Research and critical thinking skills development in higher education

Tourism in Chicago

This assessment task is designed to encourage students to develop research, and critical thinking skills. The primary competencies addressed are problem solving, critical evaluation, innovation skills, communication, and literacy

Stage of Development

Tourism is an integral part of modern economies. Countries and cities are marketing themselves as preferred tourist destinations in order to attract visitors. This is the case in Chicago, where tourism has made significant contributions in the region's economy over time. The city existence for 200 years has seen tourism grow to be one of the key pillars of its economic development. The city has incorporated the sector as a key constituent of the governing structure in the region and this has resulted in the development of numerous tourist attractions in the city. The history and proximity of the city contribute to its appeal as a tourist destination. This has made Chicago one of the most developed tourist cities existing in the current times. Some of the features, which attract visitors to the region, include parks, beaches, the Chicago's magnificent mile, architecture and other attractions. In order to determine the development of the sector in a region, it is crucial to consider the regions stage in the tourism lifecycle. Chicago is currently experiencing the stage of consolidation. The Chicago economy benefits from tourism revenue. Many local residents in the city earn a living from tourism due to the numerous job opportunities created by the sector. The region is also using an advocacy platform in order to encourage visitors to choose the city as their preferred destination. Advocacy tourism aims to ensure that the practice is sustainable and that the tourists do not affect the region negatively. This approach has facilitated the longevity of the industry by protecting the tourism resources being enjoyed by the city.

Approach to Destination Management

The contribution of tourism has not gone unnoticed for the private sector and government. The stakeholders in Chicago have incorporated tourism in the policies and governance of the region in order to ensure economic growth. The management of the sector involves the federal, state and city governments, which all play a significant role. They ensure that there is an infusion of leisure and tourism businesses throughout the city and promotes these facilities globally. According to statistics, the sector contributed $11.8 billion to the Chicago economy in 2008 (Dwyer, Forsyth and Dwyer, 2010). This means that the sector is an invaluable asset in the pursuit of economic development in the region. The city has developed several attractions including the museum campus in 1998.

The government uses conventions in order to sell the city to visitors globally. For instance, the Chicago convention and tourism bureau (CCTB) is specialized in international marketing and expansion. The organization, which was formed in 1970, has been instrumental in encouraging tourists to visit the city (Koval, 2006). The organization was created by the city's government provides support in various areas. These areas include public relations, social networking, conventional marketing and brand development in the international tourism markets. The organization collaborates with other players in the sector including Illinois department of commerce, Chicago tourism office and the economic opportunity bureau of tourism among other organizations to ensure that the city does not lose its luster as a tourist destination. The CCTB handles conventional sales for the navy pier and McCormick place, which are some of the tourism landmarks in the region. The city uses conventions in order to interact and network with potential clients. The city markets its attractions as a traditional tourist destination in the modern urban setting. For instance, the city highlights the navy pier, which is filled with restaurant, museum and retail facilities for visitors to enjoy. This has ensured that the city has maintained a constant stream of visitors throughout the years.

System of governance

The governance system in Chicago is characterized by an entangled system, which considers the city's tourism aspirations. This means that the city is dependent on tourism and the benefits of tourism percolate to other sectors. The influence of tourism is evident in the parks, advertising initiatives, public transport and local ordinance. The governance of the region has incorporated both the push and pull and the trickledown effect simultaneously due to the size of the city. The push and pull concept refers to the factors that cause movement in the region. The push factors are those that repel visitors from a region while the pull effects are those that attract visitors to a region. For instance, one of the push factors in Chicago is crime (Fusco and Nijkamp, 2008). This discourages some visitors from frequenting the city. The pull factors include the history of the region, resorts and various tourism landmarks in the city. The trickledown effect is also a crucial feature of tourism in Chicago. This concept states that the overall benefits of the sector will percolate to all levels of society. This means that the poor and individuals who are not directly involved in the sector will benefit from the outcomes of the sector.

Research undertakings / applications of research

The players in the tourism sector of the city have been proactive in research. This has ensured that the sector is effective. The associated press states that tourism generated to the excesses of $31 billion last year in Illinois. This posted an increase of 5% from 2011. In addition, tourism generated local and state taxes that amounted to $2.3 billion in 2012. Some types of research, which have been undertaken by the players in the tourism sector, include the following. The players carried out descriptive research. This approach is focused on a variable in the sector for instance consumer habits. This research approach is best used to describe characteristics. Analytical research is also another research approach used in the sector. This involves determining the causation of phenomenon. The research derives a theory and examines the influencing factors deeply when a pattern is established. The third research type is predictive research and this aims to make predictions in the sector. This enables the players to be aware of future occurrences and prepare. This research explores past behaviors, generalized phenomena, demographics and attitudes. The final research type is normative research. This involves looking at issues subjectively. This is done with the objective of uncovering facts. The use of these research approaches enables the players in the tourism sector of the city to have a comprehensive outlook of the issues, which affect the sector. This enables them to be effective in their endeavors and maximize the revenue and benefits of the sector to the city.

