HTT167: Fundamentals of Tourism - Chapter 6: Sustaining Tourism's Benefits

HTT167: Fundamentals of Tourism - Chapter 6: Sustaining Tourism's Benefits

Learning Outcomes

  • At the end of this topic, students should be able to:

    • Explain the process of tourism planning

    • Discuss the major aspects of sustainable tourism development

6.1 Competitive Tourism Destination Planning

  • Core Resources and Attractors: Fundamental reasons why prospective visitors choose one destination over another.

    • 7 Categories:

    • Physiography & climate

    • Culture and history

    • Market ties

    • Mix of activities

    • Special events

    • Entertainment

    • Tourism superstructure

  • Supporting Factors and Resources: Provide a functional foundation that facilitates tourism and enhances its contribution to the destination's well-being. Examples include:

    • Physical infrastructure

    • Accessibility (transportation)

    • Resident/industry hospitality

    • Entrepreneurial efforts of tourism operators

    • Political support

    • Trained and welcoming staff

  • Qualifying and Amplifying Determinants: Potential success is limited by situational conditioners which include:

    • Safety/security

    • Cost

    • Image

  • Destination Policy, Planning, and Development: A strategic framework for successfully developing sustainable tourism, which includes:

    1. Definition of the tourism system

    2. Philosophy of tourism

    3. A vision for the future

    4. A positioning/branding strategy

    5. A detailed development plan

    6. A competitive/collaborative analysis

    7. Monitoring and evaluation policies

    8. A rigorous destination audit analyzing strengths, weaknesses, problems, challenges, and opportunities.

  • Destination Management: Daily operational activities implementing the policy and planning framework including:

    • Effective organization

    • Information management

    • Human resource development

    • Obtaining adequate financing and venture capital

    • Effective visitor management

    • Ongoing resource stewardship

    • Crisis management preparation

  • Comparative vs. Competitive Advantage:

    • Comparative Advantage includes:

    • Human resources

    • Physical resources

    • Knowledge resources

    • Capital resources

    • Infrastructure and superstructure

    • Historical and cultural resources

    • Competitive Advantage focuses on:

    • Audit and inventory

    • Maintenance

    • Growth and development

    • Efficiency and effectiveness

  • Global (macro) vs. Competitive (micro) Environment:

    • Global: Broad phenomena affecting all human activities, not specific to travel and tourism.

    • Microenvironment: Part of the tourism system; includes interactions and activities of entities that directly affect the goals of each member of the tourism system.

6.1 Competitive Tourism Destination (Cont.)

  • Destination Branding: Branding acts as a visual identifier of a destination, company, or product. Essential characteristics include:

    • Must convey product quality

    • Easy to pronounce, recognize, and remember

    • Must stand out

    • Should not carry negative connotations in other cultures/languages

  • A successful brand incorporates five key ingredients:

  • Destination Quality Strategy Influencing Factors: Working against the choice of a destination;

    • Dissatisfaction Causes include:

    • Crowding and privacy issues due to overdevelopment

    • Supply failures from poor planning for a floating population

    • Poorly organized public spaces and venues

    • Congested beaches and streets

    • Uncontrolled urban growth and construction

6.2 Tourism Planning

  • Definition: Involves predicting the future, setting objectives for desired outcomes, and outlining actions to meet these objectives. It integrates lessons from the past.

    • Typically managed by government agencies at state/provincial and local levels who conduct research and make predictions regarding tourism trends.

  • Planning Process:

    1. Definitional Phase:

    • Define the tourism destination system (geographical boundaries, stakeholder relationships)

    • Specification of tourism destination philosophy (underlying values)

    • Crafting of a destination vision

    • Specification of objectives and constraints

    1. Analytical Phase:

    • Internal analysis of existing policies and resources

    • External analysis of demand, competition, and promotional strategies

    1. Operational Phase:

    • Strategy determination and forecasting future demand

    • Policy and program recommendations

    1. Implementation Phase:

    • Development, promotion, and stewardship strategies

    • Responsibilities identification for tactical implementation

    • Identification of funding sources and specification of timing for tactics

6.3 Sustainable Tourism Development

  • Definition of Sustainability: Providing what is needed for something or someone to exist and continue into the future.

