Gambling Essays (1586 words) - Gambling, Problem Gambling, Bookmaker

Gambling Matchmaker.com: Sign up now for a free trial. Date Smarter! Gambling Gambling, while it lowers taxes and creates jobs, it also causes addicts to lose money and therefore creates a higher crime rate. A Quick History of Gambling. Gambling was a popular pastime in North America long before there was ever a United States. Playing cards and dice were brought over by both the British and the Dutch. By the end of the 17th century, just about every countryseat in colonial America had a lottery wheel. Cockfighting flourished thoughout the countries, especially in the South. Bear Baiting was also a popular sport, but the Puritans banned it.(Ortiz 4) Almost 100 years later gambling in the West gave gambling a second life. Early church leader struck down all forms of gambling and so in the East gambling for the most part died completely. Far from both government controls and moral interference of reform groups in the East, gambling became so popular in the West that Monte tables were often setup in the middle of the town.(Donovon 13) Organized Crime During the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), illegal gambling was organized into an authoritarian regional and national system. Responsibility for the syndication of gambling is usually attributed to Arnold Rothstein, who invented the inner-city layoff. He is also known for master minding the "Black Sox" scandal in which the White Sox threw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds to assure gambling profits. Gambling legally, once again, becomes acceptable. Since the 1970s, the United States has turned full circle in its attitude toward gambling. Three hundred years ago, the "sport", mostly in the form of lottery, was seen as a perfectly acceptable way to raise money for public purposes.(Savage 12) Over the past several years, slow economic growth, cuts in federal funding to states, and growing public needs have forced many desperate state and even local government to seek additional sources of revenue. Most states have turned to lotteries, horse and dog racing, and, most recently, a growing number of states have resorted to casino gambling as a way to raise money and keep taxes low.(James B5) Sports gambling During the late 1980s, and early 1990s, several states have tried to introduce sports betting, either as part of lottery, like sports pool, or as sports bookmaking. Never the less, the leader of the nation's sports integrity, including the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and Major League Baseball (MLB), were concerned that the states, in their desperation to raise money, might begin to tie in sports betting with the lottery. Then the three sports teamed up to try to put a stop to this. First, they began to put strong pressure on state legislature not to induce sports betting. Second the sports industry also started lobbying Congress, and as a result, several bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress to limit the growth of sports wagering, either as part of the lottery or as sports bookmaking.(Savage 18) Making Gambling Interests Heard The state legislatures decide if gambling will become legal in the individual states. Currently, some form of gambling is legal in all states except Hawaii and Utah. While success is never assured, revenue-hungry state governments are virtually always willing to give gambling interests a hearing. In April 1994, casino interest spent $4.2 million to convince Missouri voters they should permit slot machines in their state. The vote failed by 1/10 of 1%, so gambling interest spent another $11.5 million for a similar referendum in November, which passed. In Connecticut, gambling corporations spent $4.9 billion in a four-year-long failed effort to get the state to permit the building of a casino in economically distressed Bridgeport.(Goddu E1) Gambling is generally a well-regulated business. Virtually every state that permits casino gambling or pari-mutuel betting has a state racing or gambling commission to monitor gambling activities. While today's gambling industry is big business run by huge corporations, virtually every state regulated commission feels it must show it is making gave that no underworld or syndicate figures play a role in its state gambling activities.(Ortiz 50) The commissions also controlled other activities such as how late casinos may stay open and whether there will be limits on betting. Since these regulations are usually determined by state legislatures, it is only natural that gambling companies try to influence their decisions through lobbyists and political donations.(Siebel 19) Opposition to Gambling The rapid expansion of gambling across the United States has not been well received by all Americans. The failure of many gambling initiatives over the past few years indicates an opposition powerful enough to either influence state legislation allowing various forms of gambling in their state or

Mesopotamian Civilization

