Tourism Planning and Development Basic Concepts PDF

TH1803 TOURISM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BASIC CONCEPTS As part of any industry, tourism also requires planning as one of the most fundamental skills a professional in the industry must have. All sorts of development within the tourism industry must have a plan as it will n...

TH1803 TOURISM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BASIC CONCEPTS As part of any industry, tourism also requires planning as one of the most fundamental skills a professional in the industry must have. All sorts of development within the tourism industry must have a plan as it will need resources (such as budget) and approvals depending on the quality of the tourism plan. Tourism planning and development sets the objectives and serves as the guide on how to carry out the major tasks such as management, monitoring, and implementation (Cruz, 2014). Tourism Policy It is defined as a “set of rules, regulations, guidelines, directives, and development/promotion objectives and strategies that provide framework within which the collective and individual decisions directly affecting long- term tourism development and the daily activities within a destination are taken” (Goeldner & Ritchie 2003, p. 413 in Scott, 2011, p. 2 in Cruz, 2014). Tourism policy serves as one of the major bases of a tourism plan which then covers several sectors such as local and national development plans, foreign policies, natural and cultural assets, etc. Tourism Plan It is the result or the output made from tourism planning. The process of tourism planning basically involves the following steps: 1. Acquiring understanding – This step emphasizes the importance of being educated through different ways, such as consultations, area visits, face-to-face contact with the local communities of the area, and more. Tourism planning must start with the necessary understanding of the situation as a guide in decision-making. 2. Preliminary position statement – This involves the development of the formal statement of interest by the people involved in tourism planning. The goals, objectives, and desired results must be stated while following the policies and restrictions of the area of interest. 3. Commitment for tourism study – Full commitment to the required studies will help establish the plan’s feasibility. This will serve as the basis of the plan’s actual development. 4. Market and resource analysis – This step gathers data on the destination’s tourism products and possible target markets. The data gathered serves as a basis for major investment decisions. 5. Conceptual planning – This step uses the gathered data in market and resource analysis to establish the image and identification of the area of concern. This involves the general description of what the area should look like and how it will function as soon as it is developed. 6. Plan approval – This is when the initial plan is recognized. The decision makers will review the plan thoroughly before proceeding to master planning. 7. Master planning – This step involves more time and money compared to the previous steps. The master plan is more detailed and frequent changes could take place. This is because of the cooperation between private and public sectors. 8. Final commitment – After finalizing the master plan, several commitments in different sectors are needed. These may involve government support, private investments, etc. 9. Implementation programs – This step fills the gap between a plan on paper and an actual operating tourism destination. Different elements in the plan should be coordinated. 10. Evaluation and direction – This step involves monitoring of the operations. Continuous feedback on visitor arrivals and levels of satisfaction must be gathered. This will prevent the decline of the area of concern. 06 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 5  TH1803 Tourism Planning Dimensions A tourism plan is complex because it varies according to the following dimensions: Levels – There are different levels where a tourism plan can be made, such as international, national, regional, provincial, city, or site, depending on the scope and details involved. Time-frame – Plans are always future-oriented and dependent on the length of time that the plan intends to be completed. It can be short-term (two years or less), medium-term (two to five years), and long-term (five years and more). Scope – A tourism plan’s coverage can be wider and more comprehensive or can focus only on a few aspects of tourism planning. Spatial Units – These are the spaces that are covered in tourism planning and where tourism is developed, also known as tourism development unit. Characteristics of Tourism Tourism is a very complex product that consists of goods and services provided in the tourism value chain, which refers to the suppliers that provide and carry out the needed inputs for tourism operations. These suppliers form different types of tourism product that will be sold to tourists in order to provide quality experience. Tourism destinations are intangible, which means they cannot be tried or experienced before being purchased. Therefore, tourists base their buying decisions on images and expectations made through recommendations and word of mouth about experiencing tourist destinations. The progress of a destination to be a prime tourist spot takes a long time and only a select few can do it overnight. Therefore, tourism planning must be long-term, to which partners must show a long-term commitment. Tourism requires a big capital investment, especially during the initial stages of development. The amount of money required to build infrastructure, facilities, and human resource must be considerable to achieve desired outcomes. EFFECTIVE TOURISM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT In order to have a good tourism plan, the following factors need to be considered during the planning and development phase: Availability and Quality of Tourism-relevant Data – The accuracy of tourism-relevant data is highly essential for estimating supply-capacity, demanding forecast, and monitoring results. In the Philippines, data gathering at the national level is updated generally every year. However, in local and barangay levels, it becomes less updated and means that improvements in data gathering under this level should require more effort. Caliber of Planning Expertise – Expertise in planning is built over years of education and experience. Hence, the level of expertise of the people involved in tourism planning can determine the quality of the output (tourism plan). It may range from a less sophisticated to a detailed and concise tourism plan. Type and Variety of Tourism Resources – Each country has a unique characteristic that can be used as an asset for tourism purposes. Tourism planning may depend on the available tourism resources or assets a destination may offer. It may opt to capitalize on what tourism resources the destination has. Kinds of Tourism Resources in Nearby Destinations – The different kinds of tourism resources or assets in adjacent destinations may affect the level of competitiveness of a potential area for tourism. The area of concern in the tourism plan must be able to differentiate themselves among other similar tourist attractions. 