3. ii
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my dissertation tutor Mehmet Pinar for his excellent advice and
guidance, patience, support and motivation throughout this study. I would additionally like to
thank my friends and family for their unwavering support.
4. iii
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation is to get an in depth understanding of sustainability within
Liverpool as a tourist destination. The research questions where formed from the literature
review and became the bases on which this study would investigate. The first question
derived from the literature review was what effect do local government have towards
sustainability? Similarly the question of whether there is a collaboration of partnerships
between the different stakeholders. The literature also made me question whether the
organisations involved where themselves sustainable? Finally the last question was towards
the importance and key issues of sustainability in Liverpool?
Investigating these four themes was important in gathering a greater understanding of how
the tourism industry works within Liverpool; assessing the roles certain organisations play,
gathering a greater understanding of the key issues of sustainability in Liverpool currently
and the importance of sustainability. These four themes where chosen as the literature
available indicated them as the most important areas which did not appear to currently be
explained.
To answer these questions qualitative methods where used in the form of semi-structured
interviews. The findings to these questions were that, for the most part, local government has
a massive effect on sustainability within Liverpool, this is set to increase over the next 2 to 3
years with the introduction of a strategic plan for tourism in the region. The research also
indicated that there is indeed a strong collaboration of partnerships particularly between the
various public sectors, however much improvement is needed between the large private
organisations and local government. Similarly the study discovered that for the most part
public sector organisations are themselves run sustainably, with techniques such as hiring
local staff and regular training. On the other hand private organisations claim to be
sustainable but to what extent they are is unknown.
Finally there are some key issue in Liverpool, particularly towards the risk of losing its world
heritage status, however for the most part sustainability is certainly at the fore front of the
tourism industry for this area.
In conclusion, there are undoubtedly some key concerns which need to be overcome over the
next few years by Liverpool, but for the most part the city is a sustainable tourism
destination.
5. iv
Contents Page
Page(s)
1 – Introduction 1
2 – Literature Review 2-8
2.1 – What is Sustainability? 2-4
2.2 – Importance of Sustainability to a Tourism Destination 4-5
2.3 – Sustainability in the UK 5-6
2.4 – Liverpool as a Sustainable Destination 6-8
3 – Methodology 9-12
3.1 – Semi-Structured Interviews 9-10
3.2 – Documentary Data Analysis 10-11
3.3 – Ethical Considerations 11-12
4 – Data and Analysis 13-17
4.1 – Local Government Sustainability 13-14
4.2 – Collaboration and Competition 14-15
4.3 – Sustainability of Organisation 15
4.4 – Importance and key Issues of Sustainability in Liverpool 16-17
Chapter 5 – Conclusion 18-21
Appendices 22-30
Appendix A – Thailand Sea Gypsies 22
Appendix B – Policies and Legislation 22-24
Appendix C – 28 Industry Groups and Bodies 25-26
Appendix D – Information Sheet 27
Appendix E – Consent Form 28
Appendix F – Questionnaire 29-30
Reference list 31-34
6. 1
1. Introduction.
“I am confident that we can grow this already world class industry and make the coming
years the best ever for tourism in Britain. With this strategy, we are bringing a whole new
approach to tourism, removing barriers to growth and backing the industry all the way. The
challenge now is to make sure we deliver on these plans and make the most of this
opportunity to make Britain’s tourist industry thrive”. (David Cameron 2011)
The aim of this study is to find out whether Liverpool is a sustainable tourism destination.
This study will particularly focus on the visitor economy aspect of the tourism industry,
paying attention to all aspects of sustainability; economic, environmental and socio-cultural.
The study will break down the initial question into 4 main research questions which have
been formed from the literature review, these are:
1.What effect do local government have towards sustainability?
2.Is there a collaboration of partnerships?
3.Are the organisations involved sustainable?
4.Importance and key issues of sustainability in Liverpool?
The reason I have chosen to do this study is that I have a personal interest in the subject area.
As a local boy born and raised in Liverpool I have always had an interest in the city, however
in 2008 when Liverpool won the European Capital of Culture my eyes were opened to the
world of tourism. Since then I have keenly followed the development and improvements
made to the city due to its new touristic desire. Having seen first-hand the benefits tourism
has brought to the city coupled with the fact I am studying tourism as part of my university
degree, then I was intrigued as to whether Liverpool is a sustainable tourism destination.
The dissertation will begin with a literature review which will use the funnel approach to give
the reader a better initial understanding of sustainability in general and the importance of
tourism destinations being sustainable. The literature will then narrow its focus to sustainable
tourism within the UK as a whole and then further narrowing into the research of Liverpool
itself as a sustainable tourism destination. Following this chapter will be the methodology,
which will go through the methods used to gather my own data for this dissertation and
additionally will explain why these methods where chosen and not others. The methods used
where; semi-structured interviews, documentary data analysis and self-reflection, also
encompassing the triangulation technique (Denzil, 1978). The section after this will be the
data and analysis, which will evaluate the findings I have made and compare them to the
findings in the literature review as well as with each other. In this section I will highlight the
key findings and what they mean, I will also type a brief conclusion with recommendation
which will lead onto the following section, the conclusion. The conclusion will be the final
piece of this study, summarising what the study has found and what this means and in turn
answering the proposed dissertation question. The conclusion will also state where there are
gaps in the research, mention the limitations of the study including a self-reflection and
finally make recommendations into future research that could be conducted.
In the following chapter I have moved onto discuss the literature review.
7. 2
2. Literature review
The purpose of this section is to explore the theoretical aspects of sustainability, although
there is plenty of theoretical research on sustainability this section will take a particular
interest in UK tourism sustainability. Furthermore this section will also consider government
involvement towards tourism sustainability, taking particular interest in legislation set by the
UK government as well as other substantial legislation such as the Brundtland commission
(1987) set out by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Lastly
this section will also take a look at Liverpool as a sustainable destination and how similar
destinations have dealt with the issue of sustainably, this could be particularly useful in
helping understand the strengths and weaknesses of Liverpool therefore helping to set the
agenda for the rest of the dissertation. The purpose of this literature review is to help identify
key research questions which will be the main bases for the research strategy for this
dissertation.
2.1. What is Sustainability?
There is no widely accepted definition for tourism sustainability as (Bramwell et al: 1996)
says that ‘definitions tend to be irrelevant, misleading, and ever changing’. (Robinson et al.
1990) also agrees despite the promise and essential appeal of the concept of sustainable
development, considerable uncertainty exists over its definition, particularly with respect to
the relationship of sustainability to economic growth (e.g. Redclift 1987; Sachs 1993).
However Swarbrooke (1999:13) defines sustainable tourism as a ‘means tourism which is
economically viable but does not destroy the resources on which the future of tourism will
depend, notably the physical environment and social fabric of the host community’. This
definition shows how sustainability is a key concern in the tourism industry as well as
showing the three key areas to sustainable tourism; Economic sustainability, social
sustainability and environmental sustainability. ‘Probably the single greatest concern for
every country is the impact tourism will have on its environment’ (Naisbitt, 1994: p. 140) the
impact tourism has on the environment is seen as the most important aspect to sustainability
by most scholars as the environment is often the most effected. The increase in concern by
western governments on the environmental impacts of tourism is known as ‘ecopolitics’,
Eckersley (1992) says that ‘The environmental crisis and popular environmental concern
have prompted a considerable transformation in western politics over the last three decades…
Whatever the outcome of this realignment in western politics, the intractable nature of
environmental problems will ensure that environmental politics (‘ecopolitics’) is here to
stay’. On the other hand, although Government concern may have grown over the last three
decades, it can be argued that the concern of those involved in the tourism industry are not as
concerned, as the (Economist Intelligence Unit, 1992) states ‘So far the travel and tourism
industry has taken little active part in framing the environmental policies so vital to its own
interests’.
