TOURISM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

Introduction to tourism planning and development;

Definition of terms

Planning

·         Planning is the process of identifying objectives and defining and evaluating methods of achieving them. Tourism planning is thinking in advance of what is to be done. A plan is a predetermined course of action.

·         Tourism is one of many activities in a community or region that requires planning and coordination. This unit provides a simple structure and basic guidelines for comprehensive tourism planning at a community or regional level. By comprehensive planning we mean planning which considers all of the tourism resources, organizations, markets, and programs within a region. Comprehensive planning also considers economic, environmental, social, and institutional aspects of tourism development.

·         Tourism planning has evolved from two related but distinct sets of planning philosophies and methods. On the one hand, tourism is one of many activities in an area that must be considered as part of physical, environmental, social, and economic planning. Therefore, it is common to find tourism addressed, at least partially, in a regional land use, transportation, recreation, economic development, or comprehensive plan.

·         On the other hand, The degree to which tourism is addressed in such plans depends upon the relative importance of tourism to the community or region and how sensitive the planning authority is to tourism activities

• Development

Factors that determine the success of a tourism destination;

The first important aspect of a tourist destination is the environment. Architecture, cleanliness, beauty, and a unique appearance are all components of the environment of a place, and each is integral to creating the right appearance. Presentation of a place visually is perhaps one of the most important factors in creating a successful tourist destination, as people will judge a destination in a matter of seconds upon arrival.

Industry is another sector of a location that is important to consider. This includes everything from art galleries to sport, from manufacturing to film. Industry is at the heart of a location, and is a big motivator for tourists to visit. However, Industry may be more important to local people than it is to tourists travelling long distances, as tourists may stick to visiting landmarks.

Landmarks are also a huge asset when attempting to attract tourists, however, there are many successful tourist destinations that do not have them. With all the right ingredients, a tourist destination can become it’s own landmark. History is another asset which is beneficial to a place but not compulsory. History is one of the components that make certain destinations so popular, however, with many locations their history is either ignored or overlooked, yet they still remain popular destinations.

The local community must also play a part in making a successful tourist location. The mind-set of stakeholders is a huge influencer in the success of a destination, as their attitude towards tourists can affect their behaviour towards them. Friendly locals can be a factor in making people want to return to a destination, and an unfriendly reception can stop people coming back at all.

Finally, it is the branding used which combines all of the above aspects to create the ultimate tourist destination. A talented Branding Agency will dig out what a location has to offer so that a place can showcase its’ true essence and gain a personality. A powerful and compelling brand has the power to turn any regular location into somewhere special. Every place has the potential to succeed, it is merely a matter of finding the spark and igniting it to create success.

Components of a tourism destination

1. Tangible and Intangible components

a)      Tangible components

–        Transportation systems

–        Accommodation: hotels, bandas, campsites; home stays

–        Food & beverages

–        Tourist Attractions and destinations (physical features)

–        People and their Cultural items or artifacts etc

b)      Intangible components:

–        Rest and Relaxation

–        Culture and local Hospitality

–        Escape and Adventure

–        Experience/interest sought

–        Travel planning and organization

2. Components of a tourism destination

The following constitute the component sectors of a successful tourist destination also known as The 5 A’s

a)      Accessibility/ Transportation

b)      Accommodations

c)      Attractions/Activities

d)      Amenities

e)      Ancillary/support services

Accessibility/ Transportation

•         Access implies how well a destination is located and served by transportation network and systems

•         Transport is a key factor in the development of tourism and its destinations

•         Different forms of transport require infrastructure able to handle the traffic volume in acceptable time

Some key considerations include: -

•         Faster travel times (bullet trains).

•         Lower costs and fares; chartered versus scheduled transport.

•         Visas and facilitating entry-difficult entry / security versus promoting tourism the Singapore experience.

•         Variety of modes and appropriate means/vehicular types.

•         Availability of parking.

•         Capacity of transport system-traffic congestion.

•         nature trails and foot paths

•         Transport nodes/terminals should offer a complete range of services; hotels, catering, Telecommunications, medical, shopping and recreational facilities

Accommodations

Some are commercial while others are offered without charge by friends and relatives. The type of accommodations vary greatly. WTO classifies accommodations as follows: -

•         Hotels and similar establishments; Apartments, villas, motels, lodges, resorts etc.

•         Specialized establishments; golf courses.

•         Work and holiday camps.

•         Health establishments.

•         Conference centres.

•         Tourist campsites.