Mesopotamian Civilization Introduction The word Mesopotamia is derived from an ancient Greek work, which translates to â€Å"(land) between rivers.† The earliest known usage of the term has been recorded to be in the second century when it was used to refer to the land that sits on the east of the Euphrates River in Syria.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mesopotamian Civilization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This was coined by Anabasis Alexandri. It was not until much later when the name Mesopotamia was used to refer to the whole region that lies between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. Mesopotamia lay in what is today known as Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. The region can be further divided into two regions. The Northern Mesopotamia is also referred to as Jezirah and is the land that lies between the two rivers from their sources down to Baghdad (Heine and Nissen 45). The history of the region can be traced to the rise of urban societie s throughout the Ubaid period, which occurred around 5300BC. Mesopotamia can also be found in the history of the Ancient Near East beginning in the lower Paleolithic period. The Ancient Near East is suspected to have collapsed after the arrival of the Achaemenid Empire. This was during the late 6th century and some researchers say it happened during the Conquest of Mesopotamia by the Arabs. Some of the world’s most advanced states in the ancients times can be found in the Mesopotamian region. Mesopotamia is famous for being one of the regions where writing was invented and advanced. The other places include the Nile valley and the Yellow River Valley. The greatest cities that were ever built in Mesopotamia include Nippur, Uruk and Babylon. The other states that lay on the outskirts and territory of Mesopotamia include Ma-aesesblu. Several dynasties were formed in Mesopotamia and included Ur Kingdom, Akkadian Dynasty and the Assyrian Empire. Mesopotamia also saw great leaders emerge from the cities and states.Advertising Looking for essay on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They included Hammurabi, Sargon and Ashur-Uballit II who was instrumental in setting up the Assyrian Empire (Fiero 110). The history of this great land can be traced through looking at the history of different people who occupied it who included the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Amorites, the Hitites, the Kassites, the Assyrians, and the Chaldeans (Kramer 75). The Sumerian: They reigned from 3500-1800 B.C. The Sumerians are among the first and earliest civilization in Mesopotamia and are suspected to have built the civilization around 3000 BC when they began building large city-states. Besides running the cities, the natives were involved in conquering and controlling the large areas around them. Some of these city-states included Ur, Lagash, and Eridu. The Sumerians were a warring people and fought amo ng themselves and with other people for control of watering holes. The wars led to people building large city-states which were used later to conquer the smaller ones. When the Sumerians went to war with the Akkadians they eventually lost control of their city-states, which were now being controlled by the Akkadian empire from, Akkad, a city that would later become Babylon. In 2125, the Sumerians residing in the city of Ur fought the Akkadians and took control of the city-states in the southern Mesopotamia region (Kramer 98). One the greatest thing from this period is the invention of writing. The early writing was done through use of pictograms and rough sketches of the words they were supposed to represent. They used to do their writing on wet clay using reeds as the writing instrument and this was effective in storage of information. The Sumerians also invented some of the earliest application of mathematics including abstract mathematics. They are also accredited for being the i nventors of astrology, where they tried to learn about the heaven as they sought answers regarding their gods. The most important creation from the Sumerian is considered to the law. Although not much is known about the Sumerian law scholars are for the opinion that the Code of Hammurabi, which was written by the Babylonian monarch, gives us a peek into how the Sumerian law was like.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mesopotamian Civilization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Hammurabi code as used in the law exacts that revenge should be used when solving of cases. This is also known as the lex talionis law that governs that that you should reciprocate therefore, an eye for an eye. The law also recognized class distinction and people were judged according to the class they came from. The laws set marked a basis for many of the following Semitic conquerors including the Babylonians and the Assyrians. The Akkadians: they reigned from 2340-2125 B.C. The history of the Akkadians before they conquered the Sumerians is not well known though they are known to have migrated to the North. In the year 2340, the Akkadian built their empire under the leadership of Sargon. The capital city they built, Akkad, was later renamed to Babylon by those who conquered it later. The city was used as a commercial hub in the Mediterranean region and was used for close to 200 years for this purpose. The Akkadian empire under the leadership of Sargon was short lived because in 2125, the Sumerians in the city of Ur revolted against his rule and set pace for the renewal of other Sumerian cities (Heine and Nissen 89). The