Chapter 1:

Tourism Planning

Basic Concepts, Approaches and

Techniques

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Learning Objectives:Learning Objectives:

Define planning

Understand the need for tourism planning

Describe the tourism planning approaches and techniques

Explain the different levels of tourism planning

At the end of this chapter, you are expected to:

Be acquainted with the types of tourism planning

Discuss the process for tourism planning

Explain the major elements in planning a tourist destination

Describe the stages of tourism development

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Planning is the process of setting goals, selecting alternative courses or action to achieve those goals, implementing the chosen alternative and evaluating

the choices to find out if it is successful.

Planning is the key to the success of any activity.

Meaning of PlanningMeaning of Planning

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• In tourism, success is neither guaranteed nor permanent.

• Many areas have experienced tourism cycles which start with few rich visitors, proceed through a series of expansion programs, attain saturation, then go into decline.

• If an eventual decline is to be avoided, responsible planning and management are essential.

The Need for Tourism PlanningThe Need for Tourism Planning

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Many success stories describe tourist destinations which have undergone through planning supported by

strong commitments for their attainment.

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“Planning, Commitment and Management are principal elements in determining the decline or

success of a tourist destination.”

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A tourism plan and development program can provide guidelines for areas in which government and the

private sectors have little or no experience on how to develop these areas.

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Since tourism is a complex, multisectoral activity, a tourism plan is necessary to coordinate the different

sectors to better service the needs of tourism and the general public.

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Through an integrated tourism plan, the various direct and indirect economic benefits of tourism can be

achieved.

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A responsible tourism plan is a means to attain environmental conservation objectives through the

development of tourist attractions, facilities, and infrastructure.

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A careful tourism plan is a means to achieve cultural conservation objectives and produce sociocultural

benefits.

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A good tourism plan is a means in which the natural and cultural resources for tourism are maintained, not

destroyed, in the development process.

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The right type of tourism plan can be used to invigorate poorly developed tourism destinations.

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Careful planning is necessary to develop specialized training facilities for the education and training for

particular manpower skills and abilities.

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1. Systems Approach

2. Comprehensive Approach

3. Integrated Approach

4. Environmental and Sustainable Approach

5. Community Approach

6. Implementable Approach

7. Systematic Approach

Tourism Planning Approaches and TechniquesTourism Planning Approaches and Techniques

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1. SYSTEMS APPROACH

Requires that adequate information about the system is available to understand and analyze it.

Computer technology is needed to collect and analyze this data.

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2. COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH

All aspects of tourism development are analyzed and planned on a broad scope.

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3. INTEGRATED APPROACH

Tourism is planned and developed as an integrated system within itself and integrated into the overall plan and development pattern of the area.

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4. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

Tourism is planned, developed and managed in such a way that the natural and cultural resources are not used up so that they are available for continuous and permanent use in the future.

Carrying capacity analysis is an important technique used in the environmental and sustainable approach.

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5. COMMUNITY APPROACH

Planning is for the residents of the area. The local residents should be given the opportunity to participate in the planning of their community’s future development and express their opinion on the type of community they want to live in.

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6. IMPLEMENTABLE APPROACH

Tourism plan, policies and recommendations are expressed in a practical and achievable manner.

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6. SYSTEMATIC APPROACH

Tourism planning is based on an orderly arrangement of activities.

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1. International Planning

2. National Planning

3. Regional Planning

4. Subregional Planning

Levels of Tourism PlanningLevels of Tourism Planning

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International Planning• Involves:

– International transportation services;– The movement and scheduling of the tours of tourists

among different countries;– The development of major tourist attractions and facilities in

neighboring countries as well as the working strategies and promotional programs of the many countries.