•         Owned dwellings/time share.

•         Farm houses/Rented rooms in family homes.

•         Holiday dwellings; home exchanges, second homes-VFR.

•         Public means of transport; cruise ships, train couchettes, caravans.

Regardless of the type of accommodation, the following are the most important hotel features:-

1. High standards of cleanliness always.
2. High quality bed mattress and linen.
3. Attractive and pleasant bedroom.
4. Quiet bedroom, no disturbance.
5. Adequate bedside lighting enough for reading.
6. High quality well maintained bathroom with good fittings.
7. Efficient and easy booking services.
8. Efficient check-in check-out formalities.
9. Attentive and efficient staff.

Attractions

They fall in three categories: -

a)      Cultural attractions

•         Museums

•         Ethnicity/Exotic people (42 tribes)

•         Concerts

•         Historical sites

•         Archaeological sites

•         Monuments

•         Theaters

•         Traditional Cuisine

•         Traditional architecture

•         Music and dance

•         Art and craft/traditional handicraft

•         Religion and myths of origin

•         Hospitality – the need to make visitors feel welcome and comfortable

b)     Natural attractions

•         Landscape

•         Seascape

•         Parks and reserves

•         Flora and Fauna

•         Coasts

•         Islands

c)Amenities

This covers a wide range of support facilities developed at the destination area for tourists as well as the Tourist Host Community (THC)

•         Dining/restaurants

•         Shopping facilities and other retail outlets

•         Sporting facilities

•         Entertainment locations

d)Ancillary/support services

•         Retail Services -travel intermediaries- KATO

•         Tourist information centers

•         Government tourism and immigration offices

•         Tourism marketing activities

•         Policing/security services

•         Insurance

•         Banking;  forex, Forms of payment

• What  makes a destination successful
• Major elements in planning for a tourism destination
• Stages of destination development

Tourism planning process;

PLANNING

 The process of setting goals & objectives, selecting alternative courses of action to achieve those goals, implementing the chosen alternative and evaluating the choices to find out if it is successful

 –A key element in the life of any destination and occurs at many levels ranging from the planning decisions made by individual firms to collective planning involving all stakeholders in the destination (Gunn, 1988)

•Tourism Planning:

 Process of coordinating land use planning, economic development and community participation  to develop or improve tourism in a nation, region and /or a destination.

•Tourism Development Plan:

 A plan that outlines how a location will serve visitors, adapt to their growing numbers, and  protect local cultures and environments in a sustainable manner.

THE NEED FOR TOURISM PLANNING

•To avoid eventual decline of a destination

•A tourism plan and development program can provide guidelines for areas, in which the government and the private sectors, with little or no experience, on how to develop these areas

•A tourism plan is necessary to coordinate the different sectors to better service the needs for tourism and the general public

•Through an integrated tourism plan, the various direct and indirect economic benefits of tourism can be achieved.

Nature and Purpose

·         Planning is the most fundamental function of management. It determines the course of action to achieve the desired results.

·         Planning therefore is the outlining of things to be done, the people to do those things and the method to accomplish the objectives of the organizations.

·         It is deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it and who to do it. Planning is characterized by thinking before doing.

·         Planning precedes all other managerial functions because without set goals to be reached and lines of action to be followed, there is nothing to organize, direct or control.

Characteristics of planning

-          Planning is goal oriented – i.e. it’s a means towards accomplishment of objectives.

-          Planning involves the selection the selection of the best course of action.

-          Planning is mainly concerned with looking ahead into the future.

-          Planning is required at all levels of managements (its all pervasive)

-          Planning is flexible as its based future conditions which are too dynamic.

-          Planning is a continuous and unending process. (Assumption and events on which plans are based change therefore old plans have to be reused periodically).

-          Planning governs the survival, growth and prosperity of an organization.

-          Planning is the basis of all management functions.

• Aims of tourism planning

-          Provide a framework for raising the standard living of people through economic benefits of tourism.

-          Develop the infrastructure and provide recreation facilities for tourists.

-          Establish types of development within the tourist centers & resorts that are suitable purposes of the4 area.

-          Provide a development program.

FEATURES OF A GOOD PLAN

A good plan should have the following features;

• It should be based on clearly defined objectives
• It should be simple
• It should provide for proper analysis and classification of action.
• It should be relatively stable, balanced and well coordinated.
• It should use all the available resources and opportunities before creating new resources.
•  A good plan should be realistic and viable. This means that it should be implement able.
• It should open up new avenues and ways of doing things and reveal specific opportunities previously unknown to the planner.

