How to Increase the Number of Visitors to Yarragon - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal Title of the study How to increase the number of visitors to Yarragon Background on the problem Yarragon is a small town located between Warragul and Trafalgar and is one of the two towns that are bypassed by the Princes highway that connects Melbourne and Latrobe Valley (Travel Victoria, 2013). Yarragon is a tourist town with an array of antique shops, galleries, craft shops and galleries. In the 2011 Census, the population of Yarragon was reported to be 1,525 with 49.2% of it being male and 50.8% female (Local Stats, 2013). The median age of the population is 40 years, which is 3 years above the Australian average. Historically, the town was a major center for surrounding dairy farms as well as logging activities in the thick forests in the south. According to Yarragons Community Plan 2008 – 2013 (2008), the people of Yarragon sighted they love the town because it’s a small friendly town which has a mix of village and community atmosphere. The town close proximity to rail services means that there are no much traffic problems and it’s easy to access Melbourne by train. The town has undertaken some initiative to increase visitors to Yarragon. Las year, a very professional and informative 2012/201 Yarragon Brochure was launched by the Yarragon Business Association (Bawbaw Shire, 2013). There are however few challenges and issues that Yarragon needs to address to increase the number of visitors. Tourism which is the small town’s main economic activity is heavily underinvested. The last time the government made a major move to boost the towns tourism was in 2003 when the Baw Baw Shire and the State Governement gave the town a $400,000 facelift (ABC, 2003). Craig Holmes, the president of Yarragon Business Association in the 2012 Annual General Meeting noted that there business community is not playing enough attention in attracting tourists to the town (Yarragon Bussiness Association, 2012). According to tourism statistics provided by the state of Victoria, in 2010 – 2011, the combined direct and indirect contribution of Tourism to the Victorian region economy was about $15.9 billion which is the same as 5% of the state’s Gross State Product. 64% of overnight visitors to the state of Victoria in the same period were from the intrastate market, 27% from the interstate market and 9% from overseas (Tourism, Victoria). This shows that at a state level, the Victorian region tourism prospects are promising and are expected to rise in the next few years. Yarragon has to invest more in tourism to tap in the region’s tourism potential. Lastly, the train station should be developed in a way that portrays it as a historical precinct that houses Yarragon’s history at the same time it is used as an information booth. The local authorities need to invest in selling the town’s attractions to Melbourne travellers as the best stop over along the busy highway. This means that there should be better gateway signs at the entry points along the highway to encourage more visitors to make a stopover in the town. The business community should start handling the Yarragon as a more tourist precinct and not just a shopping stop over for travellers. Investment on other non-tourist related business such as supermarkets should also be encouraged by the local authorities (Community Plan, 2008). Problem statement Yarragon as town heavily depends on tourism as its main economic activity. The town needs to invest more to attract more visitors and tap into the tourism potential in the region. Research Questions 1. How often do visitors visit Yarragon? 2. Do those who visit Yarragon have intend to visit the town again? 3. What information sources about Yarragon do those visiting the town seek out or refer to before your trip? 4. Do visitors feel that they have got a value of their money when they visit Yarragon? 5. What more should be done to improve the attractiveness of the town to more visitors? Method of data collection The research will rely on secondary sources of information as its data collection method. This will involve the use of research reports and studies on factors such the population of Yarragon and tourism statistics reports of the town and the region in general. The reason why the research opts to use secondary sources of information is because there is need to have as much background information about Yarragon to make recommendations on how to improve on her visitor ratio. The research also needs to cite certain facts that will help in presenting a rounded discussion about the whole topic (Mike, 2005). The research shall also use a survey to collect detailed information from visitors touring the town. The survey as prepared is comprehensive in length and size because it fits on 1 sheet of paper (double-sided). It provides a moderate amount of detail for the surveyor and it won't take too much time for the participant to complete. The survey provides a good mix of both open-ended and close-ended questions, which will provide both quantitative data and qualitative data for the surveyor. The close-ended questions will provide data that may not