Tourism Education Manual BVI Tourist Board Table of Content SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 40 Ecotourism 40 Overview 40 Stakeholders 41 FOREWORD Governments Role 41 Liability Indemnification 4 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 41 The Role of the Tourism Sector in Expanding Economic Opportunity 41 INTRODUCTION 5 Economic Trends 42 What is Tourism? 5 Who is a Tourist? 5 Types of Tourists 6 IMPACT OF TOURISM 44 The 8 Sectors of Tourism 6 Local Communities 44 Tourists 44 Direct Effects of Tourism 44 THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS AND TOURISM 8 Indirect Effects of Tourism 45 Tourism Investment and Economic Development in the British Virgin Islands 8 Dynamic Effects of Tourism 45 Development in Virgin Gorda 9 Depletion of Natural Resources 46 Development in Tortola 10 Water Resources 46 The Importance of Tourism to the British Virgin Islands 11 Local Resources 47 Tourism Value to the British Virgin Islands 12 Land Degradation 47 Pollution 47 Air Pollution and Noise 47 TOURISM ARRIVALS TO THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 12 Solid Waste and Littering 48 Where do British Virgin Islands Tourists Come From? 12 Sewage 49 Tourism Summary of Arrivals by Category 16 Aesthetic Pollution 49 Data Collection 18 Physical Impacts 49 Entry Requirements 18 Sustainable Tourism as Part of a Development Strategy 52 Countries Whose Citizens Require a VISA to Travel to the British Virgin Islands 19 Improvements to Sustainable Tourism in the Third World 52 How Tourists Come to our Country 20 Confusion Surrounding Governmental Management of Sustainable Tourism 53 Arrival to the British Virgin Islands by Air 20 Responsible Tourism 54 Arrival to the British Virgin Islands by Sea 22 Airlines Operating in the British Virgin Islands 24 Ferry Services Operating in the British Virgin Islands 25 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS-STEP 55 Green Globe 56 Caribbean Challenge Initiative 56 THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS TOURIST BOARD 26 Recycling 56 VISION 26 MISSION 26 GOALS 26 SERVICE EXCELLENCE 58 Strategic Focus 27 Quality of Service in the Tourism Sector 58 The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board’s Offices 28 Importance of Communication Skills in Customer Service 58 Functions of the Board of Directors 28 Importance of Customer Service in Hospitality and Tourism 58 The Structure of the Board of Directors 29 Types of Customer Service Training Provided by the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board 59 Departments and Roles 29 CAREERS IN TOURISM 60 THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS FILM COMMISSION 34 The Role of the Film 34 Commission 34 DID YOU KNOW 62 DEFINING TOURISM 35 PASSENGER AND TOURIST STATISTICS 1979 62 Marketing 35 TOURISM MARKETING 36 GLOSSARY OF TOURISM TERMS 63 What is Tourism Marketing? 36 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 65 Marketing Communication 36 British Virgin Islands Tourist Board Legislation 65 The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board’s Market-Based Strategic Planning 37 British Virgin Islands Film Commission Legislation 67 FAMILIARISATION / FAM TRIPS 38 CTO – Caribbean Tourism Organisation 68 Types of FAMS 38 The British Virgin Islands Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA) 69 Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) 69 REFERENCES 70 2 3 Tourism Education Manual BVI Tourist Board now expanded to include a vast array of purposes; and FOREWORD • Duration: only a maximal The British Virgin Islands Tourist INTRODUCTION duration is mentioned, not a Tourism is one of the (2) main Board will continue to execute minimal. Tourism displacement economic pillars of the British Virgin these important tourism education What is Tourism can be with or without an Islands, contributing over 40% of programmes to create this pool of Tourism comprises the activities of overnight stay. total revenues and accounting for human resources. persons travelling to and staying Another name for tourism is approximately 37% of the Territory’s in places outside their usual holiday travel. This is the business Gross Domestic Product (GDP). environment for not more than one Liability Indemnification of welcoming visitors from other The importance of tourism to the This education manual on tourism consecutive year. Travel might be for countries, making them safe socio-economic well-being of these has been prepared by the British leisure, business and other purposes and comfortable with excellent islands means that the British Virgin Virgin Islands Tourist Board in not related to the exercise of an accommodation and food, Islands must have in place a cadre of collaboration with the Ministry of activity remunerated from within the and organising activities and well educated and trained tourism Education & Culture, Government of place visited. entertainment for