8. 3
The environment is not the only concern to tourism sustainability over recent decades as
Taylor (1995: 487) argues, ‘the concept of community involvement in tourism development
has moved nearer to the centre of the sustainability debate’. The key to understanding social
sustainability is to first understand the people who are involved. According to the
International Union of Official Travel Organization (IUOTO) the purpose of tourist journey
can be classified under ‘leisure or ‘business’ (IUOTO 1963: 14). The impact tourism has
socially is simply too large to type about, however there are numerous examples which can
be used to demonstrate key issues. A prime example of the negative effects can be seen in
Thailand with the sea gypsies (Appendix A), furthermore (Urbanowicz 1977: 88; Cohen
1982b: 218) explains that tourism generates or reinforces inflationary tendencies by putting
pressure upon resources whose supply is inelastic – particularly some types of food and land
(e.g. Noronha 1979: 188).
Lastly economic sustainability is arguably the most important area of tourism, because
without economic efficiency the tourism industry itself may be under threat. Study of tourism
economics is difficult and often complex as (Leiper 1993) explains that some businesses may
not only see themselves as part of the tourism industry but in the market industry in general,
for example a restaurant will sell to both tourist and locals. The study of the economic
tourism is also made harder by the scale of the tourism industry, according to
(Apostolopolous 1996) in 1994 6.5 percent of the world’s workforce was employed in
tourism activities, while internationally, tourism generated 528 million arrivals and $321
billion in receipts, more recent figures (2010) suggest it is closer to 7% employment, 935
million arrivals and an industry value of $1 trillion a year (Pratt, 2011).
The significance of tourism sustainability is a well-known area, however it is also important
to know how tourism is measured. According to (Bhati 1985) the measurement of tourism is
only possible by the use of statistics, furthermore he also mentions that tourism had not yet
received recognition as an economic phenomenon and therefore not much efforts were made
to systematically and scientifically measure it. Measurement of the tourism industry could be
key to understanding tourism as a whole and as statistical bases in order to provide a basis for
planning the future development in the industry.
When talking about tourism sustainability it is also important to mention what has already
been done in order to improve sustainability within the industry. There are numerous reports
on tourism sustainability but a key one is the Brundtland report which was published in 1987
by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) warning that the
Earths rapidly growingly population rate was not sustainable particularly in tourist
destinations. According to (Murphy 1994:4) ‘this placed the concept of sustainable
development centre stage and prompted it as a vehicle for deliverance’. The Brundtland
report argued that the vast and complex issue of environmental deterioration should be
integrated with the equally vast and complex issue of human development and poverty,
clearly suggesting that both challenges needed to be resolved simultaneously and in a
mutually reinforcing way (Robinson, 2004). This was to be done by all countries agreeing to
the Brundtland Commission however there would be difficulties as the US president at the
time George H. W. Bush stated in 1992 prior to the Rio Summit that “The American way of
life is not negotiable”, has not drastically changed (Rook and Vechakiji, 2013). Despite the
Brundtland report in 1987 a lot of experts on sustainable tourism still had concerns on the
broadness of the term (David 1988:153) ‘the concept of sustainability can be interrupted in
9. 4
either a limited or broader sense. From a narrow economic perspective it is synonymous with
wealth and creation or economic growth. However, in a more holistic sense, sustainability is
essentially linked to broader social goals; the requirements of sustainability and justice tend
to coincide. This is related to the necessity of building durable social and economic
structures, and of eliminating various forms of inequality’.
2.2. Importance of Sustainability to a Tourism Destination.
“As tourism has burgeoned in the latter half of the twentieth century it has been accused of
many things: a despoiler of pristine natural environments, a destroyer of valued lifestyles and
age-old cultures, and an exploiter of poor nations. Tourism, it is claimed, ultimately degrades
the attractive nature and cultural features of a place and thus can neither sustain the basic
resources on which it relies, nor rely on itself as an industry in the long term” (Griffin
2002:24)
The statement above shows that if tourism is not well looked after it can have severe negative
effects on a destination, this is why sustainability in the tourism industry is vital in order for it
to succeed. The key for sustainable tourism in a destination is good planning and managing as
(Robinson, 2000:295) states ‘The importance of planning and managing tourism so that it
contributes positively to the sustainable development of the communities and landscapes
within which tourism activities take place is not contested’. Dror (1973:330) states that
‘Planning is the process of preparing a set of decisions for action in the future, directed at
achieving goals by preferable means’. Planning without doubt is key for sustainable tourism
development, without good and accurate planning the factors that make the destination a
tourism spot could be at risk. According to Hall (2000:15) ‘tourism must be integrated within
the wider planning processes in order to promote certain goals of economic, social and
environmental enhancement or maximisation that may be achieved through appropriate
tourism development’. Gertz (1987:3) says that tourism planning must be, ‘a process, based
on research and evaluation, which seeks to optimize potential contribution of tourism to
human welfare and environmental quality’. Equally important as the planning process is the
management process of tourism. Swarbrooke (1999:251) shows that there are four key areas
of managers in the tourism industry: Marketing, human resource, operations and financial,
furthermore he concludes that in the field of ethical management as a whole the emphasis is
upon:
Taking a longer term perspective than has been traditional
Being environmentally friendly
Behaving in ways which are socially responsible
Reducing the waste of human resources as well as the earth’s resources
Being fair to tourists, the industry and the host community.
An excellent case study to demonstrate the importance of sustainability to a tourism
destination is the English Lake District. The Lake District is the largest National Park in
England, home to 40,800 people (2011 census), attracts 15.5 million visitors a year (Steam
10. 5
2013- Cumbria Tourism), with a visitor spend of £1051 million (Steam 2013- Cumbria
Tourism). There are numerous factors to keeping the Lake District a sustainable destination
but a key point made by Hind (2004) is that ‘tourism management in the Lake District is a
prime example of the need for a diverse set of independent agencies to work together in order
to develop and manage tourism sustainably’. Similarly ‘when a diverse set of stakeholders is
involved with tourist destination management, sustainable tourism can only be achieved
through these stakeholders collaborating and working in partnership (Bramwell and Lane,
2000). The importance of collaboration between stakeholders is paramount for a destination
to succeed at tourism as no single organisation is responsible but more of a responsibility in
different areas. On the other hand collaboration between stakeholders is not always straight
forward as Weaver (2000:309) identifies significant problems that occur during the
collaboration process is that stakeholders tend to “…cling stubbornly to their own agendas
and ideologies, and their further tendency to harness the political process as much as possible
to further these agendas”.