Tourism planning

The city employs a multi-layered approach during planning. The city combines sustainable practices, community and economic focused approach to plan the sector. The city is notable for its high satisfaction ratings from visitors. This demonstrates the city's commitment to planning. In order to ensure that there is a balance between the concerns of the society, economic benefits and sustainable practices, the city plans for the sector are done in various levels. Economic planning aims to ensure that the sector benefits the population of the city. When visitors are lured in the city, there will be a boost the city's growth. Tourism in this planning approach is seen to be the answer of the economic challenges being experienced in the region. There is also physical or spatial planning. It is crucial to plan on the use of land. This will ensure that the resources are protected and are not overstretched (Borrelli and Kalayil, 2011). This planning approach considers the cultural and social concerns of the city in an ecological perspective. This ensures that the city remains attractive and that the sector is sustainable in the future. The planning is also community based. The well-being of the city's locals is considered. This ensures that the there is mutual benefit and respect between the community and the locals. This ensures that the different interests of the groups involved are considered in the planning efforts. The ability of the city to plan for tourism ensures that the sector benefits the region by considering different scenarios and perspectives (Borrelli and Kalayil, 2011). Planning ensures that there is sustainability in the sector where there are new target markets and protected resources. Planning aims to ensure that there is protection for the sector's future and that the industry does not stagnate in the long-term. This is achieved by considering the social, environmental and economic factors that affect tourism.

Stakeholders

There are several key stakeholders in the tourism sector. The stakeholders include the city's government, business leaders and citizens. In order for the sector to be successful, it is crucial for the contributions of each stakeholder to be combined. The government needs to ensure that there are adequate policies to support tourism. In addition, the government needs to provide infrastructural support, for instance the transport system. The government is also mandated to provide security for the locals and tourists. The government also needs to fund initiatives to market the destination. The citizens also have a significant role in the sector. The citizens should ensure that the city is welcoming for the tourists. The citizens should also be proactive in protecting the tourist attractions and resources. Business leaders need to invest in the sector. This includes the building of new attractions and accommodation facilities for visitors. It is evident that the role of these stakeholders is intertwined. In order for the sector to be successful, all the stakeholders need to be encouraged to perform their roles exceptionally.

Forms of tourism

The unique nature of Chicago attracts several tourism forms. The entertainment facilities in the region encouraged entertainment tourism. This is a large component of tourism where the visitors frequent sightseeing spots, theatres and sporting attractions in the region. In addition, history and shopping are also an attraction in the city. The city benefits from its proximity to Lake Michigan, which facilitates water, based activities including sailing and fishing for the visitors.

Applications of sustainability indicators

Considering that Chicago is based on an urban framework, there are unique challenges in the efforts to ensure sustainability and environmental protection. The city has been proactive to market itself as an eco friendly destination. Despite this initiative, the city experiences several issues synonymous with most cities. These issues include social, economic and environmental factors. The city is facing a rising population, which increases the pressure for the resources. This social issues results in a situation where the resources and social amenities, which exist in the town, are lacking. This may result in other effects including poverty and crime and consequently lead to social decadence for the region (Pilon, 2010). In addition, the industrial activities in the city also contribute to pollution, which has a detrimental effect on the environment. In addition, the increasing number of visitors annually also has a detrimental impact on the region's environment. Since the visitors interact with the environment of the city, they affect the environment. For instance, visitors contribute to the garbage being produced in the city ( Olewiler, 2006). This has negative ramifications on the environment in the long-term. In addition, transportation for the visitors also contributes to carbon emissions resulting in environmental degradations (Pilon, 2010). The urban population in the region magnifies these issues. The city needs to be more proactive in ensuring that such issues are addressed through planning and policies that will ensure sustainability for the sector.

Competition and collaboration

The region faces competition from other cities in the U.S. Chicago faces stiff competition from Los Angeles and New York. This requires the city to be proactive in ensuring that it has attractive packages for visitors in order not to lose out. Competition appears to have a positive effect on the sector since the players ensure that they improve their services in order to make the destination competitive. The city aims to maintain its competitive advantage over other competing destinations. Some of the features, which make the region unique, are its history and proximity. The history of the region cannot be replicated in other cities. In addition, tourism is ingrained in the city's leadership structures. This makes it effortless for the city to adopt new policies that compliment the sector. The availability of the fresh water lake also provides an advantage for the city since it offers water sports including sailing and fishing. The lake is also accessible from various locations in the city. This makes transport to the attraction easy for the visitors giving the city a competitive advantage. The players in the industry also carry out research and strategic marketing to ensure that the region is attractive for the target audiences. This has instrumental in the city's achievement of 8 million annual visitors. The city collaborates with other regions including Milwaukee and Indianapolis to be supplemental visit shops for visitors. This increases the capacity of the city to cater for the visitors needs by cooperating with the neighboring regions. This increases the destination's competitive advantage.

Destination Marketing

One of the factors that have facilitated the success of the tourism sector in Chicago is its marketing strategy. The city uses destination marketing to make the market aware of its potential as a destination. This involves communication with the tourist market in order to influence their preference for a destination and their intention to travel (Pearce, 2005). This includes the communication of the destinations competitive attributes and values. This approach compliments the tourism strategy of Chicago since it encompasses the interests of the community, visitors and service providers. Chicago is successful in its efforts of destination marketing since it is a large city. This offers visitors a variety of attractions and activities in the city. Every interests and desire of the visitor can be satisfied in the region. This result in customer satisfaction for the visitors since they are well covered with the tourist packages offered in the city. Some of the examples of how Chicago markets its destination are evident in the mandate of CCTB. The board markets the city using its most notable features including navy pier and the McCormick place. In the navy pier, the city markets the 15-foot Ferris wheel, restaurants, theatres and museums in the area. The city has branded itself to be an entertainment destination by marketing conventions and festivals. The city also brands itself as a preferred destination by promoting cruise ships in the great lakes. The city collaborates with Canadians in order appeal to the tourist market. The city has aimed to differentiate its attractions in order to make its tourist experience unique from other destinations.