Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
State governments are an important seat of tourism policy formation. Shown here is the state capitol
building in Richmond, Virginia.
PhotocourtesyofWashington,D.C.,andtheCapitalRegion.
total system policies
that provides much of the basis upon which to derive the tourism philosophy of
the destination region in question.
Tourism Philosophy
An explicit tourism philosophy is an essential foundation on which to develop a coherent policy. In
general, a philosophy may be de
ned as a system for guiding life
—
a body of principles of conduct,
beliefs, or traditions
or the broad general principles of a particular subject or
field of activity.
Adapting this general de
nition for present purposes, a tourism philosophy may be de
ned as a
general principle or set of principles that indicates the beliefs and values of members of a society
concerning how tourism shall serve the population of a country or region, and that acts as a guide for
evaluating the utility of tourism-related activities.
It is important to stress the critical role that the values of destination residents exert in determining
the context of tourism policy. In effect, the values of residents provide the foundation on which the
policy and its various components rest. In the end, tourism policies that do not re
ect the values of the
destination stakeholders, or hosts, will inevitably fail to gain ongoing popular or political support.
Policies that do not maintain long-term political support are doomed to failure.
The philosophical distinction sometimes made between value-driven and market-driven destina-
tions, while conceptually appealing, is, in practice, somewhat ambiguous. No destination can be
competitive unless it succeeds in appealing to pro
table segments of the market over the long term.
By the same token, no destination can be sustainable unless, while it generates economic rewards, it
also succeeds in maintaining the value-driven legitimacy required by a democratic society.
—
The Destination Vision
Although a tourism philosophy sets out the overall nature of tourism in a destination, it is the
destination vision
that provides the more functional and more inspirational portrait of the ideal
future that the destination hopes to bring about in some de
ned future (usually 5, 10, 20, or 50 years).
Search WWH ::
Custom Search