Tourism Destination Development Cycle Notes

Tourism Activity

Tourism System: Understanding the components and interactions within a tourism system is crucial.
Growth of Tourism: Identifying the factors that have contributed to the expansion of tourism is important.
Destination Development: Examining how tourist destination regions evolve over time is essential.
Tourist Personalities: Understanding how different personality characteristics of tourists impact destination regions is necessary.

Tourism Development

Trends in Tourism: Analyzing current trends in tourism helps in forecasting future developments.
Economic Effects: Assessing the economic impacts of tourism on various locations is vital.
Societal Effects: Evaluating the social consequences of tourism on communities is necessary.
Environmental Effects: Understanding the environmental impacts of tourism is crucial for sustainable planning.

Sustainable Tourism Development

Sustainable Development Goals: Determining how tourism development can contribute to achieving broader sustainable development goals is important.
Stakeholder Influence: Evaluating the effectiveness of different stakeholders in promoting sustainable tourism development is essential.
Approaches to Sustainability: Assessing the effectiveness of various approaches in achieving sustainable tourism development is necessary.
Future of Sustainable Tourism: Exploring how tourism might continue to develop sustainably in the future is crucial.

Tourism Destination Development Cycle

The tourism destination development cycle describes how a tourist destination evolves over time. The key features and tourist arrivals change as the destination progresses through these stages:

Exploration Stage
Involvement Stage
Development Stage
Consolidation Stage
Stagnation Stage
Decline Stage
Rejuvenation Stage

The number of tourists is related to the time a tourist destination is active.

As a tourist destination progresses over time, its key features and the number of tourist arrivals evolve.

1. Exploration Stage

Destination Features: Few tourism facilities are available.
Attractions: Natural attractions (e.g., beaches) and cultural attractions (e.g., indigenous villages) draw tourists.
Tourist Profile: A small number of adventurous tourists who travel individually.
Visit Characteristics: Visits are irregular.
Economic Contribution: Tourists make minimal economic contributions to the local economy.

Tourist Arrivals and Contributions

Visited by a small number of adventurous tourists.
Visit individually and irregularly; visits do not occur throughout the year.
Tourists make minimal contributions to the local economy.
They visit these places largely for existing natural or cultural attractions, which may not bring in much income for the locals.

Features of the Destination

Natural attractions or features (e.g., beaches, coral reefs, volcanoes) offer scenic views or an attractive unspoiled natural environment.
Cultural attractions with historical (e.g., ancient temples or castles) or heritage (e.g., indigenous tribal villages) value.
The destination has few tourism facilities.

Example: Jaco Island, Timor Leste

Receives few international visitors due to the inaccessibility of travel to and within the island and the lack of tourism facilities.
Houses the only national park in the country, with beautiful beaches and pristine corals.
Making it a potential tourist destination for development.

2. Involvement Stage

Local Involvement: Locals offer more goods and services to cater to tourists.
Infrastructure Development: More public facilities (e.g., car parks), infrastructure (e.g., roads), and amenities (e.g., local eateries) are developed.
Tourist Increase: Tourist arrivals increase as awareness of the destination spreads.
Seasonality: Development of peak and off-peak tourist seasons.
Economic Contribution: Tourists contribute to the local economy.

Tourist Arrivals and Contributions

Tourist arrivals increase as awareness of the destination spreads through:
- Word of mouth
- Advertisements by local authorities and media (e.g., social media)
Varying numbers of tourists in different parts of the year, leading to peak and off-peak tourist seasons.
Tourists contribute to the local economy.

Features of the Destination

Locals offer more goods and services to cater to tourists (i.e., food and drink vendors, leisure service providers like surfing and boat rentals).
More public facilities such as car parks and toilets.
More infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
More amenities such as Wi-Fi and local eateries as locals begin requesting these from the authorities.
All usually built and maintained by the local authorities or governments.

Example: Luang Prabang, Laos

Local authorities saw the potential of the Kuang Si Waterfall.
Invested money to improve the facilities at the waterfall.
Resulting in an increase in travel agencies and transport providers offering transportation arrangements between the waterfalls and the town area.
This has resulted in an increase in the number of tourists visiting the waterfalls.

3. Development Stage

Tourist Traffic: Tourist arrivals increase rapidly.
Employment: The tourism sector employs a significant number of workers.
Infrastructure Growth: Faster pace in the development of:
- Tourist facilities (e.g., tourist information centers)
- Infrastructure (e.g., airports and ports)
- Amenities (e.g., shopping malls)
- Attractions (e.g., museums, amusement parks, and casinos)
Marketing: Heavy advertising of the destination.
Business Growth: Increase in large and medium businesses that provide goods and services (e.g., large international hotel chains).

Tourist Arrivals and Contributions

Tourist arrivals increase rapidly.
The tourism sector employs a significant number of workers, comprising locals and foreign labor, contributing significantly to the local economy.
Workers from other parts of the country and from other countries will be attracted to work in the booming construction, retail, and tourism sectors of the destination.

Features of the Destination

There is a faster pace in the development of the following:
- Tourist facilities (e.g., tourist information centers)
- Infrastructure (e.g., airports and ports)
- Amenities (e.g., shopping malls)
- Attractions (e.g., museums, amusement parks, and casinos)
There is heavy advertising of the destination.
There is also an increase in large and medium businesses (such as large international hotel chains) that provide goods and services to tourists.
The destination becomes recognized as a tourist destination.

