Group Project

Background

According to World Tourism Organization Press Release issued on July 14, 2017:

International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 6% in January-April of 2017 compared to

the same period last year, with business confidence reaching its highest levels in a decade.
Sustained growth in most major destinations and a steady rebound in others drove results.
Prospects for May-August 2017 remain high. (UNWTO, 2017)

As high-end tourism activities are fast growing around the world, there is a strong desire
among tourists to spend their vacation in India. India is rapidly becoming one of the fastest
growing travel markets in the world. In happy tidings for India's tourism sector, the year 2017
ended on a high with the number of foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) crossing the 10-million
mark, which pushed the country's earnings to over 27 billion dollars.

The Task

Your group1 has tasked by Board of Directors of Yogi Corporation2 to investigate the
potential of investing in luxury travel and tourism on a given location in India. The Board of
Directors would like to know in details the feasibility, strategic considerations, operational
aspects, costing, safety, regulatory issues etc. They would like a Business Report and 18
minute presentation on your group findings.

You should consider things like:

1. Finances

Consider things like current luxury travel industry turnover and profitability of high-end
tourism activities. Consider its relative revenue growth potentials.

2. Image of the Location

Locational advantage and brand identity. The immediate physical evidence in terms of
service industry offering. Infrastructure advantages (mobility within the country, ease of
travel to and through the given location, annual footfall of tourists, security issues,
approach to sustainable tourism, and any other characteristic).

3. Benefits

What the benefits ‘luxury tourism’ will offer to the company, and how the industry is
likely to develop in the future?
 4. Market Reach

Understanding the country specific and location specific challenges. Presence of other
global brands and the competition.

5. Ethical Issues

Are there ethical issues with ‘luxury tourism and travel’? Any location specific socio-
political issues affecting investment decision?

6. Any other factors which you consider important. Do back up with evidence/s.

Report Requirements

Your team will write a comprehensive recommendation report. Your report should give a
thorough explanation of your recommendation, describing it in terms of the criteria you listed
in your report and using specific details from your research. The goal for this part of the
project is to demonstrate your ability to research solutions to a problem and to persuasively
pitch your recommendations.

1. Your report must be in the standard business report format [2]:

a. Title Page
b. Table of Contents
c. List of Figures
d. List of Abbreviations
e. Executive Summary
f. Report Body
i. Introduction
ii. Literature
iii. Method
iv. Analysis
v. Findings
vi. Recommendations
g. References (APA Style)

2. The report must contain 2500 words (+/- 10%) excluding reference and table of
contents.

3. You must cite any references you used in the text using the APA style. Your
report must contain a minimum of 12 sources. Cite all ideas and images
throughout the report with in-text citations, as well as a reference page at the end.
If you have questions about paraphrasing, summarizing, and documenting sources,
click on APA for detailed information.

4. Use APA style for proper documentation. There should be page numbers,
table of content, running heads, tables and figures (Title and Headings),
headings and seriation throughout the document, proper indent, line and
 paragraph spacing, and end notes (if applicable). Images used in the
document should have a resolution of 300dpi or more.

5. This must be original work.

6. You must use the information you’ve gathered provide your own analysis of the
situation. So, while it is important to provide your own opinion, you need to have
appropriate evidence to back any opinion up.

Your report will be graded on:

1. Inclusion of all necessary elements, especially country and location

specific research.

2. Proof of a well thought-out, well researched, logical argument

using stated criteria the country must meet to get a positive
recommendation.
3. Appropriate citations and list of sources.
4. Logical conclusions and recommendations.
5. Appropriate grammar, style, tone, organization.
6. Visual appropriateness (format, use of visuals, use of
headings/subheadings).

NOTE: Please be aware that this is a collaborative team project. That being said, all
members of the team will receive the same grade for the formal report and presentation.
Each group must submit the formal Report during the presentation and send a soft copy to
the respective instructor for plagiarism check. If any report found to be directly copied
without proper citation will be rejected outright. Further, you are instructed to upload the
report and PowerPoint Presentation in your respective Google Classroom.

Formal Presentation

Based on your team's research efforts, deliver your findings with a formal presentation to the
class. The presentation should last approximately 18 minutes. There will be a 3-minute
question and answer session after each presentation for which you will need to provide
logical and coherent answers. (Formal presentation = professional attire)

Be sure that during the presentation your team does not make stereotypes or quick
generalizations. (i.e., “All people in China….”; “Every Cuban prefers…”). It’s highly
unlikely that people in your country all think the same way.

Your presentation must also contain citations of all images and ideas throughout the
presentation with in-text citations, as well as reference slide at the end using APA.
Your presentations will be evaluated on the following:

1. Well-rehearsed, well-timed presentation.

2. Proof of well thought-out, well researched, logical argument.
3. Equal participation of team members.
4. Use of coherent, descriptive, and appropriate visual elements.
5. Appropriate citations in body and list of sources in APA style
at the end.
6. Logical introduction, conclusions, and recommendations.

7. Style of delivery and body language.

Point values

Formal report: 10 Marks

Formal presentation: 10 Marks

Note:

1. Check the Excel Sheet for group details and Location name for project.
2. Yogi Corporation can be a chained-brand hotel, international tour and travel agency
and airline company.