  • The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) defines sustainable development as:

    • “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

  • Sustainable Tourism: Tourism activities and development that do not jeopardize the economic, social, cultural, or environmental assets of a destination.

Components of Sustainable Tourism

  • Profit (Economic Impacts):

    • Mass tourism often prioritizes profit at the expense of the planet and local communities.

  • The 3 Ps of sustainable tourism:

    • Planet: Environmental impacts

    • People: Impacts on local communities

Current Issues in Sustainable Tourism

  • Overtourism examples:

    • Bali: Subject to environmental crises attributed to tourism overdevelopment.

    • Venice, Italy: Overrun by day-trippers outnumbering overnight visitors and residents.

    • Maya Bay, Thailand: Pollution from boats damaging coral reefs; declining ecosystem health.

  • Strain on Natural Resources: Millions of additional tourists challenge natural resources and can diminish visitation in natural areas.

  • Climate Change Effects: Seasonal tourist activities threatened by climate change, particularly in coastal cities facing sea-level rise.

  • Local Residents Quality of Life:

    • If local communities do not receive benefits from tourism, it can lead to declines in their quality of life and host-guest relationship strains.

    • Tourism Leakage: Less than 10% of tourism revenues may benefit the local economy. Examples of expenditure categories include:

    • Airfare, online travel agencies (OTAs)

    • Visa fees, hotel chains, management companies

    • Local businesses may retain less than 10% of tourist spending.

Solutions to Sustainable Tourism Problems

  • Concepts: Initiatives like Green tourism, Responsible tourism, Alternative tourism can mitigate negative impacts.

  • Common Terms in Ecotourism:

    • Adventure tourism, Low-impact tourism, Nature-based tourism.

  • Eco-tourists: Generally seek immersive cultural experiences and sustainable tourism options; often wealthier and more educated.

  • Key Principles of Ecotourism:

    1. Minimize environmental impact

    2. Ensure host communities receive economic benefits

    3. Involve local communities in tourism development

Greenwashing Awareness

  • Definition: The act of misleading the public about the environmental impacts of a company's operations and products.

  • Seven Sins of Greenwashing:

    1. Hidden Trade-Off: Claims emphasizing one aspect while ignoring others.

    2. No Proof: Claims lacking substantiation by reliable evidence.

    3. Vagueness: Broad claims that mislead consumers.

    4. Worshipping False Labels: Misleading impressions of third-party endorsements that do not exist.

    5. Irrelevance: True claims that are unimportant.

    6. Lesser of Two Evils: Claims that distract from more impactful issues.

    7. Fibbings: Simply false environmental claims.

Supporting Sustainable Initiatives

  • LEED Certification: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) establishes standards for sustainable building practices based on factors like water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.

  • Goals of Ecotourism:

    1. Define and clarify marketing programs

    2. Promote consistency in terminology

    3. Measure and report compliance

    4. Establish measurable criteria

Sustainable Practices Benefits

  • Encourages local ownership and management resulting in more economic gains for communities.

  • Empowers locals through education on health, business, and conservation practices.

Real-World Applications of Sustainable Tourism

  • Tembe Elephant Park: Collaborates with the local Tembe tribe to ensure job creation and community upliftment.

  • Langkawi: Recognized for sustainable practices as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

  • Arenal Observatory Lodge: Highlights local materials and sustainable construction practices.

Conclusion

  • Chapter 6 provides insights into the process of tourism planning and the fundamental principles of sustainable tourism development.

References

  1. Cook, R. A., Hsu, C. H. C., & Taylor, L. L. (2018). Tourism: The Business of Hospitality and Travel (6th ed.). Pearson.