Reflective Assignment Essay Example for Free

Reflective Assignment Essay This essay is a reflective account on my experience within the introductory period of my practice when caring for a patient. The essay will give the definition of reflection. This reflective essay will help me demonstrate how my experience in practice has helped me achieve one of the learning outcomes in my learning plan, (appendix 1). Driscoll (2000) will be used as a reflective model. The essay will explore what (description of events) so what (analysis) and now what (action plan). This essay is going to reflect on the importance of good communication with patients. Names in this essay have been changed, to respect the confidentiality of the patient and other healthcare professionals (NMC 2008). Reflection is ‘reviewing experience from practice so that it may be described, analysed, evaluated and consequently used to inform and change future practice’ (Bulman and Schutz, 2008: page 6). I was placed in an acute admissions ward at a Mental hospital. The ward is an admission ward for assessment and it admits all patients between 16-65 years for psychiatric treatment. What happened was one morning in this ward a male patient, Joe was brought in by the police, detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983. I was assigned to admit the patient; NMC 2010a states that it is a requirement of nurses to have up-to-date and accurate records of patients. When my mentor Sarah, asked me to admit the patient, I agreed to do the admission process even though I felt I was not confident to do it, I had only observed Sarah admit a patient once. I felt I would be deemed incompetent if I turned down the opportunity to admit this patient even though I was not really confident in doing so I did not want to allow anything to work against me on this placement. I went to Joe and attempted to inform him that I was to take him through the admission process as well as to check his baseline observations. He looked at me and as if taking no notice of what I had just said started talking about how his wife betrayed him, he went on and on talking about his wife. I repeated myself but he kept on talking about his wife. In my head I thought he was just being difficult and it was time for me to check the observations of other patients. I repeated myself again telling him what I intended to do and this time Joe jumped from his sit and came very close to my face. Whilst standing very close to my personal space he shouted loudly saying â€Å"I am not going to talk to you monkeys until I speak with my GP and my Lawyer†, he then pushed me to the side and he walked off. In a state of shock I went back to Sarah and explained everything that had happened. This incident left me feeling confused and incompetent; I blamed myself for failing to perform what appeared like a simple task that my mentor had asked of me. Sarah sat down with me and explained to me that the patient was well known having been admitted on the ward several times before and is familiar to most of the staff. She thought Joe was behaving in such a way because I was new to him and also the fear of just being in a hospital away from his family contributed to his presentation. According to Chapman and Kimberly B. (2009) most patients experience the stress of being hospitalized and good communication has been identified as one of the tactics which will relieve them. Sarah took me with her to Joe, she wanted me to observe how closely she communicated with him and made him to relax. When we approached him he pointed at me and asked, ‘who is she? ’ Sarah introduced me to Joe then she asked him to come to a separate room with us. Surprisingly to me Joe did not refuse, Sarah spoke with him in an assertive but calm manner, she stated to him the importance of having his physical observations checked, this was to ensure that Joe understood the procedure for him to be able to give us his consent (NMC 2008). Joe was very co-operative and the admission process went on smoothly. I made sure I documented the procedures clearly. The second stage of Driscoll (2002) is the analysis of the events. Looking back at the way I had communicated with Joe and realized that might have contributed to the way he reacted. According to Sheldon (2004) ‘communication in nursing is a sharing of health-related information between a patient and a nurse, with both participants as sources and receivers’. Sully and Dallas (2010) also points out that communication is not just one way, it is a two way process. I realised that my communication with Joe was just one way. He was saying something to me, instead of listening I was telling him something and vice versa. No one was receiving information we were both encoding words that were not being decoded by any one. Sully and Dallas (2010) highlight how communication has need for a sender, a messenger, a receiver and a channel. When Joe asked Sarah, who I was, I realised that I had not introduced myself to him; this could be one of the reasons why he did not want to cooperate. Delvaux et al. 2004 states that to promote patient satisfaction ensure that the patient understands who you are and your specific role. Also Joe might have not understood me because when l said I wanted to check his physical observations he looked puzzled, he might not have known what an admission is nor what physical are. It was important for me to establish mutual understanding; this would have improved the outcome and help reduce his stress, (Fellowes et al 2004) From this experience l learnt that listening is an important skill to have in communication. Joe perhaps became angry about not being listened to, he did not feel valued. I realised that I should have listened to him and shown him some empathy. According to Rogers (1967) ‘empathy is the ability to feel a continuing desire to understand the client’s feelings and communications as they seem to him at the moment’. Roger (1967) also highlights that communication occurs when we listen with understanding. Just listening and trying to understand what Joe was saying could have helped me establish a therapeutic understanding with him. When Sarah was communicating with Joe she showed she was not only listening but also empathizing with him. When he mentioned about his wife betraying him Sarah was nodding her head to show she understood what he was saying. Words and language that we use sometimes only play a small part in passing on any message compared to body language, facial expressions and gestures. These will have an impact on the total sum of communication. (Hargie and Dickson 2004). Thirds stage of Driscoll is the Now what, which is my action plan, Since effective communication is extensively regarded as a key determinant of patient satisfaction, compliance and recovery it is important for me to have the suitable communication skills and to be adequately confident to use them in my clinical practice. From now when I am a student to the time I qualify my responsibility lies in improving my knowledge and skills on good communication and to be a good role model to others. Communication is a skill that I have to learn and it requires me to continually improve. In order for me to improve on my communication skills when I get back to my placement I need to have the commitment to listen more to what the patients are saying and to understand them fully. I also need to show them that I am listening and understanding them I must communicate this understanding to the patient. (Sully and Dallas, 2010). In my learning plan I stated that in order to improve my communication skills I must learn from my mentor and other health care professional as well as to research by reading more on communication. This incident has taught me that I can never say because I have been reading and learning from my mentor my communication skills are perfect. I am still learning on communication, it’s an ongoing process so I will still need to use my learning plan as well as all the information I have learnt from this incident as my primary plan. If my communication skills are well developed I will be able to manage situations now as a student as well as in the future when I qualify. Being able to manage situations can provide greater job satisfaction and it also reduces stress. (Dougherty, L. and Lister, S. 2011) In conclusion my experience taught me that communication is not just about talking, it involves, listening, looking and understanding what’s being said. Good communication builds confidence and understanding between nurse and patients and works well in improving their relationship. Communication is the basis of the relationship between the nurse and other members of the multi disciplinary team. If ever I get another opportunity to admit a patient I will start off by introducing myself and make sure that the patient understands what I am saying by giving him the opportunity to ask questions. I also learnt that if I am not confident in doing something I should talk to my mentor or any senior member of staff present and be sure on how to proceed with the allocated task. What I liked is on the same day another patient came and I was asked to do admit another patient again and I managed to do it confidently and the patient was very co operative.