them. personnel to work in and manage the the Virgin Islands. industry. The British Virgin Islands’ main It was prepared as a teaching tool for industry is tourism. Many people To develop such personnel, the the education sector. It remains the like to come to our country for British Virgin Islands Tourist Board sole property of the British Virgin holidays, particularly people who believes that teaching tourism to Islands Tourist Board and should not live in colder countries. They come our youth in the schools and in be published, reprinted or sold for to enjoy our sunshine and beautiful other fora is essential. Thus the profit. beaches, to swim, dive and sail in our British Virgin Islands Tourist Board tranquil warm seas, and to explore has traditionally partnered with The content of this manual has the natural and man-made- tourist the Ministry of Education & Culture been compiled using primary and attractions. and schools territory-wide, in secondary sources including the coordinating tourism competitions, knowledge base within the British field trips and providing school Virgin Islands Tourist Board. In order for tourism to happen, Who is a Tourist presentations. there must be a displacement. An The British Virgin Islands Tourist individual has to travel, using any The year-round Tourism Education Board accepts no liability for means of transportation including Programme includes: inaccurate or outdated information by foot. However, all travel is not resulting from changes in trends, tourism. (1) School Presentations on technologies or social and economic Pertinent Tourism Topics behaviors and customs. Three (3) criteria used to characterise (2) Day as a Tourist tourism are as follows: (3) Summer Work Experience (4) Work Shadow • It involves a displacement (5) School Competitions outside the usual environment: Who is a Tourist · Junior Minister of Tourism this term is of utmost Every tourist is a traveller, but Speech Competition importance and will be · Junior Chef Competition discussed later on; not every traveller is a tourist. · Janice Blyden Table Setting • Type of purpose: Travel must To understand this, we must first Competition occur for any purpose different define the word “tourist”. The World · Trash to Treasure Competition from being remunerated from Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) within the place visited. The define the word “tourist” as anybody Clarification previous limits, where tourism travelling for such purposes as The legal name for these islands is the Virgin Islands. For distinction from the United States Virgin was restricted to recreation and recreation, holiday, health, sports, Islands (Virgin Islands) the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board started marketing the Virgin Islands as visiting family and friends are family reasons, and business, on the British Virgin Islands. For the purpose of this manual, the Virgin Islands will be referenced to as the a mission or as a delegate at a British Virgin Islands. conference. 4 5 Tourism Education Manual BVI Tourist Board Types of Tourists 1. Domestic Tourists - People 5. Attractions who travel overnight in another This sub-sector holds the key to raising self-esteem part of their own country. and national pride for every 2. Regional Tourists - People destination. This sub-sector who travel within a defined comprises museums, galleries, region such as the Caribbean heritage/historical sites and region. parks, gardens, amusement/ 3. International Tourists - People recreation parks, interpretive travelling from one region to centres and native/cultural/ another. industrial/ecotourism. 6. Travel Trade The 8 Sectors of Tourism This includes travel agencies, 1. Accommodation tour wholesalers, tour operators Within the accommodation and tour guides. sector there are large, medium and small hotels, as well as 7. Events and Conferences non-hotel accommodation such Included in this sub-sector as villas, bed and breakfast are special events such as carnivals, cricket, meetings/ establishments, and campsites. conferences/ conventions, trade shows/marketplaces, festivals/ 2. Food and Beverage fairs and exhibitions. This sub-sector can be viewed either as a support sector or 8. Tourism Services as a major attraction. In the category of food and beverage This sub-sector includes there are restaurants, coffee Government Tourism shops, dining rooms, fast Departments, Information food outlets, pubs, lounges, Centres, Research Services, nightclubs, cabarets, catering Reservation Services, establishments and specialty Advertising Agencies, Trade shops. Press, Marketing, Professional Associations, Consultants, 3. Adventure and Recreation Tourism Educators, Tourism Tourism Suppliers and Retail Operations. This category includes tennis facilities, parks, fishing, cruise lines, kitesurfing, paddle These eight sectors form part of a boarding, surfing, diving, larger tourism system that operates