Amorites reigned from 1800 to1530 B.C. When the Sumeriam kingdom fell, Mesopotamia witnessed many battles that lasted for almost a century until the Amorites grouped and formed a Kingdom that had a centralized form of government. They based the capital of the government in the city of Babylon and this g ives the Amorites the name Old Babylonians (Heine and Nissen 110). The Amorite dynasty lasted from 1900 to 1600 BC and it is referred to as the Old Babylonian period. In this period, the Old Babylonians believed that the monarch was a god and his word was the law. The all-powerful monarch devised new ways of administering the states and the resources. He introduced taxation and involuntary military service. The greatest achievement made by the Amorites was centralization, unlike the Sumerian empire that had many autonomous and independent city-states the Old Babylonian was ruled from Babylon and consisted of several cities.Advertising Looking for essay on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To achieve control and dominance of these cities the monarch took away the power and autonomy of most of them. The Amorites also adopted the code of Hammurabi and most of the crimes in the empire were punishable by death. The Amorites believed in many gods and took Marduk as the most powerful of all the gods (Somervill 156). The Hitites: they reigned from 1600 to 717 B.C. The Hitites are not known from where they came from but their empire was spread out across Mesopotamia to Palestine and Syria. The invasion of the Hitites marked the end of the Amorite dynasty and like those before them; they adopted the ways and culture of the natives thus continuing the heritage and tradition of the Sumerians. The empire is cited to have been greatest between 1600 and 1200 BC and even during the invasion of by the Assyrians in 1300 BC, most of the Hitites cities grew independently until 717 BC when they were finally occupied by the Assyrians and other enemies. The Hitites were traders and are res ponsible for spreading Mesopotamian law thought, political structure etc to the rest of the Mediterranean (Somervill 162). The Kassites: 1530-1170 B.C. The Hitites were among the most successful Indo-European invaders to conquer Mesopotamia, but their rule did not last long. When the Kassites conquered and controlled Mesopotamia, they renamed the Babylon city to Karanduniash. They set the capital city of their empire in a new city they built known as Dorkurigalzu. During the reign of the empire, the Mesopotamia region witnessed many wars and this attributed to the short life of the Kassites Empire. The Kassites are referred to as barbarians and savages by the Assyrians who would later conquer them (Somervill 82). The Assyrians: Their Reign was from 1170 to 612 B.C. The Assyrians are depicted in most of the history of Mesopotamia as being ruled rather than ruling. They tried to create their own empire under the rule of Shamshi-Adad though this was short lived after the dream was cras hed by Hammurabi. Control of the Assyrian cities over the centuries changed hands from the Assyrians and the southern people. The various times the region was under the rule of the Assyrians includes 1235-1198 BC under Tukulti-Ninurta, 116-1090 BC under Tiglat-Pileser, 883-824 under Ashurnarziparl II and Shalmeneser III who spread the reach of the kingdom to Syria and Babylon. It is also during the reign of this dynasty that saw the Jewish diaspora when Sargon II (721-705 BC), deported the Jews after conquering Israel. The Assyrian empire was built through wars, invasions, and conquests. The empire is accredited with innovation in the mathematics field. They were also the first to apply longitudes and latitude in geographical maps (Somervill 62). The Chaldeans: Also Known As Neo Babylon from reigned from 612 to 539 BC They are the last people who are Semites to rule Mesopotamia after the Assyrian Kingdom fell. After much suffering in the hands of the Assyrians Babylon revolted again st them and they burnt down the capital city of the Assyrian empire Nineveh. The leader of the Babylonians was Nabopolassar and was succeeded by Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) who protected his empire from being conquered by the Egyptians and Syria. Under Nebuchadnezzar the capital city Babylon was rebuilt and upon its completion, it was the most splendid city in the Middle East. The whole period the empire was under the Babylonian there were many wars and this resulted to the empire ending in 555 BC after the rule of the empire fell to a king who was loyal to the Assyrians. He defiled Marduk the Babylonian god and this resulted to the priests welcoming the occupation of the region by Cyrus the Conqueror of Persia. This marked the end of the region dominance by the Semites (Heine and Nissen 120). Fiero, Gloria. Landmarks in Humanities. Boston : McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Print. Heine, Peter and Nissen, Hans. From Mesopotamia to Iraq: a concise history. The University of Ch icago Press, 2009. Print. Kramer, Samuel. The Sumerians: their history, culture, and character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963. Print. Somervill, Barbara. Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia: Great Empires of the Past. New York: Chelsea House, 2010. Print.