have been considered or expected by the surveyor and may provide insight into perceptions that may not otherwise be evident in the survey results. There is sufficient "white space" in the survey making the information easier to digest (i.e. consume/absorb/understand). This means there is not too much information jammed onto the page and it may help prevent participants from feeling overwhelmed by the amount of questions. The survey is structured to include conditional questioning, for example, "if Yes, go to question X", "if no go to question Y". This is helpful to participants because the survey directs them to questions they must answer and away of questions they do not need to answer. Conditional questioning/structure in a survey can be beneficial if used correctly, because it can help provide good/logical 'flow' in the survey. However, this may be a negative if not used smartly - see Cons below. The survey uses different fonts to help the participant understand the purpose of the text. For example, plain font is used for questions, italic fonts are used for instructions/help content and bold fonts are used for the answers. This is yet another tactic to help the participant complete the survey with ease and speed. Surveys are important because they provide the researcher with an opportunity to communicate with the target population. Use of a survey is also important because it can collect information on phenomena that the researcher cannot directly observe (Earl, 2008). Surveys are also good methods of data collection on attitudes and characteristics of subjects. Since the population of visitors to Yarragon and that of its residence is large, a survey will be an economical tool since the research will only need to question a sample. Designing the survey Developing a survey can sometimes be time consuming and challenging. There is always a consideration to use a survey that has been used before but it was essential to design a survey that would address specific and exclusive issues that are relevant to the research. The main reason why a questionnaire will be used is because the research proposal revolves around a topic that is organisational research oriented. Furthermore, the research aims at investigating a construct that has not been previously well defined (Schwab, 2005). A survey is also viable since the research aims at investigating a topical issue that applies to a specific organisational characteristic. The survey will have two characteristic features: first, it will have items that are specifically designed to elicit information that is research oriented and secondly it will have a protocol for recording responses. The survey is designed to ask for a self-report trough which respondents will provide information about themselves concerning the research topic. The survey is also intended to ask observers to describe the trends in the tourism industry in general. The advantage of acquiring information from observers is that it will lead to a more systematic measurement of the information if there is a choice of methods in data collection. The survey is to be administered in a written form. The reason why the research opts for a written survey rather than interviews is that the research participants will be easy to access and they have good language proficiency (Schwab, 2005). There will be use of both open ended and closed ended questions in the survey. Most people like surveys with questions that are closed ended because they are easy to answer and to code. Questions relating to the personal information of the respondent will come in at the end of the survey since it is first important to draw in the respondents with interesting questions. Furthermore, the research through the survey sees it worth to first attend to the ability and motivation of respondents before anything else. The wording and questions are to be specific and simple since the researcher’s main objective here is to obtain accurate information (Schwab, 2005). The quality of the results, and or feedback of the survey is dependent on the care and attention that both researchers and respondents and respondent. The survey will be pilot tested before it is used in the research. It is the results from the pilot testing of the survey that suggested the modifications to be made to the survey. Sampling Design Techniques There are four main elements that guide the researcher in creating a good sampling design: They include: a) A sample design that results in a sample that is truly representative b) A sample design that is to result in a small sampling error c) A sample design that is economically viable to the research d) A sample whose results will be confidently applied to the general population There are four stages involved in designing the sample. The first stage will involve an understanding and definition of the target population. The target population for the purpose of the research are the residents and visitors to Yarragon. The target population is the larger population which the research intends to study. The second stage will entail the selection of a sample frame which means than not every other consumer should be sampled, but only those who reside and visit Yaragon. A sample frame is basically the list of accessible population form which the research will draw its sample (Social Research Methods. 