illiland's Economics of Hospitality

ome time ago Baron Von Lodge was the head of a small country near Switzerland known as Lilliland.

Lilliland, as a small country, relied on tourism and fine weather for vacationers to enjoy themselves. It was important for the economy that all who visited Lilliland enjoyed themselves and came back again. The sporting activities that tourists liked most were skiing in the winter and sailing on the lake in the summer. Fishing, hiking, camping, horseback riding, and arts and crafts shows were among the favorite activities. Shops, hotels and restaurants were always available for tourists to spend their money and get their money’s worth. That kept Lilliland economically solvent.

Many small countries failed and went bankrupt over the years. Economics was one of the bankrupt country’s biggest problems. Favorable tourism money made a big difference. Demonstrating hospitality to the visiting tourists was a big plus for increasing revenue to the business community. The overriding factor was something that no one could do anything about and that was the seasonal weather. Will the snowfall be adequate for skiing in the winter, and will the lake winds be ideal for sailing in the spring and summer? Will the hiking trails and horseback riding trails be seasonally ideal with not too much rain or not too dry either? For the many outdoor activities that Lilliland was famous for, weather was very important. But if the weather turned unsatisfactory, the shops in the middle of Lilliland’s mall center became an attraction. The variety of restaurants also made the visit very interesting.

When there was an unfortunate incident where there was a fight or other commotion, if the people lived in Lilliland, they were sent to a meeting room where they received a brief course in hospitality and economics. Anything that prevented visitors from enjoying themselves was frowned upon. If the person was not a citizen, he was asked to leave Lilliland and not return for several years. Peace and serenity were serious business in Lilliland.

Professor Hamblin and the Baron often had to remind people who lived in Lilliland that half the jobs were directly dependent on tourism and the other half had some indirect bearing on tourism.

Keeping the tourists coming back was important to the survival of the small country of Lilliland.