Police Details in Massachusetts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Police Details in Massachusetts - Essay Example Rather, you live in Massachusetts and see a police officer directing traffic. No big deal, right In theory, police officers would be the most qualified for directing and influencing drivers. However, by analyzing accident statistics as well the cost of having police officers direct traffic, one may find that the cost is simply too high. In short, the possible benefit of police details simply does not outweigh the actual cost to businesses and consumers. For the people of Massachusetts, it seems like detail work has always been done by police officers. Whether a road is being paved, a pothole being filled, or any type of construction that may affect the roadways, police officers have been the most likely candidate to direct traffic. Many people believe that using police officers is safer than using flagmen. However, there are many different things to consider when making this argument. In 2004, extensive studies were performed in order to measure how much safer roadways are with police officers rather than flagmen. By comparing the accident rate between Massachusetts and other states that do not use police for details, one finds that it is no safer to drive in Massachusetts than any other state (BHI Policy Study.) Despite the use of police details, the accident rates in Massachusetts are some of the highest in the nation. Property damage and bodily harm due to accidents is the highest in Massachusetts than any other state. Interestingly, from the years 1994 to 2003, Massachusetts ranked third of all states in terms of lowest fatality rate in highway work zones (BHI Policy Study.) These statistics show that although police detail work is beneficial in the safety of high-speed road construction, the safety in lower speed road construction does not prove to be any better. With this data, it is not surprising that state officials and politicians are now looking into r egulating when and where police details should be used, and when and where flagmen would be suitable. As many people know, the state of Massachusetts is suffering from financial strain. Since 2001, the state has been going through a deep recession, losing about 11 percent of employment and over 200,000 jobs (Gavin.) It is projected that Massachusetts will continue to lose jobs until around 2010, and this year alone, there is a projected job loss of 4 percent (Gavin.) Due to the state's financial strain, state officials are eager to find ways to cut back expenses and improve job growth. One of the most obvious ways to cut back on expenses is limiting the use of police details. State leaders are already targeting the use of police details in order to restore economic growth. For decades, police have been used for construction projects without question. The practice that was once seen as necessary and just a fact of life is now being questioned by some of the highest-ranking state officials. On March 27th of this year, Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi met together at the Beacon Hill press conference, announcing the agreement to create new regulations that would encourage officials to use civilian flaggers during low-risk construction projects (Viser.) This plan would focus on low traffic areas such as dead-end

Chapter 12 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 12 - Assignment Example Cateora, Gilly, & Graham (2011) explore some of the reasons that can make a country not to be farther considered as a potential market via a planning process. The planning process is divided in to four phases but this paper will explore how and why a country can be dropped in the first two phases. The objective of the first phase is to match the needs of the company and its home country to those of the host country. The compatibility of the company’s character and its home country to those of the host country is the basis on which countries are either disqualified or qualified as markets. The first thing that a business will look at when evaluating a host country is the economy of that particular country. Every business wants to be associated and to partner with a country that records substantial economic growth or has a stable economy. For example, Greece can be viewed as a potential market for commodities like electronics. However, the fact that Greece’s economy is experiencing major debt problems would disqualify it from being a potential market. The second most important criterion that is used to evaluate a potential market is the political stability and the legal policies of the host nation. The political stability is very key if a potential market is to be considered as an actual market. This is because it ensures the safety of the business and its personnel and in most cases, it also means that the legal policies are favorable for running a business. The legal policies may include taxation brackets and the political stand of the country on trade regulating policies. Competition is the third criterion as highlighted by

Role of Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Innovation is a key factor in entrepreneurship. Innovation involves introducing new ideas and products as a measure of improving or satisfying a market need. The chief instigator of innovation is the entrepreneur, who analyzes the pros and cons of innovation and the likely risks that relate to implementing innovation. The say if it is not broken, do not fix it; however, this concept cannot apply to entrepreneurs based on their pursuit of increased sales and maintaining their pioneer status. Innovation is a factor that is pivotal in the longevity of a company. (Howkins, 2001) Mercedes-Benz: A Leader in Innovation The best example of innovation relates to Mercedes-Benz in the 1980s. The company came out with a new concept of using block headlights instead of the popular circular headlights. They claimed that the concept would be copied by a majority of car companies in the 1990s. It was a bold statement by the car company, who were deemed