2.3. Sustainability in the UK.
“I am confident that we can grow this already world class industry and make the coming
years the best ever for tourism in Britain. With this strategy, we are bringing a whole new
approach to tourism, removing barriers to growth and backing the industry all the way. The
challenge now is to make sure we deliver on these plans and make the most of this
opportunity to make Britain’s tourist industry thrive”. (David Cameron 2011)
In 2007 the UK tourism industry attracted 32.8 million overseas visitors spending £16 billion,
also 120 million domestic trips within the UK spending £20 billion. It accounts for almost
£90 billion direct spend each year, contains over 200,000 businesses and provides 4.4% of
our nation’s jobs (Gov.uk, 2011). From looking at these figures it is clear to see that the
tourism industry has a big role to play in the UK, particularly economically. However not all
the impacts made by tourism are positive for the UK, particular areas of concern were the
large energy usage and transport. In 2008 the hotel and catering industry accounted for 15%
of all energy produced in the UK. In the UK in 2007, 75% of holiday trips were made by car
compared to 19% by public transport and 3% by also UK residents made 69 million trips
abroad, mainly by air (National Archives, 2009). What can be concluded from this is that the
main area of concern in the UK is the pollution damage caused directly by tourism,
particularly with the growing concern of climate change and EU regulation on pollution
reduction (Air quality standard regulations, 2010).
According to Barbara Follet Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism (2009)
there are 6 key challenges to sustainable tourism in England:
• Minimise environmental impact and resource use
• Address the impact of tourism transport
• Improve quality and make holidays accessible to all
• Improve the quality of tourism jobs
11. 6
• Maintain and enhance community prosperity and quality of life
• Reduce the seasonality of demand
She has also set out the policies and legislation this challenge helps to support (Appendix B).
From looking at appendix 2 you can see the department for culture, media and sport have
over 20 policies and various legislation whose main purpose is to aid sustainable tourism in
the UK, this shows that sustainable tourism is very much at the forefront of government
thinking when it comes to the tourism industry. It is not just the department for culture, media
and sport that controls all the tourism industry, as Bramwell and Lane (2000) touched on
earlier collaboration and partnerships of stakeholders also plays a key role, the visit Britain
website states that there are 28 important industry groups and bodies (Appendix C). In
economic terms tourism can not only be sustainable to well-known tourism destination such
as the Lake District but can also be used to generate wealth in less well of areas of the nation
(France 1997).
A major concern at national level therefore should be to determine the most important areas
to develop (United Nations 1970). In Mexico for example specific planning criteria have been
defined (Collins 1979:345): ‘New tourist centres should develop new sources of employment
in areas with tourist potential. These areas should be located near important rural centres with
low incomes and few alternatives to develop other productive activates in the near future.
New resorts should spur regional development with new agricultural, industrial and
handicraft activities in the zones’.
The London 2012 Olympics is a great case study for the UK, as most of the newly
constructed Olympic venues were based in the poorest area of London, also important to note
that the emphasis on the games was sustainability (London.gov.uk, n.d), “Sustainability was
an important element of our bid and underpins our preparations and our vision for the legacy
of London 2012” (Seb Coe 2012).
2.4. Liverpool as a Sustainable Destination.
Tourism in Liverpool has rocketed over recent years and has now become one of the leading
tourism destinations in the UK (5th). Tourism generated $3.1 billion for Liverpool in 2010,
provided over 46,000 jobs which is 8% of total employment for the Liverpool city region.
Without doubt tourism is vital to the region and therefore tourism sustainability is equally
important in order to sustain Liverpool’s economic and cultural growth. According to
Liverpool’s local enterprise partnership (Liverpoollep.org, 2014) the key priorities for the
region are: low carbon economy, knowledge economy, visitor economy and SuperPort, all
four of these priorities can be directly or indirectly linked with sustainability. These four key
areas are estimated to generate over 90,000 jobs for the region. This points out that the main
focus of sustainability in the region tends to be economic sustainability, however the low
carbon economy promise also shows that the region is taking a key interest and trying to
reduce carbon emissions by increasing reliance on renewable energy particularly wind energy
(About LEP, 2014).
12. 7
When looking at a specific tourist destination it is always important to look at who the main
stakeholders are in that region. The main stakeholder in a business sense for Liverpool city
region is PEEL holding. According to the PEEL website (Peel.co.uk, 2014) their values are:
Long-term vision/investment, regeneration by delivering sustainable growth, leaving a lasting
social legacy, adding value for all of our stakeholders. This covers the three key areas
touched on earlier by the literature review (economic, environmental, community),
furthermore a section titled ‘sustainability’ states out the means in which they are sustainable.
Other than the obvious economic benefits of such a large company investing in the region,
they are also continuing to look for renewable energy opportunities via wind farm
development, biomass opportunities and projects of national significance in both tidal and
hydro power technologies (Liverpoolwaters.co.uk, 2014). However company websites can
often be bias, according to the independent (Brown, 2014) there are numerous concerns from
the English Heritage about the Liverpool Waters development stripping Liverpool of its
heritage site status. The ‘three graces’ heritage site in Liverpool is ranked alongside the Taj
Mahal and the Stonehenge and therefore is a key aspect for tourism travel to the region.
PEEL Liverpool Waters project risks losing this status and can therefore have a negative
effect on the visitor economy. However Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has been criticised by
some claiming the city would sacrifice losing its world heritage status in order to secure
PEEL Groups investment (Liverpool Echo, 2012), he was quoted saying: “Turning Peel
Holdings (the developer) away doesn’t say to the world that Liverpool is a thriving modern
city. It says we’re a city that is stuck in the past”.
Lastly, if we compare Liverpool’s waterfront development to a similar case study we can
make comparisons between the two as well as pointing out potential areas of concern. Gates
(1987) has suggested that the general trend to exploit and revive the nation’s abandoned dock
areas will increase as costal leisure provision becomes saturated. A similar case study which
could be relevant to Liverpool’s waterfront development is the Swansea Maritime Quarter.
The scheme set up by the Swansea council in the mid-1970’s aimed at regenerating the old
abandoned south dock (Priestley, 1996). Priestley (1996) also points out that Swansea council
used its planning powers to link the Maritime Quarter with the retail and commercial centre
of the City, this is also very similar to what has happened in Liverpool. However one key
difference between the Swansea development and the one we see in Liverpool is the
difference in economic strategy, Swansea favour the ‘bottom-up’ economic approach
identified by Gibbs (1994) whereas Liverpool are closer to the ‘top-down’ economic
approach to regeneration. Swansea redevelopment is very similar to Liverpool in more
aspects than one, the progressive development approaches by each councils have both lead to
improvements of the cities economically, socially and environmentally through ‘using
legislation to clear polluted waters, despoiled landscapes and old buildings. Innovative
housing layouts, new industrial and commercial developments, new museums and other
attractions for visitors’ (Priestley, 1996).
The literature review has set up the basis for this dissertation and helped give a better
understanding of sustainability within Liverpool. The literature review is useful in setting out
areas which need further investigating, from this we can identify research gaps to be
analysed. In summary this dissertation will look at what effect do local government have
towards sustainability, whether there is there a collaboration of partnerships, investigate that
13. 8
the organisations involved are sustainable and lastly evaluate the importance and key issues
of sustainability in Liverpool.
In the following section I have moved on to discuss the methodologies used for this research.
14. 9
3. Methodology
The purpose of methodology is to provide evidence on how data or findings were found and
to set it out in such a way so that the reader is able to do the same research for themselves
using these techniques. By providing a methodology it ensures that the research in the study
is valid and reliable. The main purpose and relevance of these research techniques for this
study is to provide sufficient data to provide recommendation to the answer proposed at the
beginning: ‘is Liverpool a sustainable tourism destination?’ As Veal (1997) points out
methodology can be seen as ‘universal’ however in reality it varies from subject to subject.