Analysis Of Malaysia As A Tourist Destination Tourism Essay

Analysis Of Malaysia As A Tourist Destination Tourism Essay How a country is perceived, both domestically and from abroad, from the quality of its goods and services, to the attractiveness of its culture and its tourism and investment opportunities, to its politics, economic policies and foreign policy, can be shaped under a brand. In this section, we will focus on tourism, its impact on nation branding, its effect on GDP and the benefits of tourism branding. In the latter part of this section, we are going to analyse the tourism industries of India and Malaysia, their successful tourism campaigns, and further scope of improvement in the respective areas. We will also try to enumerate what are the major constituents of a tourism industry in any country and their relative importance, in the two countries taken as our focus areas. The early history of tourism tells us that people travelled from one place to another mainly because of food or shelter. But in due course of time, large scale mobility of people was caused by the natural elements of human pressure, livelihood or a better standard of living. In the words of UNESCO, tourism is a traditional instrument, which enables culture to be rehabilitated and made known to the rest of the world. Tourism has become a popular leisure activity. International tourism activities have grown by leaps and bounds in the past years.   With the dismantling of national boundaries, the tourism scenario is changing. There is a steady growth in the number of tourist arrivals and more satisfactorily the average spending of foreign tourist has gone up. Tourism is vital for many countries such as Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia and Maldives and last but not the least, India. The associated goods and service industries in these countries have sprouted to aid the tourism industry. These include transportation services, hospitality services such as accommodations including hotels and resorts, and entertainment venues like amusement parks, shopping malls and casinos etc. It is universally accepted that government promotion of tourism is a good idea that brings excellent return on investments. It generates jobs like no other, and its development also leads to development of infrastructure, education and related industries. However, promoting tourism successfully requires setting a context that will allow the tourists to appreciate what is on offer. THAT context is the brand or the overall image of a country. If a country is widely viewed as secure, modern, clean and efficient, chances of getting tourists to frequent attractive destinations are good. If a nation is known for its unique features whether they be cultural, manmade or natural, there will a positive curiosity towards them encouraging tourists to discover first hand something new. On the other hand, if a country is known for civil war, crime and corruption, inadequate infrastructure or unfriendly population, inviting tourists to your country is a mammoth task. They either require pretence of not existing, or there will be a lot of convincing to be done that it doesnt impact the travel experience in any adverse manner. Tourist choice behaviour is one of the most needed studies by today. Tourists take into account the various factors in terms of facilities, local attractions etc, before choosing their destination. Local attractions, accessibility, facilities are some of the factors that generate tourist flow to a particular location. Absence of any of these facilities may deter the tourists from travelling. Hence, tourism has to be seen in totality and as comprising of its constituents mainly attraction, hospitality and the transport facilities in the country. We are going to look at each of them in the following pages. The model that this section follows is as under: Attractions A  tourist attraction  is a place of interest where  tourists  visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities. Attractions are the major factors, which ensure the flow of domestic or international tourists to a specific place. Some examples include historical places,  monuments,  zoos,  aquaria,  museums  and  art galleries,  botanical gardens, buildings and structures (e.g.,  castles,  libraries, former  prisons,  skyscrapers,  bridges), national  parks  and  forests, theme parks  and  carnivals,  living history museums,  ethnic enclave  communities,  historic trains  and cultural events. The history of attractions has often been inextricably linked with the development of travel industry in any country. It can be assumed generally that older attractions (either manmade or natural) were not designed to appeal to travellers. Some of the best examples include the Tajmahal, Niagara Falls and the Pyramids. Most modern tourist attractions on the other hand, have been purpose-built for visitors, like theme parks or casinos. However, in the Asian context, this may differ as the attractions are generally perceived as more elaborate culture and history. The definition of attractions has been changing over time; and a few broad classifications of tourist attractions can be as follows: Natural Man-Made Outdoor Indoor Heritage Based Purpose Built for tourism Special Global Events Local Festivals/Events Drawing Power (high) Drawing power (low) The growth of small local attractions has also been manifold due to an increase in the number of independent off-beat travellers. Interest in exotic destinations and wildlife has led to the development and upkeep of modern zoos and safari parks. The continuing trend of increased leisure time, greater mobility and more disposable income has led to a boom in the attractions sector. Parallel attractions like theme parks have also emerged, and a number of shopping centres and waterfronts have become tourist attractions in their own right. Culture and Tourism Culture is a human construct, existing in representations and understanding by the people. Culture defines a society in a way which makes it different from the next. Contemporary societies are not isolated, insular entities. There is a constant exchange of ideas, beliefs and faiths; travel and tourism undoubtedly play a significant role in this. Culture and creative industries are being increasingly used to promote destinations and enhance their competitiveness and attractiveness. Many locations are now developing their tangible and intangible cultural assets as a means of developing comparative advantages in an increasingly competitive tourism marketplace. People, when they visit a country or a destination or a city, are always keen to visit the sites that are important, the places of distinction, the question is always what is there to see, what is there to experience and the destinations provide further encouragement through the printed material, the information, the brochures that they provide to visitors. There are also wider benefits of developing relationship between culture and tourism such as enhanced image and support for the cultural sector. Culture creates distinctiveness in a crowded global market. Local communities are