The Modern Christmas

For this next blog I thought I would get into the festive spirit. At this time of the year the shops are heaving as Christmas shoppers rush from shop to shop searching for those perfect gifts. Some people love the lights, music and general atmosphere of the Christmas high street, while many others hate it. But what is it that draws all these people into the shops and when did Christmas become so commercial?

From the 1930’s Santa Claus became the secular face of the Christmas holidays. This was popularised by the advent of The Coca Cola Company’s advertising, which actually gave rise to the myth that The Coca Cola Company came up with the colours of Santa’s red and white clothes. While the idea of gift giving at Christmas is a great one, the true meaning of the holiday is becoming lost in the materialistic nature of the modern Christmas. Whilst the retail sector usually booms in the pre Christmas sales in its fuelling of the commercial Christmas, the tradition of the nativity is becoming lost in people’s desire for more and more. Perhaps in these troubled economic times, people could start to embrace the old traditions again.

However, does it really matter if Christmas and Santa Claus have become secular and commercialised? As long as the Christmas spirit prevails and Christmas time is full of merriment and joy, isn’t that all that matters. Christmas is a time of year that draws families together, and while many people get grumpy and fall out, we should always remember its only one day of the year so you might as well enjoy yourself while the Christmas magic lasts.

Having looked at what the big casinos are doing to survive in the last blog, I thought in this blog I would consider what it is that draws people into casinos and what are the drawbacks? 

My first thought is why do casinos attract such a wide variety of people. Well, to begin with casinos, particularly in Las Vegas, have spectacular architecture. Often the casinos in Las Vegas have themes, like La Venetian and Caesars Palace, and these stunning buildings attract visitor to the each of the casinos, even if it just for a look around and a drink. With the dramatic buildings drawing in potential consumers, the interiors have to manage to keep them inside. To entice them to stay casinos give people the (rather slim) opportunity to earn huge rewards. This (somewhat addictive) entertainment, combined with live shows and popular singers really draws in the crowds and gives people something to do all day. With all this entertainment it is likely, n my opinion, that many people who visit casinos mainly go for the experience. 

Mt next thought is what the drawback of casinos is? 

There are many who claim that casinos bring poverty many customers, which in turn leads to crime in the area. But is there any proof to these claims? 

Mob-infested gambling may belong in the 1930’s, but a different form of crime has been born out of the legalisation of casinos in the 20th century. This crime ranges from petty theft to forging and laundering money. In the US a 41-year-old housekeeper in Bangor, Maine, forged $40,000 in checks belonging to elderly people in the assisted-living home where she worked, then gambled it away at Hollywood Slots. She pleaded guilty, blaming addiction to gambling, and was given a three year jail sentence. This raises the question to whether the casinos deserve some of the blame. The casinos prey on the vulnerable and desperate gambling addicts, and they turn to crime to fuel their financial cancer. 

Whether or not there needs to be more regulation in the casino industry to help prevent the abuses that ravage the USA, for casual visitors to the amazing attractions the casinos provide they pose no real threat. Through my research I now feel that you have to be aware that casinos do, perhaps unwillingly, fuel crime and poverty in the neighbourhoods that surround the casinos.

The Casino Industry today

Although I have never been into a casino, I have been fascinated by them since I was a small boy. Ever since watching James Bond films, the thought of entering and experiencing the luxury casino resorts, like the Monte Carlo Casino, has been a wish of mine.

But what is the casino/gambling industry actually like?

Casinos today provide very wide ranging experiences, from luxury hotel suites and high quality entertainment to fine dining restaurants, as well as the traditional gambling activities like blackjack slot machines and roulette. With such an array of activities casinos have always attracted the rich and famous, and now the less affluent will consider travelling to a casino resort (like Las Vegas) for a holiday.

For example, at La Venetian, Las Vegas, alongside the casino it offers exceptionally lavish suites (a number of them also have marble bathrooms, sunken living rooms in over 1500 feet2), more modest suites, a pool deck, The Canyon Ranch Spa Club, a Madame Tussauds and even gondola rides (well, what did you expect from a place called La Venetian).

But, why have casinos resorted to evolving into hotel and tourist attractions?

Since the industry started to decline, in several countries, after the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008, the industry has had to look for new way in which to attract new consumers. Casino complexes are beginning to harness the growth of the bingo industry and are setting up bingo halls, live entertainment and other attractions.

I think that the expansion of casinos will attract many thousands of customers, who would never have gone to a casino for the traditional casino games. The strategy, which was formed out of necessity because of the declining numbers of people going to casinos, has shown that the industry is highly adaptable to change.

It is easy to see the lure of a casino, and if you have some spare money why not enjoy and indulge yourself?

A history of hospitality.

I was thinking about a topic for my hospitality blog, when I thought what is the history of hospitality? I then thought to myself, when did the industry begin? At first I thought of the Victorian era, but then I considered the fact that there have been taverns around the world for thousands of years. 

So where do I begin? Well, people have been looking after travellers for as long as people have been settled in permanent settlements, it is one of the basic elements of civilised societies. In ancient Greece, guest rights were one of the few accepted conventions that were respected throughout the Greek world. In the Roman era, cooks and chefs were highly paid and sought after professional, and as in ancient Rome it was not the woman's job to cook (most Romans, except the very poorest, had one or two slaves). Inns in biblical times only offered a bench in the corner of a room and sanitation was poor, as they shared their quarters with their animals.  

Only from the 16^th century onwards did the inns and taverns start to improve. As these places were not suitable for aristocrats, people started to build luxurious buildings in order to attract the emerging middle-classes and even some nobility. This led to an increase in tourism, as the wealthy wanted to travel to spa towns, like Buxton.

Tourism has fuelled the growth of the hospitality industry, for as more people are able to travel, the industry has grown to include leisure. In the Victorian era the tourism industry really started to boom, as the British government wanted to promote leisure time for the increasing urban population, in order to keep the workers happy and healthy. From the mid 1600’s to the mid 1800’s a large proportion of European nobility embarked of ‘Grand Tours’ of Europe. The idea of the Tour was to discover the cultural diversity and history of European cities. However, in essence it was mostly a tour of pleasure as most people travelled to Paris, then onto Milan, Venice, a stop of in Rome, all of which were essential.

Overall throughout centuries the hospitality industry had barely changed from travellers taverns and inns, until the 18^th century and the advent of the industrial revolution, which sped up the growth of the tourism industry into the industry that we are all familiar with.