An example of this could be that as scientific study could require working in a laboratory
where as for a socialology study would more likely be a social survey. It is therefore
important that the correct and relevant research methods are chosen in order to provide the
most relevant results for my study.
The methods that will be used to acquire the information in this study will be mostly
qualitative with some quantitative research, the reason for this is that it is hard for an answer
to my proposal to be in quantitative form, however that does not necessarily mean that all
quantitative data will not be useful. According to (Kvale 2007:11) ‘qualitative researches
are interested in accessing experiences, interactions and documents in their natural context
and in a way that gives room to the particularities of them and the materials in which they
are studied’. The information gathered will mostly be done through secondary research
technique of literary journals, books, websites and government documents, however some
primary research will also be conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews.
The best way of acquiring accurate information is to use multiple methods which is known as
triangulation. Denzil (1978:291) defines it as ‘the combination of methodologies in the study
of the same phenomenon’. This is useful to this study in a couple of ways, firstly it makes
data discovered more reliable as it has come from numerous sources not just one and therefor
makes answers to the proposed question well-rounded and informed. Secondly, this means
that if one of my research methods didn’t go as well as I would have liked or I did not get all
the information I sought, then the other methods may aid this. In this methodology I have
chosen three different techniques; semi-structured interviews, documentary data analysis and
self-reflection, these techniques I hope will give me the best answers and information in order
for me to make recommendations on my proposed question.
3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews.
One method which I have chosen for the study is semi-structured interviews with three
relevant people within the tourism industry in Liverpool all of whom will have an
understanding of sustainability in the region. The interview will be questionnaire based and
will be interviewer completed. The questions for the interview have come from key data in
the literature review that I have found to be relevant. The interview is interviewer completed
15. 10
which means that I will be asking questions from the questionnaire to the respondent whose
answers will be recorded and used as data. There are both positives and negatives in choosing
an interviewer completed interview over a respondent completed one. The main positive is
that you get a more accurate and in depth response with the chance to interact with answers
given as opposed to doing surveys which are often limited in their responses (Veal, 1997). On
the other hand, one on one interviews are often more expensive in terms of time, not to
mention the difficulty of finding the appropriate and willing respondents. The semi-structure
part of this technique is also of importance as this allows for some basic answers (yes or no)
as well as the chance for the interviewer to ask a counter question if something of
significance is said. Whereas closed interviews do not allow for discussion and an open
interview can take too long and become overly detailed. Semi-structured interviews also
allow for a phenomenology style of interviewing as they may tell of experiences they have.
The purpose of a phenomenological study according to Patton (1990) lies in the ’descriptions
of what people experience and how it is that they experience’. This could also be useful as
this provides a chance for the participant to give an example and set a clearer image for the
reader or interviewer.
Now that we have observed why semi-structured interviews will be used it is also important
to detail how they will be used. First of all I have chosen three different organisations which
are relevant to Liverpool tourism but different to each other. The organisations which I have
chosen are; PEEL group (private business), Liverpool Local Enterprise Partnership
(Liverpool tourism board) and the Museum of Liverpool. These have been chosen to give me
the best cross section of the entire Liverpool tourism industry and not just from one point of
view (e.g. if I was to interview businesses only id only hear it see it from a business
perspective). To choose these companies I used purposeful sampling, the specific technique
chosen was maximum variation sampling (Given, 2008) as I believed this would give me the
most accurate and unbiased information. Before I would be able to interview the
organisations I had to come up with questions, I created a questionnaire consisting of 15
questions most of which were relevant to all three organisations and some questions were
more specific to an organisation. The next step was then to contact these organisations and try
set up interviews with the relevant departments (respondents that would have a firm
understanding of sustainability within Liverpool), this step was particularly difficult as at first
none of the organisations contacted responded. Methods used consisted of E-mail, then
sending a hand written letter and finally to phone them, this method was last resort as it
comes across as demanding. Unfortunately only 2 out of the 3 organisations contacted
responded, PEEL did not. The next stage was to conduct the semi-structured interviews in
which the questions are based on my questionnaire and to record the respondent during the
interview. The last step is to gather all of the data from the three interviews and then analyse
it to make it relevant to study, then use this analysed data to help formulate recommendations
for the proposed question about sustainability of tourism in Liverpool.
3.2 Documentary Data Analysis.
The next stage of this methodology takes a look at the documentary data analysis approach.
This approach is particularly useful as part of the triangulation technique as it adds validity to
16. 11
research found from authors. It also allows the opportunity to compare and contrast what has
been discovered in the data analysis to see whether there are contradictions or if what has
been said is accurate. This research analysis will take a look from numerous sources such as
recent news on tourism in Liverpool, articles or websites with relevance to tourism
sustainability within Liverpool, local government documents on sustainability and recent
journal articles on related to tourism in Liverpool.
The most noticeable news from researching sustainable tourism in Liverpool is that they have
received numerous awards in recent years. Awards such as: Outstanding contribution to the
tourism sector, culture & heritage experience of the year, small and large visitor attraction of
the year, excellence in business tourism, Liverpool had also received an award for excellence
in sustainable tourism (Liverpoollep.org). From this we can see that Liverpool is a very
strong, well ran and sustainable tourism location with a wide range of tourism opportunities.
Although 2012 may be seen as ‘just a good year’ for the city, over the next two years
Liverpool still won two further awards (Visitenglandawards.org). As the PEEL group are one
of the largest stakeholders in Liverpool tourism industry, it is important that they have a
strong ideology towards sustainability. According to their website (Peel.co.uk) their values
are: ‘Long-term vision, long-term investment, regeneration by delivering sustainable growth,
leaving a lasting social legacy and adding value for all of our stakeholders’. In most parts
PEEL group impact in Liverpool appears to be positive in an economic, environmental and
social view point, however there are concerns over the ‘Liverpool Waters’ project as
according to UNESCO this could make Liverpool loose it’s world heritage site status stating
it has ‘serious concerns’ placing it on the danger list for heritage sites (liverpoolecho).
In comparing all the different articles and latest news on tourism in Liverpool it is clear to see
that the majority of the impact on the city has been positive particularly economically
speaking. Not only has a lot of the research touched upon economic growth in recent years
but also go on to mention the likelihood of sustained economic growth into the future,
particularly down to PEEL’s Liverpool Waters project. Similarly Liverpool LEP (Local
Enterprise Partnership) have numerous articles and plans related to tourism in the city
(Liverpoollep.org), interestingly most of which emphasise the economic side to tourism, with
particular focus on economic sustainability for the city. Although the economy of Liverpool
is one of the main concerns for the local government and that the economic side of tourism is
vastly improving the city it is important that the local government don’t solely focus on this
one aspect. They must also pay particular attention to environmental and socio-cultural
sustainability for the city, which from my research I have found they perhaps do not focus on
enough.
3.3 Ethical Considerations.
The final method as part of the triangulation technique is the ethical considerations. Ethics
can be defined as an ‘application of a system of moral principles to prevent harming or
wronging others, to promote the good, to be respectful and to be fair’ (Renzetti and Lee,
1993). Ethical considerations are always crucial when conducting research (Given, 2008),
particularly so when the methods being used involve interviews. Whenever conducting
17. 12
primary research it is important to remember the ethical considerations, to combat this
consent forms where handed out to each participant along with a clear and precise ethical
statement to inform of the purpose of the research, as well as make them aware of how their
responses will be used. A copy of the ethical statement (Appendix D) coupled with the
consent form (Appendix E) can be seen in appendix. In order of not being in breach of ethical
considerations it was important that consent forms were signed and agreed upon by the
participants of the semi-structured interviews. It is also important that an information sheet
was provided to them which they must read in order for the interview to go ahead. This
information sheet allows the participant to fully understand what the interview would
involve, the reasons for the interview and inform the interviewee that they can withdraw any
information given (Silverman, 2010).
