' dependence on foreign currency earnings to pay for imports was severely impacted. Since modern-day tourism started in the late 1970s, "the closure of borders meant that visitor arrivals were essentially non-existent throughout that era," Solih wrote in an email. The Maldives received more than half a million visitors last year. That's a 67.4 percent drop from the 1.7 million tourists that came through in 2019. Travelers visiting the Maldives have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels after the country's borders were reopened on July 15. On-arrival visas are issued to visitors for a 30-day period (Thoha, 2020). If they fill out an online health declaration form and their pre-departure "Polymerase Chain Reaction" (PCR) tests, which are often used to identify COVID, come back negative, quarantine is not required. It's conceivable for guests to get separated from one other because of the country's 1,200 islands, which function as their own resorts.

Final thoughts - Do you think that your destination is successful?

Throughout the discussion of the above study, it is concluded that Maldives can significantly develop and extensively enhance its profitability in the market by engaging a large number of tourists. The government of Maldives has opened its door for all kinds of tourists in order to enhance the diversity within the culture. Generally, the beauty of Indian Ocean fully demonstrated by this country through conducting the business of tourism. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has fetched a significant downturn within the profitability and GDP rate of the country. However, undertaking of different kinds of solutions and initiatives to reduce the outreach of viral infection have gathered and attracted different tourists to visit this place.

Provide a list of