Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
given point in time. Otherwise, tourism risks being undermined and weakened. Consequently, it may
miss a critical market opportunity or may fail to establish an innovative alliance or partnership. All
too often, tourism's lack of sophistication and preparedness has resulted in government decisions
and policies that signi
cantly weaken its ability to compete, or to do so more pro
tably. In certain
cases, the tourism sector has never been aware of the extent to which it has been disadvantaged by
its naïvete or by a failure to proactively and adequately prepare its case. This can be particularly
disastrous in public forums where both the issue at hand and the industry
'
s long-term credibility
can be lost.
The Multidisciplinary Nature
of Tourism and Tourism Policy
As explained in Chapter 1, tourism is, by its very nature, a multidisciplinary phenomenon (see
Figure 1.3). The tourism experience is impacted by a range of economic, psychological, societal,
technological, legal, and political forces.
4,5
It follows that, in order to formulate policies that
accommodate or address these multiple forces, those involved must appreciate the complexities
of each discipline and their interactions in any given situation. The disciplines of psychology,
economics, sociology, and law are but some of the disciplines that can enhance our understanding
of international marketing. The environmental sciences, political science, and the behavioral sciences
are essential to the formulation of national park policy that de
nes the levels and types of tourism that
are appropriate and desirable.
Essential Characteristics of Tourism Policy
In addition to the
multidisciplinary nature of tourism policy
, it also possesses nine other essential
characteristics:
1.
It must focus on macrolevel policies
that is, be concerned with societal views of the direction
that tourism development should take at the subnational, national, and even transnational
level.
—
2.
It must be designed to formulate policies having a long-term perspective.
3.
It must concentrate on how critical and limited resources can best respond to perceived needs
and opportunities in a changing environment.
4.
It must recognize the intellectual nature of the process of policy formulation. Thus, it must
incorporate tacit knowledge and personal experience as important sources of information, in
addition to more conventional methods of research and study.
5.
It must encourage and stimulate organized creativity so as to avoid policies based on stereotyped
or outmoded perceptions.
6.
It must be constructed to permit and facilitate a continuing dynamic social process requiring
inputs from multiple sources.
7.
It must break down the traditional boundaries between industry sectors in tourism.
8.
It must relate policies of the tourism subsystem to those of the total socioeconomic system of a
nation or region of which it is a part.
9.
It must acknowledge the destination roles of both competition and cooperation and seek to
identify situations where each is appropriate. The judicious application of either or both in
tourism policy has given rise to use of the term
.
6
coopetition
Search WWH ::
Custom Search