The following chapter will analysis the data and findings from using these methods.
18. 13
4. Data and Analysis.
The aim for this section is to analysis the findings of whether Liverpool was a sustainable
tourism destination. The core element to this is based on the findings from the semi-
structured interviews and comparing this data with each other and the research already
gathered in the literature review. The semi-structured questions were the same for both of the
two interviewees with two to three additional questions to each (relevant to their
organisation) the interviewees will be referred to as Manager A and Manager B. The two
managers chosen to be interviewed represented tourism organisations within Liverpool, the
names of which must be kept secret due to ethical reasons (Appendix D). A manuscript of the
questionnaires can be seen in the appendix (Appendix F). The questionnaire data and findings
have been categorised into four themes: (1) local government sustainability; (2) collaboration
and competition; (3) sustainability of organisations; and (4) importance and KEY issues of
sustainability in Liverpool. The bases for this data analysis will be comparing interview
feedback with findings from the literature review. Conclusions for each section will be given
in order to create a better understanding of whether Liverpool is a sustainable tourism
destination.
4.1 Local Government Sustainability.
When questioned about the local government for Liverpool and the effect it has on tourism
sustainability within the region there was a mixed response between the two managers.
Manager A believed that a lot more needed to be done by local government stating there is a
‘lack of understanding of the importance of visitor economy’ and he also pointed out the
serious lack of planning for tourism within the city. This is an important issue for the region
as Robinson (2000) states that planning is important in ensuring sustainable development. On
the other hand Manager B believes the local government play an important role in ensuring
sustainability for Liverpool, as they ‘care about culture’ which helps in attracting visitors to
the region and also work on events together such as Remembrance Day. According to Hall
(2000:15) ‘tourism must be integrated within the wider planning processes in order to
promote certain goals of economic, social and environmental enhancement or maximisation
that may be achieved through appropriate tourism development’. However Manager A states
that there is no overall strategic plan for the city which is damaging in terms of planning for
the future, working collaboratively to maximise economic growth and competing with rival
cities such as Manchester which already have a strong strategic plan in place.
On the other hand a key positive for Liverpool is environmental sustainability, particularly
over recent years. Manager A points out projects such as improving the river Mersey and Port
Sunlight park which was originally a waste area but now a nature reserve. This aligns with
the literary research which classes it as ‘ecotourism’, as Eckersley (1992) points out there has
been a major shift over recent decades in western countries towards environmental
sustainability. However the same cannot be said about others involved in the tourism
19. 14
industry, (Economist Intelligence Unit, 1992) states ‘So far the travel and tourism industry
has taken little active part in framing the environmental policies so vital to its own interests’,
it is also noticeable that there are ways around meeting sustainability policies. As Manager A
points out large organisations and local government are not always in agreement, there are
elements from the organisation of ‘were just going to do it’ making it difficult for local
government to say no as this could potentially mean missing out on vast amount of new jobs,
etc.
This shows that there are some large concerns towards the local government in Liverpool
towards sustainability. Although, for the most part environmental sustainability for the city is
positive, large business still have a means of avoiding environmental policies. Furthermore
the lack of Strategic planning for the region is also a major concern as the literature shows the
planning process is key in ensuring sustainability. Future research does need to be conducted
into large businesses having too much power in the tourism industry, however as for the
strategic planning for Liverpool region Manager A ensured me that the local government are
currently working on one for the region (government structural framework to organise
tourism across city region- 6/7 districts). This plan will play a vital part in ensuring
sustainability for the future; however will not be ready for another ‘2 to 3 years’.
4.2 Collaboration and Competition.
Collaboration of the different stakeholders within the tourism industry is important in
ensuring sustainability, ‘when a diverse set of stakeholders is involved with tourist
destination management, sustainable tourism can only be achieved through these stakeholders
collaborating and working in partnership’ (Bramwell and Lane, 2000). Both managers
interviewed, strongly agreed with this statement, working together makes promotion of the
city much easier giving it an ‘aiming point’ in terms of who it’s going to aim at and working
together to ensure the best way of going about it. In Liverpool the collaboration between the
various organisations in the public sector overall is generally good, however the collaboration
between public and private is far behind where it needs to be. Manager B states that the
Museums of St. George’s square work very well collectively in encouraging tourist to visit
the area, once in the area then highly likely to visit the museums, the key is to encourage
them into the area in the first place, this is just one of many examples of how public sector
work well together. However, Manager A points out that the 6 different regions of Liverpool
do not collaborate well enough, stating that there is friction between some regions and
Liverpool city centre as tourism numbers are not spread fairly around the region. Similarly in
the region the collaboration between the public and private sector is also lacking. Manager A
states that due to having no strategic plan most things in the city happen uncoordinated,
meaning at the moment there are only temporary fixes for visitor problems. The interviews
also point out the difficulties of collaboration between different stakeholders as ‘everyone
wants a slice of the pie’ instead of thinking out what actually is the best approach to take.
This is accurate to Weaver (2000) who stated that certain stakeholders tend to ‘cling
stubbornly to their own agendas and ideologies’.
20. 15
The information from the literature review shows the scale and importance of tourism for the
UK, as the potential tourism can have on a region is massive but competition is strong. UK
tourism industry accounts for nearly £90 billion direct spend each year, with 120 million
domestic tourists per year (Gov.uk, 2011). Information from the interviews also stated the
importance of Liverpool being competitive and also the competition within Liverpool.
Tourism in Liverpool for 2010 generated over £2 billion, creating 8% of employment for the
region. As you can see tourism is vital for Liverpool and therefore the city must compete in
order to ensure growth and sustainability for the city. However Liverpool does need to
compete better with rival cities such as Manchester, a potential idea raised by manager A is
the expansion of John Lennon airport which would bring in more direct visitors to Liverpool
and allow the region to target new markets.
The importance of collaboration and competition in order for Liverpool to thrive
economically is vital as it gives the city a chance to widen their target market, as well as work
collaboratively in a way to target specific tourists and to target them better. The literature
research and the interview research are very similar in their findings, particularly with the
aspects of stakeholder involvement in the collaboration process. There is a requirement for
more research to be conducted on the effect stronger collaboration can have for Liverpool.
Furthermore future research could be conducted when a strategic plan is put in place for the
region to see if it has affected collaboration within the city region and whether that
collaboration has improved economic sustainability.
4.3 Sustainability of Organisations.
When thinking about sustainability it is important to remember that tourism organisations
also should be sustainable in their practices. As much of the literature review states a major
positive of tourism development is the economic benefits, therefore it is important that these
economic benefits affect the local area as well as the organisation. Collins (1979:345): ‘New
tourist centres should develop new sources of employment in areas with tourist potential’ this
statement can easily be transferred into an example for Liverpool. Both managers interviewed
agree with this statement saying that both their organisations look to hire local staff provided
they are best suited for the job; however neither company has a written policy for this. On the
other hand, a point raised by Manager B which was not pointed out in the literature review,
was that hiring staff from elsewhere can also have economic benefits to the region. Manager
A and B further state the importance of a financially well ran organisation and state this is
key to an organisation being sustainable. A financially well ran organisation is particularly
important to the public sector as over recent years government cutbacks have forced them to
be much more responsible with how money is spent. Government fiscal policy set out by the
Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) has meant cutbacks to local government meaning
they now have run more efficiently in order to achieve their aims.