beginning to come together to develop cultural products for tourism rather than competing directly with one another. New policies are likely to feature new structures and projects involving public-private partnership and bringing together a wider range of stakeholders to use culture not only to make destinations attractive for visitors, but also to promote regions as destinations to live, work and invest in. Local communities are not only hosts; they define the sense of the place, providing cultural experience for tourists. Culture in all its forms is likely to figure strongly in the tourism product and promotion of most regions, even those which have traditionally relied on their natural assets, such as sun and beach or mountains, for their attractiveness. Destinations are also trying to increase their comparative advantage by adding to their stock of cultural attractions. They are also trying to develop their intangible culture and creativity. Culture creates authenticity and distinctiveness in the global tourism market. In this regard, tourism experiences that can connect people and visitors to local cultures are very important. In many cases, destinations are also linked to specific cultural events (e.g. connected to famous places, people or historical events) which can also play a catalyst role in this development. The Cultural Heritage of India is a vibrant mosaic of lively and magnificent colours. Indian Culture encompasses a unique blend of food, fashion, festivals, dance and music that spellbound the four corners of the world in its euphoric nature.  India is a popular destination and boasts a cultural heritage that is worth exploring. As a tourist one has many choices to explore from cuisine to dances to music. All diverse in nature encompass to form the culture of India. Very few countries in the world have such an ancient and diverse culture as Indias. Dating back to over 5000 years old civilization, Indias culture has been enriched by successive waves of migration which were absorbed into the Indian way of life. The Indian culture comprises of Indian music, Indian Dance, Indian cuisines, costumes and Indian Festivals.   Internet has also become a universal tool which offers the possibility to tourists to package destinations and events with accommodation and travel. Architecture and Tourism Because tourism is such an enormous industry, which involves monuments, museums, and other special purpose buildings, it is not a phenomenon that can be controlled. It always stands within the cultural and political conditions of the environment, and the tastes and habits of tourists thronging a place. Everything from historical monuments to exotic holiday destinations has been redesigned and packaged for mass consumption. As a result, the histories of specific sites have been re-conceptualized. Some have been preserved and celebrated, while others have been left to decay. Monuments like the Tajmahal or the Cellular Jail were not built for tourist purposes; however they have been converted into one now. A more contemporary example of construction for attraction, and certainly one that is totally synonymous with its location is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The association is incredibly strong and more amazing given the fact that Eiffels structure to celebrate the Worlds Expo was designed for disassembly and should have come down in 1909 after just 20 years. Possibly the biggest construction sites of all are to be found today in the Middle East which has made huge strides to develop other sources of wealth including tourism, by constructing hotels and islands. Dubai has made the biggest splash, with the Burj Al Arab embedding deep in everybodys psyche. One of the best architectural tourism spots in the world is China. Chinese architecture ranging from the various dynasties that ruled it has undergone a great evolution. People recognize Chinese architecture from  The Great Wall of China  and the beautiful pagodas. But there is more to Chinese architecture than that. People who are interested in  architecture  will find China to be a virtual unexplored region which has some of the best monuments and buildings.   China  is a country of architectural marvels both ancient and modern and it is one of the best tourist destinations for people who love architecture.   Some notable Chinese architecture that are a must see are Terra Cotta Warriors in the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang in Xian, the Hanging Temple, Forbidden City etc. In Budapest, an eastern European country, architectural tourism has been promoted very well. Monasteries, churches, caves, Basilica etc are some well known attractions which pulls throngs of tourists here annually. History and Tourism Tourism is a powerful economic development tool. Tourism creates jobs, provides new business opportunities and strengthens local economies. When heritage and history is paid attention to and used to our advantage, it also helps to protect a nations natural and cultural treasures and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. In the past, the tourism industry saw its primary role as marketing ready products to travellers, such as package tours to Mumbai. But countries are now looking for new ways to attract travellers, and today culture and history are more likely to overlap than any other domains. A concrete example is India, which with its potpourri of different religions and faiths, is a centre for people from countries following similar faith. Tourists from countries like Thailand, Indonesia or Burma (which follow Buddhism as well) desirous of visiting Bodhgaya are attracted to the history and heritage of the country. This can be exploited to promote history and heritage tourism making India a lucrative destination for people sharing the same faith. Also an example is the International Kite Festival held in Gujarat every year, which is slowly turning into a big crowd puller year after year. Cashing in on the history of a place and promoting heritage tourism refers to travelling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and the present. Food and Tourism Food is something an increasing number of us remember from our travels. Like never before, holiday makers are choosing where they go by what they can put in their stomachs. Food is a manifestation of a destinations culture which can be invaluable for giving travellers a hands-on experience. You can open a different door with every meal. The last few years has seen an incredible shift in the way holidays are created and marketed, and that is because people demand authentic experiences. Eating traditional dishes is considered very important on a holiday. People also willingly miss meals in their hotel or resort to try out local restaurants. Tourists are becoming more experimental as well as sophisticated in what they eat during a vacation. Supermarkets have also played a major role in making foreign foods more available. Food festivals are another crowd puller. Singapore hosts an annual food festival each July celebrating a different aspect of its culture. The colourful opening of the  West Bengal Tourism  and  Food Festival  is a reflection of the states positive efforts to boost the tourism sector.   