Tourism Product Development in Hayik (North Central Ethiopia)

Teklie, Sahle (2011) Tourism Product Development in Hayik (North Central Ethiopia). Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

A tourism product in this study is defined as s an offering that can satisfy a need or want of consumers or in other words it is the perceived benefit to meet the visitors’ needs and wants. It may consist of one or a combination of components, including physical goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information and ideas. So products in the study area are tangible goods (food, drinks, souvenirs etc) and intangible services (like services in hotels, scenic beauty etc). The overall objective of this study is to assess the processes through which tourism actors around Lake Hayik manage and develop products that can satisfy the changing needs of visitors and bring sustainable development in Hayik town Amhara Regional state. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were devised in combination. Questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion, Key informant interview and personal observation were the tools used for data collection. Secondary data was also collected from documents obtained from different offices. Descriptive statistical analyses of frequencies were computed using SPSS. The study findings show that the tourism business carried out in the city of Hayik is not managed and operated by well trained human resources who in turn hinder the development of tourism in the area. With scarce trained staff the product development process which requires analysis of the market, the demand side, the supply side, visitors preference and why and with whom visitors come and other segmentation issues are not well addressed. In very dynamic nature of the demand side it is found necessary to mould products in a way it suited the requirements of visitors. Small size hotels and homes of friends and relatives are major source of food and beverage as well as source of accommodation. The quality of products was not also appreciated by many visitors in its correspondence to price. Potential resources are also identified which can be actual tourist products if coordinated approach by all concerned stakeholders can work in cooperated manner. The study also assesses the focus that has to be given for sustainable development and active involvement of the community in the entire process of the Tourism Product Development. Findings show the need for organized government tourism structure that can manage and promote the destination to win market share from the tourism market of the region and help in coordinating the private sector the community and other concerned stakeholders to develop better tourism products that can be preferred by visitors.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Divisions:	Africana
Depositing User:	Tim Khabala
Date Deposited:	24 Aug 2018 13:19
Last Modified:	24 Aug 2018 13:19
URI:	http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/8501

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