In the research I have conducted I have found that not much information or data is available
into organisation sustainability, particularly towards the tourism sector. However,
information on sustainable practises are available as well as plenty of initiatives within
organisations towards this, in particular the public sector of tourism due to government
cutbacks and regular auditing.
21. 16
4.4 Importance and key Issues of Sustainability in Liverpool.
“Tourism, it is claimed, ultimately degrades the attractive nature and cultural features of a
place and thus can neither sustain the basic resources on which it relies, nor rely on itself as
an industry in the long term” (Griffin 2002:24). This bold statement by Griffin shows what
the major concerns towards tourism are, however these concerns are unjust if we compare the
statement to Liverpool. In Liverpool tourism has in fact had the opposite effect, giving the
city a chance to showcase its culture and increased economic benefits from tourism have
allowed improvements to region environmentally. When questioned on how they would agree
or disagree with the statement ‘Liverpool is a sustainable tourism destination’ both managers
agree with it. Their responses show that for the most part they believe Liverpool to be a
sustainable destination, however there are issues that do need to be addressed. Some of the
issues discussed in the literature review seem to be the complete opposite to the issues
discovered from the interviews. Reading from the literature review the main concerns with
Liverpool where towards the environmental aspects, with most positivity being towards the
economic aspect. However the interviews discovered that in fact the opposite was true for
Liverpool, both managers where confident in environmental sustainability for the city, but
manager A was not as convinced for economical sustainability, stating the importance of
having a strategic plan in place.
A key issue raised in the interview but not found from the literary research was that of hotel
occupancy. Manager A stated that hotel capacity from 2008 has nearly doubled, the concern
he has is that if they continue to grow this way then they could find difficulties down the line
in filling these hotels and therefore could potentially cause some hotels to go bust. A potential
solution Manger A suggested to this was to increase mid-week visitors to fill up these hotels,
as weekend visitor numbers are very high and hotel occupancy if often above 95%, mid-week
visits could be increased by increasing number of corporate events within the city, however
this in itself is a challenge as it requires Liverpool to compete with other and better organised
cities.
The main issue for Liverpool is the risk of losing its world heritage status. Liverpool’s ‘Three
Graces’ world heritage site puts it on the map with the likes of the Taj Mahal. This status
within itself is a key tool for attracting tourists, particularly overseas tourists. Newspapers
such as The Independent have mentioned the particular concern that PEEL ‘Liverpool waters’
project is in serious danger of taking away that world heritage status (Brown, 2014). In
contrast the information gathered from the interviews found that neither manager raised the
concern of Liverpool losing its world heritage status, when asked about the issue for
Liverpool region. Reasons for this are not quite clear, whether they don’t consider it to be an
issue, don’t consider it a big enough issue to concern them or whether the issue is not relevant
to them compared to other issues.
There are numerous gaps for potential research regarding the issues and importance of
sustainability within Liverpool. It is not quite clear whether the PEEL ‘Liverpool Waters’
project will make Liverpool lose it world heritage status and whether the positives of the
project outweigh the potential negatives. Also more research could be directed at the potential
22. 17
hotel occupancy gap in the future for Liverpool, research in this should show how much of a
genuine threat this issue is and potential ways to combat it.
The data and analysis section has shown us that for the most part Liverpool is a relatively
sustainable destination but does have some major issues which need to be dealt with in order
for the city to progress sustainably. Environmental and social sustainability is not much of an
issue as the initial literature review hinted, however there are some concerns for the strategic
and economic future for the city. The creation of a strategic plan will be a big step forward in
ensuring sustainability for Liverpool in the future, however the plan will not be ready for
another 2 to 3 years which raises questions and concerns over current sustainability of
Liverpool. As we can see there are numerous areas for potential research in the future, some
of the areas for potential research have been highlighted below. The following section by way
of conclusion, will summarise the key findings from this research project and make
recommendations for future research.
Areas of potential future research are Liverpool heritage status risk due to Liverpool Waters
project, hotel occupancy gap in Liverpool, the new strategic plan for Liverpool which is
currently being worked on and the question of whether large organisations are too powerful
within the tourism industry.
23. 18
5. Conclusion
The chapter will help to conclude the findings and draw closer to an answer to the original
proposed question ‘is Liverpool a sustainable tourism destination’. This section is important
in reviewing the information from this research study and providing a greater understanding
of where the research is at and where it should potentially head towards. Comparisons
between my findings and the literature review will be made in order to better evaluate current
research on the topic as well as point out potential gaps within the research. Lastly, the
dissertation will be concluded by answering the main research questions and
recommendations to direct research towards potential future research, with a concluding
section on the limitations of the study.
This dissertation explores tourism sustainability from initially a broad spectrum and narrows
it down to look specifically to sustainability of Liverpool as a tourist destination, as the initial
question states. This research is important in helping to gather a better understanding on the
importance and perceived importance tourism sustainability has for a modern day city. The
research also points out potential areas of concern there are for the industry or tourist
destination and through recommendation potentially look at solutions to these issues. Also
this study is helpful in pointing practitioners into areas under researched, making
recommendation for where future research could be conducted.
The key findings of this study was that for the most part Liverpool is a sustainable tourism
destination, however there are some areas of concern which much be addressed. These
findings meet with my initial thoughts that Liverpool is relatively speaking a sustainable
tourism destination, on the other hand the findings also show unexpected results which I
initially never thought of or never thought to be a concern.
If we compare my findings to the majority of the literature, there are a lot of similarities
between authors who write about sustainability and those who work within Liverpool’s
tourism industry. My dissertation fits in with the majority of literature on sustainability, on
the other hand I believe that there are areas of my research that has found differences of
opinion or potential gaps which could be explored in the future. This is important in helping
to gather a better understanding of how accurate the literacy research out there is compared to
far more recent findings, also gaps and areas for future research are also of significance as
this can direct future research projects.
The most significant finding from the research was the importance of planning in order to
ensure sustainable development (Robinson, 2000). Hall (2000) further mentioned the
importance of integrating tourism into the wider planning process as this will help to achieve
better economic, environmental and social development. Although the managers interviewed
as part of the dissertation agreed with this statement, my research showed that in fact there is
no overall strategic plan for Liverpool. However, a strategic plan is currently being worked
on to help the city collaborate better as well as make it clearer as to what the region’s aims
and goals should be. The aim for the Liverpool strategic plan for better collaboration fit in
with the literature review which mentioned the importance of stakeholder collaboration as the
24. 19
only means of ensuring sustainable development (Bramwell and Lane, 2000). This plan will
be completed sometime over the next 2-3 years, meaning this could be a potential area for
future research.
