Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Regional Tourist Boards in England, 4 Regional Tourism
Partnerships (RTPs) in Wales, 14 RTBs in Scotland and
5 Regional Tourism Organisations in Northern Ireland
(under review). At the time of writing (July 2010) the
UK government is planning to replace RDAs with Local
Enterprise Partnerships.
Activity 12.6
Gather some information on the roles and objectives
of the private, public and voluntary sector agents
of tourism development in your own local area, or a
nearby tourist area.
Conservation organisations
This activity is designed to provide evidence for P2.
The work of public sector organisations involved in
conservation often links with tourism development,
for example in protected areas such as National Parks,
national museums and historic houses. English Heritage
is a publicly-funded organisation that conserves historic
places and encourages access and education.
FOCUS ON INDUSTRY
YOUTH HOSTELS ASSOCIATION (YHA)
Voluntary sector agents
The YHA is one of the UK's leading voluntary
organisations serving the needs of young people
and a major contributor to Britain's tourism earnings
(current annual turnover is in excess of £39 million).
The YHA has approximately 220,000 members across
all age groups and works hard to maintain its original
aim to
'promote love, care and understanding of the
countryside in principle and in practice'
. The charity
operates more than 200 Youth Hostels spanning
major cities and rural locations, recording over 1.8
million overnight stays each year.
Not all travel and tourism facilities and services
are provided solely by private and public sector
organisations. A third important source of provision,
the voluntary sector, also plays an important part
in tourism development. The voluntary sector
(sometimes referred to as the not-for-profi t sector)
includes community groups, charities, trusts and
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in
conservation/environmental protection, community
activities, sustainable tourism, heritage management,
minority groups and youth organisations.
Voluntary organisations vary enormously in their size
and aims. At one end of the scale, a small group of
like-minded people may decide to form a community
tourism association to develop and promote an area. At
the other end we have large organisations such as the
National Trust and the Youth Hostels Association (YHA).
Pressure groups play an important part in highlighting
issues and campaigning for change (see the case
study on Tourism Concern on page 366). Voluntary
organisations at local, national and international level
often receive advice and fi nancial help from both the
public and private sector, sometimes in the form of
grants or sponsorship.
Weblink
Check out this website for more
information on the YHA.
www.yha.org.uk
The following case study highlights the work of
Tourism Concern, one of the UK's leading campaigning
organisations in the fi eld of responsible tourism
development.
