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esources because the viability of their favourite
pursuits depend on the continued existence of
natural or near-natural environments. Popular
activities include walking for pleasure, hiking,
camping, fishing, hunting, motor and sail boating,
wind and wave surfing, swimming, picnicking,
sunbathing, mountain and rock climbing, skiing,
snow-boarding, skating, nature photography,
bird watching, golfing, tennis and the various team
sports that require out-of-doors playing fields �see
also sport, recreational; sports tourism).
As populations have become more affluent and
more removed from the basic necessity of struggling
for survival, the demand for appropriate
spaces in which to engage in outdoor recreation
has increased. This has presented challenges for
resource managers who often are charged with the
allocation of scarce resources among competing
uses. They must resolve conflicts between resource
extractive industries, conservationists, preservationists
and, increasingly, developers of commercial
facilities seeking to exploit recreation resources. In
addition, new activities arrive on the scene as
technological innovators create and market new
devices ranging from mountain bikes to jet skis.
These in turn lead to development of specialised
places for their use, which are often in conflict
with existing activities. In order to accomplish their
multifaceted tasks, modern outdoor recreation
resource managers must draw on the professional
skills of several disciplines in the natural and social
sciences and be versed in their practical application.
outsourcing
MARY LEE NOLAN, USA
TOM BROXON, USA
Outsourcing, according to Barret �1995), is a
process or operational alternative which gives an
organisation the option of employing an external
supplier�s) to perform a function normally undertaken
in-house �such as catering which is provided
externally to many tourism businesses). This action
may involve transfer of people and machinery, as
well as management responsibility to the supplier�s).
Reasons most frequently given in favour of
outsourcing are economies of scale and specialist
skills, and hence the resulting efficiency and
savings.
References
Barret, P. �ed.) �1995) Facilities Management:Towards
Best Practice, Oxford: Blackwell Science.
overseas office
overseas office 421
FRANCISCO SASTRE, SPAIN
IMMACULADA BENITO, SPAIN
Overseas tourism offices are branches of national
tourism administrations maintained in foreign
countries that are primarily involved in marketing
their destinations. The specific types of
marketing efforts conducted by them vary by
country and are greatly influenced by the total
budget available for operations. Developed countries
such as Australia, Japan and the United
Kingdom have extensive networks of overseas
offices, while developing countries tend to use their
consular offices or outsource the tourism marketing
function to sales representative firms �see outsourcing).
The typical strategy for establishing overseas
tourism offices is to locate them in the country's
major tourist-generating markets. For example, the
Australian Tourist Commission maintains offices
with full-time staff in the country's seven major
markets: Japan, United States, New Zealand,
United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong and
Singapore. The purpose of such offices is to create
awareness of and stimulate greater interest in the
country as a tourism destination. This is accomplished
primarily through sales promotion. The
total funds available for the office's marketing in a
specific country must be apportioned between
consumer �individuals and groups) and travel trade
marketing �retail travel agents, tour operators,
incentive planners, convention/meeting planners
and corporate travel managers). The promotional
activities undertaken include advertising
to build relationships through cooperative marketing
programmes, sales calls, travel trade sales