As in any tourism industry environment should be a key concern and therefore much effort
should be made to ensure environmental sustainability. However the research has shown that
in fact the reality is split, as Eckersley (1992) points out vast environmental improvements
have been made within western countries such as UK and in cities such as Liverpool with
sustainable environmental developments such as Port Sunlight Park. Although improvements
have been made within the region the research shows that there are ways around
environmental planning, as large organisations have too much power and can bypass certain
environmental policies or threaten to pull out. As Weaver (2000) states stakeholders tend to
‘cling stubbornly to their own agendas and ideologies’, which is very much true in the case of
Liverpool with organisations such as PEEL who threatened to pull out of developing
‘Liverpool Waters Project’ numerous times. The Economist Intelligence Unit (1992) states
‘So far the travel and tourism industry has taken little active part in framing the
environmental policies so vital to its own interests’ which is something the government
should look into and should also be integrated into the Liverpool strategic plan. More
research needs to be conducted into the power that large organisations have within the
tourism industry, research should focus on solutions as so far my research has discovered
there to be none.
On the other hand not all research agreed with the literature findings, Griffin (2002) argued
that tourism can damage natural and cultural aspects of a destination together with being
unreliable as an industry in the long term. Although this statement may be true of other
tourist destinations I found this statement to be untrue for Liverpool. The growth in tourism
over the last decade for the region has given the city a chance to ‘showcase its culture’, invest
in environmental sustainability such as improving the river Mersey and lastly be the basis for
its long term economic plan as other older industries no longer matched the region economic
needs.
The proposed question of ‘is Liverpool a sustainable tourism destination?’ has been
answered, yes Liverpool is a sustainable tourism destination in all aspects; economically,
environmentally and socio-culturally. However the initial question in itself is quite vague,
Liverpool is for the most parts run sustainably and is very sustainable in terms of the long
term. On the other hand there are still areas for concern for the city, the main concern being a
lack of a strategic plan. Liverpool still has a lot of improvements to make in the future if it is
to remain sustainable, solutions to issues raised such as hotel occupancy are being dealt with,
however there does not appear to be any solution to the risk of Liverpool losing its world
heritage status. Furthermore although there is a lot of research into the subject of sustainable
tourism encompassing most areas of the topic, there does not appear to be much research into
the power large tourism organisations have within the industry and solutions to this problem.
Although it is hard to find a definitive answer to the main question topic, the main research
questions which were proposed in the literature review can now be answered:
Local government have a major effect towards sustainability within the city, undoubtedly
without them the city would be run with far less sustainable intentions. The importance of
local government in Liverpool is set to increase over next few years with the introduction of a
25. 20
strategic plan, whose main focus is that of sustainability both economically and
environmentally.
Yes there is a collaboration of partnerships within Liverpool, between different stakeholders
and between the different boroughs which make up the city region. However there is also a
lot of room for improvement in this area, particularly when it comes to collaborating between
local government and large organisations.
The organisations that I interviewed are very sustainable in terms of how they are run and
long term planning. Staff training and hiring of local staff seem to be very much at the
forefront of these organisations as well as planning for future risks which could occur. Large
tourism business such as PEEL also have policies such as ‘low-carbon emissions’ however
how sustainable they actually are is unknown.
Sustainability is very much of importance to the city, although most of the focus towards
sustainability is economic rather than socio-cultural or environmental. Furthermore as
mentioned earlier the introduction of the strategic plan into Liverpool tourism policy will no
doubt increase awareness of environmental and socio-cultural sustainability. On the other
hand there are still major issues which the city has to deal with such as losing its world
heritage status and concerns over hotel occupancy, these issues need to be solved in order for
the region to progress sustainably.
Recommendations I would make are that firstly, more research could and needs to be
conducted into Liverpool as a city in terms of sustainable tourism. There is also a gap for
research on the positives and negatives of Liverpool losing its world heritage status, any
current research on this matter appears to be purely speculation and opinion. As mentioned
above research could also be conducted into the power large tourism organisations have
within the tourism industry and the ethics of government allowing these businesses to break
regulations. Future research can also be conducted into Liverpool itself, particularly with the
concern that hotel occupancy in city does not appear to be sustainable and can have damaging
consequences in the future.
Lastly, the biggest issue and area for future research is that of a strategic plan for Liverpool
city region. Research should be conducted into why this plan has took so long to come about?
How big a difference this plan will make? And the positive effects this plan will have on the
future of tourism for Liverpool.
The main limitation of this study was time, a more thorough and in depth analysis of
Liverpool sustainability could be better conducted given a longer timescale to allow for more
research gathering coupled with more semi-structured interviews. Although I would have
liked to have done a more in depth study for this dissertation unfortunately deadlines and a
10,000 word count target meant I was limited. The research study had to be planned for and
split into individual sections, each allocated its own timescale by myself. The timescale for
the literature review was 6 weeks and only 3 weeks to conduct interviews. Although more
research could have potentially been done during this time period a key limitation is that of
other work commitments during this time, trying to do too much at once could have meant
the research conducted would not have been sufficient.
Another limitation of the study was that the dissertation was solely based on Liverpool. This
made interview selection narrow it also doesn’t help us understand how Liverpool fits in
26. 21
within the overall picture and how it compares to other regions within the UK. Ideally a
larger dissertation could have been conducted looking into sustainability within the UK as a
whole and then focussing on Liverpool, whereas this study only allowed for a small literacy
review of UK sustainability. Also there is an issue of potential biasness of research into
Liverpool as the interviews were conducted with organisations involved within the Liverpool
tourism industry together with the fact the participants where from the city. A potential
solution to this is to interview an organisation within a rival city such as Manchester and gain
feedback from them on how they find Liverpool tourism industry to be, for example do they
outcompete?
Furthermore another limitation of the study maybe the methods used to conduct my research.
Semi-structured interviews allow for some additional discussion but not a lot. Also evaluating
semi-structured interviews can be difficult in finding a clear answer or understanding of what
it is the participant means. A solution to this could be conducting questionnaire samples for
members of the public to get another perspective as well as giving the chance for quantitative
findings, which is easier to understand.
In summary this dissertation has looked into the issue of tourism sustainability with particular
focus on Liverpool as a sustainable destination. The research methods used coupled with the
literature review has helped to gather as much of the relevant information possible to come to
the findings for this study. The findings show that for the most part Liverpool is a sustainable
tourism destination, this however points out the vagueness of the initial question as although
Liverpool is a sustainable tourism destination there were some key that had arisen. Solutions
to these issues are vital in order for Liverpool to remain sustainable, nevertheless solutions
are being worked on with particular importance on Liverpool long term strategic plan which
could prove to be to crucial deciding factor. Finally more research does need to be conducted
into this area with particular focus to some of the key issues stated in the findings of this
study. However in conclusion Liverpool is a sustainable tourism destination.
27. 22
Appendices
Appendix A: Thailand Sea Gypsies
Rook, D. and Vechakiji, A. (2013). Thailand sea gypsies under threat from tourism.
News.com.au, [online] p.1. Available at:
http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/climatechange/shared/gsp/docs/GSP1-
6_Background%20on%20Sustainable%20Devt.pdf [Accessed 31 Oct. 2014].
Appendix B: Policies and Legislation
30. 25
Appendix C: 28 Industry Groups and Legislation
1. Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)
Trade association for travel agents
2. Association of Independent Museums
Represents the interests of independent museums and helps to improve standards
and influence national policy
3. Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA)
Membership is open to Britain’s biggest and best known attractions who
welcome over a million visitors per year
4. The British Beer and Pub Association
Promotes the reputation of the UK brewing and pub industry
5. British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA)
Trade Association which represents the interests of owners, managers, suppliers
and developers in the UK's commercial leisure parks, piers, zoos and static
attractions sector.
