Planning for tourism growth

Tourism PlanningObjectives1. Describe the consequences of unplanned development of tourism.2. Explain the reasons for tourism planning.3. Identify the barriers to tourism planning.4. Explain the purposes of tourism planning.5. Describe the steps in the tourism planning process.

What is tourism planning?Planning is not the appropriate assembly of parts; it is the management of the process of change (G. Rich)What you do to prevent the undesirable effects of change, while promoting the desirable ones T.L. BurtonThe process whereby man deliberately sets out to influence and control his environment so as to improve the quality of his/her life.

Rationale for Tourism Planning

1. Tourism development can generate both negative and positive impacts.2. Tourism is more competitive than ever before and destinations need to plan to be positioned in the marketplace, to capture market share and to protect the resources it depends upon.3. Tourism activity influences the lives of residents and the structures present in communities and needs to be integrated with official community plans.

Reasons for Tourism Planning

4. Without planning, tourism activity has damaged many natural and cultural resources.5. Tourism affects everyone in a community and all people involved in tourism should participate in the tourism planning process.

The Destination Life Cycle

ExplorationInvolvementDevelopmentConsolidationStagnationDeclineRejuvenationButler & Waldbrook. (1991)

Consequences of Unplanned Tourism Development

Physical impactsHuman impactsMarketing impactsEconomic impacts

Loss or decline of tourism contributions and an increase in issues associated to its development

Barriers to Tourism Planning1. The objections to the principle of tourism planning.2. The costs of conducting tourism planning processes can be high.3. The complexity of tourism and the large number of government agencies involved.4. The diversity of tourism definitions and ways of classifying the industry.5. The lack of knowledge with how to plan or integrate plans with tourism.6. The high ownership turnover in tourism businesses.

Purposes of Tourism Planning

1. Identifying alternative approaches.2. Adapting to the unexpected.3. Maintaining uniqueness.4. Creating the desirable.5. Avoiding the undesirable.

Press releases on anticipation of Tourism plansCarlsbad, CaliforniaPocono Mountains Vacation BureauJamaicaJuneau, Alaska

Common Pool resourcesTourism resources are common pool resources meaning they are owned, used and managed by multiple stakeholders.

Roles and Responsibilities in Tourism PlanningGroups that should be involved:

1. Government tourism officials.2. Local community residents.3. Non-profit organization representatives.4. Other government agency officials.5. Tourism organization representatives.6. Tourism business operators.7. Tourism consultants.

Management objectives for tourism resourcesEquitySustainabilityEfficiencyResiliencyBosselman, Peterson and McCarthy (1999)

Steps in the Tourism Planning Process

1. Background analysis2. Detailed research and analysis3. Synthesis and visioning4. Goal-setting, strategy selection, and objective-setting 5. Plan development 6. Plan implementation and monitoring7. Plan evaluationSee Article by Stynes and OHalloran

Requirements for planningcommunity support and commitment,political support and commitment e.g. policy,integration of planning frameworks at all levels,assembly of appropriate expertise/skill-base, access to necessary resources, financial support. UNESCO/UNDP Ulugan Bay Project, 2000

Tourism Master PlansExamples in actionCuracaoJamaicaBuffalo CityMaldivesChinaWestern Region of Kenya

Characteristics of successful strategiesDefine the boundaries clearlyIdentify the playersAdding playersLimiting the playersLet the players make the rulesThe convenerForums for participationThe focus of discussionsPower disparitiesLocalize the rules as much as possibleGive the players a sense of permanenceMonitor and mediate violations efficiently but effectivelyBosselman, Peterson and McCarthy (1999)

Tourism Planning Terminology

1. Position statements2. Vision statements3. Goals4. Strategies5. Objectives

Growth management strategiesSome strategies focus on the quality of development usually with the objective of encouraging only development that meets certain standards

Other strategies manage the quantity of development by regulating the rate of growth or ultimate capacity for development.

And many strategies emphasize the location of development by expanding or contracting existing areas that attract growth or by diverting the growth to new areas.

The role of the market, local norms and the lawThree different approaches to growth managementLet the market determine growthLet the local norms determine developmentLet the law monitor and enforce growth

Resources on tourism planningTourism Planning by Stynes and OHalloranWhat to consider in tourism planning by KellyPlanning, Policy and Tourism reference list