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• Usually takes place through:– World Tourism Organization (WTO) and its regional commissions;

– International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO);

– International Air Transport Association (IATA);

– Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

– Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)

– Tourism Council of the South Pacific (TCSP)

– Sub-Committee on Tourism (SCOT) of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

– Tourism Coordination Unit (TCU) of the Southeast Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC); and the

– Tourism Committee of the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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National Planning• Concerned with the following components:

– Tourism policy

– Infrastructure facilities

– A physical structure plan which includes important tourist attractions, selected tourism development regions, international entry points, facilities, and services

– The amount, kinds, and quality of accommodation and other required tourist facilities and services

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– The important tour routes in the country and their regional connections

– Tourism organizational entities, laws, and investment policies

– Tourism marketing strategies and promotion

– Education and training programs

– Design standards and facility development

– Environmental, economic, and socio-cultural analyses

– National level implementation methods including the short-term development plan and project scheduling.

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Regional Planning

• The regional level of tourism planning is for one region of a country, usually a state or province or an island.

• It is often devised within the framework of an existing national policy.

• The regional level of tourism planning is more specific than the national planning level.

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• Emphasizes the following:– Regional policy– Regional entry points and transportation facilities and

services– Kinds of tourist attractions and their locations– The amount, kinds, and location of tourist accommodation

and other tourist facilities, and services– Location of tourist development areas including resort

areas.

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– Socio-cultural, environmental, economic, and impact analyses

– Education and training programs on the regional level– Marketing techniques and promotion– Organizational establishments, laws, regulations, and

investment policies– Implementation methods which include project plans and

regional zoning regulations.

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Subregional Planning• There is a need for subregional planning in some countries or regions.

• This level of planning is more specific than the regional level. However, it is not as detailed as the resort land use planning.

• The elements of the subregional plan usually include tourist attractions, location of accommodation and other tourist facilities and services, entry points to the sub region, transportation facilities, and infrastructure.

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• Land Use Planning

• Facility Site Planning

• Facility Design

• Special Studies

Types of Tourism PlanningTypes of Tourism Planning

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Land Use Planning

Tourist development areas selected as tourist resorts, resort towns, tourist attractions, and urban tourism

impose land use plans.

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This level of planning is more detailed and shows the specific areas for hotels, and other types of accommodation, retail

shops, recreation, parks, roads, walkways, airport, railway line and station, water supply, electric power, sewage, solid and

waste disposal and telecommunications.

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These plans include prefeasibility and feasibility studies, evaluation of environmental and socio-cultural influences, and

development planning.

Zoning regulations, architectural landscaping and engineering design standards, are often prepared for this type of planning.

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Facility Site Planning

Site planning is planning for individual buildings such as hotels, commercial centers, and visitor facilities.

The actual location of buildings, recreation areas, streets, walkways, parking, landscaping areas, and other land uses are

shown min maps.

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Facility DesignDesigns for landscaping, architecture, infrastructure, and

engineering must be prepared for resorts, hotels, restaurants, attractions, archaeological and historic sites, information and cultural centers, visitor facilities at national parks and other

tourist facilities.

These designs may be based on good international standards.

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Special StudiesSpecial studies on tourism are often undertaken based on the

needs of the area.

These studies pertain to environmental, socio-cultural, economic impact analyses, marketing analysis and promotion programs.

Special planning studies can also be done on specific types of tourism development such as health and youth tourism.

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Ten (10) step structural process:1. Acquire understanding

2. Preliminary position statement

3. Commitment for tourism study

4. Market and resources analysis

5. Conceptual planning

6. Plan approval

7. Master planning

8. Final Commitment

9. Staged implementation program

10.Evaluation and direction

Process for Tourism PlanningProcess for Tourism Planning

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Acquire Understanding

• The first step in tourism planning is education.

• Persons who will make the most significant decision must acquire the understanding necessary to portray a framework for their decisions.

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• This will involve securing the services of lecturers or consultants for a series of presentations.

• It could also involve field trips to areas where tourism planning and development have already taken place.

• Face-to-face contact should take place between decision makers in an area, resort, or attraction.

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Preliminary Position Statement• The responsible group should develop a formal statement of

interest.

• This would show the objectives they would like to obtain and the result they wish to achieve.

• Also important are formal statements regarding restrictions on tourism development.