Indian cuisine ranges from the simple and bland to the lavish and complexly pungent. Each region has its specialty cuisine, though some dishes are available throughout the country. All the states have their own signature dishes which are world famous and tempt the tourists to visit those states, for having an authentic experience. Indian sweets and various varieties of tea, especially Assam Tea, boost tourism in India. The cooking styles and flavours of every region of India is unique and differs from each other. While Kashmir is famous for its 24-course banquet- the Wazwan; coastal Goa, Kerala and Bengal specialize in fish, seafood and coconut-based dishes. Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are the best states to taste vegetarian specialties. Bengal, Bikaner and Delhi are particularly famous for sweets. Food tourism includes all unique and memorable food experiences, not just four star or critically acclaimed restaurants. Price is not necessarily indicative of quality. According to industry research, true food tourists are perfectly happy at a roadside cafà © in the middle of nowhere, as long as there is something memorable about their visit. Transport Relevance Though transportation as a topic can be discussed independently, tourism cannot thrive without travel. Transportation is an integral part of the tourism industry. It has been largely due to the improvements in mobility that tourism has expanded to such a stage. Transportation links various cities and countries in some cases. Tourism is all about travel, and the role of transportation in its operation cannot be overemphasized. Accessibility and tourism activities have broken barriers and opened formerly off-the-beaten-track areas to visitors through aggressive marketing of some far-off paradise with the availability of transport. It is, more often than not, seen as only that part of tourism which is in charge of bringing the tourists to their destinations; provide a means of getting around the place and leaving it once the stipulated duration is over. In fact, the transportation system of a tourist destination has a huge impact on the tourism experience which explains how people travel and why they choose different forms of holidays and destinations. Access to tourism sites relies heavily upon the state of infrastructure, and the efficiency of the public transport system. Tourists arriving at international cities need mobility and few decide (or can afford) to hire private  transport. Because of this, the public  transport  system is an essential service for this population, especially in cities large enough to need bus, metro and train systems. However, in congested cities with weak public  transport  networks, the influx of tourists exerts additional demand pressure on the  transport  system. Modes Available There are five modes of transportation, based on the physical characteristics of the service offered and the right of way over which a transportation carrier operates. These are air, highway, rail and water, arranged in decreasing order of speed. All modes of transportation are regulated in some manner, be it economic or non-economic. Economic regulation has been reduced in a number of transportation markets in recent years, beginning with domestic airline deregulation in the United States in the late 1970s. Since then, many other countries have deregulated their national transportation systems to some degree, including air, highway and rail. Internationally, economic regulation has been reduced in some markets, with the European Union being a prime example of including not only air but other modes as well.   Passenger transportation plays a critical role in determining the success or failure of nearly every segment of tourism. Without a reliable and economic form of passenger transportation to, from and within a destination, enticing tourists to visit that destination may be very difficult. Island economies like Hawaii, Andaman Islands or Malaysia are almost fully dependent on air transport access. Off-beat destinations The transportation carrier may also become a destination in its own right, such as a few cruise liners in areas like Singapore, Malaysia, Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera. Other forms of transportation serving as destinations include Palace on Wheels, The Orient Express etc. For about the past four years, the travel industry in Asia and the Pacific has been undergoing a dynamic change, and the growth of low cost carriers has been cited as the single most important factor currently shaping the regions airline industry. Thus at the same time, tourism has also had a major impact on transport modes and networks through its ability to supply additional motivations for leisure and business travel. Due to the intensity of worldwide competition and product parity, positioning strategies will become a strategic weapon for tourism destinations. Tourist destinations, for example resorts which can be fairly similar, can succeed in developing strong and differentiated brands through excellent access to transportation facilities. Transport policies and decisions of governments can play a big role in the destinations available to tourists. If the public sector does not cope with the demand in terms of transport infrastructures, tourism industry might not develop in those regions. Hospitality Hospitality  is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers,  resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travellers and  tourists. Hospitality is about compensating/equalizing a stranger to the host, making him feel protected and taken care of, and at the end of his hosting, guiding him to his next destination. Cultures and subcultures vary in the extent to which one is expected to show hospitality to strangers, as opposed to personal friends or members of ones  in-group. The tourism industry has several components food, accommodation, place of attractions, transportation etc. All these components are related to hospitality. Hospitality and tourism experiences have important emotional dimensions that traditional marketing tend to underplay. By understanding the hospitality-based transaction between guests and hosts, marketers and commercial operators can deliver customers experiences through which to build customer loyalty and a robust business better able to withstand. The guest and host relationship has a long tradition, pre-dating modern hospitality and tourism businesses by thousands of years and universally evident across all societies. Hospitality creates an impression of hosting and hospitableness, which prioritizes guest experiences. The Indian civilization is one of the oldest on earth, and like every culture has its own favourite stories including some on hospitality. That of a simpleton readily sharing his meagre morsels with an uninvited guest, only to discover that the guest is a God in disguise, who rewards his generosity with abundance. That of a woman who lovingly cooks up all the  Khichdi she can afford, for everyone who is hungry till