to be blowing their own horn at the time (Reyno lds, 2007). However, true to their prediction, in 1992, several car companies had begun using the block headlights introduced by Mercedes-Benz. This is an illustration of the impact of being a pioneer in innovation. The fact that Mercedes introduce the concept the concept first meant that they were the leading light in car innovation, and to some degree, they still are to this day. Though it was a risk making the bold prediction, there were spot-on proving they have a sharp eye for solid innovation concepts. The primary aim of any entrepreneur is to ensure that their company makes the most sales and net profit (gross profit – company costs = net profit). Wise entrepreneurs push this factor beyond the limits of the company in order to grow as a company. Growth involves factors such as becoming a multinational company, and becoming the global leader in sales of a given product. It is vital for an entrepreneur to push the company to its highest limits, and put it on a level that will make the world take notice. This may not be the best strategy for the consumers; however, the ultimate task for an entrepreneur is to become a monopoly in the company’s respective market. This ensures that the company is the pioneer in the market, and the latter will make purchases from the company anytime they require a product that the company produces. Coca Cola: an Entrepreneurship based on Establishing a Monopoly The best example is Coca-Cola; when it comes to soft drinks, the first word on everyone’s lips is coca-cola. Such is the dominance of the company, that it can be considered the global monopoly of soft drinks. It holds over 70% of the market share for soft drinks on a global scale. As a result, the company is able to generate large volumes of revenue, which can be used for aggressive advertisement (Howkins, 2001). Though it has established itself as a soft drink monopoly, Coca-cola does not rest on this accomplishment. It is constantly seeking new ma rkets to enter, such as the water market. Coca-cola has entered the juice market and is looking into venturing into the tea and coffee markets. This is evident of the company’s ambitions, which are evidence of quality entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is important in the revival of companies. Employing the right CEO or chairman is the fine line between success and failure of a company. Experience is the best teacher that serves to educate entrepreneurs

Analysis Of The Vietnamese Tourism Market

Analysis Of The Vietnamese Tourism Market My friend and I have passion in tourism. My friend has several years of experience working for an international travel company in Ho Chi Minh City as a travel consultant cum tour operator. She have strong relationship with five star hotels and restaurants in Vietnam. I have chance to travel to many countries and study international tourism industry. I also have a part-time job as a tour guide for some travel companies. I understand what tourists expect from a knowledgeabe and friendly tour guide , quality service as well. Thus, combining her experience in Vietnamese tourism market and my understanding about international tourists demands, we decide to open a travel company, named Luxury Tour Co. in Ho Chi Minh City. Our target market is Spain. Within the next five year, we build Luxury Tour as the first choice for the Spaniard when they think of travelling to Vietnam. This name guarantees for best service,best choice as our slogan of Think nothing, let us. This marketing plan is desi gned to highlight significant steps and other related issues to run business well and meet the goal. Market Overview Tourism is considered as the key industry in the near future. Tourism involves three sectors, they are, domestic market, inbound market and outbound market (Helmut Wachwiak, 2006:48). Domestic tourism aims to local customers, while inbound tourism aims to attract international tourists to the country and outbound tourism aims to organising tour for local tourists who want to travel abroad. Among of which, inbound tourism is emphasized most. It not only creates more employment opportunities for the local people but also plays an important role to attract foreign investment in Vietnam as MICE tours becomes popular. Tourism is based on a lot of factors. Here is the list of some changes influencing tourism in general and Luxury Tour business activities ( Lloyd E. Hudman, Richard H.Jackson, 2003:24) Infrastructure in Vietnam . Understanding the contribute of the non-smoke industry, Vietnamese Government has invested in some projects, such as building metro, road etc. , and encouraged people take part in introducing beautiful image of Vietnam to the world ( Vietnam Tourism, 2010 ) Social behavior. For example, considering the tour price, it depends on the suppliersquotation. They are five star hotels, restaurants, transportation etc. In peak seasons when several tourists come to Vietnam, lack of commodation or waiters/waitresses is predictable. As the result, the tour price is higher, but tourists are served less. Increased gas/petrol price. That is to say, it leads to the increase of price in transportation, flight ticket etc. The rapid development of Internet and e-commerce. According to the CIA Factbook, in 2009, 50% of Spaniard use internet, and this number is increasing repidly. It push e-commerce developped more Stable VND-Euro currency rate makes tour price stable and more competitive than other markets ( Vietnam Central Bank, 2010) Stable politics makes international tourists feel safety while staying in Vietnam New tourism trend. According to ITB World Travel Trends Report 2010/2011, Southeast Asia is sparkling as an ideal destination to EU market. They prefer enjoying sun and beach and discovering Eastern culture Increased income. That is to say, more tourists want to spend their holidays at the highest standard Customer Information According to World Tourism Ranking, Spain ranks 11th in the world in terms of spend on international travel, but there has been significant growth in recent years in outbound travel. Growth is expected to continue as more and more Spaniards have holiday habits .Besides , Spanish long-haul travelers take advantage of very favorable Euro to VND exchange rate. The weakening of the VND could attract more interest in this destination .To understand clearly, here is the Spanish Outbound Travel Trend. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Destination: Some competitive destinations to Vietnam are: Fiji, French Polynesia, Australia, China, Japan, Mexico, and the USA . However, Europe remains the main destination for Spanish travelers , only 27 % of the outbound trips are far beyond the European borders ( World Tourism Organization, 2007 ) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Travel season : Most of the Spanish decide to travel abroad in August , September the time of summer vacations . However , short breaks are spread more widely through the year, in particular around public holiday times. The average length of stay for holidays abroad is around 9 nights. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Purpose : Leisure (54.3%) remains the main reason for travelling outside Spain , followed by business events or work related (20%). The key driver for taking overseas holidays is visiting other countries, learning about their culture and seeing and doing lots. Market Information According to Vietnam tourism, in 2010, there were 5,049,855 international tourists travelling to Vietnam, which was 34.8% higher than 2009. Most of them were from China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries. Obviously, compared to other markets, Western tourists have not known much about Vietnam. With the wave of Asian culture, Asia becomes an ideal choice, especially Southeast Asia. Following the new trend, Vietnamese government have encoraged travel companies to study and make plans to expand busiess into Western markets. According to World Torism Organization, in Europe, with 19.7 billion USD spent in international tourism expenditure (2007), Spain ranked 11th in the world . This number seems to increase annually. However, according to Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of Spanish tourists to Vietnam for leisure purpose is still low and recently, the government with promoting activities is aiming efforts at opening Spain market as our main target market in the near future In Vietnam, there are two major travel companies which target Spanish markets, they are, ASCO Lotus Travel and Exotissimo Travel. ASCO have years of experience for Western tourists to operate tour to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia and ASCO while Exotissimo opened branches in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar. They aims to high-and-above-income maket while Luxury Tour aims to serve mid and high income tourists with the highest standard. As a Vietnamese travel company, Luxury Tour understand Vietnamese business behavior. Thus it is easier to build strong relationship with local suppliers. Industry Information Nearly 1.6 billion is the expected number of international arrivals forecasted by UNWTOs Tourism 2020 Vision by the year 2020. Among of them, 1.2 billion will travel to other countries and 378 million will take longer trips. It is obvious that travel between different regions (outbound and inbound) tends to grow at a faster rate than intraregional travel (domestics) . In 2007, interregional travel increased by 8% as against a growth of 6% for intraregional traffic. According to Vietnam Tourism(2010), from October 10th to December 31st 2010, following Vietnam-your destination campaign, international tourists were welcome to Vietnam without visa. With this opened policies, Vietnam was successful in attracting inbound tourists, especially in Western markets. In 2011, it is expected that Vietnamese Government will consider its effectiveness and efficiency to making further decision better. Product/Service Information Luxury Tour wants to approach mid and high income Spaniards. Most of them are businessmen, specialists, and professors etc. who are too busy to enjoy their time. With the slogan of Think nothing, let us, Luxury Tour wants to be the useful right hand by bringing them into the most comfortable world with families and friends. We offer several tour packages with high quality. All customer requirements are satisfied perfectly. From the moment customers contact Luxury Tour to the end of the tour, customers will be serviced by friendly and professional staff, such as travel consultants, tour operators, tour guide and others SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS High-quality service Operational efficiency Experienced and highly customer-oriented staff Strong marketing and sales forces Strong relationships with both suppliers and Spanish travel agencies WEAKNESSES New brand name in the market Limited budget No representative office in Spain, so Luxury Tour can not contact directly to the target customer Depend on Spanish travel agencies OPPORTUNITIES Spain is a new emerging or developing market for Vietnamese tourism industry Less competition Rapid development of e-commerce Support from government (i.e.: opened policies to encourage tourism) Social changes: more Spanish want to travel to Southeast countries THREATS Financial crisis The increasing of potential competitors Social problems: there are many beggers who follow tourists from places to places Objectives The key objectives for Luxury Tour are: Within 5 years , Luxury Tour becomes the Vietnamese leading tour operator in Spanish market segment with 30% of share market . Integrated marketing services are established to present a unified image/brand identity of Vietnam as an ideal destination . The number of loyal tourists is increased After the first five year, Luxury Tour will expand business into other Western markets, such as the Portugal, the Netherland etc. Strategy With Luxury Tour, tourists will experience the finest service, enjoy the most delicious Vietnamese cusine and stay at the most comfortable hotels. Our efforts are to make