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• The objectives and constraints can be stated in a general manner but it is important that they are written on paper and made known to all parties who will be involved.

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Commitment for Tourism Study• There should be an intensive study which establishes

feasibility and serves as a basis for actual development.

• The importance of this commitment is based on the fact that there is a tendency to shorten and minimize this activity and its importance. Such tendency should be controlled and suppressed.

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Market and Resources Analysis

• This activity gathers and correlates data on the overall size of the destination or prospective market and the share that market is expected to gain.

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• This activity also determines what percentage of the total market any destination will attract such as:

– Cultural

– Environmental

– Recreational

– Guest facilities

– Transportation (to and within the destination area)

– Support industries

– Land availability

– Availability of appropriate labor

– Capital

– Government attitudes

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• This survey will show the degree to which an area will attract a part of the total number of tourists travelling within its region and it’s ability to compete for a share of existing and projected markets.

• This body of information will serve as the basis for a major investment decision.

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• In market analysis, data on travel statistics, airline routes, fare structures and other related reports are needed.

• Other data such as detailed review of the resources in the prospective destination, surveys of travel origins, markets, as well as the willingness of airlines to extend their routes are required.

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• This activity involves a number of temporary conclusions which are needed in a market forecast. The market forecast in the final product of their activity.

• Examples of interim conclusions are:– The total possibility of travel to the geographic area is or is not

large enough to support the development of a tourism industry.

– Travel routes are or not adequate to support the development of tourism

– The local culture in the area will or will not be able to attract tourists

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Conceptual Planning• This activity uses the results of the market forecast to establish

the image and identification for the project area.

• This is done at an overall, comprehensive but not-technical level.

• This involves general description of what the area should look like and how it will function after development has taken place.

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• Conceptual planning includes definite statements of objectives and policies for the proposed tourism project. These deal separately with the following facts:– The theme or character of the tourism project

– The major resources to be developed

– Environmental, social, and cultural aims and restrictions

– Economic targets and returns

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• This activity also deals with the selection of areas appropriate for tourism development, requirements for guest facilities, tourist attractions, land-use, policies, architectural themes, patterns of tourist movements, investment policies, education and training policies, government policies, checklist of necessary legislation.

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• Conceptual planning gives general estimates of benefits and costs which will be the basis for a major decision on whether to proceed with the expensive, detailed master plan or to modify, redirect or cancel it.

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Plan Approval• This is a recognition of the necessity of the plan. After a

thorough review of the conceptual plan, the responsible decision makers should make a decision on whether the tourism planning process should proceed to the master plan.

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Master Planning• Master planning involves expenses of time and money which

are 5 to 10 more expensive than the previous activities.

• The reason for this is because a master plan is more details and frequent changes take place because of the nature of cooperation required between the private and public sectors.

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• Areas which are detailed in a master plan are:– Performing an in-depth marketing study– Designation and extent of land uses for tourism– Planning infrastructure facilities including roads, airports,

walkways, drainage, sewage, water, power and other utilities.– Selection of sites for tourist facilities including their sizes and

boundaries– Establishment of architectural designs and standards– Drawing master, overall landscape plans– Establishment of zoning and other land-use regulations

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• Schedules or time requirements for the development of tourist facilities

• Economic analysis and financial programming including cost-benefit analyses

• Drafting investment codes, regulations, and necessary legislation

• Personnel development programs which include inventories of available skills, management and labor requirements for the area as well as recruiting and training programs.

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Final Commitment• After the completion of a master plan, many commitments are

needed.

• The government must pledge legislation policies, funds and programs to encourage tourism.

• Bankers and other investors must pledge money.

• Private and public sector agencies must pledge the building of hotels and other facilities.

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• Final commitment must be closely coordinated.

• Failure to secure commitment within any sector will result in failure.

• Commitment must be unchangeable to avoid unfavorable results.

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Staged Implementation Program• Implementation activities fill the gap between accepted

development plans and the creation of an operational, integrated tourism industry.

• The different elements must be coordinated.