one day when she runs out of food for the last hungry person to whom she offers her own share, and is rewarded by the god in disguise with a never ending pot of Khichdi. Most Indian adults having grown up listening to these stories as children believe in the philosophy of Atithi Devo Bhava, meaning the guest is God. From this stems the Indian approach of graciousness towards guests at home, and in all social situations. Benefits of Tourism Branding While many regard branding as simply creating a new look and tagline, if done correctly, a genuine brand management strategy should positively influence all aspects of a nation. The reputation of the country we live in, work and study matters. An attractive and distinctive identity makes it easier for a city (and its citizens) to be preferred in any competitive setting because the place is seen to have qualities that resonate positively with key audiences and can enhance the well-being of its citizens. We can retain different campaigns for a country. They can include exports, education, foreign trade etc. All these should contribute to a clear identity of a nation. It is the tourism promotion in whatever form (advertising, PR, websites etc) that will have the biggest impact on the attitudes to a nation. Tourism is the acceptable public face of a national brand. Clarke (2000) has identified six benefits of branding related to tourism destination products (TDPs): As tourism is typically high involvement, branding helps to reduce the choice; Branding helps in reducing the impact of intangibility; Branding conveys consistency across multiple outlets and through time; Branding can reduce the risk factor attached to decision making about holidays; Branding facilitates precise segmentation; Branding helps to provide a focus for the integration of producer effort, helping people to work towards the same outcome. Impact on GDP Focussing exclusively on India in this section the tourism industry has contributed enormously in the flourishing graph of Indias economy by attracting a huge number of both foreign and domestic tourists travelling for both leisure and business purposes. As per the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009 by the World Economic Forum, India is ranked 11th in the Asia Pacific region and 62nd overall, moving up three places on the list of the worlds attractive destinations. It is ranked the 14th best tourist destination for its natural resources and 24th for its cultural resources, with many World Heritage sites, both natural and cultural, rich fauna, and strong creative industries in the country. India also bagged 37th rank for its air transport network. The India travel and tourism industry ranked 5th in the long-term (10-year) growth and is expected to be the second largest employer in the world by 2019. The hotel and tourism industrys contribution to the Indian economy by way of foreign direct investments (FDI) inflows were pegged at US$ 2.1 billion from April 2000 to March 2010, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). According to the Travel Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009 brought out by the World Economic Forum, the contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to be at US$ 187.3 billion by 2019. The report also states that real GDP growth for travel and tourism economy is expected to achieve an average of 7.7 per cent per annum over the next 10 years. Export earnings from international visitors and tourism goods are expected to generate US$ 51.4 billion (nominal terms) by 2019. Furthermore, the sector which accounted for 6.4 per cent of total employment in 2009 is estimated to rise to 7.2 per cent of total employment by 2019. Deeming the growing rate of the tourists arrival in the country, the Indian tourism industry designed a wide spectrum of holiday packages and cheaper airfares to attract more tourists. The booming success of Indian tourism industry has led to a drastic change in the hospitality department as well. The increase in the ratio of tourists resulted in the increase of room rates and also setting up of a wide range of hotels and other residing areas. The Indian tourism industry offers online booking system, one of the basic proofs of technological advancement in this sector. These online bookings are applicable for booking the air tickets via Internet by logging on to the website and also booking the hotel room of the place to be visited. The Role of Tourism Industry in India GDP also features medical tourism that includes traditional therapies like yoga, meditation, ayurveda, allopathy and other conventional systems of medicines is currently estimated at USD 333 million and is most likely to reach USD 2.2 billion by the year 2012. Analysis of India as a preferred tourist destination Tourism is the largest service industry in India. As we have seen in the previous section, it plays an extremely important role in the Indian economy by direct as well as indirect impact. Countries such as USA, UK, Singapore, Thailand and Australia feature high on the list of favourite tourist destinations. Which leads us to the million dollar question Where does India stand among other Preferred Holiday Destinations? India is a Land of all seasons, where beauty beckons, culture echoes, diversity delights and tradition talks. Those who reach India are greeted with a gracious Namaste, Namaskaaram, Vanakkam or Sat Sri Akal denoting warmth, hospitality and respect a tradition in tune with the countrys age-old motto Atithi Devo Bhava where the guest is treated as God. The Incredible India campaign focuses on the hospitality of our country, and the pristine and undiscovered lands it offers. The campaign has been running successfully for some time now, and has succeeded in pulling both domestic and international travellers to Indian destinations. Graciously endowed with mist clad mountain ranges, deep blue seas, enigmatic deserts, golden beaches, emerald green valleys, palm fringed backwaters on the one hand and unique art forms, exciting fairs and festivals, interesting pilgrim centres, exclusive heritage sites, royal forts, majestic monuments, architectural marvels and exotic flora and fauna on the other, this legendary land is unique in all aspects it is no wonder that India has emerged as one among the Top Five Tourist Hotspots of the world, with a tremendous increase in tourist traffic all through the year. Many factors have been collectively responsible for boosting our countrys economic reserves and the impact of Indias economic growth on tourism is increasingly being felt in niche sectors. India abounds in attractive and well-preserved historical sites, ancient monuments of architectural grandeur and not-so-ancient mosques/durgahs, churches and places of worship of other diverse faiths. India is also known for some of its fine beaches like Goa, Mamallapuram, Kovalam, Pondicherry, Puri-Konark etc. In addition island tourism has been developed at Andaman/Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. All across the country are wildlife sanctuaries whose areas extend over several thousands of square kilometres, where wildlife can be observed