Why do we need tourism planning?

—  Tourism development has both negative and positive impacts. It is more competitive than ever before and there has been a proliferation in the promotion of tourism destinations.

—  Tourism has damaged many natural and cultural resources. It affects everyone in a community, and all people involved in tourism should participate in the tourism planning process.

—  A tourism plan and development program can provide guidelines for areas in which government and the private sectors have little or no experience on how to develop these areas.

—  Since tourism is a complex, multisectoral activity, a tourism plan is necessary to coordinate the different sectors to better service the needs of tourism and the general public.

—  Through an integrated tourism plan, the various direct and indirect economic benefits of tourism can be achieved.

—  A responsible tourism plan is a means to attain environmental conservation objectives through the development of tourist attractions, facilities, and infrastructure.

Types of tourism planning

Land use planning

 •Includes prefeasibility and feasibility studies, evaluation of environmental and socio-cultural influences, and zoning planning.

•Zoning regulations, architectural landscaping and engineering design standards are often prepared for this type of planning

Facility site planning

  –Actual location of buildings, recreation areas, streets, walkways, parking, landscaping areas and other land uses are shown in maps

Facility design

  –Designs for landscaping, architecture, infrastructure and engineering must be prepared for resorts, hotels, restaurants, attractions, archaeological and historic sites, information and cultural centers, visitor facilities at national parks and other tourist facilities

Special studies

  –These studies pertain to environmental, socio-cultural, economic impact analyses, marketing analyses and promotion programs

THE BENEFITS OF TOURISM PLANNING

·         A responsible tourism plan is a means to attain environmental conservation objectives through the development of tourist attractions, facilities and infrastructure.

·         A careful tourism plan is a means to achieve cultural conservation objectives and produce socio cultural benefits.

·         A good tourism plan is a means in which the natural and cultural resources for tourism are maintained, not destroyed, in the development process

·         The right type of tourism plan can be used to invigorate poorly developed tourism destinations

·         Careful planning is necessary to develop specialized training facilities for the education & training for particular manpower skills & abilities

Steps in tourism planning process

1. Study recognition and preparation. The first stage in planning process is associated with the recognition of the need for the strategy in order to obtain and/or increase competitive advantage to contribute to long-term growth. Depending on available budget and a range of other factors, studies may be planned to be conducted on local regional or national levels.

2. Setting of objectives or goals for the strategy. Goals and objectives need to be formulated according to SMART principle, where the acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.

3. Survey of existing data. The survey of existing data or secondary research can be done through analysing relevant information available on wide range of tourism reviews websites, newspapers, magazines, books and other online and offline published materials.

The types of data that need to be collected from these sources include, but not limited to patterns of tourist behaviours, availability and quality of accommodation, impacts of environmental factors, social and cultural characteristics of tourism destinations etc. Importantly, the survey of existing data should cover all three directions: the state of issues at present, projected changes in the state of issues, and outline of principles for monitoring for the future.

4. Implementation of new surveys. New surveys are conducted in order to obtain fresh data and/or fill the information gap in relation to the tourism industry. Surveys can be conducted through online or offline questionnaires or interviews.

When conducting the survey it is very important to select respondents i.e. sample group members from amongst target customers for tourism destinations.

5. Analysis of secondary and primary data. In case of questionnaires, data analysis can be done through representing collected information in bar-charts, pie-charts etc. In case of interviews, on the other hand, data analysis may involve finding common patterns in responses provided sample group members and critically analysing these patterns. In data analysis it is important for secondary and primary data to be analysed in an integrated manner.

6. Initial policy and plan formulation. As the next stage in planning process, analysis of the entire primary and secondary information enable decision makers to develop initial policies and formulate initial plans.

7. Recommendations. A set of recommendations can be developed as a result of initial policy and initial plan formulation.

8. Implementation. Recommendations that are found as sensible and feasible by strategic level executives can be implemented into the practice.

9. Monitoring and plan reformulation. The last stage of the planning process involves monitoring the levels and nature of implementation of plans and engaging in strategy re-formulation if changes in internal and especially external environment require doing so.

Stages in planning process for tourism industry

Product life cycle is an economic theory developed by Raymond Vernon. This theory characterizes the stages of development:

Inception – discovery

a.       During this stage of development, a few adventurous tourist visit the area. These are the all centric type of tourists. Some of them decide to stay in the area and become expatriates. These expatriates establish restaurants, guest residences, souvenir shops and tour services. Their business usually succeed because they offer services that are more modern, more sanitary and more reliable than those offered by the local population. These are the reasons why a greater number of all centrics are encouraged to visit the destination.