Example: Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

The island is known for its beautiful beaches at the development stage where the tourism sector is growing rapidly.
With an increase in investments, the government has built new infrastructure like the Phu Quoc International Airport and An Thoi International Seaport.
This in turn has attracted major businesses to invest in the island’s tourism facilities, amenities, and infrastructure. For example, the island is home to international hotel chains such as the Pullman Phu Quoc Resort.
In 2019 alone, the island welcomed $5.1$ million visitors, and tourism revenue was estimated at US $250$ million. Tourism now provides $70\%$ of jobs for the local population on the island.

4. Consolidation Stage

Tourist Volume: Tourist arrivals outnumber the local population.
Growth Slowdown: The growth in tourist arrivals starts to slow.
Industry Dominance: The tourism industry dominates the local economy and continues to employ a significant amount of workers.
Development Slowdown: Slowing down in the number of attractions and facilities built.
Ownership: The majority of tourist facilities and amenities may be owned by large multinational companies.

Tourist Arrivals and Contributions

Total annual tourist arrivals to the destination outnumber the local population.
The growth in tourist arrivals starts to slow.
The tourism industry:
- Dominates the local economy.
- Continues to employ a significant amount of workers and contributes significantly to the local economy.

Features of the Destination

A slowing down in the number of attractions and facilities built.
The majority of tourist facilities and amenities are often owned by large multinational companies.

Example: Goa, India

Goa is a unique tourist destination with many attractions ranging from Portuguese culture and architecture to natural landscapes such as tropical beaches.
It is estimated that Goa’s tourism sector contributes about $16.5\%$ to the GDP of the state and employs $35\%$ of the state’s population.
In 2019, Goa saw over seven million local and foreign tourists, while its locals total only $1.5$ million, showing that tourists outnumbered locals in Goa.
The development of tourist facilities and amenities has also slowed down in Goa. Many large multinational companies such as the Marriot International own hotels in Goa such as the Westin Goa and the W Goa.

5. Stagnation Stage

Peak and Decline: Tourist numbers would have peaked and now begin to decline.
Carrying Capacity: Tourist arrivals exceed the carrying capacity, leading to negative consequences (e.g., littering and pollution).
Economic Stalemate: Tourists' contributions to the local economy will start to stagnate.
Attractiveness: The destination may no longer be attractive.

Tourist Arrivals and Contributions

Tourist numbers have peaked and begin to decline because the destination has reached or exceeded its carrying capacity (the maximum number of people that may visit a tourist destination at the same time without causing negative consequences).
This may result in negative consequences that make the destination less attractive.
For example, the high number of tourists might result in greater littering. The destination may struggle to clean up, resulting in land and water pollution. This may put off potential tourists from coming.
Tourists' contributions to the local economy will start to stagnate.

Features of the Destination

The destination may no longer be attractive.
Tourist facilities and attractions may decline as they become old and run down.
Tourists are starting to feel that the location no longer has anything to offer them in terms of experience or interest.

Example: Hawaii, USA (1990s-2000s)

Experienced stagnation between the 1990s and the 2000s.
Tourism arrivals and expenditures began to decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Waikiki, a major tourism spot, had become very crowded, and the facilities and attractions were getting old and run down and in need of major renovations.

6. Decline Stage

Tourist Numbers: Tourist arrivals will decline significantly if no steps are taken to revive the destination.
New Destinations: Tourists now seek other new and exciting destinations.
Business Impact: Local businesses will be affected and may close.
Deterioration: Less money available to maintain and improve the facilities, resulting in further deterioration.

Tourist Arrivals and Contributions

Tourist arrivals decline significantly if no steps are taken to revive the destination.
Tourists seek other new and exciting destinations.
Tourists' contributions to the local economy will decline significantly.

Features of the Destination

Local businesses are affected and may close, negatively affecting the economy and livelihoods of the people.
There is less money available to maintain and improve the facilities, resulting in further deterioration.
This can further reduce the attractiveness of the destination, resulting in fewer tourists.
This stage may not occur for all destinations.

Example: Blackpool, UK

Was a popular tourist resort due to its coastal location with beautiful beaches.
Had many attractive features such as theme parks and light shows, which drew in large numbers of tourists.
However, in the 1990s, Blackpool lost its attractiveness due to overcrowding and competition from other European coastal locations which had more competitive pricing. Many of the attractions had become dated, which did not appeal to young people.
With fewer tourists, many old inns either deteriorated or had to shut down. Blackpool soon declined and became a destination associated with noisy nightlife.

7. Rejuvenation Stage

Revival: Tourist arrivals increase as the destination becomes more attractive again.
New Development: New facilities, amenities, infrastructure, and attractions are developed, making the destination more attractive.
Marketing Efforts: Efforts are made to advertise the revamped destination.
Economic improvement: Tourists' contributions to the local economy will increase again.

Tourist Arrivals and Contributions

Tourist arrivals increase as the destination becomes more attractive again due to the following:
- Investments and funding to develop new attractions and facilities
- Re-branding of the destination
Tourists' contributions to the local economy increase again.

Features of the Destination

New facilities, amenities, infrastructure, and attractions are developed, making the destination more attractive.
Efforts are made to advertise the revamped destination.
This stage may not occur for all destinations.

Example: Blackpool, UK (Rejuvenation Efforts)

There have been several attempts to rejuvenate Blackpool. Local authorities have engaged the private sector to invest £ $300$ million to build Blackpool Central, a world-class leisure development in Blackpool. This development aims to attract $600,000$ visitors to the destination annually.
Blackpool is also re-marketing itself as a Muslim-friendly and disabled-friendly destination. For example, it has staff trained to speak in Asian languages such as Urdu to attract Muslim families and staff trained to welcome autistic and disabled visitors.
As a result, the destination is seeing an increasing number of tourists once more.