in their natural surroundings. Each sanctuary supports several species of wildlife, being well known for one particular species. In some cases, there are rare or even endangered species. India is a land of fairs and festivals with atleast one fair in each day of the year. These fairs and festivals add colour to the social life of Indian people. Some of the important fairs and festivals are Pushkar fair in Rajasthan, Crafts Mela at Surajkund, Holi in North India, Pongal in Tamilnadu, Onam in Kerela, Baisaki in Punjab, Bihu in Assam, Dance festivals at Khajuraho and Mamallapuram etc. India has a treasure trove of handicrafts for any discerning shopper, in truly remarkable variety of styles and prices. Over the years, India has developed world standard accommodation infrastructure for entertaining the visitors. There are about 60,000 classified hotel rooms in India and about 35,000 rooms are under construction. These hotel rooms scattered in various cities are of varying price range. Some of the major hotel chains in India are the Oberois, Taj Group of Hotels, Welcome Group of Hotels and India Tourism Development Corporation Hotels. Despite the fact that India has a wealth of amazing places waiting to be seen and appreciated and an unbeatable tourism potential, India receives far lesser tourists compared to other relatively smaller countries. Most foreigners who visit India for the first time are heard complaining about Over priced Hotel rooms Corrupt autos and taxi drivers waiting to take them for a ride, literally! Lack of proper infrastructure Confusion and chaos at the airport Unhygienic conditions etc Probable Areas of Improvement India is well known for personal bonding and relations with their tourist customers. What will be promising for India is the effectiveness of proactive relationship building strategies undertaken by India. India should focus on building and maintaining strong tourist relationships. It should also note that the selection and training of tour guides who are directly dealing with the tourists is undertaken properly. Accordingly, the holiday destination managers may undertake certain measures to improve the status of the dominant factors, which will ultimately lead to the improvement in visitors perception towards India as a tourist destination. Hence expertise and communication, and familiarity with tourists are the most effective relationship-building strategies. The next effective strategy could be investing in

Comparing Frankenstein and Paradise Lost :: comparison compare contrast essays

Frankenstein and Paradise Lost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary Shelley has created a subversive and grotesque God/Man relationship in "Frankenstein." Shelly sets up Frankenstein and, at times, Man in general, to be the monster's God. Shelley's integration with Paradise Lost creates opportunity for making such comparisons. When the monster gives his book review of the found classic, he states, "It moved every feeling of wonder and awe, that the picture of an omnipotent God warring with his creatures was capable of exciting." This is reminiscent of the war he has with Frankenstein when his wishes are refused. He then goes on to relate the story's characters to his own situation. The plot of the monster's life follows a mutated version of Adam's as he read it in Paradise Lost. At one point he relates, "But it was all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine?" The monster relates himself to Adam and expects the same treatment from his 'God.' The full realization of the mockery of Adam and Eve is barely missed when Frankenstein decides to relieve Man of the burden of his monster race by refusing to create the monster's bride. Just as he has the power to create, has he the power to destroy. Yet, in the end, the monster is the one in control, and ultimately triumphs in the final chase, outliving his creator. Just as with Adam, the monster's role is also compared to that of Satan in Paradise Lost: "Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me." The monster is like Satan in that he is rejected by the beings of which he was once a member. While he does not remember, perhaps he feels his similarity, yet horrid mutation and punished rejection. The duality in the monster between Adam and Satan allows him to decide upon his plan of action. It is important to note that he takes upon himself the role of Adam before resorting to the methods learned from Satan. In Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden for eating fruit from the tree of knowledge. Much the same way, Frankenstein's happy and loving life is smashed to pieces upon the creation of the monster.

grahams gas law :: essays research papers

GAS LAWS KINETIC ENERGY/ GRAHAM’S LAW LAB Purpose: To observe how masses of atoms and molecules affect their rate of diffusion, and explain our observations in terms of mass, velocity, kinetic energy and temperature. Warm-up Question: 1. What is the definition of temperature? Temperature is a measure of the average Kinetic Energy of the particles composing a material. 2. What is the definition of diffusion? Diffusion is a spontaneous spreading of particles until they are uniformly distributed in their container. 3. If we increase the temperature of sample of gas, then what about the gas molecules will have to change? The gas molecules would begin to increase in speed since the temperature would increase. 4. The element iodine (I2) diffuses more slowly than ethanol (CH3CH2CH2OH). Why is this? Iodine is heavier in atomic mass then ethanol, slowing down its process to diffuse. Iodine weighs 253.6u while ethanol weighs 60.03u, giving ethanol a faster diffusions rate. Procedure A: 1. Obtain a glass tube and wash it with water. Dry the outside of the tube with a paper towel. Next, squirt some acetone into the tube. A small amount is all that is needed. Then dry the inside of the tube by passing air through the tube (use a fan, the window, blow through it, etc.) 2. Use chalk to label one end of your lab station, "HC1," and the other end, "NH3." 3. Lay the glass tube on the table and place the thermometer on the table next to the tube. 4. !!!CATION!!! THE NH3 AND THE HCI ARE IN VERY CONCENTRATED FORMS. DO NOT ALLOW EITHER CHEMICAL TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH YOUR SKIN. IF THE NH3 OR HCl SPILLS, GET A DAMP PAPER TOWEL AND CLEAN IT UP IMMEDIATELY!!! 5. Obtain 1 small bottle of HCI and 1 small bottle of NH3. Place each bottle in their respective ends of the lab table. Obtain forceps, label them, "HC1" or â€Å"NH3"with tape, and place them at their respective end of the lab table. 6. Record the temperature of the air around the tube in the data table. 7. Separate the cotton ball into pieces small enough to stuff into the ends of the glass tube. Do not put them into the tube yet. 8. While holding the cotton ball with the forceps, place 4 drops of HCl or NH3 (whichever corresponds to the label on the forceps). 9. Repeat step 8 with the other chemical. You should now have two small cotton balls, one with 7 drops of HCI, one with 7 drops of NH3. Keep them at their respective ends of the lab station.