Growth – local response and initiative

b.      For stage II, the number of tourists increases. The area has developed a good reputation by word of mouth. Although tourism is growing, the facilities and services are owned and controlled by the residents.

                                                              i.      There is a lack of standardization of facilities. Tourism development is uncoordinated and spontaneous instead of planned. Tourist continue to adapt the local culture. However, these are signs that the tourist industry is beginning to adapt to the needs of the tourist. Motorboats replace manually propelled boats. Increase attention is given to sanitation and visitor comfort.

                                                            ii.      The increased interaction between tourist and residents result in a desire of residents for better education, increased awareness of the outside world, trend toward equality, and a change of traditional lifestyles.

Maturity – institutionalization

c.       Maturity is characterized by the increase in the number of tourists and the formalization of services, itineraries, and roles. There is a loss of local decision-making and control in the tourist industry.

                                                              i.      Many hotels, airlines and other services are associated with international corporations who make corporate decisions from offices outside the country. Hence, the local population are economically dependent on individuals or corporations who do not reside in the area and yet own and control many tourist services. This creates a feeling that outsiders have taken control.

During the Maturity – Institutionalization stage facilities and procedures are standardized which results in greater efficiency. The diets of the local residents improve because they are exposed to new foods. Native crafts are revived since they are in demand by the tourists. The increased production of native crafts generates more income for the resident population.

Decline – Saturation And Alienation

d.      In the final stage, the destination has become saturated. The residents have become disillusioned because tourism has not produce at all the benefits they expected. For the visitors, the factors that were responsible for the earlier success of the destination, such as the hospitality of the residents, the clean and uncongested environment, and the appeal of the new destination have disappeared so the tourists begin to look for other unaltered destinations.

A destination is not expected to pas through all these four stages. Some do not move beyond stage I. There are destinations that move directly from Stage I to Stage III as in the case of Guam and Fiji.

Even in the decline stage, measures can be taken to rejuvinate a declining destination. An example of this is the repositioning of Miami, Florida as a gateway city to and from Latin America.

Barriers to planning

• Inability to plan or inadequate planning. Managers are not born with the ability to plan. Some managers are not successful planners because they lack the background, education, and/or ability. Others may have never been taught how to plan. When these two types of managers take the time to plan, they may not know how to conduct planning as a process.
• Lack of commitment to the planning process. The development of of a plan is hard work; it is much easier for a manager to claim that he or she doesn't have the time to work through the required planning process than to actually devote the time to developing a plan. (The latter, of course, would save them more time in the long run!) Another possible reason for lack of commitment can be fear of failure. As a result, managers may choose to do little or nothing to help in the planning process.
• Inferior information. Facts that are out‐of‐date, of poor quality, or of insufficient quantity can be major barriers to planning. No matter how well managers plan, if they are basing their planning on inferior information, their plans will probably fail.
• Focusing on the present at the expense of the future. Failure to consider the long‐term effects of a plan because of emphasis on short‐term problems may lead to trouble in preparing for the future. Managers should try to keep the big picture — their long‐term goals — in mind when developing their plans.
• Too much reliance on the organization's planning department. Many companies have a planning department or a planning and development team. These departments conduct studies, do research, build models, and project probable results, but they do not implement plans. Planning department results are aids in planning and should be used only as such. Formulating the plan is still the manager's responsibility.
• Concentrating on controllable variables. Managers can find themselves concentrating on the things and events that they can control, such as new product development, but then fail to consider outside factors, such as a poor economy. One reason may be that managers demonstrate a decided preference for the known and an aversion to the unknown.

The different levels of tourism planning;

• Planning international level
• Planning at national level
• Planning at regional level
• Planning at local level
• Planning at site level

The role of stakeholders in planning and developing tourism;

• The tourists
• Host community
• Government agencies
• The tourism industry
• Voluntary organizations and NGOs

The goals of tourism development;

• Aims of tourism development
• Characteristics of individual tourism development project
• Steps in the tourism  project evaluation and analysis system
• Marketing analysis
• Assessment of available resources

Consequences of unplanned tourism development,

—  Physical impacts

—  Human impacts

—  Marketing impacts

—  Organizational impacts

Participatory planning process;

• Tourism planning approaches and techniques

Sustainable development of tourism.;

• Principles of sustainable tourism