Policy, Planning, and Development for Tourism - Case Study Example

Policy, planning, and development for tourism Introduction Planning for tourism development activities takes place at several levels. In some countries, it happens at a national level and its structures are not the same as those applied in countries tourism development planning takes place at city, region, or town level. Planning for tourism activities is substantial as it facilitates the utilization of tourism resources or assets and their development into tangible or marketable state (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:201). Therefore, before starting the planning exercise, it is essential for the concerned agents to set out a tourism development objective, which aims at discussing what the tourism plan is seeking to achieve. In the southern part of Australia, there is an island, Kangaroo Island, commonly known for its abundance in wildlife animals and tourists flock there every year for various reasons (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003:55). This paper will seek to will provide a report detailing policy, planning, and development for tourism in Kangaroo Island. Background The Kangaroo Island covers a wide area, as it is 155 kilometers long, 55 kilometers wide, and has a permanent population count of about 4,400 people. One can find the Kangaroo Island at the far end of South Australia. Additionally, 47 percent of its vegetation is natively original while 57 percent is under the protection of the National and Conservation Parks (Jack, 2005:8). Studies carried out by a number of researchers recorded that, the Kangaroo Island received many tourists in the year 2003, which amounted to 180,915 people (Brown, 2006:101). After doping some analysis, these researchers found out that 26 percent of those tourists were international visitors and that was expected to surpass 60 percent by the end of 2011 (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:207). This means that Kangaroo Island is indeed a tourist’s destination area, which does not only require a development plan, but also an implementation platform. Research Identification of stakeholders Upon giving the Kangaroo Island study a closer outlook, it emerged that kind of development found or seen in this area has come with a price. Pertinently, for it to look the way it does there must be concerted efforts from some stakeholders. As of today, the Kangaroo Island has an innovative program responsible for developing and monitoring the influence of tourism (Beeton, 2005:36). It is also responsible for ensuring sustainable tourism development in this island as currently the tourism industry is working towards setting measures responsible for maintaining a sustainable ecology. At Kangaroo Island, there are some initiatives, which include the Tourism Optimization Management Model (TOMM) responsible for ensuring sustainable development (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003:69). TOMM, which is a community-initiated program, seeks to maintain a sustainable tourism base within the Kangaroo Island as it looks into the future of this community by ensuring that Kangaroo Island remains a sustainable tourism destination even in many years to come. To ensure sustainability, planning, growth, and development within Kangaroo Island TOMM in addition to other stakeholders such as the Kangaroo Island Council, Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Board, South Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism Kangaroo Island, Kangaroo Island Development Board, the wider community, and the Kangaroo Island’s tourism businesses are collaborating to see the sustainability program work for the best (Brown, 2006:105). All these stakeholders led by TOMM are all about ensuring that tourism around the Kangaroo Island is flourishing, benefiting all the involved partners, and making returns to the environment by ensuring sustainability (George, Mair, and Reid, 2009:89). By bearing in mind that tourism activities can lead to the destruction of the very reason why tourists visit this area and the reason why residents of this area love living here; TOMM does its level best to ensure that people recognize the essence of peaceful coexistence between every agent involved with the Kangaroo Island (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:210). Discussions Nature of the stakeholders’ interests and concerns Particularly, samples of questionnaires handed down by ground researchers mentioned that, stakeholders involved with the Kangaroo Island have great concern and huge interests in ensuring the existence and success of the Kangaroo Island tourism activities, which consist of planning, development, and implementation (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003:80). The nature of the Kangaroo Island stakeholders shows that they take a big part in monitoring the social, economic, environmental, experiential, and ecological effects whether positive or negative. Information provided in the Island’s website describes the nature of investors or stakeholders at the Kangaroo Island as being passionate about the well-being of their business, animals, and that of the community members among other potential agents (Brown, 2006:109). They believe that, with concurrent planning, monitoring, and implementation of the set policies, the Kangaroo Island can be more than just a tourism destination (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:215). In addition, the stakeholders opine that set of concise policies can actually deliver the Kangaroo Island into a position of making sound decisions based on not only knowledge, but