An Analysis of Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre Essays

An Analysis of Jane Eyre  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel is rich in poetry, symbolism and metaphor. It does not fit easily into a definite pattern, being neither a novel of "manners" in the tradition of Austen, or a straightforward Gothic Romance in the style of Mrs Radcliffe. What Charlotte Bronte did was to create a work which cleverly blends elements of the two styles, and which remains uniquely independent of them at the same time, since it addresses issues which were at the time rather controversial. The novel is written in the first person, and thus magnifies the central character - the reader enters the world of Jane Eyre and is transported through her experiences at first hand. This at once makes the work subjective, especially since we know that Charlottes Brontes own life and experiences were so closely interwoven with the heroine's. As well as this we learn only at the end of the novel that the events are being related to us ten years after the reconciliation with Rochester - thus the narrative is RETROSPECTIVE (looking back). CB is clever in blending the narrative so that at times Jane seems to be speaking as an adult with adult hindsight , while at others she she is "in the middle" of them, as a child or young woman. The indecision which is a central issue in the book, is heightened by this device. We never know, as readers, whether to be entirely trustful of Janes actions and thoughts, because we are never sure wheher she is speaking impulsively or maturely. This intensifies the readers dilemma as to what is "right" and "wrong" in the dramatic relationships which are part of JE's life. Can we believe what the heroine says, or is she deceiving herself? The novel is primarily a love story and a "romance" where wishes come true but only after trials and suffering. The supernatural has its place, as do dreams, portents and prophesies. The heroine begins poor and lonely and ends up rich and loved; the orphan finds a good family to replace the wicked one; all the basic ingredients of classic romantic fairytale are present. The romantic element is present in two forms in Jane Eyre; the "family" aspect is dealt with in the Gateshead, Lowood and Moor House episodes, which involve the exchanging of the wicked Reed family for the benevolent Rivers one; and the Love romance is dealt with in the Thornfield and Ferndean episodes.

Pidgins and Creoles Essay

Note to the Customer I’m sorry the essay cannot be revised as you say. It was an urgent order, so books could not be found. Moreover, you didn’t say that you wanted a critical analysis of the pidgins and Creoles. Revisions are only possible if the writer fails to follow the original instructions. In your next order please mention that you would like books to be used, and whether the discussion should be descriptive or analytical. Best regards, Pidgins and Creoles A pidgin is defined as a language that has been simplified from at least two different languages.   Referred to as a contact language, a pidgin may be used by those who do not originate in a given geographical area and must therefore develop a common language to be spoken in the area.   All the same, pidgin is used sparingly.   Its structure is rather simplistic.   Seeing that it serves a â€Å"simplistic purpose,† a pidgin dies out rather easily (Pidgins and Creoles, 1997). If people manage to use a pidgin for a long time, however, the contact language is expected to become richer and more complex in terms of vocabulary and structure.   In that case, the pidgin is said to have evolved.   Children may learn the evolved pidgin as their very first language or mother tongue.   If this happens, the pidgin has managed to turn into a Creole.   An example of a Creole is Tok Pisin, a language of Papua New Guinea, which was a pidgin before it turned into a national language (Pidgins and Creoles, 1997). Stafford notes that pidgins and Creoles are mostly used in third world nations because of the dramatic changes in the social and political environment experienced by the communities there.   Moreover, most of the pidgins and Creoles in the developing regions, for example, in South East Asia, are based on languages of Europe.   English, French, and Spanish are very much associated with the pidgins and Creoles of the third world.   This is because Europeans had spent time a great deal of time in the developing world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pidgins are often created for communication between immigrants and natives or missionaries and locals (Stafford).   As the pidgin evolves, the contact language develops its own grammatical rules.   Typically it is the children who must get together to formulate grammatical rules for the pidgin that they have accepted as their first language.   The fact that the Creole is generally formed without the influence of adults reveals that the formulation of grammatical rules and the application of structure to a certain language is innate behavior (Pidgin and Creole).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Insufficient education† is another reason why people of a certain region may have to develop a pidgin, and subsequently a Creole, so as to communicate with a new group of people they have come into contact with (Pidgin and Creole).   It is estimated that between ten to fifteen million people in the world speak languages that are considered creolized.   As an example, Creole based on French is spoken by seven million people in the world. These people may be found in Haiti, the French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe, Mauritius, Martinique, Guyana, Reunion, Dominica, St. Lucia, and many islands of the Caribbean that have been influenced by the British, in addition to southwestern Louisiana (Mauritian Creole, 2005).   In the case of the pidgins that were created by these people, most probably to communicate with the Europeans they had come into contact with; French was considered the superstrate language.   If there were minority languages that contributed to the creation of a pidgin, the languages were referred to as subtrate languages (Pidgins and Creoles, 1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regardless of the kinds of languages that were used in the creation of pidgins and Creoles, the fact remains that human beings have an essential need to communicate with one another.   Human beings do not appreciate invaders, so therefore people in the third world had by and large rejected the presence of the colonialists.   Nevertheless, they had to learn to communicate with the people who had become dominant on their lands.   Whether they had to communicate with the foreigners because the latter controlled their economic resources or otherwise, it may be inferred from this discussion that pidgins and Creoles would be created for as long as human civilization exists on earth.   Man is a social animal, after all. References Mauritian Creole. (2005). Pidgins and Creoles. Retrieved Dec 1, 2007, from http://kreol.mu/CreoleLanguages.htm. Patrick, P. L. (2004, Nov 14). Pidgin and Creole Languages: Origin and Relationships. Intro Sociolinguistics. Retrieved Dec 1, 2007, from http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~patrickp/Courses/PCs/IntroPidginsCreoles.htm. Pidgin and Creole. Retrieved Dec 1, 2007, from http://www.hevanet.com/alexwest/pidgin.html. Pidgins and Creoles. Retrieved Dec 1, 2007, from http://www.uni- due.de/SVE/VARS_PidginsAndCreoles.htm. Pidgins and Creoles. (1997, Feb 25). Retrieved Dec 1, 2007, from http://logos.uoregon.edu/explore/socioling/pidgin.html. Stafford, A. Pidgins and Creoles. Retrieved Dec 1, 2007, from http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/language/pidgcreol.html.

