TOURISM

PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT
Learning Objectives

At the end of this chapter you should:

 Be aware of the key players in tourism management;

 Be aware of a number of introductory issues in

relation to the key players in tourism planning and
management; tourists, the host community, the
tourism industry, government agencies, the media
and non-government organizations (NGOs).
 Examine the influence of these key players to the
planning and development.
Introduction

Discussion of tourism management requires

consideration of a number of factors, including:
 Who is managing?

 What is being managed?

 How is it being managed?

 Where is it happening?

 When is it happening?
The Key Players in Tourism
Planning And Management
Key Perspectives

Key players in tourism management

It is possible to suggest that the key players in
tourism planning and management are as follows:
 the tourists themselves;

 the host population;

 the tourism industry;

 government agencies (at local, regional, national

and international level).
Key Perspectives

 The ‘ETB triangle’ stresses the importance of both

the tourist and the local or host community when
discussing the factors influencing management
issues in tourism.
 This chapter provides initially a discussion of tourists
in relation to planning and management of tourism
prior to a discussion of host communities. This is
followed by a consideration of the role of
government agencies and the tourism industry itself.
Brief consideration is then given to the media and
non-government organizations.
Key Perspectives
The Tourist
The Tourist…
 Tourists are obviously of key importance in the
management of tourism. Unfortunately, tourists are
often viewed as the major cause of the problems of
tourism. If they are perceived as an homogenous
group, then tourists are a relatively easy target for
the so-called evils of tourism. They are ‘outsiders’
and can be blamed by ‘insiders’ (the local people) for
negative consequences of tourism. When the
appearance of tourists and their behaviour is in
marked contrast to that of the local population, it is
also easy to point the finger of blame at them.
However, this is rather a simplistic picture.
The Tourist…
Basic Responsibilities
 To obey local laws and regulations

 Not to take part in activities which are illegal and

being widely condemned by the society
 Not to deliberately offend local religious beliefs or

cultural norms of behavior

 Not to harm the local physical environment

 To minimize the use of scarce local resources

The Tourist…
 It is possible to argue that the tourist has both
rights and responsibilities.
 Figure A indicates a number of basic
responsibilities of tourists and also some
others that are linked to the concept of
sustainability in tourism, while Figure B
suggests some tourists’ rights.
Figur
e “A”
Figure “B”
The Tourist…
 Although there are a number of laws and regulations
relating to the operational aspects of the tourism
industry, there are few regulations pertaining directly
to the behaviour of tourists.
 Hence, the notion of tourists’ responsibilities can be
seen as rather an alien concept. However, there
have been a number of attempts to influence the
behaviour of tourists.
The Host Community
The Host Community…
 Such terminology as the host community may be
somewhat misleading as it implies that there are
guests to complement the supposed hosts.
 However, as tourists are not always welcome, a
more appropriate term could be local community,
resident community or destination community.
Nevertheless, the term host community is now
commonly used in tourism literature and so it is
employed here.
The Host Community…
 Also termed as local/resident/destination community
 It can act as a major attraction for the tourists
(cultural manifestations)
 Host community is heterogeneous not
homogeneous, thus the importance of different
groups and vested interests needs to be recognized.
 May be passive recipients of tourists or actively
involved in tourism, also in its planning and
management
The Host Community…
 An important aspect of any discussion of host
communities is that it would wrong to assume that
there is such a thing as a host community.
 As with tourists, the host community is heterogeneous
not homogenous.
 A host community can be made up of long-term
indigenous residents and recent domestic as well as
international migrants. In addition to obvious variations
in gender and age, a host community is likely to have
individuals and groups with several different value
positions, political persuasions and attitudes to socio-
cultural phenomena, including tourism.
 The Host Community…
 Some definitions of host
communities refer to a specific
geographical area. This would
seem a sensible way to define a
host community.
 However, there are problems
with this. The geographical
extent of the community has to
be decided upon. It may be
relatively simple when
considering a small town or
village.
 The Host Community…
 This discussion may lead to the conclusion that it is
easier to define a community by the values and
behaviours that it shares. This approach is however
problematic as many geographical settlements are
made up of majority and minority groups in any one
community.
 Hence, geographical settlements, including many
tourist destinations, exhibit variations of community
in terms of ethnic background, length of residency,
age of residents and levels of income.
 The Host Community…
 In relation to tourism planning and management, if it
is acknowledged that communities are
heterogeneous, then the importance of different
interest groups and vested interests needs to be
recognized. The acceptance of the notion of
heterogeneous communities brings with it the
realisation that the planning and management of
tourism is a more complex and yet even more
necessary task.
 The Host Community…
In accepting that communities are heterogeneous,
suggests that they could be divided up in terms of:
 Elites and the rest of the population;

 Indigenous residents and immigrants;

 Those involved in tourism and those not involved;

 Property owners and property renters;

 Younger people and older people;

 Employers, employees, self-employed;

 Those with private cars, those relying on public

transport;
 Affluent and less well-off residents;
The Government
Agencies
 Government Agencies…
 Frequently referred to as the public sector
 Its role in tourism development depends on the type
of government (democratic or dictatorship) and the
status (developed or developing) of the country
where the planning is involved.
 They are not commercial organisations intent on
making a profit, but are meant to represent the views
of tax payers and electors.
 Government Agencies…
The main reasons for the involvement of the public
sector in tourism are as follows:
 The public sector is mandated to represent the

whole population and not just one set of

stakeholders or interest group.
 The public sector is intended to be impartial, with no

particular vested or commercial interests.

 The public sector can take a longer-term view of

tourism development than the private sector.

 Government Agencies…
 Governments may attempt to regulate tourism, but they
also have a role in marketing tourism.
 Marketing is usually associated with promoting tourism,
that is, not controlling or regulating it.