Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
this co-operation between groups and bureaucrats can sometimes be a
good thing. But it may sometimes be a very bad thing. These groups, used
to each other's needs, may become increasingly preoccupied with each
other, insensitive to the needs of outsiders, and impervious to new
recruitment and to new ideas. Or the members of the various interest
group elites may identify more and more with each other and less and less
with the interests of the groups they represent.
(Deutsch 1970:56)
The relationship between the tourism industry and government tourism agencies
clearly raises questions about the extent to which established policy processes lead to
outcomes which are in the 'public interest' and which contribute to sustainability rather
than meeting just narrow sectoral interests. Mucciaroni (1991:474) noted that 'client
politics is typical of policies with diffuse costs and concentrated benefits. An identifiable
group benefits from a policy, but the costs are paid by everybody or at least a large part
of society'. As Hall and Jenkins (1995) argued, tourism policy is one such area,
particularly in terms of the costs of tourism promotion and marketing. However, the
implications of this situation also affect the overall sustainability of tourism and of
communities. In reviewing the tourism and collaboration literature Hall (1999) concluded
that the present focus by government tourism agencies on partnership and collaboration is
laudable.
But the linguistic niceties of partnership and collaboration need to be
challenged by focusing on who is involved in tourism planning and policy
processes and who is left out.… Unless there are attempts to provide
equity of access to all stakeholders than collaboration will be one more
approach consigned to the lexicon of tourism planning clichés.
(Hall 1999)
Therefore, the policy arguments surrounding networks and collaboration need to be
examined within broader ideas of the appropriate role of government and changing
relationships and expectations between government and communities.
DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY CO-ORDINATION
MECHANISMS
While a range of formal and informal tourism industry bodies exist in almost every
country in the world, few of these address such complex issues as sustainable
development. The support by industry groups of environmental codes is perhaps
indicative of possible directions if common needs can be agreed upon. However, for such
guidelines to be effective, it must be ensured that they do not constitute a 'lowest
common denominator' approach to development and implementation (Hall 1999).