06 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 5  TH1803 Culture of the Residents – The cultural characteristics of a destination may affect the types of tourists they may attract. The tourism plan must take note for it can be used as an advantage to improve its competitiveness. Geographic Location – It is important to consider the geographic location of the area of concern in a tourism plan for several factors that may affect tourism development. These factors may be in the form of the area’s climate, security, vulnerability to natural disasters, and infrastructure requirements. Target Market – The characteristics and the possible influence of the target markets, which are what the tourists expect to visit in the destination of concern in the tourism plan, must be taken into consideration. This will determine the types of amenities and services that the destination will offer. Tourism Development Paradigm – Tourism development has a set of objectives that is influenced by a certain philosophy. This defines the choice of issues that the plan must address, the goals, and the strategies needed to achieve the desired outcome. National Tourism Policy and Legislation – These set the limitations and provide guidelines on what can and cannot be done within the area of concern. Tourism development must take note of these guidelines to ensure that they still operate within the legal boundaries of the area. Stakeholders’ Perception and Attitudes – Perception and attitudes towards tourism development may be factors regarding the level of support these can get from stakeholders. Positive perception will result into embracing tourism development, while negative perception will make the stakeholders oppose it. Awareness of External Forces – Tourism planning must also consider external development, especially those which involve the tourism industry, for it might affect the feasibility of the plan. These developments are mostly within the scope of society and culture, technology, environment, economy, and politics. Some examples may include changes in the world economy, technological advancements, climate change, aging population, etc. Financial Capital – In order to proceed in tourism development, the tourism plan must consider the amount needed to cover all the expenses required by the tourism project. This is to ensure that the objectives and the desired outcome are fully met. TOURISM AREA LIFE CYCLE Tourism development does not end with establishing the area as a prime destination. It is a continuous process that must be monitored and sustained in order to keep its ability to provide great experience to tourists. Hence, the tourism life cycle must also be considered in tourism planning. Tourism life cycle is a model formulated by Professor Richard W. Butler, which analyzes the development of a tourist destination through the following stages: Exploration – This stage is when people start to discover the destination. Facilities are not yet available and are below the standards of tourism usually owned by locals. Tourism in the area is still limited since it is still not quite accessible and lacks facilities. Involvement – The number of visitors in the destination starts to increase; some can be considered as “regulars,” while others may observe seasonal patterns of visitor arrival in the area. The locals are starting to adapt or advertise in which the local government is pressured to do developments in infrastructure. Development – Additional infrastructure and well-developed market areas are starting to get visible. Tourists outnumber the locals during peak seasons, and the involvement of the local community in tourism development starts to dwindle. Consolidation – The growth in tourist arrivals starts to decline, but the number of visitors is still at high. Business zones are being developed, making older facilities perceived as inferior. A huge part of the economy is becoming tied to tourism, and the locals may start to see the negative effects of tourism. 06 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 5  TH1803 Stagnation – The number of tourists the destination can accommodate reaches its limit. Environmental, economic, and social problems also start to occur. The destination’s appeal to tourists diminishes, while facilities start to cease operations. Decline/Rejuvenation – This is the final stage in which the destination can either fade or recover. The destination declines when it can no longer compete with other emerging destinations and loses its appeal to tourists. On the other hand, it can recover and rejuvenate if it can discover resources that are still fresh and unused. Rejuvenation Stagnation Number of Tourists Consolidation Decline Development Involvement Exploration Time Figure 1. Stages in the tourism area life cycle Source: Tourism Planning and Development, 2014. p. 13 TYPES OF TOURISTS The approach to defining the different types of tourists depends on their motivation for traveling, usually linked to their personal needs. Identifying tourist types may be based on the interaction of personality attributes such as attitude, perceptions, and motivations (Fletcher et al., 2018). Cohen’s Classification of Tourists Professor Erik Cohen (1972) classified tourists using the theory that tourism combines the desire of tourists to seek out new experiences with the feeling of security they have at their own homes. He proposed a continuum of possible combinations of familiarity and novelty in the roles of tourists. Cohen separated them into two (2) in order to further specify the types of tourists under each role. (Fletcher et al, 2018). These are the following: Institutionalized Tourists – Cohen described them as tourists who prefer familiarity on a destination. They are the types that are commonly dealt with in a routinary way by professionals in the tourism industry. Under the institutionalized tourist classification role are the following specific types: o The Organized Mass Tourist – This is the type of tourist that has a low appetite in adventure- type experiences. They are uncomfortable with unfamiliar experiences and prefer to play it safe. Hence, they are usually the type that avails pre-packaged tours and has little interaction with local people. o The Individual Mass Tourist – Same with organized mass tourists, they just have more flexibility and scope regarding their personal travel choices. Still, they prefer to play it safe within the boundaries of traditional tourist activities. 06 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 4 of 5  TH1803 Non-Institutionalized Tourists – They are described as tourists who prefer and seek to try new things by not utilizing traditional tourism service providers unless necessary. Under this classified role are the following specific types: o The Explorer – They arrange trips independently in an almost non-traditional way. However, they still seek the comfort of having a reliable and traditional travel needs. They are flexible enough to try new experiences but still like to be guaranteed that safe choices are always available. o The Drifter – They seek a whole new experience and a different way of traveling. Their main objective is to detach themselves from their daily lives and immerse themselves in an entirely new way of living without any fixed itinerary. They are likely to be more connected and, sometimes, live with the local community. Familiarity Novelty Non-institutionalized Institutionalized Tourist Tourist Organized Individual Mass Mass The Explorer The Drifter Tourists Tourists Figure 2. Cohen’s Classification of Tourists Source: Tourism: Principles and Practice, 2018. p. 49 References: Cruz, R.G. (2016). Tourism impacts and sustainability. Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc. Cruz, R.G. (2014). Tourism planning and development. Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc. Fletcher, J., Fyall, A., Gilbert, D., Wanhill, S. (2018). Tourism: Principles and practice. Harlow: Pearson Education, LTD. Lansangan-Cruz, Z. (2015). Tourism: Planning and development. Mandaluyong City: National Book Store. 06 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 5 of 5