Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INTRODUCTION
T
This chapter addresses an important dimension of tourism—one that is being increasingly
recognized for the impact it can have on the long-term success of a tourism destination.
Although the concept of
has been around for some time, the need for high-level
strategic planning involving the explicit de
nition of major policies re
ecting an ongoing consensus
among all the stakeholders within a tourism destination is the outgrowth of social changes in which all
citizens are demanding a greater level of participation in the formulation of policies and programs and
in development that affects their daily lives.
Tourism has not escaped the pressure of this social change. As a consequence, this chapter plays
several important roles in enhancing our understanding of tourism in future years. It also discusses two
other global forces that all tourism destinations must now face: (1) the growing competition from both
established and emerging destinations, and (2) the pressure to maintain the ecological integrity of
regions affected by tourism. These two pressures together have led to the overall need to strive to
build
''
master planning
''
(see Figure 15.1).
The impacts of September 11, 2001, the disasters in New Orleans (Katrina, 2005 and the oil
spill of 2011), as well as the subsequent earthquakes in Haiti, New Zealand, and Japan (2011),
illustrate the underlying signi
cance to tourism of carefully formulating effective policies well in
advance of unanticipated events. They also demonstrate the high degree of interdependence
between tourism policy and a broad range of national and local policies. Some of the most obvious
examples include policies regarding airline security, immigration and visitation, money laundering,
and emergency health procedures. An area that has been neglected in the past may now receive
greater attention.
The chapter starts by de
ning tourism policy and its overall purpose. It then demonstrates the
broad scope of stakeholders who are affected by tourism policy, whether good or bad. Subsequent
discussion focuses on the speci
c functions of tourism policy and describes the many areas that must
be addressed by a comprehensive tourism policy.
competitive
and
sustainable destinations
TOURISM POLICY: A DEFINITION
Tourism policy
can be de
ned as a set of regulations, rules, guidelines, directives, and development/
promotion objectives and strategies that provide a framework within which the collective and
The Competitive/
Sustainable
Destination
Tourism Policy
Structure and
Content
The Policy
Formulation
Process
Policy
Formulation
Methods
Figure 15.1
The competitive/
sustainable tourist destination: A
managerial framework.
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