Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group - Our International Experience
Introduction
This document contains
examples of the worldwide experience of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International
in tourism.
Tourism encompasses a wide range of
economic and social interactions, including transportation, catering, retail,
accommodation, recreation and cultural services. It is the world's largest
industry: it produces about ten per cent of direct and indirect GDP; accounts
for about eleven per cent of all consumer expenditure and seven per cent of
government spending; and employs over ten percent of the global workforce.
Between 1993 and 2005, the World Travel and Tourism Council forecast that
tourism's absolute contribution to the world economy will have more than
doubled.
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International
likewise spans the world. It is one of the world's largest consulting and
accountancy practices, with over 56,000 partners and staff in more than 120
countries. Ours is the only leading international consulting organisation with a
major specialist division which works exclusively in tourism, leisure, hotels
and catering - a division which was established 30 years ago and has undertaken
some many thousands of tourism and leisure consulting assignments around the
world.
Our team includes specialists in tourism
strategy, hotel, tourism and catering operations, product development,
economics, human resources, marketing and market research. We recruit personnel
with a record of high achievement in the industry, bringing genuine operational
experience to bear on project assignments
.
Tourism is one of our firm's chosen sectors
and over many years we have built up a strong commitment to the
industry:
- we support the industry through sponsorship of events;
- we sponsor and carry out research into the industry;
- our personnel are involved in tourism education and lecture
programmes;
- we share our knowledge and understanding of the industry
through articles and publications; and
- we have a worldwide network of experts and a regular exchange
of ideas driven by our tourism "Centre of Excellence" in the Greene
Belfield-Smith division.
Tourism and the
Environment
As environmental problems continue to
cause concern worldwide, tourism is starting to evaluate its own impact on
natural and manmade resources. Sustainable tourism, which addresses
environmental issues, has been defined by the UN Commission on the Environment
and Development as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It is a "process of
change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the
orientation of technological development and institutional changes are made
consistent with future as well as present needs".
The
effects of tourism on the environment are numerous and include:
- consumption of natural resources, such as water, food
supplies, etc.
- destruction of natural habitats in the path of
development;
- social and cultural disorientation;
- unbalancing of local economies;
- erosion and destruction of heritage and cultural
artefacts.
However, while there will
undoubtedly always be some impact from tourism on the environment, tourism can
also serve to enhance, protect and finance conservation of the built and natural
environment.
With increasing awareness of
environmental issues within the tourism industry, we believe that there are four
key areas which are likely to influence tourism in the immediate future: the
notion of tourism carrying capacities will be reinvestigated; all operations
will have to have full cost environmental audits, such as they now have
financial audits; and major new developments which need environmental impact
studies; management of demand will become increasingly important; and there is a
need to pilot demonstration projects what will bring all of the factors involved
in sustainable development to the local level.
Responsibilities for achieving sustainable development need to be clearly
defined - with governments, industry and tourists taking a part - and everyone
must work together towards an idea of "best practice".
As consultants, we are keen to promote the consideration and
implementation of sustainable tourism initiatives. Deloitte & Touche is
ideally placed to work in this area, having widely experienced professional
experts in both tourism and environmental management. Specialists in these areas
regularly work together, one such area being in a recent EC funded project to
establish pan-European guidelines for sustainable golf course
development.
Specific environmental tourism studies
we have recently carried out include the following
projects.
European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, Ministry of Tourism, Albania
Albanian Tourism Development Strategy
Early in 1992 we were asked by the EBRD to prepare a tourism strategy for
the Government of Albania, presenting them with clear guidelines as to what they
could achieve in the short, medium and longer term, together with realistic ways
of attaining those goals. This included recommendations on the balance between
potential demand for tourism products and the environmental constraints imposed
by the need to preserve the largely undeveloped nature of the country and the
natural and built heritage. Our study would also be used by international
funding organisations in their prioritisation of investment in the much needed
national infrastructure.
Having established the
Albanians' objectives and priorities for tourism, we carried out an overall
study of the country from the air and on land to identify and evaluate the
potential for tourism development. We analysed the market and product
opportunities for the country, taking consideration of the operating conditions,
social and economic constraints. We made recommendations on requirements for
marketing and promotion, the development of a sound legal and financial
infrastructure for investment and for the government implementation of planning
and environmental guidelines for the tourism industry.
We produced a document outlining guidelines for developing a sound and
sustainable tourism industry, which would offer distinct tourism products to
give marketing advantages to Albania in future years. We also assisted with the
development of a practical investors prospectus, offering information on the
main investment issues and promoting "keystone" tourism products for potential
developers and investors.
World
Bank
Ecotourism Masterplan for the Lake Baikal
region
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International
tourism consultants from around the world worked with Environmental Resources
Management to prepare an Ecotourism Masterplan for the Baikal regions of Russia.
We spent several months in the region to carry out the following:
- an assessment of the ecological and socio-economic carrying
capacity of the region;
- a feasibility study for the establishment of the requisite
physical tourism infrastructure to include analysis and review
of:
-the current institutional, administrative
and legislative frameworks; and
-the requirements for
training and education.