2013). Thirdly, probability sampling shall be used to in selecting the sample to be used. Probability sampling or random sampling dictates that each item in the target population has an equal opportunity to be selected from the target population for sampling purposes (Kothari, 2004). This means that the results that will be obtained from the random sample will be assured results and that is why this technique is regarded by many researchers as the best in selecting a representative sample. The fourth stage involves the procedure for selecting the sampling unit. In research, the target population is composed of elementary units that will be clustered in sampling units (Hitzig, 2004). The sampling unit in this case will be people whom the researcher will seek information from. Limitation of the research design The formatting and alignment of the survey text is not consistent throughout. For example, some text is left justified, some is centred, some is in tables, some answers are on the same line as the questions but others are on the next line. This interrupts flow, makes the survey difficult to follow and distinguish one answer from another in some instances. The survey looks messy and difficult to understand (i.e. requires extra concentration/brainpower to digest the information). This is unfortunate because it works against the good work of sufficient white space and the different font types, which aim to make it easier for the participant to complete the survey. References ABC (April 8th, 2003). Yarragon to get tourism facelift. ABC News. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-04-08/yarragon-to-get-tourism-facelift/1832546 Baw Baw Shire (2012). Business and Tourism Insight Newsletter. Baw Baw Shire Victoria. Available at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEwQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au%2Ffiles%2Faa49ce42-76aa-40bf-a8f7-a15600ebcbee%2FText_version_July_2012_version_5.doc&ei=1mZ3Ue3bCurP0AXKkIHADg&usg=AFQjCNFXAQY5wv-_UT2bZqS-nDQpiDzQPA&sig2=Rn3a1q7Togqr8Ks7F0dxdA&bvm=bv.45580626,d.d2k Community Plan (June, 2008). Yarragon Community Plan 2008 – 2013. Pp 34 -35. Retrieved from http://www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au/files/993fa2ec-d8a4-4b19-9ce9-9fde00c909e9/Yarragon_Community_Plan.pdf Earl B, (2008). Survey Methods. Texas University. Retrieved from https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/survey.html Hitzig N. B. (2004). Elements of Sampling: The Population, the frame and the sampling unit. The CPA Journal. Retrieved from http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2004/1104/essentials/p30.htm Kothari C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Age International Publishers. Pp 60 – 63. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=8c6gkbKi-F4C&pg=PA58&dq=sampling+design+techniques&hl=en&sa=X&ei=z7d1UbLqNJKa0AXthoHABg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sampling%20design%20techniques&f=false Local Stats, (2013). Yarragon Demographics (VIC) Local Stats. Local Stats. Retrieved from http://localstats.qpzm.com.au/stats/vic/south-eastern-victoria/gippsland/yarragon Mike C. (2005). Using secondary literature and other sources. NLC UK. Retrieved from http://www.ncl.ac.uk/historical/assets/documents/secondaryliterature.pdf Schwab D.P. (2005). Research Methods for Organisational Studies. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2nd Ed. Pp 38 – 45. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=8OpPQSzTZlgC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=Questionnaire+on+secondary+data&source=bl&ots=qWdf70lJxO&sig=jI4v5lWbyCGcVTzTc02JmKWW9oQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=z6V1UenZMsGl0AXawIDICA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Questionnaire%20on%20secondary%20data&f=false Social Research Methods (2013). Sampling Terminology. Research Methods – Knowledge Base. Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampterm.php Travel Victoria, (2013). Travel Victoria – Introduction. Travel Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/yarragon/ Tourism Victoria (2012). Victoria Market Profile – Year Ending June 2012. Tourism Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.tourism.vic.gov.au/images/stories/Documents/FactsandFigures/victoria%20tourism%20profile%20ye%20jun%202012.pdf Yarragon Business Association (August, 2012). Presidents Annual Report – YBA AGM 2012. Yarragon Business Association. Retrieved from http://yarragon.com/YBA_20120820_AGM_Minutes.pdf QUESTIONNAIRE 1. What are the immediate positive effects of a price war to the consumer? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What are the long term effects of price wars to consumers? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Between the retailer and the producer, who is poised to benefit more from a price war? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What are the effects of a price war to a consumer in the long term? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Read More