A Performance Constraints of Thai Economy

It may be useful to put the discussion of performance constraints of the Thai economy briefly in perspective. Over the past 2 decades, the Thai economy has been one of the best performing economies in the world, characterized by sustained high growth rates, averaging 10. 3% 1985-90, and 8% in the years prior to the crisis (1990-96). This growth was accompanied by a dramatic decline in the incidence of absolute poverty, from 57% in 1962 to 14% in 1992, with per capita income increasing from $700 per annum in the late 1960s, to $2,700 in 1996. At the same time, rapid growth was accompanied by environmental degradation, resource depletion, and an increasingly unequal distribution of income and wealth. However, on balance a remarkable record of development. During this period of rapid growth and economic transformation, Thailand became increasingly integrated into the world economy through trade and investment flows, and production linkages. As the economy expanded rapidly and became more complex in structure, it posed more and new types of strains and challenges to economic management or â€Å"governance† systems at both the macro (i. . public policy) and micro (enterprise) levels. As the relative role of the private sector increased in the economy, the importance of enterprise management and performance correspondingly increased. Looking more deeply at Thailand†s performance, manufactured exports grew by about 23% per year between 1980 and 1995, almost doubling during 1992-1995. However, in 1996 export growth fell practically to 0 per cent, with labor-intensive exports usually identified as the main culprit. Certain factors are generally cited as responsible for this abrupt and dramatic decline: External factors cited included the emergence of new competitors, with the coming on stream of new production facilities in lower income/lower wage countries such as China, Indochina, Philippines, further complicated by the30% devaluation of the Chinese yen in 1994;  · Domestic factors cited generally relate to rising wage rates and overvalued exchange rates. Domestic wage rates during 1991-95 rose about 11%, on average or about 5% increase in real wages per year, cited as the key factor in the slowdown in growth of labor intensive exports. The real effective exchange rate of the baht is estimated to have appreciated by about 15% during 1995-97, primarily because of the linkage to the US$, which appreciated against the yen. While the above factors suggest that Thailand was losing its edge in low cost, labor intensive exports, these are at best partial explanations for the overall decline in export performance. The impact of rising wages should not have come this suddenly and pervasively, given that wages were rising for some time, with no significant impact on xport performance. For example, textiles, gems and jewelry, which are not particularly labor intensive declined significantly in the 1996 crunch, as did many technology intensive products. 5 Similarly, the timing and size of the real exchange rate appreciation is not sufficient to explain the sudden, dramatic drop in export performance. If the â€Å"usual suspects† are not sufficient to explain the export slowdown, then could this be primarily a â€Å"cyclical† downturn, e. g. the result of short-term, mainly external, adverse factors? There is some support for this being a factor. There was a global slowdown in world trade in 1996, with the growth rate of world manufactured exports dropping from 8. 6% p. a. during 1990-95, to 2. 1% in 1996 6 . All countries in Asia were hit, with Korea and Thailand the worst affected. If the basic problem of export performance could be seen as cyclical, then in terms of the main focus of this paper, the management of the economic crisis perhaps can indeed focus on the financial sector. That is, the â€Å"real sector† will realign itself, as the financial crisis begins to be resolved, and the â€Å"cycles† will at some point, begin their upswing though the global economic outlook looks less than optimistic at this time. Although cyclical demand factors seem to be relevant, they are only partly helpful in understanding the performance of the Thai (real) economy prior to the crisis. There seems to be more to the story. For example, industry-specific factors may have also been at work: a rapid rise in US sourcing of garments from Western Hemisphere producers such as Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador, led to a relative loss of US market share by Asian exporters, including Thailand, among others. It is not clear whether this shift in sourcing is a â€Å"cyclical† factor, or a â€Å"structural† shift in the basis of competitive advantage (e. g. relating to NAFTA; relating to the increasing role of time or order cycle as a competitive actor, an issue touched on in section III). A fundamental question that emerges from the perspective of the present economic crisis relates to the performance of the corporate sector prior to the crisis, a performance which was then further aggravated by the financial devastation of corporates by the crisis. In particular, were there clear signs of deterioration in performance, especially at the micro (enterprise) level prior to mid-1997, masked by rapid (export) growth? If yes, then resolving the present crisis in terms of restoring the Thai economy†s performance is likely to require a focus on the â€Å"real sector† simultaneously with addressing the problems of the financial sector. This is likely to be especially important for Thailand†s economic renewal and sustainable growth, given expectations of a global economic environment over the medium term characterized by slow growth and increasing competition for both markets and capital.