A SWOT Analysis of the Status Quo of Developing and Positioning Ma Wan as a Solar Panel Island
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Introduction
The focus of the paper is on Ma Wan Island in relation to its branding as a solar panel destination. Ma Wan Island is a small island encircled by a residential complex complete with recreational spaces, big bridges, museums, and beaches and home to a lot of tourist attractions. Additionally, there is a Solar Tower scheduled to be a major boost to the local tourism sector as Ma Wan brands itself as a sustainable tourism destination. Ma Wan is a museum devoted to the history of Chinese astronomy, replete with a public solar telescope. The aim of this paper is to conduct an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the status quo of developing and positioning Ma Wan as a solar panel island. The paper presents the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and then provides recommendations.
Strengths
The richness of tourist attractions in Ma Wan is further complemented by developing and positioning Ma Wan as a solar panel island. Following recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, mass tourism can no longer be depended on. For tourist destinations and countries that wish to tourism tourism in a responsible manner, more must be done. Force, Manuel-Navarrete, and Benessaiah (2018) advocate for a change of tact turning major destinations into green and eco-friendly destinations. For major tourist locations such as Hong Kong, a new approach to tourism, such as alternative tourism, is thus necessary, as is the case with other emerging markets. Ma Wan has what it takes to achieve this, especially when the island is packaged and positioned as an eco-tourism destination.
Ma Wan’s solar tower and its perception as a green destination is a major strength as it will attract more people while operating on an eco-friendly platform. It promises not just ecotourism, and a unique form of alternative tourism in the global tourism industry. Gould (2017) expresses that these types of tourism are more likely to be conservationist, nature-oriented, or environmentally sensitive. Therefore, the perception of a green destination is an advantage for Ma Wan.
Weaknesses
The status quo of developing and positioning Ma Wan as a solar panel island will limit what the island is able to do in terms of expansion or incorporating new ideas. Despite the popularity of green tourism and alternative tourist activities, Cheng et al. (2018) assert that such activities may limit expansive measures that will be necessary in the later stages of the destination. For example, further activities to build larger establishments such as hotels and resorts to support tourism activities in the island will be hampered by the status quo of the solar panel island. Therefore, the status quo may reduce the growth of the island.
A major weakness of the status quo is that it may taint the image of the entire island if the perception does not meet the expectations of tourists and travellers. It is likely that the status quo of Ma Wan is a fake. Gould (2017) found that creating false perception of a tourist destination will affect the perception of all related products. For Ma Wan, the status quo may be damaging in the long term if the perception fails to meet expectations.
Opportunities
The status quo of developing and positioning Ma Wan as a solar panel island will likely open up opportunities to grow the entire island into an eco-friendly destination that incorporates elements of green tourism with full sustainability. Lenzen et al. (2018) found a growing demand for sustainable tourist destinations as more people aim to protect the natural environment. therefore, a deeper sense of sustainability and more actions to preserve the natural environment is an opportunity that can be explored in the future.
A transformative change in the tourism sector in Hon Kong is an opportunity that Ma Wan can use to grow in the future. Change in dynamic systems, such as tourism, depends on the cultural adaptation of the many individuals who participate (Zimmerman, 2018). It is essential for Ma Wan that it be able to adapt, which requires an evaluation of core values and how they are expressed in social structures, processes, and human actions. Therefore, the change is an opportunity for Ma Wan to grow and adapt.
Threats
The success of the status quo of developing and positioning Ma Wan as a solar panel island may be its own enemy and threat. Success will mean overcrowding and overtourism. For example, Milano, Novelli, and Cheer (2019) report how Asian top destinations in the Philippines and Thailand have lost their appeal due to visitors exceeding the ability of the local areas to cope. Therefore, success, albeit being what the Ma Wan management desires, may be a major threat to the long-term success of the destination.
Pollution and climate change are going to be the biggest threats to the status quo of developing and positioning Ma Wan as a solar panel island as rules and regulations being implemented will significantly reduce participation. Environmental degradation is at an alarming level (Hultberg, 2018). As more pollution and adverse effects of climate change are experienced, it is likely that more people will reduce global travel. Therefore, pollution is a threat to the branding and positioning of the destination as a solar panel island.
Recommendations
In line with the above analysis, it is recommended that Ma Wan pursues the image and status quo of developing and positioning itself as a solar panel island. The strengths and opportunities are too significant to ignore. The strengths of this approach will help the destination to explore the opportunities mentioned. However, the weaknesses must be addressed in order to enable Ma Wan to remain ready to meet the threats. The opportunities mentioned must be seized in order to create a wider portfolio for Ma Wan. As green tourism and alternative tourism expands, Ma Wan must position itself as a pioneer in the sector.
Conclusion
Branding Ma Wan as a solar panel island is in line with ecotourism and sustainable tourism. Ecotourism is the intentional and responsible travel to areas in the natural environment in a manner that safeguards the environment, supports the well-being of indigenous people, and incorporates interpretation and education. Such practices seek to educate the entire tourism stakeholders about environmental issues. The study faced a limitation and challenge of inadequate literature on Ma Wan’s approach. The research implication is that more research is needed in the field of destination branding for Hong Kong and Ma Wan. Specifically, data collection approaches will need to consider the analysis made, especially on the issue of the success of the project being a threat to its wellbeing. Implications of the discussion suggest their importance to policy and subsequent research. The implication on policy is that it will force Ma Wan to rethink attitudes towards sustainable tourism.
References
Cheng, J. C. H., Chiang, A. H., Yuan, Y., & Huang, M. Y. (2018). Exploring antecedents of green tourism behaviors: A case study in suburban areas of Taipei, Taiwan. Sustainability, 10(6), 1928.
Force, A., Manuel-Navarrete, D., & Benessaiah, K. (2018). Tourism and transitions toward sustainability: developing tourists’ pro-sustainability agency. Sustainability Science, 13(2), 431-445.
Gould, K. A. (2017). Ecotourism under pressure: The political economy of oil extraction and cruise ship tourism threats to sustainable development in Belize. Environmental Sociology, 3(3), 237-247.
Hultberg, P. (2018). Trade openness, economic growth, and environmental degradation in Asian developing countries. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 20(5), 61.
Lenzen, M., Sun, Y. Y., Faturay, F., Ting, Y. P., Geschke, A., & Malik, A. (2018). The carbon footprint of global tourism. Nature Climate Change, 8(6), 522-528.
Milano, C., Novelli, M., & Cheer, J. M. (2019). Overtourism and tourismphobia: A journey through four decades of tourism development, planning and local concerns. Tourism Planning & Development, 16(4), 353-357.
Zimmermann, F. M. (2018). Does sustainability (still) matter in tourism (geography). Tourism Geographies, 20(2), 333-336.