• Continuous planning is needed because tourism and its elements tend to be dynamic.

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Evaluation and Direction• Established operations must be monitored to assure

continuing quality of services and operating success.

• Mechanisms must be established to provide continuous feedback on tourism volumes and levels of satisfaction provided.

• Such programs will prevent the decline of resorts, attractions, or destinations.

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The major elements in planning a tourist destination are:

1. Market analysis

2. Assessment of available resourcesa. Visitor attractions

b. Culture

c. Infrastructure and superstructure

d. Transportation

e. Support services

f. Visitor accommodations

3. Marketing

4. Economic and financial analysis

5. Environment

6. Social impact

Major Elements in Planning a Tourism DestinationMajor Elements in Planning a Tourism Destination

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• Other elements such as state and country planning and zoning regulations, financing packages for destinations and resorts and construction documents are often included in a comprehensive master plan.

Types and Quality of Facilities and Services

Market Analysis

Available Resources and Labor Capital

Infrastructure

Transportation

Superstructure

Economic and Financial Analysis

Comprehensive Master Plan

Historic and Environmental

Constraints

State and Country Planning and

Zoning Regulations

Environmental and Social Impact Statements

Financing Package

Construction Documents

Construction Starts

Elements involved in developing a destination

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Marketing Analysis

• Market analysis requires a thorough study of past and present trends, traveler profiles, traveler performances and habits, market position, and destination images.

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Assessment of Available Resourcesa. VISITOR ATTRACTIONS – the success of a destination depends

not only on its power to attract visitors but also on its ability to maintain them. Destination planning must look at existing attractions plus the possibility of building new ones such as marinas, theme parks, and others.

b. CULTURE – destination planning encourages the inclusion of cultural heritage in tourism. Native customs, dance, rituals, foods, crafts, ceremonies, traditional architecture should be included in tourism planning to enable a new destination to preserve its native culture instead of lessening its value.

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c. MANPOWER – in destination planning, an adequately trained labor force is required. Tourism as an industry, is not only people oriented but also people dependent. A pleasant experience for visitors is an important factor for the success of a tourism destination. Appropriate training and development are necessary in two specific areas of employee qualification namely: attitudinal and technical. It may be necessary to establish hotel and tourism schools and provide scholarships for some students to study abroad.

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d. INFRASTRUCTURE and SUPERSTRUCTURE – this term infrastructure refers to all underground and surface construction of a region. It includes water supply, electric lines, sewage and drainage systems, roads and highways, communication and other related services. Superstructure are the facilities and services that are above the ground such as hotels, resorts, restaurants, shopping centers, airports buildings, museums, stores and similar structures.

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• The infrastructure comes before the superstructure. The lack of an adequate infrastructure often hinders the development and growth of a tourism destination. A country may have beautiful beaches but these are worthless if they are not connected to major markets by roads or air facilities.

• They are also valueless if adequate water, electricity and sewage facilities are not available. The development of infrastructure facilities are generally a government responsibility. Developing nations may seek assistance from international agencies such as the United Nations Development Bank in order to develop their infrastructure.

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e. TRANSPORTATION – a study of the present and future transportation needs such as air, highways, rail, and water is necessary in the movement of passengers and goods. This information can help the government in planning the expansion of air routes, assessing traffic patterns between terminals and destinations and measuring the effect of congestion in major tourist attractions, historical sites, parks and beaches.

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f. SUPPORT SERVICES – they include services such as maintenance and repair facilities, police protection, fire protection, retail shops, sports facilities, gaming, festivals, pharmacies, handicraft facilities, bookstores, department stores, art galleries, museums and others.

Problems will arise if any of these services is not available. It is important to plan these services can be provided.

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g. ACCOMMODATION – accommodation facilities are the places where tourists stop being travelers and become guests. These are also places where tourists spend most of their time and money. Thus, planning for accommodation is very important to the success of a tourist destination. A careful analysis of visitor accommodations can help government officials in making decisions such as rezoning, acquisitions of property, release of public property for other uses, invitations for private capital investment.