tourists remember uniqueness and hospitality of Vietnam in general and Luxury Tour in particular. It is can be measured by the increased number of Spanish tourists coming back to Vietnam annually. What Luxury Tour try to sell is not only tours themselves but also benefits. A good tour operator knows how to control income factors and how to balance incomes and outcomes ( customer requirement) to satisfy three parties, that is to say, tourists are pleased with service, suppliers are happy to serve and Luxury Tour gets profits and more importantly, customer awareness. Product To be more competitive in the market , our tour itineraries are designed with two advantages : Quality and Customer service. *** In term of Quality :Tour itinerary is designed based on 5H model , that is the combination of Hospitality, Honesty , Heritage, History,Heroic **** In term of Customer Service : Speed :We have hotline served 24/7 to answer all customers questions and complain Flexibility : Tour itinerary can be re-designed to fit each customers requirement Reliability : all needed info is provided to customers before they book tours , including warning (if applicable ) Pricing Our target customer is from mid-income and above. They usually prefer to enjoy holidays in their own tastes and required to be served at the highest level. Thus we mix two price strategies, good-value pricing strategy and value-added pricing. Luxury Tour will design a basic package price which combines high standard, good service at reasonable price. From the basics, this tour is tailor-made to fix each customer demand. The price is changeable based on the seasons, supple-demand balance and other unforeseen situations. Normally our estimated price is around USD 2,200 / pax. Distribution For the short term , to perform activities to attract tourists from Spain to Vietnam and expand distribution channel to meet market needs and serve customers better, Luxury Tour has partnered with tourism companies in Spain. With this partnership, Luxury Tour has been in the big cities of Spain, such as Barcelona , Madrid , Valencia etc. For the long term, within the next 5 years , Luxury Tour opens one representative agency in Madrid to approach customers needs easily and efficiently Promotion Website: Luxury Tour launches and operates Internet site effectively as a virtual tourist office in which customers can find a lot of information about Vietnam and useful tips for their tour . The website is designed with friendly screen and easy-to-follow instructions. Besides, our online travel consultants are willing to help customers design suitable tour itineraries with reasonable price and support them during and after journey. Search Engines Optimisation: To be recognized among millions of tourism websites, we will corporate with some internet search engine sites such as : http://www.ivivu.com/ http://www.skydoor.net/ http://www.chudu24.com/ http://yeudulich.vn/ http://www.tourism-review.com/ Instead of buying a place on their website, Luxury Tour offer them a business corporation opportunity, this is, banner exchange. This is a win-win corporation Advertising: As a new brand name in luxury tourism industry, we decide to focus on bringing our image to the target customers. Our target customer segmentation is from mid and high income. Choosing a reliable magazine is the first choice. Among of which is Travel and Entertainment magazine the publication of Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and the leading magazine in tourism of Vietnam. It is available in Vietnam Airlines, Indochina Airline and Royal Brunei Airline. Public Relations: To build strong relationship with Spanish travel companies as well as to prove them our outstanding service offered, Luxury Tour usually invites partners and Spanish press to have trips to Vietnam for free of charge. It is not only a normal business trip but also a chance to introduce Vietnam beauty and its tourism potentials as well. Besides, Luxury Tour also have budget to sponsor for community activities such as planting tree, building houses for the poor etc. to emphasize that Luxury Tour image is not connected to business only, it is the combination between social responsibility, environmental protection and business. Promotions: Luxury Tour usually takes part in some trade exhibitions in Vietnam and foreign countries. This form of promotional activity enables promotion directly to the consumer for creating word-of-mouth channel. We offer 10% discount for who books tours at exhibitions Branding: Luxury Tour wants to build a friendly image and impress current and potential customers by service quality. Our logo is design with the main color of green and the image of a typical tourist. Our slogan is think nothing.Let us. Operational Plan Sucessful tourism business depends on the service quality. Tourism is unlike other industries. We try to sell invisible products. The key points are how to persuade them to trial our service and how to make them feel undisappoited about their decision.To meet that goal, Luxury Tour must pay attention to setting up a quality control system strictly. Not only checking service from suppliers, employee force must be trainned to serve customer 24/7 . Any problems before, during and after tour need to be solved soon. After each tour, based on their feedback, Luxury Tour have some change to improve more and serve better. Sales promotion Dyring the first six month, Luxury Tour aims to attract customer awareness and introduce our service. We offer customers 5%-10% discount program. When customers know more about us, so discount strategy is not applied. Instead, we focus on added benefits, for example, booking tour to travel across Vietnam, tourists get one buffet ticket at Caravelle Saigon. Advertising Our target segmentation is mid and high income customers. Most of them are businessmen who usually travel by airplain. Thus in our marketing budget, there are amount of money spending to advertising on airline magazines, such as Travel and Entertainment . Public relations Public relation is a tool to improve company