Tourism Planning, Development, and Social Considerations - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 352

RELATING TOURISM PLANNING TO TOURISM POLICY

The previous chapter provides an understanding of the role of tourism policy in providing a set of
guidelines for the development and promotion of a tourism destination. It also describes the structure
and content of a formal tourism policy, as well as the process of policy formulation.
Because tourism policy formulation and tourism planning are directly related to each other, it is
important to distinguish between the two, to identify their similarities and their differences in a
tourism context. Their similarities are:

1. They both deal with the future development of a tourism destination or region.

2. They both emphasize the strategic dimensions of managerial action, although planning must also

address a number of tactical concerns.

Their differences are:

1. Policy formulation is de nitely '' big picture, '' while much of planning is characterized by an

attention to detail.

2. Policy formulation is a creative, intellectual process, while planning is generally a more

constrained practical exercise.

3. Policy, particularly its visioning component, has a very long-term strategic emphasis, while

planning tends to be more restrictive in its time horizon. A one-year planning cycle is not
uncommon, although three- to five-year plans are a possibility. In contrast, destination visions
may have a 5-, 10, 50-, or even 100-year time horizon.

4. Policy formulation must allow as-yet-unseen circumstances and technologies to be considered.

In contrast, planning tends to assume current conditions and technologies, with some allowances
for predictable (i.e., evolutionary) change.

5. Policy formulation tends to emphasize a systematic determination of should be done in

long-term tourism development, while planning tends to emphasize the

'' what ''

'' how '' for the

achievement of speci c destination goals.

The reader should keep these distinctions in mind when reviewing the rest of this chapter. Although
policy formulation and planning appear to have certain commonalties, they are, in effect, quite distinct
processes. Failure to acknowledge this reality has been quite limiting in the past.
It should be noted that the de nitions and distinctions related to policy, strategy, goals, objectives,
and planning are ongoing sources of debate in the management literature. Different scholars and
managers frequently debate the exact meaning of these terminologies. Although the debate is not
inconsequential, it should not stand in the way of creative thinking or managerial action.

Integrating Policy and Planning

Although policy formulation and destination planning are different types of processes, they must
nevertheless be seen as integrated components of an ongoing process of destination management.
This need is re ected in Table 16.1. In examining Table 16.1, keep in mind that the ultimate goal of the
planning process is to identify the exact nature and timing of the speci c actions and activities that
must be carried out in efforts to ensure that all the factors that in uence destination success (see
Figure 16.1) are made as effective as possible. To reiterate, policy provides the guidelines for the
development of tourism facilities, events, and programs, while planning stipulates the details and
timing of the speci c actions/activities to develop each component, subcomponent, and element of
the R/C model of destination competitiveness/success. It is essential that both policy and planning
processes be fully integrated so as to avoid both waste and duplication.