6. British Educational Travel Association (BETA)
Umbrella body representing producers and suppliers of youth, student and
educational travel related products.
7. British Hospitality Association (BHA)
Represents the interests of the hospitality industry, identifying key issues and
lobbying to influence policy making
8. British Institute of Innkeeping
Professional body for the licensed retail trade
9. British Tourism Industry Group (BTIG)
BTIG meetings provide a vehicle for VisitBritain to inform and consult with
stakeholders on the development and implementation of the four-year marketing
programme. By facilitating a strategic dialogue between VisitBritain and the
wider tourism industry, the BTIG also allow VisitBritain to fulfil its role as a
trusted advisor to government on tourism matters.
10. Business Link
Government funded free business advice and support service
11. The Camping and Caravanning Club (CCC)
The world's oldest and largest Club for all forms of camping, and with over
400,000 members
12. The Caravan Club
Provide services and activities for 1 million caravan, motor caravan and trailer
tent owners
13. Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Official body supporting British nationals overseas, promoting British business
and legalising documents.
14. Heritage Railway Association
The Heritage Railway Association represents the majority of heritage and tourist
railways, tramways and railway preservation groups within both the U.K and
Ireland.
31. 26
15. Historic Houses Association
The HHA represents 1,500 privately owned historic houses, castles and gardens,
helping private owners to maintain them
16. HM Customs & Excise
Official government body
17. HOSPA
HOSPA is a not for profit educationally focused Association helping
hospitality’s finance, revenue management and IT professionals develop their
careers and network, as well as keep up-to-date with industry trends and
developments.
18. Hotel and Catering International Management Association (HCIMA)
Professional body for managers and aspiring managers working in the hospitality,
leisure and tourism industries.
19. Institute for Sport, Parks and Leisure
Membership body representing sport, parks and leisure industry professionals
providing support, advocacy and professional development
20. Institute of Tourist Guiding
The standard-setting body for Blue Badge tourist guide and the tourist guiding
sector.
21. Institute of Travel and Tourism
Professional membership body for individuals employed in the travel and tourism
industry, dedicated to developing and maintaining professional standards for the
benefit of its members and the industry
22. Local Government Association
The voice of local government within the national arena
23. National Casino Industry Forum
Trade association that represents over 90% of the UK’s casino sector
24. Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group (TIER)
TIER is a small group comprising key tourism industry organisations and
government. The group develops plans for crisis scenarios as well as managing
the tourism industry’s response to a specific crisis. TIER is facilitated by
VisitBritain and comprises 10+ industry representatives. Members of the group
include the Association of British Travel Agents, UKinbound, British Hospitality
Association, Britain’s national tourist boards, British Airways and the
Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. Other groups are called on depending
on the location and nature of the crisis.
25. Tourism Alliance
Lobbying body seeking to establish and maintain a favourable operating
environment for all businesses involved in the delivery of tourism, particularly in
England with membership comprising trade association and trade bodies within
the sector
26. Tourism Management Institute
Professional institute for people working within destinations
27. Tourism Society
Forum for professionals working in all sectors of the tourism industry.
32. 27
28. UKInbound
The trade association that represents the UK’s export tourism businesses
Appendix D: Information sheet
Information Sheet:
You are being asked to participate in a questionnaire for a research project. Please read all the
information given below which explains why the research is being conducted and why you
have been asked to participate. Before deciding whether to take part or not please read the
following information thoroughly, if anything is unclear or any queries please feel free to ask.
The purpose of this research is whether Liverpool is a sustainable tourism destination. The
information gathered will be used to provide qualitative data for my dissertation. This
questionnaire will aim to discover the views of those involved within Liverpool tourism with
regards to sustainability, if they believe Liverpool to be a sustainable tourism destination.
Finally do they believe the company they represent within the tourism industry is itself
sustainable?
The questions are set out in a semi-structured format, with open ended questions, this allows
the participant to give a more in-depth response with the opportunity to create further
discussion. Please be aware that the research is a voluntary process, do not feel obliged to
accept, if you do not wish to participate or don’t want to answer certain questions that is fine.
Any information given will only be viewed by myself and staff members at Edge Hill
University who will be marking my paper. Any individual names given or company names
will be kept anonymous to ensure confidentiality of those participating. Any research used
can later be withdrawn if requested. Lastly information given will be destroyed once the
report is completed.
For further information on any queries you may have, please contact my dissertation
supervisor at Edge Hill University Mehmet Pinar.
Email: Mehmet.Pinar@Edgehill.ac.uk
33. 28
Appendix E: Employee Approval
Consent Form:
Please √ Yes or No.
Yes No
I am satisfied with the amount of information been given
I understand that the research is voluntary
I am aware that all date given will remain anonymous
I am aware the name of the organisation will remain anonymous
I understand all data will be destroyed
I am willing to take part with the questionnaire
Name of Participant:
Signed:
Date:
Please note that if you have any further queries or want to acquire further information about
the research please contact Mehmet Pinar, the dissertation supervisor for this dissertation
from Edge Hill University.
Email: Mehmet.Pinar@Edgehill.ac.uk
34. 29
Appendix F: Questionnaire
Dissertation Questionnaire:
Is Liverpool a Sustainable Tourism Destination?
Interview: Liverpool Tourism board, PEEL group, local tourism business (e.g. restaurant) or
museum/gallery
1. How strongly do you agree with the statement that Liverpool is a sustainable tourism
destination? (All)
Strongly agree-
Agree somewhat-
Nor agree or disagree-
Disagree somewhat-
Strongly disagree-
2. What do you make of local government involvement in ensuring that tourism in
Liverpool is run sustainably? (Businesses)
3. Is there a strong collaboration of partnerships between the different stakeholders? For
example local government, businesses and community. (All)
4. Do you believe your organisation is run sustainably? For example do you hire local
staff? (All)
5. Are there any particular areas in which you believe you need to improve on to ensure
sustainability? (All)
6. Liverpool over recent years has seen a massive increase in tourism numbers, what do
you plan on doing to ensure that growth continues to happen? (local government)
7. How important is sustainability when it comes to big decision making? (All)
8. When large companies promise to invest in the Liverpool area what does the local
government do to ensure that any projects that go ahead are done so sustainably?
(Local government)
9. Which of the following do you believe to be the biggest issue in ensuring that tourism
in Liverpool is run sustainably? (All)
Additional economic cost-
Extra time spent planning-
Government involvement (legislation to follow)-
Other-
10. What sustainable management techniques do you use? E.g. training staff, strategic
decision making, foresee perceived risks. (All)
11. Do you invest in the area where your business operates? E.g. does any profit go back
to the local community where you operate to help preserve and protect the area where
your customers visit? (Businesses)
12. Do you regularly keep yourselves updated on the most recent sustainability practices?
Yes/No (All)
35. 30
13. Do you benchmark yourself against other companies/government organisations in
terms of environmental performance?
Yes/No (All)
14. On the PEEL group website you state that your values are:
Long-term vision, long-term investment
Regeneration by delivering sustainable growth
Leaving a lasting social legacy
Adding value for all of our stakeholders
Do you believe your company abides by these values? If so why? (PEEL)
15. What plans does the local government have over the next few years towards tourism
sustainability in Liverpool? (Local government)
Some of the questions from this questionnaire came from:
http://www.sustainabletourism.net/questions.html [Online] 8th January 2015
36. 31
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