Chapter 10Chapter 10

Resort Operations:Resort Operations:The Importance of Guest The Importance of Guest

ActivitiesActivities

Explain the guest activity programming Explain the guest activity programming model and its significance to successful model and its significance to successful

resort operation.resort operation.

Successful guest activity programs Successful guest activity programs should be enjoyable, freely chosen, and should be enjoyable, freely chosen, and benefit the individual emotionally, benefit the individual emotionally, socially, physically, cognitively, and socially, physically, cognitively, and spiritually.spiritually.

Guest Activity Programming Guest Activity Programming (cont.)(cont.)

Activities must include:Activities must include:– FreedomFreedom—Guests must be free to select the activities in which —Guests must be free to select the activities in which

they want to participate.they want to participate.– Perceived competencePerceived competence—Guests must be able to match their —Guests must be able to match their

skill level to the activity such that they feel they can skill level to the activity such that they feel they can successfully participate.successfully participate.

– Intrinsic motivationIntrinsic motivation—Truly satisfying activities are those that —Truly satisfying activities are those that are chosen to satisfy an inner drive rather than to satisfy or are chosen to satisfy an inner drive rather than to satisfy or impress others.impress others.

– Locus of controlLocus of control—Guests need to have some degree of control —Guests need to have some degree of control over the experience, be it in the selection of teammates or over the experience, be it in the selection of teammates or when or where the activity will take place.when or where the activity will take place.

– Positive effectPositive effect—The result of a satisfying activity is that guests —The result of a satisfying activity is that guests enjoy the experience after participating in it.enjoy the experience after participating in it.

Guest Activity Programming Guest Activity Programming (cont.)(cont.)

Guest activity programming involves five Guest activity programming involves five steps:steps:– Assess needs of guestsAssess needs of guests– Define objectives for the activities that will Define objectives for the activities that will

meet guest needsmeet guest needs– Perform cluster or activity analysis designed Perform cluster or activity analysis designed

to meet the objectivesto meet the objectives– Administer the activityAdminister the activity– Evaluate the experience with respect to its Evaluate the experience with respect to its

success in meeting guest needssuccess in meeting guest needs

Guest Activity Programming Guest Activity Programming (cont.)(cont.)

Development and operation of any program occurs Development and operation of any program occurs within the context of, and is influenced by, external within the context of, and is influenced by, external factors:factors:– Historical influencesHistorical influences—the tradition and philosophy of —the tradition and philosophy of

the resortthe resort– Environmental influencesEnvironmental influences—time of the year, —time of the year,

weather, etc.weather, etc.– Cultural influencesCultural influences—ethnicity, age, and religion of —ethnicity, age, and religion of

the gueststhe guests– Social influencesSocial influences—fads, trends, news—fads, trends, news– Organizational influencesOrganizational influences—values and mission of —values and mission of

the companythe company– Finally, guests, staff, equipment, and facilities are Finally, guests, staff, equipment, and facilities are

brought together to deliver the guest experience. brought together to deliver the guest experience.

Explain how knowledge of individual needs Explain how knowledge of individual needs can be used by resort managers to design can be used by resort managers to design

guest activities.guest activities.

Activity programs could be much more Activity programs could be much more meaningful to participants if the activity meaningful to participants if the activity director knew what guests expected from director knew what guests expected from the program. the program.

The key to understanding guest The key to understanding guest motivation is to see the activities they motivation is to see the activities they engage in as satisfiers of needs and engage in as satisfiers of needs and wants. wants.

Needs Assessment (cont.)Needs Assessment (cont.)

Needs assessment is “a systematic inquiry about Needs assessment is “a systematic inquiry about needs, attitudes, behaviors, and patterns of both needs, attitudes, behaviors, and patterns of both participants and non-participants” participants and non-participants”

identifies what is important to guests in order to better identifies what is important to guests in order to better design and deliver guest activity programs that leave design and deliver guest activity programs that leave guests satisfied with the programguests satisfied with the program

A needs assessment can be conducted by:A needs assessment can be conducted by:– asking existing guests what interests them or what activities asking existing guests what interests them or what activities

they currently undertakethey currently undertake– surveying people who do not use the programs and who do surveying people who do not use the programs and who do

not take part in the activities as to their reasonsnot take part in the activities as to their reasons– national figures can be studied to identify trends in recreationnational figures can be studied to identify trends in recreation

Identify how cluster or activity analysis can Identify how cluster or activity analysis can help meet the objectives of a guest activity help meet the objectives of a guest activity

program.program.