image positively. It needs long-term plan. Developing a brand name with the image of friendliness and hospitality, Luxury Tour will organize some special tours called community connection. Joining this, tourists do not only have chance to travel to Vietnam but also join community activities, such as teaching children, planting tree, farming etc. It makes tourists feel that their money is reinvested into society. Direct Marketing In term of direct marketing, there are many forms. To maximize marketing effectiveness, we suggest to combine direct mail, email marketing, social network, brochure and magazine advertising. To get the mid and high income customer database, Luxury Tour could buy from market research companies or take advantage of current database of Spanish travel agencies. Then we will send them our company profile and e-brochure to introduce our service and encorage them to log in our website to receive a 10%-discount travelling coupon for the first visit. Online Marketing Owning a well-designed and multi-function website is a tool to approach targeted customers. Our online travel consultants who comminicate well in English and Spanish are willing to assist customers to search info, design tour itineraries. Customers can book and pay online. The payment method is variable, from bank transfer to PayPal, Master Card, Credit Card etc. Once payment is done, confirmation, receipt, flight e-ticket and a package of Vietnamese information are sent to customers email box. Budgets and action plan Item Jun-11 Jul-11 Aug-11 Sep-11 Cost ( USD) Department / Employee name Measure of Success Making business plan, design logo, slogan and complete register documents 1st 1st 2,000 Nguyen Mai Ly The genaral Director Recuit human resource 1st 1st 1,000 HR Department recruit experienced employees Design tour itineraries and deal with suppliers 1st 31st 1,500 Operation Department Tour itineraries are design to meet Luxury Tour targerted market requirement and local suppliers are pleased with our request and agree to offer competative price Contact with some Spanish travel companies, pursuade them to corporate with Luxury Tour and sign the contracts 15th 15th 5,000 Operation Department At least 10 Spanish travel companies are interested in our offers and agree to cooperate with Luxury Tours Design Website and brochure 1st 15th 1,000 Admin Department The website is well designed , easy-to-follow and imformative Discuss with tourism websites for banner exchange 15th 15th 1,000 Sales and Marketing Department our banner is posted at all sites as listed Print brochure and distribute at luxury hotels, Tan Son Nhat airports and other entertainment centers 15th 15th 3,000 Sales and Marketing Department Our brochures are delivered to the targeted customers Advertising on travel magazines and newspapers 15th June 15th December 2011 700 Sales and Marketing Department Luxury Tour information is advertised for 7 months ( June December 2011) Organize tours for 10 major Spanish travel representative and 10 Spanish travel journalists to Vietnam 15th 5th 20,000 Operation Department All guests are pleased with our service and after this tour, ten articles will be written and published over the next month in major travel magazines and website in Spain Opening ceremony 8th 2,000 100 invited guests, including suppliers, Spanish travel companies, press, Spanish businessmen in HCMC and others TOTAL 37,200

Overview of the Monarchs of the Tudor Dynasty Essay examples -- the tu

In 817 Alfred the Great became England’s first ruler, he was the first of many to come. The many King and Queens of England are divided into different eras by families. One of the families was the Tudor family, which is a well-known English monarchy. The Tudors were a family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603 whom ranged from Henry VII to Elizabeth I these rulers were well known because of different attributes they gave England. I will be providing information about all six rulers that reigned England in this distinctive dynasty. Each King or Queen will have information about them in a paragraph, following these paragraphs will be a conclusion summarizing the Tudor family. My work cited page will indicate the ending of my paper. Henry VII Henry VII was the first of the Tudor family, which makes him the founder of the Tudor dynasty. Henrys father was Edmund Tudor a Welshman and his mother was Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of Edward III. The fact that Henry even became King was astonishing because Edward III children were before his marriage and it took some time before the courts approved of his children to be in the royal lineage. Nevertheless he was of royal heritage and became King of England. What solidified his throne though were his marriage and his battle against Richard III.† By 1485 the Wars of the Roses had been raging in England for many years between the Houses of York and Lancaster. The Lancastrian Henry later took for his bride Elizabeth of York thereby uniting the houses.† â€Å"The real matter was decided on the battlefield, at the Battle of Bosworth field. It was here that Henry and his forces met with Richard III and Henry won the crown.† (tudorhistoryHenryVIIpg2)By the end of his reign Henry II ac... ... take her place once she dies. Queen Elizabeth I was the last of the Tudor Dynasty. Although some of the Kings and Queens from the Tudor dynasty did not rule for an extended period of time each of the six rulers were of great importance in order to write history. Works Cited Greaves, Richard L. â€Å"The Tudors† The World book Encyclopedia. A Scott Fetzer Company. Volume 19. Chicago IL: World Book, Inc.2003.Print. Page 481 Crofton, Ian. Kings and Queens of England. Quercus Publishing PLC. London.2008. Print. Pages 134,135,138,140,142,145 Weir, Alison. The six wives of Henry VIII.Gove Press. New York.1991.Page 3 http:/tudorhistory.org/.February 2012. Henry VII King of England pages 2-3 Henry VIII King of England page 2 Lady Jane Grey Queen of Nine Days page 2 Mary I Queen of England pages 3-4 Elizabeth I Queen of England page 2