also relevant information (Beeton, 2004:56). With reference to this nature of Kangaroo Island stakeholders, it is agreeable that their interests and concerns are in line with the Kangaroo Island’s tourism development. This is so because, the information obtained from a recent survey indicated that there are many projects taking place in and around the Kangaroo Island and they all involve large sums of money (Beeton, 2005:57). According to the information, TOMM with them rest of the stakeholders involves itself in community development, social cultural activities, environmental conservation practices, economic development, experiential conditions, and marketing activities which encompasses the residents of this community (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:219). Systemically, these stakeholders conform to the development agendas of Kangaroo Island by taking part in these initiatives since they all aim at boosting the state of tourism in this area. By conserving the environment, they are maintaining the state of tourism in Kangaroo Island and involving themselves actively in socio cultural practices, they are mainly exploring other dimension capable of increasing tourist attraction activities around this area (Mak, 2008:60). Key government agencies Truthfully, without the hand of some governmental entities, doing business in Kangaroo Island will be a bit challenging mainly due to the impact of governmental support in project development and management (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003:91). The most active governmental agency that takes part in tourism policy, planning, and development on Kangaroo Island at every level is the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC). Apart from this agency, there are others, which include the Local Government, Kangaroo Island Council, Regional Development Australia, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Parks SA (George, Mair, and Reid, 2009:110). These agencies are responsible for maintaining the policies set out by the Tourism Board of Australia. They do so by monitoring, guiding, and setting the marketing, pricing, and creation of responsible tourism activities around the Kangaroo Island (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:222). Frankly, these agencies influence the policy, planning, and development of tourism around the Kangaroo Island. First, they incorporate responsible marketing practices of the Kangaroo Island and second ensuring that the entire set of legal obligations are met by the involved investors, visitors, and the general inhabitants of this place (Brown, 2006:110). Besides making Kangaroo Island a favorable and enjoyable destination for everyone, these agencies also affect the tourism policy, planning, and development on the Kangaroo Island by ensuring that the responsible body for marketing and promoting Kangaroo Island meets the required targets and does the best at its sector. This aspect involves the subject of developing strategic marketing and advertising campaigns (Jack, 2005:10). It also incorporates the matter of consolidating the public relations activities, the development of consumer initiatives, and organization of trade shows. Seemingly, these key governmental agencies also developing tourism policies around the Kangaroo Island, takes part in the promotion of events and festivals. Data collected through interviewing means revealed that these key agencies led by the Tourism Kangaroo Island (TKI) are the pivotal leaders, managers, and developers of tourism activities around Kangaroo Island (Beeton, 2005:68). With reference to the data obtained, the South Australian Tourism Commission points out that at Kangaroo Island, everyone is passionate about respect for nature and cultural venues (Dredge, 2011:77). According to the set policies, achieving the set conservation outcomes by developing a mutually beneficial collaboration between and among the partners, residents, conservatives, and tourists is always at the heart of policy makers at the Kangaroo Island (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003:102). Excellence, innovation, and design make up the development part of tourism sustainability at the Kangaroo Island since having a good content; (a story to tell) is part of the Island’s policies. Analysis Planning context at the Kangaroo Island Referring to research findings set out by certain explorers, the planning context at the Kangaroo Island takes many forms. For instance, planners and policy makers sought to ensure minimal or no emigration of youths from this community (Mak, 2008:81). Profoundly, people in this community depended highly on both tourism and agricultural activities. However, as time went by, the level of output from agriculture continued declining, a factor that made most of the energetic or active young adults start seeking other alternatives (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:226). This impact seemed to bereave the Kangaroo Island of its active work force. As such, planners came up with strategies aimed at retaining this generation, which was to introduce tourism encompassed with activities that absorbed the most number of the young generation. Statistics on Kangaroo Island show that, since the total population the Kangaroo Island is approximately 4,373, the tourism department is today able to provide employment opportunities to almost half of that population. A survey carried out in 2006 indicated that, all the respondents asked how was the state of tourism in terms of providing a sustainable job for anyone, they answered with a “very good” or “good” notion (Beeton, 2005:96). This explanation