Activity analysis determines how an Activity analysis determines how an activity can contribute to meeting goals activity can contribute to meeting goals and objectives. and objectives.

Activity analysis can identify the activity Activity analysis can identify the activity that will best meet identified needs.that will best meet identified needs.

Cluster and Activity Analysis Cluster and Activity Analysis (cont.)(cont.)

Each activity can be broken down according to Each activity can be broken down according to the following criteria:the following criteria:– behavioral domains—cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains—cognitive, affective, and

psychomotorpsychomotor– skill level, from low to highskill level, from low to high– interaction patterns, from individual to groupinteraction patterns, from individual to group– leadership required, from minimum to maximumleadership required, from minimum to maximum– equipment required, from none to requiredequipment required, from none to required– duration, from a set time through a natural end to duration, from a set time through a natural end to

continuouscontinuous– facilities required, from none to requiredfacilities required, from none to required– participants, from one to any numberparticipants, from one to any number– age appropriatenessage appropriateness

Cluster and Activity Analysis Cluster and Activity Analysis (cont.)(cont.)

Cluster analysis clusters activities that yield Cluster analysis clusters activities that yield similar benefits. Each activity becomes a similar benefits. Each activity becomes a variable, the correlation between participation variable, the correlation between participation in two variables is computed, and the cluster is in two variables is computed, and the cluster is based on the correlation that results. The based on the correlation that results. The following criteria are used to determine following criteria are used to determine clusters:clusters:– degree of skill requireddegree of skill required– level of activitylevel of activity– nature of the group needednature of the group needed– amount of risk or dangeramount of risk or danger– special facilities neededspecial facilities needed

Cluster and Activity Analysis Cluster and Activity Analysis (cont.)(cont.)

The implication is that people can be The implication is that people can be typed based on their choice of activity. typed based on their choice of activity.

From existing levels of participation, staff From existing levels of participation, staff can identify which complementary can identify which complementary activities might be popular.activities might be popular.

Describe the steps required to Describe the steps required to effectively plan a guest activity effectively plan a guest activity

program.program.

A guest activity director matches the life A guest activity director matches the life stage of the guest with the format and the stage of the guest with the format and the activity desired to develop a guest activity activity desired to develop a guest activity program. program.

Planning a guest activity program Planning a guest activity program involves five steps:involves five steps:

Guest Activity Program (cont.)Guest Activity Program (cont.)

leadership leadership – job analysisjob analysis– job specificationsjob specifications– recruitment of suitable candidatesrecruitment of suitable candidates

budgetingbudgeting– determine costsdetermine costs– set the proportion of costs to be coveredset the proportion of costs to be covered– consider the appropriateness of differential pricingconsider the appropriateness of differential pricing– set an initial priceset an initial price

Guest Activity Program (cont.)Guest Activity Program (cont.)

schedulingscheduling– offer programs that meet the time needs of resort guestsoffer programs that meet the time needs of resort guests

seasonalseasonalscheduling involves a monthly or weekly focus that is related to scheduling involves a monthly or weekly focus that is related to the average length of staythe average length of stay

– plan a daily time scheduleplan a daily time schedulemorningmorningearly afternoonearly afternoonafternoon activity at lower levelafternoon activity at lower levellate afternoonlate afternoonearly eveningearly eveninglate eveninglate evening

consider when regular maintenance can be done, the consider when regular maintenance can be done, the best time being when demand for participation in the best time being when demand for participation in the program is lowprogram is low

Guest Activity Program (cont.)Guest Activity Program (cont.)

facility availabilityfacility availability– convenient and accessible to the guestconvenient and accessible to the guest– attractive and safeattractive and safe

promoting the program promoting the program – goal of promotion is behavior modification; goal of promotion is behavior modification;

marketers want to initiate or change the marketers want to initiate or change the behavior of guests such that they participate behavior of guests such that they participate in the guest activity offered by the resortin the guest activity offered by the resort

Identify the approaches in evaluating Identify the approaches in evaluating the effectiveness of guest activity the effectiveness of guest activity

programs.programs.

The aims of program evaluation are to The aims of program evaluation are to determine whether or not the program has determine whether or not the program has value, and to determine whether or not the value, and to determine whether or not the program objectives are being met. program objectives are being met.

Programs can be evaluated by the extent to Programs can be evaluated by the extent to which objectives are met, by the extent to which objectives are met, by the extent to which standards are met, and by the effect on which standards are met, and by the effect on guests.guests.

The End!The End!