In particular, we looked into
the possible mechanisms to integrate and bring benefits to local communities
through enhancement of the environmental resource base, creation of employment
and increasing public participation. We also defined a range of ecotourism
sites, both within and outside protected areas, and recreational and educational
facilities to be built within National Parks. Where appropriate, we provided
costings for our recommendations and directives for implementation and
maintenance of a comprehensive ecotourism policy.
IHEI/IHA/UNEP
Environmental Management
for Independent Hotels
We worked with the International Hotels Environment Initiative, the
International Hotels Association and the United Nations Environment Programme to
develop a programme to promote environmental management in independent hotels
worldwide.
Our research team drew upon their
experience of producing environmental manuals and strategies for other
industries, and a collection of "best practice" examples of environmental
management in hotels to develop a "tool kit" for action. This was circulated to
selected hotel associations around the world for testing in the marketplace and
the feedback was assimilated. We refined the toolkit and also developed an
introductory "Action Kit". This aimed to encourage immediate environmental
action which would bring even small hotels in developing countries a taste of
the business benefits they could achieve through an environmental
programme.
St. Lucia, West
Indies
Tourist Resort
Development
We were commissioned to undertake a
market and financial feasibility study for a resort development in an
environmentally sensitive bay on the island of St Lucia. The proposals identify
four main areas of operation for the resort: a hotel, villas, retailing and
leisure attraction.
We reviewed the overall tourism
potential for the country and produced forecasts of future demand. These
forecasts were related to the current and potential supply of accommodation and
other facilities. Discussions were held with travel companies in principal
European markets and with potential operators and agencies.
Our analysis led to revised proposals for the whole development, to bring
it into line not only with market demand, but also to help preserve the nature
of the bay through less intensive development. We also made recommendations as
to the appropriate style of buildings and management that would be required for
a more environmentally sensitive destination.
Mexico: Eco-Tourism Resort Development
Detailed Market Assessment
We were
commissioned to undertake a detailed market study for the real estate and marina
elements of a new "ecotourism" resort in Baja California, Mexico. The resort
would comprise a marina, hotels, shops, a golf course, tennis centre, villas,
condominiums, townhouses and other leisure facilities. Our research encompassed
real estate and marina developments in Mexico, the Caribbean, and the USA. Most
research was carried out in California (the main source market for Baja). US
market preferences were identified for price, product quality, services and
location for both the real estate and marina components of the
development.
One of the unique selling points of the
Puerto Escondido development was the client's sensitivity to the environmental
impact of such a large project. As a result the client has been able to set up a
30 kilometre coastal exclusion zone around the project. This includes the
exclusion of future tourism and industrial development. In our report we
recommended the mix and phasing of villas, condominiums and townhouses which
should be developed, together with a range of prices and an indication of the
facilities to be offered.
North-East
Hungary
Tourism Development
Strategy
We were asked by our client (an
institutional investor) to produce a tourism development strategy for the North
East region of Hungary. The initial phase, now completed, involved assessing the
overall tourism potential and current investment climate in the region. We
studied available tourist data and supplemented this information with a series
of in-depth personal interviews with key people in Hungary. The region is
largely undeveloped, its great attraction being the quality of the environment
and the unspoilt nature of the landscape.
Our initial
conceptual recommendations for tourism development involved the gradual
introduction of specialist tourism linked to wildlife and low-impact sports
pursuits. The second phase will comprise a more detailed study to identify
specific sites, carrying out full market and financial feasibility studies for
individual projects and the production of conceptual
designs.
Later stages will involve a full
implementation framework to include the identification of developers, operators
and sources of funding and assistance with the implementation of the whole
project.
European
Commission
Assessment of Tourism Development
Potential, Mustang Region, Nepal
We undertook a
mission funded by the European Commission to assess the tourism development
potential of the Upper Mustang Region of Nepal, which borders
Tibet.
Until 1992, the access to the Region was
restricted. The Region has now been opened up to a limited number of tourists
each year.
The study assessed the
following:
- the current tourism possibilities of the Region;
- the physical development potential;
- the environmental constraints and considerations;
sources
of future tourism market demand;
the issue of cultural preservation and
commercialisation.
The study concluded with
recommended courses of action for the European
Commission.
European
Commission/Volvo
Environmental Guidelines for
Golf Courses
We developed a publication for
the European Commission which provided direction and guidance on achieving
improved environmental performance in golf course development and management in
Europe.
Specifically, we reviewed all information
available to date, drawing on appropriate bodies and organisations across Europe
and the USA; running a series of intensive workshop sessions with leading
practitioners in the golf and conservation/ environmental world; and carrying
out a number of specific case studies with some of the golf courses in Europe
which are leading in environmental good practice.
The
result of the study was a practical publication, which analysed the key
environmental issues involved in golf course development and management;
provided direction to additional sources of information, research and
appropriate golfing bodies; and suggested a framework within which a wide range
of involved parties could operate in relation to golf courses (e.g. planning
authorities, governments, developers, green keepers, product suppliers,
etc.
For further details about our work, please
contact:
Information
Source
Prepared by ...
Ms
Liz Hall
Research Manager,
Deloitte & Touche
(EBS Division)
Verulam Point, Station Way, St. Albans,
United Kingdom, Hertfordshire AL1
5HE
Telephone +44 1727 839 000
Facsimile +44 1727 836
812
E-Mail Liz Hall
@deloitte.touche.co.uk