ASSIGNMENT 10
Autor: Prof. Anderson | Publicado: 2011-11-20T08:14:00-08:00

&nbsp;Prezados alunos

Esta é a décima atividade (em um total de dez) do semestre a ser realizada via blog/e-mail.

Lembrando que as respostas para o exercício abaixo devem ser enviadas para o e-mail turmainstrumental@gmail.com

O PRAZO PARA O ENVIO DOS TRABALHOS É ATÉ A PRÓXIMA SEXTA (25/11).&nbsp; 


QUESTÃO ÚNICA

O texto abaixo apresenta vários pontos positivos com relação à instalação de um hotel da rede Four Seasons em Barbados. Escreva um parágrafo (entre 5 e 10 linhas) apresentando as principais vantagens mencionadas no texto. Não serão aceitas respostas em forma de tópicos.


Four Seasons a worthwhile investment

11/20/2011

FOUR SEASONS Hotel and Resorts would be a welcome addition to the tourism product of Barbados.

Barbados boasts of being a premier destination. Tourism is also our main  foreign exchange earner. However, when we look at the hotel compliment  in Barbados, we have very few five-star or five diamond properties. We  also have very few brands which are known internationally and have  marketing capacity. Four Seasons has both qualities – five diamond  standard and brand recognition.

Four Seasons is the world’s leading operator of luxury hotels and  resorts. Since the opening of the first Four Seasons Hotel in 1961, this  Canadian-based company has grown to 85 hotels in 35 countries. For  nearly 50 years, Four Seasons has transformed the hospitality industry  by combining friendliness and efficiency with the finest traditions of  international hotel-keeping. In the process, Four Seasons has redefined  luxury for the modern traveller. It is one of the most recognised luxury  brands in the world. With the opening of the Four Seasons Hotel in  Barbados, Barbados would be one of two Caribbean territories which would  be able to boast of having the brand as part of its tourism product.

Using the brand of Four Seasons brings along with it certain benefits to  Barbados. The Four Seasons brand attracts the most affluent travellers.  This is an area where Barbados has provided focus marketing over the  years. Research has shown that recessions or economic downturns have  less of an impact on the affluent market than the middle to lower income  market. The use of the brand also increases the marketing capacity of  Barbados. Brands such as Four Seasons normally have aggressive marketing  and advertising strategies. They go the extra mile to ensure a suitable  rate of return on their investment; to ensure that rooms are filled and  the banquet and conference services departments are kept busy.

If we look at the trend in the occupancy levels in Barbados, we would  see that resorts in the luxury category have been able to hold their  heads above the water in the economic recession. Over the period 2008 to  2010, the luxury category has been able to maintain its percentage  share of accommodation occupancy at 16.5% for the first two years, only  dipping to 16.2% in 2010. The villa market showed a trend of growth over  the three-year period, moving from 7.7% in 2008 to 9.5% in 2009 and  11.5% in 2010. Properties such as guest houses, apartments, hotels with  50–100 rooms or hotels with over 100 rooms have shown declines in their  percentage share of accommodation occupancy.

The reason why the luxury and the villa categories have been able to  maintain or improve on their share of the percentage accommodation  occupancy levels is due to the emphasis they place on marketing and  advertising, as well as the nature of the market to which they pitch.  Four Seasons hotel and resorts falls into both the luxury category and  the villa category.

Another benefit of the Four Seasons property is the high level of  emphasis which the brand places on service quality. This can only be to  the advantage of Barbados to have such a competitive brand which would  provide its staff with the necessary training to ensure that high  quality service is guaranteed. Naturally, the competitors on the island  would seek to do the same with their employees in order to maintain  their market share. This would result in some improvements of the  quality of service offered in Barbados.

Barbadian hoteliers have complained about the need to improve the  quality of service offered in our hotel industry. The introduction of  Four Seasons as a new, high end, superior quality brand gives us an  opportunity to raise the bar on the quality of service expected. This,  no doubt, will have some impact on other properties. Employees will also  benefit from greater exposure to high quality training.

Barbados boasts of being a high quality destination. However, we have  not attracted any superior brands for over 30 years. At present, the  Hilton, Sandy Lane, Fairmont Royal Pavilion and The Crane carry the  torch in our luxury category. Of these resorts, the Hilton and Fairmont  Royal Pavilion are the only two which have international brand  recognition which is on par with Four Seasons. The addition of Four  Seasons would add tremendous value to this list. We have also lost Sam  Lord’s Castle from that Category. We need to replenish the room stock in  that important category which makes a significant contribution to our  foreign exchange earnings.

The beach which Four Seasons will occupy is one of the most beautiful  beaches in Barbados. Unfortunately, that area of beach front property  has not been able to realise its full potential. For years, that beach  has been without an active hotel supplying visitors who can provide  business for beach vendors and water sports operators.

When we sum up the benefits of the Four Seasons project, it can be seen  that this is a worthwhile investment for Barbados. If the NIS chooses to  invest in this project, it would be investing in the future of  Barbados. Tourism is the main economic driver in Barbados. Four Seasons  will add value to the sector. Luxury properties contribute more to  employment in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the NIS would also  derive some direct benefits from this investment during the construction  phase and in the operation of the hotel.

The hotel is projected to employ some 850 persons on a full-time basis  once it is constructed. This investment has the potential to bring about  a turnaround in the tourism fortunes in Barbados. The Inter-American  Development Bank has done their due diligence and found the project to  be a worthwhile investment. This says a lot about the potential of Four  Seasons in Barbados.

Fonte: The Barbados Advocate&nbsp;

As respostas devem ser enviadas para o e-mail turmainstrumental@gmail.com até o dia 25/11.