Routledge The Business of Resort Management

How can owners and managers ensure that their considerable capital investments will return a competitive return on their investments? How can users and owners be sure they enjoy the promises of tantalizing marketing and real estate claims? Managing Sustainable Resorts Profitably combines business management principles with environmental and social concerns to offer development solutions to these questions. By taking an holistic and contemporary approach to the problem of developing sustainable tourism operations, this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the strategies that need to be considered by various governments, developers and, in particular, the customer-investor. The major features of resort development covered by this book include: • Environmental scanning of principal external and internal influential factors • The curse and blessings of seasonality • Competition for people’s recreation and retirement dollars • Guest activity programming • Environmental issues • Cruise ships as mobile resorts • Staffing issues in isolated areas • Financial challenges for owners and operators alike • Risk Management • Mutually beneficial options for various stakeholders Based on an analysis of global resort opportunities and trends, the book focuses on those generic features that differentiate regional resort management from urban-centric management needs and priorities. Using comparative case studies the author emphases best case/benchmark examples of a range of resorts – large and small, urban and rural - to illustrate what can be achieved. Review “In The Business of Resort Management, Peter Murphy expands the boundaries of more traditional approaches to understanding the business of tourism This book provides an excellent basis for understanding the breadth and complexity of resort management.” Alison Gill, Professor of Geography and Associate Dean of Arts and Social Sciences at Simon Fraser University, Canada “Murphy has succinctly analyzed the resort industry both past and present. What I particularly appreciate is his understanding of the role health tourism will play as the population ages and the opportunities it presents for the resort industry of the future." Kathryn Stolle, President of SLK Total Spa Concepts "Through comprehensive investigation this text provides an authorative guide to many of the unique issues of Resort Management. The author provides theoretical analysis, discussion and case studies which give accurate description, explanation and practical know-how of past and present industry practices to provide convincing value for students, teachers and resort business managers alike." Eleanore Fitz, Director of Programs at the Albury-Wodonga Campus of La Trobe University School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, La Trobe University