highlight that the context of tourism planning at the Kangaroo Island is favorable or sustaining. Furthermore, the planning context at the Kangaroo Island is suitable due to the idea that it aims at maintaining favorable economic conditions at all times for both investors and residents (George, Mair, and Reid, 2009:117). Ideally, the planners develop policies that are sustainable for every involved agent, which in turn keeps the overall existence conditional. Moreover, planning context at the Kangaroo Island is regulative. This is so because, as tourism started to form the better part of living for the residents of this island, the Tourism Development Strategy (TDS) for the Kangaroo Island developed a model for carrying capacity. This agency planned and developed a model for carrying capacity commonly known as the “limits for accepted change (LAC)” (Beeton, 2005:106). According to the Tourism Development Strategy (TDS) for the Kangaroo Island, development of this model was suitable for tourism in this area as it aimed at ensuring sustainable development approach to KI’s tourism growth (Dredge, 2011:93). However, as this model began receiving unwelcoming remarks from other players in the tourism industry, the Kangaroo Island planners developed another model called Tourism Optimization Management Model, which designed parameters and integrated broader approaches towards sustainable tourism by eliminating or replacing limits with policies (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003:111). Identification of relevant policies, plans, and precedents The relevant policies, plans, and precedents identified from the Kangaroo Island hydrology-planning board showed that the Kangaroo Island considers issues for development at its planning list. Of course, the aspect maintaining a sustainable economic and environmental development looms at the center of planners’ checklist as seen (Mak, 2008:89). In order to ensure there is no pollution of water resources, no increase in water run off, and the risk of erosion is minimal, Kangaroo Island planners responded by installing rainwater tanks and other water storage devices capable of avoiding or minimizing changes in flow regimes (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:228). The report brought forward by investigators at the Kangaroo Island pointed out that for the planners to maintain the land’s topsoil and its essential nutrients or control the risk of soli borne diseases, they apply relevant policies and precedents, which include limiting clearance of vegetation cover or declining any sort of site excavation (Malviya, 2005:85). Sensibly, since the planners are aware that their existence and well being as well as that of animals and residents depends sensitively on soil, vegetation, water, and topography, there are seeable precedents, policies, and plans that show efforts to increase the Island’s vegetation cover with local indigenous species (Beeton, 2005:118). They also plan and implement effective industrial practices that involve ensuring machinery hygiene and minimization of disturbance through vehicle and foot traffic. Most of the desirable responses obtained from a recent observation carried out by the Native Vegetation Council DEH highlighted that planners are acting quickly to set policies that discourage vegetation clearance and any attempts to harm the endangered species (George, Mair, and Reid, 2009:129). Key course theory The concept of sustainability revolves around using the available resources to develop and meet the current needs without necessarily having to compromise the future generation’s ability to achieve their own goals. At the Kangaroo Island, planners and policy makers use the available resources to make and implement strategies without tampering with the future generation’s ability to benefit from tourism (Mak, 2008:105). It also seeks to use the relevant agricultural wherewithal to help revive a declining sector in terms of production and output. Specifically, policy makers around the Kangaroo Island intend to keep the wildlife wild by feeding wild animals with the suitable food as opposed to human food, which is harmful to their health (George, Mair, and Reid, 2009:135). There is also the use of resources to maintain agricultural practices in order to diversify the sources of living for the current generation at the Kangaroo Island (Brown, 2006:113). Conclusion In conclusion, the aspect of tourism policy, planning, and development incorporates dynamic processes characterized by complicated interactions suggested by competing interests. Despite knowing that the Kangaroo Island has potential for further development, there is a need for concern and intensification for community interests in order to avoid tourism industry interests from outweighing those of the residents (Dredge, 2011:118). While TOMM tries to offer good management policies for stakeholders, it is recommendable that there should be policies and plans, which are decisive and consider the security as well as the well-being of the community residents and the environment (Miller and Twining-Ward, 2005:231). Bibliography Beeton, S. 2004. Film-induced tourism. Clevedon: Channel View Publ. Beeton, S. 2005. The case study in tourism research: a multi-method case study approach in B W Ritchie, P Burns & C Palmer, Eds. 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Tourism Optimization Management Model, in Monitoring for a sustainable tourism transition: The challenge of developing and using indicators. Wallingford: CABI Pub. Ritchie, J. R. B., and Crouch, G. I. 2003. The competitive destination: a sustainable tourism perspective. Oxon: CABI Pub. Read More