2. Program of country studies research

Topic 2. Program of country studies research

The country studies research program is usually consists of the following

9 items:

A typical plan Characteristics of the country

1.Short and full nameFor example:

Great Britain / United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland


2. Geographical position:•natural, •economical, •geopolitical position


3. General characteristics of the natural environment and resources:

• Geological structure and minerals;• Relief;• Inland waters• Climate;• Agroclimatic resources;• Soils;• Plant and faunal resources;• Potential environmental disasters, etc.


4. Population and demography:• number;• form of settlement;• structure.


5. Political structure:• government; • administrative - territorial system;• political parties;• blocs of influence.


6. Economy:• Component (branch) structure;• Territorial (spatial) structure;• Organizational - management

structure.


7. Foreign Economic Relations


8. Membership in international organizations


9. Other information

When we talk about the tourist country studies, besides the typical plan, important points are:

tourism resources;tourist centers and other elements of the

spatial structure;the level of infrastructure development;region-based differences. Information on the

resort areas important both for tourists and for the manager

When we talk about the tourist country studies, besides the typical plan, important points are:

Characterization of travel formalities. These include: visas, rules of behavior in the country, the time zones difference, currency and customs regulations, types of accommodation, shopping, etc.

Also, texts from books, blogs or travel writer's texts can be added. It will be literary country studies.

SWOT analysis is also often used for the

consideration of the tourist features of the country

SWOT• tool that identify a Strengths-

Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats of something. In our case - of tourism (industry, recourses, potential) in the particular country.

An Outline of a SWOT Analysis

• Introduction• Introduce your topic; interest your readers from the

beginning.• Historic or interesting fact• Overview of the fantastic, perfect vacation and that

country's facilities and natural resources.• SWOT Analysis is usually done for businesses.

Introduction is usually something historical or innovative about the company.


• Strengths• List the strengths first• Strengths are intrinsic or inherent to the country;

government has some control over it.• Valuable resources, attractions, landmarks, historic sites, etc.• Friendly people• Outdoor activities• Has infrastructure like ports and airports to accommodate

tourists• Favorable weather and climate


• Weaknesses• Weaknesses are internal to the country. The

country has control over its weaknesses• The opposite of strengths


• Opportunities• External factors; country has little control over it• Opportunities are the need for expansion• Increased access to the country

– Larger airports– Cheaper transportation costs– Cruise ship ports

• Which countries to attract tourists from?– Example - expand marketing to developing countries. – As their wealth increases, these countries will have more tourists with money

• Market to particular age group, etc.– Market to older, retired tourists– Market to singles or families


• Threats• Threats are external, and country has little control over

them• Which factors could prevent a country from realizing its

opportunities• Competition from other countries or emerging new

tourist destinations• Problems such as rising fuel costs, 2012 Recession,

terrorism, etc.• Changes in culture, perception, etc.


• Conclusion• Summarize the main conclusions of the essay• The conclusions must be supported by the analysis

SWOT Outline for Malaysian Tourist Industry

For example:

Malaysian Tourist Industry

• Introduction• Malaysia has large, clean modern cities• Malaysia has lush tropical jungles filled with a diverse

range of plant, animal, and insect life.• Malaysia has pristine white sand beaches and the

coasts are teaming with life and coral reefs• Malaysia has towering mountains, where tourists can

pick strawberries or visit a tea plantation• A Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities- Threat

(SWOT) Analysis for Malaysia


• Strengths• English is widely spoken• The Malaysian government created Tourism Malaysia, as the

government’s promotion of tourism board• The board has 34 overseas and 11 marketing offices• Malaysia is the 9th tourist destination in the world (UNWTO 2011)• Tourists spent $17.8 billion in 2010 (UNWTO 2011)• Malaysia may have high Keynesian multiplier effect, because it has

the manufacturing industries to support the tourist industries• 24.7 million tourists visited Malaysia in 2011 (UNWTO 2011)• Tourism is second most important industry for foreign earnings

after manufacturing


• Weaknesses• Transportation - not enough direct flight to Malaysia from Europe.• Most flight will need many transits and usually fly directly to Singapore

instead of KLIA.• Tourists prefer Singapore as the transit.• Not enough activities for the party loving foreigners.• Malaysia is an Islamic country.• Many foreigners have negative perception and misconception about Islam.• So they go elsewhere for vacation, because they think is safer.• In 2011, 13.3 million tourists were from Singapore (Tourism Malaysia 2011)• Dependency ratio = 54.1%• Malaysia relies on Singaporeans for tourists• Many tourists complain about taxi drivers, who overcharge for their services.


• Opportunities• China is growing at 10.4% in 2010 (World Bank 2012)• The tourists from China were 1.3 million in 2011 (Tourism

Malaysia 2011)• Indonesia is Malaysia’s neighbor, and its economy is growing

fast• 2.1 million tourists were from Indonesia (Tourism Malaysia

2011)• Ecotourism• Quickly expanding segment of Malaysian tourism• Parks, forests, and coastlines have a large biodiversity


• Threats• Intense competition from Hong Kong, China, Japan• Malaysia is a developed country; manufacturing

industries continue to grow• Malaysia is building more resorts, golf courses,

marinas, roads, and highways• Could damage the ecosystems and natural habitats.


• Conclusion (summarize and build on the most important points in the paper)

• Malaysia is ranked ninth in the world for number of tourist arrivals

• Malaysia can attract a variety of tourists, whether the tourists want to visit modern cities or hike through dense, pure jungles swarming with wildlife

• The tourist industry is a competitive industry• Malaysia can develop a niche in sustainable tourism

by protecting its natural resources

Date post:	18-Jan-2017
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2. Program of country studies research

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