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Marketing

• Marketing is the process of selecting a target, choosing strategies to reach the market, establishing objectives, coordinating the efforts of those involved in promoting the destination and evaluating successes and failures.

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Economic and Financial Analysis

• It involves a careful analysis of economic conditions and financial requirements such as feasibility studies, cash flow, available capital and interest rates. On the international level, economic analysis also includes balance of trade from inbound and outbound tourism.

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Social Impact

• Developers of a tourist destination should consider the effect of tourist growth on the local population. Too much contact between the resident population and visitors can lead to internal trouble. This is the reason why many countries plan and develop resort areas away from population centers to avoid congestion and to be able to distribute tourism resources over a wide area.

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• The product life cycle characterizes the stages of destination development.

• This theory includes four stages of the product development from inception to growth to maturity and finally to decline.

Stages of Destination DevelopmentStages of Destination Development

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• These stages are the following:– I. Inception – discovery– II. Growth – local response and initiative– III. Maturity – institutionalization– IV. Decline – saturation and alienation

• A knowledge of these four stages will make the planner to avoid problems related to mass development and ensure the continuous success of a tourist destination.

Visitor Arrivals

Time

Inception

Growth

Maturity

Decline

Rejuvenation

Hypothetical Evolution of a Tourist Area

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Stage I – INCEPTION - Discovery

• During this stage of development, a few adventurous tourist visit the area. These are the allocentric type of tourists. Some of them decide to stay in the area and become expatriates. These expatriates establish restaurants, guest residences, souvenir shops and tour services. Their business usually succeed because they offer services that are more modern, more sanitary and more reliable than those offered by the local population. These are the reasons why a greater number of allocentrics are encouraged to visit the destination.

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• During stage I, tourists are generally welcomed by the residents. There is a great amount of interpersonal contact between the tourists and the residents.

• The tourists adjust to the local environment and the people.

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Stage II – GROWTH – Local Response and Initiative

• For stage II, the number of tourists increases. The area has developed a good reputation by word of mouth. Although tourism is growing, the facilities and services are owned and controlled by the residents.

• There is a lack of standardization of facilities. Tourism development is uncoordinated and spontaneous instead of planned. Tourist continue to adapt the local culture. However, these are signs that the tourist industry is beginning to adapt to the needs of the tourist. Motorboats replace manually propelled boats. Increase attention is given to sanitation and visitor comfort.

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• The increased interaction between tourist and residents result in a desire of residents for better education, increased awareness of the outside world, trend toward equality, and a change of traditional lifestyles.

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Stage III – MATURITY - Institutionalization

• Maturity is characterized by the increase in the number of tourists and the formalization of services, itineraries, and roles. There is a loss of local decision-making and control in the tourist industry.

• Many hotels, airlines and other services are associated with international corporations who make corporate decisions from offices outside the country. Hence, the local population are economically dependent on individuals or corporations who do not reside in the area and yet own and control many tourist services. This creates a feeling that outsiders have taken control.

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• During the Maturity – Institutionalization stage facilities and procedures are standardized which results in greater efficiency. The diets of the local residents improve because they are exposed to new foods. Native crafts are revived since they are in demand by the tourists. The increased production of native crafts generates more income for the resident population.

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Stage IV – DECLINE – Saturation and Alienation

• In the final stage, the destination has become saturated. The residents have become disillusioned because tourism has not produce at all the benefits they expected. For the visitors, the factors that were responsible for the earlier success of the destination, such as the hospitality of the residents, the clean and uncongested environment, and the appeal of the new destination have disappeared so the tourists begin to look for other unaltered destinations.

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• A destination is not expected to pas through all these four stages. Some do not move beyond stage I. There are destinations that move directly from Stage I to Stage III as in the case of Guam and Fiji.

• Even in the decline stage, measures can be taken to rejuvinate a declining destination. An example of this is the repositioning of Miami, Florida as a gateway city to and from Latin America.

End of Chapter 1